By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Searcy will have a few more helping hands in its quest to return to football glory this season.
There were 70 players reporting for the first week of practice. Of those, 23 were seniors.
The total numbers are up 17 from the start of last season. Even with improved numbers, second-year coach Tim Harper wanted to see more.
“Honestly, I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t have a few more,” Harper said. “But we had several move off. Some even went as far as Pennsylvania, but we’re excited about the ones we do have.”
One player generating plenty of excitement is junior quarterback Dezmund Stegall, who started at the spot for Harper last year as a sophomore. Stegall finished seventh in the statewide Top-Gun quarterback competition last month, and was in position to win it all before a shaky final event dropped him from second to seventh.
Stegall, 6-2, 205 pounds, is a three-sport athlete who also plays basketball and baseball and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds.
“He’s got a super strong arm,” Harper said. “He’s looked good all summer. He took all of our snaps for us over the summer in 7-on-7.”
Senior linebacker Mike Brown is generating equal buzz on the defense. Brown, 6-0, 220 pounds, has earned a number of preseason accolades from various media outlets.
He is leading the way on a defensive unit that turned out two college players from last year’s team, Patrick Bingham (Harding University) and linebacker Larry Kilpatrick (Arkansas Tech).
Harper has enjoyed the improved numbers, but the work ethic of the players has impressed him most.
“Honestly, I feel like we haven’t missed a beat from where we were last season and in the spring,” Harper said. “We’ve had a lot of commitment from the players, especially the ones we are counting on the most.”
All 23 seniors had perfect attendance at summer workouts except for one who missed a single practice and was excused, and attendance was perfect for the whole team during the first four days of August.
“They are being really coachable right now,” Harper said. “I hope we have the success that usually follows this much hard work and dedication. Usually if a group gives this much effort and dedication to something, good things follow, and I hope that turns out to be the case for us.”
In the spring of 2009, Harper took over a Lions team that had suffered five straight seasons of two victories or less. In his first year, the Lions won four games and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 2003 as they equaled the total number of victories the previous four seasons under Bart McFarland.
“That was definitely one of our goals last year was to point the program in a different direction,” Harper said. “It wasn’t necessarily a coaching problem as it was a community problem. We worked on everything from the players’ work ethic to the parents’ commitment.
“All of those things had to change and not be just a one-year deal, to where success was not something we have every once in a while but rather something we expect.”
The Lions overcame a scary situation Wednesday when senior linebacker Charlie Birmingham went down with cramps following practice and had to be taken to the White County Medical Center emergency room. He was back at practice Thursday but watched from the shade.
Harper said Birmingham would be withheld from practice until Monday as a precaution.
“We’ve been very fortunate to not have more than that,” Harper said. “We’ve been the hottest town in the state.”
Friday, August 06, 2010
SPORTS>>Badgers are tackling two-a-days head on
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Many high-school football coaches fight the dilemma of shrinking rosters once August two-a-days start.
So it was a bit of relief for Beebe coach John Shannon on Friday morning when he had a head count of 56.
The Badgers started quickly on their preparation for the season with true two-a-day workouts. The sessions start with weightlifting from 6-7 a.m., with an on-field defensive practice that runs from 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Afternoon practice runs from 1:30-3:30 p.m. with a focus on offense.
“We’re practicing twice a day and lifting weights before the first practice,” Shannon said. “We’re putting our kids through basically a three-a-days practice every day, and they’re working hard.”
Shannon has stressed the importance of hard work since taking over in 2007, and said the current group has bought in to his philosophy early on.
“I’m real pleased with the way the kids are working,” Shannon said. “It’s been extremely hot, and we haven’t missed a beat.
We’ve been going twice a day, and the kids have worked harder than probably they’ve ever worked.”
The first three days were pads-free as mandated by the Arkansas Activities Association, but the Badgers wasted little time once the pads went on with a full scrimmage Thursday afternoon.
“I thought it was one of the best scrimmages we’ve had since I’ve been here in three years,” Shannon said. “The kids are competing hard, and we’re excited about where we’re at right now.”
Shannon put an emphasis on workouts and training during the summer, which has resulted in the offensive and defensive schemes being fully up and running. Shannon is also pleased with senior leadership, something else he stresses.
“Our juniors from last year really started making that transition in the offseason,” Shannon said. “This summer, we also had a five-day team camp over at Conway, so they had a lot of opportunities to step into that leadership role. That kind of helps speed the process along.
“We feel like we’re further along than we’ve ever been this time of year simply because of the stuff we did this summer.”
The summer heat is an obvious hindrance, but Shannon said year-round workouts, along with a watchful eye from the team trainer, combats many of the issues related to overheating. The staff also has an unlimited supply of sports drinks available to the players.
“We had them all summer long,” Shannon said. “Football now is a year-round sport. It’s not like it was back when I was playing where you show up for the first day of two-a-days and you haven’t done anything all summer.
“They’ve been doing stuff all summer, so that helps tremendously. We have a full-time trainer, Justin Shipp, who does a great job with our kids. We weigh them before every practice, and then we weigh them after every practice. And if they don’t gain enough weight from one practice to the other, then we hold them out, because they’re at risk.”
Beebe is known for its Dead-T running attack, which Shannon said has already taken shape. Senior fullback Colby Taylor will be the workhorse runner, but senior quarterback Scot Gowen is not far behind in his scrambling abilities.
Shannon said Gowen was potentially the second best runner in a backfield that could include a rotation of up to four halfbacks, including Jay Holdway, Matt Pursell, Michael Kirby and Dalton Wallace.
“It’s shaping up pretty good,” Shannon said. “Colby Taylor is fullback this year, and he’s running better than I’ve ever seen him run right now. In the halfback spot, we’ve got about four kids that we feel comfortable enough to rotate in there and not miss a beat.”
Leader sportswriter
Many high-school football coaches fight the dilemma of shrinking rosters once August two-a-days start.
So it was a bit of relief for Beebe coach John Shannon on Friday morning when he had a head count of 56.
The Badgers started quickly on their preparation for the season with true two-a-day workouts. The sessions start with weightlifting from 6-7 a.m., with an on-field defensive practice that runs from 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Afternoon practice runs from 1:30-3:30 p.m. with a focus on offense.
“We’re practicing twice a day and lifting weights before the first practice,” Shannon said. “We’re putting our kids through basically a three-a-days practice every day, and they’re working hard.”
Shannon has stressed the importance of hard work since taking over in 2007, and said the current group has bought in to his philosophy early on.
“I’m real pleased with the way the kids are working,” Shannon said. “It’s been extremely hot, and we haven’t missed a beat.
We’ve been going twice a day, and the kids have worked harder than probably they’ve ever worked.”
The first three days were pads-free as mandated by the Arkansas Activities Association, but the Badgers wasted little time once the pads went on with a full scrimmage Thursday afternoon.
“I thought it was one of the best scrimmages we’ve had since I’ve been here in three years,” Shannon said. “The kids are competing hard, and we’re excited about where we’re at right now.”
Shannon put an emphasis on workouts and training during the summer, which has resulted in the offensive and defensive schemes being fully up and running. Shannon is also pleased with senior leadership, something else he stresses.
“Our juniors from last year really started making that transition in the offseason,” Shannon said. “This summer, we also had a five-day team camp over at Conway, so they had a lot of opportunities to step into that leadership role. That kind of helps speed the process along.
“We feel like we’re further along than we’ve ever been this time of year simply because of the stuff we did this summer.”
The summer heat is an obvious hindrance, but Shannon said year-round workouts, along with a watchful eye from the team trainer, combats many of the issues related to overheating. The staff also has an unlimited supply of sports drinks available to the players.
“We had them all summer long,” Shannon said. “Football now is a year-round sport. It’s not like it was back when I was playing where you show up for the first day of two-a-days and you haven’t done anything all summer.
“They’ve been doing stuff all summer, so that helps tremendously. We have a full-time trainer, Justin Shipp, who does a great job with our kids. We weigh them before every practice, and then we weigh them after every practice. And if they don’t gain enough weight from one practice to the other, then we hold them out, because they’re at risk.”
Beebe is known for its Dead-T running attack, which Shannon said has already taken shape. Senior fullback Colby Taylor will be the workhorse runner, but senior quarterback Scot Gowen is not far behind in his scrambling abilities.
Shannon said Gowen was potentially the second best runner in a backfield that could include a rotation of up to four halfbacks, including Jay Holdway, Matt Pursell, Michael Kirby and Dalton Wallace.
“It’s shaping up pretty good,” Shannon said. “Colby Taylor is fullback this year, and he’s running better than I’ve ever seen him run right now. In the halfback spot, we’ve got about four kids that we feel comfortable enough to rotate in there and not miss a beat.”
SPORTS>>Sun Belt kicks off big bash of decade
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sportswriter
It’s hard to believe the Sun Belt Conference is celebrating its 10th year of football.
For the past 10 years, most people have acted like they didn’t know the Sun Belt HAD a football conference.
Of course I know better than anyone how Arkansas State plays in the shadow of the Arkansas Razorbacks, having covered the Red Wolves for nine-plus years at the statewide daily.
And that goes a long way toward explaining why the Sun Belt just doesn’t seem to capture the imagination and dominate the collective consciousness of the nation’s sports fans. All of the conference’s teams, like Arkansas State, have to battle for attention with higher-profile programs.
Middle Tennessee is overshadowed by Vanderbilt and the University of Tennessee, and North Texas has to contend with the likes of the University of Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and so on.
Miami, Florida State and the University of Florida hoard the headlines from Sun Belt members Florida Atlantic and Florida International, and when people think college football in Louisiana they think first of the LSU Tigers and not the Ragin’ Cajuns of
Louisiana-Lafayette or the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe.
Like any football conference, the Sun Belt has had its share of comings and goings, additions and subtractions.
Founding members Idaho and New Mexico State are long gone, while the Sun Belt has welcomed Alabama-based Troy (overshadowed by Alabama and Auburn by the way), the two Florida schools and Western Kentucky.
But when such moves are made, they don’t tend to shake things up and have the kind of repercussions seen as when, say, Arkansas bolted from the Southwest Conference for the mighty SEC in 1990.
That defection pretty much spelled the end of the SWC, which finally disbanded in 1996. And people are still wondering how it’s all going to play out for the Big 12 now that Nebraska has left for the Big Ten and Texas has decided to stay, partially because of a new Big 12 TV deal that could pay the school up to $25 million a year.
Has anyone noticed, by the way, that the Big 12 has 10 teams and the Big Ten now has 12?
There are 11 conferences, including the Sun Belt, in the Bowl Championship Series that determine the national champion, or try to. But let’s face it, if you’re not Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 10, SEC, ACC or Big East, you aren’t considered a traditional, major college player and your odds at winning a national crown are long at best.
But that doesn’t mean, just because you’re the Sun Belt, you can’t have a rich, football-playing tradition of your own. So, 10 years after the football wing of the Sun Belt was founded with Arkansas State, North Texas, New Mexico State, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee and Idaho, the conference is asking each current member to submit its greatest players, plays and moments to help honor the occasion.
When the conference began, it sort of had to borrow its history from the incoming schools, shamelessly claiming North Texas’ Mean Joe Greene, for example, as a Sun Belt alumnus.
But the conference has had 10 years to come up with a history of its own, and I know I’ve certainly seen some of Arkansas State’s best times.
If I were in charge of submissions, I’d have to put forward as the greatest play, Corey Leonard’s last-second, 53-yard hail Mary to Patrick Higgins that beat Memphis 26-23 at Memphis in 2006.
The greatest moment would have to be when Antonio Warren shook off a bad ankle and cracked into the end zone late in the game against North Texas to give Arkansas State the most important share of the 2005 conference title and a berth in the New Orleans Bowl.
The Sun Belt also wants to comprise an all-decade all-star team from the rolls of former all-conference players.
I won’t hog space trying to name a guy for every position, but certainly Arkansas State is proud of record-setting passer Cleo Lemon, safety Tyrell Johnson, defensive linemen Corey Williams and Jon Bradley, tight end David Johnson and defensive end Alex Carrington. All have gone on to the NFL, with Tyrell Johnson drafted in the second round and Carrington in the third.
Each of the Sun Belt’s nine football-playing schools has players and memories like these, and the schools didn’t have to be major factors in the BCS equation to do so.
In the long run, it turns out even college football’s have-nots are really haves.
Leader sportswriter
It’s hard to believe the Sun Belt Conference is celebrating its 10th year of football.
For the past 10 years, most people have acted like they didn’t know the Sun Belt HAD a football conference.
Of course I know better than anyone how Arkansas State plays in the shadow of the Arkansas Razorbacks, having covered the Red Wolves for nine-plus years at the statewide daily.
And that goes a long way toward explaining why the Sun Belt just doesn’t seem to capture the imagination and dominate the collective consciousness of the nation’s sports fans. All of the conference’s teams, like Arkansas State, have to battle for attention with higher-profile programs.
Middle Tennessee is overshadowed by Vanderbilt and the University of Tennessee, and North Texas has to contend with the likes of the University of Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and so on.
Miami, Florida State and the University of Florida hoard the headlines from Sun Belt members Florida Atlantic and Florida International, and when people think college football in Louisiana they think first of the LSU Tigers and not the Ragin’ Cajuns of
Louisiana-Lafayette or the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe.
Like any football conference, the Sun Belt has had its share of comings and goings, additions and subtractions.
Founding members Idaho and New Mexico State are long gone, while the Sun Belt has welcomed Alabama-based Troy (overshadowed by Alabama and Auburn by the way), the two Florida schools and Western Kentucky.
But when such moves are made, they don’t tend to shake things up and have the kind of repercussions seen as when, say, Arkansas bolted from the Southwest Conference for the mighty SEC in 1990.
That defection pretty much spelled the end of the SWC, which finally disbanded in 1996. And people are still wondering how it’s all going to play out for the Big 12 now that Nebraska has left for the Big Ten and Texas has decided to stay, partially because of a new Big 12 TV deal that could pay the school up to $25 million a year.
Has anyone noticed, by the way, that the Big 12 has 10 teams and the Big Ten now has 12?
There are 11 conferences, including the Sun Belt, in the Bowl Championship Series that determine the national champion, or try to. But let’s face it, if you’re not Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 10, SEC, ACC or Big East, you aren’t considered a traditional, major college player and your odds at winning a national crown are long at best.
But that doesn’t mean, just because you’re the Sun Belt, you can’t have a rich, football-playing tradition of your own. So, 10 years after the football wing of the Sun Belt was founded with Arkansas State, North Texas, New Mexico State, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee and Idaho, the conference is asking each current member to submit its greatest players, plays and moments to help honor the occasion.
When the conference began, it sort of had to borrow its history from the incoming schools, shamelessly claiming North Texas’ Mean Joe Greene, for example, as a Sun Belt alumnus.
But the conference has had 10 years to come up with a history of its own, and I know I’ve certainly seen some of Arkansas State’s best times.
If I were in charge of submissions, I’d have to put forward as the greatest play, Corey Leonard’s last-second, 53-yard hail Mary to Patrick Higgins that beat Memphis 26-23 at Memphis in 2006.
The greatest moment would have to be when Antonio Warren shook off a bad ankle and cracked into the end zone late in the game against North Texas to give Arkansas State the most important share of the 2005 conference title and a berth in the New Orleans Bowl.
The Sun Belt also wants to comprise an all-decade all-star team from the rolls of former all-conference players.
I won’t hog space trying to name a guy for every position, but certainly Arkansas State is proud of record-setting passer Cleo Lemon, safety Tyrell Johnson, defensive linemen Corey Williams and Jon Bradley, tight end David Johnson and defensive end Alex Carrington. All have gone on to the NFL, with Tyrell Johnson drafted in the second round and Carrington in the third.
Each of the Sun Belt’s nine football-playing schools has players and memories like these, and the schools didn’t have to be major factors in the BCS equation to do so.
In the long run, it turns out even college football’s have-nots are really haves.
SPORTS>>Coach jumps to task for NP
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sportswriter
Coach Terrod Hatcher has had plenty to think about since North Pulaski began football practice.
But Hatcher hasn’t had room for himself in his thoughts.
Hatcher, 23, was hired at short notice as Falcons head coach to take over for departed coach Rick Russell, now across town at Jacksonville. Hatcher, promoted from offensive coordinator took the job with less than a week to go before practice started Monday.
Nearing the end of his first week, Hatcher said Friday morning the idea of being head coach still hadn’t taken hold.
