By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staffwriter
Representatives of the Pulaski County Special School District expect another lengthy hearing to begin on Feb. 22 as part of its petition for unitary status.
The hearing may last longer than a week, be rigorously opposed by the Joshua Intervenors and probably by the Knight Intervenors as well, PCSSD attorney Sam Jones said.
The Little Rock, North Little Rock and Pulaski County Special school districts have been interlocked in an expensive, extensive desegregation agreement for about three decades.
U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson ruled earlier that Little Rock is in substantial compliance with requirements to achieve desegregation, and over a challenge by the Joshua Intervenors, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling.
Wilson then recused himself from the desegregation case, which landed on District Judge Brian Miller’s docket.
After some delays, Miller set Jan. 25 as a hearing date on North Little Rock School District’s motion for unitary status.
That hearing, which started on time, is expected to wrap up this week, Jones said.
The Joshua Intervenors, the parents of a group of black students, are represented by their original attorney, John Walker, and by Robert Pressman and Austin Porter Jr. in their objection to a declaration of unitary status, Jones said.
It will be easier for Jacksonville to detach from PCSSD and form its own district if the desegregation settlements and court oversight are ended.
Walker has said a separate Jacksonville district hurts desegregation and that he’s opposed to it.
The Knight Intervenors are schoolteachers. They made no court filings in the North Little Rock hearing but “they did file a lot of stuff in opposition to ours,” Jones said. “One could infer that they might appear and be active in our case.”
The Joshua attorneys have pressed extensive cross examination of North Little Rock witnesses and still had witnesses to call at the beginning of this week, said Jones, who has sat through much of the proceedings.
‘The judge keeps his cards very close to his vest,” he said. “He’s intensely interested in achievement issues. Beyond that, nothing else is very clear. He’s granting both sides great latitude.”
Jones said the Pulaski County Special School District case is substantially different than the North Little Rock plan. The PCSSD plan is based on Plan 2000 and it enumerates 11 areas, he said. I will make initial presentations on each topic,” Jones said, “pretty spare.”
“But I can’t predict how much cross-examination there will be. While I hope our case is not nearly as long as North Little Rocks has proven to be, its probably going to take longer than a week.”
Jones said it would be his job to prove that PCSSD substantially satisfied the requirements of Plan 2000.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
SPORTS >> Snow days don’t freeze imagination
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
I’ve got to hand it to the local school administrators and athletic directors for the prompt way they got those snowed-out basketball games rescheduled and, in many cases, already played.
The people in charge realized the season was winding down — the smaller classifications began their conference tournaments this week — and with sites and dates set for regional and state tournaments and state finals, and with some schools playing previously scheduled makeup games at the end of the regular season, the latest round of postponements had to be made up whenever possible.
The situation probably wasn’t solved to everyone’s satisfaction. Former Lonoke girls coach Darryl Fimple, now at North Little Rock, told me at Cabot on Friday his team was playing its second consecutive night.
As a sports editor, I am particularly grateful to Fimple’s old employer Lonoke, which got in a couple makeups with Clinton a week ago to give us something live to cover for The Leader. Cabotalso got in games on Wednesday and had just a one-day hiatus before facing North Little Rock on Friday.
When rumors of more snow began to flutter around late last week I nearly panicked. After all how many postponement/rescheduling/state of the program stories can you write?
In my distressed state I threw out a lifeline on my Facebook page.
“If it snows again,” I wrote, “and more basketball games are canceled, and I don’t have anything to put in my sports section AGAIN I swear I’m going to start making stuff up. If you read about a basketball player being carried away by an enormous bird, you’ll know the fix is in.”
Apparently most of my friends were as bored or afflicted by cabin fever as I was, because they chimed in with ideas ranging from the ridiculous to the really ridiculous.
Some of the printable suggestions included an offer for me to cover a friend’s game of chess with his wife; an offer from a fellow editor in Colorado — where games don’t get snowed out — to send me some material; a suggestion I write about clowns in the sewer, Stephen King style and a recommendation I write about the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers or Bill Belichick, like all sportswriters do when they’re bored.
Boy, it’s like a college creative writing professor once said to me “when your back is against the wall you just plot, plot, plot.”
I also read a lot of Facebook updates from people who see snow in winter and automatically think it disproves the theory of global warming. As if years of science, study, observation and measurement can be debunked by a guy using his debit card to scrape off his windshield.
Let me get this straight, if it snows, it means there is no global warming. So, using that logic, when the snow melts, it must mean global warming is back on, right?
Anyway, you think a lot of weird thoughts when you’re snowed in.
For example, I actually started missing Jacksonville’s pregame warm-up music, which should come with a parental advisory label; having to park far away at Abundant Life because the Owls always have an early-arriving crowd, and that weird yellow glow that suffuses the inside on North Pulaski’s gym.
Seriously, I’m hoping we’re back to stay now, because I’d hate to see another interruption to this basketball season. I mean, look at what we have going on here.
Lonoke’s girls are the 2-4A Conference champs and the top seed to this week’s district tournament as they try to reach their fourth straight state final and finally win one; North Pulaski’s boys were perfect in the 5A-Southeast entering Tuesday, No. 1 in 5A and looking for a finals return of their own and the Abundant Life boys are No. 2 in Class 2A, the 5-2A North champions and the top seed in that district.
The Riverview boys are No. 3 in 3A and it remains to be seen if defending 6A champion Jacksonville can regroup with a mostly new starting lineup and make a push in the postseason. And maybe some other area team, boys or girls, pulls it together in the postseason, peaks at the right time, gets a good draw and makes a run.
To an ex-Yankee carpetbagger like myself, our recent weather is probably supposed to be a tiptoe through the tulips. But with all this basketball awaiting us and with baseball just around the corner, the next time I hear the word “snow” it better be followed by “cone.”
Leader sports editor
I’ve got to hand it to the local school administrators and athletic directors for the prompt way they got those snowed-out basketball games rescheduled and, in many cases, already played.
The people in charge realized the season was winding down — the smaller classifications began their conference tournaments this week — and with sites and dates set for regional and state tournaments and state finals, and with some schools playing previously scheduled makeup games at the end of the regular season, the latest round of postponements had to be made up whenever possible.
The situation probably wasn’t solved to everyone’s satisfaction. Former Lonoke girls coach Darryl Fimple, now at North Little Rock, told me at Cabot on Friday his team was playing its second consecutive night.
As a sports editor, I am particularly grateful to Fimple’s old employer Lonoke, which got in a couple makeups with Clinton a week ago to give us something live to cover for The Leader. Cabotalso got in games on Wednesday and had just a one-day hiatus before facing North Little Rock on Friday.
When rumors of more snow began to flutter around late last week I nearly panicked. After all how many postponement/rescheduling/state of the program stories can you write?
In my distressed state I threw out a lifeline on my Facebook page.
“If it snows again,” I wrote, “and more basketball games are canceled, and I don’t have anything to put in my sports section AGAIN I swear I’m going to start making stuff up. If you read about a basketball player being carried away by an enormous bird, you’ll know the fix is in.”
Apparently most of my friends were as bored or afflicted by cabin fever as I was, because they chimed in with ideas ranging from the ridiculous to the really ridiculous.
Some of the printable suggestions included an offer for me to cover a friend’s game of chess with his wife; an offer from a fellow editor in Colorado — where games don’t get snowed out — to send me some material; a suggestion I write about clowns in the sewer, Stephen King style and a recommendation I write about the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers or Bill Belichick, like all sportswriters do when they’re bored.
Boy, it’s like a college creative writing professor once said to me “when your back is against the wall you just plot, plot, plot.”
I also read a lot of Facebook updates from people who see snow in winter and automatically think it disproves the theory of global warming. As if years of science, study, observation and measurement can be debunked by a guy using his debit card to scrape off his windshield.
Let me get this straight, if it snows, it means there is no global warming. So, using that logic, when the snow melts, it must mean global warming is back on, right?
Anyway, you think a lot of weird thoughts when you’re snowed in.
For example, I actually started missing Jacksonville’s pregame warm-up music, which should come with a parental advisory label; having to park far away at Abundant Life because the Owls always have an early-arriving crowd, and that weird yellow glow that suffuses the inside on North Pulaski’s gym.
Seriously, I’m hoping we’re back to stay now, because I’d hate to see another interruption to this basketball season. I mean, look at what we have going on here.
Lonoke’s girls are the 2-4A Conference champs and the top seed to this week’s district tournament as they try to reach their fourth straight state final and finally win one; North Pulaski’s boys were perfect in the 5A-Southeast entering Tuesday, No. 1 in 5A and looking for a finals return of their own and the Abundant Life boys are No. 2 in Class 2A, the 5-2A North champions and the top seed in that district.
The Riverview boys are No. 3 in 3A and it remains to be seen if defending 6A champion Jacksonville can regroup with a mostly new starting lineup and make a push in the postseason. And maybe some other area team, boys or girls, pulls it together in the postseason, peaks at the right time, gets a good draw and makes a run.
To an ex-Yankee carpetbagger like myself, our recent weather is probably supposed to be a tiptoe through the tulips. But with all this basketball awaiting us and with baseball just around the corner, the next time I hear the word “snow” it better be followed by “cone.”
SPORTS >> Panthers spoil night for seniors at Lonoke
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
A shining sophomore was not enough for Lonoke on senior night.
Post player T.J. Scott led the way for the Jackrabbits with a strong, 16-point performance, but he was the only Lonoke player in double figures against a Heber Springs team that had three, and the home team fell short on Friday as Heber Springs won 60-45.
The Panthers (18-7, 12-2 2-4A Conference) benefited from guard Tanner Rockwell’s deadeye shooting and Caleb Brock’s quirky moves in the lane on their way to securing the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in this week’s district tournament at Stuttgart.
“We did some better things on offense tonight than what we’ve been doing as far as being patient,” Panthers coach Kevin Kyzer said. “We got away from that late, but we did a pretty good job offensively. Early, we did a poor job defensively of denying the ball in the paint. We shored that up and were able to extend our lead in the second quarter.”
Heber Springs finished one game behind league champion Marianna-Lee.
“We probably weren’t a very good team to start the year,” Kyzer said. “We steadily got better. We split with Marianna, and the guys did a really good job of improving all year. They really came to play every night in conference. We only had eight home games all year, so a lot of it has been on the road.”
The Jackrabbits (11-10, 7-7) kept it close early with seven inside points from T.J. Scott in the first quarter. But the team was without junior starting point guard Darius Scott, who chose to attend an event at Ole Miss over his teammates’ senior night and conference finale, and the one-dimensional approach did not hold up.
“They’re a very good team, I mean, there’s no getting around it,” said Jackrabbits coach Dean Campbell, who declined to comment on Darius Scott’s absence. “They’re very physical, strong kids in the post, guards that shoot it real well. You can tell they spend a lot of time in the gym. It’s a credit to them.”
Rockwell scored all but two of his game-high 17 points on three-pointers, including a pair in the final 2:28 of the first quarter to help Heber Springs take the lead for the first time. But it was the inside-outside play of two-guard Brock that kept Lonoke off balance.
Brock scored 10 straight points for the Panthers starting with 4:03 left in second quarter as he hit two consecutive baskets in the lane. His approaches were awkward and his releases were even more unconventional, but both shots fell.
He then extended his run and Heber Springs’ lead with a 30-footer that made it 29-21, and capped it off with another three-pointer with 1:27 left in the half for a 32-21 Panthers lead.
