By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
The Beebe School District will make up seven missed snow days by extending the school day one hour for the next two months. School will start 15 minutes earlier, at 7:45 a.m., and end 45 minutes later, at 3:42 p.m.
The longer days will begin Monday and continue until May 1. Morning bus route times will not change.
Superintendent Belinda Shook said most bus riders arrive at school by 7:30 a.m. Students are in the cafeteria or in the gym then, waiting for classes to start.
The extended-hour days will allow five days to be made up before PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) testing at the end of April and early in May. It takes six extended-hour days to equal one missed day. Schools are required to have six instructional hours.
Students will also go to school on April 24 and on May 29, the last day of school.
School board members chose the option that the state legislature approved recently.
Shook said most of the teachers and advanced placement students supported the option.
But there are many students who have jobs or extracurricular activities. She said school administrators will work with those students and be flexible. Parents will have to come and pick them up or check them out.
School board member Janet Hines was worried about younger students getting hungry. Shook said the district would look at providing snacks and making sure students eat breakfast.
“We want it to work out to be a positive thing and use the time wisely for instruction,” Shook added.
At the high school, minutes will be added to each class period.
“I know there are concerns about students staying later and homework. It will actually give them more time to do their homework,” Shook said.
Another option was kids going to school on Saturdays. “When I was senior in (Beebe) high school, it was very unpopular, but we did it,” Shook said.
Board vice president Brenda McKown said, with Saturdays, there are shared- custody issues.
Going to school during spring break was an option, but Shook said parents complained that they have cruises planned and would lose money.
All the missed days could have been added to the end of the school year, which would have been June 5, the same as last year. Shook said everyone is exhausted by then and wants fun days.
“There is always someone affected by any decision made,” she added.
The school district is also looking at possible changes for next year’s calendar.
Some people suggested scheduling snow days later in the year or consider having a two- or three-day break at Thanksgiving instead of the entire week, when parents usually have to find childcare while they work.
The other suggestion was that, if a day off set as a snow day falls on the week of a holiday, they be scheduled together on the holiday when many parents are off work.
• In other business, the board approved a resolution issuing $1.4 million in second lien bonds to fund construction of the 9-10 cafeteria and to add heating and air conditioning to Badger Arena.
FTN Financial Capital Markets was awarded the bid. Second lien bonds are repaid with excess revenue generated from existing debt service mills not needed to repay outstanding bonds. Voter approval is not required.
• The board approved of paying $10,422 to G and W Diesel Service for bus repairs and $12,187 for tuition to Arkansas State University-Searcy for Beebe High students taking college classes.
• Board members approved the resignations of counselor Dana Simmons, behavior interventionist for the alternative-learning environment; Thomas Ritchie, Beebe Elementary second-grade teacher Claire Grimes; kindergarten teacher Donna Choate Hill.
Also, music teacher Melanie Simpson; administrative assistant and “The Voice” of the Beebe School District Florence Fitch; groundskeeper Christopher Goforth; paraprofessional Mackenzie Herndon; bus driver Leon Bam and custodian Rose Pate.
• The board approved administrative changes at the elementary schools.
Karla Tarkington will be principal of second, third and fourth grades. Sarah Shannon will be the assistant principal of pre-K and second grade. A new assistant principal position will be formed for third and fourth grades.
• The Beebe wrestling team and coach Jerry Price were recognized for excelling at the state tournament. Destiny Nunez was the first female state champion.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
TOP STORY >> Saboteur: ‘I’m guilty’
Jason Woodring, 38, of Jacksonville pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges related to attacks on the central Arkansas power grid between August and October 2013, according to the U.S. Attorney in Little Rock.
A release states that both parties have agreed on a 15-year prison stay for his causing about $4.59 million in damages, but Judge Billy Roy Wilson will sentence Woodring and determine the amount of restitution he will pay at a 10:30 a.m. hearing June 18.
He could receive a 60-year stint in prison, if the maximum sentence is levied. According to the release, Woodring could also face a $250,000 fine for each charge and up to three years of supervised release.
He was accused of sabotaging an electrical support tower and downing a 500,000-volt power line onto a railroad track near Cabot, causing approximately $550,000 worth of damage; cutting down two power poles, causing a temporary loss of power to approximately 9,000 people in Jacksonville; and setting fire to an extra high voltage switching station in Scott, causing over $4 million in damages.
Damages from the Jacksonville incident exceeded $48,000, according to First Electric Cooperative, the release continues.
Although Woodring was indicted on eight counts in November 2013, he pleaded guilty to two counts of destruction of an energy facility, using fire to commit a felony and being an illegal drug user in possession of various firearms and ammunition. The guns and ammunition were forfeited as part of the plea agreement.
Woodring had been in federal custody since his arrest, according to the release.
Destruction of an energy facility means up to 20 years in prison.
Use of a fire to commit a felony has a statutory sentence of 10 years that must be served consecutively with time assigned for the underlying felony.
Being a drug user in possession of a firearm or ammunition carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years.
A release states that both parties have agreed on a 15-year prison stay for his causing about $4.59 million in damages, but Judge Billy Roy Wilson will sentence Woodring and determine the amount of restitution he will pay at a 10:30 a.m. hearing June 18.
He could receive a 60-year stint in prison, if the maximum sentence is levied. According to the release, Woodring could also face a $250,000 fine for each charge and up to three years of supervised release.
He was accused of sabotaging an electrical support tower and downing a 500,000-volt power line onto a railroad track near Cabot, causing approximately $550,000 worth of damage; cutting down two power poles, causing a temporary loss of power to approximately 9,000 people in Jacksonville; and setting fire to an extra high voltage switching station in Scott, causing over $4 million in damages.
Damages from the Jacksonville incident exceeded $48,000, according to First Electric Cooperative, the release continues.
Although Woodring was indicted on eight counts in November 2013, he pleaded guilty to two counts of destruction of an energy facility, using fire to commit a felony and being an illegal drug user in possession of various firearms and ammunition. The guns and ammunition were forfeited as part of the plea agreement.
Woodring had been in federal custody since his arrest, according to the release.
Destruction of an energy facility means up to 20 years in prison.
Use of a fire to commit a felony has a statutory sentence of 10 years that must be served consecutively with time assigned for the underlying felony.
Being a drug user in possession of a firearm or ammunition carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years.
TOP STORY >> Hill warns on cuts at air base
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Second District Rep. French Hill (R-Little Rock) favors sequestration spending caps for the federal budget, but thinks the military needs more spending flexibility within its allotment instead of across-the-board cuts, he said Monday following a visit to Little Rock Air Force Base.
Hill, speaking in a drizzle under the static C-130 display at the base’s front gate, had just finished a 90-minute tour of the premiere C-130 base in the world and a meeting with its commander, Col. Patrick Rhatigan.
“I believe the Congress should have the ability to spend money more appropriately, including the military,” he said.
Hill said the $108 million replacement of the base’s 12,000-foot runway plus its landing strip were signs of investment that showed that Congress and the Pentagon recognized the base’s importance.
“I don’t mind the cap overall that was put in place by sequestration, but I believe it is not being prioritized for our military,” said Hill, a former banker. “I think the Congress, through the armed services committees and the Pentagon ought to work to better use the funds that are being allocated for national defense.”
“That’s the big issue facing us right now,’ he said.
“I would support the sequestration cap, but we would be better off and have more confidence in our military planning if we had flexibility within the military component.”
He praised the base for setting the curve when it comes to public-private cooperation, saying the local civic sector, the base and the public partnerships deserve credit. Hill said those partnerships include training, a library, electricity, tooling and future water and sewer connections.
“They save hard-earned taxpayer money and (increase) efficiency,” Hill said.
“I saw the (Joint Education) Center for the first time,” he said, calling it “an impressive facility.”
Jacksonville residents taxed themselves to raise $5 million toward the center, with the Defense Department putting in $10 million.
He acknowledged the base’s importance in military airlift.
“The biggest challenge for airlift is moving from the C-130H model to the (state-of-the-art) C-130J model, and all the training and maintenance that goes along with it,” Hill said. “This is the future of the mobility command.”
He demonstrated a basic understanding of the difference between the two airframes.
He said he didn’t know how Congress would address the need to update the H-model planes in avionics, maintenance and navigation, which must be done by 2020.
“I’m convinced that Little Rock Air Force Base is the center of excellence for C-130 training. The Pentagon recognizes that and the Congress recognizes and I’m going to work hard to make sure that’s the case,” the congressman said.
VISITS SELMA
Hill went to Selma, Ala., on Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march.
“It was memorable to stand on the notorious Edmund Pettus Bridge five decades later with march leader and my colleague, Rep. John Lewis. I admire his courage and tenacity.”
Hill said he was honored to be there with a very large—over 90—delegation of the congress and with Presidents Obama and Bush.
Leader senior staff writer
Second District Rep. French Hill (R-Little Rock) favors sequestration spending caps for the federal budget, but thinks the military needs more spending flexibility within its allotment instead of across-the-board cuts, he said Monday following a visit to Little Rock Air Force Base.
Hill, speaking in a drizzle under the static C-130 display at the base’s front gate, had just finished a 90-minute tour of the premiere C-130 base in the world and a meeting with its commander, Col. Patrick Rhatigan.
“I believe the Congress should have the ability to spend money more appropriately, including the military,” he said.
Hill said the $108 million replacement of the base’s 12,000-foot runway plus its landing strip were signs of investment that showed that Congress and the Pentagon recognized the base’s importance.
“I don’t mind the cap overall that was put in place by sequestration, but I believe it is not being prioritized for our military,” said Hill, a former banker. “I think the Congress, through the armed services committees and the Pentagon ought to work to better use the funds that are being allocated for national defense.”
“That’s the big issue facing us right now,’ he said.
“I would support the sequestration cap, but we would be better off and have more confidence in our military planning if we had flexibility within the military component.”
He praised the base for setting the curve when it comes to public-private cooperation, saying the local civic sector, the base and the public partnerships deserve credit. Hill said those partnerships include training, a library, electricity, tooling and future water and sewer connections.
“They save hard-earned taxpayer money and (increase) efficiency,” Hill said.
“I saw the (Joint Education) Center for the first time,” he said, calling it “an impressive facility.”
Jacksonville residents taxed themselves to raise $5 million toward the center, with the Defense Department putting in $10 million.
He acknowledged the base’s importance in military airlift.
“The biggest challenge for airlift is moving from the C-130H model to the (state-of-the-art) C-130J model, and all the training and maintenance that goes along with it,” Hill said. “This is the future of the mobility command.”
He demonstrated a basic understanding of the difference between the two airframes.
He said he didn’t know how Congress would address the need to update the H-model planes in avionics, maintenance and navigation, which must be done by 2020.
“I’m convinced that Little Rock Air Force Base is the center of excellence for C-130 training. The Pentagon recognizes that and the Congress recognizes and I’m going to work hard to make sure that’s the case,” the congressman said.
VISITS SELMA
Hill went to Selma, Ala., on Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march.
“It was memorable to stand on the notorious Edmund Pettus Bridge five decades later with march leader and my colleague, Rep. John Lewis. I admire his courage and tenacity.”
Hill said he was honored to be there with a very large—over 90—delegation of the congress and with Presidents Obama and Bush.
SPORTS STORY >> Lady Bears fall in first round play
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
PARAGOULD – The Sylvan Hills Lady Bears made a first-round exit from the Class 5A state tournament Sunday, but gave East two seed Batesville all it wanted before succumbing 61-54 at Greene County Tech High School.
Save for a blitz of Batesville 3-pointers early in the first quarter, the game was played evenly throughout. Sylvan Hills jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on a basket by Sarah Beckwith and a steal and layup by Dabria Thompson. But the Lady Pioneers heated up from outside and went on a 17-3 run to take a 10-point lead. After Sylvan Hills cut it to 17-10, Batesville’s Sarah Hayes connected on a fourth, first-quarter trey to make it 20-10 going into the second quarter.
The rest of the game was tooth and nail, with Batesville leading by as many as 18 and Sylvan Hills pulling to within four with about a minute remaining.
The Lady Pioneers led 38-23 at halftime and drained another three to open up the second half. From there, Sylvan Hills began its climb back into the game.
The Lady Bears forced several turnovers and did a better job of guarding the perimeter in the second half, but Batesville dominated the boards and seemed to end up with every loose ball.
“That’s really what it came down to,” said Sylvan Hills coach Shelley Davis. “I really think we just got outworked in the first half and I told them that at halftime. We would just stop and watch, thinking it was going out, and here they would come from behind us and get it. There’s just no excuse for that, and I think that was the key difference in the game. They got every loose ball and they rebounded harder than we did. We didn’t start really playing hard until the last three minutes.”
Sylvan Hills pulled to within 11 in the third before Batesville’s Hannah Qualls scored the last bucket of the quarter, making it 49-36 going into the final frame. Sylvan Hills guards Jessica Brasfield and Thompson took over in the fourth, but poorly-timed turnovers thwarted the Lady Bears’ comeback.
Brasfield got back-to-back steals and layups to pull her team to within 57-51 with 1:10 remaining. Sylvan Hills’ pressure then forced a quick Batesville shot and Jahnay Duncan came down with the rebound for Sylvan Hills. She passed to Thompson, who went the distance for the bucket and the foul. She missed the free throw with 51 seconds left, but Sylvan Hills got another defensive stop when Batesville threw the ball out of bounds. It was the first of two possessions that gave the Lady Bears a chance to pull within one possession, but they turned the ball over both times. Thompson threw it away on a penetrate-and-dish attempt and Beckwith was stripped from behind pulling up for a midrange jumper.
Qualls led all scorers with 27 points for Batesville while Haley Cole added 11. Batesville (21-9) went 6 for 11 from 3-point range, but was 5 of 7 in the first half.
Thompson, a junior, finished with 15 points to lead Sylvan Hills (15-12). Brasfield, a senior, scored all 11 of her points in the second half, including eight in the fourth quarter.
Beckwith, also a senior, scored 10 in her last game for the Lady Bears.
Leader sports editor
PARAGOULD – The Sylvan Hills Lady Bears made a first-round exit from the Class 5A state tournament Sunday, but gave East two seed Batesville all it wanted before succumbing 61-54 at Greene County Tech High School.
Save for a blitz of Batesville 3-pointers early in the first quarter, the game was played evenly throughout. Sylvan Hills jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on a basket by Sarah Beckwith and a steal and layup by Dabria Thompson. But the Lady Pioneers heated up from outside and went on a 17-3 run to take a 10-point lead. After Sylvan Hills cut it to 17-10, Batesville’s Sarah Hayes connected on a fourth, first-quarter trey to make it 20-10 going into the second quarter.
The rest of the game was tooth and nail, with Batesville leading by as many as 18 and Sylvan Hills pulling to within four with about a minute remaining.
The Lady Pioneers led 38-23 at halftime and drained another three to open up the second half. From there, Sylvan Hills began its climb back into the game.
The Lady Bears forced several turnovers and did a better job of guarding the perimeter in the second half, but Batesville dominated the boards and seemed to end up with every loose ball.
“That’s really what it came down to,” said Sylvan Hills coach Shelley Davis. “I really think we just got outworked in the first half and I told them that at halftime. We would just stop and watch, thinking it was going out, and here they would come from behind us and get it. There’s just no excuse for that, and I think that was the key difference in the game. They got every loose ball and they rebounded harder than we did. We didn’t start really playing hard until the last three minutes.”
Sylvan Hills pulled to within 11 in the third before Batesville’s Hannah Qualls scored the last bucket of the quarter, making it 49-36 going into the final frame. Sylvan Hills guards Jessica Brasfield and Thompson took over in the fourth, but poorly-timed turnovers thwarted the Lady Bears’ comeback.
Brasfield got back-to-back steals and layups to pull her team to within 57-51 with 1:10 remaining. Sylvan Hills’ pressure then forced a quick Batesville shot and Jahnay Duncan came down with the rebound for Sylvan Hills. She passed to Thompson, who went the distance for the bucket and the foul. She missed the free throw with 51 seconds left, but Sylvan Hills got another defensive stop when Batesville threw the ball out of bounds. It was the first of two possessions that gave the Lady Bears a chance to pull within one possession, but they turned the ball over both times. Thompson threw it away on a penetrate-and-dish attempt and Beckwith was stripped from behind pulling up for a midrange jumper.
Qualls led all scorers with 27 points for Batesville while Haley Cole added 11. Batesville (21-9) went 6 for 11 from 3-point range, but was 5 of 7 in the first half.
Thompson, a junior, finished with 15 points to lead Sylvan Hills (15-12). Brasfield, a senior, scored all 11 of her points in the second half, including eight in the fourth quarter.
Beckwith, also a senior, scored 10 in her last game for the Lady Bears.
SPORTS STORY >> Grizzlies bury Panthers early in first round
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Panthers’ season came to an end Friday in the first round of the Class 7A state basketball tournament at Springdale Har-Ber, as West No. 4 seed Fort Smith Northside jumped on the Panthers early, and cruised to a 71-44 victory.