“To be honest it hasn’t even really hit me,” he said. “I haven’t had time to really think about how I feel about being a head coach. I had to jump into it right away.
“Really, I was doing the same things I’ve been doing since spring football so it’s not that big a change.”
Counting heads, pushing papers, dealing with personnel, hiring a new assistant, fighting this week’s intense heat and installing offensive and defensive schemes have taken up most of Hatcher’s time.
In other words, he’s coaching.
“I’m very excited,” Hatcher said. “Today they were kind of sluggish. They were worn out from this week of practice. I was proud of their effort and I was proud of their conditioning, actually. They’re in better shape than I expected them to be.”
Hatcher said 42 players reported with few significant absences from the group that turned out in the spring.
“I’m satisfied. Of course you’d like to have 60, but I’m satisfied with what we have,” Hatcher said.
The Falcons welcomed one newcomer, Jacksonville transfer Christopher Griffin, who could be an asset in the defensive backfield, Hatcher said. Otherwise, the faces are familiar.
While the players reported in good shape, Hatcher wanted to focus on conditioning as much as the 100-degree heat would allow.
“We worked on position drills and getting the guys in shape,” he said of the early work schedule. “I didn’t want them to get out there and get them in pads and they die.”
Hatcher wasn’t joking. Like all programs in the area he has made allowances for the disagreeable weather, calling for frequent breaks out of the sun, pushing plenty of fluids and cold towels and urging the players to continue to hydrate and eat right at home.
“That is a huge concern,” Hatcher said.
Since he was named head coach, Hatcher hired a new defensive assistant, Bobby Vaughn, former ninth-grade head coach at Mills High School.
Vaughn and J.B. Pendergraft will serve as co-defensive coordinators, Hatcher said, and will be in charge of installing the Falcons’ 3-3 stack formation.
“Our main thing is stopping the run and that’s what we’re going to do,” Hatcher said. “We’re going to be physical, flying to the ball. That’s our goal.”
Offensively, as previously noted by Hatcher, North Pulaski will be more of a Spread team behind returning quarterback Shyheim Barron as it tries to reverse a losing trend in which it has won four games the past six years.
Leader sportswriter
Coach Terrod Hatcher has had plenty to think about since North Pulaski began football practice.
But Hatcher hasn’t had room for himself in his thoughts.
Hatcher, 23, was hired at short notice as Falcons head coach to take over for departed coach Rick Russell, now across town at Jacksonville. Hatcher, promoted from offensive coordinator took the job with less than a week to go before practice started Monday.
Nearing the end of his first week, Hatcher said Friday morning the idea of being head coach still hadn’t taken hold.
“To be honest it hasn’t even really hit me,” he said. “I haven’t had time to really think about how I feel about being a head coach. I had to jump into it right away.
“Really, I was doing the same things I’ve been doing since spring football so it’s not that big a change.”
Counting heads, pushing papers, dealing with personnel, hiring a new assistant, fighting this week’s intense heat and installing offensive and defensive schemes have taken up most of Hatcher’s time.
In other words, he’s coaching.
“I’m very excited,” Hatcher said. “Today they were kind of sluggish. They were worn out from this week of practice. I was proud of their effort and I was proud of their conditioning, actually. They’re in better shape than I expected them to be.”
Hatcher said 42 players reported with few significant absences from the group that turned out in the spring.
“I’m satisfied. Of course you’d like to have 60, but I’m satisfied with what we have,” Hatcher said.
The Falcons welcomed one newcomer, Jacksonville transfer Christopher Griffin, who could be an asset in the defensive backfield, Hatcher said. Otherwise, the faces are familiar.
While the players reported in good shape, Hatcher wanted to focus on conditioning as much as the 100-degree heat would allow.
“We worked on position drills and getting the guys in shape,” he said of the early work schedule. “I didn’t want them to get out there and get them in pads and they die.”
Hatcher wasn’t joking. Like all programs in the area he has made allowances for the disagreeable weather, calling for frequent breaks out of the sun, pushing plenty of fluids and cold towels and urging the players to continue to hydrate and eat right at home.
“That is a huge concern,” Hatcher said.
Since he was named head coach, Hatcher hired a new defensive assistant, Bobby Vaughn, former ninth-grade head coach at Mills High School.
Vaughn and J.B. Pendergraft will serve as co-defensive coordinators, Hatcher said, and will be in charge of installing the Falcons’ 3-3 stack formation.
“Our main thing is stopping the run and that’s what we’re going to do,” Hatcher said. “We’re going to be physical, flying to the ball. That’s our goal.”
Offensively, as previously noted by Hatcher, North Pulaski will be more of a Spread team behind returning quarterback Shyheim Barron as it tries to reverse a losing trend in which it has won four games the past six years.
SPORTS>>Football taking heat
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sportswriter
You know it’s hot when rumors like this start floating around.
It’s been whispered Cabot coach Mike Malham actually cancelled a practice.
“Not a chance,” Malham said, when informed of the rumor he may have called off one of his notoriously demanding afternoon sessions.
Football teams throughout the area, and the state for that matter, have been battling the record high temperatures that seemed to arrive at the onset of fall practice.
The heat, which has approached 110 degrees and is worse with the heat index, has forced coaching staffs to change practice schedules, ramp up the number of water breaks and even, in Jacksonville’s case, construct misting tents to help players avoid overheating.
And while Malham may not be inclined to tinker with his schedule, he is no different than any other coach when it comes to dealing with concerns about the heat and keeping his players out of harm’s way.
“We’ve just got kids that are in shape and we keep them hydrated and we haven’t had a problem,” Malham said. “We’ve got a brain and we’re using our brain.”
All around Arkansas, football coaches, once known perhaps for being stingy with water to motivate players, are shoving fluids at their athletes, tinkering with schedules and even calling off workouts altogether rather than risk losing a young man to heat stroke or dehydration.
Springdale Har-Ber, Cabot’s playoff nemesis the past two seasons, put off the start of on-field workouts for a week in favor of weight training, film study and chalk talk.
At Little Rock Catholic, players are getting their two-a-days done with a pair of morning sessions wrapped around a healthy breakfast provided by booster club mothers and are finished for the day by 11 a.m.
Closer to home, Jacksonville has been trying to get off the field no later than 1 p.m., with only film and chalk talk in the evening, and has put up four, 4x4 misting tents and brought in donated, 100-gallon tubs to immerse a player whose core temperature may have gotten too high.
“The heat has been brutal. It’s been tough,” Jacksonville trainer Jason Cates said. “The kids have done a great job this summer of coming up and being involved in our summer workout programs and conditioning programs but even the heat, just back-to-back-to-back-to-back days, it compounds on them. The effect kind of builds up on them.”
Versions of Jacksonville’s efforts are seen elsewhere.
From first-year North Pulaski coach Terrod Hatcher to veterans like Malham, coaches are calling for more frequent breaks, getting their players out of the sun, making water constantly available and forcing water on them at mandatory intervals.
Ice-water or ammonia-water towels have proliferated on the sidelines, and coaches are not only monitoring their players more closely during workouts, they are, in effect following them home.
Coaches now insist their players eat right in the evening, away from staff supervision, and continue to get their fluids. Many schools now weigh their players before and after practice, and they are not allowed back on the field unless they make their weight the next day.
“We’re giving them a 30-minute break,” Lonoke coach Doug Bost said, “giving them all water and Gatorade, letting them eat candy bars, and we encourage apples, bananas, anything that will help them refuel, and telling them to stay away from Cokes and tea when they go home at night.”
Beebe coach John Shannon pointed out that football is almost a year-round sport now, with offseason conditioning, weight training, spring practice and summer 7-on-7, and that helps in August, he said.
But despite the training and all the precautions, the heat has inevitably taken a toll.
At Searcy, senior fullback/linebacker Charlie Birmingham became overheated and cramped up after practice Wednesday and had to be treated with intravenous fluids and was taken to the White County Medical Center emergency room.
Coach Tim Harper said Birmingham had gone swimming Tuesday and did not sufficiently rehydrate. Harper had Birmingham watching Thursday’s practice from the shade and was holding him out until Monday.
Cates said a few Jacksonville players had suffered cramps and nausea and were immediately treated, and any players losing more than 5 percent of their body weight without replenishing were not being allowed back on the field until they did.
“At the first sign of trouble we’re getting them out as quick as we can,” Cates said.
Cates said players this year seem to be experiencing holdover problems from the previous day. For example, Jacksonville had four players with heat-related issues Monday, but they came back at the proper weight on Tuesday, then six players struggled Wednesday and were fine on Thursday.
The coaches, and trainers like Cates, agree the most important thing anyone can do is keep a close watch on the players.
A hand on the back of the neck, no matter what time of day the team is practicing, may be the best medicine.
“If they’re not sweating, dry and clammy they’re not doing real good,” Malham said. “So it’s not hard to tell if you keep an eye on them.”
— Leader sportswriter Jason King contributed to this report.
Leader sportswriter
You know it’s hot when rumors like this start floating around.
It’s been whispered Cabot coach Mike Malham actually cancelled a practice.
“Not a chance,” Malham said, when informed of the rumor he may have called off one of his notoriously demanding afternoon sessions.
Football teams throughout the area, and the state for that matter, have been battling the record high temperatures that seemed to arrive at the onset of fall practice.
The heat, which has approached 110 degrees and is worse with the heat index, has forced coaching staffs to change practice schedules, ramp up the number of water breaks and even, in Jacksonville’s case, construct misting tents to help players avoid overheating.
And while Malham may not be inclined to tinker with his schedule, he is no different than any other coach when it comes to dealing with concerns about the heat and keeping his players out of harm’s way.
“We’ve just got kids that are in shape and we keep them hydrated and we haven’t had a problem,” Malham said. “We’ve got a brain and we’re using our brain.”
All around Arkansas, football coaches, once known perhaps for being stingy with water to motivate players, are shoving fluids at their athletes, tinkering with schedules and even calling off workouts altogether rather than risk losing a young man to heat stroke or dehydration.
Springdale Har-Ber, Cabot’s playoff nemesis the past two seasons, put off the start of on-field workouts for a week in favor of weight training, film study and chalk talk.
At Little Rock Catholic, players are getting their two-a-days done with a pair of morning sessions wrapped around a healthy breakfast provided by booster club mothers and are finished for the day by 11 a.m.
Closer to home, Jacksonville has been trying to get off the field no later than 1 p.m., with only film and chalk talk in the evening, and has put up four, 4x4 misting tents and brought in donated, 100-gallon tubs to immerse a player whose core temperature may have gotten too high.
“The heat has been brutal. It’s been tough,” Jacksonville trainer Jason Cates said. “The kids have done a great job this summer of coming up and being involved in our summer workout programs and conditioning programs but even the heat, just back-to-back-to-back-to-back days, it compounds on them. The effect kind of builds up on them.”
Versions of Jacksonville’s efforts are seen elsewhere.
From first-year North Pulaski coach Terrod Hatcher to veterans like Malham, coaches are calling for more frequent breaks, getting their players out of the sun, making water constantly available and forcing water on them at mandatory intervals.
Ice-water or ammonia-water towels have proliferated on the sidelines, and coaches are not only monitoring their players more closely during workouts, they are, in effect following them home.
Coaches now insist their players eat right in the evening, away from staff supervision, and continue to get their fluids. Many schools now weigh their players before and after practice, and they are not allowed back on the field unless they make their weight the next day.
“We’re giving them a 30-minute break,” Lonoke coach Doug Bost said, “giving them all water and Gatorade, letting them eat candy bars, and we encourage apples, bananas, anything that will help them refuel, and telling them to stay away from Cokes and tea when they go home at night.”
Beebe coach John Shannon pointed out that football is almost a year-round sport now, with offseason conditioning, weight training, spring practice and summer 7-on-7, and that helps in August, he said.
But despite the training and all the precautions, the heat has inevitably taken a toll.
At Searcy, senior fullback/linebacker Charlie Birmingham became overheated and cramped up after practice Wednesday and had to be treated with intravenous fluids and was taken to the White County Medical Center emergency room.
Coach Tim Harper said Birmingham had gone swimming Tuesday and did not sufficiently rehydrate. Harper had Birmingham watching Thursday’s practice from the shade and was holding him out until Monday.
Cates said a few Jacksonville players had suffered cramps and nausea and were immediately treated, and any players losing more than 5 percent of their body weight without replenishing were not being allowed back on the field until they did.
“At the first sign of trouble we’re getting them out as quick as we can,” Cates said.
Cates said players this year seem to be experiencing holdover problems from the previous day. For example, Jacksonville had four players with heat-related issues Monday, but they came back at the proper weight on Tuesday, then six players struggled Wednesday and were fine on Thursday.
The coaches, and trainers like Cates, agree the most important thing anyone can do is keep a close watch on the players.
A hand on the back of the neck, no matter what time of day the team is practicing, may be the best medicine.
“If they’re not sweating, dry and clammy they’re not doing real good,” Malham said. “So it’s not hard to tell if you keep an eye on them.”
— Leader sportswriter Jason King contributed to this report.
EDITORIAL >>Good food for kids
It was one small blip on the national news, one giant blip in the career of Blanche Lincoln — or maybe not. It was the Senate’s passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the chief sponsor of which was Sen. Lincoln, who is in a steeply uphill climb for re-election.
The act reauthorizes federal child-nutrition programs, which otherwise would expire in 50 days. But it does a lot more than that. It generously expands funding for the nutrition programs for the first time in 30 years, cuts red tape so that more families and schools can participate and seeks to create healthier nutrition choices for youngsters in school, after-school and summer programs. And it will add nothing to the national debt.
The Hunger-Free Kids Act will not re-elect Sen. Lincoln — she has more grievous problems to overcome — but it helps just a little to erase her image of dithering and indecision. It also is not a bill that particularly helps the rich and powerful, like repealing taxes on rich estates, cutting taxes for the wealthy or unrestricted agricultural subsidies, the kind of issues where she has shown leadership in the past.
It also is not the kind of issue where you will ever see Rep. John Boozman leading, if he becomes the next senator. But surely Boozman will vote for the bill when the House of Representatives takes it up after the August recess. Even far-right Republicans in the Senate went along with the unanimous-consent motion that assured passage of this big federal spending bill (it raises spending by $4.5 billion over 10 years).
Sen. Lincoln had been beseeching leaders on Capitol Hill to squeeze the bill on to the Senate’s and House’s crowded calendars before the election-year recess. She appealed to people in Arkansas to write and call congressional leaders about it and she got some unusual help this week. First Lady Michelle Obama wrote an op-ed article for the Washington Post on Monday urging the Senate to pass the bill. She wants school-lunch programs reformed so that they deter childhood obesity. Tuesday, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a senior Republican, published a piece in The New York Times expressing the urgency of the Senate’s taking up the bill. Lugar went out of his way to praise Lincoln, doubtlessly upsetting the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, which has made regular attacks on Lincoln’s spending record.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the right-wing Republican from Georgia and the ranking Republican on the Agriculture Committee, of which she is chair, joined Lincoln on the bill. More than most Democratic senators, Lincoln works with Republicans on legislation. She and Senator John Kyl of Arizona are sponsoring a bill that would see that the heirs of very rich men do not have to pay many taxes on their inheritances when the estate tax returns next year.
The Blanche Lincoln we like is the one who put together and passed the children’s nutrition bill. It mandates that the U. S. Agriculture Department develop nutrition standards for all foods that are sold in schools, including vending machines and junk-food shops and not just the cafeteria. It allocates $1.2 billion to increase the number of school children receiving food aid, seeks to improve the nutrition in school lunchrooms by including an extra 6 cents per meal for schools that meet stricter nutrition standards and expands access to supplemental nutrition and information on healthy food for pregnant women, infants and children.
That may sound like the government is becoming too much a nanny, but consider that it has been proven that nutrition is a big key to learning and achievement among poor children and that 27 percent of people between the ages of 17 and 24 now weigh too much to enlist in any of the armed services, according to a study by a group of retired generals and admirals. It is a national-security issue. It is a big reason for exploding health-care costs, so it is a critical economic issue.
Nowhere is the problem worse than in Arkansas, which has among the highest incidences of obese children (more than one in three) in the country, along with high infant and child death rates, high incidence of low-birthweight babies and low school achievement. Senator Lincoln likes to say that she votes for Arkansas interests. This time it can be a sincere boast.
