The state Ethics Commission, which never met an ethical lapse by a politician that it could not indulge, issued Mike Huckabee still another Letter of Caution last week, this one for not reporting some $31,000 in secret cash gifts that he received in 2006, his last year as governor.
A Letter of Caution is the mildest reprimand in the commission’s arsenal of feather lashings, and Huckabee does not seem to mind them.
This is what the letter said: “Your actions violated the law. You are advised not to engage in the same activity again.” He won’t because he is no longer governor and is not apt to hold office in Arkansas again. But the Letter of Caution would not restrain him if he did; none of his previous reprimands did.
Huckabee, who was required by law to list all his gifts each quarter, reported only that he had received the gift of a portrait from a “Nancy Harris,” who turned out to be a portrait artist from Virginia. But that account wasn’t true.
An Arkansas Democrat Gazette reporter late last year stumbled upon a private bank fund for Huckabee that was administered by the state Department of Finance and Administration. Huckabee had hired the woman to paint his portrait, and then to pay for it he had friends solicit cash from lobbyists, supporters and people he had appointed to state jobs, boards and commissions.
He refused to identify the benefactors — until the Ethics Commission, acting on a complaint by a Republican critic of Huckabee, said that probable cause existed that he had violated the law. He then released the names and had his lawyer work out a settlement with the commission for the Letter of Caution so that there would not be a public hearing and perhaps a harsher penalty.
Though he signed the settlement and accepted the admonition, Huckabee had his lawyer maintain that he was not admitting that he had broken the law. This is called obfuscation. The commission’s director had this very kind explanation: “It’s like getting a ticket for a broken taillight. You fixed the taillight. You paid the ticket, and now you are not admitting that you had a broken taillight.” — Ernie Dumas
Monday, May 12, 2008
TOP STORY > >WateWater department given good grades
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
An audit of Cabot Water-Works books for the past two years when it has been overseen by a commission shows the utility’s finances are sound and that the controls are sufficient to make manipulation of the books difficult.
“From what we see here, this organization has operated in a financially prudent manner,” Michael Cobb of Cobb and Suskie, LTD, Certified Public Accountants, told the commission Thursday night.
J.M. Park, chairman of Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, pressed Cobb and accountant Melissa Hodgson about the issue of internal controls to safeguard against embezzlement.
Hodgson and Cobb responded that theft is always possible in private and public operations if employees are determined to steal.
But they said the internal controls at WaterWorks are adequate.
The audit shows that expenses were up in 2007 over 2006, from $3.8 million to $4.3 million because of projects and inflation and that income was down, possibly in part because of the building slowdown, which meant fewer fees were collected. In 2006, WaterWorks’ revenue was $6.1 million compared to $6 million in 2007.
But with 10 months of operating capital in the bank, Cobb said WaterWorks is in an enviable position compared to some smaller utilities where rates are lower than they should be to pay for maintenance and growth-related projects.
The audit shows WaterWorks has $9.5 million in unrestricted assets that will go toward the $11 million needed to build a water- line from Gravel Ridge to Cabot to connect Cabot to Central Arkansas Water.
In other business, Tim Joyner, WaterWorks director, told the commission that the wastewater treatment plant that opened late in 2007 is operating well, but the bugs are still being worked out of some of the monitoring systems. Until they are, the construction company over the $15 million project won’t be paid the last $58,000 for the work.
“Hopefully they’ll have all this wrapped up in a week,” Joyner said.
Work is progressing on landscaping and roads at the new plant and the grand opening is still scheduled for sometime in the fall.
Commission Secretary Bill Cypert said when the plant opened that when it was completed he would drink a glass of the treated water. He said Thursday night that he intends to make good on his promise and will expect news cameras on hand for the occasion.
Opening the new plant brought the city into compliance with state and federal discharge regulations but now the problem that must be dealt with is groundwater infiltration into sewer lines.
Joyner said $250,000 was spent last year replacing broken lines at Greystone that were not properly installed and that line replacement this year at Lindu Lake and Hickory Bend and Greystone Boulevard have been estimated at $325,000.
Additionally, work will be done at Shiloh, Turnberry, Magness Creek and Highway 321 to keep water from running into manholes.
“Engineers like having them ground level because they are unsightly but when it floods they act just like a bathtub drain,” Shaw said in a later interview.
“We don’t allow it anymore. Our policy is that they have to be above the floodplain,” Shaw added.
WaterWorks also is in the process of building a $1.5 million, 36-inch sewer line that will extend from the new treatment plant off Kerr Station Road to Locust Street in the downtown area.
The pipe will replace an eight-inch concrete pipe that has crumbled over time and allows rainwater to get into the sewer system.
Leader staff writer
An audit of Cabot Water-Works books for the past two years when it has been overseen by a commission shows the utility’s finances are sound and that the controls are sufficient to make manipulation of the books difficult.
“From what we see here, this organization has operated in a financially prudent manner,” Michael Cobb of Cobb and Suskie, LTD, Certified Public Accountants, told the commission Thursday night.
J.M. Park, chairman of Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, pressed Cobb and accountant Melissa Hodgson about the issue of internal controls to safeguard against embezzlement.
Hodgson and Cobb responded that theft is always possible in private and public operations if employees are determined to steal.
But they said the internal controls at WaterWorks are adequate.
The audit shows that expenses were up in 2007 over 2006, from $3.8 million to $4.3 million because of projects and inflation and that income was down, possibly in part because of the building slowdown, which meant fewer fees were collected. In 2006, WaterWorks’ revenue was $6.1 million compared to $6 million in 2007.
But with 10 months of operating capital in the bank, Cobb said WaterWorks is in an enviable position compared to some smaller utilities where rates are lower than they should be to pay for maintenance and growth-related projects.
The audit shows WaterWorks has $9.5 million in unrestricted assets that will go toward the $11 million needed to build a water- line from Gravel Ridge to Cabot to connect Cabot to Central Arkansas Water.
In other business, Tim Joyner, WaterWorks director, told the commission that the wastewater treatment plant that opened late in 2007 is operating well, but the bugs are still being worked out of some of the monitoring systems. Until they are, the construction company over the $15 million project won’t be paid the last $58,000 for the work.
“Hopefully they’ll have all this wrapped up in a week,” Joyner said.
Work is progressing on landscaping and roads at the new plant and the grand opening is still scheduled for sometime in the fall.
Commission Secretary Bill Cypert said when the plant opened that when it was completed he would drink a glass of the treated water. He said Thursday night that he intends to make good on his promise and will expect news cameras on hand for the occasion.
Opening the new plant brought the city into compliance with state and federal discharge regulations but now the problem that must be dealt with is groundwater infiltration into sewer lines.
Joyner said $250,000 was spent last year replacing broken lines at Greystone that were not properly installed and that line replacement this year at Lindu Lake and Hickory Bend and Greystone Boulevard have been estimated at $325,000.
Additionally, work will be done at Shiloh, Turnberry, Magness Creek and Highway 321 to keep water from running into manholes.
“Engineers like having them ground level because they are unsightly but when it floods they act just like a bathtub drain,” Shaw said in a later interview.
“We don’t allow it anymore. Our policy is that they have to be above the floodplain,” Shaw added.
WaterWorks also is in the process of building a $1.5 million, 36-inch sewer line that will extend from the new treatment plant off Kerr Station Road to Locust Street in the downtown area.
The pipe will replace an eight-inch concrete pipe that has crumbled over time and allows rainwater to get into the sewer system.
TOP STORY > >Water department given good grades
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
An audit of Cabot Water-Works books for the past two years when it has been overseen by a commission shows the utility’s finances are sound and that the controls are sufficient to make manipulation of the books difficult.
“From what we see here, this organization has operated in a financially prudent manner,” Michael Cobb of Cobb and Suskie, LTD, Certified Public Accountants, told the commission Thursday night.
J.M. Park, chairman of Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, pressed Cobb and accountant Melissa Hodgson about the issue of internal controls to safeguard against embezzlement.
Hodgson and Cobb responded that theft is always possible in private and public operations if employees are determined to steal.
But they said the internal controls at WaterWorks are adequate.
The audit shows that expenses were up in 2007 over 2006, from $3.8 million to $4.3 million because of projects and inflation and that income was down, possibly in part because of the building slowdown, which meant fewer fees were collected. In
2006, WaterWorks’ revenue was $6.1 million compared to $6 million in 2007.
But with 10 months of operating capital in the bank, Cobb said WaterWorks is in an enviable position compared to some smaller utilities where rates are lower than they should be to pay for maintenance and growth-related projects.
The audit shows WaterWorks has $9.5 million in unrestricted assets that will go toward the $11 million needed to build a water- line from Gravel Ridge to Cabot to connect Cabot to Central Arkansas Water.
In other business, Tim Joyner, WaterWorks director, told the commission that the wastewater treatment plant that opened late in 2007 is operating well, but the bugs are still being worked out of some of the monitoring systems. Until they are, the construction company over the $15 million project won’t be paid the last $58,000 for the work.
“Hopefully they’ll have all this wrapped up in a week,” Joyner said.
Work is progressing on landscaping and roads at the new plant and the grand opening is still scheduled for sometime in the fall.
Commission Secretary Bill Cypert said when the plant opened that when it was completed he would drink a glass of the treated water. He said Thursday night that he intends to make good on his promise and will expect news cameras on hand for the occasion.
Opening the new plant brought the city into compliance with state and federal discharge regulations but now the problem that must be dealt with is groundwater infiltration into sewer lines.
Joyner said $250,000 was spent last year replacing broken lines at Greystone that were not properly installed and that line replacement this year at Lindu Lake and Hickory Bend and Greystone Boulevard have been estimated at $325,000.
Additionally, work will be done at Shiloh, Turnberry, Magness Creek and Highway 321 to keep water from running into manholes.
“Engineers like having them ground level because they are unsightly but when it floods they act just like a bathtub drain,” Shaw said in a later interview.
“We don’t allow it anymore. Our policy is that they have to be above the floodplain,” Shaw added.
WaterWorks also is in the process of building a $1.5 million, 36-inch sewer line that will extend from the new treatment plant off Kerr Station Road to Locust Street in the downtown area.
The pipe will replace an eight-inch concrete pipe that has crumbled over time and allows rainwater to get into the sewer system.
Leader staff writer
An audit of Cabot Water-Works books for the past two years when it has been overseen by a commission shows the utility’s finances are sound and that the controls are sufficient to make manipulation of the books difficult.
“From what we see here, this organization has operated in a financially prudent manner,” Michael Cobb of Cobb and Suskie, LTD, Certified Public Accountants, told the commission Thursday night.
J.M. Park, chairman of Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, pressed Cobb and accountant Melissa Hodgson about the issue of internal controls to safeguard against embezzlement.
Hodgson and Cobb responded that theft is always possible in private and public operations if employees are determined to steal.
But they said the internal controls at WaterWorks are adequate.
The audit shows that expenses were up in 2007 over 2006, from $3.8 million to $4.3 million because of projects and inflation and that income was down, possibly in part because of the building slowdown, which meant fewer fees were collected. In
2006, WaterWorks’ revenue was $6.1 million compared to $6 million in 2007.
But with 10 months of operating capital in the bank, Cobb said WaterWorks is in an enviable position compared to some smaller utilities where rates are lower than they should be to pay for maintenance and growth-related projects.
The audit shows WaterWorks has $9.5 million in unrestricted assets that will go toward the $11 million needed to build a water- line from Gravel Ridge to Cabot to connect Cabot to Central Arkansas Water.
