There is a school of thought that Jim Guy Tucker, our immediate former governor, deserves at least some of the opprobrium and suffering meted out to him by the sensational Whitewater prosecutor, Kenneth Starr, and politically charged federal courts, no matter how weak the case Starr drew against him. After all, as a private businessman and in a past political life, he had consorted with Judge David Hale, who he should have known was a highbinder and a rogue. It was a business deal with Hale that got Tucker convicted of the vague crime that forced him from office.
We do not have much quarrel with that idea. And Tucker, indeed, suffered grievously even if he served no jail time. He lost the highest office in the state, a bright political career and almost his life to a rare liver disease.
But even the most politically actuated among us should be repelled by the miscarriage done Tucker by the special prosecutor with the active connivance of elements of the federal judiciary. Last week, a three-judge panel of the 8th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals at St. Louis said Tucker could not now change his guilty plea to a charge of bankruptcy fraud after discovering that the government had tricked him into the plea seven years ago by withholding the information that the law he was supposed to have violated did not exist. The judges said that whatever the strength of the charge against him, if he pled guilty he had to stay guilty. That was that.
Tucker’s case is perhaps the most Byzantine to be brought through the federal courts in Arkansas. Let us recapitulate for those whose Whitewater memories are overloaded.
The office of independent counsel, outside the Justice Department, was created to investigate President Bill Clinton’s connections with James McDougal and a couple of his Arkansas business interests, Whitewater Development Corp. and Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, back in the 1970s and ’80s. Until Kenneth Starr, the special prosecutor, latched onto Clinton’s dalliance with a White House intern in 1998, none of the many investigations hatched out of the Whitewater inquiry turned up any misdeed by Clinton or anyone in his administration in Washington or Little Rock. We omit Webster Hubbell, a Justice Department official who was turned in by his law firm for cheating the partners, including Hillary Clinton, out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in the ’80s and early ’90s. But McDougal put the prosecutor onto Tucker, who although he was a bitter adversary of Clinton was a prominent and sitting Democratic official. That was good enough. Tucker would become the only significant pelt that Starr’s 10-year investigation could claim.
Eventually, Tucker, McDougal and McDougal’s wife were convicted of fraud in their dealings with Hale, who ran a crooked small-business lending company that accommodated prominent Republicans and some Democrats with fraudulent loans.
But Tucker’s enemies tipped the independent counsel on something else that had nothing remotely to do with Clinton – Tucker’s acquisition of a Texas cable television company in 1988 and a bankruptcy filing. Tucker, his Little Rock lawyer who devised the deal and a businessman were indicted for creating a sham bankruptcy to cheat the government out of $3.7 million in corporate income taxes.
U.S. District Judge Henry Woods threw the case out because Starr did not have the power to investigate and bring charges in anything that was not at least somehow connected with McDougal, Whitewater or Madison, which is what the independent counsel’s mandate said. But Starr sent the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals a few newspaper articles attacking Woods and suggesting he had ties to Hillary Clinton, whom he had once appointed a special master in a school case. The 8th Circuit panel, chaired by a judge who got his job by the intercession of Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, reinstated the charges against Tucker and removed Woods from the case owing to the newspaper clippings, which was unprecedented in American jurisprudence.
Tucker resigned from office in 1996 when he was convicted of the fraud in the Hale case and then had a liver transplant. As Tucker’s trial on the bankruptcy matter approached, Starr’s office refused to divulge its case against him, including the specific statute he was supposed to have violated. The judge, Stephen M. Reasoner, agreed with Starr that since he was charged under a conspiracy law the government did not have to tell Tucker which law he was supposed to have violated until the trial.
On the eve of the trial, Starr’s deputy offered Tucker a deal he could not refuse. If he would plead guilty to something, whatever he chose, Starr would see that he served no jail time and could be free to pursue his business interests, even go abroad. Also, Starr would not seek a new trial if the courts overturned his conviction in the other case. Sick, fearing a prison term and unprepared to fight a case neither he nor his lawyers understood, Tucker told the judge that he was guilty of not telling the bankruptcy judge in 1988 all the terms of the CATV sale contract, although he had supplied all of it to the IRS, which ought to be the same thing.
It was in a presentencing report later that Starr divulged the statute Tucker had violated. The law had been repealed two years before the transaction. Tucker sought to overturn the sentence, alleging fraud and deception by Starr. When Starr’s office finally disbanded and its work turned over to George Bush’s Justice Department, Reasoner held a hearing to determine how much restitution he actually owed the government for the bankruptcy filing. The IRS said at most it would be less than $65,000 under the statute that existed in 1988 and now, and the tax lawyer in Bush’s Justice Department said Tucker well could be entitled to a refund on his personal income taxes rather than a penalty.
Tucker’s panel at the 8th Circuit knew all that when it ruled last week in a brief order that brushed aside all of Tucker’s arguments in a few sentences. The judges erroneously said the U.S. attorney’s office, which never had a thing to do with the case, brought the case against Tucker. Strange coincidence. If it were the U.S. attorney, the case would never have been filed because government rules re-quire IRS approval and participation to file criminal tax cases.
For 40 years, U. S. courts have been bound by the Brady precedent, which says the government must give a man a new trial if it withholds any information from him that might affect his guilt or innocence or his penalty. All the 8th Circuit chair, Judge James B. Loken, said about that was, it doesn’t apply.
