Area legislators have secured millions of dollars from the General Improvement Fund for local projects.
Rep. Will Bond
- Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club $50,000
- Jacksonville Senior Center $50,000
- Jacksonville Museum of Military History $10,000
- Reed’s Bridge Preservation Society, Inc. $10,000
- Jacksonville for construction, renovation and equipping of a library $300,000
- Camp Pfeiffer in Little Rock for operating and programmatic expenses $100,000
- Pathfinders, Inc. in Jacksonville, for a pilot jobs program for developmentally disabled adults, including the purchase of equipment program, construction and improvements $100,000
- Jacksonville, $20,000
Sen. John Paul Capps
- Institutional facilities ASU-Beebe $500,000
- Jacksonville Senior Center $20,000
- Jacksonville Museum of Military History $20,000
- North Pulaski Community Com-plex $20,000
- Arkansas Community Foundation (Three Cheerleaders Fund) $10,000
- North Pulaski Fire Department $10,000
- White County Aging Program (Lightle Senior Center) $50,000
- White County Regional Library System $50,000
- White County Fair $15,000
- White County United Way for any improvements or office lease rent or purchase costs $50,000
- Beebe for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $20,000
- Judsonia for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $20,000
- McRae for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $20,000
- Garner for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $15,000
- Higginson for construction and improvements to City Hall $25,000
- Kensett for costs associated with water, sewer, street repairs, new projects and or maintenance $40,000
- Little Red River Irrigation Water District $30,000
- Searcy Fire Department for operating expenses or building fund $50,000
- East Cypress Fire Department in Faulkner County, $5,000 Rep. Mark Pate (D-Bald Knob)
Rep. Lenville Evans
- Butlerville Volunteer Fire Department $5,000
- Carlisle Fire Department $5,000
- Coy Fire Department $5,000
- Crossroads Fire Department $5,000
- England Fire Depart-ment $5,000
- Hum-noke Fire Department $5,000
- Keo Fire Department $5,000
- Lonoke Fire Department $5,000
- Scott Fire Protection District #18 $5,000
- Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department $5,000
- South Bend Volunteer Fire Department $5,000
- East Pulaski Fire Department $5,000
- Lonoke County Council on Aging $10,000
- Lonoke Exceptional School $10,000
- Open Arms Shelter $10,000
- Bayou Meto Water District in Lonoke County, $113,000
- Martin Park in Lonoke County, purchase renovation of equipment $5,000
Sen. Bobby Glover
- Carlisle, for construction, equipping and associated costs of a civic center $1,000,000
- Stuttgart Chamber of Com-merce to build a stage for Wings Over the Prairie Festival $200,000
- Cabot Fire Department $5,000
- Austin Fire Department $5,000
- Ward Fire Department $5,000
- C & S Fire Department $5,000
- Mountain Springs Fire Department $5,000
- Lonoke County Jail Fund for construction and equipping $300,000
- Stuttgart for purchase, renovation and equipment for an administration building $20,000
- Arkansas County Radio Tower for fire departments in Arkansas County $25,000
Rep. Mark Pate (D-Bald Knob)
- Various improvements – ASU-Beebe $50,000
- White County Library System for maintenance and operation $20,000
- White County chapter of the American Red Cross purposes of obtaining a new or different facility either by lease or purchase and or purchase of a new or used vehicle or trailer for emergency disaster services $60,000
- North White County Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Georgetown Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Antioch Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Judsonia Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- West Point Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Rocky Point Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Floyd Romance Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Southeast White County Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- McRae Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- El Paso Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Bald Knob Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Beebe Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Gum Springs Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Joy Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $3,000
- Garner Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $10,000
- Center Hill Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Bald Knob, for water, sewer and street maintenance $25,000
- Beebe, for water, sewer and street maintenance $25,000
- Judsonia for water, sewer and street maintenance $20,000
- McRae for water, sewer and street maintenance $20,000
- Garner for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- Georgetown for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- Griffithville for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- West Point, for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- White County Fair Association for construction of or maintenance of new or existing facilities $20,000
- Little Red River Irrigation District $10,000
- Bald Knob Fine Arts Council promotion of Musical and Art programs Bald Knob Community $2,500
- White County Battered Women’s Shelter $2,500
- White County Senior Citizen Center $25,000
Rep. Sandra Prater (D-Jacksonville)
- Maumelle Police Department $20,000
- North Pulaski Fire Department $10,000
- Oak Grove Fire Department $10,000
- Maumelle Volunteer Fire Department for upgrades $10,000
- Highway 286 East Volunteer Fire De-partment $10,000
- Beaverfork Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Cato Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Liberty Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Mayflower Volunteer Fire De-partment $10,000
- Saltillo Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department Oak Grove Substation $10,000
- Arkansas Community Foundation3 Cheerleader Scholarship Fund $20,000
- Oak Grove Community Organization $30,000
- Our Club Program $10,000
- North Pulaski Community Complex $40,000
- Veterans Memorial in Maumelle, $25,000
- North Pulaski Recreation Ball Park for improvements $2,500
- Mayflower, Mayflower Parks Department $10,000
- Mayflower, $20,000
Rep. Susan Schulte
- Mt. Springs Fire Department $10,000
- Ward Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Austin Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- CSZ Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Arlene Cherry Library $5,000
- Ward Li-brary $5,000
- Cabot Senior Center $5,000
- Open Arms Shelter $5,000
Rep. Jeff Wood
- Grants for Certified Teachers – Arkansas National Guard and C-Step Programs $62,701
- Runyan Acres Property Owners Associa-tion in Pulaski County $20,000
- Runyan Acres Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Gravel Ridge Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Sherwood Fire Depart-ment in Sherwood $10,000
- Sherwood Rotary Club Veterans Memorial Centennial Project $40,000
- Jack Evans Senior Center $40,000
- Sylvan Hills Optimist Club $5,000
- Bill Harmon Recreation Center $15,000
- Sylvan Hills Volunteer Fire Department in Sherwood, $10,000
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
TOP STORY>> Improvement fund helps area
I SHORT: Sen. Glover leads in lining up money for his pet projects, although Sen. Capps, Reps. Bond, Evans, Pate, Prater, Schulte and Wood also do well for their districts.
Leader staff report
Whether they love general improvement funds or hate them, local legislators lined up to bring tax money back to their homefolks at the end of the recently concluded 85th General Assembly.
Some, like state Rep. Will Bond, D-Jacksonville, say they would rather have seen much or all of the $231 million in the General Improvement Fund (GIF) earmarked instead for improving school facilities, but failing that, Bond said he wanted to support important local projects, such as improving the Jacksonville library.
Senators each were allotted $750,000.
Depending on their tenure, House members were allowed to earmark $104,000, $158,000 or $212,000.
The Associated Press released a list of GIF requests by primary sponsor, including the amount of the request, which is not generally the amount that will ultimately be funded.
For instance, state Sen. Bobby Glover, D-Carlisle, sponsored a bill asking for $1 million toward construction of a Carlisle Civic Center—an appropriation that will actually be about $350,000, he said Friday.
As a senator, he was entitled to fund $750,000 worth of projects requested in three of the four counties in his district.
Glover said that in more than 20 years in the General Assembly, the civic center appropriation would be the first time he’s brought money back to his hometown.
Glover said the amounts listed in the AP account were misleading. For instance, it says he got $300,000 for badly needed improvement of the Lonoke County Jail. Glover, state Rep. Susan Schulte, R-Cabot; and state Rep. Lenville Evans, D-Lonoke, each earmarked about $100,000 toward the jail, but as primary sponsor, it shows up in Glover’s list as $300,000 and makes it look like Schulte funded nothing but a handful of volunteer fire departments and community projects to the tune of $60,000.
In a breakdown, if all are fully funded, the fire departments at Mountain Springs, Ward, Austin, and CSZ will receive $10,000 each. The libraries in Cabot and Ward will each receive $5,000 and the remaining $10,000 will be divided equally between the Cabot Senior Center and the Open Arms Shelter in Lonoke.
Neither is Evans credited with his share of the jail money, but he gets full credit for the $113,000 earmarked for the Bayou Meto Water District—which Glover contributed to without credit on the AP list.
Evans, himself a farmer, said he was gratified to be able to contribute to the Bayou Meto irrigation project.
“It’s so important with our ground water and getting irrigation over here,” he said.
“We have to get out of this aquifer, need an alternative to the ground water. We can’t produce products without water.”
Of the list of GIF project sponsors and amounts, Bond said “It’s hard to look at those (amounts) and figure out who did what for whom.”
Bond noted that although he received credit for the $300,000 earmarked for construction, renovation and equipping of a library in Jacksonville, although other’s contributed and the project is only going to receive $190,000.
Bond’s share of the GIF money is about $160,000, so he’s not the only one kicking in for the library.
“I have never been a big fan of the fund, but that is the current way business is done with one time money and as representative of Jacksonville, it would not be in the best interest of the district to turn it down,” Bond said.
“We fought hard to hold the money down to about $19 million on a side. We were desperate to keep them from dipping into adequacy trust fund.”
State Rep. Sandra Prater, D-Jacksonville, was in on the appropriation for the Jacksonville Senior Center.
Prater said she asked for about $270,000 but got about $175,000. She and state Sen. Mary Ann Salmon together got $40,000 for a new North Pulaski community center complex slated for 15 donated acres on Republican Road.
General Improvement Fund requests were Rep. Jeff Wood’s favorite legislation although not the biggest challenge facing the 85th General Assembly, said the Sherwood Democrat.
“The biggest challenge facing us was balancing the budget. Meeting everyone’s needs as best we could without raising taxes. It took a lot of sacrifice,” Wood said.
“You really have to fight for your district to get its share.”
Wood sponsored $62,700 in grants for certified teachers, Arkansas National Guard and C-Step programs.
He requested $40,000 each for the Sherwood Rotary Club Veterans Memorial and the Jack Evans Senior Center. Additionally Wood requested $10,000 for the fire departments in Gravel Ridge, Sherwood, Runyan Acres and Sylvan Hills.
Rep. Mark Pate, D-Bald Knob, agreed in addition to the education facilities funding legislation, creating a balanced budget while meeting needs was the biggest challenge legislators faced as a whole.
The largest GIF requests he sponsored were for $50,000 for Arkansas State University-Beebe and $60,000 for the White County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
The White County Chapter requested the money to help them buy or lease a different facility and purchase an additional vehicle and possibly a trailer for emergency disaster services.
Pate sponsored requests for 16 volunteer fire departments in communities like Antioch, Floyd, Gum Springs and Center Hill. The requests ranged from $3,000 for the Joy Volunteer Fire Department to $10,000 for the Garner Fire Department.
“I represent an area with a lot of rural territory and that’s why I try hard to help volunteer fire departments because they’re so limited with their income. They can struggle by with pie auctions, barbecues and fish fries. They know how to stretch a dollar and this funding goes a long way with them,” Pate said.
In this session, Pate was able to get funding for water, sewer and street maintenance for several of the towns he serves.
He requested $15,000 for West Point, Griffithville, Georgetown and Garner, $20,000 for Judsonia and McRae and $25,000 for Bald Knob and Beebe.
Sen. John Paul Capps, D-Searcy, sponsored a request for $500,000 for Arkansas State University-Beebe and $50,000 each for the White County Aging Program/Lightle Senior Center, the White County Regional Library System and White County United Way.
He also sponsored requests for $20,000 for water, sewer and street improvements in Beebe, Judsonia and McRae.
Leader staff report
Whether they love general improvement funds or hate them, local legislators lined up to bring tax money back to their homefolks at the end of the recently concluded 85th General Assembly.
Some, like state Rep. Will Bond, D-Jacksonville, say they would rather have seen much or all of the $231 million in the General Improvement Fund (GIF) earmarked instead for improving school facilities, but failing that, Bond said he wanted to support important local projects, such as improving the Jacksonville library.
Senators each were allotted $750,000.
Depending on their tenure, House members were allowed to earmark $104,000, $158,000 or $212,000.
The Associated Press released a list of GIF requests by primary sponsor, including the amount of the request, which is not generally the amount that will ultimately be funded.
For instance, state Sen. Bobby Glover, D-Carlisle, sponsored a bill asking for $1 million toward construction of a Carlisle Civic Center—an appropriation that will actually be about $350,000, he said Friday.
As a senator, he was entitled to fund $750,000 worth of projects requested in three of the four counties in his district.
Glover said that in more than 20 years in the General Assembly, the civic center appropriation would be the first time he’s brought money back to his hometown.
Glover said the amounts listed in the AP account were misleading. For instance, it says he got $300,000 for badly needed improvement of the Lonoke County Jail. Glover, state Rep. Susan Schulte, R-Cabot; and state Rep. Lenville Evans, D-Lonoke, each earmarked about $100,000 toward the jail, but as primary sponsor, it shows up in Glover’s list as $300,000 and makes it look like Schulte funded nothing but a handful of volunteer fire departments and community projects to the tune of $60,000.
In a breakdown, if all are fully funded, the fire departments at Mountain Springs, Ward, Austin, and CSZ will receive $10,000 each. The libraries in Cabot and Ward will each receive $5,000 and the remaining $10,000 will be divided equally between the Cabot Senior Center and the Open Arms Shelter in Lonoke.
Neither is Evans credited with his share of the jail money, but he gets full credit for the $113,000 earmarked for the Bayou Meto Water District—which Glover contributed to without credit on the AP list.
Evans, himself a farmer, said he was gratified to be able to contribute to the Bayou Meto irrigation project.
“It’s so important with our ground water and getting irrigation over here,” he said.
“We have to get out of this aquifer, need an alternative to the ground water. We can’t produce products without water.”
Of the list of GIF project sponsors and amounts, Bond said “It’s hard to look at those (amounts) and figure out who did what for whom.”
Bond noted that although he received credit for the $300,000 earmarked for construction, renovation and equipping of a library in Jacksonville, although other’s contributed and the project is only going to receive $190,000.
Bond’s share of the GIF money is about $160,000, so he’s not the only one kicking in for the library.
“I have never been a big fan of the fund, but that is the current way business is done with one time money and as representative of Jacksonville, it would not be in the best interest of the district to turn it down,” Bond said.
“We fought hard to hold the money down to about $19 million on a side. We were desperate to keep them from dipping into adequacy trust fund.”
State Rep. Sandra Prater, D-Jacksonville, was in on the appropriation for the Jacksonville Senior Center.
Prater said she asked for about $270,000 but got about $175,000. She and state Sen. Mary Ann Salmon together got $40,000 for a new North Pulaski community center complex slated for 15 donated acres on Republican Road.
General Improvement Fund requests were Rep. Jeff Wood’s favorite legislation although not the biggest challenge facing the 85th General Assembly, said the Sherwood Democrat.
“The biggest challenge facing us was balancing the budget. Meeting everyone’s needs as best we could without raising taxes. It took a lot of sacrifice,” Wood said.
“You really have to fight for your district to get its share.”
Wood sponsored $62,700 in grants for certified teachers, Arkansas National Guard and C-Step programs.
He requested $40,000 each for the Sherwood Rotary Club Veterans Memorial and the Jack Evans Senior Center. Additionally Wood requested $10,000 for the fire departments in Gravel Ridge, Sherwood, Runyan Acres and Sylvan Hills.
Rep. Mark Pate, D-Bald Knob, agreed in addition to the education facilities funding legislation, creating a balanced budget while meeting needs was the biggest challenge legislators faced as a whole.
The largest GIF requests he sponsored were for $50,000 for Arkansas State University-Beebe and $60,000 for the White County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
The White County Chapter requested the money to help them buy or lease a different facility and purchase an additional vehicle and possibly a trailer for emergency disaster services.
Pate sponsored requests for 16 volunteer fire departments in communities like Antioch, Floyd, Gum Springs and Center Hill. The requests ranged from $3,000 for the Joy Volunteer Fire Department to $10,000 for the Garner Fire Department.
“I represent an area with a lot of rural territory and that’s why I try hard to help volunteer fire departments because they’re so limited with their income. They can struggle by with pie auctions, barbecues and fish fries. They know how to stretch a dollar and this funding goes a long way with them,” Pate said.
In this session, Pate was able to get funding for water, sewer and street maintenance for several of the towns he serves.
He requested $15,000 for West Point, Griffithville, Georgetown and Garner, $20,000 for Judsonia and McRae and $25,000 for Bald Knob and Beebe.
Sen. John Paul Capps, D-Searcy, sponsored a request for $500,000 for Arkansas State University-Beebe and $50,000 each for the White County Aging Program/Lightle Senior Center, the White County Regional Library System and White County United Way.
He also sponsored requests for $20,000 for water, sewer and street improvements in Beebe, Judsonia and McRae.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
EDITORIAL>> Gathering at the trough
Tax-increment financing, the commercial developer’s fantasy, has given new meaning to the term “feeding frenzy.” Since the legislature moved to put teeth into the constitutional amendment that allowed the creation of the TIF districts, developers in every booming city in Arkansas have put on the feed bag.
Arkansas Business recounts plans by the city of Paragould to create a TIF district to build a new movie theater complex.
The three Malco theaters up there seem not to have kept pace with moviegoers’ needs, so your schools at Jacksonville, Cabot, Beebe — wherever — will hand over some of their local property tax money for the next 25 years to enhance the moviegoing experience of the people in Greene County.
They will surrender the money, that is, if Gov. Huckabee signs the new TIF legislation into law.
That seems now to be foregone. One of the big proponents and beneficiaries of the TIF law is Bruce Burrow, a major developer who wants to use it to build shopping malls. His real estate company also has a hand in the Paragould development.
Burrow, a major supporter of the governor, serves on the state Economic Development Commission under appointment by Huckabee, and his wife is a Huckabee appointee to the state Board of Education.
With the critical support of Jonesboro lawmakers, the bill specifying how cities can take advantage of the TIF option sailed through the legislature in its final days. The House of Representatives put the finishing touches on it Tuesday by a vote of 74-16.
TIF works this way: A city council or a county quorum court creates a special development district and issues bonds to pay for improvements paving the way for a shopping mall, restaurants, an office building or, in Paragould’s case, a theater complex.
Revenues from property taxes in the district will then be frozen for the life of the bonds, typically 25 years, and all the year-to-year growth in tax receipts from rising real estate values and new property will be siphoned from the schools and libraries to pay off the bonds.
The bill exempts certain tax recipients — community colleges and police and firemen’s pension funds, notably — from losing their rising tax receipts.
There is special perversity to this special-interest act. The original premise of TIF, when it was presented to voters in 2002, was that it would stimulate economic development in depressed communities.
The local schools might suffer flat revenues for a year or two, the theory went, but the economic growth from the investment would erase the deficit soon enough.
It really made little sense then but it turns out to have precisely the opposite effect.
No one should be surprised that the only places where TIF is being proposed are the prosperous cities, where there is a ready and even booming market for investment. So the big users at the outset will be Rogers, Fayetteville, Bentonville, Jonesboro, Paragould and perhaps North Little Rock, which wants to make it easy for an out-of-state sporting goods giant to build in the wetlands off Interstate 40 and drive out existing merchants, who won’t get the big public subsidy.
Yet the poor regions — the starved school districts of the Delta and south Arkansas — will get to pay for the improvements.
They are the schools that the Arkansas Supreme Court says the state is obliged to help if it is to meet its obligation under the state Constitution to provide a good and equal education to every child.
Owing to the strange twists of our Constitution, the money coming out of a local school’s budget to pay for the local development will be reimbursed from the state Public School Fund.
It means that every school child in Arkansas and every property owner will be tapped to subsidize the developers’ dreams.
Do we have a great government or what?
Arkansas Business recounts plans by the city of Paragould to create a TIF district to build a new movie theater complex.
The three Malco theaters up there seem not to have kept pace with moviegoers’ needs, so your schools at Jacksonville, Cabot, Beebe — wherever — will hand over some of their local property tax money for the next 25 years to enhance the moviegoing experience of the people in Greene County.
