KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: Perla Pager Problem

A blind Jefferson County man trying to start up his own business has run into an obstacle that he doesn't think anybody could have for seen.

While most of us have graduated from pagers, emergency responders still rely on them to get information and locations in a timely and efficient manner.

In mid-December Steven Tidwell sold 15 of these pagers to the tiny Hot Spring county town of Perla.

"They're the top of the line pagers currently and I hadn't been able to get paid for them yet," saysTidwell.

We visited Perla and found city offices closed for President's Day. But we did reach Mayor Raymond Adams, who says the former fire chief…who resigned last week…purchased the pagers without the city council's approval.

"If they can't pay me they can give me my equipment back," says Tidwell.  "I don't know if I can send the equipment back to the company but if I can't I'll just have to take it back and go from there."

Tidwell says he is owed close to $5,000...and the distributer he bought the devices from is pressing him for payment.

"I never thought that dealing with a city organization that I would have to…that I would be faced with this issue of not getting paid," laments Tidwell.

Mayor Adams called late this afternoon to let us know that he is calling a special council meeting for Tuesday night at 6:00 to deal with this and other matters related to the departure of Fire Chief Evans.

Air date:  February 20^th, 2012