TOP STORY > >New budget gets revision in Cabot

By JOAN McCOY

Leader staff writer

Bill Cypert, Cabot’s incoming mayor, is making changes to the proposed $9.7 million 2011 budget that he believes will make the city more appealing to investors and more pleasant for the workers, changes that will cost almost $50,000.

He wants to renovate the foyer in the Cabot Chamber of Commerce office, replace the carpet in the commons room used by the city and the chamber, add seating in the council chambers at the city annex for the press and city attorney and tint the windows at city hall so it’s not so hot during the spring and fall. Those improvements will cost $17,600.

He also wants about $30,000 to pay overtime for firefighters so the fire chief and assistant chief don’t have to fill in when firefighters don’t come to work.

Cypert attended a budget and personnel committee meeting Monday night where council members signed off on the changes.

Mayor Eddie Joe Williams took office four years ago when the general fund was in the red and cut personnel to save on wages so the city now has about $3 million in savings. Williams didn’t stay for the three-hour meeting but when interviewed later, it was clear that he was not pleased with the changes.

“My dad taught me that if you watch the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves. That’s how I managed my household and put four girls through college without student loans. And that’s my advice to the council now; watch the pennies,” Williams said.

“I know I’ve been called cheap,” the mayor said. “I’m not. I’m a fiscal conservative who makes sure we get a good return on the money we spend.”

Cypert said his planned improvements for the chamber of commerce office, in a building owned by the city, are needed to help economic development in the city. Representatives of businesses considering locating in Cabot come to the chamber of commerce first, he said. So the offices need to be presentable. The improvements are estimated at $8,550.

“We’re a first-class city. We need to look like it,” he said.

That same reason applies to the $3,500 it is expected to cost to replace the folding tables and plastic chairs in the council chambers that are set out before meetings for the city attorney and press.

“It’s a matter of professionalism,” he said.

But the estimated $5,550 for tinting the windows at city hall is for the comfort of the staff. Cypert said incoming Clerk-Treasurer Tammy Yocom brought the problem to his attention. The offices were remodeled about five years ago during former Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh’s administration. Walls were moved but the heating and cooling system was not realigned to fit the new spaces.

Cypert said he asked Jerrel Maxwell, public works director, to look into upgrading the system and Maxwell came back with an estimate of $47,000. By comparison, $5,550 to put tinted plastic on the windows is a bargain, he said.

The $30,000 Cypert wants for overtime for firefighters is mostly about morale, he said.

To keep cost down, Williams cut the overtime and gave Chief Phil Robinson the option of bringing in part-time firefighters from other departments. The mayor said paying for part-time help was less expensive for the city than paying time and a half for overtime.

But instead of filling those part-time slots, Robinson and Assistant Fire Chief Mark Smart filled in themselves when two firefighters were off sick for an extended period and three stayed for several weeks with their newborn babies. Since the two chiefs are paid salaries and not by the hour, they worked free for a total of more than 1,600 hours.

Cypert said that isn’t fair to them, but mostly it was bad for the other firefighters who strongly objected to having to live in the same quarters with their bosses.

“It was causing some morale issues,” Cypert said. “I heard about it during the campaign too.”

In the past three months, the city has added three firefighters whose wages will be paid for two years with a grant. Williams said he is concerned that in addition to the $30,000 in overtime, the city will have to pay an estimated $150,000 in salaries for the new firefighters when the grant is gone.

The budget and personnel committee was agreeable to the $30,000 for overtime just as it approved the remodeling Cypert asked for. But Cypert told the committee that even though he wants the overtime in the budget, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be used.

Cypert also expressed concern Monday night about the $500 a month that the city pays to Safe Haven, the shelter in Lonoke County that takes in abused women and their children.

Since 2005 the city has had a service agreement with Safe Haven that includes such service from the shelter as transportation, education and operating a hotline.

But the agreement clearly calls the fee the city pays a donation, which Cypert says he believes is illegal.

Alderman Ann Gilliam spoke for continuing funding the shelter saying $500 is a very small fee for someone’s life, a child’s life.

