By Scott Loftis

Lovely County Citizen

Just before midnight on Saturday, Dec. 31, a standing-room-only crowd filled the courtroom of Carroll County’s Eastern District Courthouse in Berryville.
No, this wasn’t a late-night court session. Instead, it was a more joyous occasion as family, friends and supporters turned out to watch elected officials whose new terms began Jan. 1 take their oaths of office.
Carroll County Clerk Connie Doss was the first to take her oath, being sworn in outside the courtroom by District Judge Dale Ramsey. Doss then entered the courtroom and administered the oath of office to Carroll County Judge David Writer, Sheriff Daniel Klatt and Circuit Clerk Sara Huffman.
Klatt then swore in a large group of deputy sheriffs before Writer and Huffman joined Doss in swearing in the other officials who turned out for the late-night event.
County collector Krista Burnett, District 2 Justice of the Peace Bruce Wright, District 4 JP Hunter Rivett and District 10 JP Jerry King joined the other county officials who were sworn in.
Four of the county’s five mayors were sworn in: Eureka Springs’ Butch Berry, Oak Grove’s Robert Fairweather, Holiday Island’s Dan Kees and Green Forest’s Don McNeely.
Eureka Springs city council member Harry Meyer also took the oath of office, as did his daughter, Eureka Springs city clerk Ida Meyer.
Central Township Constable Todd Summers and Western District Constable Jay Galyen also were sworn in.
The event was optional for elected officials. Doss said she expected to swear in the remaining officials on Tuesday.