The ruling will cost Tucker no fine, no prison time and no loss of future earnings, which have long since been decided, but when justice is meted out politically and not evenhandedly, we are all a little poorer for it.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
OBITS
RACHEL JONES
Rachel E. Jones, 80, of Lonoke, went to be with the Lord on Aug. 22.
She was a Baptist and was retired from the state of Arkansas as a case worker for social services.
She is survived by one brother, the Rev. Kelly Jones of Beebe; a niece, Lynda Sue Reeves and husband Tommy of North Little Rock; two nephews, Ray and Roy Jones; two great-nephews, John and Brad Reeves and a host of cousins and friends.
Visitation begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe, with family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m.
Graveside service will be 10 a.m. Friday at New Hope Cemetery, Carlisle.
RUSSELL DORSEY
Russell Jack Dorsey, 73, of Jacksonville, passed away Aug. 22 in Little Rock. He was born on May 4, 1932, in White Hall, Va., to the late Elmer R. and Nettie E. Braithwaite Dorsey. He served in the United States Air Force and retired after 21 years of service. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Cynthia Scott Dorsey and a brother, Tub Dorsey.
Survivors include his wife, Judy Dorsey of Jacksonville; two sons, Russell, Jr. and Douglas Dorsey, both of Cabot; three daughters, Faith Bryant of Mt. Home, Frances Fair Dorsey of Harrison and Felicia Dorsey of Memphis; five brothers, John, Jim, Blue and Jody Dorsey; two sisters, Jean Perkins and Judy Boyd; six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Moore's Jacksonville Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jack-sonville Funeral Home.
NINA WILKERSON
Nina Lucille Wilkerson, 86, of Pine Bluff died Aug. 19 in Pine Bluff.
She was born May 9, 1919 in England to Thomas Emery and Emma Burkett Roach.
She was a member of Watson Chapel Baptist Church and was employed for over 20 years as a time keeper with Rebsamen Motors, now Franklin Electric before her retirement.
Wilkerson is survived by two daughters, Rita Ann James of Pine Bluff and Billie Ruth Hill of Martinsburg, W.V. She is also survived by three sisters, Ruth Castleberry of Lonsdale, Jean Denton of Little Rock and Carolyn Duley of Rockville, Md., as well as 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchilren.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, William Henry Wilkerson; one daughter, Carol Borrengrasser, and two brothers, Daris Roach and Hubert Roach.
Funeral services were held Monday at Watson Chapel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff officiated by M.L. Faler and John Hagan. Interment followed in Rest Hills Cemetery in Sherwood.
Memorial contributions may be to the building fund at Watson Chapel Baptist Church 5514 Pinnacle Lane, Pine Bluff, Ark. 71603.
Rachel E. Jones, 80, of Lonoke, went to be with the Lord on Aug. 22.
She was a Baptist and was retired from the state of Arkansas as a case worker for social services.
She is survived by one brother, the Rev. Kelly Jones of Beebe; a niece, Lynda Sue Reeves and husband Tommy of North Little Rock; two nephews, Ray and Roy Jones; two great-nephews, John and Brad Reeves and a host of cousins and friends.
Visitation begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe, with family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m.
Graveside service will be 10 a.m. Friday at New Hope Cemetery, Carlisle.
RUSSELL DORSEY
Russell Jack Dorsey, 73, of Jacksonville, passed away Aug. 22 in Little Rock. He was born on May 4, 1932, in White Hall, Va., to the late Elmer R. and Nettie E. Braithwaite Dorsey. He served in the United States Air Force and retired after 21 years of service. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Cynthia Scott Dorsey and a brother, Tub Dorsey.
Survivors include his wife, Judy Dorsey of Jacksonville; two sons, Russell, Jr. and Douglas Dorsey, both of Cabot; three daughters, Faith Bryant of Mt. Home, Frances Fair Dorsey of Harrison and Felicia Dorsey of Memphis; five brothers, John, Jim, Blue and Jody Dorsey; two sisters, Jean Perkins and Judy Boyd; six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Moore's Jacksonville Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jack-sonville Funeral Home.
NINA WILKERSON
Nina Lucille Wilkerson, 86, of Pine Bluff died Aug. 19 in Pine Bluff.
She was born May 9, 1919 in England to Thomas Emery and Emma Burkett Roach.
She was a member of Watson Chapel Baptist Church and was employed for over 20 years as a time keeper with Rebsamen Motors, now Franklin Electric before her retirement.
Wilkerson is survived by two daughters, Rita Ann James of Pine Bluff and Billie Ruth Hill of Martinsburg, W.V. She is also survived by three sisters, Ruth Castleberry of Lonsdale, Jean Denton of Little Rock and Carolyn Duley of Rockville, Md., as well as 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchilren.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, William Henry Wilkerson; one daughter, Carol Borrengrasser, and two brothers, Daris Roach and Hubert Roach.
Funeral services were held Monday at Watson Chapel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff officiated by M.L. Faler and John Hagan. Interment followed in Rest Hills Cemetery in Sherwood.
Memorial contributions may be to the building fund at Watson Chapel Baptist Church 5514 Pinnacle Lane, Pine Bluff, Ark. 71603.
NEIGHBORS >> Beebe jeweler wins design award
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
A bracelet and two pendants made by jeweler Lyn Edwards of Edwards’ Jewelry Bench in Beebe won three awards at the Arkansas Jewelers Association annual convention in Little Rock. The design competition is the Creative Achievement Recog-nizing Arkansas Talent (CARAT) awards.
