BENJAMIN LeGROW
Silas Benjamin LeGrow, 90, of Jacksonville and Cabot passed away on Jan. 15 to his Lord and to those who went before him.
He was a retired Air Force chief master sergeant and a recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, a World War II veteran and a POW survivor of the Bataan Death March and of Japanese prison camps.
He was born on Aug. 12, 1922, to Benjamin and Mary Whalen LeGrow at Bauline, Newfoundland, Canada, a small fishing village on the Atlantic coast of the island.
Both parents passed away before he turned 7. He was adopted by his Aunt Florence. He immigrated to America, arriving in Vanceboro, Maine, on Aug. 28, 1929. He lived with his aunt in Tampa, Fla., where he grew up and went to school.
After finishing school, he went with his cousin to Toledo, Ohio, and wound up joining the Ohio National Guard in November 1940. He was assigned to Company C, 192nd Tank Battalion. After training at Fort Knox, Ky., and Fort Polk, La., the battalion was ordered to the Philippines by Gen. Patton.
They arrived in November 1941, only to be attacked by the Japanese on Dec. 8. They fought back for almost four months before their capture in April.
They were forced on the infamous Bataan Death March. Surviving the march, he suffered 39 months as a POW in Japanese prison camps in the Philippines, then on a hell ship and finally the camp at Hoten, Mukden, Manchuria, until being liberated by the Russians in August 1945.
He returned to the States and convalesced in the hospital for eight months before finally returned to Tampa. He married his sweetheart for life, Edna L. Lewis, of Tampa on Dec. 29, 1946. He became a U.S. citizen on Jan. 14, 1947.
They were later stationed at Fairchild Air Base in Spokane, Wash., Tachikawa Air Force Base in Japan and Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in Newfoundland, his birthplace, before returning stateside to Little Rock Air Force Base, where he worked at base supply as non-commissioned officer in charge. He retired from the Air Force after serving his country for 27 and a half years.
He settled in Jacksonville with his family of five sons. He went to work at Hollis and Co. in Little Rock for a short period, then at Great Plains Bag Co. in Jacksonville, where he would retire again. He was a lifetime member of VFW Post 4548 in Jacksonville. He was president of Jacksonville AARP for three years. He was also president and a lifetime member of Arkansas Retired Military Association in Jacksonville.
He loved serving his community and sharing with friends. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville and spent many Sundays and gatherings as a member of the chapel family at LRAFB.
He spoke with many about his experience as a POW, visiting schools and local groups.
He went on a very special trip to Russia with his wife, Edna, and other ex-POWs that was led by former Sen. Blanche Lincoln and UAMS staff to meet Russian World War II veterans and officials during Russia’s Veterans Day ceremonies and celebrations in 2002.
He loved working in his yard all day and his garden in the spring and summer and especially loved fishing with his sons at Greers Ferry Lake, the Little Red River and float trips on the White River.
He was preceded to Heaven by his parents, Benjamin and Mary Whalen LeGrow; his son, Michael Wayne LeGrow, at 12; brothers, Roland and Wilson, of Newfoundland; brother-in-laws, Frank and Randolph Lewis, of Tampa, and a sister-in-law, Ruth and her husband Lewis Davies of Cocoa, Fla. His living loved ones are his loving wife of 66 years, Edna; his son, Robert (Bob) LeGrow, who is an Army veteran and his wife Kay of Hernando, Miss.; a grandson, Brett LeGrow and his wife Jennifer; great grandchildren, Brooke and Blake; his son, Howard LeGrow, of Jacksonville amd Cabot, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam; his son David (Dave) LeGrow, an Air Force veteran, and his wife Kathy of West Plains, Mo.; a grandson, Aaron, of San Diego, Calif., and his son Kenneth (Ken) LeGrow of Jacksonville and Cabot; his sister, Anita (Nita) Gaulton and family of Stephensville, Newfoundland; his cousin, Miriam Engelbrecht, of St. Johns, Newfoundland; a sister-in-law, Martha and her husband Lewis Schulteis and her husband Ed of Kansas City; a brother-in-law, George Lewis and wife Stella of Cocoa, Fla., and his many nieces and nephews and many great friends, especially Monroe and Ola Flucas and neighbors Ron and Jeanette Quisenberry.
Memorials may be made to the LRAFB Chapel or a charity in his name. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 15 at Roller-Owens Funeral Home Chapel in North Little Rock.
Interment will follow at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery.
A fellowship gathering will be held after the services at the Jacksonville VFW.
CHERYL OUZTS
Cheryl Kay Ouzts, 58, of Lonoke passed away Feb. 9 at her home. She was born June 9, 1954.
Survived by her husband, Larry Ouzts; one son, John Bright, of Sacramento, Calif.; two stepdaughters, Tonya Ouzts and Sarah Ouzts, both of Cabot, one grandchild and five step grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Cremation arrangements are by Thomas Funeral Service in Cabot.
THEODORE HINES
Theodore Edward Hines, 94, of McRae went home to be with his Lord and Savior surrounded by his family on Feb. 8.
He was born Jan. 19, 1919, at Fox. He was a member of the Pentecostal Holiness Church in Beebe.
Mr. Hines was a World War II veteran serving in the Army Air Force and was a 32nd-degree Mason. He worked in civil service at Little Rock Air Force Base until retirement. He then worked as an electrician in Beebe and surrounding areas. He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather.
Mr. Hines is survived by four daughters, Joan and her husband Clint Crump of Branson, Mo., Judy and her husband Ken Coffee of McRae, Cleta and her husband Doug George of Heber Springs, and Reta Hines of Branson, Mo., 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Ella Griffith Hines; his wife, Dovie Branscum Hines; a daughter, Jan Hines Wittenburg Faubus; a son-in-law, Gov. Orval Faubus; a son-in-law, Don Wittenburg; a grandson, Ricky Don Wittenburg, and six brothers and two sisters.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Higginson Trinity Pentecostal Church of God Building Fund, 100 Rachel Drive, McRae, Ark. 72102.
The funeral was Feb. 11 at Westbrook Funeral Home with burial in Fox Cemetery. Arrangements are by West-brook Funeral Home in Beebe.
VANCE WILLIAMS
Vance G. Williams, 83, of Jacksonville passed away on Feb. 11. He was born Oct. 26, 1929, in Jefferson County, Ga., to the late William S. Williams and Jesse Williams.
He was a retired master sergeant in the Air Force who served during Vietnam and the Cold War.
He later retired from the Postal Service.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Lou Williams.
He is survived by his children, David Williams and his wife Annabelle, Kevin Williams and his wife Alice, and Lorane Mancini, and one granddaughter, Mary Ann Carter-Neyland.
A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 14 at Chapel Hill Memorial Park in Jacksonville with military honors.
Arrangements are by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
FREDERICK SPEARS
Frederick Lee (Freddy) Spears, 58, of Beebe died Feb. 11.
He richly and deeply loved his family and his friends. Freddy was always available to lend a helping hand to those in need.
He is survived by his father, Fred Spears, of Beebe; brothers, Greg of Memphis, Jim of Vilonia, Tim of Ward, and Gary of Beebe; a sister, Honey Jo Spears, of Beebe; a close friend, Jeremy Mar-chant, many nieces and nephews and numerous family and friends.
Freddy was preceded in death by his mother, Jean Spears, and grandfather Richard Gerome Bayles.
His family asks that memorials be made in his honor to carry on his caring and loving spirit to Arkansas Sheriff’s Youth Ranches, P.O. Box 3964, Batesville, Ark. 72503; Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 2222, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; Gideon’s International, P.O. Box 1165, Searcy, Ark. 72145, or Arkansas Hospice, 14 Parkstone Circle, North Little Rock, Ark. 72116.
A memorial service will be held at noon Saturday, Feb. 16 at Ward City Hall, 405 Hickory St. with a time of fellowship and pot luck to follow at 1 p.m.
Cremation arrangements are by Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe.
RUTH FLETCHER
Ruth Ida Fletcher, 89, of Fairfield Bay passed away Feb. 8 at Clinton. She was born Oct. 30, 1923, in Warren to the late Euert and Louise Durham.
She was also preceded in death by her husband, John Gould Fletcher; a brother, Eugene Durham, and a sister, Martha Sue Culbertson.
She was a member of Fairfield Bay Baptist Church and past president of the American Business Women’s Association.
She is survived by a son, John Fletcher, of Conway; a daughter, Nancy Fletcher, of Fairfield Bay, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 6 until 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 at Thomas Funeral Service. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 at Fairfield Bay Baptist Church.
Cremation arrangements are by Thomas Funeral Service in Cabot.
MADELINE HARRINGTON
Madeline J. Frizzell Harrington, 73, of Austin went home to be with her Heavenly Father on Feb. 10.
As a member of Faith Missionary Baptist Church, Madeline loved her church and church family more than can be expressed. She was a devoted Christian lady, who not only taught her children and grandchildren the love of Jesus, but also tried to share it with everyone she met. Employed as a realtor and an income-tax professional, she always worked hard for her clients and treated them as she said she would want to be treated.
Madeline is survived by her children, Cynthia Sims and her fiancé Ronnie Guyot, of Ward, and Dennis Harrington of Austin; three very special grandchildren, Whitney Sims, Zach Harrington and Jacob Harrington; a brother, Otha Frizzell, of England, and several very loved nieces and nephews.
Madeline was preceded in death by her parents, Otha and Mable Frizzell, and two sisters, Shirley Halley and Doris Blackwell.
Memorials may be made in Madeline’s name to Faith Missionary Baptist Church, 301 Bill Foster Memorial Hwy., Cabot, Ark. 72023.
The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 at Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Cabot with burial in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
EDITORIAL >> Best, worst in legislature
Arkansas legislators who oppose the expansion of the state’s Medicaid program for the working poor would rather put an added burden on small businesses and hospitals that can least afford another tax hike.
Yet these same legislators continue to waste millions of dollars of taxpayers money with questionable expenses. In addition to the personal perks, such as charging the state rent for their offices in their homes and businesses, dozens of lawmakers have given themselves gold-plated health-insurance programs that they would deny their fellow Arkansans.
Fifty-two of 100 members of the Arkansas House of Representatives and 21 of 35 state senators think they are entitled to a benefit normally reserved for full-time state employees. They are abusing the system by electing to be on the state health-insurance program.
As for their personal expense account, it was reported Sunday in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that these part-time legislators have been racking up millions in per diem, mileage and expenses: $3.87 million last year and $5.06 million in 2011. The worst offender was former Sen. Randy Laverty (D-Jasper), who charged us, as taxpayers, $52,894 for travel out of state and to state meetings, expenses and per diem.
It must be pretty nice to get that on top of their annual salaries for basically a three-month job. Laverty, it goes without saying, now has a cushy state job.
Lawmakers earn $15,866 except the House speaker and Senate president pro tempore, who get $17,771.
Even our senators have been racking up the dole. The local rank-and-file public servants don’t earn anything near the $40,747 that Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot) sought in 2012 reimbursements, including $2,021.37 for a June energy conference in St. John’s in Newfoundland, Canada. That must have been a nice little vacation from the heat of Arkansas. What did they really learn there?
Perhaps our legislators can explain their reimbursements.
What did Republican Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy) submit for his $37,274?
At least the local members of the House of Representatives are on the bottom end of the reimbursement list. House Speaker Davy Carter (R-Cabot) had submitted only $7,050 for reimbursement by the time the list was complied. Rep. Mark Perry (D-Jacksonville) had $8,979 and Rep. Jane English (R-North Little Rock) $10,147.
Rep. John Edwards (D-North Little Rock) and former Sen. Ruth Whitaker (R-Cedarville) did even better: They claimed zero expenses last year. They belong on our honor roll of true public servants.
Upon hearing of expense account abuse and other monkey business, we thought state voters really ought to impose tougher term limit controls, reducing the number of years legislators could serve. Instead of letting them serve three terms in the House and two terms in the Senate, why not limit legislators to two terms in the House and one in the Senate? Four years and they’re out.
Additionally, legislators should not be appointed agency directors and on boards as soon as they leave office. Make them ineligible for at least as many years that they have served in the Legislature. The same thing would apply for jobs as lobbyists. The Legislature shouldn’t serve as a revolving door to corporate jobs or to political patronage.
Former Sen. Gilbert Baker of Conway is the latest political insider to move from the Capitol to a cushy job as lobbyist for the University of Central Arkansas in his home town. The former music teacher will make $132,000 a year to ask his erstwhile colleagues for more money for UCA, a public institution that has a record of hiring well-connected politicians — remember Lu Hardin and Allen Meadors? — who will always spend lavishly on themselves and their inner circle until the law makes them stop.
Sadly, we can have the toughest term limits, but many of these folks just keep going through the revolving door and getting on the public payroll as if these weren’t hard times enough. A recession? They never heard of it.
Yet these same legislators continue to waste millions of dollars of taxpayers money with questionable expenses. In addition to the personal perks, such as charging the state rent for their offices in their homes and businesses, dozens of lawmakers have given themselves gold-plated health-insurance programs that they would deny their fellow Arkansans.
Fifty-two of 100 members of the Arkansas House of Representatives and 21 of 35 state senators think they are entitled to a benefit normally reserved for full-time state employees. They are abusing the system by electing to be on the state health-insurance program.
As for their personal expense account, it was reported Sunday in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that these part-time legislators have been racking up millions in per diem, mileage and expenses: $3.87 million last year and $5.06 million in 2011. The worst offender was former Sen. Randy Laverty (D-Jasper), who charged us, as taxpayers, $52,894 for travel out of state and to state meetings, expenses and per diem.
It must be pretty nice to get that on top of their annual salaries for basically a three-month job. Laverty, it goes without saying, now has a cushy state job.
Lawmakers earn $15,866 except the House speaker and Senate president pro tempore, who get $17,771.
Even our senators have been racking up the dole. The local rank-and-file public servants don’t earn anything near the $40,747 that Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot) sought in 2012 reimbursements, including $2,021.37 for a June energy conference in St. John’s in Newfoundland, Canada. That must have been a nice little vacation from the heat of Arkansas. What did they really learn there?
Perhaps our legislators can explain their reimbursements.
What did Republican Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy) submit for his $37,274?
At least the local members of the House of Representatives are on the bottom end of the reimbursement list. House Speaker Davy Carter (R-Cabot) had submitted only $7,050 for reimbursement by the time the list was complied. Rep. Mark Perry (D-Jacksonville) had $8,979 and Rep. Jane English (R-North Little Rock) $10,147.
Rep. John Edwards (D-North Little Rock) and former Sen. Ruth Whitaker (R-Cedarville) did even better: They claimed zero expenses last year. They belong on our honor roll of true public servants.
Upon hearing of expense account abuse and other monkey business, we thought state voters really ought to impose tougher term limit controls, reducing the number of years legislators could serve. Instead of letting them serve three terms in the House and two terms in the Senate, why not limit legislators to two terms in the House and one in the Senate? Four years and they’re out.
Additionally, legislators should not be appointed agency directors and on boards as soon as they leave office. Make them ineligible for at least as many years that they have served in the Legislature. The same thing would apply for jobs as lobbyists. The Legislature shouldn’t serve as a revolving door to corporate jobs or to political patronage.
Former Sen. Gilbert Baker of Conway is the latest political insider to move from the Capitol to a cushy job as lobbyist for the University of Central Arkansas in his home town. The former music teacher will make $132,000 a year to ask his erstwhile colleagues for more money for UCA, a public institution that has a record of hiring well-connected politicians — remember Lu Hardin and Allen Meadors? — who will always spend lavishly on themselves and their inner circle until the law makes them stop.
Sadly, we can have the toughest term limits, but many of these folks just keep going through the revolving door and getting on the public payroll as if these weren’t hard times enough. A recession? They never heard of it.
TOP STORY >> Cabot High School grad Grammy-award winner
By EILEEN FELDMAN
Leader managing editor
Former Cabot resident Laura Inman is featured on “Life and Breath: the Music of Rene Clausen,” which garnered two Grammy awards Sunday for the Phoenix Chorale’s artistic director, Charles Bruffy.
Inman, who has been a part of two other Grammy awarding-winning albums, said it was exciting and gives the groups a chance to expose their music to the public.
“Once people hear it they fall in love with it. It’s beautiful music and singing and wonderful direction,” she said.
Bruffy won for his work on the album with the Kansas City Chorale, according to a story in the Phoenix daily paper, the Arizona Republic.
Dr. Inman, who has a doctorate in choral conducting, is a 1995 Cabot High School graduate and the daughter of Paula Inman and the late Dr. Fred Inman of Cabot and the granddaughter of the late Dr. Fred and Sara Inman of Carlisle.
She has been nominated for a Grammy 10 times on four different albums.
“The first time we won a Grammy was in 2007 with a joint recording of the Phoenix and Kansas City chorales. Then in 2008 we won Best Small Ensemble Performance with an album released by the Phoenix Chorale,” she said.
“There have been just so many talented people I’ve been able to work with and learn from and it has added to the depth of my life,” she said.
Inman is assistant professor and conductor of choral and vocal ensembles and vocal studies at Georgia Tech School of Music in Atlanta, moving there this past year from Phoenix.
She sang with the Phoenix Chorale for 11 years and was often a guest singer in the Kansas City group. Both chorales are directed by the same conductor.
An interview in the Georgia Tech School of Music Website Nique.net noted that “Life and Breath” was nominated for two Grammy awards for best chorale performance and best engineering on the Chandos record label.
It won Grammys for both.
Inman said, “The nominees were announced Dec. 5. I had actually just landed in Dublin, where I was singing in a three-week tour with the Irish group Anúna, I didn’t have internet access for nearly a day after the news broke. I was thrilled when I heard and so happy for Kansas City. It’s always an honor to be nominated among so many amazing musicians and to participate in the festivities.”
Inman said in the interview, “I’ve been involved in music as long as I can remember. My family was very musical, played various instruments, sang in choirs, and we always had a variety of music blaring from the speakers, from Béla Fleck to Bach. I began studying voice seriously at the University of Louisville, where I earned a degree in music education, as I’ve always loved to teach. I continued studies at Arizona State University and earned a master’s and doctorate in conducting.”
“Phoenix was a fantastic place for me as a singer, as well,” she continued. “Shortly after moving to Arizona, I auditioned and sang for 11 years in a professional choir, the Phoenix Chorale, directed by the extraordinary Charles Bruffy. Charles also conducted the Kansas City Chorale, which is how I became connected with the group,” she said.
Inman will be joining a Manhattan chorale and will tour New York and Chicago in May and April. She’ll also sing with the Irish group again.
