IN SHORT: Jacksonville’s boys and girls basketball teams swept Little Rock McClellan in Friday night’s season opener.
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Opening night was a good one for Jacksonville basketball. The Red Devils and Lady Devils swept Little Rock McClellan at the Devils’ Den in Jacksonville.
The 46-39 win for the Lady Devils was the first season-opening win in four years. The boys dominated throughout, and pulled away for a 58-25 victory.
The Jacksonville boys held the Lions scoreless throughout the third quarter. They ran up a 12-0 lead over the first four minutes, but scored just one more basket the rest of the period. After trading some baskets in the early portion of the second quarter, the Red Devils went on another tear and took a 33-11 lead into intermission.
The onslaught picked right up again in the third, and by the 1:40 mark, then led 48-17, invoking the mercy rule.
The continuous clock in the fourth quarter made for a quick ending, and Jacksonville outscored McClellan just 3-2 in the final frame to set the final margin.
Despite the huge margin of victory, Jacksonville coach Vic Joyner was not pleased with his team.
“We didn’t execute our offense,” Joyner said. “We had dribble-itis and we didn’t move the ball when we needed to. We didn’t get it inside, we didn’t even look inside most of the time. We don’t have anybody out there with any experience, and we have got to learn to follow a game plan.”
The Red Devils forced 22 turnovers, but committed 21. Joyner said that was a result of not running the offense. They dominated the boards, however, out-rebounding the Lions a whopping 40-13. That was one area where the head Red Devil was willing to give some credit.
“We did a good job of boxing out and crashing the board,” Joyner said. “It was just decision making with the ball. The only difference in this game is that early on we knocked down a few open jumpers and they didn’t. If they had hit some of those, this would have been a completely different game.”
Sophomore LeQuentin Miles was the 12th man off the bench for Jacksonville, but he made the most of his time on the floor, leading the Red Devils in scoring with 14 points.
Senior Kajuan Watson was the only other Devil in double figures with 13.
The Lady Devils turned a 15-11 advantage after one quarter into a 17-point margin at 32-15 by halftime. They did it with an aggressive defense that forced seven Lady Lion turnovers in the second quarter. They also got a huge lift off the bench by junior post Rochelle Livings. After entering the game in the second quarter, she scored six points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the charge.
The 17-point margin almost wasn’t enough. McClellan switched to a man defense in the second half, and slowly chipped away at Jacksonville’s lead.
The margin was cut to 10 by the end of the third quarter at 40-30. With 1:30 to play, it was 43-37. McClellan got an open look at a three that rimmed out, and the two teams traded turnovers for the next minute of play.
The Lady Lions pulled to within four with a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left and had a chance to cut deeper into the lead after a quick Jacksonville turnover. McClellan, though, turned it back over and Jacksonville’s Tarneshia Scott got a layup and free throw with seven seconds left to set the final margin and seal the win.
Jacksonville coach Katrina Mimms took most of the blame for the McClellan comeback.
“We didn’t work much on man for two reasons,” Mimms said. “We really needed to work on what we did wrong in our jamboree, and, we watched McClellan in theirs and they didn’t run it all. So it kind of caught us off guard. You always need to be ready for it, but we had to spend a lot of time working on other things. We’ll be working on it a lot in the near future. That’s for sure.”
Scott led all scorers with 13 points for Jacksonville. Chamky Billingslea and Maria Livings added nine each for the Lady Devils. Rochelle Livings totaled eight points and nine rebounds in the win.
Jacksonville will get back to action next Tuesday with a road trip to Little Rock Central.
Monday, November 20, 2006
SPORTS >>'Cats act as Hector's Achilles in double OT
IN SHORT: Harding Academy needed two overtimes, but finally overcame a comeback by Hector in the second round of the playoffs.
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
Harding Academy came within two inches of having its season end at the hands of the Hector Wildcats on Friday night at First Security Stadium in Searcy, but held on at the end of regulation to force overtime. The HA Wildcats would finally prevail after two overtimes, taking a nail-biting 35-29 win over the other Wildcats to advance to the quarterfinals next week.
The game had the look of a potential blowout in the first half. Four turnovers from Hector senior quarterback Ryan White gave the Harding Academy offense plenty of opportunities. HA would cash in on those opportunities with three TD’s in the first half to lead 22-6 at the half.
The adjustments Hector made on both sides of the football at halftime worked. Hector shut down HA quarterback Luke Tribble after the senior had a near-perfect game in the first two quarters.
White’s ability to hold on to the football in the second half was the biggest offensive variable for Hector, but a call to go for it on fourth down and inches right at the Harding Academy goal line with only one second left in regulation would prove to be the deciding factor in the game.
Hector initially lined up for an easy 18-yard field goal attempt for kicker Greg Condley, but came back out in an offensive formation after a Harding Academy time out, forcing HA to burn up another time out to adjust.
Harding Academy senior nose guard James Kee had made little noise all night, but stepped up when his team needed him the most. Kee met White at the goal line as he attempted to cross it, knocking him backwards to end regulation in a 22-22 tie.
Both teams came away with easy scores in the first overtime, but it was Kee making a critical defensive play once again in the second overtime to help seal the game for HA. With Hector facing a long fourth and 28, Kee sacked White at the 35-yard line to end Hector’s possession.
Tribble only needed one play to clinch the game from there, running it up the gut on an option keep for the score and advancing the team to quarterfinal action.
“Hector did a great job coming back in the second half,” Harding Academy coach Tommy Shoe-maker said. “They made some really good plays; those kids played really hard. I’m proud of our kids, they just didn’t quit. They had us there at the end.”
Shoemaker was relieved to come away with the close win, but says lack of execution early in the second half put them in the tight spot they faced.
“You know, you’re two inches away from losing the ball game, to make a stop like that and then execute two drives says a lot about our kids’ character,” Shoemaker said. “We had some opportunities in the second half. They fought to the end, that’s for sure.”
Hector struck first in the game on its opening offensive play. Senior fullback Thomas Robertson ran it up the middle untouched for a 63-yard touchdown at the 10:21. The extra-point attempt from Condley was no good, leaving Hector’s early lead at 6-0.
HA got its offense rolling courtesy of momentum-shifting turn-overs from White. The Hector defense held HA on downs on the next drive, but White coughed up the ball at the Hector 17-yard line, giving the Wildcats great field position. Tribble rolled right on first down, and found senior receiver Chris Pack in the middle of the field for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 6:20 left in the first quarter. Tribble faked the extra-point kick, running it in on the left side to push HA ahead 8-6.
Tribble found Chase Ransom in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass that brought the first quarter to a close. Ransom bobbled the ball in the air twice before finally pulling it down.
Tribble scored once more be-fore halftime on a 34-yard run with 2:23 left, giving the Wildcats the momentum at the half.
That momentum would not last long in the second half.
Hector scored right away in the third, going 67 yards in five plays and scoring with 10:32 left in the quarter. Lucas Watson ran in the two-point attempt to pull Hector to within eight, 22-14.
White ran in the next Hector score from two yards out with two minutes left in the third. He was stopped on the two-point run, but fumbled as he went down and the ball rolled right into the hands of teammate Keaton Domerese in the end zone to tie the score at 22 all.
Tribble was 18 for 28 passing for 205 yards and two touchdowns. He also carried 12 times for 80 yards and three scores.
Harding Academy will play Lafayette County at home next week in the quarterfinals. The Cougars, the No. 3 seed from the 3A-7 Conference, advanced with a 27-12 win over Lake Village.
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
Harding Academy came within two inches of having its season end at the hands of the Hector Wildcats on Friday night at First Security Stadium in Searcy, but held on at the end of regulation to force overtime. The HA Wildcats would finally prevail after two overtimes, taking a nail-biting 35-29 win over the other Wildcats to advance to the quarterfinals next week.
The game had the look of a potential blowout in the first half. Four turnovers from Hector senior quarterback Ryan White gave the Harding Academy offense plenty of opportunities. HA would cash in on those opportunities with three TD’s in the first half to lead 22-6 at the half.
The adjustments Hector made on both sides of the football at halftime worked. Hector shut down HA quarterback Luke Tribble after the senior had a near-perfect game in the first two quarters.
White’s ability to hold on to the football in the second half was the biggest offensive variable for Hector, but a call to go for it on fourth down and inches right at the Harding Academy goal line with only one second left in regulation would prove to be the deciding factor in the game.
Hector initially lined up for an easy 18-yard field goal attempt for kicker Greg Condley, but came back out in an offensive formation after a Harding Academy time out, forcing HA to burn up another time out to adjust.
Harding Academy senior nose guard James Kee had made little noise all night, but stepped up when his team needed him the most. Kee met White at the goal line as he attempted to cross it, knocking him backwards to end regulation in a 22-22 tie.
Both teams came away with easy scores in the first overtime, but it was Kee making a critical defensive play once again in the second overtime to help seal the game for HA. With Hector facing a long fourth and 28, Kee sacked White at the 35-yard line to end Hector’s possession.
Tribble only needed one play to clinch the game from there, running it up the gut on an option keep for the score and advancing the team to quarterfinal action.
“Hector did a great job coming back in the second half,” Harding Academy coach Tommy Shoe-maker said. “They made some really good plays; those kids played really hard. I’m proud of our kids, they just didn’t quit. They had us there at the end.”
Shoemaker was relieved to come away with the close win, but says lack of execution early in the second half put them in the tight spot they faced.
“You know, you’re two inches away from losing the ball game, to make a stop like that and then execute two drives says a lot about our kids’ character,” Shoemaker said. “We had some opportunities in the second half. They fought to the end, that’s for sure.”
Hector struck first in the game on its opening offensive play. Senior fullback Thomas Robertson ran it up the middle untouched for a 63-yard touchdown at the 10:21. The extra-point attempt from Condley was no good, leaving Hector’s early lead at 6-0.
HA got its offense rolling courtesy of momentum-shifting turn-overs from White. The Hector defense held HA on downs on the next drive, but White coughed up the ball at the Hector 17-yard line, giving the Wildcats great field position. Tribble rolled right on first down, and found senior receiver Chris Pack in the middle of the field for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 6:20 left in the first quarter. Tribble faked the extra-point kick, running it in on the left side to push HA ahead 8-6.
Tribble found Chase Ransom in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass that brought the first quarter to a close. Ransom bobbled the ball in the air twice before finally pulling it down.
Tribble scored once more be-fore halftime on a 34-yard run with 2:23 left, giving the Wildcats the momentum at the half.
That momentum would not last long in the second half.
Hector scored right away in the third, going 67 yards in five plays and scoring with 10:32 left in the quarter. Lucas Watson ran in the two-point attempt to pull Hector to within eight, 22-14.
White ran in the next Hector score from two yards out with two minutes left in the third. He was stopped on the two-point run, but fumbled as he went down and the ball rolled right into the hands of teammate Keaton Domerese in the end zone to tie the score at 22 all.
Tribble was 18 for 28 passing for 205 yards and two touchdowns. He also carried 12 times for 80 yards and three scores.
Harding Academy will play Lafayette County at home next week in the quarterfinals. The Cougars, the No. 3 seed from the 3A-7 Conference, advanced with a 27-12 win over Lake Village.
SPORTS >>Heber spoils boys opener, Beebe ladies get first win
IN SHORT: The Lady Badgers won their season opener 48-41 Tuesday night against Heber Springs while the boys fell 60-35 to the highly-ranked Panthers.
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
Opening night for the Beebe Badgers and Lady Badgers resulted in a split with Heber Springs Tuesday night at the Badger Sports Arena. The Lady Badgers held off the Lady Panthers’ attempt at a late comeback to win 48-41, giving Heber its first loss of the season. The boys contest was not nearly as close, with the Panthers dominating from the opening minutes on to take a 60-35 win.
The girls game was a defensive struggle in the first half. Although the two teams looked fairly well matched, the Lady Badgers looked to have a slight advantage defensively with the quick hands of sophomores Ty O’Neil and Neshia Upchurch causing a lot of disruption with the press in the back court during Heber’s attempts to get the ball across.
After building up a slight lead before the half, the Lady Badgers continued to press in the final two quarters. They were not able to extend their lead any in the last 16 minutes, but did prevent a comeback by not allowing Lady Panthers’ three-point ace Christina Whitworth to get good looks at the basket going away. Lady Badgers coach Lara Jackson was happy to get the season underway with a big win.
“It’s a great way to start out the season,” Jackson said. “I thought the whole group played hard. They were keyed up a little bit in the first quarter and missed some shots and little opportunities around the basket, but defensively, we were aggressive, and had a lot of quickness.”
Even with the solid performance, Jackson picked up on a number of things she wants to improve on her squad while the season is still early.
“We need to work on our position defense,” Jackson said. “We were chasing screens quite a bit. Offensively, we just need to make better decisions. The first half, we were not penetrating like we should have; we just need to take the ball to the hole better.”
The scoreboard was stuck on 9-8 in favor of the Lady Badgers for most of the second quarter before Beebe finally got rolling offensively. A breakaway layup for O’Neil and inside jumpers from junior Ashley Watkins helped Beebe build up a small lead, with two free throws from Sara Flenor just before the half giving the Lady Badgers a 20-13 lead at the intermission.
The interval stayed the same through most of the third quarter, until two straight scores from Heber made it a four-point game at 28-24 with 1:50 left in the third. A Beebe timeout helped cool the Lady Panthers’ momentum, and allowed the Lady Badgers to regain their composure. Flenor added another free throw, and Chelsea Sanders scored a basket in the final moments of the frame for a 31-24 lead heading into the final period.
Whitworth kept the Lady Panthers in the game through most of the contest with critical three-point baskets in each of the first three quarters. Another three from Whitworth in the early stages of the fourth quarter erased an 11- point lead for Beebe down to eight, and another tre from teammate Amber Turrey moments later closed the advantage to 41-34. It would be as close as they would come, however, as the Lady Badgers managed the clock wisely in the final minutes, securing the win to give them a 1-0 record.
O’Neil led Beebe with 12 points, with Flenor adding 10. For Heber, Whitworth had 17 points.
The first four minutes of the boys game was close, but after that, it was all Heber, as the Panthers rolled on to a dominating 60-35 win. Beebe tried a number of different squads throughout the game, looking for a combination that could slow down the speedy Panthers.
The mercy-ruled fourth quarter saw solid action from the JV players, as the subs were able to erase some of the Badgers’ massive deficit in the final minutes. Charlie Spakes led the Badgers with six points; Alex Ward had 15 points for Heber.
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
Opening night for the Beebe Badgers and Lady Badgers resulted in a split with Heber Springs Tuesday night at the Badger Sports Arena. The Lady Badgers held off the Lady Panthers’ attempt at a late comeback to win 48-41, giving Heber its first loss of the season. The boys contest was not nearly as close, with the Panthers dominating from the opening minutes on to take a 60-35 win.
The girls game was a defensive struggle in the first half. Although the two teams looked fairly well matched, the Lady Badgers looked to have a slight advantage defensively with the quick hands of sophomores Ty O’Neil and Neshia Upchurch causing a lot of disruption with the press in the back court during Heber’s attempts to get the ball across.
After building up a slight lead before the half, the Lady Badgers continued to press in the final two quarters. They were not able to extend their lead any in the last 16 minutes, but did prevent a comeback by not allowing Lady Panthers’ three-point ace Christina Whitworth to get good looks at the basket going away. Lady Badgers coach Lara Jackson was happy to get the season underway with a big win.
“It’s a great way to start out the season,” Jackson said. “I thought the whole group played hard. They were keyed up a little bit in the first quarter and missed some shots and little opportunities around the basket, but defensively, we were aggressive, and had a lot of quickness.”
Even with the solid performance, Jackson picked up on a number of things she wants to improve on her squad while the season is still early.
“We need to work on our position defense,” Jackson said. “We were chasing screens quite a bit. Offensively, we just need to make better decisions. The first half, we were not penetrating like we should have; we just need to take the ball to the hole better.”
The scoreboard was stuck on 9-8 in favor of the Lady Badgers for most of the second quarter before Beebe finally got rolling offensively. A breakaway layup for O’Neil and inside jumpers from junior Ashley Watkins helped Beebe build up a small lead, with two free throws from Sara Flenor just before the half giving the Lady Badgers a 20-13 lead at the intermission.
The interval stayed the same through most of the third quarter, until two straight scores from Heber made it a four-point game at 28-24 with 1:50 left in the third. A Beebe timeout helped cool the Lady Panthers’ momentum, and allowed the Lady Badgers to regain their composure. Flenor added another free throw, and Chelsea Sanders scored a basket in the final moments of the frame for a 31-24 lead heading into the final period.
Whitworth kept the Lady Panthers in the game through most of the contest with critical three-point baskets in each of the first three quarters. Another three from Whitworth in the early stages of the fourth quarter erased an 11- point lead for Beebe down to eight, and another tre from teammate Amber Turrey moments later closed the advantage to 41-34. It would be as close as they would come, however, as the Lady Badgers managed the clock wisely in the final minutes, securing the win to give them a 1-0 record.
O’Neil led Beebe with 12 points, with Flenor adding 10. For Heber, Whitworth had 17 points.
The first four minutes of the boys game was close, but after that, it was all Heber, as the Panthers rolled on to a dominating 60-35 win. Beebe tried a number of different squads throughout the game, looking for a combination that could slow down the speedy Panthers.
The mercy-ruled fourth quarter saw solid action from the JV players, as the subs were able to erase some of the Badgers’ massive deficit in the final minutes. Charlie Spakes led the Badgers with six points; Alex Ward had 15 points for Heber.
SPORTS >>Signing up with Wofford
IN SHORT: Cabot senior Madison Helms will continue her basketball career at Wofford University in South Carolina.
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Lady Panther senior point guard Maddie Helms has officially committed to becoming a Terrier for the next four years. Helms signed an NCAA letter of intent to play college ball for Wofford University in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Helms has averaged over 12 points per game, well as four assists and three rebounds since joining the varsity team as a sophomore.
Wofford coach Edgar Farmer spotted Helms in an AAU tournament in Atlanta, and expressed interest in Helms to her AAU coach Scott Loucks.
Loucks encouraged Helms to explore WU. The 5-foot-6 Helms initiated the contact, and was eventually offered a scholarship.
Helms explained the unusual event of the athlete initiating the recruiting process.
“He talked to coach Loucks, but I don’t think he got my number,” Helms said. “So I just called him and he offered me.”
Helms visited Spartanburg over the summer and verbally committed while on campus.
Wofford is the only Division I school to extend an early offer to Helms, but she was receiving interest from Arkansas, Arkansas State and others. Once offered though, she decided that Wofford was the place for her.
“It was small and very homey,” Helms said. “I really liked it and I liked the coaching staff. I prayed about it and asked for peace about attending there. It felt right. It wasn’t a difficult decision.”