The awards are given in four categories. Three prizes are given by independent judges based upon overall design, marketability, practicality/wearability and craftsmanship.
The fourth honor, the Convention Choice Award, is determined by a vote of those attending the convention.
The sterling silver bracelet Edwards made that won in the $1,000 and under category, along with the diamond pendant that won in the $1,000 to $3,000 category, were designed by Lori Blagg, president of the Arkansas Jewelers Association. She is the manager at Faye’s Diamond Mine in Clinton.
The white-and-yellow gold pendant Edwards made that won the $3,000 and above category as well as the Convention Choice award was designed by Faye Rodgers, owner of Faye’s Diamond Mine in Clinton. The pendant will now compete in the national Jewelers Association Design Competition in New York.
“We design the jewelry on paper and he puts the life into them,” Blagg said.
“We were flattered he put extra effort into making them winning pieces.”
It was Edwards’ first time making jewelry for the convention’s design competition.
“I felt a little bit like David and Goliath going into the competition,” Edwards said. Growing up as a Navy brat, he became interested in gemology from his mother, an earth sciences teacher. He first started making jewelry in 1973 for a high school art class.
“We melted down brass keys, and I made a heart-shaped ring for my mother,” he said.
After high school, Edwards started working at Parrish’s Jew-elry in Searcy. He moved to a jewelry store in Fayetteville and started buying the equipment to make jewelry at home.
“It was a cottage industry for me. I’d make jewelry just for recreation and then sell it at craft fairs at War Eagle Park and county fairs,” he said. Edward opened Edwards’ Jewelry Bench in North Little Rock and in 1996, moved the business to Beebe where business has been mixed.
“I’m in a luxury business and since 9/11 the economy has tightened,” he said.
Edwards, and his wife Trina, strive to be full service jewelers including repairing watches, and cleaning and repairing jewelry.
“If you can’t find it, we’ll make it,” he said.
The fashion of jewelry fluctuates between realism and abstract.
“Right now, there’s lots of attention to the sides and trellis settings under the stone,” Ed-wards explained.
“If you remember the 80s, there was a lot of nugget rings and realistic flower designs. Now the fashion is shape and color.”
Reluctant to drop names or prices, the largest jewelry item Edwards has worked on was a 15 and a half carat solitaire diamond engagement ring.
“In this business, I see princes and paupers and treat them all the same.”
Leader staff writer
A bracelet and two pendants made by jeweler Lyn Edwards of Edwards’ Jewelry Bench in Beebe won three awards at the Arkansas Jewelers Association annual convention in Little Rock. The design competition is the Creative Achievement Recog-nizing Arkansas Talent (CARAT) awards.
The awards are given in four categories. Three prizes are given by independent judges based upon overall design, marketability, practicality/wearability and craftsmanship.
The fourth honor, the Convention Choice Award, is determined by a vote of those attending the convention.
The sterling silver bracelet Edwards made that won in the $1,000 and under category, along with the diamond pendant that won in the $1,000 to $3,000 category, were designed by Lori Blagg, president of the Arkansas Jewelers Association. She is the manager at Faye’s Diamond Mine in Clinton.
The white-and-yellow gold pendant Edwards made that won the $3,000 and above category as well as the Convention Choice award was designed by Faye Rodgers, owner of Faye’s Diamond Mine in Clinton. The pendant will now compete in the national Jewelers Association Design Competition in New York.
“We design the jewelry on paper and he puts the life into them,” Blagg said.
“We were flattered he put extra effort into making them winning pieces.”
It was Edwards’ first time making jewelry for the convention’s design competition.
“I felt a little bit like David and Goliath going into the competition,” Edwards said. Growing up as a Navy brat, he became interested in gemology from his mother, an earth sciences teacher. He first started making jewelry in 1973 for a high school art class.
“We melted down brass keys, and I made a heart-shaped ring for my mother,” he said.
After high school, Edwards started working at Parrish’s Jew-elry in Searcy. He moved to a jewelry store in Fayetteville and started buying the equipment to make jewelry at home.
“It was a cottage industry for me. I’d make jewelry just for recreation and then sell it at craft fairs at War Eagle Park and county fairs,” he said. Edward opened Edwards’ Jewelry Bench in North Little Rock and in 1996, moved the business to Beebe where business has been mixed.
“I’m in a luxury business and since 9/11 the economy has tightened,” he said.
Edwards, and his wife Trina, strive to be full service jewelers including repairing watches, and cleaning and repairing jewelry.
“If you can’t find it, we’ll make it,” he said.
The fashion of jewelry fluctuates between realism and abstract.
“Right now, there’s lots of attention to the sides and trellis settings under the stone,” Ed-wards explained.
“If you remember the 80s, there was a lot of nugget rings and realistic flower designs. Now the fashion is shape and color.”
Reluctant to drop names or prices, the largest jewelry item Edwards has worked on was a 15 and a half carat solitaire diamond engagement ring.
“In this business, I see princes and paupers and treat them all the same.”
SPORTS >> Sylvan Hills coaches are please with Blue-White
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
The Sylvan Hills Bears held their annual blue-white scrimmage game on Saturday night at the Sherwood Sports Complex. Parents and hometown fans came out to get the first glimpse of the 2005 squad. Everyone who follows the team has been interested to see if this year’s team can match the Bears of the previous year, in a season that saw Sylvan Hills win their first seven consecutive games of the year in 2004. Sylvan Hills head coach Ron Sebastian was pleased overall with the performance in the intra-squad practice.
