By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The Badgers caught a few breaks along the way, but made their own luck down the stretch when it counted most.
Beebe held on for a thrilling 28-19 win over Lonoke at A.S. “Bro” Irwin Stadium on Friday. The Badgers led the whole way, but held off the Jackrabbits on a big two-point conversion stand with 10:07 left to play. Lonoke pulled to within two points on a 14-yard toss from Rollins Elam to Morgan Linton, but the Badgers sealed off Clarence Harris on the two-point try to force an incompletion from Elam.
From there, the Badgers went on a perfectly-executed, 12-play, 65-yard drive that not only put Beebe up by two scores, but also ate 5:44 off the clock, leaving Lonoke with little time to get back in the game.
“That’s what we were wanting to do all night long,” Beebe coach John Shannon said. “But they did a good job on us. We kept making adjustments trying to figure out what to do, and they kept adjusting to us. It kind of went back and forth there until we finally figured it out there at the end and got us a good drive going that sealed the deal for us.”
The Jackrabbits looked to have made it a game again with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Harris with 2:11 left, but it was called back on a hold.
Both teams took turns turning the ball over, but it was penalties that made one of the biggest differences on the night. In all, Lonoke was penalized eight times for 80 yards, while the host Badgers collected two flags for a total of 15 yards.
Lonoke’s only successful offensive drive of the second half, a 10-play, 66-yard drive to start the fourth quarter to make it 21-19 was its last gasp, as Badger fullback Sammy Williams finished out the game strong on the ground, punching in Beebe’s insurance score from 12 yards out with 4:23 remaining.
“Our base is bend, but don’t break, make them snap it again,” Shannon said. “I felt like we were able to do that tonight. I thought the defense stepped up big. We have to get a better pass rush, though. We didn’t have a very good pass rush tonight.
I thought the secondary played really well considering we didn’t have much of a pass rush.”
The Badgers moved the ball consistently most of the night, but quarterback Roger Glaude had a pair of fumbles on the option in the third quarter.
“They did a different scheme than what we practiced on,” Shannon said. “That kind of diffused us on the option. Both of our turnovers were on option plays. We just have to do a better job of taking care of the football no matter what defense we see.”
Beebe’s two-score lead to start the second half was short lived. Brandon Purcell set Beebe up with excellent field position to start the second half when he returned Sam King’s kickoff all the way back to the Lonoke 34-yard line.
Glaude then connected with big tight end Ross Stroud for a 32-yard touchdown pass with 10:30 left in the third. Stroud strolled through the middle of the field uncovered, and relied on his 6-3, 222-pound frame to do the rest.
Glaude added the extra point, to put Beebe up 21-7, but Terrell Washington took the ensuing kickoff back to the Beebe 1-yard line.
The Jackrabbits punched it in two plays later on an end-around by Harris, but a low snap on the extra-point attempt led to a block by Adam Griffis to keep it at 21-13.
“Anytime you keep the lead, it gives you a mental edge,” Shannon said. “That was big for us. What started it out for us was when we blocked that extra point. That helped us and made them have to go for two. And to stop a two-point conversion is always big, especially when you’re protecting a lead.”
The Badger offense came out strong from the start, taking their opening drive 85 yards in just three plays. Purcell sandwiched a 59-yard run by Williams with runs of six yards and 19 yards. The latter at the 7:19 mark went for six to give the Badgers the early lead.
Lonoke made its way on the scoreboard for the first time in the final minute of the first quarter. Harris ran it in from a yard out to cap off a 10-play, 58-yard drive. King added the point-after to knot it up at 7-7.
The Badgers broke that tie on a 1-yard run by Purcell with 7:22 remaining in the first half that capped off a 52-yard drive to give them a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Williams led the Badgers with 27 rushes for 153 yards and a touchdown. Purcell added 72 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. Stroud had two receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. Beebe had 359 yards of total offense. Glaude completed 4 of 11 pass attempts for 108 yards and a touchdown.
For Lonoke, Elam was 20 of 40 passing for 219 yards, a touchdown and one interception by Beebe’s Spencer Forte. Harris had eight receptions for 51 yards, and rushed for another 52 yards and two touchdowns. Joel Harris had four receptions for 89 yards, and Michael Howard had four catches for 44 yards.
Beebe stays perfect at 2-0, while Lonoke falls to 1-1 on the season. The Badgers will play at Vilonia, a 27-21 loser to Jacksonville on Friday, next week. Lonoke will host Central Arkansas Christian, who lost a 28-27 heartbreaker to Pulaski Academy.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
SPORTS>>Late drive stalls as junior Red Devils fall
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville varsity head coach Mark Whatley has eight more games on his schedule in 2008, but you might want to forgive him if he’s already taking a peak ahead to 2009 and beyond.
That’s because 9th grade running sensation Devon McClure is waiting in the wings and the show he put on Thursday night against Beebe provided a glimpse of the future. But McClure’s 156 yards on just 16 carries proved not enough as the Junior Red Devils lost their opener 16-13 at Jan Crow Stadium.
“He’s a good ball player and he had a good game,” said Jacksonville coach Max Hatfield. “They started really keying on him and he’s going to have to get used to that. But we missed some blocks along the way and that hurt us. We made too many mistakes to win the ballgame.”
Even more phenomenal than the yards themselves is the way McClure went about collecting them, on a variety of slashes and cutbacks and on simply outrunning the Badger defense.
His 64-yard run to paydirt early in the second period provided one such example. McClure went off tackle, did a little dance step at the line, then cut outside and went down the right sideline to put Jacksonville up 7-0.
But Beebe got a long run of its own on the fifth play of its ensuing possession. Austin Brown, who led the Badgers with 94 yards on 11 carries, went straight up the gut for a 34-yard touchdown. Quick hitters and dives were the bane of the Red Devil defense all night long as the Wing-T Badgers mostly controlled the line of scrimmage.
Quarterback Zach May’s conversion run put Beebe up 8-7 with three minutes left in the half.
It took less than two minutes for McClure to strike again. Cedric Young set the Red Devils up in Beebe territory with a 30-yard kickoff return to the 47. Three plays later, McClure appeared to be caught in the backfield, but somehow broke free, went left, cut back to the right sideline and went 45 yards for the score. The pass attempt conversion failed but the Red Devils held a 13-8 lead at intermission, despite having the ball only 10 plays in the first half and picking up two first downs, both on McClure’s touchdown runs.
The beginning of the second half set the tone for the mistake-prone rest of the way for Jacksonville when a mishandled snap on fourth down turned the ball over to Beebe at the Jacksonville 42. Six plays and 3:12 later, the Badgers had the lead for good on May’s 6-yard scamper around right end. Brown’s conversion run made it 16-13 with 2:09 left in the third.
The Red Devils almost made lemonade out of lemons when punter Demetre Jones couldn’t corral a high snap but was able to pick it up and deliver a pass to McClure. It came up just inches short and Beebe took over, again deep in Red Devil territory.
The Badgers were able to run nearly four minutes off the clock but the Red Devil defense made the play it had to when Cortez Brown stacked up Brown on a fourth down at the JV 26.
“We made the big stop when we had to and gave ourselves a chance to win,” Hatfield said. “We just didn’t quite capitalize on it.”
The Red Devils had 74 yards to go and only 3:52 to get there and they began an impressive, if mistake-filled drive, eventually reaching the Beebe 12 after a roughing the passer penalty.
But two bad snaps pushed the Devils all the way back to the 25 where they ran out of downs.
“We had a freeze play on on one of those,” Hatfield said. “We were trying to get a five-yard penalty on them and (the center) wasn’t even supposed to snap the ball. It’s a tough way to lose after getting the ball all the way down there.”
With his 33 yards in receptions, McClure actually accounted for 189 total yards, but the rest of the Red Devils went for minus-8. Defensively, Chris Griffen recovered a pair of fumbles, while Jones, Demario Williams and David Johnson turned in big games.
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville varsity head coach Mark Whatley has eight more games on his schedule in 2008, but you might want to forgive him if he’s already taking a peak ahead to 2009 and beyond.
That’s because 9th grade running sensation Devon McClure is waiting in the wings and the show he put on Thursday night against Beebe provided a glimpse of the future. But McClure’s 156 yards on just 16 carries proved not enough as the Junior Red Devils lost their opener 16-13 at Jan Crow Stadium.
“He’s a good ball player and he had a good game,” said Jacksonville coach Max Hatfield. “They started really keying on him and he’s going to have to get used to that. But we missed some blocks along the way and that hurt us. We made too many mistakes to win the ballgame.”
Even more phenomenal than the yards themselves is the way McClure went about collecting them, on a variety of slashes and cutbacks and on simply outrunning the Badger defense.
His 64-yard run to paydirt early in the second period provided one such example. McClure went off tackle, did a little dance step at the line, then cut outside and went down the right sideline to put Jacksonville up 7-0.
But Beebe got a long run of its own on the fifth play of its ensuing possession. Austin Brown, who led the Badgers with 94 yards on 11 carries, went straight up the gut for a 34-yard touchdown. Quick hitters and dives were the bane of the Red Devil defense all night long as the Wing-T Badgers mostly controlled the line of scrimmage.
Quarterback Zach May’s conversion run put Beebe up 8-7 with three minutes left in the half.
It took less than two minutes for McClure to strike again. Cedric Young set the Red Devils up in Beebe territory with a 30-yard kickoff return to the 47. Three plays later, McClure appeared to be caught in the backfield, but somehow broke free, went left, cut back to the right sideline and went 45 yards for the score. The pass attempt conversion failed but the Red Devils held a 13-8 lead at intermission, despite having the ball only 10 plays in the first half and picking up two first downs, both on McClure’s touchdown runs.
The beginning of the second half set the tone for the mistake-prone rest of the way for Jacksonville when a mishandled snap on fourth down turned the ball over to Beebe at the Jacksonville 42. Six plays and 3:12 later, the Badgers had the lead for good on May’s 6-yard scamper around right end. Brown’s conversion run made it 16-13 with 2:09 left in the third.
The Red Devils almost made lemonade out of lemons when punter Demetre Jones couldn’t corral a high snap but was able to pick it up and deliver a pass to McClure. It came up just inches short and Beebe took over, again deep in Red Devil territory.
The Badgers were able to run nearly four minutes off the clock but the Red Devil defense made the play it had to when Cortez Brown stacked up Brown on a fourth down at the JV 26.
“We made the big stop when we had to and gave ourselves a chance to win,” Hatfield said. “We just didn’t quite capitalize on it.”
The Red Devils had 74 yards to go and only 3:52 to get there and they began an impressive, if mistake-filled drive, eventually reaching the Beebe 12 after a roughing the passer penalty.
But two bad snaps pushed the Devils all the way back to the 25 where they ran out of downs.
“We had a freeze play on on one of those,” Hatfield said. “We were trying to get a five-yard penalty on them and (the center) wasn’t even supposed to snap the ball. It’s a tough way to lose after getting the ball all the way down there.”
With his 33 yards in receptions, McClure actually accounted for 189 total yards, but the rest of the Red Devils went for minus-8. Defensively, Chris Griffen recovered a pair of fumbles, while Jones, Demario Williams and David Johnson turned in big games.
SPORTS>>Late turnover propels Devils
By MARK BURKE
For the Leader
VILONIA — An attempt to run out the clock ended with an untimely turnover for Vilonia. Later, though, the clock ran out on the Eagles.
As a result, Jacksonville spoiled Vilonia’s home opener, taking a 27-21 win at Phillip Weaver Stadium.
“We just gave it away,” a disgruntled Eagles coach Jim Stanley said after the game. “We turned the ball over too many times.
You can’t beat anybody like that.”
Clinging to a slim 21-19 lead with 10 minutes left, Vilonia began a drive at its own 30 hoping to run off most of the remaining time.
Kory Howard began the drive with a 9-yard run, followed by a 2-yard gain from Dillon Herrin that was the first of three first downs for the Eagles on the drive.
Vilonia eventually advanced all the way to the Red Devil 14 before coughing up its fifth fumble of the night with 4:51 left and gave the Red Devils the ball 28. The Eagles lost four of their five fumbles, leading to 15 Jacksonville points.
“I felt like we should have beat them by four touchdowns, but we just fumbled it away,” Stanley said. “When you fumble the ball five times and do what we did, you can’t win.”
Jacksonville needed just 40 seconds to find the end zone on their ensuing possession. After Keith Rodgers picked up nine rushing yards on the first play of the drive, Logan Perry hit Stanley Appleby in stride in what resulted in a 63-yard touchdown pass with 4:11 left. Perry completed a pass to Demitris Harris for the 2-point conversion, giving the Red Devils their six-point lead.
That left Vilonia an adequate amount of time to try for a winning score. Still, it was important to Jacksonville coach Mark Whatley points were put on the board, regardless of what the clock read.
“I don’t think it’s ever too early to get ahead,” Whatley said. “It’s too dadgum hard to get there anyway.”
Vilonia had success getting downfield, as the Eagles began their comeback attempt.
Facing 4th-and-2 from the Red Devil 34, Aaron Oade gained seven yards, but the ball was stripped. However, offensive tackle Zac Ellis recovered the loose ball to keep the drive alive with less than a minute left.
Out of timeouts, the Eagles were faced with the task of getting in the end zone with little time remaining. That attempt, though, ended after Zach Mitchell took a pass from Drew Knowles and was taken down seven yards from paydirt.
“We just didn’t do what we needed to do,” Stanley said. “We shouldn’t have been in that situation.”
That’s especially true considering Vilonia dominated the time-of-possession battle (29:23 to 18:37) and Jacksonville had four turnovers of its own.
The Red Devils’ offensive start was marred by turnovers. The Eagles defense forced turnovers on each of the first three Jacksonville offensive series.
“Our kids overcame adversity all game long,” Whatley said.
They also had to overcome a strong rushing attack.
Oade and Tyler Head finished with 135 and 109 yards, respectively, to lead the Vilonia running game. Using that to control the clock took its tool on the Red Devils.
“It’s kind of frustrating,” Whatley said. “They make you play assignment football, and they do a good job.”
But Jacksonville had a strong ground game of its own, led by Patrick Geans.The senior had 15 carries for 136 yards and three touchdowns — on runs of 6, 43 and 10 yards.
The Eagles, though, struck first. Ross Estes took his first carry of the season 19 yards for the opening score at the 4:17 mark in the first quarter. James Lloyd’s PAT gave Vilonia a 7-0 lead.
Geans, though, tied things up after scoring on a 6-yard run in the second quarter. The score remained 7-7 at halftime.
Geans’ second and third touchdowns both came in the third quarter and gave Jacksonville a 19-7 advantage.
That lead was short-lived, though, as Oade capped Vilonia’s next drive with a 17-yard touchdown run. Another Lloyd PAT brought the Eagles within five (19-14).
The Vilonia defense forced Jacksonville’s ensuing drive to fail, and Howard gave the Eagles their 21-19 lead with a 33-yard touchdown run and a PAT from Lloyd.
A late, fumble, though kept Vilonia from keeping that lead.
The Eagles host Beebe next Friday.
For the Leader
VILONIA — An attempt to run out the clock ended with an untimely turnover for Vilonia. Later, though, the clock ran out on the Eagles.
As a result, Jacksonville spoiled Vilonia’s home opener, taking a 27-21 win at Phillip Weaver Stadium.
“We just gave it away,” a disgruntled Eagles coach Jim Stanley said after the game. “We turned the ball over too many times.
You can’t beat anybody like that.”
Clinging to a slim 21-19 lead with 10 minutes left, Vilonia began a drive at its own 30 hoping to run off most of the remaining time.
Kory Howard began the drive with a 9-yard run, followed by a 2-yard gain from Dillon Herrin that was the first of three first downs for the Eagles on the drive.
Vilonia eventually advanced all the way to the Red Devil 14 before coughing up its fifth fumble of the night with 4:51 left and gave the Red Devils the ball 28. The Eagles lost four of their five fumbles, leading to 15 Jacksonville points.
“I felt like we should have beat them by four touchdowns, but we just fumbled it away,” Stanley said. “When you fumble the ball five times and do what we did, you can’t win.”
Jacksonville needed just 40 seconds to find the end zone on their ensuing possession. After Keith Rodgers picked up nine rushing yards on the first play of the drive, Logan Perry hit Stanley Appleby in stride in what resulted in a 63-yard touchdown pass with 4:11 left. Perry completed a pass to Demitris Harris for the 2-point conversion, giving the Red Devils their six-point lead.
That left Vilonia an adequate amount of time to try for a winning score. Still, it was important to Jacksonville coach Mark Whatley points were put on the board, regardless of what the clock read.
“I don’t think it’s ever too early to get ahead,” Whatley said. “It’s too dadgum hard to get there anyway.”
Vilonia had success getting downfield, as the Eagles began their comeback attempt.
Facing 4th-and-2 from the Red Devil 34, Aaron Oade gained seven yards, but the ball was stripped. However, offensive tackle Zac Ellis recovered the loose ball to keep the drive alive with less than a minute left.
Out of timeouts, the Eagles were faced with the task of getting in the end zone with little time remaining. That attempt, though, ended after Zach Mitchell took a pass from Drew Knowles and was taken down seven yards from paydirt.
“We just didn’t do what we needed to do,” Stanley said. “We shouldn’t have been in that situation.”
That’s especially true considering Vilonia dominated the time-of-possession battle (29:23 to 18:37) and Jacksonville had four turnovers of its own.
The Red Devils’ offensive start was marred by turnovers. The Eagles defense forced turnovers on each of the first three Jacksonville offensive series.
“Our kids overcame adversity all game long,” Whatley said.
They also had to overcome a strong rushing attack.
Oade and Tyler Head finished with 135 and 109 yards, respectively, to lead the Vilonia running game. Using that to control the clock took its tool on the Red Devils.
“It’s kind of frustrating,” Whatley said. “They make you play assignment football, and they do a good job.”
But Jacksonville had a strong ground game of its own, led by Patrick Geans.The senior had 15 carries for 136 yards and three touchdowns — on runs of 6, 43 and 10 yards.
The Eagles, though, struck first. Ross Estes took his first carry of the season 19 yards for the opening score at the 4:17 mark in the first quarter. James Lloyd’s PAT gave Vilonia a 7-0 lead.
Geans, though, tied things up after scoring on a 6-yard run in the second quarter. The score remained 7-7 at halftime.
Geans’ second and third touchdowns both came in the third quarter and gave Jacksonville a 19-7 advantage.
That lead was short-lived, though, as Oade capped Vilonia’s next drive with a 17-yard touchdown run. Another Lloyd PAT brought the Eagles within five (19-14).
The Vilonia defense forced Jacksonville’s ensuing drive to fail, and Howard gave the Eagles their 21-19 lead with a 33-yard touchdown run and a PAT from Lloyd.
A late, fumble, though kept Vilonia from keeping that lead.
The Eagles host Beebe next Friday.
SPORTS>>Falcons fall flat against Hornets
By RAY BENTON
For the Leader
The North Pulaski Falcons couldn’t maintain their strong start to the season.