They will surrender the money, that is, if Gov. Huckabee signs the new TIF legislation into law.
That seems now to be foregone. One of the big proponents and beneficiaries of the TIF law is Bruce Burrow, a major developer who wants to use it to build shopping malls. His real estate company also has a hand in the Paragould development.
Burrow, a major supporter of the governor, serves on the state Economic Development Commission under appointment by Huckabee, and his wife is a Huckabee appointee to the state Board of Education.
With the critical support of Jonesboro lawmakers, the bill specifying how cities can take advantage of the TIF option sailed through the legislature in its final days. The House of Representatives put the finishing touches on it Tuesday by a vote of 74-16.
TIF works this way: A city council or a county quorum court creates a special development district and issues bonds to pay for improvements paving the way for a shopping mall, restaurants, an office building or, in Paragould’s case, a theater complex.
Revenues from property taxes in the district will then be frozen for the life of the bonds, typically 25 years, and all the year-to-year growth in tax receipts from rising real estate values and new property will be siphoned from the schools and libraries to pay off the bonds.
The bill exempts certain tax recipients — community colleges and police and firemen’s pension funds, notably — from losing their rising tax receipts.
There is special perversity to this special-interest act. The original premise of TIF, when it was presented to voters in 2002, was that it would stimulate economic development in depressed communities.
The local schools might suffer flat revenues for a year or two, the theory went, but the economic growth from the investment would erase the deficit soon enough.
It really made little sense then but it turns out to have precisely the opposite effect.
No one should be surprised that the only places where TIF is being proposed are the prosperous cities, where there is a ready and even booming market for investment. So the big users at the outset will be Rogers, Fayetteville, Bentonville, Jonesboro, Paragould and perhaps North Little Rock, which wants to make it easy for an out-of-state sporting goods giant to build in the wetlands off Interstate 40 and drive out existing merchants, who won’t get the big public subsidy.
Yet the poor regions — the starved school districts of the Delta and south Arkansas — will get to pay for the improvements.
They are the schools that the Arkansas Supreme Court says the state is obliged to help if it is to meet its obligation under the state Constitution to provide a good and equal education to every child.
Owing to the strange twists of our Constitution, the money coming out of a local school’s budget to pay for the local development will be reimbursed from the state Public School Fund.
It means that every school child in Arkansas and every property owner will be tapped to subsidize the developers’ dreams.
Do we have a great government or what?
SPORTS>> Lady Devils on two game losing streak
IN SHORT: Jacksonville softball team loses to Searcy and Greenbrier last week. It was the team’s first back-to-back losses this season.
By Ray Benton
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils are now in the midst of a losing streak after dropping their second game in a row Friday to class AAAA powerhouse Greenbrier.
The Lady Devils handed the Lady Panthers their first loss of the season a week earlier in the Harrison tournament, but fell 3-1 Friday at Greenbrier.
“Amanda Burgess did a great job pitching and we didn’t have any errors,” Greenbrier coach Tommy Reed said. “You feel like you give yourself a chance to win when you get both of those things.”
Greenbrier took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Jan McCollum was hit by a Jessica Bock pitch and scored on the next at bat when Shannon Pickard doubled off the wall in left-centerfield.
It became a pitchers’ duel after that, with Jacksonville getting the only run over the next four innings.
That run came in the top of the third when freshman Lady Devil Taylor Norsworthy doubled to drive in Jacksonville’s only run of the game.
Greenbrier scored the game-winning runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Burgess singled to start things off, but it appeared that Jacksonville would thwart the threat. With two outs, however, Amy Allen doubled to drive in Burgess for the winning run. The Lady Panthers added an unearned run on the next at bat when a line drive into left field bounced off the outfielder’s glove to score Allen.
The loss to Greenbrier comes on the heels of a shocking, 10-inning loss to big underdog Searcy in a AAAAA-East conference game. The Lady Lions scored four runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to prevail 5-4 after Jacksonville had taken a 4-1 lead.
Searcy was Jacksonville’s first victim of the season. In that game, Bock threw a perfect game over seven innings and struck out 19 of the 21 batters she faced.
That wasn’t the case last week, as Searcy picked up five base hits and took advantage of a few Lady Devil mistakes to get the upset victory.
“That was a huge win for us,” Searcy coach Mike McCain said. “It puts us right back in the playoff race and really may have given us an upper hand.”
Jacksonville, Cabot and West Memphis all have one conference loss and stand tied at the top of the league standings.
Searcy, Mountain Home and Jonesboro are battling for the final playoff spot while Forrest City has just one win, it coming against winless Sylvan Hills.
The Lady Lions are now 5-2 in league play and 6-7 overall.
Jacksonville’s losses dropped the Lady Devils to 9-3 on the season.
The Lady Devils’ next game is a conference doubleheader at Mountain Home.
Jacksonville will host its annual Lady Devil Classic this weekend, which features several of the state’s top teams from around the state in all classifications.
By Ray Benton
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils are now in the midst of a losing streak after dropping their second game in a row Friday to class AAAA powerhouse Greenbrier.
The Lady Devils handed the Lady Panthers their first loss of the season a week earlier in the Harrison tournament, but fell 3-1 Friday at Greenbrier.
“Amanda Burgess did a great job pitching and we didn’t have any errors,” Greenbrier coach Tommy Reed said. “You feel like you give yourself a chance to win when you get both of those things.”
Greenbrier took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Jan McCollum was hit by a Jessica Bock pitch and scored on the next at bat when Shannon Pickard doubled off the wall in left-centerfield.
It became a pitchers’ duel after that, with Jacksonville getting the only run over the next four innings.
That run came in the top of the third when freshman Lady Devil Taylor Norsworthy doubled to drive in Jacksonville’s only run of the game.
Greenbrier scored the game-winning runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Burgess singled to start things off, but it appeared that Jacksonville would thwart the threat. With two outs, however, Amy Allen doubled to drive in Burgess for the winning run. The Lady Panthers added an unearned run on the next at bat when a line drive into left field bounced off the outfielder’s glove to score Allen.
The loss to Greenbrier comes on the heels of a shocking, 10-inning loss to big underdog Searcy in a AAAAA-East conference game. The Lady Lions scored four runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to prevail 5-4 after Jacksonville had taken a 4-1 lead.
Searcy was Jacksonville’s first victim of the season. In that game, Bock threw a perfect game over seven innings and struck out 19 of the 21 batters she faced.
That wasn’t the case last week, as Searcy picked up five base hits and took advantage of a few Lady Devil mistakes to get the upset victory.
“That was a huge win for us,” Searcy coach Mike McCain said. “It puts us right back in the playoff race and really may have given us an upper hand.”
Jacksonville, Cabot and West Memphis all have one conference loss and stand tied at the top of the league standings.
Searcy, Mountain Home and Jonesboro are battling for the final playoff spot while Forrest City has just one win, it coming against winless Sylvan Hills.
The Lady Lions are now 5-2 in league play and 6-7 overall.
Jacksonville’s losses dropped the Lady Devils to 9-3 on the season.
The Lady Devils’ next game is a conference doubleheader at Mountain Home.
Jacksonville will host its annual Lady Devil Classic this weekend, which features several of the state’s top teams from around the state in all classifications.
SPORTS>> Lady Badgers battle swarm
IN SHORT: Beebe High School’s softball team beat Sheridan in a non-conference game last Friday, moves to within one game of a 20-win season at 19-4.
By Ray Benton
Leader sports editor
The Beebe Lady Badgers faced a sawrm of Yellowjackets last week, and ended it by beating the swarm from Sheridan Friday night outside of conference play. The Beebe ladies defeated the Sheridan Lady Yellowjackets 8-3 on a slightly soggy field in Sheridan.
The win Friday followed a conference doubleheader split with the Wynne Lady Yellowjackets on Tuesday at home.
Lady Badger leadoff hitter Brandi Burkhalter got only one hit in five at bats, but reached base three times and scored three runs.
The sophomore Burkhalter’s base rap came on the first at bat of the day. She singled to left field and moved to second on a base hit by freshman Emily Bass. Senior Crystal Robinson moved the runners up with a fly out. That set up a two-RBI base hit by freshman Chelsea Sanders.
Beebe made it 4-0 in the next inning after putting Sheridan down in order in the bottom of the first.
Sophomore Sara Flenor and freshman Bailey Thomas singled to leadoff the inning. Senior Heather Stroud and freshman Mykia Cox followed with two more singles with Cox’s hit scoring Flenor.
Three batters later, Robinson singled to drive in the final run of the inning.
Neither team scored in the third, but Beebe extended its lead to 6-0 in the top of the fourth with two more runs.
Again it was the two leadoff hitters that scored, but this time with a little help from Sheridan. Burkhalter reached on an error at first base while Bass got on via a mistake at second. That set up another RBI single by Robinson that scored Burkhalter. Two batters later Flenor got another base hit that scored Bass to extend Beebe’s margin to plus 6.
Trailing 6-0, the home team finally got on the board with a single run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lady Badgers kept scoring in the fifth.
Cox walked to start things off and Burkhalter got on due to an error by the Lady Yellowjacket pitcher. Bass was hit by a pitch and Robinson walked to drive in one run.
The final run came two batters later on a base hit by sophomore Callie Mahoney.
Sheridan got two more hits and two more runs in the sixth inning, but never seriously threatened the Lady Badgers.
Beebe compiled 12 base hits, but left a dozen base runners stranded over the course of the game. Sheridan was held to just three hits over seven innings by Robinson.
The senior hurler also went 2 for 3 at the plate and drove in two runs. Sanders went 2 for 4 and also had two RBIs.
Mahoney and Flenor each had two hits and an RBI while Cox, Burkhalter and Bass each had one base hit in the contest.
The win lifts the Lady Badgers to 19-4 overall on the season. They played a conference doubleheader last night against Paragould after Leader deadlines, and will play another non-conference game at Lonoke Thursday. Look for details from both of those games in Saturday’s edition of the Leader.
By Ray Benton
Leader sports editor
The Beebe Lady Badgers faced a sawrm of Yellowjackets last week, and ended it by beating the swarm from Sheridan Friday night outside of conference play. The Beebe ladies defeated the Sheridan Lady Yellowjackets 8-3 on a slightly soggy field in Sheridan.
The win Friday followed a conference doubleheader split with the Wynne Lady Yellowjackets on Tuesday at home.
Lady Badger leadoff hitter Brandi Burkhalter got only one hit in five at bats, but reached base three times and scored three runs.
The sophomore Burkhalter’s base rap came on the first at bat of the day. She singled to left field and moved to second on a base hit by freshman Emily Bass. Senior Crystal Robinson moved the runners up with a fly out. That set up a two-RBI base hit by freshman Chelsea Sanders.
Beebe made it 4-0 in the next inning after putting Sheridan down in order in the bottom of the first.
Sophomore Sara Flenor and freshman Bailey Thomas singled to leadoff the inning. Senior Heather Stroud and freshman Mykia Cox followed with two more singles with Cox’s hit scoring Flenor.
Three batters later, Robinson singled to drive in the final run of the inning.
Neither team scored in the third, but Beebe extended its lead to 6-0 in the top of the fourth with two more runs.
Again it was the two leadoff hitters that scored, but this time with a little help from Sheridan. Burkhalter reached on an error at first base while Bass got on via a mistake at second. That set up another RBI single by Robinson that scored Burkhalter. Two batters later Flenor got another base hit that scored Bass to extend Beebe’s margin to plus 6.
Trailing 6-0, the home team finally got on the board with a single run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lady Badgers kept scoring in the fifth.
Cox walked to start things off and Burkhalter got on due to an error by the Lady Yellowjacket pitcher. Bass was hit by a pitch and Robinson walked to drive in one run.
The final run came two batters later on a base hit by sophomore Callie Mahoney.
Sheridan got two more hits and two more runs in the sixth inning, but never seriously threatened the Lady Badgers.
Beebe compiled 12 base hits, but left a dozen base runners stranded over the course of the game. Sheridan was held to just three hits over seven innings by Robinson.
The senior hurler also went 2 for 3 at the plate and drove in two runs. Sanders went 2 for 4 and also had two RBIs.
Mahoney and Flenor each had two hits and an RBI while Cox, Burkhalter and Bass each had one base hit in the contest.
The win lifts the Lady Badgers to 19-4 overall on the season. They played a conference doubleheader last night against Paragould after Leader deadlines, and will play another non-conference game at Lonoke Thursday. Look for details from both of those games in Saturday’s edition of the Leader.
OBITUARIES>> April 13, 2005
LA VAUN JAMES
Col. LaVaun “Buddy” M. James, 84, of North Little Rock passed away April 8. He was born in Belleville to William and Katie Payne James. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville. He retired as a property and fiscal officer for the Arkansas National Guard in 1980. He was a World War II Army Air Corps veteran, served as deputy brigade commander of 39thInfantry Brigade and was a member of the Arkansas Field Trial Hall of Fame. His photo hangs in the Field Trial Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, Tenn.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Jo James of North Little Rock; a son, Larry James of Jonesboro; three sisters, Violet Roberts of Dardanelle, Velda Seese of Buffalo, N.Y., and Viva Oakes of Pensacola, Fla.; two grandsons, Seth James and Sloan James, and a great-grandson, Rush James.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. David Fleming officiating. A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Brearly Cemetery in Dardanelle. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or the First United Methodist Church of Jacksonville. Arrangements by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Norman Jeffery
Norman Joe Jeffery, 54, of Romance died April 10. Survivors are sons Aaron Standfield, Josh and wife Deanna Jeffery; daughter Kayle and husband Clint Kelly; grandson Levi Kelly; brother, Rick Cook and niece Megan. Visitation is 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe. Funeral is at 11 a.m. Friday at Westbrook Funeral Home, with burial in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens.
LINDA JENKINS
Linda Jenkins, 64, died April 10. She is survived by her husband, Robert Jenkins; a son, Amos Owen Jenkins of Lonoke; a daughter, Robbie Wakefield and her husband, Ricky of Carlisle; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; three brothers, T.O. Ford, Jr. of Lonoke, William Ford of Arizona and Daniel Ford of Pine Bluff; three sisters, Josephine Cotton and Joyce Marie Bevil of Helena and Betty Jean Reynolds of Texas; numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
Graveside services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at Old Carlisle Cemetery, arrangements by Boyd Funeral Home, Lonoke.
RACHEL PAUL
Rachel Marie Paul, 21, of Texarkana, formerly of Cabot. Taken too soon in her prime, on March 29, a band of angels escorted Rachel Marie Paul to rest in God’s arms and to join with Jesus Christ and the following beloved late family members: her sister, Alicia Marie Garner, her beloved Uncle Donald Wesley Noll and her cherished grandmother, Golda Orene Davis.
She was also joined one hour later by her cat “Angel.”
Rachel was born July 3, 1983 in Bellflower, Calif., to Stephanie Ann Garner. She was a 2001 graduate from Cabot High School.
Rachel was a volunteer cheerleader coach for Cabot Youth Pee Wee football for three years. She loved Taekwondo and was a second degree black belt. She was very athletic and she enjoyed swimming and was one of the first of just a few African American female members on the Cabot Panther track team.
Rachel leaves behind to cherish her memory, her mother, Stephanie Ann Paul of the home, great aunt Barbara Davis, great uncle Johnny, great aunt and uncle Vic and Linda Davis, cousins Cindy, Johnny, Dru and Alicia and their families of California.
She also leaves behind members of her extended family, including her second mother, Michalle Moss and her husband Russell and their children, Stephen and Caleb of Cabot; another second mother Carmen Mason and children Jarred and Luis of California; Jason Dwayne Absher of North Little Rock who was just like the brother she never had since the age of 7; sister of her heart Crystal Caldwell, goddaughter Jayden, Morgan Carver, Nikki and Terry and Terry and Gary and several other friends who are too numerous to mention.
The family would like to express a special thanks to the nurses and doctors at Baylor University Medical Center for their loving care during her two liver transplant surgeries, several rejections and her foray into the field of experimental rejection medications.
Further, the family would like to offer a warm and sincere thanks to Serenity Hospice for the exceptional care they provided for Rachel in her last days. Memorial services will be held 2 p.m. Saturday at Living Waters Church in Cabot with Rev. James Charlton officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Twice Blessed, 2732 Gaston Ave., Suite 119, Dallas, Texas 75246. Arrangements are by Thomas Funeral Service.
R.L. PRICE
R.L. Price, 76, of Jacksonville, passed away April 10. He was born Dec. 10, 1928 in Bonham, Texas, to Rowland and Hudie Bramlett Price. He was a member of the Second Baptist Church in Jackson-ville. He was a veteran of the Korean War and retired from the Air Force after 22 years of service. He was a life member of the VFW Post 4548 and the Jacksonville Senior Citizens Center.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Hattie, Ruby and Annie and brothers, William and Delbert. He is survived by his children, Vickie Word of Evansville, Ind., Lydia Schmidt of Coon Rapids, Minn., Charles Price of Jacksonville and James Price of North Little Rock; nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be 5 p.m. Wednesday at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ron Raines officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 1132, Fairfax, Va. 22038-1132.
Arrangements by Moore’s Jack-sonville Funeral Home.
LONNIE COX
Lonnie L. Cox, 78, of Searcy, died April 11. He was a retired building contractor, a Navy veteran and a Baptist. He is survived by his wife, Mary L. Cox of Searcy; two sons, Ron Cox of Butlerville and Don Cox of Hale, Missouri; three daughters, Jeanette Martindale of Waverly, Mo., Anita Singer and Linda Judy, both of Hale, Mo.i; three stepchildren, Patricia Warner of House Springs, Mo., Lynne Prenzel of Collinsville, Ill. and Jay Rivera of California; 17 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two brothers, Odis Cox of Searcy and M. L. Cox of Paragould; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Shade and Mary Jane Cox; a sister, Marie Bedwell and a brother, James Cox. Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Westbrook Funeral Home, with burial in Lebanon Cemetery.
MICHAEL PENNINGTON
Michael Wayne “Pinky” Pennington passed away April 8. He was born May 24, 1957.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Bonnie Pennington and brother, Gene Pennington. He leaves behind two children he adored, Chase Michael Pennington and Malissa Sue Pennington both of Lonoke; his father and stepmother, Muriel and Jean Pennington; a sister and a brother-in-law, Beth and Kerry Jacks; a niece and nephew he adored Kara and Preston Jacks of Lonoke and his wife Rhonda Swaffar of Little Rock. The family will be receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m. at West Academy in Lonoke. Memorial services will be 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Boyd Funeral Home in Lonoke.
Col. LaVaun “Buddy” M. James, 84, of North Little Rock passed away April 8. He was born in Belleville to William and Katie Payne James. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville. He retired as a property and fiscal officer for the Arkansas National Guard in 1980. He was a World War II Army Air Corps veteran, served as deputy brigade commander of 39thInfantry Brigade and was a member of the Arkansas Field Trial Hall of Fame. His photo hangs in the Field Trial Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, Tenn.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Jo James of North Little Rock; a son, Larry James of Jonesboro; three sisters, Violet Roberts of Dardanelle, Velda Seese of Buffalo, N.Y., and Viva Oakes of Pensacola, Fla.; two grandsons, Seth James and Sloan James, and a great-grandson, Rush James.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. David Fleming officiating. A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Brearly Cemetery in Dardanelle. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or the First United Methodist Church of Jacksonville. Arrangements by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Norman Jeffery
Norman Joe Jeffery, 54, of Romance died April 10. Survivors are sons Aaron Standfield, Josh and wife Deanna Jeffery; daughter Kayle and husband Clint Kelly; grandson Levi Kelly; brother, Rick Cook and niece Megan. Visitation is 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe. Funeral is at 11 a.m. Friday at Westbrook Funeral Home, with burial in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens.
