Hardy News

Local author Christine Lynxwiler and sisters, Jan Reynolds and Sandy Gaskins, will be at Words Bookstore Nov.

By Amy Upshaw LITTLE ROCK — Pat and Billy Mann will finally recoup the money they paid fugitive developer Wayne Watkins for land he didn’t really own.

The Arkansas Real Estate Commission awarded the family $11,495.25 on Tuesday, marking the latest step in the Manns’ three-year fight to recover money they felt Watkins stole from them.

“I’m so thankful this is over, and I feel for the people who haven’t accomplished this yet,” Pat Mann said after a commission hearing.

The commission also revoked Watkins’ real estate license and fined him $3,000 - the maximum under law - for accepting the Manns’ money and giving them a fraudulent deed.

The Manns are among an unknown number of people who lost money to Watkins. They are the first of his customers to gain a hearing before the com-mission. Only one other family has requested a hearing, though more than two dozen have complained about Watkins to the attorney general’s office.

The Hardy City Council voted unanimously to cut off the water supply to Biggers Bluff due to an outstanding debt.

The U.S. unemployment rate shot to a 14-1/2 year high last month as employers slashed jobs by an unexpectedly steep 240,000, suggesting President-elect Barack Obama will face a deep recession when he takes ...

Some residents along Spring River seem to have a problem. They live along a river, but can't seem to get any water to their homes.

The city of Hardy shut off water Tuesday morning to Biggers Bluff Corp., a real-estate company started by fugitive Sharp County developer Wayne Watkins and now managed by one of his associates.

The result: dry faucets in 20 homes and a business and at up to 1, 000 campsites along the Spring River.

Biggers Bluff operator Clifton Johnson, Watkins and two others are co-defendants in a lawsuit filed by the attorney general in June alleging that the four violated Arkansas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Johnson, who has been supplying Hardy water to his customers for years, stopped making regular payments to Hardy two years ago.

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Don_n_Michigan said in the Hardy Forum:

Click on link below,and tell me how many of you can do this???I can haha Best one I ever put on here.. http://amazingacts.blogspot.com:80/2008/07/dont-try-this-at-home.html

Don_n_Michigan said in the Hardy Forum:

Tell me women are not smart...If you can not laugh about these short jokes,you must live alone.. WIFE VS. HUSBAND A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, 'Relatives of yours?' 'Yep,' the wife replied, 'in-laws.' A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, 'The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men.. The husband then turned to his wife and asked, 'What?' CREATION A man said to his wife one day, 'I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time. 'The wife responded, 'Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you ! WOMEN'S REVENGE 'Cash, check or charge?' I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase. As she fumbled for her wallet , I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse. 'So, do you always carry your TV remote?' I asked. 'No,' she replied, 'but my husband refused to come shopping with me, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally.' Today is the best day of your life,so smile. Don

LITTLE ROCK — Associates of fugitive developer Wayne Watkins have begun filing responses to a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Dustin Mc-Daniel in June. McDaniel named Watkins, his cousin Virgil Griffin and Watkins’ business associates Clifton Johnson and Howard Baswell as defendants in his suit, alleging that they violated the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by engaging in “a concerted scheme to knowingly deceive both consumer purchasers and banks.” All of the defendants besidesWatkins, who is believed to be in Mexico, have been served. Donna Goodwin, who held his power of attorney, was served on July 11 - nearly a month after the lawsuit was filed in Sharp County. After the suit was filed but before Goodwin was served, she resigned her power of attorney using Watkins’ longtime lawyer Larry Kissee. Watkins signed documents giving Goodwin the power in Nov. 2001. In December 2006, Watkins granted his cousin, Virgil Griffin, power of attorney and thenextended the powers in May 2007, months after Watkins reportedly left the country. Since then, Griffin has used the power of attorney to transfer Watkins’ property into his name and to a family-owned company. Griffin filed his response to the attorney general suit on July 15 denying all allegations. This article was published Wednesday, July 30, 2008. Arkansas, Pages 13 on 07/30/2008

At an auction Thursday, the commissioner of state lands sought to collect $ 16, 000 in unpaid property taxes owed on land linked to developer Wayne Watkins, but at the end of the sale, the state had netted only ...

HARDY - After fugitive developer Wayne Watkins fled to Mexico nearly two years ago, his Spring River Beach Club fell into disrepair and closed after more than 20 years of operation. It’s now reopened under new management, with a new name and no obvious affiliation with Watkins. That nonaffiliation extends to the lifetime Beach Club memberships for which some property owners paid Watkins thousands of dollars. Those folks will have to pay admission, says Terry Houltzhouser, manager of what is now called Sunterra. Houltzhouser said he decided to lease the Beach Club, clean parts of it up and turn it into something for everyone after driving by the shuttered property last ...

The Arkansas attorney general's office said this week that its lawsuit against Sharp County developer Wayne Watkins will likely expand and could take years to wind its way through the system.

Don_n_Michigan said in the Hardy Forum:

If anyone needs any help,we will be back down to the park in 3 weeks. The reason I am saying that,I need to know what tools to bring. You can e-mail me at: ww8ns@charter.net Or call me at: eight one zero 6868444 A motorhome was just put in block 6.It belongs to Scott and Terry.. Don

Officials from companies that use installment land-sales contracts say developer Wayne Watkins' recent troubles are casting a bad light on other businesses that sell land this way.

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Sharp County developer Wayne Watkins and three of his business partners, Clifton Johnson, Virgil Griffin and Howard Baswell, accusing them of "unconscionable" behavior that violated the Arkansas ...

A billboard that remained up in Hardy for quite some time saying "Wayne's back" is something about 25 people are wishing they would see these days.

GAZETTE Second of two parts When victims of Wayne Watkins' failed land deals turned to government agencies for help, they felt further victimized.

The town of Earle has not seen anything as severe as friday's tornado since the floods of the early 20th century.

An inmate awaiting trial on a murder charge is suing the county, complaining he has lost more than 100 pounds because of the jailhouse menu.

A magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded near Blytheville, Arkansas at 7:45 Thursday night.