By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Red Devils picked up two losses on the first day of the Xtra Innings Classic in Jonesboro, losing 6-0 to Wynne and 11-4 to Marion on Thursday.
Jacksonville got just two hits in the shut-out loss to Wynne. Kaleb Reeves and Courtland McDonald picking up those base hits. James Tucker and Reeves combined for a decent showing on the mound, giving up just one earned run, but errors gave the Yellowjackets five more.
“We just didn’t play very good baseball,” Jacksonville coach Larry Burrows said. “We made two pretty ugly errors that led to most of their runs. Maybe getting up at 5:30 in the morning and playing in those conditions had something to do with it, but we could have still played better than we did.”
Though the margin was even wider, Burrows was much more pleased with how his team played against Marion later in the day than it did against Wynne.
“Marion’s just a good team,” Burrows said. “They hit the ball hard the whole game. That’s probably the best team we’ve seen this year, as far as hitting goes.”
Jacksonville led 3-0 after three innings with Blake Perry on the mound. He also drove home the two runs on an 11-pitch at bat. After battling through 10 pitches, Perry’s shot to the gap drove in Ryan Mallison and LaDerrious Perry for a 3-0 Red Devil lead. Earlier in the inning, Mallison drove in Derek St. Clair for the first run of the game.
The Patriots finally began to find the gaps in the fourth inning after three innings of excellent Jacksonville defense.
“We made quite a few good plays defensively to keep them from scoring,” Burrows said. “Blake started to get tired in the fourth and they started hitting him pretty hard. It kind of seemed like we all got tired there all of a sudden.”
Blake Perry actually got a one-out strikeout with a breaking ball in the dirt, but catcher Greg Jones’ throw to first base sailed into right field. Two line-drive doubles followed that sparked a six-run inning. Another fielding error later in the inning kept things alive for the Patriots.
“We can’t give people four outs,” Burrows said. “We actually gave them five, but you’re going to make occasional errors on ground balls. You hate to strike people out and then throw it away.”
Trailing 6-3, Jacksonville started a rally in the top of the fifth by getting the first three batters on base. Greg Jones’ base hit scored Blake Perry, but back-to-back strikeouts brought a sudden halt to the rally with Marion still leading 6-4. The Patriots added five more runs off Jacksonville relief pitching in the sixth inning, all earned.
“They just hit it hard all the way down the lineup,” Burrows said. “I was impressed with that team. We swung it a little better than we had been, we just weren’t able to make the most of it.”
Blake Perry led Jackson-ville offensively, going 3 for 4 with two RBIs.
Jacksonville (3-6) is still waiting to hear about injured first baseman David Williams, who separated his shoulder on a collision two weeks ago. That will help settle some of musical positions Burrows has been playing, especially in the infield.
“Not having David is hurting pretty bad,” Burrows said. “He’s really good at first and on top of that, he’s our four-hole hitter. He’s really the only guy we’ve got that can hit for power. We need to know something about him one way or the other so we can get things settled. Blake is our best hitter right now and him and Reeves play the same position. All our pitchers are infielders so every time we make a change we have to start moving people around, and I just don’t like doing that. I’m not big on moving people around anyway. There are too many little things about this game. And when you’re young, you hate to do it even more. Hopefully we’ll get David back to at least swing the bat. There’s a chance they won’t let him throw at all.”
Friday, March 22, 2013
SPORTS STORY >> Wildcats figure out soft-toss southpaw
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
For a class 4A team that’s starting four freshmen, Arkadelphia held its own with No. 1 ranked class 7A North Little Rock, at least for four innings. The Charging Wildcats eventually figured out the Badgers’ soft-tossing lefty and pulled away for an 8-1 win in the opening round of the Central Arkansas Invitational at Burns Park.
“That’s a solid little team and they’re going to be really good the next few years,” North Little Rock coach Randy Sandefur said. “They’re good now. They’re solid. They don’t make a lot of mistakes.”
Each team committed just one error, but those errors led to the first two runs of the game. North Little Rock got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning. Cleanup hitter Dylan Howell led off with a single to centerfield. Two batters later with one out, Jarrod Smiatek singled to right field. Howell scored from second base when the throw home went past Arkadelphia catcher Austin White.
Arkadelphia got its leadoff hitter on base in three of the first four innings, but could only manage one run off staff ace Preston Oberling. Badger centerfielder Jakahari Howell ripped the first pitch of the game to right field for a line-drive single, but Oberling struck out the side two through four, all three batters going down swinging. Oberling walked the first batter of the second inning but got Danny Spradlin to hit into a 4-6-3 double play, then fanned Jahlon Mitchell to set them down one, two, three.
Arkadeplphia’s only run came in the third, the first inning in the first four that it didn’t put its leadoff runner on base. With one out, nine-hole hitter Cutter Jester walked. Howell bunted him over to second base. John Franklin Matros singled to left field. The shot was hard and shallow and not enough to score Jester from second, but left fielder Danny Mitchell missed it on the hop, allowing Jester to score on the error and tie the game.
Arkadelphia pitcher Jacob Knight sat the Wildcats down in order in the bottom of the third, fanning Oberling for the second time to end the inning and preserve the tie heading into the fourth.
Arkadelphia got a walk and a base hit to put two runners on with one out in the top of the fourth, but Oberling buckled down and got out of the jam. First he picked off lead runner Austin White, then struck out Jahlon Mitchell for the second time to end the inning.
The Wildcats broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth with a single run. Catcher Alex Gosser was hit by a pitch to lead things off. Howell then doubled to the gap in left-centerfield to put runners on second and third. Zach Rathbun scored Gosser’s courtesy runner Heath Land with a sacrifice grounder to second base.
North Little Rock tried to manufacture another run with a squeeze bunt, but didn’t execute it. Smiatek’s bunt bounced high just a couple of feet down the third baseline, where Austin White was able to catch it and easily tag Howell as he was charging home. White even had time to turn the double play, but his throw to first base was off the mark. Knight got out of the inning on the next at bat when he got Jake Sandefur to pop up to second base.
After another three-up, three-down inning by Oberling in the top of the fifth, North Little Rock began to touch Knight. Though the Badger southpaw got out of the inning only allowing two more runs, he was finally chased from the mound early in the fifth. Knight put the leadoff hitter, River Warnock, on by plunking him in the ribs. Warnock stole second base and moved to third on a bunt single by Mitchell. That was it for Knight, who yielded to Griffin Rucker.
“He was a sneaky pitcher with a sneaky fastball,” Sandefur said of Knight. “And let me tell you something, I don’t care what anybody says, nobody likes to face a soft lefty. When they put the other guy on the mound it helped us a lot. Everybody likes to hit fastballs.”
Leadoff hitter Evan Peters drove in Warnock with a ground ball. Oberling then singled to right field to score Mitchell and give the Wildcats a 4-1 lead.
Gosser then singled to put runners at first and second with one out, but Howell hit into a fielder’s choice at third base, and Rathbun struck out for the second time.
North Little Rock (9-1) sealed it with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Smiatek led off with a double to centerfield and Sandefur singled to put runners on the corners. Smiatek scored on a passed ball.
Rucker then hit Warnock and walked Mitchell to load the bases. Peters then singled to drive in two runs and Oberling walked, prompting Arkadelphia coach Brant Matros to take Rucker off the mound. He gave way to Ty Kosters, who got immediate results by picking off Oberling’s courtesy runner Zane Venetta. After walking Gosser, Kosters got Howell to pop up to third base and struck out Rathbun to end the Wildcat rally.
“We’re playing good fundamental baseball right now,” Sandefur said of his squad. “We’re making all the routine plays you have to make and we’re keeping mistakes to a minimum. We’re getting better at the plate and we’re going to become a good-hitting team. Our approach right now is much better than it was at the start of the season and hopefully it will continue to get better.”
North Little Rock finished with seven earned runs off nine hits. Knight threw four and two-thirds innings for Arkadelphia, giving up four hits and three earned runs while striking out three and walking none.
Oberling threw all seven innings for North Little Rock. He gave up five hits, no earned runs while striking out nine and walking four.
Everyone in the tournament was supposed to play two games on Thursday, but the late games were canceled due to the winter storm that moved in late in the afternoon.
Leader sports editor
For a class 4A team that’s starting four freshmen, Arkadelphia held its own with No. 1 ranked class 7A North Little Rock, at least for four innings. The Charging Wildcats eventually figured out the Badgers’ soft-tossing lefty and pulled away for an 8-1 win in the opening round of the Central Arkansas Invitational at Burns Park.
“That’s a solid little team and they’re going to be really good the next few years,” North Little Rock coach Randy Sandefur said. “They’re good now. They’re solid. They don’t make a lot of mistakes.”
Each team committed just one error, but those errors led to the first two runs of the game. North Little Rock got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning. Cleanup hitter Dylan Howell led off with a single to centerfield. Two batters later with one out, Jarrod Smiatek singled to right field. Howell scored from second base when the throw home went past Arkadelphia catcher Austin White.
Arkadelphia got its leadoff hitter on base in three of the first four innings, but could only manage one run off staff ace Preston Oberling. Badger centerfielder Jakahari Howell ripped the first pitch of the game to right field for a line-drive single, but Oberling struck out the side two through four, all three batters going down swinging. Oberling walked the first batter of the second inning but got Danny Spradlin to hit into a 4-6-3 double play, then fanned Jahlon Mitchell to set them down one, two, three.
Arkadeplphia’s only run came in the third, the first inning in the first four that it didn’t put its leadoff runner on base. With one out, nine-hole hitter Cutter Jester walked. Howell bunted him over to second base. John Franklin Matros singled to left field. The shot was hard and shallow and not enough to score Jester from second, but left fielder Danny Mitchell missed it on the hop, allowing Jester to score on the error and tie the game.
Arkadelphia pitcher Jacob Knight sat the Wildcats down in order in the bottom of the third, fanning Oberling for the second time to end the inning and preserve the tie heading into the fourth.
Arkadelphia got a walk and a base hit to put two runners on with one out in the top of the fourth, but Oberling buckled down and got out of the jam. First he picked off lead runner Austin White, then struck out Jahlon Mitchell for the second time to end the inning.
The Wildcats broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth with a single run. Catcher Alex Gosser was hit by a pitch to lead things off. Howell then doubled to the gap in left-centerfield to put runners on second and third. Zach Rathbun scored Gosser’s courtesy runner Heath Land with a sacrifice grounder to second base.
North Little Rock tried to manufacture another run with a squeeze bunt, but didn’t execute it. Smiatek’s bunt bounced high just a couple of feet down the third baseline, where Austin White was able to catch it and easily tag Howell as he was charging home. White even had time to turn the double play, but his throw to first base was off the mark. Knight got out of the inning on the next at bat when he got Jake Sandefur to pop up to second base.
After another three-up, three-down inning by Oberling in the top of the fifth, North Little Rock began to touch Knight. Though the Badger southpaw got out of the inning only allowing two more runs, he was finally chased from the mound early in the fifth. Knight put the leadoff hitter, River Warnock, on by plunking him in the ribs. Warnock stole second base and moved to third on a bunt single by Mitchell. That was it for Knight, who yielded to Griffin Rucker.
“He was a sneaky pitcher with a sneaky fastball,” Sandefur said of Knight. “And let me tell you something, I don’t care what anybody says, nobody likes to face a soft lefty. When they put the other guy on the mound it helped us a lot. Everybody likes to hit fastballs.”
Leadoff hitter Evan Peters drove in Warnock with a ground ball. Oberling then singled to right field to score Mitchell and give the Wildcats a 4-1 lead.
Gosser then singled to put runners at first and second with one out, but Howell hit into a fielder’s choice at third base, and Rathbun struck out for the second time.
North Little Rock (9-1) sealed it with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Smiatek led off with a double to centerfield and Sandefur singled to put runners on the corners. Smiatek scored on a passed ball.
Rucker then hit Warnock and walked Mitchell to load the bases. Peters then singled to drive in two runs and Oberling walked, prompting Arkadelphia coach Brant Matros to take Rucker off the mound. He gave way to Ty Kosters, who got immediate results by picking off Oberling’s courtesy runner Zane Venetta. After walking Gosser, Kosters got Howell to pop up to third base and struck out Rathbun to end the Wildcat rally.
“We’re playing good fundamental baseball right now,” Sandefur said of his squad. “We’re making all the routine plays you have to make and we’re keeping mistakes to a minimum. We’re getting better at the plate and we’re going to become a good-hitting team. Our approach right now is much better than it was at the start of the season and hopefully it will continue to get better.”
North Little Rock finished with seven earned runs off nine hits. Knight threw four and two-thirds innings for Arkadelphia, giving up four hits and three earned runs while striking out three and walking none.
Oberling threw all seven innings for North Little Rock. He gave up five hits, no earned runs while striking out nine and walking four.
Everyone in the tournament was supposed to play two games on Thursday, but the late games were canceled due to the winter storm that moved in late in the afternoon.
SPORTS STORY >> Great pitching effort for naught
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Sylvan Hills pitcher J.D. Miller turned in one of the best performances of the year, by any pitcher, in his outing at Burns Park on Thursday in the first round of the Central Arkansas Invitational, and he picked up the loss.
Miller completely shut down class 7A’s No. 2 ranked Springale Har-Ber Wildcats, giving up one hit and never letting a ball, any ball, not even an out, leave the infield through seven innings in a 1-0 loss.
“He threw a heck of a game,” Sylvan Hills coach Denny Tipton said. “It’s kind of sad. His last two outings have been a two-hitter and a one-hitter and we haven’t produced a single run for him.”
The Bears (4-5) only got two hits off three Har-Ber pitchers, but drew nine walks. The Wildcats got out of several jams with double plays and numerous base-running blunders by Sylvan Hills’ runners.
Har-Ber (9-1) never sent more than four batters to the plate in any inning. The Wildcats drew walks in the first, fourth and seventh innings, and got an infield single in the sixth, which eventually produced the only run of the game. Miller struck out 10 Har-Ber batters in the dominant performance, showing excellent command of his pitches and a solid, calm demeanor on the mound.
“He’s done that this year,” Tipton said. “His first outing at Vilonia he struggled in the first inning and they got five runs off of him. Since then he hasn’t given up an earned run in his last 19 innings.”
The game’s only run came with two outs in the top of the sixth inning when Har-Ber two-hole hitter Gus Vitt broke up the no-hitter with a grounder to the gap between shortstop and third base. Bears’ shortstop Brandon Baoni made the stop, but his throw back to first, with his momentum carrying him the opposite direction, didn’t get there in time to get the speedy Vitt.
The Wildcat left fielder easily stole second base on the next pitch. He broke for third base two pitches later. Catcher Reid Fawcett mishandled the outside pitch. Seeing the passed ball, Vitt broke for home and stumbled just after crossing third base. He kept going for home though and it appeared he would easily be thrown out. But Fawcett had trouble grasping the ball against the backstop and never made a throw to Miller, who was covering home plate.
Sylvan Hills blew prime scoring opportunities in the second, third, sixth and seventh innings. In each of those innings, the Bears had at least two runners on with no more than one out.
They had two on with one out in the second before Jacob White popped up to second base for the second out. Baoni then walked to load the bases, but was picked off by Har-Ber pitcher John Jaro for the third out.
Nine-hole hitter Blake Maddox walked to lead off the third inning and leadoff hitter T.J. Burrows singled to put two runners on with no outs. Charlie Roberts then struck out by missing a bunt, and catcher Justin Rasmussen picked off Maddox for a strikeout/2-6 double play. Chase Imoff then grounded out to third base to end the inning.
Sylvan Hills got its first three batters on base with two walks and a hit batter in the sixth. Roberts led it off, but was picked off on the first pitch to the next batter. Imoff then walked and Miller was hit to put two runners on. But two pop ups followed to end the threat.
The Bears got two on with one out in the bottom of the seventh and the top of the lineup coming up. Burrows ripped a hard ground ball down the first base line, but Har-Ber first baseman Zac DeShazo was squeezing the line and easily made the play. Roberts then struck out to end the game.
“We’ve just shot ourselves in the foot,” Tipton said. “I thought we outplayed them. Neither team had many hits, but we had a lot more opportunities to score than they did. That’s the positive. We can play with anybody when we play up to our capabilities. We battle at the plate. We don’t get blown away, we’re not striking out much. We just have to start turning those battles into hits, and I think we will. I’d rather hit in May than now anyway if I had the choice.”
Bad weather caused the postponement of the night games on Thursday and threw the tournament schedule into disarray. The Bears will be back on the field today, but time and place were not determined at The Leader’s deadlines. They will get back to conference play on Tuesday with a doubleheader at Mills.
Leader sports editor
Sylvan Hills pitcher J.D. Miller turned in one of the best performances of the year, by any pitcher, in his outing at Burns Park on Thursday in the first round of the Central Arkansas Invitational, and he picked up the loss.
Miller completely shut down class 7A’s No. 2 ranked Springale Har-Ber Wildcats, giving up one hit and never letting a ball, any ball, not even an out, leave the infield through seven innings in a 1-0 loss.
“He threw a heck of a game,” Sylvan Hills coach Denny Tipton said. “It’s kind of sad. His last two outings have been a two-hitter and a one-hitter and we haven’t produced a single run for him.”
The Bears (4-5) only got two hits off three Har-Ber pitchers, but drew nine walks. The Wildcats got out of several jams with double plays and numerous base-running blunders by Sylvan Hills’ runners.
Har-Ber (9-1) never sent more than four batters to the plate in any inning. The Wildcats drew walks in the first, fourth and seventh innings, and got an infield single in the sixth, which eventually produced the only run of the game. Miller struck out 10 Har-Ber batters in the dominant performance, showing excellent command of his pitches and a solid, calm demeanor on the mound.
“He’s done that this year,” Tipton said. “His first outing at Vilonia he struggled in the first inning and they got five runs off of him. Since then he hasn’t given up an earned run in his last 19 innings.”
The game’s only run came with two outs in the top of the sixth inning when Har-Ber two-hole hitter Gus Vitt broke up the no-hitter with a grounder to the gap between shortstop and third base. Bears’ shortstop Brandon Baoni made the stop, but his throw back to first, with his momentum carrying him the opposite direction, didn’t get there in time to get the speedy Vitt.
The Wildcat left fielder easily stole second base on the next pitch. He broke for third base two pitches later. Catcher Reid Fawcett mishandled the outside pitch. Seeing the passed ball, Vitt broke for home and stumbled just after crossing third base. He kept going for home though and it appeared he would easily be thrown out. But Fawcett had trouble grasping the ball against the backstop and never made a throw to Miller, who was covering home plate.
Sylvan Hills blew prime scoring opportunities in the second, third, sixth and seventh innings. In each of those innings, the Bears had at least two runners on with no more than one out.
They had two on with one out in the second before Jacob White popped up to second base for the second out. Baoni then walked to load the bases, but was picked off by Har-Ber pitcher John Jaro for the third out.