LINDA JENKINS
Linda Jenkins, 64, died April 10. She is survived by her husband, Robert Jenkins; a son, Amos Owen Jenkins of Lonoke; a daughter, Robbie Wakefield and her husband, Ricky of Carlisle; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; three brothers, T.O. Ford, Jr. of Lonoke, William Ford of Arizona and Daniel Ford of Pine Bluff; three sisters, Josephine Cotton and Joyce Marie Bevil of Helena and Betty Jean Reynolds of Texas; numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
Graveside services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at Old Carlisle Cemetery, arrangements by Boyd Funeral Home, Lonoke.
RACHEL PAUL
Rachel Marie Paul, 21, of Texarkana, formerly of Cabot. Taken too soon in her prime, on March 29, a band of angels escorted Rachel Marie Paul to rest in God’s arms and to join with Jesus Christ and the following beloved late family members: her sister, Alicia Marie Garner, her beloved Uncle Donald Wesley Noll and her cherished grandmother, Golda Orene Davis.
She was also joined one hour later by her cat “Angel.”
Rachel was born July 3, 1983 in Bellflower, Calif., to Stephanie Ann Garner. She was a 2001 graduate from Cabot High School.
Rachel was a volunteer cheerleader coach for Cabot Youth Pee Wee football for three years. She loved Taekwondo and was a second degree black belt. She was very athletic and she enjoyed swimming and was one of the first of just a few African American female members on the Cabot Panther track team.
Rachel leaves behind to cherish her memory, her mother, Stephanie Ann Paul of the home, great aunt Barbara Davis, great uncle Johnny, great aunt and uncle Vic and Linda Davis, cousins Cindy, Johnny, Dru and Alicia and their families of California.
She also leaves behind members of her extended family, including her second mother, Michalle Moss and her husband Russell and their children, Stephen and Caleb of Cabot; another second mother Carmen Mason and children Jarred and Luis of California; Jason Dwayne Absher of North Little Rock who was just like the brother she never had since the age of 7; sister of her heart Crystal Caldwell, goddaughter Jayden, Morgan Carver, Nikki and Terry and Terry and Gary and several other friends who are too numerous to mention.
The family would like to express a special thanks to the nurses and doctors at Baylor University Medical Center for their loving care during her two liver transplant surgeries, several rejections and her foray into the field of experimental rejection medications.
Further, the family would like to offer a warm and sincere thanks to Serenity Hospice for the exceptional care they provided for Rachel in her last days. Memorial services will be held 2 p.m. Saturday at Living Waters Church in Cabot with Rev. James Charlton officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Twice Blessed, 2732 Gaston Ave., Suite 119, Dallas, Texas 75246. Arrangements are by Thomas Funeral Service.
R.L. PRICE
R.L. Price, 76, of Jacksonville, passed away April 10. He was born Dec. 10, 1928 in Bonham, Texas, to Rowland and Hudie Bramlett Price. He was a member of the Second Baptist Church in Jackson-ville. He was a veteran of the Korean War and retired from the Air Force after 22 years of service. He was a life member of the VFW Post 4548 and the Jacksonville Senior Citizens Center.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Hattie, Ruby and Annie and brothers, William and Delbert. He is survived by his children, Vickie Word of Evansville, Ind., Lydia Schmidt of Coon Rapids, Minn., Charles Price of Jacksonville and James Price of North Little Rock; nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be 5 p.m. Wednesday at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ron Raines officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 1132, Fairfax, Va. 22038-1132.
Arrangements by Moore’s Jack-sonville Funeral Home.
LONNIE COX
Lonnie L. Cox, 78, of Searcy, died April 11. He was a retired building contractor, a Navy veteran and a Baptist. He is survived by his wife, Mary L. Cox of Searcy; two sons, Ron Cox of Butlerville and Don Cox of Hale, Missouri; three daughters, Jeanette Martindale of Waverly, Mo., Anita Singer and Linda Judy, both of Hale, Mo.i; three stepchildren, Patricia Warner of House Springs, Mo., Lynne Prenzel of Collinsville, Ill. and Jay Rivera of California; 17 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two brothers, Odis Cox of Searcy and M. L. Cox of Paragould; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Shade and Mary Jane Cox; a sister, Marie Bedwell and a brother, James Cox. Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Westbrook Funeral Home, with burial in Lebanon Cemetery.
MICHAEL PENNINGTON
Michael Wayne “Pinky” Pennington passed away April 8. He was born May 24, 1957.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Bonnie Pennington and brother, Gene Pennington. He leaves behind two children he adored, Chase Michael Pennington and Malissa Sue Pennington both of Lonoke; his father and stepmother, Muriel and Jean Pennington; a sister and a brother-in-law, Beth and Kerry Jacks; a niece and nephew he adored Kara and Preston Jacks of Lonoke and his wife Rhonda Swaffar of Little Rock. The family will be receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m. at West Academy in Lonoke. Memorial services will be 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Boyd Funeral Home in Lonoke.
Several consider running for mayor in Cabot in ’06
IN SHORT: As Stumbaugh considers a race for Congress, former Mayor Allman and others ponder a mayoral race.
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
The race for Cabot mayor in 2006 could prove interesting if all the politicians who say they are being asked to run actually do.
According to coffeeshop talk, the former mayor and at least two others are possible candidates against Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh. But so far, no one has announced, not even the mayor.
At press time, Stumbaugh was working on a press release about a possible candidacy for Congress against Marion Berry, but he said as soon as he announces for any office, (mayor or Congress), Federal Communications Commission rules will prohibit him from speaking on the radio unless his opponent is given equal time.
So which one is he running for? He isn’t saying.
Former Mayor Joe Allman also isn’t saying much either just yet.
“I haven’t made up my mind, but I have had a lot of encouragement to run,” Allman said last week.
Allman says he’s concerned that the sidewalk project started during his administration has not kept going. He’s concerned about drainage and about the fund for the railroad overpass that has not been added to since Stumbaugh took office.
The overpass will cost about $5 million with the city being responsible for about $1 million.
The council is working on a plan to finance the city’s part but if the project moves forward as anticipated, the state will need the full amount later this year.
Allman also has been mentioned as a possible candidate for city council to replace longtime Alderman Bob Duke, who says he doesn’t intend to run again.
“I feel like 30 years is enough,” Duke said Tuesday.
“I feel like some of the younger generation can do a better job than I can. I’ll finish out this term and then hang it up.”
So will Allman take that path rather than try to win back the office he lost to Stumbaugh more than two years ago?
“I haven’t made my mind up about that,” he said.
Former Alderman Eddie Joe Williams doesn’t hesitate to talk about his intentions, especially since the Leader reminded its readers last month that he actually announced shortly after Stumbaugh took office.
“I’m running,” Williams said Tuesday.
Williams, who worked toward getting the railroad overpass on the highway department schedule for construction, addressed the council recently to spur them into attempting to fund it three years ahead of schedule.
If the federal money is available this year instead of in 2008, the city shouldn’t let the opportunity slip by, Williams said.
Alderman David Polantz, serving his fifth term on the city council, has taken a leading role in recent years. Currently, he is the chairman of several council committees.
He has asked the council to put before voters a millage increase to pay for the overpass and to help pay for the community center, which is under-funded by $1.2 million.
Once a political ally of the mayor, the two have been at odds lately, and Stumbaugh says Polantz intends to run for his job.
“I’m praying about it,” Polantz said. “I’ll decide in the fall. It’s a very big decision.”
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
The race for Cabot mayor in 2006 could prove interesting if all the politicians who say they are being asked to run actually do.
According to coffeeshop talk, the former mayor and at least two others are possible candidates against Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh. But so far, no one has announced, not even the mayor.
At press time, Stumbaugh was working on a press release about a possible candidacy for Congress against Marion Berry, but he said as soon as he announces for any office, (mayor or Congress), Federal Communications Commission rules will prohibit him from speaking on the radio unless his opponent is given equal time.
So which one is he running for? He isn’t saying.
Former Mayor Joe Allman also isn’t saying much either just yet.
“I haven’t made up my mind, but I have had a lot of encouragement to run,” Allman said last week.
Allman says he’s concerned that the sidewalk project started during his administration has not kept going. He’s concerned about drainage and about the fund for the railroad overpass that has not been added to since Stumbaugh took office.
The overpass will cost about $5 million with the city being responsible for about $1 million.
The council is working on a plan to finance the city’s part but if the project moves forward as anticipated, the state will need the full amount later this year.
Allman also has been mentioned as a possible candidate for city council to replace longtime Alderman Bob Duke, who says he doesn’t intend to run again.
“I feel like 30 years is enough,” Duke said Tuesday.
“I feel like some of the younger generation can do a better job than I can. I’ll finish out this term and then hang it up.”
So will Allman take that path rather than try to win back the office he lost to Stumbaugh more than two years ago?
“I haven’t made my mind up about that,” he said.
Former Alderman Eddie Joe Williams doesn’t hesitate to talk about his intentions, especially since the Leader reminded its readers last month that he actually announced shortly after Stumbaugh took office.
“I’m running,” Williams said Tuesday.
Williams, who worked toward getting the railroad overpass on the highway department schedule for construction, addressed the council recently to spur them into attempting to fund it three years ahead of schedule.
If the federal money is available this year instead of in 2008, the city shouldn’t let the opportunity slip by, Williams said.
Alderman David Polantz, serving his fifth term on the city council, has taken a leading role in recent years. Currently, he is the chairman of several council committees.
He has asked the council to put before voters a millage increase to pay for the overpass and to help pay for the community center, which is under-funded by $1.2 million.
Once a political ally of the mayor, the two have been at odds lately, and Stumbaugh says Polantz intends to run for his job.
“I’m praying about it,” Polantz said. “I’ll decide in the fall. It’s a very big decision.”
TOP STORY>> Legislators put schools in tight spot
IN SHORT: Senators approve facilities bill, but many districts are unhappy, will file lawsuits.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
In a school board meeting Tuesday night, Cabot Superinten-dent Frank Holman said his district would lose $630,988 in incentive funding and $188,060 in general facility funding from the state over the next 10 years.
But the news was not all bleak. “We’re going to get 62 percent of our future educational facilities funded. I think it can work. We’re a growing district,” Holman said.
Kieth Williams, superintendent of Beebe Public Schools, said Tuesday, “This coming year will be a difficult year for public schools because there will be no additional funding to pay for a litany of unfunded mandates from the legislators for staffing and program requirements.”
State schools are facing $168 million in new costs and unfunded mandates generated this legislative session. In addition, the facilities funding bill, which passed the Senate Tuesday afternoon 29-3, will alter the way districts are getting state assistance and many districts worry it won’t be enough. Some have threatened to go to court over the funding issue.
“Finances are a major challenge for any public school superintendent. Even though the emphasis is on student achievement, superintendents can’t separate themselves from the issues surrounding funding,” Williams said.
The state will now rank its 253 school districts from richest to poorest and will provide building subsidies for future facilities construction and improvements. For example, Wealthier districts in areas with high property values will receive less subsidized funding.
Pre-January 2005 facilities assistance and incentive funding will be phased out over a ten-year period.
The money from both phased-out funding formulas will be re-distributed to districts through the Educational Facilities Partnership Fund Account.
“I think everybody was just resigned to the fact that’s the best we’re going to get in facility funding in regards to existing debt,” said Sen. Shane Broadway.
“Some wanted it one way and some wanted it another and we just had to meet somewhere in the middle,” Broadway said.
The House passed Broadway’s education adequacy bill Tuesday afternoon with 79 for and 21 against.
“Sen. Broadway and myself, we’re elated. The work we’re doing is going to be really good in the long run,” said Rep. Jodie Mahony of El Dorado.
The foundation funding for the 2006-07 school year in Broadway’s bill is $5,497 per student. Last year it was $5,400 per student. For the year 2005-2006, it will remain at $5,400.
“Schools will lose money if they lose students and that’s fair,” Mahony said.
The 84th General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Educational Adequacy adopted the Educational Adequacy Report in August 2003.
Each General Assembly is required to reassess the educational adequacy in Arkansas and recommend changes to maintain it as an ongoing priority for the state.
The report recommended spending $847 million to bring education in all Arkansas school districts up to an adequate standard back in 2003.
“Next year, we’re going to focus on teacher salaries. There’s a big discrepancy statewide. Schools in Springdale are starting teachers at $44,000 a year. The state average is $27,000. Something will have to be done,” Mahony said.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
In a school board meeting Tuesday night, Cabot Superinten-dent Frank Holman said his district would lose $630,988 in incentive funding and $188,060 in general facility funding from the state over the next 10 years.
But the news was not all bleak. “We’re going to get 62 percent of our future educational facilities funded. I think it can work. We’re a growing district,” Holman said.
Kieth Williams, superintendent of Beebe Public Schools, said Tuesday, “This coming year will be a difficult year for public schools because there will be no additional funding to pay for a litany of unfunded mandates from the legislators for staffing and program requirements.”
State schools are facing $168 million in new costs and unfunded mandates generated this legislative session. In addition, the facilities funding bill, which passed the Senate Tuesday afternoon 29-3, will alter the way districts are getting state assistance and many districts worry it won’t be enough. Some have threatened to go to court over the funding issue.
“Finances are a major challenge for any public school superintendent. Even though the emphasis is on student achievement, superintendents can’t separate themselves from the issues surrounding funding,” Williams said.
The state will now rank its 253 school districts from richest to poorest and will provide building subsidies for future facilities construction and improvements. For example, Wealthier districts in areas with high property values will receive less subsidized funding.
Pre-January 2005 facilities assistance and incentive funding will be phased out over a ten-year period.
The money from both phased-out funding formulas will be re-distributed to districts through the Educational Facilities Partnership Fund Account.
“I think everybody was just resigned to the fact that’s the best we’re going to get in facility funding in regards to existing debt,” said Sen. Shane Broadway.
“Some wanted it one way and some wanted it another and we just had to meet somewhere in the middle,” Broadway said.
The House passed Broadway’s education adequacy bill Tuesday afternoon with 79 for and 21 against.
“Sen. Broadway and myself, we’re elated. The work we’re doing is going to be really good in the long run,” said Rep. Jodie Mahony of El Dorado.
The foundation funding for the 2006-07 school year in Broadway’s bill is $5,497 per student. Last year it was $5,400 per student. For the year 2005-2006, it will remain at $5,400.
“Schools will lose money if they lose students and that’s fair,” Mahony said.
The 84th General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Educational Adequacy adopted the Educational Adequacy Report in August 2003.
Each General Assembly is required to reassess the educational adequacy in Arkansas and recommend changes to maintain it as an ongoing priority for the state.
The report recommended spending $847 million to bring education in all Arkansas school districts up to an adequate standard back in 2003.
“Next year, we’re going to focus on teacher salaries. There’s a big discrepancy statewide. Schools in Springdale are starting teachers at $44,000 a year. The state average is $27,000. Something will have to be done,” Mahony said.
TOP STORY>>Teachers want cuts elsewhere
IN SHORT>> PCSSD board is divided over reductions that must be made in order to balance the district’s budget.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Under the duress of not only financial distress but emotional distress, frustrations boiled over at Tuesday night’s Pulaski County Special School District board meeting, with teachers and administrators nominating each other to bear the brunt of cuts to balance the budget and satisfy the state.
Freezing teacher salaries would save $3.4 million, more than a third of the $9 million in savings proposed by Superintendent Donald Henderson and his cabinet, cuts intended to pull the district out of the precipitous three-year financial plunge that has drawn scrutiny from the state Department of Education and a designation as one of 11 Arkansas school districts in financial distress.
That didn’t include another $1 million in proposed savings from cutting seven gifted and talented teachers, and 12.5 elementary and secondary counselors.
The Pulaski Association of Classroom Teachers (PACT), countered with a proposal that would cut the number of principals and assistants district wide from the current allocation of 51 to the state mandated minimum of seven for a $3 million savings.
Failure to turn around the school’s financial situation could result in forced consolidation. The state Education Department could force a superintendent to give up control or could suspend and replace the school board.
Making $9 million worth of cuts would leave the district with a projected fund balance of about $10 million at the end of the 2005-2006 school year instead of a projected deficiency of about $5.3 million, according to John Archetko, interim assistant superintendent for business.
As Archetko listed 27 categories for reductions and Henderson explained that only the southwestern part of the district would keep its home school counselors as required by the desegregation agreement, Bishop James Bolden III, Jacksonville’s representative loudly interrupted.
“I understand about the desegregation, but we’ve got kids that need help.”
“The children are suffering,” Bolden said, his rising voice shaking with apparent emotion.
“If it seems like I’m frustrated, I am,” he said, taking off his glasses and slapping his hand on the table.
“I appreciate the teachers, but sometimes we can’t afford raises.” He said he objected to keeping the counselors at the southwest schools, but not in Jacksonville or at Harris. “If you’re going to cut, cut across the board,” he said.
The floodgates opened, and all board members in turn expressed their frustrations.
Board president Mildred Tatum — whose district includes those southwest schools—assured Bolden that no action would be taken until the special April 20 board meeting.
Board member Carol Burgett put some of the district’s financial blame on the state legislature and Congress for unfunded mandates, including the so-called No-Child-Left-Behind mandate.
Past board president Jeff Shaneyfelt, still on the board, assured her that the legislature provided the district with an additional $13 million last year, which the district spent.
“This is a tragic situation. We had a $20 million fund balance three years ago,” he said. He then blamed poor management by the board, including himself.
“I predicted three years ago we would have this catastrophe,” Shaneyfelt said.
Board member Pam Roberts said that increasing tension had grown over the past few years between teachers and administrators.
“This is being used,” she said, “and the kids get caught in the middle.”
“Everybody is going to take some cuts,” she said.
Board member Don Baker said the Chinese character for a crises was the same as the character for an opportunity and urged the board to look on the financial distress designation as an opportunity.
Deen Minton, PACT president, said salary negotiations are due to begin this week and the district wouldn’t be conceding increases in pay and benefits, at least now.
She presented the association’s ideas for saving money and coming out of financial distress as well as a number of questions about the administration’s proposed cuts.
Shaneyfelt, a CPA, has long forecast financial woes as the district gave teacher raises, complied with unfunded mandates and looted money originally earmarked for school construction and improvement projects.
“I’ve been saying all along that I don’t think we’ve had a real handle on our budget,” he said in a Tuesday afternoon interview.
“This is probably the third time in three years we’ve gone through major cuts,” said Shaneyfelt. “Each time, phones light up like a Christmas tree. We’ve peeled down to the core and we’re getting down to the blood.”
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Under the duress of not only financial distress but emotional distress, frustrations boiled over at Tuesday night’s Pulaski County Special School District board meeting, with teachers and administrators nominating each other to bear the brunt of cuts to balance the budget and satisfy the state.
Freezing teacher salaries would save $3.4 million, more than a third of the $9 million in savings proposed by Superintendent Donald Henderson and his cabinet, cuts intended to pull the district out of the precipitous three-year financial plunge that has drawn scrutiny from the state Department of Education and a designation as one of 11 Arkansas school districts in financial distress.
That didn’t include another $1 million in proposed savings from cutting seven gifted and talented teachers, and 12.5 elementary and secondary counselors.
The Pulaski Association of Classroom Teachers (PACT), countered with a proposal that would cut the number of principals and assistants district wide from the current allocation of 51 to the state mandated minimum of seven for a $3 million savings.
Failure to turn around the school’s financial situation could result in forced consolidation. The state Education Department could force a superintendent to give up control or could suspend and replace the school board.
Making $9 million worth of cuts would leave the district with a projected fund balance of about $10 million at the end of the 2005-2006 school year instead of a projected deficiency of about $5.3 million, according to John Archetko, interim assistant superintendent for business.
