By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Sherwood has outdated sewer maps, doesn’t even know where all the manholes are and isn’t sure what parts of the 108 miles of underground sewer line are damaged or in disrepair. That’s why one of the first things the city needs to do to get out from under the thumb of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is to see what it has, what shape it is in and where it’s all at.
To do that, the Sherwood City Council on Monday approved a contract with Pipeline Analysis of Dallas to conduct a sewer-system evaluation survey, which includes updating maps, inspection and GPS marking of each manhole, monitoring sewer flow, smoke testing lines for leaks and damage, using a closed circuit television system to find even more damaged pipes and develop a priority plan to make the necessary repairs.
Pipeline Analysis outlines this work in a six-year plan that could cost the city about $600,000. Costs, which the council agreed to, for the first year will be $318,915. The money will be paid for by sales taxes collected for capital improvements.
Alderman Sheila Sulcer questioned the funding. “I’ve read the verbiage on the ballot where our residents approved the sales tax for capital improvements, and I’m not sure this is what we can use it for,” she said.
But attorney Larry Carpenter, who has been working on the contracted services with City Engineer Ellen Norvell, said it was an acceptable use.
“The state statute has been in the books since 1933, and this type of work is covered,” he told Sulcer and the rest of the council, after reading the law.
“I just don’t want someone to come up and challenge us on this,” Sulcer said of her concerns.
“I can’t guarantee someone won’t challenge, but we are on good grounds here,” Carpenter said, with City Attorney Stephen Cobb agreeing.
Forbes said the city has more than a million feet of underground sewer lines, and stretched out they would go from Sherwood almost to Memphis. Those lines have a replacement value of $57 million, Forbes said.
Norvell explained that the sewer analysis and repairs are things that need to be done anyway, but because the city is under an administrative order from ADEQ, it just has to be done “quicker than we might like. It would have been nice to spread out the cost a little more,” she said.
Alderman Becki Vassar acknowledged that updating and maintaining a good sewer system was essential. “People have to flush,” she said.
Pipeline Analysis is obtaining aerial maps from the county to help develop a layered map of the city’s sewer system. “It has cost us about $1,800 for the aerial maps, but if we had to do them ourselves the cost could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Forbes said.
Pipeline Analysis crews locate sewer line problems through smoke tests, flow monitoring or closed-circuit cameras, and then bids will go out on those repairs.
The survey, repair plans and timeline, along with paying a $15,500 fine, are among the first of many steps along the way to satisfy the ADEQ orders.
The $15,500 fine payment, along with the plan presented to the council, is due to ADEQ by Feb. 9.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
SPORTS>>Bryant holds off Cabot
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Close games are simply a way of life in the 7A-Central Conference, and Friday’s thriller between Bryant and Cabot was no exception.
The Lady Hornets benefited from a solid 18-of-25 night at the free-throw line, along with a 27-point, nine-rebound, five-steal performance from Alana Morris for a nail-biting 69-66 win at Panther Pavilion.
Jenna Bailey was the Lady Panthers’ last hope in the final seven seconds, but her three-point shot from the right wing was just off. Bailey’s steal and dish to Taylor Rosel 20 seconds earlier resulted in a trip to the line for Rosel, who hit the back end of a two-shot foul to knot it at 66-66.
Haylie Montgomery put Bryant back on top with a pair of free throws. A shot to tie by Brett Absure missed, and Taylor Hughes grabbed the board for the Lady Hornets. She was immediately fouled, and hit a free throw to set the final margin.
“It was a great game if you were a fan,” said Cabot assistant coach Charles Ruple. “The JV game went two overtimes and people kept coming in. The next thing you know, we had a really nice crowd. The fans on both sides were really into it. Our kids played well. Both teams are really well coached. There were a lot of changes there at the end that you didn’t think there would be.”
Cabot (14-5, 3-2) went 14 of 23 from the foul line, and shot 47 percent from the floor (26 of 55). The Lady Hornets (14-2, 5-0) didn’t get as many looks, but made the most of them. They shot 55 percent (23 of 42), including 5 of 13 from three-point land.
Bryant looked dominant at the start. Hannah Goshien hit a three-point basket to put the Lady Hornets up 8-0 at the 6:20 mark, but Cabot began to attack inside with senior post players Stephanie Glover and UALR signee Shelby Ashcraft.
Ashcraft got the Lady Panthers on the scoreboard with 5:59 left in the first quarter, followed by a basket by Amber Rock. Rock then answered a steal and two by Goshien with a steal and dish to Brooke Taylor to make it 12-7.
Glover and Ashcraft took over from there. Glover sandwiched an Ashcraft jumper with two baskets that gave the Lady Panthers their first lead of the game at 15-14 with 1:40 left in the opening period.
Momentum was fickle most of the night, but Cabot grabbed it late in the second period to end the first half on a 14-0 run. Rosel hit a basket and followed that with two free throws at the 2:09 mark to tie the game at 32, and 6-3 junior post Sarah Moore scored on an inbounds assist from Glover to hand the lead back to the Lady Panthers. Rock scored the final two baskets of the half, the first of which came off a steal by senior Lindsay Hoggatt with 31 seconds left. Her second goal just before the buzzer set the halftime margin at 42-32.
Morris finished the first half with 11 points for Bryant. Her start to the second half not only put the Lady Hornets right back in the game, but also gave them a shot of momentum that carried them the rest of the way. Morris led an 11-2 run for Bryant to start the third quarter, including a three-point basket at the 5:21 mark to make it 44-41. She tied the game with a pair of free throws in the final minute of the period to tie the game at 48.
“From what I’ve seen of that team over the last couple of years, everything seems to go through her,” Ruple said. “The coach has a lot of confidence in her. She’s one of their seniors. There were a couple of times we were sure they were going to her. They ran similar plays, but they ran the little girl out instead.”
Glover led the Lady Panth-ers with 18 points and eight rebounds. Rosel added nine points, with eight each for Ashcraft, Rock and Taylor. Moore had seven rebounds, and Bailey led defensively with four steals.
For Bryant, Goshien finished with 18 points and five rebounds.
Cabot’s game last night with Van Buren was postponed.
Leader sportswriter
Close games are simply a way of life in the 7A-Central Conference, and Friday’s thriller between Bryant and Cabot was no exception.
The Lady Hornets benefited from a solid 18-of-25 night at the free-throw line, along with a 27-point, nine-rebound, five-steal performance from Alana Morris for a nail-biting 69-66 win at Panther Pavilion.
Jenna Bailey was the Lady Panthers’ last hope in the final seven seconds, but her three-point shot from the right wing was just off. Bailey’s steal and dish to Taylor Rosel 20 seconds earlier resulted in a trip to the line for Rosel, who hit the back end of a two-shot foul to knot it at 66-66.
Haylie Montgomery put Bryant back on top with a pair of free throws. A shot to tie by Brett Absure missed, and Taylor Hughes grabbed the board for the Lady Hornets. She was immediately fouled, and hit a free throw to set the final margin.
“It was a great game if you were a fan,” said Cabot assistant coach Charles Ruple. “The JV game went two overtimes and people kept coming in. The next thing you know, we had a really nice crowd. The fans on both sides were really into it. Our kids played well. Both teams are really well coached. There were a lot of changes there at the end that you didn’t think there would be.”
Cabot (14-5, 3-2) went 14 of 23 from the foul line, and shot 47 percent from the floor (26 of 55). The Lady Hornets (14-2, 5-0) didn’t get as many looks, but made the most of them. They shot 55 percent (23 of 42), including 5 of 13 from three-point land.
Bryant looked dominant at the start. Hannah Goshien hit a three-point basket to put the Lady Hornets up 8-0 at the 6:20 mark, but Cabot began to attack inside with senior post players Stephanie Glover and UALR signee Shelby Ashcraft.
Ashcraft got the Lady Panthers on the scoreboard with 5:59 left in the first quarter, followed by a basket by Amber Rock. Rock then answered a steal and two by Goshien with a steal and dish to Brooke Taylor to make it 12-7.
Glover and Ashcraft took over from there. Glover sandwiched an Ashcraft jumper with two baskets that gave the Lady Panthers their first lead of the game at 15-14 with 1:40 left in the opening period.
Momentum was fickle most of the night, but Cabot grabbed it late in the second period to end the first half on a 14-0 run. Rosel hit a basket and followed that with two free throws at the 2:09 mark to tie the game at 32, and 6-3 junior post Sarah Moore scored on an inbounds assist from Glover to hand the lead back to the Lady Panthers. Rock scored the final two baskets of the half, the first of which came off a steal by senior Lindsay Hoggatt with 31 seconds left. Her second goal just before the buzzer set the halftime margin at 42-32.
Morris finished the first half with 11 points for Bryant. Her start to the second half not only put the Lady Hornets right back in the game, but also gave them a shot of momentum that carried them the rest of the way. Morris led an 11-2 run for Bryant to start the third quarter, including a three-point basket at the 5:21 mark to make it 44-41. She tied the game with a pair of free throws in the final minute of the period to tie the game at 48.
“From what I’ve seen of that team over the last couple of years, everything seems to go through her,” Ruple said. “The coach has a lot of confidence in her. She’s one of their seniors. There were a couple of times we were sure they were going to her. They ran similar plays, but they ran the little girl out instead.”
Glover led the Lady Panth-ers with 18 points and eight rebounds. Rosel added nine points, with eight each for Ashcraft, Rock and Taylor. Moore had seven rebounds, and Bailey led defensively with four steals.
For Bryant, Goshien finished with 18 points and five rebounds.
Cabot’s game last night with Van Buren was postponed.
SPORTS>>Sterrenberg finds range as Panthers bounce back from loss to beat Bryant
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Bryant was outgunned from the start in Cabot’s 57-30 win on Friday night at Panther Pavilion. Adam Sterrenberg’s 23-point performance led the way for Cabot (13-5, 3-2 7A-Central) and his second-quarter heroics completely deflated the visiting Hornets (7-10, 1-4).
Cabot bounced back from a disappointing showing at Central last Tuesday to remain in a three-way tie for third with Van Buren and Russellville, a game behind North Little Rock and Conway.
“I thought it was a good team effort by everybody,” said Panthers coach Jerry Bridges. “When you play good defense and you rebound, and you force turnovers, it’s easier to go to your transition game than when people are getting offensive rebounds and putbacks on you like Central did the other night.”
Sterrenberg, an Arkansas State signee, had eight points in the second quarter, including a three-point basket, a steal that he took coast to coast for a dunk, and another steal and drive to the hoop that resulted in a dizzying reverse lay-up to start the quarter.
Sterrenberg also added six rebounds and six steals. He got one more jam in the fourth quarter before coach Jerry Bridges pulled him and the rest of the Panther starters. Cabot pushed its advantage to 30 points with four minutes remaining to initiate a continuous clock.
Sterrenberg was still good for nine points in the second half, but also used his court presence to create mismatches for his teammates. His penetration and quick kick outs gave others looks at open threes, and Jack Bridges took advantage for three of his six points for the game in the third quarter.
Sterrenberg’s well-rounded performance pleased the head Panther.
“He’s just got that scorer’s mentality,” Bridges said. “He ran some point for us, and he’s learning that if the shots aren’t falling, let’s look to get other people involved. Adam is a fine ball player, and he’s made my job a little easier the last couple of years.”
Cabot rushed out to an 11-6 lead after one. Sterrenberg’s first steal and coast-to-coast trip extended the lead to seven, and Austin Johnson added to more on the Panthers’s next trip with a putback of his own miss. A Sterrenberg trey and then a dunk put Cabot up 22-10 by the 4:22 mark of the second quarter. The Panthers held Bryant to only 13 points in the first half.
Johnson added seven points and five rebounds, while Jack Bridges, Gary Clark and Miles Monroe each had six.
Cabot's game at Van Buren last night was postponed due to inclement weather.
Leader sportswriter
Bryant was outgunned from the start in Cabot’s 57-30 win on Friday night at Panther Pavilion. Adam Sterrenberg’s 23-point performance led the way for Cabot (13-5, 3-2 7A-Central) and his second-quarter heroics completely deflated the visiting Hornets (7-10, 1-4).
Cabot bounced back from a disappointing showing at Central last Tuesday to remain in a three-way tie for third with Van Buren and Russellville, a game behind North Little Rock and Conway.
“I thought it was a good team effort by everybody,” said Panthers coach Jerry Bridges. “When you play good defense and you rebound, and you force turnovers, it’s easier to go to your transition game than when people are getting offensive rebounds and putbacks on you like Central did the other night.”
Sterrenberg, an Arkansas State signee, had eight points in the second quarter, including a three-point basket, a steal that he took coast to coast for a dunk, and another steal and drive to the hoop that resulted in a dizzying reverse lay-up to start the quarter.
Sterrenberg also added six rebounds and six steals. He got one more jam in the fourth quarter before coach Jerry Bridges pulled him and the rest of the Panther starters. Cabot pushed its advantage to 30 points with four minutes remaining to initiate a continuous clock.
Sterrenberg was still good for nine points in the second half, but also used his court presence to create mismatches for his teammates. His penetration and quick kick outs gave others looks at open threes, and Jack Bridges took advantage for three of his six points for the game in the third quarter.
Sterrenberg’s well-rounded performance pleased the head Panther.
“He’s just got that scorer’s mentality,” Bridges said. “He ran some point for us, and he’s learning that if the shots aren’t falling, let’s look to get other people involved. Adam is a fine ball player, and he’s made my job a little easier the last couple of years.”
Cabot rushed out to an 11-6 lead after one. Sterrenberg’s first steal and coast-to-coast trip extended the lead to seven, and Austin Johnson added to more on the Panthers’s next trip with a putback of his own miss. A Sterrenberg trey and then a dunk put Cabot up 22-10 by the 4:22 mark of the second quarter. The Panthers held Bryant to only 13 points in the first half.
Johnson added seven points and five rebounds, while Jack Bridges, Gary Clark and Miles Monroe each had six.
Cabot's game at Van Buren last night was postponed due to inclement weather.
SPORTS>>Red Devils win third straight on the road
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville head coach Vic Joyner insists his Red Devils were over their disappointing Jan. 9 loss to Little Rock Hall the very next afternoon at practice.
All indications are that he was right.
The Red Devils have taken care of business since, winning three consecutive — all on the road — to keep pace with the first-place Warriors. The latest was a 55-45 victory at Marion on Friday night.
Hall, though banged up, still had plenty of firepower to beat Searcy on Friday and improve to 4-0 in the 6A-East, a half-game ahead of 4-1 Jacksonville and West Memphis. The Blue Devils, who lost by two points on the road to Hall earlier in the season, were to have played at Jacksonville last night before weather postponed the game.
LaQuinton Miles led another balanced Jacksonville attack on Friday with 12 points as the Red Devils rolled out to a comfortable lead before putting the game away with a big third quarter.
“We’re just playing steady,” said Joyner. “We keep plugging away. We (had a big one last night against West Memphis). We need to step up to the challenges.”
Marion, which fell to 2-3 in league play, was down by as many as 25 points before a late rally put a little scare into the Red Devils.
“I put in some subs and we turned it over quite a bit,” Joyner said. “We put the starters back in, but they had the momentum and it was hard for us to get it back.”
Though Marion never got to within nine points, Joyner said it was a little scary down the stretch because of how far the Patriots had climbed to get back into it.
“We were missing some shots we should have hit and the officials were letting (Marion) get aggressive when they were trying to get back in it,” Joyner said. “The kids were getting a little frustrated because of the calls, but they mostly settled down.”
Jacksonville led 23-13 at the half, then came out on fire in the third quarter to put it away. The Patriots were packing in their defense, but the Red Devils began to open things up when Miles hit a three and Deshone McClure added two more to open the second half and start a 15-2 run.
“We can’t continue to wait so long to get started,” Joyner said. “But with them packing it in and jamming up our big men inside, it takes a little while to get into rhythm.”
After Miles and McClure hit the threes, Jacksonville pounded it inside, getting buckets in close by Demetrius Harris, Antwon Lockhart and Antonio Roy.