“That’s the way he plays — that’s the way he’s always played,” Campbell said of Brock’s unusual inside style. “And I think he kind of took it personal. At their place, we held him to no buckets. I think he had three points — three free throws. I think he wanted to come in and make a statement, and he did.”
Lonoke seniors Mike Jones and Demarcus Dodson did not go down without a fight in their final game at home. Along with fellow senior and two-sport star Michael Nelson, Jones and Dodson tried to battle back from a 34-21 halftime deficit.
Jones scored seven points and Dodson had six for Lonoke, but 16 points by Brock, and another 10 from forward Austin Brown allowed the Panthers to extend their lead to 50-31 at the end of three quarters.
“The first quarter, I thought we played real well,” Campbell said. “We moved the ball, we were active; second quarter, we got a little stagnant and didn’t move as much. And they knocked down some shots. There were times we were there, and they knocked them down.”
Lonoke will be the No. 3 seed in this week’s 2-4A district tournament at Stuttgart with a first-round bye. The Jackrabbits played Tuesday night against the winner of Monday’s first-round game between Clinton and Southside Batesville.
Leader sportswriter
A shining sophomore was not enough for Lonoke on senior night.
Post player T.J. Scott led the way for the Jackrabbits with a strong, 16-point performance, but he was the only Lonoke player in double figures against a Heber Springs team that had three, and the home team fell short on Friday as Heber Springs won 60-45.
The Panthers (18-7, 12-2 2-4A Conference) benefited from guard Tanner Rockwell’s deadeye shooting and Caleb Brock’s quirky moves in the lane on their way to securing the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in this week’s district tournament at Stuttgart.
“We did some better things on offense tonight than what we’ve been doing as far as being patient,” Panthers coach Kevin Kyzer said. “We got away from that late, but we did a pretty good job offensively. Early, we did a poor job defensively of denying the ball in the paint. We shored that up and were able to extend our lead in the second quarter.”
Heber Springs finished one game behind league champion Marianna-Lee.
“We probably weren’t a very good team to start the year,” Kyzer said. “We steadily got better. We split with Marianna, and the guys did a really good job of improving all year. They really came to play every night in conference. We only had eight home games all year, so a lot of it has been on the road.”
The Jackrabbits (11-10, 7-7) kept it close early with seven inside points from T.J. Scott in the first quarter. But the team was without junior starting point guard Darius Scott, who chose to attend an event at Ole Miss over his teammates’ senior night and conference finale, and the one-dimensional approach did not hold up.
“They’re a very good team, I mean, there’s no getting around it,” said Jackrabbits coach Dean Campbell, who declined to comment on Darius Scott’s absence. “They’re very physical, strong kids in the post, guards that shoot it real well. You can tell they spend a lot of time in the gym. It’s a credit to them.”
Rockwell scored all but two of his game-high 17 points on three-pointers, including a pair in the final 2:28 of the first quarter to help Heber Springs take the lead for the first time. But it was the inside-outside play of two-guard Brock that kept Lonoke off balance.
Brock scored 10 straight points for the Panthers starting with 4:03 left in second quarter as he hit two consecutive baskets in the lane. His approaches were awkward and his releases were even more unconventional, but both shots fell.
He then extended his run and Heber Springs’ lead with a 30-footer that made it 29-21, and capped it off with another three-pointer with 1:27 left in the half for a 32-21 Panthers lead.
“That’s the way he plays — that’s the way he’s always played,” Campbell said of Brock’s unusual inside style. “And I think he kind of took it personal. At their place, we held him to no buckets. I think he had three points — three free throws. I think he wanted to come in and make a statement, and he did.”
Lonoke seniors Mike Jones and Demarcus Dodson did not go down without a fight in their final game at home. Along with fellow senior and two-sport star Michael Nelson, Jones and Dodson tried to battle back from a 34-21 halftime deficit.
Jones scored seven points and Dodson had six for Lonoke, but 16 points by Brock, and another 10 from forward Austin Brown allowed the Panthers to extend their lead to 50-31 at the end of three quarters.
“The first quarter, I thought we played real well,” Campbell said. “We moved the ball, we were active; second quarter, we got a little stagnant and didn’t move as much. And they knocked down some shots. There were times we were there, and they knocked them down.”
Lonoke will be the No. 3 seed in this week’s 2-4A district tournament at Stuttgart with a first-round bye. The Jackrabbits played Tuesday night against the winner of Monday’s first-round game between Clinton and Southside Batesville.
SPORTS >> Turnover costs Panthers in loss
Cabot’s Alex Baker attempts a three-pointer in Friday’s loss.By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
It was a case of theft, pure and simple.
North Little scratched out a 7A-Central Conference road victory when it beat Cabot 33-29 at Cabot on Friday night. Reggie Bryles gave the Charging Wildcats their final lead with 2:37 left and Brandon Tyler stole an in-bounds pass with fewer than 20 seconds left to help seal the victory.
“We stole one here tonight,” North Little Rock coach Richard Alexander said. “We did.”
Alexander was referring to the old “win at home, steal one on the road,” maxim, but Tyler’s steal after Cabot had pulled within 32-29 gave literal meaning to Alexander’s words.
“We didn’t quit,” Cabot coach Jerry Bridges said. “If you get one of those looks to fall it could be a different game but, man, it’s tough.”
North Little Rock took a 27-26 lead on Bryles’ scoop shot with 2:37 left in the game and improved that to 28-26 when Bryles made a free-throw after drawing Darin Jones’ fifth foul.
Jones’ foul-out surprised Cabot because of miscommunication among the Panthers’ bench, the student assistants and the official scorekeeper. Bridges left Jones in the game thinking he had three fouls when he had four.
“I’m going by the board,” Bridges said. “The board had him with three. But the board’s not official.”
Bryles made it 30-26 for North Little Rock when he hit two free throws with 1:18 to go and Bryles made two more free throws for the 32-26 lead with 42.2 seconds left on the clock.
Seth Bloomberg penetrated then kicked the ball out to Alex Baker on Cabot’s next possession and Baker hit an off-balance, falling-down three-pointer to cut it to 29-32 and Cabot called timeout with 31 seconds remaining.
“He was supposed to stay with him and not help,” Alexander said of his defender on the play. “I don’t care if they drove in and made a layup, he was not supposed to leave him and consequently he made the three.”
Bryles got behind the Panthers defense to take the long, in-bounds pass but missed the open layup. Chris Campbell blocked Jacob Ellerbee’s shot out of bounds on Cabot’s possession with 21.6 seconds left, but Tyler picked off the Panthers’ in-bounds pass, drawing a foul from Shane Collins.
North Little Rock (15-9, 7-3) wrapped free throws around two missed three-pointers by Cabot to close out the game.
Bridges said the loss of Jones, the trigger man on many of Cabot’s in-bounds plays, may have led to the final turnover.
“That’s just an unfortunate time to get a turnover with the amount of time left in the game,” Bridges said.
Cabot (9-12, 3-7) led 6-3 early but North Little Rock went in front when Campbell stole a pass leading to Mike Malvin’s jumper that made it 7-6, and after another turnover Campbell slammed in a one-handed dunk over Christian Armstrong to make it 9-6.
Cabot, whose tallest player is 6-3, was against a taller North Little Rock front line that included Malvin, 6-5. But the Panthers packed the middle and dictated a deliberate pace to stay within seven, though they didn’t regain the lead until Baker made a leaping, one-handed shot after Armstrong’s offensive rebound to make it 25-24 with 6:05 left in the game.
Baker made a free throw with 4:42 remaining for the 26-24 lead. Then Campbell made a free throw for North Little Rock after a Kai Davis foul, and after a Cabot miss Bryles hit his go-ahead shot.
SPORTS >> NLR shows depth, grit to win big over Cabot
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
Undefeated North Little Rock had a good reason to be tired Friday, but the Lady Charging Wildcats looked tireless instead as they harassed their way to a 62-44 victory over the Cabot Lady Panthers at Cabot.
Playing its second game in as many nights, North Little Rock used a deep bench and plenty of fullcourt pressure to force Cabot turnovers and turn them into points.
“That’s kind of how we play,” North Little Rock coach Darryl Fimple said. “We were awful at the free-throw line so we had to do something to kind of keep it up tempo and that’s what we’re kind of known for, to try and wear out some people on our traps.”
North Little Rock (24-0, 10-0 7A Central) outscored Cabot 11-3 in the first quarter and made it 13-3 early in the second before Kaki Thomas made a three-pointer for Cabot. The Lady Panthers fought back to within 17-11 on a rebound and putback by Sarah Moore and 19-13 when Amber Rock made a jumper from the left corner with 4:33 left in the half.
But North Little Rock closed out the half with an 11-2 run, beginning with a steal that led to Lexus Williams’ fastbreak layup and ending when Williams hit a basket underneath with 1.5 seconds left to make it 30-15 at halftime.
Cabot committed eight turnovers in the second quarter against North Little Rock’s defense that included plenty of traps and double teams in the backcourt.
“We just can’t simulate that in practice,” Cabot coach Carla Crowder said. “They’re so much quicker than we are and that’s just something we’ve got to work on to get better.”
Cabot has a young team whose only seniors are starters Amber Rock and Sarah Moore. Crowder said the Lady Panthers played into the Lady Wildcats’ hands, especially in the first half.
‘When you dribble they’re going to trap you so you’ve got pass,” Crowder said. “We dribbled a lot the first half. Second half we did a lot better.”
Williams scored inside to give the Lady Wildcats a 41-21 lead with 5:19 left in the third quarter and the Lady Panthers didn’t get within 20 points again until Emilee Turner made a pair of free throws for the final margin with 5.3 seconds left.
“Cabot’s been playing better; coach Crowder has always got them ready,” Fimple said. “They sure as heck shot the basketball better in the second half too. We couldn’t keep them off the foul line.”
Cabot (10-13, 4-6) did put together an 8-2 run early in the third quarter to pull within 53-33. Most of its points came on free throws, including two by Jessie Grunwald when Fimple was called for a technical foul when he complained about a non-call he thought should have been a personal foul on Cabot.
“I thought our kid got hammered to be honest with you,” Fimple said. “I know it was late in the game but I keep telling our kids you’ve got to play hard and be intense. That’s one of them things. It happens.”
North Little Rock kept up the defensive pressure, despite beating Conway the previous night and because Fimple was able to get quality minutes out of most of his roster. The Lady Wildcats used 13 players and 11 scored.
“We definitely do that,” Fimple said of the number of players used, “but especially after back-to-back nights.”
Williams led North Little Rock with 15 points and Cassie Vaughn scored 12. Thomas made two three-pointers and led Cabot with eight points.
“I think we played hard,” Crowder said. “Maybe we were a little intimidated to start with. And at the finish, I think we finished real strong.”
Leader sports editor
Undefeated North Little Rock had a good reason to be tired Friday, but the Lady Charging Wildcats looked tireless instead as they harassed their way to a 62-44 victory over the Cabot Lady Panthers at Cabot.
Playing its second game in as many nights, North Little Rock used a deep bench and plenty of fullcourt pressure to force Cabot turnovers and turn them into points.
“That’s kind of how we play,” North Little Rock coach Darryl Fimple said. “We were awful at the free-throw line so we had to do something to kind of keep it up tempo and that’s what we’re kind of known for, to try and wear out some people on our traps.”
North Little Rock (24-0, 10-0 7A Central) outscored Cabot 11-3 in the first quarter and made it 13-3 early in the second before Kaki Thomas made a three-pointer for Cabot. The Lady Panthers fought back to within 17-11 on a rebound and putback by Sarah Moore and 19-13 when Amber Rock made a jumper from the left corner with 4:33 left in the half.