As Archetko listed 27 categories for reductions and Henderson explained that only the southwestern part of the district would keep its home school counselors as required by the desegregation agreement, Bishop James Bolden III, Jacksonville’s representative loudly interrupted.
“I understand about the desegregation, but we’ve got kids that need help.”
“The children are suffering,” Bolden said, his rising voice shaking with apparent emotion.
“If it seems like I’m frustrated, I am,” he said, taking off his glasses and slapping his hand on the table.
“I appreciate the teachers, but sometimes we can’t afford raises.” He said he objected to keeping the counselors at the southwest schools, but not in Jacksonville or at Harris. “If you’re going to cut, cut across the board,” he said.
The floodgates opened, and all board members in turn expressed their frustrations.
Board president Mildred Tatum — whose district includes those southwest schools—assured Bolden that no action would be taken until the special April 20 board meeting.
Board member Carol Burgett put some of the district’s financial blame on the state legislature and Congress for unfunded mandates, including the so-called No-Child-Left-Behind mandate.
Past board president Jeff Shaneyfelt, still on the board, assured her that the legislature provided the district with an additional $13 million last year, which the district spent.
“This is a tragic situation. We had a $20 million fund balance three years ago,” he said. He then blamed poor management by the board, including himself.
“I predicted three years ago we would have this catastrophe,” Shaneyfelt said.
Board member Pam Roberts said that increasing tension had grown over the past few years between teachers and administrators.
“This is being used,” she said, “and the kids get caught in the middle.”
“Everybody is going to take some cuts,” she said.
Board member Don Baker said the Chinese character for a crises was the same as the character for an opportunity and urged the board to look on the financial distress designation as an opportunity.
Deen Minton, PACT president, said salary negotiations are due to begin this week and the district wouldn’t be conceding increases in pay and benefits, at least now.
She presented the association’s ideas for saving money and coming out of financial distress as well as a number of questions about the administration’s proposed cuts.
Shaneyfelt, a CPA, has long forecast financial woes as the district gave teacher raises, complied with unfunded mandates and looted money originally earmarked for school construction and improvement projects.
“I’ve been saying all along that I don’t think we’ve had a real handle on our budget,” he said in a Tuesday afternoon interview.
“This is probably the third time in three years we’ve gone through major cuts,” said Shaneyfelt. “Each time, phones light up like a Christmas tree. We’ve peeled down to the core and we’re getting down to the blood.”
FROM THE PUBLISHER>>Molesters go too far, eventually get caught
BY GARRICK FELDMAN
PUBLISHER
Pedophiles are in the news these days. Maybe there aren’t more of them out there, it’s just that more children are speaking out and prosecutors are handing down more indictments.
These cases usually boil down to a child making an accusation against an adult, and adults on a jury would rather believe one of their own sitting in a suit at the defense table than accept the world of a child, who has no reason to lie but has come forward because she can no longer keep the hurt inside and told someone what happened that night when she stayed over at a friend’s house while a guy started “wrestling” with her in their den.
Adults have abused children from the beginning of time and got away with their crimes because for too long their behavior wasn’t even considered criminal.
Kids are defenseless against adult predators, who think they can beat and threaten and molest children and make all kinds of excuses if they’re charged with a crime: It was all innocent “horseplay,” they were just “wrestling” and there’s nothing wrong with picking up a child by the crotch because that’s how they pick up their grandchildren.
They not only violate children sexually, they threaten them with more violence if they tell adults what happened.
The predators are often stepparents who think nothing of violating a child who is not their own. A few years ago, we wrote about a monster who raped his stepdaughter almost daily while his wife was at work.
The little girl was too scared to tell her mother. It wasn’t until years later that her teachers realized she was an abused child and offered to help her.
She finally told her story, and her stepfather was charged with rape and is still in prison.
He had been tried several years earlier for fondling a little girl who was spending the night with his stepdaughter, but there wasn’t much evidence against him, and the jury let him off so he could rape his stepdaughter for a decade or more.
Almost every day we hear reports of abusive men taking advantage of children. Some get long prison sentences, others plead guilty and get reduced sentences, while others get off. But even those who go free eventually get caught because they’re serial abusers, although they’ll hurt many more kids before they’re sent to prison.
The human mind is capable of all kinds of depravity that most people can’t even imagine. But as more cases of abuse are reported, we’ll tell our readers about the problem in our communities and warn predators that they, too, could go to trial and serve long prison sentences.
In other words, they’d better watch out.
PUBLISHER
Pedophiles are in the news these days. Maybe there aren’t more of them out there, it’s just that more children are speaking out and prosecutors are handing down more indictments.
These cases usually boil down to a child making an accusation against an adult, and adults on a jury would rather believe one of their own sitting in a suit at the defense table than accept the world of a child, who has no reason to lie but has come forward because she can no longer keep the hurt inside and told someone what happened that night when she stayed over at a friend’s house while a guy started “wrestling” with her in their den.
Adults have abused children from the beginning of time and got away with their crimes because for too long their behavior wasn’t even considered criminal.
Kids are defenseless against adult predators, who think they can beat and threaten and molest children and make all kinds of excuses if they’re charged with a crime: It was all innocent “horseplay,” they were just “wrestling” and there’s nothing wrong with picking up a child by the crotch because that’s how they pick up their grandchildren.
They not only violate children sexually, they threaten them with more violence if they tell adults what happened.
The predators are often stepparents who think nothing of violating a child who is not their own. A few years ago, we wrote about a monster who raped his stepdaughter almost daily while his wife was at work.
The little girl was too scared to tell her mother. It wasn’t until years later that her teachers realized she was an abused child and offered to help her.
She finally told her story, and her stepfather was charged with rape and is still in prison.
He had been tried several years earlier for fondling a little girl who was spending the night with his stepdaughter, but there wasn’t much evidence against him, and the jury let him off so he could rape his stepdaughter for a decade or more.
Almost every day we hear reports of abusive men taking advantage of children. Some get long prison sentences, others plead guilty and get reduced sentences, while others get off. But even those who go free eventually get caught because they’re serial abusers, although they’ll hurt many more kids before they’re sent to prison.
The human mind is capable of all kinds of depravity that most people can’t even imagine. But as more cases of abuse are reported, we’ll tell our readers about the problem in our communities and warn predators that they, too, could go to trial and serve long prison sentences.
In other words, they’d better watch out.
TOP STORY>> Sheriff fights abusers with limited funds
IN SHORT>> Rural White County is seeing a rising number of sex offenders.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Living out in the country in the nation’s Bible Belt isn’t as safe as it used to be. Just ask White County Sheriff Pat Garrett. He is keeping a close eye on sex offenders in White County while struggling to combat potential sexual predators.
Garrett said when he began policing in White County in 1994, he would be surprised if there were more than 40,000 people in the county. Now there’s over 70,000 and some of them are sexual offenders.
“I just asked the quorum court for money for an additional person dedicated to sex crimes investigation but they said no,” Garrett said.
“I’m doing the best with what I got.”
Drug abuse in White County, particularly methamphetamine abuse, is “absolutely” one of the leading factors in sex crimes, says Garrett.
Meth users describe an increase in libido while on the drug, but a decrease in sexual function. That, paired with the physical agitation, can lead to violent sexual behavior with drug use.
Garrett credits social awareness and concerned people getting the victims of sex offenders the help they need. All registered sex offenders in Arkansas are required to submit to assessment by the sex offender screening and risk assessment program coordinated by the Ark-ansas Department of Correction. Each offender is assigned a risk level based on the results of the assessment.
Based on information obtained from the risk assessment process, offenders are assigned the following levels: Level 1 — low risk; Level 2 — moderate risk; Level 3 — high risk, and Level 4 — sexually violent predator. Offenders failing to submit to assessment are assigned default Risk Level 3.
As part of the Sex Offender Registration Act of 1997, the Arkansas Crime Information Center lists Level 3 and 4 sex offenders on its Web site, including those who commit crimes against children.
Last week in White County, two men were sentenced in separate cases to five years each for soliciting sex from teenagers over the Internet in 2004.
The 14-year-old girls the men chatted with online were, in fact, detectives from the White County Sheriff’s Department. The detectives visit chat rooms, hoping to catch an online predator by posing as their favorite prey, teens.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Living out in the country in the nation’s Bible Belt isn’t as safe as it used to be. Just ask White County Sheriff Pat Garrett. He is keeping a close eye on sex offenders in White County while struggling to combat potential sexual predators.
Garrett said when he began policing in White County in 1994, he would be surprised if there were more than 40,000 people in the county. Now there’s over 70,000 and some of them are sexual offenders.
“I just asked the quorum court for money for an additional person dedicated to sex crimes investigation but they said no,” Garrett said.
“I’m doing the best with what I got.”
Drug abuse in White County, particularly methamphetamine abuse, is “absolutely” one of the leading factors in sex crimes, says Garrett.
Meth users describe an increase in libido while on the drug, but a decrease in sexual function. That, paired with the physical agitation, can lead to violent sexual behavior with drug use.
Garrett credits social awareness and concerned people getting the victims of sex offenders the help they need. All registered sex offenders in Arkansas are required to submit to assessment by the sex offender screening and risk assessment program coordinated by the Ark-ansas Department of Correction. Each offender is assigned a risk level based on the results of the assessment.
Based on information obtained from the risk assessment process, offenders are assigned the following levels: Level 1 — low risk; Level 2 — moderate risk; Level 3 — high risk, and Level 4 — sexually violent predator. Offenders failing to submit to assessment are assigned default Risk Level 3.
As part of the Sex Offender Registration Act of 1997, the Arkansas Crime Information Center lists Level 3 and 4 sex offenders on its Web site, including those who commit crimes against children.
Last week in White County, two men were sentenced in separate cases to five years each for soliciting sex from teenagers over the Internet in 2004.
The 14-year-old girls the men chatted with online were, in fact, detectives from the White County Sheriff’s Department. The detectives visit chat rooms, hoping to catch an online predator by posing as their favorite prey, teens.
TOP STORY>> Predators in our midst
IN SHORT: After several high-profile cases, communities worry about their children, but prosecutors are taking a tough stance against sex offenders, many of whom are serving long sentences.
BY BRIAN RODRIGUEZ
Leader staff writer
This area has had several high-profile sexual-abuse cases in recent years.
The best known was the case of Boy Scout leader Jack Walls III, who is serving several life sentences after he abused dozens of young men, drove one to suicide, and had another kill his parents and sister to cover up the scandal.
Heath Stocks, the young man who shot his parents and sister in 1997, and Walls are both serving life prison sentences, while Wade Knox, the abuse victim who later committed suicide, was recently honored with the opening of a child advocacy center in Lonoke which bears his name.
Last week, a Jacksonville man was sentenced to 30 years in prison when he pled guilty to raping a seven-year-old boy, raising the high area total of sex convictions by one more.
Circuit Judge Marion Humphrey sentenced Robert Leon Brooks, 43, on April 5. He will serve the full 30-year term because of a previous conviction.
Brooks was convicted of rape in 1985 and was sentenced to 20 years, but was released in 1997.
There are less dramatic cases, but Lonoke County prosecutors have had their hands full going after alleged pedophiles. At least two trials have been postponed because of concerns that the same jury hearing disturbing testimony in these cases will get nauseous and vote for convictions.
The Arkansas Department of Correction currently houses 48 sex offenders from Lonoke County, 50 from Pulaski County, and 37 from White County.
Two of those include Walls III and Larry Wayne Stephens, the trigger-case for a motion to recuse that was filed against Lonoke County Circuit Judge Lance Hanshaw.
Walls was convicted of six counts of rape in 1997 and is serving three life sentences and three 40-year terms.
He was charged with only six counts of rape because of the statute of limitations, but some believe he may have abused up to 150 young men before he was stopped.
The first incident allegedly happened when Walls, then 22, showed a Playboy magazine to a 12-year-old boy in 1968 and asked for sex. According to a web site, the boy turned him down and told people about the incident, leading to his being fired from his job and being sent to Vietnam.
He was stopped for the last time when a victim forced him to confess at gunpoint in 1997. The investigation that followed uncovered 60 recent victims.
Stephens was convicted of rape, kidnapping, terroristic threatening in the first degree, and domestic battery in the third degree.
A motion to recuse was filed after Hanshaw went against the jury’s recommendation of 86 years in consecutive sentences to only 40 years in concurrent sentences. Hanshaw said he didn’t think the jury understood the difference between consecutive and concurrent after the recommendation was made.
Stevens, a 10-time felon, beat his girlfriend in the head with a Mason jar and choked her until she lost consciousness. When she awoke, he continued beating her with the Mason jar, yelling at her to admit she had cheated on him.
Stephens finally ripped all her clothes off and raped her. He threatened to kill her and said he could make it look like an accidental fire, the affidavit said. The woman escaped by jumping through a window. She then ran to a neighbor’s house and called the police.
He had previous convictions dating from 1989 to 2001, including sexual abuse in the first degree, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, fleeing, two counts of commercial burglary, impairing a vital public facility, tampering with physical evidence, and two counts of theft of property.
Two upcoming cases include a former ASU-Beebe employee accused of child Internet pornography and a former Ward man accused of abusing his young grandchildren. Jerry Don McCabe, 46, of Austin, was arrested Jan. 7 after a tip was given by Missouri authorities.
He had been chatting with a Diamond, Mo., officer he thought was a 13-year-old girl when he left a chat service. He returned to the chat program and broadcast himself nude to “cindy64840” for about 20 minutes. He returned to her on three of the next four days before the Lonoke Sheriff’s Department confiscated his computer to find child Internet porn.
His pretrial date was set for May 24 with jury trial dates set for May 25-26. Albert Hays, 58, formerly of Ward, now in Bonita Springs, Fla., was arrested Feb. 1, 2004 for rape.
The state alleged that between Jan. 1995 and Dec. 31, 1997, Hays engaged in sexual contact with two grandsons who were less than 14 years of age.
His pretrial date was set for May 24 with jury trial dates set for June 1 and 2.
BY BRIAN RODRIGUEZ
Leader staff writer
This area has had several high-profile sexual-abuse cases in recent years.
The best known was the case of Boy Scout leader Jack Walls III, who is serving several life sentences after he abused dozens of young men, drove one to suicide, and had another kill his parents and sister to cover up the scandal.
Heath Stocks, the young man who shot his parents and sister in 1997, and Walls are both serving life prison sentences, while Wade Knox, the abuse victim who later committed suicide, was recently honored with the opening of a child advocacy center in Lonoke which bears his name.
Last week, a Jacksonville man was sentenced to 30 years in prison when he pled guilty to raping a seven-year-old boy, raising the high area total of sex convictions by one more.
Circuit Judge Marion Humphrey sentenced Robert Leon Brooks, 43, on April 5. He will serve the full 30-year term because of a previous conviction.
Brooks was convicted of rape in 1985 and was sentenced to 20 years, but was released in 1997.
There are less dramatic cases, but Lonoke County prosecutors have had their hands full going after alleged pedophiles. At least two trials have been postponed because of concerns that the same jury hearing disturbing testimony in these cases will get nauseous and vote for convictions.
The Arkansas Department of Correction currently houses 48 sex offenders from Lonoke County, 50 from Pulaski County, and 37 from White County.
Two of those include Walls III and Larry Wayne Stephens, the trigger-case for a motion to recuse that was filed against Lonoke County Circuit Judge Lance Hanshaw.
Walls was convicted of six counts of rape in 1997 and is serving three life sentences and three 40-year terms.
He was charged with only six counts of rape because of the statute of limitations, but some believe he may have abused up to 150 young men before he was stopped.
The first incident allegedly happened when Walls, then 22, showed a Playboy magazine to a 12-year-old boy in 1968 and asked for sex. According to a web site, the boy turned him down and told people about the incident, leading to his being fired from his job and being sent to Vietnam.
He was stopped for the last time when a victim forced him to confess at gunpoint in 1997. The investigation that followed uncovered 60 recent victims.
Stephens was convicted of rape, kidnapping, terroristic threatening in the first degree, and domestic battery in the third degree.
A motion to recuse was filed after Hanshaw went against the jury’s recommendation of 86 years in consecutive sentences to only 40 years in concurrent sentences. Hanshaw said he didn’t think the jury understood the difference between consecutive and concurrent after the recommendation was made.
Stevens, a 10-time felon, beat his girlfriend in the head with a Mason jar and choked her until she lost consciousness. When she awoke, he continued beating her with the Mason jar, yelling at her to admit she had cheated on him.
Stephens finally ripped all her clothes off and raped her. He threatened to kill her and said he could make it look like an accidental fire, the affidavit said. The woman escaped by jumping through a window. She then ran to a neighbor’s house and called the police.
He had previous convictions dating from 1989 to 2001, including sexual abuse in the first degree, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, fleeing, two counts of commercial burglary, impairing a vital public facility, tampering with physical evidence, and two counts of theft of property.
Two upcoming cases include a former ASU-Beebe employee accused of child Internet pornography and a former Ward man accused of abusing his young grandchildren. Jerry Don McCabe, 46, of Austin, was arrested Jan. 7 after a tip was given by Missouri authorities.
He had been chatting with a Diamond, Mo., officer he thought was a 13-year-old girl when he left a chat service. He returned to the chat program and broadcast himself nude to “cindy64840” for about 20 minutes. He returned to her on three of the next four days before the Lonoke Sheriff’s Department confiscated his computer to find child Internet porn.
His pretrial date was set for May 24 with jury trial dates set for May 25-26. Albert Hays, 58, formerly of Ward, now in Bonita Springs, Fla., was arrested Feb. 1, 2004 for rape.
The state alleged that between Jan. 1995 and Dec. 31, 1997, Hays engaged in sexual contact with two grandsons who were less than 14 years of age.
His pretrial date was set for May 24 with jury trial dates set for June 1 and 2.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
OPINION>> Win Paul vs. Asa
BY ERNIE DUMAS
For the first time in 16 years, Arkansas seems guaranteed of a real primary contest for governor in 2006 and, as it was in 1990, it will be between Republicans. More than a year before the traditional filing period, Lt. Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller and Asa Hutchinson announced that they would seek the Republican nomination.
Primary contests for governor once were the province of the Democratic Party, but there has not been a real challenge in the Democratic primary since 1982, when Bill Clinton defeated Jim Guy Tucker and Joe Purcell, two of the party’s biggest vote-getters, to begin his comeback. In the five elections since then, the Democratic nominee was anointed long before the filing began.
This time, Attorney General Mike Beebe is the presumptive nominee, although he has done nothing more than merely hint that he would run.
It is easy to affix epochal meaning to the circumstances. One theory: The Republican Party has finally matured and replaced the Democrats as the party with energy, and the Democratic Party has run out of promising political figures.
Here is a notion that is at least as persuasive: It is the Republican Party that faces a crisis, a struggle for its soul. While some Democrats think their party would be better off and its nominee stronger if there were a vigorous primary fight for the nomination, they should not envy the GOP the dilemma it faces in Hutchinson and Rockefeller.
The Republicans had what they thought was an embarrassment of riches in 1990, when Sheffield Nelson, the handsome gas company executive, and U. S. Rep. Tommy Robinson both switched parties to run for governor, but it turned out to be merely an embarrassment.
The party, helped by a crossover vote by Democrats, picked Nelson, and Gov. Bill Clinton crushed him in the general election when details of the Arkoma gas scandal dribbled out, with Robinson’s assistance. Nelson had helped his friend Jerry Jones collect a fortune and the Dallas Cowboys franchise at the expense of Arkansas natural gas customers.
The party recovered quickly from the bitter personal rivalry that betrayed it in 1990. While the personal animosity may be absent in the Rockefeller-Hutchinson race, at least for now, the divisions may be visceral and subterranean, and even harder to turn into victory.
