Mountain Home mayor clarifies statements: 'I was speaking from a place of frustration'

Mountain Home mayor Rich Sykes said late last week that he's growing frustrated with some residents who are not taking the governor's stay at home order seriously.

In a lengthy Facebook live session on Friday, the mayor says he might be putting in place stricter guidelines within city limits.

"Grocery stores are not a social hangout," Sykes said. "Our local stores are reporting that people are not shopping for only essential (items)...they are socializing in the stores."

He called out some people reportedly buying lottery tickets and makeup and the fact that state liquor stores remain open.

"If everyone continues to horse around and go to this store and that store, I'm going to shut everything down," he said.

At the end of the video, the Mountain Home mayor said he's considering asking the town's police officers to begin questioning out of town visitors that come into city limits. The town has reportedly had folks from Ada and Blaine County visiting the area. Some with Blaine County plates are shopping at Walmart, he says.

"If I have to, I will have my police officers start pulling people over asking them what they're doing here, why are they here,'" he said. "...If they're not willing to do it (stay at home), maybe they need a ticket to understand that this pandemic is a real deal."

On Saturday, however, the mayor posted another Facebook live video and clarified his original thoughts.

"None of the measures I suggested are set forth in stone and many of them may never take place," he said. "I was speaking from a place of frustration, concern for the citizens of Mountain Home."

Sykes said during the Facebook live he was merely "spit-balling ideas on the fly."

"I understand why some of these ideas have caused some of you to be concerned and I should have saved those ideas for after I had a chance to speak with city leaders and city experts," he said.