Miles was the only Red Devil in double figures, though five others scored five or more points, led by Cortrell Eskridge’s nine. McClure and Harris added eight, Roy had seven and Lockhart five.
Jacksonville hit 5 of 11 three-pointers and pulled down 12 offensive rebounds — 31 overall. The Red Devils improved to 11-3 overall.
“Our guys have grown up a lot since last year,” Joyner said. “They’re accepting their roles and are a little more coachable. It takes sacrifices on everybody’s part, including the players, the coaches and the fans.”
MARION GIRLS 55,
JACKSONVILLE 41
The Lady Red Devils dropped their third straight to fall to 7-10 overall, 1-4 in conference play. After beating Little Rock Hall to even their league mark, Jacksonville has fallen to Searcy, Jonesboro and Marion.
Jessica Lanier scored 12 points for the Lady Red Devils, who hosted West Memphis last night in a game played after Leader deadlines.
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville head coach Vic Joyner insists his Red Devils were over their disappointing Jan. 9 loss to Little Rock Hall the very next afternoon at practice.
All indications are that he was right.
The Red Devils have taken care of business since, winning three consecutive — all on the road — to keep pace with the first-place Warriors. The latest was a 55-45 victory at Marion on Friday night.
Hall, though banged up, still had plenty of firepower to beat Searcy on Friday and improve to 4-0 in the 6A-East, a half-game ahead of 4-1 Jacksonville and West Memphis. The Blue Devils, who lost by two points on the road to Hall earlier in the season, were to have played at Jacksonville last night before weather postponed the game.
LaQuinton Miles led another balanced Jacksonville attack on Friday with 12 points as the Red Devils rolled out to a comfortable lead before putting the game away with a big third quarter.
“We’re just playing steady,” said Joyner. “We keep plugging away. We (had a big one last night against West Memphis). We need to step up to the challenges.”
Marion, which fell to 2-3 in league play, was down by as many as 25 points before a late rally put a little scare into the Red Devils.
“I put in some subs and we turned it over quite a bit,” Joyner said. “We put the starters back in, but they had the momentum and it was hard for us to get it back.”
Though Marion never got to within nine points, Joyner said it was a little scary down the stretch because of how far the Patriots had climbed to get back into it.
“We were missing some shots we should have hit and the officials were letting (Marion) get aggressive when they were trying to get back in it,” Joyner said. “The kids were getting a little frustrated because of the calls, but they mostly settled down.”
Jacksonville led 23-13 at the half, then came out on fire in the third quarter to put it away. The Patriots were packing in their defense, but the Red Devils began to open things up when Miles hit a three and Deshone McClure added two more to open the second half and start a 15-2 run.
“We can’t continue to wait so long to get started,” Joyner said. “But with them packing it in and jamming up our big men inside, it takes a little while to get into rhythm.”
After Miles and McClure hit the threes, Jacksonville pounded it inside, getting buckets in close by Demetrius Harris, Antwon Lockhart and Antonio Roy.
Miles was the only Red Devil in double figures, though five others scored five or more points, led by Cortrell Eskridge’s nine. McClure and Harris added eight, Roy had seven and Lockhart five.
Jacksonville hit 5 of 11 three-pointers and pulled down 12 offensive rebounds — 31 overall. The Red Devils improved to 11-3 overall.
“Our guys have grown up a lot since last year,” Joyner said. “They’re accepting their roles and are a little more coachable. It takes sacrifices on everybody’s part, including the players, the coaches and the fans.”
MARION GIRLS 55,
JACKSONVILLE 41
The Lady Red Devils dropped their third straight to fall to 7-10 overall, 1-4 in conference play. After beating Little Rock Hall to even their league mark, Jacksonville has fallen to Searcy, Jonesboro and Marion.
Jessica Lanier scored 12 points for the Lady Red Devils, who hosted West Memphis last night in a game played after Leader deadlines.
SPORTS>>Sylvan Hills goes cold in second half, falls to Mills
By CHAD MATCHETT
Special to The Leader
Sylvan Hills had problems once the jumpers stopped falling Friday night at home against the Mills Comets.
Sylvan Hills fell 54-43 to the Comets to drop to 7-10 overall and 2-3 in the 5A-Southeast.
The Bears find themselves in a tie for fifth with Crossett, two games behind co-leaders McClellan and North Pulaski and a game back of Beebe and Mills.
Nick Zimmerman, Kolby Davis and Harold Ward each drained a pair three-pointers in the game. But those shots weren’t there when the Bears needed them in the fourth quarter. Part of the problem was that the Bears became a little gun-shy at times in the game.
“We need to be more decisive, more aggressive when teams are giving us open shots,” Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis said. “There were times when Nick or Harold would catch a pass, then look to make the next pass before looking back for the shot. That gave the Comets time to get back and challenge the shots.”
Sylvan Hills had a solid first quarter and led 14-8. The second quarter didn’t go so well as the Comets outscored the Bears 13-4 to take a 21-18 lead at halftime.
The Comets had a chance to really extend their lead early in the third quarter, but missed eight consecutive free throws.
“Free throws are something that have really hurt us this year,” Mills coach Leo Olberts said. “Just about every game we’ve lost has come down to free throws.”
One basket among all those missed freebies gave the Comets a 23-18 lead midway through the third.
Ward missed a chance at a three-point play when he was called for charging. He made up for that soon after with a rare four-point play gave the Bears a one-point lead late in the quarter. The Comets went into the fourth quarter leading 31-29 after a buzzer-beating tip in by Kyle Jackson.
Mills started pounding the ball inside in the fourth quarter with forward Chris Neal scoring eight of his 10 points in the quarter. The Comets went on a 10-2 run to gain a little breathing room.
“We really wanted to get the ball inside more in the second half,” Olberts said. “Neal had a big half for us. He did a good job posting up.”
Kolby Davis pulled the Bears to within six points, but free throws down the stretch by Nick Harsberry, Chris Hampton and Montez Peterson put the game away for the Comets. Harsberry led the Comets with 14 points, including a perfect 8 of 8 night from the line. The Comets scored 19 points off free throws, while the Bears were 5 of 5 from the line.
Sylvan Hills was still without it’s top two post players in P.J. Ross and Taylor Beeman.
“We’re still a little gimpy inside and that hurts,” Davis said. “Mills always does such a good job of getting in the lane and attacking the basket.”
Ross (6-2) and Beeman (6-5), are expected to return this week. Ross played sparingly against the Comets, making a pair of free throws. Ross is averaging close to 20 points per game this season.
Ward led the Bears with 11 points. Zimmerman and Davis each scored eight in the loss.
Special to The Leader
Sylvan Hills had problems once the jumpers stopped falling Friday night at home against the Mills Comets.
Sylvan Hills fell 54-43 to the Comets to drop to 7-10 overall and 2-3 in the 5A-Southeast.
The Bears find themselves in a tie for fifth with Crossett, two games behind co-leaders McClellan and North Pulaski and a game back of Beebe and Mills.
Nick Zimmerman, Kolby Davis and Harold Ward each drained a pair three-pointers in the game. But those shots weren’t there when the Bears needed them in the fourth quarter. Part of the problem was that the Bears became a little gun-shy at times in the game.
“We need to be more decisive, more aggressive when teams are giving us open shots,” Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis said. “There were times when Nick or Harold would catch a pass, then look to make the next pass before looking back for the shot. That gave the Comets time to get back and challenge the shots.”
Sylvan Hills had a solid first quarter and led 14-8. The second quarter didn’t go so well as the Comets outscored the Bears 13-4 to take a 21-18 lead at halftime.
The Comets had a chance to really extend their lead early in the third quarter, but missed eight consecutive free throws.
“Free throws are something that have really hurt us this year,” Mills coach Leo Olberts said. “Just about every game we’ve lost has come down to free throws.”
One basket among all those missed freebies gave the Comets a 23-18 lead midway through the third.
Ward missed a chance at a three-point play when he was called for charging. He made up for that soon after with a rare four-point play gave the Bears a one-point lead late in the quarter. The Comets went into the fourth quarter leading 31-29 after a buzzer-beating tip in by Kyle Jackson.
Mills started pounding the ball inside in the fourth quarter with forward Chris Neal scoring eight of his 10 points in the quarter. The Comets went on a 10-2 run to gain a little breathing room.
“We really wanted to get the ball inside more in the second half,” Olberts said. “Neal had a big half for us. He did a good job posting up.”
Kolby Davis pulled the Bears to within six points, but free throws down the stretch by Nick Harsberry, Chris Hampton and Montez Peterson put the game away for the Comets. Harsberry led the Comets with 14 points, including a perfect 8 of 8 night from the line. The Comets scored 19 points off free throws, while the Bears were 5 of 5 from the line.
Sylvan Hills was still without it’s top two post players in P.J. Ross and Taylor Beeman.
“We’re still a little gimpy inside and that hurts,” Davis said. “Mills always does such a good job of getting in the lane and attacking the basket.”
Ross (6-2) and Beeman (6-5), are expected to return this week. Ross played sparingly against the Comets, making a pair of free throws. Ross is averaging close to 20 points per game this season.
Ward led the Bears with 11 points. Zimmerman and Davis each scored eight in the loss.
SPORTS>>Lady Raiders rally from 15-0 deficit in victory
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
When the Riverview Lady Raiders fell behind Hardi ng Academy 15-0 on Friday night, the last thing anyone in the raucous crowd could have imagined was a dramatic, heroic ending.
But that’s exactly what Ashante Baker provided when she hit the game-winning basket along the right side of the lane with five seconds left as Riverview rallied for a stunning 48-47 win over the first-place Lady Wildcats at the Riverview Activity Center.
“We’re warriors and we just fight the whole time,” Riverview head coach Russell Stumpenhaus said. “That’s all we do. That’s the only way I can explain it. We’ve been down before. We were down 21 to England and almost came back.”
It was a jolt for the Lady Wildcats (10-6 overall), who lost their fourth game of the season by two points or less, but still remain tied for first place with Rose Bud at 7-2 in the 2-3A Conference. Riverview improved to 5-3.
“The locker room felt like grenade went off,” Harding Academy coach Rusty Garner said. “It was just like the Rose Bud game (when the Lady Wildcats lost a three-point lead in the final minute and lost on a last-second shot). Both of those games, we felt like we had it to win. But she hit a tough shot. Give her credit.
“The feeling of having it and then losing it is harder than not having it at all.”
Harding Academy appeared to have it and then some after playing what Garner called the best stretch of the season in the first period. Crisp ball movement led to open shots and a 15-0 lead.
“After we got up 9-0, we kind of thought it might start rolling from there,” Garner said. “But Ariel (English) picked up her second foul and we missed a few shots and Riverview started chipping away. They didn’t panic.”
While Baker was the hero late, she was the rudder early, scoring three straight times over a minute-and-a-half span in the second quarter to keep Riverview within shouting distance. Three-pointers by Molly Sims and Kandice Leggett suddenly had the Lady Raiders with three points, though point guard Queen Banks drew her third and fourth fouls in a 10-second span before intermission.
The Lady Raiders got a Leggett lay-up and the first of three three-pointers by Casie Clause gave Riverview a 24-23 lead just 48 seconds into the second half.
Harding Academy’s Anna Bangs took it on herself in the second half, scoring 14 of the Lady Wildcats’ 24 points. Her end-to-end basket and baseline bucket and free throw put Harding Academy back on top, 33-30, at the 3:21 mark of the third period.
But Riverview responded with eight straight points on a nifty spin move by Emily Harris, and three-pointers by Kelly Blackwood and Clause as Riverview took a 38-33 lead into the final period.
Harding Academy finally reclaimed the lead on Bangs’ drive through the paint with a minute remaining. After Baker missed on the other end, Ciarra Farmer went to the line for Harding Academy with 33 seconds and a chance to extend the 47-46 lead. She missed both, though, setting up Baker’s drive down the right side of the lane and winning scoop.
“We thought they’d go strong with the zone,” Stumpenhaus said. “I told them, if we didn’t have a look on the outside, either Queen or Ashante should take it inside.”
Garner said one of his players got caught on a switch and couldn’t get over to cut Baker off.
“I could kind of see it on our kids,” Garner said. “That was the third time they came down and we had a one-point lead. We missed a couple of free throws and made a questionable decision. You only get so many chances.”
The Lady Wildcats made 13 of 25 free throws, only 8 of 17 after intermission.
After Baker’s basket, Harding Academy called a time out and Bangs tried to race to the other end for a game-winner. But her shot in the lane came after the buzzer.
“Once we got out of our rhythm from the first quarter, we couldn’t get back in it,” Garner said. “Sometimes I forget that I’ve got five starters that haven’t done this before. My expectation level has gotten so high.”
Bangs led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds, with McKenzie Miller adding 11 and English 10. Taylor Mote added six points and three assists, while Farmer pulled down nine rebounds.
For Riverview, Clause scored 11 points and Leggett added 10 points, five rebounds and three assists. Baker had eight and Harris seven. Riverview (11-8 overall) made 7 of 15 three-pointers.
“It’s tough because we’re so short,” Stumpenhaus said. “But we’re figuring out how to play together. This team has good chemistry.”
Leader sports editor
When the Riverview Lady Raiders fell behind Hardi ng Academy 15-0 on Friday night, the last thing anyone in the raucous crowd could have imagined was a dramatic, heroic ending.
But that’s exactly what Ashante Baker provided when she hit the game-winning basket along the right side of the lane with five seconds left as Riverview rallied for a stunning 48-47 win over the first-place Lady Wildcats at the Riverview Activity Center.
“We’re warriors and we just fight the whole time,” Riverview head coach Russell Stumpenhaus said. “That’s all we do. That’s the only way I can explain it. We’ve been down before. We were down 21 to England and almost came back.”
It was a jolt for the Lady Wildcats (10-6 overall), who lost their fourth game of the season by two points or less, but still remain tied for first place with Rose Bud at 7-2 in the 2-3A Conference. Riverview improved to 5-3.
“The locker room felt like grenade went off,” Harding Academy coach Rusty Garner said. “It was just like the Rose Bud game (when the Lady Wildcats lost a three-point lead in the final minute and lost on a last-second shot). Both of those games, we felt like we had it to win. But she hit a tough shot. Give her credit.
“The feeling of having it and then losing it is harder than not having it at all.”
Harding Academy appeared to have it and then some after playing what Garner called the best stretch of the season in the first period. Crisp ball movement led to open shots and a 15-0 lead.
“After we got up 9-0, we kind of thought it might start rolling from there,” Garner said. “But Ariel (English) picked up her second foul and we missed a few shots and Riverview started chipping away. They didn’t panic.”
While Baker was the hero late, she was the rudder early, scoring three straight times over a minute-and-a-half span in the second quarter to keep Riverview within shouting distance. Three-pointers by Molly Sims and Kandice Leggett suddenly had the Lady Raiders with three points, though point guard Queen Banks drew her third and fourth fouls in a 10-second span before intermission.
The Lady Raiders got a Leggett lay-up and the first of three three-pointers by Casie Clause gave Riverview a 24-23 lead just 48 seconds into the second half.
Harding Academy’s Anna Bangs took it on herself in the second half, scoring 14 of the Lady Wildcats’ 24 points. Her end-to-end basket and baseline bucket and free throw put Harding Academy back on top, 33-30, at the 3:21 mark of the third period.
But Riverview responded with eight straight points on a nifty spin move by Emily Harris, and three-pointers by Kelly Blackwood and Clause as Riverview took a 38-33 lead into the final period.
Harding Academy finally reclaimed the lead on Bangs’ drive through the paint with a minute remaining. After Baker missed on the other end, Ciarra Farmer went to the line for Harding Academy with 33 seconds and a chance to extend the 47-46 lead. She missed both, though, setting up Baker’s drive down the right side of the lane and winning scoop.
“We thought they’d go strong with the zone,” Stumpenhaus said. “I told them, if we didn’t have a look on the outside, either Queen or Ashante should take it inside.”