Hutchinson, who resigned as deputy secretary for Homeland Security after he was twice turned down by President Bush for the top job, has made two statewide races — for the Senate in 1986 and for attorney general in 1990 — and suffered sizable defeats both times. Rockefeller won both his statewide races. His moderate image, the legacy of good will from his father’s rising historical standing and his strength among traditionally Democratic-voting African-Americans stands him in good stead in a statewide contest.
All of those advantages are virtually useless to Rockefeller in a Republican primary with Hutchinson.
Unless there is a sea change in voting habits in 2006, the primary will be largely decided in three northwest Arkansas counties — Benton, Sebastian and Washington — where Hutchinson spent his youth and early political career and which elected him to Con-gress three times in the late 1990s.
It also is the seat of a Republican ideology that Rockefeller’s daddy marginalized 40 years ago: fiercely against taxes and social action, abortion, immigrants, public services for the poor and for a closer alliance of government and gospel.
Rockefeller’s strengths (except his wealth, maybe) will not help him there.
If he is to win many votes there, Rockefeller may have to repudiate much of his father’s legacy, of which he almost certainly will be reminded: higher taxes especially on the wealthy, opposition to the death penalty, authorship of the state minimum wage, greater spending on public education, government-protected rights for all minorities and an end to bigotry in all its forms.
In his first test, in the days after his announcement, Rockefeller said he was reversing his position on abortion. He now favors the government banning all abortions except when the life or health of the mother is imperiled, still slightly to the left of Hutchinson.
In a meeting with Benton County people not long ago, Rockefeller said rich people were overtaxed. (His daddy in 1969 would have had them paying a marginal rate of 12 percent, not 5, in state income taxes.) With every capitulation, Rockefeller moves his party with him further from the center of gravity, where the current governor successfully has made his home.
After much of that, the party may find its chances growing slimmer.
The qualities that make Hutchinson the favorite in the Republican primary make him a distinct underdog against Beebe, or whoever, in the general election. And Hutchinson’s indecision about whether he is an Arkansan is not his major problem.
He seems to run afoul of the Constitution’s residency requirement to be governor because he moved his voter registration to Virginia in 2002 after joining the Bush administration.
The courts have been expansive in interpreting residency requirements.
Home is where the heart is, and regardless of where a person lives the courts have looked for expressions of intent. One is the voting home. Why Hutchinson would have moved his vote to Virginia is a mystery. Men usually do it to avoid the state personal income tax when they have a multimillion-dollar windfall. But challenging Hutchinson’s standing to run won’t be legally or politically winnable.
No, his problem is not where but how he lives.
He chose to cash in on his government service in the time-honored way, joining a Washington law firm — not to practice law but to exploit his connections with the admi-nistration to steer corporate clients to government contracts.
Meantime, Hutchinson's protege Ron Fields, the former Fort Smith prosecutor, is on a forced leave of absence from his job at Homeland Security while the FBI investigates his alleged drug dealing and a conspiracy to murder a woman. That could be more serious than having a tractor run over a gravestone, the issue that defeated the elder Winthrop Rockefeller in his first race for governor in 1964.
Then there is the matter of Hutchinson trying to remove fellow Arkansan Bill Clinton from the presidency. As a prosecutor of Clinton before the Senate, Hutchinson handled some of the dirtier aspects of the Republican campaign to convict the president of high crimes and misdemeanors over his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky.
Hutchinson’s good standing as a Clinton hater will help in the primary fight in northwest Arkansas but he’ll need a cleaner resume in the general election.
For the first time in 16 years, Arkansas seems guaranteed of a real primary contest for governor in 2006 and, as it was in 1990, it will be between Republicans. More than a year before the traditional filing period, Lt. Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller and Asa Hutchinson announced that they would seek the Republican nomination.
Primary contests for governor once were the province of the Democratic Party, but there has not been a real challenge in the Democratic primary since 1982, when Bill Clinton defeated Jim Guy Tucker and Joe Purcell, two of the party’s biggest vote-getters, to begin his comeback. In the five elections since then, the Democratic nominee was anointed long before the filing began.
This time, Attorney General Mike Beebe is the presumptive nominee, although he has done nothing more than merely hint that he would run.
It is easy to affix epochal meaning to the circumstances. One theory: The Republican Party has finally matured and replaced the Democrats as the party with energy, and the Democratic Party has run out of promising political figures.
Here is a notion that is at least as persuasive: It is the Republican Party that faces a crisis, a struggle for its soul. While some Democrats think their party would be better off and its nominee stronger if there were a vigorous primary fight for the nomination, they should not envy the GOP the dilemma it faces in Hutchinson and Rockefeller.
The Republicans had what they thought was an embarrassment of riches in 1990, when Sheffield Nelson, the handsome gas company executive, and U. S. Rep. Tommy Robinson both switched parties to run for governor, but it turned out to be merely an embarrassment.
The party, helped by a crossover vote by Democrats, picked Nelson, and Gov. Bill Clinton crushed him in the general election when details of the Arkoma gas scandal dribbled out, with Robinson’s assistance. Nelson had helped his friend Jerry Jones collect a fortune and the Dallas Cowboys franchise at the expense of Arkansas natural gas customers.
The party recovered quickly from the bitter personal rivalry that betrayed it in 1990. While the personal animosity may be absent in the Rockefeller-Hutchinson race, at least for now, the divisions may be visceral and subterranean, and even harder to turn into victory.
Hutchinson, who resigned as deputy secretary for Homeland Security after he was twice turned down by President Bush for the top job, has made two statewide races — for the Senate in 1986 and for attorney general in 1990 — and suffered sizable defeats both times. Rockefeller won both his statewide races. His moderate image, the legacy of good will from his father’s rising historical standing and his strength among traditionally Democratic-voting African-Americans stands him in good stead in a statewide contest.
All of those advantages are virtually useless to Rockefeller in a Republican primary with Hutchinson.
Unless there is a sea change in voting habits in 2006, the primary will be largely decided in three northwest Arkansas counties — Benton, Sebastian and Washington — where Hutchinson spent his youth and early political career and which elected him to Con-gress three times in the late 1990s.
It also is the seat of a Republican ideology that Rockefeller’s daddy marginalized 40 years ago: fiercely against taxes and social action, abortion, immigrants, public services for the poor and for a closer alliance of government and gospel.
Rockefeller’s strengths (except his wealth, maybe) will not help him there.
If he is to win many votes there, Rockefeller may have to repudiate much of his father’s legacy, of which he almost certainly will be reminded: higher taxes especially on the wealthy, opposition to the death penalty, authorship of the state minimum wage, greater spending on public education, government-protected rights for all minorities and an end to bigotry in all its forms.
In his first test, in the days after his announcement, Rockefeller said he was reversing his position on abortion. He now favors the government banning all abortions except when the life or health of the mother is imperiled, still slightly to the left of Hutchinson.
In a meeting with Benton County people not long ago, Rockefeller said rich people were overtaxed. (His daddy in 1969 would have had them paying a marginal rate of 12 percent, not 5, in state income taxes.) With every capitulation, Rockefeller moves his party with him further from the center of gravity, where the current governor successfully has made his home.
After much of that, the party may find its chances growing slimmer.
The qualities that make Hutchinson the favorite in the Republican primary make him a distinct underdog against Beebe, or whoever, in the general election. And Hutchinson’s indecision about whether he is an Arkansan is not his major problem.
He seems to run afoul of the Constitution’s residency requirement to be governor because he moved his voter registration to Virginia in 2002 after joining the Bush administration.
The courts have been expansive in interpreting residency requirements.
Home is where the heart is, and regardless of where a person lives the courts have looked for expressions of intent. One is the voting home. Why Hutchinson would have moved his vote to Virginia is a mystery. Men usually do it to avoid the state personal income tax when they have a multimillion-dollar windfall. But challenging Hutchinson’s standing to run won’t be legally or politically winnable.
No, his problem is not where but how he lives.
He chose to cash in on his government service in the time-honored way, joining a Washington law firm — not to practice law but to exploit his connections with the admi-nistration to steer corporate clients to government contracts.
Meantime, Hutchinson's protege Ron Fields, the former Fort Smith prosecutor, is on a forced leave of absence from his job at Homeland Security while the FBI investigates his alleged drug dealing and a conspiracy to murder a woman. That could be more serious than having a tractor run over a gravestone, the issue that defeated the elder Winthrop Rockefeller in his first race for governor in 1964.
Then there is the matter of Hutchinson trying to remove fellow Arkansan Bill Clinton from the presidency. As a prosecutor of Clinton before the Senate, Hutchinson handled some of the dirtier aspects of the Republican campaign to convict the president of high crimes and misdemeanors over his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky.
Hutchinson’s good standing as a Clinton hater will help in the primary fight in northwest Arkansas but he’ll need a cleaner resume in the general election.
EDITORIAL>> Our sorry legislature
It is the nature of the Arkansas General Assembly, which does the state’s business once every two years, that it will end in frenzy and confusion, although ordinarily the lawmakers wrap it up not with accusations but with congratulations, whether they are merited or not. This time, the sense of failure and the scent of scandal are everywhere palpable.
And why not? The legislature defaulted on its first sworn duty, which was to put Arkansas’ public education system in order. It had taken a few laudable steps to do that a year ago, goaded by an order of the Supreme Court that it comply with the state Constitution’s mandate that the state provide a suitable, efficient and equal education for all the state’s children. Assured that the 2005 legislature would complete the task, the Supreme Court closed the long-running Lake View school case.
On Wednesday, David Matthews of Lowell, the former legislator and school litigator who had praised the ‘04 legislature before the Supreme Court, lectured senators on their manifest failure. He said he had expected better of them. He will petition the Supreme Court to revive the lawsuit and hold the legislature accountable for reneging on its commitments. The school litigation, which has beleaguered the state and called attention to our demoralizing failures with our children for 25 years, now yawns before us again.
Next year was to be the great leap forward, but the budget thrown together this week allows no increase in the per-pupil spending by schools for 2006, the most resounding failure in living memory. Even the minimalist budget depends upon unlikely scenarios to produce revenues. Someone believes in the rosy economic future perpetually claimed by the Bush administration. By the middle of the fiscal cycle, the state will find that it cannot sustain even the budget that the legislature adopted. It granted too many tax breaks for special interests before the grab-bagging became so embarrassing that the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee last week finally called a halt. The legislature ended the income tax surcharge and refused to extend the tax on wealthy estates, going along with President Bush’s reward to the nation’s wealthy.
Arkansas has levied a tax on great inheritances since 1909. In the past 10 years the tax has added more than $400 million to the treasury, nearly all of it from huge estates. From now on, not a dime. Working people will pick up the slack.
Schools will be cheated indirectly by other miscalculations of this legislature.
Unless the courts stop them, local governments will transfer millions of dollars of taxes levied for the schools to projects to help developers who want to build shopping malls and other commercial districts. This week, the legislature perfected legislation that will take $20 million or so a year in perpetuity from the state’s general fund if a mega-industry needs it. The money would come primarily from education budgets.
But the most glaring default was the legislature’s decision to devote no more than $119 million to school construction. It will offer that much in matching state grants to school districts the next two years, and it made no provision for there ever being anything more. The Supreme Court said the state had to provide equal school facilities for all children, and a legislative study showed that more than $2 billion would be needed to bring decrepit schools across the state up to par.
The state in three months will have a $240 million surplus that it could spend as a down payment on that obligation. But at week’s end legislators were near blows on how much of that sum they would divide among themselves to hand out locally to cement their re-elections.
Here is how dismal the scene was at week’s end: The good guys were insisting that not a dime more than $38 million be stolen from the schools for personal pork-barrel projects while the greedheads were insisting on lots more.
That qualifies for leadership in the term-limited legislature of 2005.
And why not? The legislature defaulted on its first sworn duty, which was to put Arkansas’ public education system in order. It had taken a few laudable steps to do that a year ago, goaded by an order of the Supreme Court that it comply with the state Constitution’s mandate that the state provide a suitable, efficient and equal education for all the state’s children. Assured that the 2005 legislature would complete the task, the Supreme Court closed the long-running Lake View school case.
On Wednesday, David Matthews of Lowell, the former legislator and school litigator who had praised the ‘04 legislature before the Supreme Court, lectured senators on their manifest failure. He said he had expected better of them. He will petition the Supreme Court to revive the lawsuit and hold the legislature accountable for reneging on its commitments. The school litigation, which has beleaguered the state and called attention to our demoralizing failures with our children for 25 years, now yawns before us again.
Next year was to be the great leap forward, but the budget thrown together this week allows no increase in the per-pupil spending by schools for 2006, the most resounding failure in living memory. Even the minimalist budget depends upon unlikely scenarios to produce revenues. Someone believes in the rosy economic future perpetually claimed by the Bush administration. By the middle of the fiscal cycle, the state will find that it cannot sustain even the budget that the legislature adopted. It granted too many tax breaks for special interests before the grab-bagging became so embarrassing that the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee last week finally called a halt. The legislature ended the income tax surcharge and refused to extend the tax on wealthy estates, going along with President Bush’s reward to the nation’s wealthy.
Arkansas has levied a tax on great inheritances since 1909. In the past 10 years the tax has added more than $400 million to the treasury, nearly all of it from huge estates. From now on, not a dime. Working people will pick up the slack.
Schools will be cheated indirectly by other miscalculations of this legislature.
Unless the courts stop them, local governments will transfer millions of dollars of taxes levied for the schools to projects to help developers who want to build shopping malls and other commercial districts. This week, the legislature perfected legislation that will take $20 million or so a year in perpetuity from the state’s general fund if a mega-industry needs it. The money would come primarily from education budgets.
But the most glaring default was the legislature’s decision to devote no more than $119 million to school construction. It will offer that much in matching state grants to school districts the next two years, and it made no provision for there ever being anything more. The Supreme Court said the state had to provide equal school facilities for all children, and a legislative study showed that more than $2 billion would be needed to bring decrepit schools across the state up to par.
The state in three months will have a $240 million surplus that it could spend as a down payment on that obligation. But at week’s end legislators were near blows on how much of that sum they would divide among themselves to hand out locally to cement their re-elections.
Here is how dismal the scene was at week’s end: The good guys were insisting that not a dime more than $38 million be stolen from the schools for personal pork-barrel projects while the greedheads were insisting on lots more.
That qualifies for leadership in the term-limited legislature of 2005.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
NEIGHBORS>> A C-130 named Lonoke
Best kept secret is out with naming of plane
Story and photos by John Hofheimer
hen the Arkansas Air National Guard dubbed a C-130 “City of Lonoke” in a Saturday morning naming ceremony, the highlight—for those not subject to air sickness—was an hour-long flight, including a few turns about 2,000 feet above Lonoke.
“I saw my house real good,” said Sharon Rudder, director of the Lonoke Head Start Program. “I could see the horses, the cows and the barn.”
Mayor Thomas Privett, who pulled off the paper taped over the plane’s new name, was not so lucky.
Privett stood peering out the window without seeing the town, he said later.
About 40 Lonoke-area residents, including several jersey-wearing football players, aldermen Dick Bransford, Michael Florence, Efrem Jones and Wayne McGee, Chamber of Commerce President John Garner and Sean O’Nale, captain of the Lonoke Police Department, were among those who attended the dedication and the City of Lonoke’s maiden flight—if a 43-year-old plane with more than 25,000 air hours on it can be said to have a maiden flight.
O’Nale, himself a member of the 189th Air National Guard Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, nominated Lonoke for the honor.
O’Nale served a tour of duty in Iraq.
Col. Dwight Balch, commander of the 189th Airlift Wing, dedicated the plane, tail number 62-1784, as City of Lonoke.
For the Air National Guard, which labors in relative obscurity, surrounded at the 6,600 acre Little Rock Air Force Base, the naming ceremonies are a way to publicize both its existence and expertise—tools that could help in recruiting, according to Tech. Sgt. Bob Oldham, the public information officer.
Cabot and Searcy also are among the eight towns with C-130s named for them.
The Air Guard has only 10 C-130s, so when all have been named, the process will start over to honor and educate other Arkansas towns and cities, according to Oldham.
Lonoke resident M. Sgt. Dickey Burgess, with more than 4,000 air hours under his belt, served as flight engineer as the plane flew over Greer’s Ferry Lake and around Lonoke.
The rear cargo door was opened as the City of Lonoke flew over the lake, and someone’s ball cap was whisked out the door, dancing in the slipstream then headed toward the lake.
Prior to the dedication ceremony and flight, Col. Jim Crumpton told the Lonoke guests that the 189th Airlift Wing has been the most decorated Air National Guard unit in the country since it was formed in 1925.
While President Bush is commander in chief of the regular Air Force’s 314th Airlift Wing at the base, the Guard answers to Gov. Huckabee unless it has been mobilized to active duty, said Crumpton, vice commander of the wing.
The 314th trains pilots, navigators, loadmasters, maintainers and others, but the 189th trains the trainers.
Its other duties include disaster relief, dealing with civil unrest and airport security.
In addition to training the teachers, the 189th has an operations group, a maintenance group, a mission support group and a medical group.
Also on the base, taking advantage of administrative services offered by the 189th Airlift wing, is the Guard’s 123rd Intelligence group, which assesses aerial photographs in real time and helps select targets for the war fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan, Oldham said.
Right now, the 189th has 41 volunteers from its civil engineering squadron in Baghdad.
Members of the 189th come from 121 Arkansas towns and cities. Its annual payroll is $21.1 million, with an economic impact around the state estimated at $41.3 million.
Oldham said future recruits would not necessarily come from those attending the Saturday ceremony, but perhaps by word of mouth.
Air Guardsmen can earn a lot toward college, he said, and the threat of deployment into a combat zone is small when compared to the Army Guard.
“We planted a seed,” he said.
While nationally, the National Guard and the Reserves are having trouble meeting recruiting quotas, he said, “On the air side, our wing is at 97 percent capacity.”
“We love to have all these city leaders, businessmen and parents to see what we do on a daily basis,” Oldham said.
“We’ve been the best kept secret for several years. You can’t just drive on base anymore, so this is one way to get people out here to meet our people and see what we do.”
Story and photos by John Hofheimer
hen the Arkansas Air National Guard dubbed a C-130 “City of Lonoke” in a Saturday morning naming ceremony, the highlight—for those not subject to air sickness—was an hour-long flight, including a few turns about 2,000 feet above Lonoke.
“I saw my house real good,” said Sharon Rudder, director of the Lonoke Head Start Program. “I could see the horses, the cows and the barn.”
Mayor Thomas Privett, who pulled off the paper taped over the plane’s new name, was not so lucky.
Privett stood peering out the window without seeing the town, he said later.
About 40 Lonoke-area residents, including several jersey-wearing football players, aldermen Dick Bransford, Michael Florence, Efrem Jones and Wayne McGee, Chamber of Commerce President John Garner and Sean O’Nale, captain of the Lonoke Police Department, were among those who attended the dedication and the City of Lonoke’s maiden flight—if a 43-year-old plane with more than 25,000 air hours on it can be said to have a maiden flight.
O’Nale, himself a member of the 189th Air National Guard Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, nominated Lonoke for the honor.
O’Nale served a tour of duty in Iraq.
Col. Dwight Balch, commander of the 189th Airlift Wing, dedicated the plane, tail number 62-1784, as City of Lonoke.
For the Air National Guard, which labors in relative obscurity, surrounded at the 6,600 acre Little Rock Air Force Base, the naming ceremonies are a way to publicize both its existence and expertise—tools that could help in recruiting, according to Tech. Sgt. Bob Oldham, the public information officer.
Cabot and Searcy also are among the eight towns with C-130s named for them.
The Air Guard has only 10 C-130s, so when all have been named, the process will start over to honor and educate other Arkansas towns and cities, according to Oldham.