Cypert suggested leaving the agreement as it is until January and reassess at that time. But Alderman Rick Prentice said that since the agreement has not been questioned by the state after five audits, the solution is to simply rewrite the agreement and take out the reference to the fee being a donation.

Neither of the other non-profits had asked for help from the city.

“If they need it, they should come ask,” Prentice said.

TOP STORY > >Defense set to make its case in trial of two men

By STEPHEN STEED

Special to The Leader

Tony Milner, 39, of North Little Rock testified Tuesday in federal court in Little Rock that he suspected, but wasn’t certain, that George Wylie Thompson was a felon when Milner sought to purchase a weapon for Thompson from a North Little Rock alderman, a federally licensed firearms dealer at the time.

Milner is a key witness for prosecutors in their case against Thompson, of Cabot, and Sam Baggett, the North Little Rock alderman. Milner testified Tuesday on all three underlying themes of the overall case against Thompson and Baggett: illegal weapons sales, illegal bookmaking operations, and marriage fraud.

Milner said that in January 2007, he went to Baggett’s barbershop, which doubles as his gun shop, to purchase a Taurus Raging Bee .218-caliber revolver for Thompson. He said he filled out the required paperwork, checking a box falsely stipulating that the weapon was for himself.

He said Thompson was present. “I never gave him (Baggett) money for the gun,” Milner said. He walked out with the gun, had a scope mounted on it, then passed it on to Thompson, he testified.

Milner has since pleaded guilty to bookmaking charges and to purchasing a firearm for a felon.

Asked on the stand by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Hoey if he knew Thompson was a felon, Milner said, “I didn’t know it at the time, but I thought he probably was.” Milner testified he has known Thompson about 15 years.

On re-direct, Hoey had Milner concede that he’s not a federally licensed firearms dealer – unlike Baggett – and therefore didn’t know the intricacies of the law.

Whether Baggett knowingly sold the weapon to Thompson, a felon, or illegally through a third party like Milner, is the key to prosecutors’ case and to Baggett’s defense.

Thompson faces eight charges, including being a felon in possession of guns and ammunition, possession of unregistered silencers, conducting an illegal gambling operation, and marriage fraud. Baggett faces six charges, including selling guns to a felon and making false statements to federal agents.

Baggett’s attorney, John Wesley Hall of Little Rock, contends that Baggett didn’t know of Thompson’s felony convictions until May 12, 2009, when authorities raided Thompson’s properties in Cabot and on the Pulaski-Lonoke County line.

Agents seized 147 weapons, some 80,000 rounds of ammunition, and five silencers – none of which can be possessed legally by a felon.

The government on Tuesday also showed jurors a receipt, signed by Milner, for the handgun from Baggett’s shop. On the receipt, there was a handwritten note: “I am buying this gun for myself and not for any other person.” Milner said the note is not in his handwriting and that he didn’t recall if the handwritten note was on the receipt at the time he signed it.

Prosecutors contend that Baggett, Thompson, or both, produced the note in an effort to cover up the sale of a firearm to a felon.

Milner also testified he played a part in Thompson’s bookmaking operation — by distributing betting cards among Thompson’s clientele, picking up those bets, and disbursing winnings as needed. Thompson’s attorneys, Jason Files and Blake Hendrix, both of Little Rock, concede he is a bookmaker but say his operation didn’t fall within the federal definition of an illegal bookmaking operation.

Milner also said he and Thompson worked together in arranging a sham marriage between Milner and Quirong “Yo Yo” Wu, a Chinese citizen who was seeking U.S. citizenship in. Wu entered this country on a tourist’s visa in 2007.

Milner and Wu were married at the Lonoke County Courthouse. He said he was to receive a total of $25,000 from the woman, while Thompson was to get $5,000.

Milner said he’s still married to Wu – but hasn’t seen her in two years. A federal agent with the Department of Homeland Security testified that she is a fugitive, whereabouts unknown. Marrying a U.S. citizen is “one of the quickest and easiest” routes for a documented alien to become a citizen, although it still takes years, the agent, Bruce Passborn testified.