She holds degrees from the University of Louisville and Arizona State University, where she recently completed her doctorate. Dr. Inman served two years as the assistant director of the Phoenix Symphony Chorus and served five years on faculty at Veritas Preparatory Academy in Phoenix.
As a professional singer, she sang 11 seasons as a soprano in the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale. She appeared on the Phoenix Chorale’s two Grammy Award-winning albums, “Grechaninov: Passion Week” and “Spotless Rose” and also on the Grammy-nominated album “Rheinberger: Sacred Choral Works.”
She also appears on the Phoenix Chorale’s newest album featuring the music of Ola Gjeilo and the Kansas City Chorale’s newest album featuring the music of Rene Clausen, both released this spring.
She performed with the Phoenix Chorale at Lincoln Center and in South Korea at the Incheon International Choral Festival.
Dr. Inman received her doctorate in choral conducting in 2008 from the Arizona State School of Music in Tempe, Ariz. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Chorus America and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Leader staff writer Rick Kron contributed to this report.
Leader managing editor
Former Cabot resident Laura Inman is featured on “Life and Breath: the Music of Rene Clausen,” which garnered two Grammy awards Sunday for the Phoenix Chorale’s artistic director, Charles Bruffy.
Inman, who has been a part of two other Grammy awarding-winning albums, said it was exciting and gives the groups a chance to expose their music to the public.
“Once people hear it they fall in love with it. It’s beautiful music and singing and wonderful direction,” she said.
Bruffy won for his work on the album with the Kansas City Chorale, according to a story in the Phoenix daily paper, the Arizona Republic.
Dr. Inman, who has a doctorate in choral conducting, is a 1995 Cabot High School graduate and the daughter of Paula Inman and the late Dr. Fred Inman of Cabot and the granddaughter of the late Dr. Fred and Sara Inman of Carlisle.
She has been nominated for a Grammy 10 times on four different albums.
“The first time we won a Grammy was in 2007 with a joint recording of the Phoenix and Kansas City chorales. Then in 2008 we won Best Small Ensemble Performance with an album released by the Phoenix Chorale,” she said.
“There have been just so many talented people I’ve been able to work with and learn from and it has added to the depth of my life,” she said.
Inman is assistant professor and conductor of choral and vocal ensembles and vocal studies at Georgia Tech School of Music in Atlanta, moving there this past year from Phoenix.
She sang with the Phoenix Chorale for 11 years and was often a guest singer in the Kansas City group. Both chorales are directed by the same conductor.
An interview in the Georgia Tech School of Music Website Nique.net noted that “Life and Breath” was nominated for two Grammy awards for best chorale performance and best engineering on the Chandos record label.
It won Grammys for both.
Inman said, “The nominees were announced Dec. 5. I had actually just landed in Dublin, where I was singing in a three-week tour with the Irish group Anúna, I didn’t have internet access for nearly a day after the news broke. I was thrilled when I heard and so happy for Kansas City. It’s always an honor to be nominated among so many amazing musicians and to participate in the festivities.”
Inman said in the interview, “I’ve been involved in music as long as I can remember. My family was very musical, played various instruments, sang in choirs, and we always had a variety of music blaring from the speakers, from Béla Fleck to Bach. I began studying voice seriously at the University of Louisville, where I earned a degree in music education, as I’ve always loved to teach. I continued studies at Arizona State University and earned a master’s and doctorate in conducting.”
“Phoenix was a fantastic place for me as a singer, as well,” she continued. “Shortly after moving to Arizona, I auditioned and sang for 11 years in a professional choir, the Phoenix Chorale, directed by the extraordinary Charles Bruffy. Charles also conducted the Kansas City Chorale, which is how I became connected with the group,” she said.
Inman will be joining a Manhattan chorale and will tour New York and Chicago in May and April. She’ll also sing with the Irish group again.
She holds degrees from the University of Louisville and Arizona State University, where she recently completed her doctorate. Dr. Inman served two years as the assistant director of the Phoenix Symphony Chorus and served five years on faculty at Veritas Preparatory Academy in Phoenix.
As a professional singer, she sang 11 seasons as a soprano in the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale. She appeared on the Phoenix Chorale’s two Grammy Award-winning albums, “Grechaninov: Passion Week” and “Spotless Rose” and also on the Grammy-nominated album “Rheinberger: Sacred Choral Works.”
She also appears on the Phoenix Chorale’s newest album featuring the music of Ola Gjeilo and the Kansas City Chorale’s newest album featuring the music of Rene Clausen, both released this spring.
She performed with the Phoenix Chorale at Lincoln Center and in South Korea at the Incheon International Choral Festival.
Dr. Inman received her doctorate in choral conducting in 2008 from the Arizona State School of Music in Tempe, Ariz. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Chorus America and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Leader staff writer Rick Kron contributed to this report.
TOP STORY >> Newspaper’s outdoorsman will lead Ducks Unlimited
By JONATHAN FELDMAN
Leader editor
Matt Robinson of Cabot will be the next chairman of Arkansas Ducks Unlimited. He was elected to serve in 2014 during the conservation group’s state convention on Saturday in Little Rock.
“I am so excited. I’m going to work hard to make Arkansas the No. 1 fundraiser for Ducks Unlimited. I want us to continue to do well, and I’ll try hard,” Robinson said.
The 35-year-old newspaper executive, who is The Leader’s publications manager, has been a volunteer since 1999 for the largest wetlands conservation group in the world. He is the youngest-ever chairman of Arkansas Ducks Unlimited.
“We are trying to preserve our hunting heritage. I have a 12-year-old son. Without DU, who knows if he’d be able to hunt when he’s older?” Robinson said.
Volunteers like Robinson help organize numerous fundraiser dinners across the country that contribute millions of dollars that is used for protecting habitats that are vital to boosting duck populations.
“There are 88 (Ducks Unlimited) chapters in Arkansas,” he said. “There are 21 banquets in District 10 alone,” which Robinson chaired for four years. He’s well known in the area for organizing the dinners and auctions in Jacksonville, Cabot, Sherwood and Little Rock.
At the state convention this weekend, “I looked out and saw all these people who welcomed me into this group. And they’re going to let me lead them for two years,” he said.
He joined the group shortly after graduating from Jacksonville High School with encouragement from Phillip Carlisle of First Arkansas Bank and Trust and Pulaski County Justice of the Peace Bob Johnson.
“They still help me,” said Robinson, who started out selling tables at the dinners to area businesses.
Ducks Unlimited has a strong track record of spending its members’ donations on conservation projects and not on administrative expenses.
Last year, 83 cents of every dollar raised went to conservation. Only 3 percent of donations were used for administration, 16 percent on fundraising and 81 percent went to protecting waterfowl habitat. And often every dollar raised is matched six times by the federal government.
Ducks Unlimited was founded in 1937 to help restore wetlands that were badly damaged by the Dust Bowl, the ecological disaster in the ’30s caused by poor farming practices over more than a century.
“Our money is spent in North America and in the prairie potholes so that we can enjoy the winter flight of the birds here,” Robinson said.
“If it’s good for the ducks, it’s good for every living being,” he said.
“With more than one million supporters…DU has raised more than $1.5 billion and conserved nearly 11 million acres of critical wildlife habitat across North America. Wetlands are nature’s most productive ecosystems, but the United States has lost more than half of its original wetlands and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres every year,” according to its website.
Leader editor
Matt Robinson of Cabot will be the next chairman of Arkansas Ducks Unlimited. He was elected to serve in 2014 during the conservation group’s state convention on Saturday in Little Rock.
“I am so excited. I’m going to work hard to make Arkansas the No. 1 fundraiser for Ducks Unlimited. I want us to continue to do well, and I’ll try hard,” Robinson said.
The 35-year-old newspaper executive, who is The Leader’s publications manager, has been a volunteer since 1999 for the largest wetlands conservation group in the world. He is the youngest-ever chairman of Arkansas Ducks Unlimited.
“We are trying to preserve our hunting heritage. I have a 12-year-old son. Without DU, who knows if he’d be able to hunt when he’s older?” Robinson said.
Volunteers like Robinson help organize numerous fundraiser dinners across the country that contribute millions of dollars that is used for protecting habitats that are vital to boosting duck populations.
“There are 88 (Ducks Unlimited) chapters in Arkansas,” he said. “There are 21 banquets in District 10 alone,” which Robinson chaired for four years. He’s well known in the area for organizing the dinners and auctions in Jacksonville, Cabot, Sherwood and Little Rock.
At the state convention this weekend, “I looked out and saw all these people who welcomed me into this group. And they’re going to let me lead them for two years,” he said.
He joined the group shortly after graduating from Jacksonville High School with encouragement from Phillip Carlisle of First Arkansas Bank and Trust and Pulaski County Justice of the Peace Bob Johnson.
“They still help me,” said Robinson, who started out selling tables at the dinners to area businesses.
Ducks Unlimited has a strong track record of spending its members’ donations on conservation projects and not on administrative expenses.
Last year, 83 cents of every dollar raised went to conservation. Only 3 percent of donations were used for administration, 16 percent on fundraising and 81 percent went to protecting waterfowl habitat. And often every dollar raised is matched six times by the federal government.
Ducks Unlimited was founded in 1937 to help restore wetlands that were badly damaged by the Dust Bowl, the ecological disaster in the ’30s caused by poor farming practices over more than a century.
“Our money is spent in North America and in the prairie potholes so that we can enjoy the winter flight of the birds here,” Robinson said.
“If it’s good for the ducks, it’s good for every living being,” he said.
“With more than one million supporters…DU has raised more than $1.5 billion and conserved nearly 11 million acres of critical wildlife habitat across North America. Wetlands are nature’s most productive ecosystems, but the United States has lost more than half of its original wetlands and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres every year,” according to its website.
TOP STORY >> Voting set on power utility in Sherwood
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
The Sherwood City Council on Monday approved by a 5-2 vote a petition requesting a special election.
May 14 is the tentative date when voters will decide whether to repeal an ordinance that renewed the city’s contract with North Little Rock Electric through 2032, according to the Pulaski County Election Commission. The utility services 7,500 Sherwood residents.
The election will cost $25,000, according to the commission.
Don Berry, spokesman for COST — Citizens of Sherwood Together, the grassroots organization formed by the petitioners — said he didn’t expect the aldermen to vote at the meeting.
“It was a very pleasant surprise. We’re delighted that the citizens will get to vote on the issue,” he said.
Aldermen Charlie Harmon and Tim McMinn voted against the measure.
Both expressed concern that the ordinance that was required by law to be attached to the petition was in 3- or 4-point font size and printed with four pages on each 8-by-11-inch piece of paper. McMinn suggested that people who signed the petition might not have looked at the attachment because it was difficult to read.
Berry said Tuesday, “The only thing that was reduced in size was the franchise agreement. I thought it was a last ditch effort by North Little Rock to suspend the council’s pas sage determining sufficiency.”
He was referring to an e-mail North Little Rock’s city attorney Jason Carter, the interim general manager of the utility, sent to the council on Monday afternoon.
In the e-mail, Carter states that the petition is invalid because the law requires a “full and correct copy of the measure on which referendum is ordered,” and COST’s attachment was “reduced to one-fourth of the actual size.”
He concludes the e-mail with, “While I firmly believe that COST’s referendum petition is flawed, I will respect whatever decision the Sherwood City Council may reach regarding this matter. If the Sherwood City Council calls for an election, I will prepare to inform Sherwood’s citizens about the benefits of our franchise agreement. If the Sherwood City Council agrees that the petition is deficient, I will prepare my litigation team to defend in any legal challenge.”
Alderman Marina Brooks abstained from Monday’s vote.
It has been suggested that the electric decision is a conflict of interest because her husband, former Alderman Tom Brooks, owns Cinergi Contractors and recently entered into a contract with the city of North Little Rock to build sidewalks.
The alderman said previously that lawyers were consulted and they told her that her voting on the issue is legal.
Had she abstained from the vote when the council renewed the contract, the measure would still have been passed, by a 5-2 instead of a 5-3 vote.
Before Monday’s vote, residents who wanted to speak were given five minutes each to express how they felt about the electric decision and the petition.
John Boles of 1300 Corn-flower Lane questioned what petitioners hoped to gain with this election and accused COST leaders of having hidden agendas.
“The issue is not whether it’s Entergy, First Electric or North Little Rock Electric. I feel like we’re being misled on this whole thing,” he said.
Boles said people have been telling him that Sherwood is taking the $470,000 from North Little Rock and using it on The Greens at North Hills golf course.
The $470,000 a year he was referring to is a tariff the utility pays Sherwood in addition to a 4.25 percent franchise fee, which generates about $600,000 a year.
The utility’s excess revenues are returned to the local government via North Little Rock’s general fund. The $470,000 for Sherwood also comes out of those revenues.
Boles said he didn’t believe the rumor about the golf course was true.
The mayor said the $470,000 goes into Sherwood’s general fund. She said it is spent on a wide variety of things, including street repairs and police department salaries.
Kim Ferguson of 802 Autumnbrook Circle said her North Little Rock Electric bill is 14 percent higher than that of Entergy and First Electric.
She also said the process the council used to choose a provider “seemed like a big rush.”
Alderman Mike Sanders defeated Ferguson’s husband, Bob Ferguson, in the November race for Ward 1, Position 2. Kim Ferguson said that is why she started attending council meetings and getting involved in the electric issue.
She joined COST and started circulating the petition because several of the group’s members were financial management professionals and analysts.
“They’re looking toward the future. They’re looking at the big picture,” Ferguson said.
She said the council chose the $470,000 instead of the residents it is supposed to represent.
“I feel the council voted to put money into the city’s budget instead of for individual families,” Ferguson added.
Amy Sanders of 708 Wildwood Ave. said no one had addressed what another utility would have to pay for North Little Rock Electric’s infrastructure if Sherwood did switch providers. Sanders said that cost, which could be as much as $20 million, would be passed on to ratepayers.
She served on a citizen’s committee appointed by the mayor. The group recommended Sherwood stay with North Little Rock Electric.
“To me it was black and white. Why should we change when nothing is wrong?” Sanders asked.
Charlie Wood of 210 N. Devon Ave. said he works for Entergy and knows the business.
Wood argued that the other two utilities have to receive approval from the state to raise rates while North Little Rock Electric only needs to have a few board members agree that the utility needs more money from customers.
He also said, “(The $470,000 is) a real need. It’s not right to take it out of my pocket like a hidden tax.”
Wood added that he would vote to stay with North Little Rock Electric if the utility offered customers the same refunds the other two providers offer their customers. But he said he didn’t think that was probable.
Roger Bynum of 202 Dogwood Lane said, “I believe it’s very inappropriate that a certain segment of the population pays so much more (for electricity).”
Bynum said North Little Rock Electric customers shouldn’t have to contribute more money to Sherwood’s general fund than the rest of the residents, which they are doing through the utility’s $470,000 tariff.
Robert Hardin of 212 Katye Lane, the next speaker, agreed with Bynum.
Lou Mangrum of 8500 Pennwood Drive and Rod Radlein of 1613 Britney Drive were in favor of sticking with North Little Rock Electric.
Radlein said rates don’t matter and that fees, like those Entergy passed on to cover damage caused by the Christmas Day snowstorm, are more important when it comes to electric bills.
He said Entergy’s and First Electric’s infrastructure is aging and ratepayers will be footing the bills for repairs and upkeep later. Radlein said, “Most of (their infrastructure is) older than everyone in this building.”
He added, “It just doesn’t make any sense (to change providers).”
Several who agreed with the two men said North Little Rock Electric was more reliable during an outage crisis, like an ice storm, than Entergy.
Ferguson said Entergy and First Electric have a reliability rate of 99 percent in Sherwood while North Little Rock Electric could not provide her with any figures.
Karilyn Brown of 335 Alanbrook Ave. said North Little Rock Electric is a “cash cow” for Sherwood’s neighboring city. She said, “There were so many thoughtful and intelligent people who had concerns (about the electric decision).”
Deb Flynn of 108 Heather Drive said she signed the petition because she wanted her opinion on the matter to be heard. “Why can’t we invest in this? Let us at least have a voice,” Flynn said.
Several North Little Rock Electric customers at the meeting who wanted to stay with the utility asked how it was fair that everyone in the city, regardless of who their provider is, gets to make that choice for them.
Alderman Mary Jo Heye said the electric decision affects all residents because most of the city’s public buildings have North Little Rock Electric. She said all residents would be impacted by a change of utility providers in those buildings.
But Heye acknowledged that North Little Rock Electric customers would see the impact of a change in providers more than everyone else.
Heye also said the city should have hired an independent expert with “no dog in the hunt” to help the council choose between the three electric providers.
She pointed out that no one on the council and no one on the citizen’s committee is an expert in that field. She suggested that the information provided to Sherwood officials by the competing utilities, including technical details, was confusing and taken at face value.
Leader staff writer
The Sherwood City Council on Monday approved by a 5-2 vote a petition requesting a special election.
May 14 is the tentative date when voters will decide whether to repeal an ordinance that renewed the city’s contract with North Little Rock Electric through 2032, according to the Pulaski County Election Commission. The utility services 7,500 Sherwood residents.
The election will cost $25,000, according to the commission.
Don Berry, spokesman for COST — Citizens of Sherwood Together, the grassroots organization formed by the petitioners — said he didn’t expect the aldermen to vote at the meeting.
“It was a very pleasant surprise. We’re delighted that the citizens will get to vote on the issue,” he said.
Aldermen Charlie Harmon and Tim McMinn voted against the measure.
Both expressed concern that the ordinance that was required by law to be attached to the petition was in 3- or 4-point font size and printed with four pages on each 8-by-11-inch piece of paper. McMinn suggested that people who signed the petition might not have looked at the attachment because it was difficult to read.
Berry said Tuesday, “The only thing that was reduced in size was the franchise agreement. I thought it was a last ditch effort by North Little Rock to suspend the council’s pas sage determining sufficiency.”
He was referring to an e-mail North Little Rock’s city attorney Jason Carter, the interim general manager of the utility, sent to the council on Monday afternoon.
In the e-mail, Carter states that the petition is invalid because the law requires a “full and correct copy of the measure on which referendum is ordered,” and COST’s attachment was “reduced to one-fourth of the actual size.”
He concludes the e-mail with, “While I firmly believe that COST’s referendum petition is flawed, I will respect whatever decision the Sherwood City Council may reach regarding this matter. If the Sherwood City Council calls for an election, I will prepare to inform Sherwood’s citizens about the benefits of our franchise agreement. If the Sherwood City Council agrees that the petition is deficient, I will prepare my litigation team to defend in any legal challenge.”
Alderman Marina Brooks abstained from Monday’s vote.