Lonoke resident M. Sgt. Dickey Burgess, with more than 4,000 air hours under his belt, served as flight engineer as the plane flew over Greer’s Ferry Lake and around Lonoke.
The rear cargo door was opened as the City of Lonoke flew over the lake, and someone’s ball cap was whisked out the door, dancing in the slipstream then headed toward the lake.
Prior to the dedication ceremony and flight, Col. Jim Crumpton told the Lonoke guests that the 189th Airlift Wing has been the most decorated Air National Guard unit in the country since it was formed in 1925.
While President Bush is commander in chief of the regular Air Force’s 314th Airlift Wing at the base, the Guard answers to Gov. Huckabee unless it has been mobilized to active duty, said Crumpton, vice commander of the wing.
The 314th trains pilots, navigators, loadmasters, maintainers and others, but the 189th trains the trainers.
Its other duties include disaster relief, dealing with civil unrest and airport security.
In addition to training the teachers, the 189th has an operations group, a maintenance group, a mission support group and a medical group.
Also on the base, taking advantage of administrative services offered by the 189th Airlift wing, is the Guard’s 123rd Intelligence group, which assesses aerial photographs in real time and helps select targets for the war fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan, Oldham said.
Right now, the 189th has 41 volunteers from its civil engineering squadron in Baghdad.
Members of the 189th come from 121 Arkansas towns and cities. Its annual payroll is $21.1 million, with an economic impact around the state estimated at $41.3 million.
Oldham said future recruits would not necessarily come from those attending the Saturday ceremony, but perhaps by word of mouth.
Air Guardsmen can earn a lot toward college, he said, and the threat of deployment into a combat zone is small when compared to the Army Guard.
“We planted a seed,” he said.
While nationally, the National Guard and the Reserves are having trouble meeting recruiting quotas, he said, “On the air side, our wing is at 97 percent capacity.”
“We love to have all these city leaders, businessmen and parents to see what we do on a daily basis,” Oldham said.
“We’ve been the best kept secret for several years. You can’t just drive on base anymore, so this is one way to get people out here to meet our people and see what we do.”
OBITUARIES>> April 6, 2005
BRADY HOOPER
Brady Rudd Hooper, 18 of Cabot died April 3 at his home.
He was born Sept. 29, 1986, in Bowling Green, Ken., to Greg and Sara Lu Rudd Hooper.
Hooper was a senior at Cabot High School where he was an active member of the Air Force Jr. ROTC. Hooper served as Rifle Team Commander and in 2004 he received the Distinguished Cadet Award. He was a member of Cabot First Baptist Church. Brady belonged to the Youth Group, First Student Ministries and Bulgarian Mission Team. He was also in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) for the U.S. Marines Corp where he was scheduled to join the Corp. following graduation. Brady was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Savanna Rudd.
He is survived by his parents, Greg and Sara Lu Hooper of Cabot; two brothers, Ben and Brandon Hooper, both of Cabot; maternal grandfather, Charles and his wife Jackie Rudd of Leesburg, Florida; paternal grandparents, Alvin and Marguerite Hooper of Altamonte Springs, Fla.; aunt, Suzan Hutchinson of Charlotte, N.C., three uncles and their spouses, David and Joann Rudd of Leesburg, Fla., Chuck and Dian Hooper of Ocoee, Fla., Ted and Christy Hooper of Lucedale, Miss.; four cousins.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Cabot with Rev. Dennis Phelps and Rev. Randy Monroe officiating. Burial will follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Park in Jacksonville.
The family suggests memorials be made to Bulgarian Child, Inc., 7522 Campbell Road, Suite 113-172, Dallas, Texas 74248 or Gideons International, 2900 Lebanon Road, Nashville, Tennessee 37214. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home.
VIVIAN NICHOLS
Vivian Irene Nichols, 103, of Jacksonville passed away April 4.
She was a member of Bethel Assembly of God.
She is survived by two daughters, Margaret Hardcastle and Avis Mitchell, both of Jacksonville; sister, Audie Smith, of North Little Rock; grandchildren, J.C. and Mike Hardcastle, Sherry Burton, Tammy Wheat and Karen Johnson and seven great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by three brothers, one sister and her husband, Cleve Nichols.
Memorials may be made to Bethel Assembly of God Building Fund, 7311 West Republican Road, Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m., Wednesday at North Little Rock Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Memorial Park. Arrangements by North Little Rock Funeral Home.
WAYNDLLE MOORE
Wayndlle “Lee” Leon Moore, 67, of Jacksonville passed away April 5. He was born Jan. 23, 1938, in Winnsboro, Texas, to Hugh and Doris Patrick Moore.
He retired from the U.S. Air Force after 21 years of service. During his military career he was a Purple Heart recipient and received the Staff Service Medal from the Republic of Vietnam. After his retirement from the Air Force he worked as a police officer for the city of Jacksonville and Sherwood. He was a member of the VFW Post 4548. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandson, Jacob Gray. Survivors include his wife, Linda Moore; children, Gina and Lyle Gray of Tupelo, Miss., Terri and Steven Bennett of Jacksonville, Patrick and Pam Moore of Salinas, Calif., Shawna and Paul McNiel of Cabot, Chad and Tina Moore of Cabot; sister, Sara Demlow of Dallas, Texas, and brother, Gary and Nola Moore of Garland, Texas; grandchildren, Nolan McNiel, Zack McNiel, Brandon Schiefelbein, Kiefer Richmond, Blakley Moore, Allen Duncan, Carie Gobbell, Channille Moore and Jordan Moore; great-grandchildren, Chandler Duncan, Tyler and Brent Gobbell.
Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Thursday in Chapel Hill Memorial Park Cemetery in Jacksonville. Visitation will be Wednesday from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Arrangements by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
DORIS WELCH
Doris Elaine Welch, 83, passed away April 2.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John Welch and is survived by her sister, Kathyrn Barrett of Lonoke; nieces and nephews, Ruby Gagliano, Peggy Benton and Lon Pool of Lonoke, Jane Shaw of North Little Rock, Margaret Byrd of Jacksonville, Jack Felts of Sheridan, Regina Duckett of Little Rock and Charles Pool of Searcy. Funeral services were held Monday at Boyd Funeral Home, Lonoke with interment in Lonoke Cemetery.
HAROLD MCLOUD
Harold Keith McLoud, 36, was taken from us suddenly April 2.
He was preceded in death by his father James H. McLoud. Survivors include his mother, Mary Evelyn McLoud of Lonoke; one brother, Louis Elwood “Woody” McLoud of Seattle, Wash.; aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews along with a loving community of family and friends. Funeral services were held Tuesday at Boyd Funeral Home Chapel in Lonoke. Memorials may be made to Arkansas AIDS Foundation, P.O. Box 1208, Little Rock, AR 72203 or World Vision, P.O. Box 9716, Mail Stop 238, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 or First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Lonoke, AR 72086.
Brady Rudd Hooper, 18 of Cabot died April 3 at his home.
He was born Sept. 29, 1986, in Bowling Green, Ken., to Greg and Sara Lu Rudd Hooper.
Hooper was a senior at Cabot High School where he was an active member of the Air Force Jr. ROTC. Hooper served as Rifle Team Commander and in 2004 he received the Distinguished Cadet Award. He was a member of Cabot First Baptist Church. Brady belonged to the Youth Group, First Student Ministries and Bulgarian Mission Team. He was also in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) for the U.S. Marines Corp where he was scheduled to join the Corp. following graduation. Brady was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Savanna Rudd.
He is survived by his parents, Greg and Sara Lu Hooper of Cabot; two brothers, Ben and Brandon Hooper, both of Cabot; maternal grandfather, Charles and his wife Jackie Rudd of Leesburg, Florida; paternal grandparents, Alvin and Marguerite Hooper of Altamonte Springs, Fla.; aunt, Suzan Hutchinson of Charlotte, N.C., three uncles and their spouses, David and Joann Rudd of Leesburg, Fla., Chuck and Dian Hooper of Ocoee, Fla., Ted and Christy Hooper of Lucedale, Miss.; four cousins.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Cabot with Rev. Dennis Phelps and Rev. Randy Monroe officiating. Burial will follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Park in Jacksonville.
The family suggests memorials be made to Bulgarian Child, Inc., 7522 Campbell Road, Suite 113-172, Dallas, Texas 74248 or Gideons International, 2900 Lebanon Road, Nashville, Tennessee 37214. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home.
VIVIAN NICHOLS
Vivian Irene Nichols, 103, of Jacksonville passed away April 4.
She was a member of Bethel Assembly of God.
She is survived by two daughters, Margaret Hardcastle and Avis Mitchell, both of Jacksonville; sister, Audie Smith, of North Little Rock; grandchildren, J.C. and Mike Hardcastle, Sherry Burton, Tammy Wheat and Karen Johnson and seven great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by three brothers, one sister and her husband, Cleve Nichols.
Memorials may be made to Bethel Assembly of God Building Fund, 7311 West Republican Road, Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m., Wednesday at North Little Rock Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Memorial Park. Arrangements by North Little Rock Funeral Home.
WAYNDLLE MOORE
Wayndlle “Lee” Leon Moore, 67, of Jacksonville passed away April 5. He was born Jan. 23, 1938, in Winnsboro, Texas, to Hugh and Doris Patrick Moore.
He retired from the U.S. Air Force after 21 years of service. During his military career he was a Purple Heart recipient and received the Staff Service Medal from the Republic of Vietnam. After his retirement from the Air Force he worked as a police officer for the city of Jacksonville and Sherwood. He was a member of the VFW Post 4548. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandson, Jacob Gray. Survivors include his wife, Linda Moore; children, Gina and Lyle Gray of Tupelo, Miss., Terri and Steven Bennett of Jacksonville, Patrick and Pam Moore of Salinas, Calif., Shawna and Paul McNiel of Cabot, Chad and Tina Moore of Cabot; sister, Sara Demlow of Dallas, Texas, and brother, Gary and Nola Moore of Garland, Texas; grandchildren, Nolan McNiel, Zack McNiel, Brandon Schiefelbein, Kiefer Richmond, Blakley Moore, Allen Duncan, Carie Gobbell, Channille Moore and Jordan Moore; great-grandchildren, Chandler Duncan, Tyler and Brent Gobbell.
Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Thursday in Chapel Hill Memorial Park Cemetery in Jacksonville. Visitation will be Wednesday from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Arrangements by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
DORIS WELCH
Doris Elaine Welch, 83, passed away April 2.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John Welch and is survived by her sister, Kathyrn Barrett of Lonoke; nieces and nephews, Ruby Gagliano, Peggy Benton and Lon Pool of Lonoke, Jane Shaw of North Little Rock, Margaret Byrd of Jacksonville, Jack Felts of Sheridan, Regina Duckett of Little Rock and Charles Pool of Searcy. Funeral services were held Monday at Boyd Funeral Home, Lonoke with interment in Lonoke Cemetery.
HAROLD MCLOUD
Harold Keith McLoud, 36, was taken from us suddenly April 2.
He was preceded in death by his father James H. McLoud. Survivors include his mother, Mary Evelyn McLoud of Lonoke; one brother, Louis Elwood “Woody” McLoud of Seattle, Wash.; aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews along with a loving community of family and friends. Funeral services were held Tuesday at Boyd Funeral Home Chapel in Lonoke. Memorials may be made to Arkansas AIDS Foundation, P.O. Box 1208, Little Rock, AR 72203 or World Vision, P.O. Box 9716, Mail Stop 238, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 or First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Lonoke, AR 72086.
SPORTS>> Cabot soccer shuts out JHS
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panther boys and girls soccer teams swept Jacksonville for the second time this season, and this time it really meant something.
New rules for this season state that conference teams will play each other twice during the regular season, but only the second meeting between each school will count towards the conference record.
Monday’s Cabot victories, 8-0 for the boys and 4-0 for the girls, gives both teams a 1-0 record against AAAAA-East competition.
“That’s the way the rules are, but that’s not how we approach things,” Cabot boys coach Clark Bing said. “We’ve gone into every game with an attitude to play as hard as we can to get the win. Maybe some teams haven’t been as intense about the first meetings, but that’s not how we’ve done it.”
The rules, however, aren’t lost on Bing, who recognizes the magnitude of the upcoming stretch of matches against conference rivals, Searcy, Sylvan Hills, Jonesboro and Mountain Home, all within the next two weeks.
“It’s a very important stretch for us,” Bing said. “We did ok the first time through, but we’ve gotten a chance to watch some film and see some things that we needed to work, and now’s the time to go out and execute it.”
Execute it they did Monday night, piling on five goals before halftime en route to the blowout victory over a short-handed Jacksonville team.
Bing knew that the Red Devils were missing a few key players, but was still pleased with how his team executed.
“Jacksonville is a quality team,” Bing began. “I don’t know the whole situation as far as why they were missing some guys, but they play really hard.
“They’re the best Jacksonville team I’ve seen in a while. They beat a Jonesboro team that we tied, so that says something. I just think this was one of our better games all year. The whole team played really well together. That’s been a strength of ours all year long, but it was really pretty good against Jacksonville.”
Sean Engin performed the hat trick with three goals to lead the Panthers Monday. Rodrigo Alves scored twice while Stuart Leiby, Jonathan Tapia and Chris Faber added one goal apiece.
Engin leads the team in scoring, but overall the Panthers have a balanced attack.
“It’s a plus when you don’t have to rely on one guy to carry you offensively, and we don’t have to do that,” Bing said. “We’ve got about six guys that can put it in the goal for us.”
Bing again went back to team unity as the key ingredient to success, and gave most of the credit to his senior class.
“We’re a real senior-laden team. We have 20 guys and 11 of them are seniors. I’m just really proud of the leadership they’ve shown and cohesiveness they bring to the team.”
The Lady Panthers also got a shutout win. Trina Bell scored with 12 minutes remaining in the second half to give Cabot all the goals it would need for the win.
Junior Kim Sitzmann added three more anyway to set the final margin.
The Cabot boys are 4-1-1 and the girls are 3-3 overall and all the games have been against fellow AAAAA-East teams, but because of the new rules, both teams are technically just 1-0.
Next up for Cabot is the return match against Searcy. The Lions are the only team to beat the Cabot boys this year, a 6-1 shellacking to kick off the season. The Panthers are 4-0-1 since that match, and hope for a better showing Thursday at Searcy.
“That was our first game and it was really an eye-opener,” Bing said. “You’d have to say Searcy is the favorite to win conference, and they gave us an early indication of where we would have to be to compete for it. I know we’ve gotten better since then, but it’s always tough to go to Searcy and get a win. We’re looking forward to it.”
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panther boys and girls soccer teams swept Jacksonville for the second time this season, and this time it really meant something.
New rules for this season state that conference teams will play each other twice during the regular season, but only the second meeting between each school will count towards the conference record.
Monday’s Cabot victories, 8-0 for the boys and 4-0 for the girls, gives both teams a 1-0 record against AAAAA-East competition.
“That’s the way the rules are, but that’s not how we approach things,” Cabot boys coach Clark Bing said. “We’ve gone into every game with an attitude to play as hard as we can to get the win. Maybe some teams haven’t been as intense about the first meetings, but that’s not how we’ve done it.”
The rules, however, aren’t lost on Bing, who recognizes the magnitude of the upcoming stretch of matches against conference rivals, Searcy, Sylvan Hills, Jonesboro and Mountain Home, all within the next two weeks.
“It’s a very important stretch for us,” Bing said. “We did ok the first time through, but we’ve gotten a chance to watch some film and see some things that we needed to work, and now’s the time to go out and execute it.”
Execute it they did Monday night, piling on five goals before halftime en route to the blowout victory over a short-handed Jacksonville team.
Bing knew that the Red Devils were missing a few key players, but was still pleased with how his team executed.
“Jacksonville is a quality team,” Bing began. “I don’t know the whole situation as far as why they were missing some guys, but they play really hard.
“They’re the best Jacksonville team I’ve seen in a while. They beat a Jonesboro team that we tied, so that says something. I just think this was one of our better games all year. The whole team played really well together. That’s been a strength of ours all year long, but it was really pretty good against Jacksonville.”
Sean Engin performed the hat trick with three goals to lead the Panthers Monday. Rodrigo Alves scored twice while Stuart Leiby, Jonathan Tapia and Chris Faber added one goal apiece.
Engin leads the team in scoring, but overall the Panthers have a balanced attack.
“It’s a plus when you don’t have to rely on one guy to carry you offensively, and we don’t have to do that,” Bing said. “We’ve got about six guys that can put it in the goal for us.”
Bing again went back to team unity as the key ingredient to success, and gave most of the credit to his senior class.
“We’re a real senior-laden team. We have 20 guys and 11 of them are seniors. I’m just really proud of the leadership they’ve shown and cohesiveness they bring to the team.”
The Lady Panthers also got a shutout win. Trina Bell scored with 12 minutes remaining in the second half to give Cabot all the goals it would need for the win.
Junior Kim Sitzmann added three more anyway to set the final margin.
The Cabot boys are 4-1-1 and the girls are 3-3 overall and all the games have been against fellow AAAAA-East teams, but because of the new rules, both teams are technically just 1-0.
Next up for Cabot is the return match against Searcy. The Lions are the only team to beat the Cabot boys this year, a 6-1 shellacking to kick off the season. The Panthers are 4-0-1 since that match, and hope for a better showing Thursday at Searcy.
“That was our first game and it was really an eye-opener,” Bing said. “You’d have to say Searcy is the favorite to win conference, and they gave us an early indication of where we would have to be to compete for it. I know we’ve gotten better since then, but it’s always tough to go to Searcy and get a win. We’re looking forward to it.”
SPORTS>> Errors abound
IN SHORT>> Lady Devils make several mistakes, rebound
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils were handed their first loss of the season over the weekend in the Lady Goblin Fastpitch Invitational in Harrison.
Eventual tournament champion Bryant handed Jacksonville that loss 4-2, but Lady Devil assistant coach Phil Bradley says the opposite happened, his team handed Bryant the win.
“We gave ‘em every one of their runs,” Bradley said. “We’re not undefeated anymore, but there’s still no one that’s beat us. We gave it away.”
The Lady Hornets only garnered three hits in the game, which was the most in a game off sophomore pitcher Jessica Bock this season, but two throwing errors by catcher Whitney Conrade, and an asleep outfield, gave Bryant all the runs it would need to secure the win.
Both errors came when Bryant was attempting to steal. One throw sailed into centerfield, another to left, and both got by the outfielders and rolled to the fence, and both allowed two runs to score.
Jacksonville rebounded with a 2-0 shutout win over Harrison. Bock piled up another 19 strikeouts in the victory and another no hitter.
The Lady Devils closed the tournament by handing previously undefeated Greenbrier its first loss, 2-1. Conrade atoned for earlier mistakes by picking up the hits that drove in both runs in the game. Her double in the first inning scored Somer Grimes, and her single in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie and became the game winner.
Jacksonville was back at home Monday for a non-conference game against Sheridan. A couple more mistakes gave Sheridan a 1-0 lead, but the Lady Devils tied it in the fifth and scored three in the sixth to prevail 4-1.
Jacksonville’s run in the fifth inning was the only earned run by either team, and was the cause of much controversy.
Whitney Belew entered the game to pinch hit with runners on first and second. She sent a line drive down the right field line that landed fair, but rolled into foul territory, past the temporary fence and all the way to the corner of the main fence.
Both base runners scored easily and Belew was tagged out at home.
After some discussion between the home-plate umpire and the field ump, the ruling was made that it was a ground-rule double.
One run was counted, while Conrade, the runner at first, and Belew were sent back to third and second base and the out at home was erased. Jacksonville couldn’t add another run in the inning, but got three off Sheridan errors in the sixth to secure the victory.