Garner said one of his players got caught on a switch and couldn’t get over to cut Baker off.
“I could kind of see it on our kids,” Garner said. “That was the third time they came down and we had a one-point lead. We missed a couple of free throws and made a questionable decision. You only get so many chances.”
The Lady Wildcats made 13 of 25 free throws, only 8 of 17 after intermission.
After Baker’s basket, Harding Academy called a time out and Bangs tried to race to the other end for a game-winner. But her shot in the lane came after the buzzer.
“Once we got out of our rhythm from the first quarter, we couldn’t get back in it,” Garner said. “Sometimes I forget that I’ve got five starters that haven’t done this before. My expectation level has gotten so high.”
Bangs led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds, with McKenzie Miller adding 11 and English 10. Taylor Mote added six points and three assists, while Farmer pulled down nine rebounds.
For Riverview, Clause scored 11 points and Leggett added 10 points, five rebounds and three assists. Baker had eight and Harris seven. Riverview (11-8 overall) made 7 of 15 three-pointers.
“It’s tough because we’re so short,” Stumpenhaus said. “But we’re figuring out how to play together. This team has good chemistry.”
Monday, January 26, 2009
EDITORIAL>>Big tobacco fights tax
The cigarette industry, which keeps a gaggle of Arkansas lobbyists on contract, brought in the big boys this week to begin a full-court press against the cigarette tax. Now we will see whether Governor Beebe, who gets everything he wants in the legislature, is finally overmatched. Let’s hope not.
A corporate team from Altria Group, formerly known as Philip Morris, jetted in from Richmond, Va., and began the round of newspaper editorial offices and other opinion outposts to make the case that a 56-cent-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax would hurt poor people. The companies are not concerned that the tax might nudge people to quit smoking and reduce tobacco profits, you understand, but only with the plight of the poor.
Altria, R. J. Reynolds American and Lorillard Tobacco Co. have their hands full this year. Many states are raising tobacco taxes, a few of them like Arkansas to improve health services and others to supplement falling general revenues. Congress is raising the federal excise tax by 59 cents a pack.
Word yesterday was that Dick Armey, the former Republican leader of the U. S. House of Representatives and a corporate shill both before and after leaving Congress, is coming to Little Rock to fight the tax. He is the spokesman for an outfit called FreedomWorks, which works to keep taxes low on corporations.
The tax bill is to be introduced early next week. The revenues, estimated to be about $85 million a year, would establish a network of trauma centers around the state to provide emergency medical care and expand a variety of medical and mental health services, including health insurance for more children. The governor strongly supports it, as do the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate.
Because of the political clout behind the tax and its universally popular benefits, passage ought to be assured. But under Arkansas’ perverse Constitution, this is one tax that requires the votes of three-fourths of the members of both houses. Nine of 135 members of the legislature can block it or otherwise dictate tax policy. Passage will require a powerful demonstration of public support for the tax.
The tobacco lobbyists shed fake tears for the poor who would pay the tax. It is true that the tax is regressive because people of low incomes are more likely to smoke. But the best reason to support the tax is not for the expansion of medical services but because it may cause hundreds of thousands of people to quit smoking and deter youngsters from starting the habit.
Tobacco is the largest single contributor to public health costs in Arkansas. It is in that way the fairest tax of them all.
A corporate team from Altria Group, formerly known as Philip Morris, jetted in from Richmond, Va., and began the round of newspaper editorial offices and other opinion outposts to make the case that a 56-cent-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax would hurt poor people. The companies are not concerned that the tax might nudge people to quit smoking and reduce tobacco profits, you understand, but only with the plight of the poor.
Altria, R. J. Reynolds American and Lorillard Tobacco Co. have their hands full this year. Many states are raising tobacco taxes, a few of them like Arkansas to improve health services and others to supplement falling general revenues. Congress is raising the federal excise tax by 59 cents a pack.
Word yesterday was that Dick Armey, the former Republican leader of the U. S. House of Representatives and a corporate shill both before and after leaving Congress, is coming to Little Rock to fight the tax. He is the spokesman for an outfit called FreedomWorks, which works to keep taxes low on corporations.
The tax bill is to be introduced early next week. The revenues, estimated to be about $85 million a year, would establish a network of trauma centers around the state to provide emergency medical care and expand a variety of medical and mental health services, including health insurance for more children. The governor strongly supports it, as do the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate.
Because of the political clout behind the tax and its universally popular benefits, passage ought to be assured. But under Arkansas’ perverse Constitution, this is one tax that requires the votes of three-fourths of the members of both houses. Nine of 135 members of the legislature can block it or otherwise dictate tax policy. Passage will require a powerful demonstration of public support for the tax.
The tobacco lobbyists shed fake tears for the poor who would pay the tax. It is true that the tax is regressive because people of low incomes are more likely to smoke. But the best reason to support the tax is not for the expansion of medical services but because it may cause hundreds of thousands of people to quit smoking and deter youngsters from starting the habit.
Tobacco is the largest single contributor to public health costs in Arkansas. It is in that way the fairest tax of them all.
EDITORIAL>>Animal cruelty bill heads for passage
Arkansas finally will have an animal-cruelty law worth the name, but who could have imagined that it would take negotiations on the order of the Irish peace talks? The Senate passed the bill easily this week and the bill had enough sponsors in the House of Representatives to assure passage next week. Governor Beebe, who deserves some credit for investing his considerable clout in the issue, will sign it into law.
While Arkansas was virtually alone among the states in not allowing the criminal prosecution of people who torture and neglect animals and stories about the abuse of animals were legion, the legislature stymied bills to enhance the punishment session after session. Arkansas voters six years ago defeated a mild cruelty initiative, soundly. The Arkansas Farm Bureau and cattlemen’s and hunting groups raised the specter of people going to prison for branding cattle, penning hogs or trapping wild animals.
It was all nonsense. No one was being prosecuted for such things anywhere in the land, but people will believe anything in a television ad.
After Governor Beebe said he wanted to see a bill passed this session, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel went to work to craft legislation that the Farm Bureau and other opponents could support. The bill went through more than 40 drafts as he negotiated every line and comma with all the distrustful interests. In the end, the Farm Bureau announced its support for the bill.
Animal cruelty will be a Class D felony with a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to six years in jail for examples of extreme and systematic mistreatment of animals. A person can be charged with aggravated animal cruelty on first offense when it is committed against a cat, dog or horse. In the past the Farm Bureau objected to felony charges for a first offense.
The law will give the state leverage against the puppy mills that cram dozens of dogs into tiny and filthy pens where they are subjected to malnutrition and disease. It is hard to believe that anyone would take pleasure in torturing animals, such as a woman’s dog that was skinned alive at Benton last year. A law with swift and strong punishment will act as a deterrent.
Arkansas can take its place among all the states that treat fellow creatures with respect. Thank you, General McDaniel, for getting it done.
While Arkansas was virtually alone among the states in not allowing the criminal prosecution of people who torture and neglect animals and stories about the abuse of animals were legion, the legislature stymied bills to enhance the punishment session after session. Arkansas voters six years ago defeated a mild cruelty initiative, soundly. The Arkansas Farm Bureau and cattlemen’s and hunting groups raised the specter of people going to prison for branding cattle, penning hogs or trapping wild animals.
It was all nonsense. No one was being prosecuted for such things anywhere in the land, but people will believe anything in a television ad.
After Governor Beebe said he wanted to see a bill passed this session, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel went to work to craft legislation that the Farm Bureau and other opponents could support. The bill went through more than 40 drafts as he negotiated every line and comma with all the distrustful interests. In the end, the Farm Bureau announced its support for the bill.
Animal cruelty will be a Class D felony with a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to six years in jail for examples of extreme and systematic mistreatment of animals. A person can be charged with aggravated animal cruelty on first offense when it is committed against a cat, dog or horse. In the past the Farm Bureau objected to felony charges for a first offense.
The law will give the state leverage against the puppy mills that cram dozens of dogs into tiny and filthy pens where they are subjected to malnutrition and disease. It is hard to believe that anyone would take pleasure in torturing animals, such as a woman’s dog that was skinned alive at Benton last year. A law with swift and strong punishment will act as a deterrent.
Arkansas can take its place among all the states that treat fellow creatures with respect. Thank you, General McDaniel, for getting it done.
TOP STORY>>Sharpe will keep job for now
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
To Superintendent James Sharpe, it was a vote of confidence. To some Pulaski County Special School District board members, it was a rebuke of Sharpe. The board emerged from a 90-minute executive session Friday and voted unanimously to keep Sharpe for two years, but to forgo the customary one-year extension of his contract.
That means his contract will run only through June 2011, at approximately $200,000 a year, including benefits.
Sharpe’s contract has been a point of contention with the board, which has discussed and voted on whether or not to fire him several times since last fall.
The fire has gone out of that issue, for now at least, according to Bill Vasquez, the board member representing the Jacksonville area.
Sharpe has been at odds with the district’s two unions, and three board members had voted in the past to fire him, falling one vote short.
“It’s good to be wanted, to be accepted and recognized to do the job,” said Sharpe following the meeting.
He said he could continue to work with the board without problem.
Sharpe’s future, which should have been decided by early January, was still up in the air when Sharpe and his attorney, Melva Harmon, sent a letter to board members saying they would be open to negotiating a buyout of his contract.
That could have cost the district an estimated $400,000.
Board members who wanted to oust Sharpe say he acted too slowly in moving children from Clinton and Crystal Hills elementary schools, where roof trusses were found to have cracked, bowed and buckled.
The students were moved to alternative sites and the trusses were repaired over Christmas vacation with all students returning to school at the beginning of the new semester.
The school board has a long history of antipathy toward its superintendents, none of whom have left entirely of their own accord in the past several years.
Before hiring Sharpe as superintendent in February 2006, the board bought out the contract of Superintendent Don Henderson for about $200,000, and before Henderson was hired, the board bought out the contract of Gary Smith for about $450,000.
“Nobody in this community thinks you should spend $400,000 to buy out a superintendent,” said Jacksonville Middle School Boys Principal Mike Nellums.
“When we were in fiscal distress, (Sharpe) worked hard with the state Education Department to get us out. He should be commended for that, but I don’t think most taxpayers would want to buy the contract out for $400,000.”
Leader senior staff writer
To Superintendent James Sharpe, it was a vote of confidence. To some Pulaski County Special School District board members, it was a rebuke of Sharpe. The board emerged from a 90-minute executive session Friday and voted unanimously to keep Sharpe for two years, but to forgo the customary one-year extension of his contract.
That means his contract will run only through June 2011, at approximately $200,000 a year, including benefits.
Sharpe’s contract has been a point of contention with the board, which has discussed and voted on whether or not to fire him several times since last fall.
The fire has gone out of that issue, for now at least, according to Bill Vasquez, the board member representing the Jacksonville area.
Sharpe has been at odds with the district’s two unions, and three board members had voted in the past to fire him, falling one vote short.
“It’s good to be wanted, to be accepted and recognized to do the job,” said Sharpe following the meeting.
He said he could continue to work with the board without problem.
Sharpe’s future, which should have been decided by early January, was still up in the air when Sharpe and his attorney, Melva Harmon, sent a letter to board members saying they would be open to negotiating a buyout of his contract.
That could have cost the district an estimated $400,000.
Board members who wanted to oust Sharpe say he acted too slowly in moving children from Clinton and Crystal Hills elementary schools, where roof trusses were found to have cracked, bowed and buckled.
The students were moved to alternative sites and the trusses were repaired over Christmas vacation with all students returning to school at the beginning of the new semester.
The school board has a long history of antipathy toward its superintendents, none of whom have left entirely of their own accord in the past several years.
Before hiring Sharpe as superintendent in February 2006, the board bought out the contract of Superintendent Don Henderson for about $200,000, and before Henderson was hired, the board bought out the contract of Gary Smith for about $450,000.
“Nobody in this community thinks you should spend $400,000 to buy out a superintendent,” said Jacksonville Middle School Boys Principal Mike Nellums.
“When we were in fiscal distress, (Sharpe) worked hard with the state Education Department to get us out. He should be commended for that, but I don’t think most taxpayers would want to buy the contract out for $400,000.”
TOP STORY>>Sergeant guilty in trial on air base
By NANCY DOCKTER
Leader staff writer
An Air Force staff sergeant stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base was convicted of aggravated assault Friday for his part in a 2005 brutal gang initiation of an Army sergeant, who died from his injuries. At the time, both men were stationed in Germany.
Staff Sgt. Jerome Jones, 25, will serve two years in prison, have his rank reduced to airman basic and receive a dishonorable discharge for his part in the death of Army Sgt. Juwan Johnson and convictions on a host of other charges.
Jones’ court martial began last week at the air base. The five-man panel of jurors went into deliberations Thursday afternoon and returned its verdict and sentence by early Friday evening.
The maximum time Jones could have been sentenced if convicted on all charges was 59 years. But before his sentencing, the maximum was capped at 17.5 years.
Jones was also found guilty of conspiracy to wrongfully impede an investigation, conspiracy to participate in an organization that advocates use of force or violence, influencing actions of a potential witness, conduct that is detrimental to the good order and discipline of the armed forces and its public esteem, wrongful use of a controlled substance (marijuana), and failure to obey a regulation by participation in an organization that advocates use of force or violence.
Jones was found not guilty of being an accessory after the fact, involving alleged fundraising to enable the gang’s alleged ringleader, former Airman Rico Williams, elude authorities. Williams remains at large.
By consenting to the ritual beating, Johnson earned membership in a group that went by the names BOSS (Brothers of the Strong Struggle) and Gangster Disciples, which attracted young black males and was active in and around Kaiserslautern, Germany, for several years before the fatal incident.
Johnson was found dead in his Army barracks on July 4, 2005, the morning after the initiation. Multiple blunt-force trauma was ruled as the cause of his death, according to an autopsy by the Army.
The three days of testimony included that of five current or former U.S. servicemen, as well as that of expert witnesses in forensic medicine and gang behavior.
To get a guilty verdict on as many of the charges as possible, the prosecution needed to convince jurors of two things: that the group to which Jones belonged was a true gang, and that he was fully responsible for Johnson’s death, regardless of his intent, Johnson’s own willing participation in the beating, or others’ culpability.
Throughout the trial, Jones’ defense team sought to discredit the idea that the group was actually a gang, but more accurately a group of “gang wannabes” who were acting out delusions of the ringleader Williams.
In closing arguments, Maj. Veronique Anderson, a defense attorney, called the prosecution’s case nothing more than “guilt by association, labels and stereotypes,” dependent upon circumstantial evidence and unreliable testimony from others implicated in the case.
Jones did not take the stand, but according to testimony from gang members, Johnson’s initiatition was more brutal than others by the group. Nine men – airmen and soldiers – took part, rather than the usual six. Several times, the victim was asked if he wanted the battering to stop; each time, he urged the group to continue. Several times, he fell and was helped up. The last time, he was left on the ground and kicked, until repeated shouts from a timekeeper stopped the assault after six minutes. Dazed and unable to walk on his own, Johnson was driven back to his quarters, rather than going out to celebrate, which was customary after induction of a new member. Some witnesses said Jones participated in the initiation, others said he was not present.
Long before being implicated in the crime, Jones was transferred from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to Little Rock, where he has worked as an aircraft maintainer with the 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron until his court martial.
Some testimony from former members portrayed the group as belligerent, frequently engaging in gang fights at a local club, Black Sounds, which was claimed as its turf. Williams was depicted as a charismatic figure who commanded respect through use of violence and was emulated by Jones and others who rose to prominence in the organization.
Testimony from others familiar with the group described it as a surrogate family or fraternity that hosted barbeques, parties, talent shows, even baby showers, and only over time became more gang-like, as Williams aligned the group’s identity with the Gangster Disciples, a once-powerful stateside gang and rival of the Crips and Bloods.
At his direction, members researched the “G.D.” on the Internet and adopted its trappings – gang colors, body language, sayings, and icons, including the six-pointed Star of David and credo, “living under the six – love, life, loyalty, understanding, wisdom, and knowledge.”