NP, coming off a season-opening win at class 6A Searcy, ran into another team that started the season hot, a team that just got hotter Friday night. Oak Grove, which ran over class 5A state title contender Little Rock Christian last week, ran over the
Falcons on Friday night in Jacksonville, racking up 35 points in two and a half quarters en route to a 35-0 win.
North Pulaski moved the ball well on several possessions, but penalties and turnovers doomed each drive. Oak Grove struggled to move the ball early against the Falcon defense. Hornet running back J. P. Green broke a 67-yard touchdown run on Oak Grove’s second drive, but the team gained just 27 total yards on its other three possessions in the first quarter.
Things got easier for the visitors in the second period. A North Pulaski fumble set the Hornets up at the Falcon 37. It took just five plays for the Hornets to go up 14-0 when Martin Chenault-Johnson scampered around the corner from five yards out with 9:25 left in the second quarter.
The Falcons moved across midfield on the ensuing possession, but failed to convert a fake punt on fourth and 8 and gave the ball up at the Hornet 48.
Three plays later, quarterback Corderrell Harris scored from 31 yards out on a quarterback sneak up the middle. The extra point by Corbin McCuien made it 21-0 with 5:29 left in the half, and that’s the way the second quarter ended.
The Falcons opened the second half by fumbling on the second play of its first two possessions, and Oak Grove capitalized on each mistake, scoring two more touchdowns and enacting the mercy rule with 6:19 left in the third quarter.
Chenault-Johnson scored from 47 yards out after the first NP fumble, and Brandon Hudson scampered 52 yards on the first play after the second Falcon fumble of the half.
Oak Grove finished with 401 total yards, with former Falcon Brandon Hudson leading the way with 108 yards on nine carries.
North Pulaski finished with 134 total yards. Bryan Colson led the charge with 78 yards on 18 carries.
The Falcons will go back on the road next week to take on Oak Grove’s other victim, Little Rock Christian. The 2-0 Hornets will face longtime rival Pulaski Robinson next Friday.
For the Leader
The North Pulaski Falcons couldn’t maintain their strong start to the season.
NP, coming off a season-opening win at class 6A Searcy, ran into another team that started the season hot, a team that just got hotter Friday night. Oak Grove, which ran over class 5A state title contender Little Rock Christian last week, ran over the
Falcons on Friday night in Jacksonville, racking up 35 points in two and a half quarters en route to a 35-0 win.
North Pulaski moved the ball well on several possessions, but penalties and turnovers doomed each drive. Oak Grove struggled to move the ball early against the Falcon defense. Hornet running back J. P. Green broke a 67-yard touchdown run on Oak Grove’s second drive, but the team gained just 27 total yards on its other three possessions in the first quarter.
Things got easier for the visitors in the second period. A North Pulaski fumble set the Hornets up at the Falcon 37. It took just five plays for the Hornets to go up 14-0 when Martin Chenault-Johnson scampered around the corner from five yards out with 9:25 left in the second quarter.
The Falcons moved across midfield on the ensuing possession, but failed to convert a fake punt on fourth and 8 and gave the ball up at the Hornet 48.
Three plays later, quarterback Corderrell Harris scored from 31 yards out on a quarterback sneak up the middle. The extra point by Corbin McCuien made it 21-0 with 5:29 left in the half, and that’s the way the second quarter ended.
The Falcons opened the second half by fumbling on the second play of its first two possessions, and Oak Grove capitalized on each mistake, scoring two more touchdowns and enacting the mercy rule with 6:19 left in the third quarter.
Chenault-Johnson scored from 47 yards out after the first NP fumble, and Brandon Hudson scampered 52 yards on the first play after the second Falcon fumble of the half.
Oak Grove finished with 401 total yards, with former Falcon Brandon Hudson leading the way with 108 yards on nine carries.
North Pulaski finished with 134 total yards. Bryan Colson led the charge with 78 yards on 18 carries.
The Falcons will go back on the road next week to take on Oak Grove’s other victim, Little Rock Christian. The 2-0 Hornets will face longtime rival Pulaski Robinson next Friday.
SPORTS>>Panther D clamps Bears
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills ground game that was so proficient in Week 1 against Malvern not only came to a halt, it literally retreated on Friday at Cabot.
The Cabot defense put an absolute clampdown on the Bear running game on Friday night, allowing the Panthers to overcome a shaky offensive performance in a 24-0 win.
After rushing for more than 200 yards against Malvern, Sylvan Hills went backwards against Cabot, rushing for minus 24 yards on 20 carries, many the result of errant snaps.
“The defense is really playing good,” said Cabot head coach Mike Malham, whose Panthers improved to 2-0. “We got ends and backers that can run and we’ve got guys in the secondary that can run. But the offense didn’t look very good tonight.”
The smaller Bears were able to keep the Panther running attack in check almost the entire night, despite having little depth on a humid night. Cabot ground its way to 208 yards on the ground, but they came grudgingly against a Sylvan Hills defense led by Juliean Broner, Lawrence Hodges and Nick Brewer.
They held fullback Michael James to just 73 yards on 24 carries and Chris Bayles to 75 on 15 totes.
“The defense played real well,” said Sylvan Hills coach Jim Withrow. “Our defensive coordinator had some great schemes. The kids up front played well and gave us a chance to win and that’s wall we wanted. But the offense just had too many miscues.”
Cabot’s defense deserves much of the credit for Sylvan Hills’ 54 yards of total offense. Led by the fierce rush of Nick McTague, Jared Maxwell and company, the front line was in quarterback Jordan Spears’ face all night and he spent most of the evening on the turf. But a series of bad snaps resulted in half a dozen big losses that dug the Bears’ hole even deeper. One of those led to Cabot’s first points when a snap to Broner went over his head and he covered it in the end zone as the Panthers took a 2-0 lead with 5:08 left in the opening period.
The Panthers had only two sustained drives all night after going three-and-out on their first three possessions. The first of those drives — 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:38 off the clock — led to James’ 2-yard touchdown run and a 9-0 lead at the 8:08 mark of the second period.
Sylvan Hills caught a break when Blake Rasdon recovered a Spencer Neumann fumble on a punt return at the Bears 44. But Neumann made up for it two plays later when he knocked the ball loose from Spears and Maxwell pounced on it at the Sylvan Hills 48.
Barry Bir got it back for the Bears with an interception when he took the ball out of Neumann’s hands, but the Bears once again were unable to move it and went to the locker room trailing 9-0.
It didn’t take long after intermission for the Bears to hand the Panthers another gift when a high snap went through Spears’ hands and Brock Bunting fell on it in the end zone for the touchdown. James’ 2-point run made it 17-0 just 1:53 into the second half.
Cabot put it away with a 20-play drive that consumed 9:15 and ended in a 5-yard touchdown run by James with 7:05 left in the game.
Of eight official running plays by the Bears in the second half, seven went for losses. Overall 13 of their 20 rushes went for negative yardage. Spears completed 13-of-30 with one interception by Nathan Byrnes in the closing minutes of the game. Of his 78 yards through the air, 46 went to Ahmad Scott, who caught seven passes.
“Their defense always plays well,” Withrow said. “They hit you hard and get after you and they have great schemes. They’re going to make you beat them by dinking them. They’re not going to give you the deep ball.
“But it was so uncharacteristic of our center (to make bad snaps). We executed well in practice all week and I thought we’d play well.”
For Malham, the concern is over the offensive line, which struggled to open up much of anything all night against the smaller defensive front of Sylvan Hills.
“We punted more tonight than I can remember punting in a long time,” he said. “They did a great job on defense. They took it to us and got after it. We weren’t blocking good and weren’t running very hard and they were beating us to the punch is what they were doing.
“We have most of our offensive linemen back from last year, but we’re not near as good as last year so far.”
Withrow said there was a lot the Bears could take from the loss, despite the dismal offensive performance.
“I thought our inexperience showed at times,” he said. “But our effort and toughness, man we grew up tonight a lot. I was really proud of them.”
He was especially complimentary of Hodges and Broner, two players who mixed it up all night on both sides of the ball. When Broner and Hodgers weren’t trying to escape Cabot defenders, they were trying to keep rushers away from Spears.
“Juju (Broner) is growing up, not only as a player but as a person,” Withrow said. “He and Hodges block about as well as two backs can block and you don’t get that in high school very often.”
Cabot hosts Little Rock Hall next Friday, while Sylvan Hills (1-1) travels to North Little Rock.
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills ground game that was so proficient in Week 1 against Malvern not only came to a halt, it literally retreated on Friday at Cabot.
The Cabot defense put an absolute clampdown on the Bear running game on Friday night, allowing the Panthers to overcome a shaky offensive performance in a 24-0 win.
After rushing for more than 200 yards against Malvern, Sylvan Hills went backwards against Cabot, rushing for minus 24 yards on 20 carries, many the result of errant snaps.
“The defense is really playing good,” said Cabot head coach Mike Malham, whose Panthers improved to 2-0. “We got ends and backers that can run and we’ve got guys in the secondary that can run. But the offense didn’t look very good tonight.”
The smaller Bears were able to keep the Panther running attack in check almost the entire night, despite having little depth on a humid night. Cabot ground its way to 208 yards on the ground, but they came grudgingly against a Sylvan Hills defense led by Juliean Broner, Lawrence Hodges and Nick Brewer.
They held fullback Michael James to just 73 yards on 24 carries and Chris Bayles to 75 on 15 totes.
“The defense played real well,” said Sylvan Hills coach Jim Withrow. “Our defensive coordinator had some great schemes. The kids up front played well and gave us a chance to win and that’s wall we wanted. But the offense just had too many miscues.”
Cabot’s defense deserves much of the credit for Sylvan Hills’ 54 yards of total offense. Led by the fierce rush of Nick McTague, Jared Maxwell and company, the front line was in quarterback Jordan Spears’ face all night and he spent most of the evening on the turf. But a series of bad snaps resulted in half a dozen big losses that dug the Bears’ hole even deeper. One of those led to Cabot’s first points when a snap to Broner went over his head and he covered it in the end zone as the Panthers took a 2-0 lead with 5:08 left in the opening period.
The Panthers had only two sustained drives all night after going three-and-out on their first three possessions. The first of those drives — 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:38 off the clock — led to James’ 2-yard touchdown run and a 9-0 lead at the 8:08 mark of the second period.
Sylvan Hills caught a break when Blake Rasdon recovered a Spencer Neumann fumble on a punt return at the Bears 44. But Neumann made up for it two plays later when he knocked the ball loose from Spears and Maxwell pounced on it at the Sylvan Hills 48.
Barry Bir got it back for the Bears with an interception when he took the ball out of Neumann’s hands, but the Bears once again were unable to move it and went to the locker room trailing 9-0.
It didn’t take long after intermission for the Bears to hand the Panthers another gift when a high snap went through Spears’ hands and Brock Bunting fell on it in the end zone for the touchdown. James’ 2-point run made it 17-0 just 1:53 into the second half.
Cabot put it away with a 20-play drive that consumed 9:15 and ended in a 5-yard touchdown run by James with 7:05 left in the game.
Of eight official running plays by the Bears in the second half, seven went for losses. Overall 13 of their 20 rushes went for negative yardage. Spears completed 13-of-30 with one interception by Nathan Byrnes in the closing minutes of the game. Of his 78 yards through the air, 46 went to Ahmad Scott, who caught seven passes.
“Their defense always plays well,” Withrow said. “They hit you hard and get after you and they have great schemes. They’re going to make you beat them by dinking them. They’re not going to give you the deep ball.
“But it was so uncharacteristic of our center (to make bad snaps). We executed well in practice all week and I thought we’d play well.”
For Malham, the concern is over the offensive line, which struggled to open up much of anything all night against the smaller defensive front of Sylvan Hills.
“We punted more tonight than I can remember punting in a long time,” he said. “They did a great job on defense. They took it to us and got after it. We weren’t blocking good and weren’t running very hard and they were beating us to the punch is what they were doing.
“We have most of our offensive linemen back from last year, but we’re not near as good as last year so far.”
Withrow said there was a lot the Bears could take from the loss, despite the dismal offensive performance.
“I thought our inexperience showed at times,” he said. “But our effort and toughness, man we grew up tonight a lot. I was really proud of them.”
He was especially complimentary of Hodges and Broner, two players who mixed it up all night on both sides of the ball. When Broner and Hodgers weren’t trying to escape Cabot defenders, they were trying to keep rushers away from Spears.
“Juju (Broner) is growing up, not only as a player but as a person,” Withrow said. “He and Hodges block about as well as two backs can block and you don’t get that in high school very often.”
Cabot hosts Little Rock Hall next Friday, while Sylvan Hills (1-1) travels to North Little Rock.
Friday, September 12, 2008
EDITORIAL >>New district goes forward
There’s still a lot of hard work to be done, but it appears increasingly likely that Jacksonville and the rest of north Pulaski County will soon carve a stand-alone school district from the far-flung environs of the Pulaski County Special School District, and with the approval of the PCSSD School Board at that.
Able and devoted Jacksonville residents have worked for three decades for this moment, but none abler or more devoted than state Rep. Will Bond (D-Jacksonville). Bond is the architect of the successful effort, supplying leadership, wisdom, good humor and an understanding of what was required and how to go about it.
There are a lot of good arguments for term limits. Bond could be the best possible argument against it. He is not eligible for another term in the state House of Representatives.
We think he’d make a good attorney general or governor when the time comes, but in the meantime, we hope he’ll have an active role either on a new Jacksonville school board or behind the scenes.
Over his six years as a state representative, through special language and state law, Bond has created the environment that has led to this moment in history.
First he required the state Education Department to commission a study of the feasibility of a standalone district. Eventually known as the Gordon Report, it found the district feasible and the school buildings abysmal.
Bond authored Act 395 of 2007, which dangled a quarter-million dollar carrot before the state attorney general’s office and PCSSD, North Little Rock and Little Rock school districts—money that could be paid to reimburse legal costs of getting all three districts declared unitary—that is desegregated. It remains to be seen if U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson approves an independent school district in Jacksonville.
It’s impossible to name all, but in their own ways many have contributed to the effort over time. We’re probably leaving out a couple of dozen, maybe more.
Among those who worked for a Jacksonville district are former state Rep. Pat Bond (Will is a second-generation advocate) and her husband Tommy Bond, board member Bill Vasquez, his predecessor James Bolden, who was a forceful voice for a district, and Bolden’s predecessor, Pat O’Brien, who went on to clean up and organize Pulaski County’s two clerks offices.
Little Rock Air Force Base officials, including base commander Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz, Col. George A. Risse, commander of the 314th Mission Support Group, and Maj. Lisa Redinger, have be stalwart in their support.
Daniel Gray, Jody Urqhart, Ivory Tillman, Martha Watley, Linda Remele, Jay Whisker and his boss, Mayor Tommy Swaim, have worked toward the district, as has Dr. Greg Bollen.
Gray has been Bond’s top lieutenant in marshalling support and getting out the word.
State Rep. Sandra Prater (D-Jacksonville) and state Sen. John Paul Capps (D-Searcy) were supportive, particularly in the legislature.
Attorney Ben Rice and Alderman Reedie Ray have worked for a Jacksonville district, sometimes setting a different course toward the same goal.
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce also did its part as the group is determined to revitalize the city, pushing for new schools to present a better image to visitors, who see dilapidated buildings and decide to move somewhere else.
Jacksonville residents will have an opportunity to do their part, because students aren’t going to get the new and improved facilities they deserve unless voters approve an eventual millage increase and bond issue that will be needed to pay for the improvements.
Jacksonville, which has lost scores of students and their families to Cabot schools and others, is a big winner in this, and more importantly so are the Jacksonville students.
But there is no Jacksonville/north Pulaski County district yet. And once it’s established, the real work begins.
Able and devoted Jacksonville residents have worked for three decades for this moment, but none abler or more devoted than state Rep. Will Bond (D-Jacksonville). Bond is the architect of the successful effort, supplying leadership, wisdom, good humor and an understanding of what was required and how to go about it.
There are a lot of good arguments for term limits. Bond could be the best possible argument against it. He is not eligible for another term in the state House of Representatives.
We think he’d make a good attorney general or governor when the time comes, but in the meantime, we hope he’ll have an active role either on a new Jacksonville school board or behind the scenes.
Over his six years as a state representative, through special language and state law, Bond has created the environment that has led to this moment in history.
First he required the state Education Department to commission a study of the feasibility of a standalone district. Eventually known as the Gordon Report, it found the district feasible and the school buildings abysmal.
Bond authored Act 395 of 2007, which dangled a quarter-million dollar carrot before the state attorney general’s office and PCSSD, North Little Rock and Little Rock school districts—money that could be paid to reimburse legal costs of getting all three districts declared unitary—that is desegregated. It remains to be seen if U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson approves an independent school district in Jacksonville.
It’s impossible to name all, but in their own ways many have contributed to the effort over time. We’re probably leaving out a couple of dozen, maybe more.
Among those who worked for a Jacksonville district are former state Rep. Pat Bond (Will is a second-generation advocate) and her husband Tommy Bond, board member Bill Vasquez, his predecessor James Bolden, who was a forceful voice for a district, and Bolden’s predecessor, Pat O’Brien, who went on to clean up and organize Pulaski County’s two clerks offices.
Little Rock Air Force Base officials, including base commander Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz, Col. George A. Risse, commander of the 314th Mission Support Group, and Maj. Lisa Redinger, have be stalwart in their support.
Daniel Gray, Jody Urqhart, Ivory Tillman, Martha Watley, Linda Remele, Jay Whisker and his boss, Mayor Tommy Swaim, have worked toward the district, as has Dr. Greg Bollen.
Gray has been Bond’s top lieutenant in marshalling support and getting out the word.
State Rep. Sandra Prater (D-Jacksonville) and state Sen. John Paul Capps (D-Searcy) were supportive, particularly in the legislature.
Attorney Ben Rice and Alderman Reedie Ray have worked for a Jacksonville district, sometimes setting a different course toward the same goal.
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce also did its part as the group is determined to revitalize the city, pushing for new schools to present a better image to visitors, who see dilapidated buildings and decide to move somewhere else.
Jacksonville residents will have an opportunity to do their part, because students aren’t going to get the new and improved facilities they deserve unless voters approve an eventual millage increase and bond issue that will be needed to pay for the improvements.
Jacksonville, which has lost scores of students and their families to Cabot schools and others, is a big winner in this, and more importantly so are the Jacksonville students.
But there is no Jacksonville/north Pulaski County district yet. And once it’s established, the real work begins.
EDITORIAL >>New district goes forward
There’s still a lot of hard work to be done, but it appears increasingly likely that Jacksonville and the rest of north Pulaski County will soon carve a stand-alone school district from the far-flung environs of the Pulaski County Special School District, and with the approval of the PCSSD School Board at that.
Able and devoted Jacksonville residents have worked for three decades for this moment, but none abler or more devoted than state Rep. Will Bond (D-Jacksonville). Bond is the architect of the successful effort, supplying leadership, wisdom, good humor and an understanding of what was required and how to go about it.
