CRITTENDEN COUNTY, AR --- Investigators in Crittenden County, Arkansas say a number of vacant homes in the Harvard Yard community near Marion were set on fire over the course of a week.
Three of the homes were right next to each other on South Dunhill Road and all of them are just feet away from families and children. Neighbor Miss Lisha says, “There was no power. I saw the light man come and turn the power off.” That’s why investigators think this is the work of an arsonist.
It’s a thought that concerns Lisha since there are dozens of abandoned homes throughout her neighborhood. Pointing around her street, Lisha says “There go a vacant house right there. Nobody has stayed there for years and we live in a duplex. What’s its going take for all that grass to catch on [fire] and spread up? It’s nothing for the whole block to go up.”
If the fact that these vacant homes are eyesores isn’t enough, Lisha hopes this latest threat will make county leaders take action and finally tear them down. “When are we going to get some government out here? Somebody taking some responsibility. Just like Marion, West Memphis, and other places we got families growing up out here too.”
Blight is a big problem in Harvard Yard. There are dozens of abandoned homes, tall grass, and piles of trash scattered throughout the community. Residents say they are not sure who to turn to for help. People who live in Harvard Yard get water bills out of Sunset, AR. A private company picks up trash through a contract with Crittenden County. County deputies also patrol the area. Residents say their mailing address is Marion, AR.
myEyewitnessNews.com did some research and found Harvard Yard is under control of Crittenden County. Judge Melton Holt is the person in charge. When we tried to reach Judge Holt to find out if there were any plans to deal with the blight in Harvard Yard, a county employee said the judge was out of town for a meeting. Eyewitness News will continue to follow this story and pass along any new information.
If you live in Harvard Yard or anywhere in Crittenden County, AR and would like to report a problem, call the Crittenden County Quorum Court at (870) 739-3200.