CHARADE OR REAL?
The prosecution and defense brought their own, very different expert witnesses to testify about the character of the group to which Jones belonged. Prosecution witness John Bowman, a Killeen, Texas, police detective with a long career in gang investigations, including those in the military, testified that the Kaiserslautern group was indeed a gang, whose behavior and symbols were “largely consistent” with the Chicago-based Gangster Disciples.
In contrast, the defense’s expert witness on gangs was Lewis Yablonksy, a University of California professor with a 50-year career in gang research and an author of several books on the topic. He categorically rejected the idea that servicemen could ever belong to a true gang, because their military livelihoods precluded them from full-time criminal activity, which according to his own academic framework, is the defining characteristic of a gang.
He admitted to never having studied the Gangster Disciples or military gangs. In his opinion, the Kaiserlautern group had been manipulated into living out Williams’ fantasies and merely engaged in “a psychodrama” in off-time from military jobs.
SHIFTING THE BLAME
The defense tried several strategies to shift responsibility away from the accused by pointing the finger of blame elsewhere – at the victim himself, at others who had been with Johnson during and after the beating, and at the U.S. Army.
Johnson’s own willingness to be beaten did not in anyway lessen the culpability of Jones or others who may have contributed to Johnson’s death, ruled the military judge, Lt. Col. Nancy Paul. To an appeal by another defense attorney, Maj. Conrad Huygen, that jurors should be instructed to consider the victim’s lawful consent in their deliberations, Paul refused, noting, “The initiation in of itself was unlawful.”
Eleven U.S. servicemen have been implicated in the incident – nine as participants in the beating and two as bystanders.. Two airmen and one soldier have been convicted, with prison sentences ranging from six to 12 years. One has been acquitted. Another awaits trial in February.
MEDICAL CAUSES
The defense attempted to shift blame as well to the Army for its failure to screen Johnson for an underlying medical condition that the defense’s forensic medicine expert testified contributed to his death. Harry Bonnell, former deputy medical examiner for San Diego, Calif., told jurors that organ tissue samples revealed that Johnson was a carrier of the trait for sickle cell disease, which affects individuals of African descent.
The disorder, which causes red blood cells to change from a normal doughnut to crescent shape is protective against malaria, but also impedes the flow of oxygen to body tissues. Individuals without the sickle cell disease, but who are carriers of the trait, generally live healthy lives, Bonnell said, but physical exertion and dehydration can bring on a sudden sickling of blood cells and even death. Bonnell contended that this is what happened to Johnson, although he had no history of sickle cell crisis, even as an athlete or during an Iraq tour of duty.
Maj. Huygen saw Bonnell’s testimony as reason to blame the Army for Johnson’s death.
“The United States Army is accountable for this. Sgt. Johnson was not given the tools to recognize what was going on in his body,” Huygen said.
In her closing arguments, prosecution attorney Capt. Deanna Daly told the jurors, “One thing we know for sure, the one definite conclusion from three experts – if he had not been beaten that day he would not have died. They were using violence against other members of the military, some who outranked them. I am not saying it is an intentional death, but he (Jones) is responsible.” She urged the panel, in their deliberations, to “use your common sense and way of the world.”
Leader staff writer
An Air Force staff sergeant stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base was convicted of aggravated assault Friday for his part in a 2005 brutal gang initiation of an Army sergeant, who died from his injuries. At the time, both men were stationed in Germany.
Staff Sgt. Jerome Jones, 25, will serve two years in prison, have his rank reduced to airman basic and receive a dishonorable discharge for his part in the death of Army Sgt. Juwan Johnson and convictions on a host of other charges.
Jones’ court martial began last week at the air base. The five-man panel of jurors went into deliberations Thursday afternoon and returned its verdict and sentence by early Friday evening.
The maximum time Jones could have been sentenced if convicted on all charges was 59 years. But before his sentencing, the maximum was capped at 17.5 years.
Jones was also found guilty of conspiracy to wrongfully impede an investigation, conspiracy to participate in an organization that advocates use of force or violence, influencing actions of a potential witness, conduct that is detrimental to the good order and discipline of the armed forces and its public esteem, wrongful use of a controlled substance (marijuana), and failure to obey a regulation by participation in an organization that advocates use of force or violence.
Jones was found not guilty of being an accessory after the fact, involving alleged fundraising to enable the gang’s alleged ringleader, former Airman Rico Williams, elude authorities. Williams remains at large.
By consenting to the ritual beating, Johnson earned membership in a group that went by the names BOSS (Brothers of the Strong Struggle) and Gangster Disciples, which attracted young black males and was active in and around Kaiserslautern, Germany, for several years before the fatal incident.
Johnson was found dead in his Army barracks on July 4, 2005, the morning after the initiation. Multiple blunt-force trauma was ruled as the cause of his death, according to an autopsy by the Army.
The three days of testimony included that of five current or former U.S. servicemen, as well as that of expert witnesses in forensic medicine and gang behavior.
To get a guilty verdict on as many of the charges as possible, the prosecution needed to convince jurors of two things: that the group to which Jones belonged was a true gang, and that he was fully responsible for Johnson’s death, regardless of his intent, Johnson’s own willing participation in the beating, or others’ culpability.
Throughout the trial, Jones’ defense team sought to discredit the idea that the group was actually a gang, but more accurately a group of “gang wannabes” who were acting out delusions of the ringleader Williams.
In closing arguments, Maj. Veronique Anderson, a defense attorney, called the prosecution’s case nothing more than “guilt by association, labels and stereotypes,” dependent upon circumstantial evidence and unreliable testimony from others implicated in the case.
Jones did not take the stand, but according to testimony from gang members, Johnson’s initiatition was more brutal than others by the group. Nine men – airmen and soldiers – took part, rather than the usual six. Several times, the victim was asked if he wanted the battering to stop; each time, he urged the group to continue. Several times, he fell and was helped up. The last time, he was left on the ground and kicked, until repeated shouts from a timekeeper stopped the assault after six minutes. Dazed and unable to walk on his own, Johnson was driven back to his quarters, rather than going out to celebrate, which was customary after induction of a new member. Some witnesses said Jones participated in the initiation, others said he was not present.
Long before being implicated in the crime, Jones was transferred from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to Little Rock, where he has worked as an aircraft maintainer with the 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron until his court martial.
Some testimony from former members portrayed the group as belligerent, frequently engaging in gang fights at a local club, Black Sounds, which was claimed as its turf. Williams was depicted as a charismatic figure who commanded respect through use of violence and was emulated by Jones and others who rose to prominence in the organization.
Testimony from others familiar with the group described it as a surrogate family or fraternity that hosted barbeques, parties, talent shows, even baby showers, and only over time became more gang-like, as Williams aligned the group’s identity with the Gangster Disciples, a once-powerful stateside gang and rival of the Crips and Bloods.
At his direction, members researched the “G.D.” on the Internet and adopted its trappings – gang colors, body language, sayings, and icons, including the six-pointed Star of David and credo, “living under the six – love, life, loyalty, understanding, wisdom, and knowledge.”
CHARADE OR REAL?
The prosecution and defense brought their own, very different expert witnesses to testify about the character of the group to which Jones belonged. Prosecution witness John Bowman, a Killeen, Texas, police detective with a long career in gang investigations, including those in the military, testified that the Kaiserslautern group was indeed a gang, whose behavior and symbols were “largely consistent” with the Chicago-based Gangster Disciples.
In contrast, the defense’s expert witness on gangs was Lewis Yablonksy, a University of California professor with a 50-year career in gang research and an author of several books on the topic. He categorically rejected the idea that servicemen could ever belong to a true gang, because their military livelihoods precluded them from full-time criminal activity, which according to his own academic framework, is the defining characteristic of a gang.
He admitted to never having studied the Gangster Disciples or military gangs. In his opinion, the Kaiserlautern group had been manipulated into living out Williams’ fantasies and merely engaged in “a psychodrama” in off-time from military jobs.
SHIFTING THE BLAME
The defense tried several strategies to shift responsibility away from the accused by pointing the finger of blame elsewhere – at the victim himself, at others who had been with Johnson during and after the beating, and at the U.S. Army.
Johnson’s own willingness to be beaten did not in anyway lessen the culpability of Jones or others who may have contributed to Johnson’s death, ruled the military judge, Lt. Col. Nancy Paul. To an appeal by another defense attorney, Maj. Conrad Huygen, that jurors should be instructed to consider the victim’s lawful consent in their deliberations, Paul refused, noting, “The initiation in of itself was unlawful.”
Eleven U.S. servicemen have been implicated in the incident – nine as participants in the beating and two as bystanders.. Two airmen and one soldier have been convicted, with prison sentences ranging from six to 12 years. One has been acquitted. Another awaits trial in February.
MEDICAL CAUSES
The defense attempted to shift blame as well to the Army for its failure to screen Johnson for an underlying medical condition that the defense’s forensic medicine expert testified contributed to his death. Harry Bonnell, former deputy medical examiner for San Diego, Calif., told jurors that organ tissue samples revealed that Johnson was a carrier of the trait for sickle cell disease, which affects individuals of African descent.
The disorder, which causes red blood cells to change from a normal doughnut to crescent shape is protective against malaria, but also impedes the flow of oxygen to body tissues. Individuals without the sickle cell disease, but who are carriers of the trait, generally live healthy lives, Bonnell said, but physical exertion and dehydration can bring on a sudden sickling of blood cells and even death. Bonnell contended that this is what happened to Johnson, although he had no history of sickle cell crisis, even as an athlete or during an Iraq tour of duty.
Maj. Huygen saw Bonnell’s testimony as reason to blame the Army for Johnson’s death.
“The United States Army is accountable for this. Sgt. Johnson was not given the tools to recognize what was going on in his body,” Huygen said.
In her closing arguments, prosecution attorney Capt. Deanna Daly told the jurors, “One thing we know for sure, the one definite conclusion from three experts – if he had not been beaten that day he would not have died. They were using violence against other members of the military, some who outranked them. I am not saying it is an intentional death, but he (Jones) is responsible.” She urged the panel, in their deliberations, to “use your common sense and way of the world.”
TOP STORY>>Commander of 314th AW loves his job
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
If enthusiasm alone could end a war, Col. Charles K. Hyde could have brought home all the troops safely by now.
Instead, he’s in command of the 314th Airlift Wing of the Air Education and Training Command at Little Rock Air Force Base, where he’s thrown himself into safeguarding the national interest by overseeing the training of virtually all U.S. and allied C-130 airlift crews.
An animated Hyde speaks quickly and with apparent affection for his job as commander of the airmen, trainers and equipment that make up that wing.
Hyde took command of the 314th, the training wing at the world’s premiere C-130 base, in October as part of the reorganization that moved Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz Jr. from the 314th to the newly created 19th Airlift Wing expeditionary force and transferred command of the base from the 314th to the 19th.
Schatz has been reassigned to the joint staff at Pentagon, where he will serve as deputy director for global operations.
In a change of command ceremony on Wednesday, Col. Gregory S. Otey, former Air Force Expeditionary Center vice commander at Fort Dix, N.J., will replace Schatz as commander of the 19th Airlift Wing.
Hyde’s command includes 900 airmen, 26 E model C-130s, seven C-130 Js, and at Keesler Air Force Base at Biloxi Miss., three C-21s.
“To fly, fight and win,” is the motto, Hyde said. “That involves developing the professional skills needed to win on the battlefields our soldiers will be on in the future,” he said.
“We fly to the sounds of guns,” the colonel explained. “We carry the fight to the enemy.”
That includes “beans, bullets and med evac,” he added. Soldiers will often arrive in theatre in the belly of a C-130 and whether they leave at the end of their tour, injured or killed “we will return them home with dignity,” he said.
“No soldier, marine or airman is ever alone when we’re on duty,” the colonel said.
“Being a good wingman means never leaving a fallen comrade behind,” Hyde said. The wing also takes care of families while loved ones are deployed.
Because all U.S. C-130 crews are trained at the Little Rock schoolhouse, regardless of service branch, it’s possible for a crew to be composed of members of different services if necessary.
Currently at the base, a C-130H simulator that includes advanced avionics is being completed and a second one is under construction. They train crews to work in the older planes that have be retrofitted with digital cockpits instead of the analog instruments that date back to the Eisenhower administration.
The old planes require a crew of five, Hyde said, the retrofitted planes a crew of four and the new C-130Js, with increased capacity, range and speed require a crew of only three.
Because crews from 34 nations train at Little Rock, Hyde said some of those trained could eventually head air forces in their own country or even be leaders in that country, with warm positive feelings from the time they spent at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Although this is Hyde’s first tour assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base, he had been to the base previous for C-130 training and had himself enjoyed the hospitality of local residents and the outdoors.
His two children are attending the local public schools, one at Northwood Junior High School, the other at North Pulaski High School.
“It’s working out pretty well for us,” he said.
Hyde says the biggest challenge he has faced is to help redefine the 314th’s relationship with other wings on the base. Until October, it was the host wing, with responsibility for housing, logistics of living and providing services to airmen and families on the base.
Now they are helping reinforce new policies that recognize that the hosting responsibility has been shifted to the 19th Airlift Wing.
“We need to figure out how to leverage and use that support. We need to know what to ask for,” the colonel said.
“We are lean and mission-focused,” he added.
When Otey arrives to take the command of the 19th Airlift Wing, he and Hyde will hardly be strangers to each other. Both are career C-130 airmen who were deployed together during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“We understand the mission of combat airlift, and that will pay dividends,” Hyde said.
“Greg will be one of my biggest customers,” he said, referring to the C-130 crews that the 314th trains and graduates.
He will be able to get feedback on the strong and weak points of the training as the result of feedback from Otey, and can make changes to training if necessary.
Hyde calls the 314th Airlift Wing “the foundation of America’s combat airlift capacity.”
According to Hyde, goals for the wing are to produce the world’s most professional, highly skilled combat crewmembers, to accomplish their mission safely and effectively, to develop airmen and leaders, to take care of the Air Force family and to represent the Air Force to the community, joint partners and allies.
Combat airlift traces its roots back to north Africa in 1942. Airlifters were the lead group for the D-Day invasion and have flown in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama and Desert Shield.
Since the invasion of Iraq, the C-130 has taken 13,000 convoys off the dangerous roads.
In 2008, the wing won the Air Force’s Outstanding Unit Award, in addition to several other excellence awards.
In the future, increased C-130J sales to China, India and perhaps the United Arab Eremites translate into job insurance for the 314th, which will train all those crews.
Hyde graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1987 with a bachelor of science degree in international affairs. He earned a master of science degree in organizational and human- resource development from Abilene Christian University in 1997.
He is a 2000 graduate of the College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College and a 2005 graduate of the Army War College. He commanded the 39th Airlift Squadron and served as 317th Airlift Group deputy commander, at Dyess AFB, Texas.
He commanded the 320th Expeditionary Operations Group at Seeb Air Base, Oman, during Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, and was vice commander of the 388th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia, from 2005 to 2006.
Before his current position, Hyde served as chief, distribution division, directorate of logistics, the joint staff, at the Pentagon.
He is a command pilot with 3,900 hours in C-130s and T-37s.
Leader senior staff writer
If enthusiasm alone could end a war, Col. Charles K. Hyde could have brought home all the troops safely by now.
Instead, he’s in command of the 314th Airlift Wing of the Air Education and Training Command at Little Rock Air Force Base, where he’s thrown himself into safeguarding the national interest by overseeing the training of virtually all U.S. and allied C-130 airlift crews.
An animated Hyde speaks quickly and with apparent affection for his job as commander of the airmen, trainers and equipment that make up that wing.
Hyde took command of the 314th, the training wing at the world’s premiere C-130 base, in October as part of the reorganization that moved Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz Jr. from the 314th to the newly created 19th Airlift Wing expeditionary force and transferred command of the base from the 314th to the 19th.
Schatz has been reassigned to the joint staff at Pentagon, where he will serve as deputy director for global operations.