In other business, Tim Joyner, WaterWorks director, told the commission that the wastewater treatment plant that opened late in 2007 is operating well, but the bugs are still being worked out of some of the monitoring systems. Until they are, the construction company over the $15 million project won’t be paid the last $58,000 for the work.
“Hopefully they’ll have all this wrapped up in a week,” Joyner said.
Work is progressing on landscaping and roads at the new plant and the grand opening is still scheduled for sometime in the fall.
Commission Secretary Bill Cypert said when the plant opened that when it was completed he would drink a glass of the treated water. He said Thursday night that he intends to make good on his promise and will expect news cameras on hand for the occasion.
Opening the new plant brought the city into compliance with state and federal discharge regulations but now the problem that must be dealt with is groundwater infiltration into sewer lines.
Joyner said $250,000 was spent last year replacing broken lines at Greystone that were not properly installed and that line replacement this year at Lindu Lake and Hickory Bend and Greystone Boulevard have been estimated at $325,000.
Additionally, work will be done at Shiloh, Turnberry, Magness Creek and Highway 321 to keep water from running into manholes.
“Engineers like having them ground level because they are unsightly but when it floods they act just like a bathtub drain,” Shaw said in a later interview.
“We don’t allow it anymore. Our policy is that they have to be above the floodplain,” Shaw added.
WaterWorks also is in the process of building a $1.5 million, 36-inch sewer line that will extend from the new treatment plant off Kerr Station Road to Locust Street in the downtown area.
The pipe will replace an eight-inch concrete pipe that has crumbled over time and allows rainwater to get into the sewer system.
Friday, May 09, 2008
EDITORIAL >>Judge Griffen is our choice
Ordinarily, you get to know nothing about the people running to be a judge in Arkansas unless you happen to be in the candidate’s circle of friends and family or unless he or she had a previous public life — a lawmaker or prosecutor perhaps — that exposed the candidate’s ideas and predilections about how the public’s business should be conducted. If the candidate is already a judge, you may have become familiar with his or her preferences or biases, which every single judge brings in some way to decision making. Otherwise, all you know is what will fit on a calling card: the candidate’s years in the bar, matrimonial status, number of children, current job and civic memberships, along with the ritual promise to be fair.
Judge Wendell Griffen of the Arkansas Court of Appeals is an exception, although not particularly by his choosing. Some six years ago, he got quoted in the newspaper about the endemic racism in the athletic department at the University of Arkansas after he spoke to some black lawmakers at Fayetteville, which caused the director of the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission to haul him in for violating the ban on public speech by judges. No, Judge Griffen said, the U. S.
Supreme Court years ago struck down those bans and affirmed that judges have the same rights to be heard that the Bill of Rights gives to every other American. Besides, he said, he never made a public utterance about any issue that was before his court or ever likely to be there.
In his role as a Baptist minister and leader of a national religious organization, Griffen over the years has often spoken on moral issues in religious forums, and after the U of A controversy the media on three or four occasions picked up comments that he made about the moral dimensions of the Iraq war, prejudice and the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, which caused more complaints to the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission about a judge making comments in public.
Twice the Arkansas Supreme Court agreed with Griffen, and finally so did the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission.
The Arkansas bar is now rewriting the ethical canons for judges to reflect the values that Griffen espoused.
Rarely does one win such clear vindication, but it still could cost him his career. He has an opponent for re-election to the Court of Appeals, which is extremely rare for sitting judges. He, too, would be unopposed were it not for the five-year smear by the director of the discipline commission that he was somehow an unethical judge because he allowed himself to be quoted in newspapers a half-dozen times on matters of public concern (as if he could have stopped it). The Arkansas Democrat Gazette joined the chase, penning at least a dozen editorials attacking the jurist for undermining public confidence in the courts. The paper’s editorial page obviously disagreed with his criticism of President Bush, the war and the University of Arkansas, but the paper eventually acknowledged that he had won his argument that he had a right to utter them — after that right had been affirmed by the Supreme Court and the commission itself. But exercising that right sullies the courts, the newspaper said again this week when it endorsed his opponent, Rita Gruber. Gruber is a former Pulaski County official and now a juvenile judge, a passably good one from what we hear.
Were it not for the controversy over his right to speech, Judge Griffen would be judged on his unassailable judicial record, as an appellate judge and formerly as a quasi-judicial arbiter of worker compensation rights. Even the Democrat-Gazette, which praised his high intelligence and personal likeability, found no exception to his some two thousand decisions as a judge. No question was ever raised about his impartiality or the wisdom of his opinions.
That is good enough for The Leader to endorse him for re-election on May 20.
Judge Wendell Griffen of the Arkansas Court of Appeals is an exception, although not particularly by his choosing. Some six years ago, he got quoted in the newspaper about the endemic racism in the athletic department at the University of Arkansas after he spoke to some black lawmakers at Fayetteville, which caused the director of the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission to haul him in for violating the ban on public speech by judges. No, Judge Griffen said, the U. S.
Supreme Court years ago struck down those bans and affirmed that judges have the same rights to be heard that the Bill of Rights gives to every other American. Besides, he said, he never made a public utterance about any issue that was before his court or ever likely to be there.
In his role as a Baptist minister and leader of a national religious organization, Griffen over the years has often spoken on moral issues in religious forums, and after the U of A controversy the media on three or four occasions picked up comments that he made about the moral dimensions of the Iraq war, prejudice and the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, which caused more complaints to the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission about a judge making comments in public.
Twice the Arkansas Supreme Court agreed with Griffen, and finally so did the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission.
The Arkansas bar is now rewriting the ethical canons for judges to reflect the values that Griffen espoused.
Rarely does one win such clear vindication, but it still could cost him his career. He has an opponent for re-election to the Court of Appeals, which is extremely rare for sitting judges. He, too, would be unopposed were it not for the five-year smear by the director of the discipline commission that he was somehow an unethical judge because he allowed himself to be quoted in newspapers a half-dozen times on matters of public concern (as if he could have stopped it). The Arkansas Democrat Gazette joined the chase, penning at least a dozen editorials attacking the jurist for undermining public confidence in the courts. The paper’s editorial page obviously disagreed with his criticism of President Bush, the war and the University of Arkansas, but the paper eventually acknowledged that he had won his argument that he had a right to utter them — after that right had been affirmed by the Supreme Court and the commission itself. But exercising that right sullies the courts, the newspaper said again this week when it endorsed his opponent, Rita Gruber. Gruber is a former Pulaski County official and now a juvenile judge, a passably good one from what we hear.
Were it not for the controversy over his right to speech, Judge Griffen would be judged on his unassailable judicial record, as an appellate judge and formerly as a quasi-judicial arbiter of worker compensation rights. Even the Democrat-Gazette, which praised his high intelligence and personal likeability, found no exception to his some two thousand decisions as a judge. No question was ever raised about his impartiality or the wisdom of his opinions.
That is good enough for The Leader to endorse him for re-election on May 20.
TOP STORY > >Gas breaks $3.50
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Gasoline busted through the $3.50 mark in central Arkansas with a vengeance this week, and is just pennies away from the $4 mark in Alaska and California.
According to the American Automobile Association, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Arkansas was $3.55 Friday, up three cents from a month ago and 67 cents higher than a year ago.
The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline rose 2.6 cents to $3.671 Friday, breaking the record set Thursday.
It was the second day in a row that gas prices set a record, and follows a 17-day streak of record-breaking days that ended May 1.
Both Jacksonville and Cabot are averaging $3.54 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline. Sherwood is five cents higher at $3.59 and Beebe at $3.57. All four cities are above the state average.
Leader staff writer
Gasoline busted through the $3.50 mark in central Arkansas with a vengeance this week, and is just pennies away from the $4 mark in Alaska and California.
According to the American Automobile Association, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Arkansas was $3.55 Friday, up three cents from a month ago and 67 cents higher than a year ago.
The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline rose 2.6 cents to $3.671 Friday, breaking the record set Thursday.
It was the second day in a row that gas prices set a record, and follows a 17-day streak of record-breaking days that ended May 1.
Both Jacksonville and Cabot are averaging $3.54 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline. Sherwood is five cents higher at $3.59 and Beebe at $3.57. All four cities are above the state average.
TOP STORY > >Secure rooms in schools a good idea, Beebe says
By JOHN GAMBRELL
Associated Press writer
Just before the sirens sounded in Carlisle, school superintendent Floyd Marshall got the warning from police — a tornado was coming right for the town’s elementary and high school.
But unlike most other schools in Arkansas, the two Carlisle schools have specially designed interior hallways — dubbed tornado-safe rooms — where the district’s 750 students cowered until the storms passed by on May 2.
“It doesn’t take but the one time to devastate a community and families and if there’s a way to prevent that from occurring, then we need to make an effort to do it,” Marshall said. “You may never need it, but that one time that you do that you don’t have it, it’s something you can’t recover from.”
The National Weather Service said the Carlisle tornado last week had a path 2.6 miles long and was rated an E-F1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale from 0 to 5, meaning it had winds of 86-110 mph.
It veered away from the shared campus of the elementary and high schools at the last moment, but Gov. Mike Beebe acknowledged the importance of the rooms on a visit to the city Monday.
“School districts are making the conscious decision when they’re either renovating or doing new construction to go ahead and spend the money while they’re at it,” Beebe told reporters.
“I’d like to see them everywhere. I’d like to see them as much as possible. But at this juncture, we’re not in a position to mandate them everywhere, unless you have the money to be able to give them to everybody.”
Julie Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Education, acknowledged that many schools throughout the state do not have the safe rooms.
She said officials do not keep an official count of how many schools have them.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock confirmed Monday that damage in Conway, Van Buren and Cleburne counties was inflicted by a single tornado that they classified as an E-F3 with winds between 136 and 165 mph.
Lonoke County had 56 homes hit by the tornado. Of that, 13 were destroyed; nine had major damage, and 19 had minor damage.
Pulaski County had 75 homes hit. Of that total, 21 were destroyed; 16 had major damage, and 27 had minor damage. State law requires schools to hold tornado drills no less than four times per year.
Associated Press writer
Just before the sirens sounded in Carlisle, school superintendent Floyd Marshall got the warning from police — a tornado was coming right for the town’s elementary and high school.
But unlike most other schools in Arkansas, the two Carlisle schools have specially designed interior hallways — dubbed tornado-safe rooms — where the district’s 750 students cowered until the storms passed by on May 2.
“It doesn’t take but the one time to devastate a community and families and if there’s a way to prevent that from occurring, then we need to make an effort to do it,” Marshall said. “You may never need it, but that one time that you do that you don’t have it, it’s something you can’t recover from.”
The National Weather Service said the Carlisle tornado last week had a path 2.6 miles long and was rated an E-F1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale from 0 to 5, meaning it had winds of 86-110 mph.
It veered away from the shared campus of the elementary and high schools at the last moment, but Gov. Mike Beebe acknowledged the importance of the rooms on a visit to the city Monday.
“School districts are making the conscious decision when they’re either renovating or doing new construction to go ahead and spend the money while they’re at it,” Beebe told reporters.
“I’d like to see them everywhere. I’d like to see them as much as possible. But at this juncture, we’re not in a position to mandate them everywhere, unless you have the money to be able to give them to everybody.”
Julie Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Education, acknowledged that many schools throughout the state do not have the safe rooms.
She said officials do not keep an official count of how many schools have them.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock confirmed Monday that damage in Conway, Van Buren and Cleburne counties was inflicted by a single tornado that they classified as an E-F3 with winds between 136 and 165 mph.