Helms has started for the Lady Panthers since her sophomore year. She has guided the team to two conference championships. Cabot lost in the second round of the state tournament her sophomore year, and advanced to the semifinal round last season.
Cabot coach Carla Crowder believes Helms was a great pickup for the rebuilding Lady Terriers.
“She has a great head, she’s a hard worker and we’re really excited for her,” Crowder said. “She’s an excellent leader. She has a great family and great support behind her. She’s just a good kid and I’m really very proud of her.”
Wofford is coming off a 7-21 season, but the record is deceiving. The program is on the rise under second-year coach Farmer.
He inherited a team that had gone 4-24 and 0-28 in back-to-back seasons, and has installed a new system and brought a new energy to the program.
The Lady Terriers are currently 3-0 this season. It’s the best start for the team in five years.
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Lady Panther senior point guard Maddie Helms has officially committed to becoming a Terrier for the next four years. Helms signed an NCAA letter of intent to play college ball for Wofford University in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Helms has averaged over 12 points per game, well as four assists and three rebounds since joining the varsity team as a sophomore.
Wofford coach Edgar Farmer spotted Helms in an AAU tournament in Atlanta, and expressed interest in Helms to her AAU coach Scott Loucks.
Loucks encouraged Helms to explore WU. The 5-foot-6 Helms initiated the contact, and was eventually offered a scholarship.
Helms explained the unusual event of the athlete initiating the recruiting process.
“He talked to coach Loucks, but I don’t think he got my number,” Helms said. “So I just called him and he offered me.”
Helms visited Spartanburg over the summer and verbally committed while on campus.
Wofford is the only Division I school to extend an early offer to Helms, but she was receiving interest from Arkansas, Arkansas State and others. Once offered though, she decided that Wofford was the place for her.
“It was small and very homey,” Helms said. “I really liked it and I liked the coaching staff. I prayed about it and asked for peace about attending there. It felt right. It wasn’t a difficult decision.”
Helms has started for the Lady Panthers since her sophomore year. She has guided the team to two conference championships. Cabot lost in the second round of the state tournament her sophomore year, and advanced to the semifinal round last season.
Cabot coach Carla Crowder believes Helms was a great pickup for the rebuilding Lady Terriers.
“She has a great head, she’s a hard worker and we’re really excited for her,” Crowder said. “She’s an excellent leader. She has a great family and great support behind her. She’s just a good kid and I’m really very proud of her.”
Wofford is coming off a 7-21 season, but the record is deceiving. The program is on the rise under second-year coach Farmer.
He inherited a team that had gone 4-24 and 0-28 in back-to-back seasons, and has installed a new system and brought a new energy to the program.
The Lady Terriers are currently 3-0 this season. It’s the best start for the team in five years.
OBITUARIES >> 11-18-06
Lucy Keaton
Lucy Baker Keaton, 84, of Jacksonville passed away Nov.14, in Jacksonville.
She was born on June 17, 1922, in Norfork, to the late Joe E. and Lydia Long Baker.
She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville for many years and in her later years of life a member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville.
She dearly loved the women of Winsome Sunday School class, the name signifying “win some for Jesus.”
She was a loving, devoted wife to her husband, the late Walter W. Keaton. Her enormous love for life was obvious. She enjoyed cooking and entertaining for friends and family. She was an avid Razorback and Dallas Cowboy football fan, a talented artist with oil and acrylic painting, and a romance novel addict, always looking for or ready to share a good laugh, and the life of every party.
Mrs. Keaton was employed as a bookkeeper for Munsey Products, Inc., The Jacksonville Daily News, and her husband’s company, Keaton Construction. She was instrumental in assisting her husband with the development of Indian Head Subdivision in Sherwood. After retirement she worked for Heritage Publishing and was a subscription specialist at Leader Publishing.
She was an active member of La Sertoma and a leader in charity drives such as “The Mothers March,” a member of the Jack-sonville Garden Club and the McArthur Drive Bridge Club. She and Walter both enjoyed membership in a ballroom dance club for many of their 32 years of marriage.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband Walter, and four brothers and sisters.
Survivors include her sons, Jim Johnson, M.D., of Tulsa, Okla.; Bob Johnson, C.P.A., of Jacksonville; and Michael M. Keaton of Houston, Texas; stepchildren, Bill and Phillip Keaton and Nina Brocchus; sister, Oma Widmer of Fayetteville; eight grandsons and eight granddaughters and many special friends and loved ones.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home with the Rev. Cliff Hutchins officiating.
Burial will follow at Pinecrest Cemetery in Alexander. Family will receive friends at 10 a.m. Saturday for viewing.
Joyce Shepherd
Joyce Ann Coleman Shepherd, 51, died Nov. 14.
She was born June 20, 1955, to the late Lee Andrew, Sr., and Viola Coleman in England.
She leaves to cherish her memory two sons, Nicholas Gilliam and Joe Shepherd, Jr.; two daughters, Angela Shepherd and Jacqueline Austin; eight sisters; four brothers; six grandchildren; a host of nephews, nieces, relatives and friends and a very special friend, Ezzard Gilliam.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at St. John the Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Lonoke Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are by Boyd Funeral Home at Lonoke.
Virginia Huffman
Virginia Lee Huffman, 73, went to be with the Lord Nov. 13.
She was preceded in death by her father, Ester Lee Cummings; and brother, Billy Franklin Cummings.
She is survived by her husband, Clint Huffman; stepson, David Huffman; brother-in-law, Millard Huffman of Vallijo, Calif.; sister, JoAnn Hicks; brother, Curtis L. Cummings, and mother, Maybell Cummings, all of Jacksonville.
Funeral services were held Nov. 17, at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home. Burial was in Chapel Hill Memorial Park at Jacksonville.
The family would like to thank all the hospice workers who diligently spent hours every day taking care of Virginia and her husband, Clint.
Lucy Baker Keaton, 84, of Jacksonville passed away Nov.14, in Jacksonville.
She was born on June 17, 1922, in Norfork, to the late Joe E. and Lydia Long Baker.
She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville for many years and in her later years of life a member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville.
She dearly loved the women of Winsome Sunday School class, the name signifying “win some for Jesus.”
She was a loving, devoted wife to her husband, the late Walter W. Keaton. Her enormous love for life was obvious. She enjoyed cooking and entertaining for friends and family. She was an avid Razorback and Dallas Cowboy football fan, a talented artist with oil and acrylic painting, and a romance novel addict, always looking for or ready to share a good laugh, and the life of every party.
Mrs. Keaton was employed as a bookkeeper for Munsey Products, Inc., The Jacksonville Daily News, and her husband’s company, Keaton Construction. She was instrumental in assisting her husband with the development of Indian Head Subdivision in Sherwood. After retirement she worked for Heritage Publishing and was a subscription specialist at Leader Publishing.
She was an active member of La Sertoma and a leader in charity drives such as “The Mothers March,” a member of the Jack-sonville Garden Club and the McArthur Drive Bridge Club. She and Walter both enjoyed membership in a ballroom dance club for many of their 32 years of marriage.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband Walter, and four brothers and sisters.
Survivors include her sons, Jim Johnson, M.D., of Tulsa, Okla.; Bob Johnson, C.P.A., of Jacksonville; and Michael M. Keaton of Houston, Texas; stepchildren, Bill and Phillip Keaton and Nina Brocchus; sister, Oma Widmer of Fayetteville; eight grandsons and eight granddaughters and many special friends and loved ones.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home with the Rev. Cliff Hutchins officiating.
Burial will follow at Pinecrest Cemetery in Alexander. Family will receive friends at 10 a.m. Saturday for viewing.
Joyce Shepherd
Joyce Ann Coleman Shepherd, 51, died Nov. 14.
She was born June 20, 1955, to the late Lee Andrew, Sr., and Viola Coleman in England.
She leaves to cherish her memory two sons, Nicholas Gilliam and Joe Shepherd, Jr.; two daughters, Angela Shepherd and Jacqueline Austin; eight sisters; four brothers; six grandchildren; a host of nephews, nieces, relatives and friends and a very special friend, Ezzard Gilliam.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at St. John the Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Lonoke Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are by Boyd Funeral Home at Lonoke.
Virginia Huffman
Virginia Lee Huffman, 73, went to be with the Lord Nov. 13.
She was preceded in death by her father, Ester Lee Cummings; and brother, Billy Franklin Cummings.
She is survived by her husband, Clint Huffman; stepson, David Huffman; brother-in-law, Millard Huffman of Vallijo, Calif.; sister, JoAnn Hicks; brother, Curtis L. Cummings, and mother, Maybell Cummings, all of Jacksonville.
Funeral services were held Nov. 17, at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home. Burial was in Chapel Hill Memorial Park at Jacksonville.
The family would like to thank all the hospice workers who diligently spent hours every day taking care of Virginia and her husband, Clint.
EDITORIALS>>More news of the weird
Former Cong. Tommy Robinson, mired in bankruptcy proceedings, is headed for the Republic of Congo as a lobbyist for the newly installed regime, while Gov. Mike Huckabee and the First Lady are planning a wedding shower for themselves as they prepare to move into their new $500,000 home in North Little Rock.
Robinson isn’t really a lobbyist for the Congo, although he claims he’ll be making $12,000 a month, and the Huckabees aren’t really getting married again, they’re just trying to get around the state’s strict ethics guidelines, which forbid most gifts to public officials, although wedding gifts are one of those exceptions.
The Huckabees were hoping no one in the media would notice what they were up to. In fact, it was a couple of bloggers that reported the Huckabees’ registry at Target and Dillard’s, and then the newspapers picked up the scent and went with the story. The Associated Press then carried the story, and now the Huckabees are the punchline to every late-night comedian’s jokes about politicians’ loose ethics.
Wasn’t that one of the reasons the Republicans lost the last election? And Mike Huckabee wants to be president? What is he running on? On the Clean Government slate, or more likely, wornout sneakers that he hopes to replace at Target or Dillard’s? (Although the Target registry was removed at mid-week.)
His record of easy living — they don’t call him Mike the Mooch for nothing — will hardly endear him with the Republican base. His record of taking handouts and handing out pardons probably hurt the entire GOP ticket in Arkansas. Asa Hutchinson never had a chance running for governor, considering Huckabee’s lackluster record and loose ethics.
But you haven’t seen nothing yet: Prosecutors around the state are fearful the Huckster will pardon hundreds of felons before he leaves office in January. That will be Mike’s revenge against all those media and law-and-order types (not to mention victims’ families) who questioned his ethical lapses and casual way he pardoned killers and rapists and drunks.
Which reminds us: Do you remember how Sheriff Robinson used to chain prisoners when there was no room in the Pulaski County Jail? Instead of consulting for the president of Congo, which is still a dangerous place, he might instead offer his services to incoming Sheriff Doc Holladay and help him solve crowding problems at the jail.
Robinson is an expert on jails, having run them in the 1970s and 1980s and even served time on a recent assault charge, giving him a unique perspective on jail crowding.
Robinson isn’t really a lobbyist for the Congo, although he claims he’ll be making $12,000 a month, and the Huckabees aren’t really getting married again, they’re just trying to get around the state’s strict ethics guidelines, which forbid most gifts to public officials, although wedding gifts are one of those exceptions.
The Huckabees were hoping no one in the media would notice what they were up to. In fact, it was a couple of bloggers that reported the Huckabees’ registry at Target and Dillard’s, and then the newspapers picked up the scent and went with the story. The Associated Press then carried the story, and now the Huckabees are the punchline to every late-night comedian’s jokes about politicians’ loose ethics.
Wasn’t that one of the reasons the Republicans lost the last election? And Mike Huckabee wants to be president? What is he running on? On the Clean Government slate, or more likely, wornout sneakers that he hopes to replace at Target or Dillard’s? (Although the Target registry was removed at mid-week.)
His record of easy living — they don’t call him Mike the Mooch for nothing — will hardly endear him with the Republican base. His record of taking handouts and handing out pardons probably hurt the entire GOP ticket in Arkansas. Asa Hutchinson never had a chance running for governor, considering Huckabee’s lackluster record and loose ethics.
But you haven’t seen nothing yet: Prosecutors around the state are fearful the Huckster will pardon hundreds of felons before he leaves office in January. That will be Mike’s revenge against all those media and law-and-order types (not to mention victims’ families) who questioned his ethical lapses and casual way he pardoned killers and rapists and drunks.
Which reminds us: Do you remember how Sheriff Robinson used to chain prisoners when there was no room in the Pulaski County Jail? Instead of consulting for the president of Congo, which is still a dangerous place, he might instead offer his services to incoming Sheriff Doc Holladay and help him solve crowding problems at the jail.
Robinson is an expert on jails, having run them in the 1970s and 1980s and even served time on a recent assault charge, giving him a unique perspective on jail crowding.
EVENTS>>Fall 2006
The Jacksonville Fire Department will begin testing the city’s fire hydrants beginning Monday and ending Friday, Jan. 12. The testing is necessary to maintain and improve current Insurance Service Organization ratings, which determines insurance rates for business and homeowners. Hydrant testing also allows the Jacksonville Fire Department to plan for better fire suppression. This testing could cause the unsettling of sediment that does collect in the water mains. This sediment will cause discoloration of the water and can stain clothing in the wash. The water is safe to drink. The Jacksonville Fire Department and the Jacksonville Water Works urge citizens to check for discolored water before doing laundry to avoid staining clothing during the testing period. The testing schedule is as follows: Nov. 20, north of Main Street and west of Hwy. 67/167; Dec. 4., north of Main Street and Graham Road and east of Hwy. 67/167; Dec. 18., south of Main Street and Graham Road and east of Hwy. 67/167 and Jan 3., south of Main Streeta and Graham Road and west of Hwy. 67/167.
Central Arkansas Development Council will host an individual development account meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at 117 Southeast St. in Lonoke. The CADC IDA program matches savings accounts that encourage low-income working people to save money and acquire assets. Participants commit to saving at least $10 a month and when they reach their savings goal, CADC will match every dollar saved with $3, up to $2,000 per individual or $4,000 per household. Most applicants will be enrolled in the program for six months to two years. For more information, please contact Angel Clingmon at 501-676-0019.
First Assembly of God Church at 221 N. Elm in Jacksonville will celebrate its 64th anniversary Sunday, Nov. 19. The guest singers will be “Second Nature,” who are J.P. and Kristina Hodges and his sister, Lauralise Hodges. The public in invited to attend.
There will be a free Thanksgiving Day dinner on from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23 at Beebe First United Methodist Church, 302 N. Main St. Reservations are requested but not necessary. Takeout and delivery in the Beebe area is available. Transportation within the Beebe area is also available. For more information call the church office at 882-6427 or Bill Palmisano at 882-7221.
The Junior Auxiliary of Jacksonville’s Christmas Tour of Homes will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday Dec. 10. Homeowners on the tour this year include Larry Wilson, Lucian Shockey, Chuck Thomas and Rick Barnum. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any active junior auxiliary member. For information contact Mandy Watson at 982-1241. Proceeds from the Christmas Tour of Homes help to provide for the underprivileged children in Jacksonville.
The Fathers Council of the Jacksonville Middle School for boys meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20, in the schools library. Prizes will be awarded to any student who brings their father, uncle, grandfather or other man who is significant in their life including gifts from Blockbuster video, memberships at the Jacksonville Fitness Center and one family will win a turkey fryer. For more information or questions call the school at 982-1587 or Chuck Baclawski at 985-4174.
Tuesday, Nov. 21 is the deadline to order dinner rolls from Simply Delicious Restaurant, part of North Pulaski High School. The rolls are $4 a dozen. Proceeds help pay for extra curricular activities. To order call 241-2260.
The Cabot Rotary Club is collecting items for Open Arms Shelter. The shelter provides temporary housing to abuse and neglected children between the ages of birth and 18 years of age. Items needed include juice, canned goods, paper towels and winter clothes. Items can be dropped off at the Arkansas Federal Credit Union, 100 S. Rockwood in Cabot. For more information call 533-2310.
Central Arkansas Development Council will host an individual development account meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at 117 Southeast St. in Lonoke. The CADC IDA program matches savings accounts that encourage low-income working people to save money and acquire assets. Participants commit to saving at least $10 a month and when they reach their savings goal, CADC will match every dollar saved with $3, up to $2,000 per individual or $4,000 per household. Most applicants will be enrolled in the program for six months to two years. For more information, please contact Angel Clingmon at 501-676-0019.
First Assembly of God Church at 221 N. Elm in Jacksonville will celebrate its 64th anniversary Sunday, Nov. 19. The guest singers will be “Second Nature,” who are J.P. and Kristina Hodges and his sister, Lauralise Hodges. The public in invited to attend.
There will be a free Thanksgiving Day dinner on from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23 at Beebe First United Methodist Church, 302 N. Main St. Reservations are requested but not necessary. Takeout and delivery in the Beebe area is available. Transportation within the Beebe area is also available. For more information call the church office at 882-6427 or Bill Palmisano at 882-7221.
The Junior Auxiliary of Jacksonville’s Christmas Tour of Homes will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday Dec. 10. Homeowners on the tour this year include Larry Wilson, Lucian Shockey, Chuck Thomas and Rick Barnum. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any active junior auxiliary member. For information contact Mandy Watson at 982-1241. Proceeds from the Christmas Tour of Homes help to provide for the underprivileged children in Jacksonville.
The Fathers Council of the Jacksonville Middle School for boys meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20, in the schools library. Prizes will be awarded to any student who brings their father, uncle, grandfather or other man who is significant in their life including gifts from Blockbuster video, memberships at the Jacksonville Fitness Center and one family will win a turkey fryer. For more information or questions call the school at 982-1587 or Chuck Baclawski at 985-4174.
Tuesday, Nov. 21 is the deadline to order dinner rolls from Simply Delicious Restaurant, part of North Pulaski High School. The rolls are $4 a dozen. Proceeds help pay for extra curricular activities. To order call 241-2260.
The Cabot Rotary Club is collecting items for Open Arms Shelter. The shelter provides temporary housing to abuse and neglected children between the ages of birth and 18 years of age. Items needed include juice, canned goods, paper towels and winter clothes. Items can be dropped off at the Arkansas Federal Credit Union, 100 S. Rockwood in Cabot. For more information call 533-2310.
EVENTS>>Fall 2006
The Jacksonville Fire Department will begin testing the city’s fire hydrants beginning Monday and ending Friday, Jan. 12. The testing is necessary to maintain and improve current Insurance Service Organization ratings, which determines insurance rates for business and homeowners. Hydrant testing also allows the Jacksonville Fire Department to plan for better fire suppression. This testing could cause the unsettling of sediment that does collect in the water mains. This sediment will cause discoloration of the water and can stain clothing in the wash. The water is safe to drink. The Jacksonville Fire Department and the Jacksonville Water Works urge citizens to check for discolored water before doing laundry to avoid staining clothing during the testing period. The testing schedule is as follows: Nov. 20, north of Main Street and west of Hwy. 67/167; Dec. 4., north of Main Street and Graham Road and east of Hwy. 67/167; Dec. 18., south of Main Street and Graham Road and east of Hwy. 67/167 and Jan 3., south of Main Streeta and Graham Road and west of Hwy. 67/167.
