It’s Official… 90 day countdown HAS begun!

August 20, 2019

Racing Commission reopens applications for Pope County casino

Arkansas Times, August 19, 2019 by Max Brantley

Announcement by the Racing Commission:

The Arkansas Racing Commission shall resume accepting applications for casino gaming licenses in Pope County on Monday, August 19, 2019, pursuant to the terms of Amendment 100 to the Arkansas Constitution and the Casino Gaming Rules adopted by the Commission.

All applications for casino gaming licenses must be submitted… by 5:00 PM CST on Monday, November 18, 2019….

From the article:

At least two lawsuits complicate the issue. One is by a Mississippi casino operator contending its letters of approval in 2018 by the then-Pope County judge and Russellville mayor make it a legitimate applicant. Another is a lawsuit seeking to force a local referendum required by a 2018 county ordinance before the Quorum Court may adopt a resolution in support of a casino.

The suit seeking to enforce the county ordinance is before Pulaski Circuit Judge Mary McGowan. It’s a refiled version of a suit originally filed in Pope County before the Quorum Court actually approved a resolution in support of the Cherokees without mentioning the voter ordinance. The new suit was filed Friday. It names the Racing Commission as defendant and seeks a declaratory judgment that Quorum Court approval of a pro-Cherokee resolution is void because of failure to follow required local ordinance.

Arkansas Racing Commission opens new window for casino applicants

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 20, 2019, by Jeannie Roberts

  • 90-day window
  • four days after Gulfside filed a lawsuit against the commission for refusing to reconsider its denial of their application for the operating license.
  • a circuit judge approved the Pope County prosecutor’s request to have a special prosecutor handle a complaint filed against county officials alleging they violated the state Freedom of Information Act in the Quorum Court’s surprise endorsement last week of Cherokee Nation Businesses for the casino license.

Sand has started flowing through the 90-day hourglass…

Material is from Facebook posts published in August 2019

Info and Quick Links

An unofficial repository of material and links related to Pope County.

The blog is a reverse chronological compilation of posts, social media posts, and new ongoing material. Commenting is intentionally turned off.

Pope Count official website
Quorum Court—Justices of the Peace, phone numbers, and email
Association of Arkansas Counties website
Casino Gaming License, November 12, 2021
Amendment 100, Amendment 100.
Casino Gaming Rules of The State of Arkansas – Arkansas Racing Commission, effective the second week of March 2019
Economic Development Agreement between CNB and Pope County.
Arkansas Municipal League website
Russellville Stuff
Search Public Records—Use this to search for existing permits, plans, inspections, code cases, requests and licenses.
ReImagine Russellville 2040—September 2020, a narrative report on the Comprehensive Plan for Russellville. The plan serves as an official policy statement of the City of Russellville for directing growth and development within its city limits and planning area.

Litigation

  1. There are currently NO active cases related to the Pope County Casino. There have been 18 cases filed so far, including appeals:
    1. 58CV-18-768—Knight v. Gibson; filed 12-27-2018
    2. 58CV-19-439—CFABPC & Knight v Cross et al. filed 8-13-2019.
    3. 60CV-19-5832—Gulfside Casino Partnership v. ARC, filed 8-15-2019.  This was a judicial review of the ARC denial of Gulfside’s application.  Judge Tim Fox ruled in favor of Gulfside. This ruling was reversed and remanded by the Arkansas Supreme Court. Fox again ruled in favor of Gulfside.  The Arkansas Supreme Court reversed his ruling and dismissed the case.
    4. 60CV-19-5858—Knight et al v.ARC, filed 8-15-2019
    5. 58CV-19-462—Gulfside Casino Partnership v. ARC, filed 8-22-2019. A week after 60CV-19-5832 was filed in Pulaski County, Judge Tim Fox said the proper venue was Pope County and sent it there, where it was filed under this case number. Judge William Pearson found that the proper venue was Pulaski County.  The case was returned to Pulaski County, where it was refiled under the original case number and Judge. filed 8-22-2019
    6. CV-19-968—Gulfside Casino Partnership v. ARC, filed 12-23-2019
    7. 60CV-19-9172—CFABPC & Knight v. ARC, filed  12-27-2019
    8. CV-20-145—CFABPC & Knight v Cross et al., filed 3-2-2020
    9. CV-20-211—CNB v. Gulfside, filed 4-2-2020
    10. CV-20-438—CNB v. ADFA, filed 7-8-2020
    11. 58CV-20-429—Cross et al. v. ARC, filed 10-13-2020
    12. 60CV-21-1217—Legends et al v. ARC et al., filed 2-16-2021
    13. 60CV-21-1653—Gulfside v. ARC, filed 3-09-2021
    14. CV-21-289—CNB v. Gulfside, filed 6-28-2021
    15. 60CV-21-7742—Goodin v. ARC, filed 12-7-2021
    16. CV-23-50—Legends v. Gulfside, filed 1-26-2023
    17. CV-23-541—Knight v. ARC, filed 8-11-2023
    18. 60CV-23-7266—Goodin & Thone v. ARC, filed 9-25-2023

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Your voter registration information at Arkansas Secretary of State website: address, party association, ballot statuses, and polling place locations – also all of the districts that are applicable for your location.

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Arkansas Department of Transportation

I Drive Arkansas, traffic conditions, traffic cameras, etc.

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Arkansas Codes

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Arkansas Constitution

Article 5 § 1 – Initiative and Referendum–“no local legislation shall be enacted contrary to the Constitution or any general law of the State, and any general law shall have the effect of repealing any local legislation which is in conflict therewith.
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Legends Resort & Casino | Arkansas

Other Miscellaneous Stuff