Lonoke County had 56 homes hit by the tornado. Of that, 13 were destroyed; nine had major damage, and 19 had minor damage.
Pulaski County had 75 homes hit. Of that total, 21 were destroyed; 16 had major damage, and 27 had minor damage. State law requires schools to hold tornado drills no less than four times per year.
TOP STORY > >Water department given good grades
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
An audit of Cabot Water-Works books for the past two years when it has been overseen by a commission shows the utility’s finances are sound and that the controls are sufficient to make manipulation of the books difficult.
“From what we see here, this organization has operated in a financially prudent manner,” Michael Cobb of Cobb and Suskie, LTD, Certified Public Accountants, told the commission Thursday night.
J.M. Park, chairman of Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, pressed Cobb and accountant Melissa Hodgson about the issue of internal controls to safeguard against embezzlement.
Hodgson and Cobb responded that theft is always possible in private and public operations if employees are determined to steal.
But they said the internal controls at WaterWorks are adequate.
The audit shows that expenses were up in 2007 over 2006, from $3.8 million to $4.3 million because of projects and inflation and that income was down, possibly in part because of the building slowdown, which meant fewer fees were collected. In 2006, WaterWorks’ revenue was $6.1 million compared to $6 million in 2007.
But with 10 months of operating capital in the bank, Cobb said WaterWorks is in an enviable position compared to some smaller utilities where rates are lower than they should be to pay for maintenance and growth-related projects.
The audit shows WaterWorks has $9.5 million in unrestricted assets that will go toward the $11 million needed to build a water- line from Gravel Ridge to Cabot to connect Cabot to Central Arkansas Water.
In other business, Tim Joyner, WaterWorks director, told the commission that the wastewater treatment plant that opened late
in 2007 is operating well, but the bugs are still being worked out of some of the monitoring systems. Until they are, the construction company over the $15 million project won’t be paid the last $58,000 for the work.
“Hopefully they’ll have all this wrapped up in a week,” Joyner said.
Work is progressing on landscaping and roads at the new plant and the grand opening is still scheduled for sometime in the fall.
Commission Secretary Bill Cypert said when the plant opened that when it was completed he would drink a glass of the treated water. He said Thursday night that he intends to make good on his promise and will expect news cameras on hand for the occasion.
Opening the new plant brought the city into compliance with state and federal discharge regulations but now the problem that must be dealt with is groundwater infiltration into sewer lines.
Joyner said $250,000 was spent last year replacing broken lines at Greystone that were not properly installed and that line replacement this year at Lindu Lake and Hickory Bend and Greystone Boulevard have been estimated at $325,000.
Additionally, work will be done at Shiloh, Turnberry, Magness Creek and Highway 321 to keep water from running into manholes.
“Engineers like having them ground level because they are unsightly but when it floods they act just like a bathtub drain,” Shaw said in a later interview.
“We don’t allow it anymore. Our policy is that they have to be above the floodplain,” Shaw added.
WaterWorks also is in the process of building a $1.5 million, 36-inch sewer line that will extend from the new treatment plant off Kerr Station Road to Locust Street in the downtown area.
The pipe will replace an eight-inch concrete pipe that has crumbled over time and allows rainwater to get into the sewer system.
Leader staff writer
An audit of Cabot Water-Works books for the past two years when it has been overseen by a commission shows the utility’s finances are sound and that the controls are sufficient to make manipulation of the books difficult.
“From what we see here, this organization has operated in a financially prudent manner,” Michael Cobb of Cobb and Suskie, LTD, Certified Public Accountants, told the commission Thursday night.
J.M. Park, chairman of Cabot Water and Wastewater Commission, pressed Cobb and accountant Melissa Hodgson about the issue of internal controls to safeguard against embezzlement.
Hodgson and Cobb responded that theft is always possible in private and public operations if employees are determined to steal.
But they said the internal controls at WaterWorks are adequate.
The audit shows that expenses were up in 2007 over 2006, from $3.8 million to $4.3 million because of projects and inflation and that income was down, possibly in part because of the building slowdown, which meant fewer fees were collected. In 2006, WaterWorks’ revenue was $6.1 million compared to $6 million in 2007.
But with 10 months of operating capital in the bank, Cobb said WaterWorks is in an enviable position compared to some smaller utilities where rates are lower than they should be to pay for maintenance and growth-related projects.
The audit shows WaterWorks has $9.5 million in unrestricted assets that will go toward the $11 million needed to build a water- line from Gravel Ridge to Cabot to connect Cabot to Central Arkansas Water.
In other business, Tim Joyner, WaterWorks director, told the commission that the wastewater treatment plant that opened late
in 2007 is operating well, but the bugs are still being worked out of some of the monitoring systems. Until they are, the construction company over the $15 million project won’t be paid the last $58,000 for the work.
“Hopefully they’ll have all this wrapped up in a week,” Joyner said.
Work is progressing on landscaping and roads at the new plant and the grand opening is still scheduled for sometime in the fall.
Commission Secretary Bill Cypert said when the plant opened that when it was completed he would drink a glass of the treated water. He said Thursday night that he intends to make good on his promise and will expect news cameras on hand for the occasion.
Opening the new plant brought the city into compliance with state and federal discharge regulations but now the problem that must be dealt with is groundwater infiltration into sewer lines.
Joyner said $250,000 was spent last year replacing broken lines at Greystone that were not properly installed and that line replacement this year at Lindu Lake and Hickory Bend and Greystone Boulevard have been estimated at $325,000.
Additionally, work will be done at Shiloh, Turnberry, Magness Creek and Highway 321 to keep water from running into manholes.
“Engineers like having them ground level because they are unsightly but when it floods they act just like a bathtub drain,” Shaw said in a later interview.
“We don’t allow it anymore. Our policy is that they have to be above the floodplain,” Shaw added.
WaterWorks also is in the process of building a $1.5 million, 36-inch sewer line that will extend from the new treatment plant off Kerr Station Road to Locust Street in the downtown area.
The pipe will replace an eight-inch concrete pipe that has crumbled over time and allows rainwater to get into the sewer system.
TOP STORY > >Base officer indicted as sex offender
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Trial is set for Oct. 14 for a Little Rock Air Force Base officer on six child pornography charges.
Lt. Michael James Blum, a Sherwood resident, is still a member of the military with discharge action pending, according to Airman Jason Elkins of Little Rock Air Force Base.
Blum is a mobility navigator for the 50th Airlift Squadron.
A federal grand jury returned indictments against Blum on Aug. 7, 2007 and he was arrested three days later.
Charges include two counts of enticing children between October 2004 until December 2005 to pose or engage in a sexually explicit way that could be transported in interstate commerce.
He is charged with receiving child pornography on a computer via the Internet.
Blum also is charged with possession of child pornography.
Blum was charged with two other child pornography violations for attempting to entice underage victims to engage in sexual activity. All six charges are felonies.
All are alleged to have occurred after Blum entered the Air Force in April 2003 but before he arrived at Little Rock Air Force Base in October 2006.
The court released Blum on his own recognizance on the condition that he remain in his home with electronic monitoring, that he not have access to a computer or a cell phone and that he have no contact with his wife or with any children, including his three alleged victims.
Blum also was ordered to refrain from “excessive” use of alcohol.
Leader senior staff writer
Trial is set for Oct. 14 for a Little Rock Air Force Base officer on six child pornography charges.
Lt. Michael James Blum, a Sherwood resident, is still a member of the military with discharge action pending, according to Airman Jason Elkins of Little Rock Air Force Base.
Blum is a mobility navigator for the 50th Airlift Squadron.
A federal grand jury returned indictments against Blum on Aug. 7, 2007 and he was arrested three days later.
Charges include two counts of enticing children between October 2004 until December 2005 to pose or engage in a sexually explicit way that could be transported in interstate commerce.
He is charged with receiving child pornography on a computer via the Internet.
Blum also is charged with possession of child pornography.
Blum was charged with two other child pornography violations for attempting to entice underage victims to engage in sexual activity. All six charges are felonies.
All are alleged to have occurred after Blum entered the Air Force in April 2003 but before he arrived at Little Rock Air Force Base in October 2006.
The court released Blum on his own recognizance on the condition that he remain in his home with electronic monitoring, that he not have access to a computer or a cell phone and that he have no contact with his wife or with any children, including his three alleged victims.
Blum also was ordered to refrain from “excessive” use of alcohol.
TOP STORY > >Huckabee pushing for Minton’s defeat
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
In December, Ward Republican Randy Minton traveled to Iowa to campaign against former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and now Huckabee has returned the favor, endorsing Minton’s opponent for state representative in the May 20 Republican preferential primary.
Huckabee last week endorsed Cabot attorney Davy Carter, 36, for the District 48 seat currently held by state Rep. Susan Schulte, also a Republican. Like other area House members, Schulte is finishing up her sixth year, and because of term limits, is ineligible to run again.
She first sought the seat when, at the end of two terms, Minton didn’t run for reelection, choosing instead to run for the state Senate. He lost that race to Carlisle Democrat Bobby Glover, now the current state senator.
Minton has said he would run to get his old seat back for one last term, then run for the state Senate in two years when term limits turn Glover out.
The winner of the Republican primary had been expected to face a challenge in November from John T. Harty, an independent, but Harty’s petition to get on the ballot wasn’t certified when he didn’t have enough valid signatures, according to Natasha Naragon of the secretary of state’s office.
She said Harty needed 270 valid signatures, but of the 348 he submitted, only 251 were valid.
With Harty out of the picture and no Democrat running, the winner of the May 20 primary race between Minton and Carter will be sworn into office in January.
“I am thrilled and honored to have the endorsement of Governor Huckabee like any Arkansas Republican would be,” Carter said.
“I will be supporting Davy Carter in any way I can,” Huckabee said. “Davy is an outstanding attorney who is passionate about actually governing by keeping taxes low, holding government more accountable, and standing firm for families and for the sanctity of life.”
This is the first run for office for Carter. Before going into private practice a year ago, he was general counsel and vice president for Community Bank.
Carter says his candidacy is not against Minton, but just because he has things he wants to do in the legislature. “Randy’s a good man,” he said.
Carter said as a state representative, he would work to raise the standard deduction for taxpayers and support repealing the rest of the grocery tax. He would advocate for vocational education in the schools.
Carter is married with three children, the oldest seven.
Minton’s choice for the Republican presidential nominee was Fred Thompson, who never really got out of the starting gates, but when Ron Paul’s campaign called to lure Minton to Iowa to share tales of Huckabee woe, Minton said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Minton, a small-government Republican wanting to lower taxes, has called Huckabee a RINO—Republican in Name Only.
“He’s a pro-life, pro-gun liberal,” Minton has said.
Minton likes to say he’s from the “Republican wing of the Republican Party” and is philosophically tied to Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum.
Minton, 57, a life-long resident of the district, says nothing is more antifamily than higher taxes. He is “unashamedly pro-life” and will work “to protect unborn babies,” he said.
He also opposes same-sex marriage, adoption of children by same-sex partners and defends gun ownership.
“I’m really flattered that the governor would think that our race was important enough for him to get involved in it,” Minton said. “I think the governor and I have differences of opinion on fiscal policy and I guess that he thinks Davy is more in line with his fiscal policy.”
He said he had a history while in office of voting against fee and tax increases that the governor supported.
“It’s pretty neat that a second-place presidential candidate endorses your opponent,” he said.
Minton has a real-estate ap-praisal business and raises some beef cattle. He is married to Lonoke County Quorum Court member Janette Minton.