Jurors heard a recording of a telephone call between Thompson and Milner in which they discussed at what point Milner and Wu could get divorced and when Wu could have her green card. The call, which was recorded by agents with a court-authorized wiretap, was made even before the marriage took place.

Milner said that in exchange for his testimony, prosecutors didn’t charge him with marriage fraud.

Defense lawyers questioned the credibility of Milner – and several other prosecution witnesses who have entered plea bargains in the case, mostly related to gambling – because of the possibility of leniency. Both teams of defense lawyers had Milner acknowledge that he lied to agents during their first interview with him in July 2009 – lies also acknowledged by prosecutors.

Prosecutors rested their case shortly after Milner’s testimony concluded Tuesday afternoon.

The defense’s case will run at least through today, depending on whether Baggett, Thompson, or both, testify. U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson has said he wants the jury to have the case before the end of the week.

On Monday, Cary Gaines, who formerly served with Baggett on the North Little Rock City Council, testified that Baggett knew Thompson was a convicted felon at the time Baggett allegedly arranged to sell weapons and ammunition to Thompson.

Baggett this week. Gaines’ sentencing date is in April.

Gaines was scheduled to join Thompson on trial next year on charges they conspired to rig contractors’ bids on city projects. He owed Thompson for gambling debts at the time.

Gaines testified that at one time, in about 2007, at Baggett’s barbershop in the Levy neighborhood of North Little Rock, Thompson told Baggett and Gaines a “war story” about his time in prison.

Thompson was convicted in 1989 on federal drug charges, and in state court in 2003, again on drug charges.

Thompson has since been convicted a third time – last fall, in federal court, on drug-trafficking charges.

TOP STORY > >PCSSD determined to fix schools

By JOHN HOFHEIMER

Leader senior staff writer

Jacksonville elementary and middle-school students could be attending classes in new, conjoined buildings at the site of the existing middle school by 2013, part of an ambitious $181.5 million district-wide construction, closure and consolidation plan that would leave one high school in the city.

Pulaski County Special School District Superintendent Charles Hopson and Derek Scott, the district’s executive director of operations, asked the board first in a Monday night workshop and then in Tuesday’s school board meeting for permission to explore the controversial plan in meetings with school patrons across the district.

Scott, a recently retired Air Force colonel, is a civil engineer who oversaw facilities for the Air Force for 18 years. He drew up the plan at Hopson’s request.

The district has no money to build new schools and will barely break even this year, according to Chief Financial Officer Anita Farver. So the three options are to save enough to pay off building bonds, ask voters to raise taxes or the status quo, in which the district struggles with old schools, continues to lose students and eventually is insolvent.

“Doing nothing is not an option,” said Hopson. “If we do nothing, within years we will be looking at fiscal insolvency. We have too many buildings open. We can’t afford to keep them open. I want to see new facilities built.

“My charge was to deal with facilities inequities. We have schools infested with rats and roaches,” he said.

Hopson said he is not in a popularity contest and not afraid to stir up controversy while trying to fix problems that should have been addressed over the decades.

The average PCSSD school building is 41 years old and in deplorable condition, Hopson said. The students and the patrons deserve better, but there is no money to build new schools.

Scott says the savings in the draft plan he is sharing with the board and the public achieved from consolidating schools would be enough to finance most of the $181.5 million proposed building program.

The savings at closed schools come from not paying utilities or insurance, not having to do maintenance on obsolete schools, running fewer kitchens and libraries and not having maintenance staffs at closed schools.

The draft Vision 2020 Facilities Plan has three main tracks: one to deal with Jacksonville and north Pulaski County; one to deal with the Robinson school area and one to deal with southeast Pulaski County.

Here’s the draft proposal—the point of departure for trying to consolidate some schools and build some new ones—for the Jacksonville-north Pulaski County schools.

North Pulaski High School would serve all area ninth and 10th-grade students, while Jacksonville High School would serve all the juniors and seniors.

Jacksonville Middle School students would be reassigned to Sylvan Hills Middle School and Northwood Middle School and the Jacksonville Middle School building would be demolished.

The Star Academy would be moved. Tolleson Elementary would be closed, its students would be reassigned to Arnold Drive Elementary and Cato Elementary schools.

