Mayor: City received funds after objection to grants dropped

BERRYVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- The mayor of Berryville says his city received $61,000 in state grants after he dropped objections to other state grants to a private college in Springdale.

Mayor Tim McKinney told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette he objected in 2014 to $91,000 in state General Improvement Fund grants to Ecclesia College.

Former state Sen. Jon Woods, Ecclesia College President Oren Paris III and consultant Randell Shelton have been indicted for alleged kickbacks to Woods for the grants. Former Rep. Micah Neal pleaded guilty in January to taking a kickback for helping obtain one grant.

McKinney said he was pressured to drop his objection, and eventually decided not to block the grant. He said Woods then offered to support grants for Berryville and he accepted them because the money went toward local, public projects.