The CN reached out to County Judge Randy Carney and to Hollister Industrials, LLC of Hollister, Missouri, the company that [according to legislative audit] has been paid $1,046,864 by the Mississippi County Landfill for repair work performed from October 2012 through February 2015 and is at the center of an Arkansas State Police investigation. The investigation was initiated at the request of Second Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington.
"It was for work that was done on very big pieces of equipment. I don't understand what you are talking about or what the investigation is about...they have already done an investigation and nothing has happened...I don't understand what that is about. They asked us to fix some equipment and it costs a lot of money to fix and it was expensive and to my knowledge everything is still running fine," Hollister co-owner Becky Mosley said.
"They had a motor that they needed fixed and Rick figured out a way to get the motor going. They needed the equipment fast and so Rick worked with Case. The Arkansas State Police came and were looking for a motor that was supposedly missing but they found it at the Case place on a floor," Mosley said.
"When you have large pieces of equipment like that, it costs a lot of money to fix. What they asked us to do, we did it. We did what they asked us to do and as far as I know it is still running fine. Before, they had people that came in and worked on the stuff and it was always breaking down. Everything has on it a one year warranty that leaves the shop....There hasn't been much this year, but last year there were just a lot of breakdowns there...if someone doesn't like you, and I'll tell you, if someone doesn't like, they'll do anything," Mosley added.
Mississippi County Judge Randy Carney had a few things to say about Rick Mosley, Hollister Industrials and the investigation in general as well.
"They said we spent about a million dollars with them. They are located, I believe, around Branson. The owner of the company is formerly from here and I have known him [former Blytheville Public Works Director Rick Mosley] for many years and he is a good man. He is an honest man and a man of integrity. They have done a lot of work for us. Wev'e never had any trouble with the work that they've done. We've had some from Jonesboro come over and do the work and before they got back to Jonesboro it was already broke down. He guarantees all his work for a solid year," Carney said.
"Mike, his brother that works at the landfill, is out on a leave of absence because of his health and he has no purchasing power or decision making power, that belongs to Landfill Director Nathan Taylor. I trust Nathan and I trust Rick. I think this investigation has been going on for over a year and they haven't found anything. I don't know why the story is coming out now. I trust Rick and I trust Nathan. I believe that possibly a disgruntled employee has stirred this up. There was a review hearing scheduled for yesterday, but her attorney cancelled it....if there is something wrong I want the ASP to find it and make the responsible person pay for it," Carney added.
thenry@blythevillecourier.com