In a change of command ceremony on Wednesday, Col. Gregory S. Otey, former Air Force Expeditionary Center vice commander at Fort Dix, N.J., will replace Schatz as commander of the 19th Airlift Wing.
Hyde’s command includes 900 airmen, 26 E model C-130s, seven C-130 Js, and at Keesler Air Force Base at Biloxi Miss., three C-21s.
“To fly, fight and win,” is the motto, Hyde said. “That involves developing the professional skills needed to win on the battlefields our soldiers will be on in the future,” he said.
“We fly to the sounds of guns,” the colonel explained. “We carry the fight to the enemy.”
That includes “beans, bullets and med evac,” he added. Soldiers will often arrive in theatre in the belly of a C-130 and whether they leave at the end of their tour, injured or killed “we will return them home with dignity,” he said.
“No soldier, marine or airman is ever alone when we’re on duty,” the colonel said.
“Being a good wingman means never leaving a fallen comrade behind,” Hyde said. The wing also takes care of families while loved ones are deployed.
Because all U.S. C-130 crews are trained at the Little Rock schoolhouse, regardless of service branch, it’s possible for a crew to be composed of members of different services if necessary.
Currently at the base, a C-130H simulator that includes advanced avionics is being completed and a second one is under construction. They train crews to work in the older planes that have be retrofitted with digital cockpits instead of the analog instruments that date back to the Eisenhower administration.
The old planes require a crew of five, Hyde said, the retrofitted planes a crew of four and the new C-130Js, with increased capacity, range and speed require a crew of only three.
Because crews from 34 nations train at Little Rock, Hyde said some of those trained could eventually head air forces in their own country or even be leaders in that country, with warm positive feelings from the time they spent at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Although this is Hyde’s first tour assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base, he had been to the base previous for C-130 training and had himself enjoyed the hospitality of local residents and the outdoors.
His two children are attending the local public schools, one at Northwood Junior High School, the other at North Pulaski High School.
“It’s working out pretty well for us,” he said.
Hyde says the biggest challenge he has faced is to help redefine the 314th’s relationship with other wings on the base. Until October, it was the host wing, with responsibility for housing, logistics of living and providing services to airmen and families on the base.
Now they are helping reinforce new policies that recognize that the hosting responsibility has been shifted to the 19th Airlift Wing.
“We need to figure out how to leverage and use that support. We need to know what to ask for,” the colonel said.
“We are lean and mission-focused,” he added.
When Otey arrives to take the command of the 19th Airlift Wing, he and Hyde will hardly be strangers to each other. Both are career C-130 airmen who were deployed together during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“We understand the mission of combat airlift, and that will pay dividends,” Hyde said.
“Greg will be one of my biggest customers,” he said, referring to the C-130 crews that the 314th trains and graduates.
He will be able to get feedback on the strong and weak points of the training as the result of feedback from Otey, and can make changes to training if necessary.
Hyde calls the 314th Airlift Wing “the foundation of America’s combat airlift capacity.”
According to Hyde, goals for the wing are to produce the world’s most professional, highly skilled combat crewmembers, to accomplish their mission safely and effectively, to develop airmen and leaders, to take care of the Air Force family and to represent the Air Force to the community, joint partners and allies.
Combat airlift traces its roots back to north Africa in 1942. Airlifters were the lead group for the D-Day invasion and have flown in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama and Desert Shield.
Since the invasion of Iraq, the C-130 has taken 13,000 convoys off the dangerous roads.
In 2008, the wing won the Air Force’s Outstanding Unit Award, in addition to several other excellence awards.
In the future, increased C-130J sales to China, India and perhaps the United Arab Eremites translate into job insurance for the 314th, which will train all those crews.
Hyde graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1987 with a bachelor of science degree in international affairs. He earned a master of science degree in organizational and human- resource development from Abilene Christian University in 1997.
He is a 2000 graduate of the College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College and a 2005 graduate of the Army War College. He commanded the 39th Airlift Squadron and served as 317th Airlift Group deputy commander, at Dyess AFB, Texas.
He commanded the 320th Expeditionary Operations Group at Seeb Air Base, Oman, during Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, and was vice commander of the 388th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia, from 2005 to 2006.
Before his current position, Hyde served as chief, distribution division, directorate of logistics, the joint staff, at the Pentagon.
He is a command pilot with 3,900 hours in C-130s and T-37s.
TOP STORY>>Base repels nuisance birds
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Nothing good happens when a bird and an airplane occupy the same space at the same time, as evidenced Jan. 15th when U.S. Airways Flight 1549 carrying 155 passengers and crew apparently struck a flock of birds—probably Canada geese—and the pilot was forced to ditch the plane in the Hudson River.
The good new is that all passengers and crew were rescued after a harrowing few minutes.
“That’s not going to happen here,” said Maj. Joel Stephens. “The proper controls are in place and we check daily.”
At Little Rock Air Force Base, Stephens is part of a small group of airmen responsible for minimizing the number of bird strikes to the dozens of C-130s based there, according to Lt. Col. Chip Brown, chief of safety for the 19th Airlift Wing.
“Bird strikes are not a problem (here), but they do occur,” said Stephens, chief of flying safety.
They also manage to minimize deer on the runway.
He said there could be four or five bird strikes a day during the peak season. Most aren’t discovered until the aircraft land for the evening and crew and maintainers do an inspection.
In recent memory, bird strikes have caused no fatalities or lost aircraft at the base.
The airfield is the busiest single-runway base in the Air Force, Brown said.
Brown said that when Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz arrived at the base, he ordered an increase in bird awareness and avoidance.
He wanted to go above and beyond,” Brown said.
About 70 percent of all known bird strikes occur below 2,000 feet above the ground, Stephens said, so commercial aircraft have high exposure only on taking off and landing.
At the base, however, where training all C-130 crews for the U.S. armed forces and for 34 allied nations occurs, it’s all about practice take offs and landings, he said.
Those planes are below the 2,000-foot mark about 40 percent of the 15,000 hours they are airborne each year, while commercial aircraft are in the bird-strike danger zone only about 3 percent of the time.
The birds encountered are the waterfowl, raptors such as hawks, and perching birds and bats.
Arkansas and Little Rock are in the Mississippi flyway, used extensively by migratory birds during the fall months of October, November and December and the spring months of April and May.
Little Rock Air Force Base takes a three-pronged approach to discouraging birds in the area.
The three prongs are aviation aircrew awareness, habitat modification and wildlife management.
The last of those includes the most obvious—running birds off with pyrotechnics, noise cannons, screamers and bangers, and by simple harassment.
The habitat modification includes keeping grass near the runway mowed no lower than seven inches from the ground, nor higher than 14 inches.
Grass shorter than seven inches can’t successfully hide a predator, so birds are willing to rest or nest there. Grass taller than 14 inches will go to seed, attracting birds to feed.
A year ago, the base had 200 resident geese. Now it has none.
And the number of bird strikes has decreased 20 percent from a year ago, Brown said.
The Doppler radar, control tower personnel, aircrews and others report the presence of birds in the area, and the safety crew responds accordingly.
They use a bird-avoidance model that schedules most takeoffs and landings between an hour before sunrise and an hour before sunset.
Sixty-two percent of bird strikes occur at night, Stephens said.
All bird sightings and strikes are reported to the Smithsonian Institution, which compiles a nationwide data base.
Locally at the base, they are beginning to create their own bird model.
Leader senior staff writer
Nothing good happens when a bird and an airplane occupy the same space at the same time, as evidenced Jan. 15th when U.S. Airways Flight 1549 carrying 155 passengers and crew apparently struck a flock of birds—probably Canada geese—and the pilot was forced to ditch the plane in the Hudson River.
The good new is that all passengers and crew were rescued after a harrowing few minutes.
“That’s not going to happen here,” said Maj. Joel Stephens. “The proper controls are in place and we check daily.”
At Little Rock Air Force Base, Stephens is part of a small group of airmen responsible for minimizing the number of bird strikes to the dozens of C-130s based there, according to Lt. Col. Chip Brown, chief of safety for the 19th Airlift Wing.
“Bird strikes are not a problem (here), but they do occur,” said Stephens, chief of flying safety.
They also manage to minimize deer on the runway.
He said there could be four or five bird strikes a day during the peak season. Most aren’t discovered until the aircraft land for the evening and crew and maintainers do an inspection.
In recent memory, bird strikes have caused no fatalities or lost aircraft at the base.
The airfield is the busiest single-runway base in the Air Force, Brown said.
Brown said that when Brig. Gen. Rowayne Schatz arrived at the base, he ordered an increase in bird awareness and avoidance.
He wanted to go above and beyond,” Brown said.
About 70 percent of all known bird strikes occur below 2,000 feet above the ground, Stephens said, so commercial aircraft have high exposure only on taking off and landing.
At the base, however, where training all C-130 crews for the U.S. armed forces and for 34 allied nations occurs, it’s all about practice take offs and landings, he said.
Those planes are below the 2,000-foot mark about 40 percent of the 15,000 hours they are airborne each year, while commercial aircraft are in the bird-strike danger zone only about 3 percent of the time.
The birds encountered are the waterfowl, raptors such as hawks, and perching birds and bats.
Arkansas and Little Rock are in the Mississippi flyway, used extensively by migratory birds during the fall months of October, November and December and the spring months of April and May.
Little Rock Air Force Base takes a three-pronged approach to discouraging birds in the area.
The three prongs are aviation aircrew awareness, habitat modification and wildlife management.
The last of those includes the most obvious—running birds off with pyrotechnics, noise cannons, screamers and bangers, and by simple harassment.
The habitat modification includes keeping grass near the runway mowed no lower than seven inches from the ground, nor higher than 14 inches.
Grass shorter than seven inches can’t successfully hide a predator, so birds are willing to rest or nest there. Grass taller than 14 inches will go to seed, attracting birds to feed.
A year ago, the base had 200 resident geese. Now it has none.
And the number of bird strikes has decreased 20 percent from a year ago, Brown said.
The Doppler radar, control tower personnel, aircrews and others report the presence of birds in the area, and the safety crew responds accordingly.
They use a bird-avoidance model that schedules most takeoffs and landings between an hour before sunrise and an hour before sunset.
Sixty-two percent of bird strikes occur at night, Stephens said.
All bird sightings and strikes are reported to the Smithsonian Institution, which compiles a nationwide data base.
Locally at the base, they are beginning to create their own bird model.
Friday, January 23, 2009
SPORTS>>Lonoke girls win
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The Lady Southerners simply refused to go away.
But Lonoke got solid defensive play from post player Asiah Scribner and senior Lauren Harper, as well as a 19-point, 64-percent shooting performance by junior guard Ashley Himstedt on the offensive side for a hard-fought 49-38 win over Southside Batesville on Thursday night at the LHS gym.
The Lady Jackrabbits (15-4, 6-1) couldn’t shake their foes in the first half. The two teams traded the lead throughout most of the second quarter before Lonoke began to establish some control in the third.
“That’s the kind of ball team they are,” said Lady Jackrabbits coach Nathan Morris. “They’re a gritty team – a small, guard-oriented team. Even if they turn the ball over, they’re coming right back at you. They shoot extremely well, especially off screens. They did a great job of holding screens and getting themselves open.”
The smaller Lady Southerners were not shy about driving the lane, especially in the first half. It took a collective effort from Lonoke center Asiah Scribner and senior reserves Lauren Harper and Brianna Lynch to limit Southside. That effort finally paid off in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, as the Lady Southerners went without a field goal from the field in the final 5:08.
“We did a pretty good job defensively. I’m really pleased with that. They packed it in, and we were supposed to shoot, and we hit enough shots to win. We had some people that made some nice shots.”
The Lady ’Rabs’ began to gain momentum in the third quarter on the strength of Himstedt’s efforts at the baseline. She scored on three straight trips with a baseline runner from the left side from the 6:14 mark to the 4:40 mark that increased Lonoke’s lead to 30-24.
“That offense worked pretty well against the defense they threw at us,” Morris said. “She stepped up and knocked down some really important shots. When they were getting good looks at threes on the other end, we were able to pace with the twos on our end.”
Lynch scored on a putback on the Lady ’Rabbits next possession, and got plenty physical with the Southside post players on the defensive end.
“She came in here, got a big rebound, got a stick-back off the rebound,” Morris said. “She got a rebound that I think they would have scored on. She did the dirty work. We talk about knowing your role, and that’s her role. She came in and fulfilled that role tonight. No matter what amount of time she was out there, she did her job, as the rest of the bench did. I thought Lauren Harper did a good job off the bench and played good defense.”
Lonoke’s attempt at building a lead in the first half was to no avail. Southside forward Lunden Roberts drove repeatedly for eight of her team-high 14 points, and helped keep the Lady Southerners within a basket at halftime, 24-22.
“They’re going to be real tough at their place,” Morris said. “This keeps us in second place by ourselves. Keeps us in check to make a run. We have to win every home game to have a chance.”
Hemley made it interesting with a three-point basket with 5:08 left to play that cut it to 41-37, but a free throw by Roberts in the final minute was the only other point that came Southside’s way late. Lonoke, on the other hand, continued to attack with an inside shot by Asiah Scribner assisted by Cara Neighbors, and a pull-up jumper from Himstedt with 3:21 left to play that gave the Lady Jackrabbits a 45-37 lead.
Neighbors tacked on a pair of free throws after that, and a lay-up by Himstedt set the final margin.
The Lady Jackrabbits shot 19 of 50 from the field, but made only 3 of 11 from deep. Lonoke finished 8 of 15 from the free throw line.
Neighbors added 16 points and 11 rebounds, six of which were offensive. Scribner had six points and five blocks. Michaela Brown had eight assists for Lonoke.
Lonoke had a much easier time on the road Tuesday against DeWitt. The Lady Jackrabbits took a 62-33 win, with a 22-point night for Scribner. Neighbors added 14 points, with 10 from Himstedt. Brown had nine for Lonoke. Haley Horton led the Lady Dragons with 16 points.
Lonoke hosted Clinton last night, and will host Stuttgart on Tuesday.
Leader sportswriter
The Lady Southerners simply refused to go away.
But Lonoke got solid defensive play from post player Asiah Scribner and senior Lauren Harper, as well as a 19-point, 64-percent shooting performance by junior guard Ashley Himstedt on the offensive side for a hard-fought 49-38 win over Southside Batesville on Thursday night at the LHS gym.
The Lady Jackrabbits (15-4, 6-1) couldn’t shake their foes in the first half. The two teams traded the lead throughout most of the second quarter before Lonoke began to establish some control in the third.
“That’s the kind of ball team they are,” said Lady Jackrabbits coach Nathan Morris. “They’re a gritty team – a small, guard-oriented team. Even if they turn the ball over, they’re coming right back at you. They shoot extremely well, especially off screens. They did a great job of holding screens and getting themselves open.”
The smaller Lady Southerners were not shy about driving the lane, especially in the first half. It took a collective effort from Lonoke center Asiah Scribner and senior reserves Lauren Harper and Brianna Lynch to limit Southside. That effort finally paid off in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, as the Lady Southerners went without a field goal from the field in the final 5:08.
“We did a pretty good job defensively. I’m really pleased with that. They packed it in, and we were supposed to shoot, and we hit enough shots to win. We had some people that made some nice shots.”
The Lady ’Rabs’ began to gain momentum in the third quarter on the strength of Himstedt’s efforts at the baseline. She scored on three straight trips with a baseline runner from the left side from the 6:14 mark to the 4:40 mark that increased Lonoke’s lead to 30-24.
“That offense worked pretty well against the defense they threw at us,” Morris said. “She stepped up and knocked down some really important shots. When they were getting good looks at threes on the other end, we were able to pace with the twos on our end.”
Lynch scored on a putback on the Lady ’Rabbits next possession, and got plenty physical with the Southside post players on the defensive end.