“It showed that we have made some improvements,” Sebastian said. “I think they did as good as could be expected this early in the going.”
Even though it was against the same colors, it was still a chance for Sylvan Hills to break the summer routine of morning and afternoon practices wearing pads and shorts. The Bears went with the intra-squad practice game in lieu of a scrimmage against another school. It was still the first opportunity of the year to fully suit up and make full contact in game-like conditions.
“They got to play under the lights for the first time, Sebastian said. “That’s important to them. It also gave us a chance to see what we may need to work on before the real season starts.”
Although Sebastian liked a lot of what he saw on Saturday, he was also quick to point out that there needed to be several improvements made before game one on September 2nd against Newport.
“Saturday showed we still have a lot of work to do in the next two weeks,” Sebastian said. “That’s another reason this was important for us, it gives us a good guide for us to go by to get ready. There are several things we are going to have to work on before I believe we will be fully ready.”
The scrimmage revealed weaknesses that cannot be seen as easily in a more contained daily practice. The full-field set gives the coaches a bigger picture of what their team looks like in game-like situations.
“We made quite a few mistakes both offensively and defensively,” Sebastian said. “We will look at the tapes, and see where all we can improve. Like I said, there were improvements and some simple mental mistakes, but overall I thought they did fairly good. I was pleased with how things went.”
The Bears will try to match last year’s regular season success beginning on September 2nd, as they host Newport on the opening night of the new season.
Leader sports writer
The Sylvan Hills Bears held their annual blue-white scrimmage game on Saturday night at the Sherwood Sports Complex. Parents and hometown fans came out to get the first glimpse of the 2005 squad. Everyone who follows the team has been interested to see if this year’s team can match the Bears of the previous year, in a season that saw Sylvan Hills win their first seven consecutive games of the year in 2004. Sylvan Hills head coach Ron Sebastian was pleased overall with the performance in the intra-squad practice.
“It showed that we have made some improvements,” Sebastian said. “I think they did as good as could be expected this early in the going.”
Even though it was against the same colors, it was still a chance for Sylvan Hills to break the summer routine of morning and afternoon practices wearing pads and shorts. The Bears went with the intra-squad practice game in lieu of a scrimmage against another school. It was still the first opportunity of the year to fully suit up and make full contact in game-like conditions.
“They got to play under the lights for the first time, Sebastian said. “That’s important to them. It also gave us a chance to see what we may need to work on before the real season starts.”
Although Sebastian liked a lot of what he saw on Saturday, he was also quick to point out that there needed to be several improvements made before game one on September 2nd against Newport.
“Saturday showed we still have a lot of work to do in the next two weeks,” Sebastian said. “That’s another reason this was important for us, it gives us a good guide for us to go by to get ready. There are several things we are going to have to work on before I believe we will be fully ready.”
The scrimmage revealed weaknesses that cannot be seen as easily in a more contained daily practice. The full-field set gives the coaches a bigger picture of what their team looks like in game-like situations.
“We made quite a few mistakes both offensively and defensively,” Sebastian said. “We will look at the tapes, and see where all we can improve. Like I said, there were improvements and some simple mental mistakes, but overall I thought they did fairly good. I was pleased with how things went.”
The Bears will try to match last year’s regular season success beginning on September 2nd, as they host Newport on the opening night of the new season.
SPORTS >> Cabot finds areas that must improve
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, guys.”
Those were the first words by Cabot coach Mike Malham to his team after its first competitive play of the year.
Cabot traveled to Lake Hamilton Monday night to face off against the Wolves in their annual scrimmage game. It was the first chance for Mal-ham and the Panther coaching staff to see how much progress had been made during three weeks of summer two-a-days.
Malham seemed overall disappointed in Monday’s effort, although he did see signs of improvement and some good offensive plays, especially in the late-going.“We didn’t move the ball bad at first,” Malham said. “It’s just the same old thing. We had two seniors jump offsides three times, that’s inexcusable. They are better than that.”
The scrimmage was set up with each team taking 15 plays on offense before switching sides of the ball.
Lake Hamilton came out assaulting through the air, scoring three touchdowns on Cabot in the first hour of play.
Cabot’s offense was sloppy, with a series of encroachment penalties that prevented them from converting some first downs.
The second-part of the scrimmage saw a full-scale improvement for the Pan-thers, both offensively and defensively.
John Flynn helped turn the momentum defensively with a perfect read on a Lake Hamilton pass-play. Flynn took the pick from midfield all the way back to the Lake Hamil-ton 11 yard line. Lake Hamilton would only score one more full-field touchdown play in the last half of the scrimmage.
The offense stepped things up as well in the second stage, with several outstanding runs from Alec Tripp and quarterback Corey Wade. Tripp broke one for a long-yard-age TD, and had several first-downs.
Fullback Richard Williams pounded the ball up the middle for the Panthers, making several key short-yardage gains.
The Cabot offense looked impressive against a sizeable Lake Hamilton defense in the late stages of the scrimmage.
John Stone also took one all the way from mid-field for the Panther’s offense. Cabot stuck to its familiar ground assault throughout most of the scrimmage, with a small handful of passing attempts in the first part of the night that were unsuccessful.
“The second time out we really looked a lot better, we looked more machine-like,” Malham said.
“The offense looked better; it actually looked quite a bit better on both sides of the ball.”
Malham thinks the scrimmage against the Lake Hamilton team will be very beneficial to his team, as the Wolves hit the Pan-thers with several different formations in both directions.