Jacksonville Elementary School would be closed and the students moved to adjacent elementary schools, and the Adkins pre-kindergarten school would be closed and pre-K moved to another school.

Those closures alone are estimated to save $3 million a year—money available to demolish the existing Jacksonville Middle School and replace it for an estimated $60 million with a new kitchen and administration complex with a new elementary school attached on one side, and a new middle school attached on the other.

Then, the Jackson-ville-area middle school students would be assigned to the new school instead of Sylvan Hills and Northwood, which would be converted to an elementary school.

Also, students from the nearby elementary school zones would go to the new elementary and the old elementary schools would be closed.

Also, Jacksonville High School would be partially replaced with a new $45 million building. North Pulaski High School would be closed and all area district students would be moved to the new Jacksonville High School.

A new Arnold Drive Elementary is not in this plan, but Scott met last week with the deputy director for family affairs from the Defense Department, which is choosing from 189 schools serving military dependants, which it will build new schools for.

Should Jacksonville succeed in its efforts to form a stand-alone school district, it could be expected to pick up the debt service for the new buildings, Scott said.

Currently, Sherwood, which will open the new Sylvan Hills Middle School next fall, is not on the plan, but Scott said he hoped to make repairs where needed in that area.

The Robinson area plan would close Robinson High School, moving the students to the new Maumelle High School, saving $1.1 million a year in the process. It would then convert the high school building to a kindergarten through eighth-grade facility at a cost of $10 million.

The Southeast Pulaski County plan calls for the eventual construction of a $19 million elementary school for the fewer than 600 students attending Harris, Scott and College Station elementary schools combined. One way would be to first close College Station and move the students to Scott and Harris.

Board member Gwen Williams wasted no time in telling Scott and Hopson that she would work against their plan to close Harris, Scott and College Station elementary schools and bring them together under one new roof.

Every time the district wants to close schools, it starts with Harris, the historic black school that is the center of the McAlmont community in Williams’ district, she said.

Since 1994, PCSSD enrollment has dropped from about 20,500 students to fewer than 17,000 students, yet it operates more schools, Scott said. “That’s a losing proposition. You don’t leave excellence to chance.”

The district has lost about $24 million in minimum state foundation aid, based on enrollment losses.

Scott said he had looked at enrollment figures for the district and enrollment has increased at new schools and decreased at old schools. It costs the district about $6,000 a year in state aid for every student it loses.

SPORTS>>’Cats fall to Colts as pass pilfered

By TODD TRAUB

Leader sports editor

Harding Academy took the next step but couldn’t get past Rivercrest as the Colts took a 14-10 victory in Saturday’s 3A state football championship at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

A year after falling short in the semifinals, Harding Academy was upended when Rivercrest’s Trevor Gregory scored on a 1-yard run and kicked the extra point to cap the scoring with 24 seconds left in the third quarter.

Harding Academy’s last possession ended when Demoine Brown intercepted Seth Keese and returned it six yards to Rivercrest’s 45 with 47 seconds left, and the Colts ran out the clock.

Keese, the Wildcats’ all-state standout, was 13 of 19 for 104 yards and no touchdowns. He led Harding Academy with 98 rushing yards while Ben Lecrone gained 29.

Brown was Rivercrest’s star and earned MVP honors, going 4 for 8 for 52 yards, rushing 15 times for 88 yards and one touchdown and grabbing the critical interception.

Brown opened the scoring with a three-yard touchdown run with 3:49 left in the first quarter.

Harding Academy responded when Lecrone ran three yards for a score and Josh Spears kicked the extra point with 3:57 left in the half.

Spears broke the tie and gave Harding Academy its only lead when he kicked a 31-yard field goal to make it 10-7 with 5:21 left in the third quarter. But Rivercrest started at its 26 and drove for Gregory’s go-ahead score, then forced Harding Academy to punt on its next to last possession that spanned the third and fourth quarters.

Harding Academy picked up a first down on its final possession when Lecrone carried for four yards. But the Wildcats’ last series was marred by a four-yard loss on a rush by Keese, an incompletion, a completion to Lecrone for no gain with a fumble the Wildcats’ Corey Guymon recovered at the 50 followed by Keese’s interception.

