No sooner are the spiteful words out than there is a sighting of the good Mike Huckabee, the progressive executive who is looking out for the long-term public interest. You know, the one whom the extremists of his party call a flaming liberal.
It was on his monthly television show on public television. Maybe it is the influence of that rational venue, but the governor often turns thoughtful and magnanimous on the show. He was talking about the large natural gas deposits — the so-called “Fayetteville Shale” (see page 7A) — that have been discovered stretching from the Boston Mountains to at least Prairie County. Agents are combing the land to get mineral leases, and there is talk of royalty wealth and vast production.
The legislature, Huckabee said, should raise the severance tax on natural gas so that the public might get some lasting benefit from the speculation and production. Now, he did not volunteer to handle it himself, at a special session, say, but it is something his successor ought to do. Critics will say that it’s just like him — sure, leave the tough work for someone else when he could have sponsored the legislation at any of the legislative sessions the past two years — but that is not entirely fair. He has actually taken on some pretty risky issues, like school consolidation and banning smoking in workplaces.
Arkansas has always been the weakest state when it comes to wringing taxes from those who exploit its finite mineral resources. Of all the natural-gas producing states, Arkansas is the only one that does not materially tax the gas that is taken from its soil and transported to factories and homes across the country. The tax rate is three-tenths of a penny on each thousand cubic feet of gas, which is nothing more than a nuisance. Texas and Oklahoma charge hundreds of times more.
It is not a matter of needing more money. As Huckabee suggests, the state could lower some other taxes to offset it. But it should be a bedrock policy that the state will recoup for the people and for posterity some small recompense for the taking of natural resources that once exploited can never be reclaimed. Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Wyo-ming and Alaska, where the governments are famous for kowtowing to the big energy interests, stood with the public interest long enough to insist upon that small bit of accountability. And it has stood their children in good stead. Those states have funneled billions of dollars into education and kept other taxes low as a result of severance taxes.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
WED 5-24-6 EDITORIAL >> Bad, bad Huckster
Fourteen years into his public career, Gov. Huckabee still has the thinnest skin in politics. He detests criticism, and the steps that he takes to mute it are most often what get him into trouble. He cuts off access to a doughty weekly newspaper that dogs his every official slip. When something begins to smell in his administration, he brings the records of it into his office so that he can claim that it is off limits to the public and the media. The records become a part of the governor’s “working papers,” which are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
Monday, the latter ploy got him sued, by none other than his favorite newspaper and most persistent admirer, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. The paper had little choice if it was to uphold the honor of the trade, although editor Griffin Smith grieved publicly that his paper had to sue the governor. He would have liked to work things out with Mr. Huckabee, he said.
But the governor’s stance on freedom of information had reached the ridiculous, and grave issues are at stake. One of his friends and appointees to the state Board of Parole, Larry Zeno, resigned last week after an internal investigation of alleged misbehavior. Huckabee had the investigative report (his spokesman says it was only an “inquiry,” which she says is something less than an “investigation”) brought into his office and he refuses to divulge either it or Zeno’s resignation letter. He says there were uncorroborated allegations and that he saw nothing in the report that would cause him to ask for Zeno’s resignation.
The matter could very well be harmless. No one knows. The Arkansas Times reported that the same board member was investigated a year ago for a compromising situation in which he left the impression with some people that he was willing to trade a clemency recommendation for an inmate for a bargain price on a diamond ring.
It is the very nature of representative government that the public is entitled to review such matters and evaluate whether their officials — in this case, the governor as well as the parole commissioner — did the right thing. Huckabee said it was no one’s business but his.
The legal issues are fairly stark, which is why we believe the governor will surrender these documents before trial or reach some accommodation that will cause the newspaper to abandon its petition to the court. The courts are apt to say very clearly that the working-papers doctrine that the governor employs so often is bogus. And then he will not be able to pull the trick again.
The working-papers exemption in the FOI act was intended to give the governor unwatched access to advice from his own staff members on policy questions. Huckabee has stretched that to include any document that happens to come physically into his office. His troubles have come when those documents, like his office emails on antismoking legislation before the recent special legislative session, get into the clutches of other government agencies. Then reporters or anyone else can get them. But generally the governor and his staff are very good at keeping secrets. Huckabee’s attorney also claims a privilege for the Zeno documents because it involves a personnel matter. But even those are subject to public disclosure if it involves a matter of public interest. This clearly is that. Let us hope that the governor and the newspaper stick to their guns for the few weeks that it will take for the courts to settle this vital issue once and forever.
Monday, the latter ploy got him sued, by none other than his favorite newspaper and most persistent admirer, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. The paper had little choice if it was to uphold the honor of the trade, although editor Griffin Smith grieved publicly that his paper had to sue the governor. He would have liked to work things out with Mr. Huckabee, he said.
But the governor’s stance on freedom of information had reached the ridiculous, and grave issues are at stake. One of his friends and appointees to the state Board of Parole, Larry Zeno, resigned last week after an internal investigation of alleged misbehavior. Huckabee had the investigative report (his spokesman says it was only an “inquiry,” which she says is something less than an “investigation”) brought into his office and he refuses to divulge either it or Zeno’s resignation letter. He says there were uncorroborated allegations and that he saw nothing in the report that would cause him to ask for Zeno’s resignation.
The matter could very well be harmless. No one knows. The Arkansas Times reported that the same board member was investigated a year ago for a compromising situation in which he left the impression with some people that he was willing to trade a clemency recommendation for an inmate for a bargain price on a diamond ring.
It is the very nature of representative government that the public is entitled to review such matters and evaluate whether their officials — in this case, the governor as well as the parole commissioner — did the right thing. Huckabee said it was no one’s business but his.
The legal issues are fairly stark, which is why we believe the governor will surrender these documents before trial or reach some accommodation that will cause the newspaper to abandon its petition to the court. The courts are apt to say very clearly that the working-papers doctrine that the governor employs so often is bogus. And then he will not be able to pull the trick again.
The working-papers exemption in the FOI act was intended to give the governor unwatched access to advice from his own staff members on policy questions. Huckabee has stretched that to include any document that happens to come physically into his office. His troubles have come when those documents, like his office emails on antismoking legislation before the recent special legislative session, get into the clutches of other government agencies. Then reporters or anyone else can get them. But generally the governor and his staff are very good at keeping secrets. Huckabee’s attorney also claims a privilege for the Zeno documents because it involves a personnel matter. But even those are subject to public disclosure if it involves a matter of public interest. This clearly is that. Let us hope that the governor and the newspaper stick to their guns for the few weeks that it will take for the courts to settle this vital issue once and forever.
SPORTS >> Red Devils hit first day of spring hard
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
There wasn’t much game-type action, but there were some licks dished out at Jacksonville High School Monday afternoon. The Red Devils finally got out for their first day of spring football practice in full pads Monday, and did so with good energy.
“They got out there and buzzed around and banged into each other pretty good for day one,” Jacksonville coach Mark Whatley said. “We did mostly drill work, starting on the basics. We started over really trying to get the young kids caught up, but the energy was good.”
The defense, as expected, did most of the hitting drills. The offensive line and running backs got in on the action as well.
“We got the offensive backs out there working on blitz pick-up and stuck there noses in there pretty good,” Whatley said. “I was pleased with that. They turned it up a little bit.”
There were 69 Red Devils dressed out Monday, and 28 were sophomores to be. Those sophomores did well according to Whatley.
“They picked up on things pretty quick,” Whatley said. “We’ve had ‘em out here working with them in the offseason, and they seem to be coming along.”
The second day saw a little bit of 7-on-7 live action with the offense working against the defense, but the real scrimmaging likely won’t start until Thursday.
If all goes well, there could be a red-white type game at the end of the week.
“We’re just going to have to see how it goes,” Whatley said. “We’re not going to plan one in advance like last year. We’re just going to wait and see how we do this week, and make sure everybody gets through it without any injuries.”
Starting quarterback Daniel Hubbard entered spring drills still slowed somewhat by a broken leg he suffered in the season finale last year at Springdale.
He was limited on day one, but he did the things he was allowed to do well. “We’re being careful with Daniel and that leg,” Whatley said. “He’s got that rod in it, but he moved around a little bit and threw the ball really well. He’s going to get there, we’re just taking it easy for the time being.”
Hubbard, 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, leads a decent-sized group of returning starters that Whatley has been very pleased with so far. There were a lot of starters off last year’s playoff team that recently graduated, but Whatley is very comfortable with the starters that are returning this year.
“That bunch of seniors stepped right in and didn’t miss a beat. That’s a good group and we hope to get some good leadership on this team from them. They’re starting out pretty good.”
A few of the key returners are obvious projected starters, but most of the holes left by graduated seniors haven’t been claimed by anyone yet. The staff believes it will have more answers in that regard at the end of the week.
One key area of concern is backup quarterback.
“We’re definitely looking for someone that can step in there if something happens,” Whatley said.
Leader sports editor
There wasn’t much game-type action, but there were some licks dished out at Jacksonville High School Monday afternoon. The Red Devils finally got out for their first day of spring football practice in full pads Monday, and did so with good energy.
“They got out there and buzzed around and banged into each other pretty good for day one,” Jacksonville coach Mark Whatley said. “We did mostly drill work, starting on the basics. We started over really trying to get the young kids caught up, but the energy was good.”
The defense, as expected, did most of the hitting drills. The offensive line and running backs got in on the action as well.
“We got the offensive backs out there working on blitz pick-up and stuck there noses in there pretty good,” Whatley said. “I was pleased with that. They turned it up a little bit.”
There were 69 Red Devils dressed out Monday, and 28 were sophomores to be. Those sophomores did well according to Whatley.
“They picked up on things pretty quick,” Whatley said. “We’ve had ‘em out here working with them in the offseason, and they seem to be coming along.”
The second day saw a little bit of 7-on-7 live action with the offense working against the defense, but the real scrimmaging likely won’t start until Thursday.
If all goes well, there could be a red-white type game at the end of the week.
“We’re just going to have to see how it goes,” Whatley said. “We’re not going to plan one in advance like last year. We’re just going to wait and see how we do this week, and make sure everybody gets through it without any injuries.”
Starting quarterback Daniel Hubbard entered spring drills still slowed somewhat by a broken leg he suffered in the season finale last year at Springdale.
He was limited on day one, but he did the things he was allowed to do well. “We’re being careful with Daniel and that leg,” Whatley said. “He’s got that rod in it, but he moved around a little bit and threw the ball really well. He’s going to get there, we’re just taking it easy for the time being.”
Hubbard, 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, leads a decent-sized group of returning starters that Whatley has been very pleased with so far. There were a lot of starters off last year’s playoff team that recently graduated, but Whatley is very comfortable with the starters that are returning this year.
“That bunch of seniors stepped right in and didn’t miss a beat. That’s a good group and we hope to get some good leadership on this team from them. They’re starting out pretty good.”
A few of the key returners are obvious projected starters, but most of the holes left by graduated seniors haven’t been claimed by anyone yet. The staff believes it will have more answers in that regard at the end of the week.
One key area of concern is backup quarterback.
“We’re definitely looking for someone that can step in there if something happens,” Whatley said.
SPORTS >> Jackrabbits green but practicing hard
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
The Lonoke Jackrabbits had their second day of spring practice in pads on Monday afternoon after a late start last Friday. The ‘Rabbits chose to wait until Friday due to several players being involved with the state track meet last Wednesday at Dardanelle.
The spring practices have been the first opportunity for new head coach Jeff Jones to see his team work out in full pads. The new head ‘Rabbit has liked what he has seen so far in the opening days of spring workouts.
“I appreciate the effort from these guys,” Jones said. “We have a young bunch, not many of them have seen a lot of time on Friday nights. They have all showed up hungry, and they are giving it everything they’ve got.”
The majority of Monday’s practice was spent with the team split up into two groups practicing in opposite directions on the practice field. One squad worked on running plays, while the other went through a series of passing drills. After a brief rest, the coaching staff put the whole team back into one unit and ran a combination of running and passing drills together.
Jones is confident that the team will adapt to the new style of offense he is bringing in. Although two days is not enough time for a complete evaluation, he says he has no doubts in the team’s abilities.
“They’ll get the hang of this,” Jones said. “They are all excited and ready to go. You always have the next guy waiting in line to be the next starter and get his turn. “Ideally, we want to leave these practices with an idea of who’s going to be where. We want to know which guys are going to work in what positions.”
Although the ‘Rabbits have been a run-oriented team traditionally, Jones hopes to use more of the spread formation in the offense. That is not to say they will not go to the ground at all. In fact, much of the early practices have focused on gaining yards on the ground.
“These practices are kind of an introduction to the offense,” Jones said. “We have been trying to get them used to this type of offense and to concentrate on our running game. Everything has gone pretty well so far, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
The Jackrabbits plan on working through the rest of the week before school dismisses for the summer.
The break will not be long, however, as Jones says the team will begin 7-on-7 summer football on June 5.
Lonoke will participate in the Monday night passing league, and expect to enter a number of 7-on-7 tournaments before the start of two-a-days on July 31.
With several of the starting skill position players from the ’05 team graduating this past week, it will be interesting to see who comes to the forefront for the upcoming season.
Last year, backup quarterback Josh Martin saw playing time in a number of the late-season games, and Duane Hood showed promise at the tailback position as a backup to Walter Ellis.
The ‘Rabbits will also move into a new conference this season. Lonoke will be a part of the 2AAAA Conference, which will include Heber Springs, Marianna, Mountain View, Stuttgart, Newport and Batesville Southside. Only Bald Knob will join the ‘Rabbits from the former 6AAA Conference in the new league.
Leader sports writer
The Lonoke Jackrabbits had their second day of spring practice in pads on Monday afternoon after a late start last Friday. The ‘Rabbits chose to wait until Friday due to several players being involved with the state track meet last Wednesday at Dardanelle.
The spring practices have been the first opportunity for new head coach Jeff Jones to see his team work out in full pads. The new head ‘Rabbit has liked what he has seen so far in the opening days of spring workouts.
“I appreciate the effort from these guys,” Jones said. “We have a young bunch, not many of them have seen a lot of time on Friday nights. They have all showed up hungry, and they are giving it everything they’ve got.”
The majority of Monday’s practice was spent with the team split up into two groups practicing in opposite directions on the practice field. One squad worked on running plays, while the other went through a series of passing drills. After a brief rest, the coaching staff put the whole team back into one unit and ran a combination of running and passing drills together.
Jones is confident that the team will adapt to the new style of offense he is bringing in. Although two days is not enough time for a complete evaluation, he says he has no doubts in the team’s abilities.
“They’ll get the hang of this,” Jones said. “They are all excited and ready to go. You always have the next guy waiting in line to be the next starter and get his turn. “Ideally, we want to leave these practices with an idea of who’s going to be where. We want to know which guys are going to work in what positions.”
Although the ‘Rabbits have been a run-oriented team traditionally, Jones hopes to use more of the spread formation in the offense. That is not to say they will not go to the ground at all. In fact, much of the early practices have focused on gaining yards on the ground.
“These practices are kind of an introduction to the offense,” Jones said. “We have been trying to get them used to this type of offense and to concentrate on our running game. Everything has gone pretty well so far, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
The Jackrabbits plan on working through the rest of the week before school dismisses for the summer.
The break will not be long, however, as Jones says the team will begin 7-on-7 summer football on June 5.
Lonoke will participate in the Monday night passing league, and expect to enter a number of 7-on-7 tournaments before the start of two-a-days on July 31.
With several of the starting skill position players from the ’05 team graduating this past week, it will be interesting to see who comes to the forefront for the upcoming season.
Last year, backup quarterback Josh Martin saw playing time in a number of the late-season games, and Duane Hood showed promise at the tailback position as a backup to Walter Ellis.
The ‘Rabbits will also move into a new conference this season. Lonoke will be a part of the 2AAAA Conference, which will include Heber Springs, Marianna, Mountain View, Stuttgart, Newport and Batesville Southside. Only Bald Knob will join the ‘Rabbits from the former 6AAA Conference in the new league.
NEIGHBORS >> Class of 2006
By Melissa Tucker
Leader staff writer
Badgers, Panthers, Jackrabbits and Lions, oh my!
Cabot, Beebe and Lonoke high schools held their graduations on Friday night, while Searcy High School held its on May 13.
Beebe’s and Lonoke’s were held on the school football fields, while Cabot’s was at Alltel Arena.
BEEBE
One-hundred and sixty-one seniors graduated from Beebe High School. Dr. Belinda Shook, superintendent of the Beebe School District, gave the welcome address.
Valedictorian Tiffany Bullard gave a speech titled “The Unforgiving Minute.” Salutatorian Jacob Burns’ speech was called “Continuing the Quest.” The two were also named as Highest Honor Students.
Other honor students from Beebe High School are Kayla Renee Brown, Kayla Christine Cooper, Spencer Ray Davis, Amy Christine Evans, Lara Ann Foreman, Brandin Matthew Gibbons, Ryan Joseph Lee Goodman, Dustin Lee Lavender, Brittney Lynn Lercher, Christipher Morrissey, Kathryn Elizabeth Quick, Caleb Heath Price, Hailey Marie Pruitt, Heather Lynn Reid, Juli Renee Sowell, John Andrew Webb and Ashley Nicole Yingling.
A student who has a 3.25 to a 3.99 grade point average in a core curriculum is considered a graduate with honors. Those with 4.0 GPA or above graduate with highest honors, according to counselor Carla Choate.
CABOT
At Cabot High School’s graduation, 482 seniors were listed as graduates. Valedictorian Tyler Bartels and salutatorian James Ryan Madding spoke at the commencement ceremony.
The school’s Air Force Junior ROTC presented the colors before the ceremony began.
Cabot had 88 honor graduates in the class of 2006. They are: Jason Aist, Brittany Allison, Nicholas Amis, Lauren Bailey, Tyler Bartels, Jessica Beaulieu, Melissa Bishop, Daniel Bizzell, Brian Bopp, Jonathan Boyd, Jennifer Bradley, Billie Branscum, Camron Browning, Cara Coker, Jessica Cowart, Kayla Cox, Melissa Curtis, Lauren Daniels, Christina DeClerk, Emily Dixon, Tiffany Duhamel, Amanda Ehlers, Mika Emerson, Tisha Flud, Matthew Ford, Heather Forester, Kevin Frey, Daniel Gates and Bettye George.
Other honor graduates are Michael Gertsch, Chad Glover, Stephanie Hamm, Christi Hankins, Lauren Harrington, Jessica Hazeslip, Loni Hefner, Jason Hill, Jonathan Hill, Lauren Hopkins, Megan Houston, Cody Jackson, Jessica Jervis, Courtney Jones, Mary Jones, Kari Kihal, Katie Knox, William Kruse, Joshua Lieblong, Danielle Lovellette, Michael Lowry, James Madding, Shelli Mann, Brian Martinez, Brittany Matthews, Mallory Morgan, Seth Murdoch, Anthony Nelson and Kara Patterson.
Also named as honor graduates are Ashley Payne, Kristen Phelps, Madeline Phillips, Jolene Pitt, Ashlee Powell, Colton Roberts, Sarah Roberts, Candace Rodman, Christopher Rodriguez, Raney Rogers, Andy Roller, Taylor Self, Brady Sharp, Michael Sherer, Melissa Simmons, Kimberly Sitzmann and Jeanette Thompson.
