By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski football team has made some strides in the second week of practice. The heat has taken its toll on some of the conditioning work, and are illness has run through the team as well. Only 32 of the 45 players on the roll were at practice Thursday.
The team is finding players to fill positions. The Falcons will have some excellent size in the offensive backfield, although it’s not certain exactly where everyone will play.
Three players are still battling for the quarterback spot. Marshall Shipley, a sophomore who started for the freshmen team last year, is battling AJ Allen and Melvin Tenner. Tenner has the strongest arm, but could be better utilized at tailback.
“We want to throw it some, throw some short stuff,” North Pulaski coach Tony Bohannon said. “Right now Tenner’s got the strongest arm for throwing the out and stuff like that. The problem is he’s also probably our best tailback. He’s got the best combination of size and speed. Tenner is 6-foot-1 and about 200 pounds. He played fullback last season and also played on the defensive side of the ball.
Likely joining him in the backfield is fullback Jeremy Flint. Flint is a 6-2, 220 pounder. He’s not a speedster, but runs pretty well.
“He’s a load to bring down,” Bohannon said. “He runs pretty well too. Our biggest challenge right now is finding out who’s going to block for them. We’ve got a few linemen we feel pretty good about, but we don’t have enough at this point.”
North Pulaski has 16 players working as linemen, so the numbers are decent in that area. The staff is still trying to find the ones they feel will do the best job of opening and clogging holes, depending on the side of the ball.
“We got Dillon Sheffield back we feel good about him,” Bohannon said. “JJ Thomas just got out here this week. We’re counting on him but he’s behind. Cliff Copeland, he’s one of them that’s been sick. He’s been out here but we’ve got to get him in better shape. He’s got great size, we just have to get him ready. Right now we’re looking at playing guys both ways and that’s tough. We really hope some more are able to step up and fill some of those roles.”
Monday, August 13, 2007
SPORTS>>Cabot girls have good numbers out for ’07
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Depth will be the major difference from last season for the Cabot Lady Panthers when they begin the 2007 volleyball season later this month. A total of 23 players turned out for the first two weeks of practice, leaving coach Terry Williams with the recently unfamiliar chore of cutting some girls before the start of the season.
Two injuries left 21 players on the court for Friday’s practice. Among the returning players are eight seniors and nine juniors, most of which have seen significant playing time last year. Most of the seniors were starters or at least frequent subs last year, giving the Lady Panthers a great deal of experience.
As of Friday, a number of spots were still up for grabs. Coach Williams was not ready to release any names, stating that she wanted to give everyone a fair shot before making her final choices.
“Things are still wide open,” Williams said. “A lot of them are in the process of showing what they can do. The seniors are still making their way as far as how to be leaders. It’s just too early to say anything for sure.”
The final half of the practice was a set of scrimmages between various squads. Varsity and JV-level players interchanged to give each squad a mix of size and skill. Williams says the progress made in the first two weeks of practice has been good, and that she believes that the added depth will make for a stronger team.
“Any rotation we are in, we can have three pretty tall girls on the front,” Williams said. “We have a lot of people to choose from. It’s good in a way, but it’s also bad, because if someone’s not out there, then they get their feelings hurt. There’s a lot still up ”
The Lady Panthers also participated in a team camp on Monday and Tuesday against North Little Rock, Beebe and Vilonia. It was a good showing for them at the camp, and Williams believes their second run through the 7A-Central Conference should be much more competitive. Cabot started out their ’06 campaign strong, but key injuries and lack of sufficient depth down the stretch forced the Lady Panthers to limp for most of the second half of the year. The added depth, along with more experience and height should make them more competitive against usual powerhouses in their conference such as Mt. Saint Mary and Russellville.
The Lady Panthers had seven players who appeared to be 5’10” plus, and three of the smaller players had excellent jumping abilities, which should give them an advantage at the front against many competitors. The serving and hitting appeared to be on par, with a little bit of struggles in the dig department. Williams says a major focus of the early practices has been getting to the ball quickly to allow easier set-ups.
“We’ve been working on that a lot,” Williams said. “They have done a good job reacting better. We have a lot of work to do in order to improve our consistency, but they have got the basics down pretty well.”
Leader sportswriter
Depth will be the major difference from last season for the Cabot Lady Panthers when they begin the 2007 volleyball season later this month. A total of 23 players turned out for the first two weeks of practice, leaving coach Terry Williams with the recently unfamiliar chore of cutting some girls before the start of the season.
Two injuries left 21 players on the court for Friday’s practice. Among the returning players are eight seniors and nine juniors, most of which have seen significant playing time last year. Most of the seniors were starters or at least frequent subs last year, giving the Lady Panthers a great deal of experience.
As of Friday, a number of spots were still up for grabs. Coach Williams was not ready to release any names, stating that she wanted to give everyone a fair shot before making her final choices.
“Things are still wide open,” Williams said. “A lot of them are in the process of showing what they can do. The seniors are still making their way as far as how to be leaders. It’s just too early to say anything for sure.”
The final half of the practice was a set of scrimmages between various squads. Varsity and JV-level players interchanged to give each squad a mix of size and skill. Williams says the progress made in the first two weeks of practice has been good, and that she believes that the added depth will make for a stronger team.
“Any rotation we are in, we can have three pretty tall girls on the front,” Williams said. “We have a lot of people to choose from. It’s good in a way, but it’s also bad, because if someone’s not out there, then they get their feelings hurt. There’s a lot still up ”
The Lady Panthers also participated in a team camp on Monday and Tuesday against North Little Rock, Beebe and Vilonia. It was a good showing for them at the camp, and Williams believes their second run through the 7A-Central Conference should be much more competitive. Cabot started out their ’06 campaign strong, but key injuries and lack of sufficient depth down the stretch forced the Lady Panthers to limp for most of the second half of the year. The added depth, along with more experience and height should make them more competitive against usual powerhouses in their conference such as Mt. Saint Mary and Russellville.
The Lady Panthers had seven players who appeared to be 5’10” plus, and three of the smaller players had excellent jumping abilities, which should give them an advantage at the front against many competitors. The serving and hitting appeared to be on par, with a little bit of struggles in the dig department. Williams says a major focus of the early practices has been getting to the ball quickly to allow easier set-ups.
“We’ve been working on that a lot,” Williams said. “They have done a good job reacting better. We have a lot of work to do in order to improve our consistency, but they have got the basics down pretty well.”
SPORTS>>Injury bug biting CHS again
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers made it through one week without the injury bug biting too badly, but not the second week. After several years of the same problem occurring, the injury bug may have graduated to a curse at Cabot High School.
Only four players missed significant practice time last week, but that number more than doubled in week two, including six players that were expected to play starting roles.
Fortunately, none of the injuries are expected to threaten an entire season.
“We’ve got some kids that are going to miss a lot of practice and maybe a couple of games,” Cabot coach Mike Malham said. “This group is pretty talented though. Hopefully we’ll find some kids that can step in there and give us a lot of depth when we get the other kids back. The group we’re working with is pretty talented, we’re just really young. They’re learning the positions they’re playing, so if we can get everybody back and healthy, we should have a little depth too.”
Sophomore Seth Bloomberg is taking almost all the varsity snaps in practice. He began two-a-days battling junior Jake Burns for the starting job, but Burns is one of the players out. He is nursing a broken nose.
“Both of those kids can play,” Malham said. “They’ve been neck and neck for a while. If anything happens to Bloomberg, though, we’re going to be hurting.”
An injury to last year’s starting fullback Vince Aguilar, left some question marks in the offensive backfield that are beginning to be answered.
Sophomore Michael James, junior Chris Bayles and senior Casey Carlisle have worked into the three starting positions for the moment. Carlisle returns as the starting halfback while Bayles and James have alternated between halfback and the feature position of fullback. James has the size that dead T teams typically like to have at fullback, while Bayles comes in at 130 pounds.
“He’s little bitty but he’s the fastest kid we’ve got,” Malham said. “James has been doing most the work at fullback, but Bayles’ speed is hard to find, especially around here the last few years.”
Returning starting lineman Jordan Gunn is also out with an injury, but sophomore Jay Turpin has looked good as his replacement in practice. Turpin stands six feet and weighs 230.
There are three sophomores that have found starting spots in the defensive side. Joe Bryant will work at safety, ?? Nuemann has looked good at linebacker and Terrence Bertran will work extensively on the defensive line.
The Panthers will be hosting its annual Arkansas Activities Association benefit game against Lake Hamilton August 21. The annual Red-White game featuring all the football teams from seventh grade up will be August 24.
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers made it through one week without the injury bug biting too badly, but not the second week. After several years of the same problem occurring, the injury bug may have graduated to a curse at Cabot High School.
Only four players missed significant practice time last week, but that number more than doubled in week two, including six players that were expected to play starting roles.
Fortunately, none of the injuries are expected to threaten an entire season.
“We’ve got some kids that are going to miss a lot of practice and maybe a couple of games,” Cabot coach Mike Malham said. “This group is pretty talented though. Hopefully we’ll find some kids that can step in there and give us a lot of depth when we get the other kids back. The group we’re working with is pretty talented, we’re just really young. They’re learning the positions they’re playing, so if we can get everybody back and healthy, we should have a little depth too.”
Sophomore Seth Bloomberg is taking almost all the varsity snaps in practice. He began two-a-days battling junior Jake Burns for the starting job, but Burns is one of the players out. He is nursing a broken nose.
“Both of those kids can play,” Malham said. “They’ve been neck and neck for a while. If anything happens to Bloomberg, though, we’re going to be hurting.”
An injury to last year’s starting fullback Vince Aguilar, left some question marks in the offensive backfield that are beginning to be answered.
Sophomore Michael James, junior Chris Bayles and senior Casey Carlisle have worked into the three starting positions for the moment. Carlisle returns as the starting halfback while Bayles and James have alternated between halfback and the feature position of fullback. James has the size that dead T teams typically like to have at fullback, while Bayles comes in at 130 pounds.
“He’s little bitty but he’s the fastest kid we’ve got,” Malham said. “James has been doing most the work at fullback, but Bayles’ speed is hard to find, especially around here the last few years.”
Returning starting lineman Jordan Gunn is also out with an injury, but sophomore Jay Turpin has looked good as his replacement in practice. Turpin stands six feet and weighs 230.
There are three sophomores that have found starting spots in the defensive side. Joe Bryant will work at safety, ?? Nuemann has looked good at linebacker and Terrence Bertran will work extensively on the defensive line.
The Panthers will be hosting its annual Arkansas Activities Association benefit game against Lake Hamilton August 21. The annual Red-White game featuring all the football teams from seventh grade up will be August 24.
EDITORIALS>>Persecution of a judge
The five-year-old pursuit of Judge Wendell L. Griffen by the executive director of the state Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission came to an end this week with a whimper. Never mind, a panel of the commission said, the judge was always within his rights.
While the panel’s unanimous report is only a recommendation to the full commission, the commission nearly always respects decisions by its panels, especially unanimous ones. It certainly should in this troubling case.
Since March 2002, when Griffen, a judge on the state Court of Appeals, criticized the University of Arkansas at a meeting of black state legislators, the director of the commission, James A. Badami, has been trying to get him reprimanded or removed from the bench for speaking out of turn. The commission that fall issued a formal reprimand saying that Griffen’s public utterance violated the state’s canon of judicial ethics, which forbade judges from revealing their thoughts about public issues. The Arkansas Supreme Court eventually threw out the reprimand because it violated his right to free speech under the federal and state constitutions.
But Griffen, a black Baptist minister as well as a judge, got quoted in the public prints six or seven times more over the next several years in newspapers in Arkansas or elsewhere on Hurricane Katrina, the Iraqi war, the punishment of gays, racism and President Bush’s appointment of a chief justice. One was at a meeting of the National Baptist Convention USA in Columbus, Ga., where he was quoted in a local paper as criticizing the government’s handling of Hurricane Katrina.