The act reauthorizes federal child-nutrition programs, which otherwise would expire in 50 days. But it does a lot more than that. It generously expands funding for the nutrition programs for the first time in 30 years, cuts red tape so that more families and schools can participate and seeks to create healthier nutrition choices for youngsters in school, after-school and summer programs. And it will add nothing to the national debt.
The Hunger-Free Kids Act will not re-elect Sen. Lincoln — she has more grievous problems to overcome — but it helps just a little to erase her image of dithering and indecision. It also is not a bill that particularly helps the rich and powerful, like repealing taxes on rich estates, cutting taxes for the wealthy or unrestricted agricultural subsidies, the kind of issues where she has shown leadership in the past.
It also is not the kind of issue where you will ever see Rep. John Boozman leading, if he becomes the next senator. But surely Boozman will vote for the bill when the House of Representatives takes it up after the August recess. Even far-right Republicans in the Senate went along with the unanimous-consent motion that assured passage of this big federal spending bill (it raises spending by $4.5 billion over 10 years).
Sen. Lincoln had been beseeching leaders on Capitol Hill to squeeze the bill on to the Senate’s and House’s crowded calendars before the election-year recess. She appealed to people in Arkansas to write and call congressional leaders about it and she got some unusual help this week. First Lady Michelle Obama wrote an op-ed article for the Washington Post on Monday urging the Senate to pass the bill. She wants school-lunch programs reformed so that they deter childhood obesity. Tuesday, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a senior Republican, published a piece in The New York Times expressing the urgency of the Senate’s taking up the bill. Lugar went out of his way to praise Lincoln, doubtlessly upsetting the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, which has made regular attacks on Lincoln’s spending record.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the right-wing Republican from Georgia and the ranking Republican on the Agriculture Committee, of which she is chair, joined Lincoln on the bill. More than most Democratic senators, Lincoln works with Republicans on legislation. She and Senator John Kyl of Arizona are sponsoring a bill that would see that the heirs of very rich men do not have to pay many taxes on their inheritances when the estate tax returns next year.
The Blanche Lincoln we like is the one who put together and passed the children’s nutrition bill. It mandates that the U. S. Agriculture Department develop nutrition standards for all foods that are sold in schools, including vending machines and junk-food shops and not just the cafeteria. It allocates $1.2 billion to increase the number of school children receiving food aid, seeks to improve the nutrition in school lunchrooms by including an extra 6 cents per meal for schools that meet stricter nutrition standards and expands access to supplemental nutrition and information on healthy food for pregnant women, infants and children.
That may sound like the government is becoming too much a nanny, but consider that it has been proven that nutrition is a big key to learning and achievement among poor children and that 27 percent of people between the ages of 17 and 24 now weigh too much to enlist in any of the armed services, according to a study by a group of retired generals and admirals. It is a national-security issue. It is a big reason for exploding health-care costs, so it is a critical economic issue.
Nowhere is the problem worse than in Arkansas, which has among the highest incidences of obese children (more than one in three) in the country, along with high infant and child death rates, high incidence of low-birthweight babies and low school achievement. Senator Lincoln likes to say that she votes for Arkansas interests. This time it can be a sincere boast.
TOP STORY > >Metroplan says new tax is essential
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Metroplan director Jim Mc-Kenzie said that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had reported that the possibility of an increased federal fuel tax this year is “dead,” and that the chances for a new federal highway bill were “slim to none.”
He said the outlook for federal highway funds for the 2010 fiscal year looked “particularly bleak.”
“The onus is back on the communities,” he said. “We need a new gas tax, and not a small one.”
Richard McGee, assistant Metroplan director, announced last week that the Hwy. 67/167 Hwy. 5 interchange-ramp modification at Cabot was under way.
McGee reported that right-of-way purchase is under way to turn Graham Road into a four-lane road with about $1.5 million obligated for utility relocation and with construction slated for 2011.
Since the May meeting, the second draft and comments for the West Main/Harris Road roundabout project in Jacksonville is under way, he said.
Right-of-way certification for a sidewalk at Cabot Junior High School North is pending and plans and specifications have been submitted.
Funds are not currently available for the Cabot High School roundabout.
The board unanimously authorized Metroplan staff to apply for a $3 million sustainability grant from the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and the EPA, signaling the board’s intent to join a consortium of universities, housing authorities, chambers of commerce, nonprofit organizations and developers in creating “METRO 2040—A Blueprint for a Sustainable Region.”
According to a draft of the grant application, Metroplan’s blueprint will develop a regional comprehensive plan for sustainability of the central Arkansas region, addressing six livability principles in an integrated fashion. It will include the 2040 transportation plan.
Those six principles are: providing more transportation choices; promoting equitable, affordable housing; enhancing economic competitiveness; supporting existing communities; coordinating policies and leveraging investment, and valuing communities and neighborhoods.
The board approved drawings for a bicycle and pedestrian pathway along Hwy. 100 at Maumelle, including a 12-foot paved pathway and a five-foot buffer between the highway and the path.
The goal is to enhance commuting and recreational opportunities between Maumelle and North Little Rock.
Despite a long string of high temperatures this summer, there has yet to be a single ozone alert or an ozone level so high as to exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards, McKenzie said.
All eight-hour ozone readings in central Arkansas have been “good” since May 5 except 14 days of “moderate” ozone levels, in which unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
“I don’t know why,” he said, “given the weather we’ve had. Keep your fingers crossed.”
McKenzie reported that the board would travel to Austin on a fact-finding mission to investigate what one of what he called “the most progressive cities in the U.S.” is doing about going green.
Leader senior staff writer
Metroplan director Jim Mc-Kenzie said that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had reported that the possibility of an increased federal fuel tax this year is “dead,” and that the chances for a new federal highway bill were “slim to none.”
He said the outlook for federal highway funds for the 2010 fiscal year looked “particularly bleak.”
“The onus is back on the communities,” he said. “We need a new gas tax, and not a small one.”
Richard McGee, assistant Metroplan director, announced last week that the Hwy. 67/167 Hwy. 5 interchange-ramp modification at Cabot was under way.
McGee reported that right-of-way purchase is under way to turn Graham Road into a four-lane road with about $1.5 million obligated for utility relocation and with construction slated for 2011.
Since the May meeting, the second draft and comments for the West Main/Harris Road roundabout project in Jacksonville is under way, he said.
Right-of-way certification for a sidewalk at Cabot Junior High School North is pending and plans and specifications have been submitted.
Funds are not currently available for the Cabot High School roundabout.
The board unanimously authorized Metroplan staff to apply for a $3 million sustainability grant from the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and the EPA, signaling the board’s intent to join a consortium of universities, housing authorities, chambers of commerce, nonprofit organizations and developers in creating “METRO 2040—A Blueprint for a Sustainable Region.”
According to a draft of the grant application, Metroplan’s blueprint will develop a regional comprehensive plan for sustainability of the central Arkansas region, addressing six livability principles in an integrated fashion. It will include the 2040 transportation plan.
Those six principles are: providing more transportation choices; promoting equitable, affordable housing; enhancing economic competitiveness; supporting existing communities; coordinating policies and leveraging investment, and valuing communities and neighborhoods.
The board approved drawings for a bicycle and pedestrian pathway along Hwy. 100 at Maumelle, including a 12-foot paved pathway and a five-foot buffer between the highway and the path.
The goal is to enhance commuting and recreational opportunities between Maumelle and North Little Rock.
Despite a long string of high temperatures this summer, there has yet to be a single ozone alert or an ozone level so high as to exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards, McKenzie said.
All eight-hour ozone readings in central Arkansas have been “good” since May 5 except 14 days of “moderate” ozone levels, in which unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
“I don’t know why,” he said, “given the weather we’ve had. Keep your fingers crossed.”
McKenzie reported that the board would travel to Austin on a fact-finding mission to investigate what one of what he called “the most progressive cities in the U.S.” is doing about going green.
EDITORIAL >>Revenues on the rise
It was one small blip on the national news, one giant blip in the career of Blanche Lincoln — or maybe not. It was the Senate’s passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the chief sponsor of which was Sen. Lincoln, who is in a steeply uphill climb for re-election.
The act reauthorizes federal child-nutrition programs, which otherwise would expire in 50 days. But it does a lot more than that. It generously expands funding for the nutrition programs for the first time in 30 years, cuts red tape so that more families and schools can participate and seeks to create healthier nutrition choices for youngsters in school, after-school and summer programs. And it will add nothing to the national debt.
The Hunger-Free Kids Act will not re-elect Sen. Lincoln — she has more grievous problems to overcome — but it helps just a little to erase her image of dithering and indecision. It also is not a bill that particularly helps the rich and powerful, like repealing taxes on rich estates, cutting taxes for the wealthy or unrestricted agricultural subsidies, the kind of issues where she has shown leadership in the past.
It also is not the kind of issue where you will ever see Rep. John Boozman leading, if he becomes the next senator. But surely Boozman will vote for the bill when the House of Representatives takes it up after the August recess. Even far-right Republicans in the Senate went along with the unanimous-consent motion that assured passage of this big federal spending bill (it raises spending by $4.5 billion over 10 years).
Sen. Lincoln had been beseeching leaders on Capitol Hill to squeeze the bill on to the Senate’s and House’s crowded calendars before the election-year recess. She appealed to people in Arkansas to write and call congressional leaders about it and she got some unusual help this week. First Lady Michelle Obama wrote an op-ed article for the Washington Post on Monday urging the Senate to pass the bill. She wants school-lunch programs reformed so that they deter childhood obesity. Tuesday, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a senior Republican, published a piece in The New York Times expressing the urgency of the Senate’s taking up the bill. Lugar went out of his way to praise Lincoln, doubtlessly upsetting the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, which has made regular attacks on Lincoln’s spending record.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the right-wing Republican from Georgia and the ranking Republican on the Agriculture Committee, of which she is chair, joined Lincoln on the bill. More than most Democratic senators, Lincoln works with Republicans on legislation. She and Senator John Kyl of Arizona are sponsoring a bill that would see that the heirs of very rich men do not have to pay many taxes on their inheritances when the estate tax returns next year.
The Blanche Lincoln we like is the one who put together and passed the children’s nutrition bill. It mandates that the U. S. Agriculture Department develop nutrition standards for all foods that are sold in schools, including vending machines and junk-food shops and not just the cafeteria. It allocates $1.2 billion to increase the number of school children receiving food aid, seeks to improve the nutrition in school lunchrooms by including an extra 6 cents per meal for schools that meet stricter nutrition standards and expands access to supplemental nutrition and information on healthy food for pregnant women, infants and children.
That may sound like the government is becoming too much a nanny, but consider that it has been proven that nutrition is a big key to learning and achievement among poor children and that 27 percent of people between the ages of 17 and 24 now weigh too much to enlist in any of the armed services, according to a study by a group of retired generals and admirals. It is a national-security issue. It is a big reason for exploding health-care costs, so it is a critical economic issue.
Nowhere is the problem worse than in Arkansas, which has among the highest incidences of obese children (more than one in three) in the country, along with high infant and child death rates, high incidence of low-birthweight babies and low school achievement. Senator Lincoln likes to say that she votes for Arkansas interests. This time it can be a sincere boast.
The act reauthorizes federal child-nutrition programs, which otherwise would expire in 50 days. But it does a lot more than that. It generously expands funding for the nutrition programs for the first time in 30 years, cuts red tape so that more families and schools can participate and seeks to create healthier nutrition choices for youngsters in school, after-school and summer programs. And it will add nothing to the national debt.
The Hunger-Free Kids Act will not re-elect Sen. Lincoln — she has more grievous problems to overcome — but it helps just a little to erase her image of dithering and indecision. It also is not a bill that particularly helps the rich and powerful, like repealing taxes on rich estates, cutting taxes for the wealthy or unrestricted agricultural subsidies, the kind of issues where she has shown leadership in the past.
It also is not the kind of issue where you will ever see Rep. John Boozman leading, if he becomes the next senator. But surely Boozman will vote for the bill when the House of Representatives takes it up after the August recess. Even far-right Republicans in the Senate went along with the unanimous-consent motion that assured passage of this big federal spending bill (it raises spending by $4.5 billion over 10 years).
Sen. Lincoln had been beseeching leaders on Capitol Hill to squeeze the bill on to the Senate’s and House’s crowded calendars before the election-year recess. She appealed to people in Arkansas to write and call congressional leaders about it and she got some unusual help this week. First Lady Michelle Obama wrote an op-ed article for the Washington Post on Monday urging the Senate to pass the bill. She wants school-lunch programs reformed so that they deter childhood obesity. Tuesday, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a senior Republican, published a piece in The New York Times expressing the urgency of the Senate’s taking up the bill. Lugar went out of his way to praise Lincoln, doubtlessly upsetting the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, which has made regular attacks on Lincoln’s spending record.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the right-wing Republican from Georgia and the ranking Republican on the Agriculture Committee, of which she is chair, joined Lincoln on the bill. More than most Democratic senators, Lincoln works with Republicans on legislation. She and Senator John Kyl of Arizona are sponsoring a bill that would see that the heirs of very rich men do not have to pay many taxes on their inheritances when the estate tax returns next year.
The Blanche Lincoln we like is the one who put together and passed the children’s nutrition bill. It mandates that the U. S. Agriculture Department develop nutrition standards for all foods that are sold in schools, including vending machines and junk-food shops and not just the cafeteria. It allocates $1.2 billion to increase the number of school children receiving food aid, seeks to improve the nutrition in school lunchrooms by including an extra 6 cents per meal for schools that meet stricter nutrition standards and expands access to supplemental nutrition and information on healthy food for pregnant women, infants and children.
That may sound like the government is becoming too much a nanny, but consider that it has been proven that nutrition is a big key to learning and achievement among poor children and that 27 percent of people between the ages of 17 and 24 now weigh too much to enlist in any of the armed services, according to a study by a group of retired generals and admirals. It is a national-security issue. It is a big reason for exploding health-care costs, so it is a critical economic issue.
Nowhere is the problem worse than in Arkansas, which has among the highest incidences of obese children (more than one in three) in the country, along with high infant and child death rates, high incidence of low-birthweight babies and low school achievement. Senator Lincoln likes to say that she votes for Arkansas interests. This time it can be a sincere boast.
TOP STORY > >School seeks supporters
By NANCY DOCKTER
Leader staff writer
On Friday, teachers at Jacksonville Elementary School will take to the city streets in an exercise modeled after the reality television show, “The Amazing Race,” as a way to get acquainted with one another and local businesses.
The school is seeking sponsors for the event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Proceeds from the event will be used to replenish the school’s uniform supply.
“We know that the success of our school depends on civic leaders and businesses supporting us,” school principal Sonja Whitfield said. “We need them to know who we are and what we do, and we thought this was a fun way to do that.”
Some sponsoring businesses, serving as “pit stops” on the event route, will provide challenges to the teams of four teachers each.
“Some businesses will be roadblocks. For instance, at the police station, you may have to get out of handcuffs, or at the dentist’s office you might have to brush your teeth,” Whitfield explained.
Other sponsors will supply a clue or require that an activity be completed before a team advances to the next station in the competition.
Prizes will be awarded to the first teams to cross the finish line.
Whitfield and media specialist Samantha Runyon conceived of the event as a way to build teamwork among teachers and strengthen ties between the school and the community.
“It’s going to be a valuable training exercise because it will have teachers working together, learning together and getting to know the community, but it also will be a lot of fun,” Whitfield said. “The excitement about the event is growing by the day.”
More than two dozen businesses have already signed on as sponsors, and each business will be listed on the team shirts.
“It’s a win-win because it also gives businesses a chance to spotlight what they do and introduce their staff to the teachers,” Whitfield said.
“Of course, we’re hoping others will continue to step in to help sponsor prizes or provide lunch, become a water stop or a pit stop,” she added.
For more information about the event, or to become a sponsor, contact Whitfield at 982-6571.
Leader staff writer
On Friday, teachers at Jacksonville Elementary School will take to the city streets in an exercise modeled after the reality television show, “The Amazing Race,” as a way to get acquainted with one another and local businesses.
The school is seeking sponsors for the event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Proceeds from the event will be used to replenish the school’s uniform supply.
“We know that the success of our school depends on civic leaders and businesses supporting us,” school principal Sonja Whitfield said. “We need them to know who we are and what we do, and we thought this was a fun way to do that.”
Some sponsoring businesses, serving as “pit stops” on the event route, will provide challenges to the teams of four teachers each.