Honor graduates also included Seth Thomson, Tyler Troutman, Joseph Tyree, Samantha Walker, Shannon Walker, Jessica Walton, Whitney Watkins, Brent Weeks, Cody Wilson, Abby Wisniewski and Brett Yother.
LONOKE
Lonoke High School graduated 128 students including two exchange students – one from France and one from Spain.
Valedictorian Charlotte Amelia Muse and salutatorian Ashley Lauren Lynch spoke at the event. Muse was also selected as a “Highest Honor” student. Other honor students, earning a grade point average of 3.50 for 3 1/2 years, were Neill Fletcher Bennett, Matthew David Bryant, Whitney Paige Burgess, Samuel Tanner Burks, Sterling Douglas Burns, John Ryan Cater, Clay David Chambless, Walter Thomas Ellis, Meaghen Deyan Kelleybrew, Frank Nicholas Kraus, Jr., Ashley Lauren Lynch, Leigh Erin McAlister, Nicole Danielle McCoy, Matthew James Miller, Billy Duane Paschal, Jr., Andrew Seth Pennington, Landon Bryce Pool, Nathaniel Wesley Russell, Jasmine Lasha Scott, Lindsey Marie Skinner, Lydia Faye Skinner, Kristy Nicole Smith and Rebecca Lynn Thompson.
SEARCY
Searcy High School graduated 192 seniors on May 13.
Valedictorian was Marisa Kaitlyn Smith, and salutatorian was Lindley Ann Moore. Honor graduates were Elyssa Jean Doom, Kayla Renee Anderson, Veronika Pavlovna Polskaya, Amber Fay Murphy, Logan Allen McLain, Mary Cathryn Reeves, Lauren O’Neal Wiseman, Savannah Leigh Adams, Hannah Ashley Davis, Maeve Nicole Kamerman, Kyle Alan Bruxvoort, Rhianna Lachelle Richards, Ashley Nicole Powell, Estrellita Jasmin Goss, Josiah Mark Letchworth, Keith Allen Hatfield, Meagan Denae Celsor, Lindsey Nicole Walker, Gary Morgan Overstreet, Rebekah Dianne Pasley, Skye Rochelle Phillips, Ryan Michael Hoyle, Allyson Rhenee Gladden, Hannah Elizabeth Woods, Heather Danielle Holden, Robert Scott Hudgins, Earl James Stracener and David Elliott Baird.
Leader staff writer
Badgers, Panthers, Jackrabbits and Lions, oh my!
Cabot, Beebe and Lonoke high schools held their graduations on Friday night, while Searcy High School held its on May 13.
Beebe’s and Lonoke’s were held on the school football fields, while Cabot’s was at Alltel Arena.
BEEBE
One-hundred and sixty-one seniors graduated from Beebe High School. Dr. Belinda Shook, superintendent of the Beebe School District, gave the welcome address.
Valedictorian Tiffany Bullard gave a speech titled “The Unforgiving Minute.” Salutatorian Jacob Burns’ speech was called “Continuing the Quest.” The two were also named as Highest Honor Students.
Other honor students from Beebe High School are Kayla Renee Brown, Kayla Christine Cooper, Spencer Ray Davis, Amy Christine Evans, Lara Ann Foreman, Brandin Matthew Gibbons, Ryan Joseph Lee Goodman, Dustin Lee Lavender, Brittney Lynn Lercher, Christipher Morrissey, Kathryn Elizabeth Quick, Caleb Heath Price, Hailey Marie Pruitt, Heather Lynn Reid, Juli Renee Sowell, John Andrew Webb and Ashley Nicole Yingling.
A student who has a 3.25 to a 3.99 grade point average in a core curriculum is considered a graduate with honors. Those with 4.0 GPA or above graduate with highest honors, according to counselor Carla Choate.
CABOT
At Cabot High School’s graduation, 482 seniors were listed as graduates. Valedictorian Tyler Bartels and salutatorian James Ryan Madding spoke at the commencement ceremony.
The school’s Air Force Junior ROTC presented the colors before the ceremony began.
Cabot had 88 honor graduates in the class of 2006. They are: Jason Aist, Brittany Allison, Nicholas Amis, Lauren Bailey, Tyler Bartels, Jessica Beaulieu, Melissa Bishop, Daniel Bizzell, Brian Bopp, Jonathan Boyd, Jennifer Bradley, Billie Branscum, Camron Browning, Cara Coker, Jessica Cowart, Kayla Cox, Melissa Curtis, Lauren Daniels, Christina DeClerk, Emily Dixon, Tiffany Duhamel, Amanda Ehlers, Mika Emerson, Tisha Flud, Matthew Ford, Heather Forester, Kevin Frey, Daniel Gates and Bettye George.
Other honor graduates are Michael Gertsch, Chad Glover, Stephanie Hamm, Christi Hankins, Lauren Harrington, Jessica Hazeslip, Loni Hefner, Jason Hill, Jonathan Hill, Lauren Hopkins, Megan Houston, Cody Jackson, Jessica Jervis, Courtney Jones, Mary Jones, Kari Kihal, Katie Knox, William Kruse, Joshua Lieblong, Danielle Lovellette, Michael Lowry, James Madding, Shelli Mann, Brian Martinez, Brittany Matthews, Mallory Morgan, Seth Murdoch, Anthony Nelson and Kara Patterson.
Also named as honor graduates are Ashley Payne, Kristen Phelps, Madeline Phillips, Jolene Pitt, Ashlee Powell, Colton Roberts, Sarah Roberts, Candace Rodman, Christopher Rodriguez, Raney Rogers, Andy Roller, Taylor Self, Brady Sharp, Michael Sherer, Melissa Simmons, Kimberly Sitzmann and Jeanette Thompson.
Honor graduates also included Seth Thomson, Tyler Troutman, Joseph Tyree, Samantha Walker, Shannon Walker, Jessica Walton, Whitney Watkins, Brent Weeks, Cody Wilson, Abby Wisniewski and Brett Yother.
LONOKE
Lonoke High School graduated 128 students including two exchange students – one from France and one from Spain.
Valedictorian Charlotte Amelia Muse and salutatorian Ashley Lauren Lynch spoke at the event. Muse was also selected as a “Highest Honor” student. Other honor students, earning a grade point average of 3.50 for 3 1/2 years, were Neill Fletcher Bennett, Matthew David Bryant, Whitney Paige Burgess, Samuel Tanner Burks, Sterling Douglas Burns, John Ryan Cater, Clay David Chambless, Walter Thomas Ellis, Meaghen Deyan Kelleybrew, Frank Nicholas Kraus, Jr., Ashley Lauren Lynch, Leigh Erin McAlister, Nicole Danielle McCoy, Matthew James Miller, Billy Duane Paschal, Jr., Andrew Seth Pennington, Landon Bryce Pool, Nathaniel Wesley Russell, Jasmine Lasha Scott, Lindsey Marie Skinner, Lydia Faye Skinner, Kristy Nicole Smith and Rebecca Lynn Thompson.
SEARCY
Searcy High School graduated 192 seniors on May 13.
Valedictorian was Marisa Kaitlyn Smith, and salutatorian was Lindley Ann Moore. Honor graduates were Elyssa Jean Doom, Kayla Renee Anderson, Veronika Pavlovna Polskaya, Amber Fay Murphy, Logan Allen McLain, Mary Cathryn Reeves, Lauren O’Neal Wiseman, Savannah Leigh Adams, Hannah Ashley Davis, Maeve Nicole Kamerman, Kyle Alan Bruxvoort, Rhianna Lachelle Richards, Ashley Nicole Powell, Estrellita Jasmin Goss, Josiah Mark Letchworth, Keith Allen Hatfield, Meagan Denae Celsor, Lindsey Nicole Walker, Gary Morgan Overstreet, Rebekah Dianne Pasley, Skye Rochelle Phillips, Ryan Michael Hoyle, Allyson Rhenee Gladden, Hannah Elizabeth Woods, Heather Danielle Holden, Robert Scott Hudgins, Earl James Stracener and David Elliott Baird.
TOP STORY >> Keep up guard, victim’s mother warns students
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Beth Holloway Twitty, the mother of Natalee Holloway, an Alabama high school graduate who vanished almost a year ago while on a trip in Aruba, told The Leader Tuesday the release of a 10th suspect in her daughter’s disappearance was “another disappointment.”
Twitty, a speech teacher from Birmingham, Ala., was in Cabot speaking to several hundred Cabot High School students about the importance of keeping their guard up while traveling abroad. The day before, she spoke at Lonoke High School.
“We picked this time of year because a lot of juniors and seniors will be traveling this summer,” said Lonoke County Sheriff Jim Roberson, who coordinated Twitty’s local speaking engagements.
She has spoken to about 10,000 students in 12 states in recent weeks.
Twitty told the students the last time she saw her daughter alive was May 26, when she drove Natalee to the airport.
“She was so happy and excited,” Twitty said.
Natalee Holloway, 18, went missing last May, during a graduation trip to the small island with 124 of her Mountain Brook High School, Ala., classmates. The last time anyone saw Natalee, she was leaving Carlos’ n Charlie’s, a popular tourist bar and grill in Oranjestad, Aruba, at 1:30 a.m. May 30 with Joran van der Sloot, 17, Deepak Kalpoe, 21, and Satish Kalpoe, 18, in Deepak’s gray Honda.
“Natalee had a false sense of security with her many friends there. She was too confident and she felt safe and she let her guard down for a moment and in that moment she was kidnapped, raped and most likely murdered,” Twitty said.
Twitty learned of her daughter’s disappearance on May 31 when the travel agent called to tell her Natalee had missed her return flight from the Dutch Caribbean island. Twitty, her husband George Joe Twitty, along with several other concerned parents boarded a plane and arrived in Aruba at 11 p.m. May 31 where they found Natalee’s passport, neatly packed luggage, and mobile phone in her hotel room.
Her mother told students if the phone had international calling activated, Natalee might have been able to call for help.
“Natalee’s international calling wasn’t activated. That weighs heavily on my heart when I remember her hotel room,” Twitty said.
The Twittys and hundreds of volunteers spent a month in Aruba searching for Natalee everywhere, including the island’s crack houses and brothels. It was 10 days before anyone was taken into custody for questioning.
“Those 10 days gave the suspects time to clean up, corroborate their stories and hire lawyers,” Twitty said.
She was optimistic several times in the past year that the case would be solved, but her hopes were dashed when police on the Caribbean island later released other potential suspects. The most recent suspect had been working as a card dealer in an Aruba casino at the time of Natalee’s disappearance. Identified only as Guido W. by authorities, he was taken into custody in Holland.
As part of her International Safe Travels Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to provide safety information to travelers, Twitty urged students traveling overseas to be aware of their surroundings and keep up with friends.
“You are responsible for your own safety,” she said.
“It’s been almost a year now since living every parent’s worst nightmare,” she said. “I don’t know what happened to Natalee, I don’t know where she is, I don’t know whether she is alive or not. It doesn’t look good,” Twitty said.
“I can’t make you understand the emptiness I feel when I wake up every single morning. I can’t describe to you the pain of walking past her bedroom door every day. I pray that your parents will never experience my pain,” Twitty told the students following a short film paying tribute to Natalee.
The film showed graduation photos of Natalee set to the song “Natalee, Where Are You Now?” written by Erika Harvey of Nashville, Tenn.
“I want the kids to walk away with a heightened sense of personal safety awareness,” Twitty told The Leader.
“We want to show them that there are challenges and consequences that they could face should they be a victim of a crime in a foreign country.”
For more information visit ww.safetravelsfoundation.org.
Arkansas News Bureau contributed to this report.
Leader staff writer
Beth Holloway Twitty, the mother of Natalee Holloway, an Alabama high school graduate who vanished almost a year ago while on a trip in Aruba, told The Leader Tuesday the release of a 10th suspect in her daughter’s disappearance was “another disappointment.”
Twitty, a speech teacher from Birmingham, Ala., was in Cabot speaking to several hundred Cabot High School students about the importance of keeping their guard up while traveling abroad. The day before, she spoke at Lonoke High School.
“We picked this time of year because a lot of juniors and seniors will be traveling this summer,” said Lonoke County Sheriff Jim Roberson, who coordinated Twitty’s local speaking engagements.
She has spoken to about 10,000 students in 12 states in recent weeks.
Twitty told the students the last time she saw her daughter alive was May 26, when she drove Natalee to the airport.
“She was so happy and excited,” Twitty said.
Natalee Holloway, 18, went missing last May, during a graduation trip to the small island with 124 of her Mountain Brook High School, Ala., classmates. The last time anyone saw Natalee, she was leaving Carlos’ n Charlie’s, a popular tourist bar and grill in Oranjestad, Aruba, at 1:30 a.m. May 30 with Joran van der Sloot, 17, Deepak Kalpoe, 21, and Satish Kalpoe, 18, in Deepak’s gray Honda.
“Natalee had a false sense of security with her many friends there. She was too confident and she felt safe and she let her guard down for a moment and in that moment she was kidnapped, raped and most likely murdered,” Twitty said.
Twitty learned of her daughter’s disappearance on May 31 when the travel agent called to tell her Natalee had missed her return flight from the Dutch Caribbean island. Twitty, her husband George Joe Twitty, along with several other concerned parents boarded a plane and arrived in Aruba at 11 p.m. May 31 where they found Natalee’s passport, neatly packed luggage, and mobile phone in her hotel room.
Her mother told students if the phone had international calling activated, Natalee might have been able to call for help.
“Natalee’s international calling wasn’t activated. That weighs heavily on my heart when I remember her hotel room,” Twitty said.
The Twittys and hundreds of volunteers spent a month in Aruba searching for Natalee everywhere, including the island’s crack houses and brothels. It was 10 days before anyone was taken into custody for questioning.
“Those 10 days gave the suspects time to clean up, corroborate their stories and hire lawyers,” Twitty said.
She was optimistic several times in the past year that the case would be solved, but her hopes were dashed when police on the Caribbean island later released other potential suspects. The most recent suspect had been working as a card dealer in an Aruba casino at the time of Natalee’s disappearance. Identified only as Guido W. by authorities, he was taken into custody in Holland.
As part of her International Safe Travels Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to provide safety information to travelers, Twitty urged students traveling overseas to be aware of their surroundings and keep up with friends.
“You are responsible for your own safety,” she said.
“It’s been almost a year now since living every parent’s worst nightmare,” she said. “I don’t know what happened to Natalee, I don’t know where she is, I don’t know whether she is alive or not. It doesn’t look good,” Twitty said.
“I can’t make you understand the emptiness I feel when I wake up every single morning. I can’t describe to you the pain of walking past her bedroom door every day. I pray that your parents will never experience my pain,” Twitty told the students following a short film paying tribute to Natalee.
The film showed graduation photos of Natalee set to the song “Natalee, Where Are You Now?” written by Erika Harvey of Nashville, Tenn.
“I want the kids to walk away with a heightened sense of personal safety awareness,” Twitty told The Leader.
“We want to show them that there are challenges and consequences that they could face should they be a victim of a crime in a foreign country.”
For more information visit ww.safetravelsfoundation.org.
Arkansas News Bureau contributed to this report.
TOP STORY >> Independents to fill local ballots in fall
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Voters in Cabot, Beebe, Ward and Austin should not be alarmed over the apparent lack of candidates for public office. Although Tuesday’s primary in Cabot had only a few candidates and the others had none, the ballots will be full in November after all the independent candidates have filed for office between July 20 and August 9.
In Cabot, all the incumbents on the city council ran as independents two years ago, and although a council ordinance allowed them to run as party candidates this year, none did. The only party candidates are Republicans running in open races. Jimmy Taylor is running for city attorney, now filled by Clint McGue, who was appointed and has not announced if he will run.
Alderman Patrick Hutton’s announcement for the Lonoke County Quorum Court created a vacancy that could be filled by a Republican, since two filed for the seat, but there is no guarantee of that because the council refused to pass an ordinance requiring independent candidates to file for office by the day before the primary.
Former City Attorney Ken Williams, who resigned from office, has filed for the Ward 2, Position 2 seat on the council held by Jerry Stephens, who is not running again. Teri Miessner has filed for the Ward 3, Position 2 seat held by Bob Duke, who is retiring, but both candidates could pick up opposition when filing begins for independents in July.
The seemingly routine ordinance that would have required all candidates to file before the primary failed in December with a 4-3 vote.
Without it, there is nothing to prevent party candidates who lose in the primary from filing as independents and running in the general election despite their loss.
In Beebe, all the candidates run as independents and file for office beginning in July. Alderman Mike Robertson, who was mayor eight years ago, is the only announced candidate for mayor.
In Ward, all the candidates run as independents, but the city council passed an ordinance in December requiring that all candidates file by the day before the primary.
Four candidates have filed for mayor: Art Brooke, the incumbent; Alderman Donnie Rouse; former Police Chief Jerry “Buford” McClendon and Bill Boyd.
For the city council, Ginger Tarno, the incumbent, and Don Harris have filed for Ward 1, Position 1. Marrice Jackson, the incumbent, and John Harris have filed for Ward 1, Position 2.
Glenn Walden, the incumbent, has no opposition in Ward 2, Position 1. Don Howard has no opposition for the Ward 2, Position 2 seat now held by Rouse. Charles Gastineau is unopposed for his Ward 3, Position 1 seat. Jeff Shaver, the incumbent, is opposed by former Recorder-Treasurer Murriel Seymour for Ward 3, Position 2.
All Austin candidates run as independents and file between July 20 and August 9.
Leader staff writer
Voters in Cabot, Beebe, Ward and Austin should not be alarmed over the apparent lack of candidates for public office. Although Tuesday’s primary in Cabot had only a few candidates and the others had none, the ballots will be full in November after all the independent candidates have filed for office between July 20 and August 9.
In Cabot, all the incumbents on the city council ran as independents two years ago, and although a council ordinance allowed them to run as party candidates this year, none did. The only party candidates are Republicans running in open races. Jimmy Taylor is running for city attorney, now filled by Clint McGue, who was appointed and has not announced if he will run.
Alderman Patrick Hutton’s announcement for the Lonoke County Quorum Court created a vacancy that could be filled by a Republican, since two filed for the seat, but there is no guarantee of that because the council refused to pass an ordinance requiring independent candidates to file for office by the day before the primary.
Former City Attorney Ken Williams, who resigned from office, has filed for the Ward 2, Position 2 seat on the council held by Jerry Stephens, who is not running again. Teri Miessner has filed for the Ward 3, Position 2 seat held by Bob Duke, who is retiring, but both candidates could pick up opposition when filing begins for independents in July.
The seemingly routine ordinance that would have required all candidates to file before the primary failed in December with a 4-3 vote.
Without it, there is nothing to prevent party candidates who lose in the primary from filing as independents and running in the general election despite their loss.
In Beebe, all the candidates run as independents and file for office beginning in July. Alderman Mike Robertson, who was mayor eight years ago, is the only announced candidate for mayor.
In Ward, all the candidates run as independents, but the city council passed an ordinance in December requiring that all candidates file by the day before the primary.
Four candidates have filed for mayor: Art Brooke, the incumbent; Alderman Donnie Rouse; former Police Chief Jerry “Buford” McClendon and Bill Boyd.