Nine-hole hitter Blake Maddox walked to lead off the third inning and leadoff hitter T.J. Burrows singled to put two runners on with no outs. Charlie Roberts then struck out by missing a bunt, and catcher Justin Rasmussen picked off Maddox for a strikeout/2-6 double play. Chase Imoff then grounded out to third base to end the inning.
Sylvan Hills got its first three batters on base with two walks and a hit batter in the sixth. Roberts led it off, but was picked off on the first pitch to the next batter. Imoff then walked and Miller was hit to put two runners on. But two pop ups followed to end the threat.
The Bears got two on with one out in the bottom of the seventh and the top of the lineup coming up. Burrows ripped a hard ground ball down the first base line, but Har-Ber first baseman Zac DeShazo was squeezing the line and easily made the play. Roberts then struck out to end the game.
“We’ve just shot ourselves in the foot,” Tipton said. “I thought we outplayed them. Neither team had many hits, but we had a lot more opportunities to score than they did. That’s the positive. We can play with anybody when we play up to our capabilities. We battle at the plate. We don’t get blown away, we’re not striking out much. We just have to start turning those battles into hits, and I think we will. I’d rather hit in May than now anyway if I had the choice.”
Bad weather caused the postponement of the night games on Thursday and threw the tournament schedule into disarray. The Bears will be back on the field today, but time and place were not determined at The Leader’s deadlines. They will get back to conference play on Tuesday with a doubleheader at Mills.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
SPORTS STORY >> Panther softball team earns first league win
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Lady Panthers picked up their first 7A/6A East Conference softball victory in easy fashion with a 21-0 shutout over Little Rock Central on Friday.
The Lady Panthers did not need many hits during the run-ruled affair, as they loaded the bases repeatedly on walks against a Central team struggling to find consistent pitching.
The first few weeks of the season has not been so easy for Cabot, however, as a youth-dominated roster and new coach have worked to find their identity in what appears to be a closely-stacked East league. Cabot currently stands 3-4 overall, and is 1-1 in conference play after losing its league opener at North Little Rock on Tuesday.
Former Searcy coach Chris Cope took over the helm for longtime coach Becky Steward upon her retirement last summer, and is looking to build a program similar to that of his state-championship winning Lady Lions team in 2011.
Senior catcher Taylor Anderson leads the Lady Panthers at the plate with a stellar .573 average, followed by freshman Kayla Henard, who has a .400 average through the first seven games. While Anderson and Henard have enjoyed batting success early, Cope would like to see the overall team average improve.
“Right now, we’re not swinging the bats like we need to, or scoringruns,” Cope said. “After spring break, we’ve got to come back and look at scoring some runs and cut down on our errors to be successful.”
The numbers add up to a potentially deep Cabot team in the future with the varsity and junior-varsity rosters combining for 10 freshmen, four sophomores and five juniors with only three seniors.
The Lady Panthers also have a youthful look inside the pitcher’s circle with sophomore Kaitlyn Thompson handling most of the duties so far this season.
Freshman Kaitlyn Felder entered the season as the No. 2 pitcher, but is currently out injured, leaving another freshman, Payton Steadman, as Thompson’s backup if needed.
“Kaitlyn Thompson has done well for not really being a pitcher,” Cope said. “We’ve just kind of needed her right now for her leadership as a player. She’s done well, we just have to learn to make some plays behind her.”
The inexperience of the Lady Panthers on defense caused a significant amount of errors at the start of the season, but with the beginning of conference play, Cope said he has seen solid improvement on that end, but still has his concerns when it comes to batting.
“We’re getting better,” Cope said. “We started our first game with eight errors, and in our conference game against North Little Rock, we had just three, so we’re cutting them down. We just haven’t woke our bats up like we need to, and that’s something we have to get back to practicing to make a run. There’s only a month and a half left, and then you’re done.”
As far as the 7A/6A East Conference itself, Cabot is not the only rebuilding team this year with several youth-dominant lineups throughout the league.
The new conference alignment has also landed the Lady Panthers in the same league as perennial 6A powerhouses Searcy and Mountain Home, though the Lady Lions are one of those rebuilding teams.
“From top to bottom, our conference looks pretty even,” Cope said. “North Little Rock right now would get the heads up, they’re 2-0. We’re 1-1, and there’s a bunch of 1-1s. In our conference, we have four 6A and four 7A, and I think on any given night, everybody can beat everybody, so it’s pretty even for the most part.”
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Lady Panthers picked up their first 7A/6A East Conference softball victory in easy fashion with a 21-0 shutout over Little Rock Central on Friday.
The Lady Panthers did not need many hits during the run-ruled affair, as they loaded the bases repeatedly on walks against a Central team struggling to find consistent pitching.
The first few weeks of the season has not been so easy for Cabot, however, as a youth-dominated roster and new coach have worked to find their identity in what appears to be a closely-stacked East league. Cabot currently stands 3-4 overall, and is 1-1 in conference play after losing its league opener at North Little Rock on Tuesday.
Former Searcy coach Chris Cope took over the helm for longtime coach Becky Steward upon her retirement last summer, and is looking to build a program similar to that of his state-championship winning Lady Lions team in 2011.
Senior catcher Taylor Anderson leads the Lady Panthers at the plate with a stellar .573 average, followed by freshman Kayla Henard, who has a .400 average through the first seven games. While Anderson and Henard have enjoyed batting success early, Cope would like to see the overall team average improve.
“Right now, we’re not swinging the bats like we need to, or scoringruns,” Cope said. “After spring break, we’ve got to come back and look at scoring some runs and cut down on our errors to be successful.”
The numbers add up to a potentially deep Cabot team in the future with the varsity and junior-varsity rosters combining for 10 freshmen, four sophomores and five juniors with only three seniors.
The Lady Panthers also have a youthful look inside the pitcher’s circle with sophomore Kaitlyn Thompson handling most of the duties so far this season.
Freshman Kaitlyn Felder entered the season as the No. 2 pitcher, but is currently out injured, leaving another freshman, Payton Steadman, as Thompson’s backup if needed.
“Kaitlyn Thompson has done well for not really being a pitcher,” Cope said. “We’ve just kind of needed her right now for her leadership as a player. She’s done well, we just have to learn to make some plays behind her.”
The inexperience of the Lady Panthers on defense caused a significant amount of errors at the start of the season, but with the beginning of conference play, Cope said he has seen solid improvement on that end, but still has his concerns when it comes to batting.
“We’re getting better,” Cope said. “We started our first game with eight errors, and in our conference game against North Little Rock, we had just three, so we’re cutting them down. We just haven’t woke our bats up like we need to, and that’s something we have to get back to practicing to make a run. There’s only a month and a half left, and then you’re done.”
As far as the 7A/6A East Conference itself, Cabot is not the only rebuilding team this year with several youth-dominant lineups throughout the league.
The new conference alignment has also landed the Lady Panthers in the same league as perennial 6A powerhouses Searcy and Mountain Home, though the Lady Lions are one of those rebuilding teams.
“From top to bottom, our conference looks pretty even,” Cope said. “North Little Rock right now would get the heads up, they’re 2-0. We’re 1-1, and there’s a bunch of 1-1s. In our conference, we have four 6A and four 7A, and I think on any given night, everybody can beat everybody, so it’s pretty even for the most part.”
SPORTS STORY >> Panthers, Wildcats perform at Bryant
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers girls track team turned in a fine showing at the Bryant relays on Thursday, finishing second behind the host school in a field of 23 teams. The boys also weren’t bad, finishing in 11th place, and getting most of their points from an unusual source for Cabot, sprinters.
The Lady Panther sprinters were good too, especially the Weeks sisters, who teamed up for several points in sprints and field events.
The North Little Rock girls finished fourth in the event, with sophomore Malica Monk leading the Charging Lady Wildcats in total points.
In the girls 100-meter dash, North Little Rock had two finish in the points. Monk took third place behind Little Rock Central’s Tamara Kuyinendall and Bryant’s Fenice Boone. Cabot’s Tori Weeks was fifth and North Little Rock’s Brandi Hughes got a point with an eighth-place finish.
Cabot’s 4x100-meter relay team took fifth place. Lady Panthers Ladaysha Evans, Rochelle Mallory and Tori and Lexi Weeks finished with a time of 52.24. That was three spots and two seconds behind North Little Rock’s Monk, Hughes, Makayla Daniel and Ashleigh Taylor, who took second in the event. Bryant won it with a time of 49.68.
North Little Rock’s Lagradia Nelson took fifth in the 400-meter race, which Boone won with the only time under one minute at 58.31.
The same Cabot relay team took third in the 4x400, which Bryant also won by a large margin. North Little Rock took fourth in the event, a full 10 seconds behind Cabot, who was 14 seconds slower than Bryant.
North Little Rock’s Shadeanna Gatlin scored one point in the 100-meter hurdles with an eighth-place finish. Camden Fairview’s Tracy Walker won the event, one of three wins for the Lady Cardinal senior.
Cabot sophomore Micah Huckabee won the 1600-meter race, finishing four seconds ahead of second place with a time of 5:29.80. She also finished second in the 800-meter race behind Bryant junior Melinda Murdock.
Monk finished second behind Walker in the high jump. Her leap of 5-foot-2 was two inches below Walker’s winning jump. Monk was also sixth in the long jump, four spots behind Lexi Weeks, who finished second with a jump of 17-feet, 2 ¾ inches. Bryant’s Alexis Royal won that event with a jump of 17-6.
Monk also finished third in the triple jump while Tori Weeks was fourth for Cabot. Royal also won that event with a jump of 35-11 ¾.
The Weeks sisters easily took the top two spots in the pole vault. Lexi vaulted 12-6 while Tori cleared 12-0. Tori’s vault was an even two feet higher than third place Catherine Sales of Jonesboro. Gatlin of North Little Rock finished sixth with a vault of 7-6.
Cabot’s Haley Buford finished second in the discus and sixth in the shot put to pull in 11 more points for Cabot. Camden Fairview’s Betty Jo Garrett’s discus toss went 102-5 to beat Buford’s 99 feet.
In the boys meet, Cabot junior Jordan Burke finished third in the 100-meter dash. His time of 11.13 was only three one-hundredths of a second behind winner Tre James of Central, and one one-hundredth behind second-place Brandon Cox of Conway. North Little Rock’s Altee Tenpenny finished sixth with a time of 11:25. Burke also took third in a very tight 200-meter race. Mills’ Floyd Pugh won with a time of 22.67. Marion’s Trey Chambers and Burke each finished at 22.78 with Chambers being award second place.
North Little Rock’s 4x100 team took first place. The team of Martinez Butler, Kavin Alexander, Tenpenny and Rodney Bryson finished in 42.74, just ahead of Central’s 42.78. Cabot’s team of Layton Ally, Hayden Richey, Seth Hoggard and Burke took eighth place for one point.
North Little Rock’s Timothy Curry finished fourth in the 400-meters, four seconds behind winner Trey Chambers of Marion. Curry’s teammate Martavious Stozier finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles. Bryant’s Sullivan Spencer won that event. Wildcat Ed’Zemien Lyons also lost to Spencer in the 300-meter hurdles, finishing fifth with a time of 42.38.
North Little Rock’s team of Curry, Aaron Adams, Brad Agee and Anthony Louden took third in the 4x400 relay. Marion won that event and Bryant was second.
Lyons and teammate Marquez Jones tied for fifth in the high jump with leaps of 5-10. While Adams jumped 20-2 for sixth place in the long jump.
Butler won the triple jump for North Little Rock with a jump of 43.7 while Cabot’s Hoggard finished seventh at 40-3.
North Little Rock’s Marcus Lindsey was fourth in the shot put and Cabot’s Keith Pledger was sixth. Lindsey was also fourth in the discus while teammate Deon Tidwell finished seventh.
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers girls track team turned in a fine showing at the Bryant relays on Thursday, finishing second behind the host school in a field of 23 teams. The boys also weren’t bad, finishing in 11th place, and getting most of their points from an unusual source for Cabot, sprinters.
The Lady Panther sprinters were good too, especially the Weeks sisters, who teamed up for several points in sprints and field events.
The North Little Rock girls finished fourth in the event, with sophomore Malica Monk leading the Charging Lady Wildcats in total points.
In the girls 100-meter dash, North Little Rock had two finish in the points. Monk took third place behind Little Rock Central’s Tamara Kuyinendall and Bryant’s Fenice Boone. Cabot’s Tori Weeks was fifth and North Little Rock’s Brandi Hughes got a point with an eighth-place finish.
Cabot’s 4x100-meter relay team took fifth place. Lady Panthers Ladaysha Evans, Rochelle Mallory and Tori and Lexi Weeks finished with a time of 52.24. That was three spots and two seconds behind North Little Rock’s Monk, Hughes, Makayla Daniel and Ashleigh Taylor, who took second in the event. Bryant won it with a time of 49.68.
North Little Rock’s Lagradia Nelson took fifth in the 400-meter race, which Boone won with the only time under one minute at 58.31.
The same Cabot relay team took third in the 4x400, which Bryant also won by a large margin. North Little Rock took fourth in the event, a full 10 seconds behind Cabot, who was 14 seconds slower than Bryant.
North Little Rock’s Shadeanna Gatlin scored one point in the 100-meter hurdles with an eighth-place finish. Camden Fairview’s Tracy Walker won the event, one of three wins for the Lady Cardinal senior.
Cabot sophomore Micah Huckabee won the 1600-meter race, finishing four seconds ahead of second place with a time of 5:29.80. She also finished second in the 800-meter race behind Bryant junior Melinda Murdock.
Monk finished second behind Walker in the high jump. Her leap of 5-foot-2 was two inches below Walker’s winning jump. Monk was also sixth in the long jump, four spots behind Lexi Weeks, who finished second with a jump of 17-feet, 2 ¾ inches. Bryant’s Alexis Royal won that event with a jump of 17-6.
Monk also finished third in the triple jump while Tori Weeks was fourth for Cabot. Royal also won that event with a jump of 35-11 ¾.
The Weeks sisters easily took the top two spots in the pole vault. Lexi vaulted 12-6 while Tori cleared 12-0. Tori’s vault was an even two feet higher than third place Catherine Sales of Jonesboro. Gatlin of North Little Rock finished sixth with a vault of 7-6.
Cabot’s Haley Buford finished second in the discus and sixth in the shot put to pull in 11 more points for Cabot. Camden Fairview’s Betty Jo Garrett’s discus toss went 102-5 to beat Buford’s 99 feet.
In the boys meet, Cabot junior Jordan Burke finished third in the 100-meter dash. His time of 11.13 was only three one-hundredths of a second behind winner Tre James of Central, and one one-hundredth behind second-place Brandon Cox of Conway. North Little Rock’s Altee Tenpenny finished sixth with a time of 11:25. Burke also took third in a very tight 200-meter race. Mills’ Floyd Pugh won with a time of 22.67. Marion’s Trey Chambers and Burke each finished at 22.78 with Chambers being award second place.
North Little Rock’s 4x100 team took first place. The team of Martinez Butler, Kavin Alexander, Tenpenny and Rodney Bryson finished in 42.74, just ahead of Central’s 42.78. Cabot’s team of Layton Ally, Hayden Richey, Seth Hoggard and Burke took eighth place for one point.
North Little Rock’s Timothy Curry finished fourth in the 400-meters, four seconds behind winner Trey Chambers of Marion. Curry’s teammate Martavious Stozier finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles. Bryant’s Sullivan Spencer won that event. Wildcat Ed’Zemien Lyons also lost to Spencer in the 300-meter hurdles, finishing fifth with a time of 42.38.
North Little Rock’s team of Curry, Aaron Adams, Brad Agee and Anthony Louden took third in the 4x400 relay. Marion won that event and Bryant was second.
Lyons and teammate Marquez Jones tied for fifth in the high jump with leaps of 5-10. While Adams jumped 20-2 for sixth place in the long jump.
Butler won the triple jump for North Little Rock with a jump of 43.7 while Cabot’s Hoggard finished seventh at 40-3.
North Little Rock’s Marcus Lindsey was fourth in the shot put and Cabot’s Keith Pledger was sixth. Lindsey was also fourth in the discus while teammate Deon Tidwell finished seventh.
SPORTS STORY >> Lions can’t catch up after early Beebe lead
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Timely hits and key defensive stops helped the Badger baseball team start spring break on a high note as it beat Searcy 8-4 in nonconference action Friday at Beebe High School.
Although Beebe (6-4, 0-2) never trailed, Searcy (4-4, 1-1) stayed within striking distance throughout the game. There were various moments in the contest when the Lions appeared to make a serious run at the Badger lead, but the home team had an answer for nearly every Searcy run.
Beebe led 1-0 at the end of the first on a sacrifice fly by three-hole hitter Justin Browning. Leadoff hitter Than Kersey scored on the play after starting the inning with a walk. Searcy knotted it up at 1-1 in the top of the second on a RBI-single by Anthony Arnold that drove in Justin Rea.
A one-out single by Brandon Stane and a ground ball to third base by Browning put Beebe back up 3-1 in the third. Deion Byrd cut the Badger lead to 3-2 in the top of the fifth with a double down the first baseline that scored Matthew Parsley. But the top of Beebe’s order started doing damage to the Searcy pitching corps from the fifth inning on.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Browning hit a two-run home run over the left-field wall to give the Badgers a 5-2 cushion. Searcy added a run in the sixth, but another two-out Badger rally in the bottom part of the inning scored three runs and gave the home team its largest lead at 8-3.
After a Kord Simpson walk the previous at bat, Kersey drove in the Badgers’ sixth run of the game with a hard hit, RBI-single up the middle of the diamond.
Kersey stole second with Stane, the two-hole hitter, at the plate, but it wasn’t necessary. Stane followed with a two-run home run over the left field wall to give the Badgers the five-run lead.
“Of course we had two home runs in the game, which was good for us because it gave us a little confidence,” said Beebe coach Mark Crafton. “We hadn’t been hitting the ball well, and we scattered some hits around today. And we scored all those runs in the fifth and the sixth with two outs.
“So that just shows them when they put in the work, they get to reap the rewards if they do what they need to do.”
Searcy set the final score in the top of the seventh on the Badgers’ lone error of the game. Jacob Sexton grounded out to start the inning, but Beebe freshman pitcher Angus Denton began to show the fatigue of pitching a complete game as he walked the next two batters.
A stolen base put Arnold on third, and Brady Anderson followed with a ground ball to shortstop. Stane fielded the ball cleanly, but the throw to first was off, and Arnold scored to make it 8-4. With two on and one out, the Badgers got out of the jam as leadoff hitter Brandon Zomant grounded out to second base, and Stane redeemed himself by throwing out Colby Crossen at first after a routine grounder.
Denton earned the win on the mound for the Badgers as he struck out four and walked three in his seven innings of work. His performance stood out to the head Badger.