“They do a lot of different looks,” Malham said. “Both offensively and defensively, which is good; it lets our kids see that they are not going to throw just the things you prepared for at you.”
Leader sports writer
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, guys.”
Those were the first words by Cabot coach Mike Malham to his team after its first competitive play of the year.
Cabot traveled to Lake Hamilton Monday night to face off against the Wolves in their annual scrimmage game. It was the first chance for Mal-ham and the Panther coaching staff to see how much progress had been made during three weeks of summer two-a-days.
Malham seemed overall disappointed in Monday’s effort, although he did see signs of improvement and some good offensive plays, especially in the late-going.“We didn’t move the ball bad at first,” Malham said. “It’s just the same old thing. We had two seniors jump offsides three times, that’s inexcusable. They are better than that.”
The scrimmage was set up with each team taking 15 plays on offense before switching sides of the ball.
Lake Hamilton came out assaulting through the air, scoring three touchdowns on Cabot in the first hour of play.
Cabot’s offense was sloppy, with a series of encroachment penalties that prevented them from converting some first downs.
The second-part of the scrimmage saw a full-scale improvement for the Pan-thers, both offensively and defensively.
John Flynn helped turn the momentum defensively with a perfect read on a Lake Hamilton pass-play. Flynn took the pick from midfield all the way back to the Lake Hamil-ton 11 yard line. Lake Hamilton would only score one more full-field touchdown play in the last half of the scrimmage.
The offense stepped things up as well in the second stage, with several outstanding runs from Alec Tripp and quarterback Corey Wade. Tripp broke one for a long-yard-age TD, and had several first-downs.
Fullback Richard Williams pounded the ball up the middle for the Panthers, making several key short-yardage gains.
The Cabot offense looked impressive against a sizeable Lake Hamilton defense in the late stages of the scrimmage.
John Stone also took one all the way from mid-field for the Panther’s offense. Cabot stuck to its familiar ground assault throughout most of the scrimmage, with a small handful of passing attempts in the first part of the night that were unsuccessful.
“The second time out we really looked a lot better, we looked more machine-like,” Malham said.
“The offense looked better; it actually looked quite a bit better on both sides of the ball.”
Malham thinks the scrimmage against the Lake Hamilton team will be very beneficial to his team, as the Wolves hit the Pan-thers with several different formations in both directions.
“They do a lot of different looks,” Malham said. “Both offensively and defensively, which is good; it lets our kids see that they are not going to throw just the things you prepared for at you.”
TOP STORY >> Manager looks forward to contest
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Two days into her new job as manager of Cabot Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh’s campaign for Con-gress in Arkansas’ First District against Rep. Marion Berry, Andrea Allen says her candidate has a good chance of winning the race she has always wanted to be a part of – in the district she calls home.
Allen, who hails from Walnut Ridge in the First District, said Tuesday that she sees leaving Asa Hutchinson’s campaign for governor to run Stumbaugh’s campaign as a step up in her career in politics.
“This is the race I’ve always been interested in,” Allen said. “Asa is a good man and he will make a good governor, but the First District has always been special to me. Also, I see this as a good step forward. It’s a matter of being able to move into a leadership position.”
Allen, 32, served as a regional representative for U.S. Sen. Tim Hutch-inson in his Jonesboro office from 1997-1999 before being promoted to state director. In 2003, she became Stumbaugh’s operations director.
Earlier this year, she resigned her city job to go to work in Asa Hutchin-son’s campaign for governor as policy director. She started talking to the mayor about a month ago about running his campaign.
Allen said she spent her first official day on the job hooking up her computer and setting up a bank account for the campaign, which is headquartered for now in a small office on Second Street in Cabot. But even though she isn’t quite settled in, the campaign is already underway, she said.
She and Stumbaugh spent Monday evening with campaign co-chairs Rodney Harris of Pocahontas in Randolph County and Christi Wharton of Mountain Home in Baxter County, working on a campaign plan.
They will need a finance committee to raise money, a steering committee to work on strategy and county coordinators, she said.
“I think he could win with a half million dollars,” Allen said when asked about the cost of running a campaign.
This weekend, the mayor will be campaigning in Stone County, she said. Currently, they are working on a schedule that will allow him to meet all of his obligations to the city and still give him time to campaign.
“There’s a lot of interest in the First District about Stubby running for Congress,” she said. “He’s a motivator, he’s a good leader, and he has a lot of good ideas.”
Stumbaugh said Tuesday that he has no doubt he will be able to balance running the city with campaigning for Congress and still do justice to both.
“I’m not married, and I have no children, so I devote most of my extra time to the city,” he said. “Now, I’ll be spending some of that time campaigning.”
Stumbaugh likely will campaign some during the week, but mostly during evenings and on weekends, he said.
The First District covers 26 counties and includes the Delta area, the hilly area around Mountain Home and Heber Springs and everything in between. Its residents include the poorest of the state’s poor as well as some of its wealthiest.
A challenge, perhaps, but the mayor says he’s equally comfortable wearing overalls in a ditch or a tuxedo at a cocktail party. And he says he believes all anyone wants is for their representative to put them first.
And that is what Allen said in a prepared statement about her new job that her candidate will do.
“Mayor Stumbaugh is a leader who always puts people before politics.
“The First District needs a representative who is able and willing to work with the president, and Democrat and Republican members of Congress, on important issues such as healthcare, the Farm Bill, and keeping our children safe from illegal drugs,” she said.
