He is a mean grinch who will question a good deed, but sometimes someone must do the thankless. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel the other day donated $100,000 in state money to a private fund to build a memorial to fallen firefighters on the grounds of the state Capitol and he shouldn’t have.
General McDaniel eloquently explained why he was doing it. The Capitol ought to be the host for a “permanent reminder of our fallen firefighters’ heroic efforts,” he said. We like the idea of a firefighters’ memorial, too, although it ought to be privately funded like some of the other memorials. The monument is to cost $1.1 million and McDaniel’s generosity puts the fund within $64,000 of the goal.
But the $100,000 did not come from McDaniel’s personal checkbook. While the cash did not come directly from taxpayers it was state money, and it should have been spent like your sales-tax dollars —according to the most urgent needs of the state.
The money was part of Arkansas’ share of the proceeds from the settlement of a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. brought by 33 states, including Arkansas, over the company’s marketing of the drugs Bextra and Celebrex. The settlement followed a five-year investigation going back early in the decade. The state has participated in a number of such multistate lawsuits the past 40 years and reaped many millions of dollars in judgments and settlements from wayward corporations, the tobacco companies being the most famous ones.
McDaniel did not claim that it was his personal gift, although he would later suggest that it came about because of his good lawyering. He might have mentioned the lawyering of his predecessor and the attorneys general of 32 other states and the District of Columbia. But he got lots of political credit for the gesture. Will firefighters, their families and admirers forget his gesture at the next election?
But a little politicking with state money is not our big concern. The governor, mayors, federal and state lawmakers do it all the time. After all, it is for a cause, which, though private, many people will support.
Our problem is that it is unconstitutional and, even if it were constitutional, it’s poor public policy. The Constitution says not once but twice that the state cannot pay any money out of the state treasury without an appropriation. An appropriation is an act passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor that determines what the state can spend money on and how much.
Yes, yes, we know that the Arkansas Supreme Court made a screwball decision in 1949 that said if state money somehow did not actually find its way into the treasury in the first place, it could be spent without an appropriation and pretty much however the person or agency that got their hands on the money wanted to spend it. It’s called the “cash funds case” and state colleges and universities and some other institutions have loved it. The chief justice, Griffin Smith, was appalled at his colleagues’ decision and predicted great mischief as a result. He was right.
As you could have anticipated, the ruling was an invitation to create cash funds and avoid the controls on their spending. Now cash funds total some $6.5 billion a year, although the legislature over the years has forced agencies and institutions to submit most of it to the appropriation process. That is good because the legislature, for better or worse, is the body all of us depend upon to weigh the vast needs of the state and to distribute the state’s assets according to those needs.
McDaniel’s little subsidy to the firefighters makes a perfect example of the need to bring the cash funds under control. Not because more statuary on the Capitol’s grounds is a bad idea, although some argue that there is too much already, but because the state has vast unmet needs and the firefighters’ statue ought to be measured against the rest.
The attorneys general of the states have been racking up some big settlements, and we can’t say that McDaniel has been spending Arkansas’ share of them foolishly. Millions have gone to Medicaid, which has helped shore up the Medicaid fund during the fiscal crisis. But the Constitution did not anticipate that the attorney general would determine how a big share of the state’s money is spent.
He’s the state’s lawyer, nothing more. We invest the legislature with the power to determine state needs. We don’t always like its priorities, but that is the system the founders came up with.
We should live with it.
Friday, July 09, 2010
EDITORIAL >>AG breaks state law
He is a mean grinch who will question a good deed, but sometimes someone must do the thankless. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel the other day donated $100,000 in state money to a private fund to build a memorial to fallen firefighters on the grounds of the state Capitol and he shouldn’t have.
General McDaniel eloquently explained why he was doing it. The Capitol ought to be the host for a “permanent reminder of our fallen firefighters’ heroic efforts,” he said. We like the idea of a firefighters’ memorial, too, although it ought to be privately funded like some of the other memorials. The monument is to cost $1.1 million and McDaniel’s generosity puts the fund within $64,000 of the goal.
But the $100,000 did not come from McDaniel’s personal checkbook. While the cash did not come directly from taxpayers it was state money, and it should have been spent like your sales-tax dollars —according to the most urgent needs of the state.
The money was part of Arkansas’ share of the proceeds from the settlement of a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. brought by 33 states, including Arkansas, over the company’s marketing of the drugs Bextra and Celebrex. The settlement followed a five-year investigation going back early in the decade. The state has participated in a number of such multistate lawsuits the past 40 years and reaped many millions of dollars in judgments and settlements from wayward corporations, the tobacco companies being the most famous ones.
McDaniel did not claim that it was his personal gift, although he would later suggest that it came about because of his good lawyering. He might have mentioned the lawyering of his predecessor and the attorneys general of 32 other states and the District of Columbia. But he got lots of political credit for the gesture. Will firefighters, their families and admirers forget his gesture at the next election?
But a little politicking with state money is not our big concern. The governor, mayors, federal and state lawmakers do it all the time. After all, it is for a cause, which, though private, many people will support.
Our problem is that it is unconstitutional and, even if it were constitutional, it’s poor public policy. The Constitution says not once but twice that the state cannot pay any money out of the state treasury without an appropriation. An appropriation is an act passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor that determines what the state can spend money on and how much.
Yes, yes, we know that the Arkansas Supreme Court made a screwball decision in 1949 that said if state money somehow did not actually find its way into the treasury in the first place, it could be spent without an appropriation and pretty much however the person or agency that got their hands on the money wanted to spend it. It’s called the “cash funds case” and state colleges and universities and some other institutions have loved it. The chief justice, Griffin Smith, was appalled at his colleagues’ decision and predicted great mischief as a result. He was right.
As you could have anticipated, the ruling was an invitation to create cash funds and avoid the controls on their spending. Now cash funds total some $6.5 billion a year, although the legislature over the years has forced agencies and institutions to submit most of it to the appropriation process. That is good because the legislature, for better or worse, is the body all of us depend upon to weigh the vast needs of the state and to distribute the state’s assets according to those needs.
McDaniel’s little subsidy to the firefighters makes a perfect example of the need to bring the cash funds under control. Not because more statuary on the Capitol’s grounds is a bad idea, although some argue that there is too much already, but because the state has vast unmet needs and the firefighters’ statue ought to be measured against the rest.
The attorneys general of the states have been racking up some big settlements, and we can’t say that McDaniel has been spending Arkansas’ share of them foolishly. Millions have gone to Medicaid, which has helped shore up the Medicaid fund during the fiscal crisis. But the Constitution did not anticipate that the attorney general would determine how a big share of the state’s money is spent.
He’s the state’s lawyer, nothing more. We invest the legislature with the power to determine state needs. We don’t always like its priorities, but that is the system the founders came up with.
We should live with it.
General McDaniel eloquently explained why he was doing it. The Capitol ought to be the host for a “permanent reminder of our fallen firefighters’ heroic efforts,” he said. We like the idea of a firefighters’ memorial, too, although it ought to be privately funded like some of the other memorials. The monument is to cost $1.1 million and McDaniel’s generosity puts the fund within $64,000 of the goal.
But the $100,000 did not come from McDaniel’s personal checkbook. While the cash did not come directly from taxpayers it was state money, and it should have been spent like your sales-tax dollars —according to the most urgent needs of the state.
The money was part of Arkansas’ share of the proceeds from the settlement of a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. brought by 33 states, including Arkansas, over the company’s marketing of the drugs Bextra and Celebrex. The settlement followed a five-year investigation going back early in the decade. The state has participated in a number of such multistate lawsuits the past 40 years and reaped many millions of dollars in judgments and settlements from wayward corporations, the tobacco companies being the most famous ones.
McDaniel did not claim that it was his personal gift, although he would later suggest that it came about because of his good lawyering. He might have mentioned the lawyering of his predecessor and the attorneys general of 32 other states and the District of Columbia. But he got lots of political credit for the gesture. Will firefighters, their families and admirers forget his gesture at the next election?
But a little politicking with state money is not our big concern. The governor, mayors, federal and state lawmakers do it all the time. After all, it is for a cause, which, though private, many people will support.
Our problem is that it is unconstitutional and, even if it were constitutional, it’s poor public policy. The Constitution says not once but twice that the state cannot pay any money out of the state treasury without an appropriation. An appropriation is an act passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor that determines what the state can spend money on and how much.
Yes, yes, we know that the Arkansas Supreme Court made a screwball decision in 1949 that said if state money somehow did not actually find its way into the treasury in the first place, it could be spent without an appropriation and pretty much however the person or agency that got their hands on the money wanted to spend it. It’s called the “cash funds case” and state colleges and universities and some other institutions have loved it. The chief justice, Griffin Smith, was appalled at his colleagues’ decision and predicted great mischief as a result. He was right.
As you could have anticipated, the ruling was an invitation to create cash funds and avoid the controls on their spending. Now cash funds total some $6.5 billion a year, although the legislature over the years has forced agencies and institutions to submit most of it to the appropriation process. That is good because the legislature, for better or worse, is the body all of us depend upon to weigh the vast needs of the state and to distribute the state’s assets according to those needs.
McDaniel’s little subsidy to the firefighters makes a perfect example of the need to bring the cash funds under control. Not because more statuary on the Capitol’s grounds is a bad idea, although some argue that there is too much already, but because the state has vast unmet needs and the firefighters’ statue ought to be measured against the rest.
The attorneys general of the states have been racking up some big settlements, and we can’t say that McDaniel has been spending Arkansas’ share of them foolishly. Millions have gone to Medicaid, which has helped shore up the Medicaid fund during the fiscal crisis. But the Constitution did not anticipate that the attorney general would determine how a big share of the state’s money is spent.
He’s the state’s lawyer, nothing more. We invest the legislature with the power to determine state needs. We don’t always like its priorities, but that is the system the founders came up with.
We should live with it.
TOP STORY > >Road panel: It’s going to take money
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
The Blue Ribbon Highway Committee reported its progress July 1 to the state General Assembly, deferring recommendations until December. Many expect the committee to recommend either a temporary sales-tax increase or transfer transportation-related sales tax revenues from the state’s general fund to its highway fund, or both, but no one wants to discuss tax increases in an election year.
The committee did detail the scope of the problem and 18 possible options to help raise money to address the problem—stagnant revenues for highway maintenance and construction but dramatically increasing needs and cost.
The state Highway and Trans-portation Department has identified about $23 billion in needs over the next decade, but only about $4.1 billion in anticipated revenues.
The current formula of adequate public-roadway funding in Arkansas has been relatively successful because vehicle miles traveled has continually increased, motor fuel has been relatively inexpensive, fuel efficiency has not dramatically improved and highway revenues have kept close to the highway-construction cost index.
But those have changed in the 21st Century, changes likely to be permanent, so highway maintenance and construction will not be sustainable, according to the report.
Fuel-tax revenues are based on the number of gallons, not cost. So higher fuel efficiency and higher fuel costs hold down the number of gallons pumped and thus the amount of revenues derived from fuel taxes.
Meanwhile, the cost of highway construction has escalated.
That means less money generated at a time when a dollar builds or fixes less highway.
General revenues in Arkansas have escalated over time, but the number of gallons sold and thus the amount of tax revenue generated for the highway trust fund has remained flat while the construction-cost index roughly doubled between 2004 and 2008.
“The task of the committee was to formulate an adequate road-funding program,” says state Sen. John Paul Capps, D-Searcy.
“That’s all we’re charged with. Someone else will have to take it from there.”
“We’re going to really be in trouble in this state if we continue … without raising money,” Capps said. “Money is dwindling, costs are increasing dramatically. You’ve got to get some elasticity—to develop a system of funding where you won’t have to go to the people every two years (for) two more cents on the gas tax.
“We’re going to get the figures on all the options, including a report in late summer on how they allocate the damage that trucks do,” he said. “The next committee meeting will be probably in 45 days. The report will be ready by December 1. (The legislators) should have 30 to 45 days before the session begins.”
The committee will recommend a restructured funding mechanism, according to Capps, but “The legislature and the governor will have to run with it.”
Capps said the state was in an economic bind and that he doesn’t like to raise taxes, but “It’s about the only way in Arkansas to get some money. It’s not fair, but it’s the only place to get a sizable amount of money.”
Two leading recommendations are proposals by highway commissioner Madison Murphy, who is a member of the blue-ribbon Committee.
One of his proposals would raise the state sales tax by 1/2 cent per dollar, tied to a bond issue so the state could get some money quick and start building what it needs over the next five or six years, before construction costs rise too much.
That proposal would include a sunset clause, discontinuing the tax after a set period of time—perhaps 10 years.
The halfpenny sales tax increase, which could be written to expire at the end of 10 years, could generate about $157 million a year to state highways, with another $33.6 million a year split between counties and cities.
That would be mostly for new construction, Capps suggested, “And we’re still $200 million a year short to stay even on our maintenance.”
Murphy also suggested shifting revenues from taxes on transportation-related sales from general to highway funds. Over the course of the 10-year phase-in, the highway fund would receive about $2 billion and by the end of the 10th year, when the new sales tax expired, the highways would be receiving $300 million a year in additional revenue from the transportation-related taxes.
The commission has identified four objectives:
To protect from further erosion the existing tax base of highway, road, street and bridge funding.
To restore construction and maintenance purchasing power
To preserve, maintain and enhance the safety of existing state and local systems and
To add new capacity to state and local systems.
There is no debate that the existing funding system is incapable of providing the necessary revenues to maintain and create an “effective transportation infrastructure going forward,” according to the report.
What is subject to debate is the question of which of the 18-option “menu of possibilities” identified could sustain in coming decades “equitable and adequate funding.”
The committee and its two subcommittees have studied and will continue to study the effects of those options before making their recommendation.
Those options include, but are not limited to, raising vehicle license and registration fees, indexing motor-fuel excise taxes to construction costs; reviewing GARVEE bonds, authorizing a five-, 10- or 15-year bonding authority, changing user fees to reflect the amount of highway-related costs attributable to different types of vehicles.
Issue highway-construction bonds to be retired by a time-limited half-cent general sales tax.
Levy a new excise tax on wholesale price of motor fuels, phased in over time.
Removal of current sales tax exemption on motor fuels.
Levy special sales tax on top of existing sales tax on new and used vehicles, with new revenues dedicated to the highway fund.
Transfer from general revenues to highway funds the existing road-user-related sales taxes—new and used vehicles, auto repair parts and services, tires and batteries—phased in over as long as a decade.
Vehicle miles traveled based on fuel economy.
Regional taxing authorities and local-option revenues.
Review laws relative to legislative referrals of financing to the general electorate by methods including an initiated act.
While general revenues in Arkansas have risen from $500 million in 1976 to nearly $6 billion in 2009, highway revenues during the same 33-year period barely increased from roughly $100 million to about $300 million.
In 1977, a $10 million overlay program resurfaced 400 miles of highway, but by 1991, only 167 miles and last year only 47 miles. That means each dollar last year resurfaced only 12 percent the number of miles a dollar resurfaced in 1977.
By the same token, in 1977, $100 million widening program improved 143 miles, but only 37 miles in 1991 and 13 miles last year.
“…It became obvious that over 70 percent of the financing methodology was systemically flawed,” according to the report.
Fuel consumption, fuel-tax revenue and total highway revenues decreased from 2008 to 2009 and if nothing changes, the decline is likely to be exacerbated by federally mandated fuel-efficiency standards, which require an average consumption in passenger cars of 35 miles per gallon by 2016.
In rural states like Arkansas, in which long distances must be driven by much of the population for work, shopping and commerce, there are relatively few taxpayers among whom to spread the burden, and they are really pinched.
In Arkansas, the state system includes 16,433 miles of highways—the 12th largest state system in the U.S. with 66,811 miles of county roads—10th most in the U.S., but carrying only 9 percent of the state’s traffic.
So a population ranked 32nd in the nation must pay for the upkeep of highway and roadway systems averaging the 11th largest in the nation.
Leader senior staff writer
The Blue Ribbon Highway Committee reported its progress July 1 to the state General Assembly, deferring recommendations until December. Many expect the committee to recommend either a temporary sales-tax increase or transfer transportation-related sales tax revenues from the state’s general fund to its highway fund, or both, but no one wants to discuss tax increases in an election year.
The committee did detail the scope of the problem and 18 possible options to help raise money to address the problem—stagnant revenues for highway maintenance and construction but dramatically increasing needs and cost.
The state Highway and Trans-portation Department has identified about $23 billion in needs over the next decade, but only about $4.1 billion in anticipated revenues.
The current formula of adequate public-roadway funding in Arkansas has been relatively successful because vehicle miles traveled has continually increased, motor fuel has been relatively inexpensive, fuel efficiency has not dramatically improved and highway revenues have kept close to the highway-construction cost index.
But those have changed in the 21st Century, changes likely to be permanent, so highway maintenance and construction will not be sustainable, according to the report.
Fuel-tax revenues are based on the number of gallons, not cost. So higher fuel efficiency and higher fuel costs hold down the number of gallons pumped and thus the amount of revenues derived from fuel taxes.
Meanwhile, the cost of highway construction has escalated.
That means less money generated at a time when a dollar builds or fixes less highway.
General revenues in Arkansas have escalated over time, but the number of gallons sold and thus the amount of tax revenue generated for the highway trust fund has remained flat while the construction-cost index roughly doubled between 2004 and 2008.
“The task of the committee was to formulate an adequate road-funding program,” says state Sen. John Paul Capps, D-Searcy.
“That’s all we’re charged with. Someone else will have to take it from there.”
“We’re going to really be in trouble in this state if we continue … without raising money,” Capps said. “Money is dwindling, costs are increasing dramatically. You’ve got to get some elasticity—to develop a system of funding where you won’t have to go to the people every two years (for) two more cents on the gas tax.
“We’re going to get the figures on all the options, including a report in late summer on how they allocate the damage that trucks do,” he said. “The next committee meeting will be probably in 45 days. The report will be ready by December 1. (The legislators) should have 30 to 45 days before the session begins.”
The committee will recommend a restructured funding mechanism, according to Capps, but “The legislature and the governor will have to run with it.”
Capps said the state was in an economic bind and that he doesn’t like to raise taxes, but “It’s about the only way in Arkansas to get some money. It’s not fair, but it’s the only place to get a sizable amount of money.”
Two leading recommendations are proposals by highway commissioner Madison Murphy, who is a member of the blue-ribbon Committee.
One of his proposals would raise the state sales tax by 1/2 cent per dollar, tied to a bond issue so the state could get some money quick and start building what it needs over the next five or six years, before construction costs rise too much.