It has been suggested that the electric decision is a conflict of interest because her husband, former Alderman Tom Brooks, owns Cinergi Contractors and recently entered into a contract with the city of North Little Rock to build sidewalks.
The alderman said previously that lawyers were consulted and they told her that her voting on the issue is legal.
Had she abstained from the vote when the council renewed the contract, the measure would still have been passed, by a 5-2 instead of a 5-3 vote.
Before Monday’s vote, residents who wanted to speak were given five minutes each to express how they felt about the electric decision and the petition.
John Boles of 1300 Corn-flower Lane questioned what petitioners hoped to gain with this election and accused COST leaders of having hidden agendas.
“The issue is not whether it’s Entergy, First Electric or North Little Rock Electric. I feel like we’re being misled on this whole thing,” he said.
Boles said people have been telling him that Sherwood is taking the $470,000 from North Little Rock and using it on The Greens at North Hills golf course.
The $470,000 a year he was referring to is a tariff the utility pays Sherwood in addition to a 4.25 percent franchise fee, which generates about $600,000 a year.
The utility’s excess revenues are returned to the local government via North Little Rock’s general fund. The $470,000 for Sherwood also comes out of those revenues.
Boles said he didn’t believe the rumor about the golf course was true.
The mayor said the $470,000 goes into Sherwood’s general fund. She said it is spent on a wide variety of things, including street repairs and police department salaries.
Kim Ferguson of 802 Autumnbrook Circle said her North Little Rock Electric bill is 14 percent higher than that of Entergy and First Electric.
She also said the process the council used to choose a provider “seemed like a big rush.”
Alderman Mike Sanders defeated Ferguson’s husband, Bob Ferguson, in the November race for Ward 1, Position 2. Kim Ferguson said that is why she started attending council meetings and getting involved in the electric issue.
She joined COST and started circulating the petition because several of the group’s members were financial management professionals and analysts.
“They’re looking toward the future. They’re looking at the big picture,” Ferguson said.
She said the council chose the $470,000 instead of the residents it is supposed to represent.
“I feel the council voted to put money into the city’s budget instead of for individual families,” Ferguson added.
Amy Sanders of 708 Wildwood Ave. said no one had addressed what another utility would have to pay for North Little Rock Electric’s infrastructure if Sherwood did switch providers. Sanders said that cost, which could be as much as $20 million, would be passed on to ratepayers.
She served on a citizen’s committee appointed by the mayor. The group recommended Sherwood stay with North Little Rock Electric.
“To me it was black and white. Why should we change when nothing is wrong?” Sanders asked.
Charlie Wood of 210 N. Devon Ave. said he works for Entergy and knows the business.
Wood argued that the other two utilities have to receive approval from the state to raise rates while North Little Rock Electric only needs to have a few board members agree that the utility needs more money from customers.
He also said, “(The $470,000 is) a real need. It’s not right to take it out of my pocket like a hidden tax.”
Wood added that he would vote to stay with North Little Rock Electric if the utility offered customers the same refunds the other two providers offer their customers. But he said he didn’t think that was probable.
Roger Bynum of 202 Dogwood Lane said, “I believe it’s very inappropriate that a certain segment of the population pays so much more (for electricity).”
Bynum said North Little Rock Electric customers shouldn’t have to contribute more money to Sherwood’s general fund than the rest of the residents, which they are doing through the utility’s $470,000 tariff.
Robert Hardin of 212 Katye Lane, the next speaker, agreed with Bynum.
Lou Mangrum of 8500 Pennwood Drive and Rod Radlein of 1613 Britney Drive were in favor of sticking with North Little Rock Electric.
Radlein said rates don’t matter and that fees, like those Entergy passed on to cover damage caused by the Christmas Day snowstorm, are more important when it comes to electric bills.
He said Entergy’s and First Electric’s infrastructure is aging and ratepayers will be footing the bills for repairs and upkeep later. Radlein said, “Most of (their infrastructure is) older than everyone in this building.”
He added, “It just doesn’t make any sense (to change providers).”
Several who agreed with the two men said North Little Rock Electric was more reliable during an outage crisis, like an ice storm, than Entergy.
Ferguson said Entergy and First Electric have a reliability rate of 99 percent in Sherwood while North Little Rock Electric could not provide her with any figures.
Karilyn Brown of 335 Alanbrook Ave. said North Little Rock Electric is a “cash cow” for Sherwood’s neighboring city. She said, “There were so many thoughtful and intelligent people who had concerns (about the electric decision).”
Deb Flynn of 108 Heather Drive said she signed the petition because she wanted her opinion on the matter to be heard. “Why can’t we invest in this? Let us at least have a voice,” Flynn said.
Several North Little Rock Electric customers at the meeting who wanted to stay with the utility asked how it was fair that everyone in the city, regardless of who their provider is, gets to make that choice for them.
Alderman Mary Jo Heye said the electric decision affects all residents because most of the city’s public buildings have North Little Rock Electric. She said all residents would be impacted by a change of utility providers in those buildings.
But Heye acknowledged that North Little Rock Electric customers would see the impact of a change in providers more than everyone else.
Heye also said the city should have hired an independent expert with “no dog in the hunt” to help the council choose between the three electric providers.
She pointed out that no one on the council and no one on the citizen’s committee is an expert in that field. She suggested that the information provided to Sherwood officials by the competing utilities, including technical details, was confusing and taken at face value.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
SPORTS STORY >> Lady Panthers fall, boys win on road
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Cabot’s late-season surge continued at Mountain Home on Friday as the Panthers coasted to a 47-30 victory over the Bombers, led by another strong defensive performance. The win also gave the Panthers (9-12, 4-6) a season sweep over Mountain Home in 7A/6A East Conference play.
“I don’t want to jinx us but we’re playing better,” Cabot coach Jerry Bridges said. “We shot the ball better and I feel like we have a chance to win a few of these games left. The more we win the more chance we have of improving our seed in the state tournament.”
Senior post player Michael Smith led the Panthers with 20 points. Cabot was 15 of 19 from the foul line for the game, including a perfect 12 of 12 in the final eight minutes, and came back from a nine-point deficit in the opening quarter to lead 25-20 at the half. The Panthers extended their lead into double digits late in the third quarter, and held the Bombers to just 10 points in the entire second half.
Kyle Thielemier added nine points for Cabot while senior point guard Bryan Shrum had six points. Senior forward Clayton Vaught finished with five points, with three for Hunter York and two each for Adolpho Iglesias and Ryan Stafford.
The playoffs are not yet a certainty for Cabot. North Little Rock is undefeated and Fort Smith Northside is 8-2. Every other 7A team in the 7A/6A East and Central conferences have four wins or fewer. Cabot, Conway and West Memphis are all 4-6. Little Rock Central is 3-7, Catholic is 2-8 and Fort Smith Southside is 1-9.
Cabot hosted Central last night in a crucial game for both teams. The Tigers beat Cabot by two points at Central two weeks ago. After that the Panthers host West Memphis then travel to Jonesboro and Searcy next week to close league play.
“Jonesboro is going to be tough at their place,” Bridges said. “We know that, we’ve talked about it. But every win we get from here on out just betters our chance at a higher seed. We went a long time without ever making the playoffs and right now we’re going for our fifth or sixth straight appearance. We just want to keep winning as much as we can and establish more and more tradition.”
The Lady Panthers were not as fortunate and fell to the Lady Bombers 50-48 in overtime Friday.
The thriller served as redemption for Mountain Home after a 22-point loss to Cabot two weeks ago at Panther Arena. The Lady Bombers improved to 16-7 overall and 6-4 in 7A/6A East Conference play while the Lady Panthers fell to 13-7 overall and 6-4 in conference play.
Cabot led the entire way until the Lady Bombers pulled ahead for the first time midway through the fourth quarter.
Mountain Home led 49-45 with less than a minute to play in overtime when senior Jaylin Bridges hit a three-point basket to make it a one-point game. The Lady Bombers added a free throw to set the final margin before Cabot missed on a pair of close-range shots to end it.
Senior Elliot Taylor led Cabot with 14 points while Bridges added 12 points. Ally Van Enk had eight points while Danielle McWilliams and Alyssa Hamilton each finished with six points for the Lady Panthers. Katie Kapler led all scorers for Mountain Home with 23 points.
Despite the winning record, the Lady Panthers still have some work to do to get into the playoffs. Little Rock Central is the only undefeated team in the East or Central. Northside is in second place at 8-2.
North Little Rock and West Memphis are tied for third at 7-3. Southside and Cabot are at 6-4 and three games ahead of seventh place Conway, who is 3-7. Mount St. Mary’s in 1-9 and mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
If the Lady Panthers win just two of their last four, they will lock up a playoff spot, but they must avoid a tie with Conway because the Lady Wampus Cats hold the tiebreaker by virtue of their win over Cabot in December.
Leader sports editor
Cabot’s late-season surge continued at Mountain Home on Friday as the Panthers coasted to a 47-30 victory over the Bombers, led by another strong defensive performance. The win also gave the Panthers (9-12, 4-6) a season sweep over Mountain Home in 7A/6A East Conference play.
“I don’t want to jinx us but we’re playing better,” Cabot coach Jerry Bridges said. “We shot the ball better and I feel like we have a chance to win a few of these games left. The more we win the more chance we have of improving our seed in the state tournament.”
Senior post player Michael Smith led the Panthers with 20 points. Cabot was 15 of 19 from the foul line for the game, including a perfect 12 of 12 in the final eight minutes, and came back from a nine-point deficit in the opening quarter to lead 25-20 at the half. The Panthers extended their lead into double digits late in the third quarter, and held the Bombers to just 10 points in the entire second half.
Kyle Thielemier added nine points for Cabot while senior point guard Bryan Shrum had six points. Senior forward Clayton Vaught finished with five points, with three for Hunter York and two each for Adolpho Iglesias and Ryan Stafford.
The playoffs are not yet a certainty for Cabot. North Little Rock is undefeated and Fort Smith Northside is 8-2. Every other 7A team in the 7A/6A East and Central conferences have four wins or fewer. Cabot, Conway and West Memphis are all 4-6. Little Rock Central is 3-7, Catholic is 2-8 and Fort Smith Southside is 1-9.
Cabot hosted Central last night in a crucial game for both teams. The Tigers beat Cabot by two points at Central two weeks ago. After that the Panthers host West Memphis then travel to Jonesboro and Searcy next week to close league play.
“Jonesboro is going to be tough at their place,” Bridges said. “We know that, we’ve talked about it. But every win we get from here on out just betters our chance at a higher seed. We went a long time without ever making the playoffs and right now we’re going for our fifth or sixth straight appearance. We just want to keep winning as much as we can and establish more and more tradition.”
The Lady Panthers were not as fortunate and fell to the Lady Bombers 50-48 in overtime Friday.
The thriller served as redemption for Mountain Home after a 22-point loss to Cabot two weeks ago at Panther Arena. The Lady Bombers improved to 16-7 overall and 6-4 in 7A/6A East Conference play while the Lady Panthers fell to 13-7 overall and 6-4 in conference play.
Cabot led the entire way until the Lady Bombers pulled ahead for the first time midway through the fourth quarter.
Mountain Home led 49-45 with less than a minute to play in overtime when senior Jaylin Bridges hit a three-point basket to make it a one-point game. The Lady Bombers added a free throw to set the final margin before Cabot missed on a pair of close-range shots to end it.
Senior Elliot Taylor led Cabot with 14 points while Bridges added 12 points. Ally Van Enk had eight points while Danielle McWilliams and Alyssa Hamilton each finished with six points for the Lady Panthers. Katie Kapler led all scorers for Mountain Home with 23 points.
Despite the winning record, the Lady Panthers still have some work to do to get into the playoffs. Little Rock Central is the only undefeated team in the East or Central. Northside is in second place at 8-2.
North Little Rock and West Memphis are tied for third at 7-3. Southside and Cabot are at 6-4 and three games ahead of seventh place Conway, who is 3-7. Mount St. Mary’s in 1-9 and mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
If the Lady Panthers win just two of their last four, they will lock up a playoff spot, but they must avoid a tie with Conway because the Lady Wampus Cats hold the tiebreaker by virtue of their win over Cabot in December.
SPORTS STORY >> Wildcats, Jonesboro dazzle in showdown
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
A 30-point night from Thomas Alexander led the top-ranked Charging Wildcats to a 75-63 win over No. 2 Jonesboro in Friday’s much anticipated 7A/6A East Conference showdown at North Little Rock Arena.
North Little Rock (21-1, 10-0) led by as many as 18 points late in the third quarter, but by the 2:03 mark of the fourth, Jonesboro (20-4, 8-2) cut the margin down to six. After scrambling fora loose ball underneath the basket, senior reserve center Cameron Williams ended North Little Rock’s scoring drought with a two pointer inside the paint that pushed the lead back to eight.
Williams grabbed a defensive rebound on the Golden Hurricane’s next possession and set up a three pointer by Alexander with 1:23 to play that all but ended Jonesboro’s chance of a comeback.
“We just stepped up and made plays,” said North Little Rock coach Johnny Rice about his team. “I thought we played hard. I thought we did a pretty good job defensively on the half-court end. That’s something we’ve been working on a lot. I knew it was going to be an up-and-down game. It looked kind of scary for a little while when they came back after we were up 16, 18. But Jonesboro is a good team.”
The respective teams traded leads eight times in the first quarter, but North Little Rock was the team on top at the end of one, leading 17-15. Alexander scored North Little Rock’s first six points of the game.
The first field goal came on a layup after a steal at half court, and the next two field goals came on tip-ins.
“Coach told me at the beginning of the game that he wanted me to come out with a lot of energy, so I had to do it for him,” said Alexander. “Last game I had a tech, so I had to make up for it. I wanted to come out with energy, get on the ball and play great defense, and we got the win.”
Alexander’s 30 points led all scorers. He also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds and blocked three shots. Eight of Alexander’s points came in the second quarter as NLR pushed its lead to 36-28 at halftime.
A basket by Gary Vines 21 seconds into the third quarter pushed the Charging Wildcats’ lead to double digits, but Jonesboro quickly cut it to six with a 4-0 run. Consecutive threes by Alexander and Dayshawn Watkins put the Wildcats back up double digits, leading 44-32. NLR built on its lead from there.
With about two and a half minutes to play in the period, North Little Rock led 54-36. But Jonesboro closed the quarter with a 5-0 run, capped off by a baseline three pointer by Malcolm Lockhart with less than a second on the game clock, which trimmed the Wildcat lead to 57-45.
Jonesboro slowly but surely chipped away at the lead in the final eight minutes. A bucket inside the paint by sophomore post player Aaron Washington made it a six-point game as the Wildcat lead dwindled to 68-62. Washington’s bucket forced Rice to call timeout with 2:03 to play.
After the timeout, Williams made his second field goal of the quarter and Alexander drained the three that sealed the win for North Little Rock. With 18.4 seconds on the clock, Vines made a pair of free throws to set the final score.
The Wildcats finished the game 27 of 51 from the floor (53 percent), 14 of 21 from the free-throw line (67 percent), and 7 of 16 from three-point range (44 percent). Jonesboro was 23 of 55 from the floor (42 percent), 15 of 29 from the charity stripe (52 percent), and 2 of 13 from beyond the arc (15 percent).
The Golden Hurricane finished with nine turnovers, with only three in the second half.
North Little Rock committed five more turnovers with 14, but was the better team on the boards with a 32-27 advantage.
Watkins finished second in scoring for North Little Rock with 15 points. He also had six assists. Vines and Kevaughn Allen scored nine apiece. Williams had eight. Kahron Ross led Jonesboro with 19 points.
North Little Rock continued conference play yesterday at home against Searcy and will travel to Marion on Friday.
Leader sportswriter
A 30-point night from Thomas Alexander led the top-ranked Charging Wildcats to a 75-63 win over No. 2 Jonesboro in Friday’s much anticipated 7A/6A East Conference showdown at North Little Rock Arena.
North Little Rock (21-1, 10-0) led by as many as 18 points late in the third quarter, but by the 2:03 mark of the fourth, Jonesboro (20-4, 8-2) cut the margin down to six. After scrambling fora loose ball underneath the basket, senior reserve center Cameron Williams ended North Little Rock’s scoring drought with a two pointer inside the paint that pushed the lead back to eight.
Williams grabbed a defensive rebound on the Golden Hurricane’s next possession and set up a three pointer by Alexander with 1:23 to play that all but ended Jonesboro’s chance of a comeback.
“We just stepped up and made plays,” said North Little Rock coach Johnny Rice about his team. “I thought we played hard. I thought we did a pretty good job defensively on the half-court end. That’s something we’ve been working on a lot. I knew it was going to be an up-and-down game. It looked kind of scary for a little while when they came back after we were up 16, 18. But Jonesboro is a good team.”
The respective teams traded leads eight times in the first quarter, but North Little Rock was the team on top at the end of one, leading 17-15. Alexander scored North Little Rock’s first six points of the game.
The first field goal came on a layup after a steal at half court, and the next two field goals came on tip-ins.
“Coach told me at the beginning of the game that he wanted me to come out with a lot of energy, so I had to do it for him,” said Alexander. “Last game I had a tech, so I had to make up for it. I wanted to come out with energy, get on the ball and play great defense, and we got the win.”
Alexander’s 30 points led all scorers. He also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds and blocked three shots. Eight of Alexander’s points came in the second quarter as NLR pushed its lead to 36-28 at halftime.
A basket by Gary Vines 21 seconds into the third quarter pushed the Charging Wildcats’ lead to double digits, but Jonesboro quickly cut it to six with a 4-0 run. Consecutive threes by Alexander and Dayshawn Watkins put the Wildcats back up double digits, leading 44-32. NLR built on its lead from there.
With about two and a half minutes to play in the period, North Little Rock led 54-36. But Jonesboro closed the quarter with a 5-0 run, capped off by a baseline three pointer by Malcolm Lockhart with less than a second on the game clock, which trimmed the Wildcat lead to 57-45.
Jonesboro slowly but surely chipped away at the lead in the final eight minutes. A bucket inside the paint by sophomore post player Aaron Washington made it a six-point game as the Wildcat lead dwindled to 68-62. Washington’s bucket forced Rice to call timeout with 2:03 to play.
After the timeout, Williams made his second field goal of the quarter and Alexander drained the three that sealed the win for North Little Rock. With 18.4 seconds on the clock, Vines made a pair of free throws to set the final score.
The Wildcats finished the game 27 of 51 from the floor (53 percent), 14 of 21 from the free-throw line (67 percent), and 7 of 16 from three-point range (44 percent). Jonesboro was 23 of 55 from the floor (42 percent), 15 of 29 from the charity stripe (52 percent), and 2 of 13 from beyond the arc (15 percent).