“That was his first complete game,” Crafton said. “He threw for us earlier in the year and has done well on the mound. He’s really stepped up and played good third base for us, but we wanted to throw him into the fire against a top-notch ball club like Searcy, and he rose to the challenge.”
Stane and Browning led the Badgers with two hits apiece. Kersey, Denton, Jonathan Underwood and Pete Drennan also had hits for Beebe.
The Badgers won’t play again until March 26 when they host Forrest City in a 5A East Conference doubleheader starting at 4 p.m.
Leader sportswriter
Timely hits and key defensive stops helped the Badger baseball team start spring break on a high note as it beat Searcy 8-4 in nonconference action Friday at Beebe High School.
Although Beebe (6-4, 0-2) never trailed, Searcy (4-4, 1-1) stayed within striking distance throughout the game. There were various moments in the contest when the Lions appeared to make a serious run at the Badger lead, but the home team had an answer for nearly every Searcy run.
Beebe led 1-0 at the end of the first on a sacrifice fly by three-hole hitter Justin Browning. Leadoff hitter Than Kersey scored on the play after starting the inning with a walk. Searcy knotted it up at 1-1 in the top of the second on a RBI-single by Anthony Arnold that drove in Justin Rea.
A one-out single by Brandon Stane and a ground ball to third base by Browning put Beebe back up 3-1 in the third. Deion Byrd cut the Badger lead to 3-2 in the top of the fifth with a double down the first baseline that scored Matthew Parsley. But the top of Beebe’s order started doing damage to the Searcy pitching corps from the fifth inning on.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Browning hit a two-run home run over the left-field wall to give the Badgers a 5-2 cushion. Searcy added a run in the sixth, but another two-out Badger rally in the bottom part of the inning scored three runs and gave the home team its largest lead at 8-3.
After a Kord Simpson walk the previous at bat, Kersey drove in the Badgers’ sixth run of the game with a hard hit, RBI-single up the middle of the diamond.
Kersey stole second with Stane, the two-hole hitter, at the plate, but it wasn’t necessary. Stane followed with a two-run home run over the left field wall to give the Badgers the five-run lead.
“Of course we had two home runs in the game, which was good for us because it gave us a little confidence,” said Beebe coach Mark Crafton. “We hadn’t been hitting the ball well, and we scattered some hits around today. And we scored all those runs in the fifth and the sixth with two outs.
“So that just shows them when they put in the work, they get to reap the rewards if they do what they need to do.”
Searcy set the final score in the top of the seventh on the Badgers’ lone error of the game. Jacob Sexton grounded out to start the inning, but Beebe freshman pitcher Angus Denton began to show the fatigue of pitching a complete game as he walked the next two batters.
A stolen base put Arnold on third, and Brady Anderson followed with a ground ball to shortstop. Stane fielded the ball cleanly, but the throw to first was off, and Arnold scored to make it 8-4. With two on and one out, the Badgers got out of the jam as leadoff hitter Brandon Zomant grounded out to second base, and Stane redeemed himself by throwing out Colby Crossen at first after a routine grounder.
Denton earned the win on the mound for the Badgers as he struck out four and walked three in his seven innings of work. His performance stood out to the head Badger.
“That was his first complete game,” Crafton said. “He threw for us earlier in the year and has done well on the mound. He’s really stepped up and played good third base for us, but we wanted to throw him into the fire against a top-notch ball club like Searcy, and he rose to the challenge.”
Stane and Browning led the Badgers with two hits apiece. Kersey, Denton, Jonathan Underwood and Pete Drennan also had hits for Beebe.
The Badgers won’t play again until March 26 when they host Forrest City in a 5A East Conference doubleheader starting at 4 p.m.
SPORT STORY >> Bears upend touted Tigers
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills Bears got a confidence-boosting 4-2 win over class 7A Little Rock Central on Friday at Sherwood Sports Complex. The Tigers are among those considered serious contenders for the class 7A state championship, and have looked the part so far this season. But Sylvan Hills (4-4) put them in a hole at the very beginning with two runs in the first, and held them off with good pitching and defense for seven innings.
“This is a good win for us,” Sylvan Hills coach Denny Tipton said. “We’re so young this year I didn’t expect us to be great right from the start. It’s going to take us a little while but there’s talent on this team. I like this group and I think they have a chance to end up being pretty good.”
Sylvan Hills starting pitcher Connor Poteet had an excellent outing. He pitched five innings and gave up just two hits and one earned run. He hit three batters and left the game after walking the leadoff hitter in the top of the sixth inning. T.J. Burrows came in from left field and inherited a 2-1 lead with a runner on and no outs after Poteet walked Central’s Daniel Massiner. Walter Bass sacrificed him to second base and he moved to third on a groundout. He finally scored on a passed ball that tied the game and ruined Poteet’s chance to be the winning pitcher.
Central (8-2) appeared to have the momentum after tying the game, but Sylvan Hills answered the Tigers’ salvo with a two-out, two-run rally that set the final margin. Chase Imoff walked with two outs. He then scored when J.D. Miller’s line drive to left field was mishandled. Poteet then hit a line-drive double down the third-base line that scored Miller easily and gave the Bears a 4-2 lead.
Central threatened in the top of the seventh when leadoff hitter Noah Burks singled to left field with one out. Two-hole hitter Joey Abraham and Burrows battled for nine pitches on the next at bat, with Burrows winning the duel by forcing Abraham to pop up to second base for the second out.
Three-hole hitter Kevin Garner did not take as long. Burrows struck him out in three pitches without a single swing of the bat to end the game and seal his relief victory on the mound.
“We got good pitching today from both our guys,” Tipton said. “They didn’t throw either of their two DI guys, but we didn’t throw our first two either. Connor pitched a great game and T.J. came in and finished it off for us. We need to get our bats going a lot more, but I think that’ll come.”
Sylvan Hills’ first two batters scored in the bottom of the second inning. Burrows and Charlie Roberts drew back-to-back walks before Imoff doubled to left field to drive both runners in. Those were the only two runs through four innings of play. Central got one back in the top of the fifth when Poteet hit nine-hole hitter Jonathan Thompson with one out. He then gave up a single to left field, where Burrows failed to scoop up the rolling ball, allowing Thompson to score all the way from first base.
Tiger pitcher Alex Stillwell rebounded from the rocky start and fanned the first two Sylvan Hills batters in the bottom of the fifth. He then got Blake Maddox to bloop one back to the mound for an easy third out of a quick bottom half of the sixth inning.
That set the stage for Central’s tying run in the sixth.
The Bears will be back in action on Thursday in the Central Arkansas Invitational. The CAI is a 16-team, double-elimination tournament in Little Rock that is being held at four different sites. The Bears open at 2:30 p.m. at Burns Park against Springdale Har-Ber. Other first-round games include Little Rock Catholic taking on Cabot at noon Thursday at Lamar Porter Field. Springfield, Kickapoo plays Bentonville at 2:30 p.m. at Lamar Porter Field as well. Little Rock Central will host Russellville at Central High, followed by El Dorado taking on Van Buren. At Benton High School, the Panthers will play Alma at noon and Pulaski Academy will take on Southmoore High at 2:30. North Little Rock plays the first game at Burns Park at noon against Arkadelphia.
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills Bears got a confidence-boosting 4-2 win over class 7A Little Rock Central on Friday at Sherwood Sports Complex. The Tigers are among those considered serious contenders for the class 7A state championship, and have looked the part so far this season. But Sylvan Hills (4-4) put them in a hole at the very beginning with two runs in the first, and held them off with good pitching and defense for seven innings.
“This is a good win for us,” Sylvan Hills coach Denny Tipton said. “We’re so young this year I didn’t expect us to be great right from the start. It’s going to take us a little while but there’s talent on this team. I like this group and I think they have a chance to end up being pretty good.”
Sylvan Hills starting pitcher Connor Poteet had an excellent outing. He pitched five innings and gave up just two hits and one earned run. He hit three batters and left the game after walking the leadoff hitter in the top of the sixth inning. T.J. Burrows came in from left field and inherited a 2-1 lead with a runner on and no outs after Poteet walked Central’s Daniel Massiner. Walter Bass sacrificed him to second base and he moved to third on a groundout. He finally scored on a passed ball that tied the game and ruined Poteet’s chance to be the winning pitcher.
Central (8-2) appeared to have the momentum after tying the game, but Sylvan Hills answered the Tigers’ salvo with a two-out, two-run rally that set the final margin. Chase Imoff walked with two outs. He then scored when J.D. Miller’s line drive to left field was mishandled. Poteet then hit a line-drive double down the third-base line that scored Miller easily and gave the Bears a 4-2 lead.
Central threatened in the top of the seventh when leadoff hitter Noah Burks singled to left field with one out. Two-hole hitter Joey Abraham and Burrows battled for nine pitches on the next at bat, with Burrows winning the duel by forcing Abraham to pop up to second base for the second out.
Three-hole hitter Kevin Garner did not take as long. Burrows struck him out in three pitches without a single swing of the bat to end the game and seal his relief victory on the mound.
“We got good pitching today from both our guys,” Tipton said. “They didn’t throw either of their two DI guys, but we didn’t throw our first two either. Connor pitched a great game and T.J. came in and finished it off for us. We need to get our bats going a lot more, but I think that’ll come.”
Sylvan Hills’ first two batters scored in the bottom of the second inning. Burrows and Charlie Roberts drew back-to-back walks before Imoff doubled to left field to drive both runners in. Those were the only two runs through four innings of play. Central got one back in the top of the fifth when Poteet hit nine-hole hitter Jonathan Thompson with one out. He then gave up a single to left field, where Burrows failed to scoop up the rolling ball, allowing Thompson to score all the way from first base.
Tiger pitcher Alex Stillwell rebounded from the rocky start and fanned the first two Sylvan Hills batters in the bottom of the fifth. He then got Blake Maddox to bloop one back to the mound for an easy third out of a quick bottom half of the sixth inning.
That set the stage for Central’s tying run in the sixth.
The Bears will be back in action on Thursday in the Central Arkansas Invitational. The CAI is a 16-team, double-elimination tournament in Little Rock that is being held at four different sites. The Bears open at 2:30 p.m. at Burns Park against Springdale Har-Ber. Other first-round games include Little Rock Catholic taking on Cabot at noon Thursday at Lamar Porter Field. Springfield, Kickapoo plays Bentonville at 2:30 p.m. at Lamar Porter Field as well. Little Rock Central will host Russellville at Central High, followed by El Dorado taking on Van Buren. At Benton High School, the Panthers will play Alma at noon and Pulaski Academy will take on Southmoore High at 2:30. North Little Rock plays the first game at Burns Park at noon against Arkadelphia.
EDITORIAL >> Obamacare in March
The critical issue of the 2013 session of the Arkansas legislature, believe it or not, is not abortion, birth control, guns, tattoos or voter ID cards but the federal offer to insure medical care for some 250,000 low-income workers, 4,000 of them or more in our own community. That issue seems finally coming to a resolution, and we’re happy to report—well, good news and bad news.
The good news? It is looking more and more conceivable that the legislature—the necessary three-fourths of the members of both houses—will approve the expansion of Medicaid starting Jan. 1 to cover the neediest Arkansans who do not now have access to insurance, which sometimes means no access to medical attention when they need it. Only a month ago, that was extremely unlikely because all Republicans, who dominate both houses, have fiercely opposed the federal Affordable Care Act of 2010 and every aspect of it, including the Medicaid expansion.
The state Department of Human Services reported Monday that, despite earlier fears, Medicaid expansion through private insurance might not cost Arkansas more because medicine is a lot less expensive here than in many other states.
If other states demand and get the same arrangement, it will run into many billions of dollars more a year than the straight Medicaid deal for the states in the Affordable Care Act (in the vernacular, that’s “Obamacare”). No one knows how much — almost certainly more than $100 million a year if other states follow the Arkansas plan as costs are higher elsewhere.
A few Republican leaders of the state Senate and House of Representatives cooked up the new arrangement, which will have the federal government (and after 2017 the state government as well) buy private insurance policies for the 250,000 rather than have them treated under the Medicaid program.
We think it is still good news because, even at a higher tab, all of us, not merely the people who will get health coverage for the first time, will be better off when everyone is insured and has equal access to care and medicine. By any measure, Arkansans are on average among the unhealthiest people in the country. If you measure everything by economic principles, you can figure that it will mean increased productivity.
Hospitals, doctors and other health providers have clamored for the legislature to approve the Medicaid expansion. If Medicaid expansion fails, community hospitals will be in deep trouble and the regional medical centers will have to find new sources of financial support because reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid are set to be reduced in 2014.
Businesses that provide insurance for their workers and many of the self-insured support the expansion because it will end the massive cost shifting of charitable care to the premiums of the insured.
If you are not keeping score on the politics, you need some background. The Affordable Care Act has a hundred moving parts but the three big features insure people who aren’t insured now: (1) a mandate for insurance companies to issue policies to people with preexisting conditions or who are denied coverage for some other reason at the same rates, (2) a mandate that large employers and individuals who are self-employed or work for small employers buy coverage from a private insurance company through a market called an exchange, with the federal government helping pay the premiums for families earning between 138 and 400 percent of the federal poverty line, and (3) expansion of Medicaid for people below 138 percent of poverty, who are presumed to be too poor to afford any part of an insurance premium.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states, which are partners with Uncle Sam on Medicaid, could refuse to participate in the Medicaid expansion. The federal government pays 100 percent of the coverage until 2017, when the states begin to pick up a small part of the tab. In 2020 and afterward, Arkansas would pick up 10 percent of the expanded costs and the federal government 90 percent. Even after 2020, Arkansas would be getting such a huge infusion of money into its economy and would be shifting so much of the current Medicaid costs to Washington that it will be a fiscal bonanza for the state.
But Republicans who had denounced Obama-care as an unmitigated evil could not be seen as going along with any part of it. So several GOP leaders said, hey, what about removing all those 250,000 low-income workers from the Medicaid rolls and having them buy insurance policies on the exchange like people who earn up to 400 percent of the poverty line? The federal government would have to pick up the full cost of the premiums, which are estimated to be as high as 50 percent more than the cost of Medicaid coverage in many parts of the country if not in Arkansas, but it would be a private insurance program and not so much a government program.
Gov. Beebe took the idea to Washington, and Kathleen Sibelius, the secretary of human services, said sure, be our guest. So that is the proposition that apparently will go to the legislature. It will have to enact an appropriation to spend the billions in federal money that will flow through the state treasury and then out to the insurance companies. Under a bizarre constitutional amendment adopted in 1934, the appropriation will require three fourths of the each house, a very high hurdle.
The insurance industry is thrilled. It means billions in new profits from Arkansas. It’s a good deal for the doctors and hospitals because insurance companies pay them much more for a medical procedure than Medicaid or Medicare does. And you can argue that it is a pretty good deal for the poor because more doctors will be willing to treat them if they are going to be paid far more for an office visit or a procedure.
The good news? It is looking more and more conceivable that the legislature—the necessary three-fourths of the members of both houses—will approve the expansion of Medicaid starting Jan. 1 to cover the neediest Arkansans who do not now have access to insurance, which sometimes means no access to medical attention when they need it. Only a month ago, that was extremely unlikely because all Republicans, who dominate both houses, have fiercely opposed the federal Affordable Care Act of 2010 and every aspect of it, including the Medicaid expansion.
The state Department of Human Services reported Monday that, despite earlier fears, Medicaid expansion through private insurance might not cost Arkansas more because medicine is a lot less expensive here than in many other states.
If other states demand and get the same arrangement, it will run into many billions of dollars more a year than the straight Medicaid deal for the states in the Affordable Care Act (in the vernacular, that’s “Obamacare”). No one knows how much — almost certainly more than $100 million a year if other states follow the Arkansas plan as costs are higher elsewhere.
A few Republican leaders of the state Senate and House of Representatives cooked up the new arrangement, which will have the federal government (and after 2017 the state government as well) buy private insurance policies for the 250,000 rather than have them treated under the Medicaid program.
We think it is still good news because, even at a higher tab, all of us, not merely the people who will get health coverage for the first time, will be better off when everyone is insured and has equal access to care and medicine. By any measure, Arkansans are on average among the unhealthiest people in the country. If you measure everything by economic principles, you can figure that it will mean increased productivity.
Hospitals, doctors and other health providers have clamored for the legislature to approve the Medicaid expansion. If Medicaid expansion fails, community hospitals will be in deep trouble and the regional medical centers will have to find new sources of financial support because reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid are set to be reduced in 2014.
Businesses that provide insurance for their workers and many of the self-insured support the expansion because it will end the massive cost shifting of charitable care to the premiums of the insured.
If you are not keeping score on the politics, you need some background. The Affordable Care Act has a hundred moving parts but the three big features insure people who aren’t insured now: (1) a mandate for insurance companies to issue policies to people with preexisting conditions or who are denied coverage for some other reason at the same rates, (2) a mandate that large employers and individuals who are self-employed or work for small employers buy coverage from a private insurance company through a market called an exchange, with the federal government helping pay the premiums for families earning between 138 and 400 percent of the federal poverty line, and (3) expansion of Medicaid for people below 138 percent of poverty, who are presumed to be too poor to afford any part of an insurance premium.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states, which are partners with Uncle Sam on Medicaid, could refuse to participate in the Medicaid expansion. The federal government pays 100 percent of the coverage until 2017, when the states begin to pick up a small part of the tab. In 2020 and afterward, Arkansas would pick up 10 percent of the expanded costs and the federal government 90 percent. Even after 2020, Arkansas would be getting such a huge infusion of money into its economy and would be shifting so much of the current Medicaid costs to Washington that it will be a fiscal bonanza for the state.
But Republicans who had denounced Obama-care as an unmitigated evil could not be seen as going along with any part of it. So several GOP leaders said, hey, what about removing all those 250,000 low-income workers from the Medicaid rolls and having them buy insurance policies on the exchange like people who earn up to 400 percent of the poverty line? The federal government would have to pick up the full cost of the premiums, which are estimated to be as high as 50 percent more than the cost of Medicaid coverage in many parts of the country if not in Arkansas, but it would be a private insurance program and not so much a government program.
Gov. Beebe took the idea to Washington, and Kathleen Sibelius, the secretary of human services, said sure, be our guest. So that is the proposition that apparently will go to the legislature. It will have to enact an appropriation to spend the billions in federal money that will flow through the state treasury and then out to the insurance companies. Under a bizarre constitutional amendment adopted in 1934, the appropriation will require three fourths of the each house, a very high hurdle.
The insurance industry is thrilled. It means billions in new profits from Arkansas. It’s a good deal for the doctors and hospitals because insurance companies pay them much more for a medical procedure than Medicaid or Medicare does. And you can argue that it is a pretty good deal for the poor because more doctors will be willing to treat them if they are going to be paid far more for an office visit or a procedure.