Fresh charges were lodged against Griffen at the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission even though the U. S. Supreme Court ruled years ago that the Constitution protected the speech rights of judges as well as the rest of us.
But James Badami, Grif-fen’s own police inspector Javert, insisted that the state’s anti-speech rules for judges were still valid because someone who was aware of Judge Griffen’s ideas about immigrants or homosexuals or the war or Hurricane Katrina but who had opposite ideas might feel he would not get a fair shake when his personal-injury or contract suit reached Judge Griffen. It would be better, Badami said, if his ideas were a secret.
For nearly two years Judge Griffen has been trying to get the charges dismissed or get a final decision from the commission so that he could appeal it again and get it thrown out. He faces re-election next spring and the ignominy of a reprimand for misconduct would almost certainly defeat him. Last month, he petitioned the federal district court at Little Rock to stop the inquisition and affirm his right to say what is on his mind as long as it does not affect cases that will come before him.
A three-lawyer panel of the commission ended the long ordeal Wednesday, concluding that all of the remarks that Griffen had been quoted as making were protected by the Bill of Rights. They described that conclusion as “inescapable.”
—
-Ernie Dumas
While the panel’s unanimous report is only a recommendation to the full commission, the commission nearly always respects decisions by its panels, especially unanimous ones. It certainly should in this troubling case.
Since March 2002, when Griffen, a judge on the state Court of Appeals, criticized the University of Arkansas at a meeting of black state legislators, the director of the commission, James A. Badami, has been trying to get him reprimanded or removed from the bench for speaking out of turn. The commission that fall issued a formal reprimand saying that Griffen’s public utterance violated the state’s canon of judicial ethics, which forbade judges from revealing their thoughts about public issues. The Arkansas Supreme Court eventually threw out the reprimand because it violated his right to free speech under the federal and state constitutions.
But Griffen, a black Baptist minister as well as a judge, got quoted in the public prints six or seven times more over the next several years in newspapers in Arkansas or elsewhere on Hurricane Katrina, the Iraqi war, the punishment of gays, racism and President Bush’s appointment of a chief justice. One was at a meeting of the National Baptist Convention USA in Columbus, Ga., where he was quoted in a local paper as criticizing the government’s handling of Hurricane Katrina.
Fresh charges were lodged against Griffen at the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission even though the U. S. Supreme Court ruled years ago that the Constitution protected the speech rights of judges as well as the rest of us.
But James Badami, Grif-fen’s own police inspector Javert, insisted that the state’s anti-speech rules for judges were still valid because someone who was aware of Judge Griffen’s ideas about immigrants or homosexuals or the war or Hurricane Katrina but who had opposite ideas might feel he would not get a fair shake when his personal-injury or contract suit reached Judge Griffen. It would be better, Badami said, if his ideas were a secret.
For nearly two years Judge Griffen has been trying to get the charges dismissed or get a final decision from the commission so that he could appeal it again and get it thrown out. He faces re-election next spring and the ignominy of a reprimand for misconduct would almost certainly defeat him. Last month, he petitioned the federal district court at Little Rock to stop the inquisition and affirm his right to say what is on his mind as long as it does not affect cases that will come before him.
A three-lawyer panel of the commission ended the long ordeal Wednesday, concluding that all of the remarks that Griffen had been quoted as making were protected by the Bill of Rights. They described that conclusion as “inescapable.”
—
-Ernie Dumas
EDITORIALS>>Hochstetter moves on
Sandra Hochstetter took her leave from the state Public Service Commission very abruptly Wednesday but it was not a day too soon. Her departure seemed to be hastened by a telephone call from Gov. Beebe, who smelled an ethical crisis even if she did not.
Hochstetter, who was appointed to the utility commission by former Gov. Mike Huckabee, announced early in the week that she would resign from the commission in “a month or so” to take a job as vice president of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Corp. She seemed to faintly recognize a potential conflict of interest because in two days she was about to sit in judgment on a request from a partner of the cooperatives to build a giant coal-fired generating plant in Hempstead County. She said that her future employer’s keen interest in the issue would not influence her in the least and that she expected to participate unless any of the disputing parties to the case objected.
They did — within minutes. So she recused from the coal-plant hearings, which began Thursday, and Gov. Beebe promptly appointed a former Supreme Court justice as a special arbiter to sit with the other two commissioners. Thank goodness for that.
But what could Ms. Hochstetter have been thinking? It is enough that the public must see the old revolving door between utilities and the regulatory commission swing once again, as it has so often in this ethically challenged state. Regulators do their public work and then take lucrative jobs with the utilities that they have been regulating. Sometimes, as in Ms. Hochstetter’s case, the governor goes to the utilities in the first place to get someone to regulate them. That is routine in the government of George W. Bush, but it is it is rare in state government. Hochstetter had been an attorney for Arkla Gas, later gobbled up by Centerpoint Energy, when Huckabee tapped her for the commission. A righteous state senator, Jim Argue of Little Rock, objected, so the governor had her sit for a while as a commission staffer, who did not have to be confirmed by the Senate, before elevating her to the commission. She was in her second six-year term on the commission.
Her impending employment by one of the largest utilities cast a shadow on all the impending cases involving the cooperatives and their competitors and upon those cases on which she has already sat, including preliminary decisions on the coal plant, which Southwestern Electric Power Co. is already building in anticipation of the PSC’s approval. The cooperatives expect to contract for a portion of the plant’s output. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said she should resign immediately, not in “a month or so.” Beebe said so, too, and his view counts. He telephoned her Wednesday and she ruminated a few minutes before resigning.
The state has one small caveat about revolving doors. For one year, Hochstetter will not be able to represent the cooperatives — in person —before the commission and her former employees.
Hochstetter, who was appointed to the utility commission by former Gov. Mike Huckabee, announced early in the week that she would resign from the commission in “a month or so” to take a job as vice president of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Corp. She seemed to faintly recognize a potential conflict of interest because in two days she was about to sit in judgment on a request from a partner of the cooperatives to build a giant coal-fired generating plant in Hempstead County. She said that her future employer’s keen interest in the issue would not influence her in the least and that she expected to participate unless any of the disputing parties to the case objected.
They did — within minutes. So she recused from the coal-plant hearings, which began Thursday, and Gov. Beebe promptly appointed a former Supreme Court justice as a special arbiter to sit with the other two commissioners. Thank goodness for that.
But what could Ms. Hochstetter have been thinking? It is enough that the public must see the old revolving door between utilities and the regulatory commission swing once again, as it has so often in this ethically challenged state. Regulators do their public work and then take lucrative jobs with the utilities that they have been regulating. Sometimes, as in Ms. Hochstetter’s case, the governor goes to the utilities in the first place to get someone to regulate them. That is routine in the government of George W. Bush, but it is it is rare in state government. Hochstetter had been an attorney for Arkla Gas, later gobbled up by Centerpoint Energy, when Huckabee tapped her for the commission. A righteous state senator, Jim Argue of Little Rock, objected, so the governor had her sit for a while as a commission staffer, who did not have to be confirmed by the Senate, before elevating her to the commission. She was in her second six-year term on the commission.
Her impending employment by one of the largest utilities cast a shadow on all the impending cases involving the cooperatives and their competitors and upon those cases on which she has already sat, including preliminary decisions on the coal plant, which Southwestern Electric Power Co. is already building in anticipation of the PSC’s approval. The cooperatives expect to contract for a portion of the plant’s output. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said she should resign immediately, not in “a month or so.” Beebe said so, too, and his view counts. He telephoned her Wednesday and she ruminated a few minutes before resigning.
The state has one small caveat about revolving doors. For one year, Hochstetter will not be able to represent the cooperatives — in person —before the commission and her former employees.
OBITUARIES >> 08-11-07
Ferenc Feldman
Ferenc Feldman, 85, died Aug. 5 at Mt.Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, Fla.
His survivors include his wife of 59 years, Ilona; their sons Garrick and wife Eileen Feldman of Jacksonville and Steven Feldman and his wife Anne-Marie Deutsch of Bethesda, Md.; grandchildren Rebecca, Jonathan and Aliya Feldman of New York and Ezra and Molly Deutsch-Feldman of Bethesda.
Services were Aug. 7 at Levitt-Weinstein Memorial Chapel led by Rabbi Philip Weberman. Burial was at Mt. Sinai Cemetery in Miami.
Ferenc Feldman was a member of Congregation Mogan David of Surfside, Fla.
He was born in Apagy, Hungary, on July 27, 1922. He survived forced labor camps in Hungary and Austria during the Second World War and was liberated by the U.S. Army in a Nazi death camp in Gunskirchen, Austria, in May 1945.
His parents, brothers, sisters and grandmother were murdered in Auschwitz, Poland, the largest death camp in Nazi Europe.
He married Ilona Klein in 1947 in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, where they raised two sons. The family fled communist Hungary after the Soviets crushed a revolution in 1956.
They lived in refugee camps in Austria before their arrival in Chicago in 1961. He worked in a meat-packing plant and later operated a small home for the elderly.
He spent his final years in Surfside, Fla., where he and his wife enjoyed the sunshine, visits from their family and friends and attending religious services at nearby congregations.
The family thanks his caregiver Barbara Cassis and Drs. Raimundo Acosta and Andrew Kovacs for their compassionate care.
“What does the Lord your God ask of you? That you fear the Lord your God and walk in His ways and to love Him and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12).
Colleen Miller
Colleen Love Miller, 79, of Beebe died August 8. She was born March 29, 1928, at Hickory Plains. She retired from Remington Arms in Lonoke in 1991 after 19 years of service.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Elizabeth Love; her father, Emmet Love and her sisters, Laurice Miller and Elaine Howell of Des Arc.
She is survived by nine children, Larry Miller of Smackover, Patricia Miller of North Little Rock, Jimmy Love of Louann, Sharon Rogers of Broken Arrow, Okla., Christy McCartney of Beebe, Billy Miller of Ward, Timmy Miller of Ward, Donna Smith of Monroe, La. and Tonya Welch of Des Arc; 20 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and her sister, Virginia Venable of Waldron and her five children.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 11 at Westbrook Funeral Home of Beebe with burial in Johnson Chapel Cemetery, Hickory Plains.
Vicki Carmical
Vicki Jo Carmical, 48, of Cabot died August 10. She was born August 17, 1958 in Albany, Ga.
She graduated from Des Arc High School in 1946. She retired from Remington Arms in Lonoke in 1991, after 19 years of service.
She is survived by her parents, Carl and Emma Hopkins Strange; husband, Richard Carmical; two children, Tara V. and Andrew J. Carmical both of Cabot; two sisters, Kacee Dee Vojdani of Rogers and Jennifer Elaine Raney of Ft. Worth, Texas, and one nephew, Lucas Raney of Forth Worth.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, August 13 at Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home with burial at Sumner Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, August 12 at the funeral home.
Ferenc Feldman, 85, died Aug. 5 at Mt.Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, Fla.
His survivors include his wife of 59 years, Ilona; their sons Garrick and wife Eileen Feldman of Jacksonville and Steven Feldman and his wife Anne-Marie Deutsch of Bethesda, Md.; grandchildren Rebecca, Jonathan and Aliya Feldman of New York and Ezra and Molly Deutsch-Feldman of Bethesda.
Services were Aug. 7 at Levitt-Weinstein Memorial Chapel led by Rabbi Philip Weberman. Burial was at Mt. Sinai Cemetery in Miami.
Ferenc Feldman was a member of Congregation Mogan David of Surfside, Fla.
He was born in Apagy, Hungary, on July 27, 1922. He survived forced labor camps in Hungary and Austria during the Second World War and was liberated by the U.S. Army in a Nazi death camp in Gunskirchen, Austria, in May 1945.
His parents, brothers, sisters and grandmother were murdered in Auschwitz, Poland, the largest death camp in Nazi Europe.