That proposal would include a sunset clause, discontinuing the tax after a set period of time—perhaps 10 years.
The halfpenny sales tax increase, which could be written to expire at the end of 10 years, could generate about $157 million a year to state highways, with another $33.6 million a year split between counties and cities.
That would be mostly for new construction, Capps suggested, “And we’re still $200 million a year short to stay even on our maintenance.”
Murphy also suggested shifting revenues from taxes on transportation-related sales from general to highway funds. Over the course of the 10-year phase-in, the highway fund would receive about $2 billion and by the end of the 10th year, when the new sales tax expired, the highways would be receiving $300 million a year in additional revenue from the transportation-related taxes.
The commission has identified four objectives:
To protect from further erosion the existing tax base of highway, road, street and bridge funding.
To restore construction and maintenance purchasing power
To preserve, maintain and enhance the safety of existing state and local systems and
To add new capacity to state and local systems.
There is no debate that the existing funding system is incapable of providing the necessary revenues to maintain and create an “effective transportation infrastructure going forward,” according to the report.
What is subject to debate is the question of which of the 18-option “menu of possibilities” identified could sustain in coming decades “equitable and adequate funding.”
The committee and its two subcommittees have studied and will continue to study the effects of those options before making their recommendation.
Those options include, but are not limited to, raising vehicle license and registration fees, indexing motor-fuel excise taxes to construction costs; reviewing GARVEE bonds, authorizing a five-, 10- or 15-year bonding authority, changing user fees to reflect the amount of highway-related costs attributable to different types of vehicles.
Issue highway-construction bonds to be retired by a time-limited half-cent general sales tax.
Levy a new excise tax on wholesale price of motor fuels, phased in over time.
Removal of current sales tax exemption on motor fuels.
Levy special sales tax on top of existing sales tax on new and used vehicles, with new revenues dedicated to the highway fund.
Transfer from general revenues to highway funds the existing road-user-related sales taxes—new and used vehicles, auto repair parts and services, tires and batteries—phased in over as long as a decade.
Vehicle miles traveled based on fuel economy.
Regional taxing authorities and local-option revenues.
Review laws relative to legislative referrals of financing to the general electorate by methods including an initiated act.
While general revenues in Arkansas have risen from $500 million in 1976 to nearly $6 billion in 2009, highway revenues during the same 33-year period barely increased from roughly $100 million to about $300 million.
In 1977, a $10 million overlay program resurfaced 400 miles of highway, but by 1991, only 167 miles and last year only 47 miles. That means each dollar last year resurfaced only 12 percent the number of miles a dollar resurfaced in 1977.
By the same token, in 1977, $100 million widening program improved 143 miles, but only 37 miles in 1991 and 13 miles last year.
“…It became obvious that over 70 percent of the financing methodology was systemically flawed,” according to the report.
Fuel consumption, fuel-tax revenue and total highway revenues decreased from 2008 to 2009 and if nothing changes, the decline is likely to be exacerbated by federally mandated fuel-efficiency standards, which require an average consumption in passenger cars of 35 miles per gallon by 2016.
In rural states like Arkansas, in which long distances must be driven by much of the population for work, shopping and commerce, there are relatively few taxpayers among whom to spread the burden, and they are really pinched.
In Arkansas, the state system includes 16,433 miles of highways—the 12th largest state system in the U.S. with 66,811 miles of county roads—10th most in the U.S., but carrying only 9 percent of the state’s traffic.
So a population ranked 32nd in the nation must pay for the upkeep of highway and roadway systems averaging the 11th largest in the nation.
TOP STORY > >Road panel: It’s going to take money
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
The Blue Ribbon Highway Committee reported its progress July 1 to the state General Assembly, deferring recommendations until December. Many expect the committee to recommend either a temporary sales-tax increase or transfer transportation-related sales tax revenues from the state’s general fund to its highway fund, or both, but no one wants to discuss tax increases in an election year.
The committee did detail the scope of the problem and 18 possible options to help raise money to address the problem—stagnant revenues for highway maintenance and construction but dramatically increasing needs and cost.
The state Highway and Trans-portation Department has identified about $23 billion in needs over the next decade, but only about $4.1 billion in anticipated revenues.
The current formula of adequate public-roadway funding in Arkansas has been relatively successful because vehicle miles traveled has continually increased, motor fuel has been relatively inexpensive, fuel efficiency has not dramatically improved and highway revenues have kept close to the highway-construction cost index.
But those have changed in the 21st Century, changes likely to be permanent, so highway maintenance and construction will not be sustainable, according to the report.
Fuel-tax revenues are based on the number of gallons, not cost. So higher fuel efficiency and higher fuel costs hold down the number of gallons pumped and thus the amount of revenues derived from fuel taxes.
Meanwhile, the cost of highway construction has escalated.
That means less money generated at a time when a dollar builds or fixes less highway.
General revenues in Arkansas have escalated over time, but the number of gallons sold and thus the amount of tax revenue generated for the highway trust fund has remained flat while the construction-cost index roughly doubled between 2004 and 2008.
“The task of the committee was to formulate an adequate road-funding program,” says state Sen. John Paul Capps, D-Searcy.
“That’s all we’re charged with. Someone else will have to take it from there.”
“We’re going to really be in trouble in this state if we continue … without raising money,” Capps said. “Money is dwindling, costs are increasing dramatically. You’ve got to get some elasticity—to develop a system of funding where you won’t have to go to the people every two years (for) two more cents on the gas tax.
“We’re going to get the figures on all the options, including a report in late summer on how they allocate the damage that trucks do,” he said. “The next committee meeting will be probably in 45 days. The report will be ready by December 1. (The legislators) should have 30 to 45 days before the session begins.”
The committee will recommend a restructured funding mechanism, according to Capps, but “The legislature and the governor will have to run with it.”
Capps said the state was in an economic bind and that he doesn’t like to raise taxes, but “It’s about the only way in Arkansas to get some money. It’s not fair, but it’s the only place to get a sizable amount of money.”
Two leading recommendations are proposals by highway commissioner Madison Murphy, who is a member of the blue-ribbon Committee.
One of his proposals would raise the state sales tax by 1/2 cent per dollar, tied to a bond issue so the state could get some money quick and start building what it needs over the next five or six years, before construction costs rise too much.
That proposal would include a sunset clause, discontinuing the tax after a set period of time—perhaps 10 years.
The halfpenny sales tax increase, which could be written to expire at the end of 10 years, could generate about $157 million a year to state highways, with another $33.6 million a year split between counties and cities.
That would be mostly for new construction, Capps suggested, “And we’re still $200 million a year short to stay even on our maintenance.”
Murphy also suggested shifting revenues from taxes on transportation-related sales from general to highway funds. Over the course of the 10-year phase-in, the highway fund would receive about $2 billion and by the end of the 10th year, when the new sales tax expired, the highways would be receiving $300 million a year in additional revenue from the transportation-related taxes.
The commission has identified four objectives:
To protect from further erosion the existing tax base of highway, road, street and bridge funding.
To restore construction and maintenance purchasing power
To preserve, maintain and enhance the safety of existing state and local systems and
To add new capacity to state and local systems.
There is no debate that the existing funding system is incapable of providing the necessary revenues to maintain and create an “effective transportation infrastructure going forward,” according to the report.
What is subject to debate is the question of which of the 18-option “menu of possibilities” identified could sustain in coming decades “equitable and adequate funding.”
The committee and its two subcommittees have studied and will continue to study the effects of those options before making their recommendation.
Those options include, but are not limited to, raising vehicle license and registration fees, indexing motor-fuel excise taxes to construction costs; reviewing GARVEE bonds, authorizing a five-, 10- or 15-year bonding authority, changing user fees to reflect the amount of highway-related costs attributable to different types of vehicles.
Issue highway-construction bonds to be retired by a time-limited half-cent general sales tax.
Levy a new excise tax on wholesale price of motor fuels, phased in over time.
Removal of current sales tax exemption on motor fuels.
Levy special sales tax on top of existing sales tax on new and used vehicles, with new revenues dedicated to the highway fund.
Transfer from general revenues to highway funds the existing road-user-related sales taxes—new and used vehicles, auto repair parts and services, tires and batteries—phased in over as long as a decade.
Vehicle miles traveled based on fuel economy.
Regional taxing authorities and local-option revenues.
Review laws relative to legislative referrals of financing to the general electorate by methods including an initiated act.
While general revenues in Arkansas have risen from $500 million in 1976 to nearly $6 billion in 2009, highway revenues during the same 33-year period barely increased from roughly $100 million to about $300 million.
In 1977, a $10 million overlay program resurfaced 400 miles of highway, but by 1991, only 167 miles and last year only 47 miles. That means each dollar last year resurfaced only 12 percent the number of miles a dollar resurfaced in 1977.
By the same token, in 1977, $100 million widening program improved 143 miles, but only 37 miles in 1991 and 13 miles last year.
“…It became obvious that over 70 percent of the financing methodology was systemically flawed,” according to the report.
Fuel consumption, fuel-tax revenue and total highway revenues decreased from 2008 to 2009 and if nothing changes, the decline is likely to be exacerbated by federally mandated fuel-efficiency standards, which require an average consumption in passenger cars of 35 miles per gallon by 2016.
In rural states like Arkansas, in which long distances must be driven by much of the population for work, shopping and commerce, there are relatively few taxpayers among whom to spread the burden, and they are really pinched.
In Arkansas, the state system includes 16,433 miles of highways—the 12th largest state system in the U.S. with 66,811 miles of county roads—10th most in the U.S., but carrying only 9 percent of the state’s traffic.
So a population ranked 32nd in the nation must pay for the upkeep of highway and roadway systems averaging the 11th largest in the nation.
Leader senior staff writer
The Blue Ribbon Highway Committee reported its progress July 1 to the state General Assembly, deferring recommendations until December. Many expect the committee to recommend either a temporary sales-tax increase or transfer transportation-related sales tax revenues from the state’s general fund to its highway fund, or both, but no one wants to discuss tax increases in an election year.
The committee did detail the scope of the problem and 18 possible options to help raise money to address the problem—stagnant revenues for highway maintenance and construction but dramatically increasing needs and cost.
The state Highway and Trans-portation Department has identified about $23 billion in needs over the next decade, but only about $4.1 billion in anticipated revenues.
The current formula of adequate public-roadway funding in Arkansas has been relatively successful because vehicle miles traveled has continually increased, motor fuel has been relatively inexpensive, fuel efficiency has not dramatically improved and highway revenues have kept close to the highway-construction cost index.
But those have changed in the 21st Century, changes likely to be permanent, so highway maintenance and construction will not be sustainable, according to the report.
Fuel-tax revenues are based on the number of gallons, not cost. So higher fuel efficiency and higher fuel costs hold down the number of gallons pumped and thus the amount of revenues derived from fuel taxes.
Meanwhile, the cost of highway construction has escalated.
That means less money generated at a time when a dollar builds or fixes less highway.
General revenues in Arkansas have escalated over time, but the number of gallons sold and thus the amount of tax revenue generated for the highway trust fund has remained flat while the construction-cost index roughly doubled between 2004 and 2008.
“The task of the committee was to formulate an adequate road-funding program,” says state Sen. John Paul Capps, D-Searcy.
“That’s all we’re charged with. Someone else will have to take it from there.”
“We’re going to really be in trouble in this state if we continue … without raising money,” Capps said. “Money is dwindling, costs are increasing dramatically. You’ve got to get some elasticity—to develop a system of funding where you won’t have to go to the people every two years (for) two more cents on the gas tax.
“We’re going to get the figures on all the options, including a report in late summer on how they allocate the damage that trucks do,” he said. “The next committee meeting will be probably in 45 days. The report will be ready by December 1. (The legislators) should have 30 to 45 days before the session begins.”
The committee will recommend a restructured funding mechanism, according to Capps, but “The legislature and the governor will have to run with it.”
Capps said the state was in an economic bind and that he doesn’t like to raise taxes, but “It’s about the only way in Arkansas to get some money. It’s not fair, but it’s the only place to get a sizable amount of money.”
Two leading recommendations are proposals by highway commissioner Madison Murphy, who is a member of the blue-ribbon Committee.
One of his proposals would raise the state sales tax by 1/2 cent per dollar, tied to a bond issue so the state could get some money quick and start building what it needs over the next five or six years, before construction costs rise too much.
That proposal would include a sunset clause, discontinuing the tax after a set period of time—perhaps 10 years.
The halfpenny sales tax increase, which could be written to expire at the end of 10 years, could generate about $157 million a year to state highways, with another $33.6 million a year split between counties and cities.
That would be mostly for new construction, Capps suggested, “And we’re still $200 million a year short to stay even on our maintenance.”
Murphy also suggested shifting revenues from taxes on transportation-related sales from general to highway funds. Over the course of the 10-year phase-in, the highway fund would receive about $2 billion and by the end of the 10th year, when the new sales tax expired, the highways would be receiving $300 million a year in additional revenue from the transportation-related taxes.
The commission has identified four objectives:
To protect from further erosion the existing tax base of highway, road, street and bridge funding.
To restore construction and maintenance purchasing power
To preserve, maintain and enhance the safety of existing state and local systems and
To add new capacity to state and local systems.
There is no debate that the existing funding system is incapable of providing the necessary revenues to maintain and create an “effective transportation infrastructure going forward,” according to the report.
What is subject to debate is the question of which of the 18-option “menu of possibilities” identified could sustain in coming decades “equitable and adequate funding.”
The committee and its two subcommittees have studied and will continue to study the effects of those options before making their recommendation.
Those options include, but are not limited to, raising vehicle license and registration fees, indexing motor-fuel excise taxes to construction costs; reviewing GARVEE bonds, authorizing a five-, 10- or 15-year bonding authority, changing user fees to reflect the amount of highway-related costs attributable to different types of vehicles.
Issue highway-construction bonds to be retired by a time-limited half-cent general sales tax.
Levy a new excise tax on wholesale price of motor fuels, phased in over time.
Removal of current sales tax exemption on motor fuels.
Levy special sales tax on top of existing sales tax on new and used vehicles, with new revenues dedicated to the highway fund.
Transfer from general revenues to highway funds the existing road-user-related sales taxes—new and used vehicles, auto repair parts and services, tires and batteries—phased in over as long as a decade.
Vehicle miles traveled based on fuel economy.
Regional taxing authorities and local-option revenues.
Review laws relative to legislative referrals of financing to the general electorate by methods including an initiated act.
While general revenues in Arkansas have risen from $500 million in 1976 to nearly $6 billion in 2009, highway revenues during the same 33-year period barely increased from roughly $100 million to about $300 million.
In 1977, a $10 million overlay program resurfaced 400 miles of highway, but by 1991, only 167 miles and last year only 47 miles. That means each dollar last year resurfaced only 12 percent the number of miles a dollar resurfaced in 1977.
By the same token, in 1977, $100 million widening program improved 143 miles, but only 37 miles in 1991 and 13 miles last year.
“…It became obvious that over 70 percent of the financing methodology was systemically flawed,” according to the report.
Fuel consumption, fuel-tax revenue and total highway revenues decreased from 2008 to 2009 and if nothing changes, the decline is likely to be exacerbated by federally mandated fuel-efficiency standards, which require an average consumption in passenger cars of 35 miles per gallon by 2016.
In rural states like Arkansas, in which long distances must be driven by much of the population for work, shopping and commerce, there are relatively few taxpayers among whom to spread the burden, and they are really pinched.
In Arkansas, the state system includes 16,433 miles of highways—the 12th largest state system in the U.S. with 66,811 miles of county roads—10th most in the U.S., but carrying only 9 percent of the state’s traffic.
So a population ranked 32nd in the nation must pay for the upkeep of highway and roadway systems averaging the 11th largest in the nation.
TOP STORY > >District’s new hires to focus on failures in Jacksonville
NANCY DOCKTER
Leader staff writer
Charles Hopson, in his first week on the job as superintendent of Pulaski County Special School District, has tapped two veteran educators to turn conditions around at Jacksonville High School.
The dilapidated state of the 40-year-old facility caught the attention of district officials, the public and news media this spring when a group of graduating Jacksonville High seniors made a presentation to the school board with photos of the school as well as statistics showing that Jacksonville is getting short shrifted when it comes to allocation of district capital-improvement funding.
June Haynie, in her 31st year with PCSSD, will serve as principal on one-year special assignment. This year she finished her fourth year as principal of Robinson High School.
Karl Brown, who retired from the district in 2006, will serve as the director on special assignment from the superintendent’s office, which is a new position for the district.
Brown’s role will be to address the three priorities identified by Hopson as critical to the school: racial disparities in student discipline and achievement, safety and orderliness of the school environment and cleanliness and general condition of the facilities.
“It is a school in crisis,” Brown said in an interview Thursday. “You have to get some things in place to get the school under control.”
Hopson said he chose Brown because of his past success at other schools in improving test scores and fostering a climate of accountability – two attributes he wanted in new leadership for the school.
Brown has lived in Jacksonville for the past 12 years. As assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services – his last job with the district – Brown said he recalls even then that the high school “was one of the schools in Jacksonville most talked about” because of discipline issues and lagging test scores.
“I am a no-nonsense administrator,” Brown said. “I will hold both students and teachers accountable. I told Dr. Hopson that I felt that I could be of assistance because I am somewhat familiar with the problems they are facing, but it will be a challenge. I am really interested in the students at Jacksonville High School.”
Brown’s role will be to observe, assess, recommend and bring individuals together to solve the problems the school faces.
“My communication will be with the superintendent directly,” Brown said.
Four committees already in place – targeting safety and gangs, activities and tutoring, student mentoring and facilities – will help in the change process at the school. Community members, teachers and administrators and students will comprise the committees.
“Everything we put in place will be a recommendation from these committees,” Brown said. “We value their input and welcome people from the community to be involved.”
Anyone interested in joining the committees should contact Brenda Bowles at the district office, Brown said.
On Monday, Brown will conduct a walk-through of the school with district maintenance.
“It doesn’t take a whole lot of money to clean the place up – the tile, carpet and restrooms,” Brown said. “We want kids to come to a clean, safe, orderly environment.”
Jacksonville High is not alone when it comes to high suspension rates for African-American students. In 2008-09, 73 percent of black students at the school were suspended compared to 27 percent of the whites.
Rates at Jacksonville Girls Middle School and Mills University Studies High School were higher, with 73 percent and 76 percent of the black students, respectively, suspended that year. Rates for white students were a third of that for blacks.