For the city council, Ginger Tarno, the incumbent, and Don Harris have filed for Ward 1, Position 1. Marrice Jackson, the incumbent, and John Harris have filed for Ward 1, Position 2.
Glenn Walden, the incumbent, has no opposition in Ward 2, Position 1. Don Howard has no opposition for the Ward 2, Position 2 seat now held by Rouse. Charles Gastineau is unopposed for his Ward 3, Position 1 seat. Jeff Shaver, the incumbent, is opposed by former Recorder-Treasurer Murriel Seymour for Ward 3, Position 2.
All Austin candidates run as independents and file between July 20 and August 9.
TOP STORY >> Garrett, Capps, primary victors
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
The three-way race in the Democratic primary for White County sheriff was a close one for Pat Garrett, who is seeking a fourth term in office, but when all the votes were finally counted at just past 11 p.m. Tuesday, he was ahead with just under 51 percent of the votes.
Although this is Garrett’s fourth race, it is his first as a Democrat. He switched parties this year, saying the Re-publicans no longer gave him the support he needed.
The unofficial results of the race were Garrett, 2,958, Corey Simmons, 855, and Alan Roberson, 1,995.
Sen. John Paul Capps (D-Searcy) easily won re-election in Dist. 29, beating Gene Mason, 3,054 to 417 in White County. Preliminary results in north Pulaski County, which is also in Dist. 29, showed Capps with 562 votes to Mason’s 220 votes.
Garrett was reportedly at home with friends most of the evening, but he arrived at the courthouse just after the results were in.
“I feel absolutely outstanding,” Garrett said about the outcome of the election. “All my opponents threw everything they had at me. Now I’m ready to start my campaign for November.”
Garrett will face Ricky Shourd, a Republican, in the November election.
Maj. Kyle Stokes, the third in command at the sheriff’s department, and a candidate for White County judge in the Republican primary, did not fare as well as his boss. He lost to Michael Lincoln, 1,453 to 964.
The loss was Stokes’ third, and he said he would not run for office again.
“I took three swings. Now it’s time for someone else to step up to the plate,” he said.
Lincoln, a newcomer to White County politics, said he believes the administrative skills he has honed in 10 years as executive director of Camp Wildwood and before that with 13 years in public education make him a viable candidate for county judge.
“I’m honest and I’m fair and I’m a good consensus builder,” he said.
In November, he will face independent candidate Dennis Gillam and Waylon Heathscott, who won over Barth Grayson in the Democratic primary, 3,292 to 2,345.
Grayson, in his fifth race for county judge, conceded his loss to Heathscott after 85 of the county’s 92 precincts had been counted.
Heathscott, the current county treasurer and a former White County judge, says he believes he can beat Gillam and Lincoln if he has Grayson’s help.
“I sure need Mr. Grayson’s people,” Heathscott said. I sure need their help.”
Grayson said he believed he lost because he didn’t go door to door enough during his campaign. He hadn’t pressed for support from enough people.
Asked if he would throw his support to Heathscott, Grayson’s response was a definite maybe.
“I probably will because of the Democratic tie,” he said. “I’m deep into that party. Of course, I’ve got ties to Dennis, too. We’re both blackberry growers.”
Grayson, who owns several small newspapers, in addition to a few acres of blackberries, says he learned about the county by covering it, and he really wants to serve in public office.
Asked if he would run for county judge again, Grayson answered, “I’ll never say never.”
The only primary election for the White County Quorum Court was won by Democrat Layne “Boss” Vaughn, the longtime JP in District 8.
He defeated challenger Bob Barnum, 493 to 259.
Leader staff writer
The three-way race in the Democratic primary for White County sheriff was a close one for Pat Garrett, who is seeking a fourth term in office, but when all the votes were finally counted at just past 11 p.m. Tuesday, he was ahead with just under 51 percent of the votes.
Although this is Garrett’s fourth race, it is his first as a Democrat. He switched parties this year, saying the Re-publicans no longer gave him the support he needed.
The unofficial results of the race were Garrett, 2,958, Corey Simmons, 855, and Alan Roberson, 1,995.
Sen. John Paul Capps (D-Searcy) easily won re-election in Dist. 29, beating Gene Mason, 3,054 to 417 in White County. Preliminary results in north Pulaski County, which is also in Dist. 29, showed Capps with 562 votes to Mason’s 220 votes.
Garrett was reportedly at home with friends most of the evening, but he arrived at the courthouse just after the results were in.
“I feel absolutely outstanding,” Garrett said about the outcome of the election. “All my opponents threw everything they had at me. Now I’m ready to start my campaign for November.”
Garrett will face Ricky Shourd, a Republican, in the November election.
Maj. Kyle Stokes, the third in command at the sheriff’s department, and a candidate for White County judge in the Republican primary, did not fare as well as his boss. He lost to Michael Lincoln, 1,453 to 964.
The loss was Stokes’ third, and he said he would not run for office again.
“I took three swings. Now it’s time for someone else to step up to the plate,” he said.
Lincoln, a newcomer to White County politics, said he believes the administrative skills he has honed in 10 years as executive director of Camp Wildwood and before that with 13 years in public education make him a viable candidate for county judge.
“I’m honest and I’m fair and I’m a good consensus builder,” he said.
In November, he will face independent candidate Dennis Gillam and Waylon Heathscott, who won over Barth Grayson in the Democratic primary, 3,292 to 2,345.
Grayson, in his fifth race for county judge, conceded his loss to Heathscott after 85 of the county’s 92 precincts had been counted.
Heathscott, the current county treasurer and a former White County judge, says he believes he can beat Gillam and Lincoln if he has Grayson’s help.
“I sure need Mr. Grayson’s people,” Heathscott said. I sure need their help.”
Grayson said he believed he lost because he didn’t go door to door enough during his campaign. He hadn’t pressed for support from enough people.
Asked if he would throw his support to Heathscott, Grayson’s response was a definite maybe.
“I probably will because of the Democratic tie,” he said. “I’m deep into that party. Of course, I’ve got ties to Dennis, too. We’re both blackberry growers.”
Grayson, who owns several small newspapers, in addition to a few acres of blackberries, says he learned about the county by covering it, and he really wants to serve in public office.
Asked if he would run for county judge again, Grayson answered, “I’ll never say never.”
The only primary election for the White County Quorum Court was won by Democrat Layne “Boss” Vaughn, the longtime JP in District 8.
He defeated challenger Bob Barnum, 493 to 259.
TOP STORY >> Pulaski County software troubles
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Longtime law enforcement veteran Doc Holladay of Little Rock appeared to have pummeled fellow lawmen H.L. Hutton of Jacksonville in the Democratic primary race for Pulaski County sheriff.
But that’s with only 4 percent of the votes in at 1 a.m. Wednesday.
If the trend holds, Holladay will square off against Republican DeWayne Graham of Sher-wood, a former television newsman, in November for the sheriff’s job.
The outcome for District 10 justice of the peace seemingly will have to wait until the run-off election on June 13. Neither incumbent, the Rev. Robert Green Sr., nor former incumbent Johnie L. Mass, both of North Little Rock, look like they will garner the necessary 50 percent of the vote in the three-man race and will face each other again. William Ginocchio of Little Rock, with the lowest vote total of the three, appears to be out of the race.
In the sheriff’s race, with just five precincts reporting by 1 a.m. Wednesday, Holladay garnered 81 percent, or 9,271 votes to Hutton’s 18 percent, or 2,161 votes.
Holladay campaigned on his extensive administrative and command experience. He said that was what set him apart from Hutton. Holladay has handled personnel issues that a sheriff will have to contend with and has commanded the largest municipal patrol, detective and narcotics units in the state.
“I’ve been in law-enforcement all my adult life,” said the Little Rock resident recently. “I’m capable and qualified.”
Holladay has worked in the professional standards unit of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department since June 2004.
Before that, Holladay was the Little Rock Police Department’s public information officer.
Holladay said a top priority would be to identify a dedicated funding source to maintain the county jail and to keep the county from cutting other law-enforcement needs.
“We need to increase the enforcement and investigative functions,” he said. “We need to improve the technology. We need in-car cameras and a larger narcotics squad.
“Everybody is talking about problems in the jail, but the backbone is the patrol function.” Holladay has 33 years of law-enforcement experience.
He served Little Rock Police Department as commander of the downtown patrol division, commander of special investigations divisions, acting assistant chief of police and is a certified law enforcement instructor.
Holladay is a graduate of Fuller High School and holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the U.S. Secret Service Dignitary Protection School and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Critical Incident Management.
Holladay’s opponent, Jack-sonville resident Hutton, 49, spent the last 12 years working with the current sheriff, Randy Johnson, who opted not to run for re-election.
JP RACE
In the District 10 justice of the peace race, newcomer Ginocchio couldn’t make it past either of the veterans, Green and Mass, who both happen to be neighbors.
With five precincts reporting, Ginocchio had received 97 votes, or 20 percent, while Green had 192 votes, or 39.5 percent, and Mass had 197 votes, or 40.5 percent.
District 10 includes parts of Jacksonville, McAlmont, Sherwood, Rixey, Brushy Island and North Little Rock.
Barring a wildly successful independent candidate, the winner of the Democratic run-off in June will be the next justice of the peace. No Republicans filed for the position.
Green, 44, drives a Central Arkansas Transit Authority bus for a living and pastors First Corinthians Baptist Church in North Little Rock. “I’ve worked, pastored and lived in District 10 all my life,” Green said.
Green is a 1979 graduate of Jacksonville High School and drove a school bus for seven years before going to work for CATA. He has served two two-year terms on the quorum court and his wife has served two terms.
Mass just turned 78, but says he has no aches and no pains. After losing to Green by 23 votes two years ago, he said he would never run again, but changed his mind.
Mass retired after 37 years in the Air Force and has served on many boards, commissions and panels.
Leader staff writer John Hofheimer contributed to this article.
Leader staff writer
Longtime law enforcement veteran Doc Holladay of Little Rock appeared to have pummeled fellow lawmen H.L. Hutton of Jacksonville in the Democratic primary race for Pulaski County sheriff.
But that’s with only 4 percent of the votes in at 1 a.m. Wednesday.
If the trend holds, Holladay will square off against Republican DeWayne Graham of Sher-wood, a former television newsman, in November for the sheriff’s job.
The outcome for District 10 justice of the peace seemingly will have to wait until the run-off election on June 13. Neither incumbent, the Rev. Robert Green Sr., nor former incumbent Johnie L. Mass, both of North Little Rock, look like they will garner the necessary 50 percent of the vote in the three-man race and will face each other again. William Ginocchio of Little Rock, with the lowest vote total of the three, appears to be out of the race.
In the sheriff’s race, with just five precincts reporting by 1 a.m. Wednesday, Holladay garnered 81 percent, or 9,271 votes to Hutton’s 18 percent, or 2,161 votes.
Holladay campaigned on his extensive administrative and command experience. He said that was what set him apart from Hutton. Holladay has handled personnel issues that a sheriff will have to contend with and has commanded the largest municipal patrol, detective and narcotics units in the state.
“I’ve been in law-enforcement all my adult life,” said the Little Rock resident recently. “I’m capable and qualified.”
Holladay has worked in the professional standards unit of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department since June 2004.
Before that, Holladay was the Little Rock Police Department’s public information officer.
Holladay said a top priority would be to identify a dedicated funding source to maintain the county jail and to keep the county from cutting other law-enforcement needs.
“We need to increase the enforcement and investigative functions,” he said. “We need to improve the technology. We need in-car cameras and a larger narcotics squad.
“Everybody is talking about problems in the jail, but the backbone is the patrol function.” Holladay has 33 years of law-enforcement experience.
He served Little Rock Police Department as commander of the downtown patrol division, commander of special investigations divisions, acting assistant chief of police and is a certified law enforcement instructor.
Holladay is a graduate of Fuller High School and holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the U.S. Secret Service Dignitary Protection School and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Critical Incident Management.
Holladay’s opponent, Jack-sonville resident Hutton, 49, spent the last 12 years working with the current sheriff, Randy Johnson, who opted not to run for re-election.
JP RACE
In the District 10 justice of the peace race, newcomer Ginocchio couldn’t make it past either of the veterans, Green and Mass, who both happen to be neighbors.
With five precincts reporting, Ginocchio had received 97 votes, or 20 percent, while Green had 192 votes, or 39.5 percent, and Mass had 197 votes, or 40.5 percent.
District 10 includes parts of Jacksonville, McAlmont, Sherwood, Rixey, Brushy Island and North Little Rock.
Barring a wildly successful independent candidate, the winner of the Democratic run-off in June will be the next justice of the peace. No Republicans filed for the position.
Green, 44, drives a Central Arkansas Transit Authority bus for a living and pastors First Corinthians Baptist Church in North Little Rock. “I’ve worked, pastored and lived in District 10 all my life,” Green said.
Green is a 1979 graduate of Jacksonville High School and drove a school bus for seven years before going to work for CATA. He has served two two-year terms on the quorum court and his wife has served two terms.
Mass just turned 78, but says he has no aches and no pains. After losing to Green by 23 votes two years ago, he said he would never run again, but changed his mind.
Mass retired after 37 years in the Air Force and has served on many boards, commissions and panels.
Leader staff writer John Hofheimer contributed to this article.
TOP STORY >> Lonoke counting in disarray
By JOHN HOFHEIMER AND RICK KRON
Leader staff writers
Saying “the numbers on this (tote) board aren’t worth spit,” Lonoke County Election Commissioner Larry Clarke announced at about 1 a.m. Wednesday that the optical scanner was incorrectly programmed and that it could be days until the results of the Lonoke County primary election are known.
Pulaski County was having the same problems and had only released about 4 percent of the vote, but commissioners and board members took off their ties and rolled up their sleeves and planned to stay until the count was verified, according to Susan Inman with the election commission.
“We’ll be lucky to recount this week,” Clarke said of the Lonoke County problems.
He said ES&S, the contractor for the voting machines, scanners and their programming, told him minutes earlier that the company would try to reprogram the disk today.
“We’ll have to run them all over. It will take all tomorrow (Wednesday) to reprogram the scanner for the 190 ballot styles,” Clarke said.
Then they must be tested. After the election commission is satisfied that the programming is correct, then a recount will begin.
The 35 people still assembled lat at night at the courthouse shook their heads or groused. One challenged Clarke, and said maybe ES&S should be the election commission and suggested a hand count.
“Hand counting is not an option,” Clarke said.
Clarke credited Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney Lona McCastlain with the discovery that the ballots were being incorrectly scanned.
Cabot mayoral candidates in Ward 1 got only 28 votes in the Republican primary, while the scanner recorded 121 votes split between the Republican sheriff candidates.
Clarke said the scanner seemed to be picking up all countywide races but recording only some votes in the local races for mayors, aldermen and justices of the peace.
Lonoke County Judge Charlie Troutman said, “I’ve never seen anything like it, but this problem was occurring in some other counties as well.”
Pulaski County’s Inman said her crew was verifying the results by hand. She said the problem, like in Lonoke, was with the optical scanner program. She explained that the cumulative totals and end reports generated by the new software couldn’t be trusted.
“We are having to pull the tapes and double check the vote counts and make sure the right votes go to the right candidate,” Inman said.
“We are doing our job,” she said, making sure of the vote.
Inman said even the representatives of the software company who were on hand at the courthouse Tuesday night and Wednesday morning were “shocked and surprised as anyone” with the problems.
Inman emphasized that the election commission would “not blindly trust” the information provided by the software.
“We are responsible and will not post any results that could be incorrect,” she said.
Leader staff writers
Saying “the numbers on this (tote) board aren’t worth spit,” Lonoke County Election Commissioner Larry Clarke announced at about 1 a.m. Wednesday that the optical scanner was incorrectly programmed and that it could be days until the results of the Lonoke County primary election are known.
Pulaski County was having the same problems and had only released about 4 percent of the vote, but commissioners and board members took off their ties and rolled up their sleeves and planned to stay until the count was verified, according to Susan Inman with the election commission.
“We’ll be lucky to recount this week,” Clarke said of the Lonoke County problems.
He said ES&S, the contractor for the voting machines, scanners and their programming, told him minutes earlier that the company would try to reprogram the disk today.
“We’ll have to run them all over. It will take all tomorrow (Wednesday) to reprogram the scanner for the 190 ballot styles,” Clarke said.
Then they must be tested. After the election commission is satisfied that the programming is correct, then a recount will begin.
The 35 people still assembled lat at night at the courthouse shook their heads or groused. One challenged Clarke, and said maybe ES&S should be the election commission and suggested a hand count.
“Hand counting is not an option,” Clarke said.
Clarke credited Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney Lona McCastlain with the discovery that the ballots were being incorrectly scanned.
Cabot mayoral candidates in Ward 1 got only 28 votes in the Republican primary, while the scanner recorded 121 votes split between the Republican sheriff candidates.
Clarke said the scanner seemed to be picking up all countywide races but recording only some votes in the local races for mayors, aldermen and justices of the peace.
Lonoke County Judge Charlie Troutman said, “I’ve never seen anything like it, but this problem was occurring in some other counties as well.”
Pulaski County’s Inman said her crew was verifying the results by hand. She said the problem, like in Lonoke, was with the optical scanner program. She explained that the cumulative totals and end reports generated by the new software couldn’t be trusted.
“We are having to pull the tapes and double check the vote counts and make sure the right votes go to the right candidate,” Inman said.
“We are doing our job,” she said, making sure of the vote.
Inman said even the representatives of the software company who were on hand at the courthouse Tuesday night and Wednesday morning were “shocked and surprised as anyone” with the problems.
Inman emphasized that the election commission would “not blindly trust” the information provided by the software.
“We are responsible and will not post any results that could be incorrect,” she said.
Monday, May 22, 2006
EDITORIAL >> The Leader's candidate choices
We have endorsed these candidates who face opponents in Tuesday’s primaries:
Attorney general — Paul Suskie, Democrat.
Lieutenant governor — Bill Halter, Democrat. Chuck Banks, Republican.
Supreme Court — Donald Corbin, Pos. 2. Wendell Griffen, Pos. 5.
Senate Dist. 29 — John Paul Capps.
Second Dist. U.S. House of Rep. — Tom Formicola.
Attorney general — Paul Suskie, Democrat.
Lieutenant governor — Bill Halter, Democrat. Chuck Banks, Republican.
Supreme Court — Donald Corbin, Pos. 2. Wendell Griffen, Pos. 5.
Senate Dist. 29 — John Paul Capps.
Second Dist. U.S. House of Rep. — Tom Formicola.
EDITORIAL >> Formicola in GOP primary
Republicans have slim hopes of electing a congressman in the Second District this year, but they can produce a serious dialogue about the good of the country. In a season that does not promise much for the party, that can be a small triumph.
But that will depend upon Republicans electing Tom Formicola in the primary. Formicola, a health care executive at Sherwood, has a single Republican opponent, Andy Mayberry of East End in southern Pulaski County. Mayberry has been running for office for six years and he announced for the seat of U. S. Rep. Vic Snyder in 2005, which gave him a leg up on Formicola, who entered the race only two months ago.