“She came in here, got a big rebound, got a stick-back off the rebound,” Morris said. “She got a rebound that I think they would have scored on. She did the dirty work. We talk about knowing your role, and that’s her role. She came in and fulfilled that role tonight. No matter what amount of time she was out there, she did her job, as the rest of the bench did. I thought Lauren Harper did a good job off the bench and played good defense.”
Lonoke’s attempt at building a lead in the first half was to no avail. Southside forward Lunden Roberts drove repeatedly for eight of her team-high 14 points, and helped keep the Lady Southerners within a basket at halftime, 24-22.
“They’re going to be real tough at their place,” Morris said. “This keeps us in second place by ourselves. Keeps us in check to make a run. We have to win every home game to have a chance.”
Hemley made it interesting with a three-point basket with 5:08 left to play that cut it to 41-37, but a free throw by Roberts in the final minute was the only other point that came Southside’s way late. Lonoke, on the other hand, continued to attack with an inside shot by Asiah Scribner assisted by Cara Neighbors, and a pull-up jumper from Himstedt with 3:21 left to play that gave the Lady Jackrabbits a 45-37 lead.
Neighbors tacked on a pair of free throws after that, and a lay-up by Himstedt set the final margin.
The Lady Jackrabbits shot 19 of 50 from the field, but made only 3 of 11 from deep. Lonoke finished 8 of 15 from the free throw line.
Neighbors added 16 points and 11 rebounds, six of which were offensive. Scribner had six points and five blocks. Michaela Brown had eight assists for Lonoke.
Lonoke had a much easier time on the road Tuesday against DeWitt. The Lady Jackrabbits took a 62-33 win, with a 22-point night for Scribner. Neighbors added 14 points, with 10 from Himstedt. Brown had nine for Lonoke. Haley Horton led the Lady Dragons with 16 points.
Lonoke hosted Clinton last night, and will host Stuttgart on Tuesday.
SPORTS>>Miles’ 20 points leads Red Devils to critical road win at Jonesboro
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
JONESBORO — Vic Joyner figures that week off following the Little Rock Parkview and Little Rock Hall games was absolutely essential.
His Jacksonville Red Devils returned to action with an easy win at Searcy last Friday, setting them up for a critical road trip to Jonesboro, where Joyner has never won.
He has now. Behind 20 points from Laquinton Miles, the Red Devils rallied from a three-point halftime deficit to pull away for a 60-43 win over the Hurricane on Tuesday night.
“That week off was humongous,” Joyner said. “We burned a lot of energy (playing two of the top teams in the league back to back) and we just needed to get away from the pressure of the game. We had four days to work on different things.
“You could see the relaxation in their eyes and in their body language. They and the coaches were able to take a deep breath.”
The victory helped offset the three-point loss to defending 6A champion Hall at home on Jan. 16 and improved the Red Devils to 3-1 in the 6A-East, 10-3 overall. Jacksonville opened league play with home battles against two of the top teams in 6A.
After struggling enough in the first half to earn him a seat on the bench, Demetrius Harris came to life in the second half to finish with 14 points.
“Antonio Roy was the only big man to give us much energy in the first half,” Joyner said. “I challenged Antwan (Lockhart) and Demetrius to (pick it up) and they did. I put Demetrius on the bench in the first half and he must have looked up at what Antonio and Cortrell were doing and said, ‘Dang.’”
The Red Devils fell behind by as many as eight points early, the result of poor outside shooting and lackadaisical defense. Joyner said the Jonesboro crowd wasn’t nearly as energetic as it often is and his kids reflected that early on.
“We didn’t play a lick of defense in the first half,” Joyner said. “We didn’t disrupt them at all and let them cut and move anywhere they wanted to go.”
Going inside was just the ticket for a Jacksonville team which made only 3 of 15 from beyond the arc. Miles got four dunks in the contest, helping the Red Devils make nearly 55 percent of their shots from the floor.
“Jonesboro isn’t as deep as they usually are and they tried to slow the game down,” Joyner said. “They packed in their zone and we didn’t hit from outside. We weren’t working hard to get the ball to the post men early.
“But we got into their legs in the second half and they started to tire.”
Cortrell Eskridge was the only other Red Devil in double figures with 10, marking the fourth game in which long-range threat Deshone McClure has not reached double digits. That’s something Joyner can live with.
“Shone is playing into the team concept more,” Joyner said. “Everybody’s used to him coming out and shooting a bunch of shots. But he is a whole lot more selective and he is more effective now than when he’s scoring a bunch of points.
“He’s not taking a back seat to anybody, but we’ve got eight or nine guys that can score five or six points and that adds up.”
Jacksonville traveled to Marion last night for a game played after Leader deadlines. The Patriots have bounced back from a 70-17 shellacking to Hall in their league opener to improve to 2-2, 11-7 overall. That included a road win at Jonesboro.
“They’re way, way better than (the Hall game),” Joyner said. “They’re very young and they weren’t used to that kind of atmosphere and that kind of talent at Hall. But those youngsters have grown up.”
JONESBORO GIRLS 50,
JACKSONVILLE 34
Turnovers and poor shooting combined to send Jacksonville to its third loss in four 6A-East contests.
The Lady Red Devils made only 10 of 38 shots from the field and committed seven turnovers over a critical stretch of the second period, when they went from an 8-6 lead to a 19-13 deficit at the half.
Jacksonville took on Marion (14-2, 3-1) in a game played last night after Leader deadlines. The Lady Red Devils fell in December to the Lady Pats, 49-44, in the Mills Invitational. Marion is coming off a 46-16 trouncing of Mountain Home on Tuesday.
Leader sports editor
JONESBORO — Vic Joyner figures that week off following the Little Rock Parkview and Little Rock Hall games was absolutely essential.
His Jacksonville Red Devils returned to action with an easy win at Searcy last Friday, setting them up for a critical road trip to Jonesboro, where Joyner has never won.
He has now. Behind 20 points from Laquinton Miles, the Red Devils rallied from a three-point halftime deficit to pull away for a 60-43 win over the Hurricane on Tuesday night.
“That week off was humongous,” Joyner said. “We burned a lot of energy (playing two of the top teams in the league back to back) and we just needed to get away from the pressure of the game. We had four days to work on different things.
“You could see the relaxation in their eyes and in their body language. They and the coaches were able to take a deep breath.”
The victory helped offset the three-point loss to defending 6A champion Hall at home on Jan. 16 and improved the Red Devils to 3-1 in the 6A-East, 10-3 overall. Jacksonville opened league play with home battles against two of the top teams in 6A.
After struggling enough in the first half to earn him a seat on the bench, Demetrius Harris came to life in the second half to finish with 14 points.
“Antonio Roy was the only big man to give us much energy in the first half,” Joyner said. “I challenged Antwan (Lockhart) and Demetrius to (pick it up) and they did. I put Demetrius on the bench in the first half and he must have looked up at what Antonio and Cortrell were doing and said, ‘Dang.’”
The Red Devils fell behind by as many as eight points early, the result of poor outside shooting and lackadaisical defense. Joyner said the Jonesboro crowd wasn’t nearly as energetic as it often is and his kids reflected that early on.
“We didn’t play a lick of defense in the first half,” Joyner said. “We didn’t disrupt them at all and let them cut and move anywhere they wanted to go.”
Going inside was just the ticket for a Jacksonville team which made only 3 of 15 from beyond the arc. Miles got four dunks in the contest, helping the Red Devils make nearly 55 percent of their shots from the floor.
“Jonesboro isn’t as deep as they usually are and they tried to slow the game down,” Joyner said. “They packed in their zone and we didn’t hit from outside. We weren’t working hard to get the ball to the post men early.
“But we got into their legs in the second half and they started to tire.”
Cortrell Eskridge was the only other Red Devil in double figures with 10, marking the fourth game in which long-range threat Deshone McClure has not reached double digits. That’s something Joyner can live with.
“Shone is playing into the team concept more,” Joyner said. “Everybody’s used to him coming out and shooting a bunch of shots. But he is a whole lot more selective and he is more effective now than when he’s scoring a bunch of points.
“He’s not taking a back seat to anybody, but we’ve got eight or nine guys that can score five or six points and that adds up.”
Jacksonville traveled to Marion last night for a game played after Leader deadlines. The Patriots have bounced back from a 70-17 shellacking to Hall in their league opener to improve to 2-2, 11-7 overall. That included a road win at Jonesboro.
“They’re way, way better than (the Hall game),” Joyner said. “They’re very young and they weren’t used to that kind of atmosphere and that kind of talent at Hall. But those youngsters have grown up.”
JONESBORO GIRLS 50,
JACKSONVILLE 34
Turnovers and poor shooting combined to send Jacksonville to its third loss in four 6A-East contests.
The Lady Red Devils made only 10 of 38 shots from the field and committed seven turnovers over a critical stretch of the second period, when they went from an 8-6 lead to a 19-13 deficit at the half.
Jacksonville took on Marion (14-2, 3-1) in a game played last night after Leader deadlines. The Lady Red Devils fell in December to the Lady Pats, 49-44, in the Mills Invitational. Marion is coming off a 46-16 trouncing of Mountain Home on Tuesday.
SPORTS>>Lady Panthers overcome sloppy play
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
It was not a game you’d want to send to the basketball hall of fame. One team shot poorly, the other shot it fairly well … when it wasn’t turning the ball over.
But the Cabot Lady Panthers will take a win in a game in which they turned it over 25 times. They can thank a 16-rebound advantage, nearly 50 percent shooting from the field and the inside defensive presence of Sarah Moore and Shelby Ashcraft for escaping with a 48-38 victory at Little Rock Central on Tuesday night.
“Central is tough to play,” said Cabot assistant Charles Ruple. “They’re very physical and extremely quick. We certainly don’t match up well with them in those areas. Of course, they don’t match up well with us either.”
The Lady Panthers, who bounced back from a home drubbing at the hands of North Little Rock last Friday, improved to 3-1 in league play, 15-4 overall. Moore blocked seven shots and Ashcraft, who also scored 12 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, blocked four to help limit Central (9-7, 2-2) to 11 of 45 shooting in the contest.
“Their continued poor shooting gave us the chance to force them inside, where our strength is,” Ruple said.
But all of that nearly wasn’t enough when a steal and a lay-up to start the final period got the Lady Tigers to within a basket. Though Amber Rock returned the favor with a steal and a basket and Rachel Glover added a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 39-33 with 4:48 left, Central responded with a three-pointer and another steal and lay-up to cut that lead to one with 4:18 left. Central would not score again.
Rock scored on a fast break after taking a feed from Jenna Bailey, who dished out six assists, and Bailey followed a Moore block at the other end with a pair of free throws to give Cabot some breathing room at 43-38 with 1:57 left.
Glover’s steal 26 seconds later resulted in two more free throws as Cabot went 9 of 11 from the stripe in the final quarter to preserve the precarious win.
Central led only twice in the game, the final time at 14-13 with 3:29 left in the first half. Cabot raced to a 6-0 lead after three straight defensive breakdowns allowed two easy inside baskets by Moore and another by Glover over the first minute-and-a-half of the game.
The Lady Panthers never trailed after Ashcraft scored inside off a looping feed from Bailey at the 3:09 mark. They led 22-16 at the half, despite 12 turnovers and just 1-of-4 shooting at the stripe. Central made only 4 of 23 shots.
“Our turnovers can be attributed to excessive dribbling for no strategic reason,” Ruple said. “And their quickness presented a problem for us when we were forced to dribble. Better passing and spacing would have served us well.”
Bailey got her only basket of the night when she drained a three-pointer 10 seconds into the second half, and a pair of rebound baskets by Glover extended the Cabot lead to 29-19 with 5:55 left in the third period.
The Lady Tigers got back into it by making 5 of 6 free throws and getting a rebound basket in the final 1:59 of the quarter and trailed only 33-31. Brooke Taylor slipped inside the lane to deliver a nifty feed to Glover for a lay-up to end the quarter. It’s was Glover’s fifth consecutive basket for the Lady Panthers. She led the way with 16 points and added seven rebounds.
Bailey, Rock and Moore each added six points and Moore had six boards as well. Amalie Benjamin came off the bench to pull down five rebounds as Cabot enjoyed a 40-24 advantage on the boards.
The Lady Panthers made 18 of 38 shots and warmed up at the line in the second half to finish 10 of 15.
“Every game in the 7A Central has a chance to look sloppy, but a win on the road is our goal when we travel,” Ruple said.
Cabot hosted red-hot Bryant (3-1) last night in a game played after Leader deadlines. The Lady Hornets were coming off a win over Conway in which they scored 92 points.
Leader sports editor
It was not a game you’d want to send to the basketball hall of fame. One team shot poorly, the other shot it fairly well … when it wasn’t turning the ball over.
But the Cabot Lady Panthers will take a win in a game in which they turned it over 25 times. They can thank a 16-rebound advantage, nearly 50 percent shooting from the field and the inside defensive presence of Sarah Moore and Shelby Ashcraft for escaping with a 48-38 victory at Little Rock Central on Tuesday night.
“Central is tough to play,” said Cabot assistant Charles Ruple. “They’re very physical and extremely quick. We certainly don’t match up well with them in those areas. Of course, they don’t match up well with us either.”
The Lady Panthers, who bounced back from a home drubbing at the hands of North Little Rock last Friday, improved to 3-1 in league play, 15-4 overall. Moore blocked seven shots and Ashcraft, who also scored 12 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, blocked four to help limit Central (9-7, 2-2) to 11 of 45 shooting in the contest.
“Their continued poor shooting gave us the chance to force them inside, where our strength is,” Ruple said.
But all of that nearly wasn’t enough when a steal and a lay-up to start the final period got the Lady Tigers to within a basket. Though Amber Rock returned the favor with a steal and a basket and Rachel Glover added a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 39-33 with 4:48 left, Central responded with a three-pointer and another steal and lay-up to cut that lead to one with 4:18 left. Central would not score again.
Rock scored on a fast break after taking a feed from Jenna Bailey, who dished out six assists, and Bailey followed a Moore block at the other end with a pair of free throws to give Cabot some breathing room at 43-38 with 1:57 left.
Glover’s steal 26 seconds later resulted in two more free throws as Cabot went 9 of 11 from the stripe in the final quarter to preserve the precarious win.
Central led only twice in the game, the final time at 14-13 with 3:29 left in the first half. Cabot raced to a 6-0 lead after three straight defensive breakdowns allowed two easy inside baskets by Moore and another by Glover over the first minute-and-a-half of the game.
The Lady Panthers never trailed after Ashcraft scored inside off a looping feed from Bailey at the 3:09 mark. They led 22-16 at the half, despite 12 turnovers and just 1-of-4 shooting at the stripe. Central made only 4 of 23 shots.
“Our turnovers can be attributed to excessive dribbling for no strategic reason,” Ruple said. “And their quickness presented a problem for us when we were forced to dribble. Better passing and spacing would have served us well.”
Bailey got her only basket of the night when she drained a three-pointer 10 seconds into the second half, and a pair of rebound baskets by Glover extended the Cabot lead to 29-19 with 5:55 left in the third period.
The Lady Tigers got back into it by making 5 of 6 free throws and getting a rebound basket in the final 1:59 of the quarter and trailed only 33-31. Brooke Taylor slipped inside the lane to deliver a nifty feed to Glover for a lay-up to end the quarter. It’s was Glover’s fifth consecutive basket for the Lady Panthers. She led the way with 16 points and added seven rebounds.
Bailey, Rock and Moore each added six points and Moore had six boards as well. Amalie Benjamin came off the bench to pull down five rebounds as Cabot enjoyed a 40-24 advantage on the boards.
The Lady Panthers made 18 of 38 shots and warmed up at the line in the second half to finish 10 of 15.
“Every game in the 7A Central has a chance to look sloppy, but a win on the road is our goal when we travel,” Ruple said.
Cabot hosted red-hot Bryant (3-1) last night in a game played after Leader deadlines. The Lady Hornets were coming off a win over Conway in which they scored 92 points.
SPORTS>>Cabot boys charitable in setback
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
It was enough to make a coach drop his clipboard a couple of times, which is what Jerry Bridges did on Tuesday night while watching his Cabot Panthers struggle to a critical 58-49 loss at Little Rock Central.
