By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
Beebe joined the growing number of communities in Arkansas banning K2, “Spice” and other synthetic marijuana products during Monday’s city council meeting.
An ordinance passed with an emergency clause prohibits the buying, selling or using of any part of the salvia divinorum plant and the chemical products HU-210, JWH-018 or “Spice,” JWH-073 and TFMPP.
Violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor with imprisonment up to a year and a fine of up to $1,000. However, the ordinance does not apply to someone who is under the direction of a licensed doctor or dentist or has a prescription for the products.
Four council members were present for the meeting. Aldermen Les Cossey and John Johnson were absent.
Council members passed a second drug-related ordinance banning the possession with the intent to use, manufacture and deliver drug paraphernalia regarding controlled substances.
The ban includes growing kits, processing kits, isomerization devices used to increase the potency of plants that are a controlled substance and testing equipment.
Other items used with controlled substances that are prohibited are scales, diluents used in the cutting of controlled substances, separators, mixing devices, containers including capsules, envelopes and balloons, storage containers, and injecting devices such as syringes and needles.
Also banned are metal, wooden, acrylic, glass, stone, plastic or ceramic smoking pipes, water pipes, chillum pipes, smoking masks, roach clips, bongs and ice pipes.
An ordinance was passed amending paid holidays for city of Beebe employees. Paid holidays are New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee’s birthday, George Washington’s birthday and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Memorial Day, Inde-pendence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas.
The city’s Fourth of July Extravaganza begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at City Hall. The event is put on by the city and the fire department. There will be Yarnell’s ice cream. Union Valley Baptist Church will provide hamburgers and hot dogs. Entertaining the crowds this year will be rock and roll piano player Jason D. Williams.
Fireworks will begin around 8:45 p.m.
Beebe Mayor Mike Robertson said, “It’s one of the nicest fireworks displays in the state.”
City council members passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Robertson to apply for $12,725 in state grant money under the 2010 General Improvement Funded Community Enhancement Appli-cation for constructing fencing around the city’s animal shelter. The request for funding goes to the Arkansas Rural Development Commission.
A resolution approved a one year extension to Falcon Cable media service in providing cable television service in Beebe until July 1, 2011. The cable company does not provide Beebe residents with high speed internet.