Mayberry is a one-issue candidate — it’s abortion, of course — but his real hope is that his name will associate him in people’s memories with the popular Andy Griffith Show, which depicts lovable characters in the nostalgic town of Mayberry. But voters in the end will take substance over fluff.
Formicola offers the former.
He can speak thoughtfully about the real issues, the nation’s health crisis, its deteriorating fiscal condition, war and national security. Mayberry can talk about abortion.
The candidate will face one of the most thoughtful and principled officeholders of our era, Vic Snyder, and the Republicans should nominate someone who can at least engage him on that high plane.
Our hunch is that Tom Formicola can do that and Andy Mayberry cannot.
But that will depend upon Republicans electing Tom Formicola in the primary. Formicola, a health care executive at Sherwood, has a single Republican opponent, Andy Mayberry of East End in southern Pulaski County. Mayberry has been running for office for six years and he announced for the seat of U. S. Rep. Vic Snyder in 2005, which gave him a leg up on Formicola, who entered the race only two months ago.
Mayberry is a one-issue candidate — it’s abortion, of course — but his real hope is that his name will associate him in people’s memories with the popular Andy Griffith Show, which depicts lovable characters in the nostalgic town of Mayberry. But voters in the end will take substance over fluff.
Formicola offers the former.
He can speak thoughtfully about the real issues, the nation’s health crisis, its deteriorating fiscal condition, war and national security. Mayberry can talk about abortion.
The candidate will face one of the most thoughtful and principled officeholders of our era, Vic Snyder, and the Republicans should nominate someone who can at least engage him on that high plane.
Our hunch is that Tom Formicola can do that and Andy Mayberry cannot.
SATURDAY EDITORIAL >> Retain Sen. Capps
Local voters will face a long list of candidates in next Tuesday’s Democratic and Republican primaries, from quorum court members to attorney general, from sheriff to lieutenant governor. We’ve tried to profile most of them in a series of news articles and have endorsed many of them.
Today we endorse Sen. Paul Capps of Searcy, a veteran legislator who faces Gene Mason of Jacksonville in the Democratic primary in Dist. 29. Capps’ political career goes back to the 1960s, having risen to House Speaker before term limits forced almost every legislator into retirement.
But Capps came back four years ago, when he ran a spirited campaign against Rep. Pat Bond, D-Jacksonville, for the Senate seat left vacant by the outgoing Bill Gwatney, D-Jacksonville, who also was term-limited.
Capps is allowed one more term, and we see no reason to turn him out of office. He knows the intricacies of law-making and has represented the area well. A conscientious legislator, he’s not too happy with the pork-barrel projects lawmakers send their districts at budget time, nor is he pleased with the state’s easy reliance on sales taxes that burden the poor the most.
It’s unlikely Capps will cut out pork and lower sales taxes, but at least he’s a conscience in the Senate and could serve as a guide for younger lawmakers learning the ropes.
Mason is bright, an energetic letter-writer to this newspaper and a part-time teacher. He might have a better chance at winning in four years when he faces a less formidable candidate who is not the incumbent.
There are several other candidates who deserve our endorsement, but, frankly, it’s not easy making endorsements for local offices: Many of the candidates are our friends and neighbors who are running against qualified candidates equally deserving of holding office. In fact, it’s amazing that citizen-politicians make the sacrifice of public service for very little pay, and what they get in return is mostly headaches. And yet, they make a difference in their communities, and may the best of them win.
Today we endorse Sen. Paul Capps of Searcy, a veteran legislator who faces Gene Mason of Jacksonville in the Democratic primary in Dist. 29. Capps’ political career goes back to the 1960s, having risen to House Speaker before term limits forced almost every legislator into retirement.
But Capps came back four years ago, when he ran a spirited campaign against Rep. Pat Bond, D-Jacksonville, for the Senate seat left vacant by the outgoing Bill Gwatney, D-Jacksonville, who also was term-limited.
Capps is allowed one more term, and we see no reason to turn him out of office. He knows the intricacies of law-making and has represented the area well. A conscientious legislator, he’s not too happy with the pork-barrel projects lawmakers send their districts at budget time, nor is he pleased with the state’s easy reliance on sales taxes that burden the poor the most.
It’s unlikely Capps will cut out pork and lower sales taxes, but at least he’s a conscience in the Senate and could serve as a guide for younger lawmakers learning the ropes.
Mason is bright, an energetic letter-writer to this newspaper and a part-time teacher. He might have a better chance at winning in four years when he faces a less formidable candidate who is not the incumbent.
There are several other candidates who deserve our endorsement, but, frankly, it’s not easy making endorsements for local offices: Many of the candidates are our friends and neighbors who are running against qualified candidates equally deserving of holding office. In fact, it’s amazing that citizen-politicians make the sacrifice of public service for very little pay, and what they get in return is mostly headaches. And yet, they make a difference in their communities, and may the best of them win.
FROM THE PUBLISHER >> Searchers confirm our report
BY GARRICK FELDMAN
Leader publisher
Hunters and nature lovers can now come and go as they please in the Big Woods of eastern Arkansas, as the search for the rare ivory-billed woodpecker is on summer vacation.
As we reported here on April 22, the search for the woodpecker is on hiatus until fall, according to those in charge of the recovery effort. Journalists received confirmation of our report during a tele-conference call Thursday.
Several groups involved in the search also confirmed the obvious: The fabled bird is definitely not hiding out in the Bayou DeView near Brinkley, as earlier sightings seemed to indicate.
“There is no resident pair in the Bayou DeView,” said Ken Rosen-berg of the Cornell Lab of Orni-thology, who co-chairs the biologists’ working group involved in the recovery effort.
"There have been no additional sightings since last year,” he added, which either confirms the theory that the bird was never in the Bayou DeView or has flown away.
But that area includes just 72,000 acres, or 13 percent of the wildlife refuge. Searchers have not ruled out the possibility that the bird has moved somewhere else in the 550,000-acre White River Wildlife Refuge.
There is also that grainy video that appears to show the bird in flight in the bayou, which prompted me to ask the people involved in the search if they still think the video shows the ivory-bill, long believed to have been extinct.
“We still stand behind the video,” responded Rosenberg , as reporters from the New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Consti-tution, Kansas City Star, Arkansas Times, Reuters and other media outlets listened in on their phones.
Several scientists think the video, shot by David Luneau of UALR, actually shows the more common pileated woodpecker, but people who have led the search insist it’s the ivory-bill.
“The criticism has forced us to search harder,” Rosenberg told reporters during the tele-conference call. “We’ve answered our critics. We believe it’s the ivory-bill.”
“We believe it’s the ivory-bill,” echoed team leader Jon Andrew of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
They believe it’s the woodpecker because the video appears to show the top of the bird’s black-and-white wings and its undulating flight pattern as it took off from the trunk of a tupelo tree where it had been perched.
Several sound recordings have also captured the bird’s unique kent call and double taps. Some of the searchers think they heard the kent call and double taps, but those sounds are easy to confuse with other birds, or even trucks rumbling along nearby I-40.
But the bird has left the bayou, probably moving deeper into the woods on account of hundreds of people encroaching on its fragile territory.
Cornell University has spent $1 million, most of it donated, looking for the woodpecker. Federal agencies have also donated several hundred thousand dollars in grants and in-kind services.
“We’re disappointed,” Cornell’s Rosenberg said. “We put a lot of effort into it. We have a lot of hope there might be a pair in the White River area.”
Much work remains to be done, but only a skeleton-crew will return next fall. So the search could go on for decades and spread out into neighboring states, and even into the Caribbean.
“We’d love to go to Cuba,” said one of the ornithologists.
The rest of us are sticking to the Big Woods, with half-a-million acres to explore. That’s enough hiking for a lifetime.
See you there next fall.
Leader publisher
Hunters and nature lovers can now come and go as they please in the Big Woods of eastern Arkansas, as the search for the rare ivory-billed woodpecker is on summer vacation.
As we reported here on April 22, the search for the woodpecker is on hiatus until fall, according to those in charge of the recovery effort. Journalists received confirmation of our report during a tele-conference call Thursday.
Several groups involved in the search also confirmed the obvious: The fabled bird is definitely not hiding out in the Bayou DeView near Brinkley, as earlier sightings seemed to indicate.
“There is no resident pair in the Bayou DeView,” said Ken Rosen-berg of the Cornell Lab of Orni-thology, who co-chairs the biologists’ working group involved in the recovery effort.
"There have been no additional sightings since last year,” he added, which either confirms the theory that the bird was never in the Bayou DeView or has flown away.
But that area includes just 72,000 acres, or 13 percent of the wildlife refuge. Searchers have not ruled out the possibility that the bird has moved somewhere else in the 550,000-acre White River Wildlife Refuge.
There is also that grainy video that appears to show the bird in flight in the bayou, which prompted me to ask the people involved in the search if they still think the video shows the ivory-bill, long believed to have been extinct.
“We still stand behind the video,” responded Rosenberg , as reporters from the New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Consti-tution, Kansas City Star, Arkansas Times, Reuters and other media outlets listened in on their phones.
Several scientists think the video, shot by David Luneau of UALR, actually shows the more common pileated woodpecker, but people who have led the search insist it’s the ivory-bill.
“The criticism has forced us to search harder,” Rosenberg told reporters during the tele-conference call. “We’ve answered our critics. We believe it’s the ivory-bill.”
“We believe it’s the ivory-bill,” echoed team leader Jon Andrew of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
They believe it’s the woodpecker because the video appears to show the top of the bird’s black-and-white wings and its undulating flight pattern as it took off from the trunk of a tupelo tree where it had been perched.
Several sound recordings have also captured the bird’s unique kent call and double taps. Some of the searchers think they heard the kent call and double taps, but those sounds are easy to confuse with other birds, or even trucks rumbling along nearby I-40.
But the bird has left the bayou, probably moving deeper into the woods on account of hundreds of people encroaching on its fragile territory.
Cornell University has spent $1 million, most of it donated, looking for the woodpecker. Federal agencies have also donated several hundred thousand dollars in grants and in-kind services.
“We’re disappointed,” Cornell’s Rosenberg said. “We put a lot of effort into it. We have a lot of hope there might be a pair in the White River area.”
Much work remains to be done, but only a skeleton-crew will return next fall. So the search could go on for decades and spread out into neighboring states, and even into the Caribbean.
“We’d love to go to Cuba,” said one of the ornithologists.
The rest of us are sticking to the Big Woods, with half-a-million acres to explore. That’s enough hiking for a lifetime.
See you there next fall.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
OBITUARIES >> 5-17-06
MARGARET SUTTON, 80
Margaret B. Sutton, 80, of Jacksonville died May 15 in Conway.
She was born in Albermarle, N.C., on Sept. 10, 1925, to the late Oscar R. and Cora “Simpson” Springer. She is also preceded in death by her husband, Walter W. Sutton, five brothers, one sister and one great-granddaughter.
Sutton was a member of Marshall Road Baptist Church in Jacksonville where she assisted in the church nursery, volunteered at Fishnet Ministries and was a member of the MAC Group. Survivors include two sons; Walter W. Sutton, Jr. and wife Hazel and Donald E. Sutton and wife Barbara of Mayflower, two daughters; Barbara J. Thrall and husband Charles of Green-ville, Calif., and Diane Dolan and husband Jo-seph of Federal Way, Wash., a sister, Dorothy Rains of Galveston, Texas, 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren and other friends and family.
Funeral services are at 2 p.m., Thursday at Moore’s Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. John Sammons and Rev. Cliff Hutchins officiating. Interment will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Park. Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home with arrangements under the direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
STEVE MCNUTT, 59
Steve McNutt, 59, of Floyd, was born Sept. 3, 1946, in Russellville, and died May 13.
He was a truck driver for more than 35 years and a Baptist. He is survived by his wife, Esther McNutt; his mother and step-father, Norman and Irene Hughes of Lawrenceville, Ga.; one son, Stevan McNutt of Floyd; three daughters, Theresa Harris of Floyd, Sandi Eason of Georgia and Alanna Hendrickson of Little Rock; five grandchildren and one step-brother, Mike Gately of Sheridan. He was preceded in death by his father, Frank McNutt.
Family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Vilonia First Baptist Church, with burial in New Floyd Cemetery.
RUTH MERRILL, 96
Ruth Peterson Merrill, 96, of Jacksonville passed away May 15. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Jacksonville and was a registered nurse for Jacksonville doctors until her retirement. She is survived by her son, Hubert M. Merrill and wife, Mae, of Jacksonville; three grandsons; two granddaughters and one great-grandson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack M. Merrill; son, Col. Roland S. Merrill and her sisters, Isabel Peterson and Edith Littlefield.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, 2020 West Main, Jacksonville, Ark., 72076 or First Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville, 1208 W. Main, Jacksonville, Ark., 72076 or Arkansas Hospice Foundation, 5600 West 12th St., Little Rock, Ark., 72204.
A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Chapel Hill Memorial Park in Jacksonville. Family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m, Thursday at North Little Rock Funeral Home, 1921 Main St, 758-1170.
Arrangements are by North Little Rock Funeral Home.
VERNON ANDERSON SR., 46
Vernon Michael Anderson, Sr., 46, of Jacksonville, died May 30.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra Anderson of Jacksonville, his parents; Virgil Jr. and Kathleen Anderson of Brooklyn, N.Y., two sons, one daughter, three brothers, three grandchildren, one nephew, one niece, and other friends and relatives.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday in the chapel of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home in Jacksonville. Burial will follow in the Arkansas State Veteran’s Cemetery in North Little Rock.
Visitation will be Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral arrangements are by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
JUANITA WOOD, 86
Juanita S. Wood, 86, of Cabot, died May 16. She was born Nov. 11, 1919, to the late Frank and Amy Garner Sisson in Pulaski County. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Cabot and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Fred H. Wood.
Wood is survived by two children, Fred A. Wood and wife Nancy, and Bettye Schelle and husband Bob, all of Cabot and two sisters, Amy Lee Bob of San Antonio, Texas; and Margaret Elizabeth Blaylock of Morrilton. She is also survived by five grandchildren; Lisa Gallogly, Fred A. Wood II, Lara Wood, Jimmy Schelle, and Lori Moix and 10 great grandchildren also survive her.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home.
Services will be 10 a.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church of Cabot with burial at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
WANDA MCCOY, 70
Wanda F. McCoy, 70, of Jacksonville, passed away May 15. She was born on Oct. 21, 1935, in Davis, Okla., to the late Buck and Lena (Harrison) Harris. Also preceding her in death were her sister, Geraldine Holcomb and nephew, Mike Holcomb both of Sulphur, Okla.
She graduated from Davis High School in Davis, Okla., in 1954 and married her husband Charles on July 1, the same year.
She is survived by her husband of 51 years, three daughters; Marla “Susie” McCoy of Jacksonville, Sheila and husband Gene Boser of Cabot, Vickie and husband Wayne High of Cabot; sister and brother-in-law, Velma and Duward Walker of Yukon, Okla.; brother and sister-in-law, Kenneth and Melba Harris of Coleman, Okla., eight grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, nu-merous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home Chapel followed by interment in Chapel Hill Memorial Park. The family will receive friends and guests from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
The family would like to gratefully thank Baptist Hospice and staff for their kindness and professionalism. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
NAOMI HALL, 79
Naomi Dean Hall, 79, of Beebe, passed away May 11, at the home of her daughter, Janice Hughes of Groesbeck, Texas.
She was born Oct. 31, 1926, to Comer Jesse and Pinkie Marie “Belew” Fulks in Antioch. Survivors include three sons, Dewey Lee Middleton and Donnie Ray Middleton, both of Whorton, Texas, Stevie L. Middleton of Waxahachie, Texas; two daughters, Sharon Ann Minter of Balch Springs, Texas and Janice Marie Hughes of Groesbeck, Texas; one sister, Mary Lee Clark of Grand Prairie, Texas; 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren; two nieces, Julie Carlile of Grand Prairie, Texas and Joyce Keen of Midlothian, Texas; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Cleo Hall. Graveside services were held Monday at Antioch Cemetery.
Margaret B. Sutton, 80, of Jacksonville died May 15 in Conway.
She was born in Albermarle, N.C., on Sept. 10, 1925, to the late Oscar R. and Cora “Simpson” Springer. She is also preceded in death by her husband, Walter W. Sutton, five brothers, one sister and one great-granddaughter.
Sutton was a member of Marshall Road Baptist Church in Jacksonville where she assisted in the church nursery, volunteered at Fishnet Ministries and was a member of the MAC Group. Survivors include two sons; Walter W. Sutton, Jr. and wife Hazel and Donald E. Sutton and wife Barbara of Mayflower, two daughters; Barbara J. Thrall and husband Charles of Green-ville, Calif., and Diane Dolan and husband Jo-seph of Federal Way, Wash., a sister, Dorothy Rains of Galveston, Texas, 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren and other friends and family.
Funeral services are at 2 p.m., Thursday at Moore’s Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. John Sammons and Rev. Cliff Hutchins officiating. Interment will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Park. Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home with arrangements under the direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
STEVE MCNUTT, 59
Steve McNutt, 59, of Floyd, was born Sept. 3, 1946, in Russellville, and died May 13.
He was a truck driver for more than 35 years and a Baptist. He is survived by his wife, Esther McNutt; his mother and step-father, Norman and Irene Hughes of Lawrenceville, Ga.; one son, Stevan McNutt of Floyd; three daughters, Theresa Harris of Floyd, Sandi Eason of Georgia and Alanna Hendrickson of Little Rock; five grandchildren and one step-brother, Mike Gately of Sheridan. He was preceded in death by his father, Frank McNutt.
Family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Vilonia First Baptist Church, with burial in New Floyd Cemetery.
RUTH MERRILL, 96
Ruth Peterson Merrill, 96, of Jacksonville passed away May 15. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Jacksonville and was a registered nurse for Jacksonville doctors until her retirement. She is survived by her son, Hubert M. Merrill and wife, Mae, of Jacksonville; three grandsons; two granddaughters and one great-grandson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack M. Merrill; son, Col. Roland S. Merrill and her sisters, Isabel Peterson and Edith Littlefield.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, 2020 West Main, Jacksonville, Ark., 72076 or First Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville, 1208 W. Main, Jacksonville, Ark., 72076 or Arkansas Hospice Foundation, 5600 West 12th St., Little Rock, Ark., 72204.
A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Chapel Hill Memorial Park in Jacksonville. Family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m, Thursday at North Little Rock Funeral Home, 1921 Main St, 758-1170.
Arrangements are by North Little Rock Funeral Home.
VERNON ANDERSON SR., 46
Vernon Michael Anderson, Sr., 46, of Jacksonville, died May 30.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra Anderson of Jacksonville, his parents; Virgil Jr. and Kathleen Anderson of Brooklyn, N.Y., two sons, one daughter, three brothers, three grandchildren, one nephew, one niece, and other friends and relatives.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday in the chapel of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home in Jacksonville. Burial will follow in the Arkansas State Veteran’s Cemetery in North Little Rock.
Visitation will be Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral arrangements are by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
JUANITA WOOD, 86
Juanita S. Wood, 86, of Cabot, died May 16. She was born Nov. 11, 1919, to the late Frank and Amy Garner Sisson in Pulaski County. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Cabot and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Fred H. Wood.