But North Little Rock closed out the half with an 11-2 run, beginning with a steal that led to Lexus Williams’ fastbreak layup and ending when Williams hit a basket underneath with 1.5 seconds left to make it 30-15 at halftime.
Cabot committed eight turnovers in the second quarter against North Little Rock’s defense that included plenty of traps and double teams in the backcourt.
“We just can’t simulate that in practice,” Cabot coach Carla Crowder said. “They’re so much quicker than we are and that’s just something we’ve got to work on to get better.”
Cabot has a young team whose only seniors are starters Amber Rock and Sarah Moore. Crowder said the Lady Panthers played into the Lady Wildcats’ hands, especially in the first half.
‘When you dribble they’re going to trap you so you’ve got pass,” Crowder said. “We dribbled a lot the first half. Second half we did a lot better.”
Williams scored inside to give the Lady Wildcats a 41-21 lead with 5:19 left in the third quarter and the Lady Panthers didn’t get within 20 points again until Emilee Turner made a pair of free throws for the final margin with 5.3 seconds left.
“Cabot’s been playing better; coach Crowder has always got them ready,” Fimple said. “They sure as heck shot the basketball better in the second half too. We couldn’t keep them off the foul line.”
Cabot (10-13, 4-6) did put together an 8-2 run early in the third quarter to pull within 53-33. Most of its points came on free throws, including two by Jessie Grunwald when Fimple was called for a technical foul when he complained about a non-call he thought should have been a personal foul on Cabot.
“I thought our kid got hammered to be honest with you,” Fimple said. “I know it was late in the game but I keep telling our kids you’ve got to play hard and be intense. That’s one of them things. It happens.”
North Little Rock kept up the defensive pressure, despite beating Conway the previous night and because Fimple was able to get quality minutes out of most of his roster. The Lady Wildcats used 13 players and 11 scored.
“We definitely do that,” Fimple said of the number of players used, “but especially after back-to-back nights.”
Williams led North Little Rock with 15 points and Cassie Vaughn scored 12. Thomas made two three-pointers and led Cabot with eight points.
“I think we played hard,” Crowder said. “Maybe we were a little intimidated to start with. And at the finish, I think we finished real strong.”
SPORTS >> Lady ’Rabbits savor sendoff
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Lonoke’s senior night against Heber Springs in the 2-4A Conference finale was merely a statement game after Lonoke had clinched the league crown two nights earlier.
But senior Asiah Scribner took the opportunity to make the statement a bold one in the Lady Jackrabbits’ 57-30 victory at Lonoke on Friday.
Scribner, the 6-0 post player and UALR signee, took over the game completely in the third quarter with 10 consecutive points.
Scribner’s outburst sparked a 20-0 run for the Lady Jackrabbits that began with 5:20 left in the third quarter and ended with 4:47 left to play.
Scribner finished with a game-high 23 points as the Lady ’Rabbits overcame a sluggish first half. The victory marked Lonoke’s first conference championship since the 2006-07 season and their first unbeaten conference run, 14-0, in modern school history.
“It’s an emotional night,” Lady Jackrabbits coach Nathan Morris said. “These seniors have meant the world to our program. We probably needed that — a little wake-up call. It’s not always easy. They kind of turned it on in the second half. Asiah Scribner, she was able to impose her will inside.”
Lonoke (22-5) held a 30-23 lead when Scribner began her run with 4:28 left in the third quarter. She started with a third-try putback, followed by a basket off a steal and assist from sophomore Calvian McGaughey to make it 36-23.
Scribner’s next shot came off an assist from fellow senior Ashleigh Himstedt, and then she scored after a steal and pass from point guard Michaela Brown. Scribner capped the run with two free throws, while Himstedt added a basket in the final eight seconds to give Lonoke a 43-23 lead heading into the final period.
While emotions ran high for the seniors during their final game in their home gym, Morris said Scribner’s explosion was not out of sentiment, but necessity.
“I don’t know if it was that or just the need for it,” Morris said. “I think she just knew it was her night. Our guards weren’t necessarily scoring early. It just looked like no one wanted to shoot the ball, so she kind of took it upon herself. We’re definitely tough to beat if Asiah Scribner scores more than 20 points.”
Himstedt scored 15 points for the Lady Jackrabbits while junior guard Cara Neighbors added 10.
Scriber, Brown and Himstedt, along with fellow seniors Emily Smith, Mallory Sexton and Brandy Lee, were honored along with the senior boys and senior cheerleaders immediately following the game.
It marked the last home game for a senior group that has two conference titles, three district championships, two regional titles and three state finals appearances to its credit.
“We told them it was their last game in Lonoke, but it wasn’t their last game in a white jersey,” Morris said. “If there’s this many tears after the last home game, then we better not lose, because it’s emotional.
“These kids have, I don’t want to say built the program, but they’ve built it strong. We had a strong program, but they built it stronger. Every one of them are better people than they are players, and I’ve always said that I felt like they were good players.”
Leader sportswriter
Lonoke’s senior night against Heber Springs in the 2-4A Conference finale was merely a statement game after Lonoke had clinched the league crown two nights earlier.
But senior Asiah Scribner took the opportunity to make the statement a bold one in the Lady Jackrabbits’ 57-30 victory at Lonoke on Friday.
Scribner, the 6-0 post player and UALR signee, took over the game completely in the third quarter with 10 consecutive points.
Scribner’s outburst sparked a 20-0 run for the Lady Jackrabbits that began with 5:20 left in the third quarter and ended with 4:47 left to play.
Scribner finished with a game-high 23 points as the Lady ’Rabbits overcame a sluggish first half. The victory marked Lonoke’s first conference championship since the 2006-07 season and their first unbeaten conference run, 14-0, in modern school history.
“It’s an emotional night,” Lady Jackrabbits coach Nathan Morris said. “These seniors have meant the world to our program. We probably needed that — a little wake-up call. It’s not always easy. They kind of turned it on in the second half. Asiah Scribner, she was able to impose her will inside.”
Lonoke (22-5) held a 30-23 lead when Scribner began her run with 4:28 left in the third quarter. She started with a third-try putback, followed by a basket off a steal and assist from sophomore Calvian McGaughey to make it 36-23.
Scribner’s next shot came off an assist from fellow senior Ashleigh Himstedt, and then she scored after a steal and pass from point guard Michaela Brown. Scribner capped the run with two free throws, while Himstedt added a basket in the final eight seconds to give Lonoke a 43-23 lead heading into the final period.
While emotions ran high for the seniors during their final game in their home gym, Morris said Scribner’s explosion was not out of sentiment, but necessity.
“I don’t know if it was that or just the need for it,” Morris said. “I think she just knew it was her night. Our guards weren’t necessarily scoring early. It just looked like no one wanted to shoot the ball, so she kind of took it upon herself. We’re definitely tough to beat if Asiah Scribner scores more than 20 points.”
Himstedt scored 15 points for the Lady Jackrabbits while junior guard Cara Neighbors added 10.
Scriber, Brown and Himstedt, along with fellow seniors Emily Smith, Mallory Sexton and Brandy Lee, were honored along with the senior boys and senior cheerleaders immediately following the game.
It marked the last home game for a senior group that has two conference titles, three district championships, two regional titles and three state finals appearances to its credit.
“We told them it was their last game in Lonoke, but it wasn’t their last game in a white jersey,” Morris said. “If there’s this many tears after the last home game, then we better not lose, because it’s emotional.
“These kids have, I don’t want to say built the program, but they’ve built it strong. We had a strong program, but they built it stronger. Every one of them are better people than they are players, and I’ve always said that I felt like they were good players.”
Friday, February 12, 2010
TOP STORY >> Candidate dips toes in Cabot’s political water
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
A black woman who is a Republican candidate for Congress in the First District was making rounds this week and stopped off in Cabot to see if the political atmosphere there favored her campaign.
Although she didn’t get an endorsement from Mayor Eddie Joe Williams, and she doesn’t plan to announce her candidacy until Feb. 20, Princella Smith said the polls say a Republican can win this race and she will be the one who does it.
Smith, 26, is a native of Wynne, where her mother works as the vice principal at the high school and her father is a minister. A graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in political science, Smith has spent most of her time in Washington since graduating.
She has worked for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s think tank, American Solutions for Winning the Future, becoming the voice that repeated his slogan promoting drilling for oil in Alaska, “Drill here, drill now, pay less.”
That job gave her national media attention with regular appearances on major networks including Fox News and CNN, where she debated energy experts and Democratic strategists years her senior.
In 2009, Smith went to work as communications director for freshman Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao (pronounced Gow) of Louisiana.
But she resigned after Rep. Marion Berry (D-Gillett) announced last month that he will not seek re-election. She decided to explore the possibility of running for the seat.
Smith said her campaign will focus on jobs, education, healthcare and national security.
“Arkansas’ unemployment rate is 7.6 percent,” she said. “We’ve got to find new ways to bring jobs to the state.”
Smith said there is no excuse for the disparity in the quality of education among school districts in the state. Cabot and Wynne have good school districts, she said, but not all can make the same claim.
“We need an intense examination of our education system,” she said. “There are some schools that are run quite efficiently.
Take Wynne; that’s one of those, but 20 minutes down the road, you have problems.”
Smith said Arkansas schools need better mentoring programs for administrators, more teacher accountability and better technology.
Money is not the problem, she said, because America spends more on education than any other country. What the system needs is forward-looking administrators and authority figures.
Heath care? What is needed is a comprehensive program that will take care of all those who need help, Smith said: the elderly, veterans, single parents and families.
National security? Smith said Arkansas has deployed thousands of troops to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and she wants to ensure that they are given all the resources needed to do their jobs and protect the country.
Smith said Washington has lost touch with average Americans and no longer understands how they live.
Although the First District hasn’t elected a Republican since the late 1800s, Smith said she believes this election will be more about solutions than political parties.
And although her youth could work against her, Smith said it won’t stop her.
“I fully plan on winning if I jump in,” she said.
Leader staff writer
A black woman who is a Republican candidate for Congress in the First District was making rounds this week and stopped off in Cabot to see if the political atmosphere there favored her campaign.
Although she didn’t get an endorsement from Mayor Eddie Joe Williams, and she doesn’t plan to announce her candidacy until Feb. 20, Princella Smith said the polls say a Republican can win this race and she will be the one who does it.
Smith, 26, is a native of Wynne, where her mother works as the vice principal at the high school and her father is a minister. A graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in political science, Smith has spent most of her time in Washington since graduating.
She has worked for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s think tank, American Solutions for Winning the Future, becoming the voice that repeated his slogan promoting drilling for oil in Alaska, “Drill here, drill now, pay less.”
That job gave her national media attention with regular appearances on major networks including Fox News and CNN, where she debated energy experts and Democratic strategists years her senior.
In 2009, Smith went to work as communications director for freshman Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao (pronounced Gow) of Louisiana.
But she resigned after Rep. Marion Berry (D-Gillett) announced last month that he will not seek re-election. She decided to explore the possibility of running for the seat.
Smith said her campaign will focus on jobs, education, healthcare and national security.
“Arkansas’ unemployment rate is 7.6 percent,” she said. “We’ve got to find new ways to bring jobs to the state.”
Smith said there is no excuse for the disparity in the quality of education among school districts in the state. Cabot and Wynne have good school districts, she said, but not all can make the same claim.
“We need an intense examination of our education system,” she said. “There are some schools that are run quite efficiently.