There are a lot of good arguments for term limits. Bond could be the best possible argument against it. He is not eligible for another term in the state House of Representatives.
We think he’d make a good attorney general or governor when the time comes, but in the meantime, we hope he’ll have an active role either on a new Jacksonville school board or behind the scenes.
Over his six years as a state representative, through special language and state law, Bond has created the environment that has led to this moment in history.
First he required the state Education Department to commission a study of the feasibility of a standalone district. Eventually known as the Gordon Report, it found the district feasible and the school buildings abysmal.
Bond authored Act 395 of 2007, which dangled a quarter-million dollar carrot before the state attorney general’s office and PCSSD, North Little Rock and Little Rock school districts—money that could be paid to reimburse legal costs of getting all three districts declared unitary—that is desegregated. It remains to be seen if U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson approves an independent school district in Jacksonville.
It’s impossible to name all, but in their own ways many have contributed to the effort over time. We’re probably leaving out a couple of dozen, maybe more.
Among those who worked for a Jacksonville district are former state Rep. Pat Bond (Will is a second-generation advocate) and her husband Tommy Bond, board member Bill Vasquez, his predecessor James Bolden, who was a forceful voice for a district, and Bolden’s predecessor, Pat O’Brien, who went on to clean up and organize Pulaski County’s two clerks offices.
Little Rock Air Force Base officials, including base commander Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz, Col. George A. Risse, commander of the 314th Mission Support Group, and Maj. Lisa Redinger, have be stalwart in their support.
Daniel Gray, Jody Urqhart, Ivory Tillman, Martha Watley, Linda Remele, Jay Whisker and his boss, Mayor Tommy Swaim, have worked toward the district, as has Dr. Greg Bollen.
Gray has been Bond’s top lieutenant in marshalling support and getting out the word.
State Rep. Sandra Prater (D-Jacksonville) and state Sen. John Paul Capps (D-Searcy) were supportive, particularly in the legislature.
Attorney Ben Rice and Alderman Reedie Ray have worked for a Jacksonville district, sometimes setting a different course toward the same goal.
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce also did its part as the group is determined to revitalize the city, pushing for new schools to present a better image to visitors, who see dilapidated buildings and decide to move somewhere else.
Jacksonville residents will have an opportunity to do their part, because students aren’t going to get the new and improved facilities they deserve unless voters approve an eventual millage increase and bond issue that will be needed to pay for the improvements.
Jacksonville, which has lost scores of students and their families to Cabot schools and others, is a big winner in this, and more importantly so are the Jacksonville students.
But there is no Jacksonville/north Pulaski County district yet. And once it’s established, the real work begins.
Able and devoted Jacksonville residents have worked for three decades for this moment, but none abler or more devoted than state Rep. Will Bond (D-Jacksonville). Bond is the architect of the successful effort, supplying leadership, wisdom, good humor and an understanding of what was required and how to go about it.
There are a lot of good arguments for term limits. Bond could be the best possible argument against it. He is not eligible for another term in the state House of Representatives.
We think he’d make a good attorney general or governor when the time comes, but in the meantime, we hope he’ll have an active role either on a new Jacksonville school board or behind the scenes.
Over his six years as a state representative, through special language and state law, Bond has created the environment that has led to this moment in history.
First he required the state Education Department to commission a study of the feasibility of a standalone district. Eventually known as the Gordon Report, it found the district feasible and the school buildings abysmal.
Bond authored Act 395 of 2007, which dangled a quarter-million dollar carrot before the state attorney general’s office and PCSSD, North Little Rock and Little Rock school districts—money that could be paid to reimburse legal costs of getting all three districts declared unitary—that is desegregated. It remains to be seen if U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson approves an independent school district in Jacksonville.
It’s impossible to name all, but in their own ways many have contributed to the effort over time. We’re probably leaving out a couple of dozen, maybe more.
Among those who worked for a Jacksonville district are former state Rep. Pat Bond (Will is a second-generation advocate) and her husband Tommy Bond, board member Bill Vasquez, his predecessor James Bolden, who was a forceful voice for a district, and Bolden’s predecessor, Pat O’Brien, who went on to clean up and organize Pulaski County’s two clerks offices.
Little Rock Air Force Base officials, including base commander Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz, Col. George A. Risse, commander of the 314th Mission Support Group, and Maj. Lisa Redinger, have be stalwart in their support.
Daniel Gray, Jody Urqhart, Ivory Tillman, Martha Watley, Linda Remele, Jay Whisker and his boss, Mayor Tommy Swaim, have worked toward the district, as has Dr. Greg Bollen.
Gray has been Bond’s top lieutenant in marshalling support and getting out the word.
State Rep. Sandra Prater (D-Jacksonville) and state Sen. John Paul Capps (D-Searcy) were supportive, particularly in the legislature.
Attorney Ben Rice and Alderman Reedie Ray have worked for a Jacksonville district, sometimes setting a different course toward the same goal.
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce also did its part as the group is determined to revitalize the city, pushing for new schools to present a better image to visitors, who see dilapidated buildings and decide to move somewhere else.
Jacksonville residents will have an opportunity to do their part, because students aren’t going to get the new and improved facilities they deserve unless voters approve an eventual millage increase and bond issue that will be needed to pay for the improvements.
Jacksonville, which has lost scores of students and their families to Cabot schools and others, is a big winner in this, and more importantly so are the Jacksonville students.
But there is no Jacksonville/north Pulaski County district yet. And once it’s established, the real work begins.
TOP STORY > >Animal ordinance could be repealed
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
The new animal control ordinance passed by Cabot City Council last month is back on the agenda for the Monday night meeting, but this time it is almost certain to be scrapped in favor of the old rules.
The new ordinance, scheduled to go into effect Sept. 19, limited the number of pets that residents could have to any combination of four dogs and cats. And that had some residents upset. The new ordinance also would have required pet owners to pay $30 to relinquish animals to the shelter for adoption and defined an owner as anyone who has fed an animal for five days.
If the council rescinds the ordinance, the old rules will apply. Residents will be allowed to keep four dogs and any number of cats they choose. But reinstating the old ordinances is only a stopgap measure. As council members discussed both the old and new ordinance this week, they realized they didn’t really like either one.
Alderman Becky Lemaster said the public works committee will discuss next month eliminating the limit on dogs and cats altogether.
“We’re going to go with an unlimited number of animals because we have no business telling people what they can have in their houses,” Lemaster said.
The ordinance passed last month also banned animals with hooves – hogs, sheep and goats – but the old ordinance allowed them providing the lot where they were kept was a specified size.
Lemaster said that provision is certain to be incorporated into the next ordinance that is drafted.
Lemaster said she does not keep goats, but knows an elderly man who does and she thinks anyone with enough land for hoofed animals should be allowed to have them. Some residents were concerned that the ordinance passed in August would prevent them from fostering animals that would otherwise be killed. Some of the discussion at the committee meeting this week centered on a possible addition to a new ordinance to deal with fostering. But if a new ordinance eliminates the limit on the number of dogs and cats allowed, no provision for fostering would be necessary.
The council meets at 7 p.m., in the council chambers of the city annex. Also on the agenda are two appointments to the parks commission. If the council approves the resolutions, Kelly Spencer will replace Dennis Reeder on the commission and John Stephen Tipton will be reappointed. Tipton was appointed to replace a commission member who resigned. He has not served a full term.
Leader staff writer
The new animal control ordinance passed by Cabot City Council last month is back on the agenda for the Monday night meeting, but this time it is almost certain to be scrapped in favor of the old rules.
The new ordinance, scheduled to go into effect Sept. 19, limited the number of pets that residents could have to any combination of four dogs and cats. And that had some residents upset. The new ordinance also would have required pet owners to pay $30 to relinquish animals to the shelter for adoption and defined an owner as anyone who has fed an animal for five days.
If the council rescinds the ordinance, the old rules will apply. Residents will be allowed to keep four dogs and any number of cats they choose. But reinstating the old ordinances is only a stopgap measure. As council members discussed both the old and new ordinance this week, they realized they didn’t really like either one.
Alderman Becky Lemaster said the public works committee will discuss next month eliminating the limit on dogs and cats altogether.
“We’re going to go with an unlimited number of animals because we have no business telling people what they can have in their houses,” Lemaster said.
The ordinance passed last month also banned animals with hooves – hogs, sheep and goats – but the old ordinance allowed them providing the lot where they were kept was a specified size.
Lemaster said that provision is certain to be incorporated into the next ordinance that is drafted.
Lemaster said she does not keep goats, but knows an elderly man who does and she thinks anyone with enough land for hoofed animals should be allowed to have them. Some residents were concerned that the ordinance passed in August would prevent them from fostering animals that would otherwise be killed. Some of the discussion at the committee meeting this week centered on a possible addition to a new ordinance to deal with fostering. But if a new ordinance eliminates the limit on the number of dogs and cats allowed, no provision for fostering would be necessary.
The council meets at 7 p.m., in the council chambers of the city annex. Also on the agenda are two appointments to the parks commission. If the council approves the resolutions, Kelly Spencer will replace Dennis Reeder on the commission and John Stephen Tipton will be reappointed. Tipton was appointed to replace a commission member who resigned. He has not served a full term.
TOP STORY > >Eatery denied liquor permit
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
A request for a private liquor license by Kopan, a Korean-Japanese restaurant on Main Street in Cabot, has been turned down by the director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration, a state regulatory agency in Little Rock, but that denial will be appealed to the ABC board when it meets Oct. 13.
The procedure is standard.
Michael Langley, ABC director, said in August that if there are objections to a license application, he has no choice except to deny the application and allow all sides to present their cases to the ABC board. In Cabot, church pastors as well as some city officials objected to the permit being issued.
After the board makes its decision, the losing side has the option of appealing to circuit court.
If Kopan succeeds in getting a license to sell alcohol as a private club, it will be the first restaurant in Lonoke County that is open to the public to do so. The ABC granted a private club license to Win Knight March 31, contingent on the actual construction and approval by the state Health Department for a restaurant in Ward, but opponents appealed to circuit court and the restaurant has not been built.
The Ward City Council opposed Knight’s license application, but the Cabot City Council has not taken an official position.
All parts of Lonoke and White counties are dry, meaning there are no liquor stores and alcohol may only be purchased for on-premises consumption at private clubs.
But 2003 changes in state law aimed at promoting tourism and economic growth allow restaurants to acquire private-club liquor licenses and serve alcohol in dry counties.
Some counties like Benton County in the northern part of the state which now has 120 establishments selling alcohol under private-club liquor licenses, have taken advantage of the law. But so far only one restaurant in White County, Kelly’s in Bald Knob, has been granted a license. And no restaurants in Lonoke County serve alcohol.
The state has issued four private-club liquor licenses in Lonoke County, two for clubs in Cabot’s Greystone, one for Rolling Hills Country Club in Cabot and one for Mallard Point in Lonoke.
In White County, in addition to Kelly’s, liquor licenses are held by a country club in Searcy, a VFW in Searcy, a VFW in Beebe and the Eagle Lodge in Searcy.
Leader staff writer
A request for a private liquor license by Kopan, a Korean-Japanese restaurant on Main Street in Cabot, has been turned down by the director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration, a state regulatory agency in Little Rock, but that denial will be appealed to the ABC board when it meets Oct. 13.
The procedure is standard.
Michael Langley, ABC director, said in August that if there are objections to a license application, he has no choice except to deny the application and allow all sides to present their cases to the ABC board. In Cabot, church pastors as well as some city officials objected to the permit being issued.
After the board makes its decision, the losing side has the option of appealing to circuit court.
If Kopan succeeds in getting a license to sell alcohol as a private club, it will be the first restaurant in Lonoke County that is open to the public to do so. The ABC granted a private club license to Win Knight March 31, contingent on the actual construction and approval by the state Health Department for a restaurant in Ward, but opponents appealed to circuit court and the restaurant has not been built.
The Ward City Council opposed Knight’s license application, but the Cabot City Council has not taken an official position.
All parts of Lonoke and White counties are dry, meaning there are no liquor stores and alcohol may only be purchased for on-premises consumption at private clubs.
But 2003 changes in state law aimed at promoting tourism and economic growth allow restaurants to acquire private-club liquor licenses and serve alcohol in dry counties.
Some counties like Benton County in the northern part of the state which now has 120 establishments selling alcohol under private-club liquor licenses, have taken advantage of the law. But so far only one restaurant in White County, Kelly’s in Bald Knob, has been granted a license. And no restaurants in Lonoke County serve alcohol.
The state has issued four private-club liquor licenses in Lonoke County, two for clubs in Cabot’s Greystone, one for Rolling Hills Country Club in Cabot and one for Mallard Point in Lonoke.
In White County, in addition to Kelly’s, liquor licenses are held by a country club in Searcy, a VFW in Searcy, a VFW in Beebe and the Eagle Lodge in Searcy.
TOP STORY > >Eatery denied liquor permit
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
A request for a private liquor license by Kopan, a Korean-Japanese restaurant on Main Street in Cabot, has been turned down by the director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration, a state regulatory agency in Little Rock, but that denial will be appealed to the ABC board when it meets Oct. 13.
The procedure is standard.
Michael Langley, ABC director, said in August that if there are objections to a license application, he has no choice except to deny the application and allow all sides to present their cases to the ABC board. In Cabot, church pastors as well as some city officials objected to the permit being issued.
After the board makes its decision, the losing side has the option of appealing to circuit court.
If Kopan succeeds in getting a license to sell alcohol as a private club, it will be the first restaurant in Lonoke County that is open to the public to do so. The ABC granted a private club license to Win Knight March 31, contingent on the actual construction and approval by the state Health Department for a restaurant in Ward, but opponents appealed to circuit court and the restaurant has not been built.
The Ward City Council opposed Knight’s license application, but the Cabot City Council has not taken an official position.
All parts of Lonoke and White counties are dry, meaning there are no liquor stores and alcohol may only be purchased for on-premises consumption at private clubs.
But 2003 changes in state law aimed at promoting tourism and economic growth allow restaurants to acquire private-club liquor licenses and serve alcohol in dry counties.
Some counties like Benton County in the northern part of the state which now has 120 establishments selling alcohol under private-club liquor licenses, have taken advantage of the law. But so far only one restaurant in White County, Kelly’s in Bald Knob, has been granted a license. And no restaurants in Lonoke County serve alcohol.
The state has issued four private-club liquor licenses in Lonoke County, two for clubs in Cabot’s Greystone, one for Rolling Hills Country Club in Cabot and one for Mallard Point in Lonoke.
In White County, in addition to Kelly’s, liquor licenses are held by a country club in Searcy, a VFW in Searcy, a VFW in Beebe and the Eagle Lodge in Searcy.
Leader staff writer
A request for a private liquor license by Kopan, a Korean-Japanese restaurant on Main Street in Cabot, has been turned down by the director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration, a state regulatory agency in Little Rock, but that denial will be appealed to the ABC board when it meets Oct. 13.
The procedure is standard.
Michael Langley, ABC director, said in August that if there are objections to a license application, he has no choice except to deny the application and allow all sides to present their cases to the ABC board. In Cabot, church pastors as well as some city officials objected to the permit being issued.
After the board makes its decision, the losing side has the option of appealing to circuit court.
If Kopan succeeds in getting a license to sell alcohol as a private club, it will be the first restaurant in Lonoke County that is open to the public to do so. The ABC granted a private club license to Win Knight March 31, contingent on the actual construction and approval by the state Health Department for a restaurant in Ward, but opponents appealed to circuit court and the restaurant has not been built.
The Ward City Council opposed Knight’s license application, but the Cabot City Council has not taken an official position.
All parts of Lonoke and White counties are dry, meaning there are no liquor stores and alcohol may only be purchased for on-premises consumption at private clubs.
But 2003 changes in state law aimed at promoting tourism and economic growth allow restaurants to acquire private-club liquor licenses and serve alcohol in dry counties.
Some counties like Benton County in the northern part of the state which now has 120 establishments selling alcohol under private-club liquor licenses, have taken advantage of the law. But so far only one restaurant in White County, Kelly’s in Bald Knob, has been granted a license. And no restaurants in Lonoke County serve alcohol.
The state has issued four private-club liquor licenses in Lonoke County, two for clubs in Cabot’s Greystone, one for Rolling Hills Country Club in Cabot and one for Mallard Point in Lonoke.
In White County, in addition to Kelly’s, liquor licenses are held by a country club in Searcy, a VFW in Searcy, a VFW in Beebe and the Eagle Lodge in Searcy.
TOP STORY > >Jacksonville is closer to having its own district
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Despite its unanimous approval — in principle — of creation of a stand-alone Jacksonville/north Pulaski County school district, a last-minute amendment to the resolution empowers the Pulaski County Special School District School Board to determine the exact boundaries of that district and which schools become part of it. (See editorial, p. 6A.)
The resolution as originally presented laid out the boundaries for the proposed new district and designated the schools involved. That’s how school finance expert Donald Stewart was able to calculate the amount of projected tax revenue and student aid that both the new district and the remaining PCSSD could expect.
In the end, it was the Stewart study’s conclusion that two districts could survive and even thrive that helped the board do what none of its predecessors had done in 30 years—endorse the idea of a Jacksonville district.
Jacksonville is the largest city in the state without its own district.
Jacksonville board member Bill Vasquez, who introduced the resolution endorsing the split, accepted fellow board member Pam Roberts’ amendment to let the PCSSD board determine who’s in which district. Vasquez also accepted an amendment stating the board’s intention to defend its remaining borders vigorously in negotiating with the state and with adjoining districts.
State Rep. Will Bond, D-Jack-sonville, said he was disappointed that the proposed boundaries in the resolution weren’t adopted, but that it could be worked out later in negotiation and that it was likely to be similar, if not the same, as boundaries that the Jacksonville district proponents proposed and Stewart used.
“I think it’s finally a realization of the board that splitting off is in the best interest of all the children in the district,” Bond said on Thursday. The reason breakaway efforts were stopped in 2002 and 2003 was that PCSSD sued Jacksonville and went to federal court to stop a vote on the issue. Now there’s a resolution that says PCSSD is in favor of the district, said Bond. “That’s a sea change. That’s a big deal.
“We were disappointed it was amended because the county would still have a say in the boundary,” Bond said.
Sherwood’s desire to have all its city limits in one school district played an important role in drawing up the proposed boundaries, Bond said. “But a unanimous vote for a proposition that the county board has fought against as long as anyone remembers—all the hard work over the years has paid off,” he said.
Bond said that there would probably be some public meetings to nail down the boundaries for the new district. He said the important thing now would be to finalize a detailed timeline on ending the desegregation agreement that has bound PCSSD with the North Little Rock and Little Rock districts for decades, as provided by ACT 395 of 2007. Bond was the author of that legislation.
During the meeting, three of seven board members asked questions that seemed to signal they could vote against the separate district. Gwen Williams, running for reelection, questioned what would happen to the teachers and support staff. Bond said they would likely be assigned according to seniority and that the two districts were likely to need everyone they have.
Bond said, “We couldn’t draw quality teachers and administrators if salaries weren’t competitive,” but noted that was a issue to be resolved by the first Jacksonville school board, once its elected.