Leader staff writer
Two days into her new job as manager of Cabot Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh’s campaign for Con-gress in Arkansas’ First District against Rep. Marion Berry, Andrea Allen says her candidate has a good chance of winning the race she has always wanted to be a part of – in the district she calls home.
Allen, who hails from Walnut Ridge in the First District, said Tuesday that she sees leaving Asa Hutchinson’s campaign for governor to run Stumbaugh’s campaign as a step up in her career in politics.
“This is the race I’ve always been interested in,” Allen said. “Asa is a good man and he will make a good governor, but the First District has always been special to me. Also, I see this as a good step forward. It’s a matter of being able to move into a leadership position.”
Allen, 32, served as a regional representative for U.S. Sen. Tim Hutch-inson in his Jonesboro office from 1997-1999 before being promoted to state director. In 2003, she became Stumbaugh’s operations director.
Earlier this year, she resigned her city job to go to work in Asa Hutchin-son’s campaign for governor as policy director. She started talking to the mayor about a month ago about running his campaign.
Allen said she spent her first official day on the job hooking up her computer and setting up a bank account for the campaign, which is headquartered for now in a small office on Second Street in Cabot. But even though she isn’t quite settled in, the campaign is already underway, she said.
She and Stumbaugh spent Monday evening with campaign co-chairs Rodney Harris of Pocahontas in Randolph County and Christi Wharton of Mountain Home in Baxter County, working on a campaign plan.
They will need a finance committee to raise money, a steering committee to work on strategy and county coordinators, she said.
“I think he could win with a half million dollars,” Allen said when asked about the cost of running a campaign.
This weekend, the mayor will be campaigning in Stone County, she said. Currently, they are working on a schedule that will allow him to meet all of his obligations to the city and still give him time to campaign.
“There’s a lot of interest in the First District about Stubby running for Congress,” she said. “He’s a motivator, he’s a good leader, and he has a lot of good ideas.”
Stumbaugh said Tuesday that he has no doubt he will be able to balance running the city with campaigning for Congress and still do justice to both.
“I’m not married, and I have no children, so I devote most of my extra time to the city,” he said. “Now, I’ll be spending some of that time campaigning.”
Stumbaugh likely will campaign some during the week, but mostly during evenings and on weekends, he said.
The First District covers 26 counties and includes the Delta area, the hilly area around Mountain Home and Heber Springs and everything in between. Its residents include the poorest of the state’s poor as well as some of its wealthiest.
A challenge, perhaps, but the mayor says he’s equally comfortable wearing overalls in a ditch or a tuxedo at a cocktail party. And he says he believes all anyone wants is for their representative to put them first.
And that is what Allen said in a prepared statement about her new job that her candidate will do.
“Mayor Stumbaugh is a leader who always puts people before politics.
“The First District needs a representative who is able and willing to work with the president, and Democrat and Republican members of Congress, on important issues such as healthcare, the Farm Bill, and keeping our children safe from illegal drugs,” she said.
TOP STORY >> City plans to get tougher on dogs rather than ban
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Even though a petition with 170 signatures to ban pit bulls was presented to Jacksonville’s dog ordinance committee Monday night, the group decided not to ban any specific breed of dog just yet.
Instead, the group of city officials, dog lovers and citizens focused on what residents need to do if they decide to keep a vicious dog in the city.
“We want to make it cost-prohibitive for many of these people and at the same time ensure the public’s safety,” said the committee chairman, Alderman Gary Fletcher.
Using an ordinance from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Govern-ments as a model, the group decided that once a dog is deemed vicious, the owner must keep the dog in a chain-link pen or run that provides the dog with at least 50-square-feet of living space.
The fenced-in area must be topped so the dog cannot jump or climb over and no one can climb in.
The run must also have a concrete floor to prevent the dog from digging out, and the owner must provide adequate shelter, water and food.
Any dog that bites or attacks twice runs the risk of being euthanized.
“We ask the judge now on second offenses for an order to euthanize the dog and he is pretty good about granting the order,” said Public Works Director Jim Oakley.
The committee further decided that any enclosure for a vicious animal must be locked with a padlock and have signs posted.
When the dog is being walked in public it must be muzzled, on a proper leash and be walked by a responsible adult.
The committee also looked at increasing fines and even adding jail time to residents who continually breed or maintain vicious dogs.
Fletcher was worried that some of the suggested penalties might be infringing on the dog owners’ right, but Alderman Emma Knight said that the type of people the ordinance is going after “need their rights violated just a little bit.”
“We’ve got to address the people,” she said, “or they’ll just go down to Republican Road and get another dog.”
The Washington ordinance puts troubled dogs into two categories: dangerous and potentially dangerous.
A dangerous dog is any dog that causes serious injury to a person or domestic animal or has been designated as potentially dangerous and engages in behavior that poses a threat to public safety.
A potentially dangerous dog is one that poses a threat to public safety by causing an injury to a person or domestic animal that is less severe than a serious injury, or without provocation, chases or menaces a person or domestic animal in an aggressive manner, or is found running loose and is impounded by the animal control officials three or more times during a year.
A woman whose Pomeranian was recently attacked by two pit bulls initiated the petition drive and presented it to the committee.
“We certainly understand and feel for her,” Fletcher said, but statistics show that pit bulls are only involved in 21 percent of fatal attacks.”
Fletcher told the committee that members made a lot of good progress on developing a comprehensive ordinance and that the city attorney would review some of the suggested penalties such as jail times of up to 90 days for people whose dogs constantly get into trouble.