Wood is survived by two children, Fred A. Wood and wife Nancy, and Bettye Schelle and husband Bob, all of Cabot and two sisters, Amy Lee Bob of San Antonio, Texas; and Margaret Elizabeth Blaylock of Morrilton. She is also survived by five grandchildren; Lisa Gallogly, Fred A. Wood II, Lara Wood, Jimmy Schelle, and Lori Moix and 10 great grandchildren also survive her.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home.
Services will be 10 a.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church of Cabot with burial at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
WANDA MCCOY, 70
Wanda F. McCoy, 70, of Jacksonville, passed away May 15. She was born on Oct. 21, 1935, in Davis, Okla., to the late Buck and Lena (Harrison) Harris. Also preceding her in death were her sister, Geraldine Holcomb and nephew, Mike Holcomb both of Sulphur, Okla.
She graduated from Davis High School in Davis, Okla., in 1954 and married her husband Charles on July 1, the same year.
She is survived by her husband of 51 years, three daughters; Marla “Susie” McCoy of Jacksonville, Sheila and husband Gene Boser of Cabot, Vickie and husband Wayne High of Cabot; sister and brother-in-law, Velma and Duward Walker of Yukon, Okla.; brother and sister-in-law, Kenneth and Melba Harris of Coleman, Okla., eight grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, nu-merous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home Chapel followed by interment in Chapel Hill Memorial Park. The family will receive friends and guests from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
The family would like to gratefully thank Baptist Hospice and staff for their kindness and professionalism. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
NAOMI HALL, 79
Naomi Dean Hall, 79, of Beebe, passed away May 11, at the home of her daughter, Janice Hughes of Groesbeck, Texas.
She was born Oct. 31, 1926, to Comer Jesse and Pinkie Marie “Belew” Fulks in Antioch. Survivors include three sons, Dewey Lee Middleton and Donnie Ray Middleton, both of Whorton, Texas, Stevie L. Middleton of Waxahachie, Texas; two daughters, Sharon Ann Minter of Balch Springs, Texas and Janice Marie Hughes of Groesbeck, Texas; one sister, Mary Lee Clark of Grand Prairie, Texas; 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren; two nieces, Julie Carlile of Grand Prairie, Texas and Joyce Keen of Midlothian, Texas; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Cleo Hall. Graveside services were held Monday at Antioch Cemetery.
SAT 5-17-6 EDITORIAL >> For the GOP: Go with Banks
The choice for lieutenant governor is much easier in the Republican primary, where former United States Attorney Chuck Banks of Little Rock takes on two state lawmakers, state Sen. Jim Holt and Rep. Doug Matayo, both of Springdale. Banks is the choice.
Holt is the frontrunner in a race where name recognition is a premium. Holt has gotten acres of newsprint since he entered politics because of the curiosity over his childrearing.
He and fellow townsman Jim Bob Duggar, who is running for Holt’s Senate seat again, between them have spawned (at our last count) 25 children, all of whom are schooled at home by the wives. Holt’s career is marked by two passions, abortion and Mexican immigrants. He doesn’t like them.
But he is running for the one job where he cannot do a thing about either problem.
He cannot sponsor anti-abortion bills or bills to punish either Mexicans who sneak into the country to work or their children. He is counting on voters not to know that. Matayo, a conservative Republican, says Holt is an extremist.
Banks fits the prevailing qualifications for the job best. He is boring. Or maybe we just confuse competence, thoughtfulness and dignity with dullness. But you can be all those things.
Banks comes closest of all those in either primary to nonpartisan fairness. As a Reagan-appointed U.S. attorney he was diligent and evenhanded. In 1992 he refused importunities from Washington to use his office to influence the presidential race. That sounds like a pretty good qualification.
Holt is the frontrunner in a race where name recognition is a premium. Holt has gotten acres of newsprint since he entered politics because of the curiosity over his childrearing.
He and fellow townsman Jim Bob Duggar, who is running for Holt’s Senate seat again, between them have spawned (at our last count) 25 children, all of whom are schooled at home by the wives. Holt’s career is marked by two passions, abortion and Mexican immigrants. He doesn’t like them.
But he is running for the one job where he cannot do a thing about either problem.
He cannot sponsor anti-abortion bills or bills to punish either Mexicans who sneak into the country to work or their children. He is counting on voters not to know that. Matayo, a conservative Republican, says Holt is an extremist.
Banks fits the prevailing qualifications for the job best. He is boring. Or maybe we just confuse competence, thoughtfulness and dignity with dullness. But you can be all those things.
Banks comes closest of all those in either primary to nonpartisan fairness. As a Reagan-appointed U.S. attorney he was diligent and evenhanded. In 1992 he refused importunities from Washington to use his office to influence the presidential race. That sounds like a pretty good qualification.
SAT 5-17-6 EDITORIAL >> Lt. governor choices...
Only a few more days remain before you get to vote for a new lieutenant governor — just as as soon they get the new voting machines working. Meantime, to whet anticipation, the Leader offers its advice in the two primary races for the office among four Democrats and three Republicans.
Our preference would have been to continue the tradition begun after World War II of awarding the job to the most deserving or neediest war hero. For 28 years the lieutenant governor was a Medal of Honor winner (Nathan Gordon and Maurice L. “Footsie” Britt) or a man severely crippled in the war (Footsie and Bob Riley). But combat wounds have been replaced by terminal dullness as the principal qualification for the job (Joe Purcell, Winston Bryant and Win Paul Rockefeller).
The lieutenant governor’s only duty is to preside over the somnolent state Senate three or four hours a day for 60 to 80 days every two years. If he is sick or wants a break from that torrid pace, the Senate runs very well without him. A senator steps into the chair and bills flow just as smoothly. The lieutenant governor doesn’t take sides on legislation but rather is to preside impartially.
This makes it hard to craft lively campaign issues, so candidates for the past 20 years have talked about things they would do that the job does not call for, like recruiting industries for the state. But the lieutenant governor, who is known far and wide to be utterly powerless, carries no portfolio to do that or anything else except to see that the Senate follows its rules when it is passing and defeating bills. So the voter’s first task is to ignore all those campaign promises.
Still, the decision is of some consequence because the lieutenant governor has occasionally proved to be a steppingstone to higher office. The first lieutenant governor (in 1928) and the last two became governor automatically when the governor vacated the office for one reason or another. It could pay to be careful whom you vote for.
The Democrats are state Sen. Tim Wooldridge of Paragould, Rep. Mike Hathorn of Huntsville, Bill Halter of North Little Rock and state Rep. Jay Martin of North Little Rock. Three of them have served a short time in our term-limited legislature and Halter, a Rhodes scholar and son of a longtime civil servant, had several jobs in the Clinton administration in Washington, including deputy and then acting commissioner of Social Security.
The campaign has centered on Halter because he sandbagged us by raising a big bundle of money from around the country to run for governor and then dropping off to run for the lesser job when it was clear that Mike Beebe had a lock on the Democratic nomination for governor. Hathorn has challenged the propriety of Halter’s financing and now foes have filed a lawsuit to remove him from the ballot because he has lived in the national capital for part of the past dozen years. But his voting residency has remained in the state and the courts have held that this reflects where you intend your home to be. That’s good enough for voters, too, we imagine.
All are fittingly boring men and have enough sense to preside over the Senate, and the leading candidates, Hathorn and Halter, carry a bit of youthful arrogance that puts lots of people off. And Halter is not that young either.
Nevertheless, our narrow choice is Halter simply on brains. He is smart, analytical and progressive. We could use that in an office that counts one fine day. A chastening defeat early in his political career would no doubt make him a better man, but we do not have that luxury.
(head) For the GOP: Banks
The choice is much easier in the Republican primary, where former United States Attorney Chuck Banks of Little Rock takes on two state lawmakers, state Sen. Jim Holt and Rep. Doug Matayo, both of Springdale. Banks is the choice.
Holt is the frontrunner in a race where name recognition is a premium. Holt has gotten acres of newsprint since he entered politics because of the curiosity over his childrearing. He and fellow townsman Jim Bob Duggar, who is running for Holt’s Senate seat again, between them have spawned (at our last count) 25 children, all of whom are schooled at home by the wives. Holt’s career is marked by two passions, abortion and Mexican immigrants. He doesn’t like them.
But he is running for the one job where he cannot do a thing about either problem. He cannot sponsor antiabortion bills or bills to punish either Mexicans who sneak into the country to work or their children. He is counting on voters not to know that. Matayo, a conservative Republican, says Holt is an extremist.
Banks fits the prevailing qualifications for the job best. He is boring. Or maybe we just confuse competence, thoughtfulness and dignity with dullness. But you can be all those things. Banks comes closest of all those in either primary to nonpartisan fairness. As a Reagan-appointed U.S. attorney he was diligent and evenhanded. In 1992 he refused importunities from Washington to use his office to influence the presidential race. That sounds like a pretty good qualification.
Our preference would have been to continue the tradition begun after World War II of awarding the job to the most deserving or neediest war hero. For 28 years the lieutenant governor was a Medal of Honor winner (Nathan Gordon and Maurice L. “Footsie” Britt) or a man severely crippled in the war (Footsie and Bob Riley). But combat wounds have been replaced by terminal dullness as the principal qualification for the job (Joe Purcell, Winston Bryant and Win Paul Rockefeller).
The lieutenant governor’s only duty is to preside over the somnolent state Senate three or four hours a day for 60 to 80 days every two years. If he is sick or wants a break from that torrid pace, the Senate runs very well without him. A senator steps into the chair and bills flow just as smoothly. The lieutenant governor doesn’t take sides on legislation but rather is to preside impartially.
This makes it hard to craft lively campaign issues, so candidates for the past 20 years have talked about things they would do that the job does not call for, like recruiting industries for the state. But the lieutenant governor, who is known far and wide to be utterly powerless, carries no portfolio to do that or anything else except to see that the Senate follows its rules when it is passing and defeating bills. So the voter’s first task is to ignore all those campaign promises.
Still, the decision is of some consequence because the lieutenant governor has occasionally proved to be a steppingstone to higher office. The first lieutenant governor (in 1928) and the last two became governor automatically when the governor vacated the office for one reason or another. It could pay to be careful whom you vote for.
The Democrats are state Sen. Tim Wooldridge of Paragould, Rep. Mike Hathorn of Huntsville, Bill Halter of North Little Rock and state Rep. Jay Martin of North Little Rock. Three of them have served a short time in our term-limited legislature and Halter, a Rhodes scholar and son of a longtime civil servant, had several jobs in the Clinton administration in Washington, including deputy and then acting commissioner of Social Security.
The campaign has centered on Halter because he sandbagged us by raising a big bundle of money from around the country to run for governor and then dropping off to run for the lesser job when it was clear that Mike Beebe had a lock on the Democratic nomination for governor. Hathorn has challenged the propriety of Halter’s financing and now foes have filed a lawsuit to remove him from the ballot because he has lived in the national capital for part of the past dozen years. But his voting residency has remained in the state and the courts have held that this reflects where you intend your home to be. That’s good enough for voters, too, we imagine.
All are fittingly boring men and have enough sense to preside over the Senate, and the leading candidates, Hathorn and Halter, carry a bit of youthful arrogance that puts lots of people off. And Halter is not that young either.
Nevertheless, our narrow choice is Halter simply on brains. He is smart, analytical and progressive. We could use that in an office that counts one fine day. A chastening defeat early in his political career would no doubt make him a better man, but we do not have that luxury.
(head) For the GOP: Banks
The choice is much easier in the Republican primary, where former United States Attorney Chuck Banks of Little Rock takes on two state lawmakers, state Sen. Jim Holt and Rep. Doug Matayo, both of Springdale. Banks is the choice.
Holt is the frontrunner in a race where name recognition is a premium. Holt has gotten acres of newsprint since he entered politics because of the curiosity over his childrearing. He and fellow townsman Jim Bob Duggar, who is running for Holt’s Senate seat again, between them have spawned (at our last count) 25 children, all of whom are schooled at home by the wives. Holt’s career is marked by two passions, abortion and Mexican immigrants. He doesn’t like them.
But he is running for the one job where he cannot do a thing about either problem. He cannot sponsor antiabortion bills or bills to punish either Mexicans who sneak into the country to work or their children. He is counting on voters not to know that. Matayo, a conservative Republican, says Holt is an extremist.
Banks fits the prevailing qualifications for the job best. He is boring. Or maybe we just confuse competence, thoughtfulness and dignity with dullness. But you can be all those things. Banks comes closest of all those in either primary to nonpartisan fairness. As a Reagan-appointed U.S. attorney he was diligent and evenhanded. In 1992 he refused importunities from Washington to use his office to influence the presidential race. That sounds like a pretty good qualification.
WED 5-17-6 EDITORIAL >> Our choices for high court
Under the governing theory for electing judges in Arkansas, the less voters know about the candidates the better the judicial system will serve them. The Arkansas canons of ethics for judges still seem to bar judges and even candidates for judgeships from making any utterance that suggests that they have thoughts about any of the concerns of society. The idea is that if people know what a judge or a judicial candidate stands for, they will lose confidence in the impartiality and independence of the courts.
So opponents of Judge Wendell Griffen of the Arkansas Court of Appeals, who is running for a seat on the Supreme Court, have filed complaints once again with the state Judicial Discipline and Disability Com-mission asking that he be removed from office or punished somehow for getting quoted four or five times in newspapers around the country the past several years on issues of some concern: racial discrimination in student recruitment at the University of Arkansas, the shabby treatment of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and President Bush’s appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. The ethics complaints are intended to damage Judge Griffen’s chances of getting elected, and they did. A dramatic headline the other day on the front page of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, which regularly bashes Griffen, reported “Griffen at risk of impeachment,” which should sew up the election for his opponent.
Griffen is not at risk of impeachment. No one has even hinted at bringing an impeachment petition before the House of Representatives.
The Arkansas rules that Griffen is supposed to have violated are unconstitutional, if they mean what the director of the judicial commission says. The U. S. Supreme Court said such rules are unlawful, and so has the 8th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals, whose precedents Arkansas is bound to follow. The court said the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech applies not only to communists, Klansmen and assorted crackpots but everybody — even judges. The Arkansas Constitution says that “all persons” are entitled to “the free communication of thoughts and opinions,” making no exception for judges.
All this is leading up to our endorsement of Judge Griffen for Position 5 on the Supreme Court. Griffen will not comment on any issue that seems likely to come before the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court, and that is the only limitation on speech that we ought to expect of him, other than we should like him to be accurate and thoughtful.
Griffen maintains that voters are entitled to know a little about how even a judicial candidate thinks before they vote. In his case, they may not like his ideas, in which case it is fair that they vote against him and ask others to join them. All of us search for some nugget of knowledge about the unfamiliar names that appear on the judicial ballot besides the fact that they are licensed to practice law and have some years of experience at it. Congress goes to great lengths to learn what it can about the views of the appellate court nominees, and that is appropriate for appellate courts.
We know little about Judge Griffen’s opponent, Judge Paul Danielson, except that he has been a trial judge in Logan County on the state’s western side for several years and lost a race for the Supreme Court two years ago. Griffen was elected to the Court of Appeals in 1996, only the third African-American elected to an appellate court in Arkansas. He is a brilliant jurist, acknowledged for his fairness and independence and the scholarship of his opinions. He is a Baptist minister and leader in the National Baptist Convention, where his outspoken opinions caused him trouble with the intolerants at the state newspaper and elsewhere.
The other Supreme Court race is for Position 2 between Justice Donald L. Corbin and Roger Harrod of Maumelle. Corbin is not the most brilliant jurist, but he is solid, principled and independent. Harrod is running because he disagrees with the Supreme Court decision last year to review the legislature’s response to the court’s order to bring the public schools up to constitutional standards. Harrod thus steps over the line that Griffen would not, declaring his position on an issue that likely will be before the Supreme Court very soon. If elected, of course, he will have to step aside when that issue arises, which renders his reason for running moot.
Justice Corbin is the clear choice for Position 2, Judge Griffen for Position 5.
So opponents of Judge Wendell Griffen of the Arkansas Court of Appeals, who is running for a seat on the Supreme Court, have filed complaints once again with the state Judicial Discipline and Disability Com-mission asking that he be removed from office or punished somehow for getting quoted four or five times in newspapers around the country the past several years on issues of some concern: racial discrimination in student recruitment at the University of Arkansas, the shabby treatment of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and President Bush’s appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. The ethics complaints are intended to damage Judge Griffen’s chances of getting elected, and they did. A dramatic headline the other day on the front page of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, which regularly bashes Griffen, reported “Griffen at risk of impeachment,” which should sew up the election for his opponent.
Griffen is not at risk of impeachment. No one has even hinted at bringing an impeachment petition before the House of Representatives.
The Arkansas rules that Griffen is supposed to have violated are unconstitutional, if they mean what the director of the judicial commission says. The U. S. Supreme Court said such rules are unlawful, and so has the 8th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals, whose precedents Arkansas is bound to follow. The court said the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech applies not only to communists, Klansmen and assorted crackpots but everybody — even judges. The Arkansas Constitution says that “all persons” are entitled to “the free communication of thoughts and opinions,” making no exception for judges.
All this is leading up to our endorsement of Judge Griffen for Position 5 on the Supreme Court. Griffen will not comment on any issue that seems likely to come before the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court, and that is the only limitation on speech that we ought to expect of him, other than we should like him to be accurate and thoughtful.
Griffen maintains that voters are entitled to know a little about how even a judicial candidate thinks before they vote. In his case, they may not like his ideas, in which case it is fair that they vote against him and ask others to join them. All of us search for some nugget of knowledge about the unfamiliar names that appear on the judicial ballot besides the fact that they are licensed to practice law and have some years of experience at it. Congress goes to great lengths to learn what it can about the views of the appellate court nominees, and that is appropriate for appellate courts.
We know little about Judge Griffen’s opponent, Judge Paul Danielson, except that he has been a trial judge in Logan County on the state’s western side for several years and lost a race for the Supreme Court two years ago. Griffen was elected to the Court of Appeals in 1996, only the third African-American elected to an appellate court in Arkansas. He is a brilliant jurist, acknowledged for his fairness and independence and the scholarship of his opinions. He is a Baptist minister and leader in the National Baptist Convention, where his outspoken opinions caused him trouble with the intolerants at the state newspaper and elsewhere.
The other Supreme Court race is for Position 2 between Justice Donald L. Corbin and Roger Harrod of Maumelle. Corbin is not the most brilliant jurist, but he is solid, principled and independent. Harrod is running because he disagrees with the Supreme Court decision last year to review the legislature’s response to the court’s order to bring the public schools up to constitutional standards. Harrod thus steps over the line that Griffen would not, declaring his position on an issue that likely will be before the Supreme Court very soon. If elected, of course, he will have to step aside when that issue arises, which renders his reason for running moot.
Justice Corbin is the clear choice for Position 2, Judge Griffen for Position 5.
SPORTS >> Youth out en masse for Falcons spring drills
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
Monday afternoon was the first day of pads for the 2006 North Pulaski Falcons. Forty of the estimated 55 players for this coming season’s team participated in drills in preparation for the coming week of playing in pads.
A number of freshmen were not at the early practice, but the rest of the current underclassmen went through a series of scrimmage drills. The offensive set used most during the play drills was the traditional three-man back formation, a game plan coach Tony Bohannon says the team will return to for a large portion of its yardage in the fall.