The Golden Hurricane finished with nine turnovers, with only three in the second half.
North Little Rock committed five more turnovers with 14, but was the better team on the boards with a 32-27 advantage.
Watkins finished second in scoring for North Little Rock with 15 points. He also had six assists. Vines and Kevaughn Allen scored nine apiece. Williams had eight. Kahron Ross led Jonesboro with 19 points.
North Little Rock continued conference play yesterday at home against Searcy and will travel to Marion on Friday.
SPORTS STORY >> Bears show growth with comeback on the road
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills Bears picked up a pair of conference wins last week. On Friday the Bears handled visiting and winless Little Rock Christian Academy 52-36, but it was Tuesday’s game that showed real growth from the inexperienced squad.
The Bears made the long road trip to Helena to take on the Central Cougars. After trailing by as many as 20 points in the second quarter, the Bears clawed their way back to force overtime, and went on to win 76-71.
“That’s the kind of game that shows that a young and inexperienced team is growing,” Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis said. “There have been other games this year when we’ve gotten down like that, and just didn’t show we had what it takes to fight back. Well they fought back in this one, and did it in what’s traditionally a very tough place to play.”
Junior guard Ronnie Hinton is finding his range from outside. He hit five three pointers in Tuesday’s win, including two in the overtime period. He finished with a game-high 20 points.
Armoni Armond added 20 points and 11 rebounds at Helena. The same duo led the Bears in their win on Friday against Little Rock Christian.
Armond finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Hinton drained four more three pointers to finish with 13 points.
“Deion Patton hit for 38 percent on three pointers for us last year, and that’s about the best we’ve ever had,” Davis said of his departed point guard. “Ronnie is hitting at about the same percentage, maybe even up around 40 percent, and he shoots a lot more than Deion did. He’s one of the best shooters I’ve had here.”
Davis is also very pleased with the progress that Armond has made this year, and believes he has even more to look forward to.
“He’s become a double-double guy for us every night,” Davis said. “And I don’t think he’s really tapped his potential yet. He’s got a chance to be a special player.”
The Lady Bears, who are 7-4 in league play, also played two hard-fought games last week. They beat Central 50-45, then lost at home to Little Rock Christian Academy (9-2) 57-46.
Despite the loss, the Lady Bears have a playoff spot locked up. With only three league games remaining, Sylvan Hills is four games ahead of fifth place. They played a big game last night against Pulaski Academy after deadlines. A win would mean a tie for third place in the conference standings with the Lady Bruins, and the seedings would go to the tiebreaker rules.
Look for details of that game in Saturday’s edition of The Leader.
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills Bears picked up a pair of conference wins last week. On Friday the Bears handled visiting and winless Little Rock Christian Academy 52-36, but it was Tuesday’s game that showed real growth from the inexperienced squad.
The Bears made the long road trip to Helena to take on the Central Cougars. After trailing by as many as 20 points in the second quarter, the Bears clawed their way back to force overtime, and went on to win 76-71.
“That’s the kind of game that shows that a young and inexperienced team is growing,” Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis said. “There have been other games this year when we’ve gotten down like that, and just didn’t show we had what it takes to fight back. Well they fought back in this one, and did it in what’s traditionally a very tough place to play.”
Junior guard Ronnie Hinton is finding his range from outside. He hit five three pointers in Tuesday’s win, including two in the overtime period. He finished with a game-high 20 points.
Armoni Armond added 20 points and 11 rebounds at Helena. The same duo led the Bears in their win on Friday against Little Rock Christian.
Armond finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Hinton drained four more three pointers to finish with 13 points.
“Deion Patton hit for 38 percent on three pointers for us last year, and that’s about the best we’ve ever had,” Davis said of his departed point guard. “Ronnie is hitting at about the same percentage, maybe even up around 40 percent, and he shoots a lot more than Deion did. He’s one of the best shooters I’ve had here.”
Davis is also very pleased with the progress that Armond has made this year, and believes he has even more to look forward to.
“He’s become a double-double guy for us every night,” Davis said. “And I don’t think he’s really tapped his potential yet. He’s got a chance to be a special player.”
The Lady Bears, who are 7-4 in league play, also played two hard-fought games last week. They beat Central 50-45, then lost at home to Little Rock Christian Academy (9-2) 57-46.
Despite the loss, the Lady Bears have a playoff spot locked up. With only three league games remaining, Sylvan Hills is four games ahead of fifth place. They played a big game last night against Pulaski Academy after deadlines. A win would mean a tie for third place in the conference standings with the Lady Bruins, and the seedings would go to the tiebreaker rules.
Look for details of that game in Saturday’s edition of The Leader.
SPORTS STORY >> Jacksonville barely gets by Sylvan Hills
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville freshmen boys team won the River City Conference tournament championship on Monday, beating Sylvan Hills 49-46 in a thrilling overtime finish.
Jacksonville won the regular-season championship as well and was the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Sylvan Hills got the two seed, but has been playing without its starting point guard for most of the season since varsity coach Kevin Davis moved Cordy Winston up to the varsity team.
Despite the loss of a key player, the Bears rallied and had the top seed and tournament host on the ropes late in the fourth quarter.
Each team missed numerous free throws and field goals in the final minute to send it to overtime tied at 42. Jacksonville got the faster start in the extra three-minute period, scoring six-straight points and taking a 48-42 lead with 1:32 remaining, mostly due to offensive rebounds, an area Sylvan Hills had dominated the entire game.
“I think they just got tired at the end,” Jacksonville coach Tirrell Brown said of Sylvan Hills. “We played a lot more guys and they’re basically down to seven total players. They’re starting point guard was moved up to varsity and I think they lost another kid to injury. But they basically couldn’t substitute and had about three guys that played the whole game.”
Jacksonville (15-2) missed five of its last six free-throw attempts in the overtime period, but offensive rebounds and putbacks made up for four of them. After guard LaQuan Smith made his first two free throws for a 44-42 Jacksonville lead, D’Marcus Hinton and Fonzell Jones followed missed free throws with putbacks that gave the Red Devils a 48-42 lead with a minute left in the overtime period.
“I talked to D’Marcus and said you’ve got to compete – just compete,” Brown said. “You’re 6-foot-4 – compete. The team as a whole, Sylvan Hills is a lot more competitive than we are. That’s sort of been our Achilles heel all season. We’re more talented, but they compete a lot harder than we do and that’s why they almost won this game.”
Sylvan Hills’ Jaylen Wright got a short jumper to cut the margin to four. After a defensive stop, Wright followed two Jabari Brewer missed free throws with an offensive rebound and putback that made it 48-46 with 19 seconds remaining.
Jacksonville fouled Smith with seven seconds left, who hit one of two. Sylvan Hills (16-4) called timeout with five seconds remaining to set up a final shot. Kaylon Love got a good look at a three pointer, but his shot was off the mark as the buzzer sounded.
The Bears had several chances to win the game in regulation. With the score tied, the Bears missed a three pointer, got an offensive rebound and was fouled. They missed the front end of the one-and-one, but again got the rebound. Wright missed a shot but Kaleb Williams got the rebound and dished out to Love, who missed a mid-range jumper as the buzzer sounded to send the game to overtime.
Jacksonville began to pull away late in the first quarter, but Sylvan Hills answered quickly. The Red Devils scored the first bucket of the second quarter to cap a 12-1 run that gave them a 14-7 lead. Sylvan Hills answered with a fast 6-0 run that made it 14-13 and the game was nip-and-tuck the rest of the way. Neither team led by more than three points until Jacksonville took the six-point lead in overtime.
The Bears won the battle of the boards 28-20 against the bigger Red Devils. Wright led all players with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Both teams had a balanced scoring attack. Samuel Williams added nine for Sylvan Hills while Jaylon Jordan scored eight. All seven Bears got on the scoreboard.
Smith led Jacksonville with 12 points, half coming from the foul line. Hinton scored 11 and fellow post player Jones added 10 for the Red Devils. Brown was pleased with how his team worked the ball inside for good looks.
“Our ball movement and offensive execution has been pretty consistent all season,” Brown said. “Sylvan Hills played us a 1-3-1 and that’s what you do against that defense. You try to move the ball and get good looks for your inside guys. We did a pretty good job of that and the post guys made their shots. It’s always important to finish.”
The Bears knocked off White Hall on Saturday to get to the championship while Jacksonville put away Watson Chapel.
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville freshmen boys team won the River City Conference tournament championship on Monday, beating Sylvan Hills 49-46 in a thrilling overtime finish.
Jacksonville won the regular-season championship as well and was the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Sylvan Hills got the two seed, but has been playing without its starting point guard for most of the season since varsity coach Kevin Davis moved Cordy Winston up to the varsity team.
Despite the loss of a key player, the Bears rallied and had the top seed and tournament host on the ropes late in the fourth quarter.
Each team missed numerous free throws and field goals in the final minute to send it to overtime tied at 42. Jacksonville got the faster start in the extra three-minute period, scoring six-straight points and taking a 48-42 lead with 1:32 remaining, mostly due to offensive rebounds, an area Sylvan Hills had dominated the entire game.
“I think they just got tired at the end,” Jacksonville coach Tirrell Brown said of Sylvan Hills. “We played a lot more guys and they’re basically down to seven total players. They’re starting point guard was moved up to varsity and I think they lost another kid to injury. But they basically couldn’t substitute and had about three guys that played the whole game.”
Jacksonville (15-2) missed five of its last six free-throw attempts in the overtime period, but offensive rebounds and putbacks made up for four of them. After guard LaQuan Smith made his first two free throws for a 44-42 Jacksonville lead, D’Marcus Hinton and Fonzell Jones followed missed free throws with putbacks that gave the Red Devils a 48-42 lead with a minute left in the overtime period.
“I talked to D’Marcus and said you’ve got to compete – just compete,” Brown said. “You’re 6-foot-4 – compete. The team as a whole, Sylvan Hills is a lot more competitive than we are. That’s sort of been our Achilles heel all season. We’re more talented, but they compete a lot harder than we do and that’s why they almost won this game.”
Sylvan Hills’ Jaylen Wright got a short jumper to cut the margin to four. After a defensive stop, Wright followed two Jabari Brewer missed free throws with an offensive rebound and putback that made it 48-46 with 19 seconds remaining.
Jacksonville fouled Smith with seven seconds left, who hit one of two. Sylvan Hills (16-4) called timeout with five seconds remaining to set up a final shot. Kaylon Love got a good look at a three pointer, but his shot was off the mark as the buzzer sounded.
The Bears had several chances to win the game in regulation. With the score tied, the Bears missed a three pointer, got an offensive rebound and was fouled. They missed the front end of the one-and-one, but again got the rebound. Wright missed a shot but Kaleb Williams got the rebound and dished out to Love, who missed a mid-range jumper as the buzzer sounded to send the game to overtime.
Jacksonville began to pull away late in the first quarter, but Sylvan Hills answered quickly. The Red Devils scored the first bucket of the second quarter to cap a 12-1 run that gave them a 14-7 lead. Sylvan Hills answered with a fast 6-0 run that made it 14-13 and the game was nip-and-tuck the rest of the way. Neither team led by more than three points until Jacksonville took the six-point lead in overtime.
The Bears won the battle of the boards 28-20 against the bigger Red Devils. Wright led all players with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Both teams had a balanced scoring attack. Samuel Williams added nine for Sylvan Hills while Jaylon Jordan scored eight. All seven Bears got on the scoreboard.
Smith led Jacksonville with 12 points, half coming from the foul line. Hinton scored 11 and fellow post player Jones added 10 for the Red Devils. Brown was pleased with how his team worked the ball inside for good looks.
“Our ball movement and offensive execution has been pretty consistent all season,” Brown said. “Sylvan Hills played us a 1-3-1 and that’s what you do against that defense. You try to move the ball and get good looks for your inside guys. We did a pretty good job of that and the post guys made their shots. It’s always important to finish.”
The Bears knocked off White Hall on Saturday to get to the championship while Jacksonville put away Watson Chapel.
SPORTS STORY >> Devils take first in thriller
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
In one of the most dramatic finishes of the season, Jacksonville’s Keith Charleston ripped the ball away from McClellan’s Terrance Jones, and along with it sole possession of first place in the 5A Central Conference. The steal came with one second left and thwarted a game-winning shot opportunity as the Red Devils held on for a 42-41 victory at McClellan High School in southwest Little Rock.
As the final buzzer sounded, Jacksonville coach Vic Joyner was much more emotional than usual.
“Because it was such an ugly game,” Joyner said. “To play as poorly as we did and still fight and claw and find a way to get a win in a game as big as this, that’s exciting.”
The hosting Crimson Lions led for a total of 31 seconds in the first three quarters. They held a two-point lead for 17 seconds in the second quarter, and a two-point lead for 14 seconds in the third. Jacksonville (18-4, 10-1) led 35-31 by the end of the third quarter, but McClellan (15-7, 9-2) started the fourth period with a 6-0 run for a 37-35 lead with 5:50 remaining in the game. That lead didn’t last long either. Jacksonville’s Sergio Berkley scored on the next possession to tie the game just 32 seconds later. About two minutes later, he hit two free throws to put Jacksonville back on top.
Jones tied it with a 15-footer with 2:21 to play. After a fruitless possession by each team, Jones missed a three pointer, Jacksonville’s Justin McCleary got the rebound, but was stripped by Tronsayne Ellis, who dished to Tyrin Hollis for a layup and a 41-39 McClellan lead with 1:10 left in the game.
Joyner called timeout with 59 seconds left. After the timeout, Jacksonville caught a big break. Ellis got another steal on in the inbound pass, but was called for double dribble as he made his way towards the Lions’ goal.
Berkley penetrated the lane on the ensuing possession and missed, but got a trip to the free-throw line on a foul call that McClellan coach Chris Threatt was not pleased with. Berkley hit one of two free throws and Jacksonville set up the press trailing by one point with 16 seconds remaining.
Jacksonville’s Brandon Brockman stripped Jones from behind along the sideline just as Jones crossed the halfcourt line. Brockman threw to McCleary who hit Charleston under the basket for a layup and a 42-41 Jacksonville lead with nine seconds remaining. Threatt called timeout to set up the last play, which saw Charleston strip Jones as he penetrated into the lane.
Threatt was vocal about his displeasure in the way the game was called in the final minute.
“If an official wants to swallow his whistle and let the players decide the game, I have no problem with that,” Threatt said. “But if you’re going to swallow it there right at the end, then swallow it at their end too. How do you call a foul like the one they called down there (motioning to Jacksonville’s end of the floor), then swallow it for essentially the same play down here?”
Threatt also wasn’t happy with the foul count in the second half.
“How is it that you have both teams pressing, both teams playing aggressive defense, but you have a foul count of 9-3 for the whole second half,” Threatt said. “Three fouls for an entire half in a game played as physically as this game was played.”
As far as his team is concerned, Threatt was pleased with the effort. He believed his team showed improvement since its dramatic three-point loss to the Red Devils at Jacksonville.
“I think we were better,” Threatt said. “We didn’t get the win, but I’ll just let the game speak for itself on why that didn’t happen.”
Jacksonville again dominated rebounding against the larger Lions, though not by quite as much as the 36-15 advantage it enjoyed in the last game. The Red Devils won 37-23 on the boards on Friday with Charleston and Brockman leading the way with eight each.
The turnover problem reared its head again for Jacksonville, as the Red Devils committed 24, the most since mid-December.
Aaron Smith was the only Red Devil to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points. McCleary and Brockman scored eight apiece.
McClellan’s Derrick Hardy led all scorers and rebounders with 15 points and nine boards.
The Red Devils hosted Helena-West Helena Central on Tuesday, then host a big home game on Friday against Pulaski Academy. The Red Devils needed overtime to beat the Bruins when the two teams met in Little Rock a month ago.
Leader sports editor
In one of the most dramatic finishes of the season, Jacksonville’s Keith Charleston ripped the ball away from McClellan’s Terrance Jones, and along with it sole possession of first place in the 5A Central Conference. The steal came with one second left and thwarted a game-winning shot opportunity as the Red Devils held on for a 42-41 victory at McClellan High School in southwest Little Rock.
As the final buzzer sounded, Jacksonville coach Vic Joyner was much more emotional than usual.
“Because it was such an ugly game,” Joyner said. “To play as poorly as we did and still fight and claw and find a way to get a win in a game as big as this, that’s exciting.”
The hosting Crimson Lions led for a total of 31 seconds in the first three quarters. They held a two-point lead for 17 seconds in the second quarter, and a two-point lead for 14 seconds in the third. Jacksonville (18-4, 10-1) led 35-31 by the end of the third quarter, but McClellan (15-7, 9-2) started the fourth period with a 6-0 run for a 37-35 lead with 5:50 remaining in the game. That lead didn’t last long either. Jacksonville’s Sergio Berkley scored on the next possession to tie the game just 32 seconds later. About two minutes later, he hit two free throws to put Jacksonville back on top.
Jones tied it with a 15-footer with 2:21 to play. After a fruitless possession by each team, Jones missed a three pointer, Jacksonville’s Justin McCleary got the rebound, but was stripped by Tronsayne Ellis, who dished to Tyrin Hollis for a layup and a 41-39 McClellan lead with 1:10 left in the game.
Joyner called timeout with 59 seconds left. After the timeout, Jacksonville caught a big break. Ellis got another steal on in the inbound pass, but was called for double dribble as he made his way towards the Lions’ goal.
Berkley penetrated the lane on the ensuing possession and missed, but got a trip to the free-throw line on a foul call that McClellan coach Chris Threatt was not pleased with. Berkley hit one of two free throws and Jacksonville set up the press trailing by one point with 16 seconds remaining.
Jacksonville’s Brandon Brockman stripped Jones from behind along the sideline just as Jones crossed the halfcourt line. Brockman threw to McCleary who hit Charleston under the basket for a layup and a 42-41 Jacksonville lead with nine seconds remaining. Threatt called timeout to set up the last play, which saw Charleston strip Jones as he penetrated into the lane.
Threatt was vocal about his displeasure in the way the game was called in the final minute.
“If an official wants to swallow his whistle and let the players decide the game, I have no problem with that,” Threatt said. “But if you’re going to swallow it there right at the end, then swallow it at their end too. How do you call a foul like the one they called down there (motioning to Jacksonville’s end of the floor), then swallow it for essentially the same play down here?”
Threatt also wasn’t happy with the foul count in the second half.
“How is it that you have both teams pressing, both teams playing aggressive defense, but you have a foul count of 9-3 for the whole second half,” Threatt said. “Three fouls for an entire half in a game played as physically as this game was played.”
As far as his team is concerned, Threatt was pleased with the effort. He believed his team showed improvement since its dramatic three-point loss to the Red Devils at Jacksonville.
