New department heads announced at hospital

By Shelly Moran

SILOAM SPRINGS ó Penny McClain, chief executive officer at Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital, recently announced that Barbara Wesner, Maria Wleklinskai, Shirley VanVliet and Danette Cripps were made department heads at the facility. Wesner is now the employee health nurse and hospital educator. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and became a registered nurse in 1978. In 2007 she received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Florida Hospital College of Health and Sciences. Wesner began her nursing career at SSMH, where she worked from 1969-1988 as the hospitalís charge nurse in the medical surgical department and in the emergency room. From 1987-1991, she worked as a clinic nurse for Dr. Dan Springer at the Siloam Springs Medical Center, and from 1991 to 1995 as nursing director of Medical Home Health, Sallisaw, Okla. She was employed as nursing director for the Tyson Springdale Complex from 1995 to 2000, and the next two years as home health director for SSMH. When the hospitalís home heal - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Judge-elect Bisbee plans to learn ins and outs before taking office

By Tabatha Hunter tabathah@nwanews.com

BENTON COUNTY ó In an attempt to hit the ground running when he takes office in January, County Judge-elect Dave Bisbee visited with several county employees last week to learn everything he can before being sworn in. To help Bisbee get ready for his new post as county judge, current County Judge Gary Black said he has opened up the County Administration Building to Bisbee. ìA badge to get in and out of the facility has been offered to him to give him the run of the building so he can go and visit anytime he likes,î Black said. Itís an invitation that will not be lost on Bisbee, who says he plans on spending as much time as he can at the County Administration Building, learning the ins and outs of the way the county government works, all before he officially takes office in January. ìI believe in trying to do a good job, and you have got to know what you are doing if you are going to do a good job, so I am going to be talking to the (current) judge a lot and to the county staff a lot and to the department hea - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

County offices to close half hour earlier

By Tabatha Hunter tabathah@nwanews.com

BENTON COUNTYó As of Nov. 24, all county offices will close at 4:30 p.m. rather than 5 p.m., County Judge Gary Black said. There are multiple reasons behind the countyís decision to begin closing its offices 30 minutes earlier. The change in hours may come as a shock to some because Black changed the closing hour from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. when he entered office in 2001. ìWhen I first came into the office, I always worked until 5 p.m., î Black said. ìThat was just the way I was brought up. In the eight years since I have been in office, I have grown a little bit, and so has the county.î The decision to close offices earlier comes after months of discussions with other elected officials and because more services than ever are now being offered through the county Web site at www.co.benton.ar.us. ìYou can assess online, pay your taxes online and look up your property value online. We now have a Web site, which we did not when I came on board, and more information is available through the Web site,î Black said. The - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Projects on hold until economy improves

By Tabatha Hunter tabathah@nwanews.com

BENTONVILLE ó Benton County desperately needs a new juvenile detention center and more space in the county jail, but capital projects will have to wait until the economy starts to look up again. ìWe have got some money in the bank, but keep in mind we have got demands for capital projects, and it can be gone in a second if we are not careful,î Justice of the Peace Tim Summers warned members of the countyís Committee of 13 early last week. ìI do not think that it would be appropriate for us to continue with vast expenditures that are not emergencies, even though we sorely need it,î Justice Bob Stephenson said. ìPrecaution should control our process.î There is currently just more than $1 million earmarked for Sheriff Keith Fergusonís proposed jail annex. That money will stay in the countyís budget until the justices decide whether to build the additional jail space. - Wednesday, November 19, 2008