Bock gave up just four hits and recorded a season-low nine strikeouts in the victory. Jacksonville has a 6-1 record on the season.
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils were handed their first loss of the season over the weekend in the Lady Goblin Fastpitch Invitational in Harrison.
Eventual tournament champion Bryant handed Jacksonville that loss 4-2, but Lady Devil assistant coach Phil Bradley says the opposite happened, his team handed Bryant the win.
“We gave ‘em every one of their runs,” Bradley said. “We’re not undefeated anymore, but there’s still no one that’s beat us. We gave it away.”
The Lady Hornets only garnered three hits in the game, which was the most in a game off sophomore pitcher Jessica Bock this season, but two throwing errors by catcher Whitney Conrade, and an asleep outfield, gave Bryant all the runs it would need to secure the win.
Both errors came when Bryant was attempting to steal. One throw sailed into centerfield, another to left, and both got by the outfielders and rolled to the fence, and both allowed two runs to score.
Jacksonville rebounded with a 2-0 shutout win over Harrison. Bock piled up another 19 strikeouts in the victory and another no hitter.
The Lady Devils closed the tournament by handing previously undefeated Greenbrier its first loss, 2-1. Conrade atoned for earlier mistakes by picking up the hits that drove in both runs in the game. Her double in the first inning scored Somer Grimes, and her single in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie and became the game winner.
Jacksonville was back at home Monday for a non-conference game against Sheridan. A couple more mistakes gave Sheridan a 1-0 lead, but the Lady Devils tied it in the fifth and scored three in the sixth to prevail 4-1.
Jacksonville’s run in the fifth inning was the only earned run by either team, and was the cause of much controversy.
Whitney Belew entered the game to pinch hit with runners on first and second. She sent a line drive down the right field line that landed fair, but rolled into foul territory, past the temporary fence and all the way to the corner of the main fence.
Both base runners scored easily and Belew was tagged out at home.
After some discussion between the home-plate umpire and the field ump, the ruling was made that it was a ground-rule double.
One run was counted, while Conrade, the runner at first, and Belew were sent back to third and second base and the out at home was erased. Jacksonville couldn’t add another run in the inning, but got three off Sheridan errors in the sixth to secure the victory.
Bock gave up just four hits and recorded a season-low nine strikeouts in the victory. Jacksonville has a 6-1 record on the season.
EDITORIAL>> Glover again comes to school's rescue
Tax-increment financing, which in the King’s English means stealing from school children, looked like it was dead a few weeks ago when Attorney General Mike Beebe spelled out clearly what it meant.
Now it has new life in the final days of the General Assembly. Schools and libraries will not be safe from it until the legislature adjourns sine die.
TIF, as the tax gimmick is called, allows local governments to create special development districts to aid private developers who want to build shopping malls or other private developments but want the taxpayers to help foot the bill.
A portion of the property taxes that were voted for schools, libraries or other government entities would be siphoned off for 20 or 30 years to pay for improvements that would benefit the private developer.
Many such districts were underway in prosperous parts of the state until the attorney general said that the money would be drained not just from the local school districts where the developments would occur but from every school and every school child in Arkansas.
But development interests came up with a bill that would exempt some entities from the tax loss, thus diluting the opposition.
Community-college districts, po-lice and firemen’s pension funds and county hospitals would not have any of their taxes transferred to the development under the bill. Schools and libraries, of course, still would bear the burden.
Monday, the bill failed to get out of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee on a 3-3 vote. Rep. Bobby Glover of Carlisle voted against referring the bill to the Senate and thus kept it tied up.
He deserves the thanks of every school patron in the state.
But the session isn’t over, the bill isn’t dead, and Glover will face pressure to vote the bill out so that the financial interests can work their magic on the Senate floor.
Let us hope that he continues to see his solemn duty to protect the children of our community and the state.
Now it has new life in the final days of the General Assembly. Schools and libraries will not be safe from it until the legislature adjourns sine die.
TIF, as the tax gimmick is called, allows local governments to create special development districts to aid private developers who want to build shopping malls or other private developments but want the taxpayers to help foot the bill.
A portion of the property taxes that were voted for schools, libraries or other government entities would be siphoned off for 20 or 30 years to pay for improvements that would benefit the private developer.
Many such districts were underway in prosperous parts of the state until the attorney general said that the money would be drained not just from the local school districts where the developments would occur but from every school and every school child in Arkansas.
But development interests came up with a bill that would exempt some entities from the tax loss, thus diluting the opposition.
Community-college districts, po-lice and firemen’s pension funds and county hospitals would not have any of their taxes transferred to the development under the bill. Schools and libraries, of course, still would bear the burden.
Monday, the bill failed to get out of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee on a 3-3 vote. Rep. Bobby Glover of Carlisle voted against referring the bill to the Senate and thus kept it tied up.
He deserves the thanks of every school patron in the state.
But the session isn’t over, the bill isn’t dead, and Glover will face pressure to vote the bill out so that the financial interests can work their magic on the Senate floor.
Let us hope that he continues to see his solemn duty to protect the children of our community and the state.
EDITORIAL>> Lake Maumelle fight not over yet
Not much that the legislature has done in 90 days advanced the public welfare, but it did at least kill a nefarious plan to allow developers to corrupt our drinking water if they could make enough money by doing it.
Friday, Circuit Judge Willard Proctor made that victory for the public manifest by declaring that Central Arkansas Water could condemn 300 acres that developer Rick Ferguson wanted to convert into a residential subdivision on the north shore of Lake Maumelle.
The water company wanted the land to prevent polluting development along the shores of the lake, which it had built for the municipal water supply.
Ferguson had resisted the condemnation by claiming that he was being singled out.
Judge Proctor had held up a ruling while the legislature considered a bill written for Deltic Timber Corp. that would emasculate the utility’s eminent domain authority.
Deltic wanted to build a huge luxury subdivision along the peaks and valleys of the lake’s south shore, right above the intake for the municipal water supply for Central Arkansas cities, including Sherwood, Jacksonville and Cabot.
The bill sailed through the Senate in near record time but eventually died in the Cities, Counties and Local Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, chaired by Jacksonville’s Will Bond. Bond and House Speaker Bill Stovall of Quit-man were pivotal in stopping the bill.
But the water supply still isn’t safe from polluters, not yet. Deltic, the giant timber and development company that was spun off from the global petroleum giant, Murphy Corp. of El Dorado, still intends to exploit the gorgeous scenery that it acquired along the lake. The bill will resurface in the 2007 regular session of the legislature, or earlier at a special legislative session if it can change the dynamics of the House before the next election and get the support of Gov. Mike Huckabee, who would control the agenda at a special session.
That is why it is essential that Central Arkansas Water move swiftly to consolidate its victory. It can do that by beginning condemnation proceedings against the Deltic land sooner rather than later.
Stovall, whose stubborn insistence that the Deltic bill not become law on his watch, will not be the speaker in 2007.
Chances are that the speaker will be Rep. Benny Petrus of Stuttgart, a supporter of the bill and a minion of corporate interests like Deltic. Petrus and Bond are the candidates for speaker in 2007.
Deltic’s swarm of lobbyists have operated a hospitality room from Petrus’ private apartment in the state-owned Capitol Hill Building across the street from the Capitol.
Deltic and other friendly interests will be lining up commitments from legislators to vote for Petrus in the speaker election.
So you thought it would be illegal, or at least unethical, for private lobbying operations to be run from public property?
This is the Arkansas legislature. There is no time for nettlesome ethical questions.
There is too much private greed to be assuaged.
Friday, Circuit Judge Willard Proctor made that victory for the public manifest by declaring that Central Arkansas Water could condemn 300 acres that developer Rick Ferguson wanted to convert into a residential subdivision on the north shore of Lake Maumelle.
The water company wanted the land to prevent polluting development along the shores of the lake, which it had built for the municipal water supply.
Ferguson had resisted the condemnation by claiming that he was being singled out.
Judge Proctor had held up a ruling while the legislature considered a bill written for Deltic Timber Corp. that would emasculate the utility’s eminent domain authority.
Deltic wanted to build a huge luxury subdivision along the peaks and valleys of the lake’s south shore, right above the intake for the municipal water supply for Central Arkansas cities, including Sherwood, Jacksonville and Cabot.
The bill sailed through the Senate in near record time but eventually died in the Cities, Counties and Local Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, chaired by Jacksonville’s Will Bond. Bond and House Speaker Bill Stovall of Quit-man were pivotal in stopping the bill.
But the water supply still isn’t safe from polluters, not yet. Deltic, the giant timber and development company that was spun off from the global petroleum giant, Murphy Corp. of El Dorado, still intends to exploit the gorgeous scenery that it acquired along the lake. The bill will resurface in the 2007 regular session of the legislature, or earlier at a special legislative session if it can change the dynamics of the House before the next election and get the support of Gov. Mike Huckabee, who would control the agenda at a special session.
That is why it is essential that Central Arkansas Water move swiftly to consolidate its victory. It can do that by beginning condemnation proceedings against the Deltic land sooner rather than later.
Stovall, whose stubborn insistence that the Deltic bill not become law on his watch, will not be the speaker in 2007.
Chances are that the speaker will be Rep. Benny Petrus of Stuttgart, a supporter of the bill and a minion of corporate interests like Deltic. Petrus and Bond are the candidates for speaker in 2007.
Deltic’s swarm of lobbyists have operated a hospitality room from Petrus’ private apartment in the state-owned Capitol Hill Building across the street from the Capitol.
Deltic and other friendly interests will be lining up commitments from legislators to vote for Petrus in the speaker election.
So you thought it would be illegal, or at least unethical, for private lobbying operations to be run from public property?
This is the Arkansas legislature. There is no time for nettlesome ethical questions.
There is too much private greed to be assuaged.
TOP STORY>> C-130J called ‘magnificent’
Plane performs well, but its future uncertain, general says
BY GARRICK FELDMAN
Publisher
Lt. Gen. John R. Baker, vice commander of Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., flew a new C-130J transport plane to Little Rock Air Force Base on Tuesday afternoon and pulled up between two hangars.
It was a tight fit, but he had perfectly taxied up to a crowd of airmen and local dignitaries who, under overcast skies, watched the arrival of the $66.5 million plane from Marietta, Ga., where Lockheed-Martin manufactures the C-130Js, whose future production is in doubt as the Bush administration is looking to save $5 billion by eliminating dozens of airplanes, ships and weapons programs from the defense budget.
The general, who later told us he had no idea if the C-130J will stay in production, stepped off the plane and looked like he had enjoyed his flight and hoped Lockheed-Martin would keep making the planes.
After the plane’s engines were turned off, Baker addressed the crowd that had gathered in front of the huge C-130J maintenance hangar. Since they are bigger than the old transport planes, the C-130Js need bigger hangars and have their own flight simulator training center not far from the hangar.
Baker said it was good to be back in Arkansas, where he plans to retire someday. Looking like a pilot who couldn’t be more pleased with his new plane, he declared the C-130J “a magnificent machine. It’s performing extremely well, despite what you might have read.”
Recent newspaper reports have pointed out problems with the plane, including engine troubles, as well as an inability to airdrop supplies, discharge paratroopers, conduct search-and-rescue missions and function well in cold weather.
During a press conference, Baker said those problems were cited in a report that is two years old.
He insisted that “85 to 90 percent of the problems have been fixed.”
“Commanders love it,” he added.
A newspaper recently reported that the C-130J was kept out of Iraq because of the alleged flaws, but Baker said that wasn’t true.
“It’s been in combat and is doing extremely well,” he insisted.
He sounded like someone who didn’t want the bean counters in the Pentagon to kill the new plane.
Critics point out that the plane’s cost has gone up more than 30 percent from the original $50 million price tag from a decade ago.
They think the C-130Js are not as good as the old Hercules planes that have flown for half a century, although Baker insists the new planes are far superior to the old C-130s.
Col. Timothy B. Vining, the inspector general with the 314th Airlift Wing at the air base, called the arrival of the C-130J “a great day for our base, our community and our country.”
“The delivery of our second C-130J model represents the continuing evolution of Little Rock Air Force Base and our mission to serve our country,” Vining continued.
“We welcome the magnificent aircraft to our inventory and look forward to using it to train C-130 crew members fully prepared to serve in combat and humanitarian relief missions around the globe,” the inspector general said.
Vining gave the general a ceremonial key “that symbolizes the official delivery of Aircraft 03-3142 to the C-130 Center of Excellence.”
The base should receive five more C-130Js this year, but that could be it, unless Congress gets its way and keeps funding production.
Congress and the Air Force love the plane, arguing that the aging C-130s, many of them 40 years old and grounded because of cracked wings and other problems, are long overdue for replacement.
Baker made the same point, saying that as the old Hercules become less dependable, the military needs a new backup transport plane.
“If we’re going to have problems with the Hercules, we need to replace them with the C-130Js,” he said.
The debate over the fate of the C-130Js continues in Congress and at the Pentagon.
“I have no idea of its outcome,” the general told us.
BY GARRICK FELDMAN
Publisher
Lt. Gen. John R. Baker, vice commander of Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., flew a new C-130J transport plane to Little Rock Air Force Base on Tuesday afternoon and pulled up between two hangars.
It was a tight fit, but he had perfectly taxied up to a crowd of airmen and local dignitaries who, under overcast skies, watched the arrival of the $66.5 million plane from Marietta, Ga., where Lockheed-Martin manufactures the C-130Js, whose future production is in doubt as the Bush administration is looking to save $5 billion by eliminating dozens of airplanes, ships and weapons programs from the defense budget.
The general, who later told us he had no idea if the C-130J will stay in production, stepped off the plane and looked like he had enjoyed his flight and hoped Lockheed-Martin would keep making the planes.
After the plane’s engines were turned off, Baker addressed the crowd that had gathered in front of the huge C-130J maintenance hangar. Since they are bigger than the old transport planes, the C-130Js need bigger hangars and have their own flight simulator training center not far from the hangar.
Baker said it was good to be back in Arkansas, where he plans to retire someday. Looking like a pilot who couldn’t be more pleased with his new plane, he declared the C-130J “a magnificent machine. It’s performing extremely well, despite what you might have read.”
Recent newspaper reports have pointed out problems with the plane, including engine troubles, as well as an inability to airdrop supplies, discharge paratroopers, conduct search-and-rescue missions and function well in cold weather.
During a press conference, Baker said those problems were cited in a report that is two years old.
He insisted that “85 to 90 percent of the problems have been fixed.”
“Commanders love it,” he added.
A newspaper recently reported that the C-130J was kept out of Iraq because of the alleged flaws, but Baker said that wasn’t true.
“It’s been in combat and is doing extremely well,” he insisted.
He sounded like someone who didn’t want the bean counters in the Pentagon to kill the new plane.
Critics point out that the plane’s cost has gone up more than 30 percent from the original $50 million price tag from a decade ago.
They think the C-130Js are not as good as the old Hercules planes that have flown for half a century, although Baker insists the new planes are far superior to the old C-130s.
Col. Timothy B. Vining, the inspector general with the 314th Airlift Wing at the air base, called the arrival of the C-130J “a great day for our base, our community and our country.”
“The delivery of our second C-130J model represents the continuing evolution of Little Rock Air Force Base and our mission to serve our country,” Vining continued.
“We welcome the magnificent aircraft to our inventory and look forward to using it to train C-130 crew members fully prepared to serve in combat and humanitarian relief missions around the globe,” the inspector general said.
Vining gave the general a ceremonial key “that symbolizes the official delivery of Aircraft 03-3142 to the C-130 Center of Excellence.”
The base should receive five more C-130Js this year, but that could be it, unless Congress gets its way and keeps funding production.
Congress and the Air Force love the plane, arguing that the aging C-130s, many of them 40 years old and grounded because of cracked wings and other problems, are long overdue for replacement.
Baker made the same point, saying that as the old Hercules become less dependable, the military needs a new backup transport plane.
“If we’re going to have problems with the Hercules, we need to replace them with the C-130Js,” he said.
The debate over the fate of the C-130Js continues in Congress and at the Pentagon.
“I have no idea of its outcome,” the general told us.
TOP STORY>> Catholics celebrate pope’s life
IN SHORT>> Catholics pause to remember the Holy Father’s passing in local masses. Services are planned for the rest of the week.
By RICK KRON and SARA GREENE
Leader staff writers
Jacksonville Catholics gathered for Mass Tuesday night to celebrate the life and mourn the death of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church on McArthur Drive honored the pope throughout weekend masses and during a Monday night rosary service.
Masses, rosary and funeral vigils are planned for the rest of the week at area Catholic churches such as St. Jude’s and Immaculate Conception.
The pope’s funeral Mass and burial will take place Friday in St. Peter’s Basilica. St. Jude will have a Mass at 8 a.m. Friday, and there will be a memorial Mass at St. Andrews Cathedral in Little Rock at noon.
Immaculate Conception in North Little Rock will hold a funeral vigil on Thursday night and a memorial Mass on Friday.
John Paul II’s death on Saturday has caused both contemplative pause and a flurry of activity within the Roman Catholic world.
“We treat the Holy Father’s death as we would the death of a member of our own parish,” said Father Les Farley of St. Jude’s.
Farley has been a priest for 11 years and this is the first time he has dealt with a pontiff’s death. For many young Catholics Pope John Paul has been the only pontiff they’ve ever known.
“We don’t want to look too far in the future in regards to who the next pope will be. We want to pay proper respect to the Holy Father,” the priest said.
Jeanne Tucker of Sherwood said Pope John Paul was “one of the most charismatic and outspoken” popes in history.
“He opened up the Catholic Church and the world. You could just look at him and tell he was a good person. He will be greatly missed,” she said.
Even though Tucker has the highest respect for the pope and his accomplishments, she still feels he did let pass the chance to make some important reforms in the church.
“Our lack of priests has been a major issue. Too many good people are leaving the calling of the church to marry and have families. I would have liked to see the pope allow priests to marry,” Tucker said.
For Jacksonville’s Michael Goodman, John Paul was the only pope he’s known.
“I was born the same year that he was selected. He was a great pope. I hope that the next one will have similar views and be equally outspoken,” Goodman said.
Catholics like Goodman aren’t the only ones talking about the new pope. In Ireland, Paddy Power, a popular online betting service, is placing odds and taking bets on who the next pope will be.
According to Paddy’s, an Italian and a Nigerian cardinal are neck-and-neck to be selected as the next pope.
John Paul followed by just John or just Paul are the top bets for the new pope’s papal name.
By RICK KRON and SARA GREENE
Leader staff writers
Jacksonville Catholics gathered for Mass Tuesday night to celebrate the life and mourn the death of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church on McArthur Drive honored the pope throughout weekend masses and during a Monday night rosary service.
Masses, rosary and funeral vigils are planned for the rest of the week at area Catholic churches such as St. Jude’s and Immaculate Conception.
The pope’s funeral Mass and burial will take place Friday in St. Peter’s Basilica. St. Jude will have a Mass at 8 a.m. Friday, and there will be a memorial Mass at St. Andrews Cathedral in Little Rock at noon.
Immaculate Conception in North Little Rock will hold a funeral vigil on Thursday night and a memorial Mass on Friday.
John Paul II’s death on Saturday has caused both contemplative pause and a flurry of activity within the Roman Catholic world.
“We treat the Holy Father’s death as we would the death of a member of our own parish,” said Father Les Farley of St. Jude’s.
Farley has been a priest for 11 years and this is the first time he has dealt with a pontiff’s death. For many young Catholics Pope John Paul has been the only pontiff they’ve ever known.
“We don’t want to look too far in the future in regards to who the next pope will be. We want to pay proper respect to the Holy Father,” the priest said.
Jeanne Tucker of Sherwood said Pope John Paul was “one of the most charismatic and outspoken” popes in history.
