Rescue teams gathering funds for a new voting campaign

Paragould, Arkansas – For $30 per pig, officers smoked 300 Boston butts to collect funds for a fresh election campaign.

On Saturday, January 27, the community came together at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #87 for a fundraising event centered around the voting campaign. The protest was organized by Paragould police officers, firefighters, and 911 dispatchers to raise awareness of an impending tax that they want enacted.

If approved, the tax will raise salaries and staff for all three departments, according to Paragould Mayor Josh Agee.

According to Paragould Police Captain Jason Elms, they distributed yard signs to attendees of the event on Saturday in addition to eating pizza and smoking barbecue. He added that while they have gained some money from the sale of the Boston butts, they still need to raise more money for the cause.

“Six thousand so far, but our goal is $10,000,” he said. “But we got people coming in and we want to let them know what’s going on and what this is all about.”

According to Elms, regular voting starts on March 7 and early voting starts in February.