Cabot, who squeaked into the tournament as the East three seed, struggled mightily on the offensive end in the early goings Friday, while Northside couldn’t seem to miss.
The Grizzlies opened the game with a 16-0 run to take an early double-digit lead, and Cabot could never recover. The Panthers eventually got on the board, but the sluggish start ultimately led to their demise. At the end of the first quarter, Northside led by a commanding 22-5 advantage.
“They came out with an uppercut on us early, and I guess we just didn’t get up off the mat very well afterwards,” said Cabot coach Jerry Bridges. “They came out on fire. We watched the first eight minutes, coach (Nathan) Brown and I, and the first three or four minutes we’re getting shots, but we’re not making shots.
“We missed a few layups in the mix, and next thing you know it’s 8-0 and then it’s 16-0 and we really hadn’t turned it over any. Now we’ve got to try and play catch-up the whole game against a very, very athletic team, and they just played well. You’ve just got to give them credit.”
Cabot went on a bit of a run in the second quarter and got within 11 of Northside’s lead, but the run took a lot out of the Panthers, and the Grizzlies were able to respond and narrowly outscore Cabot 19-18 in the second quarter to lead 41-23 at halftime.
The third-quarter scoring was nearly as balanced, but the Grizzlies outscored the Panthers again in that quarter, 16-13, to lead 57-36 at the start of the fourth.
Northside put the dagger into the Panthers’ season in the fourth quarter, outscoring Cabot 14-8 to set the final score.
“At times we showed a few flashes,” Bridges said. “We got it down to 11. It just took a lot out of us. By far it wasn’t one of our better games. You hate for it to end like that, but we’ve been through a lot this year and I’m still proud of our efforts toward the end of the year that we were able to play ourselves into the state tournament. I just wish we could’ve had a better showing.”
Three different Grizzlies finished the game in double figures, scoring-wise. Sophomore forward Logan Gilbertson was the only Panther to do that Friday. He had 11 points.
Fellow sophomore Jarrod Barnes added nine points for Cabot, and junior forwards Hunter Southerland and Garrett Rowe added six points apiece.
The Panthers started their season well, but by the time conference play began, Cabot was overwhelmed by injuries, which led to a losing streak that made the Panthers’ playoff chances dim.
Cabot, however, steadily got healthier as the season progressed, and the Panthers scratched and clawed their way into the 7A state tournament by the end of the regular season.
“At one point in the season it didn’t look good,” Bridges said of his team’s playoff chances. “We slowly started getting people back and we played some good games.”
Friday’s game was the last for senior guard Tyler Hill, who was one of two seniors on the team, but was the only senior able to finish the season. Near the midway point of the season, when Cabot’s starters suffered a plethora of injuries, senior guard Jake Ferguson re-aggravated a knee injury he first suffered during football season that kept him off the floor for the rest of the year.
In his final game as a Panther, Hill finished with three points, three rebounds and one assist.
“We lost Jake during the season,” Bridges said, “and losing him really hurt because he had been there for us, and brought leadership and toughness. That hurt losing Jake.
“I was proud of Tyler Hill for sticking with us all these years. It just tells you a lot about his character and his work ethic. To stick with us being a young team – it’s kind of tough when you don’t have many seniors. He can say that he’s been to the state tournament three years in a row, and that’s something to be proud of.”
The Panthers finished the 2014-2015 season with a 15-12 overall record.
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Panthers’ season came to an end Friday in the first round of the Class 7A state basketball tournament at Springdale Har-Ber, as West No. 4 seed Fort Smith Northside jumped on the Panthers early, and cruised to a 71-44 victory.
Cabot, who squeaked into the tournament as the East three seed, struggled mightily on the offensive end in the early goings Friday, while Northside couldn’t seem to miss.
The Grizzlies opened the game with a 16-0 run to take an early double-digit lead, and Cabot could never recover. The Panthers eventually got on the board, but the sluggish start ultimately led to their demise. At the end of the first quarter, Northside led by a commanding 22-5 advantage.
“They came out with an uppercut on us early, and I guess we just didn’t get up off the mat very well afterwards,” said Cabot coach Jerry Bridges. “They came out on fire. We watched the first eight minutes, coach (Nathan) Brown and I, and the first three or four minutes we’re getting shots, but we’re not making shots.
“We missed a few layups in the mix, and next thing you know it’s 8-0 and then it’s 16-0 and we really hadn’t turned it over any. Now we’ve got to try and play catch-up the whole game against a very, very athletic team, and they just played well. You’ve just got to give them credit.”
Cabot went on a bit of a run in the second quarter and got within 11 of Northside’s lead, but the run took a lot out of the Panthers, and the Grizzlies were able to respond and narrowly outscore Cabot 19-18 in the second quarter to lead 41-23 at halftime.
The third-quarter scoring was nearly as balanced, but the Grizzlies outscored the Panthers again in that quarter, 16-13, to lead 57-36 at the start of the fourth.
Northside put the dagger into the Panthers’ season in the fourth quarter, outscoring Cabot 14-8 to set the final score.
“At times we showed a few flashes,” Bridges said. “We got it down to 11. It just took a lot out of us. By far it wasn’t one of our better games. You hate for it to end like that, but we’ve been through a lot this year and I’m still proud of our efforts toward the end of the year that we were able to play ourselves into the state tournament. I just wish we could’ve had a better showing.”
Three different Grizzlies finished the game in double figures, scoring-wise. Sophomore forward Logan Gilbertson was the only Panther to do that Friday. He had 11 points.
Fellow sophomore Jarrod Barnes added nine points for Cabot, and junior forwards Hunter Southerland and Garrett Rowe added six points apiece.
The Panthers started their season well, but by the time conference play began, Cabot was overwhelmed by injuries, which led to a losing streak that made the Panthers’ playoff chances dim.
Cabot, however, steadily got healthier as the season progressed, and the Panthers scratched and clawed their way into the 7A state tournament by the end of the regular season.
“At one point in the season it didn’t look good,” Bridges said of his team’s playoff chances. “We slowly started getting people back and we played some good games.”
Friday’s game was the last for senior guard Tyler Hill, who was one of two seniors on the team, but was the only senior able to finish the season. Near the midway point of the season, when Cabot’s starters suffered a plethora of injuries, senior guard Jake Ferguson re-aggravated a knee injury he first suffered during football season that kept him off the floor for the rest of the year.
In his final game as a Panther, Hill finished with three points, three rebounds and one assist.
“We lost Jake during the season,” Bridges said, “and losing him really hurt because he had been there for us, and brought leadership and toughness. That hurt losing Jake.
“I was proud of Tyler Hill for sticking with us all these years. It just tells you a lot about his character and his work ethic. To stick with us being a young team – it’s kind of tough when you don’t have many seniors. He can say that he’s been to the state tournament three years in a row, and that’s something to be proud of.”
The Panthers finished the 2014-2015 season with a 15-12 overall record.
SPORTS STORY >> VV Blazers too big, physical for Beebe
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
PARAGOULD – Beebe coach Greg Richey knew his team got a tough state tournament draw as the No. 2 seed from the 5A-Central Conference, but didn’t expect his team to struggle quite like it did in a 57-40 loss to 5A-East three seed Valley View on Sunday at Greene County Tech High School.
Valley View is widely regarded as the best team in the East when at full strength, but suffered injuries that cost it wins during the regular season, including one to Beebe in early December at Badger Arena, before the Lady Badgers lost two starters to season-ending injuries.
The Lady Badgers, however, caught the Lady Blazers at full strength and playing a throw-away defense designed to hound Beebe point guard Taylor McGraw and take her out of the offense. McGraw was banged around the entire game, but Beebe coach Greg Richey wasn’t making any excuses.
“The East is a much more physical conference than the Central, and we didn’t adjust very well,” said Richey. “The East coaches all pretty much agree that when they’re at their best, they’re probably the best team in the East. They beat (conference champion) Greene County Tech two out of three, and beat them by 26 one time. Unfortunately for us, we caught them at full strength and playing very well. They just played a better game than we did.”
On the other end of the floor Valley View’s size was too much for the injury-riddled and small Lady Badgers. The Lady Blazers started three players taller than any starting Lady Badger. Six footers Allegra Melton and Amanda Meister dominated the boards while 5-10 forward Ashleigh Guthrie was hitting from inside and out, and finished with 29 points.
The Lady Blazers started hot, with all five starters scoring at least one basket. Conversely, only two Beebe starters made baskets in the first quarter and the Lady Blazers jumped out to an 18-8 lead.
Beebe’s Hannah McGhee came off the bench and scored before the buzzer to cut Valley View’s margin to eight points by the start of the second period.
Beebe’s 6-foot-2 center Gracie Anders came off the bench to provide defensive help inside, but Beebe still struggled offensively with McGraw wearing Valley View’s Anna Reddell every step she took. The result was a 9-8 quarter and Valley View taking a 27-18 lead into halftime.
The second half was all Guthrie and Valley View. Guthrie scored 22 of her 29 points in the second half, including 14 in the third period. Melton added six more for VVHS in the third and the Lady Blazers stretched their lead to 47-27. The margin grew to as much as 28 but Beebe closed the game with an 11-0 run over the last two minutes.
Melton finished with 12 for Valley View while Meister and Harleigh Jones scored seven each for the Lady Blazers, who improved to 20-8.
Beebe got 14 from Ashlyn Johnson and McGraw still ended up with 10 points for the Lady Badgers, who finish the year with a 14-13 record.
Despite the fact that this was Beebe’s fourth-straight year in the state tournament, more than half of this year’s Lady Badgers had never played in the playoffs. Richey sees it as reason for optimism about the future.
“I think when you consider everything this team has been through, they did a remarkable job to finish as the two seed and make it to the postseason for the fourth-straight year,” Richey said. “I’m looking forward to making another run and being even better next year.”
Leader sports editor
PARAGOULD – Beebe coach Greg Richey knew his team got a tough state tournament draw as the No. 2 seed from the 5A-Central Conference, but didn’t expect his team to struggle quite like it did in a 57-40 loss to 5A-East three seed Valley View on Sunday at Greene County Tech High School.
Valley View is widely regarded as the best team in the East when at full strength, but suffered injuries that cost it wins during the regular season, including one to Beebe in early December at Badger Arena, before the Lady Badgers lost two starters to season-ending injuries.
The Lady Badgers, however, caught the Lady Blazers at full strength and playing a throw-away defense designed to hound Beebe point guard Taylor McGraw and take her out of the offense. McGraw was banged around the entire game, but Beebe coach Greg Richey wasn’t making any excuses.
“The East is a much more physical conference than the Central, and we didn’t adjust very well,” said Richey. “The East coaches all pretty much agree that when they’re at their best, they’re probably the best team in the East. They beat (conference champion) Greene County Tech two out of three, and beat them by 26 one time. Unfortunately for us, we caught them at full strength and playing very well. They just played a better game than we did.”
On the other end of the floor Valley View’s size was too much for the injury-riddled and small Lady Badgers. The Lady Blazers started three players taller than any starting Lady Badger. Six footers Allegra Melton and Amanda Meister dominated the boards while 5-10 forward Ashleigh Guthrie was hitting from inside and out, and finished with 29 points.
The Lady Blazers started hot, with all five starters scoring at least one basket. Conversely, only two Beebe starters made baskets in the first quarter and the Lady Blazers jumped out to an 18-8 lead.
Beebe’s Hannah McGhee came off the bench and scored before the buzzer to cut Valley View’s margin to eight points by the start of the second period.
Beebe’s 6-foot-2 center Gracie Anders came off the bench to provide defensive help inside, but Beebe still struggled offensively with McGraw wearing Valley View’s Anna Reddell every step she took. The result was a 9-8 quarter and Valley View taking a 27-18 lead into halftime.
The second half was all Guthrie and Valley View. Guthrie scored 22 of her 29 points in the second half, including 14 in the third period. Melton added six more for VVHS in the third and the Lady Blazers stretched their lead to 47-27. The margin grew to as much as 28 but Beebe closed the game with an 11-0 run over the last two minutes.
Melton finished with 12 for Valley View while Meister and Harleigh Jones scored seven each for the Lady Blazers, who improved to 20-8.
Beebe got 14 from Ashlyn Johnson and McGraw still ended up with 10 points for the Lady Badgers, who finish the year with a 14-13 record.
Despite the fact that this was Beebe’s fourth-straight year in the state tournament, more than half of this year’s Lady Badgers had never played in the playoffs. Richey sees it as reason for optimism about the future.
“I think when you consider everything this team has been through, they did a remarkable job to finish as the two seed and make it to the postseason for the fourth-straight year,” Richey said. “I’m looking forward to making another run and being even better next year.”
SPORTS STORY >> Har-Ber shocks Cabot at state
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot girls’ Class 7A state tournament run ended sooner than expected Friday at Springdale Har-Ber High School, as the tournament hosts upset the Lady Panthers in the opening round, beating them by the final score of 56-41.
Cabot struggled with its shooting throughout the game, and trailed 13-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Lady Panthers (23-6) outscored the Lady Wildcats (20-10) by two in the second quarter, which cut Har-Ber’s lead to three by halftime, with the score 25-22.
The Lady Panthers got within 34-32 of the hosts’ lead near the end of the third quarter, but Har- Ber ended the third quarter with a 3-pointer, which upped the Lady Wildcats’ lead to 37-32 at the start of the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, Har-Ber made as many free throws as Cabot did the entire game, going 12 for 15 from the line, which helped the Lady Wildcats pull away from the Lady Panthers down the stretch. For the game, Har-Ber made 23 of 32 foul shots, while Cabot made 12 of 20.
Cabot entered the state tournament on a nine-game winning streak, which helped the Lady Panthers earn a share of the 7A/6A-East Conference championship – sharing that title with North Little Rock and Little Rock Central.
Despite being conference co-champions, Cabot entered the state tournament as the No. 3 seed from the East, behind Central and NLR. That put the Lady Panthers against the No. 4 West seed Lady Wildcats.
As far as what led to the loss, Cabot coach Carla Crowder said it came down to the fact that her team just didn’t play as well as it had been.
“I think we just didn’t play well,” said Crowder. “Har-Ber is a really good team and I don’t want to take anything away from them. I thought our kids played really hard throughout the year. They worked really hard and I’m really proud of them. I just hate it that we have to end like that.”
Friday’s game was the last in a CHS uniform for seniors Alyssa Hamilton, Danielle McWilliams, Maddie Willhite and Emily McCaghren, and those four will be missed, according to Crowder.
“We’ve got four seniors, and all four are great kids,” Crowder said. “We hate losing those four.”
Hamilton led all scorers Friday with 19 points.
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot girls’ Class 7A state tournament run ended sooner than expected Friday at Springdale Har-Ber High School, as the tournament hosts upset the Lady Panthers in the opening round, beating them by the final score of 56-41.
Cabot struggled with its shooting throughout the game, and trailed 13-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Lady Panthers (23-6) outscored the Lady Wildcats (20-10) by two in the second quarter, which cut Har-Ber’s lead to three by halftime, with the score 25-22.
The Lady Panthers got within 34-32 of the hosts’ lead near the end of the third quarter, but Har- Ber ended the third quarter with a 3-pointer, which upped the Lady Wildcats’ lead to 37-32 at the start of the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, Har-Ber made as many free throws as Cabot did the entire game, going 12 for 15 from the line, which helped the Lady Wildcats pull away from the Lady Panthers down the stretch. For the game, Har-Ber made 23 of 32 foul shots, while Cabot made 12 of 20.
Cabot entered the state tournament on a nine-game winning streak, which helped the Lady Panthers earn a share of the 7A/6A-East Conference championship – sharing that title with North Little Rock and Little Rock Central.
Despite being conference co-champions, Cabot entered the state tournament as the No. 3 seed from the East, behind Central and NLR. That put the Lady Panthers against the No. 4 West seed Lady Wildcats.
As far as what led to the loss, Cabot coach Carla Crowder said it came down to the fact that her team just didn’t play as well as it had been.
“I think we just didn’t play well,” said Crowder. “Har-Ber is a really good team and I don’t want to take anything away from them. I thought our kids played really hard throughout the year. They worked really hard and I’m really proud of them. I just hate it that we have to end like that.”
Friday’s game was the last in a CHS uniform for seniors Alyssa Hamilton, Danielle McWilliams, Maddie Willhite and Emily McCaghren, and those four will be missed, according to Crowder.
“We’ve got four seniors, and all four are great kids,” Crowder said. “We hate losing those four.”
Hamilton led all scorers Friday with 19 points.
SPORTS STORY >> Red Devils stung by Hornets
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
PARAGOULD – Jacksonville flirted with disaster after building a big first-half lead in the first round of the state tournament, but escaped with a victory. The Red Devils did it again in the second round and weren’t as fortunate. Maumelle scored with 2.6 seconds remaining to beat Jacksonville 51-49 Monday and advance to the semifinals in Class 5A at Greene County Tech.
The Red Devils (21-8) led by as much as 12 in the first half and held a 34-25 advantage at halftime. Offense broke down in the third quarter and was non-existent in the fourth.