Take Wynne; that’s one of those, but 20 minutes down the road, you have problems.”
Smith said Arkansas schools need better mentoring programs for administrators, more teacher accountability and better technology.
Money is not the problem, she said, because America spends more on education than any other country. What the system needs is forward-looking administrators and authority figures.
Heath care? What is needed is a comprehensive program that will take care of all those who need help, Smith said: the elderly, veterans, single parents and families.
National security? Smith said Arkansas has deployed thousands of troops to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and she wants to ensure that they are given all the resources needed to do their jobs and protect the country.
Smith said Washington has lost touch with average Americans and no longer understands how they live.
Although the First District hasn’t elected a Republican since the late 1800s, Smith said she believes this election will be more about solutions than political parties.
And although her youth could work against her, Smith said it won’t stop her.
“I fully plan on winning if I jump in,” she said.
TOP STORY >> As snow melts, kids returning to school
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Most students will not have Monday off as school calendars originally told them, thanks to the snow.
Cabot, Beebe, Searcy, Lonoke and Pulaski County Special School District students will be in session on what was originally a holiday for the students.
Besides making up snow days, Searcy is also dealing with the loss of a $1.25 million gym building that collapsed under the weight of the snow that fell on its high school campus.
“We are making the necessary adjustments with our PE class and basketball practices,” said Earl Watson, assistant superintendent. “It’s going very smoothly.”
Searcy students, who missed five days because of the snow, will have to go to class on Monday and the school year has been extended by four days, taking them from a last day of school on May 24 to finishing the year on May 28.
Beebe students, who have lost six days because of the snow, were supposed to be off Friday for parent-teacher conferences, but were called into class and will go Monday as well as on Good Friday, April 30. The school has also been extended from May 27 to June 2.
Beebe assistant superintendent Scott Embrey said attendance was normal on Friday. “The board made the decisions Wednesday night and we have an automated system to contact all the students,” he explained.
PCSSD has lost six days because of the snow and ice. At this point, Monday, which was originally listed as a staff-development day for teachers, with students off, will now be a regular school day.
The remaining snow days will be tacked on to the end of the school year, moving the last day from June 2 to June 8.
Cabot, which has to make up five days, will have students in on Monday. Students were out four days (Monday-Thursday) because of the snow and were scheduled to be out Friday for a staff development day. The district honored that day off, but took back Monday, which had been listed as a scheduled holiday.
Lonoke School District students missed school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, returning to school Thursday and Friday and anticipate going to school Monday, according to Superintendent John Tackett.
He said Lonoke workers cleared the school parking lots of snow and ice with equipment Thursday. The district buildings suffered no damage.
“This is the first time in the 15 years I’ve been here we even had to consider closing school for a real snow,” Tackett said. He said the snow days are tacked on to the end of the school calendar, but that some other options were being considered.
The make-up days are because the worst snowstorm to hit the area in 22 years closed most area schools for most of the past week. Many districts also lost a day or two of instruction in January.
The weather service is also calling for a chance of snow Sunday evening, although warmer temperatures should keep the snow and related problems to a minimum.
So much snow fell that the weight of it collapsed part of the overhang at the Citgo on Warden Road, off Hwy. 67/167 and destroyed the Smokey’s Pub sign and canopy about a mile further south down the road.
In Cabot, police kept watch Monday night at Whit Davis Lumber Plus after part of the roof collapsed from heavy snow build-up.
There were no injuries.
(John Hofheimer contributed to this report.)
Leader staff writer
Most students will not have Monday off as school calendars originally told them, thanks to the snow.
Cabot, Beebe, Searcy, Lonoke and Pulaski County Special School District students will be in session on what was originally a holiday for the students.
Besides making up snow days, Searcy is also dealing with the loss of a $1.25 million gym building that collapsed under the weight of the snow that fell on its high school campus.
“We are making the necessary adjustments with our PE class and basketball practices,” said Earl Watson, assistant superintendent. “It’s going very smoothly.”
Searcy students, who missed five days because of the snow, will have to go to class on Monday and the school year has been extended by four days, taking them from a last day of school on May 24 to finishing the year on May 28.
Beebe students, who have lost six days because of the snow, were supposed to be off Friday for parent-teacher conferences, but were called into class and will go Monday as well as on Good Friday, April 30. The school has also been extended from May 27 to June 2.
Beebe assistant superintendent Scott Embrey said attendance was normal on Friday. “The board made the decisions Wednesday night and we have an automated system to contact all the students,” he explained.
PCSSD has lost six days because of the snow and ice. At this point, Monday, which was originally listed as a staff-development day for teachers, with students off, will now be a regular school day.
The remaining snow days will be tacked on to the end of the school year, moving the last day from June 2 to June 8.
Cabot, which has to make up five days, will have students in on Monday. Students were out four days (Monday-Thursday) because of the snow and were scheduled to be out Friday for a staff development day. The district honored that day off, but took back Monday, which had been listed as a scheduled holiday.
Lonoke School District students missed school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, returning to school Thursday and Friday and anticipate going to school Monday, according to Superintendent John Tackett.
He said Lonoke workers cleared the school parking lots of snow and ice with equipment Thursday. The district buildings suffered no damage.
“This is the first time in the 15 years I’ve been here we even had to consider closing school for a real snow,” Tackett said. He said the snow days are tacked on to the end of the school calendar, but that some other options were being considered.
The make-up days are because the worst snowstorm to hit the area in 22 years closed most area schools for most of the past week. Many districts also lost a day or two of instruction in January.
The weather service is also calling for a chance of snow Sunday evening, although warmer temperatures should keep the snow and related problems to a minimum.
So much snow fell that the weight of it collapsed part of the overhang at the Citgo on Warden Road, off Hwy. 67/167 and destroyed the Smokey’s Pub sign and canopy about a mile further south down the road.
In Cabot, police kept watch Monday night at Whit Davis Lumber Plus after part of the roof collapsed from heavy snow build-up.
There were no injuries.
(John Hofheimer contributed to this report.)
TOP STORY >> PCSSD ready for decision
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Buses ran and school was back in session Friday for the first time in almost a week at Pulaski County Special School District, which will also have classes Monday.
As Presidents Day, Monday would have been a day off for students and a workshop or meeting day for teachers, but now the district needs to hold school because students have been out of school because of the bad weather.
Snow and ice have played havoc with schooling and administrating at PCSSD and all area districts this week.
Not only have students missed four days of school—days that must be made up—but the weather forced cancellation of the regularly scheduled school board meeting Tuesday and also further interviews of the four finalists in line to become the next PCSSD superintendent.
Right now, the board is tentatively set to discuss on Monday the four candidates, all of whom visited the district during the first week of February, and the regular board meeting is tentatively set for Wednesday, according to Deborah Roush, district spokesman. Roush said the board is not expected to make a decision by the Monday meeting and that so far, hiring or offering the job is not on the agenda for the rescheduled regular meeting Wednesday.
The board chose to interview and consider four finalists from a short list prepared by the executive search firm McPherson and Jacobson.
Three of the four finalists are also finalists in superintendent searches in other states, according to published reports. Rob McGill, PCSSD’s interim superintendent, who is the fourth finalist, is not a candidate elsewhere.
Tom Jacobson, a search-firm founder, has said PCSSD needs to act quickly, but board members want to consider the evaluations of groups of principals and teachers before making a choice, Roush said. Roush said the board seems intent upon making a good, well-informed choice.
“The board has been trying to meet and trying to meet,” Roush said, but the weather has interfered with efforts to get board members together.
“This is our sixth day,” Roush said. “The last day of school would have been June 1. Now students have to make up five more days. Otherwise the last day of school will be June 8.”
Roush said teachers and members of the support staff unions had agreed to make Monday a school day, and all were considering holding classes on Good Friday and also on another teacher work day.
“We need as many classroom days as possible before the April benchmark tests,” she said.
In addition to McGill, the finalists for the job are Vashti K. Washington, who is associate superintendent of the Charleston County South Carolina School District, Charles L. Hopson and Roy “Cole” Pugh.
Hopson, an Arkansas native who taught at Northwood Middle School, is deputy superintendent for district-wide programs in Portland, Ore.
Pugh is superintendent of Eagle Mountain—Saginaw School District in Texas.
Leader senior staff writer
Buses ran and school was back in session Friday for the first time in almost a week at Pulaski County Special School District, which will also have classes Monday.
As Presidents Day, Monday would have been a day off for students and a workshop or meeting day for teachers, but now the district needs to hold school because students have been out of school because of the bad weather.
Snow and ice have played havoc with schooling and administrating at PCSSD and all area districts this week.
Not only have students missed four days of school—days that must be made up—but the weather forced cancellation of the regularly scheduled school board meeting Tuesday and also further interviews of the four finalists in line to become the next PCSSD superintendent.
Right now, the board is tentatively set to discuss on Monday the four candidates, all of whom visited the district during the first week of February, and the regular board meeting is tentatively set for Wednesday, according to Deborah Roush, district spokesman. Roush said the board is not expected to make a decision by the Monday meeting and that so far, hiring or offering the job is not on the agenda for the rescheduled regular meeting Wednesday.
The board chose to interview and consider four finalists from a short list prepared by the executive search firm McPherson and Jacobson.
Three of the four finalists are also finalists in superintendent searches in other states, according to published reports. Rob McGill, PCSSD’s interim superintendent, who is the fourth finalist, is not a candidate elsewhere.
Tom Jacobson, a search-firm founder, has said PCSSD needs to act quickly, but board members want to consider the evaluations of groups of principals and teachers before making a choice, Roush said. Roush said the board seems intent upon making a good, well-informed choice.
“The board has been trying to meet and trying to meet,” Roush said, but the weather has interfered with efforts to get board members together.
“This is our sixth day,” Roush said. “The last day of school would have been June 1. Now students have to make up five more days. Otherwise the last day of school will be June 8.”
Roush said teachers and members of the support staff unions had agreed to make Monday a school day, and all were considering holding classes on Good Friday and also on another teacher work day.
“We need as many classroom days as possible before the April benchmark tests,” she said.
In addition to McGill, the finalists for the job are Vashti K. Washington, who is associate superintendent of the Charleston County South Carolina School District, Charles L. Hopson and Roy “Cole” Pugh.
Hopson, an Arkansas native who taught at Northwood Middle School, is deputy superintendent for district-wide programs in Portland, Ore.
Pugh is superintendent of Eagle Mountain—Saginaw School District in Texas.
TOP STORY >> Campbell returned to prison
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Former Lonoke Police Chief Ronald Jay Campbell, dressed in warmups and with a Bible in hand, reported to the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office at 9:40 Friday morning, and he was transported directly to the state Correction Department’s Diagnostic Unit at Pine Bluff.
From there, he’s likely to finish his sentence in an out-of-state facility. He had been in a Missouri prison.
Campbell pleaded guilty Feb. 6 to four felonies before Lonoke County Circuit Judge Barbara Elmore and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. With credit for time served, Campbell will first be eligible for parole Sept. 4, 2010, according to Correction Department spokesman Dina Tyler.
Campbell was convicted of more than 20 counts in April 2007 and sentenced to 40 years in prison, but on Nov. 5, the state Supreme Court overturned Campbell’s 2007 convictions on 23 charges, including running a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and a bevy of burglary and drug-related charges.
The court remanded the case back to Lonoke County Circuit Court.
Interim Prosecutor Will Feland and Special Prosecutor Jack McQuarry drew up a 17-charge bill of particulars.
But following a plea negotiation, Campbell pled guilty to two counts of burglary, one count of theft of property and one count of obtaining drugs by fraud.