Central Arkansas Development Council will host an individual development account meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at 117 Southeast St. in Lonoke. The CADC IDA program matches savings accounts that encourage low-income working people to save money and acquire assets. Participants commit to saving at least $10 a month and when they reach their savings goal, CADC will match every dollar saved with $3, up to $2,000 per individual or $4,000 per household. Most applicants will be enrolled in the program for six months to two years. For more information, please contact Angel Clingmon at 501-676-0019.
First Assembly of God Church at 221 N. Elm in Jacksonville will celebrate its 64th anniversary Sunday, Nov. 19. The guest singers will be “Second Nature,” who are J.P. and Kristina Hodges and his sister, Lauralise Hodges. The public in invited to attend.
There will be a free Thanksgiving Day dinner on from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23 at Beebe First United Methodist Church, 302 N. Main St. Reservations are requested but not necessary. Takeout and delivery in the Beebe area is available. Transportation within the Beebe area is also available. For more information call the church office at 882-6427 or Bill Palmisano at 882-7221.
The Junior Auxiliary of Jacksonville’s Christmas Tour of Homes will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday Dec. 10. Homeowners on the tour this year include Larry Wilson, Lucian Shockey, Chuck Thomas and Rick Barnum. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any active junior auxiliary member. For information contact Mandy Watson at 982-1241. Proceeds from the Christmas Tour of Homes help to provide for the underprivileged children in Jacksonville.
The Fathers Council of the Jacksonville Middle School for boys meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20, in the schools library. Prizes will be awarded to any student who brings their father, uncle, grandfather or other man who is significant in their life including gifts from Blockbuster video, memberships at the Jacksonville Fitness Center and one family will win a turkey fryer. For more information or questions call the school at 982-1587 or Chuck Baclawski at 985-4174.
Tuesday, Nov. 21 is the deadline to order dinner rolls from Simply Delicious Restaurant, part of North Pulaski High School. The rolls are $4 a dozen. Proceeds help pay for extra curricular activities. To order call 241-2260.
The Cabot Rotary Club is collecting items for Open Arms Shelter. The shelter provides temporary housing to abuse and neglected children between the ages of birth and 18 years of age. Items needed include juice, canned goods, paper towels and winter clothes. Items can be dropped off at the Arkansas Federal Credit Union, 100 S. Rockwood in Cabot. For more information call 533-2310.
Central Arkansas Development Council will host an individual development account meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at 117 Southeast St. in Lonoke. The CADC IDA program matches savings accounts that encourage low-income working people to save money and acquire assets. Participants commit to saving at least $10 a month and when they reach their savings goal, CADC will match every dollar saved with $3, up to $2,000 per individual or $4,000 per household. Most applicants will be enrolled in the program for six months to two years. For more information, please contact Angel Clingmon at 501-676-0019.
First Assembly of God Church at 221 N. Elm in Jacksonville will celebrate its 64th anniversary Sunday, Nov. 19. The guest singers will be “Second Nature,” who are J.P. and Kristina Hodges and his sister, Lauralise Hodges. The public in invited to attend.
There will be a free Thanksgiving Day dinner on from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23 at Beebe First United Methodist Church, 302 N. Main St. Reservations are requested but not necessary. Takeout and delivery in the Beebe area is available. Transportation within the Beebe area is also available. For more information call the church office at 882-6427 or Bill Palmisano at 882-7221.
The Junior Auxiliary of Jacksonville’s Christmas Tour of Homes will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday Dec. 10. Homeowners on the tour this year include Larry Wilson, Lucian Shockey, Chuck Thomas and Rick Barnum. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any active junior auxiliary member. For information contact Mandy Watson at 982-1241. Proceeds from the Christmas Tour of Homes help to provide for the underprivileged children in Jacksonville.
The Fathers Council of the Jacksonville Middle School for boys meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20, in the schools library. Prizes will be awarded to any student who brings their father, uncle, grandfather or other man who is significant in their life including gifts from Blockbuster video, memberships at the Jacksonville Fitness Center and one family will win a turkey fryer. For more information or questions call the school at 982-1587 or Chuck Baclawski at 985-4174.
Tuesday, Nov. 21 is the deadline to order dinner rolls from Simply Delicious Restaurant, part of North Pulaski High School. The rolls are $4 a dozen. Proceeds help pay for extra curricular activities. To order call 241-2260.
The Cabot Rotary Club is collecting items for Open Arms Shelter. The shelter provides temporary housing to abuse and neglected children between the ages of birth and 18 years of age. Items needed include juice, canned goods, paper towels and winter clothes. Items can be dropped off at the Arkansas Federal Credit Union, 100 S. Rockwood in Cabot. For more information call 533-2310.
TOP STORY >>Jacksonville budget grows
IN SHORT: Mayor’s proposed draft of city’s 2007 general fund has expenditures at $15.5 million, up $1 million from 2006.
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
The first public draft of Jack-sonville’s 2007 budget has the city spending about $500,000 than it’ll take in.
Mayor Tommy Swaim and Finance Director Paul Mushrush presented the budget to the city council Thursday night. Both Swaim and Mushrush called the draft a “very rough draft.”
The budget projects 2007 revenues for the city’s general fund to be just over $15 million, up about 5 percent from 2006. Expendi-tures total $15,555,680, for a deficit of $466,253. Expenditures are up about $1 million over 2006.
Part of the increase, the mayor explained, has to do with health insurance for city employees, which is jumping up more than $200,000. “Our insurance is going up because it seems insurance always goes up, but also because our claims are greater than the premiums being collected,” Mush-rush explained.
Based on latest figures, city employees have filed for 26 percent more in claims than what they have paid in premiums.
“It makes it hard for us to get competitive rates when that happens,” Mushrush said.
The council discussed splitting the health insurance increase next year with its employees rather than picking up the entire increase. “It’s got to be some kind of split,” Aldermen Kenny Elliot said.
The other big expense, Mushrush said, is the cost of oil and gasoline, which has already taken a 10-cent turn upwards in the past two weeks.
“We get together and brainstorm and try to make sure we have enough in the budget so we don’t have to cut services late in the year,” Mushrush explained.
Nearly $190,000 is budgeted for vehicle gas and oil, and another $20,920 for tires and tire repair, up from the $160,402 and $14,536 from the 2006 budget.
Budgets for both the fire and police department are going up. The fire department is going from a 2006 budget of $3.08 million to a proposed 2007 budget of $3.23 million.
The police budget is going from $5.1 million to $5.4 million.
“There’s no surprises in there,” Mushrush said. “Most of the increase is either additional personnel or insurance increases.”
The proposed 2007 street fund expenditures are estimated at $2.13 million, while revenues are slated at $1.78 million.
The sanitation fund expenses for 2007 are estimated to be $1.49 million, while revenues are being placed at $1.25 million.
Proposed expenses for the 2007 emergency medical services fund are nearly twice as much as the estimated revenue.
Expenditures are slated at $813,806, while revenues are estimated at $499,100.
In other council business:
- Alderman gave the mayor permission to pursue efforts to buy a lot of land adjacent the Splash Zone. The council said the mayor could spend up to $20,000 of city money for the land. The land is needed for a possible parking lot. The water park has become so popular since opening up two years ago that patrons are having to park in a nearby church parking lot.
- Fire Chief John Vanderhoof, in his monthly report, told the council that his department responded to 92 rescue calls, 50 still alarms, 21 general alarms and had 184 ambulance runs during October.
Fire loss for the month was estimated at $63,100, while fire savings was placed at $179,400.
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
The first public draft of Jack-sonville’s 2007 budget has the city spending about $500,000 than it’ll take in.
Mayor Tommy Swaim and Finance Director Paul Mushrush presented the budget to the city council Thursday night. Both Swaim and Mushrush called the draft a “very rough draft.”
The budget projects 2007 revenues for the city’s general fund to be just over $15 million, up about 5 percent from 2006. Expendi-tures total $15,555,680, for a deficit of $466,253. Expenditures are up about $1 million over 2006.
Part of the increase, the mayor explained, has to do with health insurance for city employees, which is jumping up more than $200,000. “Our insurance is going up because it seems insurance always goes up, but also because our claims are greater than the premiums being collected,” Mush-rush explained.
Based on latest figures, city employees have filed for 26 percent more in claims than what they have paid in premiums.
“It makes it hard for us to get competitive rates when that happens,” Mushrush said.
The council discussed splitting the health insurance increase next year with its employees rather than picking up the entire increase. “It’s got to be some kind of split,” Aldermen Kenny Elliot said.
The other big expense, Mushrush said, is the cost of oil and gasoline, which has already taken a 10-cent turn upwards in the past two weeks.
“We get together and brainstorm and try to make sure we have enough in the budget so we don’t have to cut services late in the year,” Mushrush explained.
Nearly $190,000 is budgeted for vehicle gas and oil, and another $20,920 for tires and tire repair, up from the $160,402 and $14,536 from the 2006 budget.
Budgets for both the fire and police department are going up. The fire department is going from a 2006 budget of $3.08 million to a proposed 2007 budget of $3.23 million.
The police budget is going from $5.1 million to $5.4 million.
“There’s no surprises in there,” Mushrush said. “Most of the increase is either additional personnel or insurance increases.”
The proposed 2007 street fund expenditures are estimated at $2.13 million, while revenues are slated at $1.78 million.
The sanitation fund expenses for 2007 are estimated to be $1.49 million, while revenues are being placed at $1.25 million.
Proposed expenses for the 2007 emergency medical services fund are nearly twice as much as the estimated revenue.
Expenditures are slated at $813,806, while revenues are estimated at $499,100.
In other council business:
- Alderman gave the mayor permission to pursue efforts to buy a lot of land adjacent the Splash Zone. The council said the mayor could spend up to $20,000 of city money for the land. The land is needed for a possible parking lot. The water park has become so popular since opening up two years ago that patrons are having to park in a nearby church parking lot.
- Fire Chief John Vanderhoof, in his monthly report, told the council that his department responded to 92 rescue calls, 50 still alarms, 21 general alarms and had 184 ambulance runs during October.
Fire loss for the month was estimated at $63,100, while fire savings was placed at $179,400.
TOP STORY >>Military asks banks to help
IN SHORT: Pentagon official urges local financial institutions to assist service members.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Banks need to offer Little Rock Air Force Base airmen and their dependents financial services to help them avoid the pitfalls of payday lending, says Kevin Bruch, an Air Force quality-of-life liaison for the Department of Defense.
Bruch told members of the LRAFB Community Council Tuesday airmen do get warned about the short term, high-interest loans throughout their careers, but sometimes hardships make the loans seem attractive.
Recently, a federal law was passed capping payday-loan interest for military members at 36 percent, about four times what banks charge for loans.
Bruch gave the example of a young military member who took out a payday loan for $300.
She paid $45 per month for 30 moths and still had not paid off the original $300 she borrowed.
“Chances are if a young airman doesn’t have $300 today, they aren’t going to have $300 two weeks from now,” Bruch said.
Many airmen choose not to transfer their bank accounts to local banks when they move from one base to another.
This, along with a lack of collateral, can make getting a loan from a local bank nearly impossible.
Chris Roberts, senior vice president of Metropolitan National Bank in Cabot, said he’d advise airmen to visit with their local banks to see what’s available.
“I’d tell them go see someone at a bank and see what they have to offer. You may have options (besides a payday loan) that you aren’t aware of,” Roberts said.
“Most area banks have special low-fee accounts that cater to military members,” Roberts added.
In his role as quality-of-life liaison, Bruch strives to educate communities in ways they can help miliary families including those with the National Guard and Reserves. “If we don’t take care of the family members, the military speaks and they speak with their feet by getting out,” Bruch said.
He advises communities to build up support for disabled veterans since medical training and technology is helping save more lives in the war zone.
“More military are returning home severely injured because in the past, they would of died on the battlefield,” Bruch said.
During his time at LRAFB, Bruch visited with Brig. Gen. Kip Self, commander of Little Rock Air Force Base, about Arnold Drive Elementary, a Pulaski County school located on the base. On average, a military family moves seven to eight times during the student’s educational career, from kindergarten to senior year.
That moving can be detrimental to working spouses too.
“The top-three jobs for military spouses are teachers, nurses and real estate agents and each state’s certification requirement differs,” Bruch said.
For example, some school districts don’t give credit to teachers who have out-of-state teaching experience. Getting re-certified for careers like nursing and real estate can be costly and timeconsuming for spouses.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Banks need to offer Little Rock Air Force Base airmen and their dependents financial services to help them avoid the pitfalls of payday lending, says Kevin Bruch, an Air Force quality-of-life liaison for the Department of Defense.
Bruch told members of the LRAFB Community Council Tuesday airmen do get warned about the short term, high-interest loans throughout their careers, but sometimes hardships make the loans seem attractive.
Recently, a federal law was passed capping payday-loan interest for military members at 36 percent, about four times what banks charge for loans.
Bruch gave the example of a young military member who took out a payday loan for $300.
She paid $45 per month for 30 moths and still had not paid off the original $300 she borrowed.
“Chances are if a young airman doesn’t have $300 today, they aren’t going to have $300 two weeks from now,” Bruch said.
Many airmen choose not to transfer their bank accounts to local banks when they move from one base to another.
This, along with a lack of collateral, can make getting a loan from a local bank nearly impossible.
Chris Roberts, senior vice president of Metropolitan National Bank in Cabot, said he’d advise airmen to visit with their local banks to see what’s available.
“I’d tell them go see someone at a bank and see what they have to offer. You may have options (besides a payday loan) that you aren’t aware of,” Roberts said.
“Most area banks have special low-fee accounts that cater to military members,” Roberts added.
In his role as quality-of-life liaison, Bruch strives to educate communities in ways they can help miliary families including those with the National Guard and Reserves. “If we don’t take care of the family members, the military speaks and they speak with their feet by getting out,” Bruch said.
He advises communities to build up support for disabled veterans since medical training and technology is helping save more lives in the war zone.
“More military are returning home severely injured because in the past, they would of died on the battlefield,” Bruch said.
During his time at LRAFB, Bruch visited with Brig. Gen. Kip Self, commander of Little Rock Air Force Base, about Arnold Drive Elementary, a Pulaski County school located on the base. On average, a military family moves seven to eight times during the student’s educational career, from kindergarten to senior year.
That moving can be detrimental to working spouses too.
“The top-three jobs for military spouses are teachers, nurses and real estate agents and each state’s certification requirement differs,” Bruch said.
For example, some school districts don’t give credit to teachers who have out-of-state teaching experience. Getting re-certified for careers like nursing and real estate can be costly and timeconsuming for spouses.
TOP STORY >>Hunters find dead woman
IN SHORT: Body located Thursday has been sent to state Crime Lab and may be that of a Cabot resident who vanished on Oct. 24.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Hunters found a woman’s body Thursday afternoon in the woods near West Mountain Springs Road and Longbotham Road in Cabot. The body is at the state Crime Lab in Little Rock to see if it is that of Debra Lynn Roach, 47, who has been missing since Oct. 24.
After Roach disappeared, Lonoke County Sheriff’s Department investigators searched the area with all-terrain-vehicles and bloodhounds.
Lt. Jim Kulesa with the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office said investigators found no sign of foul play but they haven’t ruled out that possibility.
If Roach walked away from her home that cold and rainy day, she was barefoot and had no coat. Family members say Roach left once before but only for a day.
Investigators say if Roach left on her own accord this time, it would be unusual for someone not to have seen her.
Roach’s 10-year-old daughter was apparently the last person to see her Oct. 24.
The girl was leaving to catch the school bus about 7 a.m. and saw her mother in the living room.
Roach’s disabled husband was asleep in the bedroom.
He reported his wife missing that afternoon.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Hunters found a woman’s body Thursday afternoon in the woods near West Mountain Springs Road and Longbotham Road in Cabot. The body is at the state Crime Lab in Little Rock to see if it is that of Debra Lynn Roach, 47, who has been missing since Oct. 24.
After Roach disappeared, Lonoke County Sheriff’s Department investigators searched the area with all-terrain-vehicles and bloodhounds.
Lt. Jim Kulesa with the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office said investigators found no sign of foul play but they haven’t ruled out that possibility.
If Roach walked away from her home that cold and rainy day, she was barefoot and had no coat. Family members say Roach left once before but only for a day.
Investigators say if Roach left on her own accord this time, it would be unusual for someone not to have seen her.
Roach’s 10-year-old daughter was apparently the last person to see her Oct. 24.
The girl was leaving to catch the school bus about 7 a.m. and saw her mother in the living room.
Roach’s disabled husband was asleep in the bedroom.
He reported his wife missing that afternoon.
TOP STORY >>Cabot sets hearing on sidewalks
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
A public hearing for a proposed plan for sidewalk construction in Cabot is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30 in the courtroom of the City Annex, 208 N. First St.
With input from the city’s public works department, planners with Metroplan, which distributes federal transportation money, drafted the proposal based on information they gathered from Cabot residents who attended a workshop May 15.
“We have developed a draft plan based on what they told us and on the 30th we’re going back to them and ask if we got it right,” said Susan Dollar, a transportation planner with Metroplan.
Dollar said the draft plan does not include the walkway over U.S. Highway 67-167 that some residents said they wanted because such a project would be too costly.
“I guess anything could be engineered, but we could build a lot of sidewalks on both sides of 67/167 for what it would cost us to connect both sides of the city,” she said.
Neither does it emphasize the bike trail that some wanted. Dollar said the city might want to look at that project in about five years.
But she said, “There’s a lot of emphasis on connecting the sidewalks that Cabot already has.”
Dollar says the proposal groups projects according to need, and suggests that the most needed parts be completed first.
Developing the plan is the first step in the process, but Dollar said the city would have to apply for construction grants to do the work. The 80 / 20 federal grants are not automatic.
Dollar said city residents were consulted about the plan because they are the experts. They are the ones who try to get across parts of the city on foot so they know the changes that are needed.
Leader staff writer
A public hearing for a proposed plan for sidewalk construction in Cabot is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30 in the courtroom of the City Annex, 208 N. First St.
With input from the city’s public works department, planners with Metroplan, which distributes federal transportation money, drafted the proposal based on information they gathered from Cabot residents who attended a workshop May 15.
“We have developed a draft plan based on what they told us and on the 30th we’re going back to them and ask if we got it right,” said Susan Dollar, a transportation planner with Metroplan.
Dollar said the draft plan does not include the walkway over U.S. Highway 67-167 that some residents said they wanted because such a project would be too costly.