Maumelle climbed to within 46-45 by the end of the third period, and Jacksonville managed just three points in the final eight minutes.
Even with such dismal offensive output, the Red Devils had the ball and a chance at the last shot of regulation. Senior Devin Campbell, who had scored nearly half the team’s points in the game, took the ball about 40 feet from the basket with 10 seconds remaining. He drove to the top of the key, spun to his right to the free-throw line, where Maumelle’s Darius Tate stripped the ball away. Hornet forward Tremont Robinson scooped up the loose ball on the run and hit the game-winning layup.
Monday’s game was similar to Jacksonville’s 71-63 win over Forrest City on Sunday. The Red Devils cruised to a 32-14 lead in the first half before allowing the Mustangs to pull to within 62-59.
“We’ve had a problem with focus and cohesion all year,” said Jacksonville coach Vic Joyner. “Since day one we’ve been trying to figure out how to play as a team. We just never found the right formula. But I don’t want to say anything negative about this team. I just want to say this. We lost almost all our production from last year. We’re rebuilding, and this group still went out and won 21 games. It was a struggle all year for everybody, and they still found a way to win 21 games. That’s phenomenal. If we could’ve found that chemistry and cohesion, it could’ve been better, but without it, to win 21 games is impressive.”
Despite the unfortunate circumstances of the final play, Campbell had a phenomenal tournament. He was the leading scorer in both games with 24 points in each one. He also had seven rebounds in both games. He went 4 for 4 from 3-point range in Monday’s loss and 8 for 8 from the free-throw line.
His efforts earned him a spot on the All-State Tournament Team.
Tedrick Wolfe finished Sunday’s victory near his season averages of 16 points and nine rebounds, but managed just two points on 2 of 4 free-throw shooting, and three rebounds against Maumelle. Junior guard Laquawn Smith scored 12 against Forrest City and was the only other Red Devil in double figures in either game.
A big key to Maumelle’s comeback was rebounding. The Hornets dominated the boards 37-27, despite losing 6-foot-3 guard-forward Gary Burton to a dislocated shoulder in the second quarter.
Maumelle had two players post double-doubles. Robinson finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds while post player Blake Conner had 10 points and 13 rebounds. Point guard Jimi Minix and reserve forward Demarion Johnson each contributed nine points for the Hornets.
One half the boys’ semifinals features two teams from the 5A-Central. League champion McClellan faced four seed J.A. Fair while Maumelle took on Hot Springs Tuesday in the semifinals after Leader deadlines. Hot Springs also overcame a 12-point deficit to beat Mills while J.A. Fair came back from a nine-point deficit to beat Vilonia in the other quarterfinal matchups on Monday.
Leader sports editor
PARAGOULD – Jacksonville flirted with disaster after building a big first-half lead in the first round of the state tournament, but escaped with a victory. The Red Devils did it again in the second round and weren’t as fortunate. Maumelle scored with 2.6 seconds remaining to beat Jacksonville 51-49 Monday and advance to the semifinals in Class 5A at Greene County Tech.
The Red Devils (21-8) led by as much as 12 in the first half and held a 34-25 advantage at halftime. Offense broke down in the third quarter and was non-existent in the fourth.
Maumelle climbed to within 46-45 by the end of the third period, and Jacksonville managed just three points in the final eight minutes.
Even with such dismal offensive output, the Red Devils had the ball and a chance at the last shot of regulation. Senior Devin Campbell, who had scored nearly half the team’s points in the game, took the ball about 40 feet from the basket with 10 seconds remaining. He drove to the top of the key, spun to his right to the free-throw line, where Maumelle’s Darius Tate stripped the ball away. Hornet forward Tremont Robinson scooped up the loose ball on the run and hit the game-winning layup.
Monday’s game was similar to Jacksonville’s 71-63 win over Forrest City on Sunday. The Red Devils cruised to a 32-14 lead in the first half before allowing the Mustangs to pull to within 62-59.
“We’ve had a problem with focus and cohesion all year,” said Jacksonville coach Vic Joyner. “Since day one we’ve been trying to figure out how to play as a team. We just never found the right formula. But I don’t want to say anything negative about this team. I just want to say this. We lost almost all our production from last year. We’re rebuilding, and this group still went out and won 21 games. It was a struggle all year for everybody, and they still found a way to win 21 games. That’s phenomenal. If we could’ve found that chemistry and cohesion, it could’ve been better, but without it, to win 21 games is impressive.”
Despite the unfortunate circumstances of the final play, Campbell had a phenomenal tournament. He was the leading scorer in both games with 24 points in each one. He also had seven rebounds in both games. He went 4 for 4 from 3-point range in Monday’s loss and 8 for 8 from the free-throw line.
His efforts earned him a spot on the All-State Tournament Team.
Tedrick Wolfe finished Sunday’s victory near his season averages of 16 points and nine rebounds, but managed just two points on 2 of 4 free-throw shooting, and three rebounds against Maumelle. Junior guard Laquawn Smith scored 12 against Forrest City and was the only other Red Devil in double figures in either game.
A big key to Maumelle’s comeback was rebounding. The Hornets dominated the boards 37-27, despite losing 6-foot-3 guard-forward Gary Burton to a dislocated shoulder in the second quarter.
Maumelle had two players post double-doubles. Robinson finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds while post player Blake Conner had 10 points and 13 rebounds. Point guard Jimi Minix and reserve forward Demarion Johnson each contributed nine points for the Hornets.
One half the boys’ semifinals features two teams from the 5A-Central. League champion McClellan faced four seed J.A. Fair while Maumelle took on Hot Springs Tuesday in the semifinals after Leader deadlines. Hot Springs also overcame a 12-point deficit to beat Mills while J.A. Fair came back from a nine-point deficit to beat Vilonia in the other quarterfinal matchups on Monday.
Monday, March 09, 2015
TOP STORY >> Young actors thrill audience
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
Warren Dupree Elementary fifth-grade students in Rick Kron’s class performed a humorous interpretation of Macbeth vs. Star Wars during last weekend’s Shakespeare Scene Festival at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The audience enjoyed the performance of the fifth graders from Jacksonville. It was a mashup of pirates, ghosts, witches, Star Wars’ Darth Vader and of course Macbeth, in a battle of good versus evil.
Philip Eierdam, who played one of two Luke Skywalkers in the performance, said he was scared at first and skittish about going on.
A’leah Williams, who was Lady Macbeth, said, “It was hard if you had long lines to remember. Some of the words were hard to understand. After we started reading though; it began to make sense.”
Naivyaj Taylor said the most difficult part of the play was wearing tights. All students were in tights to give them a feel for acting in Shakespeare’s time.
Their teacher called it “a rite of passage. They hollered about wearing them, but once they had them on they wanted to keep the tights,” he said.
Dr. Kris McAbee, the assistant professor in the English Department at UALR who directs the Shakespeare Scene Festival, said she loved the actors wearing tights on a college stage.
“It is true to form. It is adorable,” she said.
Fifth grader Jessica Williams, the narrator whose job was to keep the play on task, said, “I learned if we mess up, to keep going and have fun.”
David Foster said he was comfortable.
“I knew my lines. It was easy, but I got a little nervous. When we messed up (the audience) thought that it was part of the show,” Foster said.
“If you know you want to do, just do it,” Foster added.
Many of the students said afterward they would like to continue in the performing arts. They agreed it was a good experience performing in front of people.
McAbee said, “(Kron’s) class is always well prepared. I like to have him as the closing. It is the highlight of the festival.”
“If they did not have all the snow days (four), they would have been perfect,” McAbee said.
After his class received a standing ovation, Kron told the 19 students they earned an “A” in English, reading and social studies as the performance-based activity spanned all three subjects.
The students started reading and discussing the full version of Macbeth in January and quickly made connections between it and Star Wars.
“In Macbeth, Banquo says, ‘God be with you.’ Is that the same was ‘May the Force be with you?” Robbie Williams asked.
Jordan Bonds, who played the hero Macduff, said like Star Wars, it was a battle of good versus evil with good not coming out on top until the end.”
Another student said both Darth Vader and Macbeth went over to the dark side.
McAbee said she would like to see more elementary schools participate in the two- day festival.
The Shakespeare Scene Festival is a UALR event sponsored by the Departments of English and Theatre Arts and Dance. Its main purpose is to provide teachers and students a venue for the performance of Shakespeare’s plays.
Although McAbee stressed it is not a competition, schools try to outperform each other and to do better than they did last year.
Besides Warren Dupree, Friday’s slate of activities listed performances by Central High School, Sheridan Middle School and Perryville High School, a lute demonstration and a friendly contest of tossing about Shakespearean insults.
Thursday’s performances were canceled because most of the schools were still closed because of snow and ice. McAbee said efforts are being made to reschedule the canceled events.
TOP STORY >> Jail proposal to have local impact
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Local sheriffs and the Arkansas Association of Sheriffs say Gov. Asa Hutch-inson’s three-pronged plan for managing the state’s prisons and prisoners is “a step in the right direction,” although they would have preferred the addition of a new $100 million, 1,000-bed state prison.
Instead, Hutchinson has proposed a $50-million fix that would include 790 additional jail beds, plus another $14 million to the Department of Community Corrections to hire more probation and parole officers, expand alternative sentencing and create a network of re-entry houses for inmates nearing their release dates.
Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay and Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley both endorse the moves, but express concern that it is to be paid for by one-time money, without guarantee of future funding.
Meanwhile, the enabling legislation, which does not include appropriations, has passed the Senate 33-1, and after two votes, the House sent SB472 to its judiciary committee, where it’s slated for consideration Tuesday.
With a do-pass recommendation, the bill would need only 51 votes in the whole House before going to the governor for his signature.
A lot is “still up in the air,” Holladay said Friday. “The money still needs to be appropriated from the state Insurance Department’s reserve fund.
“We’re beginning to see some positive impact in Pulaski County,” he said, with a reduction in state inmates backlogged—especially in the last three weeks.”
His jail is approved for 1,210 inmates and has frequently been closed to all but violent offenders, but “Our population this morning is 1,117 and it was 1,109 earlier—the lowest we’ve seen in months.”
“I’ve got 42 waiting to go to prison,” said Staley. “It could go to 56.” He said his capacity is150 prisoners. “We’ve got 170 sometimes. How do you let go? We can’t hardly house any misdemeanors.”
“I’ve prayed about this,” Staley said. “We’ve got drug convictions cleaning up trash. He said they can straighten up while supervised and in jail, but then they “go back out and fall back into drugs. There are going to have to have some structure, some transitional houses.”
“The (the governor) introduced his plan, the backlog (of state inmates in county jails) was 2,799. It will take a while for that population to be reduced,” Staley said.
But when you spend more than $60 million to begin addressing the problem—to make programs continue to work, at some point you have to find additional money.”
The hiring of 52 parole and probation officers is a good step,” Holladay said. “They are overburdened with a caseload beyond their capability. The reentry programs will take longer to implement.”
“We’re always going to have a bed for the violent offender,” Holladay said. But he noted that by releasing non-violent offenders to make room for violent offenders, a facility becomes more and more violent—dangerous to guards, staff and other inmates.
“We can’t get in the business of locking everybody up and throwing away the key,” he said. “There has to be a balance.
Not everyone is happy. Outspoken Circuit Judge Wendell Griffin says Hutchin-son’s plan is “trying to reduce mass incarceration by enlarging the capacity to perpetuate it. One does not cure the causes of cancer by building more cemeteries and hiring more funeral directors and grave diggers.”
Hutchinson says that the state has 18,000 people in prison, with another 2,500 backed up in the counties. The state experienced a 17 percent growth rate of inmates over one year. Recidivism is 43 percent. “If we reduce that, we save money,” he said.
The governor would spend about $32 million over the biennium to make room for 790 more prisoners.
That include 288 being sent on contract to the Bowie County, Tex. Jail for $36 a day each, less that what it costs the state DOC to house an inmate.
The governor would open 48 beds at the Pine Bluff Work Center, 178 beds at the Pine Bluff Ester Unit, which doesn’t currently have operating funds, 28 beds at Tucker and 48 beds at the Ouachita River Unit at Malvern and if possible, another 200 beds through contracts with regional jails.
The $16 million he’d send to the Department of Community Corrections includes $7.5 million for 52 additional parole and probation officers and support. The opening of transitional reentry housing could accommodate about 500 pre-release prisoners at about $30.62 a day, about half the cost of prison housing, at a cost of $5.5 million.
Hutchinson said he’s counting on help from the “faith-based community, and from non-profit organizations.
He also calls for $28 million in alternative courts and sentencing.
“This is a significant opportunity to increase public safety by changing behavior and increasing accountability,” he said.
Leader senior staff writer
Local sheriffs and the Arkansas Association of Sheriffs say Gov. Asa Hutch-inson’s three-pronged plan for managing the state’s prisons and prisoners is “a step in the right direction,” although they would have preferred the addition of a new $100 million, 1,000-bed state prison.
Instead, Hutchinson has proposed a $50-million fix that would include 790 additional jail beds, plus another $14 million to the Department of Community Corrections to hire more probation and parole officers, expand alternative sentencing and create a network of re-entry houses for inmates nearing their release dates.
Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay and Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley both endorse the moves, but express concern that it is to be paid for by one-time money, without guarantee of future funding.
Meanwhile, the enabling legislation, which does not include appropriations, has passed the Senate 33-1, and after two votes, the House sent SB472 to its judiciary committee, where it’s slated for consideration Tuesday.
With a do-pass recommendation, the bill would need only 51 votes in the whole House before going to the governor for his signature.
A lot is “still up in the air,” Holladay said Friday. “The money still needs to be appropriated from the state Insurance Department’s reserve fund.
“We’re beginning to see some positive impact in Pulaski County,” he said, with a reduction in state inmates backlogged—especially in the last three weeks.”
His jail is approved for 1,210 inmates and has frequently been closed to all but violent offenders, but “Our population this morning is 1,117 and it was 1,109 earlier—the lowest we’ve seen in months.”
“I’ve got 42 waiting to go to prison,” said Staley. “It could go to 56.” He said his capacity is150 prisoners. “We’ve got 170 sometimes. How do you let go? We can’t hardly house any misdemeanors.”
“I’ve prayed about this,” Staley said. “We’ve got drug convictions cleaning up trash. He said they can straighten up while supervised and in jail, but then they “go back out and fall back into drugs. There are going to have to have some structure, some transitional houses.”
“The (the governor) introduced his plan, the backlog (of state inmates in county jails) was 2,799. It will take a while for that population to be reduced,” Staley said.
But when you spend more than $60 million to begin addressing the problem—to make programs continue to work, at some point you have to find additional money.”
The hiring of 52 parole and probation officers is a good step,” Holladay said. “They are overburdened with a caseload beyond their capability. The reentry programs will take longer to implement.”
“We’re always going to have a bed for the violent offender,” Holladay said. But he noted that by releasing non-violent offenders to make room for violent offenders, a facility becomes more and more violent—dangerous to guards, staff and other inmates.
“We can’t get in the business of locking everybody up and throwing away the key,” he said. “There has to be a balance.
Not everyone is happy. Outspoken Circuit Judge Wendell Griffin says Hutchin-son’s plan is “trying to reduce mass incarceration by enlarging the capacity to perpetuate it. One does not cure the causes of cancer by building more cemeteries and hiring more funeral directors and grave diggers.”
Hutchinson says that the state has 18,000 people in prison, with another 2,500 backed up in the counties. The state experienced a 17 percent growth rate of inmates over one year. Recidivism is 43 percent. “If we reduce that, we save money,” he said.
The governor would spend about $32 million over the biennium to make room for 790 more prisoners.
That include 288 being sent on contract to the Bowie County, Tex. Jail for $36 a day each, less that what it costs the state DOC to house an inmate.
The governor would open 48 beds at the Pine Bluff Work Center, 178 beds at the Pine Bluff Ester Unit, which doesn’t currently have operating funds, 28 beds at Tucker and 48 beds at the Ouachita River Unit at Malvern and if possible, another 200 beds through contracts with regional jails.
The $16 million he’d send to the Department of Community Corrections includes $7.5 million for 52 additional parole and probation officers and support. The opening of transitional reentry housing could accommodate about 500 pre-release prisoners at about $30.62 a day, about half the cost of prison housing, at a cost of $5.5 million.
Hutchinson said he’s counting on help from the “faith-based community, and from non-profit organizations.
He also calls for $28 million in alternative courts and sentencing.
“This is a significant opportunity to increase public safety by changing behavior and increasing accountability,” he said.
TOP STORY >> Winter weather was brrr...
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Weather-wise, winter ended the last day of February, but based on the wintry mix that hit the area Wednesday and Thursday, Arkansas didn’t get the message.
This last wave, the third in three weeks, closed area schools for two days (Thursday and Friday) and shut down most government operations Thursday.
It started Wednesday with rain that turned to freezing rain then turned to sleet and finally snow around midnight. It dumped about 6 inches of ice and snow in the area.
By Thursday morning, many sections of I-30 and I-40 as well as parts of Hwy. 67/167 were impassable because of the ice and snow or because of accidents blocking the roadways.