His wife, Kelly Harrison Campbell, is serving 10 years in prison and will be eligible for parole this year also.
He will not be allowed to own a firearm or get a job in law enforcement, Feland said.
The victims wanted closure, Feland said.
Campbell’s attorney, Patrick Benca, characterized former Lonoke County Prosecutor Lona McCastlain’s efforts to convict Campbell as kingpin of an ongoing criminal enterprise as “overreaching.”
Leader senior staff writer
Former Lonoke Police Chief Ronald Jay Campbell, dressed in warmups and with a Bible in hand, reported to the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office at 9:40 Friday morning, and he was transported directly to the state Correction Department’s Diagnostic Unit at Pine Bluff.
From there, he’s likely to finish his sentence in an out-of-state facility. He had been in a Missouri prison.
Campbell pleaded guilty Feb. 6 to four felonies before Lonoke County Circuit Judge Barbara Elmore and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. With credit for time served, Campbell will first be eligible for parole Sept. 4, 2010, according to Correction Department spokesman Dina Tyler.
Campbell was convicted of more than 20 counts in April 2007 and sentenced to 40 years in prison, but on Nov. 5, the state Supreme Court overturned Campbell’s 2007 convictions on 23 charges, including running a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and a bevy of burglary and drug-related charges.
The court remanded the case back to Lonoke County Circuit Court.
Interim Prosecutor Will Feland and Special Prosecutor Jack McQuarry drew up a 17-charge bill of particulars.
But following a plea negotiation, Campbell pled guilty to two counts of burglary, one count of theft of property and one count of obtaining drugs by fraud.
His wife, Kelly Harrison Campbell, is serving 10 years in prison and will be eligible for parole this year also.
He will not be allowed to own a firearm or get a job in law enforcement, Feland said.
The victims wanted closure, Feland said.
Campbell’s attorney, Patrick Benca, characterized former Lonoke County Prosecutor Lona McCastlain’s efforts to convict Campbell as kingpin of an ongoing criminal enterprise as “overreaching.”
EDITORIAL >> Blizzard of 2010 is now history
The worst of the blizzard of 2010 appears to be over. The kids are back in school and the streets are clear. Some cities did better than others making the roads navigable: While the smaller towns around here, like elsewhere, lacked the equipment to get snow off the roads, or even throw salt on them, we commend those local street department that went the extra mile and made our roads safe.
Jacksonville and Cabot crews threw sand down major thoroughfares, and thanks to modern technology, the sand has chemicals that melt the snow, helping most of us get to work and avoid fender benders. Jacksonville crews also used road graders to remove the snow, making travel that much easier.
Jim Durham, Jacksonville’s city administrator, praised road crews, who worked 12-hour shifts for several days this week, just like crews in big cities, where snow removal often determines the future of mayors. If they’re slow to respond in a blizzard, they lose.
We’ve never seen roads cleared this fast in Jacksonville. Thanks to all the hard-working city employees who braved the elements and made life easier for the rest of us.
Jacksonville and Cabot crews threw sand down major thoroughfares, and thanks to modern technology, the sand has chemicals that melt the snow, helping most of us get to work and avoid fender benders. Jacksonville crews also used road graders to remove the snow, making travel that much easier.
Jim Durham, Jacksonville’s city administrator, praised road crews, who worked 12-hour shifts for several days this week, just like crews in big cities, where snow removal often determines the future of mayors. If they’re slow to respond in a blizzard, they lose.
We’ve never seen roads cleared this fast in Jacksonville. Thanks to all the hard-working city employees who braved the elements and made life easier for the rest of us.
EDITORIAL >> Lottery takes from the poor
The Pine Bluff Commercial polled 12 merchants in the town last week about their sales the past few months and reached a startling conclusion. Just like you were taught in elementary arithmetic, if you have a fixed amount of money and you spend part of it on a new commodity, you will have less to spend on other things.
That would not be news had not lottery promoters prescribed a new corollary: Simple mathematical principles do not apply where lotteries are involved. Lotteries are good for everybody.
The newspaper asked the merchants, nine of whom sold lottery tickets, if the lottery had affected their business — their non-lottery business in the cases of those who had a franchise to sell tickets. They all said it had. The sale of non-lottery goods and services went down when the lottery started in September. Business slumped even for laundries and dry cleaners.
It is a feature of lotteries everywhere that while a large cross-section of people play the lottery, those who play with great regularity and in volume are the poor and minorities, two cohorts of people who tend to be the same. They don’t have any discretionary income so if they spend $20 on lottery tickets one week that is $20 they will not be spending on food, clothing, medicine and the non-essentials of the good life. And the state and local governments will not be collecting sales taxes on the transactions.
Last month, Gov. Beebe wondered how much the lottery had affected state tax collections. Owing to declining tax collections, the state had made the second big cut in budgeting for state services and aid to local governments in this fiscal year. Ernie Passailaigue, the lottery director, repeated the mantra from the lottery campaign in 2008. The lottery would not be a drag but an economic boon for the state and local communities. You see, people with a gambling zeal would not be going to nearby states to buy lottery tickets, people would be winning big prizes and paying income taxes on them and the lottery itself would employ lots of people with hefty salaries. The last prediction turned out to be true.
Jefferson County and its merchants tell the true story. While many people, including the rich and well educated, buy lottery tickets from time to time, the poor and the desperate pursue the get-rich dream relentlessly. Jefferson County is the poorest of all the populated counties in Arkansas. It has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state. More than a fourth of its residents live in poverty, and 55 percent of the residents are African American or Latino. Nine Arkansas counties have greater populations than Jefferson County but only one — Pulaski County, which has five times the population — rakes in more money for the lottery. Lottery sales in Jefferson County totaled nearly $7 million in the last quarter of 2009. The loss of $7 million of wealth from a poor county every three months cannot be a healthy development, but it is if you listen to the lottery officials.
Passailaigue said poor people just ought not to be buying lottery tickets unless they want to do it only for the fun. But he is scrambling to offer even more varieties of lottery games to lure them in. There will be games for the fellow with only pennies in his pocket.
This week, Passailaigue said he would like for the state lottery office to be declared a law-enforcement agency so that it could set up its own round-the-clock police force. They handle millions of dollars, you see. The state Revenue Division handles about $6 billion a year but does not require its own gendarmes.
The legislative lottery-oversight committee quickly ratified the idea and they tried to push the law through the fiscal session of the legislature. Fortunately, the governor and a few leaders said let’s think about this a while and the idea was put off until the regular session next January. The lottery hasn’t flexed its muscles yet.
Government and gambling form a dangerous liaison. The day will soon come when whatever the lottery wants it gets, whether it is its own police force or looser restrictions on promotions when lottery revenues start to lag.
That would not be news had not lottery promoters prescribed a new corollary: Simple mathematical principles do not apply where lotteries are involved. Lotteries are good for everybody.
The newspaper asked the merchants, nine of whom sold lottery tickets, if the lottery had affected their business — their non-lottery business in the cases of those who had a franchise to sell tickets. They all said it had. The sale of non-lottery goods and services went down when the lottery started in September. Business slumped even for laundries and dry cleaners.
It is a feature of lotteries everywhere that while a large cross-section of people play the lottery, those who play with great regularity and in volume are the poor and minorities, two cohorts of people who tend to be the same. They don’t have any discretionary income so if they spend $20 on lottery tickets one week that is $20 they will not be spending on food, clothing, medicine and the non-essentials of the good life. And the state and local governments will not be collecting sales taxes on the transactions.
Last month, Gov. Beebe wondered how much the lottery had affected state tax collections. Owing to declining tax collections, the state had made the second big cut in budgeting for state services and aid to local governments in this fiscal year. Ernie Passailaigue, the lottery director, repeated the mantra from the lottery campaign in 2008. The lottery would not be a drag but an economic boon for the state and local communities. You see, people with a gambling zeal would not be going to nearby states to buy lottery tickets, people would be winning big prizes and paying income taxes on them and the lottery itself would employ lots of people with hefty salaries. The last prediction turned out to be true.
Jefferson County and its merchants tell the true story. While many people, including the rich and well educated, buy lottery tickets from time to time, the poor and the desperate pursue the get-rich dream relentlessly. Jefferson County is the poorest of all the populated counties in Arkansas. It has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state. More than a fourth of its residents live in poverty, and 55 percent of the residents are African American or Latino. Nine Arkansas counties have greater populations than Jefferson County but only one — Pulaski County, which has five times the population — rakes in more money for the lottery. Lottery sales in Jefferson County totaled nearly $7 million in the last quarter of 2009. The loss of $7 million of wealth from a poor county every three months cannot be a healthy development, but it is if you listen to the lottery officials.
Passailaigue said poor people just ought not to be buying lottery tickets unless they want to do it only for the fun. But he is scrambling to offer even more varieties of lottery games to lure them in. There will be games for the fellow with only pennies in his pocket.
This week, Passailaigue said he would like for the state lottery office to be declared a law-enforcement agency so that it could set up its own round-the-clock police force. They handle millions of dollars, you see. The state Revenue Division handles about $6 billion a year but does not require its own gendarmes.
The legislative lottery-oversight committee quickly ratified the idea and they tried to push the law through the fiscal session of the legislature. Fortunately, the governor and a few leaders said let’s think about this a while and the idea was put off until the regular session next January. The lottery hasn’t flexed its muscles yet.
Government and gambling form a dangerous liaison. The day will soon come when whatever the lottery wants it gets, whether it is its own police force or looser restrictions on promotions when lottery revenues start to lag.
SPORTS >> Searcy gym gives in to weather, collapses
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
The Searcy school district hopes to begin rebuilding its fallen annex gym on Monday at the earliest, superintendent Tony Wood said.
The gym, which houses a basketball court, weight room, dressing rooms and equipment for several sports, collapsed Tuesday under the weight of snow from heavy winter storms in the area.
The structure was estimated at $1.25 million, which doesn’t include equipment and uniforms stored inside. Wood was hoping to have all insurance issues settled by Friday so crews could begin demolition and removal of debris early next week.
“We’re going to go right on and build it back on that footprint,” Wood said. “The slab is not hurt in any way.”
Wood said he hoped the gym could be replaced by the start of school in August.
“That’s a reasonable time frame for the facility,” Wood said. “There’s a lot we can do pretty quick.”
The annex gym was a multi-purpose building used for physical education classes, wrestling, the girls’ basketball weight room and equipment storage for football, soccer, track and wrestling.
“We’ve retrieved very little out of it and the building is a total loss,” athletic director James Frank said.
The school also has policies covering replacement and content, and Frank said he had asked all coaches to submit inventories of equipment and uniforms lost.
Frank said the loss of the annex would not affect the remainder of Searcy’s high school basketball schedule. The Lions and Lady Lions play three of their final four games at home, and will split practice time in the junior high and senior high gyms.
“We’re just so fortunate to have another building,” Wood said.
Frank said the high school has another building, with weights and a dressing room, which the baseball team uses for indoor workouts that the wrestlers can also use.
The collapse of the annex was the latest in a series of facilities and equipment problems affecting the Searcy district, and athletics, this school year.
Frank said district buses had 22 flat tires on the first day of school, then light standards at the football stadium were found to be unsound, forcing Searcy to play some of its home football games at nearby Bald Knob.
“We had floods. We had snow days and a gym cave in so it’s been an interesting year,” Frank said.
Leader sports editor
The Searcy school district hopes to begin rebuilding its fallen annex gym on Monday at the earliest, superintendent Tony Wood said.