Monday night’s meeting was the second one for the committee which was formed at the request of the city council after aldermen received a number of complaints about not just pit bulls, but about vicious dog attacks and bites.
Since July 1, 16 bites have been reported to animal shelter officials. Eleven of those involved dogs, pit bulls to a Lhasa apso, four bites were from cats and one from an iguana.
The committee will meet again Monday, Sept. 19, at city hall.
Leader staff writer
Even though a petition with 170 signatures to ban pit bulls was presented to Jacksonville’s dog ordinance committee Monday night, the group decided not to ban any specific breed of dog just yet.
Instead, the group of city officials, dog lovers and citizens focused on what residents need to do if they decide to keep a vicious dog in the city.
“We want to make it cost-prohibitive for many of these people and at the same time ensure the public’s safety,” said the committee chairman, Alderman Gary Fletcher.
Using an ordinance from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Govern-ments as a model, the group decided that once a dog is deemed vicious, the owner must keep the dog in a chain-link pen or run that provides the dog with at least 50-square-feet of living space.
The fenced-in area must be topped so the dog cannot jump or climb over and no one can climb in.
The run must also have a concrete floor to prevent the dog from digging out, and the owner must provide adequate shelter, water and food.
Any dog that bites or attacks twice runs the risk of being euthanized.
“We ask the judge now on second offenses for an order to euthanize the dog and he is pretty good about granting the order,” said Public Works Director Jim Oakley.
The committee further decided that any enclosure for a vicious animal must be locked with a padlock and have signs posted.
When the dog is being walked in public it must be muzzled, on a proper leash and be walked by a responsible adult.
The committee also looked at increasing fines and even adding jail time to residents who continually breed or maintain vicious dogs.
Fletcher was worried that some of the suggested penalties might be infringing on the dog owners’ right, but Alderman Emma Knight said that the type of people the ordinance is going after “need their rights violated just a little bit.”
“We’ve got to address the people,” she said, “or they’ll just go down to Republican Road and get another dog.”
The Washington ordinance puts troubled dogs into two categories: dangerous and potentially dangerous.
A dangerous dog is any dog that causes serious injury to a person or domestic animal or has been designated as potentially dangerous and engages in behavior that poses a threat to public safety.
A potentially dangerous dog is one that poses a threat to public safety by causing an injury to a person or domestic animal that is less severe than a serious injury, or without provocation, chases or menaces a person or domestic animal in an aggressive manner, or is found running loose and is impounded by the animal control officials three or more times during a year.
A woman whose Pomeranian was recently attacked by two pit bulls initiated the petition drive and presented it to the committee.
“We certainly understand and feel for her,” Fletcher said, but statistics show that pit bulls are only involved in 21 percent of fatal attacks.”
Fletcher told the committee that members made a lot of good progress on developing a comprehensive ordinance and that the city attorney would review some of the suggested penalties such as jail times of up to 90 days for people whose dogs constantly get into trouble.
Monday night’s meeting was the second one for the committee which was formed at the request of the city council after aldermen received a number of complaints about not just pit bulls, but about vicious dog attacks and bites.
Since July 1, 16 bites have been reported to animal shelter officials. Eleven of those involved dogs, pit bulls to a Lhasa apso, four bites were from cats and one from an iguana.
The committee will meet again Monday, Sept. 19, at city hall.
TOP STORY >> General to BRAC: Closings essential
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville-area officials and local airmen can’t be blamed if they keep a close eye on C-SPAN2 between now and Saturday, as the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission decides—on television—the probable fates of Little Rock Air Force Base and other military bases across the country.
The commission votes on the closing or scaling down of 62 major military bases and hundreds of smaller bases this week. The votes will come in hearings scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday, which will be aired live on C-SPAN2. Little Rock stands to gain as many as 60 C-130s and 3,898 new jobs if the commission endorses Pentagon recommendations on base realignment.
After two months of hearings conducted around the country, where officials lobbied to keep their bases open or maintain or increase their missions, the Pentagon last weekend had its final arguments detailing its recommendations and associated savings in cost and efficiency.
During the weekend testimony of the Pentagon, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper said that while many of the decisions related to base closures are “gut-wrenching,” the changes are needed to allow the Air Force to continue to transform to meet the war-fighting demands of the 21st century.
“The decision to close many of these bases is very personal to me,” he said. “Many of us will feel the impact of decisions.
“I lived at many of these bases as a kid while my dad was coming up through the ranks. The Air Force has experienced BRAC rounds in the past, with the most recent occurring in 1995 after the Air Force shrunk by 200,000 Airmen.
“The recommendations today are proactive. This round doesn’t only accommodate planned reductions. Instead, it allows us to reset our force, anticipate challenges and establish organizations we need for the future.”
While leaders of Little Rock Air Force Base’s community council lobbied hard over the past couple of years and said all along they were “cautiously optimistic,” Jackson-ville Mayor Tommy Swaim, brothers Mike and Larry Wilson and others said they were delighted when the base not only survived the cut list, but was instead recommended for the additional missions.
The local developers say they will build homes and apartments to allow the base to double its personnel and Metroplan and the state Highway and Transportation Department have given higher priority to road and intersection projects that would help minimize additional congestion that could be caused by the proposed influx of new airmen and civilian workers.
The commission must make its recommendations to President Bush by Sept. 8, and the president has two weeks to approve or reject those recommendations in their entirety, Con. Vic Snyder’s staff said Tuesday.