“I’m very pleased with how things went,” Bohannon said. “We’re missing a few of the sophomores, but we’re excited to get some of these younger guys out here.” Bohannon says the athletic program is taking a different approach this year. In the weeks leading up to spring practice, players from all sports lifted weights and trained together, with an emphasis on students participating in more than just one sport.
“We’re trying to build North Pulaski athletics,” Bohannon said. “Not just one sport or the other, but to get some of the more skilled athletes interested in all sports. It’s gone really well; it’s the first time some of these freshmen and sophomores have had to work with the older guys.”
The working of the junior varsity schedule will also have a different approach for this year. All JV games will coincide the same week with the freshmen games, meaning a Monday JV game against Mills would be followed by eighth and ninth-grade games on Thursday against the Comets, giving the younger players a chance to get more experience in game conditions against common opponents.
“This will do three things for us,” Bohannon said. “It will give them some more field time, and it will give them a chance to play in a game setting a little more. Another thing we’re trying to do is pull more parents out to watch JV ball. We want to build up the whole program.”
Monday’s practice seemed to go very smoothly. After an extensive warm up, the offense scrimmaged several different types of running plays. Charles Baker looked stoutest among the running backs. Next fall’s senior fullback found openings on more than one occasion, cutting back across the field and turning a loss into a breakaway on another play.
Baker has college interest from Tulsa, UAPB and others, and will undoubtedly be a key part of the Falcons offense in the ’06 season.
Jason Regnas took most of the snaps at quarterback. Regnas also got a chance to face the scrimmage defense with a number of quarterback draw plays, breaking through on the final play of practice.
“Jason had a real good practice,” Bohannon said. “It’s basically him and three sophomores we have for quarterback. We’re going to have Michael Fleishman ready as a running back and a backup quarterback.”
The Falcons will also practice today before taking the rest of the week off. They will pick back up next week, practicing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Leader sports writer
Monday afternoon was the first day of pads for the 2006 North Pulaski Falcons. Forty of the estimated 55 players for this coming season’s team participated in drills in preparation for the coming week of playing in pads.
A number of freshmen were not at the early practice, but the rest of the current underclassmen went through a series of scrimmage drills. The offensive set used most during the play drills was the traditional three-man back formation, a game plan coach Tony Bohannon says the team will return to for a large portion of its yardage in the fall.
“I’m very pleased with how things went,” Bohannon said. “We’re missing a few of the sophomores, but we’re excited to get some of these younger guys out here.” Bohannon says the athletic program is taking a different approach this year. In the weeks leading up to spring practice, players from all sports lifted weights and trained together, with an emphasis on students participating in more than just one sport.
“We’re trying to build North Pulaski athletics,” Bohannon said. “Not just one sport or the other, but to get some of the more skilled athletes interested in all sports. It’s gone really well; it’s the first time some of these freshmen and sophomores have had to work with the older guys.”
The working of the junior varsity schedule will also have a different approach for this year. All JV games will coincide the same week with the freshmen games, meaning a Monday JV game against Mills would be followed by eighth and ninth-grade games on Thursday against the Comets, giving the younger players a chance to get more experience in game conditions against common opponents.
“This will do three things for us,” Bohannon said. “It will give them some more field time, and it will give them a chance to play in a game setting a little more. Another thing we’re trying to do is pull more parents out to watch JV ball. We want to build up the whole program.”
Monday’s practice seemed to go very smoothly. After an extensive warm up, the offense scrimmaged several different types of running plays. Charles Baker looked stoutest among the running backs. Next fall’s senior fullback found openings on more than one occasion, cutting back across the field and turning a loss into a breakaway on another play.
Baker has college interest from Tulsa, UAPB and others, and will undoubtedly be a key part of the Falcons offense in the ’06 season.
Jason Regnas took most of the snaps at quarterback. Regnas also got a chance to face the scrimmage defense with a number of quarterback draw plays, breaking through on the final play of practice.
“Jason had a real good practice,” Bohannon said. “It’s basically him and three sophomores we have for quarterback. We’re going to have Michael Fleishman ready as a running back and a backup quarterback.”
The Falcons will also practice today before taking the rest of the week off. They will pick back up next week, practicing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
SPORTS >> Abundant Life State Champions
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Owls defeat conference rival Arkansas Baptist 10-7 in AA state title game.
Abundant Life made it 3-2 in five games against its most bitter rival, and won the class AA state baseball championship in the process, beating Arkansas Baptist 10-7 in the championship game Saturday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
The Owls used timely hitting and took advantage of some costly Baptist errors to seal the victory and the state title.
“I knew this team could hit the ball, we’d played them four times,” Abundant Life head coach Wes Johnson said. “I knew we’d have to score runs, so I told them before we started that 10 runs wins this ballgame, and look what they did.”
The Owls got on the board in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Josh Cantrell reached on an infield single, which was followed by two fly outs to centerfield. But the third fly ball to the same spot was mishandled and dropped, allowing a hustling Cantrell to score all the way from first base.
Cantrell’s infield hit was the only Owl hit through the first 12 batters of the game. Meanwhile, Arkansas Baptist was touching Owl starting pitcher Jake Chambers a bit more.
Baptist tied the game in the bottom of the first inning. With runners on first and third and one out, Eagle third baseman Drew Vaden hit an RBI grounder to shortstop to tie the game.
The Owls went three and out in the second and third innings, and the Eagles took the lead in the bottom of the third.
Leadoff hitter Drew Sullivan singled to start things off, but got caught stealing during the next at bat. It was a costly out too. Two-hole hitter Jason Lewis ripped a triple down the right field line on the very next pitch. Andrew Hopkins then singled to score Lewis and give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
The Owls answered with a big fourth. After struggling to get on base in the first three innings, the first five batters of the fourth reached safely, and accounted for three runs.
Jerry Lawson started it off with a one-out triple, and scored on a passed ball. David Simpson then walked and Nathan McDonald was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Austin Crabill ran for McDonald, and scored on a single by Josh Selby.
Selby then made it 4-2 Owls when Trey Moss got an RBI single.
Chambers gave up one hit and on runs in the bottom of the fourth, and Abundant Life appeared to blow open the game in the fifth with four more runs.
After Cantrell struck out to start the inning, Chambers reached on an error at third base that got the owls rolling. Justin Treece hit an RBI single to right field and Lawson followed with another single. Simpson made it three in a row, and his hit scored Treece for a 6-2 Owl lead.
McDonald made it four straight, and his shot scored Lawson. Simpson then scored on a sacrifice fly by Josh Selby, but a base-running blunder by Mc-Donald ended the inning. Mc-Donald, who was on first when Selby made contact, rounded second base while the ball was in the air. After the catch, he ran back to first without touching second base and was called out when the Eagles threw to second on appeal.
Still, the Owl lead was up to 8-2 with only two innings remaining, but it almost wasn’t enough.
Baptist scored two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to cut its deficit to 8-7, but the Owls added two insurance runs in the seventh, and Cantrell was solid in relief work on the mound to preserve the victory.
Most of the players say they never doubted they would win, despite the fact that they were playing a team that they had lost to twice.
“With Jake on the mound, I was never worried about it,” Lawson said. “I had complete confidence in this whole team. Jake had only pitched against them once, and we beat them that game. So I felt comfortable the whole time.”
As for the feeling after the game, Lawson was less confident putting it into words.
“I don’t know, amazing I guess. Words can’t really describe it. I still haven’t taken in the full effect, just knowing that we’re state champs, we’re the best in the state.”
Simpson, a senior who caught the ball for the last out, said it was bittersweet for him.
“It was awesome,” Simpson said. “I caught the last out, but it was also like, now it’s all over. It was almost like a letdown. After a buildup for three years, it was over. But I was excited, and am still excited. It was fun.”
Treece, a freshman who played shortstop and hit in the three hole, got off to a slow start at the plate, but handled it like an upperclassmen. He came through with two hits, two runs and an RBI in his final two at bats.
“I maybe pressed a little bit,” Treece said of his early plate appearances. “I just decided to relax. The third time up I just decided to relax, just try to get on base and go to the opposite field. I was feeling good all day, I just wasn’t getting on base. I knew it would come.”
Cantrell, another senior, finally admitted that the thought of playing Baptist a fifth time didn’t thrill him.
“I would have almost rather played Greenland,” Cantrell said. “We know most of the guys at Baptist, and we know how good they are and how well they hit the ball, but I wasn’t really worried. I felt like all the hard work would finally pay off, and it did.”
Leader sports editor
Owls defeat conference rival Arkansas Baptist 10-7 in AA state title game.
Abundant Life made it 3-2 in five games against its most bitter rival, and won the class AA state baseball championship in the process, beating Arkansas Baptist 10-7 in the championship game Saturday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
The Owls used timely hitting and took advantage of some costly Baptist errors to seal the victory and the state title.
“I knew this team could hit the ball, we’d played them four times,” Abundant Life head coach Wes Johnson said. “I knew we’d have to score runs, so I told them before we started that 10 runs wins this ballgame, and look what they did.”
The Owls got on the board in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Josh Cantrell reached on an infield single, which was followed by two fly outs to centerfield. But the third fly ball to the same spot was mishandled and dropped, allowing a hustling Cantrell to score all the way from first base.
Cantrell’s infield hit was the only Owl hit through the first 12 batters of the game. Meanwhile, Arkansas Baptist was touching Owl starting pitcher Jake Chambers a bit more.
Baptist tied the game in the bottom of the first inning. With runners on first and third and one out, Eagle third baseman Drew Vaden hit an RBI grounder to shortstop to tie the game.
The Owls went three and out in the second and third innings, and the Eagles took the lead in the bottom of the third.
Leadoff hitter Drew Sullivan singled to start things off, but got caught stealing during the next at bat. It was a costly out too. Two-hole hitter Jason Lewis ripped a triple down the right field line on the very next pitch. Andrew Hopkins then singled to score Lewis and give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
The Owls answered with a big fourth. After struggling to get on base in the first three innings, the first five batters of the fourth reached safely, and accounted for three runs.
Jerry Lawson started it off with a one-out triple, and scored on a passed ball. David Simpson then walked and Nathan McDonald was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Austin Crabill ran for McDonald, and scored on a single by Josh Selby.
Selby then made it 4-2 Owls when Trey Moss got an RBI single.
Chambers gave up one hit and on runs in the bottom of the fourth, and Abundant Life appeared to blow open the game in the fifth with four more runs.
After Cantrell struck out to start the inning, Chambers reached on an error at third base that got the owls rolling. Justin Treece hit an RBI single to right field and Lawson followed with another single. Simpson made it three in a row, and his hit scored Treece for a 6-2 Owl lead.
McDonald made it four straight, and his shot scored Lawson. Simpson then scored on a sacrifice fly by Josh Selby, but a base-running blunder by Mc-Donald ended the inning. Mc-Donald, who was on first when Selby made contact, rounded second base while the ball was in the air. After the catch, he ran back to first without touching second base and was called out when the Eagles threw to second on appeal.
Still, the Owl lead was up to 8-2 with only two innings remaining, but it almost wasn’t enough.
Baptist scored two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to cut its deficit to 8-7, but the Owls added two insurance runs in the seventh, and Cantrell was solid in relief work on the mound to preserve the victory.
Most of the players say they never doubted they would win, despite the fact that they were playing a team that they had lost to twice.
“With Jake on the mound, I was never worried about it,” Lawson said. “I had complete confidence in this whole team. Jake had only pitched against them once, and we beat them that game. So I felt comfortable the whole time.”
As for the feeling after the game, Lawson was less confident putting it into words.
“I don’t know, amazing I guess. Words can’t really describe it. I still haven’t taken in the full effect, just knowing that we’re state champs, we’re the best in the state.”
Simpson, a senior who caught the ball for the last out, said it was bittersweet for him.
“It was awesome,” Simpson said. “I caught the last out, but it was also like, now it’s all over. It was almost like a letdown. After a buildup for three years, it was over. But I was excited, and am still excited. It was fun.”
Treece, a freshman who played shortstop and hit in the three hole, got off to a slow start at the plate, but handled it like an upperclassmen. He came through with two hits, two runs and an RBI in his final two at bats.
“I maybe pressed a little bit,” Treece said of his early plate appearances. “I just decided to relax. The third time up I just decided to relax, just try to get on base and go to the opposite field. I was feeling good all day, I just wasn’t getting on base. I knew it would come.”
Cantrell, another senior, finally admitted that the thought of playing Baptist a fifth time didn’t thrill him.
“I would have almost rather played Greenland,” Cantrell said. “We know most of the guys at Baptist, and we know how good they are and how well they hit the ball, but I wasn’t really worried. I felt like all the hard work would finally pay off, and it did.”
NEIGHBORS >> Walk for life
By Melissa Tucker
Leader staff writer
Groups raise money for pregnant women.
A Walk for Life event to raise money for A Woman’s Place Pregnancy Resource Center, located in Cabot and Beebe on Saturday morning.
Chairman of the center’s board of directors Chris Mann, said the organization is fully self-supported on donations from the community, churches and businesses as well as its yearly fund-raisers. Mann said the center will know how much Saturday’s walks raised by the end of the week.
The Walk for Life is just one of the three fund-raisers held by the resource center.
The other two are an annual banquet held in the fall and a “Baby Bottle Drive” throughout the summer. During the bottle drive, the center sends out baby bottles to area churches and has members of the congregation fill them up with spare change and then turn them in.
Mann said they take the bottles and change to First Security Bank where volunteers roll and count the money for the center.
Mann said the pregnancy resource center has a ultrasound machine, parenting classes and offers counseling to pregnant women. The center also has a satellite location in Beebe.
“It’s an awesome center with an awesome group of people,” Mann said.
He said many of the volunteers aren’t paid, and “we just have a heart for that ministry.”
For more information, call executive director Vikki Parker at 941-5533.
Leader staff writer
Groups raise money for pregnant women.
A Walk for Life event to raise money for A Woman’s Place Pregnancy Resource Center, located in Cabot and Beebe on Saturday morning.
Chairman of the center’s board of directors Chris Mann, said the organization is fully self-supported on donations from the community, churches and businesses as well as its yearly fund-raisers. Mann said the center will know how much Saturday’s walks raised by the end of the week.
The Walk for Life is just one of the three fund-raisers held by the resource center.
The other two are an annual banquet held in the fall and a “Baby Bottle Drive” throughout the summer. During the bottle drive, the center sends out baby bottles to area churches and has members of the congregation fill them up with spare change and then turn them in.
Mann said they take the bottles and change to First Security Bank where volunteers roll and count the money for the center.
Mann said the pregnancy resource center has a ultrasound machine, parenting classes and offers counseling to pregnant women. The center also has a satellite location in Beebe.
“It’s an awesome center with an awesome group of people,” Mann said.
He said many of the volunteers aren’t paid, and “we just have a heart for that ministry.”
For more information, call executive director Vikki Parker at 941-5533.
FROM THE PUBLISHER >> Party rift in county mirrors national troubles
President Bush hoped Monday night that he would recover some of the support he had lost over illegal immigration — not to mention the war in Iraq and record gasoline prices — but his speech promising to tighten our borders pleased hardly anyone.
“We should have secured our borders after 9/11,” said former Rep. Randy Minton (R-Ward). “It’s like the war on terrorism. The open-borders policy is bad. It’s a breach of security. It will be the No. 1 issue in 2008.”
Everyone knows that building a fence and sending in 7,000 National Guard troops will not keep Mexicans from crossing the border, and Bush’s willingness to turn them into “guest workers” upsets almost everyone in his party, except his corporate supporters who like cheap labor and couldn’t care less about enforcing immigration laws, Minton said.
When Bush first took office, he suggested letting illegal immigrants become “guest workers,” which has upset his base even more since 9/11.
Bush’s standing in the Republican Party has fallen so low that a Lonoke County Republican group that Minton leads is endorsing “Reagan Republicans” in this year’s local elections. No one, as far we know, is pushing to elect more “Bush Republicans,” whoever they may be.
Defenders of President Bush’s offer of amnesty point to President Reagan’s support of immigration — the U.S. as “a shining city on a hill” — but as far as Minton is concerned, there’s a difference between those who come here legally and those who cross the border in the dead of night and walk around with false identity papers.
“I’m not against anyone coming here legally,” Minton said. He mentioned Larry Odom, a Lonoke County strawberry and peach farmer and justice of the peace, who “works within the system. He gets workers here for six months and they go back home.”
Minton, who has headed Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum in Arkansas for many years, is disenchanted with Bush.
“I just feel like President Reagan was more conservative from a spending standpoint and downsizing government,” Minton said.
“President Reagan was one that tried to downsize government and tried to limit domestic spending. He was strong on domestic sovereignty. President Bush has been growing the budget. President Reagan wanted to get rid of the Department of Education, and now President Bush is giving it a bigger role with the No Child Left Behind program.”
As his approval ratings plummet, Bush is having a hard time shoring up support around the country, especially among conservatives, who still believe in small government, staying out of foreign wars and clamping down on immigration.
Those whose memory goes back to 1968 recall how Lyndon Johnson alienated his own party over the Vietnam War and dropped out of the presidential race that year, making him a lameduck and paving the way for Richard Nixon.
Although Bush is no longer up for re-election, he has lost so many supporters that his lameduck status could be the longest in history: Three long years while the nation faces the problems of an endless war, illegal immigration, high energy costs and rising deficits, not to mention a general dissatisfaction with the direction the country is taking.
Minton suggested that many conservative Republicans may boycott the next presidential election. They think big business has hijacked the Republican Party, which hands out lucrative contracts to corporations that depend on government spending and cheap labor at home and abroad.
Minton is on to something: Bush’s amazingly low ratings reflect his loss of Main Street Republicans. Big Business is sticking with him – see the semi-official editorial page of the Wall Street Journal — but there are a lot more people living near Main Street than Wall Street.
Karl Rove should have figured that out a long time ago, but these days he’s busy trying to stay out of prison.
My proudest achievement was to be sworn in as a U.S. citizen. No one resented my coming here. Americans aren’t opposed to legal immigration — illustrious immigrants have included nuclear physicists, doctors, authors, artists and others who have helped make America great.
Those of us who entered the U.S. legally and became citizens observed the rules and never asked for special favors.
Nobody lobbied the government to keep us out. Those who criticize illegal immigration insist that everyone observe the law and stand in line to receive proper immigration papers.
I waited more than four years before receiving permission to come to America, and I’m glad I did.
“We should have secured our borders after 9/11,” said former Rep. Randy Minton (R-Ward). “It’s like the war on terrorism. The open-borders policy is bad. It’s a breach of security. It will be the No. 1 issue in 2008.”
Everyone knows that building a fence and sending in 7,000 National Guard troops will not keep Mexicans from crossing the border, and Bush’s willingness to turn them into “guest workers” upsets almost everyone in his party, except his corporate supporters who like cheap labor and couldn’t care less about enforcing immigration laws, Minton said.
When Bush first took office, he suggested letting illegal immigrants become “guest workers,” which has upset his base even more since 9/11.
Bush’s standing in the Republican Party has fallen so low that a Lonoke County Republican group that Minton leads is endorsing “Reagan Republicans” in this year’s local elections. No one, as far we know, is pushing to elect more “Bush Republicans,” whoever they may be.