He married Ilona Klein in 1947 in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, where they raised two sons. The family fled communist Hungary after the Soviets crushed a revolution in 1956.
They lived in refugee camps in Austria before their arrival in Chicago in 1961. He worked in a meat-packing plant and later operated a small home for the elderly.
He spent his final years in Surfside, Fla., where he and his wife enjoyed the sunshine, visits from their family and friends and attending religious services at nearby congregations.
The family thanks his caregiver Barbara Cassis and Drs. Raimundo Acosta and Andrew Kovacs for their compassionate care.
“What does the Lord your God ask of you? That you fear the Lord your God and walk in His ways and to love Him and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12).
Colleen Miller
Colleen Love Miller, 79, of Beebe died August 8. She was born March 29, 1928, at Hickory Plains. She retired from Remington Arms in Lonoke in 1991 after 19 years of service.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Elizabeth Love; her father, Emmet Love and her sisters, Laurice Miller and Elaine Howell of Des Arc.
She is survived by nine children, Larry Miller of Smackover, Patricia Miller of North Little Rock, Jimmy Love of Louann, Sharon Rogers of Broken Arrow, Okla., Christy McCartney of Beebe, Billy Miller of Ward, Timmy Miller of Ward, Donna Smith of Monroe, La. and Tonya Welch of Des Arc; 20 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and her sister, Virginia Venable of Waldron and her five children.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 11 at Westbrook Funeral Home of Beebe with burial in Johnson Chapel Cemetery, Hickory Plains.
Vicki Carmical
Vicki Jo Carmical, 48, of Cabot died August 10. She was born August 17, 1958 in Albany, Ga.
She graduated from Des Arc High School in 1946. She retired from Remington Arms in Lonoke in 1991, after 19 years of service.
She is survived by her parents, Carl and Emma Hopkins Strange; husband, Richard Carmical; two children, Tara V. and Andrew J. Carmical both of Cabot; two sisters, Kacee Dee Vojdani of Rogers and Jennifer Elaine Raney of Ft. Worth, Texas, and one nephew, Lucas Raney of Forth Worth.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, August 13 at Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home with burial at Sumner Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, August 12 at the funeral home.
TOP STORY >>WaterWorks seeks member willing to work
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
The commission that runs Cabot WaterWorks will advertise soon for a new member, someone with the background and education to help with the seemingly endless list of details associated with the city’s growth that has kept the commission busy for the past two years.
That was the consensus Thursday night of the four members left after the sudden resignation of banker Don Keesee, who has taken a position in northern Arkansas with Regions Bank.
“We need someone who wants to work,” said Bill Cypert, commission secretary.
Commissioner Cary Hobbs concurred. Whoever takes over Keesee’s seat will have to understand that serving on the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission is “not an every other Thursday golf and lunch club,” he said.
The commission is currently engaged in building a sewer plant and a water line to connect to Central Arkansas Water. With the help of Tadd Bohannon, the commission’s attorney, it has drafted and approved developer polices to ensure, for example, that the pipes that go in the ground are inspected before they are covered.
Commissioner Gary Walker, who was unanimously chosen by the other commissioners to replace Keesee as vice-chairman, called the decision to advertise “a wise move.”
So did city Attorney Jim Taylor, who has attended the meetings in recent months. Taylor said advertising would be an affirmation that the commission really does answer to the public.
Only Chairman J.M. Park had reservations. Only one person can be chosen, he said. So it is very likely that someone is going to be mad, he said.
Before they can advertise, the commission must approve the criteria for selecting its new member. Cypert, Bohannon and Karen Ballard, WaterWorks human resources manager, were selected for a committee to draft that document.
The selection process could take several months. Park pointed out that the commission must have at least three members to do business. With four, they can easily operate until a new member is found.
But by state law, the commission can only recommend Keesee’s replacement. The city council, which appointed all the other commissioners, will appoint the new one.
The commission also discussed insurance for employees. Currently, WaterWorks employees and city employees, have insurance through the Municipal League. To keep the cost down for all the employees Ballard has been working with the city’s human resources manager to find a new insurance provider.
Leader staff writer
The commission that runs Cabot WaterWorks will advertise soon for a new member, someone with the background and education to help with the seemingly endless list of details associated with the city’s growth that has kept the commission busy for the past two years.
That was the consensus Thursday night of the four members left after the sudden resignation of banker Don Keesee, who has taken a position in northern Arkansas with Regions Bank.
“We need someone who wants to work,” said Bill Cypert, commission secretary.
Commissioner Cary Hobbs concurred. Whoever takes over Keesee’s seat will have to understand that serving on the Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission is “not an every other Thursday golf and lunch club,” he said.
The commission is currently engaged in building a sewer plant and a water line to connect to Central Arkansas Water. With the help of Tadd Bohannon, the commission’s attorney, it has drafted and approved developer polices to ensure, for example, that the pipes that go in the ground are inspected before they are covered.
Commissioner Gary Walker, who was unanimously chosen by the other commissioners to replace Keesee as vice-chairman, called the decision to advertise “a wise move.”
So did city Attorney Jim Taylor, who has attended the meetings in recent months. Taylor said advertising would be an affirmation that the commission really does answer to the public.
Only Chairman J.M. Park had reservations. Only one person can be chosen, he said. So it is very likely that someone is going to be mad, he said.
Before they can advertise, the commission must approve the criteria for selecting its new member. Cypert, Bohannon and Karen Ballard, WaterWorks human resources manager, were selected for a committee to draft that document.
The selection process could take several months. Park pointed out that the commission must have at least three members to do business. With four, they can easily operate until a new member is found.
But by state law, the commission can only recommend Keesee’s replacement. The city council, which appointed all the other commissioners, will appoint the new one.
The commission also discussed insurance for employees. Currently, WaterWorks employees and city employees, have insurance through the Municipal League. To keep the cost down for all the employees Ballard has been working with the city’s human resources manager to find a new insurance provider.
TOP STORY >>Public meeting set for Friday
By HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
All interested persons are encouraged to attend the public meeting August 17 to assess Jacksonville’s interest in operating open-enrollment public charter schools in the community.
The charter school concept will also be explained during the 6 p.m. meeting at Jacksonville City Hall.
The public’s thoughts are sought on the matter either in person or in writing to Dr. Caroline Proctor, the executive director of Arkansas Charter School Resource Center at the University of Arkansas, Graduate Education 201, Fayetteville, Ark., 72701.
Community members are also asked to respond by email to the community-needs assessment located at www.ARreform.org, using passcode 1100 for central Arkansas.
The needs assessment will establish local support, interest and needs for the area.
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce members are supporting the petition to the Arkansas State Board of Education to open charter schools in town due to recent problems with the Pulaski County Special School District.
The charter school would be operated in connection with the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Science and Arts (ASMSA) in Hot Springs or a stand-alone charter school focused on math, science, economics and the arts, or a combination of both.
Chamber member Mike Wilson spearheaded the proposal that he says “has the promise of helping our kids.”
A proposed location of the charter school is the old Main Street Furniture location across from First Arkansas Bank and Trust, a location adjacent to the new Nixon Library site.
Public charter schools are public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools.
According to the Arkansas Department of Education Web site, the freedoms given a charter school allow more flexibility to implement creative and innovative programs and policies but are held more accountable for student success.
Arkansas currently has 17 public charter schools operating under contracts detailing the school’s mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment and ways to measure success.
An open-enrollment school is a public charter school run by a governmental entity, an institution of higher learning or a tax-exempt non-sectarian organization. They can also draw students from across district boundaries.
The groups that commonly operate public charter schools include parents, teachers and community leaders, public schools and private entities.
These people want your opinions.
Leader staff writer
All interested persons are encouraged to attend the public meeting August 17 to assess Jacksonville’s interest in operating open-enrollment public charter schools in the community.
The charter school concept will also be explained during the 6 p.m. meeting at Jacksonville City Hall.
The public’s thoughts are sought on the matter either in person or in writing to Dr. Caroline Proctor, the executive director of Arkansas Charter School Resource Center at the University of Arkansas, Graduate Education 201, Fayetteville, Ark., 72701.
Community members are also asked to respond by email to the community-needs assessment located at www.ARreform.org, using passcode 1100 for central Arkansas.
The needs assessment will establish local support, interest and needs for the area.
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce members are supporting the petition to the Arkansas State Board of Education to open charter schools in town due to recent problems with the Pulaski County Special School District.
The charter school would be operated in connection with the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Science and Arts (ASMSA) in Hot Springs or a stand-alone charter school focused on math, science, economics and the arts, or a combination of both.
Chamber member Mike Wilson spearheaded the proposal that he says “has the promise of helping our kids.”
A proposed location of the charter school is the old Main Street Furniture location across from First Arkansas Bank and Trust, a location adjacent to the new Nixon Library site.
Public charter schools are public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools.
According to the Arkansas Department of Education Web site, the freedoms given a charter school allow more flexibility to implement creative and innovative programs and policies but are held more accountable for student success.
Arkansas currently has 17 public charter schools operating under contracts detailing the school’s mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment and ways to measure success.
An open-enrollment school is a public charter school run by a governmental entity, an institution of higher learning or a tax-exempt non-sectarian organization. They can also draw students from across district boundaries.
The groups that commonly operate public charter schools include parents, teachers and community leaders, public schools and private entities.
These people want your opinions.
TOP STORY >>Cabot commission approves rezoning
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
The most controversial rezoning in Cabot’s recent history made it through the planning commission Tuesday night and will go before the city council Aug. 20.
Whether businesses should be allowed at Rockwood and Hwy. 89 across from the commercial development that has grown up around Wal-Mart has been the subject of hot debate and one court case for about a decade.
The planning commission approved commercial rezoning there a year ago only to have that ruling overturned by the city council after residents of the subdivisions behind the property protested that traffic at the intersection is terrible now and would only get worse if more businesses go in.
They said accidents at the intersection increased 212 percent from 2000 to 2006 (from eight to 25). Adding credence to their claim were the two accidents at the intersection that very day.
Three months ago, the property, which has been known as the Smith property, went before the planning commission again for commercial rezoning after it was purchased by the Burrows Family Trust of Jonesboro.
The rezoning was denied, but the planning commission ruled Tuesday that the latest proposal of C-2 along Highway 89 and O-1 (for offices) abutting the residential area was different enough from the proposal three months ago that it could be heard again before the required one-year waiting period for resubmission.
Then, over the protests of the residents who filled the council chamber where the meeting was held, the commission voted to send the rezoning to the council where it will be voted up or down. Matt Webber was the only member who voted against the rezoning.
Residents said they were concerned for their children’s safety and that their property values would decline.
“Gentlemen, think when you vote,” said Carl Schmidt. “Would you want this in your neighborhood?”
Mary Ann Taft told the commission that she knew the area would eventually go commercial but that now is not the time. It should wait until Highway 89 is widened to four lanes.
“That’s not the last bit of commercial property in Cabot,” Taft said. “Is there any urgency about this?”
The commissioners said the city’s land-use plan calls for commercial zoning of the property along Highway 89, so they had little choice except to send the matter to the city council.
In other business, the commission approved a master street plan that must also go before the council for approval.
Commissioners agreed that it is important to have the plan in place so houses and businesses will not be built on land that the city needs for streets.
As expected, the commission denied a request for two additional driveways into Lakewood commercial subdivision on Highway 321. Developer Jim Green’s request for the road cuts died for lack of a motion to even consider approving it.
The commission told Green in July when they first heard his request that they were not inclined to approve the driveways because of the traffic problems they could cause as Highway 321 develops.
Leader staff writer
The most controversial rezoning in Cabot’s recent history made it through the planning commission Tuesday night and will go before the city council Aug. 20.
Whether businesses should be allowed at Rockwood and Hwy. 89 across from the commercial development that has grown up around Wal-Mart has been the subject of hot debate and one court case for about a decade.