The Wildcats gained just 215 yards to 255 by Rivercrest in the defensive struggle. The interception was the only turnover of the game, though Harding Academy flirted with trouble as it fumbled three times and recovered all three.

The Wildcats controlled the time of possession, holding the ball 27 minutes and 59 seconds to 20:01 by Rivercrest, and the Wildcats committed no penalties while the Colts were penalized three times for 25 yards.

Rivercrest sacked Keese three times for 16 yards in losses, but all three came in the first half as Harding Academy made adjustments in its blocking scheme.

It was Harding Academy’s first trip to the state final since it won in 2002.

The catalyst for the season was Keese, who suffered a knee injury requiring surgery in last year’s loss to Fountain Lake in the state semifinals.

Fully rehabilitated, Keese, with more than 9,000 career yards entering Saturday, led the Wildcats to get-even victories against Fountain Lake in the season opener and in the semifinals.

SPORTS>>Devils, defense do job in final

By JASON KING

Leader sportswriter

CONWAY — Less than a day after Jacksonville tamed host Conway to reach the finals of the Wampus Cat Invitational, Red Devil post players De’Shjon Penn and Tirrell Brown tamed a different kind of beast in the 55-46 championship victory over Jonesboro at Buzz Bolding Arena on Saturday.

That beast was Jonesboro senior post player Ayo Ojo, who led the Hurricane with dominant inside performances during the week. But Penn and Brown kept Ojo, 6-7, out of the mix most of Saturday night.

Ojo still finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds, most of them defensive, but compared to his performances against North Pulaski and Fayetteville, Ojo’s night was a disappointment for the Hurricane.

“It was hard; he’s a good player,” Brown said. “I just had to work hard and stay in front of him with my feet to keep him off the boards. They gave me the task of trying to stay with him, with no help from our guards to keep them out of foul trouble.”

Senior shooting guard Raheem Appleby led the Red Devils against Sylvan Hills and Conway, but the strain of those performances had taken their toll by championship night.

Appleby finished with a game-high 14 points despite his sluggish feet, but it took an additional 12 points from Jamison Williams and 10 from Jonathan Patterson to overcome Jonesboro (6-2) in what amounted to a 6A-East Conference preview.

“We had to be more patient to stop their dribble drives,” Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner said. “Their dribble drives were killing us in that fourth quarter. We ran some motion where the big man had to come out away from the basket. It allowed our big men to get inside.”

Penn’s block-outs against Ojo allowed Jacksonville guards in to grab defensive rebounds and Williams took advantage with a team-high eight. Most of Ojo’s points came on late, putback dunks as the Hurricane tried to rally from a 13-point deficit to start the fourth quarter.

“I challenged him,” Joyner said of Ojo. “He’s the heart and soul of that team — he’s the reason they’re in the finals. He’s been mopping up on everybody inside, and I thought De’shjon Penn came out, started on him and did a nice job, then Brown came in there and did an outstanding job.

“So those two guys came in and pretty much shut him down, they did what I asked them to do, they banged with him.”

Williams scored with 6:39 left in the second quarter to tie the game at 14, and made a pair of baskets for the lead midway through the period. One basket came when Micah Walker passed the ball right to Williams for a turnover and breakaway layup and the other was dunk that came courtesy of a defensive rebound and long outlet pass from Patterson.

“When you play two games in two days, everybody’s got to help,” Joyner said. “I wish I could have kicked a couple in for them. We had to play hard against Conway to get here, and we had to play hard against Jonesboro too.”

It was the second tournament finals loss in two weeks for Jonesboro.

“Third quarter, we went cold,” coach Wes Swift said. “We’ve lost two games this year, both in the third quarter. I don’t know what we shot, but it wasn’t good. We couldn’t make a shot.

“We had several shots to tie, a couple of shots to take the lead, none of them went down. Jacksonville’s a good team, and they capitalized.”

Walker led the Hurricane with 13 points while Ojo and Colby Inboden each added 11.