Brenda Bowles, assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services, said that years ago, when the Little Rock District took some schools and territory from the district, it created a financial hardship. Stewart, who was just taking over as chief financial officer of PCSSD at the time, said they were tough years, but not necessarily the result of Little Rock’s annexation.
He said the PCSSD was left poorer by that action, but would actually be in a better position if Jacksonville split off.
Moving forward, this is in everyone’s best interest, said Bond. “We need new facilities right now. It should have been done years ago.”
Bond said the quickest route to a Jacksonville-area district would be for all the parties to end the desegregation agreement, for Jacksonville to detach from PCSSD and for the state Board of Education to create the district.
“I don’t know that a declaration of unitary status (by Federal District Judge Bill Wilson) is required. We do have to show that breaking off wouldn’t have a negative impact,” Bond said.
Board member Danny Gilil-land, whose district straddles Jacksonville and Sherwood said despite Sherwood Mayor Virginia’s insistence that all part of Sherwood remain in the district, nearly all the patrons he’s spoken to want to be part of the Jacksonville district. “We’re chasing a ghost,” he said.
“When you have the opportunity to govern yourself, closer to home, you might get more done,” board president Charlie Wood said. “The committee has made a good faith effort to resolve the boundaries. I believe they can build (Jacksonville) buildings faster than we can.”
Pulaski County and Circuit Clerk Pat O’Brien, who served on the PCSSD school board was at the meeting in support of the Jacksonville district. Board member Mildred Tatum told him she had always been skeptical when O’Brien advocated for a Jacksonville district.
“I thought I never would say yes, let’s go ahead and do it,” she said to O’Brien. “But now I’m going to say yes,” she said, beaming.
Leader senior staff writer
Despite its unanimous approval — in principle — of creation of a stand-alone Jacksonville/north Pulaski County school district, a last-minute amendment to the resolution empowers the Pulaski County Special School District School Board to determine the exact boundaries of that district and which schools become part of it. (See editorial, p. 6A.)
The resolution as originally presented laid out the boundaries for the proposed new district and designated the schools involved. That’s how school finance expert Donald Stewart was able to calculate the amount of projected tax revenue and student aid that both the new district and the remaining PCSSD could expect.
In the end, it was the Stewart study’s conclusion that two districts could survive and even thrive that helped the board do what none of its predecessors had done in 30 years—endorse the idea of a Jacksonville district.
Jacksonville is the largest city in the state without its own district.
Jacksonville board member Bill Vasquez, who introduced the resolution endorsing the split, accepted fellow board member Pam Roberts’ amendment to let the PCSSD board determine who’s in which district. Vasquez also accepted an amendment stating the board’s intention to defend its remaining borders vigorously in negotiating with the state and with adjoining districts.
State Rep. Will Bond, D-Jack-sonville, said he was disappointed that the proposed boundaries in the resolution weren’t adopted, but that it could be worked out later in negotiation and that it was likely to be similar, if not the same, as boundaries that the Jacksonville district proponents proposed and Stewart used.
“I think it’s finally a realization of the board that splitting off is in the best interest of all the children in the district,” Bond said on Thursday. The reason breakaway efforts were stopped in 2002 and 2003 was that PCSSD sued Jacksonville and went to federal court to stop a vote on the issue. Now there’s a resolution that says PCSSD is in favor of the district, said Bond. “That’s a sea change. That’s a big deal.
“We were disappointed it was amended because the county would still have a say in the boundary,” Bond said.
Sherwood’s desire to have all its city limits in one school district played an important role in drawing up the proposed boundaries, Bond said. “But a unanimous vote for a proposition that the county board has fought against as long as anyone remembers—all the hard work over the years has paid off,” he said.
Bond said that there would probably be some public meetings to nail down the boundaries for the new district. He said the important thing now would be to finalize a detailed timeline on ending the desegregation agreement that has bound PCSSD with the North Little Rock and Little Rock districts for decades, as provided by ACT 395 of 2007. Bond was the author of that legislation.
During the meeting, three of seven board members asked questions that seemed to signal they could vote against the separate district. Gwen Williams, running for reelection, questioned what would happen to the teachers and support staff. Bond said they would likely be assigned according to seniority and that the two districts were likely to need everyone they have.
Bond said, “We couldn’t draw quality teachers and administrators if salaries weren’t competitive,” but noted that was a issue to be resolved by the first Jacksonville school board, once its elected.
Brenda Bowles, assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services, said that years ago, when the Little Rock District took some schools and territory from the district, it created a financial hardship. Stewart, who was just taking over as chief financial officer of PCSSD at the time, said they were tough years, but not necessarily the result of Little Rock’s annexation.
He said the PCSSD was left poorer by that action, but would actually be in a better position if Jacksonville split off.
Moving forward, this is in everyone’s best interest, said Bond. “We need new facilities right now. It should have been done years ago.”
Bond said the quickest route to a Jacksonville-area district would be for all the parties to end the desegregation agreement, for Jacksonville to detach from PCSSD and for the state Board of Education to create the district.
“I don’t know that a declaration of unitary status (by Federal District Judge Bill Wilson) is required. We do have to show that breaking off wouldn’t have a negative impact,” Bond said.
Board member Danny Gilil-land, whose district straddles Jacksonville and Sherwood said despite Sherwood Mayor Virginia’s insistence that all part of Sherwood remain in the district, nearly all the patrons he’s spoken to want to be part of the Jacksonville district. “We’re chasing a ghost,” he said.
“When you have the opportunity to govern yourself, closer to home, you might get more done,” board president Charlie Wood said. “The committee has made a good faith effort to resolve the boundaries. I believe they can build (Jacksonville) buildings faster than we can.”
Pulaski County and Circuit Clerk Pat O’Brien, who served on the PCSSD school board was at the meeting in support of the Jacksonville district. Board member Mildred Tatum told him she had always been skeptical when O’Brien advocated for a Jacksonville district.
“I thought I never would say yes, let’s go ahead and do it,” she said to O’Brien. “But now I’m going to say yes,” she said, beaming.
TOP STORY > >Sheriff asks IDs for sex offenders
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Sex offenders in Arkansas will be so designated by code or symbol on their diver’s licenses in Lonoke County if Sheriff Jim Roberson gets his way.
That way, a registered offender can be identified by law enforcement officials making traffic stops or in other circumstances, such as a suspicious person at a daycare or school, Roberson said.
No one could be reached at the Arkansas office of the American Civil Liberties Union, but similar laws have been enacted in perhaps five states, with other measures taken in as many as 22 states, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.
In Oklahoma, for ex-ample, the phrase sexual offender appears on licenses in red three times including under the main photo and through the smaller photo.
Delaware implemented a similar law in 1998.
Roberson said that in the case of convicted sexual offenders, he would use a code or a symbol on the license that would be apparent to law enforcement officers and also to operators of daycare centers when checking the identification of a potential employee.
“Once a person is convicted of a sex offense, their driver’s license will be suspended until they report to drivers control to have their license coded,” Roberson said.
If a registered sex offender failed to comply with these procedures and is stopped for a traffic violation, there should be a criminal offense for failure to comply, he said.
Roberson said his office was sending letters concerning the proposal to Arkansas Drivers Control, the Arkansas Crime Information Center and to some state lawmakers.
“Some people may see this as an infraction of their rights; however, every step should be taken to protect children,” said Roberson.
“The legislature has to get involved and go from there,” he said. He said he would be sending information to other sheriffs trying to get them behind the project.
Leader senior staff writer
Sex offenders in Arkansas will be so designated by code or symbol on their diver’s licenses in Lonoke County if Sheriff Jim Roberson gets his way.
That way, a registered offender can be identified by law enforcement officials making traffic stops or in other circumstances, such as a suspicious person at a daycare or school, Roberson said.
No one could be reached at the Arkansas office of the American Civil Liberties Union, but similar laws have been enacted in perhaps five states, with other measures taken in as many as 22 states, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.
In Oklahoma, for ex-ample, the phrase sexual offender appears on licenses in red three times including under the main photo and through the smaller photo.
Delaware implemented a similar law in 1998.
Roberson said that in the case of convicted sexual offenders, he would use a code or a symbol on the license that would be apparent to law enforcement officers and also to operators of daycare centers when checking the identification of a potential employee.
“Once a person is convicted of a sex offense, their driver’s license will be suspended until they report to drivers control to have their license coded,” Roberson said.
If a registered sex offender failed to comply with these procedures and is stopped for a traffic violation, there should be a criminal offense for failure to comply, he said.
Roberson said his office was sending letters concerning the proposal to Arkansas Drivers Control, the Arkansas Crime Information Center and to some state lawmakers.
“Some people may see this as an infraction of their rights; however, every step should be taken to protect children,” said Roberson.
“The legislature has to get involved and go from there,” he said. He said he would be sending information to other sheriffs trying to get them behind the project.
TOP STORY > >C-130s help evacuations
Story and photos by Jeffrey Smith
Leader staff writer
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas—Even before the first clouds of Hurricane Ike reached the Texas Gulf Coast, three C-130s from Little Rock Air Force Base on Thursday helped evacuate more than 85 intensive-care patients inland from Corpus Christi to Dallas.
Two C-130 airplanes from Little Rock Air Force Base flew at 11 p.m. Wednesday to Corpus Christi, each with an evacuation crew made up of a medical crew director, a flight nurse and three medical technicians, who were trained in dealing with trauma.
Crews were at the Jacksonville air base eight days in preparation for the storm.
“It is very challenging. We will be picking up a large diversity of patients with different health problems, quickly, with limited time,” said Maj. Alex Schwan, medical crew director, said on the way to the Gulf Coast.
Schwan, of the 433rd Air Evacuation Squadron, San Antonio, Texas, said before Hurricane Ike, the evacuation crew had the experience of moving hospital patients in 2005 when Hurricane Rita struck the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
Crews from Little Rock Air Force Base also helped evacuate patients from Louisiana before Hurricane Gustav hit the area.
When not preparing to help transport hospital patients to safety from an approaching hurricane, the evacuation crews have provided emergency medical services to the military in the Middle East.
While in flight, the evacuation crew worked constantly for two hours to change the cargo plane into a flying ambulance service.
Technicians prepared oxygen lines, readied medical supplies and secured cots in place, which resembled triple-decker bunk beds.
When the C-130s landed at the Corpus Christi International Airport, 85 patients were already waiting in an air-conditioned airplane hangar for transport to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The two planes were scheduled to make two consecutive trips between the cities throughout the day. When patients arrived to Dallas, they were transported by ambulances to local hospitals.
The three C-130s came from the 50th Airlift Squadron, 53rd Airlift Squadron and 62nd Airlift Squadron, all part of the 463rd Airlift Group at Little Rock Air Force Base. Seven additional C-130s from the base were on “standby” status.
The aircrews are transporting post-surgery/post-intensive-care patients from area hospitals in McAllen, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and Harlingen to Dallas medical facilities.
Five aeromedical evacuation teams, which provide in-flight immediate on-scene emergency medical care for patients from the disaster area, and six critical care air transport teams– known as “the ICU on an aircraft” – were deployed. All teams are made up of active duty, Guard and Reserve military personnel.
AETs are made up of two flight nurses and three flight medical technicians while CCATs are comprised of one critical care flight nurse, one critical care doctor and one respiratory technician.
Currently, 200 aeromedical personnel are on hand at Little Rock AFB, which is serving as the hub for all aeromedical operations during Hurricane Ike. The base was also the command cell for Hurricane Gustav, evacuating over 300 patients from locations in Beaumont, Texas, Lake Charles and Lakefront, La., into Little Rock International Airport.
One plane can take the place of many ambulances as a way to clear out a hospitals’ intensive-care unit, said Dr. Karin Hawkins, an Air Force cardiologist.
Throughout the night and morning, ambulances continued to unload patients at the airport hangar from hospitals across the greater Corpus Christi area.
Inside the hangar, a large staging triage was set up capable of handling up to 600 patients whose medical attention ranged from minimal to intensive care. Local emergency personnel worked alongside Air Force and Army medical teams tending to those who needed medical care by monitoring their health and taking the time to comfort the patients.
“Our job is to ensure the best patient care possible under the present circumstances,” said Col. Rob Ament, a preparedness liaison officer with the Florida Emergency First Air Force.
Joining the evacuation crew on the plane were members of the Critical Care Air Transport Team, who provided critical medical care to the patients while the plane was in flight.
The critical-care team provided care to the evacuees in the poorest of health, ranging from being on life-support to those who had suffered a stroke, or were coming straight out of open-heart surgery.
Those patients required on-hand a respiratory therapist, a doctor and a nurse to monitor the fragile health of the patient. They were transported along with their heart monitors, ventilators and multiple-drip machines.
Team members never left the side of their patients and made sure a patient was not in discomfort.
When patients were brought to the C-130s, they were carefully wheeled out to the planes on gurneys or carried on cots.
The first plane out of Corpus Christi held 25 patients. Four of those passengers were in critical care. The other patients placed on the plane were determined by the medical staff to be the most ill at the triage center. On a second flight out, six of the 26 patients were in critical care.
“This was not a small undertaking by any stretch of the imagination. Many of the people who were evacuated were too sick to travel on the road,” said Maj. Janice McFall of the 183rd Evacuation Squadron.
McFall said hurricane evacuations have become more organized since Hurricane Katrina. She said many people during Hurricane Katrina and the resulting flooding that occurred in New Orleans were brought in for transport from hospitals, nursing-care facilities, and families were often dropped at the evacuation center to be moved elsewhere.
That is why some families were unable to keep up with their loved ones. She said now when patients arrive to the evacuation centers, their information is entered into a database and patients are assigned a numbered identification on an armband that is checked each time a patient is moved to another location.
She said it was encouraging during the evacuations to have veteran volunteers at the Dallas and Corpus Christi locations.
McFall said the Veterans Administration has been a major player in the evacuation with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency and local emergency management coordinators.
The 416th Air Force Reserve Command, based at Lackland Air Force Base and the 183rd Aero Medical Evacuation Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard were the evacuation teams on board the C-130s.
The public affairs office at Little Rock Air Force Base contributed to this report.
Leader staff writer
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas—Even before the first clouds of Hurricane Ike reached the Texas Gulf Coast, three C-130s from Little Rock Air Force Base on Thursday helped evacuate more than 85 intensive-care patients inland from Corpus Christi to Dallas.
Two C-130 airplanes from Little Rock Air Force Base flew at 11 p.m. Wednesday to Corpus Christi, each with an evacuation crew made up of a medical crew director, a flight nurse and three medical technicians, who were trained in dealing with trauma.
Crews were at the Jacksonville air base eight days in preparation for the storm.
“It is very challenging. We will be picking up a large diversity of patients with different health problems, quickly, with limited time,” said Maj. Alex Schwan, medical crew director, said on the way to the Gulf Coast.
Schwan, of the 433rd Air Evacuation Squadron, San Antonio, Texas, said before Hurricane Ike, the evacuation crew had the experience of moving hospital patients in 2005 when Hurricane Rita struck the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
Crews from Little Rock Air Force Base also helped evacuate patients from Louisiana before Hurricane Gustav hit the area.
When not preparing to help transport hospital patients to safety from an approaching hurricane, the evacuation crews have provided emergency medical services to the military in the Middle East.
While in flight, the evacuation crew worked constantly for two hours to change the cargo plane into a flying ambulance service.
Technicians prepared oxygen lines, readied medical supplies and secured cots in place, which resembled triple-decker bunk beds.
When the C-130s landed at the Corpus Christi International Airport, 85 patients were already waiting in an air-conditioned airplane hangar for transport to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The two planes were scheduled to make two consecutive trips between the cities throughout the day. When patients arrived to Dallas, they were transported by ambulances to local hospitals.
The three C-130s came from the 50th Airlift Squadron, 53rd Airlift Squadron and 62nd Airlift Squadron, all part of the 463rd Airlift Group at Little Rock Air Force Base. Seven additional C-130s from the base were on “standby” status.
The aircrews are transporting post-surgery/post-intensive-care patients from area hospitals in McAllen, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and Harlingen to Dallas medical facilities.
Five aeromedical evacuation teams, which provide in-flight immediate on-scene emergency medical care for patients from the disaster area, and six critical care air transport teams– known as “the ICU on an aircraft” – were deployed. All teams are made up of active duty, Guard and Reserve military personnel.
AETs are made up of two flight nurses and three flight medical technicians while CCATs are comprised of one critical care flight nurse, one critical care doctor and one respiratory technician.
Currently, 200 aeromedical personnel are on hand at Little Rock AFB, which is serving as the hub for all aeromedical operations during Hurricane Ike. The base was also the command cell for Hurricane Gustav, evacuating over 300 patients from locations in Beaumont, Texas, Lake Charles and Lakefront, La., into Little Rock International Airport.
One plane can take the place of many ambulances as a way to clear out a hospitals’ intensive-care unit, said Dr. Karin Hawkins, an Air Force cardiologist.
Throughout the night and morning, ambulances continued to unload patients at the airport hangar from hospitals across the greater Corpus Christi area.
Inside the hangar, a large staging triage was set up capable of handling up to 600 patients whose medical attention ranged from minimal to intensive care. Local emergency personnel worked alongside Air Force and Army medical teams tending to those who needed medical care by monitoring their health and taking the time to comfort the patients.
“Our job is to ensure the best patient care possible under the present circumstances,” said Col. Rob Ament, a preparedness liaison officer with the Florida Emergency First Air Force.
Joining the evacuation crew on the plane were members of the Critical Care Air Transport Team, who provided critical medical care to the patients while the plane was in flight.
The critical-care team provided care to the evacuees in the poorest of health, ranging from being on life-support to those who had suffered a stroke, or were coming straight out of open-heart surgery.
Those patients required on-hand a respiratory therapist, a doctor and a nurse to monitor the fragile health of the patient. They were transported along with their heart monitors, ventilators and multiple-drip machines.
Team members never left the side of their patients and made sure a patient was not in discomfort.
When patients were brought to the C-130s, they were carefully wheeled out to the planes on gurneys or carried on cots.
The first plane out of Corpus Christi held 25 patients. Four of those passengers were in critical care. The other patients placed on the plane were determined by the medical staff to be the most ill at the triage center. On a second flight out, six of the 26 patients were in critical care.
“This was not a small undertaking by any stretch of the imagination. Many of the people who were evacuated were too sick to travel on the road,” said Maj. Janice McFall of the 183rd Evacuation Squadron.
McFall said hurricane evacuations have become more organized since Hurricane Katrina. She said many people during Hurricane Katrina and the resulting flooding that occurred in New Orleans were brought in for transport from hospitals, nursing-care facilities, and families were often dropped at the evacuation center to be moved elsewhere.
That is why some families were unable to keep up with their loved ones. She said now when patients arrive to the evacuation centers, their information is entered into a database and patients are assigned a numbered identification on an armband that is checked each time a patient is moved to another location.
She said it was encouraging during the evacuations to have veteran volunteers at the Dallas and Corpus Christi locations.