“I guess anything could be engineered, but we could build a lot of sidewalks on both sides of 67/167 for what it would cost us to connect both sides of the city,” she said.
Neither does it emphasize the bike trail that some wanted. Dollar said the city might want to look at that project in about five years.
But she said, “There’s a lot of emphasis on connecting the sidewalks that Cabot already has.”
Dollar says the proposal groups projects according to need, and suggests that the most needed parts be completed first.
Developing the plan is the first step in the process, but Dollar said the city would have to apply for construction grants to do the work. The 80 / 20 federal grants are not automatic.
Dollar said city residents were consulted about the plan because they are the experts. They are the ones who try to get across parts of the city on foot so they know the changes that are needed.
TOP STORY >> Library seen as changing Main St.
IN SHORT: Media center will be dramatically different from other Jacksonville buildings.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Described by the designer as being a monumental civic building in a park setting, early sketches of what the new Esther DeWitt Nixon Public Library will look like enticed more than 50 Jacksonville residents out to a public meeting for the $2.5 million structure Wednesday night.
The 13,884-square-foot library will be built along Main Street, across from the Jacksonville Shopping Center and adjacent to Walgreen’s Pharmacy. The 20 foot tall building will be about 40 percent larger than the current library.
There was some disagreement between whether the exterior should be red or beige brick but it will not have a flat roof like many of the other older buildings in downtown Jack-sonville says designer David Sargent of the Witsell, Evans, Rasco architecture firm. “We want people to look at it and know it is a library, so they don’t have to ask what the building is,” Sargent said.
The north side of the building will have a nearby gazebo, benches and a 150-foot covered walkway with pillars. The length of the walkway concerned some residents.
“I have a lot of friends who can’t walk and 150 feet is a long way for them to travel,” said Marilyn Canon of Jacksonville. Canon said she uses the Nixon library two to three times a week.
Sargent said the south entrance would be wheelchair accessible and much closer to handicapped parking spots for patrons who find it difficult to walk.
Inside, library will have a vestibule that separates the general circulation area from a 1,000 square foot multi-purpose room complete with kitchenette and restrooms. The layout allows people to use the multipurpose part of the building then the library itself isn’t open.
With large glass windows on the north side of the building and glass block walls inside, the library will have abundant sunlight without being overheated in the summer.
The building will be lit at night, lights will be left on inside and the outside will be lit with floodlights and other lighting.
There will be 3,204 square foot of general circulation area, 3,500 square foot of bookshelves, 1,200 square foot computer lab and a 1,200 square foot children’s reading area.
One highlight of the building is plans for a walled garden area, accessible from the children’s reading area where youngsters can take their books outside to read.
Cherry furniture, wooden ceiling tiles and cork flooring will make the interior of the build inviting. The entire building will be equipped with high-speed wireless Internet for laptop computer users too.
Bobby Roberts, director of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS), said he’d like to landscape the property to make it look more like a park with evergreens on the west side and oaks or similar trees on the north side along Main Street.
“I think it’s important the landscaping is done correctly. Hopefully the building style and landscaping could set a trend and spread throughout the city,” Roberts said.
CALS would maintain the landscaping he added.
“This will be second largest library in CALS,” Roberts said.
The current building the Nixon library calls home was constructed in 1969. It is one of the oldest buildings in the Central Arkansas Library System.
Along with being old, the Nixon library is small with 9,265 square feet. The new library will be approximately 13,500 square feet. Excluding the Nixon Library, the average Central CALS building is five-years-old and has about 14,000 square feet.
In 2004, the Nixon library was closed for a month while a leak in the roof was repaired. About 200 books were damaged from the leaking roof. Several computers got wet as water leaked heavily through the roof to the building’s interior, about 40 ceiling tiles were damaged to the point of breaking and falling to the library floor. Workers cleaned the tiles and used a shop vacuum for about six hours to remove flooding water from the floor.
The drainage system failed when one of the roof drains got plugged, and instead of backing up onto the roof, the rainwater soaked into the ceiling until water leaked through.
During the closure, workers removed asbestos insulation from a 950-square-foot area above the circulation desk. The Nixon library still has asbestos materials in 488-square-feet of floor tile in the back room where the librarians work, in 30 segments of pipe insulation and in 200 foot of caulking between the building’s exterior and window units.
The next public meeting for the library will be in early spring Sargent said.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Described by the designer as being a monumental civic building in a park setting, early sketches of what the new Esther DeWitt Nixon Public Library will look like enticed more than 50 Jacksonville residents out to a public meeting for the $2.5 million structure Wednesday night.
The 13,884-square-foot library will be built along Main Street, across from the Jacksonville Shopping Center and adjacent to Walgreen’s Pharmacy. The 20 foot tall building will be about 40 percent larger than the current library.
There was some disagreement between whether the exterior should be red or beige brick but it will not have a flat roof like many of the other older buildings in downtown Jack-sonville says designer David Sargent of the Witsell, Evans, Rasco architecture firm. “We want people to look at it and know it is a library, so they don’t have to ask what the building is,” Sargent said.
The north side of the building will have a nearby gazebo, benches and a 150-foot covered walkway with pillars. The length of the walkway concerned some residents.
“I have a lot of friends who can’t walk and 150 feet is a long way for them to travel,” said Marilyn Canon of Jacksonville. Canon said she uses the Nixon library two to three times a week.
Sargent said the south entrance would be wheelchair accessible and much closer to handicapped parking spots for patrons who find it difficult to walk.
Inside, library will have a vestibule that separates the general circulation area from a 1,000 square foot multi-purpose room complete with kitchenette and restrooms. The layout allows people to use the multipurpose part of the building then the library itself isn’t open.
With large glass windows on the north side of the building and glass block walls inside, the library will have abundant sunlight without being overheated in the summer.
The building will be lit at night, lights will be left on inside and the outside will be lit with floodlights and other lighting.
There will be 3,204 square foot of general circulation area, 3,500 square foot of bookshelves, 1,200 square foot computer lab and a 1,200 square foot children’s reading area.
One highlight of the building is plans for a walled garden area, accessible from the children’s reading area where youngsters can take their books outside to read.
Cherry furniture, wooden ceiling tiles and cork flooring will make the interior of the build inviting. The entire building will be equipped with high-speed wireless Internet for laptop computer users too.
Bobby Roberts, director of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS), said he’d like to landscape the property to make it look more like a park with evergreens on the west side and oaks or similar trees on the north side along Main Street.
“I think it’s important the landscaping is done correctly. Hopefully the building style and landscaping could set a trend and spread throughout the city,” Roberts said.
CALS would maintain the landscaping he added.
“This will be second largest library in CALS,” Roberts said.
The current building the Nixon library calls home was constructed in 1969. It is one of the oldest buildings in the Central Arkansas Library System.
Along with being old, the Nixon library is small with 9,265 square feet. The new library will be approximately 13,500 square feet. Excluding the Nixon Library, the average Central CALS building is five-years-old and has about 14,000 square feet.
In 2004, the Nixon library was closed for a month while a leak in the roof was repaired. About 200 books were damaged from the leaking roof. Several computers got wet as water leaked heavily through the roof to the building’s interior, about 40 ceiling tiles were damaged to the point of breaking and falling to the library floor. Workers cleaned the tiles and used a shop vacuum for about six hours to remove flooding water from the floor.
The drainage system failed when one of the roof drains got plugged, and instead of backing up onto the roof, the rainwater soaked into the ceiling until water leaked through.
During the closure, workers removed asbestos insulation from a 950-square-foot area above the circulation desk. The Nixon library still has asbestos materials in 488-square-feet of floor tile in the back room where the librarians work, in 30 segments of pipe insulation and in 200 foot of caulking between the building’s exterior and window units.
The next public meeting for the library will be in early spring Sargent said.
TOP STORY >> Law favors high-interest lenders over servicemen
IN SHORT: Rep. Wood, a soldier-legislator, is upset that a law he sponsored requires payday lenders to make usurious loans to the military.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER AND HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
A spokesman for the nation’s largest payday lender said Thursday that despite its promise to stop making payday loans to military families, it must continue or violate an Arkansas law passed just last year.
Advance America, amidst fanfare and with a full-page ad in USAToday last September, said it would stop making payday loans to the military in October, but earlier this week, an employee of the Jacksonville Advance America branch assured one Little Rock Air Force Base airman’s wife that she could borrow as much as $350 for two weeks at an annual interest rate percentage of 336 percent.
By way of contrast, 8 percent would be a high home mortgage rate, but only payday lenders are exempted from the state’s 17 percent usury cap.
The sponsor of that act, state Rep. Jeff Wood, D-Sherwood, who is an Arkansas National Guardsman and a lawyer, called it ironic that his law, designed protect the civil rights of military members, was being used by payday lenders to continue to prey upon them.
Wood called Advance America’s interpretation of his legislation “a crafty argument.”
“That’s not the intent of the legislation,” Wood said Thursday. “The intent is to protect servicemen.”
In many instances, car dealerships have discriminated against them in making credit available, Wood said. He said he would draft a bill to correct the problem when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.
“Making loans to military at triple-digit interest is not doing them a favor,” said Hank Klein, founder of Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending.
“It does not protect them. I think it’s pretty sad that they would make that statement and then back off and say the law prevents them from quitting such loans.”
In October, Congress passed a law capping interest rates on loans to military personnel at 36 percent.
When asked Thursday why Advance America continued to make such loans in Arkansas, spokesman Jamie Fulmer said it was required by Arkansas law.
In a related matter, Thursday the state Supreme Court sent back to Circuit Judge Barry Sims’ court for the second time the issue of the constitutionality of payday lenders charging interest about 30 times higher than the state cap of 17 percent, according to Hank Klein, founder of Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending.
Advance American announced Sept. 25 that it would “respectfully and voluntarily refrain from making any payday advances to active, full-time members of the military effective Oct. 15, 2006, except where strictly prohibited from doing so by applicable law.”
It was the “except where strictly prohibited from doing so by applicable law” portion that requires Advance America to continue making those loans in Arkansas under Act 12-62-1205, according to Fulmer, director of investor relations.
Act 12-62-805, concerning rights of members of members of the military in Arkansas, reads in part: “The right of an otherwise qualified person to be free from discrimination because of military service is recognized as and declared to be a civil right. This right shall include, but not be limited to (D) the right to engage in credit and other contractual transactions without discrimination.”
Financial pitfalls represented by payday lenders and check cashers impact the readiness of Marines which “directly impacts unit readiness and consequently the corps’ ability to accomplish its mission,” according to Gen. M.W. Hagee, commandant.
Noting that about 7 percent of all military personnel rely on such high-interest, easy-to-obtain loans, Hagee said, “We must act to ensure our marines avoid financial pitfalls and make wise decisions.”
Officials at Little Rock Air Force Base have said they discourage the use of such store-front lenders, where customers need only a current paycheck stub and a driver’s license to obtain two-week loans of several hundred dollars, but Klein says it’s no accident that there are at three such businesses within one-half mile of the Vandenberg—Hwy. 67/167intersection.
That’s the commercial area closest to the base. Fulmer said Advance America restricted its payday loans to service members because there had been a lot of discussion by the Department of Defense and Congress. Fulmer said he disagreed with the characterization by critics that payday lenders prey on the military or anyone.
“We believe that our product is viable and useful to all in need of short-term credit,” said Fulmer, and compares favorably with other options such as late fees, bounced check fees and overdraft protection that can result from not having access to short-term, high-interest loans.
He also disagreed that payday lenders prey on financially unsophisticated.
“Our consumers are middle income Americans with jobs and bank accounts. They have options.”
He said he hoped critics would step up to plate and help offer something to help solve short-term credit needs of the military and others.
Of the 36 states where Advance America operates, Arkansas is one of a handful that have laws requiring the company to continuing making loans to servicemen and their families, Fulmer said.
Advance America has 2,700 outlets, according to Fulmer.
The entire payday lending and check cashing industry has been under fire both locally and in the halls of Congress, particularly for exploiting members of the military.
Fulmer said that less than 1 percent of Advance America’s customers are members of the military and that only 42 of 2,728 of their stores are within one mile of a military base.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER AND HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
A spokesman for the nation’s largest payday lender said Thursday that despite its promise to stop making payday loans to military families, it must continue or violate an Arkansas law passed just last year.
Advance America, amidst fanfare and with a full-page ad in USAToday last September, said it would stop making payday loans to the military in October, but earlier this week, an employee of the Jacksonville Advance America branch assured one Little Rock Air Force Base airman’s wife that she could borrow as much as $350 for two weeks at an annual interest rate percentage of 336 percent.
By way of contrast, 8 percent would be a high home mortgage rate, but only payday lenders are exempted from the state’s 17 percent usury cap.
The sponsor of that act, state Rep. Jeff Wood, D-Sherwood, who is an Arkansas National Guardsman and a lawyer, called it ironic that his law, designed protect the civil rights of military members, was being used by payday lenders to continue to prey upon them.
Wood called Advance America’s interpretation of his legislation “a crafty argument.”
“That’s not the intent of the legislation,” Wood said Thursday. “The intent is to protect servicemen.”
In many instances, car dealerships have discriminated against them in making credit available, Wood said. He said he would draft a bill to correct the problem when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.
“Making loans to military at triple-digit interest is not doing them a favor,” said Hank Klein, founder of Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending.
“It does not protect them. I think it’s pretty sad that they would make that statement and then back off and say the law prevents them from quitting such loans.”
In October, Congress passed a law capping interest rates on loans to military personnel at 36 percent.
When asked Thursday why Advance America continued to make such loans in Arkansas, spokesman Jamie Fulmer said it was required by Arkansas law.
In a related matter, Thursday the state Supreme Court sent back to Circuit Judge Barry Sims’ court for the second time the issue of the constitutionality of payday lenders charging interest about 30 times higher than the state cap of 17 percent, according to Hank Klein, founder of Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending.
Advance American announced Sept. 25 that it would “respectfully and voluntarily refrain from making any payday advances to active, full-time members of the military effective Oct. 15, 2006, except where strictly prohibited from doing so by applicable law.”
It was the “except where strictly prohibited from doing so by applicable law” portion that requires Advance America to continue making those loans in Arkansas under Act 12-62-1205, according to Fulmer, director of investor relations.
Act 12-62-805, concerning rights of members of members of the military in Arkansas, reads in part: “The right of an otherwise qualified person to be free from discrimination because of military service is recognized as and declared to be a civil right. This right shall include, but not be limited to (D) the right to engage in credit and other contractual transactions without discrimination.”
Financial pitfalls represented by payday lenders and check cashers impact the readiness of Marines which “directly impacts unit readiness and consequently the corps’ ability to accomplish its mission,” according to Gen. M.W. Hagee, commandant.
Noting that about 7 percent of all military personnel rely on such high-interest, easy-to-obtain loans, Hagee said, “We must act to ensure our marines avoid financial pitfalls and make wise decisions.”
Officials at Little Rock Air Force Base have said they discourage the use of such store-front lenders, where customers need only a current paycheck stub and a driver’s license to obtain two-week loans of several hundred dollars, but Klein says it’s no accident that there are at three such businesses within one-half mile of the Vandenberg—Hwy. 67/167intersection.
That’s the commercial area closest to the base. Fulmer said Advance America restricted its payday loans to service members because there had been a lot of discussion by the Department of Defense and Congress. Fulmer said he disagreed with the characterization by critics that payday lenders prey on the military or anyone.
“We believe that our product is viable and useful to all in need of short-term credit,” said Fulmer, and compares favorably with other options such as late fees, bounced check fees and overdraft protection that can result from not having access to short-term, high-interest loans.
He also disagreed that payday lenders prey on financially unsophisticated.
“Our consumers are middle income Americans with jobs and bank accounts. They have options.”
He said he hoped critics would step up to plate and help offer something to help solve short-term credit needs of the military and others.
Of the 36 states where Advance America operates, Arkansas is one of a handful that have laws requiring the company to continuing making loans to servicemen and their families, Fulmer said.
Advance America has 2,700 outlets, according to Fulmer.
The entire payday lending and check cashing industry has been under fire both locally and in the halls of Congress, particularly for exploiting members of the military.
Fulmer said that less than 1 percent of Advance America’s customers are members of the military and that only 42 of 2,728 of their stores are within one mile of a military base.
TOP STORY >> Law favors high-interest lenders over servicemen
IN SHORT: Rep. Wood, a soldier-legislator, is upset that a law he sponsored requires payday lenders to make usurious loans to the military.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER AND HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
A spokesman for the nation’s largest payday lender said Thursday that despite its promise to stop making payday loans to military families, it must continue or violate an Arkansas law passed just last year.
Advance America, amidst fanfare and with a full-page ad in USAToday last September, said it would stop making payday loans to the military in October, but earlier this week, an employee of the Jacksonville Advance America branch assured one Little Rock Air Force Base airman’s wife that she could borrow as much as $350 for two weeks at an annual interest rate percentage of 336 percent.
By way of contrast, 8 percent would be a high home mortgage rate, but only payday lenders are exempted from the state’s 17 percent usury cap.
The sponsor of that act, state Rep. Jeff Wood, D-Sherwood, who is an Arkansas National Guardsman and a lawyer, called it ironic that his law, designed protect the civil rights of military members, was being used by payday lenders to continue to prey upon them.
Wood called Advance America’s interpretation of his legislation “a crafty argument.”
“That’s not the intent of the legislation,” Wood said Thursday. “The intent is to protect servicemen.”
In many instances, car dealerships have discriminated against them in making credit available, Wood said. He said he would draft a bill to correct the problem when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.
“Making loans to military at triple-digit interest is not doing them a favor,” said Hank Klein, founder of Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending.
“It does not protect them. I think it’s pretty sad that they would make that statement and then back off and say the law prevents them from quitting such loans.”
In October, Congress passed a law capping interest rates on loans to military personnel at 36 percent.
When asked Thursday why Advance America continued to make such loans in Arkansas, spokesman Jamie Fulmer said it was required by Arkansas law.
In a related matter, Thursday the state Supreme Court sent back to Circuit Judge Barry Sims’ court for the second time the issue of the constitutionality of payday lenders charging interest about 30 times higher than the state cap of 17 percent, according to Hank Klein, founder of Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending.
Advance American announced Sept. 25 that it would “respectfully and voluntarily refrain from making any payday advances to active, full-time members of the military effective Oct. 15, 2006, except where strictly prohibited from doing so by applicable law.”
It was the “except where strictly prohibited from doing so by applicable law” portion that requires Advance America to continue making those loans in Arkansas under Act 12-62-1205, according to Fulmer, director of investor relations.
Act 12-62-805, concerning rights of members of members of the military in Arkansas, reads in part: “The right of an otherwise qualified person to be free from discrimination because of military service is recognized as and declared to be a civil right. This right shall include, but not be limited to (D) the right to engage in credit and other contractual transactions without discrimination.”