Carter said he and Minton have essentially the same beliefs.
“I am socially and fiscally conservative,” he said, “not looking for tax increases and looking to cut taxes.”
Of the proposed one-penny, one-year county sales tax to build a new Lonoke County Detention Center, Carter said the issue was exactly where it needed to be—on the ballot where residents can decide.
Minton said the county could have built a jail without new taxes, but he supports the sales tax because it would sunset in a year.
Leader senior staff writer
In December, Ward Republican Randy Minton traveled to Iowa to campaign against former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and now Huckabee has returned the favor, endorsing Minton’s opponent for state representative in the May 20 Republican preferential primary.
Huckabee last week endorsed Cabot attorney Davy Carter, 36, for the District 48 seat currently held by state Rep. Susan Schulte, also a Republican. Like other area House members, Schulte is finishing up her sixth year, and because of term limits, is ineligible to run again.
She first sought the seat when, at the end of two terms, Minton didn’t run for reelection, choosing instead to run for the state Senate. He lost that race to Carlisle Democrat Bobby Glover, now the current state senator.
Minton has said he would run to get his old seat back for one last term, then run for the state Senate in two years when term limits turn Glover out.
The winner of the Republican primary had been expected to face a challenge in November from John T. Harty, an independent, but Harty’s petition to get on the ballot wasn’t certified when he didn’t have enough valid signatures, according to Natasha Naragon of the secretary of state’s office.
She said Harty needed 270 valid signatures, but of the 348 he submitted, only 251 were valid.
With Harty out of the picture and no Democrat running, the winner of the May 20 primary race between Minton and Carter will be sworn into office in January.
“I am thrilled and honored to have the endorsement of Governor Huckabee like any Arkansas Republican would be,” Carter said.
“I will be supporting Davy Carter in any way I can,” Huckabee said. “Davy is an outstanding attorney who is passionate about actually governing by keeping taxes low, holding government more accountable, and standing firm for families and for the sanctity of life.”
This is the first run for office for Carter. Before going into private practice a year ago, he was general counsel and vice president for Community Bank.
Carter says his candidacy is not against Minton, but just because he has things he wants to do in the legislature. “Randy’s a good man,” he said.
Carter said as a state representative, he would work to raise the standard deduction for taxpayers and support repealing the rest of the grocery tax. He would advocate for vocational education in the schools.
Carter is married with three children, the oldest seven.
Minton’s choice for the Republican presidential nominee was Fred Thompson, who never really got out of the starting gates, but when Ron Paul’s campaign called to lure Minton to Iowa to share tales of Huckabee woe, Minton said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Minton, a small-government Republican wanting to lower taxes, has called Huckabee a RINO—Republican in Name Only.
“He’s a pro-life, pro-gun liberal,” Minton has said.
Minton likes to say he’s from the “Republican wing of the Republican Party” and is philosophically tied to Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum.
Minton, 57, a life-long resident of the district, says nothing is more antifamily than higher taxes. He is “unashamedly pro-life” and will work “to protect unborn babies,” he said.
He also opposes same-sex marriage, adoption of children by same-sex partners and defends gun ownership.
“I’m really flattered that the governor would think that our race was important enough for him to get involved in it,” Minton said. “I think the governor and I have differences of opinion on fiscal policy and I guess that he thinks Davy is more in line with his fiscal policy.”
He said he had a history while in office of voting against fee and tax increases that the governor supported.
“It’s pretty neat that a second-place presidential candidate endorses your opponent,” he said.
Minton has a real-estate ap-praisal business and raises some beef cattle. He is married to Lonoke County Quorum Court member Janette Minton.
Carter said he and Minton have essentially the same beliefs.
“I am socially and fiscally conservative,” he said, “not looking for tax increases and looking to cut taxes.”
Of the proposed one-penny, one-year county sales tax to build a new Lonoke County Detention Center, Carter said the issue was exactly where it needed to be—on the ballot where residents can decide.
Minton said the county could have built a jail without new taxes, but he supports the sales tax because it would sunset in a year.
TOP STORY > >Developers buy shopping center
By GARRICK FELDMAN
AND ALIYA FELDMAN
Leader editors
Two brothers who used to shop there as youngsters in the 1960s have bought the Jacksonville Shopping Center.
Mike and Phil Sentell are the new owners of the center and are planning to remodel the outside and inside of the 50-year-old strip mall.
Mike Wilson and his partners Jim Peacock and Jim O’Brien, doing business as MJMJ LLC, sold the 12-acre, 130,000-square-foot shopping center to the brothers.
The Sentells, of Greenbrier, are making a $5 million investment in the project, which includes extensive renovation plans.
“We will completely reface the outside and remodel the inside,” Phil Sentell said Friday.
He said the city’s oldest shopping center evokes the 1950s, which is why he wants to give it a more up-to-date look.
“We all remember shopping there with our parents in the 1960s,” said Sentell, who grew up in Beebe. “There was no McCain Mall back then.”
The Sentells are hoping to attract new tenants. Many of them moved out last winter, before plans to turn the strip into an Asian mall fell through.
Some long-time tenants were given non-renewal notices of their leases, while others said they chose to leave. At least one business closed. Storefronts formerly occupied by Stroman’s Furniture, Abdin Jewelers, Crafton’s Furni-ture and Executive Cleaners are now vacant.
Business owners who occupied Jacksonville Shopping Center started hearing that Sue Khoo — owner of Unique Furniture that occupies the middle of the shopping center — had planned to buy the strip mall last summer.
They believed Khoo had plans to create an Asian-inspired shopping complex with restaurants and a grocery store, but financing for the project fell through.
She hoped to buy the shopping center by the end of January.
Khoo had proposed buying the strip mall that occupies the entire 600 block of West Main Street.
She is leasing the 35,000-square-foot space for her business, in addition to three other businesses.
A “for rent” sign now sits in the lawn on Main Street in front of the shopping center. There were plans for a grocery store to rent one of the vacant spots.
Chamber’s Drug has occupied that space since the 50s. Owner Ron Lucas said he’s staying there for several more years.
Crafton’s and Abdin’s have moved to 2126 N. First in the old Wal-Mart shopping center in Jacksonville.
Stroman’s also moved into its new space on the other side of Jacksonville, to 1811 N. First St., next to Payless Shoes.
That Little Flea Market was the first to receive notice to vacate.
The owner leased space in the Jacksonville Shopping Center for 15 years but has relocated to 345 S. James St. in the Knight’s Grocery store complex.
AND ALIYA FELDMAN
Leader editors
Two brothers who used to shop there as youngsters in the 1960s have bought the Jacksonville Shopping Center.
Mike and Phil Sentell are the new owners of the center and are planning to remodel the outside and inside of the 50-year-old strip mall.
Mike Wilson and his partners Jim Peacock and Jim O’Brien, doing business as MJMJ LLC, sold the 12-acre, 130,000-square-foot shopping center to the brothers.
The Sentells, of Greenbrier, are making a $5 million investment in the project, which includes extensive renovation plans.
“We will completely reface the outside and remodel the inside,” Phil Sentell said Friday.
He said the city’s oldest shopping center evokes the 1950s, which is why he wants to give it a more up-to-date look.
“We all remember shopping there with our parents in the 1960s,” said Sentell, who grew up in Beebe. “There was no McCain Mall back then.”
The Sentells are hoping to attract new tenants. Many of them moved out last winter, before plans to turn the strip into an Asian mall fell through.
Some long-time tenants were given non-renewal notices of their leases, while others said they chose to leave. At least one business closed. Storefronts formerly occupied by Stroman’s Furniture, Abdin Jewelers, Crafton’s Furni-ture and Executive Cleaners are now vacant.
Business owners who occupied Jacksonville Shopping Center started hearing that Sue Khoo — owner of Unique Furniture that occupies the middle of the shopping center — had planned to buy the strip mall last summer.
They believed Khoo had plans to create an Asian-inspired shopping complex with restaurants and a grocery store, but financing for the project fell through.
She hoped to buy the shopping center by the end of January.
Khoo had proposed buying the strip mall that occupies the entire 600 block of West Main Street.
She is leasing the 35,000-square-foot space for her business, in addition to three other businesses.
A “for rent” sign now sits in the lawn on Main Street in front of the shopping center. There were plans for a grocery store to rent one of the vacant spots.
Chamber’s Drug has occupied that space since the 50s. Owner Ron Lucas said he’s staying there for several more years.
Crafton’s and Abdin’s have moved to 2126 N. First in the old Wal-Mart shopping center in Jacksonville.
Stroman’s also moved into its new space on the other side of Jacksonville, to 1811 N. First St., next to Payless Shoes.
That Little Flea Market was the first to receive notice to vacate.
The owner leased space in the Jacksonville Shopping Center for 15 years but has relocated to 345 S. James St. in the Knight’s Grocery store complex.
SPORTS>>Badgers focus on becoming faster, stronger in 2008
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
Both regular season success and postseason disappointment are paying dividends for Beebe as spring football got under way last week.
The Badgers, under first-year head coach John Shannon, won their first six games last year on their way to an 8-3 record.
That translated into 58 players turning out this spring — 10 more than came out last year.
“There’s no question that our success got the interest up,” said Shannon, who radically altered the Beebephilosophy from pass-happy Spread to Wing-T grind last season.
The season ended with a 49-26 loss to eventual state champion Greenwood in a game that was much more lopsided than that final tally suggests. But that, too, provided motivation, Shannon insists, pointing to an offseason re-dedication among his team to strength and speed.
“We had a really good offseason,” Shannon said. “We are a lot stronger and faster than we were at this time last year. The loss to Greenwood showed us just how far we’ve got to go to get to that level. You pick out the elite programs in the state and you want to be like them.
“That transferred over. The kids worked extremely hard in the weight room to close the gap in strength and speed.”
Shannon was quick to point out that the Badgers would probably never be as fast as a team like Blytheville. But the improvement has been dramatic, nonetheless. Only four Badgers ran a sub-5-second 40-yard dash last year. This spring, 22 have achieved that feat.
Shannon is hoping that extra speed and strength — as well as a year of familiarity with his new offensive and defensive schemes – will help Beebe overcome the loss of 12 starters. The big graduations were quarterback Charlie Spakes, halfback/receiver/defensive back Josh Turner, halfback Chris Blundell, running back/linebacker Kyle Williams and offensive lineman Cody Cameron.
While those five will be hard to replace, Shannon chooses to focus on who’s coming back. It begins with four top-notch offensive linemen in first-team All-Conference selections Ross Stroud and Jacob Sullivan; second-team All-Conference player Tyler Wallen; and Justin Wooten, who returns from an ACL injury suffered late last season.
“One of our strengths we think will be our offensive line, with Sammy behind them,” Shannon said.
That would be Sammy Williams, the junior fullback who bulled his way for 1,172 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2007. Williams will be called on to be the workhorse again this season. He toted the ball nearly 250 times, or about 23 carries a game.
Taking over the quarterback position from Spakes is Roger Glaude, a player Shannon said possesses a great understanding of the Wing-T offense.
“He was Charlie’s backup last year, and he’s done very well in team drills,” Shannon said. “His strength is that he’s smart and he reads the option well. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but he isn’t slow.”
The passing game proved surprisingly effective last season on the rare occasions it was used. Glaude may not possess the throwing ability of Spakes, and top receiver Josh Turner may be gone, but that doesn’t mean Shannon is forgetting about the forward pass as an offensive weapon. Top returning receiver Brandon Purcell is back and Shannon said he is counting on some youngsters to step up as a second receiver.