“He opened up the Catholic Church and the world. You could just look at him and tell he was a good person. He will be greatly missed,” she said.
Even though Tucker has the highest respect for the pope and his accomplishments, she still feels he did let pass the chance to make some important reforms in the church.
“Our lack of priests has been a major issue. Too many good people are leaving the calling of the church to marry and have families. I would have liked to see the pope allow priests to marry,” Tucker said.
For Jacksonville’s Michael Goodman, John Paul was the only pope he’s known.
“I was born the same year that he was selected. He was a great pope. I hope that the next one will have similar views and be equally outspoken,” Goodman said.
Catholics like Goodman aren’t the only ones talking about the new pope. In Ireland, Paddy Power, a popular online betting service, is placing odds and taking bets on who the next pope will be.
According to Paddy’s, an Italian and a Nigerian cardinal are neck-and-neck to be selected as the next pope.
John Paul followed by just John or just Paul are the top bets for the new pope’s papal name.
TOP STORY>> Bill would open up clemency process
IN SHORT>> Cited for “mastery of the legislative process,” Sen. Bobby Glover has crafted a more rigorous, transparent clemency and pardon and parole bill that seems headed to become law.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
With the apparent blessing of Gov. Mike Huckabee, state Sen. Bobby Glover’s bill to make the clemency process more transparent passed the Senate on Monday 34-1 and was forwarded to the House, where it landed in the House Judiciary Committee.
“During this whole session, we’ve passed bills to soften sentencing (to help with jail) overcrowding,” said Glover, the Car-lisle Democrat. “We’ve finally done something for the victims of crime.”
“Sen. Glover deserves a lot of credit for picking this issue up for crime victims and law enforcement officers,” said Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley. “We got torpedoed earlier with SB190, but he was dogged making the (clem-ency) process more accountable.”
“Glover has mastery of the legislative process,” he added.
“Glover backed us up after we had trouble getting SB190 out of committee,” said Jegley. “He met with the governor’s representatives and crafted a compromise that I and other prosecutors could support to ensure accountability.”
Lonoke County Prosecutor Lona McCastlain was enthusiastic about the bill. “Bobby has worked so hard on this and he’s come up with something that everybody can live with. We support it.”
Its new provisions would require the governor to file his reasons for granting each clemency, pardon or parole. The bill would prohibit a prisoner-applicant whose clemency petition was denied from applying again for four years. Currently, an inmate may apply yearly.
Glover’s bill would give the Post Pardon Transfer Board subpoena power and require it to conduct an investigation of each person applying for clemency, pardon or parole.
After the board made a recommendation, the governor would have 240 days to act on the application.
Glover said the increased time is intended to take the haste out of the governor’s deliberation.
It would require notification of victims or their families, and the appropriate law enforcement offices and prosecutors of the application and allow time for their responses.
Applicants would have to sign their petitions under oath and include certified copies of the judgment and commitment orders.
The clemency process and the governor’s use of it became an issue to central Arkansans last year when Huckabee announced his intention last year to grant clemency to three convicted murderers.
One of those was Glen M. Green, the Little Rock Air Force Base sergeant who attempted to rape, then beat to death and threw in Bayou Meto Helen Lynette Spencer, a Gravel Ridge teenager. He was sentenced to life in prison in May 1976.
Green was convicted for beating Spencer with martial arts fighting sticks, running over her with a car and throwing her partially nude body off a bridge, but the governor wouldn’t have known that from reading Green’s application for executive clemency and commutation of his sentence.
“This is an agreed-upon bill,” said Glover, meaning that Huckabee agreed with it and would sign it if passed.
“It shouldn’t have much problem (in the House),” said the senator.
He said he didn’t know who would handle the bill for him in the house judiciary committee.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
With the apparent blessing of Gov. Mike Huckabee, state Sen. Bobby Glover’s bill to make the clemency process more transparent passed the Senate on Monday 34-1 and was forwarded to the House, where it landed in the House Judiciary Committee.
“During this whole session, we’ve passed bills to soften sentencing (to help with jail) overcrowding,” said Glover, the Car-lisle Democrat. “We’ve finally done something for the victims of crime.”
“Sen. Glover deserves a lot of credit for picking this issue up for crime victims and law enforcement officers,” said Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley. “We got torpedoed earlier with SB190, but he was dogged making the (clem-ency) process more accountable.”
“Glover has mastery of the legislative process,” he added.
“Glover backed us up after we had trouble getting SB190 out of committee,” said Jegley. “He met with the governor’s representatives and crafted a compromise that I and other prosecutors could support to ensure accountability.”
Lonoke County Prosecutor Lona McCastlain was enthusiastic about the bill. “Bobby has worked so hard on this and he’s come up with something that everybody can live with. We support it.”
Its new provisions would require the governor to file his reasons for granting each clemency, pardon or parole. The bill would prohibit a prisoner-applicant whose clemency petition was denied from applying again for four years. Currently, an inmate may apply yearly.
Glover’s bill would give the Post Pardon Transfer Board subpoena power and require it to conduct an investigation of each person applying for clemency, pardon or parole.
After the board made a recommendation, the governor would have 240 days to act on the application.
Glover said the increased time is intended to take the haste out of the governor’s deliberation.
It would require notification of victims or their families, and the appropriate law enforcement offices and prosecutors of the application and allow time for their responses.
Applicants would have to sign their petitions under oath and include certified copies of the judgment and commitment orders.
The clemency process and the governor’s use of it became an issue to central Arkansans last year when Huckabee announced his intention last year to grant clemency to three convicted murderers.
One of those was Glen M. Green, the Little Rock Air Force Base sergeant who attempted to rape, then beat to death and threw in Bayou Meto Helen Lynette Spencer, a Gravel Ridge teenager. He was sentenced to life in prison in May 1976.
Green was convicted for beating Spencer with martial arts fighting sticks, running over her with a car and throwing her partially nude body off a bridge, but the governor wouldn’t have known that from reading Green’s application for executive clemency and commutation of his sentence.
“This is an agreed-upon bill,” said Glover, meaning that Huckabee agreed with it and would sign it if passed.
“It shouldn’t have much problem (in the House),” said the senator.
He said he didn’t know who would handle the bill for him in the house judiciary committee.
TOP STORY>> Cabot to vote on higher taxes for projects
IN SHORT: Public to decide in two months if higher mills should pay for community center, railroad overpass.
The Cabot City Council, meeting in special session Monday night, agreed to let voters decide if they’ll pay higher taxes to fund the community center and the railroad overpass on Polk Street.
Voters will be asked in less than two months to increase city millage from 3.5 to 4.5 and pass $2 million in bonds for both projects.
If passed, the increase would add about $20 to the tax on a $100,000 home.
Alderman Patrick Hutton was the only holdout to a unanimous voice vote to have City Attorney Ken Williams draft the ordinances that would be the ballot titles for the election.
During discussion about funding the two projects, Hutton talked about creating a priority list of city projects and fund them as cash becomes available.
He remained silent during the vote, saying neither “yea” nor “nay” when the mayor asked who was for or against the election.
Hutton said after the meeting that he thought if was important to present options to increasing city taxes.
“I just didn’t want it to be a rubber stamp,” he said.
Alderman David Polantz, who was shut out on every piece of legislation he tried to get before the council last month, carried the discussion on the proposed millage increase during the Monday night meeting. It was his idea, and he told the council he had worked several hours to provide the information they needed to know about the proposal.
The millage increase would bring in about $180,000 a year, according to Dale Walker, city finance director, more than enough to pay back 20-year-bonds for $2 million.
Polantz told the council that even though it is uncertain whether federal money that will pay for 80 percent of the railroad overpass will be available this year, it would be far worse for the money to be there and the city not have its 20 percent match of about $1 million.
The overpass is actually scheduled for 2008, but Jim McKenzie, executive director of Metroplan, the agency in Little Rock that distributes federal highway dollars, says it is likely Little Rock will not be ready for some of its projects this year, so Cabot’s overpass could move ahead.
The city is short about $1.2 million on the bid construction price of $4.2 million for the new community center. The city has saved about $260,000 toward the overpass and Union Pacific has agreed to pay at least $75,000. So bonds of $2 million would allow both projects to begin this year.
The council agreed that the ballots also would say that the millage would be rolled back once the bonds are retired.
Construction was supposed to begin in January on a $3.5 million community center but when the bids were opened in December, the low bid, which did not include the already completed dirt work was $4.2 million.
The plans drawn by Taggart, Foster, Currence and Gray Architects, Inc., of Little Rock included a basketball gymnasium and a swimming pool. When the bids came in high, Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh told the architects to redesign it to cost less while retaining all the amenities voters approved almost two years ago. The architects made some changes, but not enough that the center could be built with available funds.
Polantz told the council Monday night that if voters turn down the millage increase, the council will have some hard decisions to make in June about paying for the overpass and community center.
Since safety is the driving force behind construction of the overpass, it should take priority over the community center, he said.
With more businesses coming to Cabot, the city sales tax will likely bring in about $200,000 more than anticipated this year, Polantz told the council. So the city could borrow the money for the overpass and pay it back within five years as state law now allows, he said.
The mayor agreed that was an option but said it would be difficult to pay back 600,000 in five years.
For about two months, Polantz has talked about increasing franchise fees for businesses like the electric companies and gas companies that do business in Cabot. Polantz proposes using the money to establish a city-owned and operated ambulance service.
The city attorney told the council that his research shows the gas company charges a franchise fee of $2 a year for each meter. Last year that amounted to $9,000 in the city coffers. But if the city increased that fee to 4.25 percent as allowed by state law, the gas company would have to pay the city about $200,000 a year.
The council made no decision about increasing franchise fees, which also would be a tax increase for city residents.
Hutton said such an increase might make it unnecessary to increase the city millage, but Polantz and other members of the council said franchise fees would not legally support a bond issue and neither would they be available in time to start the railroad overpass.
The Cabot City Council, meeting in special session Monday night, agreed to let voters decide if they’ll pay higher taxes to fund the community center and the railroad overpass on Polk Street.
Voters will be asked in less than two months to increase city millage from 3.5 to 4.5 and pass $2 million in bonds for both projects.
If passed, the increase would add about $20 to the tax on a $100,000 home.
Alderman Patrick Hutton was the only holdout to a unanimous voice vote to have City Attorney Ken Williams draft the ordinances that would be the ballot titles for the election.
During discussion about funding the two projects, Hutton talked about creating a priority list of city projects and fund them as cash becomes available.
He remained silent during the vote, saying neither “yea” nor “nay” when the mayor asked who was for or against the election.
Hutton said after the meeting that he thought if was important to present options to increasing city taxes.
“I just didn’t want it to be a rubber stamp,” he said.
Alderman David Polantz, who was shut out on every piece of legislation he tried to get before the council last month, carried the discussion on the proposed millage increase during the Monday night meeting. It was his idea, and he told the council he had worked several hours to provide the information they needed to know about the proposal.
The millage increase would bring in about $180,000 a year, according to Dale Walker, city finance director, more than enough to pay back 20-year-bonds for $2 million.
Polantz told the council that even though it is uncertain whether federal money that will pay for 80 percent of the railroad overpass will be available this year, it would be far worse for the money to be there and the city not have its 20 percent match of about $1 million.
The overpass is actually scheduled for 2008, but Jim McKenzie, executive director of Metroplan, the agency in Little Rock that distributes federal highway dollars, says it is likely Little Rock will not be ready for some of its projects this year, so Cabot’s overpass could move ahead.
The city is short about $1.2 million on the bid construction price of $4.2 million for the new community center. The city has saved about $260,000 toward the overpass and Union Pacific has agreed to pay at least $75,000. So bonds of $2 million would allow both projects to begin this year.
The council agreed that the ballots also would say that the millage would be rolled back once the bonds are retired.
Construction was supposed to begin in January on a $3.5 million community center but when the bids were opened in December, the low bid, which did not include the already completed dirt work was $4.2 million.
The plans drawn by Taggart, Foster, Currence and Gray Architects, Inc., of Little Rock included a basketball gymnasium and a swimming pool. When the bids came in high, Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh told the architects to redesign it to cost less while retaining all the amenities voters approved almost two years ago. The architects made some changes, but not enough that the center could be built with available funds.
Polantz told the council Monday night that if voters turn down the millage increase, the council will have some hard decisions to make in June about paying for the overpass and community center.
Since safety is the driving force behind construction of the overpass, it should take priority over the community center, he said.
With more businesses coming to Cabot, the city sales tax will likely bring in about $200,000 more than anticipated this year, Polantz told the council. So the city could borrow the money for the overpass and pay it back within five years as state law now allows, he said.
The mayor agreed that was an option but said it would be difficult to pay back 600,000 in five years.
For about two months, Polantz has talked about increasing franchise fees for businesses like the electric companies and gas companies that do business in Cabot. Polantz proposes using the money to establish a city-owned and operated ambulance service.
The city attorney told the council that his research shows the gas company charges a franchise fee of $2 a year for each meter. Last year that amounted to $9,000 in the city coffers. But if the city increased that fee to 4.25 percent as allowed by state law, the gas company would have to pay the city about $200,000 a year.
The council made no decision about increasing franchise fees, which also would be a tax increase for city residents.
Hutton said such an increase might make it unnecessary to increase the city millage, but Polantz and other members of the council said franchise fees would not legally support a bond issue and neither would they be available in time to start the railroad overpass.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
TOP STORIES>> Center to help abused youngsters
IN SHORT>> The couple who lost their son after a child predator molested him and dozens of children have honored their son’s memory with the opening of the Wade Knox Child Advocacy Center in Lonoke.
BY BRIAN RODRIGUEZ
Leader Staff writer
The parents of a young man who committed suicide after years of sexual abuse by an uncle are honoring their son’s memory with a child advocacy center that will help abused children get counseling.
Karen and Charlie Knox of Lonoke, whose son Wade committed suicide in 2003, had been wondering how to help other families avoid what their son went through. Then they got a call from the prosecutor’s office about using Wade Knox’s name for the child advocacy center.
The Knoxes donated office space at 1524 N. Center St., Lonoke, and utilities for two years to get the Wade Knox Child Advocacy Center started.
“We just feel like this is the least we can do to help children and to help our community,” said Karen Knox.
She said she has been impressed with the help community members have had in putting together the center, which will be a gathering place for professionals who will pull their resources together as they help youngsters with problems.
Norene Smith, a former Lonoke County deputy prosecutor, said the idea of creating a center began in October 2003 and that she was parents trusted enough to be their children’s guardian in the event of their deaths, a long-time Boy Scout leader and the son of a prominent attorney who became a respected county judge.
Walls’ good standing in the community helped hide his secret life as a sexual predator: He had sexually abused Wade Knox for about 10 years and several other Lonoke County boys over 30 years.
“Tell them how you screwed up my life,” Wade Knox was reported saying as he held a gun to Walls in front of his parents, Karen and Charlie Knox.
“It’s all true,” Walls admitted.
Despite the admission, Karen Knox said she didn’t know what “it” was — that Walls had sexually abused not only Wade Knox, but countless others as well.
Her husband, Charlie, spent his evenings talking to the boys for about a month. He started with the ones they thought might have been Walls’ victims, she said. Then, those boys pointed him to other victims.
By the time he stopped searching for victims, Knox had found about 30 boys, who all told him the same stories about how Walls won their confidence, molested them, then kept them quiet with threats.
He gave them alcohol, pornography and the services of prostitutes. But always there was the threat that his ever-present guns could be used on them. He told them he would kill them, and they didn’t doubt it.
Karen Knox had said he had been the man who could reach her sons when she and her husband could not. Walls had stood with her in church to pray. They had shared family meals. He was the one she wanted to raise her children if anything ever happened to her and her husband.
“We took care of his girls while he was raping our boys,” she said.
The police investigation that followed produced about 30 victims in addition to the first 30 Charlie found. Authorities suspect there might have been many more.
Heath Stocks, 28, one of Walls’ last victims, said he killed his father, mother and younger sister to protect Walls. His mother caught them in bed together, and he and Walls feared she would tell the authorities.
Stocks is serving a life sentence without parole for capital murder. He began his sentence June 6, 1997, and is being held at the Maximum Security Unit in Tucker.
According to speculation on the Heath Stocks web site, www.heathstocks.com, the actual number of victims may be closer to 150 because the first incident reportedly happened when Walls was only 22. According to the web site, arrangements were made for him to join the military and do a stint in Vietnam to escape investigators.
Walls is serving three life terms, plus three 40-year terms, for six counts of rape. He began his sentence Feb. 4, 1998, and is being held at the Eastern Arkansas Regional Unit in Brickeys.
He was charged with only six counts of rape because of the Arkansas statute of limitations.
BY BRIAN RODRIGUEZ
Leader Staff writer
The parents of a young man who committed suicide after years of sexual abuse by an uncle are honoring their son’s memory with a child advocacy center that will help abused children get counseling.
Karen and Charlie Knox of Lonoke, whose son Wade committed suicide in 2003, had been wondering how to help other families avoid what their son went through. Then they got a call from the prosecutor’s office about using Wade Knox’s name for the child advocacy center.
The Knoxes donated office space at 1524 N. Center St., Lonoke, and utilities for two years to get the Wade Knox Child Advocacy Center started.
“We just feel like this is the least we can do to help children and to help our community,” said Karen Knox.
She said she has been impressed with the help community members have had in putting together the center, which will be a gathering place for professionals who will pull their resources together as they help youngsters with problems.
Norene Smith, a former Lonoke County deputy prosecutor, said the idea of creating a center began in October 2003 and that she was parents trusted enough to be their children’s guardian in the event of their deaths, a long-time Boy Scout leader and the son of a prominent attorney who became a respected county judge.
Walls’ good standing in the community helped hide his secret life as a sexual predator: He had sexually abused Wade Knox for about 10 years and several other Lonoke County boys over 30 years.
“Tell them how you screwed up my life,” Wade Knox was reported saying as he held a gun to Walls in front of his parents, Karen and Charlie Knox.
“It’s all true,” Walls admitted.
Despite the admission, Karen Knox said she didn’t know what “it” was — that Walls had sexually abused not only Wade Knox, but countless others as well.
Her husband, Charlie, spent his evenings talking to the boys for about a month. He started with the ones they thought might have been Walls’ victims, she said. Then, those boys pointed him to other victims.
By the time he stopped searching for victims, Knox had found about 30 boys, who all told him the same stories about how Walls won their confidence, molested them, then kept them quiet with threats.
He gave them alcohol, pornography and the services of prostitutes. But always there was the threat that his ever-present guns could be used on them. He told them he would kill them, and they didn’t doubt it.
Karen Knox had said he had been the man who could reach her sons when she and her husband could not. Walls had stood with her in church to pray. They had shared family meals. He was the one she wanted to raise her children if anything ever happened to her and her husband.
“We took care of his girls while he was raping our boys,” she said.
The police investigation that followed produced about 30 victims in addition to the first 30 Charlie found. Authorities suspect there might have been many more.
Heath Stocks, 28, one of Walls’ last victims, said he killed his father, mother and younger sister to protect Walls. His mother caught them in bed together, and he and Walls feared she would tell the authorities.
Stocks is serving a life sentence without parole for capital murder. He began his sentence June 6, 1997, and is being held at the Maximum Security Unit in Tucker.
According to speculation on the Heath Stocks web site, www.heathstocks.com, the actual number of victims may be closer to 150 because the first incident reportedly happened when Walls was only 22. According to the web site, arrangements were made for him to join the military and do a stint in Vietnam to escape investigators.
Walls is serving three life terms, plus three 40-year terms, for six counts of rape. He began his sentence Feb. 4, 1998, and is being held at the Eastern Arkansas Regional Unit in Brickeys.
He was charged with only six counts of rape because of the Arkansas statute of limitations.
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