KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports, classifieds-Sharp county getting natural - gas
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SIDNEY (KAIT) Every person I spoke with was in favor of the switch over both for the convenience and cost savings.
The town of Sidney sits about a half mile from a main gas pipeline, they could be one of the first.
Behind nearly every house and building including city hall you find a propane tank.
This church-owned restaurant and store facility has 2.
Pastor Elvis Sneathern calls it "An independent living retirement apartments and we have a restaurant here. "
Heating the building and cooking are done with propane, with such a large building the winters can get expensive.
Sneathern, "I don't have an exact figure on it but it runs pretty high round 2 dollars a gallon for propane last winter any way. "
With support from the county the towns of Sidney, Evening Shade, Ash Flat, Highland and Cherokee Village could put the tanks away. Having an entire county switch over would be a first in Arkansas history.
Finding a source for natural gas would be pretty easy. There's a large pipeline that runs through Sharp county already just outside of Cave City. They could tap into this and it's got enough pressure for the entire county.
Sidney Mayor Justin Davis says you could throw a rock and hit the pipeline from his home.
Davis, "Well it's just about a half mile over the hill there. It's real close. "
Davis says it will be great for the county and he says the people need to get behind the plan to speed the process along.
Davis, "It's gonna really decide up to the people. The faster people get behind this deal the faster it's going to go. "
Donald Phillips is ready for the convenience that natural gas brings. Unlike a tank of propane.
"That's the kind of trouble, you got to remember to call the gas company and if you don't you're just out of luck. "
Phillips says they spent around 1500 dollars this winter for propane. He says convenience and cost are the big selling points for him.
"The gas would be hooked up and it would run freely and the expense I think would be a little less. "
Applications to the USDA for funding have been sent in. Once those are approved, then letters will be sent out to county residents for them to sign up for the service. It will be by choice you do not have to sign up.
The cost of the project will run about 26 million dollars and could take up to three years to complete.
