Fordyce Mayor John MacNichol told city council members on Tuesday (March 10) the Mad Butcher plans to erect a monument to honor the victims of the mass shooting that took place on June 21, 2024.

The shooting took the lives of four and injured 11.

MacNichol said the monument will be in a corner of the Mad Butcher parking lot. A timeline for when it may be completed wasn’t known, but MacNichol said the renderings he has seen will be an appropriate and proper tribute to those who lost their lives.

The mayor also recognized Mayor-elect Todd Roark, who defeated Wayne Stacy on March 3 in the election for Fordyce’s top city post. Roark received 287 votes to Stacy’s 178 votes. Roark will be sworn into office in January 2027.

In other council business, members focused attention on house condemnation and dog control. There are several properties still in the midst of the condemnation process.

One of the properties on Barner Street was ready to be razed and Murry and Son LLC was awarded the low bid of $10,000 to remove and clean it up.

To deal with a stray dog problem in the city, Mark Garrett is being trained as an animal control officer. He will write tickets or citations to the owners of the loose dogs, said Fordyce Police Chief Chad Eubanks. Mayor MacNichol said the council needs to look at increasing the pay of Garrett for taking on the extra work.

Eubanks also reported that the police department issued 198 citations and served six warrants in February. The courts have received $36,928.92 in collections from citations and warrants. Also, Alderman John Daniel, a reverend, will serve as the chaplain of the police department.

In new business, MacNichol recommended the council replace Jimmy Snowden on the planning and zoning commission with his wife, Mrs. Rosie Snowden. The council approved the replacement with a unanimous vote from Don Parson, John Daniel, Robert Williams, Sierra Hempstead and Joe Brazil.

MacNichol said he was still working on finding another code enforcement officer, but doesn’t have one yet.