More than 1,000 18-wheelers were stranded for 24 hours or more between North Little Rock and Lonoke because of the weather and accidents.
One FedEx driver, who said Thursday it took him more than eight hours to get from Memphis to Little Rock, said I-40 around Lonoke was littered with accidents and trucks were stopped for miles.
The good news is the winter weather seems to be over, according to the National Weather Service, as the temperatures are expected to be closer to the average highs of 60 degrees next week.
The recent storm caused most area cities to be a day behind in garbage pickup. Numerous government meetings were canceled, including the Jacksonville City Council.
Cabot District Court session was canceled Thursday and has been rescheduled to 1 p.m. Thursday, March 26.
The early March storm capped a rollercoaster February that ended very cold and snowy.
February turned out to be one of the coldest on record, bringing what started as a warm winter to a colder-than- normal finish.
High temperatures for the first two weeks of February were mostly above average, hitting the lower 70s on Valentine’s Day. But the temperature dropped 50 degrees within 24 hours, landing at 22 degrees.
Colder-than-average temperatures continued through the remainder of the month, making February the coldest February in more than 30 years.
The average high temperature was the fifth coldest on record and the average low was the coldest since 1979, making it the second coldest on record.
Overall in February, the average high temperature was nine degrees below the 30-year average, and the low temperature was 8.4 degrees off the mark.
Twenty-one of February’s 28 days had temperatures below normal.
It was a winter of opposites as the average high temperature for the season was the coldest in four years, but the average low temperature was the warmest in the past two years.
The winter season — Dec. 1, 2014 through Feb. 28 — started out slightly warmer, but with a long February cold snap, the winter season finished one degree colder than the 30-year average, according to National Weather Service records.
Even though schools have already lost five to six days of education because of snow and ice, precipitation for the winter was actually less than normal, even though snowfall was above average.
As a general rule, it takes 10 inches of snow to equal one inch of precipitation.
For the seventh-consecutive winter there was measurable snow, and it all fell in February. It was the third winter in a row that snowfall was above average.
The coldest day of the winter was Jan. 8 when the temperature only hit 10 degrees.
But the coldest span, based on departure from the normal temperature, was the last two weeks of February, according to the NWS.
Although it may have seemed like more, just 42 days were at or below freezing, and two days saw temperatures of 70 degrees or higher.
Record temperatures set during February include 22 degrees on the 15th, tying a low temperature set in 2007 and 1986. On the 16th, the high temperature only hit 27 degrees, tying a record set in 1980 and 1979.
A high temperature of 30 degrees on Feb. 23 broke the cold record high of 33 degrees originally set in 1989. The low temperature of 23 degrees on the 28th was the coldest finish of the month since 2002.
Four snowfall records were set during the month. On Feb. 16, the area received 0.8 inches of snow, breaking a 36-year record for that date. The 0.8 inches on the 22nd, the 1.3 inches on the 23rd and a trace on the 27th were all record-setting snowfalls for those dates.
The weather service forecasts a warm weekend and next week looks to be sunny and in the 50s and 60s. Roads should be clear today.
Leader staff writer
Weather-wise, winter ended the last day of February, but based on the wintry mix that hit the area Wednesday and Thursday, Arkansas didn’t get the message.
This last wave, the third in three weeks, closed area schools for two days (Thursday and Friday) and shut down most government operations Thursday.
It started Wednesday with rain that turned to freezing rain then turned to sleet and finally snow around midnight. It dumped about 6 inches of ice and snow in the area.
By Thursday morning, many sections of I-30 and I-40 as well as parts of Hwy. 67/167 were impassable because of the ice and snow or because of accidents blocking the roadways.
More than 1,000 18-wheelers were stranded for 24 hours or more between North Little Rock and Lonoke because of the weather and accidents.
One FedEx driver, who said Thursday it took him more than eight hours to get from Memphis to Little Rock, said I-40 around Lonoke was littered with accidents and trucks were stopped for miles.
The good news is the winter weather seems to be over, according to the National Weather Service, as the temperatures are expected to be closer to the average highs of 60 degrees next week.
The recent storm caused most area cities to be a day behind in garbage pickup. Numerous government meetings were canceled, including the Jacksonville City Council.
Cabot District Court session was canceled Thursday and has been rescheduled to 1 p.m. Thursday, March 26.
The early March storm capped a rollercoaster February that ended very cold and snowy.
February turned out to be one of the coldest on record, bringing what started as a warm winter to a colder-than- normal finish.
High temperatures for the first two weeks of February were mostly above average, hitting the lower 70s on Valentine’s Day. But the temperature dropped 50 degrees within 24 hours, landing at 22 degrees.
Colder-than-average temperatures continued through the remainder of the month, making February the coldest February in more than 30 years.
The average high temperature was the fifth coldest on record and the average low was the coldest since 1979, making it the second coldest on record.
Overall in February, the average high temperature was nine degrees below the 30-year average, and the low temperature was 8.4 degrees off the mark.
Twenty-one of February’s 28 days had temperatures below normal.
It was a winter of opposites as the average high temperature for the season was the coldest in four years, but the average low temperature was the warmest in the past two years.
The winter season — Dec. 1, 2014 through Feb. 28 — started out slightly warmer, but with a long February cold snap, the winter season finished one degree colder than the 30-year average, according to National Weather Service records.
Even though schools have already lost five to six days of education because of snow and ice, precipitation for the winter was actually less than normal, even though snowfall was above average.
As a general rule, it takes 10 inches of snow to equal one inch of precipitation.
For the seventh-consecutive winter there was measurable snow, and it all fell in February. It was the third winter in a row that snowfall was above average.
The coldest day of the winter was Jan. 8 when the temperature only hit 10 degrees.
But the coldest span, based on departure from the normal temperature, was the last two weeks of February, according to the NWS.
Although it may have seemed like more, just 42 days were at or below freezing, and two days saw temperatures of 70 degrees or higher.
Record temperatures set during February include 22 degrees on the 15th, tying a low temperature set in 2007 and 1986. On the 16th, the high temperature only hit 27 degrees, tying a record set in 1980 and 1979.
A high temperature of 30 degrees on Feb. 23 broke the cold record high of 33 degrees originally set in 1989. The low temperature of 23 degrees on the 28th was the coldest finish of the month since 2002.
Four snowfall records were set during the month. On Feb. 16, the area received 0.8 inches of snow, breaking a 36-year record for that date. The 0.8 inches on the 22nd, the 1.3 inches on the 23rd and a trace on the 27th were all record-setting snowfalls for those dates.
The weather service forecasts a warm weekend and next week looks to be sunny and in the 50s and 60s. Roads should be clear today.
EDITORIAL >> Re-homing harms kids
We had heard about “re-homing” children, mainly from a Reuters investigation two years ago about Americans who adopted children from overseas and then used the Internet to dump them, sometimes to predators, when the kids proved to be troublesome. But we were shocked to learn that trafficking in vulnerable children happens right here in Arkansas, apparently legally, with the tragic results you would expect.
If the legislature can put aside the strange politics of the situation, it will pass a law making the practice illegal or at least subject to the monitoring and protections that the state is supposed to provide children who are abused or orphaned by one circumstance or another. Gov. Hutchinson said he was alarmed by the story in the Arkansas Times revealing the scandal and asked the state Department of Human Services to provide a remedy.
If you follow the news, you already knew half the story. A year ago, the State Police arrested a Bella Vista man, Eric Cameron Francis, for raping a 6-year-old girl who was in his custody. Francis had been the head teacher at a Christian preschool at West Fork called Growing God’s Kingdom, which was run by state Rep. Justin Harris of West Fork, a prominent Republican lawmaker, and his wife. Harris said at the time that he was “devastated” by the little girl’s rape and revealed that he had let Francis go at the school because the head teacher missed too much work. But he said Francis had “a pristine record” as a youth pastor and came highly recommended. Francis was convicted and is in the Benton County jail. Francis told a reporter at the jail last month that it was a “mistake” to have raped the little girl.
What Rep. Harris did not reveal at the time and what the Arkansas Times revealed this week was that the 6-year-old girl whom Francis raped and her 4-year-old sister were Harris’. Harris and his wife had adopted the girls from the state Department of Human Services in 2013 and when they proved to be unhappy and disruptive for his family Rep. Harris just gave them to his head teacher, Eric Francis, and his wife. Francis’ wife divorced him after his arrest for raping the girl. It all started when an anonymous caller to the state child-abuse hotline said Harris had abandoned the two girls to Francis and that they were being mistreated. The caller said the Harrises had continued to get a monthly subsidy from the state for raising the two girls even after abandoning them.
When the Arkansas Times asked Harris the other day if he re-homed his adopted children to Eric Francis, he refused to confirm it and accused the newspaper of slurring him and his wife. Harris uses Scripture when he gets in trouble. This time he quoted Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon forged against you will prevail and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.”
But Rep. Harris dodged chances to “refute every tongue” until a brief press conference Friday, which didn’t explain anything. His attorney issued a short statement this week saying, “Rep. and Mrs. Harris have suffered a severe injustice.” It said that the two little girls “presented a serious risk of harm to other children” in the Harris home and the couple was “forced to move the children to the home of trusted friends, who had a lot of experience with children with reactive attachment disorder.” It said they were “devastated” about the outcome—the older girl’s rape — but that they had done the best they knew how.
“Reactive attachment disorder” means the girls were unhappy about who had adopted them.
The Harrises, according to the statement, gave the kids away rather than contact the state agency that had approved the adoption “due to threats of possible abandonment charges.” Harris has had some trouble with the women in the agency. Rep. Harris’s daycare business gets about $900,000 a year, about 95 percent of it from federal and state taxpayers, to provide preschool to about 150 children. Several years ago, when state social services people learned that the schooling consisted of Bible reading, they told Harris that taxpayer money could not be used that way because it violated Thomas Jefferson’s injunction against combining church and state. Harris said he moved the religious teaching to after regular hours and the school has continued to get the government aid.
Harris is a vigorous critic of other state spending. He sits on the Joint Budget Committee, which fixes the budget of all children’s programs, sits on the Education Committee and is vice chairman of the committee that will consider any legislation to correct the adoption flaws.
Rep. Greg Leding of Fayetteville filed a bill to halt the practice of re-homing. But political problems arose instantly. Republican leaders came to Rep. Harris’ defense and said he was a godly man and that the real villains were the media. Rep. Nate Bell of Mena called the reporter and editor who provided the first account of the girl’s abandonment and rape “the lowest fork of muckraking slime on earth” and said the editor was going to hell.
Gov. Hutchinson reacted appropriately. He said the issues raised by the Harris-Francis story needed to be addressed urgently because “our children deserve nothing less than our full attention and utmost care.” Mike Beebe said he learned of the re-homing last year but felt indisposed to seek legislation to correct it because he had obtained the information about the Harrises confidentially. That’s not good enough.
Not every such story has a happy ending, but this one sort of does. Those little girls—what happened to them? The Times reached the parents who adopted the girls after the Francises. The mother said she regretted the girls’ path to get where they are, but they are finally in a home where they are treasured. “They are our daughters. They are precious, precious, amazing girls, and we are so blessed to have them.”
If the legislature can put aside the strange politics of the situation, it will pass a law making the practice illegal or at least subject to the monitoring and protections that the state is supposed to provide children who are abused or orphaned by one circumstance or another. Gov. Hutchinson said he was alarmed by the story in the Arkansas Times revealing the scandal and asked the state Department of Human Services to provide a remedy.
If you follow the news, you already knew half the story. A year ago, the State Police arrested a Bella Vista man, Eric Cameron Francis, for raping a 6-year-old girl who was in his custody. Francis had been the head teacher at a Christian preschool at West Fork called Growing God’s Kingdom, which was run by state Rep. Justin Harris of West Fork, a prominent Republican lawmaker, and his wife. Harris said at the time that he was “devastated” by the little girl’s rape and revealed that he had let Francis go at the school because the head teacher missed too much work. But he said Francis had “a pristine record” as a youth pastor and came highly recommended. Francis was convicted and is in the Benton County jail. Francis told a reporter at the jail last month that it was a “mistake” to have raped the little girl.
What Rep. Harris did not reveal at the time and what the Arkansas Times revealed this week was that the 6-year-old girl whom Francis raped and her 4-year-old sister were Harris’. Harris and his wife had adopted the girls from the state Department of Human Services in 2013 and when they proved to be unhappy and disruptive for his family Rep. Harris just gave them to his head teacher, Eric Francis, and his wife. Francis’ wife divorced him after his arrest for raping the girl. It all started when an anonymous caller to the state child-abuse hotline said Harris had abandoned the two girls to Francis and that they were being mistreated. The caller said the Harrises had continued to get a monthly subsidy from the state for raising the two girls even after abandoning them.
When the Arkansas Times asked Harris the other day if he re-homed his adopted children to Eric Francis, he refused to confirm it and accused the newspaper of slurring him and his wife. Harris uses Scripture when he gets in trouble. This time he quoted Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon forged against you will prevail and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.”
But Rep. Harris dodged chances to “refute every tongue” until a brief press conference Friday, which didn’t explain anything. His attorney issued a short statement this week saying, “Rep. and Mrs. Harris have suffered a severe injustice.” It said that the two little girls “presented a serious risk of harm to other children” in the Harris home and the couple was “forced to move the children to the home of trusted friends, who had a lot of experience with children with reactive attachment disorder.” It said they were “devastated” about the outcome—the older girl’s rape — but that they had done the best they knew how.
“Reactive attachment disorder” means the girls were unhappy about who had adopted them.
The Harrises, according to the statement, gave the kids away rather than contact the state agency that had approved the adoption “due to threats of possible abandonment charges.” Harris has had some trouble with the women in the agency. Rep. Harris’s daycare business gets about $900,000 a year, about 95 percent of it from federal and state taxpayers, to provide preschool to about 150 children. Several years ago, when state social services people learned that the schooling consisted of Bible reading, they told Harris that taxpayer money could not be used that way because it violated Thomas Jefferson’s injunction against combining church and state. Harris said he moved the religious teaching to after regular hours and the school has continued to get the government aid.
Harris is a vigorous critic of other state spending. He sits on the Joint Budget Committee, which fixes the budget of all children’s programs, sits on the Education Committee and is vice chairman of the committee that will consider any legislation to correct the adoption flaws.
Rep. Greg Leding of Fayetteville filed a bill to halt the practice of re-homing. But political problems arose instantly. Republican leaders came to Rep. Harris’ defense and said he was a godly man and that the real villains were the media. Rep. Nate Bell of Mena called the reporter and editor who provided the first account of the girl’s abandonment and rape “the lowest fork of muckraking slime on earth” and said the editor was going to hell.
Gov. Hutchinson reacted appropriately. He said the issues raised by the Harris-Francis story needed to be addressed urgently because “our children deserve nothing less than our full attention and utmost care.” Mike Beebe said he learned of the re-homing last year but felt indisposed to seek legislation to correct it because he had obtained the information about the Harrises confidentially. That’s not good enough.
Not every such story has a happy ending, but this one sort of does. Those little girls—what happened to them? The Times reached the parents who adopted the girls after the Francises. The mother said she regretted the girls’ path to get where they are, but they are finally in a home where they are treasured. “They are our daughters. They are precious, precious, amazing girls, and we are so blessed to have them.”
SPORTS STORY >> Tournament bound Hogs close season against LSU
By NATE ALLEN
Special to The Leader
FAYETTEVILLE - Before they play the season’s Walton Arena finale today, the hosting Arkansas Razorbacks LSU Tigers could entertain each other with recent tales of the inexplicable.
Arkansas (24-6, 13-4) in the SEC, is two games ahead of third-place and assured second behind Kentucky. LSU (21-9, 10-7) is tied for SEC fifth with Georgia and plays Arkansas for the first time this season at 1 p.m today at Walton on ESPN.
LSU, commencing the week seemingly NCAA Tournament bound, veered badly towards the bubble in its final home game Wednesday night against a Tennessee team it throttled 73-55 earlier this season in Knoxville. Coach Johnny Jones’ Tigers were routed 78-63 at the Maravich Center.
No. 18 Arkansas, a lock for the NCAA Tournament but nonetheless unhinged in last Saturday’s 84-67 loss at Kentucky, went Thurs-day to Columbia, S.C, assumed a 22-point lead during the first half over the now 14-15, 5-12 South Carolina Gamecocks that Arkansas whipped 75-55 on Feb. 3 at Walton. Arkansas not only lost Thursday’s lead but trailed by 11 during the second half before closing with an 18-3 run to win 78-74.
“Well, I said it on TV, we giveth and we taketh away,” Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said Thursday on postgame radio. “We were up in this game by 20 and South Carolina got some momentum there right before halftime. They came out in the second half and they were possessed. It was a game of runs, but thank God we had the last run. We had some big plays down the stretch by some key guys.”
“Key guys” Portis, Arkansas’ 6-11 All-SEC forward and strong candidate to be named SEC Player of the Year, scored 24 points with eight rebounds and a blocked shot while junior guard Qualls scored 18 with seven rebounds. Senior guard Ky Madden registered nine points, nine assists and seven rebounds while Anthlon Bell scored 17 off the bench.