McFall said the Veterans Administration has been a major player in the evacuation with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency and local emergency management coordinators.
The 416th Air Force Reserve Command, based at Lackland Air Force Base and the 183rd Aero Medical Evacuation Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard were the evacuation teams on board the C-130s.
The public affairs office at Little Rock Air Force Base contributed to this report.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
TOP STORY > >Realignment to bring new wing to base
By HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
One of the oldest organizations in the Air Force will soon call Little Rock Air Force Base home when the 19th Airlift Wing is reactivated Oct. 1, switching the base from an Air Education and Training Command to an Air Mobility Command.
Previously known as the 19th Air Refueling Group, stationed at Robins AFB, Georgia, the group was inactivated in May as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) review process.
The host-base transfer is being assisted by an AMC site-activation taskforce team to ensure LRAFB has everything needed to successfully transfer the lead reins, according to Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz, base commander.
The base’s command may be different, but Schatz said the mission stays the same.
“The deployment tempo may change, but no matter what command claims us, our missions will remain training and deploying world class combat airlifters and taking care of our airmen and family members on the home front,” he said. “The sacrifices our family members make in order to ensure we are prepared for any call to duty truly makes our mission possible,” he added.
Originating as the 19th Ob-servation Group, Army Air Corps, in October 1927, it soon became known as the 19th Bombardment Group when activated in June 1932 at Rockwell Field, Calif.
In 1940, equipped with the B-17B Flying Fortress, the first production version of the B-17, they made aviation history in May 1941 when the unit flew its B-17s en masse from California to Hawaii.
During the spring of 1945, while serving in World War II flying the B-29 Superfortress, a heavy bomber and one of the largest airplanes to see service during the war, the group flew 65 raids on the Japanese home islands, bombing strategic targets in Japan, participating in incendiary bomb attacks against Japanese cities and attacking kamikaze airfields during the invasion of Okinawa.
Following the Korean War in May 1954, the 19th Bomb Wing was reassigned to Strategic Air Command at Pinecastle AFB, Fla. (now known as McCoy AFB). Along the way, they stopped at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., leaving the obsolete B-29s there for storage. Once in Florida, they received brand new Boeing B-47 Stratojets.
In 1983, after losing its B-52s, the 19th Bomb Wing was redesignated as the 19th Air Refueling Wing (Heavy) at Robins AFB, Georgia. The 19th ARW supported worldwide aerial refueling missions for various operations and exercises and supported the European Tanker Task Force. In 1984, it provided EC-135s to support the United States Central Command in Southwest Asia.
In July 1996 it was reactivated as the 19th Air Refueling Group and consisted of four squadrons, the 19th Operations Support Squadron, the 19th Maintenance Squadron, the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 99th Air Refueling Squadron.
The “Black Knights” participated in numerous operations in 1997 and 1998, including Operation Northern Watch, Operation Desert Thunder, and Operation Constant Vigil; in 1999, the 19th earned an “outstanding” – a perfect score – during its Headquarters, Air Mobility Command Operation Readiness Inspection (ORI).
The 19th Air Refueling Group provided worldwide in-flight refueling for U.S. combat, logistics and combat support aircraft and its allies as directed by the Department of Defense before being deactived for its move to Little Rock Air Force Base as the 19th Airlift Wing.
Leader staff writer
One of the oldest organizations in the Air Force will soon call Little Rock Air Force Base home when the 19th Airlift Wing is reactivated Oct. 1, switching the base from an Air Education and Training Command to an Air Mobility Command.
Previously known as the 19th Air Refueling Group, stationed at Robins AFB, Georgia, the group was inactivated in May as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) review process.
The host-base transfer is being assisted by an AMC site-activation taskforce team to ensure LRAFB has everything needed to successfully transfer the lead reins, according to Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz, base commander.
The base’s command may be different, but Schatz said the mission stays the same.
“The deployment tempo may change, but no matter what command claims us, our missions will remain training and deploying world class combat airlifters and taking care of our airmen and family members on the home front,” he said. “The sacrifices our family members make in order to ensure we are prepared for any call to duty truly makes our mission possible,” he added.
Originating as the 19th Ob-servation Group, Army Air Corps, in October 1927, it soon became known as the 19th Bombardment Group when activated in June 1932 at Rockwell Field, Calif.
In 1940, equipped with the B-17B Flying Fortress, the first production version of the B-17, they made aviation history in May 1941 when the unit flew its B-17s en masse from California to Hawaii.
During the spring of 1945, while serving in World War II flying the B-29 Superfortress, a heavy bomber and one of the largest airplanes to see service during the war, the group flew 65 raids on the Japanese home islands, bombing strategic targets in Japan, participating in incendiary bomb attacks against Japanese cities and attacking kamikaze airfields during the invasion of Okinawa.
Following the Korean War in May 1954, the 19th Bomb Wing was reassigned to Strategic Air Command at Pinecastle AFB, Fla. (now known as McCoy AFB). Along the way, they stopped at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., leaving the obsolete B-29s there for storage. Once in Florida, they received brand new Boeing B-47 Stratojets.
In 1983, after losing its B-52s, the 19th Bomb Wing was redesignated as the 19th Air Refueling Wing (Heavy) at Robins AFB, Georgia. The 19th ARW supported worldwide aerial refueling missions for various operations and exercises and supported the European Tanker Task Force. In 1984, it provided EC-135s to support the United States Central Command in Southwest Asia.
In July 1996 it was reactivated as the 19th Air Refueling Group and consisted of four squadrons, the 19th Operations Support Squadron, the 19th Maintenance Squadron, the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 99th Air Refueling Squadron.
The “Black Knights” participated in numerous operations in 1997 and 1998, including Operation Northern Watch, Operation Desert Thunder, and Operation Constant Vigil; in 1999, the 19th earned an “outstanding” – a perfect score – during its Headquarters, Air Mobility Command Operation Readiness Inspection (ORI).
The 19th Air Refueling Group provided worldwide in-flight refueling for U.S. combat, logistics and combat support aircraft and its allies as directed by the Department of Defense before being deactived for its move to Little Rock Air Force Base as the 19th Airlift Wing.
TOP STORY > >Mass transit makes pitch to the masses
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Claire Lehney walks about two blocks most weekdays to catch the 7 a.m. bus from Gravel Ridge to the state Capitol office complex, where she works.
With gasoline prices hovering near historic highs for Arkansas and the rest of the continental United States, more people are, like Lehney, taking the bus.
Those who do are pleasantly surprised by the quality of the service and the ease of use, according to Betty Wineland, head of the Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA).
Compared to a year ago, CATA ridership on weekdays has increased about 1,500 a day to as many as 11,000.
“We’re getting (more inquiries) from white-collar and blue-collar riders than in a long time,” she said.
Lehney has been catching the bus to and from work at the Library for the Blind in a building at the state Capitol Complex for about 25 years, she said. It saves her money on gas, parking and insurance.
“I usually read the newspaper,” she said.
The bus lets her off right by her building.
Lehney is an “honored citizen,” that is, she is older than 65, so she pays half-price for her bus fare.
“I couldn’t drive for what I pay to ride the bus.”
The idea of increasing area bus service and exploring other mass transit options is meeting less skepticism than in the past, with nearly all central Arkansas mayors and county judges on the Metroplan Board of Directors encouraging exploration if not actual service.
Mass transit usually brings to mind visions of tracks and stations and people jostling each other on the morning commute, but nowhere in central Arkansas, including Little Rock, is the population density sufficient enough for even light rail service.
Officials in outlying population centers, such as Cabot, Conway, Benton and Bryant would like an express bus service to and from Little Rock each day like the Jacksonville, Gravel Ridge and Sherwood residents have, but even the cost of additional buses seems prohibitive in this economic environment, and Metroplan executive director Jim McKenzie says that even if money were available, the lag time between ordering and receiving a bus would be 12 to 24 months.
Each bus costs about $300,000, with CATA’s share 20 percent while the Federal Government pays the balance on buses it approves.
Wineland is expecting 10 new buses by the end of November, but they will replace aging buses. It’s possible that one or two of the better buses could be used to supplement the Jacksonville express bus, assuming that County Judge Buddy Villines and mayors Tommy Swaim of Jacksonville, Virginia Hillman of Sherwood and Pat Hayes of North Little Rock can each kick in a supplement of several thousand dollars, Wineland said.
Jacksonville currently supplements the CATA budget by $27,000 a year to run two buses in the morning and three in the evening, Wineland said.
She said she’s hoping the federal government will earmark the money for another 16 buses when it gets back to business in January with a new president.
“Our current fleet is about 67 vehicles,” she said. “We’re allowed to keep seven or eight spares. We have 26 that need replacing.” She said the Jacksonville bus could have as many as 48 people on it, seating about 45.
Wineland said she was asking private bus companies for quotes on running express service to and from outlying towns and Little Rock, but that it appears it would cost two or three times as much to contract out the work.
One company would charge $170 an hour for the service, which is $680 a day, five days a week.
“Our cost is $60 an hour, Wineland said.
Cabot Mayor Eddie Joe Williams envisions a bus service between Cabot and specific Little Rock destinations, like the state Capitol complex or the hospitals on the I-630 corridor.
He’d like to see the state pay for a 90-day pilot project and would hope that employers would pay some or all of the fee. By using laptops and Wi-Fi, state workers could work 30 minutes on the way into work and 30 minutes on the way home.
“I’m trying to think way outside the box,” he said.
“We’d be not just giving them a ride but taking several hundred cars off the road at a key time,” Williams said. “Like the energy crisis, you’ve got to do multiple things” to solve it, he added. “It’s a great first step for mass transit.”
Leader senior staff writer
Claire Lehney walks about two blocks most weekdays to catch the 7 a.m. bus from Gravel Ridge to the state Capitol office complex, where she works.
With gasoline prices hovering near historic highs for Arkansas and the rest of the continental United States, more people are, like Lehney, taking the bus.
Those who do are pleasantly surprised by the quality of the service and the ease of use, according to Betty Wineland, head of the Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA).
Compared to a year ago, CATA ridership on weekdays has increased about 1,500 a day to as many as 11,000.
“We’re getting (more inquiries) from white-collar and blue-collar riders than in a long time,” she said.
Lehney has been catching the bus to and from work at the Library for the Blind in a building at the state Capitol Complex for about 25 years, she said. It saves her money on gas, parking and insurance.
“I usually read the newspaper,” she said.
The bus lets her off right by her building.
Lehney is an “honored citizen,” that is, she is older than 65, so she pays half-price for her bus fare.
“I couldn’t drive for what I pay to ride the bus.”
The idea of increasing area bus service and exploring other mass transit options is meeting less skepticism than in the past, with nearly all central Arkansas mayors and county judges on the Metroplan Board of Directors encouraging exploration if not actual service.
Mass transit usually brings to mind visions of tracks and stations and people jostling each other on the morning commute, but nowhere in central Arkansas, including Little Rock, is the population density sufficient enough for even light rail service.
Officials in outlying population centers, such as Cabot, Conway, Benton and Bryant would like an express bus service to and from Little Rock each day like the Jacksonville, Gravel Ridge and Sherwood residents have, but even the cost of additional buses seems prohibitive in this economic environment, and Metroplan executive director Jim McKenzie says that even if money were available, the lag time between ordering and receiving a bus would be 12 to 24 months.
Each bus costs about $300,000, with CATA’s share 20 percent while the Federal Government pays the balance on buses it approves.
Wineland is expecting 10 new buses by the end of November, but they will replace aging buses. It’s possible that one or two of the better buses could be used to supplement the Jacksonville express bus, assuming that County Judge Buddy Villines and mayors Tommy Swaim of Jacksonville, Virginia Hillman of Sherwood and Pat Hayes of North Little Rock can each kick in a supplement of several thousand dollars, Wineland said.
Jacksonville currently supplements the CATA budget by $27,000 a year to run two buses in the morning and three in the evening, Wineland said.
She said she’s hoping the federal government will earmark the money for another 16 buses when it gets back to business in January with a new president.
“Our current fleet is about 67 vehicles,” she said. “We’re allowed to keep seven or eight spares. We have 26 that need replacing.” She said the Jacksonville bus could have as many as 48 people on it, seating about 45.
Wineland said she was asking private bus companies for quotes on running express service to and from outlying towns and Little Rock, but that it appears it would cost two or three times as much to contract out the work.
One company would charge $170 an hour for the service, which is $680 a day, five days a week.
“Our cost is $60 an hour, Wineland said.
Cabot Mayor Eddie Joe Williams envisions a bus service between Cabot and specific Little Rock destinations, like the state Capitol complex or the hospitals on the I-630 corridor.
He’d like to see the state pay for a 90-day pilot project and would hope that employers would pay some or all of the fee. By using laptops and Wi-Fi, state workers could work 30 minutes on the way into work and 30 minutes on the way home.
“I’m trying to think way outside the box,” he said.
“We’d be not just giving them a ride but taking several hundred cars off the road at a key time,” Williams said. “Like the energy crisis, you’ve got to do multiple things” to solve it, he added. “It’s a great first step for mass transit.”
TOP STORY > >Candidates in showdown
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville may get its own school district, but it won’t get the Adkins Pre-K center, said Gwen Williams, the Zone 7 Pulaski County Special School District Board incumbent during a Monday evening debate with her challenger, Alderman Reedie Ray.
“That’s my baby,” she said, explaining that when the district tried to close it she fought for it to stay open and help develop it as a pre-K center in order to save the school, adding, “I don’t care about Jacksonville getting their schools.”
The school located off Hwy. 161. is within the Jacksonville city limits and is included in Jacksonville’s proposed breakaway district.
What was billed as a debate between Zone 7 candidates, Wil-liams and Ray, at the McAlmont Church of Christ, was not. It was a nearly one-sided support meeting for Williams.
Of the nearly 50 people attending, the majority was district teachers and staff who support Williams, members of her reelection committee were also in the audience as well as a few parents and four city leaders from Jacksonville.
Alderman Bob Stroud said it spoke volumes about Ray’s character that he stayed in the hostile environment and answered all the questions. “I would have walked out,” Stroud said.
Ray got on the wrong side right away saying, and receiving jeers, “The wrong people are here. It’s all staff, we need parents here. They are the ones that need to show concern for the children,” he said.
Many of those district staff members remember when Ray was the school board president in 1994 and fought against the union when they went on strike. “They had nothing to negotiate at the time,” he said.
“So Mr. Ray, what you are saying is that teachers do not have the right to strike for better pay to feed their families and pay bills? Did I hear you correctly so I can inform my staff when I return to school tomorrow?” one teacher asked.
Ray tried to explain that he was in a union and had no problems with the union, but he said in 1994 there was no money in the district. “The union went on strike just to show that it could. The union does not run the district, the superintendent and school board do,” he said to jeers.
Williams tried to correct him, saying, “The school board runs the district.” The crowd applauded.
Most of the audience questions were written down in advance and were from Williams supporters geared to showcase Williams.
Whenever Williams spoke, it was to applause, sometimes thunderous, and when Ray spoke the reaction ranged from silence to jeers. At the end, Williams got a standing ovation and Ray got nothing.
Williams, who has served on the board since 1996, said her allegiance was with Zone 7. “I went to Harris Elementary. I’ve sent five children to Harris, five grand children and three great-grandchildren there. I have truly represented you, this community and the Scott community,” Williams said.
Ray, whose children and grandchildren have attended schools in the district, said his goal was to ensure that Jacksonville separated from the county district.
“The county district is just too big. It needs to become more manageable,” he said. He believes both Jacksonville and the county district would benefit from the separation. “I want to make sure the children learn,” he said.
One of Ray’s major concerns for the district, but especially Jacksonville, was the buildings and infrastructure.
“We haven’t had a new school in 30 years,” Ray said. “Our entire infrastructure has gone down since I left in 1994.”
The candidate added that the buildings are so deteriorated in Jacksonville that the air base’s welcoming committee tells incoming military not to send their children to Jacksonville schools. “That’s a shame. We have to do something,” he said. “We have to bring our infrastructure back up to improve our education level.”
Williams responded, “It’s not the buildings that educate our children, it’s the people in the buildings.”
“Besides,” she added, “Jackson-ville would have already had three new schools if it had supported the last millage increase.
Jacksonville, Maumelle and Sherwood have never supported a millage campaign. If you think Jacksonville will pass a millage for its own district, why won’t you pass it for the county?”
Ray said, “Jacksonville won’t pass a millage because it knows the money won’t go there.”
Budget cuts came up in the debate since the district has been on the state’s fiscal-distress list.
Williams said any program that directly affects instruction would be off limits for budget cuts.
Ray said the district would need to look at the overall picture. “All programs most be looked at.”
One audience member asked what would happen if Ray, who lives in Jacksonville, was elected and Jacksonville then got its own district. “We would have no representation then, right?”
Williams said that was correct. “Zone 7 could go up to a year without any representation while the zone boundaries were redrawn,” she said.
Ray said it would be no different then if he died while serving. “What would happen? You would have an election to fill the seat. It’ll be no different,” he said.
The school board election is set for Tuesday, and polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters living in Zone 7 may vote at the following locations:
First Presbyterian Church, 1208 W. Main St.
Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club, 1 Boys Club Road.
Berea Baptist Church, 104 E. Valentine Road.
Harris Elementary School, 4424 North Hwy. 161, North Little Rock.
Sherman Park Community Center, 624 N. Beech St., North Little Rock.
Meadow Park Elementary, 2300 Eureka Gardens Rd., North Little Rock.
Calvary Baptist Church, 5025 Lynch Dr., North Little Rock.
Plantation Agriculture Museum, 4815 Hwy. 161, Scott.
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville may get its own school district, but it won’t get the Adkins Pre-K center, said Gwen Williams, the Zone 7 Pulaski County Special School District Board incumbent during a Monday evening debate with her challenger, Alderman Reedie Ray.
“That’s my baby,” she said, explaining that when the district tried to close it she fought for it to stay open and help develop it as a pre-K center in order to save the school, adding, “I don’t care about Jacksonville getting their schools.”
The school located off Hwy. 161. is within the Jacksonville city limits and is included in Jacksonville’s proposed breakaway district.
What was billed as a debate between Zone 7 candidates, Wil-liams and Ray, at the McAlmont Church of Christ, was not. It was a nearly one-sided support meeting for Williams.
Of the nearly 50 people attending, the majority was district teachers and staff who support Williams, members of her reelection committee were also in the audience as well as a few parents and four city leaders from Jacksonville.
Alderman Bob Stroud said it spoke volumes about Ray’s character that he stayed in the hostile environment and answered all the questions. “I would have walked out,” Stroud said.
Ray got on the wrong side right away saying, and receiving jeers, “The wrong people are here. It’s all staff, we need parents here. They are the ones that need to show concern for the children,” he said.
Many of those district staff members remember when Ray was the school board president in 1994 and fought against the union when they went on strike. “They had nothing to negotiate at the time,” he said.
“So Mr. Ray, what you are saying is that teachers do not have the right to strike for better pay to feed their families and pay bills? Did I hear you correctly so I can inform my staff when I return to school tomorrow?” one teacher asked.