The gym, which houses a basketball court, weight room, dressing rooms and equipment for several sports, collapsed Tuesday under the weight of snow from heavy winter storms in the area.
The structure was estimated at $1.25 million, which doesn’t include equipment and uniforms stored inside. Wood was hoping to have all insurance issues settled by Friday so crews could begin demolition and removal of debris early next week.
“We’re going to go right on and build it back on that footprint,” Wood said. “The slab is not hurt in any way.”
Wood said he hoped the gym could be replaced by the start of school in August.
“That’s a reasonable time frame for the facility,” Wood said. “There’s a lot we can do pretty quick.”
The annex gym was a multi-purpose building used for physical education classes, wrestling, the girls’ basketball weight room and equipment storage for football, soccer, track and wrestling.
“We’ve retrieved very little out of it and the building is a total loss,” athletic director James Frank said.
The school also has policies covering replacement and content, and Frank said he had asked all coaches to submit inventories of equipment and uniforms lost.
Frank said the loss of the annex would not affect the remainder of Searcy’s high school basketball schedule. The Lions and Lady Lions play three of their final four games at home, and will split practice time in the junior high and senior high gyms.
“We’re just so fortunate to have another building,” Wood said.
Frank said the high school has another building, with weights and a dressing room, which the baseball team uses for indoor workouts that the wrestlers can also use.
The collapse of the annex was the latest in a series of facilities and equipment problems affecting the Searcy district, and athletics, this school year.
Frank said district buses had 22 flat tires on the first day of school, then light standards at the football stadium were found to be unsound, forcing Searcy to play some of its home football games at nearby Bald Knob.
“We had floods. We had snow days and a gym cave in so it’s been an interesting year,” Frank said.
SPORTS >> Owls tune up for tourney
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Time will tell if the recent winter weather has done anything to cool off the Abundant Life Owls, who have swept the 5-2A North Conference for the second straight season.
The Owls (28-4, 12-0) have also claimed the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye for next week’s district tournament at White County Central for the second year in a row, but Abundant Life coach Tim Ballard wants to take additional measures in the week before postseason play.
Snow forced the Owls to cancel practice Monday and Tuesday, but it’s not the weather that concerns Ballard as much as the basics.
“It’s one of those deals where I always think that everyone else is in the same boat,” Ballard said. “We are trying to have a lot more practice time leading up to the tournaments than we have in years past. We’re not sloppy, but could be a little more focused.”
The Owls had a non-conference make up game with Hector tentatively scheduled for Friday.
“We also want to watch videotapes and see what fundamentals we can work on,” Ballard said. “We have the No. 1 seed pretty much sewn up, so all of the games we have left we will pretty much look at as practices — practice games. We don’t have to play any more really meaningful games until district starts.”
Abundant Life has a balanced lineup featuring the scrappy guard trio of Mike Stramiello, Cameron Slayton and George Herring.
But senior post player Garrett Southerland has anchored the Owls as the leading scorer and rebounder. Southerland is not just an inside scoring threat, he is also one of the Owls’ best outside shooters.
Abundant Life made a perfect run through the 5-2A North last year, but began to struggle once it reached the regional tournaments. The Owls did not make the regional finals, which gave them a lower seed to begin the state tournament and eventually led to a semifinal matchup with tournament hosts Melbourne.
The Bearkatz eliminated the Owls before falling to Conway St. Joseph in the championship game. Abundant Life beat Conway St. Joseph on three separate occasions last year.
While Ballard is the first to admit facing Melbourne at home in the state tournament is a tough draw for anyone, he said his Owls could also have been more prepared.
“It was an oversight on my part,” Ballard said. “Too many times, if you’re winning, like we beat St. Joe three times, it feels good, and you start thinking you’re better than what you actually are. You’re not focusing.”
Leader sportswriter
Time will tell if the recent winter weather has done anything to cool off the Abundant Life Owls, who have swept the 5-2A North Conference for the second straight season.
The Owls (28-4, 12-0) have also claimed the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye for next week’s district tournament at White County Central for the second year in a row, but Abundant Life coach Tim Ballard wants to take additional measures in the week before postseason play.
Snow forced the Owls to cancel practice Monday and Tuesday, but it’s not the weather that concerns Ballard as much as the basics.
“It’s one of those deals where I always think that everyone else is in the same boat,” Ballard said. “We are trying to have a lot more practice time leading up to the tournaments than we have in years past. We’re not sloppy, but could be a little more focused.”
The Owls had a non-conference make up game with Hector tentatively scheduled for Friday.
“We also want to watch videotapes and see what fundamentals we can work on,” Ballard said. “We have the No. 1 seed pretty much sewn up, so all of the games we have left we will pretty much look at as practices — practice games. We don’t have to play any more really meaningful games until district starts.”
Abundant Life has a balanced lineup featuring the scrappy guard trio of Mike Stramiello, Cameron Slayton and George Herring.
But senior post player Garrett Southerland has anchored the Owls as the leading scorer and rebounder. Southerland is not just an inside scoring threat, he is also one of the Owls’ best outside shooters.
Abundant Life made a perfect run through the 5-2A North last year, but began to struggle once it reached the regional tournaments. The Owls did not make the regional finals, which gave them a lower seed to begin the state tournament and eventually led to a semifinal matchup with tournament hosts Melbourne.
The Bearkatz eliminated the Owls before falling to Conway St. Joseph in the championship game. Abundant Life beat Conway St. Joseph on three separate occasions last year.
While Ballard is the first to admit facing Melbourne at home in the state tournament is a tough draw for anyone, he said his Owls could also have been more prepared.
“It was an oversight on my part,” Ballard said. “Too many times, if you’re winning, like we beat St. Joe three times, it feels good, and you start thinking you’re better than what you actually are. You’re not focusing.”
SPORTS >> Warm up the bandwagon for Winter Olympics
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
I was feeling sort of unpatriotic because I wasn’t excited about the Winter Olympics, which held their opening ceremonies in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday.
Then I saw the Sports Illustrated swimsuit photos of American downhill skier Lindsey Vonn.
Now it’s USA! USA!
But in most cases with the Olympics, winter and summer, I take a wait-and-see attitude, as I’m sure many Americans do.
A couple years ago I raced the length of the press box at Dickey-Stephens Park after an Arkansas Travelers game to catch Michael Phelps’ latest Olympic swimming feat on TV in the video booth.
Of course, by then Phelps was gunning for his eleventy-twelfth medal and had already had to win a ton of hardware for me to sit up and take notice.
From the Winter Games, my favorite moments include, let’s see, The Miracle On Ice, Apollo Ono and Dan Jansen. Yup, all winners. Check.
My detached view, I think, speaks to a deeper truth — when it comes to the Olympics, we’re mostly a nation of bandwagon jumpers.
We’ll support our Cubs and Cowboys, our Hogs and Cardinals, but when the Olympics roll around we need a crash course on who is even on the team, unless of course it’s the all-star basketball Dream Team, which rolled through the 1992 Summer
Games like Patton through France.
In winter of 1988, while defending America’s freedom from my U.S. Air Force desk in England, I could have gotten behind the long shot Jamaican bobsled team, if I’d cared about a great underdog story that is.
But I didn’t, and the hearty Jamaicans, without my support, flipped over and used their helmeted heads as friction brakes on the icy downhill run.
I laughed when one of the Red Cross guys rushing to the rescue slipped and fell on his coccyx — I was much younger then — and I got a kick out of the sheepish “we tried” looks on the Jamaicans’ faces as they trudged, unhurt, away from the scene of their crash.
But no, I missed the boat on the Jamaicans — who at least had a movie made about them — and was trying hard to root for whatever American medal winners we had that year.
A quick Google search reminded me who all six of them were: figure skater Brian Boitano (gold) and speed skater Bonnie Blair (gold in the 500 meters); household name Eric Flaim (silver in speed skating); figure skater DebbieThomas (bronze); pairs figure skaters Peter Oppegard and Jill Wilson (bronze) and Blair again (bronze in the 100 meters).
USA! USA!
At least the U.S. had some spiffy suits for the opening ceremonies this year huh? How about out those Ralph Lauren-designed getups featuring down puffer jackets, chunky cable-knit turtleneck sweaters, fleece pants, and rugged, alpine boots?
Let’s face it; in the past the U.S. athletes have worn monstrosities only Napoleon Dynamite would love.
In his book “You Gotta Play Hurt” the great sports humorist Dan Jenkins described the Russians in their fur jackets and Cossack hats, the French in their chic berets and tan uniforms and the British in their sharp blazers and golf caps. “And then here would come the Americans,” Jenkins wrote, “in their white cowboy hats and astronaut suits.”
USA! USA!
If I have a favorite Winter Olympics sport it’s probably hockey, which satisfies my preference for violence and team play in which a final score and not some judge decides the issue. Though you have to give Tonya Harding and her gang credit for trying to make skating a contact sport when they roughed up Nancy Kerrigan in 1994.
My little sister was a cheerleader/gymnast who was always doing cartwheels and walkovers unexpectedly around the house — you had to be on your toes with her — and ever since she gave me a surprise kick in the choppers I’ve distrusted the sports with judges, like ice skating.
After all, there’s a reason why getting shafted by the Russian judge has become a sports cliché.
In the Winter Games at Salt Lake in 2002, household name Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov allegedly masterminded a bribe scheme in which the French judge awarded lower marks to the Canadian pairs team, allowing the Russians to win.
There was also alleged bribery that led to a Russian judge awarding high marks to the French ice dancing team, which featured a Russian native and a close friend to Tokhtakhounov.
The whole scandal led to the abandonment of the traditional 6.0 scoring system.
So if I watch the Olympics at all, I guess my interest will be limited to hockey again this year, unless Vonn skis in her swimsuit.
USA! USA!
Leader sports editor
I was feeling sort of unpatriotic because I wasn’t excited about the Winter Olympics, which held their opening ceremonies in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday.
Then I saw the Sports Illustrated swimsuit photos of American downhill skier Lindsey Vonn.
Now it’s USA! USA!
But in most cases with the Olympics, winter and summer, I take a wait-and-see attitude, as I’m sure many Americans do.
A couple years ago I raced the length of the press box at Dickey-Stephens Park after an Arkansas Travelers game to catch Michael Phelps’ latest Olympic swimming feat on TV in the video booth.
Of course, by then Phelps was gunning for his eleventy-twelfth medal and had already had to win a ton of hardware for me to sit up and take notice.
From the Winter Games, my favorite moments include, let’s see, The Miracle On Ice, Apollo Ono and Dan Jansen. Yup, all winners. Check.
My detached view, I think, speaks to a deeper truth — when it comes to the Olympics, we’re mostly a nation of bandwagon jumpers.
We’ll support our Cubs and Cowboys, our Hogs and Cardinals, but when the Olympics roll around we need a crash course on who is even on the team, unless of course it’s the all-star basketball Dream Team, which rolled through the 1992 Summer
Games like Patton through France.
In winter of 1988, while defending America’s freedom from my U.S. Air Force desk in England, I could have gotten behind the long shot Jamaican bobsled team, if I’d cared about a great underdog story that is.
But I didn’t, and the hearty Jamaicans, without my support, flipped over and used their helmeted heads as friction brakes on the icy downhill run.
I laughed when one of the Red Cross guys rushing to the rescue slipped and fell on his coccyx — I was much younger then — and I got a kick out of the sheepish “we tried” looks on the Jamaicans’ faces as they trudged, unhurt, away from the scene of their crash.