LSU has two forwards nearly averaging a double-double and destined for the NBA. SEC leading shot-blocker, 6-foot-8 Jordan Mickey and 6-10 Jarrell Martin. Its 6-6 guard Tim Quarterman, Monday was named SEC Player of the Week after an 18 points/10 rebounds/10 assists triple double against Ole Miss.
Didn’t matter to Tennessee. Hornsby couldn’t believe Tennessee’s dominance.
“It was a new experience for us, teams taking it to us in the second half and hitting every shot,” Hornsby said. “I felt like we were looking around like, ‘What’s the right way to respond?’ In a game like this, you can’t do that.”
Even with a big nonconference victory over Big 12 power West Virginia and a home and home SEC sweep of Ole Miss, and taking Kentucky to the 71-69 wire, Jones knows the Tennessee loss at home reminds the NCAA Selection Committee that SEC bottom feeders Auburn, in Baton Rouge, and Missouri, in Columbia, Mo., both defeated LSU.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had some tough home losses that certainly don’t help you,” Jones said. “We’re hopeful, because some of the wins we have and places we’ve won against the caliber of competition we’ve played, that it balances itself out.”
They know nothing could favorably tip the balance going into next week’s SEC Tournament than upsetting Arkansas at Walton.
“They’re all must-win,” Hornsby said. “We have to move on and learn from the issues we had and face Arkansas.”
Arkansas strives both to continue momentum from its comeback in Columbia into the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. and give its fans fond remembrance on a Senior Day farewell to native sons Madden of Lepanto via East Poinsett County High and starting forward Alandise Harris of Little Rock Central.
“We are looking forward to coming home and finishing this thing out in a strong, strong fashion,” Anderson said. “These guys are leaving it all on the floor. We are looking forward to having a great, great audience at Bud Walton Arena on national TV. It’s a quick turnaround and our guys are spent right now, but they will be ready when we tip it up.”
Special to The Leader
FAYETTEVILLE - Before they play the season’s Walton Arena finale today, the hosting Arkansas Razorbacks LSU Tigers could entertain each other with recent tales of the inexplicable.
Arkansas (24-6, 13-4) in the SEC, is two games ahead of third-place and assured second behind Kentucky. LSU (21-9, 10-7) is tied for SEC fifth with Georgia and plays Arkansas for the first time this season at 1 p.m today at Walton on ESPN.
LSU, commencing the week seemingly NCAA Tournament bound, veered badly towards the bubble in its final home game Wednesday night against a Tennessee team it throttled 73-55 earlier this season in Knoxville. Coach Johnny Jones’ Tigers were routed 78-63 at the Maravich Center.
No. 18 Arkansas, a lock for the NCAA Tournament but nonetheless unhinged in last Saturday’s 84-67 loss at Kentucky, went Thurs-day to Columbia, S.C, assumed a 22-point lead during the first half over the now 14-15, 5-12 South Carolina Gamecocks that Arkansas whipped 75-55 on Feb. 3 at Walton. Arkansas not only lost Thursday’s lead but trailed by 11 during the second half before closing with an 18-3 run to win 78-74.
“Well, I said it on TV, we giveth and we taketh away,” Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said Thursday on postgame radio. “We were up in this game by 20 and South Carolina got some momentum there right before halftime. They came out in the second half and they were possessed. It was a game of runs, but thank God we had the last run. We had some big plays down the stretch by some key guys.”
“Key guys” Portis, Arkansas’ 6-11 All-SEC forward and strong candidate to be named SEC Player of the Year, scored 24 points with eight rebounds and a blocked shot while junior guard Qualls scored 18 with seven rebounds. Senior guard Ky Madden registered nine points, nine assists and seven rebounds while Anthlon Bell scored 17 off the bench.
LSU has two forwards nearly averaging a double-double and destined for the NBA. SEC leading shot-blocker, 6-foot-8 Jordan Mickey and 6-10 Jarrell Martin. Its 6-6 guard Tim Quarterman, Monday was named SEC Player of the Week after an 18 points/10 rebounds/10 assists triple double against Ole Miss.
Didn’t matter to Tennessee. Hornsby couldn’t believe Tennessee’s dominance.
“It was a new experience for us, teams taking it to us in the second half and hitting every shot,” Hornsby said. “I felt like we were looking around like, ‘What’s the right way to respond?’ In a game like this, you can’t do that.”
Even with a big nonconference victory over Big 12 power West Virginia and a home and home SEC sweep of Ole Miss, and taking Kentucky to the 71-69 wire, Jones knows the Tennessee loss at home reminds the NCAA Selection Committee that SEC bottom feeders Auburn, in Baton Rouge, and Missouri, in Columbia, Mo., both defeated LSU.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had some tough home losses that certainly don’t help you,” Jones said. “We’re hopeful, because some of the wins we have and places we’ve won against the caliber of competition we’ve played, that it balances itself out.”
They know nothing could favorably tip the balance going into next week’s SEC Tournament than upsetting Arkansas at Walton.
“They’re all must-win,” Hornsby said. “We have to move on and learn from the issues we had and face Arkansas.”
Arkansas strives both to continue momentum from its comeback in Columbia into the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. and give its fans fond remembrance on a Senior Day farewell to native sons Madden of Lepanto via East Poinsett County High and starting forward Alandise Harris of Little Rock Central.
“We are looking forward to coming home and finishing this thing out in a strong, strong fashion,” Anderson said. “These guys are leaving it all on the floor. We are looking forward to having a great, great audience at Bud Walton Arena on national TV. It’s a quick turnaround and our guys are spent right now, but they will be ready when we tip it up.”
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot medley champs
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Lady Panther 200-yard medley relay team brought home the gold from last Saturday’s state championship swim meet at UALR’s Donaghey Center.
Juniors Jessie Baldwin and Caytee Wright, along with senior Riley Young and freshman Melanie Abbott teamed up to beat out second-place Bryant by a little more than a second to earn the state title. They finished with a time of 1:54.92 to beat the Hornets’ 1:56.10.
Bentonville was third at 1:56.28. No other team in the 7A/6A division came in under two minutes.
While the medley relay was the only state title for Cabot, the entire Lady Panthers’ squad turned in a strong performance, finishing with 194 points and placing third overall behind Bentonville and Conway.
Junior distance swimmer Haylee Beckley picked up several points for Cabot with a third-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley and a fourth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle. Beckley was less than two seconds behind second place in the IM, while Bentonville senior Eunsol Chon won the event by finishing six seconds ahead of Beckley with a time of 2:11.23.
Three of the medley state champions, including Baldwin, Wright and Young, teamed up with senior Katie Frederick to place third in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Bentonville won the race by 3.18 seconds, while less than .65 separated second-place Conway from the Cabot team.
Wright also came within .38 seconds of winning the 100-yard freestyle. Carly Holland of Rogers Heritage won that event with a time of 52.96. Wright also took third place in the 50-yard freestyle. Benton senior Hope Ernhart set a new state record with a time of 23.65 with El Dorado’s Isabella Gati and Wright on her tail at 24.34 and 24.56.
Baldwin also performed well in the 100-yard backstroke, but had to contend with Heritage’s Holland, who set a new state record with a time of 56.01. Baldwin finished third with a 59.66 time, and also finished third in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Springdale High’s Lauren Lamaestra won the event with a time of 1:08.83, while Alma’s Savannah Martin was second at 1:09.54. Baldwin was very close behind, finishing in 1:10.05.
The Cabot boys also placed in the medley relay, finishing sixth behind winner Bentonville. Juniors Payton Jones and Chris Daniel joined with sophomore Ben Cameron and senior Noah Joyner to finish in 1:47.40.
Jones also took fourth in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:50.04, and placed fifth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 55.46.
Leader sports editor
The Lady Panther 200-yard medley relay team brought home the gold from last Saturday’s state championship swim meet at UALR’s Donaghey Center.
Juniors Jessie Baldwin and Caytee Wright, along with senior Riley Young and freshman Melanie Abbott teamed up to beat out second-place Bryant by a little more than a second to earn the state title. They finished with a time of 1:54.92 to beat the Hornets’ 1:56.10.
Bentonville was third at 1:56.28. No other team in the 7A/6A division came in under two minutes.
While the medley relay was the only state title for Cabot, the entire Lady Panthers’ squad turned in a strong performance, finishing with 194 points and placing third overall behind Bentonville and Conway.
Junior distance swimmer Haylee Beckley picked up several points for Cabot with a third-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley and a fourth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle. Beckley was less than two seconds behind second place in the IM, while Bentonville senior Eunsol Chon won the event by finishing six seconds ahead of Beckley with a time of 2:11.23.
Three of the medley state champions, including Baldwin, Wright and Young, teamed up with senior Katie Frederick to place third in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Bentonville won the race by 3.18 seconds, while less than .65 separated second-place Conway from the Cabot team.
Wright also came within .38 seconds of winning the 100-yard freestyle. Carly Holland of Rogers Heritage won that event with a time of 52.96. Wright also took third place in the 50-yard freestyle. Benton senior Hope Ernhart set a new state record with a time of 23.65 with El Dorado’s Isabella Gati and Wright on her tail at 24.34 and 24.56.
Baldwin also performed well in the 100-yard backstroke, but had to contend with Heritage’s Holland, who set a new state record with a time of 56.01. Baldwin finished third with a 59.66 time, and also finished third in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Springdale High’s Lauren Lamaestra won the event with a time of 1:08.83, while Alma’s Savannah Martin was second at 1:09.54. Baldwin was very close behind, finishing in 1:10.05.
The Cabot boys also placed in the medley relay, finishing sixth behind winner Bentonville. Juniors Payton Jones and Chris Daniel joined with sophomore Ben Cameron and senior Noah Joyner to finish in 1:47.40.
Jones also took fourth in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:50.04, and placed fifth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 55.46.
SPORTS STORY >> UA women beat Rebs, wait for bid
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Arkansas Razorback Women’s basketball team entered this week’s SEC Tournament at North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena hoping to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament later, and made a strong case for itself.
Arkansas, the No. 9 seed in the tournament, beat No. 8 seed Ole Miss in Thursday’s opening game by the final score of 72-61, and on Friday, the Razorbacks competed with top-seeded South Carolina (28-2) through the first portion of the second half before the taller and more talented Gamecocks pulled away in the latter portion, winning by the final score of 58-36.
In Thursday’s win over the Rebels (17-13), a team that beat Arkansas by 14 points back in early January, Arkansas (17-13) got 21 second-half points from Jacksonville native and JHS alum Jessica Jackson, which helped the Hogs pull away in the second half.
Jackson had just four points in the first half Thursday, but came alive in the second to lead the home-state team to the NCAA resume-boosting win.
Jackson gave the credit for her second-half scoring tear to her teammates.
“My teammates are the ones that keep me going,” said Jackson. “We all feed off each other. We were able to get some defensive stops and feed off of that, and that helped our offense. I always get told by everyone that if your first couple of shots don’t come to you, don’t let that define your whole game. You’ve just got to keep playing, and hopefully the shots will fall. So my teammates are what keep me going.”
Arkansas led 29-28 at halftime Thursday, but shot 65 percent from the floor in the second half to help further its lead.
The Razorbacks also made 28 of 35 free throws in the game, while Ole Miss went just 8 for 17 from the stripe.
Fellow Arkansas starting forward and Cabot High School graduate Melissa Wolff didn’t see as much time on the floor Thursday as she usually does, playing just 12 minutes, but she played 38 minutes in Friday’s loss to South Carolina, and finished that game with eight points and four rebounds.
Even though the Razorbacks lost by 22, they cut the Gamecocks’ lead to 38-31 at the midway point of the second half after trailing 31-17 at halftime.
South Carolina responded, though, and once the Gamecocks pushed their lead back to double digits, they piled on the points as the game came to a close.
Despite the loss, Wolff and Jackson both feel good about their chances at getting an NCAA Tournament bid on selection Monday, which is March 16.
“I’m really proud of my team,” said Wolff. “I think we fought hard and we’ve done everything that we can to get in that tournament. That’s been a goal of ours since the very beginning, and I think that we’ve given it everything that we have.
“I feel pretty confident. We’ve had a tough schedule all the way through the season. Half of the SEC is ranked in the top-25, and I think we’ve battled well and we’ve proven that we’ve done everything we can and we deserve a spot.”
“I think we’ve competed well as a team this postseason,” Jackson said, “and I think we deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament.”
Jackson finished the Razor-backs’ two games played in the SEC Tournament with 38 points and 11 rebounds, and Wolff added 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Entering the SEC Tournament, the Razorback Women were projected as a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament and was one of the last four teams projected to make it in.
Leader sportswriter
The Arkansas Razorback Women’s basketball team entered this week’s SEC Tournament at North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena hoping to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament later, and made a strong case for itself.
Arkansas, the No. 9 seed in the tournament, beat No. 8 seed Ole Miss in Thursday’s opening game by the final score of 72-61, and on Friday, the Razorbacks competed with top-seeded South Carolina (28-2) through the first portion of the second half before the taller and more talented Gamecocks pulled away in the latter portion, winning by the final score of 58-36.
In Thursday’s win over the Rebels (17-13), a team that beat Arkansas by 14 points back in early January, Arkansas (17-13) got 21 second-half points from Jacksonville native and JHS alum Jessica Jackson, which helped the Hogs pull away in the second half.
Jackson had just four points in the first half Thursday, but came alive in the second to lead the home-state team to the NCAA resume-boosting win.
Jackson gave the credit for her second-half scoring tear to her teammates.
“My teammates are the ones that keep me going,” said Jackson. “We all feed off each other. We were able to get some defensive stops and feed off of that, and that helped our offense. I always get told by everyone that if your first couple of shots don’t come to you, don’t let that define your whole game. You’ve just got to keep playing, and hopefully the shots will fall. So my teammates are what keep me going.”
Arkansas led 29-28 at halftime Thursday, but shot 65 percent from the floor in the second half to help further its lead.
The Razorbacks also made 28 of 35 free throws in the game, while Ole Miss went just 8 for 17 from the stripe.
Fellow Arkansas starting forward and Cabot High School graduate Melissa Wolff didn’t see as much time on the floor Thursday as she usually does, playing just 12 minutes, but she played 38 minutes in Friday’s loss to South Carolina, and finished that game with eight points and four rebounds.
Even though the Razorbacks lost by 22, they cut the Gamecocks’ lead to 38-31 at the midway point of the second half after trailing 31-17 at halftime.
South Carolina responded, though, and once the Gamecocks pushed their lead back to double digits, they piled on the points as the game came to a close.
Despite the loss, Wolff and Jackson both feel good about their chances at getting an NCAA Tournament bid on selection Monday, which is March 16.
“I’m really proud of my team,” said Wolff. “I think we fought hard and we’ve done everything that we can to get in that tournament. That’s been a goal of ours since the very beginning, and I think that we’ve given it everything that we have.
“I feel pretty confident. We’ve had a tough schedule all the way through the season. Half of the SEC is ranked in the top-25, and I think we’ve battled well and we’ve proven that we’ve done everything we can and we deserve a spot.”
“I think we’ve competed well as a team this postseason,” Jackson said, “and I think we deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament.”
Jackson finished the Razor-backs’ two games played in the SEC Tournament with 38 points and 11 rebounds, and Wolff added 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Entering the SEC Tournament, the Razorback Women were projected as a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament and was one of the last four teams projected to make it in.
SPORTS STORY >> Falcon football forsaken
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
North Pulaski High School will not field a football team for the 2015 season, and NPHS students who want to play next year will be allowed to do so at Jacksonville High, without having to transfer.
A letter dated March 6 from NPHS principal Jeff Senn, to parents, states that North Pulaski currently has only 17 players participating in football offseason, which is not enough to compete at the Class 5A level.
Pulaski County Special School district athletic director Danny Ebbs said so few players is not feasible.
“You look and if you average three or four players get hurt per week, you wouldn’t be able to field a team by week three,” said Ebbs. “This is not a situation where you can really afford to wait until the last minute to make that decision. It impacts 10 other schools.
“This gives those other teams time to make other arrangements and gives those kids who are good players and want to play, a chance to go somewhere and play.”
Jacksonville and North Pulaski recently won the right to break free from PCSSD and form the new Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District. Rules allow students who attend schools in the process of consolidating, to participate in extracurricular activities at the other school, if the one they attend does not offer it.
Arkansas High School Activities Association executive director Lance Taylor is aware of the decision by North Pulaski and the PCSSD, and agrees there are no violations.
“This law applies to any extracurricular activity,” said Taylor. “If Jacksonville has, say, forensics, and North Pulaski doesn’t, those kids can compete in forensics at Jacksonville. And vice versa. If North Pulaski offers something Jacksonville doesn’t, the Jacksonville students can participate at North Pulaski.”
This consolidation rule also applies to students who attend Jacksonville or NP, but do not live in that school’s zone, as long as they have been in that school for 365 days.