Ray tried to explain that he was in a union and had no problems with the union, but he said in 1994 there was no money in the district. “The union went on strike just to show that it could. The union does not run the district, the superintendent and school board do,” he said to jeers.
Williams tried to correct him, saying, “The school board runs the district.” The crowd applauded.
Most of the audience questions were written down in advance and were from Williams supporters geared to showcase Williams.
Whenever Williams spoke, it was to applause, sometimes thunderous, and when Ray spoke the reaction ranged from silence to jeers. At the end, Williams got a standing ovation and Ray got nothing.
Williams, who has served on the board since 1996, said her allegiance was with Zone 7. “I went to Harris Elementary. I’ve sent five children to Harris, five grand children and three great-grandchildren there. I have truly represented you, this community and the Scott community,” Williams said.
Ray, whose children and grandchildren have attended schools in the district, said his goal was to ensure that Jacksonville separated from the county district.
“The county district is just too big. It needs to become more manageable,” he said. He believes both Jacksonville and the county district would benefit from the separation. “I want to make sure the children learn,” he said.
One of Ray’s major concerns for the district, but especially Jacksonville, was the buildings and infrastructure.
“We haven’t had a new school in 30 years,” Ray said. “Our entire infrastructure has gone down since I left in 1994.”
The candidate added that the buildings are so deteriorated in Jacksonville that the air base’s welcoming committee tells incoming military not to send their children to Jacksonville schools. “That’s a shame. We have to do something,” he said. “We have to bring our infrastructure back up to improve our education level.”
Williams responded, “It’s not the buildings that educate our children, it’s the people in the buildings.”
“Besides,” she added, “Jackson-ville would have already had three new schools if it had supported the last millage increase.
Jacksonville, Maumelle and Sherwood have never supported a millage campaign. If you think Jacksonville will pass a millage for its own district, why won’t you pass it for the county?”
Ray said, “Jacksonville won’t pass a millage because it knows the money won’t go there.”
Budget cuts came up in the debate since the district has been on the state’s fiscal-distress list.
Williams said any program that directly affects instruction would be off limits for budget cuts.
Ray said the district would need to look at the overall picture. “All programs most be looked at.”
One audience member asked what would happen if Ray, who lives in Jacksonville, was elected and Jacksonville then got its own district. “We would have no representation then, right?”
Williams said that was correct. “Zone 7 could go up to a year without any representation while the zone boundaries were redrawn,” she said.
Ray said it would be no different then if he died while serving. “What would happen? You would have an election to fill the seat. It’ll be no different,” he said.
The school board election is set for Tuesday, and polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters living in Zone 7 may vote at the following locations:
First Presbyterian Church, 1208 W. Main St.
Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club, 1 Boys Club Road.
Berea Baptist Church, 104 E. Valentine Road.
Harris Elementary School, 4424 North Hwy. 161, North Little Rock.
Sherman Park Community Center, 624 N. Beech St., North Little Rock.
Meadow Park Elementary, 2300 Eureka Gardens Rd., North Little Rock.
Calvary Baptist Church, 5025 Lynch Dr., North Little Rock.
Plantation Agriculture Museum, 4815 Hwy. 161, Scott.
TOP STORY > >Candidates in showdown
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville may get its own school district, but it won’t get the Adkins Pre-K center, said Gwen Williams, the Zone 7 Pulaski County Special School District Board incumbent during a Monday evening debate with her challenger, Alderman Reedie Ray.
“That’s my baby,” she said, explaining that when the district tried to close it she fought for it to stay open and help develop it as a pre-K center in order to save the school, adding, “I don’t care about Jacksonville getting their schools.”
The school located off Hwy. 161. is within the Jacksonville city limits and is included in Jacksonville’s proposed breakaway district.
What was billed as a debate between Zone 7 candidates, Wil-liams and Ray, at the McAlmont Church of Christ, was not. It was a nearly one-sided support meeting for Williams.
Of the nearly 50 people attending, the majority was district teachers and staff who support Williams, members of her reelection committee were also in the audience as well as a few parents and four city leaders from Jacksonville.
Alderman Bob Stroud said it spoke volumes about Ray’s character that he stayed in the hostile environment and answered all the questions. “I would have walked out,” Stroud said.
Ray got on the wrong side right away saying, and receiving jeers, “The wrong people are here. It’s all staff, we need parents here. They are the ones that need to show concern for the children,” he said.
Many of those district staff members remember when Ray was the school board president in 1994 and fought against the union when they went on strike. “They had nothing to negotiate at the time,” he said.
“So Mr. Ray, what you are saying is that teachers do not have the right to strike for better pay to feed their families and pay bills? Did I hear you correctly so I can inform my staff when I return to school tomorrow?” one teacher asked.
Ray tried to explain that he was in a union and had no problems with the union, but he said in 1994 there was no money in the district. “The union went on strike just to show that it could. The union does not run the district, the superintendent and school board do,” he said to jeers.
Williams tried to correct him, saying, “The school board runs the district.” The crowd applauded.
Most of the audience questions were written down in advance and were from Williams supporters geared to showcase Williams.
Whenever Williams spoke, it was to applause, sometimes thunderous, and when Ray spoke the reaction ranged from silence to jeers. At the end, Williams got a standing ovation and Ray got nothing.
Williams, who has served on the board since 1996, said her allegiance was with Zone 7. “I went to Harris Elementary. I’ve sent five children to Harris, five grand children and three great-grandchildren there. I have truly represented you, this community and the Scott community,” Williams said.
Ray, whose children and grandchildren have attended schools in the district, said his goal was to ensure that Jacksonville separated from the county district.
“The county district is just too big. It needs to become more manageable,” he said. He believes both Jacksonville and the county district would benefit from the separation. “I want to make sure the children learn,” he said.
One of Ray’s major concerns for the district, but especially Jacksonville, was the buildings and infrastructure.
“We haven’t had a new school in 30 years,” Ray said. “Our entire infrastructure has gone down since I left in 1994.”
The candidate added that the buildings are so deteriorated in Jacksonville that the air base’s welcoming committee tells incoming military not to send their children to Jacksonville schools. “That’s a shame. We have to do something,” he said. “We have to bring our infrastructure back up to improve our education level.”
Williams responded, “It’s not the buildings that educate our children, it’s the people in the buildings.”
“Besides,” she added, “Jackson-ville would have already had three new schools if it had supported the last millage increase.
Jacksonville, Maumelle and Sherwood have never supported a millage campaign. If you think Jacksonville will pass a millage for its own district, why won’t you pass it for the county?”
Ray said, “Jacksonville won’t pass a millage because it knows the money won’t go there.”
Budget cuts came up in the debate since the district has been on the state’s fiscal-distress list.
Williams said any program that directly affects instruction would be off limits for budget cuts.
Ray said the district would need to look at the overall picture. “All programs most be looked at.”
One audience member asked what would happen if Ray, who lives in Jacksonville, was elected and Jacksonville then got its own district. “We would have no representation then, right?”
Williams said that was correct. “Zone 7 could go up to a year without any representation while the zone boundaries were redrawn,” she said.
Ray said it would be no different then if he died while serving. “What would happen? You would have an election to fill the seat. It’ll be no different,” he said.
The school board election is set for Tuesday, and polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters living in Zone 7 may vote at the following locations:
First Presbyterian Church, 1208 W. Main St.
Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club, 1 Boys Club Road.
Berea Baptist Church, 104 E. Valentine Road.
Harris Elementary School, 4424 North Hwy. 161, North Little Rock.
Sherman Park Community Center, 624 N. Beech St., North Little Rock.
Meadow Park Elementary, 2300 Eureka Gardens Rd., North Little Rock.
Calvary Baptist Church, 5025 Lynch Dr., North Little Rock.
Plantation Agriculture Museum, 4815 Hwy. 161, Scott.
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville may get its own school district, but it won’t get the Adkins Pre-K center, said Gwen Williams, the Zone 7 Pulaski County Special School District Board incumbent during a Monday evening debate with her challenger, Alderman Reedie Ray.
“That’s my baby,” she said, explaining that when the district tried to close it she fought for it to stay open and help develop it as a pre-K center in order to save the school, adding, “I don’t care about Jacksonville getting their schools.”
The school located off Hwy. 161. is within the Jacksonville city limits and is included in Jacksonville’s proposed breakaway district.
What was billed as a debate between Zone 7 candidates, Wil-liams and Ray, at the McAlmont Church of Christ, was not. It was a nearly one-sided support meeting for Williams.
Of the nearly 50 people attending, the majority was district teachers and staff who support Williams, members of her reelection committee were also in the audience as well as a few parents and four city leaders from Jacksonville.
Alderman Bob Stroud said it spoke volumes about Ray’s character that he stayed in the hostile environment and answered all the questions. “I would have walked out,” Stroud said.
Ray got on the wrong side right away saying, and receiving jeers, “The wrong people are here. It’s all staff, we need parents here. They are the ones that need to show concern for the children,” he said.
Many of those district staff members remember when Ray was the school board president in 1994 and fought against the union when they went on strike. “They had nothing to negotiate at the time,” he said.
“So Mr. Ray, what you are saying is that teachers do not have the right to strike for better pay to feed their families and pay bills? Did I hear you correctly so I can inform my staff when I return to school tomorrow?” one teacher asked.
Ray tried to explain that he was in a union and had no problems with the union, but he said in 1994 there was no money in the district. “The union went on strike just to show that it could. The union does not run the district, the superintendent and school board do,” he said to jeers.
Williams tried to correct him, saying, “The school board runs the district.” The crowd applauded.
Most of the audience questions were written down in advance and were from Williams supporters geared to showcase Williams.
Whenever Williams spoke, it was to applause, sometimes thunderous, and when Ray spoke the reaction ranged from silence to jeers. At the end, Williams got a standing ovation and Ray got nothing.
Williams, who has served on the board since 1996, said her allegiance was with Zone 7. “I went to Harris Elementary. I’ve sent five children to Harris, five grand children and three great-grandchildren there. I have truly represented you, this community and the Scott community,” Williams said.
Ray, whose children and grandchildren have attended schools in the district, said his goal was to ensure that Jacksonville separated from the county district.
“The county district is just too big. It needs to become more manageable,” he said. He believes both Jacksonville and the county district would benefit from the separation. “I want to make sure the children learn,” he said.
One of Ray’s major concerns for the district, but especially Jacksonville, was the buildings and infrastructure.
“We haven’t had a new school in 30 years,” Ray said. “Our entire infrastructure has gone down since I left in 1994.”
The candidate added that the buildings are so deteriorated in Jacksonville that the air base’s welcoming committee tells incoming military not to send their children to Jacksonville schools. “That’s a shame. We have to do something,” he said. “We have to bring our infrastructure back up to improve our education level.”
Williams responded, “It’s not the buildings that educate our children, it’s the people in the buildings.”
“Besides,” she added, “Jackson-ville would have already had three new schools if it had supported the last millage increase.
Jacksonville, Maumelle and Sherwood have never supported a millage campaign. If you think Jacksonville will pass a millage for its own district, why won’t you pass it for the county?”
Ray said, “Jacksonville won’t pass a millage because it knows the money won’t go there.”
Budget cuts came up in the debate since the district has been on the state’s fiscal-distress list.
Williams said any program that directly affects instruction would be off limits for budget cuts.
Ray said the district would need to look at the overall picture. “All programs most be looked at.”
One audience member asked what would happen if Ray, who lives in Jacksonville, was elected and Jacksonville then got its own district. “We would have no representation then, right?”
Williams said that was correct. “Zone 7 could go up to a year without any representation while the zone boundaries were redrawn,” she said.
Ray said it would be no different then if he died while serving. “What would happen? You would have an election to fill the seat. It’ll be no different,” he said.
The school board election is set for Tuesday, and polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters living in Zone 7 may vote at the following locations:
First Presbyterian Church, 1208 W. Main St.
Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club, 1 Boys Club Road.
Berea Baptist Church, 104 E. Valentine Road.
Harris Elementary School, 4424 North Hwy. 161, North Little Rock.
Sherman Park Community Center, 624 N. Beech St., North Little Rock.
Meadow Park Elementary, 2300 Eureka Gardens Rd., North Little Rock.
Calvary Baptist Church, 5025 Lynch Dr., North Little Rock.
Plantation Agriculture Museum, 4815 Hwy. 161, Scott.
TOP STORY > >Ebay sellers from Cabot found guilty
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
Cabot business owners arrested almost two years ago for taking payment for scooters sold over the Internet but not delivered to customers were found guilty Tuesday in Lonoke Circuit Court on six felony charges of theft of property.
Special Judge John Cole said the evidence from the prosecutor showed that Eddie and Connie Williams, owners of Tecboys in Cabot, intended to take their customers’ money and that the defense did not show otherwise.
The judge expects to sentence the couple in mid-October after he has had sufficient time to review Eddie Williams’ medical records.
The couple’s defense was that illness had caused problems for the business and that there had been no intent to defraud.
The couple was arrested in October 2006 after Cabot police started getting calls from concerned customers, who apparently panicked after Ebay took away Tecboys’ selling privileges.
Lt. Scott Steely, a Cabot police detective, said then that his department got 15 calls the first week in October 2006, and 17 customers called the Arkansas Better Business Bureau.
Eddie Williams contended that his sales were out of state so Cabot police had no jurisdiction.
Stuart Cearley, who prosecuted the case, saw it differently.
“Here’s where the criminal was, so this was the logical place to prosecute him,” Cearley said.
Dan Hancock, the defense attorney, would not allow his clients to talk to reporters.
Although some merchandise was for sale at the Tecboys store at 403 S. Second St., most sales were through Ebay or the
Tecboys Web site. In December 2006, the city council gave the city clerk authority to revoke Tecboys’ business license.
Testimony against the couple came from Alex Koerger, Fir Crest, Wash.; Mike Powell, Archer, Fla.; James Clausen, Dallas, Texas; Terry Slade, Monroe, La., Travis Rogozinsk, Pittsburg, Penn. and Mike Powell, Ward.
Steely said when the couple was arrested that from February to June 2006, his department got four complaints about Tecboys.
The complaints were resolved by refunds to the customers.
Then on Oct. 6 after the department was swamped with complaints, detectives searched the business and found documents that Steely said were evidence that Tecboys took customers’ money but didn’t place orders for scooters with the California company that was supposed to ship them, or delayed ordering for 90-120 days.
The documents contained enough information for police to locate the customers through email.
Steely said many of the Tecboys customers were reluctant to communicate with him, perhaps believing he was trying to defraud them in some way.
But eventually he gained their trust and about 100 customers replied.
Some complained that they were unhappy with the product, he said.
But the only complaints that were included in the fraud charges were those from customers who had sent money but not received their orders.
The October sentencing will not necessarily be the end of this case. Cearley said more charges could still be filed.
Leader staff writer
Cabot business owners arrested almost two years ago for taking payment for scooters sold over the Internet but not delivered to customers were found guilty Tuesday in Lonoke Circuit Court on six felony charges of theft of property.
Special Judge John Cole said the evidence from the prosecutor showed that Eddie and Connie Williams, owners of Tecboys in Cabot, intended to take their customers’ money and that the defense did not show otherwise.
The judge expects to sentence the couple in mid-October after he has had sufficient time to review Eddie Williams’ medical records.
The couple’s defense was that illness had caused problems for the business and that there had been no intent to defraud.
The couple was arrested in October 2006 after Cabot police started getting calls from concerned customers, who apparently panicked after Ebay took away Tecboys’ selling privileges.
Lt. Scott Steely, a Cabot police detective, said then that his department got 15 calls the first week in October 2006, and 17 customers called the Arkansas Better Business Bureau.
Eddie Williams contended that his sales were out of state so Cabot police had no jurisdiction.
Stuart Cearley, who prosecuted the case, saw it differently.
“Here’s where the criminal was, so this was the logical place to prosecute him,” Cearley said.
Dan Hancock, the defense attorney, would not allow his clients to talk to reporters.
Although some merchandise was for sale at the Tecboys store at 403 S. Second St., most sales were through Ebay or the
Tecboys Web site. In December 2006, the city council gave the city clerk authority to revoke Tecboys’ business license.
Testimony against the couple came from Alex Koerger, Fir Crest, Wash.; Mike Powell, Archer, Fla.; James Clausen, Dallas, Texas; Terry Slade, Monroe, La., Travis Rogozinsk, Pittsburg, Penn. and Mike Powell, Ward.
Steely said when the couple was arrested that from February to June 2006, his department got four complaints about Tecboys.
The complaints were resolved by refunds to the customers.
Then on Oct. 6 after the department was swamped with complaints, detectives searched the business and found documents that Steely said were evidence that Tecboys took customers’ money but didn’t place orders for scooters with the California company that was supposed to ship them, or delayed ordering for 90-120 days.
The documents contained enough information for police to locate the customers through email.
Steely said many of the Tecboys customers were reluctant to communicate with him, perhaps believing he was trying to defraud them in some way.
But eventually he gained their trust and about 100 customers replied.
Some complained that they were unhappy with the product, he said.
But the only complaints that were included in the fraud charges were those from customers who had sent money but not received their orders.
The October sentencing will not necessarily be the end of this case. Cearley said more charges could still be filed.
TOP STORY > >Voters pick candidates for school board seats
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
School board elections are Tuesday, but those who want to cast their ballots early for races in Lonoke County may do so at the courthouse in Lonoke. Anyone who wants to vote at all in the race for Beebe School Board will have to cast an early ballot or an absentee ballot at the White County Courthouse in Searcy because none of the regular polling places will be open.
The race in Beebe is really a non-race. Tommy Vanaman is running unopposed for his Position 2 seat and the school district is not asking for a millage increase. So regardless of how the election turns out, Vanaman wins and the millage stays the same.
But in Cabot, the race for Position 5 this year is between Alan Turnbo, the executive director of Cabot Housing Authority, who has served two five-year terms, and Dean Martin, an instructor pilot with the Arkansas Air National Guard.
Turnbo, the current board vice president, says voters should choose him because his 10 years has taught him how to be a good board member.
“Institutional knowledge is important to con- tinue,” he said.
Turnbo says it’s important for board members to know they must always keep in mind that their job is policy and budget. And even if they want to, they can’t get involved in the day-to-day running of the schools, however, he has worked to get wages up both for teachers and non-certified employees.
“It was a real balancing act to get raises for all employees not just the teachers,” he said, adding that there was a time when hourly employees were viewed as expendable. The prevailing attitude was that if they didn’t want to work for what the district wanted to pay, someone else would.
As the son of the first female school bus driver in Lonoke County, Turnbo said he disagreed and worked for increases that made it worthwhile to cook in the school cafeteria or clean the grounds, for example.
But Turnbo says he is also an advocate for teachers.
“Ultimately if you are an advocate for the teachers, you’re an advocate for the kids,” he said.
Martin says his interest in the education of his own two sons as well as the children he teaches in Sunday school and those he coaches in basketball and soccer prompted him to run for the school board.
“I’m passionate about putting our kids first in the quality of education they get,” Martin said. “But I also want to make sure that we’re fiscally responsible district wide.”