“I think we were better,” Threatt said. “We didn’t get the win, but I’ll just let the game speak for itself on why that didn’t happen.”
Jacksonville again dominated rebounding against the larger Lions, though not by quite as much as the 36-15 advantage it enjoyed in the last game. The Red Devils won 37-23 on the boards on Friday with Charleston and Brockman leading the way with eight each.
The turnover problem reared its head again for Jacksonville, as the Red Devils committed 24, the most since mid-December.
Aaron Smith was the only Red Devil to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points. McCleary and Brockman scored eight apiece.
McClellan’s Derrick Hardy led all scorers and rebounders with 15 points and nine boards.
The Red Devils hosted Helena-West Helena Central on Tuesday, then host a big home game on Friday against Pulaski Academy. The Red Devils needed overtime to beat the Bruins when the two teams met in Little Rock a month ago.
Friday, February 08, 2013
TOP STORY >> Special prosecutor considers charges
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
Criminal charges could be filed by March 4 against the Ward man who admits to shooting and killing his employee, Ernest Hoskins Jr., at his home on Nov. 9.
Jack McQuary, the special prosecutor appointed at the end of January, said he got the case file this week and has not reviewed it yet. He also needs to interview the witnesses and talk to the victim’s wife, he said.
But McQuary said he foresees no deterrent to deciding if charges should be filed by the March 4 hearing date, which was set on Monday, when he told the court he would take the case.
Lonoke County Prosecutor Chuck Graham said in late November that he expected to file charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault charges against Christopher Reynolds, 34, for killing Hoskins, 21, of North Little Rock.
But by that time, Hoskins’ family had hired an attorney who was asking what the holdup was in arresting Reynolds and questioning whether the delay was because Hoskins was black and Reynolds is white.
Reynolds, who is represented by attorney Hubert Alexander of Jacksonville, has been free on a $100,000 bond since he was arrested on Nov. 24.
Graham said this week that in asking for a special prosecutor, he considered the speculation surrounding the case such as why Reynolds was detained but not arrested on the day of the shooting.
But race, Graham has maintained from the beginning, is never something he considers when prosecuting cases.
“I don’t care what color people are. We just do our job,” Graham said after Reynolds was arrested following an investigation by the State Police. “I didn’t know the victim was black until the NAACP called me.”
Graham said he asked for a special prosecutor in the case because it was clear that Hoskins family wasn’t comfortable with him, and he didn’t want to make their loss any harder.
“They’ve lost a family member,” he said. “I can’t imagine how hard that must be.”
Requests for special prosecutors go to the state Office of the Prosecutor Coordinator. Sometimes cases are assigned to elected prosecutors from other judicial districts. But the Reynolds case was given to McQuary, the only special prosecutor who works directly for the state Office of the Prosecutor Coordinator.
Graham said he had no preferences.
“At least it won’t be someone here in Lonoke County,” he said.
Reynolds admitted to killing Hoskins. But he said he was attempting to decock the .44-magnum pistol he had been holding on Hoskins when the gun discharged and shot him in the head.
During the two weeks between the shooting and Reynolds’ arrest, the Hoskins family retained Ben Crump, the attorney for the family of Trayvon Martin, the black teenager who was shot to death 13 months ago by George Zimmerman as he walked through a multi-ethnic gated community in Sanford, Fla.
Crump’s law firm specializes in wrongful death, malpractice, personal injury and civil rights cases.
The Hoskins’ case has received much media attention since Crump was hired.
Special Agent David R. Moss with the Arkansas State Police interviewed Reynolds at Ward Police Department the evening Hoskins was killed and wrote this statement that Reynolds signed according the affidavit for his arrest:
“On Nov. 9, 2012, at approximately 2 p.m., I was conducting a meeting at my house for my business. My business reduces gas mileage on vehicles. Rachel Watson, Brian Washington, Melissa Peoples and Ernest Hoskins were at my house for the meeting. All four are my employees. I was discussing with Ernest why his sales figures for the week were so low. He had lower figures than Melissa and Rachel. Ernest told me that I needed to get off my couch and work as well. We were bantering back and forth. I picked up a Desert Eagle .44 magnum pistol from behind me. I pointed the pistol at Ernest’s head and we were bantering for approximately one minute. I pulled the trigger and the gun did not go off. I then pulled the slide back and a round went into the chamber. I tried to de-cock the hammer on the pistol by pulling the trigger and holding the hammer and it moved forward. The gun then went off and struck Ernest in the face. I put the gun back up and called 911. I have had weapons and firearms training while I was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.”
McQuary has worked for the Office of the Prosecutor Coordinator for about eight years. He was one of two special prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor Coordinator for the 2007 West Memphis case involving a 12-year-old black boy who was killed by a white, West Memphis police officer. A toy gun was found near the boy’s body. The officer said he thought it was real. Criminal charges were not filed against the officer in that case. And in 2011, the boy’s family lost its federal lawsuit for $250 million.
Leader staff writer
Criminal charges could be filed by March 4 against the Ward man who admits to shooting and killing his employee, Ernest Hoskins Jr., at his home on Nov. 9.
Jack McQuary, the special prosecutor appointed at the end of January, said he got the case file this week and has not reviewed it yet. He also needs to interview the witnesses and talk to the victim’s wife, he said.
But McQuary said he foresees no deterrent to deciding if charges should be filed by the March 4 hearing date, which was set on Monday, when he told the court he would take the case.
Lonoke County Prosecutor Chuck Graham said in late November that he expected to file charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault charges against Christopher Reynolds, 34, for killing Hoskins, 21, of North Little Rock.
But by that time, Hoskins’ family had hired an attorney who was asking what the holdup was in arresting Reynolds and questioning whether the delay was because Hoskins was black and Reynolds is white.
Reynolds, who is represented by attorney Hubert Alexander of Jacksonville, has been free on a $100,000 bond since he was arrested on Nov. 24.
Graham said this week that in asking for a special prosecutor, he considered the speculation surrounding the case such as why Reynolds was detained but not arrested on the day of the shooting.
But race, Graham has maintained from the beginning, is never something he considers when prosecuting cases.
“I don’t care what color people are. We just do our job,” Graham said after Reynolds was arrested following an investigation by the State Police. “I didn’t know the victim was black until the NAACP called me.”
Graham said he asked for a special prosecutor in the case because it was clear that Hoskins family wasn’t comfortable with him, and he didn’t want to make their loss any harder.
“They’ve lost a family member,” he said. “I can’t imagine how hard that must be.”
Requests for special prosecutors go to the state Office of the Prosecutor Coordinator. Sometimes cases are assigned to elected prosecutors from other judicial districts. But the Reynolds case was given to McQuary, the only special prosecutor who works directly for the state Office of the Prosecutor Coordinator.
Graham said he had no preferences.
“At least it won’t be someone here in Lonoke County,” he said.
Reynolds admitted to killing Hoskins. But he said he was attempting to decock the .44-magnum pistol he had been holding on Hoskins when the gun discharged and shot him in the head.
During the two weeks between the shooting and Reynolds’ arrest, the Hoskins family retained Ben Crump, the attorney for the family of Trayvon Martin, the black teenager who was shot to death 13 months ago by George Zimmerman as he walked through a multi-ethnic gated community in Sanford, Fla.
Crump’s law firm specializes in wrongful death, malpractice, personal injury and civil rights cases.
The Hoskins’ case has received much media attention since Crump was hired.
Special Agent David R. Moss with the Arkansas State Police interviewed Reynolds at Ward Police Department the evening Hoskins was killed and wrote this statement that Reynolds signed according the affidavit for his arrest:
“On Nov. 9, 2012, at approximately 2 p.m., I was conducting a meeting at my house for my business. My business reduces gas mileage on vehicles. Rachel Watson, Brian Washington, Melissa Peoples and Ernest Hoskins were at my house for the meeting. All four are my employees. I was discussing with Ernest why his sales figures for the week were so low. He had lower figures than Melissa and Rachel. Ernest told me that I needed to get off my couch and work as well. We were bantering back and forth. I picked up a Desert Eagle .44 magnum pistol from behind me. I pointed the pistol at Ernest’s head and we were bantering for approximately one minute. I pulled the trigger and the gun did not go off. I then pulled the slide back and a round went into the chamber. I tried to de-cock the hammer on the pistol by pulling the trigger and holding the hammer and it moved forward. The gun then went off and struck Ernest in the face. I put the gun back up and called 911. I have had weapons and firearms training while I was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.”
McQuary has worked for the Office of the Prosecutor Coordinator for about eight years. He was one of two special prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor Coordinator for the 2007 West Memphis case involving a 12-year-old black boy who was killed by a white, West Memphis police officer. A toy gun was found near the boy’s body. The officer said he thought it was real. Criminal charges were not filed against the officer in that case. And in 2011, the boy’s family lost its federal lawsuit for $250 million.
TOP STORY >> Chamber honors seven
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
The Sherwood Chamber of Commerce honored six people and one business at its annual banquet Thursday night at the Sherwood Forest complex.
More than 200 people attended the dinner and applauded as the educator, firefighter, EMT, police officer, man and woman of the year were announced and introduced along with the business of the year.
The Man of the Year honor went to Don Hughes. Marcia Cook, the chamber’s executive director, said Hughes sincerely cares about Sherwood and puts his love for the city into action.
“You can find him out Monday through Friday doing something for the community. It might be delivering food to those in need, setting up doctor’s appointments, picking up trash or distributing coats,” Cook said.
A retired Air Force veteran, Hughes is a founding member of the Gravel Ridge Lion’s Club and very active in the Keep Sherwood Beautiful organization.
The Woman of the Year award went to Dawn Darter, the golf pro at the city-operated golf course, The Greens. She was honored for outstanding work and efforts to promote the golf course and work with young golfers.
Darter first pick up clubs as a six-year-old on the same golf course she now works at, went to college on a golf scholarship, turned pro, worked with young golfers across the country and state, and returned home when the city took control of the golf course.
The firefighter and EMT of the year were honored for their outstanding actions at the same event.
The Firefighter of the Year honor went to Sherwood Fire Chief David Teague and the EMT award went to paramedic Matt Davis.
On Aug. 27, Chief Teague was attending a very crowded council meeting where an older man passionately pleaded with the council over an issue and then sat down.
A minute later, he had slumped to the floor in full cardiac arrest. The chief, along with a nurse in the crowd, rushed to give aid, including CPR, and called for the paramedics. As soon as a police officer arrived with a portable defibrillator, the chief used it to shock the patient twice.
By the time the ambulance arrived, just a few short minutes later, the individual was alert and talking.
In the ambulance was Davis, who had just earned his paramedic license a week earlier. Davis, a 16-year veteran of the Army National Guard, had already alerted the hospital in advance and immediately hooked up a 12-lead EKG machine to the patient. The readings helped determine that there was no time to spare. He needed to go to the cath lab immediately.
Cook said, “Because of Chief Teague and Matt Davis the patient survived and has resumed a normal quality of life.”
The Educator of the Year award went to Abundant Life High School English teacher Lori Williford.
In presenting the award, Judge Butch Hale said in the 13 years that Williford has been at the school her students have consistently scored well above the ACT average and won numerous poetry awards.
“The number of her students taking AP classes for college credit is far above the state average,” Hale said.
Williford is also the producer of the school’s plays and is active in numerous community projects.
Berny Russell, who has been a Sherwood police officer since 1988, took the top cop award. Hale said Russell has the ability to do any job the department asks her to do and can be seen everywhere in Sherwood.
She runs the drug take back program, the Fourth of July program and polices the Trail of Lights for the city. Hale said she is a mentor and participates in Cops for Kids and the Sherwood Police academy.
“She is involved in so many Sherwood organizations, it’s hard to keep track,” Hale said.
The Business of the Year award went to a relative newcomer to the city, BJ’s Plants and Produce.
The longtime family-owned area business opened up a shop in Sherwood and instantly became involved with community activities, particularly the Farmer’s Market.
According to Cook, the business believes that to be part of the community you can’t just run the cash register during the day and then go home.
The guest speaker for the evening was Mark Wilcken, a producer for AETN.
At the end of the evening, outgoing chamber president Steve Cobb passed the gavel to the incoming chamber leader, Jessica Rodgers.
Leader staff writer
The Sherwood Chamber of Commerce honored six people and one business at its annual banquet Thursday night at the Sherwood Forest complex.
More than 200 people attended the dinner and applauded as the educator, firefighter, EMT, police officer, man and woman of the year were announced and introduced along with the business of the year.
The Man of the Year honor went to Don Hughes. Marcia Cook, the chamber’s executive director, said Hughes sincerely cares about Sherwood and puts his love for the city into action.
“You can find him out Monday through Friday doing something for the community. It might be delivering food to those in need, setting up doctor’s appointments, picking up trash or distributing coats,” Cook said.
A retired Air Force veteran, Hughes is a founding member of the Gravel Ridge Lion’s Club and very active in the Keep Sherwood Beautiful organization.
The Woman of the Year award went to Dawn Darter, the golf pro at the city-operated golf course, The Greens. She was honored for outstanding work and efforts to promote the golf course and work with young golfers.
Darter first pick up clubs as a six-year-old on the same golf course she now works at, went to college on a golf scholarship, turned pro, worked with young golfers across the country and state, and returned home when the city took control of the golf course.
The firefighter and EMT of the year were honored for their outstanding actions at the same event.
The Firefighter of the Year honor went to Sherwood Fire Chief David Teague and the EMT award went to paramedic Matt Davis.
On Aug. 27, Chief Teague was attending a very crowded council meeting where an older man passionately pleaded with the council over an issue and then sat down.
A minute later, he had slumped to the floor in full cardiac arrest. The chief, along with a nurse in the crowd, rushed to give aid, including CPR, and called for the paramedics. As soon as a police officer arrived with a portable defibrillator, the chief used it to shock the patient twice.
By the time the ambulance arrived, just a few short minutes later, the individual was alert and talking.
In the ambulance was Davis, who had just earned his paramedic license a week earlier. Davis, a 16-year veteran of the Army National Guard, had already alerted the hospital in advance and immediately hooked up a 12-lead EKG machine to the patient. The readings helped determine that there was no time to spare. He needed to go to the cath lab immediately.
Cook said, “Because of Chief Teague and Matt Davis the patient survived and has resumed a normal quality of life.”
The Educator of the Year award went to Abundant Life High School English teacher Lori Williford.
In presenting the award, Judge Butch Hale said in the 13 years that Williford has been at the school her students have consistently scored well above the ACT average and won numerous poetry awards.
“The number of her students taking AP classes for college credit is far above the state average,” Hale said.
Williford is also the producer of the school’s plays and is active in numerous community projects.
Berny Russell, who has been a Sherwood police officer since 1988, took the top cop award. Hale said Russell has the ability to do any job the department asks her to do and can be seen everywhere in Sherwood.
She runs the drug take back program, the Fourth of July program and polices the Trail of Lights for the city. Hale said she is a mentor and participates in Cops for Kids and the Sherwood Police academy.
“She is involved in so many Sherwood organizations, it’s hard to keep track,” Hale said.
The Business of the Year award went to a relative newcomer to the city, BJ’s Plants and Produce.
The longtime family-owned area business opened up a shop in Sherwood and instantly became involved with community activities, particularly the Farmer’s Market.
According to Cook, the business believes that to be part of the community you can’t just run the cash register during the day and then go home.
The guest speaker for the evening was Mark Wilcken, a producer for AETN.
At the end of the evening, outgoing chamber president Steve Cobb passed the gavel to the incoming chamber leader, Jessica Rodgers.
TOP STORY >> PREPARING FOR AN Earthquake
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
The nearly 50 participants in Thursday’s earthquake drill at the Lonoke County Department of Emergency Management learned that the amount of resources needed during and after disasters can be overwhelming.
Drill participants were told a 9:30 a.m. 6.0-magnitude earthquake just north of Marked Tree had slightly damaged five miles of Lewisburg Road in Austin and county residents felt it as if it were a mild quake. A 6.0-magnitude earthquake would cause bells to ring and tall objects to topple.
The emergency operation center was up and running at 10 a.m. for the earthquake response exercise.
The drill was held at the department, 200 N. Center St. in Lonoke. It was part of the national level exercise for earthquake preparedness that occurs every two years.
According to Kathy Zasimovich, the county’s emergency services coordinator, the goal of the drill is to impress upon people the importance of being prepared for a disaster, like an earthquake. Being prepared means knowing what resources will be there to help, she said.
Zasimovich explained that Lonoke County has mutual aid agreements with all counties surrounding its borders. She said if there is a resource that the county or its mutual aid partners do not have or cannot supply, her department would coordinate with the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management to obtain that resource.
One of the speakers at Thursday’s drill was David Johnston of the Arkansas Geological Survey. As he loaded his PowerPoint presentation, Zasimovich asked if anyone in the room had experienced an earthquake firsthand. She said she was a fifth-grader in Washington state when one struck as she was walking outside.
Zasimovich said, “The roads rolled. Talk about being scary.”
Thursday’s fake quake was in the New Madrid fault system, which extends 120 miles southward from Charleston, Mo., and Cairo, Ill., following I-55 to Blytheville and Marked Tree. It crosses five state lines and cuts across the Mississippi River in three places and the Ohio River in two places.
Johnston said the New Madrid zone is one of the most hazardous earthquake areas in the United States. He said, “It’s the New Madrid that is our primary concern in Arkansas.”
The last catastrophic seismic event in Arkansas occurred in 1811 and 1812 when three earthquakes with magnitudes between 7.4 and 8.0 occurred. At those magnitudes, structures are damaged or collapse. There is a 7 to 10 percent chance that will happen again in the next 50 years, Johnston said.
There is a 25 to 40 percent chance that Arkansas will experience an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 or greater.
The 1811 and 1812 earthquakes struck on Dec. 16, 1811, Jan. 23, 1812, and Feb. 7, 1812. Johnston said, “The shaking continued for months.”
According to him, there were 97 earthquakes in Arkansas last year. Of those, people only felt 15. As of Feb. 6, there had been four earthquakes this year. People only felt one of them.
Johnston added that even though places east of the Rocky Mountains, like Arkansas, have fewer earthquakes, the earthquakes are felt over a broader area because the soil is warm, soft and broken up rather than hard and cold.
Although earthquakes are usually along fault lines like the New Madrid, where tectonic plates meet, they can happen in the middle of a plate too. Those are called intraplate quakes, he said.
Johnston described how two of the four types of seismic waves help professionals give the public an early warning that an earthquake is coming.