Financial pitfalls represented by payday lenders and check cashers impact the readiness of Marines which “directly impacts unit readiness and consequently the corps’ ability to accomplish its mission,” according to Gen. M.W. Hagee, commandant.
Noting that about 7 percent of all military personnel rely on such high-interest, easy-to-obtain loans, Hagee said, “We must act to ensure our marines avoid financial pitfalls and make wise decisions.”
Officials at Little Rock Air Force Base have said they discourage the use of such store-front lenders, where customers need only a current paycheck stub and a driver’s license to obtain two-week loans of several hundred dollars, but Klein says it’s no accident that there are at three such businesses within one-half mile of the Vandenberg—Hwy. 67/167intersection.
That’s the commercial area closest to the base. Fulmer said Advance America restricted its payday loans to service members because there had been a lot of discussion by the Department of Defense and Congress. Fulmer said he disagreed with the characterization by critics that payday lenders prey on the military or anyone.
“We believe that our product is viable and useful to all in need of short-term credit,” said Fulmer, and compares favorably with other options such as late fees, bounced check fees and overdraft protection that can result from not having access to short-term, high-interest loans.
He also disagreed that payday lenders prey on financially unsophisticated.
“Our consumers are middle income Americans with jobs and bank accounts. They have options.”
He said he hoped critics would step up to plate and help offer something to help solve short-term credit needs of the military and others.
Of the 36 states where Advance America operates, Arkansas is one of a handful that have laws requiring the company to continuing making loans to servicemen and their families, Fulmer said.
Advance America has 2,700 outlets, according to Fulmer.
The entire payday lending and check cashing industry has been under fire both locally and in the halls of Congress, particularly for exploiting members of the military.
Fulmer said that less than 1 percent of Advance America’s customers are members of the military and that only 42 of 2,728 of their stores are within one mile of a military base.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER AND HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
A spokesman for the nation’s largest payday lender said Thursday that despite its promise to stop making payday loans to military families, it must continue or violate an Arkansas law passed just last year.
Advance America, amidst fanfare and with a full-page ad in USAToday last September, said it would stop making payday loans to the military in October, but earlier this week, an employee of the Jacksonville Advance America branch assured one Little Rock Air Force Base airman’s wife that she could borrow as much as $350 for two weeks at an annual interest rate percentage of 336 percent.
By way of contrast, 8 percent would be a high home mortgage rate, but only payday lenders are exempted from the state’s 17 percent usury cap.
The sponsor of that act, state Rep. Jeff Wood, D-Sherwood, who is an Arkansas National Guardsman and a lawyer, called it ironic that his law, designed protect the civil rights of military members, was being used by payday lenders to continue to prey upon them.
Wood called Advance America’s interpretation of his legislation “a crafty argument.”
“That’s not the intent of the legislation,” Wood said Thursday. “The intent is to protect servicemen.”
In many instances, car dealerships have discriminated against them in making credit available, Wood said. He said he would draft a bill to correct the problem when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.
“Making loans to military at triple-digit interest is not doing them a favor,” said Hank Klein, founder of Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending.
“It does not protect them. I think it’s pretty sad that they would make that statement and then back off and say the law prevents them from quitting such loans.”
In October, Congress passed a law capping interest rates on loans to military personnel at 36 percent.
When asked Thursday why Advance America continued to make such loans in Arkansas, spokesman Jamie Fulmer said it was required by Arkansas law.
In a related matter, Thursday the state Supreme Court sent back to Circuit Judge Barry Sims’ court for the second time the issue of the constitutionality of payday lenders charging interest about 30 times higher than the state cap of 17 percent, according to Hank Klein, founder of Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending.
Advance American announced Sept. 25 that it would “respectfully and voluntarily refrain from making any payday advances to active, full-time members of the military effective Oct. 15, 2006, except where strictly prohibited from doing so by applicable law.”
It was the “except where strictly prohibited from doing so by applicable law” portion that requires Advance America to continue making those loans in Arkansas under Act 12-62-1205, according to Fulmer, director of investor relations.
Act 12-62-805, concerning rights of members of members of the military in Arkansas, reads in part: “The right of an otherwise qualified person to be free from discrimination because of military service is recognized as and declared to be a civil right. This right shall include, but not be limited to (D) the right to engage in credit and other contractual transactions without discrimination.”
Financial pitfalls represented by payday lenders and check cashers impact the readiness of Marines which “directly impacts unit readiness and consequently the corps’ ability to accomplish its mission,” according to Gen. M.W. Hagee, commandant.
Noting that about 7 percent of all military personnel rely on such high-interest, easy-to-obtain loans, Hagee said, “We must act to ensure our marines avoid financial pitfalls and make wise decisions.”
Officials at Little Rock Air Force Base have said they discourage the use of such store-front lenders, where customers need only a current paycheck stub and a driver’s license to obtain two-week loans of several hundred dollars, but Klein says it’s no accident that there are at three such businesses within one-half mile of the Vandenberg—Hwy. 67/167intersection.
That’s the commercial area closest to the base. Fulmer said Advance America restricted its payday loans to service members because there had been a lot of discussion by the Department of Defense and Congress. Fulmer said he disagreed with the characterization by critics that payday lenders prey on the military or anyone.
“We believe that our product is viable and useful to all in need of short-term credit,” said Fulmer, and compares favorably with other options such as late fees, bounced check fees and overdraft protection that can result from not having access to short-term, high-interest loans.
He also disagreed that payday lenders prey on financially unsophisticated.
“Our consumers are middle income Americans with jobs and bank accounts. They have options.”
He said he hoped critics would step up to plate and help offer something to help solve short-term credit needs of the military and others.
Of the 36 states where Advance America operates, Arkansas is one of a handful that have laws requiring the company to continuing making loans to servicemen and their families, Fulmer said.
Advance America has 2,700 outlets, according to Fulmer.
The entire payday lending and check cashing industry has been under fire both locally and in the halls of Congress, particularly for exploiting members of the military.
Fulmer said that less than 1 percent of Advance America’s customers are members of the military and that only 42 of 2,728 of their stores are within one mile of a military base.
TOP STORY >> Do Harding students tilt elections?
IN SHORT: Critics say those from out-of-state who attend the private university in Searcy vote in blocs to affect the outcome of local elections, but Democrats and Republicans both says that’s democracy at work.
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff report
A plea from a White County man for Harding University students, particularly the Republicans, to stay out of local elections is almost certain to go unheeded because both Republicans and Demo-crats are organized on campus as they are on other college campuses and are working to help their parties.
The plea in a newspaper ad paid for by Dennis Gillam, the independent candidate for White County judge, came from El Paso resident Arvil Tucker, a Democrat, who says in the signed ad that it isn’t right for students from Montana or Michigan to elect the White County judge.
“Please don’t do that to us, Searcy,” he says, connecting the conservative Church of Christ school to the city, which voted overwhelmingly for the Republican candidate.
But the fact is that both Democrats and Republicans are organized on the campus. They help local candidates and they vote and there’s no law to keep them from doing that. Tanya Burleson, White County clerk, said both groups register new voters, and all she can do is caution them to make sure the new voters understand that the ballots they receive will be for local elections and not for elections in their hometowns.
According to officials with the Arkansas secretary of state, there is no real residency requirement for voting. All eligible voters at least 18 years of age are allowed to vote where they live as long as they register 30 days before the election and swear that they won’t vote anywhere else. A description of the College Democrats of Harding on the university Web site says the purpose of that organization is to “promote a greater political awareness a-mongst the students of this university, to support the highest values and policies of the Democratic Party and those public officials who exemplify these values, and to help the community benefit from these values and policies.”
The College Republicans’ goal is “to develop all Republicans on the campus into an intelligent, aggressive, cooperative, and informative Republ-ican group; to provide through its organization a means to encourage participation in the activities of the Re-publican Party; to promote in every honorable and appropriate way the platform and candidates of the Republican Party; to provide the student body the means for getting practical political education.
Helping students learn about politics is one of the school’s jobs, said Jack Shock, staff sponsor of the College Democrats. “It’s a university. That’s what we do,” he said.
But what if the real goal of the ad was not to shame the handful of out-of-state students who might cast ballots in White County, but rather to rile Democrats and independents enough to make them vote in the Nov. 28 runoff election between Gillam and Michael Lincoln, the Republican who carried every precinct in Searcy?
The Nov. 7 election ended with Gillam coming in second to Lincoln, and Waylon Heathscott, the Democratic candidate, coming in third. But the vote was close with Lincoln taking 36.9 percent, Gillam 31.9 percent and Heath-scott 31.1 percent.
With the help of the Democrats who voted for Heathscott, Gillam could win easily in the runoff and show the Searcy Republicans that they can’t decide who will look after the rural part of the county.
Getting the Democrats and independents out a second time is especially critical for Gillam be-cause the Searcy mayor’s race also is on the runoff ballot, so many of the same residents who voted for Lincoln the first time will likely go to the polls again for the mayor’s race.
Contacted Friday afternoon, Lincoln said he feels good about the runoff because he believes some of Gillam’s negative ads against him have backfired. He denies Gillam’s claim, also in the ad, that he wants to tell country people what they can do with their property and how it must be maintained. Like Gillam, he also has support among Democrats, he said, and he believes he can win this race.
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff report
A plea from a White County man for Harding University students, particularly the Republicans, to stay out of local elections is almost certain to go unheeded because both Republicans and Demo-crats are organized on campus as they are on other college campuses and are working to help their parties.
The plea in a newspaper ad paid for by Dennis Gillam, the independent candidate for White County judge, came from El Paso resident Arvil Tucker, a Democrat, who says in the signed ad that it isn’t right for students from Montana or Michigan to elect the White County judge.
“Please don’t do that to us, Searcy,” he says, connecting the conservative Church of Christ school to the city, which voted overwhelmingly for the Republican candidate.
But the fact is that both Democrats and Republicans are organized on the campus. They help local candidates and they vote and there’s no law to keep them from doing that. Tanya Burleson, White County clerk, said both groups register new voters, and all she can do is caution them to make sure the new voters understand that the ballots they receive will be for local elections and not for elections in their hometowns.
According to officials with the Arkansas secretary of state, there is no real residency requirement for voting. All eligible voters at least 18 years of age are allowed to vote where they live as long as they register 30 days before the election and swear that they won’t vote anywhere else. A description of the College Democrats of Harding on the university Web site says the purpose of that organization is to “promote a greater political awareness a-mongst the students of this university, to support the highest values and policies of the Democratic Party and those public officials who exemplify these values, and to help the community benefit from these values and policies.”
The College Republicans’ goal is “to develop all Republicans on the campus into an intelligent, aggressive, cooperative, and informative Republ-ican group; to provide through its organization a means to encourage participation in the activities of the Re-publican Party; to promote in every honorable and appropriate way the platform and candidates of the Republican Party; to provide the student body the means for getting practical political education.
Helping students learn about politics is one of the school’s jobs, said Jack Shock, staff sponsor of the College Democrats. “It’s a university. That’s what we do,” he said.
But what if the real goal of the ad was not to shame the handful of out-of-state students who might cast ballots in White County, but rather to rile Democrats and independents enough to make them vote in the Nov. 28 runoff election between Gillam and Michael Lincoln, the Republican who carried every precinct in Searcy?
The Nov. 7 election ended with Gillam coming in second to Lincoln, and Waylon Heathscott, the Democratic candidate, coming in third. But the vote was close with Lincoln taking 36.9 percent, Gillam 31.9 percent and Heath-scott 31.1 percent.
With the help of the Democrats who voted for Heathscott, Gillam could win easily in the runoff and show the Searcy Republicans that they can’t decide who will look after the rural part of the county.
Getting the Democrats and independents out a second time is especially critical for Gillam be-cause the Searcy mayor’s race also is on the runoff ballot, so many of the same residents who voted for Lincoln the first time will likely go to the polls again for the mayor’s race.
Contacted Friday afternoon, Lincoln said he feels good about the runoff because he believes some of Gillam’s negative ads against him have backfired. He denies Gillam’s claim, also in the ad, that he wants to tell country people what they can do with their property and how it must be maintained. Like Gillam, he also has support among Democrats, he said, and he believes he can win this race.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
EDITORIAL>>Call me a populist
AUSTIN, Texas — Having watched election coverage nonstop all week, I sometimes wake screaming, “Bipartisanship!” and scare myself. Of all the viral members of the media who have been suggesting that the Dems cooperate with their political opponents, the one who rendered me almost unconscious with surprise was Newt Gingrich.
Newt Gingrich, the Boy Scout. Newt Gingrich, the man who sat there and watched Congress impeach and try Bill Clinton for lying about having an extramarital while he, Newt Gingrich, was lying about having an extramarital affair. (This all took place during his second marriage. The first one ended when he told his wife he was divorcing her while she was in the hospital undergoing cancer treatment.)
This is the level of Republican hypocrisy that reminds us all how far the Dems have to go. I tell you what. Let’s all hold hands together and sing, “Oh the Farmers and the Cowboys Should Be Friends!” Just not, please, Newt Gingrich, the man whose contribution to civility was to recommend that all Democrats be referred to with such words as cowards, traitors, commies, godless, liars and other such bipartisan-promoting terms.
Please, anyone but Newt. Now, from my hours spent battered and half brain dead listening to the fatuous, self-important commentators of our nation, I learn that the people of this country did not elect liberals to Congress last week.
Nope, they elected populists! Well, gosh all hemlock. I’ll be go to hell.
Populist! I AM one. Honest — been a populist so long I’m on my third bottle of Tabasco. Who knew? I thought all said I was chopped liver. Populist. Like Tom Frank of “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” fame. Jim Hightower. We can even draw our lines of political genealogy — via Ralph Yarborough and Bob Elkhart.
A populist is pretty much for the PEOPLE and generally in this case exactly the same as a liberal — we just put the em-PHA-sis on a different syl-LA-ble. We also tend to be more fun. We do not vote to hurt average Americans, even if the corporate payoff is really big. Even if it’s just a little bit — like the bankruptcy bill. We tend to focus less on social issues and more on who’s gettin’ screwed and who’s doin’ the screwin’. In my opinion, Americans are not getting screwed by the Republican Party. They are getting screwed by Large Corporations that bought and own the Republican Party.
The word populist was misused, abused and co-opted by right-wingers for years, ever since we were all forced to read Richard Hofstadter’s “The Paranoid Style in American Politics.” Bad history can do a powerful amount of damage. Most of us stopped at the painful news that Tom Watson, leader of the late-19th century populism, went on to become a raging racist bigot. Populism itself took on the connotation of bile and nastiness, a la Father Coughlin.
If you read back to the beginning of the populist movement, however, you will find Andy Jackson and the West set against all those dreary snobs of the East. When Andy opened up the White House and let in the people, all the snobs had the fantods.
OK, it’s not the 19th century anymore, but it is always the right time to point out the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes. Honest. There stands George W. Bush, buck nekkid. We want to help him out of this fix because he’s dragging the whole Army, the country and the world down with him. But don’t ask us to call those clothes.
Newt Gingrich, the Boy Scout. Newt Gingrich, the man who sat there and watched Congress impeach and try Bill Clinton for lying about having an extramarital while he, Newt Gingrich, was lying about having an extramarital affair. (This all took place during his second marriage. The first one ended when he told his wife he was divorcing her while she was in the hospital undergoing cancer treatment.)
This is the level of Republican hypocrisy that reminds us all how far the Dems have to go. I tell you what. Let’s all hold hands together and sing, “Oh the Farmers and the Cowboys Should Be Friends!” Just not, please, Newt Gingrich, the man whose contribution to civility was to recommend that all Democrats be referred to with such words as cowards, traitors, commies, godless, liars and other such bipartisan-promoting terms.
Please, anyone but Newt. Now, from my hours spent battered and half brain dead listening to the fatuous, self-important commentators of our nation, I learn that the people of this country did not elect liberals to Congress last week.
Nope, they elected populists! Well, gosh all hemlock. I’ll be go to hell.
Populist! I AM one. Honest — been a populist so long I’m on my third bottle of Tabasco. Who knew? I thought all said I was chopped liver. Populist. Like Tom Frank of “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” fame. Jim Hightower. We can even draw our lines of political genealogy — via Ralph Yarborough and Bob Elkhart.
A populist is pretty much for the PEOPLE and generally in this case exactly the same as a liberal — we just put the em-PHA-sis on a different syl-LA-ble. We also tend to be more fun. We do not vote to hurt average Americans, even if the corporate payoff is really big. Even if it’s just a little bit — like the bankruptcy bill. We tend to focus less on social issues and more on who’s gettin’ screwed and who’s doin’ the screwin’. In my opinion, Americans are not getting screwed by the Republican Party. They are getting screwed by Large Corporations that bought and own the Republican Party.
The word populist was misused, abused and co-opted by right-wingers for years, ever since we were all forced to read Richard Hofstadter’s “The Paranoid Style in American Politics.” Bad history can do a powerful amount of damage. Most of us stopped at the painful news that Tom Watson, leader of the late-19th century populism, went on to become a raging racist bigot. Populism itself took on the connotation of bile and nastiness, a la Father Coughlin.
If you read back to the beginning of the populist movement, however, you will find Andy Jackson and the West set against all those dreary snobs of the East. When Andy opened up the White House and let in the people, all the snobs had the fantods.
OK, it’s not the 19th century anymore, but it is always the right time to point out the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes. Honest. There stands George W. Bush, buck nekkid. We want to help him out of this fix because he’s dragging the whole Army, the country and the world down with him. But don’t ask us to call those clothes.
EDITORIAL>>Biggest challenge
The biggest challenge facing Mike Beebe when he becomes governor of Arkansas is figuring out what to do with the state’s growing surplus. Governors seldom get a second chance at fixing Arkansas’ problems, but when Beebe takes office in January, he could repair the state’s public schools after having tried to do just that while serving in the Senate for two decades.
As a leading legislator, Beebe arranged for more funding for schools, but somehow the job was never done, despite prodding from state courts. The state Supreme Court has issued an ultimatum that the legislature cannot ignore: The state must rebuild its crumbling public schools or the courts will step in and do the job.
Either way, that task will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and Beebe and the legislature had better start making plans soon and figure out how much money to give our schools. The challenge shouldn’t be that difficult to tackle: Arkansas has an $800 million surplus, which would go a long way toward fixing the problem. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well, not quite. If Beebe and his fellow legislators could not satisfy the court’s mandates going back to the 1980s, why should they succeed now?
Sure, they will have more money to work with, but it will be hard to resist the temptation to cut corners and shortchange schools for other projects. Should they fail again, the courts will take over the schools and supervise their operation. We’ve seen that happen in Pulaski County, and that’s a disaster you wouldn’t wish on the rest of the state.