The Panthers missed 10 of 14 free throws, got out-rebounded 33-20 and time and again allowed Central’s big duo of Jordan Washington and Chuckudy Ekeh to get inside their 1-3-1 zone for easy baskets.
Cabot fell to 12-5 overall, 2-2 in 7A-Central play, while the Tigers picked up their first league win to move to 1-3, 8-6 overall.
“I thought we played hard but we lost the battle of toughness,” Bridges said. “They won all of the loose ball battles. You have to win the tough game. We had chances to take a charge and bailed. Then you factor in the free-throw line. It was just another tough night in the 7A-Central.”
With Adam Sterrenberg fighting just to get an open look and Miles Monroe on the bench in foul trouble, only Austin Johnson was able to keep Cabot in the contest.
Cabot fell behind 9-2 in a game in which it never led, but good outside shooting late in the first quarter allowed the Panthers to climb back in it. Johnson scored 10 of his 22 points in the first half to account for half of the Panthers’ total before intermission. His end-to-end acrobatic scoop and another lay-up with 5:06 tied the game at 15, but Central took a 27-20 lead into the locker room.
“Austin has just played great ball since conference and even going back to the Coca-Cola Classic (in December),” Bridges said. “His focus has been better. I am so proud of the way Austin has been playing lately.”
Sterrenberg scored only one point in the first half and struggled to a 2-of-7 night at the free-throw line. The Central lead grew to 11 midway through the third quarter, but three straight Cabot baskets, including Sterrenberg’s first of the game on a baseline reverse, had the Panthers to within 37-32.
Monroe fouled out early in the final period, but Johnson hit a three-pointer and got a steal and lay-in over an 18-second span to whittle the gap to 40-37. Once again, though, the Tigers were able to whip passes down to the block for a pair of easy baskets to extend their lead back to seven.
“We’re not putting enough pressure on the ball, not getting our arms up,” Bridges said of the defensive breakdowns inside. “We’re long but if we keep our hands down to our side, we’re not taking advantage of our wing span and they’re able to find that guy down there a little easier. They exposed us right there.”
Jack Bridges got a three to fall and Johnson banked one in to narrow the lead to 48-45 with 3:22 left. It was 51-45 with less than two minutes remaining when Cabot made it’s final charge. Sterrenberg got a steal and lay-up, then got another steal and capped it off with a baseline reverse as the Panthers crawled to within 51-49 with 56 seconds left.
Central, which early struggled just about as badly at the line as Cabot, hit their critical free throws, making 7 of 8 over the final 49 seconds.
Bridges and Sterrenberg both missed threes down the stretch as Cabot desperately tried to climb back into it.
“I thought Adam’s shot selection was better than at Conway,” Bridges said of the Arkansas State-bound Sterrenberg. “He got a lot of good midrange shots that went in and out. There’s no one more frustrated than Adam Sterrenberg. He’ll be back. His teammates believe in him and his coach believes in him.”
The Panthers took good care of the ball, committing only eight turnovers, and they made nearly 50 percent of their shots (21 of 45), but Central made 20 of 36 from the field and knocked down 17 of 31 free throws to Cabot’s 4 of 14.
Monroe, Alex Baker and Sterrenberg added eight points each. Besides Johnson’s 22, Bridges’ three-pointer was the only other points for Cabot. Johnson led the Panthers with four rebounds. Sterrenberg added four steals.
“Central was a different team than what we saw on film,” Bridges said. “They came out in a man-to-man and hooked up with us and we didn’t do a good job of being disciplined or giving our offense a chance to work. But this team will be fine. We’ve just got to take our practices to the games.”
Washington had 16 and Ekeh 11 for Central. Cabot tried to bounce back at home against Cabot last night in a game played after Leader deadlines.
Leader sports editor
It was enough to make a coach drop his clipboard a couple of times, which is what Jerry Bridges did on Tuesday night while watching his Cabot Panthers struggle to a critical 58-49 loss at Little Rock Central.
The Panthers missed 10 of 14 free throws, got out-rebounded 33-20 and time and again allowed Central’s big duo of Jordan Washington and Chuckudy Ekeh to get inside their 1-3-1 zone for easy baskets.
Cabot fell to 12-5 overall, 2-2 in 7A-Central play, while the Tigers picked up their first league win to move to 1-3, 8-6 overall.
“I thought we played hard but we lost the battle of toughness,” Bridges said. “They won all of the loose ball battles. You have to win the tough game. We had chances to take a charge and bailed. Then you factor in the free-throw line. It was just another tough night in the 7A-Central.”
With Adam Sterrenberg fighting just to get an open look and Miles Monroe on the bench in foul trouble, only Austin Johnson was able to keep Cabot in the contest.
Cabot fell behind 9-2 in a game in which it never led, but good outside shooting late in the first quarter allowed the Panthers to climb back in it. Johnson scored 10 of his 22 points in the first half to account for half of the Panthers’ total before intermission. His end-to-end acrobatic scoop and another lay-up with 5:06 tied the game at 15, but Central took a 27-20 lead into the locker room.
“Austin has just played great ball since conference and even going back to the Coca-Cola Classic (in December),” Bridges said. “His focus has been better. I am so proud of the way Austin has been playing lately.”
Sterrenberg scored only one point in the first half and struggled to a 2-of-7 night at the free-throw line. The Central lead grew to 11 midway through the third quarter, but three straight Cabot baskets, including Sterrenberg’s first of the game on a baseline reverse, had the Panthers to within 37-32.
Monroe fouled out early in the final period, but Johnson hit a three-pointer and got a steal and lay-in over an 18-second span to whittle the gap to 40-37. Once again, though, the Tigers were able to whip passes down to the block for a pair of easy baskets to extend their lead back to seven.
“We’re not putting enough pressure on the ball, not getting our arms up,” Bridges said of the defensive breakdowns inside. “We’re long but if we keep our hands down to our side, we’re not taking advantage of our wing span and they’re able to find that guy down there a little easier. They exposed us right there.”
Jack Bridges got a three to fall and Johnson banked one in to narrow the lead to 48-45 with 3:22 left. It was 51-45 with less than two minutes remaining when Cabot made it’s final charge. Sterrenberg got a steal and lay-up, then got another steal and capped it off with a baseline reverse as the Panthers crawled to within 51-49 with 56 seconds left.
Central, which early struggled just about as badly at the line as Cabot, hit their critical free throws, making 7 of 8 over the final 49 seconds.
Bridges and Sterrenberg both missed threes down the stretch as Cabot desperately tried to climb back into it.
“I thought Adam’s shot selection was better than at Conway,” Bridges said of the Arkansas State-bound Sterrenberg. “He got a lot of good midrange shots that went in and out. There’s no one more frustrated than Adam Sterrenberg. He’ll be back. His teammates believe in him and his coach believes in him.”
The Panthers took good care of the ball, committing only eight turnovers, and they made nearly 50 percent of their shots (21 of 45), but Central made 20 of 36 from the field and knocked down 17 of 31 free throws to Cabot’s 4 of 14.
Monroe, Alex Baker and Sterrenberg added eight points each. Besides Johnson’s 22, Bridges’ three-pointer was the only other points for Cabot. Johnson led the Panthers with four rebounds. Sterrenberg added four steals.
“Central was a different team than what we saw on film,” Bridges said. “They came out in a man-to-man and hooked up with us and we didn’t do a good job of being disciplined or giving our offense a chance to work. But this team will be fine. We’ve just got to take our practices to the games.”
Washington had 16 and Ekeh 11 for Central. Cabot tried to bounce back at home against Cabot last night in a game played after Leader deadlines.
SPORTS>>Balanced attack leads North Pulaski past Bears
By JASON KING
Leader sports writer
The North Pulaski Falcons kept their perfect 5A-Southeast Conference record intact with a 55-40 win over Sylvan Hills on Tuesday night at the Falcons’ Nest.
A dominant third quarter which saw the Bears (7-9, 2-2) make only one goal from the floor allowed North Pulaski (13-5, 4-0) to stretch its 29-20 halftime lead to a comfortable 43-24 advantage entering the final period.
The absence of senior P.J. Ross and junior post Taylor Beeman hurt the Bears against the more physical Falcons. Ross, who sustained a hyper-extended ankle five days earlier at White Hall, joined Beeman on the bench. Beeman, Sylvan Hills’ leading rebounder, also suffered an ankle injury earlier in conference play.
The Falcons simply got more looks in the game, and took advantage of those looks when they presented themselves. They shot 38 percent from the field (22 of 57), while Sylvan Hills managed only 27 percent (12 of 44).
The lane was a busy place for both teams. Falcon guards Aaron Cooper and Kyron Ware each made a pair of three-pointers, with Kolby Davis and Deundre Bryant each hitting one time behind the arc for Sylvan Hills, but the rest of the points for both teams came either inside the key or at the foul line.
“I didn’t tell them not to shoot from the outside,” said Falcons coach Ray Cooper. “We like to get it inside first and then outside, and I think they overcompensated a little. We were forcing the ball instead of allowing it to happen. It all goes back to being mentally sharp and knowing what you’re doing.”
North Pulaski shot 4 of 12 from three-point range, while the Bears went 2 of 9.
Despite the win, coach Cooper was not pleased with the effort early on from his team.
“Overall, we have been starting games poorly,” said Cooper. “I don’t know what it is that we’ve got to do to get the guys to understand that they’ve got to prepare for the beginning of the game. It’s becoming a habit, and obviously, I’m the only one that’s bothered by it.
Maybe I’m being too liberal with playing time, maybe I need to tighten it up. I don’t know what it is, but I do understand that you have to maintain your focus, especially in conference games.”
The difference in depth began to show in the second half. Duquan Bryant’s repeated drives inside resulted in seven of his nine points. His first did not come until the 4:09 mark to put the Falcons up 33-22. He then followed a Bryan Coulson basket with a pair of free throws with 2:38 left in the third to extend the lead to 37-22.
The second quarter was the most productive for Sylvan Hills. Ahmad Scott scored at the 6:15 mark to get things started, and a Demetric Gross basket with 4:37 left in the half made it 19-11 North Pulaski.
Harold Ward ended the half with a pair of baskets, and guard Nick Zimmerman made a jumper to cut it to 23-18 with 1:52 left in the second quarter, but that was as close as the Bears came for the remainder of the night.
Cooper ended the period for North Pulaski with a three-point shot, and got another a minute into the fourth quarter. That concluded a 15-2 run for the Falcons to put them up 48-24 with 6:52 left to play, the rest was formality.
Cooper led the Falcons with 16 points and had four steals. Bryant added nine rebounds, six of which came in the first half, to his nine points. Ware scored eight for North Pulaski.
For Sylvan Hills, Harold Ward led the way with 10 points, with nine for Alonte Mitchell. Demetric Gross had seven for the Bears.
North Pulaski played at Monticello last night, and will host Jacksonville on Monday. Sylvan Hills hosted Mills last night, and will host Beebe on Tuesday.
Leader sports writer
The North Pulaski Falcons kept their perfect 5A-Southeast Conference record intact with a 55-40 win over Sylvan Hills on Tuesday night at the Falcons’ Nest.
A dominant third quarter which saw the Bears (7-9, 2-2) make only one goal from the floor allowed North Pulaski (13-5, 4-0) to stretch its 29-20 halftime lead to a comfortable 43-24 advantage entering the final period.
The absence of senior P.J. Ross and junior post Taylor Beeman hurt the Bears against the more physical Falcons. Ross, who sustained a hyper-extended ankle five days earlier at White Hall, joined Beeman on the bench. Beeman, Sylvan Hills’ leading rebounder, also suffered an ankle injury earlier in conference play.
The Falcons simply got more looks in the game, and took advantage of those looks when they presented themselves. They shot 38 percent from the field (22 of 57), while Sylvan Hills managed only 27 percent (12 of 44).
The lane was a busy place for both teams. Falcon guards Aaron Cooper and Kyron Ware each made a pair of three-pointers, with Kolby Davis and Deundre Bryant each hitting one time behind the arc for Sylvan Hills, but the rest of the points for both teams came either inside the key or at the foul line.
“I didn’t tell them not to shoot from the outside,” said Falcons coach Ray Cooper. “We like to get it inside first and then outside, and I think they overcompensated a little. We were forcing the ball instead of allowing it to happen. It all goes back to being mentally sharp and knowing what you’re doing.”
North Pulaski shot 4 of 12 from three-point range, while the Bears went 2 of 9.
Despite the win, coach Cooper was not pleased with the effort early on from his team.
“Overall, we have been starting games poorly,” said Cooper. “I don’t know what it is that we’ve got to do to get the guys to understand that they’ve got to prepare for the beginning of the game. It’s becoming a habit, and obviously, I’m the only one that’s bothered by it.
Maybe I’m being too liberal with playing time, maybe I need to tighten it up. I don’t know what it is, but I do understand that you have to maintain your focus, especially in conference games.”
The difference in depth began to show in the second half. Duquan Bryant’s repeated drives inside resulted in seven of his nine points. His first did not come until the 4:09 mark to put the Falcons up 33-22. He then followed a Bryan Coulson basket with a pair of free throws with 2:38 left in the third to extend the lead to 37-22.
The second quarter was the most productive for Sylvan Hills. Ahmad Scott scored at the 6:15 mark to get things started, and a Demetric Gross basket with 4:37 left in the half made it 19-11 North Pulaski.
Harold Ward ended the half with a pair of baskets, and guard Nick Zimmerman made a jumper to cut it to 23-18 with 1:52 left in the second quarter, but that was as close as the Bears came for the remainder of the night.
Cooper ended the period for North Pulaski with a three-point shot, and got another a minute into the fourth quarter. That concluded a 15-2 run for the Falcons to put them up 48-24 with 6:52 left to play, the rest was formality.
Cooper led the Falcons with 16 points and had four steals. Bryant added nine rebounds, six of which came in the first half, to his nine points. Ware scored eight for North Pulaski.
For Sylvan Hills, Harold Ward led the way with 10 points, with nine for Alonte Mitchell. Demetric Gross had seven for the Bears.
North Pulaski played at Monticello last night, and will host Jacksonville on Monday. Sylvan Hills hosted Mills last night, and will host Beebe on Tuesday.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
TOP STORY>>Young cancer victim remembered
By NANCY DOCKTER
Leader staff writer
Those who knew and loved Lawson Phillips, a Bayou Meto Elementary School third-grader who died in 2007, honored his life yesterday by making a donation in his name for more than $10,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South. The funds were raised by his parents, David and Lorey Phillips, and their family, the Bayou Meto Student Council and the Junior Twisters football team.
Lawson, 8, slipped into a coma a few days after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor that November, so he did not have an opportunity to make a wish. He died a month later.
The fund-raiser was conceived as a way to remember Lawson and to bring happiness to another child with a life-threatening medical condition, Lorey Phillips said.
The sale of rubber wristbands with Lawson’s name and football jersey number raised enough money to grant the wishes of two children.
When the word got around about the fund-raiser, many people wanted to contribute, Lorey Phillips recounted.
“It has been overwhelming – people we didn’t even know, people from churches, people from Arkansas Children’s (Hospital) who knew Lawson, they would email asking for 25 or 100 wristbands,” she said. “We want people to know that Make-A-Wish got every penny of it.”
According to those who knew him, Lawson was a quiet, thoughtful child whose smiles and kind ways made him popular with both peers and adults. He enjoyed football, riding his pony and playing with his cousins.
“He was awesome, always friendly, a good student, very loving and compassionate,” reflected Debra Rowlett, the school’s bookkeeper. “All the kids wanted to be his best friend.”
The Phillips family’s deep bond with the Bayou Meto school made the loss even harder for everyone there. His two older siblings had attended the school, and their mother has been a volunteer there for many years.
“It was a shock to everybody – with Mama up here all the time volunteering and the two cousins like brother and sister. It was really tough on them and all the kids in the third grade,” Rowlett said. “They are a real special family, a big part of everything at Bayou Meto. This is our way of giving back in honor of Lawson.”