The planning commission approved commercial rezoning there a year ago only to have that ruling overturned by the city council after residents of the subdivisions behind the property protested that traffic at the intersection is terrible now and would only get worse if more businesses go in.
They said accidents at the intersection increased 212 percent from 2000 to 2006 (from eight to 25). Adding credence to their claim were the two accidents at the intersection that very day.
Three months ago, the property, which has been known as the Smith property, went before the planning commission again for commercial rezoning after it was purchased by the Burrows Family Trust of Jonesboro.
The rezoning was denied, but the planning commission ruled Tuesday that the latest proposal of C-2 along Highway 89 and O-1 (for offices) abutting the residential area was different enough from the proposal three months ago that it could be heard again before the required one-year waiting period for resubmission.
Then, over the protests of the residents who filled the council chamber where the meeting was held, the commission voted to send the rezoning to the council where it will be voted up or down. Matt Webber was the only member who voted against the rezoning.
Residents said they were concerned for their children’s safety and that their property values would decline.
“Gentlemen, think when you vote,” said Carl Schmidt. “Would you want this in your neighborhood?”
Mary Ann Taft told the commission that she knew the area would eventually go commercial but that now is not the time. It should wait until Highway 89 is widened to four lanes.
“That’s not the last bit of commercial property in Cabot,” Taft said. “Is there any urgency about this?”
The commissioners said the city’s land-use plan calls for commercial zoning of the property along Highway 89, so they had little choice except to send the matter to the city council.
In other business, the commission approved a master street plan that must also go before the council for approval.
Commissioners agreed that it is important to have the plan in place so houses and businesses will not be built on land that the city needs for streets.
As expected, the commission denied a request for two additional driveways into Lakewood commercial subdivision on Highway 321. Developer Jim Green’s request for the road cuts died for lack of a motion to even consider approving it.
The commission told Green in July when they first heard his request that they were not inclined to approve the driveways because of the traffic problems they could cause as Highway 321 develops.
TOP STORY >>Upsetting plans being revamped
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Two development plans that Jacksonville residents stalled last month are back on the planning commission agenda. Both plans have been revamped.
The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at city hall.
The first stalled plan is a rezoning request by Jack Wilson to have Foxwood Gardens, near Loop Road and Northeastern Avenue rezoned from R-0 (single family homes) to R-1 (single family homes with smaller lots). The change would allow the developer to add about 15 more homes to the subdivision.
The second stalled plan was for the Edinburgh Subdivision.
Developer Jim Peacock presented a sketch plat that included plans to build about 10 single homes and 30 duplexes in the subdivision.
Both were tabled in July after residents voiced opposition.
More than half the crowd at the July planning commission meeting was there to oppose the rezoning of the 19.5-acre Foxwood Gardens subdivision.
The original request was to rezone the property to R-2 (duplexes), but Tommy Bond, of Bond Consulting Engineers, quickly amended it to R-1, but that still didn’t satisfy the crowd. “We have no intentions of building multi-family units in this subdivision. Plans are to build a gated community of garden homes and the homes would range from 1,500 square feet to 2,500 square,” he explained to the riled crowd.
Plans called for about 80 garden-style homes on the acreage.
The largest concern of the residents was the only one street would be used to enter and exit the gated subdivision. “That’s a lot of traffic to be turning in and out that close to a school,” said Charles Evans, of 1801 Steeplechase.
The planned exits and entrances to the subdivision are at the dead end of Steeplechase Drive, and where Foxwood turns east and west, close to Pinewood Elementary. According to Bond, only residents would use one of the entrances, the other would be for emergency vehicles.
Don Hall of 1513 Foxwood said “Kids congregate in that area for school buses and the only sidewalk is on that side. The extra traffic would create a very dangerous situation.”
Even though the subdivision design was a separate issue from the rezoning, the commissioners asked Bond to bring the request to the August meeting with a more complete plan to help determine whether the subdivision would be a good fit for the area or not.
The remaining residents at the July meeting were upset about plans for the Edinburgh Subdivision and again traffic was a major concern.
Residents didn’t want the duplexes and were concerned that all the traffic would feed off Edinburgh. Because of Splash Zone, the area already gets a large amount of traffic and children are everywhere, residents told the commissioners.
“This goes in and a lot of us are moving. I understand it’s about the developer making money, and he has that right, but don’t stick the knife in my back to make your dollar,” said John Williams, a Jacksonville police officer.
Also on the commission agenda:
The New Testament Holiness Church is seeking permission to operate a daycare facility at 2311 Green Acres, which is in a residential area.
The commission will look at approving a sketch plat for the Besancon property off Red Fox.
Commissioners will review a sketch plat for Delaney Heights Subdivision near Cherry and Laurel streets.
The commission will review the final plat of Wendi’s Corner near the intersection of Bailey and Gregory.
Commissioners will look at approving the final plat of the Northlake Subdivision.
The commissioners will decide on the final plats of lots 1 and 2 of the Jacksonville Commerce Subdivision, which could lead to more commercial or industrial development in the city.
Commissioners will look at approving a building permit for the Marshall Road Pharmacy.
Leader staff writer
Two development plans that Jacksonville residents stalled last month are back on the planning commission agenda. Both plans have been revamped.
The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at city hall.
The first stalled plan is a rezoning request by Jack Wilson to have Foxwood Gardens, near Loop Road and Northeastern Avenue rezoned from R-0 (single family homes) to R-1 (single family homes with smaller lots). The change would allow the developer to add about 15 more homes to the subdivision.
The second stalled plan was for the Edinburgh Subdivision.
Developer Jim Peacock presented a sketch plat that included plans to build about 10 single homes and 30 duplexes in the subdivision.
Both were tabled in July after residents voiced opposition.
More than half the crowd at the July planning commission meeting was there to oppose the rezoning of the 19.5-acre Foxwood Gardens subdivision.
The original request was to rezone the property to R-2 (duplexes), but Tommy Bond, of Bond Consulting Engineers, quickly amended it to R-1, but that still didn’t satisfy the crowd. “We have no intentions of building multi-family units in this subdivision. Plans are to build a gated community of garden homes and the homes would range from 1,500 square feet to 2,500 square,” he explained to the riled crowd.
Plans called for about 80 garden-style homes on the acreage.
The largest concern of the residents was the only one street would be used to enter and exit the gated subdivision. “That’s a lot of traffic to be turning in and out that close to a school,” said Charles Evans, of 1801 Steeplechase.
The planned exits and entrances to the subdivision are at the dead end of Steeplechase Drive, and where Foxwood turns east and west, close to Pinewood Elementary. According to Bond, only residents would use one of the entrances, the other would be for emergency vehicles.
Don Hall of 1513 Foxwood said “Kids congregate in that area for school buses and the only sidewalk is on that side. The extra traffic would create a very dangerous situation.”
Even though the subdivision design was a separate issue from the rezoning, the commissioners asked Bond to bring the request to the August meeting with a more complete plan to help determine whether the subdivision would be a good fit for the area or not.
The remaining residents at the July meeting were upset about plans for the Edinburgh Subdivision and again traffic was a major concern.
Residents didn’t want the duplexes and were concerned that all the traffic would feed off Edinburgh. Because of Splash Zone, the area already gets a large amount of traffic and children are everywhere, residents told the commissioners.
“This goes in and a lot of us are moving. I understand it’s about the developer making money, and he has that right, but don’t stick the knife in my back to make your dollar,” said John Williams, a Jacksonville police officer.
Also on the commission agenda:
The New Testament Holiness Church is seeking permission to operate a daycare facility at 2311 Green Acres, which is in a residential area.
The commission will look at approving a sketch plat for the Besancon property off Red Fox.
Commissioners will review a sketch plat for Delaney Heights Subdivision near Cherry and Laurel streets.
The commission will review the final plat of Wendi’s Corner near the intersection of Bailey and Gregory.
Commissioners will look at approving the final plat of the Northlake Subdivision.
The commissioners will decide on the final plats of lots 1 and 2 of the Jacksonville Commerce Subdivision, which could lead to more commercial or industrial development in the city.
Commissioners will look at approving a building permit for the Marshall Road Pharmacy.
TOP STORY >>Pryor: Can air base do better?
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
The Air Force wants new developers to take over failed housing privatization at Little Rock Air Force Base, Sen. Mark Pryor said Thursday, and he thinks the base is a logical site for training crew and maintainers of the new short-range, reduced-load cargo plane the Department of Defense seems likely to order.
With work at a standstill at Little Rock Air Force Base and other bases where Connecticut’s Carabetta family won contracts worth billions of dollars over the next 50 years to build, remodel, own and manage thousands of housing units for airmen and their families, the Air Force is trying to repackage the contracts for other developers to finish the job, Pryor said Thursday after visiting with officials on the base.
Pryor said the quality of the 25 units completed was good, but Brig. Gen. Select Rowayne Schatz has said Carabetta’s American Eagle Communities should have completed 200 units by now and is two years behind schedule.
“This is costing time,” said Pryor. “It’s a quality of life issue.”
He said he’s concerned that in restructuring privatization, the Air Force might have to scale back.
Given Carabetta’s decades-long history of unpaid subcontractors, unfinished work and litigation, he said he wants to know why they were awarded the contracts in the first place.
“We’ll try to get to the bottom of this,” he said.
Pryor said that a new joint cargo aircraft “looks like a done deal,” and while it’s not a C-130J, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, he said Little Rock Air Force Base would still be a good place to train pilots, crews and maintainers.
“It seems to me that Little Rock should get strong consideration,” he said.
That plane, the C-27J, will mostly be assigned to National Guard units.
Regarding the Air Force’s $9.8 million share of the planned Jacksonville/Little Rock Air Force Base Joint Education Center, Pryor said he would fight to restore that money—stripped from the military construction budget by the Senate Armed Forces Committee—when the bill is considered on the Senate floor.
He hopes to restore the money as a member of the House/Senate Conference Committee.
He is especially interested in the House version of the bill, in large part because Cong. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, included the money for the education center.
“Cong. Snyder has been a tireless advocate in the House,” Pryor said. “He’s been like a dog with a bone.”
Pryor said he supports undertaking a detailed analysis of the nation’s infrastructure—not only roads, bridges, locks and dams and railroads, but also water delivery systems, electricity and broadband service.
“We need to create a blueprint to allocate resources,” he said. “We think about the next election, not 25 years down the road.”
“We need a comprehensive review, then to make some good public policy,” he said.
He said the nation also needed to figure out how to pay for the needed repairs.
“We need a healthy debate.”
“Iraq is so expensive—it’s off the charts. It takes (money) away from other things we need.”
On other matters, Pryor said he had worked hard to secure the nation’s borders, noting that he and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., successfully sponsored a bill that added $3 billion to border security.
He said he hoped that existing legislation that would fine business owners $10,000 for employing an illegal immigrant won’t result in unpicked crops rotting in the fields or increasing prices at the grocery store.
Pryor, who as a member of the so-called Gang of 14 headed off a Republican threat to eliminate the filibuster if the Democrats tried to use it to block votes on President Bush’s picks for judge a year ago, says it’s frustrating now to find the same Republicans resorting to the filibuster themselves to block the new Democratic majority from moving its own agenda forward.
Still, he said, Democrats have managed to implement the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation, fix the Alternative Minimum Tax, if only for a year, and increase the minimum wage.
Leader senior staff writer
The Air Force wants new developers to take over failed housing privatization at Little Rock Air Force Base, Sen. Mark Pryor said Thursday, and he thinks the base is a logical site for training crew and maintainers of the new short-range, reduced-load cargo plane the Department of Defense seems likely to order.
With work at a standstill at Little Rock Air Force Base and other bases where Connecticut’s Carabetta family won contracts worth billions of dollars over the next 50 years to build, remodel, own and manage thousands of housing units for airmen and their families, the Air Force is trying to repackage the contracts for other developers to finish the job, Pryor said Thursday after visiting with officials on the base.