“Some businesses will be roadblocks. For instance, at the police station, you may have to get out of handcuffs, or at the dentist’s office you might have to brush your teeth,” Whitfield explained.
Other sponsors will supply a clue or require that an activity be completed before a team advances to the next station in the competition.
Prizes will be awarded to the first teams to cross the finish line.
Whitfield and media specialist Samantha Runyon conceived of the event as a way to build teamwork among teachers and strengthen ties between the school and the community.
“It’s going to be a valuable training exercise because it will have teachers working together, learning together and getting to know the community, but it also will be a lot of fun,” Whitfield said. “The excitement about the event is growing by the day.”
More than two dozen businesses have already signed on as sponsors, and each business will be listed on the team shirts.
“It’s a win-win because it also gives businesses a chance to spotlight what they do and introduce their staff to the teachers,” Whitfield said.
“Of course, we’re hoping others will continue to step in to help sponsor prizes or provide lunch, become a water stop or a pit stop,” she added.
For more information about the event, or to become a sponsor, contact Whitfield at 982-6571.
TOP STORY > >City won’t give up on annexation
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
It was the largest crowd at a Jacksonville City Council meeting in about 10 years. Not since Walmart wanted to build a supercenter in the city has there been such an outpouring against an idea.
The idea presented Thursday night?
To extend the city limits north and northwest, adding about 3.8 square miles to the city, and adding another 0.36 square miles to the southeastern edge of the city.
Most of the 100-plus people in attendance were against the annexation and most particularly the northern segment.
The council took no action and no ordinance was even prepared. But aldermen did listen for almost three hours. The aldermen will vote on the issue at the next council meeting, Aug. 19. If they vote for the annexation, the issue will then be placed on the Nov. 2 general-election ballot for the residents of the proposed annexed area and the rest of the city may vote on the issue.
Nick Gray, who operates a business in the northern acreage that Jacksonville wants to bring into the city, said, “I’m already paying state ales tax, county tax, personal tax, business property tax, real estate tax, federal payroll tax, state payroll tax, timber tax and social security, sales tax, property tax, Social Security, and now you want more!”
He then turned his pants pockets inside out, flinging two pennies towards the aldermen. “Shame on you for wanting me to make you money. Leave us alone.”
That was the sentiment voiced by most of the speakers.
“We don’t want your rules. We bought land out here to get away from your rules,” Partne Daugherty said.
Artie Thomas called the city’s proposal “forced annexation.”
“I don’t know why we are even here except to waste our time,” he said.
Ralph Pridmore said his family had been paying taxes on his 100 acres for 100 years. “And now you want it. I have a problem with that.”
Ron Lewis told the council that with the annexation, they may get his property tax, but not his sales tax money. “Instead of coming out and making a left like I do now to go to Walmart or Kroger, I’ll make a left and visit those stores in Cabot.”
Florence Burnett, whose father owned and operated Tiny’s BBQ until he sold it to the VFW in 1986, said her dad couldn’t stand Jacksonville because the city wouldn’t deliver mail to him, but Cabot did.
She said with this proposal she and her neighbors would be subjected to Jacksonville rules. “And you have so many cotton-pickin’ rules,” she said.
But Mayor Gary Fletcher had a different take and told the vocal, and at times hostile, audience so.
“Jacksonville is set for an explosion of opportunities. We are going to get our own school district. I can’t tell you when, but we will.”
He added that there would be some major economic-development news soon. “We are talking to five or six family sit-down restaurants,” he said.
The mayor said the city needed to grow and the best direction, and in fact really the only direction, was north.
Most of the people understood the city wanting to take in the liquor stores and other businesses along Hwy. 67/167, but didn’t know why the city also wanted more land to the west, following Republican Road to the back of Burin Lane then zigzagging to take in Harrington Road, Puma Lane and Pridmore Road, before hitting the current city limits on Maddox Road. On the east side of Hwy. 67/167, the city is looking at taking in Holland Bottoms Road, Clifton Cove and a portion of Carrington Road.
After nearly three hours of debates, discussion and back-and-forth sassing at times, Fletcher finally said he was “bumfuzzled.”
“We are taking in your concerns. You aren’t having to give up much of your quality of life, if any, and we plan to spend a lot of money in the area,” the mayor said.
At the beginning of the public hearing, the mayor said Jacksonville would not offer city water or sewer to the annexed areas, at least not in the foreseeable future, but would offer better and cheaper sanitation services, police and fire protection and ambulance response.
The mayor said many of the complaints he had heard in the days before the council meeting included keeping livestock, hunting and ambulance costs.
He said city ordinances already allowed for livestock if the resident’s lot was large enough. “I live in the middle of the city and I have enough land to have a horse,” he said.
As far as hunting and discharging weapons, he said the area was already under county regulations, which did restrict, but not ban, the use of firearms.
“In your area, you have acreage and that’s different than lots in the city. We can make adjustments to our city ordinances that take in that difference,” Fletcher explained.
As far as ambulance costs, the mayor explained that MEMS charges $560 a run, plus a fee for mileage and supplies. The Jacksonville Fire Department ambulance run costs $395, plus mileage.
Code enforcement was another concern as a number of crowd members, including retired Rev. Lyndon Whitledge, said the city officials could come into homes if they felt there was a structural or welfare problem.
Fletcher said the ordinance was written that way, but “You won’t see a mass of gestapo trying to get into your home. That particular piece of the ordinance has been on the books for 40 years and people are citing it as a fear tactic,” the mayor said.
“We’ve tried to make all your concerns moot issues,” the mayor explained.
But that didn’t satisfy many in the crowd, as one person suggested the city needs better management, another implied the mayor was lying and Alderman Kevin McCleary was accused of not listening because he was chewing gum.
The rudeness from some in the audience prompted Alderman Terry Sansing to say after the council was asked if they were listening, “I’ve been listening to all the attitude and blatant hostility and it will have a strong influence on my decision. I don’t know yet whether I’ll vote for the ordinance which will help the city and you or be spiteful and vote against it because of all the disrespect shown tonight.
“For you to say that you love Jacksonville, you are sure bad mouthing it,” the alderman added.
But not all announcements were bad news or anti-annexation.
Alderman Reedie Ray said he had talked to residents in the East Valentine area just outside the city limits and they want to be a part of the city. “Please include that section when you write up the ordinance,” Ray said.
Leader staff writer
It was the largest crowd at a Jacksonville City Council meeting in about 10 years. Not since Walmart wanted to build a supercenter in the city has there been such an outpouring against an idea.
The idea presented Thursday night?
To extend the city limits north and northwest, adding about 3.8 square miles to the city, and adding another 0.36 square miles to the southeastern edge of the city.
Most of the 100-plus people in attendance were against the annexation and most particularly the northern segment.
The council took no action and no ordinance was even prepared. But aldermen did listen for almost three hours. The aldermen will vote on the issue at the next council meeting, Aug. 19. If they vote for the annexation, the issue will then be placed on the Nov. 2 general-election ballot for the residents of the proposed annexed area and the rest of the city may vote on the issue.
Nick Gray, who operates a business in the northern acreage that Jacksonville wants to bring into the city, said, “I’m already paying state ales tax, county tax, personal tax, business property tax, real estate tax, federal payroll tax, state payroll tax, timber tax and social security, sales tax, property tax, Social Security, and now you want more!”
He then turned his pants pockets inside out, flinging two pennies towards the aldermen. “Shame on you for wanting me to make you money. Leave us alone.”
That was the sentiment voiced by most of the speakers.
“We don’t want your rules. We bought land out here to get away from your rules,” Partne Daugherty said.
Artie Thomas called the city’s proposal “forced annexation.”
“I don’t know why we are even here except to waste our time,” he said.
Ralph Pridmore said his family had been paying taxes on his 100 acres for 100 years. “And now you want it. I have a problem with that.”
Ron Lewis told the council that with the annexation, they may get his property tax, but not his sales tax money. “Instead of coming out and making a left like I do now to go to Walmart or Kroger, I’ll make a left and visit those stores in Cabot.”
Florence Burnett, whose father owned and operated Tiny’s BBQ until he sold it to the VFW in 1986, said her dad couldn’t stand Jacksonville because the city wouldn’t deliver mail to him, but Cabot did.
She said with this proposal she and her neighbors would be subjected to Jacksonville rules. “And you have so many cotton-pickin’ rules,” she said.
But Mayor Gary Fletcher had a different take and told the vocal, and at times hostile, audience so.
“Jacksonville is set for an explosion of opportunities. We are going to get our own school district. I can’t tell you when, but we will.”
He added that there would be some major economic-development news soon. “We are talking to five or six family sit-down restaurants,” he said.
The mayor said the city needed to grow and the best direction, and in fact really the only direction, was north.
Most of the people understood the city wanting to take in the liquor stores and other businesses along Hwy. 67/167, but didn’t know why the city also wanted more land to the west, following Republican Road to the back of Burin Lane then zigzagging to take in Harrington Road, Puma Lane and Pridmore Road, before hitting the current city limits on Maddox Road. On the east side of Hwy. 67/167, the city is looking at taking in Holland Bottoms Road, Clifton Cove and a portion of Carrington Road.
After nearly three hours of debates, discussion and back-and-forth sassing at times, Fletcher finally said he was “bumfuzzled.”
“We are taking in your concerns. You aren’t having to give up much of your quality of life, if any, and we plan to spend a lot of money in the area,” the mayor said.
At the beginning of the public hearing, the mayor said Jacksonville would not offer city water or sewer to the annexed areas, at least not in the foreseeable future, but would offer better and cheaper sanitation services, police and fire protection and ambulance response.
The mayor said many of the complaints he had heard in the days before the council meeting included keeping livestock, hunting and ambulance costs.
He said city ordinances already allowed for livestock if the resident’s lot was large enough. “I live in the middle of the city and I have enough land to have a horse,” he said.
As far as hunting and discharging weapons, he said the area was already under county regulations, which did restrict, but not ban, the use of firearms.
“In your area, you have acreage and that’s different than lots in the city. We can make adjustments to our city ordinances that take in that difference,” Fletcher explained.
As far as ambulance costs, the mayor explained that MEMS charges $560 a run, plus a fee for mileage and supplies. The Jacksonville Fire Department ambulance run costs $395, plus mileage.
Code enforcement was another concern as a number of crowd members, including retired Rev. Lyndon Whitledge, said the city officials could come into homes if they felt there was a structural or welfare problem.
Fletcher said the ordinance was written that way, but “You won’t see a mass of gestapo trying to get into your home. That particular piece of the ordinance has been on the books for 40 years and people are citing it as a fear tactic,” the mayor said.
“We’ve tried to make all your concerns moot issues,” the mayor explained.
But that didn’t satisfy many in the crowd, as one person suggested the city needs better management, another implied the mayor was lying and Alderman Kevin McCleary was accused of not listening because he was chewing gum.
The rudeness from some in the audience prompted Alderman Terry Sansing to say after the council was asked if they were listening, “I’ve been listening to all the attitude and blatant hostility and it will have a strong influence on my decision. I don’t know yet whether I’ll vote for the ordinance which will help the city and you or be spiteful and vote against it because of all the disrespect shown tonight.
“For you to say that you love Jacksonville, you are sure bad mouthing it,” the alderman added.
But not all announcements were bad news or anti-annexation.
Alderman Reedie Ray said he had talked to residents in the East Valentine area just outside the city limits and they want to be a part of the city. “Please include that section when you write up the ordinance,” Ray said.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
EDITORIAL >>Revenues on the rise
If you can disregard 106-degree temperatures, there are some blessings to living in Arkansas in the sweltering summer of 2010. Here is one: Our state government is in better shape, by far, than almost any other state in the nation.
Yes, the recovery from the great recession that began in December 2007 is still painfully slow in Arkansas as well as everywhere else, and tens of thousands of families are still in pain, but our unemployment rate runs a couple of points behind the nation.
And while the state treasury and all the agencies that provide services to people are not flush with money, they are not in crisis.
That differentiates Arkansas from nearly every other state from California to Maine.
Joblessness and the reluctance of people who do work to spend on anything but necessities has reduced federal, state and local government revenues to a relative pittance. Most states have laid off thousands of state employees and withdrawn services because they are required (all but Vermont) to balance their spending with their tax receipts. The chairman of the Federal Reserve expressed alarm this week that the states’ and local governments’ fiscal distress and layoffs would plunge the country back into recession from the gentle growth of the past nine or ten months.
He doesn’t have to worry about Arkansas. The state has not had to lay off many workers, and although tax collections have been down for more than a year, the decline has not been enough to force either layoffs or a reduction in services. State employees just didn’t get the accustomed yearly raises. Monday, the state Finance and Administration Department reported that while state tax collections in July were still below pre-recession levels, they were a little higher than the receipts of July 2009 and considerably above what fiscal experts had expected. Income and sales-tax receipts indicate that a few more Arkansans have returned to work and are spending a little more freely. Corporations are doing great, as reflected by the tax receipts from corporations that have not used loopholes to escape their state income taxes.
Why is Arkansas doing so well or, stated better, why is it not doing as badly as the rest? One reason is that we were worse off to begin with. Arkansas had fewer manufacturing and processing jobs and other employment that were sensitive to an economic downturn. Laid-off workers in California made a lot more money than those laid off in Arkansas. We didn’t have as far to fall.
Governor Beebe might claim that he and the legislature deserve some credit for tight budgeting in 2007 and 2009, but as of Tuesday he had not. Beebe doesn’t do much boasting and he shouldn’t in this case.
Here is the elephant in the room: Federal stimulus money is a big reason that the Arkansas ship of state has found such relatively smooth sailing. Arkansas has been allocated some $2.6 billion the past year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has shored up state and local budgets. Early this year, the governor was alarmed about the prospect of having to slash medical services because the state Medicaid fund was about exhausted. He didn’t have to do that. Medicaid, thanks to the Reinvestment Act aid, is in good shape. The stimulus-funded 116 highway and bridge projects across the state, including the enlargement of the Interstate 430-630 interchange in Pulaski County, sent relief to every school district in the state, spent more than $100 million on weatherization and conservation projects to conserve energy, and funded health and human services, sanitation and water projects in nearly every county in the state. By the end of this year, some $1.3 billion will have been pumped into Pulaski County alone, mostly for education.
In Arkansas, the stimulus was just about enough to keep the wolf from the door. Maybe we can make it on our own from here on. In other states it helped but was not nearly enough. Here is the problem: In this integrated economy, California’s and New Jersey’s problems eventually become ours, too. We should be all right without another stimulus infusion (we still have about a billion dollars allocated but as yet unspent) but we shouldn’t object too strenuously if other states cry for more help. We may not be in the same boat, but we’re on the same choppy sea.
Yes, the recovery from the great recession that began in December 2007 is still painfully slow in Arkansas as well as everywhere else, and tens of thousands of families are still in pain, but our unemployment rate runs a couple of points behind the nation.
And while the state treasury and all the agencies that provide services to people are not flush with money, they are not in crisis.
That differentiates Arkansas from nearly every other state from California to Maine.
Joblessness and the reluctance of people who do work to spend on anything but necessities has reduced federal, state and local government revenues to a relative pittance. Most states have laid off thousands of state employees and withdrawn services because they are required (all but Vermont) to balance their spending with their tax receipts. The chairman of the Federal Reserve expressed alarm this week that the states’ and local governments’ fiscal distress and layoffs would plunge the country back into recession from the gentle growth of the past nine or ten months.
He doesn’t have to worry about Arkansas. The state has not had to lay off many workers, and although tax collections have been down for more than a year, the decline has not been enough to force either layoffs or a reduction in services. State employees just didn’t get the accustomed yearly raises. Monday, the state Finance and Administration Department reported that while state tax collections in July were still below pre-recession levels, they were a little higher than the receipts of July 2009 and considerably above what fiscal experts had expected. Income and sales-tax receipts indicate that a few more Arkansans have returned to work and are spending a little more freely. Corporations are doing great, as reflected by the tax receipts from corporations that have not used loopholes to escape their state income taxes.
Why is Arkansas doing so well or, stated better, why is it not doing as badly as the rest? One reason is that we were worse off to begin with. Arkansas had fewer manufacturing and processing jobs and other employment that were sensitive to an economic downturn. Laid-off workers in California made a lot more money than those laid off in Arkansas. We didn’t have as far to fall.
