SULPHUR SPRINGS — Four towns in Benton County have agreed to host town-hall-style meetings starting at the end of July through mid-August, said Benton County Communications director Channing Barker.
Benton County Judge Barry Moehring's news release lists the four towns, starting with Gentry on July 24, and ending in Garfield on August 21. Between those meetings, one is scheduled at Sulphur Springs on July 31, and Rogers on August 7.
Barker scheduled the meeting to be held in Sulphur Springs at the Shiloh Community Center, on property recently acquired by Rep. Kim Hendren of Gravette. This same property is the original site of two of the county's historically significant hotels, one known as the Kihlburg Hotel, built in the early 1900s, and the other across the street known as the Livingston Hotel.
Previously, Shiloh Farms, Inc., owned the property that was also the first site in Arkansas of John Brown University, before the minister moved his school to Siloam Springs. The Kihlberg has also played host as headquarters to the Wycliffe Bible Translators during the 1950s and early 1960s.
In the late 1950s, the Wycliffe group helped to organize an important camp meeting for the Rev. Billy Graham in the Sulphur Springs Park, located in the valley below the property's event center.
On this site, Rep. Hendren said he plans to open his Christian-based events center around the historical value of two of the most historically significant buildings in Benton County. When built, the five-story-tall Kihlberg Hotel was the largest in the county and rivaled similar hotels in Little Rock and Fort Smith.
Hendren gave a working name to his project. He referred to it as the Shiloh Events Center during a recent city planning commission meeting.
Judge Moehring said that he "hopes to have a dialogue with those in attendance and get feedback on current projects. More so, this is an opportunity for [our] citizens to see and hear our plans for the back half of this year."
The Judge's plans include updating Benton County residents on current road projects, public safety initiatives and infrastructure projects within the county, he said, also, to gain feedback from the community to allow the county government officials to better serve their constituents.
"These meetings are a great opportunity for Benton County citizens to meet elected officials, and for them to ask questions in a town-hall setting," said Barker.
She added that these county-wide elected officials "strive to serve our community" and that "these meetings are proof of their dedication."
Doors will open at 6 p.m. so attendees will have time to preview road condition maps, learn more about public safety and hear about upcoming projects, Barker said. It will end at 8 p.m., after the county's constituents have their chance to speak and ask questions of their elected officials during a question and answer forum.
For further information, contact communications director Channing Barker at 479-721-3364 or by email at [email protected].
General News on 07/26/2017