If the president approves the recommendations, they go to congress, where, unless the entire recommendation is rejected, it becomes law after 45 days, they said.
The general also said the BRAC recommendations were made with a single, total force — active, Guard and Reserve — in mind and not just as a combination of individual components or representatives.
“The Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve are integral parts of the Air Force,” General Jumper said.
“Maintaining an optimal mix of manpower and missions among components is key to their continued relevance and critical to their contribution to the finest Air Force in the world.”
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville-area officials and local airmen can’t be blamed if they keep a close eye on C-SPAN2 between now and Saturday, as the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission decides—on television—the probable fates of Little Rock Air Force Base and other military bases across the country.
The commission votes on the closing or scaling down of 62 major military bases and hundreds of smaller bases this week. The votes will come in hearings scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday, which will be aired live on C-SPAN2. Little Rock stands to gain as many as 60 C-130s and 3,898 new jobs if the commission endorses Pentagon recommendations on base realignment.
After two months of hearings conducted around the country, where officials lobbied to keep their bases open or maintain or increase their missions, the Pentagon last weekend had its final arguments detailing its recommendations and associated savings in cost and efficiency.
During the weekend testimony of the Pentagon, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper said that while many of the decisions related to base closures are “gut-wrenching,” the changes are needed to allow the Air Force to continue to transform to meet the war-fighting demands of the 21st century.
“The decision to close many of these bases is very personal to me,” he said. “Many of us will feel the impact of decisions.
“I lived at many of these bases as a kid while my dad was coming up through the ranks. The Air Force has experienced BRAC rounds in the past, with the most recent occurring in 1995 after the Air Force shrunk by 200,000 Airmen.
“The recommendations today are proactive. This round doesn’t only accommodate planned reductions. Instead, it allows us to reset our force, anticipate challenges and establish organizations we need for the future.”
While leaders of Little Rock Air Force Base’s community council lobbied hard over the past couple of years and said all along they were “cautiously optimistic,” Jackson-ville Mayor Tommy Swaim, brothers Mike and Larry Wilson and others said they were delighted when the base not only survived the cut list, but was instead recommended for the additional missions.
The local developers say they will build homes and apartments to allow the base to double its personnel and Metroplan and the state Highway and Transportation Department have given higher priority to road and intersection projects that would help minimize additional congestion that could be caused by the proposed influx of new airmen and civilian workers.
The commission must make its recommendations to President Bush by Sept. 8, and the president has two weeks to approve or reject those recommendations in their entirety, Con. Vic Snyder’s staff said Tuesday.
If the president approves the recommendations, they go to congress, where, unless the entire recommendation is rejected, it becomes law after 45 days, they said.
The general also said the BRAC recommendations were made with a single, total force — active, Guard and Reserve — in mind and not just as a combination of individual components or representatives.
“The Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve are integral parts of the Air Force,” General Jumper said.
“Maintaining an optimal mix of manpower and missions among components is key to their continued relevance and critical to their contribution to the finest Air Force in the world.”
TOP STORY >> Cabot, Beebe districts grow
By SARA GREENE
Leader Staff Writer
Official school enrollment totals aren’t due until next week, but an unofficial count has the Cabot School District keeping pace with projected enrollment figures. So far, the district has 8,232 students. Last year, enrollment was just over 8,000.
“I expect we’ll get a few more students after Labor Day,” said Frank Holman, Cabot School District superintendent.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if our official enrollment number hits the 8,300 mark this year.”
Last year the district saw 290 new students on the first day of classes.
Holman said over the past three years, the district has grown by an average 250 students per year.
The Beebe School District is also seeing a jump in the student population. Unofficial enrollment at Beebe stands at 2,915, an increase of 133 students over last year.
“We’re excited,” said Scott Embry, principal at Beebe High School. “We’re seeing good steady growth and hopefully we’re gaining at a pace that keeps up with our building program.”
First-day enrollment at Pulaski County Special School District was 15,945, down roughly 2,000 from last year, but much of that was attributed to school starting on a Friday, according to a school spokesman.
Of those, 8,129 were elementary school students, 7,816 were secondary school students.
Updated enrollment figures from Pulaski County Special School District and the Lonoke School District were unavailable. Last year, Lonoke had an enrollment of 1,818.
Leader Staff Writer
Official school enrollment totals aren’t due until next week, but an unofficial count has the Cabot School District keeping pace with projected enrollment figures. So far, the district has 8,232 students. Last year, enrollment was just over 8,000.
“I expect we’ll get a few more students after Labor Day,” said Frank Holman, Cabot School District superintendent.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if our official enrollment number hits the 8,300 mark this year.”
Last year the district saw 290 new students on the first day of classes.
Holman said over the past three years, the district has grown by an average 250 students per year.
The Beebe School District is also seeing a jump in the student population. Unofficial enrollment at Beebe stands at 2,915, an increase of 133 students over last year.
“We’re excited,” said Scott Embry, principal at Beebe High School. “We’re seeing good steady growth and hopefully we’re gaining at a pace that keeps up with our building program.”
First-day enrollment at Pulaski County Special School District was 15,945, down roughly 2,000 from last year, but much of that was attributed to school starting on a Friday, according to a school spokesman.
Of those, 8,129 were elementary school students, 7,816 were secondary school students.
Updated enrollment figures from Pulaski County Special School District and the Lonoke School District were unavailable. Last year, Lonoke had an enrollment of 1,818.
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