A p-wave arrives in an area first and an s-wave arrives next, he explained. Johnston said the delay between the two allows people to prepare for an earthquake, even if the warning can be issued only 15 to 20 seconds before the earthquake occurs.
For example, he said, a train traveling at 100 mph could slow down to 40 mph before the quake strikes. That could save lives and prevent more extensive damage, Johnston said.
Johnston added that in 2010, Gov. Mike Beebe appropriated funds for six permanent seismic activity-monitoring stations. Those stations will help professionals issue those early warnings, determine the magnitude of the earthquake and find out more information about what happened.
Earthquakes can cause riverbanks to collapse, land to subside, landslides and liquefaction, he said.
Liquefaction, which is usually caused by an earthquake of magnitude 6 or higher, is when shallow water-saturated sandy soils turn to liquid. The soil loses its bearing strength and behaves like a viscous liquid.
Liquefaction can cause buildings to sink into the ground or tilt, slope failures, surface subsidence, ground cracking and sand blows.
For liquefaction to happen the sand normally must be loose and less than 30-feet below the ground surface, although it has happened to soil that was 50 feet below the surface, Johnston said. Sand blows are formed when the sand erupts to the ground surface through fissures.
But the possibility of that happening in Lonoke County is slim because ground water is much deeper. That is because agricultural and other uses have depleted the ground water that was close to the surface.
Another resource the county can rely on is the Central Arkansas Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue. Task force leader Andy Traffenstadt said urban search and rescue is an area of emergency response the state once needed to improve.
His team is helping officials do that.
Traffenstadt explained that the term “urban” doesn’t just apply to a densely populated area. He said, “It’s anywhere that has a masonry building.”
Traffenstadt said the 100-member task force was started two years ago and has deployed twice. On May 16, 2011, the team responded to Morrilton when a building collapsed and one person was killed.
On Jan. 13, 2012, the team helped retrieve the body of Jacques Parker, 56, of Carlisle when he fell into a grain bin on Miller Road in Lonoke County.
The members of the task force are firefighters from nine departments because, Traffenstadt said, he didn’t want to leave any one department shorthanded.
Traffenstadt said task force members with more advanced training could be assembled in two hours while the entire force would be ready in four hours.
“There is a tremendous amount of training involved,” he said about all of the members. The group is also self-supporting when they arrive at an emergency, Traffenstadt added.
John Huett of the Lonoke County Swift Water Rescue also spoke. He told drill participants the role of his team is, “If anybody gets into any kind of flooding incident our task is to go there and pick them up out of the water.”
Adrian Clark of the Arkansas Geographic Information Office shared a video with the drill participants. The video was about the Geospatial Revolution Project, “an integrated public service media and outreach initiative about the world of digital mapping and how it is changing the way we think, behave and interact,” according to the project’s website at geospatialrevolution.psu.edu.
Clark then used a program to show how many houses were within a half-mile of Lewisburg Road. The program, supplemented by information from the county assessor’s office, also told him the value of the houses. “It’s a great big world out there with a lot of great tools,” Clark emphasized.
Carlisle Police Chief Eric Frank, who serves as the Lions Club International Regional Disaster director, said the club could provide up to $20,000 within 24 hours of an earthquake. The money would be used to buy immediate necessities like blankets.
Frank said the club could contribute more money within 72 hours of a disaster.
Charles Ray, coordinator of Baptist’s U.S. Disaster Response, said what his group does to provide emotional support, especially for first responders.
Ray said his is one of 53 nonprofits in the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters. He explained, “A VOAD member is not bound by bureaucracy. VOAD becomes one of the most powerful tools you’ll have in the county (during a disaster).
Ray continued, “We can come in and help put you back together in a crisis. That’s what we’re supposed to do. And it’s free, of course.”
He added, “You need to be debriefed and helped if you are in the field for an hour or more.”
Ray explained that first responders might also have a difficult time giving 100 percent to their jobs because they could be personally impacted by the disaster.
He described how first responders who were helping in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina had lost family members and their homes to the storm.
“(Victims) hit a wall later. (first responders) hit a wall much quicker. If you add that their family might be affected, that’s a dynamite situation. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help,” Ray said.
Another important aspect of emergency response is communications. Case Irwin of Motorola said the company would know immediately if its towers are damaged. “We’ll do whatever it takes to restore your communications at any time, “ he said.
During an emergency like an earthquake, Lonoke County would rely on amateur radio, a mobile satellite radio, cell phones and landline phones.Zasimovich said, “If you don’t have a backup system to communicate, you’re in trouble.”
Kathy Wright, the director of the state’s Homeland Security Grants Program, spoke last. she said the equipment that would be used after a terroristic attack would also be used after a natural disaster, like an earthquake.
But, Wright said, “the money isn’t what it used to be.”
That means her budget has to maintain existing programs instead of starting new programs.
Increased regulations require those programs be able to send resources nationwide and engage in multi-jurisdictional collaboration. Lonoke County demonstrated its ability to do just that with the drill.
Leader staff writer
The nearly 50 participants in Thursday’s earthquake drill at the Lonoke County Department of Emergency Management learned that the amount of resources needed during and after disasters can be overwhelming.
Drill participants were told a 9:30 a.m. 6.0-magnitude earthquake just north of Marked Tree had slightly damaged five miles of Lewisburg Road in Austin and county residents felt it as if it were a mild quake. A 6.0-magnitude earthquake would cause bells to ring and tall objects to topple.
The emergency operation center was up and running at 10 a.m. for the earthquake response exercise.
The drill was held at the department, 200 N. Center St. in Lonoke. It was part of the national level exercise for earthquake preparedness that occurs every two years.
According to Kathy Zasimovich, the county’s emergency services coordinator, the goal of the drill is to impress upon people the importance of being prepared for a disaster, like an earthquake. Being prepared means knowing what resources will be there to help, she said.
Zasimovich explained that Lonoke County has mutual aid agreements with all counties surrounding its borders. She said if there is a resource that the county or its mutual aid partners do not have or cannot supply, her department would coordinate with the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management to obtain that resource.
One of the speakers at Thursday’s drill was David Johnston of the Arkansas Geological Survey. As he loaded his PowerPoint presentation, Zasimovich asked if anyone in the room had experienced an earthquake firsthand. She said she was a fifth-grader in Washington state when one struck as she was walking outside.
Zasimovich said, “The roads rolled. Talk about being scary.”
Thursday’s fake quake was in the New Madrid fault system, which extends 120 miles southward from Charleston, Mo., and Cairo, Ill., following I-55 to Blytheville and Marked Tree. It crosses five state lines and cuts across the Mississippi River in three places and the Ohio River in two places.
Johnston said the New Madrid zone is one of the most hazardous earthquake areas in the United States. He said, “It’s the New Madrid that is our primary concern in Arkansas.”
The last catastrophic seismic event in Arkansas occurred in 1811 and 1812 when three earthquakes with magnitudes between 7.4 and 8.0 occurred. At those magnitudes, structures are damaged or collapse. There is a 7 to 10 percent chance that will happen again in the next 50 years, Johnston said.
There is a 25 to 40 percent chance that Arkansas will experience an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 or greater.
The 1811 and 1812 earthquakes struck on Dec. 16, 1811, Jan. 23, 1812, and Feb. 7, 1812. Johnston said, “The shaking continued for months.”
According to him, there were 97 earthquakes in Arkansas last year. Of those, people only felt 15. As of Feb. 6, there had been four earthquakes this year. People only felt one of them.
Johnston added that even though places east of the Rocky Mountains, like Arkansas, have fewer earthquakes, the earthquakes are felt over a broader area because the soil is warm, soft and broken up rather than hard and cold.
Although earthquakes are usually along fault lines like the New Madrid, where tectonic plates meet, they can happen in the middle of a plate too. Those are called intraplate quakes, he said.
Johnston described how two of the four types of seismic waves help professionals give the public an early warning that an earthquake is coming.
A p-wave arrives in an area first and an s-wave arrives next, he explained. Johnston said the delay between the two allows people to prepare for an earthquake, even if the warning can be issued only 15 to 20 seconds before the earthquake occurs.
For example, he said, a train traveling at 100 mph could slow down to 40 mph before the quake strikes. That could save lives and prevent more extensive damage, Johnston said.
Johnston added that in 2010, Gov. Mike Beebe appropriated funds for six permanent seismic activity-monitoring stations. Those stations will help professionals issue those early warnings, determine the magnitude of the earthquake and find out more information about what happened.
Earthquakes can cause riverbanks to collapse, land to subside, landslides and liquefaction, he said.
Liquefaction, which is usually caused by an earthquake of magnitude 6 or higher, is when shallow water-saturated sandy soils turn to liquid. The soil loses its bearing strength and behaves like a viscous liquid.
Liquefaction can cause buildings to sink into the ground or tilt, slope failures, surface subsidence, ground cracking and sand blows.
For liquefaction to happen the sand normally must be loose and less than 30-feet below the ground surface, although it has happened to soil that was 50 feet below the surface, Johnston said. Sand blows are formed when the sand erupts to the ground surface through fissures.
But the possibility of that happening in Lonoke County is slim because ground water is much deeper. That is because agricultural and other uses have depleted the ground water that was close to the surface.
Another resource the county can rely on is the Central Arkansas Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue. Task force leader Andy Traffenstadt said urban search and rescue is an area of emergency response the state once needed to improve.
His team is helping officials do that.
Traffenstadt explained that the term “urban” doesn’t just apply to a densely populated area. He said, “It’s anywhere that has a masonry building.”
Traffenstadt said the 100-member task force was started two years ago and has deployed twice. On May 16, 2011, the team responded to Morrilton when a building collapsed and one person was killed.
On Jan. 13, 2012, the team helped retrieve the body of Jacques Parker, 56, of Carlisle when he fell into a grain bin on Miller Road in Lonoke County.
The members of the task force are firefighters from nine departments because, Traffenstadt said, he didn’t want to leave any one department shorthanded.
Traffenstadt said task force members with more advanced training could be assembled in two hours while the entire force would be ready in four hours.
“There is a tremendous amount of training involved,” he said about all of the members. The group is also self-supporting when they arrive at an emergency, Traffenstadt added.
John Huett of the Lonoke County Swift Water Rescue also spoke. He told drill participants the role of his team is, “If anybody gets into any kind of flooding incident our task is to go there and pick them up out of the water.”
Adrian Clark of the Arkansas Geographic Information Office shared a video with the drill participants. The video was about the Geospatial Revolution Project, “an integrated public service media and outreach initiative about the world of digital mapping and how it is changing the way we think, behave and interact,” according to the project’s website at geospatialrevolution.psu.edu.
Clark then used a program to show how many houses were within a half-mile of Lewisburg Road. The program, supplemented by information from the county assessor’s office, also told him the value of the houses. “It’s a great big world out there with a lot of great tools,” Clark emphasized.
Carlisle Police Chief Eric Frank, who serves as the Lions Club International Regional Disaster director, said the club could provide up to $20,000 within 24 hours of an earthquake. The money would be used to buy immediate necessities like blankets.
Frank said the club could contribute more money within 72 hours of a disaster.
Charles Ray, coordinator of Baptist’s U.S. Disaster Response, said what his group does to provide emotional support, especially for first responders.
Ray said his is one of 53 nonprofits in the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters. He explained, “A VOAD member is not bound by bureaucracy. VOAD becomes one of the most powerful tools you’ll have in the county (during a disaster).
Ray continued, “We can come in and help put you back together in a crisis. That’s what we’re supposed to do. And it’s free, of course.”
He added, “You need to be debriefed and helped if you are in the field for an hour or more.”
Ray explained that first responders might also have a difficult time giving 100 percent to their jobs because they could be personally impacted by the disaster.
He described how first responders who were helping in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina had lost family members and their homes to the storm.
“(Victims) hit a wall later. (first responders) hit a wall much quicker. If you add that their family might be affected, that’s a dynamite situation. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help,” Ray said.
Another important aspect of emergency response is communications. Case Irwin of Motorola said the company would know immediately if its towers are damaged. “We’ll do whatever it takes to restore your communications at any time, “ he said.
During an emergency like an earthquake, Lonoke County would rely on amateur radio, a mobile satellite radio, cell phones and landline phones.Zasimovich said, “If you don’t have a backup system to communicate, you’re in trouble.”
Kathy Wright, the director of the state’s Homeland Security Grants Program, spoke last. she said the equipment that would be used after a terroristic attack would also be used after a natural disaster, like an earthquake.
But, Wright said, “the money isn’t what it used to be.”
That means her budget has to maintain existing programs instead of starting new programs.
Increased regulations require those programs be able to send resources nationwide and engage in multi-jurisdictional collaboration. Lonoke County demonstrated its ability to do just that with the drill.
SPORTS STORY >> Jacksonville gets sweep of city rival
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Solid defensive play, especially in the first half, helped Jacksonville coast to a 58-34 victory over North Pulaski in Tuesday’s 5A Central Conference matchup at the Devil’s Den.
Sergio Berkley and Khaleel Hart scored the first six points of the game on jump shots to give Jacksonville (17-4, 9-1) a quick 6-0 lead. North Pulaski (9-11, 3-6) cut it to one after Daniel Drone, Fred Thomas and Andrew Wilson combined to score the next five points, but the Red Devils closed the quarter with an 8-0 run to lead 14-5 after a quarter of play.
The Red Devils’ run continued into the second quarter as they scored the next 11 points to lead 25-5. North Pulaski could only manage two field goals in the quarter while Jacksonville racked up 18 points to take a commanding 32-9 lead at halftime.
“We’ve been working on defense,” said Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner. “Since the Mills game, it really made them realize that defense has to come first. If you notice our point totals are down since the Mills game, but our defensive statistics are better.”
Jacksonville gave up just three field goals in the first half, and contested every shot from the perimeter throughout the game. North Pulaski rarely had an open look from three-point range, and as a result, the Falcons were 0 for 11 from beyond the arc.
North Pulaski coach Roy Jackson, who was a longtime assistant at Jacksonville before becoming the head Falcon, is all too familiar with the Red Devil tradition, and knew his team had to play near-perfect in order to keep pace with the No. 2 team in class 5A.
“We just wanted to play good, solid defense and try and take away some of their strength,” said Jackson. “They came out and shot the ball well and played really excellent defense. We had trouble scoring. I had a couple of kids out. My leading scorer (RaShawn Langston), he’s out sick, and another one of my starting guards (Eric Mouton) is out sick. That makes it tough on us, but there’s no excuses.
“Our other kids have to step up to the plate. My hats off to the Red Devils, coach Joyner and his staff. They do a wonderful job. This is a tough place to win. I knew it was going to be tough on us, but we have to keep working.”
Jacksonville narrowly outscored North Pulaski 12-11 in the third quarter to lead 44-20 heading into the final frame. Each team used several different rotations in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach, and the Falcons had their best scoring quarter as Joe Aikens, Steven Farrior and Jarod Craven combined to score 14 points.
However, it didn’t put much of a dent in the margin as Jacksonville racked up 13 points. The final bucket of the game was a wide-open, two-handed slam by Keith Charleston with seconds to play, that was the result of a North Pulaski turnover.
“You know if you’re running a mile and you’re leading by a lap, then you relax for a minute. And when they pull up to you and you see them coming, you take off again. That’s kind of what they did,” Joyner said describing his team’s play. “They didn’t box out as much down the stretch, but defensively, I think we’re doing a little bit better job than what we’ve been doing.”
Each team grabbed a total of 29 rebounds in the game. North Pulaski committed 18 turnovers, seven more than Jacksonville’s 11. The Red Devils were 17 for 26 at the free-throw line for 65 percent. The Falcons were slightly more efficient, making 10 of 15 shots for 67 percent.
Jacksonville’s defense at the perimeter made it difficult for North Pulaski to get any good looks. On the other end, the Red Devils made 4 of 11 attempts from the three-point line for 36 percent.
Justin McCleary led all scorers with 15 points. Berkley and Aaron Smith each scored nine for Jacksonville. Aikens led the Falcons with 10 points. Craven, Farrior and Thomas added six points apiece.
Jacksonville played at Little Rock McClellan yesterday after deadlines in a game that decided first place in the 5A Central. Look for details of that game in Wednesday’s edition of The Leader. The Red Devils play again Tuesday against Helena-West Helena Central at home.
North Pulaski played at Mills yesterday after deadlines and will host Little Rock Christian on Tuesday.
Leader sportswriter
Solid defensive play, especially in the first half, helped Jacksonville coast to a 58-34 victory over North Pulaski in Tuesday’s 5A Central Conference matchup at the Devil’s Den.
Sergio Berkley and Khaleel Hart scored the first six points of the game on jump shots to give Jacksonville (17-4, 9-1) a quick 6-0 lead. North Pulaski (9-11, 3-6) cut it to one after Daniel Drone, Fred Thomas and Andrew Wilson combined to score the next five points, but the Red Devils closed the quarter with an 8-0 run to lead 14-5 after a quarter of play.
The Red Devils’ run continued into the second quarter as they scored the next 11 points to lead 25-5. North Pulaski could only manage two field goals in the quarter while Jacksonville racked up 18 points to take a commanding 32-9 lead at halftime.
“We’ve been working on defense,” said Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner. “Since the Mills game, it really made them realize that defense has to come first. If you notice our point totals are down since the Mills game, but our defensive statistics are better.”
Jacksonville gave up just three field goals in the first half, and contested every shot from the perimeter throughout the game. North Pulaski rarely had an open look from three-point range, and as a result, the Falcons were 0 for 11 from beyond the arc.
North Pulaski coach Roy Jackson, who was a longtime assistant at Jacksonville before becoming the head Falcon, is all too familiar with the Red Devil tradition, and knew his team had to play near-perfect in order to keep pace with the No. 2 team in class 5A.
“We just wanted to play good, solid defense and try and take away some of their strength,” said Jackson. “They came out and shot the ball well and played really excellent defense. We had trouble scoring. I had a couple of kids out. My leading scorer (RaShawn Langston), he’s out sick, and another one of my starting guards (Eric Mouton) is out sick. That makes it tough on us, but there’s no excuses.
“Our other kids have to step up to the plate. My hats off to the Red Devils, coach Joyner and his staff. They do a wonderful job. This is a tough place to win. I knew it was going to be tough on us, but we have to keep working.”
Jacksonville narrowly outscored North Pulaski 12-11 in the third quarter to lead 44-20 heading into the final frame. Each team used several different rotations in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach, and the Falcons had their best scoring quarter as Joe Aikens, Steven Farrior and Jarod Craven combined to score 14 points.
However, it didn’t put much of a dent in the margin as Jacksonville racked up 13 points. The final bucket of the game was a wide-open, two-handed slam by Keith Charleston with seconds to play, that was the result of a North Pulaski turnover.