TOP STORY >> Whit Davis celebrates 60 years
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
John Davis remembers the school bell ringing to signal the end of his academic duties. That bell also meant he had just 10 minutes to get to work at Whit Davis Lumber in Jacksonville, the company his father started 60 years ago.
Whit Davis will celebrate its anniversary April 4-6 with special sale prices at its three locations — 723 School Drive in Jacksonville, 340 Arena Road in Cabot and 80 S. Broadview St. in Greenbrier.
On Saturday, April 6, there will be free hamburgers, hot dogs, vendor demonstrations and KSSN radio station at all the stores.
There will be an animal adoption unit and car seat safety checks at the Cabot location.
During the event, visitors can register for a chance to win $1,000. The name of the winner will be drawn the week of April 8.
Davis said his dad’s name was Whit, his mother was known as “Mrs. Whit” and he was called “Little Whit.”
“Little Whit” said his parents bought Oliver Lumber Company on April 1, 1953 for $12,000, but they spent more than that because Oliver’s inventory of lumber was low.
His parents got the business started with just one truck driver, Max Pierce. Whit Davis employs more than 100 people today.
Davis was 11 years old when the store opened.
The entire family pitched in, working for the company.
Davis made 75 cents an hour sweeping up, waiting on customers, checking shipments in and more. He learned the business firsthand.
“My dad taught me a lot,” Davis said.
Although his mother was responsible for bookkeeping, she did other things, like driving the truck to pick up inventory in Little Rock.
Davis said, “She did what was necessary. We all did what was necessary.”
He continued, “I remember, as a kid, having to work hard. It was 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. six days a week in the summer.”
Whit Davis was first located at the western end of a shopping center. The center, which has been demolished, was located where the Jacksonville Senior Activity and Wellness Center is now. The company’s first address was 100 Victory Circle, Davis said.
He recalled that Jackson-ville was a town of less than 2,000 people, and the Little Rock Air Force Base wasn’t there yet. Construction of the base started in 1955, Davis noted.
“So, Whit Davis got to grow with the community. Jacksonville has been very good to Whit Davis Lumber Company,” he said.
The company has put customer service first since the beginning.
Davis said, “We had a saying that if we didn’t have it, we’d have it the next day. Most people weren’t in a hurry like they are today.”
He noted that customers who wanted items his parents’ store didn’t have would have to wait or get the product in Little Rock. The drive there was 45 minutes on Hwy. 161 because Hwy. 67/167 didn’t exist.
Most of the customers preferred to wait, Davis said.
He said the way his father managed the company was influenced by how hard life was in the 1930s. His father was born in 1906.
“Most people in getting through the Depression they learned what the word frugal meant. Daddy used those principles in business,” Davis said.
In August 1956, a 50-by-70-foot Whit Davis store and a 70-by-100-foot warehouse were built on School Drive. The warehouse has been torn down and replaced with a taller building.
Davis said the building was expanded twice. It gained 50 feet the first time and 35 feet the second time.
Whit Davis managed the company until his death in 1985 from kidney failure. But John Davis started handling a lot of the operations for four years before that because his father was on dialysis.
The company’s president, Terry Toney, started working at Whit Davis in 1985. Davis said Toney started at the bottom and is president today because of his dedication.
In 1994, the company acquired the rodeo arena in Cabot and converted it to a drive-through lumber yard. The Greenbrier store was built in 2006. “We are proud of our three facilities. They are what I would consider first class,” Davis said.
The first computer at Whit Davis was installed in 1986.
“It was probably the biggest change in the company as far as saving time,” Davis said. He recalled having to handwrite everything. Calculating contractor prices took weeks instead of hours and minutes, he said.
Davis described the Jacksonville store, which was constructed in 1988, as a 15,000-square-foot “showroom.”
Despite the company’s growth over the past 60 years, some things haven’t changed.
Davis said his parents always valued employees, and he is proud of the company’s tenured workers. “That is the greatest asset we have,” Davis said.
The company has also always been a family affair.
Davis said, “We have a lot of family in Whit Davis.”
His sons, Dan Davis and Paul Davis, both work for the company. Dan Davis is the general manager at the Jacksonville store. Paul Davis buys lumber and commodities for all three stores. Davis’ son-in-law, Don Millar, is head of the installation division.
On Jan. 1, ownership of Whit Davis Lumber Company was turned over to Toney, the company’s president; Dan and Paul Davis and their sister, Stacey Millar.
TOP STORY >> Rising star returns to Beebe
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
It was a homecoming for Beebe native Cody Belew Saturday night, when the singer performed at the Beebe school auditorium.
The recent contestant on NBC’s singing competition show “The Voice” came back to his hometown to support Beebe High School’s Project Graduation, an all-night party for seniors held after graduation. The project holds fundraisers throughout the year to purchase prizes and college necessities, such as laptops that are given away during the party.
“I participated in Project Graduation, my parents were heavily involved and my brother, Casey, did it. A great way to celebrate in a safe way,” said Belew, a 2003 Beebe High graduate.
“I haven’t been back to the school since freshman year in college,” he said.
The concert brought in $8,409, as the auditorium was packed with an audience of 660.
“It was a good crowd. I was worried we wouldn’t have a great crowd,” Belew said after the concert.
Belew performed in front of his home crowd that have supported his career and called in their votes during his run on “The Voice.”
About playing for Beebe residents, he said, “It meant the world and there’s no greater feeling than that.”
Belew continued, “I didn’t bring home the trophy (on “The Voice”) but it felt that way.”
Throughout the concert there were cheers and screams of “I love you Cody — We all love you,” from a group of tweens near the stage.
Beebe High 2013 honor graduates introduced Belew. He started the show by singing Beebe High School’s alma mater. The curtain opened to reveal Belew wearing his Beebe letterman’s choir jacket.
Backing him were his band from Nashville. They are drummer Jared Romero, bassist Rob Cureton, keyboardist Dustin Ransom and lead guitarist Dylan Williams.
Belew went immediately into “Crazy in Love” and then performed his new song, “You Gotta,” before singing “One and Only.”
Belew spotted a former classmate, Jennifer Ridings in the audience. He tried to get her to come on stage, but she stayed in the audience.
“I haven’t been home since I was on a little TV show called “The Voice,” Belew told the crowd.
He gave credit to his fans in Beebe who voted and supported him in the talent competition show.
Belew said growing up his family lived in Stoney Point, “when we were really poor.”
He had a cassette tape of Dolly Parton that he listened to over and over. She shaped his love of music. He said he didn’t know who she was or what she looked like, but if he had known, things might have been different.
He then sang “Jolene.”
Belew was in the 10th grade when the auditorium was being built.
“If it was built for anybody, it was built for me. I’m proud of this place,” Belew said.
He sang “Baby Get Out,” a new single released Monday, and then “Here With Me.” Belew said he heard the song and wished he had written it.
He got the audience to their feet when he sang “Lady Marmalade” and some started dancing.
Belew continued with “One More Try,” the last song he performed on “The Voice,” and slipped in the one thing he held was Badger Pride into the lyrics.
Belew recalled in kindergarten they would call roll in the morning. He said there were kids who brought their lunch, had money, or were charge-it kids.
“I was a charge-it kid,” he said.
He gave props to the lunch ladies. He said we always had good food and always had enough to eat.
Belew said no one should go hungry and is teaming up with Heifer International to fight hunger.
All proceeds from his new song, “Say Love,” debuted at the Beebe concert, will go to Heifer International. The Say Love campaign rolls out on April 1. This week Belew travels to Ecuador with Heifer International as part of the program.
Belew rounded out his show with Beebe High’s ninth-grade choir led by Jane Cunningham joining him on stage to sing “Somebody to Love.”
Cunningham was Belew’s school choir teacher from fifth through 12th grade. He said she was great and allowed her students to be creative.
For an encore, Belew sang “Desperado.”
“I just wish you’d travel with me to all my shows,” Belew said.
After the 50-minute concert, Belew took the time to meet with his fans and friends. For an hour and a half he stayed in the auditorium lobby shaking hands, signing autographs, posing for pictures and giving hugs.
He didn’t disappoint anyone. No one was turned away, not even the last woman in line.
Belew plans to release an album at the end of August, but will release singles throughout the summer.
Leader staff writer
It was a homecoming for Beebe native Cody Belew Saturday night, when the singer performed at the Beebe school auditorium.
The recent contestant on NBC’s singing competition show “The Voice” came back to his hometown to support Beebe High School’s Project Graduation, an all-night party for seniors held after graduation. The project holds fundraisers throughout the year to purchase prizes and college necessities, such as laptops that are given away during the party.
“I participated in Project Graduation, my parents were heavily involved and my brother, Casey, did it. A great way to celebrate in a safe way,” said Belew, a 2003 Beebe High graduate.
“I haven’t been back to the school since freshman year in college,” he said.
The concert brought in $8,409, as the auditorium was packed with an audience of 660.
“It was a good crowd. I was worried we wouldn’t have a great crowd,” Belew said after the concert.
Belew performed in front of his home crowd that have supported his career and called in their votes during his run on “The Voice.”
About playing for Beebe residents, he said, “It meant the world and there’s no greater feeling than that.”
Belew continued, “I didn’t bring home the trophy (on “The Voice”) but it felt that way.”
Throughout the concert there were cheers and screams of “I love you Cody — We all love you,” from a group of tweens near the stage.
Beebe High 2013 honor graduates introduced Belew. He started the show by singing Beebe High School’s alma mater. The curtain opened to reveal Belew wearing his Beebe letterman’s choir jacket.
Backing him were his band from Nashville. They are drummer Jared Romero, bassist Rob Cureton, keyboardist Dustin Ransom and lead guitarist Dylan Williams.
Belew went immediately into “Crazy in Love” and then performed his new song, “You Gotta,” before singing “One and Only.”
Belew spotted a former classmate, Jennifer Ridings in the audience. He tried to get her to come on stage, but she stayed in the audience.
“I haven’t been home since I was on a little TV show called “The Voice,” Belew told the crowd.
He gave credit to his fans in Beebe who voted and supported him in the talent competition show.
Belew said growing up his family lived in Stoney Point, “when we were really poor.”
He had a cassette tape of Dolly Parton that he listened to over and over. She shaped his love of music. He said he didn’t know who she was or what she looked like, but if he had known, things might have been different.
He then sang “Jolene.”
Belew was in the 10th grade when the auditorium was being built.
“If it was built for anybody, it was built for me. I’m proud of this place,” Belew said.
He sang “Baby Get Out,” a new single released Monday, and then “Here With Me.” Belew said he heard the song and wished he had written it.
He got the audience to their feet when he sang “Lady Marmalade” and some started dancing.
Belew continued with “One More Try,” the last song he performed on “The Voice,” and slipped in the one thing he held was Badger Pride into the lyrics.
Belew recalled in kindergarten they would call roll in the morning. He said there were kids who brought their lunch, had money, or were charge-it kids.
“I was a charge-it kid,” he said.
He gave props to the lunch ladies. He said we always had good food and always had enough to eat.
Belew said no one should go hungry and is teaming up with Heifer International to fight hunger.
All proceeds from his new song, “Say Love,” debuted at the Beebe concert, will go to Heifer International. The Say Love campaign rolls out on April 1. This week Belew travels to Ecuador with Heifer International as part of the program.
Belew rounded out his show with Beebe High’s ninth-grade choir led by Jane Cunningham joining him on stage to sing “Somebody to Love.”
Cunningham was Belew’s school choir teacher from fifth through 12th grade. He said she was great and allowed her students to be creative.
For an encore, Belew sang “Desperado.”
“I just wish you’d travel with me to all my shows,” Belew said.
After the 50-minute concert, Belew took the time to meet with his fans and friends. For an hour and a half he stayed in the auditorium lobby shaking hands, signing autographs, posing for pictures and giving hugs.
He didn’t disappoint anyone. No one was turned away, not even the last woman in line.
Belew plans to release an album at the end of August, but will release singles throughout the summer.
TOP STORY >> Liquor may be allowed in township
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
After more than 60 years of being dry, Gray Township, which includes large portions of Sherwood and Jacksonville, may finally get the opportunity to go wet—if Senate Bill 374 passes.
Sponsored by Sen. Jane English (R-North Little Rock), Rep. Mark Perry (D-Jacksonville) and others, the bill gives residents in defunct townships a chance to decide on the issue of being wet or dry—allowing liquor or not.
English said the bill came at the urging of North Little Rock, Sherwood and Jacksonville officials and their chambers of commerce. The bill, which was approved by more than a two-thirds majority (25 for it, nine against it) in the Senate, is now in the House rules committee which will vote on it this week. Among those voting against the bill was Sen. Jonathan Dismang.
However, English sees no reason for the committee to hold it back and the full House should vote on it next week.
“It doesn’t make any of these areas wet, it just gives them the opportunity to have a local vote on the issue,” English said, adding that without the bill being approved there would be no way to resolve the “dry issue” that has plagued Sherwood, Jacksonville, Little Rock and North Little Rock for years.
Besides Gray Township, the bill also covers three other dry, but defunct townships in Pulaski County. One is in North Little Rock around Park Hill, another northwest of the air base and the other in southwest Little Rock.
In 1956, Pulaski County was made up of 16townships or separate sections. Four of those — Gray, Hill, Bayou Meto and Union — designated themselves dry. But most of the townships are no longer recognized as political entities by the county or state, so township residents have no way to reverse any of the earlier decisions.
The boundaries of Gray Township were readjusted in February 1956 due to some annexations made at the time by Jacksonville. Residents in the newly-aligned township voted on Nov. 6, 1956, to go dry by a vote of 421 against alcohol and 219 for alcohol.
In Sherwood, Gray Town-ship is pretty much everything north of the east-and-west- running Maryland Avenue. In Jacksonville, it encompasses some of the most desirable land that national restaurant chains are looking at.
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher wants the bill so the city can benefit from the economic impact of more family restaurants like Chili’s, which consistently brings in around $4 million a year in sales.
“With the air base here and its $780 million impact, Jacksonville ought to be home to every name-brand restaurant around. But we are not because of the alcohol restrictions,” the mayor said.
He added that restaurants, like Chili’s, can still come into the Gray Township area of the city as a private club being operated by a nonprofit group to satisfy the requirements of the dry township, but that’s extra hoops a business has to jump through at an extra cost.
“We just lost a restaurant recently because of that reason. They went elsewhere in central Arkansas that was already wet,” he explained.
“When we get 65 percent of our revenue from sales tax, we need more businesses in our area,” he said. “The bill doesn’t mean all of Jacksonville will be wet or that we will instantly have a vote. Someone like the chamber will have to organize a petition asking for the vote and then it’ll be up to the people.”
According to the bill, the Pulaski County Quorum Court would be the body to sanction the election and the only residents allowed to vote would be those living within the boundaries of the defunct township. The cost of any election over the alcohol issue will be covered by the county.
Sherwood Mayor Virginia Hillman also believes it is fair for the voters to have an opportunity to make the decision on alcohol. “The bill doesn’t mandate alcohol,” she emphasized, “it just allows for a local vote.”
She added that a lot of Sherwood residents may not be aware that the city is split between wet and dry. “Our residents, even in the dry areas, are so close to the wet areas, they may not notice, but businesses do.”
The issue of dry townships made its way to the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1985. The court sided with the 1956 election and said those areas were dry.
In 2011, Sherwood officials asked the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control Division if its annexation of a portion of Gray Township changed its status. Sherwood was hoping the annexation made the area wet.
But Don Bennett, an attorney with the ABC, wrote, “The annexation by the city of Sherwood had no effect upon the local option status of Gray Township because the only way that the prohibition placed in effect in 1956 can ever be removed is for the exact same territory, even though it does not any longer legally exist as a separate voting unit, to remove the prohibition.”
Bennett’s decision was based in part on an opinion written by then-Attorney General Mark Pryor in 2002, who said, “Because the theory of local option laws is that the people of a political or governmental unit shall have the right to determine their status, and the correlative right to change it, according to the provisions of those laws, a status once adopted is usually considered to attach to the territory which was originally bound by the vote, and to remain operative, unless lawfully changed.”
That is the catch — there is no lawful way to currently allow the status to be changed. For that to happen, English said, the state Legislature has to pass Senate Bill 374.
Leader staff writer
After more than 60 years of being dry, Gray Township, which includes large portions of Sherwood and Jacksonville, may finally get the opportunity to go wet—if Senate Bill 374 passes.
Sponsored by Sen. Jane English (R-North Little Rock), Rep. Mark Perry (D-Jacksonville) and others, the bill gives residents in defunct townships a chance to decide on the issue of being wet or dry—allowing liquor or not.
English said the bill came at the urging of North Little Rock, Sherwood and Jacksonville officials and their chambers of commerce. The bill, which was approved by more than a two-thirds majority (25 for it, nine against it) in the Senate, is now in the House rules committee which will vote on it this week. Among those voting against the bill was Sen. Jonathan Dismang.
However, English sees no reason for the committee to hold it back and the full House should vote on it next week.
“It doesn’t make any of these areas wet, it just gives them the opportunity to have a local vote on the issue,” English said, adding that without the bill being approved there would be no way to resolve the “dry issue” that has plagued Sherwood, Jacksonville, Little Rock and North Little Rock for years.
Besides Gray Township, the bill also covers three other dry, but defunct townships in Pulaski County. One is in North Little Rock around Park Hill, another northwest of the air base and the other in southwest Little Rock.
In 1956, Pulaski County was made up of 16townships or separate sections. Four of those — Gray, Hill, Bayou Meto and Union — designated themselves dry. But most of the townships are no longer recognized as political entities by the county or state, so township residents have no way to reverse any of the earlier decisions.
The boundaries of Gray Township were readjusted in February 1956 due to some annexations made at the time by Jacksonville. Residents in the newly-aligned township voted on Nov. 6, 1956, to go dry by a vote of 421 against alcohol and 219 for alcohol.
In Sherwood, Gray Town-ship is pretty much everything north of the east-and-west- running Maryland Avenue. In Jacksonville, it encompasses some of the most desirable land that national restaurant chains are looking at.
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher wants the bill so the city can benefit from the economic impact of more family restaurants like Chili’s, which consistently brings in around $4 million a year in sales.
“With the air base here and its $780 million impact, Jacksonville ought to be home to every name-brand restaurant around. But we are not because of the alcohol restrictions,” the mayor said.
He added that restaurants, like Chili’s, can still come into the Gray Township area of the city as a private club being operated by a nonprofit group to satisfy the requirements of the dry township, but that’s extra hoops a business has to jump through at an extra cost.
“We just lost a restaurant recently because of that reason. They went elsewhere in central Arkansas that was already wet,” he explained.
“When we get 65 percent of our revenue from sales tax, we need more businesses in our area,” he said. “The bill doesn’t mean all of Jacksonville will be wet or that we will instantly have a vote. Someone like the chamber will have to organize a petition asking for the vote and then it’ll be up to the people.”