A survey of area legislators in today’s Leader suggests they’re eager to work with Beebe on dividing the surplus, some of which will likely pay for their favorite projects back home, while some of the surplus will disappear when the sales tax on groceries is phased out. That should take care of the surplus, especially after legislators take a cut for their own pet projects, leaving very little for roads and other improvements.
But the biggest chunk will almost certainly go toward public education since the state Supreme Court ordered the state to stop dragging its feet and start improving public school facilities and offer students a better education immediately. Morril Harriman, Beebe’s new chief of staff, has played this game for decades as the two were longtime side kicks in the Senate. They tried to solve the school issue but failed. Here’s hoping they do better the second go-round.
Mike Beebe’s legacy will depend on how well he tackles the crisis in our schools. For our kids’ sakes, the new governor must do better than his predecessor.
As a leading legislator, Beebe arranged for more funding for schools, but somehow the job was never done, despite prodding from state courts. The state Supreme Court has issued an ultimatum that the legislature cannot ignore: The state must rebuild its crumbling public schools or the courts will step in and do the job.
Either way, that task will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and Beebe and the legislature had better start making plans soon and figure out how much money to give our schools. The challenge shouldn’t be that difficult to tackle: Arkansas has an $800 million surplus, which would go a long way toward fixing the problem. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well, not quite. If Beebe and his fellow legislators could not satisfy the court’s mandates going back to the 1980s, why should they succeed now?
Sure, they will have more money to work with, but it will be hard to resist the temptation to cut corners and shortchange schools for other projects. Should they fail again, the courts will take over the schools and supervise their operation. We’ve seen that happen in Pulaski County, and that’s a disaster you wouldn’t wish on the rest of the state.
A survey of area legislators in today’s Leader suggests they’re eager to work with Beebe on dividing the surplus, some of which will likely pay for their favorite projects back home, while some of the surplus will disappear when the sales tax on groceries is phased out. That should take care of the surplus, especially after legislators take a cut for their own pet projects, leaving very little for roads and other improvements.
But the biggest chunk will almost certainly go toward public education since the state Supreme Court ordered the state to stop dragging its feet and start improving public school facilities and offer students a better education immediately. Morril Harriman, Beebe’s new chief of staff, has played this game for decades as the two were longtime side kicks in the Senate. They tried to solve the school issue but failed. Here’s hoping they do better the second go-round.
Mike Beebe’s legacy will depend on how well he tackles the crisis in our schools. For our kids’ sakes, the new governor must do better than his predecessor.
SPORTS >>Wildcats restless, anxious to get playoffs underway
BY JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
When the Harding Academy Wildcats take the field against the Hector Wildcats this Friday night in the second round of the playoffs, they will be the favorites against the third-place team from the 3A-3 conference. That doesn’t mean that Hector will be a pushover for the 3A-2 undefeated conference champions. Hector will bring a 9-2 record into First Security Stadium in Searcy, but the visitors are just a couple of mistakes away from being undefeated.
Hector lost to conference champion Lavaca 20-14, and fell 8-6 to perennial powerhouse Charleston. Both losses came on the road, which is a concern for Hector coach Bryan Rust. “We had to go on the road to those places, and those were some tough teams,” Rust said. “We made a couple of mistakes that really cost us. We’ve played really well at home, and played pretty well on the road for the most part, we just didn’t get it done those two times. We had a few opportunities.”
Those two losses haven’t hurt the visting Wildcats’ confidence. They are aware they are on equal footing with the league champs, and believe they can play with the best of them. What concerns Rust is Harding Academy’s offense. It’s one his team hasn’t see all season. “I think the last time we played a true spread team was about four years ago when Little Rock Christian first got started,” Rust said. “We’ve seen some teams try to run it that weren’t very good. We haven’t seen anybody that does like Harding. They’re efficient to say the least. It’s going to be a challenge, that’s for sure.”
Hector has only 24 players on the roster, so simulating the Wildcat offense with the backups is a problem. He thinks his team’s football smarts will help when they get on the field. “I think we’ve got some pretty good kids, and I think we’ve got smart kids,” Rust said. “They’ll know where they’re supposed to be and what their assignments are just by us coaching them this week. The mental preparation isn’t a concern. The physical preparation is a concern because they won’t know what it’s going to be like until they get out there. All our good ones (in practice) will be on defense watching while the young ones try to simulate what Harding’s going to do. Really we’ve got no way to simulate their offense. We’re just going to have to do our best and adjust on the fly.”
Rust runs a straight up Dead T offense, which has become a rarity in its own right. That may not be much of an advantage this week, given that Harding Academy got to take a week off and scout the Hector-Corning game last week. Both of those teams run similar offenses, so Rust feels Harding has been preparing the same way for two weeks, regardless of who won their first-round game.
“A lot of people think (HA’s bye-week) is an advantage, a lot of people think it’s disadvantage,” Rust said. “I think given the circumstances, it’s an advantage for them because they basically got two weeks to prepare for one game. Corning runs about the same thing we do, so they’ve just been gearing up for two weeks.”
Hector’s go-to players, as is usually the case in the dead T, are the quarterback and fullback. Senior Ryan White has rushed for over 950 yards, and hopes to become the second player on the team to top 1000 yards this season. Fullback Lucas Watson, also a senior, has already surpassed the 1000-yard mark, and Rust estimates he’s around 1150 yards right now.
The defense is led by senior linebacker Brandon Dalton, who leads the team in tackles. Senior defensive back Cody Storm is also a major factor, and will be a key to stopping, or at least slowing down, the Harding Academy passing attack. Those four guys have been tremendous for us all year,” Rust said. We’re really heavy on seniors this year, and the leadership has been great. I’m looking for those guys to step up for us.”
Practically no one is picking Hector to win, and Rust relishes the role of underdog. “Everybody tells us we’re the underdog,” Rust said. “We kind of like that role. It takes some of the pressure off of us and that’s not that bad of a situation to be in. Harding’s undefeated and beat some pretty good teams. They’re the conference champions and we’re playing at their place. So I’d say they’re the favorites.”
Leader sportswriter
When the Harding Academy Wildcats take the field against the Hector Wildcats this Friday night in the second round of the playoffs, they will be the favorites against the third-place team from the 3A-3 conference. That doesn’t mean that Hector will be a pushover for the 3A-2 undefeated conference champions. Hector will bring a 9-2 record into First Security Stadium in Searcy, but the visitors are just a couple of mistakes away from being undefeated.
Hector lost to conference champion Lavaca 20-14, and fell 8-6 to perennial powerhouse Charleston. Both losses came on the road, which is a concern for Hector coach Bryan Rust. “We had to go on the road to those places, and those were some tough teams,” Rust said. “We made a couple of mistakes that really cost us. We’ve played really well at home, and played pretty well on the road for the most part, we just didn’t get it done those two times. We had a few opportunities.”
Those two losses haven’t hurt the visting Wildcats’ confidence. They are aware they are on equal footing with the league champs, and believe they can play with the best of them. What concerns Rust is Harding Academy’s offense. It’s one his team hasn’t see all season. “I think the last time we played a true spread team was about four years ago when Little Rock Christian first got started,” Rust said. “We’ve seen some teams try to run it that weren’t very good. We haven’t seen anybody that does like Harding. They’re efficient to say the least. It’s going to be a challenge, that’s for sure.”
Hector has only 24 players on the roster, so simulating the Wildcat offense with the backups is a problem. He thinks his team’s football smarts will help when they get on the field. “I think we’ve got some pretty good kids, and I think we’ve got smart kids,” Rust said. “They’ll know where they’re supposed to be and what their assignments are just by us coaching them this week. The mental preparation isn’t a concern. The physical preparation is a concern because they won’t know what it’s going to be like until they get out there. All our good ones (in practice) will be on defense watching while the young ones try to simulate what Harding’s going to do. Really we’ve got no way to simulate their offense. We’re just going to have to do our best and adjust on the fly.”
Rust runs a straight up Dead T offense, which has become a rarity in its own right. That may not be much of an advantage this week, given that Harding Academy got to take a week off and scout the Hector-Corning game last week. Both of those teams run similar offenses, so Rust feels Harding has been preparing the same way for two weeks, regardless of who won their first-round game.
“A lot of people think (HA’s bye-week) is an advantage, a lot of people think it’s disadvantage,” Rust said. “I think given the circumstances, it’s an advantage for them because they basically got two weeks to prepare for one game. Corning runs about the same thing we do, so they’ve just been gearing up for two weeks.”
Hector’s go-to players, as is usually the case in the dead T, are the quarterback and fullback. Senior Ryan White has rushed for over 950 yards, and hopes to become the second player on the team to top 1000 yards this season. Fullback Lucas Watson, also a senior, has already surpassed the 1000-yard mark, and Rust estimates he’s around 1150 yards right now.
The defense is led by senior linebacker Brandon Dalton, who leads the team in tackles. Senior defensive back Cody Storm is also a major factor, and will be a key to stopping, or at least slowing down, the Harding Academy passing attack. Those four guys have been tremendous for us all year,” Rust said. We’re really heavy on seniors this year, and the leadership has been great. I’m looking for those guys to step up for us.”
Practically no one is picking Hector to win, and Rust relishes the role of underdog. “Everybody tells us we’re the underdog,” Rust said. “We kind of like that role. It takes some of the pressure off of us and that’s not that bad of a situation to be in. Harding’s undefeated and beat some pretty good teams. They’re the conference champions and we’re playing at their place. So I’d say they’re the favorites.”
SPORTS >>Cabot blows by Lonoke
BY JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The Lady Panthers dominated the Lady Jackrabbits in the consolation finals of the RAPA tournament at Little Rock Hall Saturday night. Cabot jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first five minutes of the contest and never looked back to take a very convincing 70-42 win over its cross-county rival.
The Lady Panthers got the lead as high as 21 points in the opening frame until a small rally from Lonoke senior post Calisha Kirk cut the lead to 16 at the half. Kirk scored on a put-back, then took in a break-away layup and drew the foul from Cabot’s Lauren Walker. She made the foul shot, putting the halftime score at 36-20 in favor of Cabot.
Kirk and Kristy Shinn gave the Lady ‘Rabbits hope in the early stages of the second half. Both scored on early jumpers to close Cabot’s lead to within 12 points, but it would be the closest Lonoke would come to the quicker and more precise-shooting Lady Panthers. Walker took over for Cabot in the middle of the second half with two straight steals that she converted into layups that put the Lady Panthers’ lead at 20 points, 51-31 with 8:37 remaining. Lonoke head coach Nathan Morris called his second time out in two minutes at that point in an attempt to rally his squad, but Cabot continued to take advantage of the Lady Jackrabbits’ vulnerability to having the ball picked from them.
Another steal from senior Maddie Helms with an assist to Leah Watts for two points, and a pair of foul shots from Jamie Sterrenberg gave Cabot an insurmountable 61-36 lead with 5:20 remaining. The Lady Panthers called off the dogs at that point, and the final five minutes of the contest had the look of a JV contest for both teams.
Sophomore standout Shelby Ashcraft continued to impress early on down low for the Lady Panthers. Ashcraft scored six points early to help Cabot rush out to a 15-3 lead with 11:42 left in the first half. Helms shook off her early-season inconsistency with a strong game of her own for the Lady Panthers, Helms put up six points in the first half, but more importantly led in assists, and the onslaught of steals from Cabot in the opening 16 minutes. Helms got the second of what would turn out to be six steals on the half, five of which were converted into fast-break scores for the Lady Panthers.
Sterrenberg, Ashcraft, Walker and Watts would also come away with picks in the half, with Watts grabbing a pair of possessions away from Lonoke early.
Kirk kept Lonoke somewhat in the game in the early going, driving hard on the inside for some tough points. Kirk ended up with 13 of the Lady ‘Rabbits 20 first half points, and seven more in the second half. The scoring was spread out a little more for Lonoke in the second half, but Junior outside shooter Haley O’Cain couldn’t find her mark from three-point land. O’Cain looked like she would be hot during the pre-game warm up, hitting six consecutive shots from different spots behind the arc. But with pressure from the Cabot D, her shots were off, and Lonoke’s best chance for quick points in the second half faded away.
Kirk led all scorers for Lonoke with 20 points. Ashcraft led Cabot with 16 points, with Sterrenberg adding 14 for the Lady Panthers. Walker also finished in double digits with 12 points on the night. The win gave Cabot a final No. 5 ranking in the tourney, with Lonoke finishing sixth.
Leader sportswriter
The Lady Panthers dominated the Lady Jackrabbits in the consolation finals of the RAPA tournament at Little Rock Hall Saturday night. Cabot jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first five minutes of the contest and never looked back to take a very convincing 70-42 win over its cross-county rival.
The Lady Panthers got the lead as high as 21 points in the opening frame until a small rally from Lonoke senior post Calisha Kirk cut the lead to 16 at the half. Kirk scored on a put-back, then took in a break-away layup and drew the foul from Cabot’s Lauren Walker. She made the foul shot, putting the halftime score at 36-20 in favor of Cabot.
Kirk and Kristy Shinn gave the Lady ‘Rabbits hope in the early stages of the second half. Both scored on early jumpers to close Cabot’s lead to within 12 points, but it would be the closest Lonoke would come to the quicker and more precise-shooting Lady Panthers. Walker took over for Cabot in the middle of the second half with two straight steals that she converted into layups that put the Lady Panthers’ lead at 20 points, 51-31 with 8:37 remaining. Lonoke head coach Nathan Morris called his second time out in two minutes at that point in an attempt to rally his squad, but Cabot continued to take advantage of the Lady Jackrabbits’ vulnerability to having the ball picked from them.
Another steal from senior Maddie Helms with an assist to Leah Watts for two points, and a pair of foul shots from Jamie Sterrenberg gave Cabot an insurmountable 61-36 lead with 5:20 remaining. The Lady Panthers called off the dogs at that point, and the final five minutes of the contest had the look of a JV contest for both teams.
Sophomore standout Shelby Ashcraft continued to impress early on down low for the Lady Panthers. Ashcraft scored six points early to help Cabot rush out to a 15-3 lead with 11:42 left in the first half. Helms shook off her early-season inconsistency with a strong game of her own for the Lady Panthers, Helms put up six points in the first half, but more importantly led in assists, and the onslaught of steals from Cabot in the opening 16 minutes. Helms got the second of what would turn out to be six steals on the half, five of which were converted into fast-break scores for the Lady Panthers.
Sterrenberg, Ashcraft, Walker and Watts would also come away with picks in the half, with Watts grabbing a pair of possessions away from Lonoke early.
Kirk kept Lonoke somewhat in the game in the early going, driving hard on the inside for some tough points. Kirk ended up with 13 of the Lady ‘Rabbits 20 first half points, and seven more in the second half. The scoring was spread out a little more for Lonoke in the second half, but Junior outside shooter Haley O’Cain couldn’t find her mark from three-point land. O’Cain looked like she would be hot during the pre-game warm up, hitting six consecutive shots from different spots behind the arc. But with pressure from the Cabot D, her shots were off, and Lonoke’s best chance for quick points in the second half faded away.
Kirk led all scorers for Lonoke with 20 points. Ashcraft led Cabot with 16 points, with Sterrenberg adding 14 for the Lady Panthers. Walker also finished in double digits with 12 points on the night. The win gave Cabot a final No. 5 ranking in the tourney, with Lonoke finishing sixth.
SPORTS >>Badgers finish as runners up in XC
BY JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Beebe almost defended its state cross country championship on Sunday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. The Badgers finished second overall, 35 points behind new champions Siloam Springs. The Badgers also had two standout performances during the event. Jacob Hendricks finished second, and Cody Weimann had one of his best times of the year to take third right behind his teammate. Both Hendricks and Weimann earned spots in this Saturday’s all-star run at Fayetteville, where the top 25 runners from Arkansas will take on the 25 best that Oklahoma has to offer.
Beebe cross-country coach Johnathon Lindsay expected Hendricks to be strong, but Weimann exceeded all expectations with his strong run. “That was Cody’s best run all year, he really surprised us,” Lindsay said. “Jacob Hendricks has consistently been one of our strongest runners all year. It’s something special for the two of them to be invited to the all-star run, there has never been anyone from Beebe to go, so it is something to be proud of.”
Hendricks finished with a total time of 17:18.93, less than 30 seconds behind winner Luke Allen of Harrison. Weimann was right there with his teammate for the entire event, finishing less than a second behind Hendricks with a final time of 17:19.71. The pair finished 10 seconds ahead of fourth-place runner Seth Freeman of Greene County Tech.
The Badgers were hoping for a repeat after capturing the state title last year, but Siloam Springs had different plans. The Panthers finished with only 50 points, compared to 85 for Beebe. The gap between second and third in the final standings was a significant one, with GCT trailing the Badgers with 148 points for the meet.
Among other notable performances for Beebe was Colton Weimann finishing 22nd with a total time 18:25.94. Christian Garcia finished 27th with a time of 18:37.58 and Roz Gonzalez with 31st with a time of 18:48.77.
Leader sportswriter
Beebe almost defended its state cross country championship on Sunday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. The Badgers finished second overall, 35 points behind new champions Siloam Springs. The Badgers also had two standout performances during the event. Jacob Hendricks finished second, and Cody Weimann had one of his best times of the year to take third right behind his teammate. Both Hendricks and Weimann earned spots in this Saturday’s all-star run at Fayetteville, where the top 25 runners from Arkansas will take on the 25 best that Oklahoma has to offer.
Beebe cross-country coach Johnathon Lindsay expected Hendricks to be strong, but Weimann exceeded all expectations with his strong run. “That was Cody’s best run all year, he really surprised us,” Lindsay said. “Jacob Hendricks has consistently been one of our strongest runners all year. It’s something special for the two of them to be invited to the all-star run, there has never been anyone from Beebe to go, so it is something to be proud of.”
Hendricks finished with a total time of 17:18.93, less than 30 seconds behind winner Luke Allen of Harrison. Weimann was right there with his teammate for the entire event, finishing less than a second behind Hendricks with a final time of 17:19.71. The pair finished 10 seconds ahead of fourth-place runner Seth Freeman of Greene County Tech.
The Badgers were hoping for a repeat after capturing the state title last year, but Siloam Springs had different plans. The Panthers finished with only 50 points, compared to 85 for Beebe. The gap between second and third in the final standings was a significant one, with GCT trailing the Badgers with 148 points for the meet.
Among other notable performances for Beebe was Colton Weimann finishing 22nd with a total time 18:25.94. Christian Garcia finished 27th with a time of 18:37.58 and Roz Gonzalez with 31st with a time of 18:48.77.
SPORTS >>Freshmen Red Devils split with War Eagles
BY RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The freshmen Lady Red Devils got their season off to a great start Monday night, and in exciting fashion. The Jacksonville ninth-graders defeated JA Fair 34-33 on the road to start the season 1-0. The Red Devil boys weren’t as fortunate, falling 47-28 to start 0-1.