“It’s the 365-day rule,” Ebbs said. “If a student has been at North Pulaski for 365 days but does not live in North Pulaski’s zone, that student is considered a North Pulaski student and can go play for Jacksonville. The only way he could go back and play for the school he’s zoned for, is if he transferred from North Pulaski to that school.”
The letter from Senn urged players interested in playing football to begin going to Jacksonville’s offseason program as soon as possible.
“We will provide transportation for them,” said Senn.
The North Pulaski players will add to an already booming Jacksonville football offseason. JHS athletic director Jerry Wilson says 70 athletes are currently taking part in football workouts, and says the NP players will be welcomed and treated like family.
“Absolutely,” said Wilson. “We’ve been working for a long time to bring these two schools together so we can have one hometown school. That’s what it’s about, and the North Pulaski kids are going to be a big part of that.”
Leader sports editor
North Pulaski High School will not field a football team for the 2015 season, and NPHS students who want to play next year will be allowed to do so at Jacksonville High, without having to transfer.
A letter dated March 6 from NPHS principal Jeff Senn, to parents, states that North Pulaski currently has only 17 players participating in football offseason, which is not enough to compete at the Class 5A level.
Pulaski County Special School district athletic director Danny Ebbs said so few players is not feasible.
“You look and if you average three or four players get hurt per week, you wouldn’t be able to field a team by week three,” said Ebbs. “This is not a situation where you can really afford to wait until the last minute to make that decision. It impacts 10 other schools.
“This gives those other teams time to make other arrangements and gives those kids who are good players and want to play, a chance to go somewhere and play.”
Jacksonville and North Pulaski recently won the right to break free from PCSSD and form the new Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District. Rules allow students who attend schools in the process of consolidating, to participate in extracurricular activities at the other school, if the one they attend does not offer it.
Arkansas High School Activities Association executive director Lance Taylor is aware of the decision by North Pulaski and the PCSSD, and agrees there are no violations.
“This law applies to any extracurricular activity,” said Taylor. “If Jacksonville has, say, forensics, and North Pulaski doesn’t, those kids can compete in forensics at Jacksonville. And vice versa. If North Pulaski offers something Jacksonville doesn’t, the Jacksonville students can participate at North Pulaski.”
This consolidation rule also applies to students who attend Jacksonville or NP, but do not live in that school’s zone, as long as they have been in that school for 365 days.
“It’s the 365-day rule,” Ebbs said. “If a student has been at North Pulaski for 365 days but does not live in North Pulaski’s zone, that student is considered a North Pulaski student and can go play for Jacksonville. The only way he could go back and play for the school he’s zoned for, is if he transferred from North Pulaski to that school.”
The letter from Senn urged players interested in playing football to begin going to Jacksonville’s offseason program as soon as possible.
“We will provide transportation for them,” said Senn.
The North Pulaski players will add to an already booming Jacksonville football offseason. JHS athletic director Jerry Wilson says 70 athletes are currently taking part in football workouts, and says the NP players will be welcomed and treated like family.
“Absolutely,” said Wilson. “We’ve been working for a long time to bring these two schools together so we can have one hometown school. That’s what it’s about, and the North Pulaski kids are going to be a big part of that.”
Tuesday, March 03, 2015
SPORTS STORY >> Locals shine at state meet
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot girls’ swim team finished fifth overall at Saturday’s Arkansas High School State Swim Meet on the campus of UALR, and the Lonoke girls’ swim team had one swimmer earn a state championship in one event.
Lonoke’s Kayla McGee earned the state championship in the 100-yard breaststroke. She won the event with a time of 1:06.49, narrowly beating second-place Corinne Despain, of Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville, who finished the event in 1:07.63.
Cabot’s Jessie Baldwin finished sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:10.05, and teammate Melanie Abbott finished 10th in that race with a time of 1:14.48.
The Cabot girls totaled 194 team points at Saturday’s event, which put them ahead of sixth-place Bryant, who had 170 team points.
Bentonville won the girls’ division. The Lady Tigers dominated the competition, finishing with 404 team points. Pulaski Academy was second with 325 team points. Haas Hall Academy was third with 270 team points, and Conway finished fourth overall in the girls’ division with 211 team points.
The Lonoke girls finished the meet with 36 team points, which put them in 19th place out of the 30 teams that competed in the girls’ division.
McGee was the only swimmer from Lonoke County to win a state championship, but the Cabot girls had several top-10 finishers.
Caytee Wright had two top-5 finishes. She finished second overall in the 100-yard freestyle race. Carly Holland of Rogers Heritage won the event with a time of 0:52.96, just beating Wright’s second-place time of 0:53.34.
Wright had a fourth-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 0:24.56. Lonoke’s McGee finished sixth in that event with a time of 0:24.68.
Baldwin finished third in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 0:59.66, which was less than three seconds behind Heritage’s Holland, who won the event with a time of 0:56.91.
Baldwin and Wright weren’t the only Cabot swimmers to earn two top-10 finishes. Teammate Haylee Beckley finished fifth in the grueling 500-yard freestyle race, and took seventh in the 200-yard individual medley.
Beckley finished the 500-yard freestyle race with a time of 5:24.71, and her time in the 200-yard IM was 2:19.65.
The Lady Panthers’ relay teams had a pair of top-5 finishes. The Cabot girls finished fourth overall in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:43.22, and third in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:54.92.
Cabot’s boys didn’t have as strong a showing as the Cabot girls’ team, but they did place higher than 21 other teams Saturday. The Panthers totaled 84 team points at the meet, which was good for 13th place. They finished 22 points behind Siloam Springs, who finished 12th overall with 106 team points.
Bentonville also finished first in the boys’ division, and were even more dominant than the Lady Tigers were. The Tigers totaled a whopping 521 team points Saturday, which was more than half the points second-place Little Rock Central accumulated.
Central took second place with 213 team points, which just edged third-place Little Rock Catholic’s total of 212 team points. Magnolia finished fourth among the 34 teams that competed in the boys’ division with 178 team points, and Springdale Har-Ber rounded out the top five with 168 team points.
Cabot didn’t have any first-place finishers, but the Panthers’ relay teams, like the Cabot girls, had two top-10 finishes. They finished sixth overall in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:47.40, and 10th overall in the 200-yard freestyle relay, finishing that race in 1:38.36.
Payton Jones was the strongest swimmer for the Panther boys Saturday. He had two top-10 finishes. He finished fifth in the 200-yard freestyle race with a time of 1:50.04, and sixth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 0:55.46.
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot girls’ swim team finished fifth overall at Saturday’s Arkansas High School State Swim Meet on the campus of UALR, and the Lonoke girls’ swim team had one swimmer earn a state championship in one event.
Lonoke’s Kayla McGee earned the state championship in the 100-yard breaststroke. She won the event with a time of 1:06.49, narrowly beating second-place Corinne Despain, of Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville, who finished the event in 1:07.63.
Cabot’s Jessie Baldwin finished sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:10.05, and teammate Melanie Abbott finished 10th in that race with a time of 1:14.48.
The Cabot girls totaled 194 team points at Saturday’s event, which put them ahead of sixth-place Bryant, who had 170 team points.
Bentonville won the girls’ division. The Lady Tigers dominated the competition, finishing with 404 team points. Pulaski Academy was second with 325 team points. Haas Hall Academy was third with 270 team points, and Conway finished fourth overall in the girls’ division with 211 team points.
The Lonoke girls finished the meet with 36 team points, which put them in 19th place out of the 30 teams that competed in the girls’ division.
McGee was the only swimmer from Lonoke County to win a state championship, but the Cabot girls had several top-10 finishers.
Caytee Wright had two top-5 finishes. She finished second overall in the 100-yard freestyle race. Carly Holland of Rogers Heritage won the event with a time of 0:52.96, just beating Wright’s second-place time of 0:53.34.
Wright had a fourth-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 0:24.56. Lonoke’s McGee finished sixth in that event with a time of 0:24.68.
Baldwin finished third in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 0:59.66, which was less than three seconds behind Heritage’s Holland, who won the event with a time of 0:56.91.
Baldwin and Wright weren’t the only Cabot swimmers to earn two top-10 finishes. Teammate Haylee Beckley finished fifth in the grueling 500-yard freestyle race, and took seventh in the 200-yard individual medley.
Beckley finished the 500-yard freestyle race with a time of 5:24.71, and her time in the 200-yard IM was 2:19.65.
The Lady Panthers’ relay teams had a pair of top-5 finishes. The Cabot girls finished fourth overall in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:43.22, and third in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:54.92.
Cabot’s boys didn’t have as strong a showing as the Cabot girls’ team, but they did place higher than 21 other teams Saturday. The Panthers totaled 84 team points at the meet, which was good for 13th place. They finished 22 points behind Siloam Springs, who finished 12th overall with 106 team points.
Bentonville also finished first in the boys’ division, and were even more dominant than the Lady Tigers were. The Tigers totaled a whopping 521 team points Saturday, which was more than half the points second-place Little Rock Central accumulated.
Central took second place with 213 team points, which just edged third-place Little Rock Catholic’s total of 212 team points. Magnolia finished fourth among the 34 teams that competed in the boys’ division with 178 team points, and Springdale Har-Ber rounded out the top five with 168 team points.
Cabot didn’t have any first-place finishers, but the Panthers’ relay teams, like the Cabot girls, had two top-10 finishes. They finished sixth overall in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:47.40, and 10th overall in the 200-yard freestyle relay, finishing that race in 1:38.36.
Payton Jones was the strongest swimmer for the Panther boys Saturday. He had two top-10 finishes. He finished fifth in the 200-yard freestyle race with a time of 1:50.04, and sixth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 0:55.46.
SPORTS STORY >> Jacksonville ladies fall in first round
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
PARAGOULD — Atrocious shooting and trouble rebounding, especially in the first half, led to a first-round exit for Jacksonville in the Class 5A state tournament Tuesday. Host and 5A-East champion Greene County Tech moves on to the second round with its second win of the season over Jacksonville, 55-31.
The Lady Red Devils didn’t make a shot from the floor until the three-minute mark of the second quarter. Desiree Williams’ running baseline jumper made it 15-4 at that point. It was the beginning of a brief bright spot for the Lady Devils. Williams came off the bench to score six-straight points and cut the Eagles’ margin to eight, but the Lady Eagles also got help from their bench.
Post player Kassie Tyner came off the bench to score eight points in the last two minutes of the half, leading her team into intermission with a 25-8 advantage.
Jacksonville’s poor start included a turnover on its first possession and misses on its first 16 shots. Tech (22-6) didn’t shoot well early either, but the Lady Eagles got several offensive rebounds and second-chance points in the first quarter.
“You just can’t shoot that bad and beat anybody that’s good enough to be here in the state tournament,” said Jacksonville coach William Rountree. “We came out in a junk defense and the two we were guarding went into the half with a combined two points. So I thought our defense was OK. We didn’t quit. We fought hard in the second, we just couldn’t get anything going offensively.”
Jacksonville didn’t quit in the second half, even though Tech opened the third quarter with a 6-0 run to take a 31-8 lead.
The Lady Red Devils got to within 35-20 on a Williams’ 3-pointer. After a steal by Asiah Williams, Desiree Williams hit a 3-pointer just as the officials called an offensive infraction away from the ball. It would have pulled Jacksonville to within 12 with six minutes left. Instead, Tech’s Lara White hit her own 3-pointer to make it 38-20 and end the Lady Devil threat.
Only five Lady Red Devils scored in the game, with Antrice McCoy and Desiree Williams each finishing with 11 points. Alexis James and Asiah Williams each scored four for Jacksonville.
Blair Metheny led GCT with 11 points while Tyner and Josie Fletcher scored 10 apiece for the Lady Golden Eagles.
Leader sports editor
PARAGOULD — Atrocious shooting and trouble rebounding, especially in the first half, led to a first-round exit for Jacksonville in the Class 5A state tournament Tuesday. Host and 5A-East champion Greene County Tech moves on to the second round with its second win of the season over Jacksonville, 55-31.
The Lady Red Devils didn’t make a shot from the floor until the three-minute mark of the second quarter. Desiree Williams’ running baseline jumper made it 15-4 at that point. It was the beginning of a brief bright spot for the Lady Devils. Williams came off the bench to score six-straight points and cut the Eagles’ margin to eight, but the Lady Eagles also got help from their bench.
Post player Kassie Tyner came off the bench to score eight points in the last two minutes of the half, leading her team into intermission with a 25-8 advantage.
Jacksonville’s poor start included a turnover on its first possession and misses on its first 16 shots. Tech (22-6) didn’t shoot well early either, but the Lady Eagles got several offensive rebounds and second-chance points in the first quarter.
“You just can’t shoot that bad and beat anybody that’s good enough to be here in the state tournament,” said Jacksonville coach William Rountree. “We came out in a junk defense and the two we were guarding went into the half with a combined two points. So I thought our defense was OK. We didn’t quit. We fought hard in the second, we just couldn’t get anything going offensively.”
Jacksonville didn’t quit in the second half, even though Tech opened the third quarter with a 6-0 run to take a 31-8 lead.
The Lady Red Devils got to within 35-20 on a Williams’ 3-pointer. After a steal by Asiah Williams, Desiree Williams hit a 3-pointer just as the officials called an offensive infraction away from the ball. It would have pulled Jacksonville to within 12 with six minutes left. Instead, Tech’s Lara White hit her own 3-pointer to make it 38-20 and end the Lady Devil threat.
Only five Lady Red Devils scored in the game, with Antrice McCoy and Desiree Williams each finishing with 11 points. Alexis James and Asiah Williams each scored four for Jacksonville.
Blair Metheny led GCT with 11 points while Tyner and Josie Fletcher scored 10 apiece for the Lady Golden Eagles.
SPORTS STORY >> Lady Panthers get tourney host first
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Lady Panthers have been on a tear since their last loss all the way back on Jan. 20. They beat two of the highest-ranked teams in the state and earned a share of the 7A/6A-East Conference title. For all that they get the No. 3 seed, are the only conference champions to not get a first-round bye, and have to play their first-round state tournament game against host school Springdale Har-Ber. The Lady Panthers and Lady Wildcats are scheduled to tip off at 4 p.m. today.
“They’re pretty good and we have to play them at home so that will be tough,” said Cabot coach Carla Crowder.
Still, Cabot enters the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the state. Ball pressure on defense, transition offense and good ball movement in the half-court sets has been key to Cabot’s success. There’s also been more and more effective contribution from the bench during the recent run.
“Our kids are playing hard and playing well,” Crowder said. “We’re excited about that going into this thing, we just hope it will continue. Har-Ber is good.”
The Lady Wildcats will be bigger than Cabot, but not something the Lady Panthers haven’t dealt with, and overcome, before. North Little Rock and Little Rock Central, Cabot’s conference co-champions, are far bigger than Cabot, and Cabot beat them both in the last three weeks.
But size is about the only similarity between Har-Ber and those other two teams. The Lady Wildcats’ style of play is different and they’re not as athletic as the East teams.
“There’s nobody we’ve played that even resembles Har-Ber,” Crowder said. “So that’ll be a challenge. They like an up-tempo game, too, but our league is so athletic I don’t think it’s going to be like what we’ve seen. They’re pretty big. They shoot it very well and have a really good post player. They have the whole package.”
Har-Ber (20-9, 8-6) enters the tournament having lost four of its last five games. It lost four-straight before closing the season with a 64-48 road win at Rogers Heritage. Before that, they lost 66-52 at home to top-ranked Fort Smith Northside, 66-57 in overtime at FS Southside, 50-36 at home to second-seeded Fayetteville and 69-60 at home to three seed Bentonville.
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Lady Panthers have been on a tear since their last loss all the way back on Jan. 20. They beat two of the highest-ranked teams in the state and earned a share of the 7A/6A-East Conference title. For all that they get the No. 3 seed, are the only conference champions to not get a first-round bye, and have to play their first-round state tournament game against host school Springdale Har-Ber. The Lady Panthers and Lady Wildcats are scheduled to tip off at 4 p.m. today.
“They’re pretty good and we have to play them at home so that will be tough,” said Cabot coach Carla Crowder.
Still, Cabot enters the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the state. Ball pressure on defense, transition offense and good ball movement in the half-court sets has been key to Cabot’s success. There’s also been more and more effective contribution from the bench during the recent run.
“Our kids are playing hard and playing well,” Crowder said. “We’re excited about that going into this thing, we just hope it will continue. Har-Ber is good.”
The Lady Wildcats will be bigger than Cabot, but not something the Lady Panthers haven’t dealt with, and overcome, before. North Little Rock and Little Rock Central, Cabot’s conference co-champions, are far bigger than Cabot, and Cabot beat them both in the last three weeks.
But size is about the only similarity between Har-Ber and those other two teams. The Lady Wildcats’ style of play is different and they’re not as athletic as the East teams.
“There’s nobody we’ve played that even resembles Har-Ber,” Crowder said. “So that’ll be a challenge. They like an up-tempo game, too, but our league is so athletic I don’t think it’s going to be like what we’ve seen. They’re pretty big. They shoot it very well and have a really good post player. They have the whole package.”