According to the bill, the Pulaski County Quorum Court would be the body to sanction the election and the only residents allowed to vote would be those living within the boundaries of the defunct township. The cost of any election over the alcohol issue will be covered by the county.
Sherwood Mayor Virginia Hillman also believes it is fair for the voters to have an opportunity to make the decision on alcohol. “The bill doesn’t mandate alcohol,” she emphasized, “it just allows for a local vote.”
She added that a lot of Sherwood residents may not be aware that the city is split between wet and dry. “Our residents, even in the dry areas, are so close to the wet areas, they may not notice, but businesses do.”
The issue of dry townships made its way to the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1985. The court sided with the 1956 election and said those areas were dry.
In 2011, Sherwood officials asked the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control Division if its annexation of a portion of Gray Township changed its status. Sherwood was hoping the annexation made the area wet.
But Don Bennett, an attorney with the ABC, wrote, “The annexation by the city of Sherwood had no effect upon the local option status of Gray Township because the only way that the prohibition placed in effect in 1956 can ever be removed is for the exact same territory, even though it does not any longer legally exist as a separate voting unit, to remove the prohibition.”
Bennett’s decision was based in part on an opinion written by then-Attorney General Mark Pryor in 2002, who said, “Because the theory of local option laws is that the people of a political or governmental unit shall have the right to determine their status, and the correlative right to change it, according to the provisions of those laws, a status once adopted is usually considered to attach to the territory which was originally bound by the vote, and to remain operative, unless lawfully changed.”
That is the catch — there is no lawful way to currently allow the status to be changed. For that to happen, English said, the state Legislature has to pass Senate Bill 374.
Friday, March 15, 2013
TOP STORY >> Mourners pay tribute to Rice
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
The Jacksonville community was lined up at the doors of First United Methodist Church Friday afternoon to say final good- byes to Ben Rice, attorney, businessman, philanthropist and publisher.
One doesn’t have to look far to see the landmarks Rice left in Jacksonville.
There’s the military mu-seum, which was a 30-year battle to fruition. The Boys and Girls Club, the senior center, a secure water supply from Greer’s Ferry, the Rotary Club, and when the city gets its own school district it will be in large part to the hard working Rice has done over the past decade.
He also owned and operated the Jacksonville Daily News, operated the first radio station in Jacksonville and was well respected for his skills as an editorial writer.
Rice died Tuesday at the age of 75 after a battle with pneumonia, but remained active in the community he loved until a day before he died.
Rice was at the Jacksonville Rotary Club meeting Monday, which happened to be at North Metro Medical Center. “He was sick and didn’t need to be there, but it was his turn to introduce the guest speaker and he never faltered from his duties,” said longtime friend Joan Zumwalt.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at First United Methodist Church, officiated by Rev. Mark McDonald and Rev. Brad Moore. Burial will follow at Concord Cemetery in Furlow.
“He was tenacious in advocating the common good,” said fellow attorney Mike Wilson.
Mayor Gary Fletcher used the same word to describe Rice: “His tenacity set him apart. When he got something in his head, he wouldn’t stop. He was coming to council meetings 20 years ago talking up the military museum. We knew it wouldn’t happen. He did. We were wrong and are glad we were.”
The mayor added retirement and relaxation just weren’t his vocabulary.
“I’ll always picture him with folders under his arm walking fast, doing something for Jacksonville.”
Gene Adams, Rice’s partner at the Rice and Adams law firm on Main Street, tells about Rice’s beginnings as an attorney in 1964.
“That was a year before I was born, so when he gave me advise, I knew he had the experience and I listened,” Adams said.
You couldn’t miss Rice back in those early days, Adams said. “In his seersucker suit on a hot July day he reminded me of Gregory Peck in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ He was the epitome of a Southern gentleman.”
Judge Robert Batton joined forces with Rice in the early 1970’s and the pair remained partners for two decades and friends for a lifetime. “Our partnership was formed on a handshake. Can you imagine two lawyers coming together and no paperwork? His word was his bond,” Batton said.
Batton called Rice a “treassure to his community. He was always upbeat and positive and never had a harsh word for anyone.”
Rice was born in Texarkana but grew up in Jacksonville and graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1955.
“He was a year ahead of me,” developer Tommy Dupree recalled, “and always a good student. All the teachers liked him.”
Rice went on to the Univer-sity of Arkansas and earned an associate degree in journalism.
His law degree came from George Washington University. “That’s one of the top five schools in the country, right up there with Harvard and Princeton,” Adams said.
After getting his degree, Rice had an interview with the legendary Herschel Friday, whose firm went on to become the largest in the state.
“He had the job,” Adams said, “but Herschel asked Ben what he really wanted to do. Ben said he wanted to start his own practice in Jacksonville. Herschel told him to follow his dream and that the door would always be open at the Friday Law Firm for him,” Adams said.
Friday went so far as to give Rice a key to the firm to use its vast law library whenever he needed it. “That’s how much respect Herschel had for him,” Adams said.
He was Jacksonville’s first city attorney, holding the post for a decade, starting in 1967.
Besides being an attorney, Rice was a dreamer, his friends said.
“He had the ability to see old buildings in the city and see a new future for them,” longtime friend Bart Gray said. “He turned the old funeral home into the military museum, the old telephone building on Main into a small shopping center. He bought the struggling Jacksonville Daily News in an effort to keep it alive too,” Gray said.
Rice was instrumental in the founding of the Jack-sonville Boys and Girls Club, the Jacksonville Museum of Military History and Jackson-ville Towers, and remained passionate about them.
To get the military museum opened, Rice pushed the city to start an Advertising and Promotion Commission and initiate the hamburger tax to promote the city. The commission’s first promotion was the museum and it has grown to be one of the best military museums in the region.
Zumwalt, who worked hard with Rice to open the museum, said if it wasn’t for his continued drive, the museum would not be a reality. “Plus he’s responsible for many of the one-of-a-kind collection items we have,” she said.
Zumwalt came to Jacksonville in 1963 to help Rice operate the radio station.
“Can you believe it has been 50 years and we’ve been friends throughout it all. Our families grew up and old together,” she said.
She said the 1,000-watt station, KGMR, operated out of a small red-brick building on Second Street close to the Daily News, which Rice ended up buying.
“We played country, gospel, contemporary and even had a segment called ‘Hits of Yesterday,’ and we did it all locally,” she said.
The director of city administration, Jim Durham, said, “Ben left his imprint on everything in the city, and he didn’t do it for himself. He did it for the love of the community.”
Ted Freeman, a longtime friend, echoed those thoughts. “He was dedicated to Jacksonville. He was a dedicated leader without being a flag waver for himself,” Freeman said.
He said Rice would do anything for projects he was pushing.
“We had a donkey softball game as a civic club fundraiser and it was hilarious watching everyone, including Ben, fall off time and again. But it didn’t faze him any because he turned right around and got on a mechanical bull at a fundraiser for the boys and girls club,” Freeman recalled.
“It looks easy, you know, but Ben didn’t stay on that bull long.” Freeman said it was funny to see this respected lawyer sprawled out on the ground smiling.
Freeman said Rice appreciated the value of Little Rock Air Force Base and worked long and hard on their behalf. “He was always sensitive to the reputation of Jacksonville,” he said.
Leader staff writer
The Jacksonville community was lined up at the doors of First United Methodist Church Friday afternoon to say final good- byes to Ben Rice, attorney, businessman, philanthropist and publisher.
One doesn’t have to look far to see the landmarks Rice left in Jacksonville.
There’s the military mu-seum, which was a 30-year battle to fruition. The Boys and Girls Club, the senior center, a secure water supply from Greer’s Ferry, the Rotary Club, and when the city gets its own school district it will be in large part to the hard working Rice has done over the past decade.
He also owned and operated the Jacksonville Daily News, operated the first radio station in Jacksonville and was well respected for his skills as an editorial writer.
Rice died Tuesday at the age of 75 after a battle with pneumonia, but remained active in the community he loved until a day before he died.
Rice was at the Jacksonville Rotary Club meeting Monday, which happened to be at North Metro Medical Center. “He was sick and didn’t need to be there, but it was his turn to introduce the guest speaker and he never faltered from his duties,” said longtime friend Joan Zumwalt.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at First United Methodist Church, officiated by Rev. Mark McDonald and Rev. Brad Moore. Burial will follow at Concord Cemetery in Furlow.
“He was tenacious in advocating the common good,” said fellow attorney Mike Wilson.
Mayor Gary Fletcher used the same word to describe Rice: “His tenacity set him apart. When he got something in his head, he wouldn’t stop. He was coming to council meetings 20 years ago talking up the military museum. We knew it wouldn’t happen. He did. We were wrong and are glad we were.”
The mayor added retirement and relaxation just weren’t his vocabulary.
“I’ll always picture him with folders under his arm walking fast, doing something for Jacksonville.”
Gene Adams, Rice’s partner at the Rice and Adams law firm on Main Street, tells about Rice’s beginnings as an attorney in 1964.
“That was a year before I was born, so when he gave me advise, I knew he had the experience and I listened,” Adams said.
You couldn’t miss Rice back in those early days, Adams said. “In his seersucker suit on a hot July day he reminded me of Gregory Peck in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ He was the epitome of a Southern gentleman.”
Judge Robert Batton joined forces with Rice in the early 1970’s and the pair remained partners for two decades and friends for a lifetime. “Our partnership was formed on a handshake. Can you imagine two lawyers coming together and no paperwork? His word was his bond,” Batton said.
Batton called Rice a “treassure to his community. He was always upbeat and positive and never had a harsh word for anyone.”
Rice was born in Texarkana but grew up in Jacksonville and graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1955.
“He was a year ahead of me,” developer Tommy Dupree recalled, “and always a good student. All the teachers liked him.”
Rice went on to the Univer-sity of Arkansas and earned an associate degree in journalism.
His law degree came from George Washington University. “That’s one of the top five schools in the country, right up there with Harvard and Princeton,” Adams said.
After getting his degree, Rice had an interview with the legendary Herschel Friday, whose firm went on to become the largest in the state.
“He had the job,” Adams said, “but Herschel asked Ben what he really wanted to do. Ben said he wanted to start his own practice in Jacksonville. Herschel told him to follow his dream and that the door would always be open at the Friday Law Firm for him,” Adams said.
Friday went so far as to give Rice a key to the firm to use its vast law library whenever he needed it. “That’s how much respect Herschel had for him,” Adams said.
He was Jacksonville’s first city attorney, holding the post for a decade, starting in 1967.
Besides being an attorney, Rice was a dreamer, his friends said.
“He had the ability to see old buildings in the city and see a new future for them,” longtime friend Bart Gray said. “He turned the old funeral home into the military museum, the old telephone building on Main into a small shopping center. He bought the struggling Jacksonville Daily News in an effort to keep it alive too,” Gray said.
Rice was instrumental in the founding of the Jack-sonville Boys and Girls Club, the Jacksonville Museum of Military History and Jackson-ville Towers, and remained passionate about them.
To get the military museum opened, Rice pushed the city to start an Advertising and Promotion Commission and initiate the hamburger tax to promote the city. The commission’s first promotion was the museum and it has grown to be one of the best military museums in the region.
Zumwalt, who worked hard with Rice to open the museum, said if it wasn’t for his continued drive, the museum would not be a reality. “Plus he’s responsible for many of the one-of-a-kind collection items we have,” she said.
Zumwalt came to Jacksonville in 1963 to help Rice operate the radio station.
“Can you believe it has been 50 years and we’ve been friends throughout it all. Our families grew up and old together,” she said.
She said the 1,000-watt station, KGMR, operated out of a small red-brick building on Second Street close to the Daily News, which Rice ended up buying.
“We played country, gospel, contemporary and even had a segment called ‘Hits of Yesterday,’ and we did it all locally,” she said.
The director of city administration, Jim Durham, said, “Ben left his imprint on everything in the city, and he didn’t do it for himself. He did it for the love of the community.”
Ted Freeman, a longtime friend, echoed those thoughts. “He was dedicated to Jacksonville. He was a dedicated leader without being a flag waver for himself,” Freeman said.
He said Rice would do anything for projects he was pushing.
“We had a donkey softball game as a civic club fundraiser and it was hilarious watching everyone, including Ben, fall off time and again. But it didn’t faze him any because he turned right around and got on a mechanical bull at a fundraiser for the boys and girls club,” Freeman recalled.
“It looks easy, you know, but Ben didn’t stay on that bull long.” Freeman said it was funny to see this respected lawyer sprawled out on the ground smiling.
Freeman said Rice appreciated the value of Little Rock Air Force Base and worked long and hard on their behalf. “He was always sensitive to the reputation of Jacksonville,” he said.
TOP STORY >> Community center bids sought
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
Bidding will open next week for almost $700,000 worth of repairs to the six-year-old Cabot Community Center.
Work is expected to start by late April and the pool will be closed for six months.
Cory Whalin from Clements and Associates Architecture, a North Little Rock firm that identified the problems with the center, said during a Thursday night meeting of the parks commission that he gets calls from contractors every day who want to know when the project will be bid.
Contractors need work so interest in the project is high, Whalin said.
The damage was caused by a faulty Pool Pac, a dehumidification system that apparently never worked properly and allowed moisture in the roof area that rusted the screws that hold the roof in place.
The building will need a new roof as well as moisture-proof doors and interior walls.
To pay for the work, the commission is borrowing up to $300,000 from the Bank of the Ozarks which offered the five-year loan at 1.8 percent interest, the lowest of all the banks in Cabot, which also bid.
The balance will come for the city which is contributing $250,000 and the Cabot Advertising and Promotion Commission which will pay $150,000. The commission oversees the 1.5 percent tax collected on prepared foods and hotel rooms that must be used to promote the city in some way.
Ken Kincade, vice chairman of the parks commission, noted during the Thursday meeting that memberships for the community center are down.
The repairs are projected to begin April 24 and be competed Oct. 30. But the planned repairs did not include painting or repairing the crack in the pool. Gary Clements, the owner of Clements & Associates, told the commission that he was unaware of problems with the pool.
But he told the commission, “Let us investigate.”
The Thursday night meeting was the first commission meeting attended by John Crow, the 38-year-old maintenance supervisor from the North Little Rock parks department who was selected earlier this month as the new parks director for Cabot.
Crow, who lives in Cabot and is married to a Cabot High School math teacher, will not officially be on board until April 8.
The commission had set the salary range for the parks director at $52,000 to $77,000. Crow will be paid $65,000 plus standard benefits.
He has a degree in physical education and wellness promotion. He has knowledge of budgets, grant writing, athletic administration, and developing and implementing maintenance plans as well as other duties related to a large athletic facility and event management..
As the former project coordinator for North Little Rock parks, he was the liaison between the city and the athletic associations assuring compliance with contracts and optimum performance. He coordinated all special events including tournaments and charity events.
Johnny White, the former athletic director for Cabot schools who now serves on the commission, is acting as the unpaid interim director until Crow takes over.
On Tuesday, White closed the skate park next to the community center at the request of the Cabot School District and city police because students were cutting class and going to the park. Braden Reshel, 20, and Michael Williams, 19, asked the commission to consider a solution that would allow them to keep using the park during the day because they have other commitments during the evening.
Some sort of sign-in procedure might work, Reshel said.
Alderman Ed Long said from the audience that the city has a curfew ordinance that says school-age children aren’t allowed outside during school hours except for school-related activities.
The police should simply enforce the law that is already in place, Long said.
White pointed out that the weekend and spring break was just ahead. So, the young men would have daytime access to the park for at least 10 days and that he would work on a solution in the meantime.
Leader staff writer
Bidding will open next week for almost $700,000 worth of repairs to the six-year-old Cabot Community Center.
Work is expected to start by late April and the pool will be closed for six months.
Cory Whalin from Clements and Associates Architecture, a North Little Rock firm that identified the problems with the center, said during a Thursday night meeting of the parks commission that he gets calls from contractors every day who want to know when the project will be bid.
Contractors need work so interest in the project is high, Whalin said.
The damage was caused by a faulty Pool Pac, a dehumidification system that apparently never worked properly and allowed moisture in the roof area that rusted the screws that hold the roof in place.
The building will need a new roof as well as moisture-proof doors and interior walls.
To pay for the work, the commission is borrowing up to $300,000 from the Bank of the Ozarks which offered the five-year loan at 1.8 percent interest, the lowest of all the banks in Cabot, which also bid.
The balance will come for the city which is contributing $250,000 and the Cabot Advertising and Promotion Commission which will pay $150,000. The commission oversees the 1.5 percent tax collected on prepared foods and hotel rooms that must be used to promote the city in some way.
Ken Kincade, vice chairman of the parks commission, noted during the Thursday meeting that memberships for the community center are down.
The repairs are projected to begin April 24 and be competed Oct. 30. But the planned repairs did not include painting or repairing the crack in the pool. Gary Clements, the owner of Clements & Associates, told the commission that he was unaware of problems with the pool.
But he told the commission, “Let us investigate.”
The Thursday night meeting was the first commission meeting attended by John Crow, the 38-year-old maintenance supervisor from the North Little Rock parks department who was selected earlier this month as the new parks director for Cabot.
Crow, who lives in Cabot and is married to a Cabot High School math teacher, will not officially be on board until April 8.
The commission had set the salary range for the parks director at $52,000 to $77,000. Crow will be paid $65,000 plus standard benefits.
He has a degree in physical education and wellness promotion. He has knowledge of budgets, grant writing, athletic administration, and developing and implementing maintenance plans as well as other duties related to a large athletic facility and event management..
As the former project coordinator for North Little Rock parks, he was the liaison between the city and the athletic associations assuring compliance with contracts and optimum performance. He coordinated all special events including tournaments and charity events.
Johnny White, the former athletic director for Cabot schools who now serves on the commission, is acting as the unpaid interim director until Crow takes over.
On Tuesday, White closed the skate park next to the community center at the request of the Cabot School District and city police because students were cutting class and going to the park. Braden Reshel, 20, and Michael Williams, 19, asked the commission to consider a solution that would allow them to keep using the park during the day because they have other commitments during the evening.
Some sort of sign-in procedure might work, Reshel said.
Alderman Ed Long said from the audience that the city has a curfew ordinance that says school-age children aren’t allowed outside during school hours except for school-related activities.
The police should simply enforce the law that is already in place, Long said.
White pointed out that the weekend and spring break was just ahead. So, the young men would have daytime access to the park for at least 10 days and that he would work on a solution in the meantime.
SPORTS STORY >> NLR girls shut out Panthers
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Clutch defense and a strong fourth inning helped catapult the Charging Lady Wildcats to a 4-0 win over Cabot in Tuesday’s 7A/6A East Conference matchup at North Little Rock’s Burns Park.