But no, I missed the boat on the Jamaicans — who at least had a movie made about them — and was trying hard to root for whatever American medal winners we had that year.
A quick Google search reminded me who all six of them were: figure skater Brian Boitano (gold) and speed skater Bonnie Blair (gold in the 500 meters); household name Eric Flaim (silver in speed skating); figure skater DebbieThomas (bronze); pairs figure skaters Peter Oppegard and Jill Wilson (bronze) and Blair again (bronze in the 100 meters).
USA! USA!
At least the U.S. had some spiffy suits for the opening ceremonies this year huh? How about out those Ralph Lauren-designed getups featuring down puffer jackets, chunky cable-knit turtleneck sweaters, fleece pants, and rugged, alpine boots?
Let’s face it; in the past the U.S. athletes have worn monstrosities only Napoleon Dynamite would love.
In his book “You Gotta Play Hurt” the great sports humorist Dan Jenkins described the Russians in their fur jackets and Cossack hats, the French in their chic berets and tan uniforms and the British in their sharp blazers and golf caps. “And then here would come the Americans,” Jenkins wrote, “in their white cowboy hats and astronaut suits.”
USA! USA!
If I have a favorite Winter Olympics sport it’s probably hockey, which satisfies my preference for violence and team play in which a final score and not some judge decides the issue. Though you have to give Tonya Harding and her gang credit for trying to make skating a contact sport when they roughed up Nancy Kerrigan in 1994.
My little sister was a cheerleader/gymnast who was always doing cartwheels and walkovers unexpectedly around the house — you had to be on your toes with her — and ever since she gave me a surprise kick in the choppers I’ve distrusted the sports with judges, like ice skating.
After all, there’s a reason why getting shafted by the Russian judge has become a sports cliché.
In the Winter Games at Salt Lake in 2002, household name Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov allegedly masterminded a bribe scheme in which the French judge awarded lower marks to the Canadian pairs team, allowing the Russians to win.
There was also alleged bribery that led to a Russian judge awarding high marks to the French ice dancing team, which featured a Russian native and a close friend to Tokhtakhounov.
The whole scandal led to the abandonment of the traditional 6.0 scoring system.
So if I watch the Olympics at all, I guess my interest will be limited to hockey again this year, unless Vonn skis in her swimsuit.
USA! USA!
SPORTS >> Jackrabbits check Price, beat Clinton
Lonoke’s T.J. Scott battles for a rebound in Lonoke’s victory over Clinton on Wednesday night. The Jackrabbits fought back from a 30-17 deficit to remain in fourth place in the 2-4A Conference with an outside shot at moving into third.By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
It took Lonoke most of the second half to catch up and undo the early damage caused by dynamic Clinton sophomore guard John Price in Lonoke’s 65-63 home victory Wednesday.
Price, a speedy 5-10 clutch shooter and ball-handling wizard for the Yellowjackets, scored 13 of his 23 points in the first quarter as Clinton built a 30-17 lead in the first half.
But Lonoke’s improved defense held the standout underclassman to six points in the second half, and the Jackrabbits eventually overtook their guests for the victory.
The Jackrabbits (11-9, 7-6 2-4A Conference) tied the game for the first time with 1:31 left in the third quarter on a pair of free throws by junior Darius Scott, and claimed their first lead when Tarrale Watson scored on a putback with 55 seconds left in the period to make it 44-42.
“I guess with the break, and not being on a true schedule, it kind of got us screwed up,” Lonoke coach Dean Campbell said of bad weather that forced Wednesday’s makeup game. “It’s tough to not get up, get around and have the routine. We showed that the first two quarters.
In the third quarter, we came out with the energy that we talked about at the beginning, but we didn’t bring it in the first two quarters.”
The Jackrabbits will most likely finish fourth in the 2-4A but are still mathematically alive for third depending on the outcome of Friday’s regularly scheduled league finales.
The lead changed hands another six times once the Jackrabbits caught up late in the third quarter.
Lonoke finally began to take control for good thanks to a technical foul and personal foul on Clinton reserve Gerald Norton after a battle for a loose ball with 2:46 remaining. Storm Beeler made three of his four free throws to improve the Jackrabbits’ lead to 60-54.
“We had guys coming off the bench and contributing, which you need that,” Campbell said. “Those guys kind of kept us in it.
We got into the third quarter and got some turnovers, and got some easy baskets and got into a flow.”
Clinton, (7-14, 4-7) got off to a fast start with the help of Price, who made a pair of first-quarter three-pointers. He got the last word of the half for the Yellowjackets with a fading, buzzer-beating jumper from just inside the three-point line to make it 36-26 at halftime
But Price’s two free throws with 7:37 left in the third quarter were his final points until two more free throws with 5:49 left in the game. By that time Lonoke had already taken control of the tempo, and took over the lead for good shortly thereafter.
“It’s not like we didn’t talk about it at the beginning, and talk about him,” Campbell said of Price. “It allowed us to get the ball out of his hands and not allow him to dictate the tempo. We dictated the tempo by switching stuff up.”
Darius Scott led Lonoke with 13 points while T.J. Scott scored 11 and Watson scored 10. Damarcus Dodson had eight points to go with assists, steals and key rebounds.
SPORTS >> Lonoke girls grab conference crown
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The Clinton Lady Yellowjackets entered the Lonoke gym on Wednesday with an outside chance of claiming at least a part of the 2-4A Conference championship.
But that’s about as far as they got.
Lonoke quickly established dominance and maintained it for three quarters until taking its foot off Clinton’s throat in the final period in a mercy-ruled 72-43 rout that gave the Lady Jackrabbits the league championship.
Lonoke has earned the No. 1 seed in next week’s 2-4A district tournament in Stuttgart and will have a first-round bye.
The Lady Jackrabbits (21-5, 13-0) held the Lady YellowJackets (20-4, 9-3) scoreless for the final 3:19 of the first quarter, which enabled them to take control with a 19-0 run that gave them a 31-5 lead heading into the second quarter.
Clinton managed a little more offense in the next period, but Lonoke’s momentum never faltered on the way to a 51-17 halftime lead. Lonoke is a three-time state runner-up but had only won one conference title in that span, and the regular-season championship was a goal for the Lady Jackrabbits this year.
“We played very, very well,” Lonoke coach Nathan Morris said. “Defensively, we played well. We made shots. We’re a tough out for somebody if we’re hitting outside like that. If we are, they’ve got to come guard us, and we’ll drive by or dump off to the bigs in the middle.
“I think every guard hit a big shot in that first quarter, and the post player certainly got hers when they came out and started defending. We played a complete game, we really did.”
Lonoke junior guard Cara Neighbors had more points, 16, at the end of the first quarter than any Clinton scorer in the entire game. And she backed up her game-high, 28-point total with three steals, four rebounds and two assists in the first eight minutes. She finished with 12 rebounds and six assists.
UALR signee Asiah Scribner added 19 points from her post spot.
“We were able to put her on somebody tonight that she could help real well off of,” Morris said of Neighbors. “Because she was doing that, she was able to get back-side rebounds. When she doesn’t have to worry about guarding a dominant scorer, she’s great at seeking a ball out and finding it.
“That’s also why she is so good at getting to the rack and scoring — she wants the ball.”
Clinton pinned much of it hopes on 6-1 senior post player Whitney Donahue, but she found trouble against the defense of sophomore Anna Himstedt and reserve Emily Howell. Lonoke held Donahue to 11 points while guard Logan Blagg led the Lady Yellowjackets with 14.
Lonoke did a similar job of stifling Donahue in the first meeting at Clinton.
“We alternated people on her,” Morris said. “We had Anna Himstedt at first and then Emily Howell, and they did a phenomenal job, just like they did up at their place. They were able to take chances because we had Asiah and Cara nine times out of 10 sitting back there in a help position off the people they were guarding.
“It allowed them to really get out there and get after her, and not worry so much about getting beat because they knew they had help.”
Neighbors scored on Lonoke’s first three possessions, including a three-pointer to start the game, to give the Lady Jackrabbits a 7-0 lead with 6:23 left in the first quarter.
Senior point guard Michaela Brown then made a three-pointer before Scribner got to work inside for the first of her 19 points.
Ashleigh Himstedt finished with 11 points while Brown scored 10 to give Lonoke four in double digits.
“It’s the right time to be playing like that,” Morris said. “Hopefully we can continue that in the district tournament next week. A veteran team knows the big games, and they knew they were in one tonight to secure a conference championship. Because of that, they came out ready to play.”
Leader sportswriter
The Clinton Lady Yellowjackets entered the Lonoke gym on Wednesday with an outside chance of claiming at least a part of the 2-4A Conference championship.
But that’s about as far as they got.
Lonoke quickly established dominance and maintained it for three quarters until taking its foot off Clinton’s throat in the final period in a mercy-ruled 72-43 rout that gave the Lady Jackrabbits the league championship.
Lonoke has earned the No. 1 seed in next week’s 2-4A district tournament in Stuttgart and will have a first-round bye.
The Lady Jackrabbits (21-5, 13-0) held the Lady YellowJackets (20-4, 9-3) scoreless for the final 3:19 of the first quarter, which enabled them to take control with a 19-0 run that gave them a 31-5 lead heading into the second quarter.
Clinton managed a little more offense in the next period, but Lonoke’s momentum never faltered on the way to a 51-17 halftime lead. Lonoke is a three-time state runner-up but had only won one conference title in that span, and the regular-season championship was a goal for the Lady Jackrabbits this year.
“We played very, very well,” Lonoke coach Nathan Morris said. “Defensively, we played well. We made shots. We’re a tough out for somebody if we’re hitting outside like that. If we are, they’ve got to come guard us, and we’ll drive by or dump off to the bigs in the middle.
“I think every guard hit a big shot in that first quarter, and the post player certainly got hers when they came out and started defending. We played a complete game, we really did.”
Lonoke junior guard Cara Neighbors had more points, 16, at the end of the first quarter than any Clinton scorer in the entire game. And she backed up her game-high, 28-point total with three steals, four rebounds and two assists in the first eight minutes. She finished with 12 rebounds and six assists.
UALR signee Asiah Scribner added 19 points from her post spot.
“We were able to put her on somebody tonight that she could help real well off of,” Morris said of Neighbors. “Because she was doing that, she was able to get back-side rebounds. When she doesn’t have to worry about guarding a dominant scorer, she’s great at seeking a ball out and finding it.
“That’s also why she is so good at getting to the rack and scoring — she wants the ball.”
Clinton pinned much of it hopes on 6-1 senior post player Whitney Donahue, but she found trouble against the defense of sophomore Anna Himstedt and reserve Emily Howell. Lonoke held Donahue to 11 points while guard Logan Blagg led the Lady Yellowjackets with 14.
Lonoke did a similar job of stifling Donahue in the first meeting at Clinton.
“We alternated people on her,” Morris said. “We had Anna Himstedt at first and then Emily Howell, and they did a phenomenal job, just like they did up at their place. They were able to take chances because we had Asiah and Cara nine times out of 10 sitting back there in a help position off the people they were guarding.
“It allowed them to really get out there and get after her, and not worry so much about getting beat because they knew they had help.”
Neighbors scored on Lonoke’s first three possessions, including a three-pointer to start the game, to give the Lady Jackrabbits a 7-0 lead with 6:23 left in the first quarter.
Senior point guard Michaela Brown then made a three-pointer before Scribner got to work inside for the first of her 19 points.
Ashleigh Himstedt finished with 11 points while Brown scored 10 to give Lonoke four in double digits.