Governor Beebe might claim that he and the legislature deserve some credit for tight budgeting in 2007 and 2009, but as of Tuesday he had not. Beebe doesn’t do much boasting and he shouldn’t in this case.
Here is the elephant in the room: Federal stimulus money is a big reason that the Arkansas ship of state has found such relatively smooth sailing. Arkansas has been allocated some $2.6 billion the past year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has shored up state and local budgets. Early this year, the governor was alarmed about the prospect of having to slash medical services because the state Medicaid fund was about exhausted. He didn’t have to do that. Medicaid, thanks to the Reinvestment Act aid, is in good shape. The stimulus-funded 116 highway and bridge projects across the state, including the enlargement of the Interstate 430-630 interchange in Pulaski County, sent relief to every school district in the state, spent more than $100 million on weatherization and conservation projects to conserve energy, and funded health and human services, sanitation and water projects in nearly every county in the state. By the end of this year, some $1.3 billion will have been pumped into Pulaski County alone, mostly for education.
In Arkansas, the stimulus was just about enough to keep the wolf from the door. Maybe we can make it on our own from here on. In other states it helped but was not nearly enough. Here is the problem: In this integrated economy, California’s and New Jersey’s problems eventually become ours, too. We should be all right without another stimulus infusion (we still have about a billion dollars allocated but as yet unspent) but we shouldn’t object too strenuously if other states cry for more help. We may not be in the same boat, but we’re on the same choppy sea.
EDITORIAL >>Revenues on the rise
If you can disregard 106-degree temperatures, there are some blessings to living in Arkansas in the sweltering summer of 2010. Here is one: Our state government is in better shape, by far, than almost any other state in the nation.
Yes, the recovery from the great recession that began in December 2007 is still painfully slow in Arkansas as well as everywhere else, and tens of thousands of families are still in pain, but our unemployment rate runs a couple of points behind the nation.
And while the state treasury and all the agencies that provide services to people are not flush with money, they are not in crisis.
That differentiates Arkansas from nearly every other state from California to Maine.
Joblessness and the reluctance of people who do work to spend on anything but necessities has reduced federal, state and local government revenues to a relative pittance. Most states have laid off thousands of state employees and withdrawn services because they are required (all but Vermont) to balance their spending with their tax receipts. The chairman of the Federal Reserve expressed alarm this week that the states’ and local governments’ fiscal distress and layoffs would plunge the country back into recession from the gentle growth of the past nine or ten months.
He doesn’t have to worry about Arkansas. The state has not had to lay off many workers, and although tax collections have been down for more than a year, the decline has not been enough to force either layoffs or a reduction in services. State employees just didn’t get the accustomed yearly raises. Monday, the state Finance and Administration Department reported that while state tax collections in July were still below pre-recession levels, they were a little higher than the receipts of July 2009 and considerably above what fiscal experts had expected. Income and sales-tax receipts indicate that a few more Arkansans have returned to work and are spending a little more freely. Corporations are doing great, as reflected by the tax receipts from corporations that have not used loopholes to escape their state income taxes.
Why is Arkansas doing so well or, stated better, why is it not doing as badly as the rest? One reason is that we were worse off to begin with. Arkansas had fewer manufacturing and processing jobs and other employment that were sensitive to an economic downturn. Laid-off workers in California made a lot more money than those laid off in Arkansas. We didn’t have as far to fall.
Governor Beebe might claim that he and the legislature deserve some credit for tight budgeting in 2007 and 2009, but as of Tuesday he had not. Beebe doesn’t do much boasting and he shouldn’t in this case.
Here is the elephant in the room: Federal stimulus money is a big reason that the Arkansas ship of state has found such relatively smooth sailing. Arkansas has been allocated some $2.6 billion the past year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has shored up state and local budgets. Early this year, the governor was alarmed about the prospect of having to slash medical services because the state Medicaid fund was about exhausted. He didn’t have to do that. Medicaid, thanks to the Reinvestment Act aid, is in good shape. The stimulus-funded 116 highway and bridge projects across the state, including the enlargement of the Interstate 430-630 interchange in Pulaski County, sent relief to every school district in the state, spent more than $100 million on weatherization and conservation projects to conserve energy, and funded health and human services, sanitation and water projects in nearly every county in the state. By the end of this year, some $1.3 billion will have been pumped into Pulaski County alone, mostly for education.
In Arkansas, the stimulus was just about enough to keep the wolf from the door. Maybe we can make it on our own from here on. In other states it helped but was not nearly enough. Here is the problem: In this integrated economy, California’s and New Jersey’s problems eventually become ours, too. We should be all right without another stimulus infusion (we still have about a billion dollars allocated but as yet unspent) but we shouldn’t object too strenuously if other states cry for more help. We may not be in the same boat, but we’re on the same choppy sea.
Yes, the recovery from the great recession that began in December 2007 is still painfully slow in Arkansas as well as everywhere else, and tens of thousands of families are still in pain, but our unemployment rate runs a couple of points behind the nation.
And while the state treasury and all the agencies that provide services to people are not flush with money, they are not in crisis.
That differentiates Arkansas from nearly every other state from California to Maine.
Joblessness and the reluctance of people who do work to spend on anything but necessities has reduced federal, state and local government revenues to a relative pittance. Most states have laid off thousands of state employees and withdrawn services because they are required (all but Vermont) to balance their spending with their tax receipts. The chairman of the Federal Reserve expressed alarm this week that the states’ and local governments’ fiscal distress and layoffs would plunge the country back into recession from the gentle growth of the past nine or ten months.
He doesn’t have to worry about Arkansas. The state has not had to lay off many workers, and although tax collections have been down for more than a year, the decline has not been enough to force either layoffs or a reduction in services. State employees just didn’t get the accustomed yearly raises. Monday, the state Finance and Administration Department reported that while state tax collections in July were still below pre-recession levels, they were a little higher than the receipts of July 2009 and considerably above what fiscal experts had expected. Income and sales-tax receipts indicate that a few more Arkansans have returned to work and are spending a little more freely. Corporations are doing great, as reflected by the tax receipts from corporations that have not used loopholes to escape their state income taxes.
Why is Arkansas doing so well or, stated better, why is it not doing as badly as the rest? One reason is that we were worse off to begin with. Arkansas had fewer manufacturing and processing jobs and other employment that were sensitive to an economic downturn. Laid-off workers in California made a lot more money than those laid off in Arkansas. We didn’t have as far to fall.
Governor Beebe might claim that he and the legislature deserve some credit for tight budgeting in 2007 and 2009, but as of Tuesday he had not. Beebe doesn’t do much boasting and he shouldn’t in this case.
Here is the elephant in the room: Federal stimulus money is a big reason that the Arkansas ship of state has found such relatively smooth sailing. Arkansas has been allocated some $2.6 billion the past year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has shored up state and local budgets. Early this year, the governor was alarmed about the prospect of having to slash medical services because the state Medicaid fund was about exhausted. He didn’t have to do that. Medicaid, thanks to the Reinvestment Act aid, is in good shape. The stimulus-funded 116 highway and bridge projects across the state, including the enlargement of the Interstate 430-630 interchange in Pulaski County, sent relief to every school district in the state, spent more than $100 million on weatherization and conservation projects to conserve energy, and funded health and human services, sanitation and water projects in nearly every county in the state. By the end of this year, some $1.3 billion will have been pumped into Pulaski County alone, mostly for education.
In Arkansas, the stimulus was just about enough to keep the wolf from the door. Maybe we can make it on our own from here on. In other states it helped but was not nearly enough. Here is the problem: In this integrated economy, California’s and New Jersey’s problems eventually become ours, too. We should be all right without another stimulus infusion (we still have about a billion dollars allocated but as yet unspent) but we shouldn’t object too strenuously if other states cry for more help. We may not be in the same boat, but we’re on the same choppy sea.
TOP STORY > >Agency lowers temperature
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
Lonoke County residents unable to afford cooling relief from the triple-digit temperatures could pick up free air conditioners and fans on Friday from the Central Arkansas Development Council.
The CADC in Lonoke County had 200 fans and 20 window- unit air conditioners for distribution at the Lonoke County Fairgrounds in Lonoke.
The air conditioners and fans were available to people with incomes under 200 percent of the poverty level, seniors 70 years old or older, individuals with medical disabilities or families with children under six years old. The fans and air conditioners were purchased with stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
CADC allocated Lonoke County $5,000 for 200 fans and $5,400 for 20 air conditioners. The CADC allocated Pulaski County $10,000 for 400 fans and $10,800 for 40 air conditioners. The Pulaski County office on 5401 S. University Ave., Little Rock distributed air conditioners and fans today.
Brandon Gooden of Carlisle picked up a fan at the Lonoke County Fairgrounds.
He said, “It is very helpful. I’m going to put this one to use because it’s hot.”
Donna Lee of Cabot got a fan and said, “I moved down here five weeks ago from Kalamazoo, Mich., for employment.”
She had seven interviews this week and was hopeful to be employed by next week.
“It is so hot, the heat and the humidity. I have asthma. The air conditioner does not work well in the house,” she said.
Walter Holloway of Lonoke was getting an air conditioner. He has heart disease and bad respiration.
“I need a cool, comfortable place to lie down,” he said.
“From spring through fall I’m contained to the house,” Holloway said.
He has an air conditioner in his bedroom, but it does not put out much air. He said it is gradually going out. Holloway is retired and on Social Security and is unable to purchase a new air conditioner.
“All the money is used to pay bills,” he said.
Lonoke County residents who are still needing a fan or air conditioning unit and qualify economically for assistance can fill out an application at the CADC Lonoke office, 117 SE Front St., or call 1-800-406-5562 for more information.
Leader staff writer
Lonoke County residents unable to afford cooling relief from the triple-digit temperatures could pick up free air conditioners and fans on Friday from the Central Arkansas Development Council.
The CADC in Lonoke County had 200 fans and 20 window- unit air conditioners for distribution at the Lonoke County Fairgrounds in Lonoke.
The air conditioners and fans were available to people with incomes under 200 percent of the poverty level, seniors 70 years old or older, individuals with medical disabilities or families with children under six years old. The fans and air conditioners were purchased with stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
CADC allocated Lonoke County $5,000 for 200 fans and $5,400 for 20 air conditioners. The CADC allocated Pulaski County $10,000 for 400 fans and $10,800 for 40 air conditioners. The Pulaski County office on 5401 S. University Ave., Little Rock distributed air conditioners and fans today.
Brandon Gooden of Carlisle picked up a fan at the Lonoke County Fairgrounds.
He said, “It is very helpful. I’m going to put this one to use because it’s hot.”
Donna Lee of Cabot got a fan and said, “I moved down here five weeks ago from Kalamazoo, Mich., for employment.”
She had seven interviews this week and was hopeful to be employed by next week.
“It is so hot, the heat and the humidity. I have asthma. The air conditioner does not work well in the house,” she said.
Walter Holloway of Lonoke was getting an air conditioner. He has heart disease and bad respiration.
“I need a cool, comfortable place to lie down,” he said.
“From spring through fall I’m contained to the house,” Holloway said.
He has an air conditioner in his bedroom, but it does not put out much air. He said it is gradually going out. Holloway is retired and on Social Security and is unable to purchase a new air conditioner.
“All the money is used to pay bills,” he said.
Lonoke County residents who are still needing a fan or air conditioning unit and qualify economically for assistance can fill out an application at the CADC Lonoke office, 117 SE Front St., or call 1-800-406-5562 for more information.
TOP STORY > >Candidates starting to file
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
The filing period starts at noon today and will end at noon Tuesday, Aug. 24 for city offices in Cabot, Beebe and Austin, where all candidates run as independents.
To file, each candidate needs a petition with 30 signatures of registered voters from their cities and these forms available from the county clerk: a notarized affidavit of eligibility and a signed political-practice pledge.
In Cabot, Alderman Eddie Cook, Bill Cypert, secretary and spokesman for the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, and former Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh have announced for mayor.
There have been no formal announcements for Cabot City Council, but longtime Alderman Ed Long, contacted Monday, said he will run for at least one more two-year term. Long said since the mayor will be new, some council members need to return for the sake of continuity.
Since Cook is running for mayor, his Ward 1, Position 2 seat is open. Alderman Patrick Hutton, Ward 2, Position 1; Alderman Jon Moore, Ward 2, Position 2; and Alderman Rick Prentice, Ward 3, Position 2, have all been observed gathering the 30 signatures they will need to run for re-election.
Alderman Ann Gilliam, Ward 4, Position 1, said Monday that she intends to file on Monday Aug. 9.
Alderman Lisa Brickell, Ward 4, Position 2, got married this week and is out of the country. Brickell, who has recently completed a degree in education, was absent from several meetings during the past two years and it is unknown if she intends to run for a third term.
Alderman Tom Armstrong’s Ward 3, Position 1 seat could be open. Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.
Friends and family ran his successful campaign in 2008 against Stumbaugh. But Armstrong has been absent from most meetings since the last election.
Cabot Clerk-Treasurer Marva Verkler is not running for re-election. Norma Naquin, who runs the office at public works, has announced for that office as has Tammy Yocom, the city’s deputy clerk-treasurer.
In Beebe, Mayor Mike Robert-son announced several months ago that he would run for re-election.
Clerk-Treasurer Carol Crump-Westergren said Monday that she is running for a second four-year term and that all six council members have told her they will run for re-election: Harold Welch, Ward 1, Position 1; Linda Anthony, Ward 1, Position 2; Becky Short, Ward 2, Position 1; Tracy Lightfoot, Ward 2, Position 2; John Johnson, Ward 3, Position 1, and Les Cossey, Ward 3, Position 2.
Crump-Westergren said she has heard rumors that some of the council members may have competition for their seats, but so far she and the mayor have no opponents.
In Austin, Mayor Bernie Chamberlain, in office since 2000, says she plans to run again. So far no other candidate has announced, but Chamberlain said she thinks she will have an opponent.
Donna Soellner will not run again for Ward 1, Position 6.
James Moore, the developer and former Cabot alderman who moved to Austin, was appointed two months ago to the Ward 2, Position 2 seat held by Johnny McNair who moved to Ward. Moore said Monday that he will not run for the position.
These Austin officials are thought to be running for re-election the mayor said: Alderman Laurel Carnes, Ward 1, Position 3; Alderman Tammy Williams, Ward 2, Position 5; Alderman Rusty Eisenhower, Ward 3, Position 1, and Alderman Randy Ryan, Ward 3, Position 4.
Leader staff writer
The filing period starts at noon today and will end at noon Tuesday, Aug. 24 for city offices in Cabot, Beebe and Austin, where all candidates run as independents.
To file, each candidate needs a petition with 30 signatures of registered voters from their cities and these forms available from the county clerk: a notarized affidavit of eligibility and a signed political-practice pledge.
In Cabot, Alderman Eddie Cook, Bill Cypert, secretary and spokesman for the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, and former Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh have announced for mayor.
There have been no formal announcements for Cabot City Council, but longtime Alderman Ed Long, contacted Monday, said he will run for at least one more two-year term. Long said since the mayor will be new, some council members need to return for the sake of continuity.
Since Cook is running for mayor, his Ward 1, Position 2 seat is open. Alderman Patrick Hutton, Ward 2, Position 1; Alderman Jon Moore, Ward 2, Position 2; and Alderman Rick Prentice, Ward 3, Position 2, have all been observed gathering the 30 signatures they will need to run for re-election.
Alderman Ann Gilliam, Ward 4, Position 1, said Monday that she intends to file on Monday Aug. 9.
Alderman Lisa Brickell, Ward 4, Position 2, got married this week and is out of the country. Brickell, who has recently completed a degree in education, was absent from several meetings during the past two years and it is unknown if she intends to run for a third term.
Alderman Tom Armstrong’s Ward 3, Position 1 seat could be open. Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.
Friends and family ran his successful campaign in 2008 against Stumbaugh. But Armstrong has been absent from most meetings since the last election.
Cabot Clerk-Treasurer Marva Verkler is not running for re-election. Norma Naquin, who runs the office at public works, has announced for that office as has Tammy Yocom, the city’s deputy clerk-treasurer.
In Beebe, Mayor Mike Robert-son announced several months ago that he would run for re-election.
Clerk-Treasurer Carol Crump-Westergren said Monday that she is running for a second four-year term and that all six council members have told her they will run for re-election: Harold Welch, Ward 1, Position 1; Linda Anthony, Ward 1, Position 2; Becky Short, Ward 2, Position 1; Tracy Lightfoot, Ward 2, Position 2; John Johnson, Ward 3, Position 1, and Les Cossey, Ward 3, Position 2.