Martin says his work in the military has prepared him to serve on the school board.
“I’ve been in the military for 17 years and learned to work with people from varying backgrounds,” he said. “I’m used to bringing people together.”
In addition to his work as an instructor pilot, Martin also manages a $3.1 million budget for the operations group of the Arkansas Army National Guard.
Although Martin has the rank of major, he says if elected to the school board he would not volunteer for deployment and would not be deployed unless he volunteered.
Polls will be open in Cabot from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Leader staff writer
School board elections are Tuesday, but those who want to cast their ballots early for races in Lonoke County may do so at the courthouse in Lonoke. Anyone who wants to vote at all in the race for Beebe School Board will have to cast an early ballot or an absentee ballot at the White County Courthouse in Searcy because none of the regular polling places will be open.
The race in Beebe is really a non-race. Tommy Vanaman is running unopposed for his Position 2 seat and the school district is not asking for a millage increase. So regardless of how the election turns out, Vanaman wins and the millage stays the same.
But in Cabot, the race for Position 5 this year is between Alan Turnbo, the executive director of Cabot Housing Authority, who has served two five-year terms, and Dean Martin, an instructor pilot with the Arkansas Air National Guard.
Turnbo, the current board vice president, says voters should choose him because his 10 years has taught him how to be a good board member.
“Institutional knowledge is important to con- tinue,” he said.
Turnbo says it’s important for board members to know they must always keep in mind that their job is policy and budget. And even if they want to, they can’t get involved in the day-to-day running of the schools, however, he has worked to get wages up both for teachers and non-certified employees.
“It was a real balancing act to get raises for all employees not just the teachers,” he said, adding that there was a time when hourly employees were viewed as expendable. The prevailing attitude was that if they didn’t want to work for what the district wanted to pay, someone else would.
As the son of the first female school bus driver in Lonoke County, Turnbo said he disagreed and worked for increases that made it worthwhile to cook in the school cafeteria or clean the grounds, for example.
But Turnbo says he is also an advocate for teachers.
“Ultimately if you are an advocate for the teachers, you’re an advocate for the kids,” he said.
Martin says his interest in the education of his own two sons as well as the children he teaches in Sunday school and those he coaches in basketball and soccer prompted him to run for the school board.
“I’m passionate about putting our kids first in the quality of education they get,” Martin said. “But I also want to make sure that we’re fiscally responsible district wide.”
Martin says his work in the military has prepared him to serve on the school board.
“I’ve been in the military for 17 years and learned to work with people from varying backgrounds,” he said. “I’m used to bringing people together.”
In addition to his work as an instructor pilot, Martin also manages a $3.1 million budget for the operations group of the Arkansas Army National Guard.
Although Martin has the rank of major, he says if elected to the school board he would not volunteer for deployment and would not be deployed unless he volunteered.
Polls will be open in Cabot from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
TOP STORY > >PCSSD lets Jacksonville go
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Cheers erupted from supporters of a stand-alone Jacksonville school district Tuesday night in the Pulaski County Special School District boardroom as the board unanimously approved a resolution favoring creation of such a district.
State Rep. Will Bond spoke in favor of the resolution, and Donald Stewart, author of a financial study that said both districts could thrive, answered questions from the sometimes-skeptical board.
The approved resolution calls for petitioning the state board of education for a Jacksonville/north Pulaski County district once the three conjoined districts are declared unitary by the federal courts. Little Rock has already achieved that status, leaving North Little Rock and PCSSD to become unitary.
The resolution favoring the district doesn’t force any action, but is an expression of the will of the board—the first time in decades of denial that PCSSD has gone on record as agreeing in principle with the concept of a Jacksonville/North Pulaski County district.
The board took no action on decertifying the district’s nonsupport staff and its union.
Carving a Jacksonville district out of PCSSD can be done without hurting the county district, according to a report
commissioned by the Jacksonville Education Foundation and conducted by Stewart. Stewart is a former chief financial officer of PCSSD, Little Rock and North Little Rock districts and was former deputy commissioner of the state education department.
A proposed Jacksonville-area district is feasible and presents no insurmountable financial impediments to either districts, Stewart said.
“We presented them with a significant amount of evidence and the board did what was in the best interest of all the kids in the district,” said Bond, who is in the most recent generation of Jacksonville residents to try to wrest a stand-alone district out of the far-flung PCSSD.
Bond said a smaller county district would be able to run more efficiently while providing parents and kids with the kind of school district they want.
Stewart found that PCSSD would have more money per student and could shed responsibility for Jacksonville-area facilities, all of which are old and some decrepit.
Jacksonville could to turn its attention to fixing or replacing its schools without competing with people in west Little Rock, Maumelle and as far south as Wrightsville for money to build new schools.
“The whole movement is built on common sense,” said Bond.
“It’s supported by all the facts and evidence,” Bond said. “You have to peel away the emotion. We’ve been ignoring the facts and common sense, hoping things would fix themselves.”
Bond said the most important thing the resolution did was to establish boundaries of the proposed Jacksonville/north Pulaski County school district and to establish which schools would be in it.
Currently, Jacksonville is the largest city in the state without its own school district, according to Bond. It has military base demanding improvement and, the proposed district would have about 6,000 students, making it immediately one of the 15 largest in the state.
Three studies have been conducted since 2002 that support formation of the new district, ac-cording to Bond, with the latest saying it’s a win-win for the kids. PCSSD will have more to spend and Jacksonville will have a great opportunity to improve facilities immediately.
PCSSD board has promised Jacksonville a new middle school and a new elementary school to be built on Little Rock Air Force Base, contingent upon voter approval of a bond issue to pay for them.
Since west Little Rock and Maumelle have each recently gotten a new school—without need for a new bond issue—enthusiasm for a millage increase throughout the district may be low.
The proposed Jacksonville district would be bounded by Sherwood and by Faulkner County on the west, Faulkner County on the north, Lonoke County on the east and the southern boundary is Jacksonville’s southern city limit and Wooten Road to Lonoke County.
The district would include Arnold Drive Elementary, Bayou Meto Elementary, Homer Adkins Pre-K, Jacksonville Elementary, Murrell Taylor Elementary and Pinewood Elementary.
Also, Tolleson Elementary, Warren Dupree Elementary, Jacksonville Boys Middle School, Jacksonville Girls Middle School, North Pulaski High School and Jacksonville High School.
Leader senior staff writer
Cheers erupted from supporters of a stand-alone Jacksonville school district Tuesday night in the Pulaski County Special School District boardroom as the board unanimously approved a resolution favoring creation of such a district.
State Rep. Will Bond spoke in favor of the resolution, and Donald Stewart, author of a financial study that said both districts could thrive, answered questions from the sometimes-skeptical board.
The approved resolution calls for petitioning the state board of education for a Jacksonville/north Pulaski County district once the three conjoined districts are declared unitary by the federal courts. Little Rock has already achieved that status, leaving North Little Rock and PCSSD to become unitary.
The resolution favoring the district doesn’t force any action, but is an expression of the will of the board—the first time in decades of denial that PCSSD has gone on record as agreeing in principle with the concept of a Jacksonville/North Pulaski County district.
The board took no action on decertifying the district’s nonsupport staff and its union.
Carving a Jacksonville district out of PCSSD can be done without hurting the county district, according to a report
commissioned by the Jacksonville Education Foundation and conducted by Stewart. Stewart is a former chief financial officer of PCSSD, Little Rock and North Little Rock districts and was former deputy commissioner of the state education department.
A proposed Jacksonville-area district is feasible and presents no insurmountable financial impediments to either districts, Stewart said.
“We presented them with a significant amount of evidence and the board did what was in the best interest of all the kids in the district,” said Bond, who is in the most recent generation of Jacksonville residents to try to wrest a stand-alone district out of the far-flung PCSSD.
Bond said a smaller county district would be able to run more efficiently while providing parents and kids with the kind of school district they want.
Stewart found that PCSSD would have more money per student and could shed responsibility for Jacksonville-area facilities, all of which are old and some decrepit.
Jacksonville could to turn its attention to fixing or replacing its schools without competing with people in west Little Rock, Maumelle and as far south as Wrightsville for money to build new schools.
“The whole movement is built on common sense,” said Bond.
“It’s supported by all the facts and evidence,” Bond said. “You have to peel away the emotion. We’ve been ignoring the facts and common sense, hoping things would fix themselves.”
Bond said the most important thing the resolution did was to establish boundaries of the proposed Jacksonville/north Pulaski County school district and to establish which schools would be in it.
Currently, Jacksonville is the largest city in the state without its own school district, according to Bond. It has military base demanding improvement and, the proposed district would have about 6,000 students, making it immediately one of the 15 largest in the state.
Three studies have been conducted since 2002 that support formation of the new district, ac-cording to Bond, with the latest saying it’s a win-win for the kids. PCSSD will have more to spend and Jacksonville will have a great opportunity to improve facilities immediately.
PCSSD board has promised Jacksonville a new middle school and a new elementary school to be built on Little Rock Air Force Base, contingent upon voter approval of a bond issue to pay for them.
Since west Little Rock and Maumelle have each recently gotten a new school—without need for a new bond issue—enthusiasm for a millage increase throughout the district may be low.
The proposed Jacksonville district would be bounded by Sherwood and by Faulkner County on the west, Faulkner County on the north, Lonoke County on the east and the southern boundary is Jacksonville’s southern city limit and Wooten Road to Lonoke County.
The district would include Arnold Drive Elementary, Bayou Meto Elementary, Homer Adkins Pre-K, Jacksonville Elementary, Murrell Taylor Elementary and Pinewood Elementary.
Also, Tolleson Elementary, Warren Dupree Elementary, Jacksonville Boys Middle School, Jacksonville Girls Middle School, North Pulaski High School and Jacksonville High School.
EDITORIAL >>A lot in common: Palin and Huck
The more we find out about Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, John McCain’s running mate, the more comfortable we are with her.
With every disclosure she sounds more and more like our own governor for 10 years, Mike Huckabee, who got passed over for the vice presidential nomination despite his having five times her executive experience.
First, there is the rare political skill of campaigning as a conservative and governing as a liberal. Huckabee campaigned for governor and for president as a fiscal hardliner who slashed taxes and shrank government. In fact, he had raised more taxes than any governor in the state’s history, ran up more debt than all the previous governors combined, grew state employees by 19 percent and greatly enlarged government welfare programs.
Now we learn that Palin raised taxes as mayor of the little town of Wasilla and in eight years raised total spending by 63 percent and office furniture and equipment by 117 percent and ran the city’s long-term debt from nothing to $18.6 million.
Campaigning for governor, she condemned the governor’s plan to raise taxes on oil and gas companies by tying the severance tax to their windfall profits, and also opposed his plan to authorize a natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope across Canada to the lower 48 states. Once elected, she embraced and signed the windfall profits tax on the oil companies and promoted the pipeline project, pledging $500 million from Alaska taxpayers to help a Canadian energy company build it.
Now from the Washington Post we learn that Gov. Palin billed the taxpayers for 312 days of lodging and expenses for living in her own home and for the travel of family members in her first 18 months as governor.
For a couple of years, until the state Ethics Committee stopped him, Gov. Huckabee paid for his family’s personal expenses in their government-provided home from a state account, claimed furniture gifts to the Mansion as his own and solicited going-away gifts when he finally left the Mansion. But it seems never to have occurred to him to claim per-diem expenses for the days he actually spent working for the people as Palin did. So give her credit for being a little shrewder than our boy.
In still another way he was more frugal than she. Huckabee’s final salary as Arkansas governor was $74,000, which was $51,000 less than Palin’s in a state of fewer than 700,000 souls, about a fourth of Arkansas’ population.
Yes, we’re beginning to feel like we know Sarah Palin very well.
—Ernie Dumas
With every disclosure she sounds more and more like our own governor for 10 years, Mike Huckabee, who got passed over for the vice presidential nomination despite his having five times her executive experience.
First, there is the rare political skill of campaigning as a conservative and governing as a liberal. Huckabee campaigned for governor and for president as a fiscal hardliner who slashed taxes and shrank government. In fact, he had raised more taxes than any governor in the state’s history, ran up more debt than all the previous governors combined, grew state employees by 19 percent and greatly enlarged government welfare programs.
Now we learn that Palin raised taxes as mayor of the little town of Wasilla and in eight years raised total spending by 63 percent and office furniture and equipment by 117 percent and ran the city’s long-term debt from nothing to $18.6 million.
Campaigning for governor, she condemned the governor’s plan to raise taxes on oil and gas companies by tying the severance tax to their windfall profits, and also opposed his plan to authorize a natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope across Canada to the lower 48 states. Once elected, she embraced and signed the windfall profits tax on the oil companies and promoted the pipeline project, pledging $500 million from Alaska taxpayers to help a Canadian energy company build it.
Now from the Washington Post we learn that Gov. Palin billed the taxpayers for 312 days of lodging and expenses for living in her own home and for the travel of family members in her first 18 months as governor.
For a couple of years, until the state Ethics Committee stopped him, Gov. Huckabee paid for his family’s personal expenses in their government-provided home from a state account, claimed furniture gifts to the Mansion as his own and solicited going-away gifts when he finally left the Mansion. But it seems never to have occurred to him to claim per-diem expenses for the days he actually spent working for the people as Palin did. So give her credit for being a little shrewder than our boy.
In still another way he was more frugal than she. Huckabee’s final salary as Arkansas governor was $74,000, which was $51,000 less than Palin’s in a state of fewer than 700,000 souls, about a fourth of Arkansas’ population.
Yes, we’re beginning to feel like we know Sarah Palin very well.
—Ernie Dumas
EDITORIAL >>Colleges and scholarships
It sounds counterintuitive, this idea of the state higher-education director to limit the money that state universities can spend on merit-based scholarships. Is not our cherished goal to send as many youngsters as possible to college?
But Jim Purcell, the director of the agency that oversees higher-education budgeting and planning, is right about putting a ceiling on each school’s total-merit scholarship aid. It is not a matter of producing more college graduates and more students but of fairness to those who do go to college.
The agency is drafting legislation to lower the ceiling on scholarships from 30 percent to 15 percent of each institution’s state tax aid and tuition. Spending on merit scholarships has ballooned in the past 15 years as campuses compete for the best students, those with high SAT or ACT scores or special abilities like music. The scholarships do not produce more college students but they do influence which campus gets them.
The University of Central Arkansas started the competition by providing escalating scholarships for high school graduates with very high ACT scores. The higher the score, the richer the subsidy. It worked. The school’s enrollment soared and before long the average ACT of its entering freshmen was nearly a full point higher than for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. That was not the idea of Lu Hardin, the departing president at UCA, but of his predecessor, Dr. Winfred Thompson. The Fayetteville school responded with even better subsidies. Still, the big scholarships have continued to give UCA a leg up over other universities in central Arkansas.
Here is why it is unfair. The schools raise tuition every year partly to pay these scholarships, so other students are paying stiffer tuition to give a free ride to somewhat better scholars. Typically, the higher-achieving students happen to be those who are better able to pay so poorer students are subsidizing richer ones. Frequently, they stack scholarships — for instance, a National Merit scholarship, a music scholarship and a university-funded merit scholarship.
The limits would not affect the amount of state aid spent on need-based scholarships, nor should they. The state has a keen interest in increasing the college-going rate, and this is how to do it. Keeping tuition low is another way.
UCA and Arkansas Tech, which spend a larger share of their budgets on merit scholarships than the other institutions, argue that the limit would give a huge advantage to UA-Fayetteville because it might use its huge private endowment to offer scholarships that other campuses could not match because of the ceiling.
Purcell will find that the schools will carry the day in the legislature, unless his boss, Gov. Beebe, buys into the idea. Let’s hope he does.
But Jim Purcell, the director of the agency that oversees higher-education budgeting and planning, is right about putting a ceiling on each school’s total-merit scholarship aid. It is not a matter of producing more college graduates and more students but of fairness to those who do go to college.
The agency is drafting legislation to lower the ceiling on scholarships from 30 percent to 15 percent of each institution’s state tax aid and tuition. Spending on merit scholarships has ballooned in the past 15 years as campuses compete for the best students, those with high SAT or ACT scores or special abilities like music. The scholarships do not produce more college students but they do influence which campus gets them.
The University of Central Arkansas started the competition by providing escalating scholarships for high school graduates with very high ACT scores. The higher the score, the richer the subsidy. It worked. The school’s enrollment soared and before long the average ACT of its entering freshmen was nearly a full point higher than for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. That was not the idea of Lu Hardin, the departing president at UCA, but of his predecessor, Dr. Winfred Thompson. The Fayetteville school responded with even better subsidies. Still, the big scholarships have continued to give UCA a leg up over other universities in central Arkansas.
Here is why it is unfair. The schools raise tuition every year partly to pay these scholarships, so other students are paying stiffer tuition to give a free ride to somewhat better scholars. Typically, the higher-achieving students happen to be those who are better able to pay so poorer students are subsidizing richer ones. Frequently, they stack scholarships — for instance, a National Merit scholarship, a music scholarship and a university-funded merit scholarship.
The limits would not affect the amount of state aid spent on need-based scholarships, nor should they. The state has a keen interest in increasing the college-going rate, and this is how to do it. Keeping tuition low is another way.
UCA and Arkansas Tech, which spend a larger share of their budgets on merit scholarships than the other institutions, argue that the limit would give a huge advantage to UA-Fayetteville because it might use its huge private endowment to offer scholarships that other campuses could not match because of the ceiling.
Purcell will find that the schools will carry the day in the legislature, unless his boss, Gov. Beebe, buys into the idea. Let’s hope he does.
SPORTS>>Rivarly game adds another chapter
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
Lonoke head coach Jeff Jones probably has a real good sense of the Beebe offense after studying game film from the Badgers’ season-opening win at Greenbrier last Friday.
What he may still be in the dark about is the Badgers’ defense.
That’s because Beebe held on to the ball for nearly three-fourths of the contest, including a 20-play, 97-yard, 10-minute touchdown drive.
Of course, there may not be a lot to be gleaned from watching film of Beebe’s offense, given that it’s pretty much straight-ahead-stop-us-if-you-can running, mostly with All-State fullback Sammy Williams.
But Jones has no plans of trying to milk the clock when his Jackrabbits, season-opener winners against Dumas a week ago Monday, get the ball.
“We’re going to do what we do,” Jones said. “They’re going to do what they do. We’re more concerned with what we’re doing.”
What Lonoke does is get it and go. The ’Rabbits will run out of the Spread when they travel to Beebe on Friday for a 7 p.m. rivalry game. The two teams have played every year for the past three decades. The Badgers, under second-year head coach John Shannon, will run out of the Dead-T.
“Lonoke is really athletic,” said Shannon, whose Badgers beat Greenbrier 28-14. “(Clarence Harris) looks like their best receiver and their fastest kid, but (Michael Howard) can also catch the ball. And they’ve got a good tailback in (Brandon Smith) and their quarterback throws the ball real well.
“They’re just so much more athletic than us.”