“We are going to have to get African-American students to value education more so,” Brown said.
There are plans to bring Kareem Moody, a motivational speaker who works with gangs and troubled youth, to the school to help improve school climate and develop student leadership.
Meetings with students by grade and gender are planned early in the new school year “to make sure that students know what is expected,” Brown said. “It is just a matter of sharing the handbook with them. It is very important that we are very consistent in regard to what we will tolerate here at Jacksonville High School. We have to make some changes.”
All students will be required to wear identification badges.
Brown, 53, began his career in 1978 teaching special education at Sylvan Hills High School. The following year he taught fifth grade at Bayou Meto Elementary School. In 1983, he left the district to work for the Arkansas Department of Education as the special-education supervisor for south central Arkansas. Brown has also worked as an administrator at Sylvan Hills Middle School, Pinewood Elementary and College Station Elementary. He was principal of Oakbrooke Elementary School in Sherwood for 15 years.
Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in education from the University of Central Arkansas.
TEAM EFFORT
June Haynie says that she is ready to meet the challenges at Jacksonville High “head on,” using strategies that helped to raise test scores at Robinson High School faster than any other school in the district.
“It will take all of us working together – teachers, parents and students,” Haynie said. “That is what we did at Robinson, and we can do the same thing at Jacksonville.”
Consistent with Hopson’s vision that PCSSD principals be the instructional leaders for their schools, Haynie said her charge will be to improve overall development of curriculum and teaching strategies.
She won’t be bringing in new ideas or approaches so much as “reminding teachers of what they already know works,” Haynie explained. “It is a matter of putting proven best practices into place.
“We won’t solve everything, but we can do quite a bit in a year.” Strategies that worked at Robinson, Haynie is eager to implement at Jacksonville. For example, professional development in instructional methods for advanced placement classes will be open to all teachers.
“My goal is to have as many of our teachers as possible have AP training,” Haynie said. “All students benefit – lower level, regular and accelerated.”
Classroom instruction will consist of less lecture and more “hands-on, so that students are actually doing, are involved.”
Creating an environment where teachers can teach and students can learn is paramount, Haynie said.
“We will have a safe school. You’ll see (the administrators) a lot in halls and in the classrooms. Parents and students need to see us there. We set the tone just by being there, being proactive.”
A team approach involving school administrators, teachers, parents and students will help teachers get a holistic view of each individual student and give students, especially ninth-graders, the support they need to progress, Haynie says.
“Ninth-graders tend to get lost in the transition from middle to high school, and this will give them more of a base to go,” Haynie said. “This is difficult for parents as well as students, so this will be a way for parents to get a true overview of what is going on.”
Haynie wants to see students participating in the committees organized to improve the school.
“We certainly need student involvement,” Haynie said. “I would push for that, yes. Students are pretty good at solving problems that they know something about.”
Haynie holds a bachelor’s degree in home economics with a minor in biology from Henderson State University and a master’s degree and certification in school administration from the University of Central Arkansas. She began her career at Poplar Street
Middle School in the North Little Rock School District as a home-economics teacher.
In 1978, she replaced her home-economics teacher at her alma mater, Robinson High, where she taught for 23 years.
She served as assistant principal at Sylvan Hills and North Pulaski high schools and director of secondary educator for NLRSD before returning to Robinson in 2006 to serve as principal.
Leader staff writer
Charles Hopson, in his first week on the job as superintendent of Pulaski County Special School District, has tapped two veteran educators to turn conditions around at Jacksonville High School.
The dilapidated state of the 40-year-old facility caught the attention of district officials, the public and news media this spring when a group of graduating Jacksonville High seniors made a presentation to the school board with photos of the school as well as statistics showing that Jacksonville is getting short shrifted when it comes to allocation of district capital-improvement funding.
June Haynie, in her 31st year with PCSSD, will serve as principal on one-year special assignment. This year she finished her fourth year as principal of Robinson High School.
Karl Brown, who retired from the district in 2006, will serve as the director on special assignment from the superintendent’s office, which is a new position for the district.
Brown’s role will be to address the three priorities identified by Hopson as critical to the school: racial disparities in student discipline and achievement, safety and orderliness of the school environment and cleanliness and general condition of the facilities.
“It is a school in crisis,” Brown said in an interview Thursday. “You have to get some things in place to get the school under control.”
Hopson said he chose Brown because of his past success at other schools in improving test scores and fostering a climate of accountability – two attributes he wanted in new leadership for the school.
Brown has lived in Jacksonville for the past 12 years. As assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services – his last job with the district – Brown said he recalls even then that the high school “was one of the schools in Jacksonville most talked about” because of discipline issues and lagging test scores.
“I am a no-nonsense administrator,” Brown said. “I will hold both students and teachers accountable. I told Dr. Hopson that I felt that I could be of assistance because I am somewhat familiar with the problems they are facing, but it will be a challenge. I am really interested in the students at Jacksonville High School.”
Brown’s role will be to observe, assess, recommend and bring individuals together to solve the problems the school faces.
“My communication will be with the superintendent directly,” Brown said.
Four committees already in place – targeting safety and gangs, activities and tutoring, student mentoring and facilities – will help in the change process at the school. Community members, teachers and administrators and students will comprise the committees.
“Everything we put in place will be a recommendation from these committees,” Brown said. “We value their input and welcome people from the community to be involved.”
Anyone interested in joining the committees should contact Brenda Bowles at the district office, Brown said.
On Monday, Brown will conduct a walk-through of the school with district maintenance.
“It doesn’t take a whole lot of money to clean the place up – the tile, carpet and restrooms,” Brown said. “We want kids to come to a clean, safe, orderly environment.”
Jacksonville High is not alone when it comes to high suspension rates for African-American students. In 2008-09, 73 percent of black students at the school were suspended compared to 27 percent of the whites.
Rates at Jacksonville Girls Middle School and Mills University Studies High School were higher, with 73 percent and 76 percent of the black students, respectively, suspended that year. Rates for white students were a third of that for blacks.
“We are going to have to get African-American students to value education more so,” Brown said.
There are plans to bring Kareem Moody, a motivational speaker who works with gangs and troubled youth, to the school to help improve school climate and develop student leadership.
Meetings with students by grade and gender are planned early in the new school year “to make sure that students know what is expected,” Brown said. “It is just a matter of sharing the handbook with them. It is very important that we are very consistent in regard to what we will tolerate here at Jacksonville High School. We have to make some changes.”
All students will be required to wear identification badges.
Brown, 53, began his career in 1978 teaching special education at Sylvan Hills High School. The following year he taught fifth grade at Bayou Meto Elementary School. In 1983, he left the district to work for the Arkansas Department of Education as the special-education supervisor for south central Arkansas. Brown has also worked as an administrator at Sylvan Hills Middle School, Pinewood Elementary and College Station Elementary. He was principal of Oakbrooke Elementary School in Sherwood for 15 years.
Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in education from the University of Central Arkansas.
TEAM EFFORT
June Haynie says that she is ready to meet the challenges at Jacksonville High “head on,” using strategies that helped to raise test scores at Robinson High School faster than any other school in the district.
“It will take all of us working together – teachers, parents and students,” Haynie said. “That is what we did at Robinson, and we can do the same thing at Jacksonville.”
Consistent with Hopson’s vision that PCSSD principals be the instructional leaders for their schools, Haynie said her charge will be to improve overall development of curriculum and teaching strategies.
She won’t be bringing in new ideas or approaches so much as “reminding teachers of what they already know works,” Haynie explained. “It is a matter of putting proven best practices into place.
“We won’t solve everything, but we can do quite a bit in a year.” Strategies that worked at Robinson, Haynie is eager to implement at Jacksonville. For example, professional development in instructional methods for advanced placement classes will be open to all teachers.
“My goal is to have as many of our teachers as possible have AP training,” Haynie said. “All students benefit – lower level, regular and accelerated.”
Classroom instruction will consist of less lecture and more “hands-on, so that students are actually doing, are involved.”
Creating an environment where teachers can teach and students can learn is paramount, Haynie said.
“We will have a safe school. You’ll see (the administrators) a lot in halls and in the classrooms. Parents and students need to see us there. We set the tone just by being there, being proactive.”
A team approach involving school administrators, teachers, parents and students will help teachers get a holistic view of each individual student and give students, especially ninth-graders, the support they need to progress, Haynie says.
“Ninth-graders tend to get lost in the transition from middle to high school, and this will give them more of a base to go,” Haynie said. “This is difficult for parents as well as students, so this will be a way for parents to get a true overview of what is going on.”
Haynie wants to see students participating in the committees organized to improve the school.
“We certainly need student involvement,” Haynie said. “I would push for that, yes. Students are pretty good at solving problems that they know something about.”
Haynie holds a bachelor’s degree in home economics with a minor in biology from Henderson State University and a master’s degree and certification in school administration from the University of Central Arkansas. She began her career at Poplar Street
Middle School in the North Little Rock School District as a home-economics teacher.
In 1978, she replaced her home-economics teacher at her alma mater, Robinson High, where she taught for 23 years.
She served as assistant principal at Sylvan Hills and North Pulaski high schools and director of secondary educator for NLRSD before returning to Robinson in 2006 to serve as principal.
TOP STORY > >District’s new hires to focus on failures in Jacksonville
NANCY DOCKTER
Leader staff writer
Charles Hopson, in his first week on the job as superintendent of Pulaski County Special School District, has tapped two veteran educators to turn conditions around at Jacksonville High School.
The dilapidated state of the 40-year-old facility caught the attention of district officials, the public and news media this spring when a group of graduating Jacksonville High seniors made a presentation to the school board with photos of the school as well as statistics showing that Jacksonville is getting short shrifted when it comes to allocation of district capital-improvement funding.
June Haynie, in her 31st year with PCSSD, will serve as principal on one-year special assignment. This year she finished her fourth year as principal of Robinson High School.
Karl Brown, who retired from the district in 2006, will serve as the director on special assignment from the superintendent’s office, which is a new position for the district.
Brown’s role will be to address the three priorities identified by Hopson as critical to the school: racial disparities in student discipline and achievement, safety and orderliness of the school environment and cleanliness and general condition of the facilities.
“It is a school in crisis,” Brown said in an interview Thursday. “You have to get some things in place to get the school under control.”
Hopson said he chose Brown because of his past success at other schools in improving test scores and fostering a climate of accountability – two attributes he wanted in new leadership for the school.
Brown has lived in Jacksonville for the past 12 years. As assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services – his last job with the district – Brown said he recalls even then that the high school “was one of the schools in Jacksonville most talked about” because of discipline issues and lagging test scores.
“I am a no-nonsense administrator,” Brown said. “I will hold both students and teachers accountable. I told Dr. Hopson that I felt that I could be of assistance because I am somewhat familiar with the problems they are facing, but it will be a challenge. I am really interested in the students at Jacksonville High School.”
Brown’s role will be to observe, assess, recommend and bring individuals together to solve the problems the school faces.
“My communication will be with the superintendent directly,” Brown said.
Four committees already in place – targeting safety and gangs, activities and tutoring, student mentoring and facilities – will help in the change process at the school. Community members, teachers and administrators and students will comprise the committees.
“Everything we put in place will be a recommendation from these committees,” Brown said. “We value their input and welcome people from the community to be involved.”
Anyone interested in joining the committees should contact Brenda Bowles at the district office, Brown said.
On Monday, Brown will conduct a walk-through of the school with district maintenance.
“It doesn’t take a whole lot of money to clean the place up – the tile, carpet and restrooms,” Brown said. “We want kids to come to a clean, safe, orderly environment.”
Jacksonville High is not alone when it comes to high suspension rates for African-American students. In 2008-09, 73 percent of black students at the school were suspended compared to 27 percent of the whites.
Rates at Jacksonville Girls Middle School and Mills University Studies High School were higher, with 73 percent and 76 percent of the black students, respectively, suspended that year. Rates for white students were a third of that for blacks.
“We are going to have to get African-American students to value education more so,” Brown said.
There are plans to bring Kareem Moody, a motivational speaker who works with gangs and troubled youth, to the school to help improve school climate and develop student leadership.
Meetings with students by grade and gender are planned early in the new school year “to make sure that students know what is expected,” Brown said. “It is just a matter of sharing the handbook with them. It is very important that we are very consistent in regard to what we will tolerate here at Jacksonville High School. We have to make some changes.”
All students will be required to wear identification badges.
Brown, 53, began his career in 1978 teaching special education at Sylvan Hills High School. The following year he taught fifth grade at Bayou Meto Elementary School. In 1983, he left the district to work for the Arkansas Department of Education as the special-education supervisor for south central Arkansas. Brown has also worked as an administrator at Sylvan Hills Middle School, Pinewood Elementary and College Station Elementary. He was principal of Oakbrooke Elementary School in Sherwood for 15 years.
Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in education from the University of Central Arkansas.
TEAM EFFORT
June Haynie says that she is ready to meet the challenges at Jacksonville High “head on,” using strategies that helped to raise test scores at Robinson High School faster than any other school in the district.
“It will take all of us working together – teachers, parents and students,” Haynie said. “That is what we did at Robinson, and we can do the same thing at Jacksonville.”
Consistent with Hopson’s vision that PCSSD principals be the instructional leaders for their schools, Haynie said her charge will be to improve overall development of curriculum and teaching strategies.
She won’t be bringing in new ideas or approaches so much as “reminding teachers of what they already know works,” Haynie explained. “It is a matter of putting proven best practices into place.
“We won’t solve everything, but we can do quite a bit in a year.” Strategies that worked at Robinson, Haynie is eager to implement at Jacksonville. For example, professional development in instructional methods for advanced placement classes will be open to all teachers.
“My goal is to have as many of our teachers as possible have AP training,” Haynie said. “All students benefit – lower level, regular and accelerated.”
Classroom instruction will consist of less lecture and more “hands-on, so that students are actually doing, are involved.”
Creating an environment where teachers can teach and students can learn is paramount, Haynie said.
“We will have a safe school. You’ll see (the administrators) a lot in halls and in the classrooms. Parents and students need to see us there. We set the tone just by being there, being proactive.”
A team approach involving school administrators, teachers, parents and students will help teachers get a holistic view of each individual student and give students, especially ninth-graders, the support they need to progress, Haynie says.
“Ninth-graders tend to get lost in the transition from middle to high school, and this will give them more of a base to go,” Haynie said. “This is difficult for parents as well as students, so this will be a way for parents to get a true overview of what is going on.”
Haynie wants to see students participating in the committees organized to improve the school.
“We certainly need student involvement,” Haynie said. “I would push for that, yes. Students are pretty good at solving problems that they know something about.”
Haynie holds a bachelor’s degree in home economics with a minor in biology from Henderson State University and a master’s degree and certification in school administration from the University of Central Arkansas. She began her career at Poplar Street
Middle School in the North Little Rock School District as a home-economics teacher.
In 1978, she replaced her home-economics teacher at her alma mater, Robinson High, where she taught for 23 years.
She served as assistant principal at Sylvan Hills and North Pulaski high schools and director of secondary educator for NLRSD before returning to Robinson in 2006 to serve as principal.
Leader staff writer
Charles Hopson, in his first week on the job as superintendent of Pulaski County Special School District, has tapped two veteran educators to turn conditions around at Jacksonville High School.
The dilapidated state of the 40-year-old facility caught the attention of district officials, the public and news media this spring when a group of graduating Jacksonville High seniors made a presentation to the school board with photos of the school as well as statistics showing that Jacksonville is getting short shrifted when it comes to allocation of district capital-improvement funding.
June Haynie, in her 31st year with PCSSD, will serve as principal on one-year special assignment. This year she finished her fourth year as principal of Robinson High School.
Karl Brown, who retired from the district in 2006, will serve as the director on special assignment from the superintendent’s office, which is a new position for the district.
Brown’s role will be to address the three priorities identified by Hopson as critical to the school: racial disparities in student discipline and achievement, safety and orderliness of the school environment and cleanliness and general condition of the facilities.
“It is a school in crisis,” Brown said in an interview Thursday. “You have to get some things in place to get the school under control.”
Hopson said he chose Brown because of his past success at other schools in improving test scores and fostering a climate of accountability – two attributes he wanted in new leadership for the school.
Brown has lived in Jacksonville for the past 12 years. As assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services – his last job with the district – Brown said he recalls even then that the high school “was one of the schools in Jacksonville most talked about” because of discipline issues and lagging test scores.
“I am a no-nonsense administrator,” Brown said. “I will hold both students and teachers accountable. I told Dr. Hopson that I felt that I could be of assistance because I am somewhat familiar with the problems they are facing, but it will be a challenge. I am really interested in the students at Jacksonville High School.”
Brown’s role will be to observe, assess, recommend and bring individuals together to solve the problems the school faces.
“My communication will be with the superintendent directly,” Brown said.
Four committees already in place – targeting safety and gangs, activities and tutoring, student mentoring and facilities – will help in the change process at the school. Community members, teachers and administrators and students will comprise the committees.
“Everything we put in place will be a recommendation from these committees,” Brown said. “We value their input and welcome people from the community to be involved.”
Anyone interested in joining the committees should contact Brenda Bowles at the district office, Brown said.
On Monday, Brown will conduct a walk-through of the school with district maintenance.
“It doesn’t take a whole lot of money to clean the place up – the tile, carpet and restrooms,” Brown said. “We want kids to come to a clean, safe, orderly environment.”
Jacksonville High is not alone when it comes to high suspension rates for African-American students. In 2008-09, 73 percent of black students at the school were suspended compared to 27 percent of the whites.
Rates at Jacksonville Girls Middle School and Mills University Studies High School were higher, with 73 percent and 76 percent of the black students, respectively, suspended that year. Rates for white students were a third of that for blacks.
“We are going to have to get African-American students to value education more so,” Brown said.
There are plans to bring Kareem Moody, a motivational speaker who works with gangs and troubled youth, to the school to help improve school climate and develop student leadership.
Meetings with students by grade and gender are planned early in the new school year “to make sure that students know what is expected,” Brown said. “It is just a matter of sharing the handbook with them. It is very important that we are very consistent in regard to what we will tolerate here at Jacksonville High School. We have to make some changes.”
All students will be required to wear identification badges.
Brown, 53, began his career in 1978 teaching special education at Sylvan Hills High School. The following year he taught fifth grade at Bayou Meto Elementary School. In 1983, he left the district to work for the Arkansas Department of Education as the special-education supervisor for south central Arkansas. Brown has also worked as an administrator at Sylvan Hills Middle School, Pinewood Elementary and College Station Elementary. He was principal of Oakbrooke Elementary School in Sherwood for 15 years.
Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in education from the University of Central Arkansas.
TEAM EFFORT
June Haynie says that she is ready to meet the challenges at Jacksonville High “head on,” using strategies that helped to raise test scores at Robinson High School faster than any other school in the district.
“It will take all of us working together – teachers, parents and students,” Haynie said. “That is what we did at Robinson, and we can do the same thing at Jacksonville.”
Consistent with Hopson’s vision that PCSSD principals be the instructional leaders for their schools, Haynie said her charge will be to improve overall development of curriculum and teaching strategies.
She won’t be bringing in new ideas or approaches so much as “reminding teachers of what they already know works,” Haynie explained. “It is a matter of putting proven best practices into place.
“We won’t solve everything, but we can do quite a bit in a year.” Strategies that worked at Robinson, Haynie is eager to implement at Jacksonville. For example, professional development in instructional methods for advanced placement classes will be open to all teachers.
“My goal is to have as many of our teachers as possible have AP training,” Haynie said. “All students benefit – lower level, regular and accelerated.”
Classroom instruction will consist of less lecture and more “hands-on, so that students are actually doing, are involved.”
Creating an environment where teachers can teach and students can learn is paramount, Haynie said.
“We will have a safe school. You’ll see (the administrators) a lot in halls and in the classrooms. Parents and students need to see us there. We set the tone just by being there, being proactive.”
A team approach involving school administrators, teachers, parents and students will help teachers get a holistic view of each individual student and give students, especially ninth-graders, the support they need to progress, Haynie says.
“Ninth-graders tend to get lost in the transition from middle to high school, and this will give them more of a base to go,” Haynie said. “This is difficult for parents as well as students, so this will be a way for parents to get a true overview of what is going on.”
Haynie wants to see students participating in the committees organized to improve the school.
“We certainly need student involvement,” Haynie said. “I would push for that, yes. Students are pretty good at solving problems that they know something about.”
Haynie holds a bachelor’s degree in home economics with a minor in biology from Henderson State University and a master’s degree and certification in school administration from the University of Central Arkansas. She began her career at Poplar Street
Middle School in the North Little Rock School District as a home-economics teacher.
In 1978, she replaced her home-economics teacher at her alma mater, Robinson High, where she taught for 23 years.
She served as assistant principal at Sylvan Hills and North Pulaski high schools and director of secondary educator for NLRSD before returning to Robinson in 2006 to serve as principal.
TOP STORY > >Cabot keeps a close watch on finances
JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
An unfilled position at Cabot City Hall is now paying for an auditor to learn the city books and be on hand to ensure a smooth transition when a new clerk-treasurer takes over in January.
June 30 was the last day on the job for Karen Davis, director of operations for Cabot Mayor Eddie Joe Williams. Davis now works for the school district as assistant to the superintendent. Kay Waters, who already worked at city hall, has taken over Davis’ duties.
But the remainder of Davis’ $54,000 annual salary is now being used to pay Calvin Aldridge, the certified public accountant who, two years ago, found discrepancies in the books at the parks department that led to a bookkeeper being arrested for embezzlement, considerable embarrassment and greater scrutiny by the mayor and city council.
Williams said this week that state auditors just finished the city’s books and the report is going to be a good one. But there have always been troublesome glitches with the accounting program that Aldridge had already fixed and by the time a new clerk is elected in November, he will be able to provide any needed training. Candidates for public office in Cabot are not affiliated with political parties.
Everyone runs as independents and no one files until August. Clerk-Treasurer Treasurer Marva Verkler, whose poor health often keeps her out of the office, is not running for re-election. So far, only Norma Naquin who runs the office at Cabot Public Works, has announced for the position.
But for several months, there has been speculation at city hall that one of Verkler’s deputies would run for her job. And although former Alderman Becky Lemaster has not officially announced, she has told The Leader that she intends to run.
While on the council, Lemaster was known for her scrutiny of the city’s spending but most recently, she made the news when her husband, Roger Lemaster, was found guilty of raping her daughter.
Williams, who is running as a Republican for the state Senate and not for a second term as mayor, said he only wants the next clerk-treasurer to have the training needed to come in and go to work.
Alderman Eddie Cook, along with former Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh and Bill Cypert, secretary and spokesman for the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, have announced for mayor. Cook said getting an auditor to do more than spot check the books is what he’s been wanting for years.
Cook has been heavily involved with the budget for almost four years. He first chaired a committee working on the budget after Williams had been elected as mayor but before he took office. During that time, the city was barely making payroll and because of outstanding bills the budget was actually in the red.
Although Cook praises the job William has done cutting expenses, balancing the budget and building savings for the city, he said without an outside audit, taxpayers are being asked to have complete faith in what amounts to “the government policing the government.”
“I’m excited about this,” Cook said. “With the turnover that will occur not only with the mayor but the city clerk too, we need to make sure our procedures are in order.”
Earlier this year, he talked to the budget and personnel committee about bringing in a private auditor before the turnover that is coming at the first of the year with a new mayor and clerk-treasurer. But the committee declined, saying the state audits are good enough.
With $27,000 left in the budget this year to pay Davis’ salary, money to pay for an outside audit is not an issue.
“I think this is a huge step financially for our city,” Cook said.
Leader staff writer
An unfilled position at Cabot City Hall is now paying for an auditor to learn the city books and be on hand to ensure a smooth transition when a new clerk-treasurer takes over in January.
June 30 was the last day on the job for Karen Davis, director of operations for Cabot Mayor Eddie Joe Williams. Davis now works for the school district as assistant to the superintendent. Kay Waters, who already worked at city hall, has taken over Davis’ duties.
But the remainder of Davis’ $54,000 annual salary is now being used to pay Calvin Aldridge, the certified public accountant who, two years ago, found discrepancies in the books at the parks department that led to a bookkeeper being arrested for embezzlement, considerable embarrassment and greater scrutiny by the mayor and city council.
Williams said this week that state auditors just finished the city’s books and the report is going to be a good one. But there have always been troublesome glitches with the accounting program that Aldridge had already fixed and by the time a new clerk is elected in November, he will be able to provide any needed training. Candidates for public office in Cabot are not affiliated with political parties.
Everyone runs as independents and no one files until August. Clerk-Treasurer Treasurer Marva Verkler, whose poor health often keeps her out of the office, is not running for re-election. So far, only Norma Naquin who runs the office at Cabot Public Works, has announced for the position.
But for several months, there has been speculation at city hall that one of Verkler’s deputies would run for her job. And although former Alderman Becky Lemaster has not officially announced, she has told The Leader that she intends to run.
While on the council, Lemaster was known for her scrutiny of the city’s spending but most recently, she made the news when her husband, Roger Lemaster, was found guilty of raping her daughter.
Williams, who is running as a Republican for the state Senate and not for a second term as mayor, said he only wants the next clerk-treasurer to have the training needed to come in and go to work.
Alderman Eddie Cook, along with former Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh and Bill Cypert, secretary and spokesman for the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, have announced for mayor. Cook said getting an auditor to do more than spot check the books is what he’s been wanting for years.
Cook has been heavily involved with the budget for almost four years. He first chaired a committee working on the budget after Williams had been elected as mayor but before he took office. During that time, the city was barely making payroll and because of outstanding bills the budget was actually in the red.
Although Cook praises the job William has done cutting expenses, balancing the budget and building savings for the city, he said without an outside audit, taxpayers are being asked to have complete faith in what amounts to “the government policing the government.”
“I’m excited about this,” Cook said. “With the turnover that will occur not only with the mayor but the city clerk too, we need to make sure our procedures are in order.”
Earlier this year, he talked to the budget and personnel committee about bringing in a private auditor before the turnover that is coming at the first of the year with a new mayor and clerk-treasurer. But the committee declined, saying the state audits are good enough.
With $27,000 left in the budget this year to pay Davis’ salary, money to pay for an outside audit is not an issue.
“I think this is a huge step financially for our city,” Cook said.
TOP STORY > >PCSSD to pay $275,000 in bias suits
By NANCY DOCKTER
Leader staff writer
The school board for the Pulaski County Special School District in closed session at an emergency meeting Thursday approved agreements to settle complaints by two district employees — one black, the other white — with pay-offs totaling up to $275,000.
The board voted to pay $200,000 by the end of the month to Donna Humphries, who recently retired from her job as counselor at Sherwood Elementary School. Humphries, who said she was denied promotion because she’s white, filed a complaint in 2006 and an amended complaint in 2007, both in U.S. District Court, alleging that she had been a victim of reverse discrimination and breach of contract.
Since 1996, she applied for about 16 administrative positions and in at least 12 cases was passed over for much less qualified or totally unqualified candidates. In return for the settlement, Humphries agreed not to take any future legal action against the district.
The board voted to pay Mike Nellums $50,000 – a “personal payment” in the terms of the settlement agreement – as well as up to $25,000 for attorney’s fees to settle his complaint against the district arising from an investigation of his performance while principal of Jacksonville Boys Middle School and the former Superintendent Rob McGill’s recommendation that he be fired. The district will also pay Nellums’ taxes on the $50,000.
Nellums wrote in the proposed settlement agreement that his claim against the district was in response to “a certain investigation and complaints concerning my job performance and activities related thereto, all as were memorialized in a submission to the PCSSD board of directors dated Sept. 12, 2009 and sent by Acting Superintendent Robert McGill to Michael Nellums together with certain policies and statutes.”
McGill, who conducted the investigation of Nellums, recommended that Nellums be terminated. On Sept. 28, 2009, the board voted 4-3 not to uphold McGill’s recommendation.
Nellums was reassigned to Mills University Studies High School, where he now serves as principal.
The Arkansas Board of Education sent a letter to the district on May 27 stating that it “had not followed its own policies in respect to the investigation of Mr. Nellums.”
Yesterday, Nellums received the first of two equal installments of the payment from the district. The other is to be paid by Jan. 7, 2011.
In exchange for Nellums agreeing to take no legal action against the district pertaining to the recommendation that he be fired, the district has agreed to remove all related documents from his personnel file as “permitted by state law.”
Any remaining documents that relate to the incident will be sealed and accessible only by a court order.
The district will also remove any references to the so-called “termination matter” from district minutes and website, the settlement agreement states.
In addition, board president Tim Clark agreed to write a letter of recommendation for Nellums if requested.
Personnel matters account for a large portion of the district’s legal bills, totaling almost $126,743 in 2008-09 and $235,426 through May of the 2009-10 fiscal year. Grievances are the reason for most personnel-related legal bills, according to Anita
Farver, chief financial officer for the district.
After the board meeting, new Superintendent Charles Hopson said he felt it was “more expedient” to settle the two lawsuits out of court, but he wants the district and board to chart a new course in personnel relations.
“My intent as superintendent is to make sure we don’t have these kinds of actions in the future,” Hopson said. “We need to be proactive and treat people in a way so that these kinds of actions are minimized.”
In other business, the board approved 2010-11 performance objectives for Hopson and board operating principles, both of which the board had developed at a retreat on June 26.
Each goal has indicators and target dates that school patrons will be able to track on the district’s website, Hopson said.
Hopson has agreed to:
Improve student achievement for all students that result in increases in test scores and a closing of the achievement gap.
Develop a sound financial plan to avoid fiscal distress and prepare for future state audits and successful conclusion of the desegregation case.
Work to restore confidence in the district by building better relationships with stakeholders.
The board has pledged to operating principles in the areas of accountability, board communication and professionalism, planning and goal setting, board meeting procedures, processes for addressing patron concerns and the district chain of command.
Leader staff writer
The school board for the Pulaski County Special School District in closed session at an emergency meeting Thursday approved agreements to settle complaints by two district employees — one black, the other white — with pay-offs totaling up to $275,000.
The board voted to pay $200,000 by the end of the month to Donna Humphries, who recently retired from her job as counselor at Sherwood Elementary School. Humphries, who said she was denied promotion because she’s white, filed a complaint in 2006 and an amended complaint in 2007, both in U.S. District Court, alleging that she had been a victim of reverse discrimination and breach of contract.
Since 1996, she applied for about 16 administrative positions and in at least 12 cases was passed over for much less qualified or totally unqualified candidates. In return for the settlement, Humphries agreed not to take any future legal action against the district.
The board voted to pay Mike Nellums $50,000 – a “personal payment” in the terms of the settlement agreement – as well as up to $25,000 for attorney’s fees to settle his complaint against the district arising from an investigation of his performance while principal of Jacksonville Boys Middle School and the former Superintendent Rob McGill’s recommendation that he be fired. The district will also pay Nellums’ taxes on the $50,000.
Nellums wrote in the proposed settlement agreement that his claim against the district was in response to “a certain investigation and complaints concerning my job performance and activities related thereto, all as were memorialized in a submission to the PCSSD board of directors dated Sept. 12, 2009 and sent by Acting Superintendent Robert McGill to Michael Nellums together with certain policies and statutes.”
McGill, who conducted the investigation of Nellums, recommended that Nellums be terminated. On Sept. 28, 2009, the board voted 4-3 not to uphold McGill’s recommendation.
Nellums was reassigned to Mills University Studies High School, where he now serves as principal.
The Arkansas Board of Education sent a letter to the district on May 27 stating that it “had not followed its own policies in respect to the investigation of Mr. Nellums.”
Yesterday, Nellums received the first of two equal installments of the payment from the district. The other is to be paid by Jan. 7, 2011.
In exchange for Nellums agreeing to take no legal action against the district pertaining to the recommendation that he be fired, the district has agreed to remove all related documents from his personnel file as “permitted by state law.”
Any remaining documents that relate to the incident will be sealed and accessible only by a court order.
The district will also remove any references to the so-called “termination matter” from district minutes and website, the settlement agreement states.
In addition, board president Tim Clark agreed to write a letter of recommendation for Nellums if requested.
Personnel matters account for a large portion of the district’s legal bills, totaling almost $126,743 in 2008-09 and $235,426 through May of the 2009-10 fiscal year. Grievances are the reason for most personnel-related legal bills, according to Anita
Farver, chief financial officer for the district.
After the board meeting, new Superintendent Charles Hopson said he felt it was “more expedient” to settle the two lawsuits out of court, but he wants the district and board to chart a new course in personnel relations.
“My intent as superintendent is to make sure we don’t have these kinds of actions in the future,” Hopson said. “We need to be proactive and treat people in a way so that these kinds of actions are minimized.”
In other business, the board approved 2010-11 performance objectives for Hopson and board operating principles, both of which the board had developed at a retreat on June 26.
Each goal has indicators and target dates that school patrons will be able to track on the district’s website, Hopson said.
Hopson has agreed to:
Improve student achievement for all students that result in increases in test scores and a closing of the achievement gap.
Develop a sound financial plan to avoid fiscal distress and prepare for future state audits and successful conclusion of the desegregation case.
Work to restore confidence in the district by building better relationships with stakeholders.
The board has pledged to operating principles in the areas of accountability, board communication and professionalism, planning and goal setting, board meeting procedures, processes for addressing patron concerns and the district chain of command.
SPORTS>>Cabot’s Runyan heads to Lakeside
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
When Cabot junior Legion head coach Andy Runyan leads his Centennial Bank team onto the field in Sheridan this weekend for the state tournament, it will be his last time wearing Cabot red.
Runyan is headed to Hot Springs Lakeside to take over the baseball head-coaching job recently vacated by J.R. Folds.
Runyan served as an assistant to Cabot High School head coach Jay Fitch and helped run the summer Legion programs for five years. He coached the AAA/senior Legion teams for the first two summers before taking over the junior program in 2008, leading Cabot to state-tournament berths in 2008 and 2010.
“I can’t express how much I owe to Cabot and to coach Fitch for giving me an opportunity to get into the high-school game,” Runyan said. “I’ve learned a lot from Jay, and there’s going to be a lot of things we do alike at Lakeside.
“If people from Cabot came down and watched, they would see some similar things. There are a lot of things I’m going to take from him as a mentor and as a coach.”
Once Runyan expressed interest in the Lakeside job in late June, the process moved quickly.
He applied on a Thursday, interviewed the following Monday, and the school board approved him at a meeting the following day.
Runyan made it final by signing his contract one week after applying.
“I’m extremely, extremely exited about the opportunity down there,” Runyan said. “Those guys have got great facilities, they support baseball, they’ve got tradition — they’ve won four conference championships since 2000 and won state Legion championships. Just excited to be able to run my own program.”
Runyan began his high school baseball career at Little Rock Mills, where he played three years before his father, legendary football coach Pip Runyan, took the head-coaching job at Greene Co. Tech in Paragould. That’s where Andy Runyan played his senior year before signing with the University of Missouri.
Runyan redshirted, then transferred to Arkansas State midway through his sophomore year and played all four seasons he was eligible.
Runyan coached Legion baseball in Paragould for three years while in college and played for the Salinas Packers of the California Coastal Collegiate League before moving to Cabot to be Fitch’s assistant.
“First of all, you couldn’t ask for a better place for fan support,” Runyan said. “Our fans do a great job. Our kids have a baseball background because their parents afford them those opportunities, which makes our job easier as coaches.”
Runyan will lead the Lakeside Rams in a stout 5A-Southwest Conference that includes private-school powerhouses Central Arkansas Christian and Little Rock Christian, as well as Magnolia, Arkadelphia and Hope.
But Runyan said his five years with Cabot in the 7A Central Conference was good preparation for any level of competition in the state.
A number of 7A Central players were taken in the recent Major League Baseball draft, including former Cabot Panthers/Centennial Bank infielder Sam Bates and Bryant pitcher Benjamin Wells.
Both players have also signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
“The biggest thing I’m going to take away from Cabot was the opportunity to be exposed to big-time baseball,” Runyan said.
“You go back and look, 7A Central this year were all four semifinal teams. Bryant won a state championship and had a kid drafted in the seventh round.
“There were four players drafted this year in the Major-League Baseball draft who were former players from the 7A Central.
You’re not going to find a higher level of baseball than what we play day in and day out at Cabot High School.”
Leader sportswriter
When Cabot junior Legion head coach Andy Runyan leads his Centennial Bank team onto the field in Sheridan this weekend for the state tournament, it will be his last time wearing Cabot red.
Runyan is headed to Hot Springs Lakeside to take over the baseball head-coaching job recently vacated by J.R. Folds.
Runyan served as an assistant to Cabot High School head coach Jay Fitch and helped run the summer Legion programs for five years. He coached the AAA/senior Legion teams for the first two summers before taking over the junior program in 2008, leading Cabot to state-tournament berths in 2008 and 2010.