Crump-Westergren said she has heard rumors that some of the council members may have competition for their seats, but so far she and the mayor have no opponents.
In Austin, Mayor Bernie Chamberlain, in office since 2000, says she plans to run again. So far no other candidate has announced, but Chamberlain said she thinks she will have an opponent.
Donna Soellner will not run again for Ward 1, Position 6.
James Moore, the developer and former Cabot alderman who moved to Austin, was appointed two months ago to the Ward 2, Position 2 seat held by Johnny McNair who moved to Ward. Moore said Monday that he will not run for the position.
These Austin officials are thought to be running for re-election the mayor said: Alderman Laurel Carnes, Ward 1, Position 3; Alderman Tammy Williams, Ward 2, Position 5; Alderman Rusty Eisenhower, Ward 3, Position 1, and Alderman Randy Ryan, Ward 3, Position 4.
TOP STORY > >New commander at base ready for challenges ahead
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Recurring themes were family, community and excellence Monday at Little Rock Air Force Base as Col. Michael A. Minihan formally assumed command of the 19th Airlift Wing from Col. Gregory S. Otey, who is headed to an important job at the Pentagon.
Lt. Gen. Robert R. Allardice, commander of the 18th Air Force, presided over the traditional change-of-command ceremony in which the wing’s flag, or guidon, was transferred from Otey to Allardice and from Allardice to Minihan.
Allardice also pinned the Legion of Honor medal on Otey for a long list of accomplishments during the 18 months he served as base commander.
“It’s an honor to rejoin with old friends who taught me how to be a (tactical) airlifter,” Minihan told the 19th Airlift Wing Black Knights assembled in a hangar for the ceremony. “We enjoy the warm embrace of an award-winning community, and there is no place I’d rather be.”
Minihan served from May 1991 until September 1994 as a command pilot with the 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base.
“The green-tail model E (vintage C-130) in front of me is a beautiful sight for sore eyes. It’s an honor to partner with the 314th (Air Education Wing) and the 189th Airlift Wing and be part of the C-130 Center of Excellence.”
Minihan comes from Travis Air Force Base in California, where he was the vice commander of the 60th Air Mobility Wing.
To the Otey family, he said, “Greg, Lisa and the Otey boys, thank you for your warm embrace and making this transition so easy.
I pledge to carry on your mission, people and fun focus. It’s not lost on me that I’m standing here today in large part because of you.”
DINNER-TABLE HEROES
“Let me take a moment to thank my family. I owe them my happiness and they make me complete,” Minihan said. “The true heroes in my life have always sat at the dining room table and they still do.”
Allardice spoke to the assembled airmen and guests, who included area mayors and representatives from the congressional delegation.
“Thank you families for all you do to support our airmen,” the general said.
To local community leaders, he said, “Your leadership and partnership with our airmen here on the base is so important, I want to thank you for everything you do to support our airmen every single day because without you we just don’t have an installation and it’s a mutual relation.
“Virtually anything that happens in the world of substance, you’ll have the Air Mobility Command there, and where you have the Air Mobility Command, you have C-130s and the men and women of Little Rock Air Force Base and the 19th Airlift Wing are involved.
“I’m proud today to stand on the same stage as these two great leaders of the tactical airlift community.”
MOST DIVERSE WING
“The 19th Airlift Wing is probably the most diverse wing in the 18th Air Force. I don’t have any other wings with the number of airplanes you have, and the number of units in geographically located positions. You have assets in Wyoming. You have assets in Colorado Springs. You have assets here and at Keesler and continual deployment in the sandbox, as we call it.”
He praised Otey for being “the driving force behind the impressive operations center, consistently involved in contingency operations, for helping stand up the C-130J operations locally and in Afghanistan and for full-force integration of the Guard and the Reserves to present a homogenous operation in the Air Force.”
Allardice said Otey’s assignment to the Pentagon as Senior Air Force Planner for Joint Matters is a position (where) we put our very best and brightest. It’s a huge, huge job. He’s going into what is often (a general-) making job.”
FAITH, FAMILY, AIR FORCE
In his turn, Otey thanked his troops and his family and said his personal priorities had been faith, family and the Air Force.
“The good Lord continues to bless the Otey family,” he said. “Lisa, you’re truly an amazing, wonderful wife mother and friend.
Little Rock Air Force Base is where we met. My kids, Jake, Chris and Luke, I’m proud to be the commander of the 19th Airlift Wing,” he said, “but prouder to be your dad.”
“The past 18 months have been a great ride,” Otey said. “Community leaders are huge players in our Air Force family.”
He said the sign at the Vanden-berg entrance to the base says “Home to the AMC’s best community support,” in reference to winning the Abilene Trophy for best community, and he said it was fitting that the backdrop was the new Joint Education Center. “This is a one-of-a kind community when it comes to support,” he said.
AMC JEWEL
“Mini and Ashley, thank you for what you will do. You are blessed to command one of AMC’s jewels.
“Mini, I could not think of a better person to pass the Black Knight flag to.”
Otey said his mantra had been “Mission first, people always and nothing but 19th Airlift Wing excellence. And while doing that we were going to have some fun along the way.”
Minihan said he would strive to maintain those goals.
“We are combat airlifters,” Minihan said. “Team Little Rock, that’s our mission and our mindset.
“We are tactical outreach and we are relentless in our pursuit of on-time and on-target.
“We’ve taken over 21,000 convoys off the road in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Minihan said.
BEANS AND BULLETS
“Some days our mission is to train and some days it is to rest and reconstitute. We are the bus that takes warriors to work and brings them home again. We’re the delivery van that takes beans and bullets to the front lines, and some days we’re the ambulance fighting to preserve precious American lifeblood, and some sorrowful days we are the hearse that flies home one last time.”
“Right now 735 of our airlifters are in harm’s way in the air, on the ground, inside the wire, outside the wire at this very moment we are supporting soldiers, sailors, airmen marines and coasties. (Families) are praying that we keep their loved ones safe.”
Minihan is a third-generation Air Force officer. His grandfather flew a B-26 and his father was another successful Air Force officer, Allardice said. “He understands the Air Force mission and is committed to excellence.
“Mike, I know you’ll hit the ground running,” the general said.
Minihan is a command pilot with more than 3,200 flying hours in a variety of aircraft including the C-130. He has received many awards for accomplishments to include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak-leaf clusters and the Air Medal with five oak-leaf clusters.
LEGION OF MERIT
As Allardice pinned the Legion of Merit on Otey, a citation was read crediting him with commanding the wing with 52 C-130s and 4,300 active-duty personnel, the largest C-130 contributor to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
The base has 17 planes continuously in theater and supplies 40 percent of the C-130 combat airlift capability in areas of responsibility.
Otey was cited for the base’s runner-up finish in the 2009 Air Mobility commanders-in chief installation-excellence award.
“He rescued Little Rock Air Force Base’s privatized-housing program by implementing the new $83 million housing contract for 141 new and 859 renovated housing units,” the general said.
“He championed energy savings, reduced fossil-fuel reliance, ran synthetic fuel tests for the C-130J.”
The citation also says Otey guided the base to 96 percent compliance of 812 check-list items for the AMC’s 2010 air-traffic system inspection and the base received an excellent rating on compliance inspection.
“He reflects great credit upon himself and the Air Force,” according to the citation.
The Legion of Merit is conferred on officers and enlisted men of the armed forces of the United States and on citizens of other countries “who shall have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services.”
Leader senior staff writer
Recurring themes were family, community and excellence Monday at Little Rock Air Force Base as Col. Michael A. Minihan formally assumed command of the 19th Airlift Wing from Col. Gregory S. Otey, who is headed to an important job at the Pentagon.
Lt. Gen. Robert R. Allardice, commander of the 18th Air Force, presided over the traditional change-of-command ceremony in which the wing’s flag, or guidon, was transferred from Otey to Allardice and from Allardice to Minihan.
Allardice also pinned the Legion of Honor medal on Otey for a long list of accomplishments during the 18 months he served as base commander.
“It’s an honor to rejoin with old friends who taught me how to be a (tactical) airlifter,” Minihan told the 19th Airlift Wing Black Knights assembled in a hangar for the ceremony. “We enjoy the warm embrace of an award-winning community, and there is no place I’d rather be.”
Minihan served from May 1991 until September 1994 as a command pilot with the 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base.
“The green-tail model E (vintage C-130) in front of me is a beautiful sight for sore eyes. It’s an honor to partner with the 314th (Air Education Wing) and the 189th Airlift Wing and be part of the C-130 Center of Excellence.”
Minihan comes from Travis Air Force Base in California, where he was the vice commander of the 60th Air Mobility Wing.
To the Otey family, he said, “Greg, Lisa and the Otey boys, thank you for your warm embrace and making this transition so easy.
I pledge to carry on your mission, people and fun focus. It’s not lost on me that I’m standing here today in large part because of you.”
DINNER-TABLE HEROES
“Let me take a moment to thank my family. I owe them my happiness and they make me complete,” Minihan said. “The true heroes in my life have always sat at the dining room table and they still do.”
Allardice spoke to the assembled airmen and guests, who included area mayors and representatives from the congressional delegation.
“Thank you families for all you do to support our airmen,” the general said.
To local community leaders, he said, “Your leadership and partnership with our airmen here on the base is so important, I want to thank you for everything you do to support our airmen every single day because without you we just don’t have an installation and it’s a mutual relation.
“Virtually anything that happens in the world of substance, you’ll have the Air Mobility Command there, and where you have the Air Mobility Command, you have C-130s and the men and women of Little Rock Air Force Base and the 19th Airlift Wing are involved.
“I’m proud today to stand on the same stage as these two great leaders of the tactical airlift community.”
MOST DIVERSE WING
“The 19th Airlift Wing is probably the most diverse wing in the 18th Air Force. I don’t have any other wings with the number of airplanes you have, and the number of units in geographically located positions. You have assets in Wyoming. You have assets in Colorado Springs. You have assets here and at Keesler and continual deployment in the sandbox, as we call it.”
He praised Otey for being “the driving force behind the impressive operations center, consistently involved in contingency operations, for helping stand up the C-130J operations locally and in Afghanistan and for full-force integration of the Guard and the Reserves to present a homogenous operation in the Air Force.”
Allardice said Otey’s assignment to the Pentagon as Senior Air Force Planner for Joint Matters is a position (where) we put our very best and brightest. It’s a huge, huge job. He’s going into what is often (a general-) making job.”
FAITH, FAMILY, AIR FORCE
In his turn, Otey thanked his troops and his family and said his personal priorities had been faith, family and the Air Force.
“The good Lord continues to bless the Otey family,” he said. “Lisa, you’re truly an amazing, wonderful wife mother and friend.
Little Rock Air Force Base is where we met. My kids, Jake, Chris and Luke, I’m proud to be the commander of the 19th Airlift Wing,” he said, “but prouder to be your dad.”
“The past 18 months have been a great ride,” Otey said. “Community leaders are huge players in our Air Force family.”
He said the sign at the Vanden-berg entrance to the base says “Home to the AMC’s best community support,” in reference to winning the Abilene Trophy for best community, and he said it was fitting that the backdrop was the new Joint Education Center. “This is a one-of-a kind community when it comes to support,” he said.
AMC JEWEL
“Mini and Ashley, thank you for what you will do. You are blessed to command one of AMC’s jewels.
“Mini, I could not think of a better person to pass the Black Knight flag to.”
Otey said his mantra had been “Mission first, people always and nothing but 19th Airlift Wing excellence. And while doing that we were going to have some fun along the way.”
Minihan said he would strive to maintain those goals.
“We are combat airlifters,” Minihan said. “Team Little Rock, that’s our mission and our mindset.
“We are tactical outreach and we are relentless in our pursuit of on-time and on-target.
“We’ve taken over 21,000 convoys off the road in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Minihan said.
BEANS AND BULLETS
“Some days our mission is to train and some days it is to rest and reconstitute. We are the bus that takes warriors to work and brings them home again. We’re the delivery van that takes beans and bullets to the front lines, and some days we’re the ambulance fighting to preserve precious American lifeblood, and some sorrowful days we are the hearse that flies home one last time.”
“Right now 735 of our airlifters are in harm’s way in the air, on the ground, inside the wire, outside the wire at this very moment we are supporting soldiers, sailors, airmen marines and coasties. (Families) are praying that we keep their loved ones safe.”
Minihan is a third-generation Air Force officer. His grandfather flew a B-26 and his father was another successful Air Force officer, Allardice said. “He understands the Air Force mission and is committed to excellence.
“Mike, I know you’ll hit the ground running,” the general said.
Minihan is a command pilot with more than 3,200 flying hours in a variety of aircraft including the C-130. He has received many awards for accomplishments to include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak-leaf clusters and the Air Medal with five oak-leaf clusters.
LEGION OF MERIT
As Allardice pinned the Legion of Merit on Otey, a citation was read crediting him with commanding the wing with 52 C-130s and 4,300 active-duty personnel, the largest C-130 contributor to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
The base has 17 planes continuously in theater and supplies 40 percent of the C-130 combat airlift capability in areas of responsibility.
Otey was cited for the base’s runner-up finish in the 2009 Air Mobility commanders-in chief installation-excellence award.
“He rescued Little Rock Air Force Base’s privatized-housing program by implementing the new $83 million housing contract for 141 new and 859 renovated housing units,” the general said.
“He championed energy savings, reduced fossil-fuel reliance, ran synthetic fuel tests for the C-130J.”
The citation also says Otey guided the base to 96 percent compliance of 812 check-list items for the AMC’s 2010 air-traffic system inspection and the base received an excellent rating on compliance inspection.
“He reflects great credit upon himself and the Air Force,” according to the citation.
The Legion of Merit is conferred on officers and enlisted men of the armed forces of the United States and on citizens of other countries “who shall have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services.”
TOP STORY > >SCORCHIG HEAT
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Tuesday marked the fifth 100-degree- plus day in a row and triple digit days are forecast through Friday, when it will cool down to 98 degrees.
Bring in the heat index and temperatures have hit as high as 121 degrees this week.
Right now the summer heat average is ahead of the all-time record set back in 1954.
The National Weather Service says this heat wave is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Heat is the number-one weather-related killer across the United States, more than hurricanes, floods, lightning and tornadoes.
Nationwide, the average number of heat-related deaths is 162 per year. In Arkansas, through July, there have been five deaths attributed to the heat.
The first 100-degree day in almost two years came July 15 (there were none in all of 2009). Since then, there has been seven other 100-degree plus days in July, add that to the August heat and the area has seen 10 days of 100 degrees or more so far this summer.
The weather service says central Arkansas normally gets six triple-digit days per decade, an average of less than one a year.
Even though 10 triple-digit days are well above normal, it isn’t close yet to the 47 triple-digit days experienced in 1980.
For this year, central Arkansas has also seen 72 90-degree days, nearly 20 more than last year.
The average summer temperature (June through August) for this year so far is 85.7 degrees –on track to be the hottest summer on record. The hottest summer on record goes back to 1954 when the average high was 85.41 degrees.
The month of July was the sixth warmest on record and the warmest July in 12 years, and even the lows were warm. In terms of the average low temperature, it was the second- warmest month on record.
All 31 days had highs of 90 degrees or more. This hasn’t happened since 1993. July’s eight triple-digits days were the most for a July since 1998.
Even though there were a number of storms, including some severe rainfall and flooding, it was still the driest July in a decade.
The combination of high temperatures and lack of rain has brought moderate to severe drought conditions to the southern and eastern portion of the state. Surprisingly, all of Hawaii is under moderate to severe drought conditions and even two large portions of Alaska are reporting drought conditions.
Jacksonville Fire Chief John Vanderhoof said his department has had just a few heat-related runs.
“People are recognizing how hot it is and taking necessary precautions,” the chief said.
He said the firefighters haven’t had to battle any fires yet in the extreme heat, but when they do, tents with water misters will be set up. “And we’ll change out people as often as possible to keep them safe,” the chief said.
Barbara Merrick of Entergy said outside-electric workers are doing most of their work early in the morning. “If they have a job where they have to don the heavy jackets and gloves, it is scheduled first thing in the morning,” Merrick said.
She said the heat is increasing electrical usage, but so far Entergy is handling it well. “We have a number of steps in place including automatic shutoff of some customers and other customers are shifting their electrical use to off-peak times,” she explained.