The first three innings were a defensive battle as both teams were held scoreless, but North Little Rock (7-4, 2-0) broke that streak in the bottom of the fourth. Five-hole hitter Hannah Lovercheck led off the inning with a single to centerfield, and Erin Columbus followed with a sacrifice bunt.
As Columbus ran to first, the throw from the third baseline sailed over Lady Panther first baseman Kayla Henard, and as the ball rolled past the right field foul line, Lovercheck scored with ease to put North Little Rock up 1-0. Columbus advanced all the way to third on the errant throw.
It was one of three Lady Panther errors in the game, and the Charging Lady Wildcats made them pay for it the very next at bat. With Columbus on third and no outs, first baseman Kathryn Kinnison hammered a two-run home run to straight centerfield to give North Little Rock a 3-0 cushion.
Cabot (2-4, 0-1) had a chance to put runs on the board in the top of the fifth, but like the previous two innings, it was unable to get the timely hit when it needed it the most. The Lady Panthers left a total of 10 runners on base in the game, and ended the third, fourth and fifth innings with the bases loaded.
“I think we pitched it pretty good when we had to pitch it at times,” said Charging Lady Wildcats coach Anthony Cantrell. “We got out of some big jams. They had the bases loaded at least twice, and we made plays when we had to make plays.”
The Lady Panthers were able to load the bases with just one out in the fourth and fifth innings, but on each occasion, North Little Rock pitcher Rachel Gregory made sure nothing would come from it.
With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, Cabot’s Lane Justus laid down a bunt, but the ball barely got past home plate, which allowed catcher McKenzie Escovedo to easily apply the force out at home.
Gregory ended the inning with one of her 12 strikeouts the next at bat. When Cabot was faced with the same scenario in the top of the fifth, Gregory ended the inning with two-straight strikeouts in dominant fashion.
“We had the bases loaded with one out and had hitters up that we thought we could count on, and just didn’t get the job done when we needed to,” said Lady Panthers coach Chris Cope. “Hopefully we’ll learn from that, and next time we’ll take care of it. We didn’t get a timely hit or a bunt.
“Then we had three errors in the game. When they went up 3-0, we had two errors in that inning, and that kills us right now. We’ve got to believe. We were in that game and North Little Rock is probably the best team in the conference right now, and we were there. We’ve got to find a way to win.”
North Little Rock set the final score in the bottom of the fifth with a one out, RBI-single by Lovercheck.
Gregory scored from second on the play after leading off the inning with a single to the left field gap.
Gregory pitched all seven innings in the winning effort. Lovercheck led North Little Rock with two hits. Gregory, Kinnison, Sydney Parr and Lydia Belew each had a base hit for the Charging Lady Wildcats.
Taylor Anderson led the Lady Panthers with two hits. Justus, Henard, Heather Hill and Brandyn Vines each had a base hit for Cabot.
North Little Rock’s next conference game will be March 26 at West Memphis. Cabot played at Little Rock Central yesterday after deadlines, and will continue conference play against Marion at home on March 26. Both March 26 games start at 5 p.m.
Leader sportswriter
Clutch defense and a strong fourth inning helped catapult the Charging Lady Wildcats to a 4-0 win over Cabot in Tuesday’s 7A/6A East Conference matchup at North Little Rock’s Burns Park.
The first three innings were a defensive battle as both teams were held scoreless, but North Little Rock (7-4, 2-0) broke that streak in the bottom of the fourth. Five-hole hitter Hannah Lovercheck led off the inning with a single to centerfield, and Erin Columbus followed with a sacrifice bunt.
As Columbus ran to first, the throw from the third baseline sailed over Lady Panther first baseman Kayla Henard, and as the ball rolled past the right field foul line, Lovercheck scored with ease to put North Little Rock up 1-0. Columbus advanced all the way to third on the errant throw.
It was one of three Lady Panther errors in the game, and the Charging Lady Wildcats made them pay for it the very next at bat. With Columbus on third and no outs, first baseman Kathryn Kinnison hammered a two-run home run to straight centerfield to give North Little Rock a 3-0 cushion.
Cabot (2-4, 0-1) had a chance to put runs on the board in the top of the fifth, but like the previous two innings, it was unable to get the timely hit when it needed it the most. The Lady Panthers left a total of 10 runners on base in the game, and ended the third, fourth and fifth innings with the bases loaded.
“I think we pitched it pretty good when we had to pitch it at times,” said Charging Lady Wildcats coach Anthony Cantrell. “We got out of some big jams. They had the bases loaded at least twice, and we made plays when we had to make plays.”
The Lady Panthers were able to load the bases with just one out in the fourth and fifth innings, but on each occasion, North Little Rock pitcher Rachel Gregory made sure nothing would come from it.
With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, Cabot’s Lane Justus laid down a bunt, but the ball barely got past home plate, which allowed catcher McKenzie Escovedo to easily apply the force out at home.
Gregory ended the inning with one of her 12 strikeouts the next at bat. When Cabot was faced with the same scenario in the top of the fifth, Gregory ended the inning with two-straight strikeouts in dominant fashion.
“We had the bases loaded with one out and had hitters up that we thought we could count on, and just didn’t get the job done when we needed to,” said Lady Panthers coach Chris Cope. “Hopefully we’ll learn from that, and next time we’ll take care of it. We didn’t get a timely hit or a bunt.
“Then we had three errors in the game. When they went up 3-0, we had two errors in that inning, and that kills us right now. We’ve got to believe. We were in that game and North Little Rock is probably the best team in the conference right now, and we were there. We’ve got to find a way to win.”
North Little Rock set the final score in the bottom of the fifth with a one out, RBI-single by Lovercheck.
Gregory scored from second on the play after leading off the inning with a single to the left field gap.
Gregory pitched all seven innings in the winning effort. Lovercheck led North Little Rock with two hits. Gregory, Kinnison, Sydney Parr and Lydia Belew each had a base hit for the Charging Lady Wildcats.
Taylor Anderson led the Lady Panthers with two hits. Justus, Henard, Heather Hill and Brandyn Vines each had a base hit for Cabot.
North Little Rock’s next conference game will be March 26 at West Memphis. Cabot played at Little Rock Central yesterday after deadlines, and will continue conference play against Marion at home on March 26. Both March 26 games start at 5 p.m.
SPORTS STORY >> SH ladies spoil NP’s first game of season
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The 5A Central Conference opener also served as the season opener for the North Pulaski Lady Falcons on Tuesday against local rival Sylvan Hills, and the Lady Bears put their experience to work in a 5-1 victory at Bill Blackwood Field.
The Lady Bears (3-1, 1-0) scored two early goals with breakaways by junior forward Abi Persson, while Anna Houston answered a goal by North Pulaski senior Taylor Hodge midway through the first half.
“Early on, I asked the girls to hold the defense the best they could,” Sylvan Hills coach Nate Persson said. “We usually try to keep the defense intact, because they are not as experienced as we’ve had in the past. Abi missed a couple of early opportunities. We needed her to score so we could relax, and she did.”
Persson added two more goals late in the first half, one on a straight-ahead breakaway from close range, and the other on a long free kick over 30 yards out from the right side.
The game went scoreless in the second half, as Persson dropped back and played more of a coaching role on the field in an effort to give some of the Lady Bears’ less-experienced players a chance at running the offense.
Sylvan Hills senior Jalmedal Byrd managed to break away twice late in the second half, but North Pulaski’s defense prevented her from scoring. Lady Falcon senior Laura Spell and sophomore Lindsay Spell put their speed to good use in the second half to disrupt the training session.
“We were at a disadvantage because No. 3 on their team, she’s too quick for us,” Persson said. “It was difficult. They have a good enough defense, and she is so super quick that our forwards aren’t quick enough. We didn’t do as well as we had hoped to do on that.
“But I’m overall pleased, because it’s always good when they get experience.”
After letting Houston slip through for the early North Pulaski goal, Lady Bears senior goalkeeper Naomi Gregory made a number of good saves through the remainder of the first half. Gregory saw limited time in the second half to make way for junior goalkeeper Courtney Boutteé.
“She’s our hope for next year,” Persson said. “This is her first time ever to play. We’re hoping to develop her for next year, because Naomi will be big shoes to fill. We’re also developing her as a forward, because she’s also a basketball player, and she has very good speed.”
The Lady Bears lost their first game of the season the day before at Batesville as the Lady Pioneers won a hard-fought 1-0 battle. Coach Persson said the absence of junior forward Caylyn Fulton was a big reason for the loss. Fulton suffered a knee injury during the late stages of basketball season, but was expected to return for Thursday’s conference match against Jacksonville.
“That’s huge for us,” Persson said. “She really makes a difference for us.”
Leader sportswriter
The 5A Central Conference opener also served as the season opener for the North Pulaski Lady Falcons on Tuesday against local rival Sylvan Hills, and the Lady Bears put their experience to work in a 5-1 victory at Bill Blackwood Field.
The Lady Bears (3-1, 1-0) scored two early goals with breakaways by junior forward Abi Persson, while Anna Houston answered a goal by North Pulaski senior Taylor Hodge midway through the first half.
“Early on, I asked the girls to hold the defense the best they could,” Sylvan Hills coach Nate Persson said. “We usually try to keep the defense intact, because they are not as experienced as we’ve had in the past. Abi missed a couple of early opportunities. We needed her to score so we could relax, and she did.”
Persson added two more goals late in the first half, one on a straight-ahead breakaway from close range, and the other on a long free kick over 30 yards out from the right side.
The game went scoreless in the second half, as Persson dropped back and played more of a coaching role on the field in an effort to give some of the Lady Bears’ less-experienced players a chance at running the offense.
Sylvan Hills senior Jalmedal Byrd managed to break away twice late in the second half, but North Pulaski’s defense prevented her from scoring. Lady Falcon senior Laura Spell and sophomore Lindsay Spell put their speed to good use in the second half to disrupt the training session.
“We were at a disadvantage because No. 3 on their team, she’s too quick for us,” Persson said. “It was difficult. They have a good enough defense, and she is so super quick that our forwards aren’t quick enough. We didn’t do as well as we had hoped to do on that.
“But I’m overall pleased, because it’s always good when they get experience.”
After letting Houston slip through for the early North Pulaski goal, Lady Bears senior goalkeeper Naomi Gregory made a number of good saves through the remainder of the first half. Gregory saw limited time in the second half to make way for junior goalkeeper Courtney Boutteé.
“She’s our hope for next year,” Persson said. “This is her first time ever to play. We’re hoping to develop her for next year, because Naomi will be big shoes to fill. We’re also developing her as a forward, because she’s also a basketball player, and she has very good speed.”
The Lady Bears lost their first game of the season the day before at Batesville as the Lady Pioneers won a hard-fought 1-0 battle. Coach Persson said the absence of junior forward Caylyn Fulton was a big reason for the loss. Fulton suffered a knee injury during the late stages of basketball season, but was expected to return for Thursday’s conference match against Jacksonville.
“That’s huge for us,” Persson said. “She really makes a difference for us.”
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot gives No. 1 big tussle
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The top-ranked Charging Wildcats swept the visiting Cabot Panthers in the two teams’ 7A/6A East Conference-opening doubleheader on Tuesday. North Little Rock won the first game 5-2 and took the second game 8-5 at DeJanis Memorial Field in Burns Park.
In each game the Charging Wildcats pulled out to early leads. In the first part of the twin bill, North Little Rock (7-1, 2-0) scored three runs in the second inning, and two more in the third to take a 5-0 lead. Cabot (4-4, 0-2) didn’t score until the top of the seventh, after winning pitcher Preston Oberling was pulled from the game.
Oberling struck out nine Panthers in six innings of work, which was pleasing to the head Charging Wildcat, Randy Sandefur.
“He did a tremendous job,” Sandefur said of Oberling. “We didn’t have any errors and we spread the ball around pretty good. We were real patient with their lefty, because we knew that he was probably going to try and get us out of the zone a few times. But we stayed back and we really did a good job of pitch selection when we hit the baseball.”
Chipper Morris and Casey Vaughan scored Cabot’s two runs in the top of the seventh to set the final score of the first game. The Panthers had just three hits in game one, and committed five errors in the field. Unfortunately for Cabot, the mistakes continued in the second game.
Charging Wildcat cleanup hitter Chandler Thompson led off the second inning of game two with a high fly ball between first and second base. Thompson reached first safely as the routine fly was dropped, the result of three different Panther infielders calling for the ball and trying to make the catch.
Thompson moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jarrod Smiatek, and scored the next at bat as Dillon Howell reached base on another Panther error, this one an E3. Thompson scored with ease as the throw to first was well off the mark.
“Man, we just didn’t get it done defensively,” said Cabot coach Jay Fitch. “I think in this doubleheader we had 11 errors. I don’t know that we’ve ever done that. I’m just trying to think of the last time we played that poorly on defense. I don’t think we’ve made that many all year, and then to come into our first conference game and to do that, it’s disappointing.
“We know we have to fix some things defensively, and what’s so confusing about that is we haven’t done that all year. It’s not that the plays were just really hard plays. Some of those were just routine plays that we just didn’t make. So that’ll get you beat against the number one team in the state.”
North Little Rock gave itself a lot of cushion in the fourth inning, scoring seven runs to push its lead to 8-0. University of Arkansas signee Alex Gosser started the rally with a one-out solo home run off the scoreboard in right centerfield.
Howell drove in North Little Rock’s third run of the game on a RBI-single, and Spencer Byrd, who picked up the win on the mound in the second game, followed with a three-run home run over the left field wall to put the Charging Wildcats up 6-0.
Gosser picked up his second RBI of the inning after walking with the bases loaded. River Warnock scored on the play, and Evan Peters scored one-batter later as Thompson also walked with the bases loaded.
Cabot finally got on the board in the fifth as Coleman McAtee scored from third base on a grounder by Brent Dean. The Panthers added four more runs in the top of the sixth, and had two runners on base in the seventh with the tying run at the plate, but Grayson Cole’s swing was just under the closer Howell’s pitch, and Cole hit a routine fly ball to end the game.
Byrd struck out seven, walked three and gave up just one run in five innings of work in game two. Gosser led North Little Rock with two hits. Smiatek, Howell, Byrd and Warnock also had a hit in the second game.
The Panthers outhit the Charging Wildcats in the second game 8-6. Riley Knudsen had two of those hits. Morris, Cole, McAtee, Kason Kimbrell, Ryan Logan and Conner Vocque had a hit apiece.
Both Cabot and North Little Rock will play again Thursday in the Little Rock Catholic invitational tournament before resuming conference play next week after spring break. The Charging Wildcats continue 7A/6A East play March 26 in a doubleheader at West Memphis. The Panthers continue conference play March 27 in a doubleheader against Marion at home.
Leader sportswriter
The top-ranked Charging Wildcats swept the visiting Cabot Panthers in the two teams’ 7A/6A East Conference-opening doubleheader on Tuesday. North Little Rock won the first game 5-2 and took the second game 8-5 at DeJanis Memorial Field in Burns Park.
In each game the Charging Wildcats pulled out to early leads. In the first part of the twin bill, North Little Rock (7-1, 2-0) scored three runs in the second inning, and two more in the third to take a 5-0 lead. Cabot (4-4, 0-2) didn’t score until the top of the seventh, after winning pitcher Preston Oberling was pulled from the game.
Oberling struck out nine Panthers in six innings of work, which was pleasing to the head Charging Wildcat, Randy Sandefur.
“He did a tremendous job,” Sandefur said of Oberling. “We didn’t have any errors and we spread the ball around pretty good. We were real patient with their lefty, because we knew that he was probably going to try and get us out of the zone a few times. But we stayed back and we really did a good job of pitch selection when we hit the baseball.”
Chipper Morris and Casey Vaughan scored Cabot’s two runs in the top of the seventh to set the final score of the first game. The Panthers had just three hits in game one, and committed five errors in the field. Unfortunately for Cabot, the mistakes continued in the second game.
Charging Wildcat cleanup hitter Chandler Thompson led off the second inning of game two with a high fly ball between first and second base. Thompson reached first safely as the routine fly was dropped, the result of three different Panther infielders calling for the ball and trying to make the catch.
Thompson moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jarrod Smiatek, and scored the next at bat as Dillon Howell reached base on another Panther error, this one an E3. Thompson scored with ease as the throw to first was well off the mark.
“Man, we just didn’t get it done defensively,” said Cabot coach Jay Fitch. “I think in this doubleheader we had 11 errors. I don’t know that we’ve ever done that. I’m just trying to think of the last time we played that poorly on defense. I don’t think we’ve made that many all year, and then to come into our first conference game and to do that, it’s disappointing.
“We know we have to fix some things defensively, and what’s so confusing about that is we haven’t done that all year. It’s not that the plays were just really hard plays. Some of those were just routine plays that we just didn’t make. So that’ll get you beat against the number one team in the state.”
North Little Rock gave itself a lot of cushion in the fourth inning, scoring seven runs to push its lead to 8-0. University of Arkansas signee Alex Gosser started the rally with a one-out solo home run off the scoreboard in right centerfield.
Howell drove in North Little Rock’s third run of the game on a RBI-single, and Spencer Byrd, who picked up the win on the mound in the second game, followed with a three-run home run over the left field wall to put the Charging Wildcats up 6-0.
Gosser picked up his second RBI of the inning after walking with the bases loaded. River Warnock scored on the play, and Evan Peters scored one-batter later as Thompson also walked with the bases loaded.
Cabot finally got on the board in the fifth as Coleman McAtee scored from third base on a grounder by Brent Dean. The Panthers added four more runs in the top of the sixth, and had two runners on base in the seventh with the tying run at the plate, but Grayson Cole’s swing was just under the closer Howell’s pitch, and Cole hit a routine fly ball to end the game.
Byrd struck out seven, walked three and gave up just one run in five innings of work in game two. Gosser led North Little Rock with two hits. Smiatek, Howell, Byrd and Warnock also had a hit in the second game.
The Panthers outhit the Charging Wildcats in the second game 8-6. Riley Knudsen had two of those hits. Morris, Cole, McAtee, Kason Kimbrell, Ryan Logan and Conner Vocque had a hit apiece.
Both Cabot and North Little Rock will play again Thursday in the Little Rock Catholic invitational tournament before resuming conference play next week after spring break. The Charging Wildcats continue 7A/6A East play March 26 in a doubleheader at West Memphis. The Panthers continue conference play March 27 in a doubleheader against Marion at home.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
EDITORIAL >> Tweaking Medicaid
Arkansas will be at the forefront of working on how health care costs can be decreased now that it’s been awarded $42 million to improve and sustain a statewide system to monitor patient care with the goal of saving money.
“The $42 million … will allow us to better support providers as they move to a new payment model and new ways of doing business,” Amy Webb, spokeswoman for Arkansas Department of Human Services, said. “It also will help us fully engage patients in their care.”
