MEDFORD ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN TO REGAIN SHERIFF'S JOB

Democratic Candidate Lost By 6 Percent In 2000

CARROLL COUNTY -- Former Carroll County Sheriff Chuck Medford wants his old
job back.

Medford lost the 2000 Carroll County sheriff's race to J.R. Ashlock.
Ashlock defeated Medford in a runoff election in which Ashlock received 53
percent of the votes to Medford's 47 percent. Medford had served as sheriff
for the previous four years.

"I've been encouraged a lot since I left office to run again," said
Medford, 59, who plans to run as a Democrat. "I'm not saying what (Ashlock)
is doing is wrong, but I can do a little better."

However, Medford emphasized that he would not run a negative campaign.The
two primary responsibilities of the sheriff, Medford said, is first to the
county and the people who put him in office. The sheriff's second
responsibility is to the employees, he said.

Medford said that he believes the reason he lost to Ashlock was "voter apathy."

"I really believe we had the votes for the runoff election. We were
overconfident. I didn't get my voters out enough."

In this campaign, Medford says he will spend more time going out and
meeting people.

"I made some mistakes in office," Medford said. "I was of the opinion that
the people put me there to do a job. I didn't mingle enough. I never
professed to be a politician. I'm police."

Medford said, "I will have a grassroots campaign. I'm trying to contact as
many people as possible and burn a lot of gas.

"I've served the folks of Carroll County for the last 22 years in one
capacity or another. I've tried to do the best I could. I didn't always do
the right things, but it was what I thought was right at the time. I tried
to be as upfront and honest as possible."

An Arkansas native, Medford retired in 1995 after 27 years with the
Arkansas State Police. Since January, Medford has owned Carroll County
Civil Process, an independent business.

He is proudest of two accomplishments during his tenure as sheriff. One was
getting the half-percent jail tax passed that will fund a new Carroll
County jail. The second is that Carroll County led the state in the drug
eradication program in 2000. The sheriff's office confiscated between
27,000 and 28,000 marijuana plants, including 22,548 from one operation.

He is so proud of that operation that he carries a souvenir -- a 4- foot
walking stick made from the stalk of one marijuana plant.

Ninety-five percent of crime in the county is directly or indirectly
related to drugs and alcohol, he said.