Pryor said the quality of the 25 units completed was good, but Brig. Gen. Select Rowayne Schatz has said Carabetta’s American Eagle Communities should have completed 200 units by now and is two years behind schedule.
“This is costing time,” said Pryor. “It’s a quality of life issue.”
He said he’s concerned that in restructuring privatization, the Air Force might have to scale back.
Given Carabetta’s decades-long history of unpaid subcontractors, unfinished work and litigation, he said he wants to know why they were awarded the contracts in the first place.
“We’ll try to get to the bottom of this,” he said.
Pryor said that a new joint cargo aircraft “looks like a done deal,” and while it’s not a C-130J, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, he said Little Rock Air Force Base would still be a good place to train pilots, crews and maintainers.
“It seems to me that Little Rock should get strong consideration,” he said.
That plane, the C-27J, will mostly be assigned to National Guard units.
Regarding the Air Force’s $9.8 million share of the planned Jacksonville/Little Rock Air Force Base Joint Education Center, Pryor said he would fight to restore that money—stripped from the military construction budget by the Senate Armed Forces Committee—when the bill is considered on the Senate floor.
He hopes to restore the money as a member of the House/Senate Conference Committee.
He is especially interested in the House version of the bill, in large part because Cong. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, included the money for the education center.
“Cong. Snyder has been a tireless advocate in the House,” Pryor said. “He’s been like a dog with a bone.”
Pryor said he supports undertaking a detailed analysis of the nation’s infrastructure—not only roads, bridges, locks and dams and railroads, but also water delivery systems, electricity and broadband service.
“We need to create a blueprint to allocate resources,” he said. “We think about the next election, not 25 years down the road.”
“We need a comprehensive review, then to make some good public policy,” he said.
He said the nation also needed to figure out how to pay for the needed repairs.
“We need a healthy debate.”
“Iraq is so expensive—it’s off the charts. It takes (money) away from other things we need.”
On other matters, Pryor said he had worked hard to secure the nation’s borders, noting that he and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., successfully sponsored a bill that added $3 billion to border security.
He said he hoped that existing legislation that would fine business owners $10,000 for employing an illegal immigrant won’t result in unpicked crops rotting in the fields or increasing prices at the grocery store.
Pryor, who as a member of the so-called Gang of 14 headed off a Republican threat to eliminate the filibuster if the Democrats tried to use it to block votes on President Bush’s picks for judge a year ago, says it’s frustrating now to find the same Republicans resorting to the filibuster themselves to block the new Democratic majority from moving its own agenda forward.
Still, he said, Democrats have managed to implement the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation, fix the Alternative Minimum Tax, if only for a year, and increase the minimum wage.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
SPORTS>>Jackrabbits show new system is taking hold
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The second week of practice for the Lonoke Jackrabbits started out strong with a good three-and-a-half hour workout on Monday. The majority of the practice focused on individual station drills, followed by team offense and defense before the offensive unit ended practice with uncontested drives up and down the practice field two times. Second-year coach Jeff Jones was satisfied with the workout to start the week, and was happy to see the kids buying into the staff’s system.
“We had a pretty good day,” Jones said. “You can tell that a lot of the teaching is starting to take hold. The guys are starting to take their individual drills into our team practice, and we’re excited about that. For a Monday coming off of a weekend we had great enthusiasm and started the week off right.”
Jones says there has been progress from the first day of practice last week, but wishes that progress would develop a little faster in some areas. He hopes to pick up the pace for the second week of practice, as scrimmage-game time draws closer.
“We didn’t make as much progress as we wanted to,” Jones said. “But every day, I did see progress. We’re filming everything; we go in, we evaluate the film, evaluate the players to see who all is catching on. We have a long ways to go, and we are working hard to get there. We are progressing, but we would sure like for it to go a little bit quicker.”
Lonoke currently has 95 percent of its game installed according to Jones. He says the players know what to do in most instances; the task now will be to improve their abilities to execute the plays more consistently.
“We’re pretty good as far as knowing where we need to be,” Jones said. “Now we just have to get a little better at our technique of getting there and what we do when we get there. Offensively, we’re doing real well for this early in the season.”
Injuries have not been a problem so far for the Jackrabbits. While Keifer Vaughn is still recovering from a? injury, Amir Fleming is healthy and back on the field. With five players fresh from church camps and various other summer activities, Jones said Monday’s practice was at full force personnel-wise.
Depth at quarterback will not be a problem for the ‘Rabbits, with four players being groomed for the position. Rollins Elam, Clarence Harris, Jacob Taylor and Michael Nelson have all seen time under center since last week. Elam will get the nod as the starter, but Harris saw a fair amount of time in Monday’s practice out of the option.
Lonoke’s plans for the rest of the week included an afternoon practice on Tuesday due to a morning in-service for faculty, but the Jackrabbits returned to morning sessions this morning. Thursday will also be a morning practice before picture day on Friday morning, followed by a brief scrimmage.
Leader sportswriter
The second week of practice for the Lonoke Jackrabbits started out strong with a good three-and-a-half hour workout on Monday. The majority of the practice focused on individual station drills, followed by team offense and defense before the offensive unit ended practice with uncontested drives up and down the practice field two times. Second-year coach Jeff Jones was satisfied with the workout to start the week, and was happy to see the kids buying into the staff’s system.
“We had a pretty good day,” Jones said. “You can tell that a lot of the teaching is starting to take hold. The guys are starting to take their individual drills into our team practice, and we’re excited about that. For a Monday coming off of a weekend we had great enthusiasm and started the week off right.”
Jones says there has been progress from the first day of practice last week, but wishes that progress would develop a little faster in some areas. He hopes to pick up the pace for the second week of practice, as scrimmage-game time draws closer.
“We didn’t make as much progress as we wanted to,” Jones said. “But every day, I did see progress. We’re filming everything; we go in, we evaluate the film, evaluate the players to see who all is catching on. We have a long ways to go, and we are working hard to get there. We are progressing, but we would sure like for it to go a little bit quicker.”
Lonoke currently has 95 percent of its game installed according to Jones. He says the players know what to do in most instances; the task now will be to improve their abilities to execute the plays more consistently.
“We’re pretty good as far as knowing where we need to be,” Jones said. “Now we just have to get a little better at our technique of getting there and what we do when we get there. Offensively, we’re doing real well for this early in the season.”
Injuries have not been a problem so far for the Jackrabbits. While Keifer Vaughn is still recovering from a? injury, Amir Fleming is healthy and back on the field. With five players fresh from church camps and various other summer activities, Jones said Monday’s practice was at full force personnel-wise.
Depth at quarterback will not be a problem for the ‘Rabbits, with four players being groomed for the position. Rollins Elam, Clarence Harris, Jacob Taylor and Michael Nelson have all seen time under center since last week. Elam will get the nod as the starter, but Harris saw a fair amount of time in Monday’s practice out of the option.
Lonoke’s plans for the rest of the week included an afternoon practice on Tuesday due to a morning in-service for faculty, but the Jackrabbits returned to morning sessions this morning. Thursday will also be a morning practice before picture day on Friday morning, followed by a brief scrimmage.
SPORTS>>Sylvan Hills searching for linemen
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Finding more depth on the offensive and defensive lines is job one for the Sylvan Hills Bears during the second week of practice. Although currently sitting with a respectable number of 59 players, many of them are suited for skill/defensive backfield positions.
The goal is to avoid linemen going both ways during games, but first-year coach Jim Withrow says that for a few linemen, it may be unavoidable.
“The problem right now is, we just don’t have the numbers,” Withrow said. “We would like to have enough linemen where we didn’t have anyone on both sides of the ball, but a couple of these guys may not have any choice.” Among the linemen that may see dual action, Withrow pointed to senior lineman J.T. Long and said there were about three others that could also front both offensively and defensively.
The other big priority for the Bears this week and the remainder of the pre-season practices will be special teams work.
“We really have to harp on special teams,” Withrow said. “I thought we would be further along with that than what we are. We’ve gotten parts of our kicking game in, but the time it has taken us for implementing the offense and defense has taken away from that. Plus, we had one of our fullbacks get injured in a 7-on-7 game last month, and he was one of the ones we had on just about all the special teams coverage.
The injured fullback is senior Braylon Harris, who is suspected to have torn an ACL in his knee. Doctors have indicated that Harris may be able to eventually get by with wearing a brace until the end of the season, but the staff is waiting to see if Harris will be able to see the field.
Aside from Harris, the Bears are still healthy after a week of practices in the early August heat.
“They’re a little bit sore, and they have some bumps and bruises,” Withrow said. “So right now, we just have to make it though the soreness. In a week or so, we’ll be okay, it’s just one of these things where they will develop a little more mental toughness.”
Although currently sitting at 59 players, Withrow expects to pick up around six more players by the time the opener against Little Rock Catholic rolls around in two weeks. Three members of the golf team are expected to join, as well as one player who is still in AAU basketball. Two more players have not reported due to family vacations, and Withrow also suspects two or three sophomores will most likely join after the start of school.
With most of the offense and defense installed, Withrow says the progress may have been a little slow in some areas, but the overall effort has been satisfactory.
“High school football has evolved from the days of running two or three plays and lifting weights some in the offseason,” Withrow said. “We’re at that point now where the guys we have now are the ones we will look to; the guys about to come in may can help us later down the road. The guys have done a very good job of knowing what they’re supposed to be doing. We just have to keep doing it and improving every day.”
Leader sportswriter
Finding more depth on the offensive and defensive lines is job one for the Sylvan Hills Bears during the second week of practice. Although currently sitting with a respectable number of 59 players, many of them are suited for skill/defensive backfield positions.
The goal is to avoid linemen going both ways during games, but first-year coach Jim Withrow says that for a few linemen, it may be unavoidable.
“The problem right now is, we just don’t have the numbers,” Withrow said. “We would like to have enough linemen where we didn’t have anyone on both sides of the ball, but a couple of these guys may not have any choice.” Among the linemen that may see dual action, Withrow pointed to senior lineman J.T. Long and said there were about three others that could also front both offensively and defensively.
The other big priority for the Bears this week and the remainder of the pre-season practices will be special teams work.
“We really have to harp on special teams,” Withrow said. “I thought we would be further along with that than what we are. We’ve gotten parts of our kicking game in, but the time it has taken us for implementing the offense and defense has taken away from that. Plus, we had one of our fullbacks get injured in a 7-on-7 game last month, and he was one of the ones we had on just about all the special teams coverage.
The injured fullback is senior Braylon Harris, who is suspected to have torn an ACL in his knee. Doctors have indicated that Harris may be able to eventually get by with wearing a brace until the end of the season, but the staff is waiting to see if Harris will be able to see the field.
Aside from Harris, the Bears are still healthy after a week of practices in the early August heat.
“They’re a little bit sore, and they have some bumps and bruises,” Withrow said. “So right now, we just have to make it though the soreness. In a week or so, we’ll be okay, it’s just one of these things where they will develop a little more mental toughness.”
Although currently sitting at 59 players, Withrow expects to pick up around six more players by the time the opener against Little Rock Catholic rolls around in two weeks. Three members of the golf team are expected to join, as well as one player who is still in AAU basketball. Two more players have not reported due to family vacations, and Withrow also suspects two or three sophomores will most likely join after the start of school.
With most of the offense and defense installed, Withrow says the progress may have been a little slow in some areas, but the overall effort has been satisfactory.
“High school football has evolved from the days of running two or three plays and lifting weights some in the offseason,” Withrow said. “We’re at that point now where the guys we have now are the ones we will look to; the guys about to come in may can help us later down the road. The guys have done a very good job of knowing what they’re supposed to be doing. We just have to keep doing it and improving every day.”
SPORTS>>Tougher regimen no problem at Beebe
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The first week of Beebe Badger two-a-days went off better than expected, even in the eyes of the man in charge of those practices, first-year head coach John Shannon.