“I can’t express how much I owe to Cabot and to coach Fitch for giving me an opportunity to get into the high-school game,” Runyan said. “I’ve learned a lot from Jay, and there’s going to be a lot of things we do alike at Lakeside.
“If people from Cabot came down and watched, they would see some similar things. There are a lot of things I’m going to take from him as a mentor and as a coach.”
Once Runyan expressed interest in the Lakeside job in late June, the process moved quickly.
He applied on a Thursday, interviewed the following Monday, and the school board approved him at a meeting the following day.
Runyan made it final by signing his contract one week after applying.
“I’m extremely, extremely exited about the opportunity down there,” Runyan said. “Those guys have got great facilities, they support baseball, they’ve got tradition — they’ve won four conference championships since 2000 and won state Legion championships. Just excited to be able to run my own program.”
Runyan began his high school baseball career at Little Rock Mills, where he played three years before his father, legendary football coach Pip Runyan, took the head-coaching job at Greene Co. Tech in Paragould. That’s where Andy Runyan played his senior year before signing with the University of Missouri.
Runyan redshirted, then transferred to Arkansas State midway through his sophomore year and played all four seasons he was eligible.
Runyan coached Legion baseball in Paragould for three years while in college and played for the Salinas Packers of the California Coastal Collegiate League before moving to Cabot to be Fitch’s assistant.
“First of all, you couldn’t ask for a better place for fan support,” Runyan said. “Our fans do a great job. Our kids have a baseball background because their parents afford them those opportunities, which makes our job easier as coaches.”
Runyan will lead the Lakeside Rams in a stout 5A-Southwest Conference that includes private-school powerhouses Central Arkansas Christian and Little Rock Christian, as well as Magnolia, Arkadelphia and Hope.
But Runyan said his five years with Cabot in the 7A Central Conference was good preparation for any level of competition in the state.
A number of 7A Central players were taken in the recent Major League Baseball draft, including former Cabot Panthers/Centennial Bank infielder Sam Bates and Bryant pitcher Benjamin Wells.
Both players have also signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
“The biggest thing I’m going to take away from Cabot was the opportunity to be exposed to big-time baseball,” Runyan said.
“You go back and look, 7A Central this year were all four semifinal teams. Bryant won a state championship and had a kid drafted in the seventh round.
“There were four players drafted this year in the Major-League Baseball draft who were former players from the 7A Central.
You’re not going to find a higher level of baseball than what we play day in and day out at Cabot High School.”
SPORTS>>Cabot’s Runyan heads to Lakeside
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
When Cabot junior Legion head coach Andy Runyan leads his Centennial Bank team onto the field in Sheridan this weekend for the state tournament, it will be his last time wearing Cabot red.
Runyan is headed to Hot Springs Lakeside to take over the baseball head-coaching job recently vacated by J.R. Folds.
Runyan served as an assistant to Cabot High School head coach Jay Fitch and helped run the summer Legion programs for five years. He coached the AAA/senior Legion teams for the first two summers before taking over the junior program in 2008, leading Cabot to state-tournament berths in 2008 and 2010.
“I can’t express how much I owe to Cabot and to coach Fitch for giving me an opportunity to get into the high-school game,” Runyan said. “I’ve learned a lot from Jay, and there’s going to be a lot of things we do alike at Lakeside.
“If people from Cabot came down and watched, they would see some similar things. There are a lot of things I’m going to take from him as a mentor and as a coach.”
Once Runyan expressed interest in the Lakeside job in late June, the process moved quickly.
He applied on a Thursday, interviewed the following Monday, and the school board approved him at a meeting the following day.
Runyan made it final by signing his contract one week after applying.
“I’m extremely, extremely exited about the opportunity down there,” Runyan said. “Those guys have got great facilities, they support baseball, they’ve got tradition — they’ve won four conference championships since 2000 and won state Legion championships. Just excited to be able to run my own program.”
Runyan began his high school baseball career at Little Rock Mills, where he played three years before his father, legendary football coach Pip Runyan, took the head-coaching job at Greene Co. Tech in Paragould. That’s where Andy Runyan played his senior year before signing with the University of Missouri.
Runyan redshirted, then transferred to Arkansas State midway through his sophomore year and played all four seasons he was eligible.
Runyan coached Legion baseball in Paragould for three years while in college and played for the Salinas Packers of the California Coastal Collegiate League before moving to Cabot to be Fitch’s assistant.
“First of all, you couldn’t ask for a better place for fan support,” Runyan said. “Our fans do a great job. Our kids have a baseball background because their parents afford them those opportunities, which makes our job easier as coaches.”
Runyan will lead the Lakeside Rams in a stout 5A-Southwest Conference that includes private-school powerhouses Central Arkansas Christian and Little Rock Christian, as well as Magnolia, Arkadelphia and Hope.
But Runyan said his five years with Cabot in the 7A Central Conference was good preparation for any level of competition in the state.
A number of 7A Central players were taken in the recent Major League Baseball draft, including former Cabot Panthers/Centennial Bank infielder Sam Bates and Bryant pitcher Benjamin Wells.
Both players have also signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
“The biggest thing I’m going to take away from Cabot was the opportunity to be exposed to big-time baseball,” Runyan said.
“You go back and look, 7A Central this year were all four semifinal teams. Bryant won a state championship and had a kid drafted in the seventh round.
“There were four players drafted this year in the Major-League Baseball draft who were former players from the 7A Central.
You’re not going to find a higher level of baseball than what we play day in and day out at Cabot High School.”
Leader sportswriter
When Cabot junior Legion head coach Andy Runyan leads his Centennial Bank team onto the field in Sheridan this weekend for the state tournament, it will be his last time wearing Cabot red.
Runyan is headed to Hot Springs Lakeside to take over the baseball head-coaching job recently vacated by J.R. Folds.
Runyan served as an assistant to Cabot High School head coach Jay Fitch and helped run the summer Legion programs for five years. He coached the AAA/senior Legion teams for the first two summers before taking over the junior program in 2008, leading Cabot to state-tournament berths in 2008 and 2010.
“I can’t express how much I owe to Cabot and to coach Fitch for giving me an opportunity to get into the high-school game,” Runyan said. “I’ve learned a lot from Jay, and there’s going to be a lot of things we do alike at Lakeside.
“If people from Cabot came down and watched, they would see some similar things. There are a lot of things I’m going to take from him as a mentor and as a coach.”
Once Runyan expressed interest in the Lakeside job in late June, the process moved quickly.
He applied on a Thursday, interviewed the following Monday, and the school board approved him at a meeting the following day.
Runyan made it final by signing his contract one week after applying.
“I’m extremely, extremely exited about the opportunity down there,” Runyan said. “Those guys have got great facilities, they support baseball, they’ve got tradition — they’ve won four conference championships since 2000 and won state Legion championships. Just excited to be able to run my own program.”
Runyan began his high school baseball career at Little Rock Mills, where he played three years before his father, legendary football coach Pip Runyan, took the head-coaching job at Greene Co. Tech in Paragould. That’s where Andy Runyan played his senior year before signing with the University of Missouri.
Runyan redshirted, then transferred to Arkansas State midway through his sophomore year and played all four seasons he was eligible.
Runyan coached Legion baseball in Paragould for three years while in college and played for the Salinas Packers of the California Coastal Collegiate League before moving to Cabot to be Fitch’s assistant.
“First of all, you couldn’t ask for a better place for fan support,” Runyan said. “Our fans do a great job. Our kids have a baseball background because their parents afford them those opportunities, which makes our job easier as coaches.”
Runyan will lead the Lakeside Rams in a stout 5A-Southwest Conference that includes private-school powerhouses Central Arkansas Christian and Little Rock Christian, as well as Magnolia, Arkadelphia and Hope.
But Runyan said his five years with Cabot in the 7A Central Conference was good preparation for any level of competition in the state.
A number of 7A Central players were taken in the recent Major League Baseball draft, including former Cabot Panthers/Centennial Bank infielder Sam Bates and Bryant pitcher Benjamin Wells.
Both players have also signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
“The biggest thing I’m going to take away from Cabot was the opportunity to be exposed to big-time baseball,” Runyan said.
“You go back and look, 7A Central this year were all four semifinal teams. Bryant won a state championship and had a kid drafted in the seventh round.
“There were four players drafted this year in the Major-League Baseball draft who were former players from the 7A Central.
You’re not going to find a higher level of baseball than what we play day in and day out at Cabot High School.”
SPORTS>>Jacksonville expected to announce new coaches soon
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville athletic director Jerry Wilson said the school should be naming coaches to fill multiple vacancies, including that of head football coach, Tuesday morning.
“Hopefully, I’ll try to give you all the new hires,” Wilson said.
Football coach Mark Whatley announced late last month he was leaving to become offensive coordinator at Springdale High School under new coach Shane Patrick. Whatley, a Jacksonville alumnus, took over for veteran coach Johnny Watson after the 2004 season.
Whatley, 23-31 with three playoff appearances at Jacksonville and 114-105-2 overall, is not the athletic program’s only departure.
Volleyball coach Justine Rial has stepped down to focus on elementary school teaching after leading the team to the 6A state tournament in her two seasons. Rial was also a softball assistant.
Head softball coach Tanya Ganey recently gave up her volleyball assistant’s job, while the girls basketball program under Katrina Mimms is looking for an assistant to take over for Roy Jackson.
Jackson was an interim assistant to Mimms but is also the freshman boys head coach and an assistant to varsity basketball coach Vic Joyner.
As a public school in the Pul-aski County Special School District, Jacksonville was required to advertise its vacancies for a set period of time unless promoting a coach on an interim basis.
Former Jacksonville assistant and current North Pulaski head coach Rick Russell has been mentioned as a candidate for the Red Devils’ football job. Attempts to reach Russell on his cell phone Friday were unsuccessful.
Wilson had said earlier that he didn’t expect any action to be taken on the coaching jobs until the advertising period elapses on July 13, which is Tuesday. If there were any urgency, it would be in filling the football and volleyball jobs, as both sports begin in the fall.
“From head football to head volleyball to assistant basketball. It will be about six or seven of them,” Wilson said.
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville athletic director Jerry Wilson said the school should be naming coaches to fill multiple vacancies, including that of head football coach, Tuesday morning.
“Hopefully, I’ll try to give you all the new hires,” Wilson said.
Football coach Mark Whatley announced late last month he was leaving to become offensive coordinator at Springdale High School under new coach Shane Patrick. Whatley, a Jacksonville alumnus, took over for veteran coach Johnny Watson after the 2004 season.
Whatley, 23-31 with three playoff appearances at Jacksonville and 114-105-2 overall, is not the athletic program’s only departure.
Volleyball coach Justine Rial has stepped down to focus on elementary school teaching after leading the team to the 6A state tournament in her two seasons. Rial was also a softball assistant.
Head softball coach Tanya Ganey recently gave up her volleyball assistant’s job, while the girls basketball program under Katrina Mimms is looking for an assistant to take over for Roy Jackson.
Jackson was an interim assistant to Mimms but is also the freshman boys head coach and an assistant to varsity basketball coach Vic Joyner.
As a public school in the Pul-aski County Special School District, Jacksonville was required to advertise its vacancies for a set period of time unless promoting a coach on an interim basis.
Former Jacksonville assistant and current North Pulaski head coach Rick Russell has been mentioned as a candidate for the Red Devils’ football job. Attempts to reach Russell on his cell phone Friday were unsuccessful.
Wilson had said earlier that he didn’t expect any action to be taken on the coaching jobs until the advertising period elapses on July 13, which is Tuesday. If there were any urgency, it would be in filling the football and volleyball jobs, as both sports begin in the fall.
“From head football to head volleyball to assistant basketball. It will be about six or seven of them,” Wilson said.
SPORTS>>Cabot Centennial Bank fights way to state
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sportswriter
A seven-inning game does not necessarily imply a need for endurance, unless it’s a game with a combined 19 runs, 17 hits and 10 errors.
That’s what North Little Rock had to endure in order to beat Cabot Centennial Bank 11-8 in the American Legion junior Area 3 tournament at Burns Park on Tuesday. The tournament host Optimist Colts took an early 7-1 lead but Cabot came back to tie, and North Little Rock needed a four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth to hand Cabot its first tournament loss.
The Colts went 5-0 through the tournament, including another victory over Cabot on Wednesday, to earn the No. 1 seed in the junior Legion state tournament at Sheridan beginning today.
“Hats off to those guys,” Cabot coach Andy Runyan said. “North Little Rock got clutch hits when they needed clutch hits. We had a chance there in the top of the fifth with two guys getting on to lead off, then we went pop-up, strikeout, strikeout.
“They banged a couple in the gaps, and that’s where they scored their runs.”
Centennial Bank took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when leadoff hitter Cole Thomas tripled to center field and scored when Conner Vocque hit into a fielder’s choice. The Colts took what appeared to be a commanding 7-1 lead with the help of four Cabot errors in the bottom of the third.
But Cabot made up the deficit in the top of the fifth and held North Little Rock scoreless in the bottom half to enter the sixth tied, and the Colts struck again in the bottom of the inning.
“That’s the thing — you see games like that,” Runyan said. “If you can’t capitalize on the initial push, and then you get down again, it’s really hard to mount a second comeback in a game a lot of times.
“Hats off to our kids being down six and even getting back to a situation where we had a chance to win the ballgame. We didn’t end up on the right side of the scoreboard, but I thought our kids played extremely hard today.”
Cabot’s fifth-inning rally started with a pop-up to right field by No. 8 batter Robert Rankin, but Ryan Logan followed with a double to right.
That brought up the top of Centennial Bank’s order, and Thomas reached on an error.
Vocque beat out an infield single to load the bases and Casey Vaughan drove in the first two runs with a single down the third-base line.
Cleanup hitter Rob White loaded the bases again when he reached on a grounder to Colts shortstop Blake Manning.
North Little Rock starter Darion Lewis walked Kason Kimbrell to make it 7-4 and was replaced on the mound by Drew Potter, who walked James McCraine and Zach Patterson for two more Cabot runs and a 7-6 score.
That forced the Colts into another pitching change. Second baseman Jaleel Tyler relieved Potter, and finally got the second out when he induced Ranking to fly out to center. But Kimbrell tagged up at third and scored the tying run.
Cabot starter Dustin Morris lasted until the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Logan relieved him after Morris gave up a leadoff single to Lewis. Logan then gave up a single, misplayed Wesley Moore’s bunt and gave up another single to load the bases and give the Colts the first of their four runs in the inning.
Cabot got back one of those runs in the top of the seventh when McCraine walked and Patterson drove him in with a single, but Matthew Himstedt, the Colts’ fourth pitcher, shut Cabot down to preserve the victory.
Patterson was 2 for 3 for Cabot with an RBI, while Thomas was 2 for 4 with a triple and Vaughan was 2 for 4 with two RBI.
Manning led North Little Rock, going 2 for 4 with a double.
The loss dropped Centennial Bank into a semifinal matchup with Sylvan Hills. Cabot won that game Wednesday to clinch a state- tournament berth and a rematch with North Little Rock to determine seeding.
The Colts won the rematch to give Cabot the No. 2 seed.
“We were very proud of our boys because of their youth,” Runyan said. “We had a bunch of eighth and ninth-graders in a 17-and-under tournament. We said all along that we were not going to use age as an excuse.
“But it’s part of the maturation process for them to finish top two, so we’re really proud of these guys.”
Leader sportswriter
A seven-inning game does not necessarily imply a need for endurance, unless it’s a game with a combined 19 runs, 17 hits and 10 errors.
That’s what North Little Rock had to endure in order to beat Cabot Centennial Bank 11-8 in the American Legion junior Area 3 tournament at Burns Park on Tuesday. The tournament host Optimist Colts took an early 7-1 lead but Cabot came back to tie, and North Little Rock needed a four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth to hand Cabot its first tournament loss.
The Colts went 5-0 through the tournament, including another victory over Cabot on Wednesday, to earn the No. 1 seed in the junior Legion state tournament at Sheridan beginning today.
“Hats off to those guys,” Cabot coach Andy Runyan said. “North Little Rock got clutch hits when they needed clutch hits. We had a chance there in the top of the fifth with two guys getting on to lead off, then we went pop-up, strikeout, strikeout.
“They banged a couple in the gaps, and that’s where they scored their runs.”
Centennial Bank took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when leadoff hitter Cole Thomas tripled to center field and scored when Conner Vocque hit into a fielder’s choice. The Colts took what appeared to be a commanding 7-1 lead with the help of four Cabot errors in the bottom of the third.
But Cabot made up the deficit in the top of the fifth and held North Little Rock scoreless in the bottom half to enter the sixth tied, and the Colts struck again in the bottom of the inning.
“That’s the thing — you see games like that,” Runyan said. “If you can’t capitalize on the initial push, and then you get down again, it’s really hard to mount a second comeback in a game a lot of times.
“Hats off to our kids being down six and even getting back to a situation where we had a chance to win the ballgame. We didn’t end up on the right side of the scoreboard, but I thought our kids played extremely hard today.”
Cabot’s fifth-inning rally started with a pop-up to right field by No. 8 batter Robert Rankin, but Ryan Logan followed with a double to right.
That brought up the top of Centennial Bank’s order, and Thomas reached on an error.
Vocque beat out an infield single to load the bases and Casey Vaughan drove in the first two runs with a single down the third-base line.
Cleanup hitter Rob White loaded the bases again when he reached on a grounder to Colts shortstop Blake Manning.
North Little Rock starter Darion Lewis walked Kason Kimbrell to make it 7-4 and was replaced on the mound by Drew Potter, who walked James McCraine and Zach Patterson for two more Cabot runs and a 7-6 score.
That forced the Colts into another pitching change. Second baseman Jaleel Tyler relieved Potter, and finally got the second out when he induced Ranking to fly out to center. But Kimbrell tagged up at third and scored the tying run.
Cabot starter Dustin Morris lasted until the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Logan relieved him after Morris gave up a leadoff single to Lewis. Logan then gave up a single, misplayed Wesley Moore’s bunt and gave up another single to load the bases and give the Colts the first of their four runs in the inning.
Cabot got back one of those runs in the top of the seventh when McCraine walked and Patterson drove him in with a single, but Matthew Himstedt, the Colts’ fourth pitcher, shut Cabot down to preserve the victory.
Patterson was 2 for 3 for Cabot with an RBI, while Thomas was 2 for 4 with a triple and Vaughan was 2 for 4 with two RBI.