Har-Ber (20-9, 8-6) enters the tournament having lost four of its last five games. It lost four-straight before closing the season with a 64-48 road win at Rogers Heritage. Before that, they lost 66-52 at home to top-ranked Fort Smith Northside, 66-57 in overtime at FS Southside, 50-36 at home to second-seeded Fayetteville and 69-60 at home to three seed Bentonville.
SPORTS STORY >> Malham honored, humbled by award
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Longtime Cabot High School head football coach Mike Malham was one of 12 members inducted into Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night at the 57th annual induction ceremony at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
Malham just completed his 34th season at CHS, and is one of the most successful coaches in Arkansas high school history. In his 34 years as head coach of the Panthers, Malham has compiled an impressive record of 274-114-4, making him the third-winningest coach in the state’s high school football history.
Under Malham’s lead, the Panthers have won two state championships. Their first came in 1983. That team finished with a 13-1 record, and in 2000, the Panthers won another state title and finished that season with a perfect 14-0 record.
Malham’s teams finished as state runner-up three times, in 1997, 1998 and in 2013. His teams have advanced to the state semifinals a total of 11 times, and have won 14 conference championships.
Malham said he was surprised and humbled when he got the news earlier this year that he’d be inducted into the latest Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame class, but said it was an enjoyable evening Friday, and he was quick to thank everyone that helped him earn this prestigious honor.
“I had a lot of people that came out and gave me a lot of support,” said Malham. “It was a great evening. I really enjoyed it – pretty humbled by it. I’m fortunate enough to be honored this way.
“Of course it took a lot of great teammates, coaches and players to help get me here. I didn’t get here by myself, that’s for sure. It was a fun evening, and I really enjoyed seeing a lot of the old greats that came before me, and they were all real nice and congratulated me.”
With Friday’s induction, Malham joined his father, Mike Malham Sr., into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Malham Sr., a former high school football coach at Little Rock Catholic and assistant at Arkansas State University, was inducted in 1999.
That makes the Malhams one of just a handful of father and son members in the state’s sports hall of fame.
“That’s kind of neat,” Malham said. “I think there are only five of those. In fact, Steve Jones is going in the same year as me, and my dad and his dad went in the same year. So that’s kind of neat.”
Stephen Jones is the son of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Stephen Jones and Malham, along with Dwight Adams, Pat Bradley, Leon Clements, Eldon Hawley, Bowden Wyatt, Christy Smith, Stan Lee, Carl Jackson, Jack Fleck and Ron Calcagni made up this year’s hall of fame class.
In addition to his coaching success, Malham saw success as a player as well. He had a successful playing career at Arkansas State, where he played from 1973-1975.
After the ASU Indians finished 11-0 and became the Southland Conference champions and finished No. 21 in the final Associated Press poll among major universities his senior season, Malham was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 17th round of the NFL Draft in 1976.
A broken arm ended his professional playing career in 1977, and his coaching career began as an assistant at Jacksonville High School in 1978. The Red Devils won the state championship in 1981, Malham’s last year there.
He was named the head coach at Cabot in 1981, and has been there ever since. Part of the shock Malham received when he got the news of his hall of fame induction stemmed from the fact that he’s still coaching.
“When I got the call it did shock me a little bit,” Malham said, “because I’m still actively coaching. Usually that’s something that comes after your career is over. It shocked me a little bit, but, again, it’s a humbling experience.
“Everybody was so nice, and like I said, the support that I have from Cabot, I think we had about 10 or 12 tables here, it was really neat. Not only were all these other people here, but Cabot was well-represented, which represents me, and I appreciated that.”
Leader sportswriter
Longtime Cabot High School head football coach Mike Malham was one of 12 members inducted into Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night at the 57th annual induction ceremony at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
Malham just completed his 34th season at CHS, and is one of the most successful coaches in Arkansas high school history. In his 34 years as head coach of the Panthers, Malham has compiled an impressive record of 274-114-4, making him the third-winningest coach in the state’s high school football history.
Under Malham’s lead, the Panthers have won two state championships. Their first came in 1983. That team finished with a 13-1 record, and in 2000, the Panthers won another state title and finished that season with a perfect 14-0 record.
Malham’s teams finished as state runner-up three times, in 1997, 1998 and in 2013. His teams have advanced to the state semifinals a total of 11 times, and have won 14 conference championships.
Malham said he was surprised and humbled when he got the news earlier this year that he’d be inducted into the latest Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame class, but said it was an enjoyable evening Friday, and he was quick to thank everyone that helped him earn this prestigious honor.
“I had a lot of people that came out and gave me a lot of support,” said Malham. “It was a great evening. I really enjoyed it – pretty humbled by it. I’m fortunate enough to be honored this way.
“Of course it took a lot of great teammates, coaches and players to help get me here. I didn’t get here by myself, that’s for sure. It was a fun evening, and I really enjoyed seeing a lot of the old greats that came before me, and they were all real nice and congratulated me.”
With Friday’s induction, Malham joined his father, Mike Malham Sr., into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Malham Sr., a former high school football coach at Little Rock Catholic and assistant at Arkansas State University, was inducted in 1999.
That makes the Malhams one of just a handful of father and son members in the state’s sports hall of fame.
“That’s kind of neat,” Malham said. “I think there are only five of those. In fact, Steve Jones is going in the same year as me, and my dad and his dad went in the same year. So that’s kind of neat.”
Stephen Jones is the son of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Stephen Jones and Malham, along with Dwight Adams, Pat Bradley, Leon Clements, Eldon Hawley, Bowden Wyatt, Christy Smith, Stan Lee, Carl Jackson, Jack Fleck and Ron Calcagni made up this year’s hall of fame class.
In addition to his coaching success, Malham saw success as a player as well. He had a successful playing career at Arkansas State, where he played from 1973-1975.
After the ASU Indians finished 11-0 and became the Southland Conference champions and finished No. 21 in the final Associated Press poll among major universities his senior season, Malham was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 17th round of the NFL Draft in 1976.
A broken arm ended his professional playing career in 1977, and his coaching career began as an assistant at Jacksonville High School in 1978. The Red Devils won the state championship in 1981, Malham’s last year there.
He was named the head coach at Cabot in 1981, and has been there ever since. Part of the shock Malham received when he got the news of his hall of fame induction stemmed from the fact that he’s still coaching.
“When I got the call it did shock me a little bit,” Malham said, “because I’m still actively coaching. Usually that’s something that comes after your career is over. It shocked me a little bit, but, again, it’s a humbling experience.
“Everybody was so nice, and like I said, the support that I have from Cabot, I think we had about 10 or 12 tables here, it was really neat. Not only were all these other people here, but Cabot was well-represented, which represents me, and I appreciated that.”
SPORTS STORY >> Red Devils are ready to run
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The first round of the Class 5A boys’ state tournament will feature a rematch of last year’s state championship game. Jacksonville and Forrest City will take the floor at Greene County Tech High School in Paragould at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in what could be the most exciting game of the first round.
Forrest City interim coach Barry Hodges has his team running at a blistering pace. The No. 2 seed from the East has broken the 90-point margin three times this season, and Hodges believes that’s when his bunch is at its best.
“It’s absolutely nothing like our state championship team,” Hodges said on Monday. “Last year we went 6-foot-8, 6-6 and 6-5 in the starting lineup. This year our tallest guy is 6-3 and my only real post player is a football kid who’s about 6-0 or maybe 6-1. So we had to play faster and we have some guys who can shoot it. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t.”
Forrest City (15-11, 11-3) is led by junior guard Robert Glasper, who was the only starting underclassman from last year’s team that beat Jacksonville handily in the state finals. He averages almost 25 points per game and has scored more than 30 several times.
Jacksonville also has shooters, but has looked its best playing a half-court game, feeding 6-4 Tedrick Wolfe and 6-3 Devin Campbell inside. Both of those guys can also step outside and score, and Campbell is also effective off the dribble.
Teams that have been able to force a frenetic pace have troubled the Red Devils this season, but head coach Vic Joyner welcomes the challenge.
“If they want to run, let’s run,” said Joyner. “It’s not running that has hurt us. It’s been pressure. We have athletes and we have some depth, so just running up and down the court is no big deal. We haven’t done it much this year because we haven’t been disciplined enough to press ourselves. When we settle down and execute my offense is when we look really good.”
Jacksonville hasn’t had a size advantage many times this year, but will have one on Thursday. So despite Joyner’s talk of running with the Mustangs, the Devils might slow it down and feed the middle.
“Listen, this team doesn’t really have an identity,” Joyner said. “This team has just had to morph into whatever we need given each matchup. Sometimes we’ve done that and looked extremely good. Other times we’ve struggled and looked like crap. But our struggles have primarily been our own fault, not the people we were playing. If we’ll just go out there and take care of our own business, we’re as good as anybody in 5A.”
Both teams’ most recent games have been against their respective league’s champions. Jacksonville (20-7, 10-4) pulled off a mild upset by going to previous 5A-Central unbeaten McClellan and winning 68-64 in overtime. The Red Devils did it by cutting off the lane on defense and playing with patience on offense. Wolfe finished with 25 while Campbell had 11. Sophomore guard Tyree Appleby scored 18 from outside to help keep things open inside.
“We played a complete game and executed,” Joyner said. “Their two main guys got their points, but they weren’t all dunks like they were when they beat us. They had to work.”
Forrest City comes off an 80-62 loss to Valley View. Unlike Jacksonville’s game with McClellan, for which nothing was on the line, the winner of the FC-VV game at FCHS was for a share of the conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the state tournament. The Mustangs had beaten the Blazers 90-88 in their first meeting in Jonesboro.
Forrest City has been without longtime leader Dwight Lofton, who suffered two strokes between the Christmas break and the second conference game, the last one requiring surgery, hospitalization and a long period of rest.
Hodges has been with Lofton at Forrest City for 18 years, making the transition easier for the players.
“I’ve been here so long there wasn’t much adjustment the players had to do as far as how things are done around here,” Hodges said. “Just the fact of not having coach Lofton around, that has been a big adjustment for everyone, me included. I’m really kind of surprised and pleased and very proud of how well our players have handled it.”
Leader sports editor
The first round of the Class 5A boys’ state tournament will feature a rematch of last year’s state championship game. Jacksonville and Forrest City will take the floor at Greene County Tech High School in Paragould at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in what could be the most exciting game of the first round.
Forrest City interim coach Barry Hodges has his team running at a blistering pace. The No. 2 seed from the East has broken the 90-point margin three times this season, and Hodges believes that’s when his bunch is at its best.
“It’s absolutely nothing like our state championship team,” Hodges said on Monday. “Last year we went 6-foot-8, 6-6 and 6-5 in the starting lineup. This year our tallest guy is 6-3 and my only real post player is a football kid who’s about 6-0 or maybe 6-1. So we had to play faster and we have some guys who can shoot it. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t.”
Forrest City (15-11, 11-3) is led by junior guard Robert Glasper, who was the only starting underclassman from last year’s team that beat Jacksonville handily in the state finals. He averages almost 25 points per game and has scored more than 30 several times.
Jacksonville also has shooters, but has looked its best playing a half-court game, feeding 6-4 Tedrick Wolfe and 6-3 Devin Campbell inside. Both of those guys can also step outside and score, and Campbell is also effective off the dribble.
Teams that have been able to force a frenetic pace have troubled the Red Devils this season, but head coach Vic Joyner welcomes the challenge.
“If they want to run, let’s run,” said Joyner. “It’s not running that has hurt us. It’s been pressure. We have athletes and we have some depth, so just running up and down the court is no big deal. We haven’t done it much this year because we haven’t been disciplined enough to press ourselves. When we settle down and execute my offense is when we look really good.”
Jacksonville hasn’t had a size advantage many times this year, but will have one on Thursday. So despite Joyner’s talk of running with the Mustangs, the Devils might slow it down and feed the middle.
“Listen, this team doesn’t really have an identity,” Joyner said. “This team has just had to morph into whatever we need given each matchup. Sometimes we’ve done that and looked extremely good. Other times we’ve struggled and looked like crap. But our struggles have primarily been our own fault, not the people we were playing. If we’ll just go out there and take care of our own business, we’re as good as anybody in 5A.”
Both teams’ most recent games have been against their respective league’s champions. Jacksonville (20-7, 10-4) pulled off a mild upset by going to previous 5A-Central unbeaten McClellan and winning 68-64 in overtime. The Red Devils did it by cutting off the lane on defense and playing with patience on offense. Wolfe finished with 25 while Campbell had 11. Sophomore guard Tyree Appleby scored 18 from outside to help keep things open inside.
“We played a complete game and executed,” Joyner said. “Their two main guys got their points, but they weren’t all dunks like they were when they beat us. They had to work.”
Forrest City comes off an 80-62 loss to Valley View. Unlike Jacksonville’s game with McClellan, for which nothing was on the line, the winner of the FC-VV game at FCHS was for a share of the conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the state tournament. The Mustangs had beaten the Blazers 90-88 in their first meeting in Jonesboro.
Forrest City has been without longtime leader Dwight Lofton, who suffered two strokes between the Christmas break and the second conference game, the last one requiring surgery, hospitalization and a long period of rest.
Hodges has been with Lofton at Forrest City for 18 years, making the transition easier for the players.
“I’ve been here so long there wasn’t much adjustment the players had to do as far as how things are done around here,” Hodges said. “Just the fact of not having coach Lofton around, that has been a big adjustment for everyone, me included. I’m really kind of surprised and pleased and very proud of how well our players have handled it.”
EDITORIAL >> More funds for air base
“Sequestration is the dark cloud up ahead, and it could affect us in readiness,” Col. Patrick Rhatigan, commander of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, recently told The Leader.
Rhatigan said, eventually, the Air Force has to get back to pre-sequestration funding levels and beyond. “We took a hit in Little Rock on flying, then got some relief in FY 2015, and we thought we turned the corner,” the colonel said.
While budget cutbacks or another round of sequestration could slow modernization and infrastructure replacement, three major projects worth $133.6 million are underway at Little Rock Air Force Base and due for completion by 2017.
Those include rebuilding a 50-year-old runway and adjacent landing strip. Sundt Construction of Tempe, Ariz., is the contractor. In addition, the construction of a fifth C-130J simulator is underway as the 19th Airlift Wing transitions to an all C-130J combat unit. They needed a new 12,000-foot runway and adjacent landing strip, along with the construction of a fifth C-130J simulator as the wing continues its combat missions in Asia and Africa in the war against al-Qaida and the so-called Islamic State.
Currently, the base has four C-130J simulators, and an annex to house the fifth is due for completion by November. Alessi-Keyes Construction of Maumelle is the contractor and the cost of the project is $4,218,503.
The base has eight aircraft and 12 crews deployed in Afghanistan, one airframe and two crews flying in support of the Combined Joint Task Force in the Horn of Africa, supporting that operation as they counter the violent extremist groups in East Africa and two flying out of central Europe, flying missions and sitting alert for places like Libya, Rhatigan said.
Although the size and scope of all other construction at the base is overshadowed by the construction of the runway and airstrip, there’s still more construction going on. To keep the planes flying, they need fuel to stay in the air. The new C-130 fuel-cell building project is 74 percent completed.
As part of their job, fuel-systems repair airmen here immerse themselves in highly flammable fuel tanks to keep C-130s flying. The team of more than 80 enlisted airmen works three shifts around the clock to get the job done.
They will service, maintain, repair and, if necessary, replace the plastic wing bladders that actually hold the fuel. The original awarded amount in June 2013 was $20,869,000, but the scope of work increased. The new facility replaces Hangar 222, a 1950s-era building that was not designed for the C-130.
Construction of the new two-bay fuel-systems maintenance hangar project is on schedule for November completion. That new building is being constructed on a design-build contract by Ross Construction Corp. of Tulsa for $21,464,972.
But sequestration still looms, with no assurance that there won’t be another round of sequestration imposed by Congress this year. Including the National Guard and the Reserve, the Air Force seeks a troop strength of 492,000 airmen. The Active Air Force would account for about 311,000 of that, the lowest since the Air Force was formed in 1947 with 307,000.
“It’s easy to get caught up in sequestration and what’s the next plane,” Rhatigan said. “The main thing is to let people know we’ve got to make sure the airmen are focused on the missions.”
As Washington politicians haggle over the defense budget, it could take years before our base gets another major infusion of funds. The $133.6 million in improvements will make LRAFB better prepared for the tasks ahead.
Our airmen have been flying into hot spots on three continents almost nonstop since 9/11. They deserve all the improvements and all the help a grateful nation can give them.
Rhatigan said, eventually, the Air Force has to get back to pre-sequestration funding levels and beyond. “We took a hit in Little Rock on flying, then got some relief in FY 2015, and we thought we turned the corner,” the colonel said.
While budget cutbacks or another round of sequestration could slow modernization and infrastructure replacement, three major projects worth $133.6 million are underway at Little Rock Air Force Base and due for completion by 2017.