But it will once again be the effectiveness of the running game that will determine Beebe’s success. To that end, Shannon is working hard to improve the option attack, an area he said was something of a disappointment in ’07. He has a couple of young speedsters in sophomore-to-be Colby Taylor and junior Victor Howell. Both, he said, possess some of the fastest wheels on the squad.
Defensively, Beebe returns six players.
“Turner and (Kyle) Williams will be tough to replace back there,” Shannon said. “But Purcell started in the secondary all year.
And Glaude played back there so we could play him, too.”
Ideally, though, Shannon wants to keep Glaude fresh to focus on offense. He’s hoping that the extra roster players this season will mean fewer players having to play both offense and defense.
While Shannon’s system will no longer be new to his Badgers, the conference will be. Beebe shifts from the 5A East to the 5A Southeast. Shannon said the new conference will likely feature less speed and less passing than the old one, with Monticello likely to be the “top dog.”
“It’s mostly running teams, so we’ll probably see smashmouth football week in and week out,” he said.
Shannon set the bar high at Beebe after taking the town by storm with his team’s 6-0 start last season. But he said he feels no more pressure than what he feels every year about this time.
“My biggest fear is always to fail,” he admits. “I try to overcome that fear by outworking whoever I’m going up against. The kids have bought into that. As much success as they’ve had in the weight room, they have a lot of confidence. So we have high
expectations.
“But I told them when we got here, ‘We’re going to have high expectations every year.’”
Leader sports editor
Both regular season success and postseason disappointment are paying dividends for Beebe as spring football got under way last week.
The Badgers, under first-year head coach John Shannon, won their first six games last year on their way to an 8-3 record.
That translated into 58 players turning out this spring — 10 more than came out last year.
“There’s no question that our success got the interest up,” said Shannon, who radically altered the Beebephilosophy from pass-happy Spread to Wing-T grind last season.
The season ended with a 49-26 loss to eventual state champion Greenwood in a game that was much more lopsided than that final tally suggests. But that, too, provided motivation, Shannon insists, pointing to an offseason re-dedication among his team to strength and speed.
“We had a really good offseason,” Shannon said. “We are a lot stronger and faster than we were at this time last year. The loss to Greenwood showed us just how far we’ve got to go to get to that level. You pick out the elite programs in the state and you want to be like them.
“That transferred over. The kids worked extremely hard in the weight room to close the gap in strength and speed.”
Shannon was quick to point out that the Badgers would probably never be as fast as a team like Blytheville. But the improvement has been dramatic, nonetheless. Only four Badgers ran a sub-5-second 40-yard dash last year. This spring, 22 have achieved that feat.
Shannon is hoping that extra speed and strength — as well as a year of familiarity with his new offensive and defensive schemes – will help Beebe overcome the loss of 12 starters. The big graduations were quarterback Charlie Spakes, halfback/receiver/defensive back Josh Turner, halfback Chris Blundell, running back/linebacker Kyle Williams and offensive lineman Cody Cameron.
While those five will be hard to replace, Shannon chooses to focus on who’s coming back. It begins with four top-notch offensive linemen in first-team All-Conference selections Ross Stroud and Jacob Sullivan; second-team All-Conference player Tyler Wallen; and Justin Wooten, who returns from an ACL injury suffered late last season.
“One of our strengths we think will be our offensive line, with Sammy behind them,” Shannon said.
That would be Sammy Williams, the junior fullback who bulled his way for 1,172 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2007. Williams will be called on to be the workhorse again this season. He toted the ball nearly 250 times, or about 23 carries a game.
Taking over the quarterback position from Spakes is Roger Glaude, a player Shannon said possesses a great understanding of the Wing-T offense.
“He was Charlie’s backup last year, and he’s done very well in team drills,” Shannon said. “His strength is that he’s smart and he reads the option well. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but he isn’t slow.”
The passing game proved surprisingly effective last season on the rare occasions it was used. Glaude may not possess the throwing ability of Spakes, and top receiver Josh Turner may be gone, but that doesn’t mean Shannon is forgetting about the forward pass as an offensive weapon. Top returning receiver Brandon Purcell is back and Shannon said he is counting on some youngsters to step up as a second receiver.
But it will once again be the effectiveness of the running game that will determine Beebe’s success. To that end, Shannon is working hard to improve the option attack, an area he said was something of a disappointment in ’07. He has a couple of young speedsters in sophomore-to-be Colby Taylor and junior Victor Howell. Both, he said, possess some of the fastest wheels on the squad.
Defensively, Beebe returns six players.
“Turner and (Kyle) Williams will be tough to replace back there,” Shannon said. “But Purcell started in the secondary all year.
And Glaude played back there so we could play him, too.”
Ideally, though, Shannon wants to keep Glaude fresh to focus on offense. He’s hoping that the extra roster players this season will mean fewer players having to play both offense and defense.
While Shannon’s system will no longer be new to his Badgers, the conference will be. Beebe shifts from the 5A East to the 5A Southeast. Shannon said the new conference will likely feature less speed and less passing than the old one, with Monticello likely to be the “top dog.”
“It’s mostly running teams, so we’ll probably see smashmouth football week in and week out,” he said.
Shannon set the bar high at Beebe after taking the town by storm with his team’s 6-0 start last season. But he said he feels no more pressure than what he feels every year about this time.
“My biggest fear is always to fail,” he admits. “I try to overcome that fear by outworking whoever I’m going up against. The kids have bought into that. As much success as they’ve had in the weight room, they have a lot of confidence. So we have high
expectations.
“But I told them when we got here, ‘We’re going to have high expectations every year.’”
SPORTS>>Jacksonville moving into 6A quarterfinals
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
TEXARKANA—The Jackson-ville Red Devils advanced to the quarterfinals of the 6A state tournament with a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Sheridan late Friday afternoon.
The Red Devils, who earned a fourth seed in the tourney after posting an 8-6 East Conference record, rallied twice from deficits to move on.
They take on Watson Chapel at noon today.
Trailing 3-1 in the fifth inning, Jacksonville got singles from Cameron Hood and Patrick Castleberry and a game-tying two-run single from Michael Harmon. Seth Tomboli delivered the game-winning hit with an RBI double that scored Harmon.
Harmon pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to pick up the win. He struck out five and allowed just three hits in relief of Tomboli. Tomboli pitched the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and three runs.
Sheridan grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Jacksonville came back and cut the lead in half with a Castleberry double and Caleb Mitchell RBI single in the bottom of the third.
The Red Devils finished with 11 hits and stranded eight base runners, including leaving the bases loaded in the second.
The win improved the Red Devils’ overall record to 16-13.
Leader sports editor
TEXARKANA—The Jackson-ville Red Devils advanced to the quarterfinals of the 6A state tournament with a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Sheridan late Friday afternoon.
The Red Devils, who earned a fourth seed in the tourney after posting an 8-6 East Conference record, rallied twice from deficits to move on.
They take on Watson Chapel at noon today.
Trailing 3-1 in the fifth inning, Jacksonville got singles from Cameron Hood and Patrick Castleberry and a game-tying two-run single from Michael Harmon. Seth Tomboli delivered the game-winning hit with an RBI double that scored Harmon.
Harmon pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to pick up the win. He struck out five and allowed just three hits in relief of Tomboli. Tomboli pitched the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and three runs.
Sheridan grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Jacksonville came back and cut the lead in half with a Castleberry double and Caleb Mitchell RBI single in the bottom of the third.
The Red Devils finished with 11 hits and stranded eight base runners, including leaving the bases loaded in the second.
The win improved the Red Devils’ overall record to 16-13.
SPORTS>>Lady Panthers earn four seed with twin bill sweep of Belles
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Cabot did exactly what it needed to do — close out the conference season strong.
The Lady Panthers won their fourth and fifth games in a row on Tuesday with a sweep over Mt. Saint Mary at Wade Sports Complex. The Lady Panther bats were hot enough during an 8-1 win in Game 1, and a blistering 15-0 run-ruled win for Cabot in the second game secured a spot in the top half of the final Central standings.
The two wins improved the Lady Panthers to 9-9 overall and 8-6 in the 7A-Central Conference. Cabot finished as the No. 4 seed from the Central conference, and began state tournament play at Russellville on Friday evening after Leader deadlineswith a game against Rogers, the No. 5 seed out of the 7A-West Conference.
Lady Panthers coach Becky Steward was relieved to get the wins, saying she was pleasantly surprised by her team’s strong showing at the plate in both contests.
“Mt. Saint Mary was a team that scared me,” Steward said. “Because Bryant only beat them 2-1 the week before. You just never know with the Mount — they’re young just like we are, but I definitely didn’t expect us to go out and hit the way we did in that second game.”
Junior Cherie Barfield earned both wins for Cabot on Tuesday. She struck out 13 MSM batters in the opener while allowing six hits, one of which was an inside-the-park home run to lead off the top of the third inning for the only Belles’ score of the night.
An inside-the-park homer also led to the first Cabot runs of the evening. Three-hole hitter Chelsea Conrade’s shot to centerfield scored Kristi Flesher, who reached on an error moments earlier, to give the Lady Panthers a 2-0 lead.
Another Belle error allowed Rachel Lamb to reach, while walks to Tara Boyd and future Central Baptist College Lady Mustang Ashton Seidl loaded the bases. Becca Bakalekos quickly cleared the bases with a shot to deep left field. All three runners scored, and Bakalekos made it all the way to third for a triple.
The Lady Panthers started back at the top of the order for the second inning, with a similar result. Lead-off Brooke Taylor walked, and Flesher moved her to third with a single. A grounder into left field by Lamb scored both runners, with Lamb coming in for the game’s final run moments later on a single by pinch hitter Kayla Hart.
Leader sportswriter
Cabot did exactly what it needed to do — close out the conference season strong.
The Lady Panthers won their fourth and fifth games in a row on Tuesday with a sweep over Mt. Saint Mary at Wade Sports Complex. The Lady Panther bats were hot enough during an 8-1 win in Game 1, and a blistering 15-0 run-ruled win for Cabot in the second game secured a spot in the top half of the final Central standings.
The two wins improved the Lady Panthers to 9-9 overall and 8-6 in the 7A-Central Conference. Cabot finished as the No. 4 seed from the Central conference, and began state tournament play at Russellville on Friday evening after Leader deadlineswith a game against Rogers, the No. 5 seed out of the 7A-West Conference.
Lady Panthers coach Becky Steward was relieved to get the wins, saying she was pleasantly surprised by her team’s strong showing at the plate in both contests.
“Mt. Saint Mary was a team that scared me,” Steward said. “Because Bryant only beat them 2-1 the week before. You just never know with the Mount — they’re young just like we are, but I definitely didn’t expect us to go out and hit the way we did in that second game.”
Junior Cherie Barfield earned both wins for Cabot on Tuesday. She struck out 13 MSM batters in the opener while allowing six hits, one of which was an inside-the-park home run to lead off the top of the third inning for the only Belles’ score of the night.
An inside-the-park homer also led to the first Cabot runs of the evening. Three-hole hitter Chelsea Conrade’s shot to centerfield scored Kristi Flesher, who reached on an error moments earlier, to give the Lady Panthers a 2-0 lead.
Another Belle error allowed Rachel Lamb to reach, while walks to Tara Boyd and future Central Baptist College Lady Mustang Ashton Seidl loaded the bases. Becca Bakalekos quickly cleared the bases with a shot to deep left field. All three runners scored, and Bakalekos made it all the way to third for a triple.