Manning led North Little Rock, going 2 for 4 with a double.
The loss dropped Centennial Bank into a semifinal matchup with Sylvan Hills. Cabot won that game Wednesday to clinch a state- tournament berth and a rematch with North Little Rock to determine seeding.
The Colts won the rematch to give Cabot the No. 2 seed.
“We were very proud of our boys because of their youth,” Runyan said. “We had a bunch of eighth and ninth-graders in a 17-and-under tournament. We said all along that we were not going to use age as an excuse.
“But it’s part of the maturation process for them to finish top two, so we’re really proud of these guys.”
SPORTS>>Questions still follow as Ballard awaits trial
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Children’s education is a subject almost as touchy as politics and religion — and too often just as scandalous these days.
Former Abundant Life coach and principal Tim Ballard’s trial for sexual assault has been set for Oct. 27. Ballard was arrested in early March and released on bond after an anonymous tip to Sherwood police in late February indicated he had been suspended from the school for alleged misconduct with a number of female students.
When Leader sports editor Todd Traub assigned me to cover Abundant Life’s first-round 2A regional game against Clarendon at White County Central High School on Feb. 25, I had no clue to the firestorm surrounding the school or Ballard that was lurking around the corner.
I obviously found it odd a coach would miss a state tournament qualifier — especially a coach who almost single-handedly built one of the best 2A programs in the state as Ballard had done.
I sat in the stands with the Owls fans in the second half of the game after shooting photos on the floor in the first half.
There were no whispers of Ballard’s whereabouts or what had happened the day before, but then again, many of the parents and fans from Abundant Life at least know I work as a sportswriter with one of the local papers. I’m sure there is a good chance many of the conversations were being carefully screened in my area of the bleachers and at that point there was no clue to the alarming nature of the charges against Ballard, so I didn’t quiz any of the parents.
My post-game interviews were only the start of a confusing week spent trying to figure out what the heck was going on.
Assistant (now interim) coach Chris Horton would only say Ballard had “family issues” and could not attend the game. A phone call to athletic director and senior girls coach Justin Moseley the following day garnered an almost identical response.
But what the administrators did not understand in their attempt to keep things under wraps as they looked more carefully into Ballard’s behavior was that vague, abstract answers like the ones I was receiving only increase media suspicions.
If there had been a death in the family, they would have simply said he had a death in the family. A sick child would not have kept him away from a game this important unless the child was gravely ill, and again, I likely would have been told the child was in the hospital.
But saying there is a family issue with no details gives an immediate impression something is not kosher.
As if that wasn’t enough, the pastor at the Sylvan Hills First Baptist Church days later sent a press release regarding Ballard’s suspension exclusively to another newspaper, despite The Leader’s great er circulation area and more extensive coverage of the Abundant Life programs through the years.
And now look at the mess the school and church are in.
Even if Ballard ends up exonerated, he will most likely never hold a whistle as a coach again as long as he lives.
And, regardless of the outcome, the school may not survive. A scandal this big at a school that small will be a difficult thing to overcome, especially if the alleged number of abuse victims turns out to be accurate.
Part of what makes this situation so shocking to us all is that there is no real opportunity to say, “Where were the parents?” This was a guy who was in charge of nearly all extra-curricular activities, who professed to having a deep religious conviction and was the high school’s primary administrator.
I can see how a parent could find it easy to trust someone like Tim Ballard. I took over the Abundant Life beat for The Leader in 2005, and was instantly impressed.
At first glance he appeared to have everything going his way — from an appealing, apparently stable family to a great job at the same, cozy, faith-based private school he graduated from years earlier.
But, if the allegations facing Ballard are proven in court, something went terribly wrong for him along the way.
And, if my worst fears concerning the identity of the original student turned whistle blower prove correct, many of the school’s top athletic accomplishments will be forever tarnished.
Someone from that school should have talked sooner. They were bound by law to talk to the police in 1999 when the first report of inappropriate behavior came to light.
But the school should have also been more forthright with the media, and especially with the parents.
Trust is not an easy thing for anyone to attain. And in Abundant Life’s case, 33 years of trust built within the community, and with parents and media, came crashing down on March 1 when the criminal investigation into Ballard’s actions began.
But, as questions how, why and how many are answered in the coming months, let us remember a few things. Remember how unfair this situation has been to the students of Abundant Life and how terrifying it must be to their poor parents.
My dealings with the administrators and parents at that school have been nothing but positive the past six years. I hope they are finding comfort and healing in their prayers.
Leader sportswriter
Children’s education is a subject almost as touchy as politics and religion — and too often just as scandalous these days.
Former Abundant Life coach and principal Tim Ballard’s trial for sexual assault has been set for Oct. 27. Ballard was arrested in early March and released on bond after an anonymous tip to Sherwood police in late February indicated he had been suspended from the school for alleged misconduct with a number of female students.
When Leader sports editor Todd Traub assigned me to cover Abundant Life’s first-round 2A regional game against Clarendon at White County Central High School on Feb. 25, I had no clue to the firestorm surrounding the school or Ballard that was lurking around the corner.
I obviously found it odd a coach would miss a state tournament qualifier — especially a coach who almost single-handedly built one of the best 2A programs in the state as Ballard had done.
I sat in the stands with the Owls fans in the second half of the game after shooting photos on the floor in the first half.
There were no whispers of Ballard’s whereabouts or what had happened the day before, but then again, many of the parents and fans from Abundant Life at least know I work as a sportswriter with one of the local papers. I’m sure there is a good chance many of the conversations were being carefully screened in my area of the bleachers and at that point there was no clue to the alarming nature of the charges against Ballard, so I didn’t quiz any of the parents.
My post-game interviews were only the start of a confusing week spent trying to figure out what the heck was going on.
Assistant (now interim) coach Chris Horton would only say Ballard had “family issues” and could not attend the game. A phone call to athletic director and senior girls coach Justin Moseley the following day garnered an almost identical response.
But what the administrators did not understand in their attempt to keep things under wraps as they looked more carefully into Ballard’s behavior was that vague, abstract answers like the ones I was receiving only increase media suspicions.
If there had been a death in the family, they would have simply said he had a death in the family. A sick child would not have kept him away from a game this important unless the child was gravely ill, and again, I likely would have been told the child was in the hospital.
But saying there is a family issue with no details gives an immediate impression something is not kosher.
As if that wasn’t enough, the pastor at the Sylvan Hills First Baptist Church days later sent a press release regarding Ballard’s suspension exclusively to another newspaper, despite The Leader’s great er circulation area and more extensive coverage of the Abundant Life programs through the years.
And now look at the mess the school and church are in.
Even if Ballard ends up exonerated, he will most likely never hold a whistle as a coach again as long as he lives.
And, regardless of the outcome, the school may not survive. A scandal this big at a school that small will be a difficult thing to overcome, especially if the alleged number of abuse victims turns out to be accurate.
Part of what makes this situation so shocking to us all is that there is no real opportunity to say, “Where were the parents?” This was a guy who was in charge of nearly all extra-curricular activities, who professed to having a deep religious conviction and was the high school’s primary administrator.
I can see how a parent could find it easy to trust someone like Tim Ballard. I took over the Abundant Life beat for The Leader in 2005, and was instantly impressed.
At first glance he appeared to have everything going his way — from an appealing, apparently stable family to a great job at the same, cozy, faith-based private school he graduated from years earlier.
But, if the allegations facing Ballard are proven in court, something went terribly wrong for him along the way.
And, if my worst fears concerning the identity of the original student turned whistle blower prove correct, many of the school’s top athletic accomplishments will be forever tarnished.
Someone from that school should have talked sooner. They were bound by law to talk to the police in 1999 when the first report of inappropriate behavior came to light.
But the school should have also been more forthright with the media, and especially with the parents.
Trust is not an easy thing for anyone to attain. And in Abundant Life’s case, 33 years of trust built within the community, and with parents and media, came crashing down on March 1 when the criminal investigation into Ballard’s actions began.
But, as questions how, why and how many are answered in the coming months, let us remember a few things. Remember how unfair this situation has been to the students of Abundant Life and how terrifying it must be to their poor parents.
My dealings with the administrators and parents at that school have been nothing but positive the past six years. I hope they are finding comfort and healing in their prayers.
SPORTS>>Injury mars game
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
It was a terrifying end to a humdrum season.
Jacksonville Gwatney Chevrolet started its American Legion Area 3 junior tournament game against Sylvan Hills just after 5:30 p.m. at Burns Park on Tuesday, but there was no rest for Gwatney until Zach Traylor’s release from Arkansas Children’s Hospital sometime around 3 a.m. the next morning.
Sylvan Hills won 7-1 after Jacksonville, with only 10 players on its roster, was forced to forfeit when Traylor sustained a frightening facial injury that left the Chevy Boys a man short.
Traylor moved to third base from his starting position in center field during a pitching change in the top of the fourth inning.
His first chance came on a short hopper by Sylvan Hills leadoff batter Greg Atchinson in the top of the fifth, and as Traylor got into position, the ball took a violent side hop and smashed into his left cheekbone.
“That’s the first one I’ve had like that,” Gwatney coach Bob Hickingbotham said. “I mean, I’ve had other injuries, there’s been broken noses before when someone got hit with a hit ball or a thrown ball. But that one was basically in the neighborhood of one or two others.”
Traylor stood dazed for a moment before collapsing to the ground, and paramedics were immediately called to the field. Sylvan Hills coach Billy Sims was stationed at the third-base line and came immediately to Traylor’s aid, and tournament officials brought out ice for the severe swelling under Traylor’s left eye.
Children’s Hospital doctors were concerned about Traylor’s eye movement and possible fractures to his cheekbone, but Hickingbotham said Traylor began moving his eye before his release. Hickingbotham said he believed more tests for fractures will be run after some of the swelling subsides.
“I was concerned that something was possibly wrong with his neck the way it popped back,” Hickingbotham said. “It kind of knocked him groggy, but I guess some of the X-rays and other things they did revealed that it wasn’t quite as bad as we originally thought.”
It was Gwatney’s second loss of the round-robin tournament, which ended the Chevy Boys’ season short of a state-tournament berth. Sylvan Hills advanced to play Cabot Centennial Bank on Wednesday, and the Bruins fell to Cabot for a second time in the tourney to end their year.
The Bruins were in command before Traylor’s accident with a 7-1 lead heading into the fifth inning.
They took a 5-0 lead in the top of the second when Gwatney starter Alex Tucker gave up a leadoff walk to Conner Eller and three straight singles.
Blake Hill drove in the first run with a single to right, followed by a sacrifice fly to center by J.D. Miller.
Atchinson followed with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Sammy Pittman, and Lance Hunter walked to load the bases again for the Bruins.
Tucker hit cleanup man Forrest Harrison to score Dalton Freeling and make it 5-0.
Harrison drove in the next run for Sylvan Hills in the top of the fourth when he doubled to left to score Freeling. Harrison later scored on a passed ball.
Jacksonville’s only run came in the bottom of the third when No. 9 hitter Brandon Whitmore walked and scored on an RBI single to left by Traylor.
Aaron Sarna was 2 for 2 with a double for Sylvan Hills while Harrison had a double and two RBI.
Leader sportswriter
It was a terrifying end to a humdrum season.
Jacksonville Gwatney Chevrolet started its American Legion Area 3 junior tournament game against Sylvan Hills just after 5:30 p.m. at Burns Park on Tuesday, but there was no rest for Gwatney until Zach Traylor’s release from Arkansas Children’s Hospital sometime around 3 a.m. the next morning.
Sylvan Hills won 7-1 after Jacksonville, with only 10 players on its roster, was forced to forfeit when Traylor sustained a frightening facial injury that left the Chevy Boys a man short.
Traylor moved to third base from his starting position in center field during a pitching change in the top of the fourth inning.
His first chance came on a short hopper by Sylvan Hills leadoff batter Greg Atchinson in the top of the fifth, and as Traylor got into position, the ball took a violent side hop and smashed into his left cheekbone.
“That’s the first one I’ve had like that,” Gwatney coach Bob Hickingbotham said. “I mean, I’ve had other injuries, there’s been broken noses before when someone got hit with a hit ball or a thrown ball. But that one was basically in the neighborhood of one or two others.”
Traylor stood dazed for a moment before collapsing to the ground, and paramedics were immediately called to the field. Sylvan Hills coach Billy Sims was stationed at the third-base line and came immediately to Traylor’s aid, and tournament officials brought out ice for the severe swelling under Traylor’s left eye.
Children’s Hospital doctors were concerned about Traylor’s eye movement and possible fractures to his cheekbone, but Hickingbotham said Traylor began moving his eye before his release. Hickingbotham said he believed more tests for fractures will be run after some of the swelling subsides.
“I was concerned that something was possibly wrong with his neck the way it popped back,” Hickingbotham said. “It kind of knocked him groggy, but I guess some of the X-rays and other things they did revealed that it wasn’t quite as bad as we originally thought.”
It was Gwatney’s second loss of the round-robin tournament, which ended the Chevy Boys’ season short of a state-tournament berth. Sylvan Hills advanced to play Cabot Centennial Bank on Wednesday, and the Bruins fell to Cabot for a second time in the tourney to end their year.
The Bruins were in command before Traylor’s accident with a 7-1 lead heading into the fifth inning.
They took a 5-0 lead in the top of the second when Gwatney starter Alex Tucker gave up a leadoff walk to Conner Eller and three straight singles.
Blake Hill drove in the first run with a single to right, followed by a sacrifice fly to center by J.D. Miller.
Atchinson followed with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Sammy Pittman, and Lance Hunter walked to load the bases again for the Bruins.
Tucker hit cleanup man Forrest Harrison to score Dalton Freeling and make it 5-0.
Harrison drove in the next run for Sylvan Hills in the top of the fourth when he doubled to left to score Freeling. Harrison later scored on a passed ball.
Jacksonville’s only run came in the bottom of the third when No. 9 hitter Brandon Whitmore walked and scored on an RBI single to left by Traylor.
Aaron Sarna was 2 for 2 with a double for Sylvan Hills while Harrison had a double and two RBI.
EDITORIAL >> AG breaks state law
He is a mean grinch who will question a good deed, but sometimes someone must do the thankless. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel the other day donated $100,000 to a private fund to build a memorial to fallen firefighters on the grounds of the state Capitol and he shouldn’t have.
General McDaniel eloquently explained why he was doing it. The Capitol ought to be the host for a “permanent reminder of our fallen firefighters’ heroic efforts,” he said. We like the idea of a firefighters’ memorial, too, although it ought to be privately funded like some of the other memorials. The monument is to cost $1.1 million and McDaniel’s generosity puts the fund within $64,000 of the goal.
But the $100,000 did not come from McDaniel’s personal checkbook. While the cash did not come directly from taxpayers it was state money, and it should have been spent like your sales-tax dollars —according to the most urgent needs of the state.
The money was part of Arkansas’ share of the proceeds from the settlement of a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. brought by 33 states, including Arkansas, over the company’s marketing of the drugs Bextra and Celebrex. The settlement followed a five-year investigation going back early in the decade. The state has participated in a number of such multistate lawsuits the past 40 years and reaped many millions of dollars in judgments and settlements from wayward corporations, the tobacco companies being the most famous ones.
McDaniel did not claim that it was his personal gift, although he would later suggest that it came about because of his good lawyering. He might have mentioned the lawyering of his predecessor and the attorneys general of 32 other states and the District of Columbia. But he got lots of political credit for the gesture. Will firefighters, their families and admirers forget his gesture at the next election?
But a little politicking with state money is not our big concern. The governor, mayors, federal and state lawmakers do it all the time. After all, it is for a cause, which, though private, many people will support.
Our problem is that it is unconstitutional and, even if it were constitutional, poor public policy. The Constitution says not once but twice that the state cannot pay any money out of the state treasury without an appropriation. An appropriation is an act passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor that determines what the state can spend money on and how much.
Yes, yes, we know that the Arkansas Supreme Court made a screwball decision in 1949 that said if state money somehow did not actually find its way into the treasury in the first place it could be spent without an appropriation and pretty much however the person or agency that got their hands on the money wanted to spend it. It’s called the “cash funds case” and state colleges and universities and some other institutions have loved it. The chief justice, Griffin Smith, was appalled at his colleagues’ decision and predicted great mischief as a result. He was right.
As you could have anticipated, the ruling was an invitation to create cash funds and avoid the controls on their spending. Now cash funds total some $6.5 billion a year, although the legislature over the years has forced agencies and institutions to submit most of it to the appropriation process. That is good because the legislature, for better or worse, is the body all of us depend upon to weigh the vast needs of the state and to distribute the state’s assets according to those needs.
McDaniel’s little subsidy to the firefighters makes a perfect example of the need to bring the cash funds under control. Not because more statuary on the Capitol’s grounds is a bad idea, although some argue that there is too much already, but because the state has vast unmet needs and the firefighters’ statue ought to be measured against the rest.
The attorneys generals of the states have been racking up some big settlements, and we can’t say that McDaniel has been spending Arkansas’ share of them foolishly. Millions have gone to Medicaid, which has helped shore up the Medicaid fund during the fiscal crisis. But the Constitution did not anticipate that the attorney general would determine how a big share of the state’s money is spent. He’s the state’s lawyer, nothing more. We invest the legislature with the power to determine state needs. We don’t always like its priorities, but that is the system the founders came up with. We should live with it.
General McDaniel eloquently explained why he was doing it. The Capitol ought to be the host for a “permanent reminder of our fallen firefighters’ heroic efforts,” he said. We like the idea of a firefighters’ memorial, too, although it ought to be privately funded like some of the other memorials. The monument is to cost $1.1 million and McDaniel’s generosity puts the fund within $64,000 of the goal.
But the $100,000 did not come from McDaniel’s personal checkbook. While the cash did not come directly from taxpayers it was state money, and it should have been spent like your sales-tax dollars —according to the most urgent needs of the state.
The money was part of Arkansas’ share of the proceeds from the settlement of a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. brought by 33 states, including Arkansas, over the company’s marketing of the drugs Bextra and Celebrex. The settlement followed a five-year investigation going back early in the decade. The state has participated in a number of such multistate lawsuits the past 40 years and reaped many millions of dollars in judgments and settlements from wayward corporations, the tobacco companies being the most famous ones.
McDaniel did not claim that it was his personal gift, although he would later suggest that it came about because of his good lawyering. He might have mentioned the lawyering of his predecessor and the attorneys general of 32 other states and the District of Columbia. But he got lots of political credit for the gesture. Will firefighters, their families and admirers forget his gesture at the next election?