“You know if you’re running a mile and you’re leading by a lap, then you relax for a minute. And when they pull up to you and you see them coming, you take off again. That’s kind of what they did,” Joyner said describing his team’s play. “They didn’t box out as much down the stretch, but defensively, I think we’re doing a little bit better job than what we’ve been doing.”
Each team grabbed a total of 29 rebounds in the game. North Pulaski committed 18 turnovers, seven more than Jacksonville’s 11. The Red Devils were 17 for 26 at the free-throw line for 65 percent. The Falcons were slightly more efficient, making 10 of 15 shots for 67 percent.
Jacksonville’s defense at the perimeter made it difficult for North Pulaski to get any good looks. On the other end, the Red Devils made 4 of 11 attempts from the three-point line for 36 percent.
Justin McCleary led all scorers with 15 points. Berkley and Aaron Smith each scored nine for Jacksonville. Aikens led the Falcons with 10 points. Craven, Farrior and Thomas added six points apiece.
Jacksonville played at Little Rock McClellan yesterday after deadlines in a game that decided first place in the 5A Central. Look for details of that game in Wednesday’s edition of The Leader. The Red Devils play again Tuesday against Helena-West Helena Central at home.
North Pulaski played at Mills yesterday after deadlines and will host Little Rock Christian on Tuesday.
SPORTS STORY >> Tenpenny stays true
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
In the middle of the three scorers’ tables lined up consecutively in the center of the court at Wildcat Arena Wednesday morning rested a nameplate that brought a bit of disgust to college football fans in the area.
It simply read “Alabama.”
That’s where North Little Rock senior running back Altee Tenpenny was to take his place among six other Wildcat teammates for National Signing Day following an interview session in which he faced nearly every sports reporter and recruiting groupie in central Arkansas from television, print and Web.
The fact that Tenpenny decided not to stay in Arkansas may have left a bad taste in the mouths of some local fans, but that element did not put any kind of damper on the big day as classmates, as well as other members of the community, filled up the lower level of the home side to watch the signings take place. The day was not just about Tenpenny, however, as six of his classmates also got their chance to sign their Letters of Intent. Gary Vines, Kaylon Daniels and Rodney Bryson all committed to Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Kenny Howard and Javian Williams both signed on to become part of the Coffeyville, Kan. Community College Red Ravens football program and Gerald Watson to Ouachita Baptist University.
There was speculation in the days leading up to the signing that Tenpenny, who is listed as a four-star recruit by most outlets, might possibly have a change of heart and stay in state to become an Arkansas Razorback. But Tenpenny blasted those hopes out of the water late Tuesday with a message on social media confirming his commitment to the defending BCS champs.
The hiring of new Hogs coach Bret Bielema on Dec. 4 changed the landscape in the final stages of the annual football-recruiting frenzy, a series of events that included the new Razorback staff getting a foot in the door at the Tenpenny residence. Reports varied on the NLR senior’s level of interest with the U of A, including a visit to Bud Walton Arena, where he led the crowd in calling the Hogs during a Razorback basketball game.
Bielema and staff kept in steady contact with Wildcats football coach Brad Bolding during the process, and held out hope until the clock hit 8:30 on Wednesday morning.
“You’ve got to comment on coach Bielema and their staff,” Bolding said. “I’ve gotten to know all of those guys really well. They did an incredible job of recruiting him, in a month. If you look at the time period they had versus Alabama, they had a month versus about a year and a half.”
Some believed and hoped that Bielema’s penchant for running the football and record of success as head coach at Wisconsin, along with the overwhelming number of elite-level running backs matriculating to the Crimson Tide program, might sway Tenpenny into staying closer to home, a proposition that looked at times as if it might possibly come to pass.
“They really closed some ground in that month,” Bolding said. “You’ve got to give hats off to them. It says a lot about a teenager to have the kind of loyalty this kid has. You see these kids all around the country flip flopping and going in all different kinds of directions. He said where he was going from day one. He stuck to his commitment, and you’ve really got to appreciate that in a teenager.”
Tenpenny and his teammates came out just after 8:40 a.m. to a roaring ovation, as Bolding stood near the home side of the court and addressed the crowd. He went through a brief summarization of each of the seven players’ journeys to reach the next level, including Tenpenny. Bolding noted that while his star running back’s choice may not have been the most popular one in the state of Arkansas, it was still one he stayed with through numerous other temptations.
With his future bright and a loaded Wildcats team that was just as effective as a passing unit offensively, Tenpenny was used sparingly for the most part during his senior season in a number of easy blowout victories for North Little Rock in 2012. He was still able to pick up 1,008 yards on 93 carries and 16 touchdowns, with an average of 10.84 yards per carry.
The Wildcats went 7-0 in 7A/6A East Conference play and finished up 10-2 overall.
“I think it says a lot about our community and our school,” Bolding said of having seven signees. “I’m really excited about the direction our program is going. We feel like we’re in the elite status of high-school football in Arkansas. We’ve got guys like Altee and the rest of these guys who are signing coming up, and it sounds a little bit cocky, but we don’t look at rebuilding, we look at trying to reload.”
Tenpenny answered the onslaught of questions prior to the signing with the poise of a seasoned celebrity, including one regarding the transition from a fun child’s game to a major endeavor.
“You’ve got to keep the fun in it,” Tenpenny said. “It’s hard to do; I’m not going to lie. Waking up at six in the morning, you’re not going to like it. Running sprints, you’re not going to like it. Lifting weights when your body hurts, having your coach yelling at you to keep pushing, I mean, you’re not going to like it. But you’ve got to remember why you’re doing this. If you love the game, then there’s nothing to it.”
Leader sportswriter
In the middle of the three scorers’ tables lined up consecutively in the center of the court at Wildcat Arena Wednesday morning rested a nameplate that brought a bit of disgust to college football fans in the area.
It simply read “Alabama.”
That’s where North Little Rock senior running back Altee Tenpenny was to take his place among six other Wildcat teammates for National Signing Day following an interview session in which he faced nearly every sports reporter and recruiting groupie in central Arkansas from television, print and Web.
The fact that Tenpenny decided not to stay in Arkansas may have left a bad taste in the mouths of some local fans, but that element did not put any kind of damper on the big day as classmates, as well as other members of the community, filled up the lower level of the home side to watch the signings take place. The day was not just about Tenpenny, however, as six of his classmates also got their chance to sign their Letters of Intent. Gary Vines, Kaylon Daniels and Rodney Bryson all committed to Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Kenny Howard and Javian Williams both signed on to become part of the Coffeyville, Kan. Community College Red Ravens football program and Gerald Watson to Ouachita Baptist University.
There was speculation in the days leading up to the signing that Tenpenny, who is listed as a four-star recruit by most outlets, might possibly have a change of heart and stay in state to become an Arkansas Razorback. But Tenpenny blasted those hopes out of the water late Tuesday with a message on social media confirming his commitment to the defending BCS champs.
The hiring of new Hogs coach Bret Bielema on Dec. 4 changed the landscape in the final stages of the annual football-recruiting frenzy, a series of events that included the new Razorback staff getting a foot in the door at the Tenpenny residence. Reports varied on the NLR senior’s level of interest with the U of A, including a visit to Bud Walton Arena, where he led the crowd in calling the Hogs during a Razorback basketball game.
Bielema and staff kept in steady contact with Wildcats football coach Brad Bolding during the process, and held out hope until the clock hit 8:30 on Wednesday morning.
“You’ve got to comment on coach Bielema and their staff,” Bolding said. “I’ve gotten to know all of those guys really well. They did an incredible job of recruiting him, in a month. If you look at the time period they had versus Alabama, they had a month versus about a year and a half.”
Some believed and hoped that Bielema’s penchant for running the football and record of success as head coach at Wisconsin, along with the overwhelming number of elite-level running backs matriculating to the Crimson Tide program, might sway Tenpenny into staying closer to home, a proposition that looked at times as if it might possibly come to pass.
“They really closed some ground in that month,” Bolding said. “You’ve got to give hats off to them. It says a lot about a teenager to have the kind of loyalty this kid has. You see these kids all around the country flip flopping and going in all different kinds of directions. He said where he was going from day one. He stuck to his commitment, and you’ve really got to appreciate that in a teenager.”
Tenpenny and his teammates came out just after 8:40 a.m. to a roaring ovation, as Bolding stood near the home side of the court and addressed the crowd. He went through a brief summarization of each of the seven players’ journeys to reach the next level, including Tenpenny. Bolding noted that while his star running back’s choice may not have been the most popular one in the state of Arkansas, it was still one he stayed with through numerous other temptations.
With his future bright and a loaded Wildcats team that was just as effective as a passing unit offensively, Tenpenny was used sparingly for the most part during his senior season in a number of easy blowout victories for North Little Rock in 2012. He was still able to pick up 1,008 yards on 93 carries and 16 touchdowns, with an average of 10.84 yards per carry.
The Wildcats went 7-0 in 7A/6A East Conference play and finished up 10-2 overall.
“I think it says a lot about our community and our school,” Bolding said of having seven signees. “I’m really excited about the direction our program is going. We feel like we’re in the elite status of high-school football in Arkansas. We’ve got guys like Altee and the rest of these guys who are signing coming up, and it sounds a little bit cocky, but we don’t look at rebuilding, we look at trying to reload.”
Tenpenny answered the onslaught of questions prior to the signing with the poise of a seasoned celebrity, including one regarding the transition from a fun child’s game to a major endeavor.
“You’ve got to keep the fun in it,” Tenpenny said. “It’s hard to do; I’m not going to lie. Waking up at six in the morning, you’re not going to like it. Running sprints, you’re not going to like it. Lifting weights when your body hurts, having your coach yelling at you to keep pushing, I mean, you’re not going to like it. But you’ve got to remember why you’re doing this. If you love the game, then there’s nothing to it.”
SPORTS STORY >> Bears, Devils play today
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills freshmen boys team became the third local team to advance to the semifinal round of the River City Conference tournament that’s being hosted by Jacksonville High School. The Bears beat Pulaski Academy 51-48 on Thursday to join the Lady Bears and the hosting Red Devils in today’s semifinal round.
Sylvan Hills had to hold off a furious rally from the No. 6seed Bruins to advance on Thursday.
Each of the last two quarters were a mirror image of each other. The Bears led 24-16 at halftime and pushed that lead to as much as 30-18 with a hot start in the third quarter. But Pulaski Academy rallied late to pull within 34-29 by the end of the period.
That momentum did not carry over into the fourth. Sylvan Hills went with pressure to start the final frame and the Bruins couldn’t handle it. The Bears got steal after steal, and with 2:55 remaining in the game, led 46-30.
That’s usually a comfortable margin with less than three minutes to go, but the Bruins didn’t quit. They began to foul and finally started hitting three pointers.
Pulaski Academy was not shy about launching long-range shots.
The Bruins put up 22 of them before finally hitting one with 1:50 left in the game on their 23rd attempt. They would hit three more in that final 1:50, but the rally was too late.
The last one came at the buzzer to set the final margin.
The third-quarter comeback came at the free-throw line for Pulaski Academy. The Bruins got its lone basket of the third quarter in the first minute.
Sylvan Hills stretched its lead to 12 with penetration buckets by point guard Samuel Williams, but Williams also began to struggle with turnovers, which helped lead to the Bruins’ third-quarter rally. Though they didn’t make another basket, the Bruins hit 11 of 12 foul shots to pull back to within five.
Sylvan Hills’ fourth-quarter blitz was led by forward Jaylen Wright, who dominated on the inside and showed a nice shooting touch from mid-range.
Pulaski Academy finished 4 of 29 from three-point range and 13 of 62 overall from the floor. The Bruins made 18 of 23 free-throw attempts.
Sylvan Hills went 20 for 53 from the floor, including 2 of 9 from three-point range. The Bears made 7 of 12 free throws.
Williams led all scorers with 21 points. Wright added 16 points and 15 rebounds. Pulaski Academy was led by seventh-grader Trey Johnson, who finished with 18 points, 12 from the charity stripe.
The three local teams play consecutively today, with the freshmen Lady Bears taking on Watson Chapel at 10 a.m. to start things off.
The No. 1 seeded Jacksonville boys follow at 11:15 a.m. against Watson Chapel before Sylvan Hills takes on No. 2 seed Maumelle.
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills freshmen boys team became the third local team to advance to the semifinal round of the River City Conference tournament that’s being hosted by Jacksonville High School. The Bears beat Pulaski Academy 51-48 on Thursday to join the Lady Bears and the hosting Red Devils in today’s semifinal round.
Sylvan Hills had to hold off a furious rally from the No. 6seed Bruins to advance on Thursday.
Each of the last two quarters were a mirror image of each other. The Bears led 24-16 at halftime and pushed that lead to as much as 30-18 with a hot start in the third quarter. But Pulaski Academy rallied late to pull within 34-29 by the end of the period.
That momentum did not carry over into the fourth. Sylvan Hills went with pressure to start the final frame and the Bruins couldn’t handle it. The Bears got steal after steal, and with 2:55 remaining in the game, led 46-30.
That’s usually a comfortable margin with less than three minutes to go, but the Bruins didn’t quit. They began to foul and finally started hitting three pointers.
Pulaski Academy was not shy about launching long-range shots.
The Bruins put up 22 of them before finally hitting one with 1:50 left in the game on their 23rd attempt. They would hit three more in that final 1:50, but the rally was too late.
The last one came at the buzzer to set the final margin.
The third-quarter comeback came at the free-throw line for Pulaski Academy. The Bruins got its lone basket of the third quarter in the first minute.
Sylvan Hills stretched its lead to 12 with penetration buckets by point guard Samuel Williams, but Williams also began to struggle with turnovers, which helped lead to the Bruins’ third-quarter rally. Though they didn’t make another basket, the Bruins hit 11 of 12 foul shots to pull back to within five.
Sylvan Hills’ fourth-quarter blitz was led by forward Jaylen Wright, who dominated on the inside and showed a nice shooting touch from mid-range.
Pulaski Academy finished 4 of 29 from three-point range and 13 of 62 overall from the floor. The Bruins made 18 of 23 free-throw attempts.
Sylvan Hills went 20 for 53 from the floor, including 2 of 9 from three-point range. The Bears made 7 of 12 free throws.
Williams led all scorers with 21 points. Wright added 16 points and 15 rebounds. Pulaski Academy was led by seventh-grader Trey Johnson, who finished with 18 points, 12 from the charity stripe.
The three local teams play consecutively today, with the freshmen Lady Bears taking on Watson Chapel at 10 a.m. to start things off.
The No. 1 seeded Jacksonville boys follow at 11:15 a.m. against Watson Chapel before Sylvan Hills takes on No. 2 seed Maumelle.
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot boys turn around in last half
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
It took one of the best halves of play all season for Cabot to hold off Marion in a 45-39 upset victory at Panther Arena on Tuesday to boost its viability in the 7A/6A East Conference standings.
The Panthers (7-13, 3-7) shot a stellar 75 percent from the floor in the third quarter at 9 of 12, including a perfect 2 of 2 from three-point range. It totaled to 68 percent (13 of 19) in the second half, and 58 percent for the game at 19 of 33. Turnovers also played in Cabot’s favor as the Panthers gave the ball away only once in the second half while forcing nine from Marion in that time. The turnover ratio in the first half was the exact opposite with seven Cabot turnovers to Marion’s one.
Senior forward Ryan Stafford led the way for the Panthers with 14 points, including 10 points in the decisive third quarter, six of which came in the final 1:47 of the period.
“We did score a few points in the second half for once,” Panthers coach Jerry Bridges said. “I don’t know what attributed to that, I know at halftime I wasn’t very happy. I didn’t think we were playing tough. I’m not going to say we weren’t playing hard, we weren’t playing tough enough. We sort of challenged them at halftime, and they really responded well.
“We were aggressive with the ball, and that’s something we’ve been trying to stress all year. It was a good team effort, and I thought all of our seniors stepped up and did a great job tonight.”
The Patriots (14-5, 7-3) got a few more looks than their host, but could manage only 40 percent from the floor (16 of 40). Cabot’s good ball control in the second half also meant fewer opportunities for Marion, which shot 7 of 15 in the second half, including 3 of 7 in the final eight minutes.
It wasn’t the biggest home crowd seen all season for Cabot, but the members of Panther Nation who were on hand made noise like a crowd much larger. It was an energy that was noticeably picked up on by the players late in the third quarter and early fourth quarter as the Panthers went from a 26-22 deficit at the 3:10 mark of the third to a 39-35 lead with 5:11 remaining. The victory also helped ease the painful memory of a brutal 67-32 bashing from North Little Rock the previous Friday.
“I’m just glad our fans still support these kids,” Bridges said. “Friday was tough, I’m not going to lie to you. When you take one like that, it affects your mojo. We’ve got a good community here that supports our kids. Our kids are going to play hard, and I just thought we stepped up our defensive intensity a little, and just started playing tougher.”
Jake Ferguson pulled the Panthers to within a point when he hit a three-point basket with 3:02 remaining in the third to make it 26-25. Dequarius Brigham hit the front end of a two-shot foul on the other end for Marion before Stafford got busy in the paint for Cabot. Stafford tied the game at 27 with a putback, and answered two more Marion baskets with inside jumpers to pull even again, 31-31 with 37 seconds left to play in the third. The Panthers had not led since the opening five minutes until Ferguson came away with a steal as the third quarter was winding down, and found senior Kyle Thielemier for a layup just before the buzzer to give Cabot a 33-31 lead heading into the fourth.
“At this level, you’ve got to play tough,” Bridges said. “You may not shoot great each and every night, but there’s no excuse for not going out there and being tough and playing hard. I think our guys did that tonight.”
Thielemier and senior forward Clayton Vaught each added 10 points for the Panthers while point guard Bryan Shrum had five points and five steals. For Marion, Darian Barnes led all scorers with 16 points.
Cabot traveled to Mountain Home last night.
Leader sportswriter
It took one of the best halves of play all season for Cabot to hold off Marion in a 45-39 upset victory at Panther Arena on Tuesday to boost its viability in the 7A/6A East Conference standings.
The Panthers (7-13, 3-7) shot a stellar 75 percent from the floor in the third quarter at 9 of 12, including a perfect 2 of 2 from three-point range. It totaled to 68 percent (13 of 19) in the second half, and 58 percent for the game at 19 of 33. Turnovers also played in Cabot’s favor as the Panthers gave the ball away only once in the second half while forcing nine from Marion in that time. The turnover ratio in the first half was the exact opposite with seven Cabot turnovers to Marion’s one.
Senior forward Ryan Stafford led the way for the Panthers with 14 points, including 10 points in the decisive third quarter, six of which came in the final 1:47 of the period.