The payment initiative aims to make providers accountable for the care they give. Arkansas recently announced savings in its Medicaid program based on using the new model.
The legislature, in an ongoing battle with Gov. Mike Beebe over accepting federal Medicaid money, will not have to approve the acceptance of the $42 million.
“We will provide the legislature with information on the grant – and we’ve already talked to them about it informally – but it does not need to be approved by the legislature,” she said.
The initiative for which the grant was given is called the Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative, a statewide program.
Beebe suggested two years ago that Medicaid stop paying doctors on a fee-for-service basis and move to paying for quality of care. The payment improvement initiative was formed to stop paying doctors and other providers for individual services and move toward how well their patients were doing. In addition to Medicaid, private insurers are involved in the project.
The program rewards or punishes providers based on the number of times that the patient sees the provider for a particular illness, called “medical episodes,” under the new system. The program follows five types of treatment including upper respiratory infections, total hip and knee replacements, congestive heart failure, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and perinatal care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says these the most expensive in health-care.
The program has been in use since July. “We’ve already rolled out five episodes of care under the initiative, and plan to roll out many more. In addition, we are preparing to launch patient-centered medical homes,” Webb said. Medical homes are teams of providers, rather than physical places, that help patients who suffer from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma. The payment initiative would encourage Arkansans to have medical homes in three to five years, with the goal of keeping people out of emergency rooms.
“Patients, doctors, and other providers know the system has not been working well. The approach we are taking helps support doctors and hospitals to deliver the care patients expect,” Dr. Joe Thompson, Surgeon General of Arkansas, said in a press release. According to the payment initiative, the provider’s average cost of care will be identified as acceptable or commendable, depending on the number of patient visits.
The provider will pay a portion of excess costs or be eligible to share in savings with the payer, depending on the level of care.
“The $42 million … will allow us to better support providers as they move to a new payment model and new ways of doing business,” Amy Webb, spokeswoman for Arkansas Department of Human Services, said. “It also will help us fully engage patients in their care.”
The payment initiative aims to make providers accountable for the care they give. Arkansas recently announced savings in its Medicaid program based on using the new model.
The legislature, in an ongoing battle with Gov. Mike Beebe over accepting federal Medicaid money, will not have to approve the acceptance of the $42 million.
“We will provide the legislature with information on the grant – and we’ve already talked to them about it informally – but it does not need to be approved by the legislature,” she said.
The initiative for which the grant was given is called the Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative, a statewide program.
Beebe suggested two years ago that Medicaid stop paying doctors on a fee-for-service basis and move to paying for quality of care. The payment improvement initiative was formed to stop paying doctors and other providers for individual services and move toward how well their patients were doing. In addition to Medicaid, private insurers are involved in the project.
The program rewards or punishes providers based on the number of times that the patient sees the provider for a particular illness, called “medical episodes,” under the new system. The program follows five types of treatment including upper respiratory infections, total hip and knee replacements, congestive heart failure, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and perinatal care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says these the most expensive in health-care.
The program has been in use since July. “We’ve already rolled out five episodes of care under the initiative, and plan to roll out many more. In addition, we are preparing to launch patient-centered medical homes,” Webb said. Medical homes are teams of providers, rather than physical places, that help patients who suffer from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma. The payment initiative would encourage Arkansans to have medical homes in three to five years, with the goal of keeping people out of emergency rooms.
“Patients, doctors, and other providers know the system has not been working well. The approach we are taking helps support doctors and hospitals to deliver the care patients expect,” Dr. Joe Thompson, Surgeon General of Arkansas, said in a press release. According to the payment initiative, the provider’s average cost of care will be identified as acceptable or commendable, depending on the number of patient visits.
The provider will pay a portion of excess costs or be eligible to share in savings with the payer, depending on the level of care.
TOP STORY >> Students from Japan visit Cabot High School
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
A group of Japanese high school students visited Cabot High School on Monday on the two-year anniversary of the massive earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.
The earthquake on March 11, 2011, measured a 9.0 magnitude on the Richter scale, the strongest quake on record in Japan’s history. Three Fukushima power plant reactors melted down after its cooling systems were knocked out by the tsunami. An estimated 19,000 people were killed or missing and 300,000 people were displaced.
The tour group had 19 English language students and their teacher from Kozukata High School in Yahaba, Iwate Prefecture. Their visit was part of the Kizuna (bonds of friendship) project between the Laurasian Institution in Seattle and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. The project provided fully funded two-week study tours to Japanese and American youth. The program’s purpose was to promote an understanding about the current situation in Japan and the recovery efforts after the earthquake and tsunami. It also allows first-hand experiences with each country and their cultures.
Last year a group of 23 Cabot students visited Japan as a part of the program.
The Japanese students spent three days in Cabot with host families. They live in the mountainous northern part of Japan. Their cities are a few hundred miles away from the off-shore epicenter of the huge quake and Fukushima. They were not affected by the tsunami since they were so far inland. They did, however, feel the shaking of the quake.
Minami Wada of Morioka and Kuzuki Yamaguchi of Hanamaki are both 10th graders at Kozukata High School.
“It was very scary. We had blackouts,” Wada said.
“No electricity for three days,” Yamaguchi said.
They said the junior high school had some of the roads were damaged.
Wada is a member of the school choir, famous in Japan. The choir travels to relief camps in disaster areas and performs. Wada said singing raises the spirits of the displaced. The people are moved by the music, they become emotional and then smile.
Cabot High School 12th graders Melissa Mosqueda and Mark Kingan went on the group trip to Japan last year. Mark said in one of the areas they toured, the sea salt turned the trees red.
Kozukata is a traditional Japanese school. The girls said they have to wear uniforms to school. They cannot wear make-up, color their hair or paint their nails or wear jewelry.
Japanese schools do not have a school bus. Yamaguchi takes a 30-minute train ride. Wada takes the city bus for a 90-minute ride. They cannot drive to school. Their classrooms are not air conditioned.
Students do not change classrooms. They stay in a home room and the teachers change. A class has 42 students and is for 45 minutes. They start school at 8:25 a.m. to 4 p.m. with activities until 6 or 7 p.m.
One similarity to Cabot is their high school is 10th through 12th grades and has about 1,000 students.
After graduating from high school Yamaguchi would like to be an ambassador. Wada would like to help the needy in other countries. Yamaguchi’s favorite subject is English. Wada likes English and math. Wada’s parents are elementary school teachers. Yamaguchi’s mom is an office worker.
For both Wada and Yamaguchi it was their first visit to the United States.
“I was very excited. It’s very delicious and has very beautiful views,” Yamaguchi said.
Wada said salespeople were very friendly.
During their trip to the students visited schools and universities in Seattle and San Francisco. The group’s stop in Cabot was brief. They arrived on Saturday night and left early Tuesday morning.
Wada host family played card games. On Sunday they went to church and ate out.
Yamaguchi host family took her on Saturday night to Walmart and a Starbucks.
On Sunday they went to the International House of Pancakes. She visited Little Rock Air Force Base and then went shopping at Park Plaza Mall. On the way back they ate at On the Border. It was her first time eating Mexican food and she liked it. Yamaguchi said salsa is hotter than wasabi.
The group of students spent Monday at Cabot High School. They gave presentations, participated in AFJROTC marching practice, ate in the cafeteria and shadowed their host family’s students sitting in on some of their classes. A catfish dinner for the students was held in the evening.
Leader staff writer
A group of Japanese high school students visited Cabot High School on Monday on the two-year anniversary of the massive earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.
The earthquake on March 11, 2011, measured a 9.0 magnitude on the Richter scale, the strongest quake on record in Japan’s history. Three Fukushima power plant reactors melted down after its cooling systems were knocked out by the tsunami. An estimated 19,000 people were killed or missing and 300,000 people were displaced.
The tour group had 19 English language students and their teacher from Kozukata High School in Yahaba, Iwate Prefecture. Their visit was part of the Kizuna (bonds of friendship) project between the Laurasian Institution in Seattle and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. The project provided fully funded two-week study tours to Japanese and American youth. The program’s purpose was to promote an understanding about the current situation in Japan and the recovery efforts after the earthquake and tsunami. It also allows first-hand experiences with each country and their cultures.
Last year a group of 23 Cabot students visited Japan as a part of the program.
The Japanese students spent three days in Cabot with host families. They live in the mountainous northern part of Japan. Their cities are a few hundred miles away from the off-shore epicenter of the huge quake and Fukushima. They were not affected by the tsunami since they were so far inland. They did, however, feel the shaking of the quake.
Minami Wada of Morioka and Kuzuki Yamaguchi of Hanamaki are both 10th graders at Kozukata High School.
“It was very scary. We had blackouts,” Wada said.
“No electricity for three days,” Yamaguchi said.
They said the junior high school had some of the roads were damaged.
Wada is a member of the school choir, famous in Japan. The choir travels to relief camps in disaster areas and performs. Wada said singing raises the spirits of the displaced. The people are moved by the music, they become emotional and then smile.
Cabot High School 12th graders Melissa Mosqueda and Mark Kingan went on the group trip to Japan last year. Mark said in one of the areas they toured, the sea salt turned the trees red.
Kozukata is a traditional Japanese school. The girls said they have to wear uniforms to school. They cannot wear make-up, color their hair or paint their nails or wear jewelry.
Japanese schools do not have a school bus. Yamaguchi takes a 30-minute train ride. Wada takes the city bus for a 90-minute ride. They cannot drive to school. Their classrooms are not air conditioned.
Students do not change classrooms. They stay in a home room and the teachers change. A class has 42 students and is for 45 minutes. They start school at 8:25 a.m. to 4 p.m. with activities until 6 or 7 p.m.
One similarity to Cabot is their high school is 10th through 12th grades and has about 1,000 students.
After graduating from high school Yamaguchi would like to be an ambassador. Wada would like to help the needy in other countries. Yamaguchi’s favorite subject is English. Wada likes English and math. Wada’s parents are elementary school teachers. Yamaguchi’s mom is an office worker.
For both Wada and Yamaguchi it was their first visit to the United States.
“I was very excited. It’s very delicious and has very beautiful views,” Yamaguchi said.
Wada said salespeople were very friendly.
During their trip to the students visited schools and universities in Seattle and San Francisco. The group’s stop in Cabot was brief. They arrived on Saturday night and left early Tuesday morning.
Wada host family played card games. On Sunday they went to church and ate out.
Yamaguchi host family took her on Saturday night to Walmart and a Starbucks.
On Sunday they went to the International House of Pancakes. She visited Little Rock Air Force Base and then went shopping at Park Plaza Mall. On the way back they ate at On the Border. It was her first time eating Mexican food and she liked it. Yamaguchi said salsa is hotter than wasabi.
The group of students spent Monday at Cabot High School. They gave presentations, participated in AFJROTC marching practice, ate in the cafeteria and shadowed their host family’s students sitting in on some of their classes. A catfish dinner for the students was held in the evening.
TOP STORY >> Cypert preaches to Cabot ‘choir’
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
Although at first glance the turnout might have appeared to be fair for a town hall meeting held in Cabot on Monday evening to familiarize voters with the projects they will be asked to pay for by extending the city’s existing sales tax on April 9, a closer look would have revealed that the number of actual voters looking for information could be counted on one hand.
Several seats in the Magness Creek Elementary cafeteria were occupied but the audience was made up mostly of city employees, members of Cabot’s park and water and sewer commissions, city council members and members of the Lonoke Prairie Regional Library Board.
Asked if he was preaching to the choir, Mayor Bill Cypert conceded that the audience was in fact made up almost entirely of those who support extending the sales tax to pay for about $40 million in infrastructure projects.
The mayor has scheduled several town hall meetings, mostly at schools across the district, in an effort to gain support for the tax extension set for election on April 9.
The Monday night meeting highlighted the proposed $2.6 million library that will be built in the old Knight’s building on Main Street as well as the proposed $8.2 million in sewer improvements.
Library Director Leroy Gattin told the audience that growth of the Internet has not made books or the library obsolete and use of the library has actually doubled since the current facility was built in 1996.
“Books won’t go away,” Gattin said. “Not everyone can afford a Kindle or a Nook.”
Plans for the 21,000-squa-re-foot Knight’s building include meeting rooms, more room for the children’s programs and books, more comfortable seating where people can read newspapers and a coffee bar.
Cypert said the old 8,196-square-foot library will be turned over to the senior citizens to replace the center they have outgrown and that building will either be sold or used for some other purpose.
Gary Walker, chairman of the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, told the audience that although the $5.7 million Four Mile Creek Project that will increase sewer capacity in the Hwy. 5/Greystone area is getting the most attention, the entire project is made up of seven parts including replacing deteriorating pipes in the older part of the city and upgrading from lift stations to gravity feed lines in the areas of West Oaks, Countrywood, Polk Street and Shiloh subdivisions.
As with all the planned parts, the Four Mile Creek project is intended to take care of existing customers and to allow for growth, Walker said.
In response to comments from Tom Stanley, who opposes the Four Mile Creek project, the mayor said the area it will serve is the only growth area left in Cabot because Cabot is surrounded by other water districts and Cabot won’t annex areas it can’t provide with water.
“Water turfs are highly protected,” he said.
Walker said if the tax extension doesn’t pass, sewer rates would need to more than double to pay for the seven projects.
If it does pass, rates would still need to go up for maintenance and improvements in the area of South Hwy. 89 at the rate of 15 percent a year for five years beginning in 2015.
Walker’s presentation included a 2010 survey that showed Cabot sewer rates are some of the lowest in the area. By comparison, the rate for 5,000 gallons is $17.25 in Searcy, $19.18 in North Little Rock, $22.25 in Ward and $24.67 in Beebe.
In addition to the library and sewer projects, the April 9 ballot includes $9.5 million for the north interchange and connector road to the railroad overpass built with revenue raised from the 2005 tax election, $500,00 to improve drainage in the Highlands subdivision, $5.5 million for expanding the community center and $13.5 million for a baseball park and outdoor pool complex that will be built on Hwy. 321.
Leader staff writer
Although at first glance the turnout might have appeared to be fair for a town hall meeting held in Cabot on Monday evening to familiarize voters with the projects they will be asked to pay for by extending the city’s existing sales tax on April 9, a closer look would have revealed that the number of actual voters looking for information could be counted on one hand.
Several seats in the Magness Creek Elementary cafeteria were occupied but the audience was made up mostly of city employees, members of Cabot’s park and water and sewer commissions, city council members and members of the Lonoke Prairie Regional Library Board.
Asked if he was preaching to the choir, Mayor Bill Cypert conceded that the audience was in fact made up almost entirely of those who support extending the sales tax to pay for about $40 million in infrastructure projects.
The mayor has scheduled several town hall meetings, mostly at schools across the district, in an effort to gain support for the tax extension set for election on April 9.
The Monday night meeting highlighted the proposed $2.6 million library that will be built in the old Knight’s building on Main Street as well as the proposed $8.2 million in sewer improvements.
Library Director Leroy Gattin told the audience that growth of the Internet has not made books or the library obsolete and use of the library has actually doubled since the current facility was built in 1996.
“Books won’t go away,” Gattin said. “Not everyone can afford a Kindle or a Nook.”
Plans for the 21,000-squa-re-foot Knight’s building include meeting rooms, more room for the children’s programs and books, more comfortable seating where people can read newspapers and a coffee bar.
Cypert said the old 8,196-square-foot library will be turned over to the senior citizens to replace the center they have outgrown and that building will either be sold or used for some other purpose.
Gary Walker, chairman of the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, told the audience that although the $5.7 million Four Mile Creek Project that will increase sewer capacity in the Hwy. 5/Greystone area is getting the most attention, the entire project is made up of seven parts including replacing deteriorating pipes in the older part of the city and upgrading from lift stations to gravity feed lines in the areas of West Oaks, Countrywood, Polk Street and Shiloh subdivisions.
As with all the planned parts, the Four Mile Creek project is intended to take care of existing customers and to allow for growth, Walker said.
In response to comments from Tom Stanley, who opposes the Four Mile Creek project, the mayor said the area it will serve is the only growth area left in Cabot because Cabot is surrounded by other water districts and Cabot won’t annex areas it can’t provide with water.
“Water turfs are highly protected,” he said.
Walker said if the tax extension doesn’t pass, sewer rates would need to more than double to pay for the seven projects.
If it does pass, rates would still need to go up for maintenance and improvements in the area of South Hwy. 89 at the rate of 15 percent a year for five years beginning in 2015.
Walker’s presentation included a 2010 survey that showed Cabot sewer rates are some of the lowest in the area. By comparison, the rate for 5,000 gallons is $17.25 in Searcy, $19.18 in North Little Rock, $22.25 in Ward and $24.67 in Beebe.
In addition to the library and sewer projects, the April 9 ballot includes $9.5 million for the north interchange and connector road to the railroad overpass built with revenue raised from the 2005 tax election, $500,00 to improve drainage in the Highlands subdivision, $5.5 million for expanding the community center and $13.5 million for a baseball park and outdoor pool complex that will be built on Hwy. 321.
TOP STORY >> Sequestration cuts start to hit LRAFB
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Brig. Gen. (Select) Brian Robinson, 19th Airlift Wing commander, explained Tuesday to the community council — area and business leaders — how sequestration is affecting Little Rock Air Force Base.
Just announced was a cut in the tuition assistance program and the cancellation of the annual Air Mobility Rodeo competition, which pits C-130 crews from around the world against each other in readiness exercises. This goes with civilian employee furloughs, any planned fly-over for special events and any air show unless the community covers all the costs.
Robinson was guest speaker at a quarterly meeting of the base’s Community Council. He started the meeting lightheartedly, saying “welcome to our quarterly sequester luncheon.” After that it was all business.
“You are already seeing less flying overhead,” Robinson said. “We’ve cut our time in the air by 35 percent overall. For C-130Js, sorties, or flying exercises, have been cut from five hours to two hours. For the H model, sorties have been sliced from five hours to 3 ½ hours.”
The 19th Airlift Wing will use the simulators more, but Robinson pointed out they are already being used at about 98 percent capacity and 92 percent of that is for student training which has the priority. Losing a day of student training is not like a sick day, it’s like a three-to-one ratio in lost days, he explained.
The commander said the task is to handle the cuts with minimal impact on the mission and the people. “But the longer sequester goes the greater the risk, the greater the impact,” he said.
Robinson said he has been told to take actions at this point that are reversible to mitigate as much of the impact as possible.
He said at the big picture level the Department of Defense has to make $46 billion in cuts over the next six months, or about a nine percent cut across the board. He said the civilian furloughs that have already been announced would save $5 billion. “But there’s still $41 billion to deal with.”
The civilian furloughs will start April 15. “We have about 650 civilians on the base affected by the furlough and they will have to take two days off every pay period. That amounts to a 20 percent salary cut for at least the next six months. That hurts,” Robinson said, adding that the impact of the furloughs across Arkansas will be $19.5 million.