But a little politicking with state money is not our big concern. The governor, mayors, federal and state lawmakers do it all the time. After all, it is for a cause, which, though private, many people will support.
Our problem is that it is unconstitutional and, even if it were constitutional, poor public policy. The Constitution says not once but twice that the state cannot pay any money out of the state treasury without an appropriation. An appropriation is an act passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor that determines what the state can spend money on and how much.
Yes, yes, we know that the Arkansas Supreme Court made a screwball decision in 1949 that said if state money somehow did not actually find its way into the treasury in the first place it could be spent without an appropriation and pretty much however the person or agency that got their hands on the money wanted to spend it. It’s called the “cash funds case” and state colleges and universities and some other institutions have loved it. The chief justice, Griffin Smith, was appalled at his colleagues’ decision and predicted great mischief as a result. He was right.
As you could have anticipated, the ruling was an invitation to create cash funds and avoid the controls on their spending. Now cash funds total some $6.5 billion a year, although the legislature over the years has forced agencies and institutions to submit most of it to the appropriation process. That is good because the legislature, for better or worse, is the body all of us depend upon to weigh the vast needs of the state and to distribute the state’s assets according to those needs.
McDaniel’s little subsidy to the firefighters makes a perfect example of the need to bring the cash funds under control. Not because more statuary on the Capitol’s grounds is a bad idea, although some argue that there is too much already, but because the state has vast unmet needs and the firefighters’ statue ought to be measured against the rest.
The attorneys generals of the states have been racking up some big settlements, and we can’t say that McDaniel has been spending Arkansas’ share of them foolishly. Millions have gone to Medicaid, which has helped shore up the Medicaid fund during the fiscal crisis. But the Constitution did not anticipate that the attorney general would determine how a big share of the state’s money is spent. He’s the state’s lawyer, nothing more. We invest the legislature with the power to determine state needs. We don’t always like its priorities, but that is the system the founders came up with. We should live with it.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
TOP STORY>>Jacksonville plans two major street projects
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville will spend slightly more than $1 million to revamp two major intersections.
Aldermen last week agreed to a trimmed-down redesign of the James-Main-Dupree downtown intersection and a roundabout to solve backup and speeding problems at Main Street and Harris Road.
At the regular council meeting, City Engineer Jay Whisker presented a $512,000 plan for the downtown intersection.
The new plan includes trees, greenery, new fluted street lights, brick-lined crosswalks, a pedestrian light, sidewalks, a rebuilt retaining wall and the removal of old wooden telephone poles.
“Some people may question why we are pouring money into this intersection,” Mayor Gary Fletcher said.
“It’s because a vibrant downtown is a key to bringing in new development. “We don’t want our downtown saying we’ve seen our better days,” the mayor said. “Just look at what North Little Rock has done with its Argenta area.”
The project originally went out for bid in March. “But the numbers came in too high and we had to reduce what we wanted,” explained Whisker.
Township Building of Little Rock was awarded the contract and should start work later this summer.
Whisker said residents should expect some delays and detours while the work is being done.
The city will use a $35,000 beautification grant it received to help buy and install additional streetlights for the project.
Whisker presented three ideas to solve the traffic problems at Harris and Main, especially when North Pulaski High School and Tolleson Elementary are in session. The costs ranged from $130,000 to $590,000.
The city has a bottleneck problem at this intersection especially when school is in session. “We have to safely keep traffic moving,” Whisker said.
The cheapest fix was just to put up a signal, but no turn lanes for school traffic. “Without the turn lanes, the signal is just a Band-Aid solution,” Whisker said.
Adding the turn lanes would take property away from at least four homeowners and raise the cost from $130,000 to $585,000.
Whisker recommended a roundabout, at a cost of between $570,000 and $590,000, depending on the size of the roundabout.
“It keeps the traffic flowing, minimizes the delays and is the greenest approach,” Whisker said. The council agreed.
Whisker said once work starts it will take about 180 days to complete the project.
In other council business:
Taria Dodge, with Waste Management, presented the city with $25,000 for scholarships. The company has been supporting scholarships through the city’s education foundation for more than 10 years and has contributed over $400,000.
Alderman Bob Stroud said, “This money goes to help students who would not normally qualify for a scholarship get a taste of college and hopefully continue with their education.” This year’s donation will help about three dozen young people.
The council approved a resolution supporting the city’s efforts to obtain 50/50 matching grants from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism’s outdoor grant program.
If the city receives a grant, it will be required to match the fund. The city’s parks and recreation department wants to use the grant to improve the entrance to Dupree Park now that the city has torn down the boarded up Manor House Apartments next to the park’s entrance.
In his monthly report to the council, Police Chief Gary Sipes said his department responded to 4,395 compliant calls in May, compared to 2,979 a year ago.
The police made 323 adult arrests and 44 juvenile arrests during the month.
Going through the chart of violent crimes, the city had no murders in May (and none for the year to date), five rapes or sexual assault cases, eight robberies, 10 felony assaults, 19 burglaries, 78 thefts, 12 vehicle thefts and no arson cases.
Fire Chief John Vanderhoof, in his monthly report, said his department responded to 116 rescue calls, 54 still alarms, 22 general alarms and had 236 ambulance runs during May.
Estimated fire loss was put at $500 for the month, while fire savings was estimated at $65,500.
In his monthly report to the council, Public Works Director Jim Oakley said the animal shelter received 126 dogs and 82 cats in May. The shelter returned 32 dogs and two cats to their owners, adopted out 43 dogs and 49 cats and euthanized 28 dogs and 72 cats.
There were three dog and two cat bites reported during May.
The dog attacks (all minor) included a Lab mix, a heeler and a Chihuahua. Both cats were stray kittens that individuals tried to catch.
The council approved the final plat for Base Meadows, Phase III which will allow the construction of 14 additional single-family homes in the subdivision off Hwy. 107 near the back gate of the air base.
Aldermen also approved rezoning property at the corner of Stanphill Road and Lemac Drive from mobile-home status to R-1A for single-family homes on small lots.
Finance director Paul Mushrush asked the council permission to close the library-construction account.
“All the bills have been paid for the new library and the account has a zero balance,” he explained. The council approved his request.
The council reappointed Fred Belote to the city’s sewer commission. His new term will expire in 2015.
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville will spend slightly more than $1 million to revamp two major intersections.
Aldermen last week agreed to a trimmed-down redesign of the James-Main-Dupree downtown intersection and a roundabout to solve backup and speeding problems at Main Street and Harris Road.
At the regular council meeting, City Engineer Jay Whisker presented a $512,000 plan for the downtown intersection.
The new plan includes trees, greenery, new fluted street lights, brick-lined crosswalks, a pedestrian light, sidewalks, a rebuilt retaining wall and the removal of old wooden telephone poles.
“Some people may question why we are pouring money into this intersection,” Mayor Gary Fletcher said.
“It’s because a vibrant downtown is a key to bringing in new development. “We don’t want our downtown saying we’ve seen our better days,” the mayor said. “Just look at what North Little Rock has done with its Argenta area.”
The project originally went out for bid in March. “But the numbers came in too high and we had to reduce what we wanted,” explained Whisker.
Township Building of Little Rock was awarded the contract and should start work later this summer.
Whisker said residents should expect some delays and detours while the work is being done.
The city will use a $35,000 beautification grant it received to help buy and install additional streetlights for the project.
Whisker presented three ideas to solve the traffic problems at Harris and Main, especially when North Pulaski High School and Tolleson Elementary are in session. The costs ranged from $130,000 to $590,000.
The city has a bottleneck problem at this intersection especially when school is in session. “We have to safely keep traffic moving,” Whisker said.
The cheapest fix was just to put up a signal, but no turn lanes for school traffic. “Without the turn lanes, the signal is just a Band-Aid solution,” Whisker said.
Adding the turn lanes would take property away from at least four homeowners and raise the cost from $130,000 to $585,000.
Whisker recommended a roundabout, at a cost of between $570,000 and $590,000, depending on the size of the roundabout.
“It keeps the traffic flowing, minimizes the delays and is the greenest approach,” Whisker said. The council agreed.
Whisker said once work starts it will take about 180 days to complete the project.
In other council business:
Taria Dodge, with Waste Management, presented the city with $25,000 for scholarships. The company has been supporting scholarships through the city’s education foundation for more than 10 years and has contributed over $400,000.
Alderman Bob Stroud said, “This money goes to help students who would not normally qualify for a scholarship get a taste of college and hopefully continue with their education.” This year’s donation will help about three dozen young people.
The council approved a resolution supporting the city’s efforts to obtain 50/50 matching grants from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism’s outdoor grant program.
If the city receives a grant, it will be required to match the fund. The city’s parks and recreation department wants to use the grant to improve the entrance to Dupree Park now that the city has torn down the boarded up Manor House Apartments next to the park’s entrance.
In his monthly report to the council, Police Chief Gary Sipes said his department responded to 4,395 compliant calls in May, compared to 2,979 a year ago.
The police made 323 adult arrests and 44 juvenile arrests during the month.
Going through the chart of violent crimes, the city had no murders in May (and none for the year to date), five rapes or sexual assault cases, eight robberies, 10 felony assaults, 19 burglaries, 78 thefts, 12 vehicle thefts and no arson cases.
Fire Chief John Vanderhoof, in his monthly report, said his department responded to 116 rescue calls, 54 still alarms, 22 general alarms and had 236 ambulance runs during May.
Estimated fire loss was put at $500 for the month, while fire savings was estimated at $65,500.
In his monthly report to the council, Public Works Director Jim Oakley said the animal shelter received 126 dogs and 82 cats in May. The shelter returned 32 dogs and two cats to their owners, adopted out 43 dogs and 49 cats and euthanized 28 dogs and 72 cats.
There were three dog and two cat bites reported during May.
The dog attacks (all minor) included a Lab mix, a heeler and a Chihuahua. Both cats were stray kittens that individuals tried to catch.
The council approved the final plat for Base Meadows, Phase III which will allow the construction of 14 additional single-family homes in the subdivision off Hwy. 107 near the back gate of the air base.
Aldermen also approved rezoning property at the corner of Stanphill Road and Lemac Drive from mobile-home status to R-1A for single-family homes on small lots.
Finance director Paul Mushrush asked the council permission to close the library-construction account.
“All the bills have been paid for the new library and the account has a zero balance,” he explained. The council approved his request.
The council reappointed Fred Belote to the city’s sewer commission. His new term will expire in 2015.
TOP STORY>>Coping with blindness in midlife
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
The Jacksonville Lions Club recently hosted special guest Roger Echols, a retired Army Ranger who became blind three years ago after battling ulcers.
Echols and his wife Tracey, who also attended the meeting at the Bar-B-Que Shack, moved to Jacksonville in May from Long Beach, Calif. They moved into their own home in Sunnyside last week. “I wanted to be around family,” he said, referring to his sister, Zsa Nean Jones-Lee, of Jacksonville.
They moved when their rent increased along with crime in southern California. Tracey spends much of her time helping her husband.
“Once you go blind, the biggest hurt is losing your independence. You have to depend on someone for help,” he said. “You
can’t cook. It’s like going back to kindergarten and learning all over again.
“You’ve got to learn how to read to know what you are doing, or trust someone for everything until you’re trained to operate on your own. (I) can’t go anywhere without assistance,” he said.
“It’s hard being in a new place, where you don’t know where things are,” Echols said, noting that he has knots on his shins from falling.
His blindness came from complications related to bleeding stomach ulcers. He said he had ulcers for four months without knowing.
Echols said one day he fell, got up and took a couple of more steps and then woke up in a hospital two months later. He spent the next year and half in the hospital. He suffered partial brain damage from blood loss and a lack of oxygen.
Along with the ulcers doctors found he had a cyst the size of a softball in his back.
He spent two months at a convalescent home.
During that time he worked as a freelance computer technician installing a computer system at a house in Los Angeles. On the third day of programming the system, he said everything went black for 10 minutes. Every day the darkness grew, and four months later, his vision was completely gone. His optic nerves had died.
“On good days I can see light and dark. Most of the time I see black,” Echols said.
He wears dark sunglasses because ultraviolet light hurts his eyes. He said that sunlight makes him feel as if he had been hit with a bat.
Now he touches everything in a room to make a topographical map in his head.
“If someone moves something, it feels like I’m lost again. It throws you way off. You are following the map in your head,” he said.
“I’m his eyes,” Tracey said. “I’m very protective.” She’s also still getting adjusted to his blindness. “He holds on to me for balance. I have to let him know about stairs and where they are.”
Her husband said, “She has to tell me to step up, step down, when to duck and how far to go.”
The VA paid for a folding walking stick for him, a clock for his home and a digital book reader. He wears an atomic wristwatch that reads him the time.
Echols is learning to read Braille.
He encourages veterans who have sight problems to contact the VA or the Braille Institute. “Please seek them, they have so many services for the visually impaired,” he said.
He discussed the frustrations of being visually impaired, but he’s faced tough challenges before as an Army ranger.
“In a crowded room I hear everything coming at me at once,” he said. “You have to learn how to pick out what to listen to out of the jumble.
“Touching is a trip,” he said, “Anything that touches your face is spooky.”
He said, “I didn’t want to be a bum and pick up cans. I didn’t want to be a burden on nobody. I felt worthless. I felt like Captain Dunsel.”
“I want to earn a living instead of have it handed to me,” possibly teaching those who are recently blinded, he said.
Echols plans to write a book about serving in the military.
“Before I went blind I started it. Page one to the end is in my head,” he said.
He was in the Army for 22 years and served three years in the Reserves. He retired from the Army in 1999 as a master sergeant. He was in the 101st Airborne Air Assault Division.
He said he started out as a missile technician, but joined the infantry. When he re-enlisted three years later he moved to the Rangers.
He explained that Rangers rescue other teams if negotiations have been unsuccessful.
He said he had 1,700 parachute jumps as a Ranger and 16 HALO (high-altitude low-opening) jumps. The HALO jumps required oxygen when jumping from the plane.
“You can see the curve of the Earth and the stars. I miss it all so much,” he said.
Echols was involved in 19 peacekeeping missions in South America during the 1980s.
He fought child soldiers in the Colombian jungles before Desert Storm. He spoke about having to kill a child who had a C-4 and an AK-47 on a suicide mission.
“Either I drop him, or he would drop our team,” Echols said.
“I still see that little boy’s face. It was about survival,” he said.
“These people are willing to kill you. It will change you. War definitely changes you,” he said.
Echols has flashbacks from fighting.
He served in Iraq and in Kuwait during Desert Storm.
“It was fun and dangerous, because of a lot of friendly-fire accidents,” he said.
He said the Army had a lot of new equipment but not enough old soldiers to train the younger ones as much of the older military staff had retired.
He continued, “As rangers we can crawl in the sands for days. When you get to your objective, kill everything in sight, except the package.
“I would always call my mom before each mission and she said, ‘I don’t care what it takes or what you have to do, come home.
Don’t die over there,” Echols said.
He said over his career, he rescued a couple hundred people. During the Gulf War, he said he rescued about 30 people, including officers.
After getting out of the service, he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering.
He worked at Forsythe Inter-national for a year and half before working for himself as a computer technician and repairman.
He has seven children from a previous relationship. He is going to be a grandfather next month. Tracey has four children.
Leader staff writer
The Jacksonville Lions Club recently hosted special guest Roger Echols, a retired Army Ranger who became blind three years ago after battling ulcers.
Echols and his wife Tracey, who also attended the meeting at the Bar-B-Que Shack, moved to Jacksonville in May from Long Beach, Calif. They moved into their own home in Sunnyside last week. “I wanted to be around family,” he said, referring to his sister, Zsa Nean Jones-Lee, of Jacksonville.
They moved when their rent increased along with crime in southern California. Tracey spends much of her time helping her husband.
“Once you go blind, the biggest hurt is losing your independence. You have to depend on someone for help,” he said. “You
can’t cook. It’s like going back to kindergarten and learning all over again.
“You’ve got to learn how to read to know what you are doing, or trust someone for everything until you’re trained to operate on your own. (I) can’t go anywhere without assistance,” he said.
“It’s hard being in a new place, where you don’t know where things are,” Echols said, noting that he has knots on his shins from falling.
His blindness came from complications related to bleeding stomach ulcers. He said he had ulcers for four months without knowing.
Echols said one day he fell, got up and took a couple of more steps and then woke up in a hospital two months later. He spent the next year and half in the hospital. He suffered partial brain damage from blood loss and a lack of oxygen.
Along with the ulcers doctors found he had a cyst the size of a softball in his back.
He spent two months at a convalescent home.
During that time he worked as a freelance computer technician installing a computer system at a house in Los Angeles. On the third day of programming the system, he said everything went black for 10 minutes. Every day the darkness grew, and four months later, his vision was completely gone. His optic nerves had died.
“On good days I can see light and dark. Most of the time I see black,” Echols said.
He wears dark sunglasses because ultraviolet light hurts his eyes. He said that sunlight makes him feel as if he had been hit with a bat.
Now he touches everything in a room to make a topographical map in his head.
“If someone moves something, it feels like I’m lost again. It throws you way off. You are following the map in your head,” he said.
“I’m his eyes,” Tracey said. “I’m very protective.” She’s also still getting adjusted to his blindness. “He holds on to me for balance. I have to let him know about stairs and where they are.”
Her husband said, “She has to tell me to step up, step down, when to duck and how far to go.”
The VA paid for a folding walking stick for him, a clock for his home and a digital book reader. He wears an atomic wristwatch that reads him the time.
Echols is learning to read Braille.
He encourages veterans who have sight problems to contact the VA or the Braille Institute. “Please seek them, they have so many services for the visually impaired,” he said.
He discussed the frustrations of being visually impaired, but he’s faced tough challenges before as an Army ranger.
“In a crowded room I hear everything coming at me at once,” he said. “You have to learn how to pick out what to listen to out of the jumble.
“Touching is a trip,” he said, “Anything that touches your face is spooky.”
He said, “I didn’t want to be a bum and pick up cans. I didn’t want to be a burden on nobody. I felt worthless. I felt like Captain Dunsel.”
“I want to earn a living instead of have it handed to me,” possibly teaching those who are recently blinded, he said.
Echols plans to write a book about serving in the military.
“Before I went blind I started it. Page one to the end is in my head,” he said.
He was in the Army for 22 years and served three years in the Reserves. He retired from the Army in 1999 as a master sergeant. He was in the 101st Airborne Air Assault Division.
He said he started out as a missile technician, but joined the infantry. When he re-enlisted three years later he moved to the Rangers.