This year is the first in many years that the Beebe Badgers have gone through two-a-days. Summer practices were usually just once a day under previous tutelage, but there has been no lack of effort under the more strenuous schedule.
“I was very, very impressed with the way we worked that first week,” Shannon said Tuesday morning. “We started with 48 and had one move it. We didn’t lose any players and we pushed ‘em pretty hard. I’m very pleased with the effort they showed.”
Even when the temperature shot into three digits and the team donned full gear, the intensity level stayed high.
Thursday and Friday of last week were the two hottest days of the year so far, and were also the first two days that Beebe went in full pads and scrimmaged.
“I really feel like as the week went along, we got better,” Shannon said. “The offense is really coming along. They’re a little ahead of the defense right now, but we worked a lot more on offense over the summer, so we sort of expected that.”
The offense dominated Thursday’s scrimmage, but after just one day, the defense improved greatly.
“We didn’t really hit like I wanted us to hit on that first day of scrimmage,” Shannon said. “The offense was still ahead the second day, but the defense did a lot better. We came back on Friday and the defense hit a whole lot better.”
There was a bit of a drop-off the following Monday. Shannon wasn’t totally surprised that it happened, but was a bit confused about when it happened.
“We had a bad day of practice Monday,” Shannon said. “You pretty much expect one of those every year during two-a-days, and we were due because had six great days the first week. It’s just that usually it comes at the end of a week when they’re tired and sore. It was a strange time to have a bad practice, and I hope it’ll be the only one we have.”
At first glance, the 49 players that are out seems low for a 5A school, but Shannon isn’t concerned about it.
“I’ve talked to some other coaches in our conference and we’re right at about the average,” Shannon said. “You always wish you had more, but I don’t see the numbers we have as any sort of disadvantage.”
There has been only one injury. Halfbackk/defensive back James Anderson suffered a fractured collarbone. It’s not a major break, and Anderson is expected to be back in four to six weeks.
The battle for the starting quarterback job is still not settled. Charlie Spakes and Roger Glaude have each performed well, and a starter will likely be named by the end of this week.
“At this point we feel pretty comfortable with either one of them,” Shannon said. “The only thing is, whichever one doesn’t start at quarterback, will be starting on defense, so we need to make that decision and move forward from there.”
Overall, Shannon is still very pleased and very optimistic about how things have gone so far.
“I tell the kids I feel better about where we’re at now than I ever thought I would at this point,” Shannon said. “There is definitely a hunger for success from this group of kids and they’re putting the work in to achieve a high level of success.”
Leader sports editor
The first week of Beebe Badger two-a-days went off better than expected, even in the eyes of the man in charge of those practices, first-year head coach John Shannon.
This year is the first in many years that the Beebe Badgers have gone through two-a-days. Summer practices were usually just once a day under previous tutelage, but there has been no lack of effort under the more strenuous schedule.
“I was very, very impressed with the way we worked that first week,” Shannon said Tuesday morning. “We started with 48 and had one move it. We didn’t lose any players and we pushed ‘em pretty hard. I’m very pleased with the effort they showed.”
Even when the temperature shot into three digits and the team donned full gear, the intensity level stayed high.
Thursday and Friday of last week were the two hottest days of the year so far, and were also the first two days that Beebe went in full pads and scrimmaged.
“I really feel like as the week went along, we got better,” Shannon said. “The offense is really coming along. They’re a little ahead of the defense right now, but we worked a lot more on offense over the summer, so we sort of expected that.”
The offense dominated Thursday’s scrimmage, but after just one day, the defense improved greatly.
“We didn’t really hit like I wanted us to hit on that first day of scrimmage,” Shannon said. “The offense was still ahead the second day, but the defense did a lot better. We came back on Friday and the defense hit a whole lot better.”
There was a bit of a drop-off the following Monday. Shannon wasn’t totally surprised that it happened, but was a bit confused about when it happened.
“We had a bad day of practice Monday,” Shannon said. “You pretty much expect one of those every year during two-a-days, and we were due because had six great days the first week. It’s just that usually it comes at the end of a week when they’re tired and sore. It was a strange time to have a bad practice, and I hope it’ll be the only one we have.”
At first glance, the 49 players that are out seems low for a 5A school, but Shannon isn’t concerned about it.
“I’ve talked to some other coaches in our conference and we’re right at about the average,” Shannon said. “You always wish you had more, but I don’t see the numbers we have as any sort of disadvantage.”
There has been only one injury. Halfbackk/defensive back James Anderson suffered a fractured collarbone. It’s not a major break, and Anderson is expected to be back in four to six weeks.
The battle for the starting quarterback job is still not settled. Charlie Spakes and Roger Glaude have each performed well, and a starter will likely be named by the end of this week.
“At this point we feel pretty comfortable with either one of them,” Shannon said. “The only thing is, whichever one doesn’t start at quarterback, will be starting on defense, so we need to make that decision and move forward from there.”
Overall, Shannon is still very pleased and very optimistic about how things have gone so far.
“I tell the kids I feel better about where we’re at now than I ever thought I would at this point,” Shannon said. “There is definitely a hunger for success from this group of kids and they’re putting the work in to achieve a high level of success.”
OBITUARIES >> 08-08-07
Bryson Fuller
Bryson Lynn Fuller, of Lonoke infant, went to be with Jesus August 6.
He was born June 6, 2007 to his proud parents, Tyler and Lauren Robinson Fuller in North Little Rock.
Bryson was preceded in death by his grandfather, Jerry Fuller; great-grandfathers, Raymond Malone, Coy Strobel and Dean Fuller; great-grandmother, Cleba Dawson and aunt, April Fuller.
Survivors include his parents; grandparents, Rita and Steve Strobel of Lonoke, Debbie Brickley of North Fork, Ronnie Brickley of Lonoke and Jim Roberson of Little Rock; great-grandparents, Betty Strobel and Sue Malone of Jacksonville, Mary Fuller of Searcy, Jimmy and Judy Hipp of Greer’s Ferry, Danny and Rose Roberson of Little Rock and Bobby and Jean Styles of Florida; great-great grandmother, Marion Contorno of Little Rock; uncles, Matt and Haley Fuller of Carlisle, J.J. and Ashley Fuller of South Carolina; aunts, Kristen Brickley of Lonoke and Ashley Hurst as well as many other cousins, family and friends.
Graveside funeral services will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday, August 8 at Chapel Hill Memorial Park in Jacksonville. Visitation will be at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home from 9 to 11 a.m. prior to the service.
Seth McMurtry
Seth Allen McMurtry, 3-months-old, of Cabot passed away August 3.
He was born April 10, 2007 in North Little Rock to James McMurtry and Holly Willhite.
Those left behind to cherish his memory are his parents; one brother, Rodney McMurtry; three sisters, Lacy, Jessica and Haley Willhite, all of the home; grandparents, Harold and Terry McMurtry of Austin; great-grandfather, Guy Spence of Austin; along with numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, August 8 at Christ Worship Center in Cabot with a private family burial.
Arrangements are by Thomas Funeral Service in Cabot.
James Morgan
James Percy Morgan, 78, passed into the loving hands of God on August 5.
He was a retired medical advisor and veteran of the Army, having served in Vietnam.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Jewell Morgan; two daughters, Brenda and husband Alan Glover of Cabot and Ramona Hammack of Lonoke; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and two brothers, Bill Morgan and Pete Morgan of Louisiana.
A private memorial service will be held. Arrangements by Boyd Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Lonoke.
Leoda Talkington
Leoda Parchman Talkington, 96, of Charleston, formerly of McRae, died August 2.
Funeral services were Monday, August 6, at Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe with graveside services following.
Clifford Lindsey, Sr.
Clifford Thomas Lindsey, Sr., 57, of Jacksonville died August 5. He was born Nov. 14, 1949 in Maui, Hawaii.
Clifford was preceded in death by his father, Ray Lindsey, Sr. and his brother, Ray Lindsey, Jr. He served in the Air Force and was a member of the Arkansas Cattleman’s Association.
Clifford is survived by his wife of 37 years, Bonnie Hume Lindsey; mother, Josephine Fretas Lindsey; two sons, Clifford Lindsey, Jr. and his wife Stacy of Sheridan and Damian Lindsey and wife Azalea of Mt. Dora, Fla.; six brothers and sisters, Paulette Kinoris, Jerald Lindsey, Henry Lindsey, Gene Lindsey, Brenda Kualaau and Damian Lindsey; and four grandchildren, Damian Vaughn Lindsey, Brianna Lindsey, Austin Bean and Rebecca Robinson.
A graveside service was held August 7 at Arkansas State Veteran’s Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Arkansas Hospice; 5600 W. 12th Street; Little Rock, Ark., 72205. Funeral services were by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Stephen Beard
Stephen Dale Beard, 63, of Jacksonville passed away August 2.
He was born Sept. 20, 1943 in North Little Rock to Troy Dale and Edith Brickell Beard.
He worked in construction and was a member of First Pentecostal Church in North Little Rock.
Survivors include his wife, Reba Beard; parents, Earlene and John McKay; children, Ginger Beard Martin and her husband Tony of Toronto, Canada, and Stephanie Skowfoe and her husband Wayne of Gilboa, N.Y.; brother, Ronnie Woodall; sisters, Bonnie Peoples and her husband Bill and Angela Jones and her husband Tom; and grandchildren, Wayne Skowfoe, Jamie Skowfoe and John Martin.
A private burial will be held at a later date. Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Bryson Lynn Fuller, of Lonoke infant, went to be with Jesus August 6.
He was born June 6, 2007 to his proud parents, Tyler and Lauren Robinson Fuller in North Little Rock.
Bryson was preceded in death by his grandfather, Jerry Fuller; great-grandfathers, Raymond Malone, Coy Strobel and Dean Fuller; great-grandmother, Cleba Dawson and aunt, April Fuller.
Survivors include his parents; grandparents, Rita and Steve Strobel of Lonoke, Debbie Brickley of North Fork, Ronnie Brickley of Lonoke and Jim Roberson of Little Rock; great-grandparents, Betty Strobel and Sue Malone of Jacksonville, Mary Fuller of Searcy, Jimmy and Judy Hipp of Greer’s Ferry, Danny and Rose Roberson of Little Rock and Bobby and Jean Styles of Florida; great-great grandmother, Marion Contorno of Little Rock; uncles, Matt and Haley Fuller of Carlisle, J.J. and Ashley Fuller of South Carolina; aunts, Kristen Brickley of Lonoke and Ashley Hurst as well as many other cousins, family and friends.
Graveside funeral services will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday, August 8 at Chapel Hill Memorial Park in Jacksonville. Visitation will be at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home from 9 to 11 a.m. prior to the service.
Seth McMurtry
Seth Allen McMurtry, 3-months-old, of Cabot passed away August 3.
He was born April 10, 2007 in North Little Rock to James McMurtry and Holly Willhite.
Those left behind to cherish his memory are his parents; one brother, Rodney McMurtry; three sisters, Lacy, Jessica and Haley Willhite, all of the home; grandparents, Harold and Terry McMurtry of Austin; great-grandfather, Guy Spence of Austin; along with numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, August 8 at Christ Worship Center in Cabot with a private family burial.
Arrangements are by Thomas Funeral Service in Cabot.
James Morgan
James Percy Morgan, 78, passed into the loving hands of God on August 5.
He was a retired medical advisor and veteran of the Army, having served in Vietnam.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Jewell Morgan; two daughters, Brenda and husband Alan Glover of Cabot and Ramona Hammack of Lonoke; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and two brothers, Bill Morgan and Pete Morgan of Louisiana.
A private memorial service will be held. Arrangements by Boyd Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Lonoke.
Leoda Talkington
Leoda Parchman Talkington, 96, of Charleston, formerly of McRae, died August 2.