Defenders of President Bush’s offer of amnesty point to President Reagan’s support of immigration — the U.S. as “a shining city on a hill” — but as far as Minton is concerned, there’s a difference between those who come here legally and those who cross the border in the dead of night and walk around with false identity papers.
“I’m not against anyone coming here legally,” Minton said. He mentioned Larry Odom, a Lonoke County strawberry and peach farmer and justice of the peace, who “works within the system. He gets workers here for six months and they go back home.”
Minton, who has headed Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum in Arkansas for many years, is disenchanted with Bush.
“I just feel like President Reagan was more conservative from a spending standpoint and downsizing government,” Minton said.
“President Reagan was one that tried to downsize government and tried to limit domestic spending. He was strong on domestic sovereignty. President Bush has been growing the budget. President Reagan wanted to get rid of the Department of Education, and now President Bush is giving it a bigger role with the No Child Left Behind program.”
As his approval ratings plummet, Bush is having a hard time shoring up support around the country, especially among conservatives, who still believe in small government, staying out of foreign wars and clamping down on immigration.
Those whose memory goes back to 1968 recall how Lyndon Johnson alienated his own party over the Vietnam War and dropped out of the presidential race that year, making him a lameduck and paving the way for Richard Nixon.
Although Bush is no longer up for re-election, he has lost so many supporters that his lameduck status could be the longest in history: Three long years while the nation faces the problems of an endless war, illegal immigration, high energy costs and rising deficits, not to mention a general dissatisfaction with the direction the country is taking.
Minton suggested that many conservative Republicans may boycott the next presidential election. They think big business has hijacked the Republican Party, which hands out lucrative contracts to corporations that depend on government spending and cheap labor at home and abroad.
Minton is on to something: Bush’s amazingly low ratings reflect his loss of Main Street Republicans. Big Business is sticking with him – see the semi-official editorial page of the Wall Street Journal — but there are a lot more people living near Main Street than Wall Street.
Karl Rove should have figured that out a long time ago, but these days he’s busy trying to stay out of prison.
My proudest achievement was to be sworn in as a U.S. citizen. No one resented my coming here. Americans aren’t opposed to legal immigration — illustrious immigrants have included nuclear physicists, doctors, authors, artists and others who have helped make America great.
Those of us who entered the U.S. legally and became citizens observed the rules and never asked for special favors.
Nobody lobbied the government to keep us out. Those who criticize illegal immigration insist that everyone observe the law and stand in line to receive proper immigration papers.
I waited more than four years before receiving permission to come to America, and I’m glad I did.
TOP STORY >> Jacksonville’s best to shine at business expo
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
The Jacksonville Business Expo is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the community center. It’s free to the public.
This year’s theme is “Presenting Jacksonville’s Best,” with a Hollywood and red-carpet theme. As an added feature this year, a sneak-preview showing of business booths will take place Wednesday evening from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The Leader has a special supplement inside this issue devoted to the business expo. The newspaper will have a booth and will raise funds for the Jimmie H. White II Memorial Park on the north side of Jacksonville.
Supporters need $900 for a new bridge at the park. An anonymous donor has agreed to match funds raised at the business expo.
Trooper White grew up and lived in the area until his untimely death at the age of 32.
He was killed on June 1, 2002 while “leapfrogging” to clear traffic during a motorcade for the Blue Angels, who headlined a weekend air show at the base.
Supporters and friends of Trooper White will also have a booth at the expo.
Free tickets to a sneak preview are being offered to all chamber member businesses. The preview is Jacksonville’s first “red carpet” event with time for those who attend to enjoy music, hors d’oeuvres, door prizes, pose for pictures and mingle with celebrity look-a-likes and participating businesses will incorporate movie themes into their exhibit decorations.
There is no cost to attend on the expo, but those who attend will have the opportunity to purchase $1 tickets to use in exchange for the food from booths or to place them into the grand prize drawing that will be awarded.
The grand prize will be a complete living room set donated by Unique Furniture.
Leader staff writer
The Jacksonville Business Expo is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the community center. It’s free to the public.
This year’s theme is “Presenting Jacksonville’s Best,” with a Hollywood and red-carpet theme. As an added feature this year, a sneak-preview showing of business booths will take place Wednesday evening from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The Leader has a special supplement inside this issue devoted to the business expo. The newspaper will have a booth and will raise funds for the Jimmie H. White II Memorial Park on the north side of Jacksonville.
Supporters need $900 for a new bridge at the park. An anonymous donor has agreed to match funds raised at the business expo.
Trooper White grew up and lived in the area until his untimely death at the age of 32.
He was killed on June 1, 2002 while “leapfrogging” to clear traffic during a motorcade for the Blue Angels, who headlined a weekend air show at the base.
Supporters and friends of Trooper White will also have a booth at the expo.
Free tickets to a sneak preview are being offered to all chamber member businesses. The preview is Jacksonville’s first “red carpet” event with time for those who attend to enjoy music, hors d’oeuvres, door prizes, pose for pictures and mingle with celebrity look-a-likes and participating businesses will incorporate movie themes into their exhibit decorations.
There is no cost to attend on the expo, but those who attend will have the opportunity to purchase $1 tickets to use in exchange for the food from booths or to place them into the grand prize drawing that will be awarded.
The grand prize will be a complete living room set donated by Unique Furniture.
TOP STORY >> Despite shortages, battle will be long
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Maj. Gen. Marc Rogers, 19th Air Force commander at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, told airmen at Little Rock Air Force Base the ongoing global war on terror is stretching military budgets and personnel.
“There is not enough money in the budget to upgrade our fleets and build the capabilities it’s going to take to fight through the long term,” Rogers said about the challenges airmen face as they fight the global war on terror, or the Long War, as he called it. But he vowed to fight the war with all the resources at his command.
“It’s our duty to support the lead dogs on the ground who are face-to-face with the guns (in combat). That’s our Army soldiers and Marines. I love those guys and will do everything in my power to support them,” Rogers said.
Air Force officials are trying to balance the high costs of personnel and organizational inefficiencies to meet national and worldwide defense needs with a plan called Air Force Smart Operations 21. Part of the plan will reduce 40,000 personnel by 2011, about 12 percent of the 340,000 people now serving in the active-duty Air Force.
Most of the reductions were made in support roles, including 270 positions at Little Rock Air Force Base, such as communications, public affairs, chaplains, civil engineering, legal and finance, according to Maj. Joe Atkins, 314th Mission Support Squadron commander.
To date, no aircrew or maintenance positions were identified as part of the cuts.
“These cuts aren’t about faces; this is about spaces. It’s a difficult time, but we need to do this for the force – for the country,” said Brig. Gen. Kip Self, commander of the 314th Airlift Wing. The personnel cuts will help support the hardware side of the Air Force mission, such as replacing older C-130 cargo aircraft with the newer C-130J models.
“We’re working with headquarters to ensure the mission of training the world’s best aircrews doesn’t stop,” Self said.
Rogers agreed, saying the key to success in the face of the personnel cuts is efficient thinking and organization.
“It’s going to impact us, but we have to do it because our most expensive system is people. We have to upgrade our aircraft and capabilities,” Rogers said.
“Military organizations throughout history have always had one core competency. They had to pay attention to the training piece. It’s part of our job every day,” Rogers said.
“I applaud what you do, and never make any mistake about how important you are on the war on terror. You can’t help but believe that if we don’t get the training piece right and keep the pipeline flowing, none of that operational stuff forward would ever happen. We won’t be able to execute out there. We are producing expert and well-trained human beings who can go out and execute their missions decisively in a professional and excellent manner in the face of a lot of adversity,” Rogers said.
Rogers is responsible for the day-to-day training of approximately 2,000 U.S. and allied Air Force students. The training ranges from entry-level flying training through advanced combat crew training, and ultimately provides fully qualified aircrew personnel for the war-fighting commands. The 19th Air Force is composed of more than 31,000 assigned personnel and 1,800 aircraft in 25 units throughout the country.
Rogers has led combat operations in both Iraq and Bosnia. He has 2,300 flight hours including 184 combat hours.
Tech. Sgt. Arlo Taylor and Capt. David Faggard at Little Rock Air Force Base contributed to this article.
Leader staff writer
Maj. Gen. Marc Rogers, 19th Air Force commander at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, told airmen at Little Rock Air Force Base the ongoing global war on terror is stretching military budgets and personnel.
“There is not enough money in the budget to upgrade our fleets and build the capabilities it’s going to take to fight through the long term,” Rogers said about the challenges airmen face as they fight the global war on terror, or the Long War, as he called it. But he vowed to fight the war with all the resources at his command.
“It’s our duty to support the lead dogs on the ground who are face-to-face with the guns (in combat). That’s our Army soldiers and Marines. I love those guys and will do everything in my power to support them,” Rogers said.
Air Force officials are trying to balance the high costs of personnel and organizational inefficiencies to meet national and worldwide defense needs with a plan called Air Force Smart Operations 21. Part of the plan will reduce 40,000 personnel by 2011, about 12 percent of the 340,000 people now serving in the active-duty Air Force.
Most of the reductions were made in support roles, including 270 positions at Little Rock Air Force Base, such as communications, public affairs, chaplains, civil engineering, legal and finance, according to Maj. Joe Atkins, 314th Mission Support Squadron commander.
To date, no aircrew or maintenance positions were identified as part of the cuts.
“These cuts aren’t about faces; this is about spaces. It’s a difficult time, but we need to do this for the force – for the country,” said Brig. Gen. Kip Self, commander of the 314th Airlift Wing. The personnel cuts will help support the hardware side of the Air Force mission, such as replacing older C-130 cargo aircraft with the newer C-130J models.
“We’re working with headquarters to ensure the mission of training the world’s best aircrews doesn’t stop,” Self said.
Rogers agreed, saying the key to success in the face of the personnel cuts is efficient thinking and organization.
“It’s going to impact us, but we have to do it because our most expensive system is people. We have to upgrade our aircraft and capabilities,” Rogers said.
“Military organizations throughout history have always had one core competency. They had to pay attention to the training piece. It’s part of our job every day,” Rogers said.
“I applaud what you do, and never make any mistake about how important you are on the war on terror. You can’t help but believe that if we don’t get the training piece right and keep the pipeline flowing, none of that operational stuff forward would ever happen. We won’t be able to execute out there. We are producing expert and well-trained human beings who can go out and execute their missions decisively in a professional and excellent manner in the face of a lot of adversity,” Rogers said.
Rogers is responsible for the day-to-day training of approximately 2,000 U.S. and allied Air Force students. The training ranges from entry-level flying training through advanced combat crew training, and ultimately provides fully qualified aircrew personnel for the war-fighting commands. The 19th Air Force is composed of more than 31,000 assigned personnel and 1,800 aircraft in 25 units throughout the country.
Rogers has led combat operations in both Iraq and Bosnia. He has 2,300 flight hours including 184 combat hours.
Tech. Sgt. Arlo Taylor and Capt. David Faggard at Little Rock Air Force Base contributed to this article.
TOP STORY >> Alderman sues to get information
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Cabot Alderman Odis Waymack filed suit in circuit court Monday afternoon against the mayor and three city employees over access to a survey of First Street, where seven one-lane bridges need to be replaced.
Waymack is alleging a violation of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and is asking that a judge decide within seven days if he should have been denied the documents he requested of staff at Cabot Public Works on April 21.
Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh says Waymack had not been denied anything because he didn’t request it of him as he was instructed and as other council members do.
“If you want something, you call the mayor’s office,” Stumbaugh said.
Furthermore, Stumbaugh says, Waymack didn’t request the survey under the Freedom of Information Act. He never actually said the words, which he says would have made the request official and required that it be honored within three days. Since he didn’t request anything, either of his office or under the FOIA, he couldn’t have been turned down, the mayor insisted.
Named in the suit are the city of Cabot, Stumbaugh, Public Works Director Jim Towe, City Engineer Gayle Maynard and Norma Naquin, another public works employee.
Stumbaugh had not seen the suit Tuesday morning when he talked to The Leader, and he said that fact was evidence that the suit is politically motivated.
“Odis is just a troublemaker,” the mayor said. “If he spent half as much time working for the city as he does harassing me, the city would be a whole lot better place. The man has some problems. I just hope he gets right before he goes.”
Waymack says he needed the survey to save money on a water-flow study for the First Street bridges that he is paying an engineer to conduct. Some members of the council who are reluctant to support the city/county partnership say they need evidence that the round culverts Lonoke County Judge Charlie Troutman wants to install would be large enough for the water that would flow through them.
Waymack said the flow study would hopefully resolve that issue, but when the staff at Public Works refused to give him the survey, he turned his attention instead toward what he says is a flagrant violation of freedom of information.
“Stubby is not the custodian of the records,” Waymack said. “I think he believes he is, but is the court going to say that? The state statute doesn’t require you to go to the mayor.”
Meanwhile, an ordinance before the city council that would have the city and county working together to replace the bridges and build two roads that proponents say would ease traffic congestion was held for a second time Monday night, because although it presumably has the votes needed to pass, it doesn’t have the votes needed to override a mayoral veto.
Leader staff writer
Cabot Alderman Odis Waymack filed suit in circuit court Monday afternoon against the mayor and three city employees over access to a survey of First Street, where seven one-lane bridges need to be replaced.
Waymack is alleging a violation of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and is asking that a judge decide within seven days if he should have been denied the documents he requested of staff at Cabot Public Works on April 21.
Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh says Waymack had not been denied anything because he didn’t request it of him as he was instructed and as other council members do.
“If you want something, you call the mayor’s office,” Stumbaugh said.
Furthermore, Stumbaugh says, Waymack didn’t request the survey under the Freedom of Information Act. He never actually said the words, which he says would have made the request official and required that it be honored within three days. Since he didn’t request anything, either of his office or under the FOIA, he couldn’t have been turned down, the mayor insisted.
Named in the suit are the city of Cabot, Stumbaugh, Public Works Director Jim Towe, City Engineer Gayle Maynard and Norma Naquin, another public works employee.
Stumbaugh had not seen the suit Tuesday morning when he talked to The Leader, and he said that fact was evidence that the suit is politically motivated.
“Odis is just a troublemaker,” the mayor said. “If he spent half as much time working for the city as he does harassing me, the city would be a whole lot better place. The man has some problems. I just hope he gets right before he goes.”
Waymack says he needed the survey to save money on a water-flow study for the First Street bridges that he is paying an engineer to conduct. Some members of the council who are reluctant to support the city/county partnership say they need evidence that the round culverts Lonoke County Judge Charlie Troutman wants to install would be large enough for the water that would flow through them.
Waymack said the flow study would hopefully resolve that issue, but when the staff at Public Works refused to give him the survey, he turned his attention instead toward what he says is a flagrant violation of freedom of information.
“Stubby is not the custodian of the records,” Waymack said. “I think he believes he is, but is the court going to say that? The state statute doesn’t require you to go to the mayor.”
Meanwhile, an ordinance before the city council that would have the city and county working together to replace the bridges and build two roads that proponents say would ease traffic congestion was held for a second time Monday night, because although it presumably has the votes needed to pass, it doesn’t have the votes needed to override a mayoral veto.
TOP STORY >> GOP fights with itself for control
By JOHN HOFHEIMER AND JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
The Lonoke County Republican Party has sufficiently matured—at least in the Cabot area—to splinter into a more strictly conservative group led by former state Rep. Randy Minton, which is fielding primary candidates against other, less doctrinaire Republicans.
Minton’s group, a local branch of the national and state Republican Assembly, has endorsed a field of candidates that includes challengers to Republican quorum court members Gina Burton and Marty Stumbaugh.
In a full-page ad in the Lonoke County Lincoln Day Dinner program, Minton endorsed a slate of “conservative Republicans,” including incumbent Larry Odom over Cabot Alderman Patrick Hutton, Casey Van Buskirk against Burton, and Mark Edwards against Stumbaugh.
Stumbaugh believes the Republican Assembly targeted him for a primary race opponent because he favored letting residents vote on a new tax to expand and repair the jail instead of redistributing the existing county sales tax at the expense of towns and cities, which depend on that money. Stumbaugh also crossed party lines to vote with Democrats on occasion.
Stumbaugh’s brother Stubby is the Cabot mayor.
Burton said she fell from grace when she refused to vote for a proposed resolution favored by other Republicans, but which she had not had time to read and study.
“Our mission is to strengthen the Republican Party by registering voters, recruiting members, developing party leadership, endorsing candidates and supporting officials who share out beliefs and principles,” according to Patrick Briney, president of the Arkansas Republican Assembly (ARRA). Briney said ARRA is “the Republican wing of the Republican party.”
Republicans are facing off in four quorum court primary races, while Democrats will face off in two primaries.
DISTRICT 2
Jannette Minton of Austin is the Republican incumbent, challenged by one Republican and one Democrat. “I’m a fiscal conservative,” Minton said. “I just want to see the county live within its budget.”
If she is reelected, Minton said she wants to look into buying office supplies in bulk. Now, all the elected department heads have their own budgets and buy their own supplies. If bulk purchasing would save money, it should be considered, she said.
Minton says the Lonoke County Republican Assembly has endorsed her because of her conservative values, not because she is married to Randy Minton. “There are several of us on the quorum court who are conservative, and we hope to keep the conservative momentum going,” she said.
Minton’s Republican challenger, Vincent B. Ables of Buterville, sees similarities between his work for Lockheed Martin at the air base in Jacksonville and the work he hopes to do for the county. “I manage accounts,” Ables said. “What the quorum court does is manage the money that’s divided among the different departments. I’d like to see the county run more efficiently with a little less confrontation. Every time you pick up a newspaper, you read about them fighting,” he said.
“I’m not a fierce political opponent,” he said. “This is my first race, and if I don’t win I might run again in a couple of years. Am I worried about not getting elected? No. If there was somebody out there more qualified I’d vote for them myself.”
The winner will face Larry Ridge-way, a Democrat, in November. Ridgeway, a former quorum court member, lost to Minton in 2004.
DISTRICT 3
Patrick Hutton of Cabot, in his fourth year on the Cabot City Council, says he is running for the quorum court because it is time to move on from the city council and let someone else have a chance.
“I believe in self-imposed term limits,” Hutton said. “There are people out there who could do the job as well as I can, and who knows, in a few years I might be back.”
When the Republicans on the quorum court divide, the split is 5-2, with Alexis Malham, Donna Pedersen, Janette Minton, Larry Odom and Lynne Clark voting against Gina Burton and Marty Stumbaugh. Hutton is Burton’s brother-in-law. Odom, his opponent, has been endorsed by the Lonoke County Republican Assem-bly. Odom, in his 16th year on the quorum court, said his goal if elected to a ninth term is the implementation of the road plan released earlier this year by the county’s long-range transportation plan. “Our community of northern Lonoke County can’t continue to grow if we don’t solve our transportation problems,” Odom said. “The people are going to look elsewhere for homes.”
The county plan includes an additional interchange between the two existing interchanges and a railroad overpass in the vicinity of Richie Road as well as new roads to loop the city.
Much of the plan is long range, but an offer by the county to replace seven one-lane bridges with round culverts for $75,000 instead of the $750,000 the city intended to spend on square culverts has been neither accepted nor turned down by the city council in two months.