The Lady Red Devils got 15 points from guard Tiara Clark, but Clark went down with an ankle injury with two minutes left in the game while Jacksonville led 34-28. With her leading scorer out for the remainder of the game, and the team playing good defense, head coach Tanya Ganey decided to try to sit on the lead.
“I decided to just hold the ball a little bit rather than shoot and maybe let them have the basketball,” Ganey said. “The strategy worked well until one mistake with 10 seconds left.” Trailing 34-30, the Lady War Eagles were forced to foul, but were not yet in the bonus. Jacksonville, though, stepped across the line on the inbound pass, giving it back to Fair with 10 ticks of the clock left.
Fair streaked down the court and hit a three, but too much time elapsed. Jacksonville’s Precious Jeffrey took the inbound pass and covered up while the last two seconds ticked away, giving the Lady Red Devils the win. Five players scored for Jacksonville, who was led by Clark’s 15. Jeffrey and Crystal Washington added six each. Apple Sims scored five and Essica Walker added two points for Jacksonville.
Brandy Holder, Monica Williams and Allison Nelson didn’t score, but played important minutes, and made some key defensive stops. “Nelson went in and got us a key steal in the third quarter that helped us pull out to a little bit of a lead,” Ganey said.
Clark’s status was unknown Tuesday afternoon. She was scheduled to visit team trainer Jason Cates late yesterday afternoon.
The boys’ game started poorly when the Red Devils two starting post players got into foul trouble. That forced coach Roy Jackson to go small, and that created a disadvantage against a tall and deep War Eagle club.
It didn’t help that Jacksonville’s shots weren’t falling. All that resulted in the lop-sided final score. Jacksonville fell behind 8-3 right away, but still only trailed 27-20 at the end of three quarters. Fair’s depth took over in the final period as Jacksonville was forced to try to press against a well-rested bunch of Eagles. “They got about 15 deep and they’re all pretty good,” Jacksonville said of Fair. “Their second team is just as good as their first, and they were pretty tall with some really good guards. When we got in foul trouble and didn’t hit from outside, it made it tough. We played hard though and hung around until the very end. We just got tired. We’re going to strap it up and get ready for them to come here in a couple days.”
Fair pays a visit to Jacksonville Thursday night for a return match at the Devils’ Den.
Next Monday Jacksonville will travel to Little Rock Christian Academy to play a game that was originally scheduled for January 8. That date falls in LRCA’s mid-term week, so the game was recently re-scheduled for next Monday night at LRCA.
Leader sports editor
The freshmen Lady Red Devils got their season off to a great start Monday night, and in exciting fashion. The Jacksonville ninth-graders defeated JA Fair 34-33 on the road to start the season 1-0. The Red Devil boys weren’t as fortunate, falling 47-28 to start 0-1.
The Lady Red Devils got 15 points from guard Tiara Clark, but Clark went down with an ankle injury with two minutes left in the game while Jacksonville led 34-28. With her leading scorer out for the remainder of the game, and the team playing good defense, head coach Tanya Ganey decided to try to sit on the lead.
“I decided to just hold the ball a little bit rather than shoot and maybe let them have the basketball,” Ganey said. “The strategy worked well until one mistake with 10 seconds left.” Trailing 34-30, the Lady War Eagles were forced to foul, but were not yet in the bonus. Jacksonville, though, stepped across the line on the inbound pass, giving it back to Fair with 10 ticks of the clock left.
Fair streaked down the court and hit a three, but too much time elapsed. Jacksonville’s Precious Jeffrey took the inbound pass and covered up while the last two seconds ticked away, giving the Lady Red Devils the win. Five players scored for Jacksonville, who was led by Clark’s 15. Jeffrey and Crystal Washington added six each. Apple Sims scored five and Essica Walker added two points for Jacksonville.
Brandy Holder, Monica Williams and Allison Nelson didn’t score, but played important minutes, and made some key defensive stops. “Nelson went in and got us a key steal in the third quarter that helped us pull out to a little bit of a lead,” Ganey said.
Clark’s status was unknown Tuesday afternoon. She was scheduled to visit team trainer Jason Cates late yesterday afternoon.
The boys’ game started poorly when the Red Devils two starting post players got into foul trouble. That forced coach Roy Jackson to go small, and that created a disadvantage against a tall and deep War Eagle club.
It didn’t help that Jacksonville’s shots weren’t falling. All that resulted in the lop-sided final score. Jacksonville fell behind 8-3 right away, but still only trailed 27-20 at the end of three quarters. Fair’s depth took over in the final period as Jacksonville was forced to try to press against a well-rested bunch of Eagles. “They got about 15 deep and they’re all pretty good,” Jacksonville said of Fair. “Their second team is just as good as their first, and they were pretty tall with some really good guards. When we got in foul trouble and didn’t hit from outside, it made it tough. We played hard though and hung around until the very end. We just got tired. We’re going to strap it up and get ready for them to come here in a couple days.”
Fair pays a visit to Jacksonville Thursday night for a return match at the Devils’ Den.
Next Monday Jacksonville will travel to Little Rock Christian Academy to play a game that was originally scheduled for January 8. That date falls in LRCA’s mid-term week, so the game was recently re-scheduled for next Monday night at LRCA.
SPORTS >>Cabot turns in best effort at XC
BY JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Four Cabot cross-country runners will represent their school this coming Saturday in Fayetteville during the All-Star states run. The meet will be the 25 best cross-country runners from Arkansas against the 25 best from Oklahoma. Nathan Johnson, Emily Carpenter, Marissa DeLaPaz and Blake Norman all qualified for the event with strong efforts during Sunday’s cross- country championship at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. Panthers cross-country coach Leon White says the effort from the runners was strong all year.
“These four performed consistent all year long,” White said. “For some of them, it was their best time, for the others, it may have not been their best time, but they competed hard and did well to get into the states meet. I don’t ever remember four kids making it in, so it’s a big honor, really.”
Senior Nathan Johnson’s run was second best in the 7A boys division behind Aaron Hamilton of Rogers. Johnson’s time of 16:32.68 was 22 seconds slower than Hamilton’s, but five better than Eric Molina, also of Rogers. In fact, Johnson was the only non-Rogers runner to finish in the top five. Six of the top eight finishers were from Rogers, with Johnson in second and Willie Pickhardt from Fayetteville in sixth as the only buffers for Mounties dominance.
Junior Blake Norman ran 25th in the state meet with a time of 17:36.05, earning him an alternate slot at Saturday’s states meet. The battle around the 25th spot was a close one, with Norman taking the final qualifying position by less than two seconds over Tyler Beaver of Har-Ber Springdale.
Overall, the Cabot boys finished eighth out of 15 teams with 188 total points. As expected, Rogers won the event with only 21 points, 101 points better than second-place finishers Van Buren with 124 points.
Junior Emily Carpenter was tops for the Cabot girls, finishing sixth out of 109 runners. Carpenter’s time of 20:02.52 was only a minute slower than winner Erika Setzler of Conway. Marissa DeLaPaz also finished with a time in the 20 minute range with a final time of 20:27.93, earning a 14th place finish for the Cabot senior.
The Cabot girls took sixth in the final team standings with 187 points, just three points out of the top five. Russellville took the fifth place spot with 184 points. Bentonville won the event with 46 total points and an average time of 19:56.40.
Leader sportswriter
Four Cabot cross-country runners will represent their school this coming Saturday in Fayetteville during the All-Star states run. The meet will be the 25 best cross-country runners from Arkansas against the 25 best from Oklahoma. Nathan Johnson, Emily Carpenter, Marissa DeLaPaz and Blake Norman all qualified for the event with strong efforts during Sunday’s cross- country championship at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. Panthers cross-country coach Leon White says the effort from the runners was strong all year.
“These four performed consistent all year long,” White said. “For some of them, it was their best time, for the others, it may have not been their best time, but they competed hard and did well to get into the states meet. I don’t ever remember four kids making it in, so it’s a big honor, really.”
Senior Nathan Johnson’s run was second best in the 7A boys division behind Aaron Hamilton of Rogers. Johnson’s time of 16:32.68 was 22 seconds slower than Hamilton’s, but five better than Eric Molina, also of Rogers. In fact, Johnson was the only non-Rogers runner to finish in the top five. Six of the top eight finishers were from Rogers, with Johnson in second and Willie Pickhardt from Fayetteville in sixth as the only buffers for Mounties dominance.
Junior Blake Norman ran 25th in the state meet with a time of 17:36.05, earning him an alternate slot at Saturday’s states meet. The battle around the 25th spot was a close one, with Norman taking the final qualifying position by less than two seconds over Tyler Beaver of Har-Ber Springdale.
Overall, the Cabot boys finished eighth out of 15 teams with 188 total points. As expected, Rogers won the event with only 21 points, 101 points better than second-place finishers Van Buren with 124 points.
Junior Emily Carpenter was tops for the Cabot girls, finishing sixth out of 109 runners. Carpenter’s time of 20:02.52 was only a minute slower than winner Erika Setzler of Conway. Marissa DeLaPaz also finished with a time in the 20 minute range with a final time of 20:27.93, earning a 14th place finish for the Cabot senior.
The Cabot girls took sixth in the final team standings with 187 points, just three points out of the top five. Russellville took the fifth place spot with 184 points. Bentonville won the event with 46 total points and an average time of 19:56.40.
OBITUARIES >> 11-15-06
DONALD ECKERT
Donald Willis Eckert, 58, of Cabot died Nov. 11. He was born Sept. 29, 1948 to the late Bernard and Grace Adwell Kantz Eckert in White Sulfur Springs, W. Va. He was a retired master sergeant in the Air Force and was a sheet metal worker at Raytheon Aircraft in Little Rock.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn “Cindy” of the home; son and daughter-in-law, Donald R. and Amy Eckert of Cabot; a daughter and son-in-law, Jean and Jason Hurst of Caledonia, Miss., and grandchildren Victoria Eckert, Erin Eckert, Riley Eckert, Carley Hurst, Camden Hurst and Clara Hurst.
He was preceded in death by his sisters, Carol Wren and Linda Mikowski. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17 at Cabot United Methodist Church with the Rev. Cliff Clark officiating. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and again Thursday, Nov. 16 from noon to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at Cabot Funeral Home.
SUE SPENCE
Sue L. Spence, 79, of Cabot passed away Nov. 11 in Cabot. She was born Nov.23, 1926 in Wattensaw to the late Earl and Ada Thweatt Lenderman. She was preceded in death by her husband, Hayward E. “Buster” Spence.
She was a retired school teacher and a member of First Baptist Church in Cabot.
Survivors include her sons, Jim Spence and wife Ramona of Fairbanks, Alaska; Bill Spence and wife Kay of Edgemont, and Alan “Pete” Spence and wife Christine of Anchorage, Alaska; sisters, Anne Webb of Cabot and Nancy McKinney of Ward; seven grandchildren, Matt, Zack, Daniel, Josh, Heather, Libbie and Richard, as well as three great-grandchildren, Jaci, Deven and Alexis. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15 at Sylvania Church with the Rev. Harold O’Bryan officiating. Burial will follow in Sylvania Cemetery.
CARL WILLIAMS
Carle E. Williams, 85, of Jacksonville died Nov. 11. He was born in Rector to the late Altus Virl Williams and Alpha Talley Williams. He was a very devoted husband, father and Papa, who enjoyed his gardening and traveling around the state. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Sherwood. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Earl, Harrison and Cecil Williams; three sisters, Mabel Ballard, Faye Burton and Betty Burmingham, and a granddaughter, Stefanie Harper.
Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Tressie; two daughters, Linda Harper and husband Dub of Sherwood and Cynthia Millheim of Ward; one son, Richard Brown of San Diego, Calif.; one sister, Darlene Garner and husband Al of Missouri; one brother, Virl Williams and wife Faye of Illinois; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Services were Nov. 14 at First Baptist Church of Sherwood. Burial was in Rest Hills Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to Arkansas School for the Blind, 2600 W. Markham, Little Rock, Ark. 72205.
Donald Willis Eckert, 58, of Cabot died Nov. 11. He was born Sept. 29, 1948 to the late Bernard and Grace Adwell Kantz Eckert in White Sulfur Springs, W. Va. He was a retired master sergeant in the Air Force and was a sheet metal worker at Raytheon Aircraft in Little Rock.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn “Cindy” of the home; son and daughter-in-law, Donald R. and Amy Eckert of Cabot; a daughter and son-in-law, Jean and Jason Hurst of Caledonia, Miss., and grandchildren Victoria Eckert, Erin Eckert, Riley Eckert, Carley Hurst, Camden Hurst and Clara Hurst.
He was preceded in death by his sisters, Carol Wren and Linda Mikowski. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17 at Cabot United Methodist Church with the Rev. Cliff Clark officiating. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and again Thursday, Nov. 16 from noon to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at Cabot Funeral Home.
SUE SPENCE
Sue L. Spence, 79, of Cabot passed away Nov. 11 in Cabot. She was born Nov.23, 1926 in Wattensaw to the late Earl and Ada Thweatt Lenderman. She was preceded in death by her husband, Hayward E. “Buster” Spence.
She was a retired school teacher and a member of First Baptist Church in Cabot.
Survivors include her sons, Jim Spence and wife Ramona of Fairbanks, Alaska; Bill Spence and wife Kay of Edgemont, and Alan “Pete” Spence and wife Christine of Anchorage, Alaska; sisters, Anne Webb of Cabot and Nancy McKinney of Ward; seven grandchildren, Matt, Zack, Daniel, Josh, Heather, Libbie and Richard, as well as three great-grandchildren, Jaci, Deven and Alexis. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15 at Sylvania Church with the Rev. Harold O’Bryan officiating. Burial will follow in Sylvania Cemetery.
CARL WILLIAMS
Carle E. Williams, 85, of Jacksonville died Nov. 11. He was born in Rector to the late Altus Virl Williams and Alpha Talley Williams. He was a very devoted husband, father and Papa, who enjoyed his gardening and traveling around the state. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Sherwood. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Earl, Harrison and Cecil Williams; three sisters, Mabel Ballard, Faye Burton and Betty Burmingham, and a granddaughter, Stefanie Harper.
Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Tressie; two daughters, Linda Harper and husband Dub of Sherwood and Cynthia Millheim of Ward; one son, Richard Brown of San Diego, Calif.; one sister, Darlene Garner and husband Al of Missouri; one brother, Virl Williams and wife Faye of Illinois; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Services were Nov. 14 at First Baptist Church of Sherwood. Burial was in Rest Hills Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to Arkansas School for the Blind, 2600 W. Markham, Little Rock, Ark. 72205.
TOP STORY >>Cabot shows off high school
By SARA GREENE
Leader deputy managing editor
The new 194,162-square- foot Cabot High School cost the district $17,593,249, or about $90.61 per foot. The final price tag was announced during an open house at the school Sunday afternoon. Steve Elliott, a 1973 Cabot High School graduate, designed the building. Elliott is also the architect for the district’s next new school, the $6.6 million Stagecoach Elementary.
His father, Don Elliott, a former superintendent for the district, was at the open house to take part in the Cabot Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony.
“Education has come a long way. This building is really something else. I think Steve did a great job with it,” Don Elliott said.
Other retired Cabot administrators at the open house included Steve Elliott’s former football coach, Jack Carrington. Besides coaching, Carring-ton served the school as principal twice, first from 1977 to 1999 and then from 1992 to 1996. “It’s really something else and I’m so pleased one of our boys designed it,” Carrington said.
Portraits of all the Cabot High School principals, dating back to 1925, have been put up in the hallways. Cabot High School principal Tony Thurman gave Charles and Rose George a tour of his office. Charles George served as the school’s principal from 1955 to 1963. During his tenure, the school’s enrollment was about 650 students. There are 1,725 students enrolled at Cabot High School this year.
With such a large student body, Thurman says one of the advantages of having all the teachers and students in one place helps everyone connect on a personal level. “It was really hard to get to know the students. Here I get to see everyone nearly everyday,” Thurman said. The two-storied, V-shaped building is arranged to support the district’s six career academies of agriculture, science and mechanics; business, finance and information technology; construction, engineering and automotive technology; health and human services; education, law and public service, and fine arts, journalism and communications. Tastefully decorated in the school colors of red and black with accents of gray and beige, the building’s greatest beauty is its size.
Previously teachers and students spent the school year inside 25 temporary trailers scattered across the 45-acre campus. Students like Jackie Howard’s son Kevin spent time between classes trekking through the elements on cold and rainy days.
“I’m so thrilled he got to spend his senior year in this new building,” Jackie Howard said.
Visitors to the school were treated to music by the school’s jazz band and the reader’s theater group performed “Hooray for Diffendoofer Day,” one of the last stories written by children’s author Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Suess. Girls from the Cabot High School show choir did a choreographed version of “Singing in the Rain” complete with black umbrellas and matching dresses before joining other choir students for several closing numbers.
Leader deputy managing editor
The new 194,162-square- foot Cabot High School cost the district $17,593,249, or about $90.61 per foot. The final price tag was announced during an open house at the school Sunday afternoon. Steve Elliott, a 1973 Cabot High School graduate, designed the building. Elliott is also the architect for the district’s next new school, the $6.6 million Stagecoach Elementary.
His father, Don Elliott, a former superintendent for the district, was at the open house to take part in the Cabot Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony.
“Education has come a long way. This building is really something else. I think Steve did a great job with it,” Don Elliott said.
Other retired Cabot administrators at the open house included Steve Elliott’s former football coach, Jack Carrington. Besides coaching, Carring-ton served the school as principal twice, first from 1977 to 1999 and then from 1992 to 1996. “It’s really something else and I’m so pleased one of our boys designed it,” Carrington said.
Portraits of all the Cabot High School principals, dating back to 1925, have been put up in the hallways. Cabot High School principal Tony Thurman gave Charles and Rose George a tour of his office. Charles George served as the school’s principal from 1955 to 1963. During his tenure, the school’s enrollment was about 650 students. There are 1,725 students enrolled at Cabot High School this year.
With such a large student body, Thurman says one of the advantages of having all the teachers and students in one place helps everyone connect on a personal level. “It was really hard to get to know the students. Here I get to see everyone nearly everyday,” Thurman said. The two-storied, V-shaped building is arranged to support the district’s six career academies of agriculture, science and mechanics; business, finance and information technology; construction, engineering and automotive technology; health and human services; education, law and public service, and fine arts, journalism and communications. Tastefully decorated in the school colors of red and black with accents of gray and beige, the building’s greatest beauty is its size.
Previously teachers and students spent the school year inside 25 temporary trailers scattered across the 45-acre campus. Students like Jackie Howard’s son Kevin spent time between classes trekking through the elements on cold and rainy days.
“I’m so thrilled he got to spend his senior year in this new building,” Jackie Howard said.