“It’s the right time to be playing like that,” Morris said. “Hopefully we can continue that in the district tournament next week. A veteran team knows the big games, and they knew they were in one tonight to secure a conference championship. Because of that, they came out ready to play.”
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
TOP STORY >> Emergency crews work to the limit in blizzard
Drivers attempt to drive down Kiehl Avenue in Sherwood Monday.
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
So many cars were sliding into ditches in White County on Monday that emergency officials were looking to call other counties for help.
Tamara Jenkins, director of emergency services for White County, said every available police officer was busy with vehicles that had slid off the road in the snow and the wrecker services were so overworked there was talk of calling Cleburne County as backup.
Sylvia Smith of Smith Wrecker in Cabot said the calls for help started coming in about 2 a.m. Monday.
By 2 p.m. Tuesday, seven drivers working around the clock had towed about 40 vehicles and there were several calls that had not been handled.
The worst was a pickup truck that ran off the freeway between Cabot and Austin and landed tailgate down in a ditch full of water, she said.
The driver climbed to safety on a ladder brought by Cabot Fire Department.
To get all the vehicles back to their owners so they could go to work the next morning, Smith said drivers would likely have to work through the night again.
Billy Hall with Ivy Hall Wrecker said things had been “extremely busy” for the company since snow started to fall early Monday morning.
“We haven’t had many wrecks, but there’s been a lot of people sliding off into the ditch,” Hall said. “We’ve been working with very little sleep.”
Hall was happy to see the sun come out Tuesday afternoon. “That’ll help dry out the roads and lift some spirits,” he said, but still expected to be busy through today with the refreezing.
Dewayne James with Jacksonville Recovery and Wrecker called the last few days “just incredible.”
Besides pulling out cars that have slid off the roadway, James said his service was also pulling a lot of drivers out of their yards and driveways.
“Those mounds of snow have frozen and they are like concrete barriers and the vehicles can’t go over or through them,” James explained.
Kim Adams, owner of Adams Towing in Sherwood, said things got so busy he started to refer callers to other wrecker services.
“We told them it would be three to four hours, but other services were telling them it would be six to eight hours. It has just been awfully busy, nonstop,” Adams said.
One of the cars James pulled out was under a collapsed carport.
Adams said calls were slacking off late Tuesday, but expected to be nonstop again this morning.
Gene’s Inc., which runs three wreckers in the Beebe area, pulled more than 20 cars and trucks out of ditches on Monday and Tuesday.
Most area schools will be closed today.
(Staff writer Rick Kron also contributed to this article.)
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
EDITORIAL >> Standing up for kids
The state education agency and its governing board have not always been tribunes for the children in Arkansas’ public schools. Sometimes the concerns of vested groups — administrators, local politicians and business interests — have come first.
But the Board of Education chose the children Monday.
It did not let three school districts off the hook for not providing educational programs that the state considered absolutely minimal. The three little school districts will have to be annexed to school districts that can meet the students’ needs. The superintendents, their attorneys, a few school board members and local politicians were there to plead for the schools to be let alone to do their thing. Not one state Board member voted to let them have their way. That is encouraging for the future. It was one of the first tests of how the state will enforce the school reforms enacted by the legislature in 2005 and 2007.
Two of the school districts — Weiner and Delight — proposed a solution to the children’s problems that was ridiculous, but that has not always deterred the state agency. Delight in the southwestern corner of the state and Weiner in the northeastern corner, both smaller than the 350 enrollment that the state determined was essential to provide the absolutely minimum curriculum, proposed that they consolidate into one district. Delight and Weiner are 200 miles apart. You see, the law failed to specify that a school district’s service areas had to be contiguous or even nearly contiguous.
Delight is in the piney hills of Pike County, Weiner in the farming expanse of the Mississippi Delta just south of Jonesboro.
They have only two things in common: Their administrators want to keep their jobs, and the schools have demonstrated that they cannot provide the courses students need in the 21st century. On paper, the consolidated district, connected by 200 miles of blacktop, would meet the strictures of the law (it would have had a blended school board) but for the children nothing much would have changed. Now each of the schools will be annexed by solidly performing school districts a few miles away.
This should not affect either community’s singular traditions. Delight was the boyhood home of the country crooner Glen Campbell, Weiner the home of the state’s purest populist candidate for governor, Dave Cox. They can still revel in those distinctions.
The Twin Rivers School District presented the board with a similar predicament: a large rural area so sparsely populated that it seemed unable to efficiently provide a good school program. A large measure of ineptitude, or perhaps lassitude, made it worse. The high schools were not offering the minimum of 38 courses youngsters need for their graduates to be recognized, and at least one teacher was unqualified. The superintendent said a lot of the problem was his fault and he tendered his resignation so that the state would preserve the school district. The district rambles around parts of three counties near the Missouri border, and the superintendent said that made it hard to administer.
The Board of Education apparently thought the problems were deeper than that. The school district has been on probation for two years for failing to meet accreditation standards. The state board voted to take over the school district, abolish the school board (its members seemed to be unaware of the problems) and appoint an administrator to get the schools back in compliance.
It was a good day’s work, and a good sign for children. The state Board of Education is, well, for education. —E.D.
But the Board of Education chose the children Monday.
It did not let three school districts off the hook for not providing educational programs that the state considered absolutely minimal. The three little school districts will have to be annexed to school districts that can meet the students’ needs. The superintendents, their attorneys, a few school board members and local politicians were there to plead for the schools to be let alone to do their thing. Not one state Board member voted to let them have their way. That is encouraging for the future. It was one of the first tests of how the state will enforce the school reforms enacted by the legislature in 2005 and 2007.
Two of the school districts — Weiner and Delight — proposed a solution to the children’s problems that was ridiculous, but that has not always deterred the state agency. Delight in the southwestern corner of the state and Weiner in the northeastern corner, both smaller than the 350 enrollment that the state determined was essential to provide the absolutely minimum curriculum, proposed that they consolidate into one district. Delight and Weiner are 200 miles apart. You see, the law failed to specify that a school district’s service areas had to be contiguous or even nearly contiguous.
Delight is in the piney hills of Pike County, Weiner in the farming expanse of the Mississippi Delta just south of Jonesboro.
They have only two things in common: Their administrators want to keep their jobs, and the schools have demonstrated that they cannot provide the courses students need in the 21st century. On paper, the consolidated district, connected by 200 miles of blacktop, would meet the strictures of the law (it would have had a blended school board) but for the children nothing much would have changed. Now each of the schools will be annexed by solidly performing school districts a few miles away.
This should not affect either community’s singular traditions. Delight was the boyhood home of the country crooner Glen Campbell, Weiner the home of the state’s purest populist candidate for governor, Dave Cox. They can still revel in those distinctions.
The Twin Rivers School District presented the board with a similar predicament: a large rural area so sparsely populated that it seemed unable to efficiently provide a good school program. A large measure of ineptitude, or perhaps lassitude, made it worse. The high schools were not offering the minimum of 38 courses youngsters need for their graduates to be recognized, and at least one teacher was unqualified. The superintendent said a lot of the problem was his fault and he tendered his resignation so that the state would preserve the school district. The district rambles around parts of three counties near the Missouri border, and the superintendent said that made it hard to administer.
The Board of Education apparently thought the problems were deeper than that. The school district has been on probation for two years for failing to meet accreditation standards. The state board voted to take over the school district, abolish the school board (its members seemed to be unaware of the problems) and appoint an administrator to get the schools back in compliance.
It was a good day’s work, and a good sign for children. The state Board of Education is, well, for education. —E.D.
EDITORIAL >> House closes a loophole
Here is some shocking news. The Arkansas House of Representatives voted to do what is right rather than what is expedient. It adjusted its rules so that representatives cannot raise money for their political campaigns while the legislature is in session this month.
It happened to be a particularly selfless act for a few of them. By the time this fiscal session is over the first week of March — let’s hope it finishes much earlier than that — the filing deadline for running in the Democratic or Republican primaries will have passed and the elections will be only two and a half months away. For state legislators who want to run for one of the three congressional seats that have suddenly opened up the past three weeks —and there are a dozen or more of them — that will leave little time to raise a war chest for what are usually expensive campaigns.
House Speaker Robbie Wills of Conway is in that predicament. He is running in the Democratic primary for the Second District congressional seat that Vic Snyder is vacating. He wanted to interpret last fall’s House rule banning campaign solicitations during sessions — his own idea, by the way — as exempting the fiscal session, but he recognized that it was making him look bad so he vowed not to do any fundraising and to support a rule forbidding fundraising at any session.
It was a reform that was a long time coming. It will prevent the fact and appearance of wrongdoing. Legislators who are soaking up political contributions during a session open themselves to the appearance that the gifts, typically from lobbyists and business interests, are payment for taking a stance on issues in which the contributors have a keen interest. Trust us. It happens.
There was some case for exempting the annual fiscal session from the restriction. The legislature will be dealing altogether with state budgets for the 2011 fiscal year and there is not much lobbying from private interests. You do not raise much money from state employees or from the poor, those mainly interested in the precise way that state revenues are distributed next year. But a rule needs to be a rule. Loopholes tend to get wider and wider.
The Senate chose expediency. Its rules will permit senators to raise money during the session, for re-election campaigns or for bigger races. Ten of the 35 senators are exploring races in the May primaries for a seat in the Senate, the U. S. House of Representatives or lieutenant governor after the sudden fruit-basket turnover in January. For champions of ethics reforms like Sen. Joyce Elliott of Little Rock and Sen. Steve Bryles of Blytheville that has to be a bitter pill. Let us hope that they will be especially judicious in their solicitations. They will realize one day soon that it would be better to just go cold turkey.
It happened to be a particularly selfless act for a few of them. By the time this fiscal session is over the first week of March — let’s hope it finishes much earlier than that — the filing deadline for running in the Democratic or Republican primaries will have passed and the elections will be only two and a half months away. For state legislators who want to run for one of the three congressional seats that have suddenly opened up the past three weeks —and there are a dozen or more of them — that will leave little time to raise a war chest for what are usually expensive campaigns.
House Speaker Robbie Wills of Conway is in that predicament. He is running in the Democratic primary for the Second District congressional seat that Vic Snyder is vacating. He wanted to interpret last fall’s House rule banning campaign solicitations during sessions — his own idea, by the way — as exempting the fiscal session, but he recognized that it was making him look bad so he vowed not to do any fundraising and to support a rule forbidding fundraising at any session.
It was a reform that was a long time coming. It will prevent the fact and appearance of wrongdoing. Legislators who are soaking up political contributions during a session open themselves to the appearance that the gifts, typically from lobbyists and business interests, are payment for taking a stance on issues in which the contributors have a keen interest. Trust us. It happens.
There was some case for exempting the annual fiscal session from the restriction. The legislature will be dealing altogether with state budgets for the 2011 fiscal year and there is not much lobbying from private interests. You do not raise much money from state employees or from the poor, those mainly interested in the precise way that state revenues are distributed next year. But a rule needs to be a rule. Loopholes tend to get wider and wider.
The Senate chose expediency. Its rules will permit senators to raise money during the session, for re-election campaigns or for bigger races. Ten of the 35 senators are exploring races in the May primaries for a seat in the Senate, the U. S. House of Representatives or lieutenant governor after the sudden fruit-basket turnover in January. For champions of ethics reforms like Sen. Joyce Elliott of Little Rock and Sen. Steve Bryles of Blytheville that has to be a bitter pill. Let us hope that they will be especially judicious in their solicitations. They will realize one day soon that it would be better to just go cold turkey.
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