He said because a number of the base civilian employees work in the health clinic, the furloughs would affect access to health care for all military members. The sequester will delay infrastructure repairs and future construction.
“We are looking for smarter, more efficient ways to do things,” Robinson said. “For about the last 15 years, if we needed money for a project or a mission we were able to get it. Now we are hearing the words ‘constraints and restraints’ with everything we do.”
In response to a question from the crowd of about 150, Robinson said, “We will probably see a decrease in our readiness based on our standards. But we will get through it and come out stronger. We just have to make sure the decisions we make are safe and with the least risks.”
The commander was concerned about the way news of the tuition assistance cuts got out. “It made the round on the Internet and emails before we had a chance see what would be the best way to handle it.”
Robinson wasn’t the only base leader to speak of what the future holds. Col. Todd Pavich, vice commander of the 314th Airlift Wing; Col. Steve Eggensperger, commander of the 189th Air National Guard, and Col. Archie Frye, commander of the 22nd Air Force Detachment 1 also spoke.
Pavich said, sequester to the side, this would be a year of a lot of changes in both personnel and mission for the 314th. “Pretty much everyone is leaving,” he quipped, adding that many of the officers in leadership roles will be transferring or retiring.
“There’s a lot of flux as to how and who will execute our mission in the future. It could be the Guard, the Reserves or a combination of all three of us,” he said.
On the good news side, Pavich said, “We will keep the C-130H training here, but there will be a drawdown of manpower.”
He said two more C-130Js are slated for the base this year. “We’ll get one in July and the other in late August or September and it will continue to grow. Every country wants C-130s in one form or another and we have had a solid flow of international students.”
Brewer said there are a lot of changes in the 189th too. “In March we had two change of command ceremonies and two longtime Guard members retire.”
Because of sequestration, the unit took about a 40 percent cut in March. “We are postured to get a number of slightly used C-130s, they’ll still have the new car smell, in 2015 and along with that about 150 additional Guardsmen,” Brewer said. He added that the Guard is growing at the state level although it is shrinking nationally.
Frye said the decision to cut tuition assistance hurts. “That’s our number one recruiting tool.” Like the other commanders, Frye said the detachment is in flux, too.
Leader staff writer
Brig. Gen. (Select) Brian Robinson, 19th Airlift Wing commander, explained Tuesday to the community council — area and business leaders — how sequestration is affecting Little Rock Air Force Base.
Just announced was a cut in the tuition assistance program and the cancellation of the annual Air Mobility Rodeo competition, which pits C-130 crews from around the world against each other in readiness exercises. This goes with civilian employee furloughs, any planned fly-over for special events and any air show unless the community covers all the costs.
Robinson was guest speaker at a quarterly meeting of the base’s Community Council. He started the meeting lightheartedly, saying “welcome to our quarterly sequester luncheon.” After that it was all business.
“You are already seeing less flying overhead,” Robinson said. “We’ve cut our time in the air by 35 percent overall. For C-130Js, sorties, or flying exercises, have been cut from five hours to two hours. For the H model, sorties have been sliced from five hours to 3 ½ hours.”
The 19th Airlift Wing will use the simulators more, but Robinson pointed out they are already being used at about 98 percent capacity and 92 percent of that is for student training which has the priority. Losing a day of student training is not like a sick day, it’s like a three-to-one ratio in lost days, he explained.
The commander said the task is to handle the cuts with minimal impact on the mission and the people. “But the longer sequester goes the greater the risk, the greater the impact,” he said.
Robinson said he has been told to take actions at this point that are reversible to mitigate as much of the impact as possible.
He said at the big picture level the Department of Defense has to make $46 billion in cuts over the next six months, or about a nine percent cut across the board. He said the civilian furloughs that have already been announced would save $5 billion. “But there’s still $41 billion to deal with.”
The civilian furloughs will start April 15. “We have about 650 civilians on the base affected by the furlough and they will have to take two days off every pay period. That amounts to a 20 percent salary cut for at least the next six months. That hurts,” Robinson said, adding that the impact of the furloughs across Arkansas will be $19.5 million.
He said because a number of the base civilian employees work in the health clinic, the furloughs would affect access to health care for all military members. The sequester will delay infrastructure repairs and future construction.
“We are looking for smarter, more efficient ways to do things,” Robinson said. “For about the last 15 years, if we needed money for a project or a mission we were able to get it. Now we are hearing the words ‘constraints and restraints’ with everything we do.”
In response to a question from the crowd of about 150, Robinson said, “We will probably see a decrease in our readiness based on our standards. But we will get through it and come out stronger. We just have to make sure the decisions we make are safe and with the least risks.”
The commander was concerned about the way news of the tuition assistance cuts got out. “It made the round on the Internet and emails before we had a chance see what would be the best way to handle it.”
Robinson wasn’t the only base leader to speak of what the future holds. Col. Todd Pavich, vice commander of the 314th Airlift Wing; Col. Steve Eggensperger, commander of the 189th Air National Guard, and Col. Archie Frye, commander of the 22nd Air Force Detachment 1 also spoke.
Pavich said, sequester to the side, this would be a year of a lot of changes in both personnel and mission for the 314th. “Pretty much everyone is leaving,” he quipped, adding that many of the officers in leadership roles will be transferring or retiring.
“There’s a lot of flux as to how and who will execute our mission in the future. It could be the Guard, the Reserves or a combination of all three of us,” he said.
On the good news side, Pavich said, “We will keep the C-130H training here, but there will be a drawdown of manpower.”
He said two more C-130Js are slated for the base this year. “We’ll get one in July and the other in late August or September and it will continue to grow. Every country wants C-130s in one form or another and we have had a solid flow of international students.”
Brewer said there are a lot of changes in the 189th too. “In March we had two change of command ceremonies and two longtime Guard members retire.”
Because of sequestration, the unit took about a 40 percent cut in March. “We are postured to get a number of slightly used C-130s, they’ll still have the new car smell, in 2015 and along with that about 150 additional Guardsmen,” Brewer said. He added that the Guard is growing at the state level although it is shrinking nationally.
Frye said the decision to cut tuition assistance hurts. “That’s our number one recruiting tool.” Like the other commanders, Frye said the detachment is in flux, too.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
SPORTS STORY >> Lady Devils’ journey had family feel for Mimms
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
All coaches show at least a bit more excitement after winning a state championship than winning any other game. For Jacksonville girls basketball coach Katrina Mimms, the gamut of open emotions she showed as time ran down on her team’s state championship win over Paragould on Friday revealed something deeper than the excitement that accompanies such a feat.
In the waning moments of Friday’s victory, Mimms went back and forth between celebrating and coaching as she sensed victory was near, but still had some work left to do.
She could be seen lifting her arms in triumph, then coaching, running in place and coaching some more, to finally and stiffly jumping up and down in an alternative rock concert style as the clock expired and the buzzer sounded on the 54-43 win.
But there were two other, less frantic celebrations that tell the rest of the story. There was a brief moment of reflection when she paused to gaze at her championship ring from her playing days at Searcy High School. Then there was the embrace of several like-featured, brown-haired, similarly skin-toned men of similar age.
Those men are her four cousins who all reside in, and graduated from, Jacksonville, but they’ve been more than cousins for Katrina, a Searcy native.
They’ve been her brothers by proxy. Katrina’s real brother, Kevin Johnson, died in June of 2011 after suffering a stroke caused by a long battle with melanoma.
He had been the head football coach at Springdale High School after spending nearly 10 years as an assistant for Gus Malzahn at Shiloh Christian and Springdale.
Her four cousins, Jeff, Jason, John and Jeremy Johnson, were all present at the championship game. Jeff announced Jacksonville home games and Jason, a physical therapist, sat on the bench with the team during the tournament.
They were all involved in athletics at JHS, including being involved in state championship football and baseball teams in the 80s, while Kevin and Katrina were enjoying similar success at Searcy.
“They had all told me when Kevin died that I still had four brothers, and they’ve acted like it,” Mimms said. “Being the coach at Jacksonville and being able to have them all close by through everything has been a real blessing. The emotion of that was very emotional for me at the end of that game.”
Pausing to look at the ring she earned by winning a state championship as a Lady Lion was more than just pondering the journey that has come full circle with another title as a coach.
Mimms didn’t get that 1985 championship ring until August of 2010, as a gift from her ailing brother.
“It meant so much to me,” Mimms said with breaking voice and fighting back tears. “It was so thoughtful. He just thought I deserved to have it since I never got one back then.”
Kevin won several rings as a coach, and now he and his little sister have something else to share.
Leader sports editor
All coaches show at least a bit more excitement after winning a state championship than winning any other game. For Jacksonville girls basketball coach Katrina Mimms, the gamut of open emotions she showed as time ran down on her team’s state championship win over Paragould on Friday revealed something deeper than the excitement that accompanies such a feat.
In the waning moments of Friday’s victory, Mimms went back and forth between celebrating and coaching as she sensed victory was near, but still had some work left to do.
She could be seen lifting her arms in triumph, then coaching, running in place and coaching some more, to finally and stiffly jumping up and down in an alternative rock concert style as the clock expired and the buzzer sounded on the 54-43 win.
But there were two other, less frantic celebrations that tell the rest of the story. There was a brief moment of reflection when she paused to gaze at her championship ring from her playing days at Searcy High School. Then there was the embrace of several like-featured, brown-haired, similarly skin-toned men of similar age.
Those men are her four cousins who all reside in, and graduated from, Jacksonville, but they’ve been more than cousins for Katrina, a Searcy native.
They’ve been her brothers by proxy. Katrina’s real brother, Kevin Johnson, died in June of 2011 after suffering a stroke caused by a long battle with melanoma.
He had been the head football coach at Springdale High School after spending nearly 10 years as an assistant for Gus Malzahn at Shiloh Christian and Springdale.
Her four cousins, Jeff, Jason, John and Jeremy Johnson, were all present at the championship game. Jeff announced Jacksonville home games and Jason, a physical therapist, sat on the bench with the team during the tournament.
They were all involved in athletics at JHS, including being involved in state championship football and baseball teams in the 80s, while Kevin and Katrina were enjoying similar success at Searcy.
“They had all told me when Kevin died that I still had four brothers, and they’ve acted like it,” Mimms said. “Being the coach at Jacksonville and being able to have them all close by through everything has been a real blessing. The emotion of that was very emotional for me at the end of that game.”
Pausing to look at the ring she earned by winning a state championship as a Lady Lion was more than just pondering the journey that has come full circle with another title as a coach.
Mimms didn’t get that 1985 championship ring until August of 2010, as a gift from her ailing brother.
“It meant so much to me,” Mimms said with breaking voice and fighting back tears. “It was so thoughtful. He just thought I deserved to have it since I never got one back then.”
Kevin won several rings as a coach, and now he and his little sister have something else to share.
SPORTS STORY >> Did you notice at the 5A games?
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
It is rare for a school to sweep both the girls and boys basketball finals, but that feat became reality for Jacksonville High School on Friday as the boys defeated a persistent Alma team 56-53 while the Lady Red Devils downed Paragould 54-43 in the late game on Friday.
Seniors Justin McCleary and Jessica Jackson took home the MVP honors in each game, giving boys coach Victor Joyner his second state title in five years and girls coach Katrina Mimms her first ever.
PUTTING THE JACKSON IN JACKSONVILLE
Jessica Jackson served notice early on who the night would belong to as she dominated the lane and the outside for 10 quick points to give the Lady Red Devils a 14-0 lead by the 4:03 mark of the first quarter.
Adjustments by the Lady Rams slowed her down from her frantic opening, but Jackson still finished with 22 points despite missing the entire fourth quarter due to an asthma attack. She also had nine rebounds, including eight defensive boards, as well as three blocked shots. It was enough to earn the future Lady Razorback the game’s MVP award.
BACK TO BARTON…..REALLY?
Perhaps basketball fans and media figures have grown spoiled by the plush amenities of such venues as the Stephens Center on the campus of UALR and Summit Arena in Hot Springs, but it was evident early on in the championship weekend that few were comfortable with the cramped confines of the dated T.H. Barton Coliseum.
From a wireless network that refused to cooperate to a hospitality room that tripled as an interview room and work station, and appeared to be some sort of old converted janitorial closet, it was far from press friendly.
And while the old concert posters of rock and country acts from the 1970s and 80s that lined the hallways served as a reminder of the golden age of the arena, they also served as a reminder of the age of the arena, which was dedicated in 1952.
COMMON MARGIN
The final scores varied, but the Red Devils and Lady Devils both led their opponents 24-21 at halftime.
Both teams also scored 14 points in the opening quarter, with the boys leading Alma 14-13 at the end of one and the girls leading Paragould 14-8.
FRIDAY NIGHT'S NOT ALRIGHT FOR MOUTH
Alma’s Gage Jensen was not shy about putting his arrogance on display early on, from belittling an official after being charged with his second personal foul early in the second quarter to repeated verbal jabs at game MVP Justin McCleary.
Red Devils post player Keith Charleston got his fill of Jensen’s antics at the 3:55 mark of the third quarter, as he got in his face following another wisecrack.
Officials diffused the situation and gave Jensen a warning to curb his attitude without charging a technical foul to either player, and Charleston let his playing do the talking for him directly after the incident with a dunk that got the Red Devil fans on the their feet and gave Jacksonville a 44-27 lead.
Jensen kept his mouth in check for the most part for the duration, and even hugged Charleston and McCleary in the greet line at the conclusion of the game.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Mimms is normally regarded as a somewhat subdued coach when it comes to sideline demeanor, but the head Lady Devil was quite animated during the championship finals on Friday.
Mimms paced the sideline frantically late in the second quarter when Paragould started its comeback, and borrowed a page from boys coach Victor Joyner when she disputed a foul call against Jacksonville earlier in the frame.
Her most humorous gesture came in the opening minutes when she caught air following a Jacksonville turnover, as her hair whipped forward similar to that of a hard-rock singer. Mimms was all smiles following the game, however, as she spoke about the historical significance of the girls’ first-ever state championship.
“Even Jessica’s ninth-grade year, when I pulled her up, in conference we went 0-14,” Mimms said. “Just within three years, last year, we went to the final four and got beat. This year, we go from a 0-14 to a 14-0 turnaround, so it’s meant everything for basketball at Jacksonville High School.”
DEPTH MADE THE DIFFERENCE
The Red Devils had sporadic moments of difficulty throughout the class 5A state tournament and championship game, but breezed their way through the postseason for the most part with a strong bench and a starting five that never seemed to run out of gas when it was apparent their opponents were operating on an empty tank.
That scenario became apparent in the middle of the fourth quarter when Alma stalled after coming back from a 17-point deficit to close the gap to five. The Airedales played on pure heart in the closing minutes and even cut it to 54-53, but Charleston stepped to the line in the final 20 seconds and made a pair of free throws that set the final margin.
Leader sportswriter
It is rare for a school to sweep both the girls and boys basketball finals, but that feat became reality for Jacksonville High School on Friday as the boys defeated a persistent Alma team 56-53 while the Lady Red Devils downed Paragould 54-43 in the late game on Friday.
Seniors Justin McCleary and Jessica Jackson took home the MVP honors in each game, giving boys coach Victor Joyner his second state title in five years and girls coach Katrina Mimms her first ever.
PUTTING THE JACKSON IN JACKSONVILLE
Jessica Jackson served notice early on who the night would belong to as she dominated the lane and the outside for 10 quick points to give the Lady Red Devils a 14-0 lead by the 4:03 mark of the first quarter.
Adjustments by the Lady Rams slowed her down from her frantic opening, but Jackson still finished with 22 points despite missing the entire fourth quarter due to an asthma attack. She also had nine rebounds, including eight defensive boards, as well as three blocked shots. It was enough to earn the future Lady Razorback the game’s MVP award.
BACK TO BARTON…..REALLY?
Perhaps basketball fans and media figures have grown spoiled by the plush amenities of such venues as the Stephens Center on the campus of UALR and Summit Arena in Hot Springs, but it was evident early on in the championship weekend that few were comfortable with the cramped confines of the dated T.H. Barton Coliseum.
From a wireless network that refused to cooperate to a hospitality room that tripled as an interview room and work station, and appeared to be some sort of old converted janitorial closet, it was far from press friendly.
And while the old concert posters of rock and country acts from the 1970s and 80s that lined the hallways served as a reminder of the golden age of the arena, they also served as a reminder of the age of the arena, which was dedicated in 1952.
COMMON MARGIN
The final scores varied, but the Red Devils and Lady Devils both led their opponents 24-21 at halftime.
Both teams also scored 14 points in the opening quarter, with the boys leading Alma 14-13 at the end of one and the girls leading Paragould 14-8.
FRIDAY NIGHT'S NOT ALRIGHT FOR MOUTH
Alma’s Gage Jensen was not shy about putting his arrogance on display early on, from belittling an official after being charged with his second personal foul early in the second quarter to repeated verbal jabs at game MVP Justin McCleary.
Red Devils post player Keith Charleston got his fill of Jensen’s antics at the 3:55 mark of the third quarter, as he got in his face following another wisecrack.
Officials diffused the situation and gave Jensen a warning to curb his attitude without charging a technical foul to either player, and Charleston let his playing do the talking for him directly after the incident with a dunk that got the Red Devil fans on the their feet and gave Jacksonville a 44-27 lead.
Jensen kept his mouth in check for the most part for the duration, and even hugged Charleston and McCleary in the greet line at the conclusion of the game.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Mimms is normally regarded as a somewhat subdued coach when it comes to sideline demeanor, but the head Lady Devil was quite animated during the championship finals on Friday.
Mimms paced the sideline frantically late in the second quarter when Paragould started its comeback, and borrowed a page from boys coach Victor Joyner when she disputed a foul call against Jacksonville earlier in the frame.
Her most humorous gesture came in the opening minutes when she caught air following a Jacksonville turnover, as her hair whipped forward similar to that of a hard-rock singer. Mimms was all smiles following the game, however, as she spoke about the historical significance of the girls’ first-ever state championship.
“Even Jessica’s ninth-grade year, when I pulled her up, in conference we went 0-14,” Mimms said. “Just within three years, last year, we went to the final four and got beat. This year, we go from a 0-14 to a 14-0 turnaround, so it’s meant everything for basketball at Jacksonville High School.”
DEPTH MADE THE DIFFERENCE
The Red Devils had sporadic moments of difficulty throughout the class 5A state tournament and championship game, but breezed their way through the postseason for the most part with a strong bench and a starting five that never seemed to run out of gas when it was apparent their opponents were operating on an empty tank.
That scenario became apparent in the middle of the fourth quarter when Alma stalled after coming back from a 17-point deficit to close the gap to five. The Airedales played on pure heart in the closing minutes and even cut it to 54-53, but Charleston stepped to the line in the final 20 seconds and made a pair of free throws that set the final margin.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)