The Lady Panthers started back at the top of the order for the second inning, with a similar result. Lead-off Brooke Taylor walked, and Flesher moved her to third with a single. A grounder into left field by Lamb scored both runners, with Lamb coming in for the game’s final run moments later on a single by pinch hitter Kayla Hart.
SPORTS>>Panthers rally to reach state tourney
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Little Rock Central’s hopes of pulling a 7A-Central season sweep over Cabot dissipated quickly at the hands of the Panther seniors on Tuesday at Brian Wade Conrade Memorial Baseball Field.
The red-hot Panthers entered the 7A state tournament on a 4-game winning streak after beating the Tigers 6-2. Though the streak earned Cabot a berth in the tourney, Pine Bluff’s upset of Conway on Monday cost the Panthers (14-11, 6-8 league) a No. 5 seed. Instead, they took a six seed into their first-round game with Fort Smith Southside yesterday at Burns Park in a game played after Leader deadlines.
The Panthers put up five runs in the first three frames against the Tigers, while senior pitcher Sean Clarkson held Central to a pair of runs through six innings.
Fellow senior Sam Bates faced the final three Tiger batters in the top of the seventh, forcing a pair of pop ups and a strikeout.
For Panthers coach Jay Fitch, it was refreshing to see his talented crop of upperclassmen finally performing at the level they have for the past two weeks.
“We’ve been waiting on that,” Fitch said. “We’vebeen waiting on our seniors to play like seniors. Sean hasn’t had the season he would have liked to have on the mound this year, but he closed out the year with two good outings, and if we win on Friday (against FS Southside), he will probably be on the mound for us on Saturday.”
The winner between Cabot and Southside will face No. 2 seed North Little Rock today at 2:30 p.m.
Clarkson walked the first batter he faced in the top of the first on Tuesday, but fanned the next two Tigers and forced a pop fly from their cleanup hitter to leave the leadoff stranded.
A pair of doubles in the second plated Central’s first run, and they added another in the fifth.
Base hits for lead off batter Matt Evans and two-hole hitter Powell Bryant leading off the first put runners in scoring position, and another single by Drew Burks plated Evans for the first score.
A ground out by Bates scored Bryant for the second run.
It was Evans who kick-started the second Cabot scoring spree in the bottom of the third inning. He led off the inning with his second single of the game. Bryant walked and Bates was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Evans scored on a squeeze play to make it 3-1 and Wainright followed with a two-run single to make it 5-1.
The Panthers scored one more run for insurance in the bottom of the fourth inning before Central changed pitchers.
“I told the kids that it would be great if we could jump on Central,” Fitch said. “They already knew that we swept Catholic the day before, and that there was no hope for them to make it. At that point, we were still in the running for the fifth seed, so we had a lot more to play for than they did.”
Evans led the Panthers, going 3 of 3. Bryant, Burks and Wainwright were each 1 of 3, with two RBI for Wainwright, and one for Burks.
Fitch prepared his club for the possibility of facing Rebels’ ace hurler John Koch in the first round of the state tournament with batting practices that focused on the curve ball.
Koch is noted for the ability to offer up a curve or change-up regardless of the count he faces. Defensively, Fitch is most concerned about 6-3, 265 lb. senior Thomas Biocic.
The Rebels’ most dangerous batter, who was also a three-year starter for the Southside football team at on the defensive line, has recorded a number of big home runs for the Rebels this season during their league runners-up campaign.
Leader sportswriter
Little Rock Central’s hopes of pulling a 7A-Central season sweep over Cabot dissipated quickly at the hands of the Panther seniors on Tuesday at Brian Wade Conrade Memorial Baseball Field.
The red-hot Panthers entered the 7A state tournament on a 4-game winning streak after beating the Tigers 6-2. Though the streak earned Cabot a berth in the tourney, Pine Bluff’s upset of Conway on Monday cost the Panthers (14-11, 6-8 league) a No. 5 seed. Instead, they took a six seed into their first-round game with Fort Smith Southside yesterday at Burns Park in a game played after Leader deadlines.
The Panthers put up five runs in the first three frames against the Tigers, while senior pitcher Sean Clarkson held Central to a pair of runs through six innings.
Fellow senior Sam Bates faced the final three Tiger batters in the top of the seventh, forcing a pair of pop ups and a strikeout.
For Panthers coach Jay Fitch, it was refreshing to see his talented crop of upperclassmen finally performing at the level they have for the past two weeks.
“We’ve been waiting on that,” Fitch said. “We’vebeen waiting on our seniors to play like seniors. Sean hasn’t had the season he would have liked to have on the mound this year, but he closed out the year with two good outings, and if we win on Friday (against FS Southside), he will probably be on the mound for us on Saturday.”
The winner between Cabot and Southside will face No. 2 seed North Little Rock today at 2:30 p.m.
Clarkson walked the first batter he faced in the top of the first on Tuesday, but fanned the next two Tigers and forced a pop fly from their cleanup hitter to leave the leadoff stranded.
A pair of doubles in the second plated Central’s first run, and they added another in the fifth.
Base hits for lead off batter Matt Evans and two-hole hitter Powell Bryant leading off the first put runners in scoring position, and another single by Drew Burks plated Evans for the first score.
A ground out by Bates scored Bryant for the second run.
It was Evans who kick-started the second Cabot scoring spree in the bottom of the third inning. He led off the inning with his second single of the game. Bryant walked and Bates was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Evans scored on a squeeze play to make it 3-1 and Wainright followed with a two-run single to make it 5-1.
The Panthers scored one more run for insurance in the bottom of the fourth inning before Central changed pitchers.
“I told the kids that it would be great if we could jump on Central,” Fitch said. “They already knew that we swept Catholic the day before, and that there was no hope for them to make it. At that point, we were still in the running for the fifth seed, so we had a lot more to play for than they did.”
Evans led the Panthers, going 3 of 3. Bryant, Burks and Wainwright were each 1 of 3, with two RBI for Wainwright, and one for Burks.
Fitch prepared his club for the possibility of facing Rebels’ ace hurler John Koch in the first round of the state tournament with batting practices that focused on the curve ball.
Koch is noted for the ability to offer up a curve or change-up regardless of the count he faces. Defensively, Fitch is most concerned about 6-3, 265 lb. senior Thomas Biocic.
The Rebels’ most dangerous batter, who was also a three-year starter for the Southside football team at on the defensive line, has recorded a number of big home runs for the Rebels this season during their league runners-up campaign.
SPORTS>>Bears begin quest for Baum today
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Sylvan Hills will enter this weekend’s 6A state tournament as the No. 1 seed out of the East after a near-flawless 13-1 run through the league schedule in 2008.
The Bears (26-6 overall) will begin tournament play today, facing the winner of last night’s first-round game between Searcy (East No. 5) and Lake Hamilton (South No. 4).
That impressive run was made even more challenging with tragedy and hardship along the way. Former player Taylor Roark was killed in a car crash in January, and the team lost its baseball field in the tornadoes of March.
But head coach Denny Tipton said the mental toughness of his top-ranked team equals its talent.
“I think we’ve been through a lot this year,” Tipton said. “From what happened with Taylor Roark at the first of the year, to the tornados, to people getting hurt, we’ve had to fight through so much.
“These kids are very tough mentally, and I think they will be prepared. Physically, I fully believe they are as tough and talented as any group we’ve had in the last few seasons. If they play to the best of their abilities, we should have a shot at winning some games.”
Despite the Bears’ immaculate record in the 6A East, the final few games did not feature the offensive firepower of their early league romps. Tipton said clinching the top seed early, along with the nasty weather this spring, led to a few lackluster efforts during late-season outings. He’s hoping that the state tourney will rekindle that early fire.
“Everyone is 0-0 now,” Tiptonsaid. “I know everybody’s plan is to go all the way, and right now, everybody has the same shot everyone else does. I hope we can come out and swing our bats with a little more intensity than what we have recently.
“I know that those final games weren’t very important seed-wise, but we just weren’t playing with a lot of intensity. As a coach, you’re never really satisfied, and there’s always room to improve.”
The Bears are undeniably a potent, well-balanced team. The influx of three Abundant Life transfers to go along with Hunter Miller and an already stout lineup has given them additional depth.
One of those transfers, D.J. Baxendale, has developed into the staff ace and can be nearly unhittable. Miller, the Ole Miss signee who has belted 11 home runs this season, has become an outstanding No. 2 man in the rotation.
But the pitching depth doesn’t stop there. Tipton can also call on Jake Chambers, Chris Dalton or Chris Perez. With the bye, the Bears must win only two games to reach the state championship next Saturday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, so pitching depth is not as big a factor. Still, it’s a nice luxury to have.
Defensively, Sylvan Hills couldn’t have been much more solid. Other than a 4-error hiccup against Forrest City in their only conference loss, the Bears have taken care of business in the field, making Baxendale and Miller that much more effective.
The lineup, despite the late season dropoff, features no easy outs.
The Bears have had a lot of ups and downs since their run to the state championship back in 2005. That Class 4A title win over Jonesboro continued a remarkable baseball tradition at Hillside.
But the Taylor Roark tragedy in January, and devastating storms that demolished their home field over a month ago have had the Bears playing with heavy hearts for most of the season.
Tipton says regardless of whether his team plays the Lions or Wolves today at noon at Joe Blagg Field in Texarkana, he expects a tough battle.
“We’ve prepared the same way,” Tipton said. “Searcy already beat us once this year, and I know that Lake Hamilton has some talented players. But I believe these kids will be prepared.”
Leader sportswriter
Sylvan Hills will enter this weekend’s 6A state tournament as the No. 1 seed out of the East after a near-flawless 13-1 run through the league schedule in 2008.
The Bears (26-6 overall) will begin tournament play today, facing the winner of last night’s first-round game between Searcy (East No. 5) and Lake Hamilton (South No. 4).
That impressive run was made even more challenging with tragedy and hardship along the way. Former player Taylor Roark was killed in a car crash in January, and the team lost its baseball field in the tornadoes of March.
But head coach Denny Tipton said the mental toughness of his top-ranked team equals its talent.
“I think we’ve been through a lot this year,” Tipton said. “From what happened with Taylor Roark at the first of the year, to the tornados, to people getting hurt, we’ve had to fight through so much.
“These kids are very tough mentally, and I think they will be prepared. Physically, I fully believe they are as tough and talented as any group we’ve had in the last few seasons. If they play to the best of their abilities, we should have a shot at winning some games.”
Despite the Bears’ immaculate record in the 6A East, the final few games did not feature the offensive firepower of their early league romps. Tipton said clinching the top seed early, along with the nasty weather this spring, led to a few lackluster efforts during late-season outings. He’s hoping that the state tourney will rekindle that early fire.
“Everyone is 0-0 now,” Tiptonsaid. “I know everybody’s plan is to go all the way, and right now, everybody has the same shot everyone else does. I hope we can come out and swing our bats with a little more intensity than what we have recently.
“I know that those final games weren’t very important seed-wise, but we just weren’t playing with a lot of intensity. As a coach, you’re never really satisfied, and there’s always room to improve.”
The Bears are undeniably a potent, well-balanced team. The influx of three Abundant Life transfers to go along with Hunter Miller and an already stout lineup has given them additional depth.
One of those transfers, D.J. Baxendale, has developed into the staff ace and can be nearly unhittable. Miller, the Ole Miss signee who has belted 11 home runs this season, has become an outstanding No. 2 man in the rotation.