“We did score a few points in the second half for once,” Panthers coach Jerry Bridges said. “I don’t know what attributed to that, I know at halftime I wasn’t very happy. I didn’t think we were playing tough. I’m not going to say we weren’t playing hard, we weren’t playing tough enough. We sort of challenged them at halftime, and they really responded well.
“We were aggressive with the ball, and that’s something we’ve been trying to stress all year. It was a good team effort, and I thought all of our seniors stepped up and did a great job tonight.”
The Patriots (14-5, 7-3) got a few more looks than their host, but could manage only 40 percent from the floor (16 of 40). Cabot’s good ball control in the second half also meant fewer opportunities for Marion, which shot 7 of 15 in the second half, including 3 of 7 in the final eight minutes.
It wasn’t the biggest home crowd seen all season for Cabot, but the members of Panther Nation who were on hand made noise like a crowd much larger. It was an energy that was noticeably picked up on by the players late in the third quarter and early fourth quarter as the Panthers went from a 26-22 deficit at the 3:10 mark of the third to a 39-35 lead with 5:11 remaining. The victory also helped ease the painful memory of a brutal 67-32 bashing from North Little Rock the previous Friday.
“I’m just glad our fans still support these kids,” Bridges said. “Friday was tough, I’m not going to lie to you. When you take one like that, it affects your mojo. We’ve got a good community here that supports our kids. Our kids are going to play hard, and I just thought we stepped up our defensive intensity a little, and just started playing tougher.”
Jake Ferguson pulled the Panthers to within a point when he hit a three-point basket with 3:02 remaining in the third to make it 26-25. Dequarius Brigham hit the front end of a two-shot foul on the other end for Marion before Stafford got busy in the paint for Cabot. Stafford tied the game at 27 with a putback, and answered two more Marion baskets with inside jumpers to pull even again, 31-31 with 37 seconds left to play in the third. The Panthers had not led since the opening five minutes until Ferguson came away with a steal as the third quarter was winding down, and found senior Kyle Thielemier for a layup just before the buzzer to give Cabot a 33-31 lead heading into the fourth.
“At this level, you’ve got to play tough,” Bridges said. “You may not shoot great each and every night, but there’s no excuse for not going out there and being tough and playing hard. I think our guys did that tonight.”
Thielemier and senior forward Clayton Vaught each added 10 points for the Panthers while point guard Bryan Shrum had five points and five steals. For Marion, Darian Barnes led all scorers with 16 points.
Cabot traveled to Mountain Home last night.
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
EDITORIAL >> Mayors pushing good alternative
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher and Cabot Mayor Bill Cypert say there’s little hope that the North Belt freeway will ever be completed, certainly not in our lifetime. They have proposed alternate routes north of the planned loop that could be built in stages toward Hwy. 107 and on toward the Morgan exit at I-40.
There’s no realistic way to fund the much-delayed North Belt loop as projected costs have skyrocketed from $100 million to more than $700 million.
The North Belt fiasco is a typical example of bureaucratic incompetence, from the state Highway Department down to Metroplan and municipal goverments that could not line up funding for the second leg of the project or even agree on a route from the bean fields in Jacksonville to Crystal Hill in North Little Rock.
Short of turning the North Belt into a toll road, the loop as envisioned more than a generation ago will not happen. So Cypert has proposed an alternative, which would start running from Hwy. 89 to Hwy. 107, crossing Camp Robinson on a road that would have to be constructed without access to the base, then connecting with Hwy. 365 to I-430 and on to I-630.
Fletcher offers a slight variation to the alternative route. He suggests building an interchange on U.S. 67/167 in north Jacksonville to Coffelt Road leading to Hwy. 107 and then on to the highways in North Little Rock.
Our guess is their plans would save $500 million. Let’s pick one or the other.
There’s no realistic way to fund the much-delayed North Belt loop as projected costs have skyrocketed from $100 million to more than $700 million.
The North Belt fiasco is a typical example of bureaucratic incompetence, from the state Highway Department down to Metroplan and municipal goverments that could not line up funding for the second leg of the project or even agree on a route from the bean fields in Jacksonville to Crystal Hill in North Little Rock.
Short of turning the North Belt into a toll road, the loop as envisioned more than a generation ago will not happen. So Cypert has proposed an alternative, which would start running from Hwy. 89 to Hwy. 107, crossing Camp Robinson on a road that would have to be constructed without access to the base, then connecting with Hwy. 365 to I-430 and on to I-630.
Fletcher offers a slight variation to the alternative route. He suggests building an interchange on U.S. 67/167 in north Jacksonville to Coffelt Road leading to Hwy. 107 and then on to the highways in North Little Rock.
Our guess is their plans would save $500 million. Let’s pick one or the other.
EDITORIAL >> Graham stands tall
Lonoke County Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Graham has a well-earned reputation as a tough lawman. He puts criminals behind bars even when he’s pressured to go easy on them.
A native of Paducah, Ky., Graham finished his military service at Little Rock Air Force Base and decided to settle here and get his law degree. The former special Air Force investigator has been a police officer, defense attorney, deputy prosecutor and public defender. He’s seen it all, from drug trafficking to murder, from break-ins to rape.
Stacy Stracener, a former Cabot teacher, recently pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a minor and was sentenced to 14 years in prison, eight of them suspended. Her supporters, who had hoped she would avoid time in prison, thought the sentence was too harsh. Graham stood his ground.
Graham is an unassuming but no-nonsense prosecutor who some may criticize for being too tough when he tells juries to mete out punishment. He asks the same of judges, who respect Graham’s professionalism and sense of fairness.
He goes strictly by the book. He’ll plea bargain with defendants if they forgo trial, but there are no easy passes. He doesn’t grandstand and doesn’t grab headlines.
Chuck Graham has been good for Lonoke County and deserves the respect of all law-abiding citizens.
It occurs to us the attorney general’s office may become vacant in a couple of years. Chuck Graham would add dignity to the office.
A native of Paducah, Ky., Graham finished his military service at Little Rock Air Force Base and decided to settle here and get his law degree. The former special Air Force investigator has been a police officer, defense attorney, deputy prosecutor and public defender. He’s seen it all, from drug trafficking to murder, from break-ins to rape.
Stacy Stracener, a former Cabot teacher, recently pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a minor and was sentenced to 14 years in prison, eight of them suspended. Her supporters, who had hoped she would avoid time in prison, thought the sentence was too harsh. Graham stood his ground.
Graham is an unassuming but no-nonsense prosecutor who some may criticize for being too tough when he tells juries to mete out punishment. He asks the same of judges, who respect Graham’s professionalism and sense of fairness.
He goes strictly by the book. He’ll plea bargain with defendants if they forgo trial, but there are no easy passes. He doesn’t grandstand and doesn’t grab headlines.
Chuck Graham has been good for Lonoke County and deserves the respect of all law-abiding citizens.
It occurs to us the attorney general’s office may become vacant in a couple of years. Chuck Graham would add dignity to the office.
TOP STORY >> Arkansans fight human trafficking
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
Louise Allison, founder of Partners Against the Trafficking of Humans, shared her story with the Cabot Civitan Club on Mon-day to illustrate how victims think.
The Dallas native and Little Rock resident also explained how trafficking can take forms people don’t usually envision.
Allison ran away from home and was “picked up” two blocks from her house when she was 14.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she told the group what life was like being raped, beaten, drugged and living on the streets until she was arrested for the last time at the age of 16.
Allison said, “I was left for dead multiple times. All I thought of was suicide, a way out.” She said that when there were drugs available she took them.
Although girls like her were told to give a fake name to police and say they were 21, officers were able to identify Allison and return her to her mother when she was 16.
She added that trafficking is second only to drugs as the most prevalent type of organized crime.
Allison said she was fortunate in that she didn’t have a sexually transmitted disease, broken bones or any other serious medical condition — such as not being able to have children — when she was found.
But Allison was damaged emotionally. “I was full of shame, full of guilt,” she said.
She returned to that world as a prostitute when she turned 18. “I believed that was all there was to life.”
Eventually, she married and had children. Allison said she was a terrible wife and mother because she didn’t know how to act. So, she tried to emulate other people.
“I didn’t know because I was still that broken little girl,” Allison said.
She said 30 years of her life were wasted because of what had happened when she was 14.
Allison eventually moved to Little Rock and attended a church service. Then she found a woman at the church who listened to her, didn’t pass judgment and loved her.
Allison said that turned her life around, and someone supporting them is the No. 1 thing victims of human trafficking need.
She started Partners Against Trafficking Humans because “I believed I was the only one. I don’t want them (other victims) to waste their lives in fear. I don’t want them to spend one day like that.”
Allison said one of the victims she knows of was a teenager who started dating a boy. The boy learned all about her life and her family, including her little sister.
The first time she was raped and tried to escape the boy, he told her that she could go. The boy said he was sure if she wouldn’t do it, her little sister would.
The teenager couldn’t imagine the same thing happening to someone she loved. So, she stayed.
Another victim Allison knows of was a single mom who met a man on Facebook. She was out of work and he told her about a job in Little Rock.
The man told her the company would provide the money for her to travel to Little Rock for training. She accepted the offer, leaving her son with his grandmother.
When the mother arrived in the city, the man revealed that there was no job training. He said the money she used was his and now she owed him.
Allison said the woman turned her first trick that night.
She asked the club members, “Do you see how people are getting trapped?”
Allison said, “It is real. It is in Arkansas.”
P.A.T.H.’s mission is to “provide safe housing and a program of restoration and reintegration for rescued victims of human trafficking and prostitution, through a variety of services and Christ-centered recovery programs, offering hope for healing, personal growth and future success.”
The nonprofit operates a shelter in North Little Rock, Allison said. The shelter can house eight women.
P.A.T.H. is hoping to open another shelter in Little Rock in August. It will have 10 beds for adult women, eight beds for adolescent women and room for up to four families.
The families could include women who have been allowed to have the children of their clients and abusers. Some victims are forced to have abortions, Allison said.
But a child can be an advantage to the trafficker, she explained. The trafficker can keep the child as insurance that the mother will come back to him or her after turning a trick, Allison said.
The child could also be used as a drug mule or be sold into prostitution when he or she is old enough, she continued.
Allison said P.A.T.H. is working to get the building in Little Rock rezoned so that it can be operated as a shelter.
She added that the organization has 14 acres in north Pulaski County, where it hopes to build a shelter for male victims of human trafficking.
Allison said what the nonprofit needs the most is prayers, financial contributions and furniture for the new shelter.
The Civitan Club plans to discuss making a donation to the group at its next meeting.
Monday night, member Kathy Bilon gave Allison small care bags containing toiletries.
Bilon runs Operation Clean Start, which has provided 344 of the bags she sews to several area nonprofits. The bags are filled with donated items.
So far, 344 of Bilon’s bags have been donated to the Dorcas House, Open Arms Shelter, Wade Knox Center for Children, Union Rescue Mission, Our House, marines in Afghanistan, cancer patients and Safe Haven Women’s Shelter.
Leader staff writer
Louise Allison, founder of Partners Against the Trafficking of Humans, shared her story with the Cabot Civitan Club on Mon-day to illustrate how victims think.
The Dallas native and Little Rock resident also explained how trafficking can take forms people don’t usually envision.
Allison ran away from home and was “picked up” two blocks from her house when she was 14.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she told the group what life was like being raped, beaten, drugged and living on the streets until she was arrested for the last time at the age of 16.
Allison said, “I was left for dead multiple times. All I thought of was suicide, a way out.” She said that when there were drugs available she took them.
Although girls like her were told to give a fake name to police and say they were 21, officers were able to identify Allison and return her to her mother when she was 16.
She added that trafficking is second only to drugs as the most prevalent type of organized crime.
Allison said she was fortunate in that she didn’t have a sexually transmitted disease, broken bones or any other serious medical condition — such as not being able to have children — when she was found.
But Allison was damaged emotionally. “I was full of shame, full of guilt,” she said.
She returned to that world as a prostitute when she turned 18. “I believed that was all there was to life.”
Eventually, she married and had children. Allison said she was a terrible wife and mother because she didn’t know how to act. So, she tried to emulate other people.
“I didn’t know because I was still that broken little girl,” Allison said.
She said 30 years of her life were wasted because of what had happened when she was 14.
Allison eventually moved to Little Rock and attended a church service. Then she found a woman at the church who listened to her, didn’t pass judgment and loved her.
Allison said that turned her life around, and someone supporting them is the No. 1 thing victims of human trafficking need.
She started Partners Against Trafficking Humans because “I believed I was the only one. I don’t want them (other victims) to waste their lives in fear. I don’t want them to spend one day like that.”
Allison said one of the victims she knows of was a teenager who started dating a boy. The boy learned all about her life and her family, including her little sister.
The first time she was raped and tried to escape the boy, he told her that she could go. The boy said he was sure if she wouldn’t do it, her little sister would.
The teenager couldn’t imagine the same thing happening to someone she loved. So, she stayed.
Another victim Allison knows of was a single mom who met a man on Facebook. She was out of work and he told her about a job in Little Rock.
The man told her the company would provide the money for her to travel to Little Rock for training. She accepted the offer, leaving her son with his grandmother.
When the mother arrived in the city, the man revealed that there was no job training. He said the money she used was his and now she owed him.
Allison said the woman turned her first trick that night.
She asked the club members, “Do you see how people are getting trapped?”
Allison said, “It is real. It is in Arkansas.”
P.A.T.H.’s mission is to “provide safe housing and a program of restoration and reintegration for rescued victims of human trafficking and prostitution, through a variety of services and Christ-centered recovery programs, offering hope for healing, personal growth and future success.”
The nonprofit operates a shelter in North Little Rock, Allison said. The shelter can house eight women.
P.A.T.H. is hoping to open another shelter in Little Rock in August. It will have 10 beds for adult women, eight beds for adolescent women and room for up to four families.
The families could include women who have been allowed to have the children of their clients and abusers. Some victims are forced to have abortions, Allison said.
But a child can be an advantage to the trafficker, she explained. The trafficker can keep the child as insurance that the mother will come back to him or her after turning a trick, Allison said.
The child could also be used as a drug mule or be sold into prostitution when he or she is old enough, she continued.
Allison said P.A.T.H. is working to get the building in Little Rock rezoned so that it can be operated as a shelter.
She added that the organization has 14 acres in north Pulaski County, where it hopes to build a shelter for male victims of human trafficking.
Allison said what the nonprofit needs the most is prayers, financial contributions and furniture for the new shelter.
The Civitan Club plans to discuss making a donation to the group at its next meeting.
Monday night, member Kathy Bilon gave Allison small care bags containing toiletries.
Bilon runs Operation Clean Start, which has provided 344 of the bags she sews to several area nonprofits. The bags are filled with donated items.
So far, 344 of Bilon’s bags have been donated to the Dorcas House, Open Arms Shelter, Wade Knox Center for Children, Union Rescue Mission, Our House, marines in Afghanistan, cancer patients and Safe Haven Women’s Shelter.
TOP STORY >> Slavery exhibit in Cabot
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
How much money was a human being worth in the 19th Century?
Documents now on display at the Museum of American History in Cabot show a 33-year-old mulatto carpenter named Stephan and his 28-year-old mulatto wife Sally who lived in South Carolina in 1829 had a market value of $1,800. Peter, 40, who like Stephan and Sally was a slave, was worth $700.
The exhibit also includes newspaper ads offering slaves for sale, rewards for the return of runaway slaves, a hoe used to cultivate the fields of a South Carolina plantation, a small brass bracelet called a manillas that European slave traders used to trade for slaves and a brick from the Chester Ashley mansion in Little Rock that was handmade by slaves.
“These items document a dark and controversial time in our history, but still a time that is vitally important to be remembered and studied,” said museum director Mike Polston.
Slavery was introduced into the American colonies in the 17th Century and continued into the 19th Century, ending in 1865 with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Initially, slaves were in demand as house servants and field hands throughout the colonies. Slavery as an institution was entrenched when the colonies declared independence from England.
By the early 1800s, when cotton became king in the South, most Northern states had either abolished slavery outright or had laws in place to end it gradually.
But in the Southern states, which depended on slave labor to produce crops, slavery continued until it was abolished following a four-year Civil War that started when the South seceded from the union.
The documents now on display at the museum include inventories of plantations in South Carolina and Virginia.
The South Carolina document gives a detailed description of each enslaved person and their estimated market value, Polston said.
The exhibit is for a limited time. The museum has owned the documents for many years, but they are fragile and are stored most of the time to protect them from light, he said.
Polston started the museum in a classroom at Cabot High School in 1981.
It now contains more than 5,000 pieces that chronicle the history of the United States. It is supported by the school district, donations and the Cabot Advertising and Promotion Commission.
The museum is located at 114 S. First St. beside the health department. It is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To schedule group tours on other days, call 501- 743-3577. Admission is free.
How much money was a human being worth in the 19th Century?
Documents now on display at the Museum of American History in Cabot show a 33-year-old mulatto carpenter named Stephan and his 28-year-old mulatto wife Sally who lived in South Carolina in 1829 had a market value of $1,800. Peter, 40, who like Stephan and Sally was a slave, was worth $700.
The exhibit also includes newspaper ads offering slaves for sale, rewards for the return of runaway slaves, a hoe used to cultivate the fields of a South Carolina plantation, a small brass bracelet called a manillas that European slave traders used to trade for slaves and a brick from the Chester Ashley mansion in Little Rock that was handmade by slaves.
“These items document a dark and controversial time in our history, but still a time that is vitally important to be remembered and studied,” said museum director Mike Polston.
Slavery was introduced into the American colonies in the 17th Century and continued into the 19th Century, ending in 1865 with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Initially, slaves were in demand as house servants and field hands throughout the colonies. Slavery as an institution was entrenched when the colonies declared independence from England.
By the early 1800s, when cotton became king in the South, most Northern states had either abolished slavery outright or had laws in place to end it gradually.
But in the Southern states, which depended on slave labor to produce crops, slavery continued until it was abolished following a four-year Civil War that started when the South seceded from the union.
The documents now on display at the museum include inventories of plantations in South Carolina and Virginia.
The South Carolina document gives a detailed description of each enslaved person and their estimated market value, Polston said.
The exhibit is for a limited time. The museum has owned the documents for many years, but they are fragile and are stored most of the time to protect them from light, he said.
Polston started the museum in a classroom at Cabot High School in 1981.
It now contains more than 5,000 pieces that chronicle the history of the United States. It is supported by the school district, donations and the Cabot Advertising and Promotion Commission.
The museum is located at 114 S. First St. beside the health department. It is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To schedule group tours on other days, call 501- 743-3577. Admission is free.
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