Leader staff writer
Tuesday marked the fifth 100-degree- plus day in a row and triple digit days are forecast through Friday, when it will cool down to 98 degrees.
Bring in the heat index and temperatures have hit as high as 121 degrees this week.
Right now the summer heat average is ahead of the all-time record set back in 1954.
The National Weather Service says this heat wave is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Heat is the number-one weather-related killer across the United States, more than hurricanes, floods, lightning and tornadoes.
Nationwide, the average number of heat-related deaths is 162 per year. In Arkansas, through July, there have been five deaths attributed to the heat.
The first 100-degree day in almost two years came July 15 (there were none in all of 2009). Since then, there has been seven other 100-degree plus days in July, add that to the August heat and the area has seen 10 days of 100 degrees or more so far this summer.
The weather service says central Arkansas normally gets six triple-digit days per decade, an average of less than one a year.
Even though 10 triple-digit days are well above normal, it isn’t close yet to the 47 triple-digit days experienced in 1980.
For this year, central Arkansas has also seen 72 90-degree days, nearly 20 more than last year.
The average summer temperature (June through August) for this year so far is 85.7 degrees –on track to be the hottest summer on record. The hottest summer on record goes back to 1954 when the average high was 85.41 degrees.
The month of July was the sixth warmest on record and the warmest July in 12 years, and even the lows were warm. In terms of the average low temperature, it was the second- warmest month on record.
All 31 days had highs of 90 degrees or more. This hasn’t happened since 1993. July’s eight triple-digits days were the most for a July since 1998.
Even though there were a number of storms, including some severe rainfall and flooding, it was still the driest July in a decade.
The combination of high temperatures and lack of rain has brought moderate to severe drought conditions to the southern and eastern portion of the state. Surprisingly, all of Hawaii is under moderate to severe drought conditions and even two large portions of Alaska are reporting drought conditions.
Jacksonville Fire Chief John Vanderhoof said his department has had just a few heat-related runs.
“People are recognizing how hot it is and taking necessary precautions,” the chief said.
He said the firefighters haven’t had to battle any fires yet in the extreme heat, but when they do, tents with water misters will be set up. “And we’ll change out people as often as possible to keep them safe,” the chief said.
Barbara Merrick of Entergy said outside-electric workers are doing most of their work early in the morning. “If they have a job where they have to don the heavy jackets and gloves, it is scheduled first thing in the morning,” Merrick said.
She said the heat is increasing electrical usage, but so far Entergy is handling it well. “We have a number of steps in place including automatic shutoff of some customers and other customers are shifting their electrical use to off-peak times,” she explained.
SPORTS>>Seniors taking charge to help newest coach of Red Devils
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Senior leadership does not appear to be a problem for Rick Russell.
The seniors on this year’s Jacksonville Red Devils were sophomores when Russell announced he was leaving his job as defensive coordinator at Jacksonville to become North Pulaski’s head coach in May of 2008.
But with two years of maturation, and the return of Russell, the group of 21 senior Red Devils has taken the reins as team leaders.
“All summer long, the seniors have come up and worked,” Russell said. “They repainted the dressing room and cleaned out the lockers. They want to take pride in their senior year, and they’ve not shied from working.
“The facility is nicer and they’ve built some bonds together; hard working group, close knit.”
With the start of practice this week, Russell said the leadership has transferred to the field.
“Today was a really, really good day,” Russell said Tuesday morning. “I told them before we took our break that it wasn’t a good day, it was a great day. We’re getting a lot of concentration and fantastic effort — just night and day from yesterday.”
The number of dressed-out Red Devilsgrew from 45 on Monday to 52 by Tuesday, and Russell expects close to 60 once all of the required student paperwork is completed.
With temperatures climbing toward 105 degrees, the coaching staff has not focused on conditioning, but has begun the process of installing offensive and defensive schemes. Russell, who will run the defense, wants to have 80 percent of the defense and 75 percent of offense done by the end of practice today.
“We want to have three of our base set defenses in, all the different fronts for each defense and most of the stunts. So we’re doing a lot of teaching.”
The Red Devils will take on their rival Cabot in the season opener Aug. 31, but for Russell, their only opponent as of now is the summer heat.
“I’m not big on Cabot right now,” Russell said. “I’m big on getting better. During the weekly grind, you’ve got one week to prepare for your next opponent. So we’ll probably start approaching Cabot about that same time.”
Russell’s familiarity with the Jacksonville program has eased his transition.
“It’s comfortable; it fits,” Russell said. “It’s not difficult to go to practice and try and get to know new coaches and new players.
That’s a lot more difficult than the situation I have this year.
“I had some good relationships with the seniors and knew most of the juniors, and I’m proud of the way the players and the coaches responded to me coming in. It’s been a successful transition.”
Leader sportswriter
Senior leadership does not appear to be a problem for Rick Russell.
The seniors on this year’s Jacksonville Red Devils were sophomores when Russell announced he was leaving his job as defensive coordinator at Jacksonville to become North Pulaski’s head coach in May of 2008.
But with two years of maturation, and the return of Russell, the group of 21 senior Red Devils has taken the reins as team leaders.
“All summer long, the seniors have come up and worked,” Russell said. “They repainted the dressing room and cleaned out the lockers. They want to take pride in their senior year, and they’ve not shied from working.
“The facility is nicer and they’ve built some bonds together; hard working group, close knit.”
With the start of practice this week, Russell said the leadership has transferred to the field.
“Today was a really, really good day,” Russell said Tuesday morning. “I told them before we took our break that it wasn’t a good day, it was a great day. We’re getting a lot of concentration and fantastic effort — just night and day from yesterday.”
The number of dressed-out Red Devilsgrew from 45 on Monday to 52 by Tuesday, and Russell expects close to 60 once all of the required student paperwork is completed.
With temperatures climbing toward 105 degrees, the coaching staff has not focused on conditioning, but has begun the process of installing offensive and defensive schemes. Russell, who will run the defense, wants to have 80 percent of the defense and 75 percent of offense done by the end of practice today.
“We want to have three of our base set defenses in, all the different fronts for each defense and most of the stunts. So we’re doing a lot of teaching.”
The Red Devils will take on their rival Cabot in the season opener Aug. 31, but for Russell, their only opponent as of now is the summer heat.
“I’m not big on Cabot right now,” Russell said. “I’m big on getting better. During the weekly grind, you’ve got one week to prepare for your next opponent. So we’ll probably start approaching Cabot about that same time.”
Russell’s familiarity with the Jacksonville program has eased his transition.
“It’s comfortable; it fits,” Russell said. “It’s not difficult to go to practice and try and get to know new coaches and new players.
That’s a lot more difficult than the situation I have this year.
“I had some good relationships with the seniors and knew most of the juniors, and I’m proud of the way the players and the coaches responded to me coming in. It’s been a successful transition.”
SPORTS>>Jackrabbits hopping to it
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The terminology can be confusing, and we’re not even talking about football plays yet.
High school practice typically begins during the first week of August, but is traditionally referred to as “fall camp.” That probably seems like a misnomer with late-morning practice temperatures nearing triple digits.
The Jackrabbits, who reached the 4A state final and lost to Shiloh Christian in the cool of December, held their first practice Monday morning with 40 players reporting. Each class was well representedwith 12 seniors, 12 juniors and 16 sophomores.
While preparing for the likes of Central Arkansas Christian, Stuttgart and Newport, Lonoke is dealing with a more immediate adversary: the sweltering heat.
“We got spoiled last year,” Bost said. “I remember it raining last August; the field was holding water. We were out on the practice field in our boots. But it’s totally the opposite of that this year. We know it’s going to be a problem.”
The skill players are still fresh from monthly 7-on-7-league play at Searcy High School during most of June and July, while the linemen focused on working out in the weight room most of the summer.
“We had a good month of July,” Bost said. “We had workouts, camps, 7-on-7, but it is good to get everybody out there and start getting ready for the season. We’re excited to get it all started.”
Practices are from 8 a.m.-noon with a 30-minute break somewhere in the middle. Monday was the first day for all players to be in one place at the same time since spring.
“The morning practice went real good,” Bost said. “About 10:30, the heat started kicking in, and you could tell. The kids got kind of sluggish, but they know and we know it’s from the heat.
“We’ve got 28 days to get ready for the first game, so we’ll have to find a way to fight through that.”
One major battle taking place this fall is between senior quarterback Logan Dewhitt and junior Tarrell Watson. How they perform the next two weeks will determine which player will lead the Jackrabbits offense while the other will likely play receiver.
“I sat them both down and told them it was an open competition,” Bost said. “That’s good for us. And it’s good for them, because they can push each other.”
Bost is working closely with the skill players, while Randy Phillips works with the linemen. Early reports from Phillips have been encouraging.
“We’re real pleased right now,” Bost said. “He’s been bragging on those first two groups. It didn’t look like the heat bothered those guys at all. When they do running drills, they line up the same way they would on the field, so they’ve got it down to a T.
“But they are communicating with each other well. We’re pretty excited about those first five. There’s some big boys in that group, so we’re looking at a little more size than what we had last year.”
The Jackrabbits will play host to Oak Grove in a scrimmage game on Aug. 23 and will start the season Aug. 30 with a Monday night Hooten’s Kickoff Classic game against Star City at Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Golden Lions Stadium.
It will be the first high school game of the season in Arkansas.
Leader sportswriter
The terminology can be confusing, and we’re not even talking about football plays yet.
High school practice typically begins during the first week of August, but is traditionally referred to as “fall camp.” That probably seems like a misnomer with late-morning practice temperatures nearing triple digits.
The Jackrabbits, who reached the 4A state final and lost to Shiloh Christian in the cool of December, held their first practice Monday morning with 40 players reporting. Each class was well representedwith 12 seniors, 12 juniors and 16 sophomores.
While preparing for the likes of Central Arkansas Christian, Stuttgart and Newport, Lonoke is dealing with a more immediate adversary: the sweltering heat.
“We got spoiled last year,” Bost said. “I remember it raining last August; the field was holding water. We were out on the practice field in our boots. But it’s totally the opposite of that this year. We know it’s going to be a problem.”
The skill players are still fresh from monthly 7-on-7-league play at Searcy High School during most of June and July, while the linemen focused on working out in the weight room most of the summer.
“We had a good month of July,” Bost said. “We had workouts, camps, 7-on-7, but it is good to get everybody out there and start getting ready for the season. We’re excited to get it all started.”
Practices are from 8 a.m.-noon with a 30-minute break somewhere in the middle. Monday was the first day for all players to be in one place at the same time since spring.
“The morning practice went real good,” Bost said. “About 10:30, the heat started kicking in, and you could tell. The kids got kind of sluggish, but they know and we know it’s from the heat.
“We’ve got 28 days to get ready for the first game, so we’ll have to find a way to fight through that.”
One major battle taking place this fall is between senior quarterback Logan Dewhitt and junior Tarrell Watson. How they perform the next two weeks will determine which player will lead the Jackrabbits offense while the other will likely play receiver.
“I sat them both down and told them it was an open competition,” Bost said. “That’s good for us. And it’s good for them, because they can push each other.”
Bost is working closely with the skill players, while Randy Phillips works with the linemen. Early reports from Phillips have been encouraging.
“We’re real pleased right now,” Bost said. “He’s been bragging on those first two groups. It didn’t look like the heat bothered those guys at all. When they do running drills, they line up the same way they would on the field, so they’ve got it down to a T.
“But they are communicating with each other well. We’re pretty excited about those first five. There’s some big boys in that group, so we’re looking at a little more size than what we had last year.”
The Jackrabbits will play host to Oak Grove in a scrimmage game on Aug. 23 and will start the season Aug. 30 with a Monday night Hooten’s Kickoff Classic game against Star City at Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Golden Lions Stadium.
It will be the first high school game of the season in Arkansas.
SPORTS>>Travs close homestand on upswing
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
The latest homestand ended well, at least, for the Arkansas Travelers.
Four Travelers pitchers combined on a shutout as Arkansas outlasted the Tulsa Drillers 1-0 at Dickey-Stephens Park on Monday to earn a split of the four-game series.
Starter Andrew Taylor and relievers Jeremy Berg, Ismael Carmona and Jordan Walden held Tulsa to seven hits, 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position, while Charlton Jimerson was 3 for 4 with two doubles and scored the only run.
Arkansas was in Springfield for three games with the Cardinals beginning Tuesday night and travels to Northwest Arkansas for three before returning, after an off day, Aug. 11.
Taylor (1-3) went six innings scattering five hits to get his first victory Monday and Walden got his eighth save and second in two days. Brandon Durden (4-8) started for Tulsa, and Jimerson got to him with a double in the second inning and scored when Roberto Lopez doubled to right-center.
Arkansas made the lead hold up the rest of the way, though it squandered a scoring chance and stranded two in the fourth. The Drillers stranded two in the fifth.
Walden was on the mound to start the ninth and gave up a walk to Jason Van Kooten, thepotential tying run, and Van Kooten reached second on a fielder’s-choice groundout. But Radames Nazario grounded out to end the game.
It was Arkansas’ second consecutive victory over Tulsa after dropping the first two on Friday and Saturday.
The Travelers held the Drillers to three hits in Sunday’s 4-1 victory. Arkansas scored three runs in the eighth, breaking a 1-1 tie with Nick Gorneault’s second RBI single.
Gorneault, a Traveler in 2003-04 who re-signed with the Los Angeles Angels in the preseason, returned to the Angels’ Class
AAA team in Salt Lake after Sunday’s victory.
Trevor Reckling, a Texas League all-star and Futures Game participant last year, continued to return to form Sunday after he was demoted from Salt Lake earlier this year.
Reckling, a left-hander, went four innings and gave up one run and one hit. But he did not return after a 44-minute lightning delay and Arkansas turned it over to the bullpen.
Steven Geltz gave up one hit and struck out six in 2 2/3 innings, Carmona pitched 1 1/3 innings to get the victory and Walden worked the ninth for the save.
Tulsa won Friday’ game 3-1 and beat the Travs 7-3 on Saturday. The Travelers went 1-2 against Springfield in the three-game set that opened the homestand and concluded their latest Dickey-Stephens stint 3-4.
The Travelers (15-22) are last in the four-team Texas League North Division second-half standings, seven games behind Northwest Arkansas, which has already clinched a playoff spot after winning the first half.
If Northwest Arkansas wins both halves, the North Division wild card will be the team with second-best division record over the entire season.
Leader sports editor
The latest homestand ended well, at least, for the Arkansas Travelers.
Four Travelers pitchers combined on a shutout as Arkansas outlasted the Tulsa Drillers 1-0 at Dickey-Stephens Park on Monday to earn a split of the four-game series.
Starter Andrew Taylor and relievers Jeremy Berg, Ismael Carmona and Jordan Walden held Tulsa to seven hits, 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position, while Charlton Jimerson was 3 for 4 with two doubles and scored the only run.
Arkansas was in Springfield for three games with the Cardinals beginning Tuesday night and travels to Northwest Arkansas for three before returning, after an off day, Aug. 11.
Taylor (1-3) went six innings scattering five hits to get his first victory Monday and Walden got his eighth save and second in two days. Brandon Durden (4-8) started for Tulsa, and Jimerson got to him with a double in the second inning and scored when Roberto Lopez doubled to right-center.
Arkansas made the lead hold up the rest of the way, though it squandered a scoring chance and stranded two in the fourth. The Drillers stranded two in the fifth.
Walden was on the mound to start the ninth and gave up a walk to Jason Van Kooten, thepotential tying run, and Van Kooten reached second on a fielder’s-choice groundout. But Radames Nazario grounded out to end the game.
It was Arkansas’ second consecutive victory over Tulsa after dropping the first two on Friday and Saturday.
The Travelers held the Drillers to three hits in Sunday’s 4-1 victory. Arkansas scored three runs in the eighth, breaking a 1-1 tie with Nick Gorneault’s second RBI single.
Gorneault, a Traveler in 2003-04 who re-signed with the Los Angeles Angels in the preseason, returned to the Angels’ Class
AAA team in Salt Lake after Sunday’s victory.
Trevor Reckling, a Texas League all-star and Futures Game participant last year, continued to return to form Sunday after he was demoted from Salt Lake earlier this year.
Reckling, a left-hander, went four innings and gave up one run and one hit. But he did not return after a 44-minute lightning delay and Arkansas turned it over to the bullpen.