For a team expected to search for its identity after the loss of Deshone McClure, now at Oklahoma’s Seminole State College, the Red Devils are instead 7-0 with a tournament championship under their belts.

“We’re still rebuilding,” Joyner said.

“We’ve still got work to do. We had some people out there tonight that stepped up. Everybody contributed, and that’s what you’re looking for. We found some guys tonight who can step up in big moments and take big shots.”

Jacksonville 61, Fair 39

Sophomore forward Jessica Jackson and junior post player Nichole Bennett each had 13 points, and the Lady Red Devils marched to a 22-7 lead over the winless Lady War Eagles and never looked back.

Sophomore Melissa Miller added eight points while Cedijah Peoples had seven and Jaquia Alexander scored six. Jania Williams led Fair with 21 points while Chesary Lane scored 12.

SPORTS>>Paragould downs Cabot

ByTODD TRAUB

Leader sports editor

Sure it’s all about winning your conference, but don’t think these holiday invitational tournaments are meaningless.

Paragould’s 58-53 victory over Cabot in the Central Arkansas Christian Invitational championship on Saturday seemed to matter a great deal to Paragould.

“I took over the program last year; I don’t know the last time they won a tournament,” said Paragould coach Jay Robertson, who joined his players for photos and a celebration on the court. “It’s been a long, long time. We started off with West Memphis and played Marion twice, bigger classification schools, and I think it prepared us well for this tournament.”

Judging by the long faces, the loss meant something to Cabot too.

“We got better this week. That’s the main thing,” coach Jerry Bridges said. “I’ve got to forget about this one tonight. It stings, but we did get better this week.”

Cabot forced the final tie of the hard-fought game when Darin Jones hit a bank shot to make it 48-48 with 5:10 left. Chase Simpson fouled Jones on the play but Jones missed the free throw, and Paragould took the lead it never lost again when Koy Garmrath got a rebound and putback to make it 50-48 with 2:56 left.

Cabot was within 52-50 after free throws by Kai Davis with 1:13 left, but Chance Sugg made a wide-open layup off a fullcourt pass for Paragould for the 54-50 lead.

“Then we were down two and we let them get the home run on us when we’re not supposed to be playing where they can get the home run,” Bridges said. “Those are little things and it’s our job as coaches, we’ve got to get better at that and we will. We’ll work on it.”

Cabot’s Ryan Stafford made a three-pointer that cut it to 56-53 with nine seconds left, but Cabot had to foul for a chance to get the ball back and Sugg made both of his free throws with 7.6 seconds left for the final margin.

There were just three ties and Cabot never led after the opening seconds, but the Panthers stayed within 10 the entire game and were within 40-38 at the end of the third quarter after Paragould led 31-22 at halftime.

“It was just one of those grind it out games,” Robertson said. “Whoever made a play, made a shot, was going to win this game and luckily we made a couple more shots than they did.”

It helped Paragould that Clayton Vaught, Davis, Jones and Stafford all were playing with foul trouble and Vaught and Jones fouled out.

“When Darin fouled out that really hurt us,” Bridges said of Jones, who scored 17 points. “Because he was sort of taking over the game for us I thought.”

Davis led Cabot with 20 points while Sugg scored 22 for Paragould, Simpson had 13 and Garmrath scored 12.

Robertson said Paragould took advantage of the fouls by attacking the inside against the vulnerable post players.

“When they got in foul trouble, we looked at going to the inside against them,” Robertson said. “We were trying to get them out of there and help us out a little bit.”

Bridges agreed Cabot was facing a version of itself in Paragould, which was similar in size and hustling defense.

“We’re both very similar,” he said. “We’re not going to beat teams playing a half of ball and I thought the first half our defensive intensity wasn’t what it needed to be.

“You’ve got to give them credit, they had the late game last night and drove back to Paragould, got back at 1:30. You’ve got to give them credit; they did a good job.”

Cabot 60, MSM 35

The Lady Panthers outscored the Belles 17-2 on their way to the girls consolation championship.

Cabot outscored Mt. St. Mary’s in every quarter while Kaki Thomas led the way with 18 points. Hilary Russell added eight points while Emily Sprick led the Belles with 12.