Funeral services were Monday, August 6, at Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe with graveside services following.
Clifford Lindsey, Sr.
Clifford Thomas Lindsey, Sr., 57, of Jacksonville died August 5. He was born Nov. 14, 1949 in Maui, Hawaii.
Clifford was preceded in death by his father, Ray Lindsey, Sr. and his brother, Ray Lindsey, Jr. He served in the Air Force and was a member of the Arkansas Cattleman’s Association.
Clifford is survived by his wife of 37 years, Bonnie Hume Lindsey; mother, Josephine Fretas Lindsey; two sons, Clifford Lindsey, Jr. and his wife Stacy of Sheridan and Damian Lindsey and wife Azalea of Mt. Dora, Fla.; six brothers and sisters, Paulette Kinoris, Jerald Lindsey, Henry Lindsey, Gene Lindsey, Brenda Kualaau and Damian Lindsey; and four grandchildren, Damian Vaughn Lindsey, Brianna Lindsey, Austin Bean and Rebecca Robinson.
A graveside service was held August 7 at Arkansas State Veteran’s Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Arkansas Hospice; 5600 W. 12th Street; Little Rock, Ark., 72205. Funeral services were by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Stephen Beard
Stephen Dale Beard, 63, of Jacksonville passed away August 2.
He was born Sept. 20, 1943 in North Little Rock to Troy Dale and Edith Brickell Beard.
He worked in construction and was a member of First Pentecostal Church in North Little Rock.
Survivors include his wife, Reba Beard; parents, Earlene and John McKay; children, Ginger Beard Martin and her husband Tony of Toronto, Canada, and Stephanie Skowfoe and her husband Wayne of Gilboa, N.Y.; brother, Ronnie Woodall; sisters, Bonnie Peoples and her husband Bill and Angela Jones and her husband Tom; and grandchildren, Wayne Skowfoe, Jamie Skowfoe and John Martin.
A private burial will be held at a later date. Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
EDITORIALS>>Where taxes go
As expected, the Jacksonville City Council last week approved a two-cent hamburger tax that starts this fall and will benefit the city’s parks and several of its attractions, such as the military museum and Reed’s Bridge Battlefield site. The council could have put the proposal before the voters but chose not to, but at least the discussion on how to allocate some $500,000 a year in taxes helped refocus the issue, resulting in a more sensible distribution of the funds.
The controversial allocation of hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising in the Little Rock media will probably be scaled back, so Jacksonville residents will instead see more tangible results from the hamburger tax: Better parks and facilities.
The city could probably get huge chunks of free advertising from the Little Rock media as it has during the huge open house at Little Rock Air Force Base, when public-service ads air for several weeks before the event. Comcast Cable, which has had a lucrative franchise with the city for years, has donated airtime in the past, and if it were asked to promote Jacksonville’s attractions, surely the cable giant wouldn’t mind giving back a small share of its income in the form of free commercials.
The controversial allocation of hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising in the Little Rock media will probably be scaled back, so Jacksonville residents will instead see more tangible results from the hamburger tax: Better parks and facilities.
The city could probably get huge chunks of free advertising from the Little Rock media as it has during the huge open house at Little Rock Air Force Base, when public-service ads air for several weeks before the event. Comcast Cable, which has had a lucrative franchise with the city for years, has donated airtime in the past, and if it were asked to promote Jacksonville’s attractions, surely the cable giant wouldn’t mind giving back a small share of its income in the form of free commercials.
EDITORIALS>>Coal burning filthy idea
Every year, three electricity-generating plants in Arkansas that burn Wyoming soft coal cough into our atmosphere about 30 million tons of carbon dioxide. One molecule of the stuff will hang around in the atmosphere for 50 to 200 years to contribute to the overheating of the planet. Can you and the kids and grandkids handle an additional 6 to 10 million tons a year?
Stripped to the fundamentals, that is what the state Public Service Commission must decide in the Hempstead County power-plant case. Southwestern Electric Power Co. (Swepco) and its parent want to build a 600-megawatt generating plant 130 miles upwind from us in the McNab community between Texarkana and Hope.
The PSC will give the utility a permit to build the plant if it concludes that the extra power is needed and the plant is economically and environmentally suitable. The PSC gets to decide what is suitable for the environment. Traditionally, those decisions have been based on the local environment, and the commission decided in the 1970s and ‘80s that coal-burning plants in Jefferson County, Independence County and Benton County were compatible to the three regions in spite of the high production of dirty greenhouse gases, chiefly carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury. But the awakening to global warming means that all of us, downwind and around the world have a stake in the commission’s decisions. Our grandchildren have an even keener concern.
The decision seems self-evident to us. The permit needs to be denied and the utility and its big holding company should be told to return to the drawing boards for a better, healthier remedy to the rising demand for electricity. There are remedies. The public battle in the media is between southwest Arkansas interests who see temporary and permanent jobs if the plant is built — Lord knows they need the jobs! — and some rich swells who own hunting clubs in the pristine Grassy Lake area and imagine their hunting preserves adulterated by the gases, the slag and the mercury that will leach into nearby waters. The pristine Grassy Lake is the last great alligator habitat in Arkansas, and a refuge for the beleaguered black-bellied whistling duck, the interior least tern and the Ouachita rock pocketbook mussel.
We can be philosophical about a decline in the gator community and we can also accept the utility’s projections that the duck and the mussel will adapt to their new surroundings, but it does not try to assure us that the planet and its future dwellers will be no worse from its contribution of poisonous gases that will linger for centuries. Other states — Florida most recently — are concluding that dirty coal is not the future. Construction plans for nearly two-dozen coal plants have been canceled in the last minutes either voluntarily by utilities or by regulatory disapprovals.
Coal had become the generating future because it is relatively cheap owing to the skyrocketing price of natural gas, which produces electricity at a fraction of the volume of pollution. The Hempstead County plant, incidentally, would pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in a year than all the cars and trucks in Arkansas. Swepco is building a couple of other plants, one in Oklahoma, that use a new technology to sequester the carbon pollutants and store them underground. It is expensive and the company insists that it is still experimental. It would be far more expensive to retrofit the plant with the technology later rather than now.
Other remedies? Duke Energy, which canceled plans for a big coal plant in North Carolina, is instead investing in conservation. It will help customers make their homes and businesses energy efficient and earn upon that investment. Reducing demand is the best of all possible remedies, for the consumer and the environment. Other clean-coal technologies like converting coal to combustible gas offer hope, though they are far more expensive than simply venting the carbon dioxide into the air. Then there is natural gas. Swepco turned on a new gas-powered generating plant in Washington County this summer. Shale gas from Arkansas soil is plentiful, and its cost is now competitive with other fuels though not with the soft coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, where all those coal trains across Arkansas originate. It is not merely the asthma sufferers of Arkansas but all the denizens of earth who ask for the PSC’s ear. No more dirty-coal plants.
Stripped to the fundamentals, that is what the state Public Service Commission must decide in the Hempstead County power-plant case. Southwestern Electric Power Co. (Swepco) and its parent want to build a 600-megawatt generating plant 130 miles upwind from us in the McNab community between Texarkana and Hope.
The PSC will give the utility a permit to build the plant if it concludes that the extra power is needed and the plant is economically and environmentally suitable. The PSC gets to decide what is suitable for the environment. Traditionally, those decisions have been based on the local environment, and the commission decided in the 1970s and ‘80s that coal-burning plants in Jefferson County, Independence County and Benton County were compatible to the three regions in spite of the high production of dirty greenhouse gases, chiefly carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury. But the awakening to global warming means that all of us, downwind and around the world have a stake in the commission’s decisions. Our grandchildren have an even keener concern.
The decision seems self-evident to us. The permit needs to be denied and the utility and its big holding company should be told to return to the drawing boards for a better, healthier remedy to the rising demand for electricity. There are remedies. The public battle in the media is between southwest Arkansas interests who see temporary and permanent jobs if the plant is built — Lord knows they need the jobs! — and some rich swells who own hunting clubs in the pristine Grassy Lake area and imagine their hunting preserves adulterated by the gases, the slag and the mercury that will leach into nearby waters. The pristine Grassy Lake is the last great alligator habitat in Arkansas, and a refuge for the beleaguered black-bellied whistling duck, the interior least tern and the Ouachita rock pocketbook mussel.
We can be philosophical about a decline in the gator community and we can also accept the utility’s projections that the duck and the mussel will adapt to their new surroundings, but it does not try to assure us that the planet and its future dwellers will be no worse from its contribution of poisonous gases that will linger for centuries. Other states — Florida most recently — are concluding that dirty coal is not the future. Construction plans for nearly two-dozen coal plants have been canceled in the last minutes either voluntarily by utilities or by regulatory disapprovals.
Coal had become the generating future because it is relatively cheap owing to the skyrocketing price of natural gas, which produces electricity at a fraction of the volume of pollution. The Hempstead County plant, incidentally, would pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in a year than all the cars and trucks in Arkansas. Swepco is building a couple of other plants, one in Oklahoma, that use a new technology to sequester the carbon pollutants and store them underground. It is expensive and the company insists that it is still experimental. It would be far more expensive to retrofit the plant with the technology later rather than now.
Other remedies? Duke Energy, which canceled plans for a big coal plant in North Carolina, is instead investing in conservation. It will help customers make their homes and businesses energy efficient and earn upon that investment. Reducing demand is the best of all possible remedies, for the consumer and the environment. Other clean-coal technologies like converting coal to combustible gas offer hope, though they are far more expensive than simply venting the carbon dioxide into the air. Then there is natural gas. Swepco turned on a new gas-powered generating plant in Washington County this summer. Shale gas from Arkansas soil is plentiful, and its cost is now competitive with other fuels though not with the soft coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, where all those coal trains across Arkansas originate. It is not merely the asthma sufferers of Arkansas but all the denizens of earth who ask for the PSC’s ear. No more dirty-coal plants.
TOP STORY >>Jacksonville principal seeks LRSD board seat
By HEATHER HARTSELL
Leader staff writer
With the deadline to file for the Sept. 18 school board elections over, a sometimes controversial professional educator is running for the board in Little Rock.
Jacksonville Boys Middle School Principal Mike Nellums, no stranger to locking horns with school boards and unionized teachers in the Pulaski County Special School District, has waded into the four-person Zone 2 race for the Little Rock School Board.
Nellums hopes to unseat incumbent Michael Daughtery, who in recent months has become a very controversial board member.
Other candidates for that seat include Anna Swaim and Drew Pritt.
Lonoke County
In the Cabot School District, barring any write-in candidates for the Position 7 school board seat, Ken Kincade will be running unopposed, as Dr. Brenda Thielemier did not file for re-election. Incumbent Jim Coy will face off against Arthur Evans for the Position 3 seat. Two positions are sought in the England School District.
Kenneth Bascue and Jason Willard are running for the Zone 3 seat. A three-way race will be had for the Zone 7 seat between Jerry Rice, Charles W. McDonald and Vernon B. Brazell.
No candidates filed for school board election in the Carlisle School District, but there is still the possibility of write-in candidates.
Write-in candidates there and elsewhere have until Aug. 13 to notify the county clerk if they intend to run. In the Lonoke School District, incumbent Ray Kelleybrew will be running unopposed for his Zone 1, Position 3 seat.
Richard Pennington and Darryl Parks have filed to run for the Zone 3, Position 2 seat.
Pulaski County
In the Pulaski County Special School District, five people are set to run for election this year. Bill Vasquez of Jacksonville has filed against incumbent Dr. James E. Bolden, III, also of Jacksonville, for his Zone 6 seat. Mildred Tatum is running unopposed for her Zone 1 seat.
Debbie Murphy now has an opponent for the Zone 2 seat as Shanna H. Chaplin has filed to run as well.
White County
Brenda K. McKown and Christopher Mark Gross have filed for the Beebe School Board.
McKown was president of the McRae School Board when that school consolidated with Beebe three years ago.