Visitors to the school were treated to music by the school’s jazz band and the reader’s theater group performed “Hooray for Diffendoofer Day,” one of the last stories written by children’s author Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Suess. Girls from the Cabot High School show choir did a choreographed version of “Singing in the Rain” complete with black umbrellas and matching dresses before joining other choir students for several closing numbers.
TOP STORY >>Williams eager to take reins in Cabot, get city moving forward again
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Eddie Joe Williams, the mayor-elect in Cabot, isn’t talking about major changes early in his administration, but he does have a game plan for January.From an office in the old Community Bank building on Second Street the city is buying, Williams said Tuesday morning that he has two goals for January — a workshop for the new council and a “traffic summit.”
Four of the eight council members who will be sworn in next year are new to city government, so Williams said he has tentatively scheduled a workshop for them on Jan. 6 at the new community center. He hopes to have speakers from Congressman Marion Berry’s office and the Municipal League. Getting across Cabot during rush hour is one of the biggest problems in the city, so Williams said that will be one of the first problems he tackles. He is currently trying to set up a meeting with representatives from the Arkansas Highway Department, Lonoke County, and Berry’s office.
Not one to spend money if he doesn’t have to, Williams has chosen to thank voters personally instead of in a paid newspaper ad. On Tuesday morning, he stood for the second time on the street corner in front of city hall waving a “Thank You Cabot” sign. When he spoke with The Leader later, he was still obviously pleased that his message was well received.
“People roll down the windows and give me the thumbs up,” he said. With Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh’s permission, Williams has met with some of the city’s department heads. He said he isn’t planning any major changes in January. Instead, he will work through the budget process to see how the city’s financial obligations match with the money coming in before deciding if any cuts are necessary.
A major concern, he said, is the need for a fire station on Highway 5 near Greystone and Magness Creek where 150 homeowners face large increases in their insurance premiums because they live more than five miles from the nearest station.
Williams said he doesn’t think city offices will move into the old bank building this year. The city council, about two months ago, approved paying $1.1 million for the 22,000 square-foot building. The plan was to move city offices there so the police department could take over the old city hall. But Williams said he doesn’t think there will be enough money to renovate the building this year.
“I’ve been told we haven’t budgeted any money to move in and moving in is no pressing matter,” he said. Instead, he said he would try to find tenants to help pay the monthly, $3,500 payment on the building until the city needs it more and has more money to pay for the move. Council meetings in Cabot have been unpredictable in recent years. Proposed ordinances are often hotly debated and often fall short of the votes needed to pass. Williams says he wants no more of that. He wants committees made up of five members to look over and discuss every ordinance that is introduced. By the time an ordinance makes it to the full council, the debating should be over, he said, and council meetings should be orderly.
Williams said he will ask department heads to curtail their spending and start saving money for a “rainy day fund.” Williams says he sees himself as a manager. He will ask the council to help identify five objectives for the upcoming year, he said, and then he will ask his department heads to come up with ways to help him and the council members to meet those objectives.
Leader staff writer
Eddie Joe Williams, the mayor-elect in Cabot, isn’t talking about major changes early in his administration, but he does have a game plan for January.From an office in the old Community Bank building on Second Street the city is buying, Williams said Tuesday morning that he has two goals for January — a workshop for the new council and a “traffic summit.”
Four of the eight council members who will be sworn in next year are new to city government, so Williams said he has tentatively scheduled a workshop for them on Jan. 6 at the new community center. He hopes to have speakers from Congressman Marion Berry’s office and the Municipal League. Getting across Cabot during rush hour is one of the biggest problems in the city, so Williams said that will be one of the first problems he tackles. He is currently trying to set up a meeting with representatives from the Arkansas Highway Department, Lonoke County, and Berry’s office.
Not one to spend money if he doesn’t have to, Williams has chosen to thank voters personally instead of in a paid newspaper ad. On Tuesday morning, he stood for the second time on the street corner in front of city hall waving a “Thank You Cabot” sign. When he spoke with The Leader later, he was still obviously pleased that his message was well received.
“People roll down the windows and give me the thumbs up,” he said. With Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh’s permission, Williams has met with some of the city’s department heads. He said he isn’t planning any major changes in January. Instead, he will work through the budget process to see how the city’s financial obligations match with the money coming in before deciding if any cuts are necessary.
A major concern, he said, is the need for a fire station on Highway 5 near Greystone and Magness Creek where 150 homeowners face large increases in their insurance premiums because they live more than five miles from the nearest station.
Williams said he doesn’t think city offices will move into the old bank building this year. The city council, about two months ago, approved paying $1.1 million for the 22,000 square-foot building. The plan was to move city offices there so the police department could take over the old city hall. But Williams said he doesn’t think there will be enough money to renovate the building this year.
“I’ve been told we haven’t budgeted any money to move in and moving in is no pressing matter,” he said. Instead, he said he would try to find tenants to help pay the monthly, $3,500 payment on the building until the city needs it more and has more money to pay for the move. Council meetings in Cabot have been unpredictable in recent years. Proposed ordinances are often hotly debated and often fall short of the votes needed to pass. Williams says he wants no more of that. He wants committees made up of five members to look over and discuss every ordinance that is introduced. By the time an ordinance makes it to the full council, the debating should be over, he said, and council meetings should be orderly.
Williams said he will ask department heads to curtail their spending and start saving money for a “rainy day fund.” Williams says he sees himself as a manager. He will ask the council to help identify five objectives for the upcoming year, he said, and then he will ask his department heads to come up with ways to help him and the council members to meet those objectives.
TOP STORY >>Snyder set to chair military subcommittee
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Cong. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, fresh off a landslide victory over his sacrificial Republican challenger said Thursday that he expected to be a House Armed Services subcommittee chairman when the reconstituted House of Representatives re-convenes in January.
“My committee will take a real thorough look at the GI bill,” said Snyder, who served in Vietnam as a Marine. “It needs to be improved.” He cited military health care as a particularly important area of concern. Snyder said the Democratic sweep in Tuesday’s election of both the House and the Senate was “good for the country.” “Voters were saying they are dissatisfied with what (their elected officials) were delivering,” Snyder said. “They have every right to have higher expectations.”
“I’m excited about the prospects of more open and ethical process in congress,” he said.
He said presumptive House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would be moderate in her office, but not to the exclusion of good oversight. Of charges that a Democratic sweep would result in impeachment charges against President George Bush, Snyder said, “That’s ridiculous.” He said Congress had more important challenges, especially regarding the security of the country, support of the men and women in uniform and the wise use of tax dollars to make America safe. He said the lowest point in recent government was its failure to respond to Hurricane Katrina. He said in the space of one term, the Office of Emergency Management deteriorated from “one of the best” to one that failed in a time of crises.
Snyder said he suspected that Bush would strike a more conciliatory tone with Democrats, now that they control both houses of Congress. “As he said, he got thumped,” said Snyder. He said the president already acknowledged the new political reality by the firing of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Asked if he expected to run for reelection again, he said he hadn’t even begun the term to which he was just elected. “We just take it two years at a time,” he said.
Leader staff writer
Cong. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, fresh off a landslide victory over his sacrificial Republican challenger said Thursday that he expected to be a House Armed Services subcommittee chairman when the reconstituted House of Representatives re-convenes in January.
“My committee will take a real thorough look at the GI bill,” said Snyder, who served in Vietnam as a Marine. “It needs to be improved.” He cited military health care as a particularly important area of concern. Snyder said the Democratic sweep in Tuesday’s election of both the House and the Senate was “good for the country.” “Voters were saying they are dissatisfied with what (their elected officials) were delivering,” Snyder said. “They have every right to have higher expectations.”
“I’m excited about the prospects of more open and ethical process in congress,” he said.
He said presumptive House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would be moderate in her office, but not to the exclusion of good oversight. Of charges that a Democratic sweep would result in impeachment charges against President George Bush, Snyder said, “That’s ridiculous.” He said Congress had more important challenges, especially regarding the security of the country, support of the men and women in uniform and the wise use of tax dollars to make America safe. He said the lowest point in recent government was its failure to respond to Hurricane Katrina. He said in the space of one term, the Office of Emergency Management deteriorated from “one of the best” to one that failed in a time of crises.
Snyder said he suspected that Bush would strike a more conciliatory tone with Democrats, now that they control both houses of Congress. “As he said, he got thumped,” said Snyder. He said the president already acknowledged the new political reality by the firing of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Asked if he expected to run for reelection again, he said he hadn’t even begun the term to which he was just elected. “We just take it two years at a time,” he said.
TOP STORY >>Officials resign in Jacksonville
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
After seven years on the job, Jacksonville City Engineer Jay Whisker announced his resignation at the city’s planning commission meeting Monday night. Whisker is the second city official to resign. Human Resource Director Charlie Brown submitted his resignation about a month ago, and this is his last week on the job. Brown is taking an early retirement from his city job, but plans to stay in the human resource business.
At the commission meeting, Whisker said, “I love Jacksonville and I plan on staying here,” adding the opportunity was something he couldn’t pass up. Whisker will take a job, starting Dec. 1, with an engineering firm in Little Rock. “I wasn’t really looking. They came to me,” he said, “And I was ready for something different.”
He explained that once you are hired as a city engineer that what you are until retirement. “In this new position, I have a chance for advancement,” Whisker said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Jacksonville and love being city engineer, but its just time, but I’m remaining in Jacksonville and will be an active positive spokesman for the city,” he said. One of the planning commission asked if Whisker would consider taking a position on the commission. “If the mayor asks, I would consider it,” he said.
Commission Chairman Mark Stroud told Whisker that he would be missed “You have done yeoman’s work, and we are going to miss you keeping us straight.” Whisker told the commissioners that “I’ve learned much more from you all, than you have learned from me. Thanks for the opportunity to serve the city,” he said. Tommy Bond, with Bond Consulting Engineers, who frequently has projects in front of the commission, kiddingly said, “It’ll be tough training a new city engineer.” The city has already advertised for a replacement for the human resource director, and will start advertising for a new city engineer next week.
In other commission business: Commissioners approved the rezoning of two lots near the northwest corner of Military Road and South First Street from single-family homes to commercial. The owners of the land, Jim Peacock and Ted Camp, are planning to build a strip center with a service station on the acreage.
The commission approved a conditional use permit which would allow apartments to be built on the southwest corner of North First and Brewer streets. Plans call for four four-unit apartments to be built. Owner and developer Ben Rice said the apartments would look very similar to the Frenchman’s Wood apartments in Maumelle.
Commissioners approved an ordinance shortening front yard setbacks from 35 feet to 25 feet. The ordinance will go before the city council Thursday. Commissioners approved the sketch plat for the 98-lot development of Clover Ridge Subdivision, Phase IV, adjacent Homer Adkins Pre-K Center. The commission also approved the final plat of the 20-lot Jaxon Terrace Subdivision near Mesquite and North First streets.
Leader staff writer
After seven years on the job, Jacksonville City Engineer Jay Whisker announced his resignation at the city’s planning commission meeting Monday night. Whisker is the second city official to resign. Human Resource Director Charlie Brown submitted his resignation about a month ago, and this is his last week on the job. Brown is taking an early retirement from his city job, but plans to stay in the human resource business.
At the commission meeting, Whisker said, “I love Jacksonville and I plan on staying here,” adding the opportunity was something he couldn’t pass up. Whisker will take a job, starting Dec. 1, with an engineering firm in Little Rock. “I wasn’t really looking. They came to me,” he said, “And I was ready for something different.”
He explained that once you are hired as a city engineer that what you are until retirement. “In this new position, I have a chance for advancement,” Whisker said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Jacksonville and love being city engineer, but its just time, but I’m remaining in Jacksonville and will be an active positive spokesman for the city,” he said. One of the planning commission asked if Whisker would consider taking a position on the commission. “If the mayor asks, I would consider it,” he said.
Commission Chairman Mark Stroud told Whisker that he would be missed “You have done yeoman’s work, and we are going to miss you keeping us straight.” Whisker told the commissioners that “I’ve learned much more from you all, than you have learned from me. Thanks for the opportunity to serve the city,” he said. Tommy Bond, with Bond Consulting Engineers, who frequently has projects in front of the commission, kiddingly said, “It’ll be tough training a new city engineer.” The city has already advertised for a replacement for the human resource director, and will start advertising for a new city engineer next week.
In other commission business: Commissioners approved the rezoning of two lots near the northwest corner of Military Road and South First Street from single-family homes to commercial. The owners of the land, Jim Peacock and Ted Camp, are planning to build a strip center with a service station on the acreage.
The commission approved a conditional use permit which would allow apartments to be built on the southwest corner of North First and Brewer streets. Plans call for four four-unit apartments to be built. Owner and developer Ben Rice said the apartments would look very similar to the Frenchman’s Wood apartments in Maumelle.
Commissioners approved an ordinance shortening front yard setbacks from 35 feet to 25 feet. The ordinance will go before the city council Thursday. Commissioners approved the sketch plat for the 98-lot development of Clover Ridge Subdivision, Phase IV, adjacent Homer Adkins Pre-K Center. The commission also approved the final plat of the 20-lot Jaxon Terrace Subdivision near Mesquite and North First streets.
TOP STORY >>Oversight could end next year for district
BY JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Superintendent James Sharpe told Jacksonville Rotary Club members Monday that the Pulaski County Special School District had remedied its financial problems and that he hoped to petition the state Education Commission in January to be released from fiscal distress designation that has brought additional state oversight.
Sharpe said he hoped the district would be removed from fiscal distress by the second semester of this year. Any Jacksonville venue is always a tough room for a PCSSD official, especially be-cause Jacksonville has worked for decades to carve its own school district from PCSSD, but Sharpe came bearing gifts—or at least the promise of one.
Sharpe said his vision would place both the boys’ and girls’ schools under the same roof where they could more easily have co-educational electives. “I want to form a focus group to study building a new Jacksonville Middle School,” he said. “We need a focus group to determine where we go from here.”
Sharpe said that barring a new influx of money, construction on a new $25 million building would begin no earlier than the 2013-2014 school year. Currently the district is in the planning process for a new Oak Grove High School and a new Sylvan Hills Middle School. Jacksonville residents have long felt like a stepchild, with the newest area school building constructed about 35 years ago.
Sharpe said the board would have to approve the new building, but that the Gordon and Associates study found it to be a tossup between the Jacksonville Middle School and the Jacksonville Elementary School as the third neediest in the district behind the Oak Grove and Sylvan Hills schools.
Ben Rice thanked School Board Member James Bolden III for voting against building the two new schools with no new school for Jacksonville. “Contrary to beliefs, your buildings are not the worst in the county,” said Sharpe. “The are well maintained and next on the list. They are in the target zone now.” Sharpe told Rotarians that the district was “cutting down windshield time,” for maintenance teams responding to sudden problems around the 520 sq. mi. district.
Sharpe also said administrators were taking a strong look at security on the campuses. “We want to tie-up loose ends on campus security,” he said. In response to questions about the district achieving unitary school status and getting off desegregation monitoring by the courts, Sharpe said attorney Sam Jones was keeping track.
The district gets nearly $20 million a year in desegregation money from the state, and would have to been weaned off that money if it achieves unitary status. Sharpe said he proposed a five-year phase out. Former Jacksonville Pinewood Elementary Principal Beverly Ruthven reported that good things were happening academically at the district, but a lot remained to be done.
She told of programs at various schools geared toward helping more students pass benchmark tests, including intervention specialist to assist teachers to help them teach and reach at-risk children. Sharpe said that while it’s important to help struggling students at all levels, the district needs to front-load its assistance—that is, make sure children are competent beginning in pre kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade.
He said only one-in-five boys come into the middle school performing at grade level, according to Principal Mike Nellums.
Fixing these performance problems is not a one or two-year deal, Sharpe said. “It’s going to take 10 to 12 years.” Former PCSSD board member Pat O’Brien, now the Pulaski County/Circuit Clerk, asked how many teachers had been fired for poor performance since 1999 out of the 1,300 teachers employed. When O’Brien suggested it might be none, Sharpe replied “That’s close.”
Leader staff writer
Superintendent James Sharpe told Jacksonville Rotary Club members Monday that the Pulaski County Special School District had remedied its financial problems and that he hoped to petition the state Education Commission in January to be released from fiscal distress designation that has brought additional state oversight.
Sharpe said he hoped the district would be removed from fiscal distress by the second semester of this year. Any Jacksonville venue is always a tough room for a PCSSD official, especially be-cause Jacksonville has worked for decades to carve its own school district from PCSSD, but Sharpe came bearing gifts—or at least the promise of one.
Sharpe said his vision would place both the boys’ and girls’ schools under the same roof where they could more easily have co-educational electives. “I want to form a focus group to study building a new Jacksonville Middle School,” he said. “We need a focus group to determine where we go from here.”
Sharpe said that barring a new influx of money, construction on a new $25 million building would begin no earlier than the 2013-2014 school year. Currently the district is in the planning process for a new Oak Grove High School and a new Sylvan Hills Middle School. Jacksonville residents have long felt like a stepchild, with the newest area school building constructed about 35 years ago.
Sharpe said the board would have to approve the new building, but that the Gordon and Associates study found it to be a tossup between the Jacksonville Middle School and the Jacksonville Elementary School as the third neediest in the district behind the Oak Grove and Sylvan Hills schools.
Ben Rice thanked School Board Member James Bolden III for voting against building the two new schools with no new school for Jacksonville. “Contrary to beliefs, your buildings are not the worst in the county,” said Sharpe. “The are well maintained and next on the list. They are in the target zone now.” Sharpe told Rotarians that the district was “cutting down windshield time,” for maintenance teams responding to sudden problems around the 520 sq. mi. district.
Sharpe also said administrators were taking a strong look at security on the campuses. “We want to tie-up loose ends on campus security,” he said. In response to questions about the district achieving unitary school status and getting off desegregation monitoring by the courts, Sharpe said attorney Sam Jones was keeping track.
The district gets nearly $20 million a year in desegregation money from the state, and would have to been weaned off that money if it achieves unitary status. Sharpe said he proposed a five-year phase out. Former Jacksonville Pinewood Elementary Principal Beverly Ruthven reported that good things were happening academically at the district, but a lot remained to be done.
She told of programs at various schools geared toward helping more students pass benchmark tests, including intervention specialist to assist teachers to help them teach and reach at-risk children. Sharpe said that while it’s important to help struggling students at all levels, the district needs to front-load its assistance—that is, make sure children are competent beginning in pre kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade.
He said only one-in-five boys come into the middle school performing at grade level, according to Principal Mike Nellums.
Fixing these performance problems is not a one or two-year deal, Sharpe said. “It’s going to take 10 to 12 years.” Former PCSSD board member Pat O’Brien, now the Pulaski County/Circuit Clerk, asked how many teachers had been fired for poor performance since 1999 out of the 1,300 teachers employed. When O’Brien suggested it might be none, Sharpe replied “That’s close.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)