But the pitching depth doesn’t stop there. Tipton can also call on Jake Chambers, Chris Dalton or Chris Perez. With the bye, the Bears must win only two games to reach the state championship next Saturday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, so pitching depth is not as big a factor. Still, it’s a nice luxury to have.
Defensively, Sylvan Hills couldn’t have been much more solid. Other than a 4-error hiccup against Forrest City in their only conference loss, the Bears have taken care of business in the field, making Baxendale and Miller that much more effective.
The lineup, despite the late season dropoff, features no easy outs.
The Bears have had a lot of ups and downs since their run to the state championship back in 2005. That Class 4A title win over Jonesboro continued a remarkable baseball tradition at Hillside.
But the Taylor Roark tragedy in January, and devastating storms that demolished their home field over a month ago have had the Bears playing with heavy hearts for most of the season.
Tipton says regardless of whether his team plays the Lions or Wolves today at noon at Joe Blagg Field in Texarkana, he expects a tough battle.
“We’ve prepared the same way,” Tipton said. “Searcy already beat us once this year, and I know that Lake Hamilton has some talented players. But I believe these kids will be prepared.”
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
EDITORIAL >>Cabot parks look to new direction
The Cabot Parks and Recreation Department has a new director whose responsibilities will include restoring confidence in the department after a series of embarrassing episodes that cast a shadow over an organization that has done outstanding work.
Larry Tarrant, the new parks director, succeeds Carroll Astin, who resigned recently after a couple of embarrassing disclosures, including the theft of $8,000 by a former bookkeeper who wrote herself duplicate paychecks over a two-year period.
In addition, The Leader disclosed last weekend that State Police investigators are looking into the department’s failure to pay withholding taxes, which could be blamed on the bookkeeper who pleaded guilty to the payroll thefts. (She has agreed to repay the stolen money.)
Parks commission members are hoping the withholding taxes are no more than $13,000, which is a significant amount, although the department could pay that amount, plus penalties and interest, in the next few months. Let’s hope there aren’t other skeletons in the closet yet to be discovered.
The lax oversight occurred during the previous mayor’s administration, so Mayor Eddie Joe Williams is blameless. But he has called for more accountability and Tarrant, who has served as interim director and program director, is trying to put the embarrassing episodes behind and run an open administration with integrity and fiscal responsibility. After all, the missing money belonged to the people of Cabot, who deserve an honest, lean and well-managed parks department that serves the town’s residents and is not a personal piggy bank of the crooked and the greedy.
We’d like to think that with better oversight and a new start, Larry Tarrant will turn Cabot Parks and Recreation into a premier parks and recreation department. Like people everywhere, Cabot folks deserve better.
Larry Tarrant, the new parks director, succeeds Carroll Astin, who resigned recently after a couple of embarrassing disclosures, including the theft of $8,000 by a former bookkeeper who wrote herself duplicate paychecks over a two-year period.
In addition, The Leader disclosed last weekend that State Police investigators are looking into the department’s failure to pay withholding taxes, which could be blamed on the bookkeeper who pleaded guilty to the payroll thefts. (She has agreed to repay the stolen money.)
Parks commission members are hoping the withholding taxes are no more than $13,000, which is a significant amount, although the department could pay that amount, plus penalties and interest, in the next few months. Let’s hope there aren’t other skeletons in the closet yet to be discovered.
The lax oversight occurred during the previous mayor’s administration, so Mayor Eddie Joe Williams is blameless. But he has called for more accountability and Tarrant, who has served as interim director and program director, is trying to put the embarrassing episodes behind and run an open administration with integrity and fiscal responsibility. After all, the missing money belonged to the people of Cabot, who deserve an honest, lean and well-managed parks department that serves the town’s residents and is not a personal piggy bank of the crooked and the greedy.
We’d like to think that with better oversight and a new start, Larry Tarrant will turn Cabot Parks and Recreation into a premier parks and recreation department. Like people everywhere, Cabot folks deserve better.
EDITORIAL >>People helping other people
It only seems to get noticed when some major disaster hits the area, but it’s something we’ve always known and it’s what makes this area special—people helping people. It doesn’t matter if they know you, are their neighbor or not, richer or poorer than you—Arkansans believe in pitching in and helping out. Most of the time it’s the small things. Giving someone a lift, changing a flat tire or loaning someone $10 until payday and then forgetting about it when payday rolls around.
But there are times like this past weekend, when the ingrained kindness and hearts of Arkansans shine bright for everyone to see. It didn’t take but a matter of minutes after tornadoes and high winds ran roughshod over Carlisle and Keo that people were out helping. The help ranged from providing cleanup equipment, a dry place for victims to stay, meals, clearing the damage or sometimes just a hug and kind words.
The Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office provided a mobile command unit. Jacksonville drove a clam-shell dump truck to pick up debris. Churches provided hot meals. Volunteers quickly removed a tree that fell on Alta Snider’s home and covered the gaping hole with tarps. Similar acts of kindness were seen all over town.
A traffic reporter for a Little Rock radio station became a traffic cop protecting drivers from running over downed power lines near Hwy. 13 and 70. He wasn’t asked or told, he just knew it had to be done.
Volunteers and crews from Carlisle and surrounding communities worked through the weekend, and Monday, chainsaws were still whining and spewing sawdust, while tree trunks were turned into firewood and limbs were chipped into mountains of mulch.
The governor, visiting Carlisle, said the recovery process already had begun and praised the quick work of officials and neighbors.
“It’s phenomenal, all the help. People from Lonoke, Little Rock, Cabot, county officials, the Maumelle mayor; people came from everywhere,” Carlisle Mayor Ray Glover said, thankful for all the help.
But, mayor, phenomenal it wasn’t: It was Arkansans doing what they always do — helping people. It’s a wonderful tradition that comes from the heart and it’s practiced in these parts every day.
It’s been tough year, but we continue to pull together. It’s great to be an Arkansan.
But there are times like this past weekend, when the ingrained kindness and hearts of Arkansans shine bright for everyone to see. It didn’t take but a matter of minutes after tornadoes and high winds ran roughshod over Carlisle and Keo that people were out helping. The help ranged from providing cleanup equipment, a dry place for victims to stay, meals, clearing the damage or sometimes just a hug and kind words.
The Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office provided a mobile command unit. Jacksonville drove a clam-shell dump truck to pick up debris. Churches provided hot meals. Volunteers quickly removed a tree that fell on Alta Snider’s home and covered the gaping hole with tarps. Similar acts of kindness were seen all over town.
A traffic reporter for a Little Rock radio station became a traffic cop protecting drivers from running over downed power lines near Hwy. 13 and 70. He wasn’t asked or told, he just knew it had to be done.
Volunteers and crews from Carlisle and surrounding communities worked through the weekend, and Monday, chainsaws were still whining and spewing sawdust, while tree trunks were turned into firewood and limbs were chipped into mountains of mulch.
The governor, visiting Carlisle, said the recovery process already had begun and praised the quick work of officials and neighbors.
“It’s phenomenal, all the help. People from Lonoke, Little Rock, Cabot, county officials, the Maumelle mayor; people came from everywhere,” Carlisle Mayor Ray Glover said, thankful for all the help.
But, mayor, phenomenal it wasn’t: It was Arkansans doing what they always do — helping people. It’s a wonderful tradition that comes from the heart and it’s practiced in these parts every day.
It’s been tough year, but we continue to pull together. It’s great to be an Arkansan.
TOP STORY > >Building fees in Cabot are left for dead
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
The weighty issue of reinstating Cabot’s impact fee only for the fire department was not mentioned during Thursday’s brief meeting of the city council’s fire and police committee.
Alderman Ken Williams, chairman of the committee, said after the meeting that he was surprised to learn that Mayor Eddie Joe Williams was even considering reinstating part of the fee.
The city council voted 7-1 in April to repeal the 2006 ordinance establishing impact fees to pay for expansions in infrastructure needed because of growth. The council did not even consider a proposal from a committee formed to investigate the impact fee to allow it to double as scheduled but then remain at that rate for 24 months until another funding source could be found.
Alderman Williams said after the 30-minute-long committee meeting with reports on the calls taken by fire and police during the first quarter that he isn’t convinced building another fire sta tion on Hwy. 5 is crucial. The city has purchased a building there to house a fire engine, he said, adding that if it becomes necessary to also staff the engine, the building can be remodeled for that purpose.
Although the city has offers of free land for a fire department, that land might not be suitable for construction, the alderman said.
And without a definite place to build, talk of funding a fire station is “putting the cart before the horse,” he said.
City officials learned in 2006 that the insurance premiums for residents more than five road-miles from the nearest fire station could double or triple.
Acting on advice from Insurance Services Office (ISO), which rates cities’ fire protection for insurance purposes, the city rented a bay at the Mountain Springs Volunteer Fire Department for $200 a month and then early in 2007 paid $259,600 for three acres and buildings on the corner of Hwy. 5 and Mountain Springs and moved an unstaffed engine to that location.
But eventually, the city will have to build another fire station, and that, the mayor says, will cost $1.5 million for the building, $1 million for equipment and $500,000 a year for the firefighters who will staff it.
Alderman Tom Armstrong, who was on the council when the impact fee was approved and was the only alderman who voted against it, said he is opposed to trying to bring back part of the fee and thinks doing so could be illegal.
“I don’t think we can do it,” Armstrong said. “We abolished the whole ordinance from 2006 and I don’t see how we can put part of it back without another study.”
The city hired experts to decide how much the fee should be and which city departments it should go to.
Armstrong agrees with Alder-man Williams that the city should staff the building on Hwy. 5 when it becomes necessary. That building should suffice for several years until new homes are built more than five miles away from it.
By then another funding source might be available, said Armstrong who says if the state legislature approves a 1 percent real estate transfer tax in 2009, the city could gain revenue from the sale of every house in Cabot, not just the new ones. Such a tax would be less than the impact fee but not restrictive so the city could use the revenue wherever it is needed.
Leader staff writer
The weighty issue of reinstating Cabot’s impact fee only for the fire department was not mentioned during Thursday’s brief meeting of the city council’s fire and police committee.
Alderman Ken Williams, chairman of the committee, said after the meeting that he was surprised to learn that Mayor Eddie Joe Williams was even considering reinstating part of the fee.
The city council voted 7-1 in April to repeal the 2006 ordinance establishing impact fees to pay for expansions in infrastructure needed because of growth. The council did not even consider a proposal from a committee formed to investigate the impact fee to allow it to double as scheduled but then remain at that rate for 24 months until another funding source could be found.
Alderman Williams said after the 30-minute-long committee meeting with reports on the calls taken by fire and police during the first quarter that he isn’t convinced building another fire sta tion on Hwy. 5 is crucial. The city has purchased a building there to house a fire engine, he said, adding that if it becomes necessary to also staff the engine, the building can be remodeled for that purpose.
Although the city has offers of free land for a fire department, that land might not be suitable for construction, the alderman said.
And without a definite place to build, talk of funding a fire station is “putting the cart before the horse,” he said.
City officials learned in 2006 that the insurance premiums for residents more than five road-miles from the nearest fire station could double or triple.
Acting on advice from Insurance Services Office (ISO), which rates cities’ fire protection for insurance purposes, the city rented a bay at the Mountain Springs Volunteer Fire Department for $200 a month and then early in 2007 paid $259,600 for three acres and buildings on the corner of Hwy. 5 and Mountain Springs and moved an unstaffed engine to that location.
But eventually, the city will have to build another fire station, and that, the mayor says, will cost $1.5 million for the building, $1 million for equipment and $500,000 a year for the firefighters who will staff it.