Steven Geltz gave up one hit and struck out six in 2 2/3 innings, Carmona pitched 1 1/3 innings to get the victory and Walden worked the ninth for the save.
Tulsa won Friday’ game 3-1 and beat the Travs 7-3 on Saturday. The Travelers went 1-2 against Springfield in the three-game set that opened the homestand and concluded their latest Dickey-Stephens stint 3-4.
The Travelers (15-22) are last in the four-team Texas League North Division second-half standings, seven games behind Northwest Arkansas, which has already clinched a playoff spot after winning the first half.
If Northwest Arkansas wins both halves, the North Division wild card will be the team with second-best division record over the entire season.
SPORTS>>Cabot off and running
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
Now that practice has begun, Cabot is back where it has usually done best — on the ground.
The defending 7A-Central Conference champions opened practice Monday with a turnout of 89, counting three team managers, coach Mike Malham said. After a summer of flinging the ball around in the local 7-on-7 league, Cabot got right to work on its bread-and-butter, Dead-T ground game.
“They’ve been doing weights and running workouts all summer long. We just got the ball back,” Malham said. “Even though we’ve done a little 7-on-7 this summer, it was justbasically back doing team stuff with the ball.”
Malham said 44 sophomores and 42 varsity players reported to comprise a roster of 86 who are actually able to dress and play.
Two of the team managers, Malham said, are injured players.
“We didn’t melt today. We got in and out without anybody going down,” Malham said of the triple-digit temperatures hovering over the state this week.
While the Panthers have been able to condition and work on a little passing this summer, they haven’t been able to really open the playbook until now.
“Offensively, of course, we haven’t had a running play since spring ball,” Malham said. “We’re just trying to get our timing back in shorts, working fundamentals and putting back in our running game.”
On defense, Malham said, Cabot worked on its coverages and “technique stuff.”
Like all other programs, Cabot won’t be able to go in full pads until Thursday as it prepares for the season opener, a reprise of the “Backyard Brawl,” with neighbor Jacksonville at War Memorial Stadium on Aug. 31.
Malham said starting the season on a Tuesday, a few days early, won’t dramatically cut into the Panthers’ preparation time.
“It used to be three weeks and game week and now it’s four weeks of practice and game week,” he said. “You can do anything you want in helmets all year long.”
Cabot was 10-2 last season with a 14-10, last-minute home loss to Springdale Har-Ber in the 7A state semifinals.
The Panthers lost 13 starters from that team, including quarterback Seth Bloomberg. While some might think the Dead T requires the quarterback to simply hand the ball to three others, that isn’t the case.
Timing, misdirection and toughness are required, as the Dead-T quarterback gets his share of carries. And Malham likes to point out the Panthers work on the passing game too; they just prefer to be selective about when they break it out.
Malham said the competition for Bloomberg’s replacement is still among juniors Zach Craig and Bryson Morris and senior Zach Brown.
“We’re still working the same three we worked in the spring,” Malham said. “Two of them figure more in the secondary so, all things equal, Craig doesn’t figure in the secondary as much so that might give him the edge.
“There’s not a lot of difference between them.”
Cabot will continue to hold two-a-days until classes begin Aug. 19. Picture/media is scheduled for that day, and the Panthers will scrimmage Lake Hamilton on Aug. 23 at a site to be determined, and will play their Red/White game on Aug. 27.
Leader sports editor
Now that practice has begun, Cabot is back where it has usually done best — on the ground.
The defending 7A-Central Conference champions opened practice Monday with a turnout of 89, counting three team managers, coach Mike Malham said. After a summer of flinging the ball around in the local 7-on-7 league, Cabot got right to work on its bread-and-butter, Dead-T ground game.
“They’ve been doing weights and running workouts all summer long. We just got the ball back,” Malham said. “Even though we’ve done a little 7-on-7 this summer, it was justbasically back doing team stuff with the ball.”
Malham said 44 sophomores and 42 varsity players reported to comprise a roster of 86 who are actually able to dress and play.
Two of the team managers, Malham said, are injured players.
“We didn’t melt today. We got in and out without anybody going down,” Malham said of the triple-digit temperatures hovering over the state this week.
While the Panthers have been able to condition and work on a little passing this summer, they haven’t been able to really open the playbook until now.
“Offensively, of course, we haven’t had a running play since spring ball,” Malham said. “We’re just trying to get our timing back in shorts, working fundamentals and putting back in our running game.”
On defense, Malham said, Cabot worked on its coverages and “technique stuff.”
Like all other programs, Cabot won’t be able to go in full pads until Thursday as it prepares for the season opener, a reprise of the “Backyard Brawl,” with neighbor Jacksonville at War Memorial Stadium on Aug. 31.
Malham said starting the season on a Tuesday, a few days early, won’t dramatically cut into the Panthers’ preparation time.
“It used to be three weeks and game week and now it’s four weeks of practice and game week,” he said. “You can do anything you want in helmets all year long.”
Cabot was 10-2 last season with a 14-10, last-minute home loss to Springdale Har-Ber in the 7A state semifinals.
The Panthers lost 13 starters from that team, including quarterback Seth Bloomberg. While some might think the Dead T requires the quarterback to simply hand the ball to three others, that isn’t the case.
Timing, misdirection and toughness are required, as the Dead-T quarterback gets his share of carries. And Malham likes to point out the Panthers work on the passing game too; they just prefer to be selective about when they break it out.
Malham said the competition for Bloomberg’s replacement is still among juniors Zach Craig and Bryson Morris and senior Zach Brown.
“We’re still working the same three we worked in the spring,” Malham said. “Two of them figure more in the secondary so, all things equal, Craig doesn’t figure in the secondary as much so that might give him the edge.
“There’s not a lot of difference between them.”
Cabot will continue to hold two-a-days until classes begin Aug. 19. Picture/media is scheduled for that day, and the Panthers will scrimmage Lake Hamilton on Aug. 23 at a site to be determined, and will play their Red/White game on Aug. 27.
SPORTS>>Alumnus taking on basketball at Beebe
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
While everyone is buzzing about the pending start of football, new Beebe coach Ryan Marshall is looking forward to next basketball season.
And many more seasons after that.
Marshall, a Beebe graduate, was named boys basketball coach this summer to replace departed coach Chris Parker, who left after one year to coach women at West Memphis’ Midsouth Community College.
“The facilities here are great and I know most of the teachers and administrators still and I feel like I’ll be working with some good people,” Marshall, 32, said.
Marshall graduated from Beebe in 1996. He was head boys coach at Mountainburg and moved to Clarksville, where for the past three years was head coach for Clarksville’s junior high girls and the assistant girls varsity coach.
“This is home for me,” Marshall said of Beebe. “I graduated here in ‘96 and my family is still located in this area. And obviously coaching senior high boys is what I wanted to do. I kind of got away from that for some family reasons to go to Clarksville.”
Beebe went 4-25 under Parker last year. Parker replaced Brian Martin, who left after two seasons to coach at his alma mater Greenwood.
Marshall said he wants to build a winning mindset and that starts with some continuity at the top after several years of coaching turnover.
“There’s been a lot of transition,” he said. “I just want to let them know ‘Hey, I’m here and this is where I plan on being for awhile,’ and also to let them know we plan on being successful.”
Marshall played at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville and assisted two years. Hesaid his Mountainburg teams were around .500 his two seasons while he won close to 70 games with the girls in Clarksville.
With Beebe moving into the 5A-East Conference from the 5A-Southeast, Marshall said he would try to tailor his offense to his available talent.
“At that level we wanted up-tempo, push, push,” he said of his college playing days at Ozarks. “But in high school you’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt.”
In getting to know his players this summer Marshall has stressed the basics.
“Right now we’re just focusing on fundamentals,” he said. “We’re going to be big on fundamentals, defense, rebounding and taking care of the ball.”
Marshall won’t be sure, until practice officially starts in the fall, exactly what his roster is going to look like. But since the summer athletic dead period ended, he said he has had a promising turnout of close to 25 potential players in the gym.
“We’ve got four seniors, I think maybe one, possibly two, returning starters,” he said. “We didn’t lose anybody. I think they only finished with seven or eight kids.”
Marshall said he is counting on offensive production from 6-0 senior Devonte Young, who scored 30 points in more than one game last year. Beebe’s tallest player is 6-5 senior Caleb Davidson.
“Hopefully we’ll have several kids show up that can step up and help us a little bit,” Marshall said. “We’re going to be very, very guard oriented.”
Marshall said he wants to convince Beebe, which last won a state basketball championship in 1941, that it can win again. It should help that he has ties to the area and hopes to stick around.
“It’s definitely a mindset thing and the main thing I want to do right now is let the kids know I’m there for them,” Marshall said.
Leader sports editor
While everyone is buzzing about the pending start of football, new Beebe coach Ryan Marshall is looking forward to next basketball season.
And many more seasons after that.
Marshall, a Beebe graduate, was named boys basketball coach this summer to replace departed coach Chris Parker, who left after one year to coach women at West Memphis’ Midsouth Community College.
“The facilities here are great and I know most of the teachers and administrators still and I feel like I’ll be working with some good people,” Marshall, 32, said.
Marshall graduated from Beebe in 1996. He was head boys coach at Mountainburg and moved to Clarksville, where for the past three years was head coach for Clarksville’s junior high girls and the assistant girls varsity coach.
“This is home for me,” Marshall said of Beebe. “I graduated here in ‘96 and my family is still located in this area. And obviously coaching senior high boys is what I wanted to do. I kind of got away from that for some family reasons to go to Clarksville.”
Beebe went 4-25 under Parker last year. Parker replaced Brian Martin, who left after two seasons to coach at his alma mater Greenwood.
Marshall said he wants to build a winning mindset and that starts with some continuity at the top after several years of coaching turnover.
“There’s been a lot of transition,” he said. “I just want to let them know ‘Hey, I’m here and this is where I plan on being for awhile,’ and also to let them know we plan on being successful.”
Marshall played at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville and assisted two years. Hesaid his Mountainburg teams were around .500 his two seasons while he won close to 70 games with the girls in Clarksville.
With Beebe moving into the 5A-East Conference from the 5A-Southeast, Marshall said he would try to tailor his offense to his available talent.
“At that level we wanted up-tempo, push, push,” he said of his college playing days at Ozarks. “But in high school you’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt.”
In getting to know his players this summer Marshall has stressed the basics.
“Right now we’re just focusing on fundamentals,” he said. “We’re going to be big on fundamentals, defense, rebounding and taking care of the ball.”
Marshall won’t be sure, until practice officially starts in the fall, exactly what his roster is going to look like. But since the summer athletic dead period ended, he said he has had a promising turnout of close to 25 potential players in the gym.
“We’ve got four seniors, I think maybe one, possibly two, returning starters,” he said. “We didn’t lose anybody. I think they only finished with seven or eight kids.”
Marshall said he is counting on offensive production from 6-0 senior Devonte Young, who scored 30 points in more than one game last year. Beebe’s tallest player is 6-5 senior Caleb Davidson.
“Hopefully we’ll have several kids show up that can step up and help us a little bit,” Marshall said. “We’re going to be very, very guard oriented.”
Marshall said he wants to convince Beebe, which last won a state basketball championship in 1941, that it can win again. It should help that he has ties to the area and hopes to stick around.
“It’s definitely a mindset thing and the main thing I want to do right now is let the kids know I’m there for them,” Marshall said.
SPORTS>>Heat on as football begins
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Sylvan Hills has gone through a lot of personnel changes since the spring. But those changes have managed to balance out the Bears’ numbers at the start of August practice Monday morning.
The Bears went through spring practice in mid-May with a turnout in the low 50s, but some of those players later became academically ineligible. They have been replaced with move-ins and returnees who missed last season to keep the roster in the low 50s by the start of practice.
“We’ve got some who aren’t with us that I don’t think understand the importance of education,” Bears coach Jim Withrow said.
“It’s not been hammered home to them somewhere along the way. The ones we’ve got are all pretty good students, so that’s what we’ll go with.”
Sylvan Hills will return to a slightly altered 5A-Southeast Conference, where it grabbed the fourth and final playoff berth last year before ending its season with a first-round lost to Greenwood. It marked the third straight year Sylvan Hills reached the postseason.
Watson Chapel has joined the league from its former home in the 6A-South and West Helena joins from the 5A-East. Beebe has taken West Helena’s place in the East while Little Rock McClellan has moved on to the 7A/6A-South.
Two major areas of rebuilding for Withrow and the Bears are the offensive backfield and linebackers. There are plenty of solid quarterback candidates led by senior Michael Maddox, and the Bears have tailback Trey Bone and running back Marcus Willis.
But replacing all-state linebacker Michael Robinson, linebacker Juliean Broner and defensive end Nick Brewer will be a larger task, according to Withrow.
“I don’t want to use the same guys playing offense to turn around and play defense,” Withrow said. “Because they won’t last.
Linebacker is where we are really in a bind, because we lost all four of those guys last year. They were all-conference or all-state guys.
“To replace those guys, there’s obviously going to be a drop off.”
Jamar Daniels and J.D. Miller are competing with Maddox at quarterback. Miller is a cousin to former Sylvan Hills quarterback and Arkansas Razorbacks walk-on Hunter Miller.
“They’ve all three done a pretty good job,” Withrow said. “J.D. struggled a little bit in the spring, but he’s come back in and done a pretty good job.”
Though this year’s seniors have not seen a lot of varsity playing time, Withrow said the group of around 15 should provide good examples for the underclassmen.
“I like what I’m getting out of the seniors we’ve got,” Withrow said. “They’ve shown good leadership; they’ve been here all summer. We’ve got a good group of them.”
Monday was the first day for the team to get out and feel the full effects of the triple-digit August temperatures.
“I guess the last few years, it’s been kind of cool,” Withrow said. “So, now it’s all of a sudden hot, that’s the way it ought to be. I don’t know, we’ll drag through the first few days. Once we get used to it, we’ll be okay.”
Leader sportswriter
Sylvan Hills has gone through a lot of personnel changes since the spring. But those changes have managed to balance out the Bears’ numbers at the start of August practice Monday morning.
The Bears went through spring practice in mid-May with a turnout in the low 50s, but some of those players later became academically ineligible. They have been replaced with move-ins and returnees who missed last season to keep the roster in the low 50s by the start of practice.
“We’ve got some who aren’t with us that I don’t think understand the importance of education,” Bears coach Jim Withrow said.
“It’s not been hammered home to them somewhere along the way. The ones we’ve got are all pretty good students, so that’s what we’ll go with.”
Sylvan Hills will return to a slightly altered 5A-Southeast Conference, where it grabbed the fourth and final playoff berth last year before ending its season with a first-round lost to Greenwood. It marked the third straight year Sylvan Hills reached the postseason.
Watson Chapel has joined the league from its former home in the 6A-South and West Helena joins from the 5A-East. Beebe has taken West Helena’s place in the East while Little Rock McClellan has moved on to the 7A/6A-South.
Two major areas of rebuilding for Withrow and the Bears are the offensive backfield and linebackers. There are plenty of solid quarterback candidates led by senior Michael Maddox, and the Bears have tailback Trey Bone and running back Marcus Willis.
But replacing all-state linebacker Michael Robinson, linebacker Juliean Broner and defensive end Nick Brewer will be a larger task, according to Withrow.
“I don’t want to use the same guys playing offense to turn around and play defense,” Withrow said. “Because they won’t last.
Linebacker is where we are really in a bind, because we lost all four of those guys last year. They were all-conference or all-state guys.
“To replace those guys, there’s obviously going to be a drop off.”
Jamar Daniels and J.D. Miller are competing with Maddox at quarterback. Miller is a cousin to former Sylvan Hills quarterback and Arkansas Razorbacks walk-on Hunter Miller.
“They’ve all three done a pretty good job,” Withrow said. “J.D. struggled a little bit in the spring, but he’s come back in and done a pretty good job.”
Though this year’s seniors have not seen a lot of varsity playing time, Withrow said the group of around 15 should provide good examples for the underclassmen.
“I like what I’m getting out of the seniors we’ve got,” Withrow said. “They’ve shown good leadership; they’ve been here all summer. We’ve got a good group of them.”
Monday was the first day for the team to get out and feel the full effects of the triple-digit August temperatures.
“I guess the last few years, it’s been kind of cool,” Withrow said. “So, now it’s all of a sudden hot, that’s the way it ought to be. I don’t know, we’ll drag through the first few days. Once we get used to it, we’ll be okay.”
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