Twin Rivers school board to see new, returning faces

BROSELEY - Voters picked three Twin Rivers board members from a field of five which included an incumbent, two former board members and two newcomers.

Receiving the top votes was Jeff Arnold with 346 followed by Billy Watson capturing 283 votes for second and Joshua Johnson with 277 votes taking the third seat.

Arnold previously served one term on the school board.

“I am excited to go to work for the school,” he said. “I want to jump right back in with both feet. We have financial difficulties and we need to focus on financials.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who got out and voted.”

Watson is the incumbent candidate and current board president.

He said, “I just want to continue to support my school and keep the school headed in right direction. I want to thank all people who supported me.”

A newcomer, Johnson said, he’s “happy and glad to get started and wants to thank everyone who supported me.”

Other candidates were Karen Buttrey, who previously has served two terms, and Bobby King. Buttrey received 247 votes and King 197.

Arnold’s children attend Fisk and Broseley schools. He has been a union shop steward for more than 10 years for the Local 148 Operating Engineers.

Watson is a supervisor for CenturyLink in Northeast Arkansas. A graduate of Twin Rivers High School, He and his wife, Misty, have two children Tanner, 21, and Parker, 17.

When people asked Johnson to run, he thought about his own children in Twin Rivers school district. While he has no specific agenda, he feels he’s a good fit because’s honest and can look at the school from a business standpoint.

He and his wife, Holly, have three children: Charly, Max and Josey. He owns Four Seasons Landscaping.