But not nearly as physical, a concern for Jones as he tries to build momentum from a 35-20 win over Dumas in Pine Bluff.
“We can’t match up with them size-wise,” Jones said. “We have to shore up and be more physical. They’re going to come out and hit us in the mouth and we’re going to have to stand toe to toe with them.”
The Badgers relied on Williams most of the night against Greenbrier. The senior rushed 28 times for 128 yards. But it’s not just Williams that the ‘
’Rabbits must focus on. Four or five other backs accounted for the remaining 34 Beebe totes on Friday.
To compliment the off-tackle power running of Williams, Shannon can give the ball to the quicker, flashier Brandon Purcell, who picked up 55 yards on just six carries, as well as Luke Gardner and Victor Howell. Throw in the heady running of quarterback Roger Glaude and the Badger offense is suddenly a little more flexible than it might first appear.
“We were very pleased with Roger,” Shannon said. “He ran the option very well, kept it when he was suppose to keep it. And Brandon is our best athlete. We wanted to keep rotating in a fresher bunch of halfbacks in the game and that was kind of my fault.
“We want to set up the option with Sammy. When the defense starts sucking in on Sammy, hit them with a 10-15 yard option play.”
Or a pass play, even. Twice against Greenbrier, the Badgers showed just how honest you have to play them by connecting on long passes off play-action fakes. One went for a 55-yard touchdown to Purcell.
“They’ll run, run, run and when you load up to stop the run, they’ll sneak somebody by you for six,” Jones said.
Lonoke got a taste of physical play when it went up against 220-pound Dumas quarterback Darien Griswold in the opener. He was a load to bring down, though Joel Harris, Lance Jackson and Eric Graydon mostly kept him in check, something that hardly came as a surprise to Jones.
“Joel led us in tackles a year ago,” he said. “He’s just an outstanding football player. And Lance was third in tackles last year.
They’re both veterans. We expected that from those two. We’ll need the other nine to step up and equal them this week.”
The ’Rabbits struggled early offensively against the Bobcats before finding a rhythm and finishing with a balanced attack.
Clarence Harris and Smith each went for 77 on the ground, while quarterback Rollins Elam, appearing to be fully recovered from last season’s broken ankle, threw for two touchdowns and 252 yards.
Jones is viewing this game in the same light he viewed the opener against Dumas, as an opportunity for his Jackrabbits, considered among a handful of favorites to win the 4A state title, to get better.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” he said. “We have our work cut out for us this week. Beebe is a hardnosed, quality team. But that gives us a chance to get better and to come out better prepared for our conference.”
Leader sports editor
Lonoke head coach Jeff Jones probably has a real good sense of the Beebe offense after studying game film from the Badgers’ season-opening win at Greenbrier last Friday.
What he may still be in the dark about is the Badgers’ defense.
That’s because Beebe held on to the ball for nearly three-fourths of the contest, including a 20-play, 97-yard, 10-minute touchdown drive.
Of course, there may not be a lot to be gleaned from watching film of Beebe’s offense, given that it’s pretty much straight-ahead-stop-us-if-you-can running, mostly with All-State fullback Sammy Williams.
But Jones has no plans of trying to milk the clock when his Jackrabbits, season-opener winners against Dumas a week ago Monday, get the ball.
“We’re going to do what we do,” Jones said. “They’re going to do what they do. We’re more concerned with what we’re doing.”
What Lonoke does is get it and go. The ’Rabbits will run out of the Spread when they travel to Beebe on Friday for a 7 p.m. rivalry game. The two teams have played every year for the past three decades. The Badgers, under second-year head coach John Shannon, will run out of the Dead-T.
“Lonoke is really athletic,” said Shannon, whose Badgers beat Greenbrier 28-14. “(Clarence Harris) looks like their best receiver and their fastest kid, but (Michael Howard) can also catch the ball. And they’ve got a good tailback in (Brandon Smith) and their quarterback throws the ball real well.
“They’re just so much more athletic than us.”
But not nearly as physical, a concern for Jones as he tries to build momentum from a 35-20 win over Dumas in Pine Bluff.
“We can’t match up with them size-wise,” Jones said. “We have to shore up and be more physical. They’re going to come out and hit us in the mouth and we’re going to have to stand toe to toe with them.”
The Badgers relied on Williams most of the night against Greenbrier. The senior rushed 28 times for 128 yards. But it’s not just Williams that the ‘
’Rabbits must focus on. Four or five other backs accounted for the remaining 34 Beebe totes on Friday.
To compliment the off-tackle power running of Williams, Shannon can give the ball to the quicker, flashier Brandon Purcell, who picked up 55 yards on just six carries, as well as Luke Gardner and Victor Howell. Throw in the heady running of quarterback Roger Glaude and the Badger offense is suddenly a little more flexible than it might first appear.
“We were very pleased with Roger,” Shannon said. “He ran the option very well, kept it when he was suppose to keep it. And Brandon is our best athlete. We wanted to keep rotating in a fresher bunch of halfbacks in the game and that was kind of my fault.
“We want to set up the option with Sammy. When the defense starts sucking in on Sammy, hit them with a 10-15 yard option play.”
Or a pass play, even. Twice against Greenbrier, the Badgers showed just how honest you have to play them by connecting on long passes off play-action fakes. One went for a 55-yard touchdown to Purcell.
“They’ll run, run, run and when you load up to stop the run, they’ll sneak somebody by you for six,” Jones said.
Lonoke got a taste of physical play when it went up against 220-pound Dumas quarterback Darien Griswold in the opener. He was a load to bring down, though Joel Harris, Lance Jackson and Eric Graydon mostly kept him in check, something that hardly came as a surprise to Jones.
“Joel led us in tackles a year ago,” he said. “He’s just an outstanding football player. And Lance was third in tackles last year.
They’re both veterans. We expected that from those two. We’ll need the other nine to step up and equal them this week.”
The ’Rabbits struggled early offensively against the Bobcats before finding a rhythm and finishing with a balanced attack.
Clarence Harris and Smith each went for 77 on the ground, while quarterback Rollins Elam, appearing to be fully recovered from last season’s broken ankle, threw for two touchdowns and 252 yards.
Jones is viewing this game in the same light he viewed the opener against Dumas, as an opportunity for his Jackrabbits, considered among a handful of favorites to win the 4A state title, to get better.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” he said. “We have our work cut out for us this week. Beebe is a hardnosed, quality team. But that gives us a chance to get better and to come out better prepared for our conference.”
SPORTS>>Red Devils try to regroup against tough Vilonia team
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Things don’t get much easier for the Jacksonville Red Devils this week when they travel to Phillip Weaver Stadium this Friday to take on the Vilonia Eagles.
The Eagles opened their season with a hard-fought 16-13 win over Monticello last Monday night at UAPB during Hooten’s Kickoff Week, while the young Devils took a 41-15 beating at the hands of local foe Cabot.
But despite the different fortunes last week, Vilonia coach Jim Stanley said the advantage for Friday’s game may go to the visitors.
“Jacksonville is a lot better than Monticello,” Stanley said. “This is a totally different ballgame for us this week. We don’t match up with their speed very well.”
For Red Devil coach Mark Whatley, it’s the multiple looks of the Vilonia offense that is his biggest concern.
“They do two things,” Whatley said. “They spread it out, and they line up in the double-wing, full-house style offense. So they can get you with the passing game or power running, so our defense will have to do some double duty this week.”
Despite the score, the Red Devils seemingly earned a good deal of respect last week with their effort against the dominant Panthers, including from Stanley, who was in attendance.
“They gave Cabot a hard time,” Stanley said. “Yeah, they had some penalties and things like that go against them, but you have to understand Cabot has the best team in about 15 years or so. They have one of the best overall teams in the state and Jacksonville hung well with them for a long time.
“They’re going to win some ballgames this year, I guarantee you they will,” he added.
Whatley was happy with the effort against Cabot, but he also noted the numerous flags against the Devils.
“We’re going to have to do a better job getting our personnel on and off the field,” Whatley said. “We had two penalties for illegal formations, but I felt like we managed the clock pretty well and battled hard the whole game. We didn’t give up anything big to them defensively. There were a lot of positives for us.”
One area where both programs will be alike is under center. The Red Devils had a good showing from sophomore QB Logan Perry last week, and Vilonia tenth-grader Josh Noles will lead the Eagles once again after sneaking in for the game winner against Monticello late in the fourth quarter in Week 1.
With youth under center, both coaches hope for experienced playmakers to step up on both sides of the football.
“Vilonia is a lot like the Cabot team we faced last week,” Whatley said. “They’re really big and physical. They line up on you, and here we go.”
“It’s going to take a complete game effort for us,” Stanley said. “We’re going to have to be focused and play great. We can’t have fumbles or penalties and expect to win.”
Both teams did have the good fortune of avoiding the injury bug last Friday. Whatley said his team will have to get over a few bumps and bruises. For Stanley, it was a matter of improving from Week 1.
He said the team speed of Jacksonville is just what his defense needs to see before heading into the Eagles’ 5A-West Conference schedule.
“We’re going to try and keep getting better each week,” Stanley said. “We had to scrap for that one last week, and I think this week will be even tougher. This game is going to help us get ready for conference, which is why we’re playing this game.
“After playing Jacksonville, everyone else will seem like they are playing in slow motion.”
Leader sportswriter
Things don’t get much easier for the Jacksonville Red Devils this week when they travel to Phillip Weaver Stadium this Friday to take on the Vilonia Eagles.
The Eagles opened their season with a hard-fought 16-13 win over Monticello last Monday night at UAPB during Hooten’s Kickoff Week, while the young Devils took a 41-15 beating at the hands of local foe Cabot.
But despite the different fortunes last week, Vilonia coach Jim Stanley said the advantage for Friday’s game may go to the visitors.
“Jacksonville is a lot better than Monticello,” Stanley said. “This is a totally different ballgame for us this week. We don’t match up with their speed very well.”
For Red Devil coach Mark Whatley, it’s the multiple looks of the Vilonia offense that is his biggest concern.
“They do two things,” Whatley said. “They spread it out, and they line up in the double-wing, full-house style offense. So they can get you with the passing game or power running, so our defense will have to do some double duty this week.”
Despite the score, the Red Devils seemingly earned a good deal of respect last week with their effort against the dominant Panthers, including from Stanley, who was in attendance.
“They gave Cabot a hard time,” Stanley said. “Yeah, they had some penalties and things like that go against them, but you have to understand Cabot has the best team in about 15 years or so. They have one of the best overall teams in the state and Jacksonville hung well with them for a long time.
“They’re going to win some ballgames this year, I guarantee you they will,” he added.
Whatley was happy with the effort against Cabot, but he also noted the numerous flags against the Devils.
“We’re going to have to do a better job getting our personnel on and off the field,” Whatley said. “We had two penalties for illegal formations, but I felt like we managed the clock pretty well and battled hard the whole game. We didn’t give up anything big to them defensively. There were a lot of positives for us.”
One area where both programs will be alike is under center. The Red Devils had a good showing from sophomore QB Logan Perry last week, and Vilonia tenth-grader Josh Noles will lead the Eagles once again after sneaking in for the game winner against Monticello late in the fourth quarter in Week 1.
With youth under center, both coaches hope for experienced playmakers to step up on both sides of the football.
“Vilonia is a lot like the Cabot team we faced last week,” Whatley said. “They’re really big and physical. They line up on you, and here we go.”
“It’s going to take a complete game effort for us,” Stanley said. “We’re going to have to be focused and play great. We can’t have fumbles or penalties and expect to win.”
Both teams did have the good fortune of avoiding the injury bug last Friday. Whatley said his team will have to get over a few bumps and bruises. For Stanley, it was a matter of improving from Week 1.
He said the team speed of Jacksonville is just what his defense needs to see before heading into the Eagles’ 5A-West Conference schedule.
“We’re going to try and keep getting better each week,” Stanley said. “We had to scrap for that one last week, and I think this week will be even tougher. This game is going to help us get ready for conference, which is why we’re playing this game.
“After playing Jacksonville, everyone else will seem like they are playing in slow motion.”
SPORTS>>Look for Bears to hang with Panthers, but come up short
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
It was mixed results for The Leader prediction panel last week, but we did call what no one else would — a win for North Pulaski over Searcy.
Call us crazy if you want, but we got that one right.
This week the picks are even tougher. Games that would have been easy to pick just two years ago has The Leader “experts” scratching our heads in 2008. One thing that can be guaranteed regardless of who you’re picking, there are going to be some great games this Friday, and a lot of games thatshould go down to the wire.
But, it’s a long season yet, so we have to improve on that 66 percent accuracy rating from Week 1, so here goes:
Sylvan Hills at Cabot
The Panthers are expected to clean house during their non-conference schedule, but Hillside always brings its ‘A’ game when it takes on Cabot. Calling an upset in this one would be a bit excessive, but we do believe that the Bears will give them all they want. Cabot may not be able to gain yards on the ground at will like last week, at least until the fourth quarter when the difference in conditioning takes over.
Cabot 27, Sylvan Hills 20
Jacksonville at Vilonia
This one could shape up to be an early-season classic. Some say that this will be an easy win for the Eagles, but not if you listen to Vilonia coach Jim Stanley. Stanley has a reputation in the sports writing community as being a pretty straight shooter.
And if that’s the case, the Red Devils could have something for them. But he’s also been known to talk his opponents up too much. Which is he doing? We’ll find out on Friday.
Vilonia 28, Jacksonville 24
North Pulaski vs Oak Grove
Go back and try to find the last time these two programs played each other with unbeaten records (I’ll give you a hint: NEVER). If the Falcons gained respect with a season-opening win over Searcy, think of the confidence the Hornets picked up after downing 5A powerhouse LR Christian. And they not only won, they shut down all-state runner Michael Dyer.
We’re going to rely on the confidence/momentum ratio factor for this game, and our BS-Modulator leans toward the Hornets.
Oak Grove 20, North Pulaski 16
Lonoke at Beebe
Last year’s blowout by Beebe was a bit of an anomaly for this local rivalry. Though in different counties, these two programs have fairly close ties, and this usually makes for a dandy game that has been known to go down to the wire on more than one occasion.
This year, speed versus power seems to be true more than any other year in recent memory. The Badgers have won the past three, and that streak has to come to an end at some point — this year, to be exact. This will be another good-old- fashioned shootout, but the speed of the Jackrabbits’ receivers will go unmatched.
Lonoke 32 Beebe 30
Riverview at Carlisle
The Raiders surprised us all in their first varsity outing, which makes it even harder to pick against them this week. They managed to outplay a tradition-rich 2A school last week, and maybe they can prove me wrong for a second week. It’s probably going to take a lot more than a heroic effort from junior QB Grafton Harrell this week, however.
Carlisle 35, Riverview 23
Jessieville at Harding Academy
The Wildcats were the other team that threw a wrench into our picks last week, and we won’t make that same mistake again this week. Jessieville has just as much tradition as the Wildcats, but its switch to the passing game will not come without a few growing pains. Meanwhile, young HA quarterback Seth Keese will only continue to improve after a solid debut last week.
Harding Academy 42, Jessieville 27
Searcy at Batesville
The Lions’ looked better in the Spread last week than at anytime during their ill-fated Spread campaigns of 2005-06. Young QB Matt Ingle didn’t let the big North Pulaski linemen intimidate him in the pocket, which resulted in a 71 percent completion ratio. The Pioneers opened their season with a big win against rebuilding Newport. This one may seem like a no-brainer, but we will err on the side of caution. The Lions are no doubt improved, but enough to beat a powerhouse like Batesville?
Batesville 24, Searcy 13
Leader sportswriter
It was mixed results for The Leader prediction panel last week, but we did call what no one else would — a win for North Pulaski over Searcy.
Call us crazy if you want, but we got that one right.
This week the picks are even tougher. Games that would have been easy to pick just two years ago has The Leader “experts” scratching our heads in 2008. One thing that can be guaranteed regardless of who you’re picking, there are going to be some great games this Friday, and a lot of games thatshould go down to the wire.
But, it’s a long season yet, so we have to improve on that 66 percent accuracy rating from Week 1, so here goes:
Sylvan Hills at Cabot
The Panthers are expected to clean house during their non-conference schedule, but Hillside always brings its ‘A’ game when it takes on Cabot. Calling an upset in this one would be a bit excessive, but we do believe that the Bears will give them all they want. Cabot may not be able to gain yards on the ground at will like last week, at least until the fourth quarter when the difference in conditioning takes over.
Cabot 27, Sylvan Hills 20
Jacksonville at Vilonia
This one could shape up to be an early-season classic. Some say that this will be an easy win for the Eagles, but not if you listen to Vilonia coach Jim Stanley. Stanley has a reputation in the sports writing community as being a pretty straight shooter.
And if that’s the case, the Red Devils could have something for them. But he’s also been known to talk his opponents up too much. Which is he doing? We’ll find out on Friday.
Vilonia 28, Jacksonville 24
North Pulaski vs Oak Grove
Go back and try to find the last time these two programs played each other with unbeaten records (I’ll give you a hint: NEVER). If the Falcons gained respect with a season-opening win over Searcy, think of the confidence the Hornets picked up after downing 5A powerhouse LR Christian. And they not only won, they shut down all-state runner Michael Dyer.
We’re going to rely on the confidence/momentum ratio factor for this game, and our BS-Modulator leans toward the Hornets.
Oak Grove 20, North Pulaski 16
Lonoke at Beebe
Last year’s blowout by Beebe was a bit of an anomaly for this local rivalry. Though in different counties, these two programs have fairly close ties, and this usually makes for a dandy game that has been known to go down to the wire on more than one occasion.
This year, speed versus power seems to be true more than any other year in recent memory. The Badgers have won the past three, and that streak has to come to an end at some point — this year, to be exact. This will be another good-old- fashioned shootout, but the speed of the Jackrabbits’ receivers will go unmatched.
Lonoke 32 Beebe 30
Riverview at Carlisle
The Raiders surprised us all in their first varsity outing, which makes it even harder to pick against them this week. They managed to outplay a tradition-rich 2A school last week, and maybe they can prove me wrong for a second week. It’s probably going to take a lot more than a heroic effort from junior QB Grafton Harrell this week, however.
Carlisle 35, Riverview 23
Jessieville at Harding Academy
The Wildcats were the other team that threw a wrench into our picks last week, and we won’t make that same mistake again this week. Jessieville has just as much tradition as the Wildcats, but its switch to the passing game will not come without a few growing pains. Meanwhile, young HA quarterback Seth Keese will only continue to improve after a solid debut last week.
Harding Academy 42, Jessieville 27
Searcy at Batesville
The Lions’ looked better in the Spread last week than at anytime during their ill-fated Spread campaigns of 2005-06. Young QB Matt Ingle didn’t let the big North Pulaski linemen intimidate him in the pocket, which resulted in a 71 percent completion ratio. The Pioneers opened their season with a big win against rebuilding Newport. This one may seem like a no-brainer, but we will err on the side of caution. The Lions are no doubt improved, but enough to beat a powerhouse like Batesville?
Batesville 24, Searcy 13
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