Although a petition to file for school board required 20 signatures, write-in candidates simply have to notify the county clerk of their intentions.
Come election day Sept. 18, voters will have to write in that candidates name on the ballot in order to vote for them.
Leader staff writer
With the deadline to file for the Sept. 18 school board elections over, a sometimes controversial professional educator is running for the board in Little Rock.
Jacksonville Boys Middle School Principal Mike Nellums, no stranger to locking horns with school boards and unionized teachers in the Pulaski County Special School District, has waded into the four-person Zone 2 race for the Little Rock School Board.
Nellums hopes to unseat incumbent Michael Daughtery, who in recent months has become a very controversial board member.
Other candidates for that seat include Anna Swaim and Drew Pritt.
Lonoke County
In the Cabot School District, barring any write-in candidates for the Position 7 school board seat, Ken Kincade will be running unopposed, as Dr. Brenda Thielemier did not file for re-election. Incumbent Jim Coy will face off against Arthur Evans for the Position 3 seat. Two positions are sought in the England School District.
Kenneth Bascue and Jason Willard are running for the Zone 3 seat. A three-way race will be had for the Zone 7 seat between Jerry Rice, Charles W. McDonald and Vernon B. Brazell.
No candidates filed for school board election in the Carlisle School District, but there is still the possibility of write-in candidates.
Write-in candidates there and elsewhere have until Aug. 13 to notify the county clerk if they intend to run. In the Lonoke School District, incumbent Ray Kelleybrew will be running unopposed for his Zone 1, Position 3 seat.
Richard Pennington and Darryl Parks have filed to run for the Zone 3, Position 2 seat.
Pulaski County
In the Pulaski County Special School District, five people are set to run for election this year. Bill Vasquez of Jacksonville has filed against incumbent Dr. James E. Bolden, III, also of Jacksonville, for his Zone 6 seat. Mildred Tatum is running unopposed for her Zone 1 seat.
Debbie Murphy now has an opponent for the Zone 2 seat as Shanna H. Chaplin has filed to run as well.
White County
Brenda K. McKown and Christopher Mark Gross have filed for the Beebe School Board.
McKown was president of the McRae School Board when that school consolidated with Beebe three years ago.
Although a petition to file for school board required 20 signatures, write-in candidates simply have to notify the county clerk of their intentions.
Come election day Sept. 18, voters will have to write in that candidates name on the ballot in order to vote for them.
FROM THE PUBLISHER >>Is Villines trying to hide more disgrace ?
It’s hard to figure out why Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines has opposed the release of emails written by a disgraced former employee — unless Villines thinks they will make his office look bad and raise questions about what his workers are doing when they’re on the clock.
Taxpayers have long suspected that many public agencies are overstaffed, wasteful and unproductive, and the case of Ron Quillen — the former county comptroller and director of administrative services who now faces criminal charges for pocketing some $42,000 in public funds — may prove them right.
What if half the public employees were laid off today — would we lose anything as far as the level of services go?
Pulaski County would have hefty reserves without Quillens on the payroll. Not only would the county reduce overhead, but characters like Quillen shouldn’t goof off on county time and line their pockets at the expense of taxpayers.
The county would have money to expand its inadequate jail and hire more deputies, instead of wasting money on Quillen and his ilk who expect sexual favors in return for valuable contracts. Maybe that’s why Villines doesn’t want the steamy emails Quillen sent to a lady contractor out in the open.
The media have gone after Quillen’s emails through Freedom of Information Act requests, despite Villines’ stalling, but why not go further and ask for all official documents — time sheets, productivity, emails — and find out how much time public employees are putting into their jobs?
That should all be public information, and it would be interesting to know who is earning their pay: These employees are working for us, not Villines, so let’s find out if we’re getting good value for our buck.
If you think your taxes are too high, it’s people like Quillen who should get much of the blame.
Pulaski Circuit Judge Mary Ann McGowan is our nominee for public servant of the year because she has gone to bat in behalf of the public, which doesn’t happen often: She has defended the state’s Freedom of Information Act to the letter, ruling that Pulaski County must release just about every email between Quillen and his girlfriend who did a lot of business with the county.
The state Supreme Court had blocked Judge McGowan’s decision, but she will eventually release most of the material, drip by drip.
The public interest is crucial here, because as the judge has noted, “The personal relationship may have influenced Quillin in expenditures of funds of Pulaski County. Further, there are more instances in which, if the public were not allowed to know, information concerning public money may not come to light.”
Not to mention jewelry and clothing Quillen had given his lady friend which “may or may not have come from a county account” — that is, out of your pocketbook.
It’s a mess, but no amount of stalling will keep the truth from the public. The Freedom of Information Act was passed to let the sunshine into government, and as long as the media keep poking around, we’ll keep the light on for you.
Taxpayers have long suspected that many public agencies are overstaffed, wasteful and unproductive, and the case of Ron Quillen — the former county comptroller and director of administrative services who now faces criminal charges for pocketing some $42,000 in public funds — may prove them right.
What if half the public employees were laid off today — would we lose anything as far as the level of services go?
Pulaski County would have hefty reserves without Quillens on the payroll. Not only would the county reduce overhead, but characters like Quillen shouldn’t goof off on county time and line their pockets at the expense of taxpayers.
The county would have money to expand its inadequate jail and hire more deputies, instead of wasting money on Quillen and his ilk who expect sexual favors in return for valuable contracts. Maybe that’s why Villines doesn’t want the steamy emails Quillen sent to a lady contractor out in the open.
The media have gone after Quillen’s emails through Freedom of Information Act requests, despite Villines’ stalling, but why not go further and ask for all official documents — time sheets, productivity, emails — and find out how much time public employees are putting into their jobs?
That should all be public information, and it would be interesting to know who is earning their pay: These employees are working for us, not Villines, so let’s find out if we’re getting good value for our buck.
If you think your taxes are too high, it’s people like Quillen who should get much of the blame.
Pulaski Circuit Judge Mary Ann McGowan is our nominee for public servant of the year because she has gone to bat in behalf of the public, which doesn’t happen often: She has defended the state’s Freedom of Information Act to the letter, ruling that Pulaski County must release just about every email between Quillen and his girlfriend who did a lot of business with the county.
The state Supreme Court had blocked Judge McGowan’s decision, but she will eventually release most of the material, drip by drip.
The public interest is crucial here, because as the judge has noted, “The personal relationship may have influenced Quillin in expenditures of funds of Pulaski County. Further, there are more instances in which, if the public were not allowed to know, information concerning public money may not come to light.”
Not to mention jewelry and clothing Quillen had given his lady friend which “may or may not have come from a county account” — that is, out of your pocketbook.
It’s a mess, but no amount of stalling will keep the truth from the public. The Freedom of Information Act was passed to let the sunshine into government, and as long as the media keep poking around, we’ll keep the light on for you.
TOP STORY >>Beebe mayor fires police chief
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Beebe Mayor Mike Robertson fired his police chief Sunday after learning he had fixed an arrest warrant so that a parolee wanted on drug charges would not be picked up.
The Beebe City Council learned about the firing of Don Inns, who became chief of police under former Mayor Donald Ward, during a special council meeting Monday. The council discussed the details of Inns dismissal during executive session, but the mayor released a prepared statement Tuesday explaining his decision to fire Inns. Robertson said he also would send a letter to the police standards office in Little Rock that would be available to any agency considering hiring Inns.
Inns did not attend the meeting to defend himself and could not be reached for comment later. He was fired following the Sunday arrest of Brian Chappell, 40, whose warrant on misdemeanor drug charges had been fixed. Chappell is a parolee who has been convicted of murder and arson. The Leader learned Chappell’s identity from a radio log that was viewed under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. In his prepared statement, Robertson referred to Chappell as “the subject.”
The warrant for Chappell’s arrest was issued on Sept. 8, 2006 and had to be served within one year from that date or be voided.
On Sept. 9, the warrant was entered into the Arkansas Crime Information Center, the computer that links all law enforcement agencies in the state. On Sept. 22, a dispatcher cleared the warrant from ACIC without the warrant being served.
A note on the actual warrant instructed police officers “Do not serve per chief.”
The mayor said during an interview about the firing that he learned about the attempt to keep Chappell out of jail following a conversation with District Judge Teresa Hughes. Robertson said he had become concerned because Inns’ staff was reporting to him that Inns was releasing too many prisoners on their own recognizance (without bail).
The court staff had been working on files and someone recalled the warrant with the odd notation.
Robertson said he turned the matter over to Assistant Police Chief Wayne Ballew and asked him to get to the bottom of it. Ballew, a retired state trooper, was hired in April.
When he was fired, Inns was already facing disciplinary action for taking possession of a drug-seized 2000 model Tahoe without permission from the mayor or council. Robertson said the SUV was seized in April and impounded at Mahoney’s Garage. Inns filled out the paperwork for the city to take possession of it and the circuit court released it July 30.
Robertson said Inns had already put new tires on the Tahoe before he was aware that the city had taken possession of it. He still doesn’t know who is responsible for the $4,600 payoff, the mayor said. He has asked the city attorney to look into it.
“I don’t think any of us want it,” the mayor said. “I think police ought to drive police cars.”
Since Inns was fired, Ballew has taken over his workload, Robertson said, adding that he has no plans to fill the position at this time. But eventually, he will likely ask the assistant chief if he is interested in becoming chief.
Leader staff writer
Beebe Mayor Mike Robertson fired his police chief Sunday after learning he had fixed an arrest warrant so that a parolee wanted on drug charges would not be picked up.
The Beebe City Council learned about the firing of Don Inns, who became chief of police under former Mayor Donald Ward, during a special council meeting Monday. The council discussed the details of Inns dismissal during executive session, but the mayor released a prepared statement Tuesday explaining his decision to fire Inns. Robertson said he also would send a letter to the police standards office in Little Rock that would be available to any agency considering hiring Inns.
Inns did not attend the meeting to defend himself and could not be reached for comment later. He was fired following the Sunday arrest of Brian Chappell, 40, whose warrant on misdemeanor drug charges had been fixed. Chappell is a parolee who has been convicted of murder and arson. The Leader learned Chappell’s identity from a radio log that was viewed under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. In his prepared statement, Robertson referred to Chappell as “the subject.”
The warrant for Chappell’s arrest was issued on Sept. 8, 2006 and had to be served within one year from that date or be voided.
On Sept. 9, the warrant was entered into the Arkansas Crime Information Center, the computer that links all law enforcement agencies in the state. On Sept. 22, a dispatcher cleared the warrant from ACIC without the warrant being served.
A note on the actual warrant instructed police officers “Do not serve per chief.”
The mayor said during an interview about the firing that he learned about the attempt to keep Chappell out of jail following a conversation with District Judge Teresa Hughes. Robertson said he had become concerned because Inns’ staff was reporting to him that Inns was releasing too many prisoners on their own recognizance (without bail).
The court staff had been working on files and someone recalled the warrant with the odd notation.
Robertson said he turned the matter over to Assistant Police Chief Wayne Ballew and asked him to get to the bottom of it. Ballew, a retired state trooper, was hired in April.
When he was fired, Inns was already facing disciplinary action for taking possession of a drug-seized 2000 model Tahoe without permission from the mayor or council. Robertson said the SUV was seized in April and impounded at Mahoney’s Garage. Inns filled out the paperwork for the city to take possession of it and the circuit court released it July 30.
Robertson said Inns had already put new tires on the Tahoe before he was aware that the city had taken possession of it. He still doesn’t know who is responsible for the $4,600 payoff, the mayor said. He has asked the city attorney to look into it.
“I don’t think any of us want it,” the mayor said. “I think police ought to drive police cars.”
Since Inns was fired, Ballew has taken over his workload, Robertson said, adding that he has no plans to fill the position at this time. But eventually, he will likely ask the assistant chief if he is interested in becoming chief.
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