He explained that Rangers rescue other teams if negotiations have been unsuccessful.
He said he had 1,700 parachute jumps as a Ranger and 16 HALO (high-altitude low-opening) jumps. The HALO jumps required oxygen when jumping from the plane.
“You can see the curve of the Earth and the stars. I miss it all so much,” he said.
Echols was involved in 19 peacekeeping missions in South America during the 1980s.
He fought child soldiers in the Colombian jungles before Desert Storm. He spoke about having to kill a child who had a C-4 and an AK-47 on a suicide mission.
“Either I drop him, or he would drop our team,” Echols said.
“I still see that little boy’s face. It was about survival,” he said.
“These people are willing to kill you. It will change you. War definitely changes you,” he said.
Echols has flashbacks from fighting.
He served in Iraq and in Kuwait during Desert Storm.
“It was fun and dangerous, because of a lot of friendly-fire accidents,” he said.
He said the Army had a lot of new equipment but not enough old soldiers to train the younger ones as much of the older military staff had retired.
He continued, “As rangers we can crawl in the sands for days. When you get to your objective, kill everything in sight, except the package.
“I would always call my mom before each mission and she said, ‘I don’t care what it takes or what you have to do, come home.
Don’t die over there,” Echols said.
He said over his career, he rescued a couple hundred people. During the Gulf War, he said he rescued about 30 people, including officers.
After getting out of the service, he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering.
He worked at Forsythe Inter-national for a year and half before working for himself as a computer technician and repairman.
He has seven children from a previous relationship. He is going to be a grandfather next month. Tracey has four children.
TOP STORY>>Districts given test results at year-end
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Several area schools were perfect or near perfect on end-of-year testing in math, but they all scored below average in biology.
Only 21 Lonoke Middle School students took the federally mandated algebra end-of-course exam this spring, but all 21 scored advanced.
They join all 109 Cabot Junior High School North students, who scored proficient or advanced on the geometry end-of-course exam, and 99 percent of Cabot Junior High South’s 72 students taking the test also did the same. In Cabot, 88 percent of the students taking the algebra end-of-course exam scored proficient or advanced.
Students completing algebra I, geometry or biology had to take state and federally required end-of-course exams.
By scoring advanced on the algebra exam, the Lonoke students won’t have to worry about any remediation or retakes as this is the first year that students take some of the responsibility for their test scores.
Overall, 76 percent of students across the state taking the algebra exam scored proficient or advanced, 69 percent did so on the geometry exam and just 40 percent scored proficient or advanced on the biology exam.
Beebe, Cabot, Lonoke and Searcy all surpassed the state average on the algebra exam. England and Lisa Academy-North tied with the state.
Pulaski County Special School District was five points below the state average, and Jacksonville High School, with just 49 percent of the students scoring proficient or better, had the second worst passing rate in the district.
The high school had the worst passing rate in PCSSD on the geometry end-of-course exam at 37 percent proficient or advanced. Only 9 percent scored proficient (and none advanced) on the biology end-of-course exam.
Student scores on the algebra and geometry exam are used to determine if a school is in need of improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
The algebra end-of-course exam is now called a high-stakes exam, meaning that ninth-graders and younger who took the exam this past school year had passed the test. Those who failed their first try will have two opportunities to undergo remediation and then retake the exam. If they still fail after three attempts, an alternative for remediation will be made available and they will take an alternative computer-based exam, explained Julie Thompson, with the state Education Department.
Statewide, more than 90 percent of the seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders taking the algebra end-of-course exam passed.
The cutoff for passing the test is slightly lower than the cut-off considered proficient.
ALGEBRA
In Beebe, 144 junior high school students took the exam and 87 percent scored proficient or advanced. At the high school level, 105 students took the test and 43 percent made the cut, giving the district an average of 79 percent proficient or advanced.
In Cabot, 372 students from Cabot Junior High North took the exam and 89 percent scored proficient or advanced. At Cabot Junior High South, 334 students took the exam and 86 percent made the cut, while 19 students took the end-of-course exam at the Academic Center of Excellence and 89 percent scored proficient and advanced.
Overall, 732 Cabot students took the exam and 88 percent made the cut.
At Lisa’s Academy-North in Sherwood, 34 students took the exam and 76 percent scored proficient or advanced.
In Lonoke, 21 middle school students took the exam and all scored advanced. At the high school, 108 students took the algebra test and 79 percent made the cut, giving the district an average of 82 percent scoring proficient or advanced.
In Pulaski County, 1,079 students took the exam and 71 percent scored proficient or advanced.
At Jacksonville Middle School, 53 students took the test and 75 percent made the cut; 98 percent of the 59 students at Sylvan Hills Middle School scored proficient or better, while 89 percent of the 72 Northwood students did the same.
Sylvan Hills High School had 126 students take the algebra exam and 71 percent scored proficient or advanced, 71 percent of 139 North Pulaski High students also made the cut, while just 49 percent of Jacksonville High School’s 173 students scored proficient or advanced.
GEOMETRY
In the Beebe School District, 237 students took the end-of-course exam in the spring and 76 percent scored proficient or advanced. The state average was 69 percent.
Of the 107 students taking the exam at Cabot Junior High North, all of them—100 percent—scored proficient or advanced. At Cabot Junior High South, 72 students took the exam and 99 percent made the grade.
At Cabot High School, 425 students took the exam with 79 percent scoring proficient or advanced, bringing the district average to 84 percent making the cut.
At Lisa Academy-North, 23 students took the exam and all of them—100 percent—scored proficient or advanced.
Lonoke School District had 98 students take the geometry end-of-course exam and 70 percent scored proficient or advanced.
In the PCSSD, 870 students took the exam and 59 percent scored proficient or advanced.
At Sylvan Hills High School, 143 students took the exam and 65 percent made the cut, 62 percent of the 171 students at North Pulaski High scored proficient or advanced, while just 37 percent of Jacksonville High School’s 181 students taking the test made the cut.
BIOLOGY
All schools and districts did worse in biology than in the math exams. The state average for scoring proficient or advanced on the spring biology exam was just 36 percent.
In Beebe, 218 students took the exam and 45 percent scored proficient or advanced.
Lisa Academy-North had 22 students take the test and 46 percent made the cut.
In Lonoke, 109 students took the test and just 27 percent scored proficient or advanced.
PCSSD had 1,000 students take the biology end-of-course exam and just 21 percent scored proficient or advanced.
North Pulaski High had 180 students taking the test with 28 percent making the grade. Sylvan Hills had 22 percent of its 196 students score proficient or advanced. Jacksonville High School had 238 students take the test, but just 9 percent scored proficient (none scored advanced).
Leader staff writer
Several area schools were perfect or near perfect on end-of-year testing in math, but they all scored below average in biology.
Only 21 Lonoke Middle School students took the federally mandated algebra end-of-course exam this spring, but all 21 scored advanced.
They join all 109 Cabot Junior High School North students, who scored proficient or advanced on the geometry end-of-course exam, and 99 percent of Cabot Junior High South’s 72 students taking the test also did the same. In Cabot, 88 percent of the students taking the algebra end-of-course exam scored proficient or advanced.
Students completing algebra I, geometry or biology had to take state and federally required end-of-course exams.
By scoring advanced on the algebra exam, the Lonoke students won’t have to worry about any remediation or retakes as this is the first year that students take some of the responsibility for their test scores.
Overall, 76 percent of students across the state taking the algebra exam scored proficient or advanced, 69 percent did so on the geometry exam and just 40 percent scored proficient or advanced on the biology exam.
Beebe, Cabot, Lonoke and Searcy all surpassed the state average on the algebra exam. England and Lisa Academy-North tied with the state.
Pulaski County Special School District was five points below the state average, and Jacksonville High School, with just 49 percent of the students scoring proficient or better, had the second worst passing rate in the district.
The high school had the worst passing rate in PCSSD on the geometry end-of-course exam at 37 percent proficient or advanced. Only 9 percent scored proficient (and none advanced) on the biology end-of-course exam.
Student scores on the algebra and geometry exam are used to determine if a school is in need of improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
The algebra end-of-course exam is now called a high-stakes exam, meaning that ninth-graders and younger who took the exam this past school year had passed the test. Those who failed their first try will have two opportunities to undergo remediation and then retake the exam. If they still fail after three attempts, an alternative for remediation will be made available and they will take an alternative computer-based exam, explained Julie Thompson, with the state Education Department.
Statewide, more than 90 percent of the seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders taking the algebra end-of-course exam passed.
The cutoff for passing the test is slightly lower than the cut-off considered proficient.
ALGEBRA
In Beebe, 144 junior high school students took the exam and 87 percent scored proficient or advanced. At the high school level, 105 students took the test and 43 percent made the cut, giving the district an average of 79 percent proficient or advanced.
In Cabot, 372 students from Cabot Junior High North took the exam and 89 percent scored proficient or advanced. At Cabot Junior High South, 334 students took the exam and 86 percent made the cut, while 19 students took the end-of-course exam at the Academic Center of Excellence and 89 percent scored proficient and advanced.
Overall, 732 Cabot students took the exam and 88 percent made the cut.
At Lisa’s Academy-North in Sherwood, 34 students took the exam and 76 percent scored proficient or advanced.
In Lonoke, 21 middle school students took the exam and all scored advanced. At the high school, 108 students took the algebra test and 79 percent made the cut, giving the district an average of 82 percent scoring proficient or advanced.
In Pulaski County, 1,079 students took the exam and 71 percent scored proficient or advanced.
At Jacksonville Middle School, 53 students took the test and 75 percent made the cut; 98 percent of the 59 students at Sylvan Hills Middle School scored proficient or better, while 89 percent of the 72 Northwood students did the same.
Sylvan Hills High School had 126 students take the algebra exam and 71 percent scored proficient or advanced, 71 percent of 139 North Pulaski High students also made the cut, while just 49 percent of Jacksonville High School’s 173 students scored proficient or advanced.
GEOMETRY
In the Beebe School District, 237 students took the end-of-course exam in the spring and 76 percent scored proficient or advanced. The state average was 69 percent.
Of the 107 students taking the exam at Cabot Junior High North, all of them—100 percent—scored proficient or advanced. At Cabot Junior High South, 72 students took the exam and 99 percent made the grade.
At Cabot High School, 425 students took the exam with 79 percent scoring proficient or advanced, bringing the district average to 84 percent making the cut.
At Lisa Academy-North, 23 students took the exam and all of them—100 percent—scored proficient or advanced.
Lonoke School District had 98 students take the geometry end-of-course exam and 70 percent scored proficient or advanced.
In the PCSSD, 870 students took the exam and 59 percent scored proficient or advanced.
At Sylvan Hills High School, 143 students took the exam and 65 percent made the cut, 62 percent of the 171 students at North Pulaski High scored proficient or advanced, while just 37 percent of Jacksonville High School’s 181 students taking the test made the cut.
BIOLOGY
All schools and districts did worse in biology than in the math exams. The state average for scoring proficient or advanced on the spring biology exam was just 36 percent.
In Beebe, 218 students took the exam and 45 percent scored proficient or advanced.
Lisa Academy-North had 22 students take the test and 46 percent made the cut.
In Lonoke, 109 students took the test and just 27 percent scored proficient or advanced.
PCSSD had 1,000 students take the biology end-of-course exam and just 21 percent scored proficient or advanced.
North Pulaski High had 180 students taking the test with 28 percent making the grade. Sylvan Hills had 22 percent of its 196 students score proficient or advanced. Jacksonville High School had 238 students take the test, but just 9 percent scored proficient (none scored advanced).
SPORTS>>Points standings making classes close at Beebe
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
With less than three months to go on the Beebe Speedway racing schedule, some interesting battles in the season points standings are taking shape.
Many drivers do not run for season championships and opt to simply take their programs week-to-week, but the drivers who do compete for track titles are also contenders for weekly race victories in most cases.
Consistency is as important as winning when it comes to points, and Danny Garringer’s sizeable lead in the factory-stock points is proof.
Garringer has not won a race all year, but his string of finishes in the top five has him in the factory-standings lead with 1,000 points, 84 ahead of Beebe’s Jacob Kurtz, who has three victories.
In fact, Beebe drivers have dominated the class.
Larry Wise has won a division-leading four races, while Kurtz and fellow Beebe racer Ricky Wilhite each have three. Wise sits third in the standings with 795 points while Wilhite, who missed a month of competition, is fourth with 716 points.
Blake Jones was leading the E-mod points before the weekend, but sat out last week to compete in the modified event in Randy Weaver’s backup F1 car.
Jones entered the weekend with 1,030 points, while Cabot’s Todd Joslin had 999 and Augusta driver Robert Woodard had 994.
Woodard, the defending E-mod champion at Beebe, led for the first part of the season after he won four of the first five races.
But since May 7, Woodard has not been able to return to victory lane and has failed to finish three times.
That has allowed Jones and Joslin to move past Woodard, but Joslin was a no-show last weekend, and with Jones competing in another class, Woodard was in a position to retake the points lead.
Woodard had just five points to make up on Joslin, which he did simply by starting the race. But he struggled to an 11th-place finish to make his points battle with Jones very close.
Woodard and Jones are also tied for most race victories in the economy class with four each. Lane Cullum is the only other multiple-race winner with two victories in the economies.
Joslin, Kevin Conway and Tommy Burkhead are the other winners in the class.
Little Rock’s Paul Shackleford holds a commanding 1,168 points in the mini-stock season standings after winning the last two feature events. Cabot’s Doyle Blankenship is second with 1,090 points, but Shackleford’s toughest competition of late has been Mike Millwood, also of Cabot.
Millwood reeled off three straight victories beginning in June, which moved him up to third in points with 1,050.
The street-stock division has competed five times at Beebe this season, with Hensley driver Willy Gillam winning three of those races to take the points lead with 597. Scotty Misenheimer is close behind with 588 points and one race victory, while late model and modified veteran Chuck McGinty of Conway won the first street race of the year.
More proof consistency is as effective as winning can be found in the hobby-stock class, where Searcy driver Gage Raines holds a lead of more than 150 points over Benton’s Jeff Porterfield. Raines has a feature victory under his belt, but Porterfield has dominated the class with seven victories in 13 nights of racing.
In fact, Porterfield is the only driver with more than one victory this season. Derek Goshein, Danny Campbell, Greg Carlin, Jeremy Kester, Brody Welcher and Raines each have one victory.
A couple of no-shows and a couple of nights of bad luck have Porterfield second in the standings with 944 points to Raines’ 1,117. Cody Kierre sits third with 894 points.
Randy Weaver’s bid to win three straight modified championships and become the division’s first five-time track champion at Beebe is a go. The Little Rock driver holds a 116-point lead over Curtis Cook.
Weaver has won six features and has a string of consistent top-five finishes that has given him 1,014 points to Cook’s 898.
Romance’s Todd Greer is third in points with 875 despite missing a couple of weeks.
Weaver’s six victories put him three ahead of Cook, who has three, while Mike Bowers has two. The only other driver to win in modifieds this season is Patrick Linn of Little Rock.
Leader sportswriter
With less than three months to go on the Beebe Speedway racing schedule, some interesting battles in the season points standings are taking shape.
Many drivers do not run for season championships and opt to simply take their programs week-to-week, but the drivers who do compete for track titles are also contenders for weekly race victories in most cases.
Consistency is as important as winning when it comes to points, and Danny Garringer’s sizeable lead in the factory-stock points is proof.
Garringer has not won a race all year, but his string of finishes in the top five has him in the factory-standings lead with 1,000 points, 84 ahead of Beebe’s Jacob Kurtz, who has three victories.
In fact, Beebe drivers have dominated the class.
Larry Wise has won a division-leading four races, while Kurtz and fellow Beebe racer Ricky Wilhite each have three. Wise sits third in the standings with 795 points while Wilhite, who missed a month of competition, is fourth with 716 points.
Blake Jones was leading the E-mod points before the weekend, but sat out last week to compete in the modified event in Randy Weaver’s backup F1 car.
Jones entered the weekend with 1,030 points, while Cabot’s Todd Joslin had 999 and Augusta driver Robert Woodard had 994.
Woodard, the defending E-mod champion at Beebe, led for the first part of the season after he won four of the first five races.
But since May 7, Woodard has not been able to return to victory lane and has failed to finish three times.
That has allowed Jones and Joslin to move past Woodard, but Joslin was a no-show last weekend, and with Jones competing in another class, Woodard was in a position to retake the points lead.
Woodard had just five points to make up on Joslin, which he did simply by starting the race. But he struggled to an 11th-place finish to make his points battle with Jones very close.
Woodard and Jones are also tied for most race victories in the economy class with four each. Lane Cullum is the only other multiple-race winner with two victories in the economies.
Joslin, Kevin Conway and Tommy Burkhead are the other winners in the class.
Little Rock’s Paul Shackleford holds a commanding 1,168 points in the mini-stock season standings after winning the last two feature events. Cabot’s Doyle Blankenship is second with 1,090 points, but Shackleford’s toughest competition of late has been Mike Millwood, also of Cabot.
Millwood reeled off three straight victories beginning in June, which moved him up to third in points with 1,050.
The street-stock division has competed five times at Beebe this season, with Hensley driver Willy Gillam winning three of those races to take the points lead with 597. Scotty Misenheimer is close behind with 588 points and one race victory, while late model and modified veteran Chuck McGinty of Conway won the first street race of the year.
More proof consistency is as effective as winning can be found in the hobby-stock class, where Searcy driver Gage Raines holds a lead of more than 150 points over Benton’s Jeff Porterfield. Raines has a feature victory under his belt, but Porterfield has dominated the class with seven victories in 13 nights of racing.
In fact, Porterfield is the only driver with more than one victory this season. Derek Goshein, Danny Campbell, Greg Carlin, Jeremy Kester, Brody Welcher and Raines each have one victory.
A couple of no-shows and a couple of nights of bad luck have Porterfield second in the standings with 944 points to Raines’ 1,117. Cody Kierre sits third with 894 points.
Randy Weaver’s bid to win three straight modified championships and become the division’s first five-time track champion at Beebe is a go. The Little Rock driver holds a 116-point lead over Curtis Cook.
Weaver has won six features and has a string of consistent top-five finishes that has given him 1,014 points to Cook’s 898.
Romance’s Todd Greer is third in points with 875 despite missing a couple of weeks.
Weaver’s six victories put him three ahead of Cook, who has three, while Mike Bowers has two. The only other driver to win in modifieds this season is Patrick Linn of Little Rock.
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