Alderman Tom Armstrong, who was on the council when the impact fee was approved and was the only alderman who voted against it, said he is opposed to trying to bring back part of the fee and thinks doing so could be illegal.
“I don’t think we can do it,” Armstrong said. “We abolished the whole ordinance from 2006 and I don’t see how we can put part of it back without another study.”
The city hired experts to decide how much the fee should be and which city departments it should go to.
Armstrong agrees with Alder-man Williams that the city should staff the building on Hwy. 5 when it becomes necessary. That building should suffice for several years until new homes are built more than five miles away from it.
By then another funding source might be available, said Armstrong who says if the state legislature approves a 1 percent real estate transfer tax in 2009, the city could gain revenue from the sale of every house in Cabot, not just the new ones. Such a tax would be less than the impact fee but not restrictive so the city could use the revenue wherever it is needed.
TOP STORY > >Building fees in Cabot are left for dead
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
The weighty issue of reinstating Cabot’s impact fee only for the fire department was not mentioned during Thursday’s brief meeting of the city council’s fire and police committee.
Alderman Ken Williams, chairman of the committee, said after the meeting that he was surprised to learn that Mayor Eddie Joe Williams was even considering reinstating part of the fee.
The city council voted 7-1 in April to repeal the 2006 ordinance establishing impact fees to pay for expansions in infrastructure needed because of growth. The council did not even consider a proposal from a committee formed to investigate the impact fee to allow it to double as scheduled but then remain at that rate for 24 months until another funding source could be found.
Alderman Williams said after the 30-minute-long committee meeting with reports on the calls taken by fire and police during the first quarter that he isn’t convinced building another fire sta tion on Hwy. 5 is crucial. The city has purchased a building there to house a fire engine, he said, adding that if it becomes necessary to also staff the engine, the building can be remodeled for that purpose.
Although the city has offers of free land for a fire department, that land might not be suitable for construction, the alderman said.
And without a definite place to build, talk of funding a fire station is “putting the cart before the horse,” he said.
City officials learned in 2006 that the insurance premiums for residents more than five road-miles from the nearest fire station could double or triple.
Acting on advice from Insurance Services Office (ISO), which rates cities’ fire protection for insurance purposes, the city rented a bay at the Mountain Springs Volunteer Fire Department for $200 a month and then early in 2007 paid $259,600 for three acres and buildings on the corner of Hwy. 5 and Mountain Springs and moved an unstaffed engine to that location.
But eventually, the city will have to build another fire station, and that, the mayor says, will cost $1.5 million for the building, $1 million for equipment and $500,000 a year for the firefighters who will staff it.
Alderman Tom Armstrong, who was on the council when the impact fee was approved and was the only alderman who voted against it, said he is opposed to trying to bring back part of the fee and thinks doing so could be illegal.
“I don’t think we can do it,” Armstrong said. “We abolished the whole ordinance from 2006 and I don’t see how we can put part of it back without another study.”
The city hired experts to decide how much the fee should be and which city departments it should go to.
Armstrong agrees with Alder-man Williams that the city should staff the building on Hwy. 5 when it becomes necessary. That building should suffice for several years until new homes are built more than five miles away from it.
By then another funding source might be available, said Armstrong who says if the state legislature approves a 1 percent real estate transfer tax in 2009, the city could gain revenue from the sale of every house in Cabot, not just the new ones. Such a tax would be less than the impact fee but not restrictive so the city could use the revenue wherever it is needed.
Leader staff writer
The weighty issue of reinstating Cabot’s impact fee only for the fire department was not mentioned during Thursday’s brief meeting of the city council’s fire and police committee.
Alderman Ken Williams, chairman of the committee, said after the meeting that he was surprised to learn that Mayor Eddie Joe Williams was even considering reinstating part of the fee.
The city council voted 7-1 in April to repeal the 2006 ordinance establishing impact fees to pay for expansions in infrastructure needed because of growth. The council did not even consider a proposal from a committee formed to investigate the impact fee to allow it to double as scheduled but then remain at that rate for 24 months until another funding source could be found.
Alderman Williams said after the 30-minute-long committee meeting with reports on the calls taken by fire and police during the first quarter that he isn’t convinced building another fire sta tion on Hwy. 5 is crucial. The city has purchased a building there to house a fire engine, he said, adding that if it becomes necessary to also staff the engine, the building can be remodeled for that purpose.
Although the city has offers of free land for a fire department, that land might not be suitable for construction, the alderman said.
And without a definite place to build, talk of funding a fire station is “putting the cart before the horse,” he said.
City officials learned in 2006 that the insurance premiums for residents more than five road-miles from the nearest fire station could double or triple.
Acting on advice from Insurance Services Office (ISO), which rates cities’ fire protection for insurance purposes, the city rented a bay at the Mountain Springs Volunteer Fire Department for $200 a month and then early in 2007 paid $259,600 for three acres and buildings on the corner of Hwy. 5 and Mountain Springs and moved an unstaffed engine to that location.
But eventually, the city will have to build another fire station, and that, the mayor says, will cost $1.5 million for the building, $1 million for equipment and $500,000 a year for the firefighters who will staff it.
Alderman Tom Armstrong, who was on the council when the impact fee was approved and was the only alderman who voted against it, said he is opposed to trying to bring back part of the fee and thinks doing so could be illegal.
“I don’t think we can do it,” Armstrong said. “We abolished the whole ordinance from 2006 and I don’t see how we can put part of it back without another study.”
The city hired experts to decide how much the fee should be and which city departments it should go to.
Armstrong agrees with Alder-man Williams that the city should staff the building on Hwy. 5 when it becomes necessary. That building should suffice for several years until new homes are built more than five miles away from it.
By then another funding source might be available, said Armstrong who says if the state legislature approves a 1 percent real estate transfer tax in 2009, the city could gain revenue from the sale of every house in Cabot, not just the new ones. Such a tax would be less than the impact fee but not restrictive so the city could use the revenue wherever it is needed.
TOP STORY > >Three seek District 49 seat
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
Democrats have two choices for House District 49 in the May 20 primaries — Kieth Williams, a former superintendent of Beebe Public Schools who now works fulltime at Harding University, and Johnny Wheetley, a former county extension agent who for the past 20 years has worked as an independent agricultural consultant.
The winner will face Jonathan Dismang, the Republican candidate, in November.
Williams teaches classes in school finance and school facilities in addition to his duties as director of educational leadership, but he says if he wins in the Democratic primary, he will cut back on his duties, and if he wins in November, he will cut back even more.
“Serving in the legislature is a near fulltime responsibility,” Williams said.
Williams, of Beebe, describes himself as a very conservative Democrat.
“I’m pro-life,” Williams said. “I’m very strong on family. I’m opposed to foster parenting for gays and I’m opposed to a state lottery.”
Since Williams’ background is education, he says that is an area that also holds a strong interest for him. But as he has campaigned, he has learned that the volunteer firefighters who protect homes in small cities and rural areas often have trouble raising enough money to operate.
“That’s why you see them holding bake sales and fish fries,” Williams said.
Williams said a uniform method of collecting fees needs to be established.
The 20 or so firefighters who staff most volunteer fire departments devote long hours to training so they are prepared when they are called, he said.
“For the time they put in and their commitment, I think they deserve some assistance in that area,” he said.
Williams said he also has an interest in protecting the rights of landowners who lease their property to gas companies. The industry is so new in the area that it is too soon to tell what problems might surface, he said, so the property owners need people looking out for them at the state level.
Wheetley, of Judsonia, said he became interested in state government while trying to get legislation passed requiring mandatory licensing of independent agricultural consultants. But it was his interest protecting his area from the problems he sees with the growing natural gas industry that made him decide to run for office.
“My theory on it is that the community should benefit from it,” Wheetley said. “If the community doesn’t benefit and we lose our natural resources, what have we gained?”
Wheetley says the severance tax on the gas will help roads all over the state, but schools should also benefit and there should be money, for example, for senior citizens programs.
Mineral rights are complicated, especially in Arkansas, where control of the minerals underground supersedes ownership of the ground they are under, he said. Land owners have leased their mineral rights for less than they could have gotten for them, which is a problem for them. But everyone, not just land owners, could be affected by the problems that accompany drilling and operating gas wells that could number as high as six or eight to a 624-acre section of land, Wheetley said.
The damage to roads from increased traffic and heavy equipment will be significant, he said. Dust on county roads will be worse because of the traffic. But the real problems could come in 30 or 40 years after the gas is no longer profitable and the big companies leave all those wells behind, he said.
There needs to be a plan to ensure that the state doesn’t become an eyesore because of the drilling and there should be a plan to invest some of the money the state gets from the gas companies in businesses developing renewable fuels that will be here after the gas is gone, Wheetley said.
Leader staff writer
Democrats have two choices for House District 49 in the May 20 primaries — Kieth Williams, a former superintendent of Beebe Public Schools who now works fulltime at Harding University, and Johnny Wheetley, a former county extension agent who for the past 20 years has worked as an independent agricultural consultant.
The winner will face Jonathan Dismang, the Republican candidate, in November.
Williams teaches classes in school finance and school facilities in addition to his duties as director of educational leadership, but he says if he wins in the Democratic primary, he will cut back on his duties, and if he wins in November, he will cut back even more.
“Serving in the legislature is a near fulltime responsibility,” Williams said.
Williams, of Beebe, describes himself as a very conservative Democrat.
“I’m pro-life,” Williams said. “I’m very strong on family. I’m opposed to foster parenting for gays and I’m opposed to a state lottery.”
Since Williams’ background is education, he says that is an area that also holds a strong interest for him. But as he has campaigned, he has learned that the volunteer firefighters who protect homes in small cities and rural areas often have trouble raising enough money to operate.
“That’s why you see them holding bake sales and fish fries,” Williams said.
Williams said a uniform method of collecting fees needs to be established.
The 20 or so firefighters who staff most volunteer fire departments devote long hours to training so they are prepared when they are called, he said.
“For the time they put in and their commitment, I think they deserve some assistance in that area,” he said.
Williams said he also has an interest in protecting the rights of landowners who lease their property to gas companies. The industry is so new in the area that it is too soon to tell what problems might surface, he said, so the property owners need people looking out for them at the state level.
Wheetley, of Judsonia, said he became interested in state government while trying to get legislation passed requiring mandatory licensing of independent agricultural consultants. But it was his interest protecting his area from the problems he sees with the growing natural gas industry that made him decide to run for office.
“My theory on it is that the community should benefit from it,” Wheetley said. “If the community doesn’t benefit and we lose our natural resources, what have we gained?”
Wheetley says the severance tax on the gas will help roads all over the state, but schools should also benefit and there should be money, for example, for senior citizens programs.
Mineral rights are complicated, especially in Arkansas, where control of the minerals underground supersedes ownership of the ground they are under, he said. Land owners have leased their mineral rights for less than they could have gotten for them, which is a problem for them. But everyone, not just land owners, could be affected by the problems that accompany drilling and operating gas wells that could number as high as six or eight to a 624-acre section of land, Wheetley said.
The damage to roads from increased traffic and heavy equipment will be significant, he said. Dust on county roads will be worse because of the traffic. But the real problems could come in 30 or 40 years after the gas is no longer profitable and the big companies leave all those wells behind, he said.
There needs to be a plan to ensure that the state doesn’t become an eyesore because of the drilling and there should be a plan to invest some of the money the state gets from the gas companies in businesses developing renewable fuels that will be here after the gas is gone, Wheetley said.
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