In remembrance of Lawson on his birthday last February, his cousins and classmates sang “Happy Birthday” and wrote messages on balloons, then sent them skyward.
“Four hundred balloons all going up at the same time – it was really heartwarming,” Rowlett said.
As a way to celebrate Lawson’s birthday this year, his family and friends decided to participate in two benefits for children – the Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Change Angel program and Make-A-Wish Foundation fund-raiser. Only later did they learn that both events are on Lawson’s birthday, Feb. 6.
“It was meant to be,” Lorey Phillips said.
Leader staff writer
Those who knew and loved Lawson Phillips, a Bayou Meto Elementary School third-grader who died in 2007, honored his life yesterday by making a donation in his name for more than $10,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South. The funds were raised by his parents, David and Lorey Phillips, and their family, the Bayou Meto Student Council and the Junior Twisters football team.
Lawson, 8, slipped into a coma a few days after he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor that November, so he did not have an opportunity to make a wish. He died a month later.
The fund-raiser was conceived as a way to remember Lawson and to bring happiness to another child with a life-threatening medical condition, Lorey Phillips said.
The sale of rubber wristbands with Lawson’s name and football jersey number raised enough money to grant the wishes of two children.
When the word got around about the fund-raiser, many people wanted to contribute, Lorey Phillips recounted.
“It has been overwhelming – people we didn’t even know, people from churches, people from Arkansas Children’s (Hospital) who knew Lawson, they would email asking for 25 or 100 wristbands,” she said. “We want people to know that Make-A-Wish got every penny of it.”
According to those who knew him, Lawson was a quiet, thoughtful child whose smiles and kind ways made him popular with both peers and adults. He enjoyed football, riding his pony and playing with his cousins.
“He was awesome, always friendly, a good student, very loving and compassionate,” reflected Debra Rowlett, the school’s bookkeeper. “All the kids wanted to be his best friend.”
The Phillips family’s deep bond with the Bayou Meto school made the loss even harder for everyone there. His two older siblings had attended the school, and their mother has been a volunteer there for many years.
“It was a shock to everybody – with Mama up here all the time volunteering and the two cousins like brother and sister. It was really tough on them and all the kids in the third grade,” Rowlett said. “They are a real special family, a big part of everything at Bayou Meto. This is our way of giving back in honor of Lawson.”
In remembrance of Lawson on his birthday last February, his cousins and classmates sang “Happy Birthday” and wrote messages on balloons, then sent them skyward.
“Four hundred balloons all going up at the same time – it was really heartwarming,” Rowlett said.
As a way to celebrate Lawson’s birthday this year, his family and friends decided to participate in two benefits for children – the Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Change Angel program and Make-A-Wish Foundation fund-raiser. Only later did they learn that both events are on Lawson’s birthday, Feb. 6.
“It was meant to be,” Lorey Phillips said.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
TOP STORY>Sherwood selects a full-time fire chief from Memphis
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Just four years ago, he was suspended and fired from the South Bend Volunteer Fire Department, but on Tuesday night, David Teague was approved by a 3-to-1 vote as the new chief of the 65-man, three-station Sherwood Fire Department.
The current chief, Frank Hill, will stay on, according to the fire board commissioners, until July 11 with full powers. On that date, Teague will take over and Hill will be given a severance package of about $25,000 and leave the department.
Teague is working now as a battalion chief with the Memphis Fire Department and operates two roofing-related businesses in Jacksonville.
Commissioner Mike Anderson said the board will negotiate a contract with Teague in the upcoming weeks and that the new chief’s salary will be about $60,000.
Commissioner Tom Brooks made the motion to “tender an offer of employment to David Teague as full time fire chief of the Sherwood Fire Department.” This was after the five-member board spent about an hour working on the department’s 2009 budget and after turning down a motion by Commissioner Karen Jacob to keep Hill as chief through 2009.
The board has spent the last two months looking to replace the part-time chief with a full time person. Hill averages 30 to 40 hours a week with the department, but the 27-year veteran has also been a longtime employee of Fidelity Information Services.
He could not afford to give up the salary and benefits of that job for the extra amount being added to his fire chief salary to make it a full-time position. Because the board has made it clear that it doesn’t want the fire chief to have an additional job, Teague will have to give up his local businesses.
Teague, who started with the Memphis Fire Department in 1990, served as a member of the South Bend Fire Department from 1978 to 2001. In his resume, he says that he “rose to rank of assistant fire chief responsible for the day to day operations of the department.”
What was not mentioned in the resume was his controversial de-parture from that department. Fire Chief Wes Harris fired Teague after the South Bend board split 2-2 on the issue. In a letter to Teague that was passed on to the board during the firing meeting, Harris wrote, “You will never be a team player.”
Teague had been the assistant chief until his brother was fired as chief in August 2000. Teague took over but in October had to go to court over a misdemeanor charge of obstructing governmental operations after getting into a scuffle with a fire board commissioner. Teague was suspended in October 2000, and then fired in February 2001.
Teague was one of four applicants the Sherwood board interviewed Thursday. Three of the ap-plicants were on the agenda, culled from eight candidates at the previous meeting. The fourth candidate was called in at the request of Commission Chairman Michael Dupstaff.
At the Thursday meeting, after interviewing Teague, Phillip Flynn, a former North Little Rock firefighter and a full-time lieutenant with the Sherwood Fire Department; and Andy Traffanstedt, the Gavel Ridge fire chief and a part-time captain with the Sherwood department, another applicant, Alan Ford, was called into the board’s executive session.
Soon after Ford’s interview, the board reconvened in public and with no fanfare said it would meet again Tuesday at the fire station to discuss the 2009 budget and any decision it makes regarding hiring a full-time chief. The board then adjoined.
The meeting location was then changed without notifying the press to the Sherwood City Council chambers.
Commissioners said they would contact Teague to let him know that he was their pick and invite him to the board’s meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the council chambers. “I’m sure he’ll want to have a meeting with the firefighters as soon as possible,” Anderson said.
Brooks said Teague would be paid about $30,000 for this year, plus be paid for any time he spends shadowing or working with Hill and the department prior to the July 11 takeover date.
Earlier, Alderman Butch Davis tried to talk to Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines, who appoints the fire board commissioners, to ask him to have the board halt the search for 30 to 60 days to allow everyone to calm down, but Villines was out of town.
“This whole thing is just snowballing out of control,” Davis said.
He was also concerned about who the board is supposed to represent. “If it’s the people of Sherwood, they aren’t listening,” Davis said.
The Fire Department, which encompasses all of Sherwood, is not a municipal fire department but a fire protection district department under the control of the county judge and the five-member board. The board members are appointed by the judge without any city input.
In his resume cover letter, Teague says his background and education in emergency services has prepared him to lead the Sherwood department. As a battalion chief in Memphis, he is in a mid-level management position in a department that includes 1,700 people and 59 stations.
Teague has served as the director of emergency medical services for Cleburne Memorial Hospital in Heber Springs and spent 23 years with the Southbend Volunteer Fire Department in Lonoke County. He also owns and operates Klad Co., a consulting and inspection firm for large roofing systems, and David Teague Roofing Co., both in Jacksonville.
Leader staff writer
Just four years ago, he was suspended and fired from the South Bend Volunteer Fire Department, but on Tuesday night, David Teague was approved by a 3-to-1 vote as the new chief of the 65-man, three-station Sherwood Fire Department.
The current chief, Frank Hill, will stay on, according to the fire board commissioners, until July 11 with full powers. On that date, Teague will take over and Hill will be given a severance package of about $25,000 and leave the department.
Teague is working now as a battalion chief with the Memphis Fire Department and operates two roofing-related businesses in Jacksonville.
Commissioner Mike Anderson said the board will negotiate a contract with Teague in the upcoming weeks and that the new chief’s salary will be about $60,000.
Commissioner Tom Brooks made the motion to “tender an offer of employment to David Teague as full time fire chief of the Sherwood Fire Department.” This was after the five-member board spent about an hour working on the department’s 2009 budget and after turning down a motion by Commissioner Karen Jacob to keep Hill as chief through 2009.
The board has spent the last two months looking to replace the part-time chief with a full time person. Hill averages 30 to 40 hours a week with the department, but the 27-year veteran has also been a longtime employee of Fidelity Information Services.
He could not afford to give up the salary and benefits of that job for the extra amount being added to his fire chief salary to make it a full-time position. Because the board has made it clear that it doesn’t want the fire chief to have an additional job, Teague will have to give up his local businesses.
Teague, who started with the Memphis Fire Department in 1990, served as a member of the South Bend Fire Department from 1978 to 2001. In his resume, he says that he “rose to rank of assistant fire chief responsible for the day to day operations of the department.”
What was not mentioned in the resume was his controversial de-parture from that department. Fire Chief Wes Harris fired Teague after the South Bend board split 2-2 on the issue. In a letter to Teague that was passed on to the board during the firing meeting, Harris wrote, “You will never be a team player.”
Teague had been the assistant chief until his brother was fired as chief in August 2000. Teague took over but in October had to go to court over a misdemeanor charge of obstructing governmental operations after getting into a scuffle with a fire board commissioner. Teague was suspended in October 2000, and then fired in February 2001.
Teague was one of four applicants the Sherwood board interviewed Thursday. Three of the ap-plicants were on the agenda, culled from eight candidates at the previous meeting. The fourth candidate was called in at the request of Commission Chairman Michael Dupstaff.
At the Thursday meeting, after interviewing Teague, Phillip Flynn, a former North Little Rock firefighter and a full-time lieutenant with the Sherwood Fire Department; and Andy Traffanstedt, the Gavel Ridge fire chief and a part-time captain with the Sherwood department, another applicant, Alan Ford, was called into the board’s executive session.
Soon after Ford’s interview, the board reconvened in public and with no fanfare said it would meet again Tuesday at the fire station to discuss the 2009 budget and any decision it makes regarding hiring a full-time chief. The board then adjoined.
The meeting location was then changed without notifying the press to the Sherwood City Council chambers.
Commissioners said they would contact Teague to let him know that he was their pick and invite him to the board’s meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the council chambers. “I’m sure he’ll want to have a meeting with the firefighters as soon as possible,” Anderson said.
Brooks said Teague would be paid about $30,000 for this year, plus be paid for any time he spends shadowing or working with Hill and the department prior to the July 11 takeover date.
Earlier, Alderman Butch Davis tried to talk to Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines, who appoints the fire board commissioners, to ask him to have the board halt the search for 30 to 60 days to allow everyone to calm down, but Villines was out of town.
“This whole thing is just snowballing out of control,” Davis said.
He was also concerned about who the board is supposed to represent. “If it’s the people of Sherwood, they aren’t listening,” Davis said.
The Fire Department, which encompasses all of Sherwood, is not a municipal fire department but a fire protection district department under the control of the county judge and the five-member board. The board members are appointed by the judge without any city input.
In his resume cover letter, Teague says his background and education in emergency services has prepared him to lead the Sherwood department. As a battalion chief in Memphis, he is in a mid-level management position in a department that includes 1,700 people and 59 stations.
Teague has served as the director of emergency medical services for Cleburne Memorial Hospital in Heber Springs and spent 23 years with the Southbend Volunteer Fire Department in Lonoke County. He also owns and operates Klad Co., a consulting and inspection firm for large roofing systems, and David Teague Roofing Co., both in Jacksonville.
EDITORIAL>>A new start for America
There are spectacles more lavish and majestic, but no celebration in the world ever matches the inauguration of a new president of the United States — any new president. There is a unique grandeur in the festive national toast to enduring principles — the peaceful transfer of power, the allegiance to the Constitution, the summons to hope and faith in trying times, the salutes to freedom, and the collegial call for togetherness and sacrifice for the common good, which mark the inauguration of every president, Republican or Democrat.
The inauguration of the 44th president yesterday did not disappoint on any score and, in fact, was by any account the grandest ever. The multitudes that filled not only the National Mall but the entirety of the federal district and downtown Washington were the largest by far in history, and it was estimated that more people watched the event on television than any spectacle in history.
The reasons were not mysterious. An epic vote had elected an African-American to run a country riven for much of its history by slavery and discrimination, and he was sworn in on the steps of a Capitol built by slave labor to reside in a palace also built by slaves. That moment sent a powerful message to a world where such possibilities are unthinkable or remote. The personality and extraordinary gifts of Barack Obama, his beautiful and brilliant wife and those exuberant children did not detract from the global curiosity.
This handoff of power in 2009 also bore special significance, even an urgency, because it occurs at a moment of extraordinary peril, the gravest economic crisis in 75 years. President Obama’s first task is no less a mission than saving capitalism in the face of the utter collapse of the financial order. It is another reason that the whole world was attuned to the pageantry on the mall. As banks and markets shrink and living standards fall, people from London to Nairobi and Beijing again glimpse the truth that if the government of the United States missteps, distance and borders cannot immunize them from the consequences.
Inaugurations always engender hope and a feeling of renewal. Such were the feelings, we recall, when eight years ago George W. Bush pledged unyielding fealty to the Constitution and promised a global search for peace, wider prosperity and limitless opportunity. How did that work out?
It would be easy to be pessimistic now that the high expectations for this brilliant and charismatic man will be dashed all too soon on the shoals of economic disorder and war. Even the massive stimulus program that he is pushing through Congress seems inadequate to the task.
But the atmospheric expectations that Barack Obama has fostered may be his most powerful tool. Polls show that public expectations and confidence in the president are far higher than for any new president in modern times, although they do not expect instant miracles. If he can maintain and channel that faith it will be worth trillions in stimulus spending. If he cannot, the mint cannot print money fast enough to do the job.
This morning the pageantry recedes and the gritty work of restoring economic order and international credibility begins. The new president can be sustained by nearly universal good wishes and prayers. The rest — the ideas, the leadership, the judgment and the hard work — he will have to provide himself.
The inauguration of the 44th president yesterday did not disappoint on any score and, in fact, was by any account the grandest ever. The multitudes that filled not only the National Mall but the entirety of the federal district and downtown Washington were the largest by far in history, and it was estimated that more people watched the event on television than any spectacle in history.
The reasons were not mysterious. An epic vote had elected an African-American to run a country riven for much of its history by slavery and discrimination, and he was sworn in on the steps of a Capitol built by slave labor to reside in a palace also built by slaves. That moment sent a powerful message to a world where such possibilities are unthinkable or remote. The personality and extraordinary gifts of Barack Obama, his beautiful and brilliant wife and those exuberant children did not detract from the global curiosity.
This handoff of power in 2009 also bore special significance, even an urgency, because it occurs at a moment of extraordinary peril, the gravest economic crisis in 75 years. President Obama’s first task is no less a mission than saving capitalism in the face of the utter collapse of the financial order. It is another reason that the whole world was attuned to the pageantry on the mall. As banks and markets shrink and living standards fall, people from London to Nairobi and Beijing again glimpse the truth that if the government of the United States missteps, distance and borders cannot immunize them from the consequences.
Inaugurations always engender hope and a feeling of renewal. Such were the feelings, we recall, when eight years ago George W. Bush pledged unyielding fealty to the Constitution and promised a global search for peace, wider prosperity and limitless opportunity. How did that work out?
It would be easy to be pessimistic now that the high expectations for this brilliant and charismatic man will be dashed all too soon on the shoals of economic disorder and war. Even the massive stimulus program that he is pushing through Congress seems inadequate to the task.
But the atmospheric expectations that Barack Obama has fostered may be his most powerful tool. Polls show that public expectations and confidence in the president are far higher than for any new president in modern times, although they do not expect instant miracles. If he can maintain and channel that faith it will be worth trillions in stimulus spending. If he cannot, the mint cannot print money fast enough to do the job.
This morning the pageantry recedes and the gritty work of restoring economic order and international credibility begins. The new president can be sustained by nearly universal good wishes and prayers. The rest — the ideas, the leadership, the judgment and the hard work — he will have to provide himself.
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