“One thing I’d really like to get done is replacing those Mickey Mouse, Model-T bridges on First Street,” Odom said.
Odom, who is endorsed by the Lonoke County Republican Assembly, says he doesn’t represent any special interest group.
“I just try to judge every issue and make a call,” he said.
DISTRICT 12
Burton,, 42, running for her third term, works for the state Depar-tment of Finance and Administration. “We’ve been instrumental in getting the jail issue addressed,” she said. “It’s a Band-Aid. We need to secure funds for it without raising taxes.”
Burton, chairman of the insurance committee, said “We saved $87,000 on insurance last year, and there was no (increase) this year.”
“We think we run on bare bones, but there must be some areas we can tweak. We run efficiently, but we must account for every dollar spent.
She said she’d there was about half a million dollars sitting in the County Library fund that she’d like to see made available for the county to use—if that’s possible.
“We need to readdress the percentages (of the county tax) she said.
She and Odom have gotten crossways she said, because Odom thought she should have voted for a resolution that he vouched for but she hadn’t read. “They felt I should have taken his word about it,” she said. “A prudent elected official reads what they vote on. I vote my conscience,” she said. “Sometimes with Democrats, but I’ve voted many times with Republican values.
Burton’s opponent, Casey Van Buskirk, 32, describes herself as a stay-at-home mom, running for office for the first time.
She has some college education, mostly general education and in sign language. “I think transportation is an issue, especially in Cabot,” she said. She favors a transportation plan promoted and undertaken by Odom and Troutman.
“I’m in support of that, but not increasing taxes. Deciding where the tax dollars go is purpose of the job,” she said.
Van Buskirk said she’s been going door to door, handing out cards and putting the word out. “I’m excited for the opportunity,” she said. “I’m learning more about our government and I feel very patriotic.” The winner between Van Buskirk and Burton will face Democrat Patty Knox in the November general election.
DISTRICT 13
Stumbaugh, 32, a lieutenant with the Cabot Fire Department, is running for his third term. “We’ve seen a lot of change,” said Stumbaugh. “I’m proud what we have done, Republicans and Democrats.
One of battles is space for jail and clerk’s office, he said. “We’re going to be able to remodel what the county has and upgrade the space. It’s going to help us tremendously.”
He said the improved and expanded jail would let the sheriff “Put people where they need to be instead of bonding them out.”
“We’re trying to get as much help as we can with county roads.
“Our budgeting process is not where I would like it to be, but we’re headed in the right direction.”
Stumbaugh said he believed that Randy Minton and Lynn Weeks Clarke sought an opponent for him because he didn’t always vote they way they thought he should.
Of his primary opponent, Stum-baugh said, “The only way he’ll beat me is to outwork me.”
That opponent, Mark Edwards, 35, is a loss control engineer for St. Paul Travelers Insurance.
Edwards said this was his first attempt at political office and that ironically, he was encouraged to seek office—not necessarily that office—by Cabot Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh, his opponent’s brother. “No one had filed as JP in my district,” he said.
He said several people had encouraged him to consider running. “I think there’s some things in the county I’d like to see taken care of. He said in the past year or two, progress had been made on some of them, like the jail problem and traffic problems. “There’s a difference of opinion on how things should be handled,” he said of Cabot-area congestion. He said Stumbaugh didn’t attend enough quorum court meetings. “I believe if someone is elected to perform a certain job, they need to show up.” Edwards said he had been to two quorum court meetings, both since he decided to run. He said he had met with Minton and the Republican Assembly. He and his wife Frances have a 4-year-old daughter.
Leader staff writer
The Lonoke County Republican Party has sufficiently matured—at least in the Cabot area—to splinter into a more strictly conservative group led by former state Rep. Randy Minton, which is fielding primary candidates against other, less doctrinaire Republicans.
Minton’s group, a local branch of the national and state Republican Assembly, has endorsed a field of candidates that includes challengers to Republican quorum court members Gina Burton and Marty Stumbaugh.
In a full-page ad in the Lonoke County Lincoln Day Dinner program, Minton endorsed a slate of “conservative Republicans,” including incumbent Larry Odom over Cabot Alderman Patrick Hutton, Casey Van Buskirk against Burton, and Mark Edwards against Stumbaugh.
Stumbaugh believes the Republican Assembly targeted him for a primary race opponent because he favored letting residents vote on a new tax to expand and repair the jail instead of redistributing the existing county sales tax at the expense of towns and cities, which depend on that money. Stumbaugh also crossed party lines to vote with Democrats on occasion.
Stumbaugh’s brother Stubby is the Cabot mayor.
Burton said she fell from grace when she refused to vote for a proposed resolution favored by other Republicans, but which she had not had time to read and study.
“Our mission is to strengthen the Republican Party by registering voters, recruiting members, developing party leadership, endorsing candidates and supporting officials who share out beliefs and principles,” according to Patrick Briney, president of the Arkansas Republican Assembly (ARRA). Briney said ARRA is “the Republican wing of the Republican party.”
Republicans are facing off in four quorum court primary races, while Democrats will face off in two primaries.
DISTRICT 2
Jannette Minton of Austin is the Republican incumbent, challenged by one Republican and one Democrat. “I’m a fiscal conservative,” Minton said. “I just want to see the county live within its budget.”
If she is reelected, Minton said she wants to look into buying office supplies in bulk. Now, all the elected department heads have their own budgets and buy their own supplies. If bulk purchasing would save money, it should be considered, she said.
Minton says the Lonoke County Republican Assembly has endorsed her because of her conservative values, not because she is married to Randy Minton. “There are several of us on the quorum court who are conservative, and we hope to keep the conservative momentum going,” she said.
Minton’s Republican challenger, Vincent B. Ables of Buterville, sees similarities between his work for Lockheed Martin at the air base in Jacksonville and the work he hopes to do for the county. “I manage accounts,” Ables said. “What the quorum court does is manage the money that’s divided among the different departments. I’d like to see the county run more efficiently with a little less confrontation. Every time you pick up a newspaper, you read about them fighting,” he said.
“I’m not a fierce political opponent,” he said. “This is my first race, and if I don’t win I might run again in a couple of years. Am I worried about not getting elected? No. If there was somebody out there more qualified I’d vote for them myself.”
The winner will face Larry Ridge-way, a Democrat, in November. Ridgeway, a former quorum court member, lost to Minton in 2004.
DISTRICT 3
Patrick Hutton of Cabot, in his fourth year on the Cabot City Council, says he is running for the quorum court because it is time to move on from the city council and let someone else have a chance.
“I believe in self-imposed term limits,” Hutton said. “There are people out there who could do the job as well as I can, and who knows, in a few years I might be back.”
When the Republicans on the quorum court divide, the split is 5-2, with Alexis Malham, Donna Pedersen, Janette Minton, Larry Odom and Lynne Clark voting against Gina Burton and Marty Stumbaugh. Hutton is Burton’s brother-in-law. Odom, his opponent, has been endorsed by the Lonoke County Republican Assem-bly. Odom, in his 16th year on the quorum court, said his goal if elected to a ninth term is the implementation of the road plan released earlier this year by the county’s long-range transportation plan. “Our community of northern Lonoke County can’t continue to grow if we don’t solve our transportation problems,” Odom said. “The people are going to look elsewhere for homes.”
The county plan includes an additional interchange between the two existing interchanges and a railroad overpass in the vicinity of Richie Road as well as new roads to loop the city.
Much of the plan is long range, but an offer by the county to replace seven one-lane bridges with round culverts for $75,000 instead of the $750,000 the city intended to spend on square culverts has been neither accepted nor turned down by the city council in two months.
“One thing I’d really like to get done is replacing those Mickey Mouse, Model-T bridges on First Street,” Odom said.
Odom, who is endorsed by the Lonoke County Republican Assembly, says he doesn’t represent any special interest group.
“I just try to judge every issue and make a call,” he said.
DISTRICT 12
Burton,, 42, running for her third term, works for the state Depar-tment of Finance and Administration. “We’ve been instrumental in getting the jail issue addressed,” she said. “It’s a Band-Aid. We need to secure funds for it without raising taxes.”
Burton, chairman of the insurance committee, said “We saved $87,000 on insurance last year, and there was no (increase) this year.”
“We think we run on bare bones, but there must be some areas we can tweak. We run efficiently, but we must account for every dollar spent.
She said she’d there was about half a million dollars sitting in the County Library fund that she’d like to see made available for the county to use—if that’s possible.
“We need to readdress the percentages (of the county tax) she said.
She and Odom have gotten crossways she said, because Odom thought she should have voted for a resolution that he vouched for but she hadn’t read. “They felt I should have taken his word about it,” she said. “A prudent elected official reads what they vote on. I vote my conscience,” she said. “Sometimes with Democrats, but I’ve voted many times with Republican values.
Burton’s opponent, Casey Van Buskirk, 32, describes herself as a stay-at-home mom, running for office for the first time.
She has some college education, mostly general education and in sign language. “I think transportation is an issue, especially in Cabot,” she said. She favors a transportation plan promoted and undertaken by Odom and Troutman.
“I’m in support of that, but not increasing taxes. Deciding where the tax dollars go is purpose of the job,” she said.
Van Buskirk said she’s been going door to door, handing out cards and putting the word out. “I’m excited for the opportunity,” she said. “I’m learning more about our government and I feel very patriotic.” The winner between Van Buskirk and Burton will face Democrat Patty Knox in the November general election.
DISTRICT 13
Stumbaugh, 32, a lieutenant with the Cabot Fire Department, is running for his third term. “We’ve seen a lot of change,” said Stumbaugh. “I’m proud what we have done, Republicans and Democrats.
One of battles is space for jail and clerk’s office, he said. “We’re going to be able to remodel what the county has and upgrade the space. It’s going to help us tremendously.”
He said the improved and expanded jail would let the sheriff “Put people where they need to be instead of bonding them out.”
“We’re trying to get as much help as we can with county roads.
“Our budgeting process is not where I would like it to be, but we’re headed in the right direction.”
Stumbaugh said he believed that Randy Minton and Lynn Weeks Clarke sought an opponent for him because he didn’t always vote they way they thought he should.
Of his primary opponent, Stum-baugh said, “The only way he’ll beat me is to outwork me.”
That opponent, Mark Edwards, 35, is a loss control engineer for St. Paul Travelers Insurance.
Edwards said this was his first attempt at political office and that ironically, he was encouraged to seek office—not necessarily that office—by Cabot Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh, his opponent’s brother. “No one had filed as JP in my district,” he said.
He said several people had encouraged him to consider running. “I think there’s some things in the county I’d like to see taken care of. He said in the past year or two, progress had been made on some of them, like the jail problem and traffic problems. “There’s a difference of opinion on how things should be handled,” he said of Cabot-area congestion. He said Stumbaugh didn’t attend enough quorum court meetings. “I believe if someone is elected to perform a certain job, they need to show up.” Edwards said he had been to two quorum court meetings, both since he decided to run. He said he had met with Minton and the Republican Assembly. He and his wife Frances have a 4-year-old daughter.
TOP STORY >> Democrats out to win
By JOHN HOFHEIMER AND JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writers
While the Lonoke Republicans are locked in an intra-party struggle for quorum court seats, the Democrats have just two contested seats in the primary races, each with three candidates.
DISTRICT 8
Fred Ibbotson, from the Lonoke area, one of three Democratic candidates for the seat now held by Woody Evans, said growth in the southern part of the county where he lives is in-evitable within the next 20 years and he believes it deserves strong representation like the northern part has with the Republican members of the quorum court.
Ibbotson, a partner in a towing business, said his experience with finances would be an asset to the quorum court. “If there is anything I can do to help, I want to,” he said.
Nita Colclasure says she learned as the state chairman for Toys for Tots and while helping to start a GED program for state prisoners that one person can make a difference.
“We’ve let the same families, the same names run our county for too long,” she said.
The Lonoke area has a lot to offer with its historic buildings and I-40 but it’s not being promoted as it should be. It will never be Cabot, she said, but it should at least have a good steakhouse.
While economic development and historical preservation fall outside the scope of the work usually performed by the quorum court, Colclasure says there is no rule that says it must stay that way.
“We really do have a lot to offer if they would just give us a chance,” she said.
Roger D. Lynch says he would like to work with the county budget and he believes his experience with budgets from his management job at Remington Arms will be an asset to the District 8 seat.
“There’s never enough money to go around,” Lynch said. “I feel like people on the quorum court have to make value judgments about what’s important. I’m as able as anyone to make a good, sound judgment. But you’ve also got to be able to work in a group and you need to be able to sell your ideas.”
DISTRICT 10
Two Democrats are challenging Norman Walker for the seat he has held since 1997. Kyle Lackey, 28, a first-time candidate, is a pharmacist technician in his father’s Lonoke drug store.
He has a degree in business management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
His father, Ray Lackey, was on the quorum court for eight years.
“I think the county judge (Charlie Troutman) is doing an excellent job,” said Lackey. Jail improvement, road maintenance and courthouse overcrowding are among the top issues, he said.
“I’ll support (Troutman) 100 percent,” he said. He also cited health insurance as “a big deal for everyone.” He said the cost was going up and the quality going down for the county health plan.
Lackey’s wife Amber is an emergency room nurse at the Stuttgart Regional Medical Center. They have a 3-year-old daughter. Lackey said that working in the family business, he sees at least 50 area residents a day, giving him access to their needs and thoughts.
But, he said, “I’ll support whoever wins.”
Virgil Turner, 74, wants to be the voice for aging Lonoke County residents. He’s the assistant minister of the Prairie Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Hazen.
Turner, a Nashville (Howard County) native, retired from a community action agency in Chicago, where he was executive director. Then he moved to Lonoke, where his wife Lily grew up, he said. He served as the executive director of the Arkansas AIDS Foundation.
Turner has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arkansas A&M College, now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
As a youngster, his family sharecropped, and he grew up picking and chopping cotton, he said.
Turner is a Central Arkansas Development Council consultant. He helped coordinate meals in Lonoke for Katrina victims and was a member of the search committee that just helped hire the new Lonoke police chief.
The Turners have three daughters; two are lawyers and one a middle school principal.
Walker, 49, is running for a sixth term. He works for Agricultural Services Inc. as a truck driver. It’s a hazardous-spill response company.
“I like working with the quorum court members. We’re finally coming together,” he explains
He says that because of his experience on the court, “we’re at the point now where I can really get some things done. I’m honest with the people. If I can’t do something, I’ll tell them. I work closely with the county judge.”
He sponsored resolutions to get city water to the Kerr Community and also to get grants for the Martin Loop Fun Park. “That’s part of my district,” he said.
Walker has helped get streets paved in his district.
The court as a whole is “making some progress on the jail,” he said.
As chairman of the county personnel policy revision committee, Walker says he wants to change Lonoke from a county that can fire an employee at will to a “for-cause county. I’ll be pushing to do that.”
He wants to make the federal credit union available in Lonoke.
Walker is on the board of the Central Arkansas Development Council. He is past president of the Lonoke County branch of NAACP, and chaired Lonoke City Concerned citizens.
He holds an associate degree in business management.
Walker has lived in Lonoke for 27 years. He’s married to the former Mattie Williams of Lonoke. They have four grown children.
Leader staff writers
While the Lonoke Republicans are locked in an intra-party struggle for quorum court seats, the Democrats have just two contested seats in the primary races, each with three candidates.
DISTRICT 8
Fred Ibbotson, from the Lonoke area, one of three Democratic candidates for the seat now held by Woody Evans, said growth in the southern part of the county where he lives is in-evitable within the next 20 years and he believes it deserves strong representation like the northern part has with the Republican members of the quorum court.
Ibbotson, a partner in a towing business, said his experience with finances would be an asset to the quorum court. “If there is anything I can do to help, I want to,” he said.
Nita Colclasure says she learned as the state chairman for Toys for Tots and while helping to start a GED program for state prisoners that one person can make a difference.
“We’ve let the same families, the same names run our county for too long,” she said.
The Lonoke area has a lot to offer with its historic buildings and I-40 but it’s not being promoted as it should be. It will never be Cabot, she said, but it should at least have a good steakhouse.
While economic development and historical preservation fall outside the scope of the work usually performed by the quorum court, Colclasure says there is no rule that says it must stay that way.
“We really do have a lot to offer if they would just give us a chance,” she said.
Roger D. Lynch says he would like to work with the county budget and he believes his experience with budgets from his management job at Remington Arms will be an asset to the District 8 seat.
“There’s never enough money to go around,” Lynch said. “I feel like people on the quorum court have to make value judgments about what’s important. I’m as able as anyone to make a good, sound judgment. But you’ve also got to be able to work in a group and you need to be able to sell your ideas.”
DISTRICT 10
Two Democrats are challenging Norman Walker for the seat he has held since 1997. Kyle Lackey, 28, a first-time candidate, is a pharmacist technician in his father’s Lonoke drug store.
He has a degree in business management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
His father, Ray Lackey, was on the quorum court for eight years.
“I think the county judge (Charlie Troutman) is doing an excellent job,” said Lackey. Jail improvement, road maintenance and courthouse overcrowding are among the top issues, he said.
“I’ll support (Troutman) 100 percent,” he said. He also cited health insurance as “a big deal for everyone.” He said the cost was going up and the quality going down for the county health plan.
Lackey’s wife Amber is an emergency room nurse at the Stuttgart Regional Medical Center. They have a 3-year-old daughter. Lackey said that working in the family business, he sees at least 50 area residents a day, giving him access to their needs and thoughts.
But, he said, “I’ll support whoever wins.”
Virgil Turner, 74, wants to be the voice for aging Lonoke County residents. He’s the assistant minister of the Prairie Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Hazen.
Turner, a Nashville (Howard County) native, retired from a community action agency in Chicago, where he was executive director. Then he moved to Lonoke, where his wife Lily grew up, he said. He served as the executive director of the Arkansas AIDS Foundation.
Turner has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arkansas A&M College, now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
As a youngster, his family sharecropped, and he grew up picking and chopping cotton, he said.
Turner is a Central Arkansas Development Council consultant. He helped coordinate meals in Lonoke for Katrina victims and was a member of the search committee that just helped hire the new Lonoke police chief.
The Turners have three daughters; two are lawyers and one a middle school principal.
Walker, 49, is running for a sixth term. He works for Agricultural Services Inc. as a truck driver. It’s a hazardous-spill response company.
“I like working with the quorum court members. We’re finally coming together,” he explains
He says that because of his experience on the court, “we’re at the point now where I can really get some things done. I’m honest with the people. If I can’t do something, I’ll tell them. I work closely with the county judge.”
He sponsored resolutions to get city water to the Kerr Community and also to get grants for the Martin Loop Fun Park. “That’s part of my district,” he said.
Walker has helped get streets paved in his district.
The court as a whole is “making some progress on the jail,” he said.
As chairman of the county personnel policy revision committee, Walker says he wants to change Lonoke from a county that can fire an employee at will to a “for-cause county. I’ll be pushing to do that.”
He wants to make the federal credit union available in Lonoke.
Walker is on the board of the Central Arkansas Development Council. He is past president of the Lonoke County branch of NAACP, and chaired Lonoke City Concerned citizens.
He holds an associate degree in business management.
Walker has lived in Lonoke for 27 years. He’s married to the former Mattie Williams of Lonoke. They have four grown children.
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