Those include rebuilding a 50-year-old runway and adjacent landing strip. Sundt Construction of Tempe, Ariz., is the contractor. In addition, the construction of a fifth C-130J simulator is underway as the 19th Airlift Wing transitions to an all C-130J combat unit. They needed a new 12,000-foot runway and adjacent landing strip, along with the construction of a fifth C-130J simulator as the wing continues its combat missions in Asia and Africa in the war against al-Qaida and the so-called Islamic State.
Currently, the base has four C-130J simulators, and an annex to house the fifth is due for completion by November. Alessi-Keyes Construction of Maumelle is the contractor and the cost of the project is $4,218,503.
The base has eight aircraft and 12 crews deployed in Afghanistan, one airframe and two crews flying in support of the Combined Joint Task Force in the Horn of Africa, supporting that operation as they counter the violent extremist groups in East Africa and two flying out of central Europe, flying missions and sitting alert for places like Libya, Rhatigan said.
Although the size and scope of all other construction at the base is overshadowed by the construction of the runway and airstrip, there’s still more construction going on. To keep the planes flying, they need fuel to stay in the air. The new C-130 fuel-cell building project is 74 percent completed.
As part of their job, fuel-systems repair airmen here immerse themselves in highly flammable fuel tanks to keep C-130s flying. The team of more than 80 enlisted airmen works three shifts around the clock to get the job done.
They will service, maintain, repair and, if necessary, replace the plastic wing bladders that actually hold the fuel. The original awarded amount in June 2013 was $20,869,000, but the scope of work increased. The new facility replaces Hangar 222, a 1950s-era building that was not designed for the C-130.
Construction of the new two-bay fuel-systems maintenance hangar project is on schedule for November completion. That new building is being constructed on a design-build contract by Ross Construction Corp. of Tulsa for $21,464,972.
But sequestration still looms, with no assurance that there won’t be another round of sequestration imposed by Congress this year. Including the National Guard and the Reserve, the Air Force seeks a troop strength of 492,000 airmen. The Active Air Force would account for about 311,000 of that, the lowest since the Air Force was formed in 1947 with 307,000.
“It’s easy to get caught up in sequestration and what’s the next plane,” Rhatigan said. “The main thing is to let people know we’ve got to make sure the airmen are focused on the missions.”
As Washington politicians haggle over the defense budget, it could take years before our base gets another major infusion of funds. The $133.6 million in improvements will make LRAFB better prepared for the tasks ahead.
Our airmen have been flying into hot spots on three continents almost nonstop since 9/11. They deserve all the improvements and all the help a grateful nation can give them.
TOP STORY >> Leader starts its 29th year
The Leader is starting its 29th year this week. The award-winning newspaper was launched 28 years ago with the March 4, 1987 issue.
One headline on the front page: “Lester is optimistic on new busing plan, pushes millage hike.”
Bobby Lester was superintendent of the Pulaski County Special School District then and is now interim superintendent of the Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District.
We have covered local school news almost every week since then.
Our talented staff of reporters and photographers cover news, sports and events that matter to you.
When Jacksonville residents pushed for their own school district, we helped lead the way to make it happen. When we called the Pulaski County Special School District dysfunctional, the state agreed and took over the troubled school district.
The Leader has covered Cabot’s growing school district from day one and told readers Cabot’s district would be a good model for its neighbors to follow.
We are a family-owned Arkansas newspaper that has helped build this community for 28 years. We will build on this tradition of journalism excellence for years to come.
The Leader has been locally-owned and operated since the beginning. We live where you live. When you buy and advertise in The Leader, your money stays in our communities. We have the hometown advantage.
There are only a few family-owned newspapers left in Arkansas. Most are owned by out-of-state corporations with no other local connection.
We thank our readers and advertisers for making The Leader the biggest paid non-daily newspaper in Arkansas.
To subscribe for a year, send $18 to The Leader, 404 Graham Road, Jacksonville, Ark. 72076, or 105 N. 8th St., Cabot Ark. 72203. Call 501-982-9421 or 501-941-5132 to subscribe with a credit card.
One headline on the front page: “Lester is optimistic on new busing plan, pushes millage hike.”
Bobby Lester was superintendent of the Pulaski County Special School District then and is now interim superintendent of the Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District.
We have covered local school news almost every week since then.
Our talented staff of reporters and photographers cover news, sports and events that matter to you.
When Jacksonville residents pushed for their own school district, we helped lead the way to make it happen. When we called the Pulaski County Special School District dysfunctional, the state agreed and took over the troubled school district.
The Leader has covered Cabot’s growing school district from day one and told readers Cabot’s district would be a good model for its neighbors to follow.
We are a family-owned Arkansas newspaper that has helped build this community for 28 years. We will build on this tradition of journalism excellence for years to come.
The Leader has been locally-owned and operated since the beginning. We live where you live. When you buy and advertise in The Leader, your money stays in our communities. We have the hometown advantage.
There are only a few family-owned newspapers left in Arkansas. Most are owned by out-of-state corporations with no other local connection.
We thank our readers and advertisers for making The Leader the biggest paid non-daily newspaper in Arkansas.
To subscribe for a year, send $18 to The Leader, 404 Graham Road, Jacksonville, Ark. 72076, or 105 N. 8th St., Cabot Ark. 72203. Call 501-982-9421 or 501-941-5132 to subscribe with a credit card.
TOP STORY >> CHS to present musical ‘Shrek’
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
The Cabot High School Theater presents “Shrek the Musical” at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $8 and can be reserved by texting 501-259-1305.
The musical is based on the 2001 film. Student director Heidi Mackey explained that Shrek is an ogre who was sent away by his family when he was 7 to live in a swamp.
Shrek was happily living alone there when Lord Farquaad banished fairy-tale creatures to the swamp for being freaks of nature and not conforming to his vision of society.
Shrek goes to the Castle Duloc to talk with Lord Farquaad because he wants his swamp back. Lord Farquaad is looking for a queen because he is not considered a king without a queen.
The Gingerbread man tells the lord there is a princess in a dragon guarded castle.
Farquaad makes a deal with Shrek. If Shrek gets the princess, he sayw he will give Shrek the swamp back.
The musical follows the adventure as Shrek and Donkey go out to find Princess Fiona and bring her to Lord Farquaad.
Kolby Cole, who plays Shrek, said, “Shrek grows up believing the world hates him. He finds friendship through Donkey and learns the world isn’t so bad.
“Being the hero, he becomes more appreciative of what he is gaining. It’s a huge honor to take on this role.”
J.P. Gairhan, who plays Donkey, said that character brings a touch of humor and some light-heartedness. But, really, Donkey just wants a happy ending for Shrek and Fiona.
Jeni Fuller, who has the role of Fiona, said the most challenging part for her will be doing a full tap-dance break in “Morning Person” and to sing afterward.
Student director Zoe Eddington said the best part of this show was, “creating the cast list and then watching it all come to life. Seeing all the hard work everyone puts into the show and seeing it come together.”
Mackey said the students started work on the musical in November. “We missed six days of rehearsals due to snow. But all the leads went to the second student director’s house and rehearsed on their own as a group.
“The pit band is working continuous hours. The music is hard. Makeup and costume is what is going to make the show. We made a lot of props and costumes,” Mackey added.
The cast includes Seth Stewart and Andrew Hupp as Lord Farquaad, Charl Young as Pinocchio, Ashley Martin as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Hannah Brletich as Dragon, Tanner Johnson as the Pied Piper, Spencer Worth as Papa Ogre, Annalisse Riley as Mama Ogre, Justin Cheatham as King Harold, Aspen Hendricks as Queen Lillian and Brandon Turner as Captain of the Guard.
The show features Keaton Grimmett as Thelonius, Ashley Julison as Teen Fiona, Piper Mobbs and Lily Guess as Young Fiona, Wyatt McMahan as Young Shrek, McKenzie Marks as the Shoemaker’s Elf, Jordan Gately as the Big Bad Wolf and Bishop, Savannah Woods as the Head Duloc Dancer, Marcela Shipley as the Fairy Godmother, Greg Stone, DJ Boswell and Skyler Ward as the Three Little Pigs; Autumn Romines as Humpty Dumpty, Ashton Williams as Miss Far Far Away, Blain Mahoney as Peter Pan and Audrey Lightfoot as Wendy.
Also in the musical are Emily Adair as Tinker Bell, Payton Carlton and Courtney Lewis as the White Rabbits, Greer King as the Wicked Witch, Madi Burrow and Elizabeth Ring as the Ugly Ducklings, Lane Burchfield as Papa Bear, Clarissa Struble as Mama Bear, Brooklyn Jennings as Baby Bear, Jay King as the Mad Hatter, Savannah Woods, Laiken Kaylor and Ashley Julison as the Three Blind Mice, April Watts as Esmeralda, Allie DeStefano as Dorothy, Holdyn Barnes as Aladdin, Vicky Ray as Jasmine, Avery Elliot as Little Bo Beep, Sydney Calvert as Dorothy, Natalie Brewer as Little Red Riding Hood and Kallie Benedict as Mother Goose.
The Duloc Announcers are Lauren Travis, Kelsey Drees, Caleigh Pickard and Ashton Williams. The Freak Flag Spinners are Allie DeStefano and Sydney Calvert. The Dragon Doo Wop Singers are Natalie Way, Autumne Kendricks, Heidi Mackey and Rheagan Tyner.
The Dancing Duloc Per-formers are Savannah Woods, Lauren Travis, Laiken Kaylor, Sarah Mitchell, Saralyn Hell-stern, Ashley Julison, Macy McClanahan, Destiny Coyle, Corbin Friddle, Autumn Romines, Kelsey Drees, Madison Coffer, Charl Young, Halie Eastham, Caleigh Pick-ard, Shelby Thompson, Braylin Powers, Lauren Roberts, Savanna Young, Madison Schumacher and Lindsey Slazman.
The Knights are Logan Melder, Jalen Hemphill, Benjamin Davis, Brennen Applegate, Justin Hagar, Cody Nabors, Seth Carter, Easton Seidl, Kent Tarvin, Cody Pugh, Jack Teague and Tristan Bulice.
The Happy People featured singers are Emily Freeman, Payton Adam, Brittany Billingsly, Haleigh Geheb, Hannah Scogin, Jessica Pauley, Amariz Galvex, Rheagan Tyner and Gracie New.
The Angry Mob and Knights are Kayla Looney, Amanda Gathright, McKenzie Runsick, Hallie Lubinski and Kayli Sims.
The Rat Trappers are Savannah Woods, Kelsey Drees, Charl Young, Caleigh Pickard, Lauren Travis, Macy McClanahan, Laiken Kaylor, Christian Weatherly, Alexis Baker and Ashlee Hankins.
The Seven Dwarfs are Sam Owens, Isabel Carpenter, Logan Williams, Paisley Mobbs, Asa Eddington, Cash Tarvin and Grace Bing.
The Skeleton Tumblers are Morgan Walters, Brooklyn Jennings, Lauren Travis, Aspen Hendricks and Halie Eastham.
The Dragon Puppeteers are Noah Tiner, Gacie New, Payton Adams, Brittney Billingsley, Amaris Galvez, Kayli Sims and Brent Simmons.
Leader staff writer
The Cabot High School Theater presents “Shrek the Musical” at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $8 and can be reserved by texting 501-259-1305.
The musical is based on the 2001 film. Student director Heidi Mackey explained that Shrek is an ogre who was sent away by his family when he was 7 to live in a swamp.
Shrek was happily living alone there when Lord Farquaad banished fairy-tale creatures to the swamp for being freaks of nature and not conforming to his vision of society.
Shrek goes to the Castle Duloc to talk with Lord Farquaad because he wants his swamp back. Lord Farquaad is looking for a queen because he is not considered a king without a queen.
The Gingerbread man tells the lord there is a princess in a dragon guarded castle.
Farquaad makes a deal with Shrek. If Shrek gets the princess, he sayw he will give Shrek the swamp back.
The musical follows the adventure as Shrek and Donkey go out to find Princess Fiona and bring her to Lord Farquaad.
Kolby Cole, who plays Shrek, said, “Shrek grows up believing the world hates him. He finds friendship through Donkey and learns the world isn’t so bad.
“Being the hero, he becomes more appreciative of what he is gaining. It’s a huge honor to take on this role.”
J.P. Gairhan, who plays Donkey, said that character brings a touch of humor and some light-heartedness. But, really, Donkey just wants a happy ending for Shrek and Fiona.
Jeni Fuller, who has the role of Fiona, said the most challenging part for her will be doing a full tap-dance break in “Morning Person” and to sing afterward.
Student director Zoe Eddington said the best part of this show was, “creating the cast list and then watching it all come to life. Seeing all the hard work everyone puts into the show and seeing it come together.”
Mackey said the students started work on the musical in November. “We missed six days of rehearsals due to snow. But all the leads went to the second student director’s house and rehearsed on their own as a group.
“The pit band is working continuous hours. The music is hard. Makeup and costume is what is going to make the show. We made a lot of props and costumes,” Mackey added.
The cast includes Seth Stewart and Andrew Hupp as Lord Farquaad, Charl Young as Pinocchio, Ashley Martin as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Hannah Brletich as Dragon, Tanner Johnson as the Pied Piper, Spencer Worth as Papa Ogre, Annalisse Riley as Mama Ogre, Justin Cheatham as King Harold, Aspen Hendricks as Queen Lillian and Brandon Turner as Captain of the Guard.
The show features Keaton Grimmett as Thelonius, Ashley Julison as Teen Fiona, Piper Mobbs and Lily Guess as Young Fiona, Wyatt McMahan as Young Shrek, McKenzie Marks as the Shoemaker’s Elf, Jordan Gately as the Big Bad Wolf and Bishop, Savannah Woods as the Head Duloc Dancer, Marcela Shipley as the Fairy Godmother, Greg Stone, DJ Boswell and Skyler Ward as the Three Little Pigs; Autumn Romines as Humpty Dumpty, Ashton Williams as Miss Far Far Away, Blain Mahoney as Peter Pan and Audrey Lightfoot as Wendy.
Also in the musical are Emily Adair as Tinker Bell, Payton Carlton and Courtney Lewis as the White Rabbits, Greer King as the Wicked Witch, Madi Burrow and Elizabeth Ring as the Ugly Ducklings, Lane Burchfield as Papa Bear, Clarissa Struble as Mama Bear, Brooklyn Jennings as Baby Bear, Jay King as the Mad Hatter, Savannah Woods, Laiken Kaylor and Ashley Julison as the Three Blind Mice, April Watts as Esmeralda, Allie DeStefano as Dorothy, Holdyn Barnes as Aladdin, Vicky Ray as Jasmine, Avery Elliot as Little Bo Beep, Sydney Calvert as Dorothy, Natalie Brewer as Little Red Riding Hood and Kallie Benedict as Mother Goose.
The Duloc Announcers are Lauren Travis, Kelsey Drees, Caleigh Pickard and Ashton Williams. The Freak Flag Spinners are Allie DeStefano and Sydney Calvert. The Dragon Doo Wop Singers are Natalie Way, Autumne Kendricks, Heidi Mackey and Rheagan Tyner.
The Dancing Duloc Per-formers are Savannah Woods, Lauren Travis, Laiken Kaylor, Sarah Mitchell, Saralyn Hell-stern, Ashley Julison, Macy McClanahan, Destiny Coyle, Corbin Friddle, Autumn Romines, Kelsey Drees, Madison Coffer, Charl Young, Halie Eastham, Caleigh Pick-ard, Shelby Thompson, Braylin Powers, Lauren Roberts, Savanna Young, Madison Schumacher and Lindsey Slazman.
The Knights are Logan Melder, Jalen Hemphill, Benjamin Davis, Brennen Applegate, Justin Hagar, Cody Nabors, Seth Carter, Easton Seidl, Kent Tarvin, Cody Pugh, Jack Teague and Tristan Bulice.
The Happy People featured singers are Emily Freeman, Payton Adam, Brittany Billingsly, Haleigh Geheb, Hannah Scogin, Jessica Pauley, Amariz Galvex, Rheagan Tyner and Gracie New.
The Angry Mob and Knights are Kayla Looney, Amanda Gathright, McKenzie Runsick, Hallie Lubinski and Kayli Sims.
The Rat Trappers are Savannah Woods, Kelsey Drees, Charl Young, Caleigh Pickard, Lauren Travis, Macy McClanahan, Laiken Kaylor, Christian Weatherly, Alexis Baker and Ashlee Hankins.
The Seven Dwarfs are Sam Owens, Isabel Carpenter, Logan Williams, Paisley Mobbs, Asa Eddington, Cash Tarvin and Grace Bing.
The Skeleton Tumblers are Morgan Walters, Brooklyn Jennings, Lauren Travis, Aspen Hendricks and Halie Eastham.
The Dragon Puppeteers are Noah Tiner, Gacie New, Payton Adams, Brittney Billingsley, Amaris Galvez, Kayli Sims and Brent Simmons.
TOP STORY >> Bill to form new districts passes
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
House Bill 1242, which, without naming them, makes it easier for Sherwood and Maumelle to form their own school districts by detaching from the Pulaski County Special School District, passed the Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 20-6.
Eight didn’t vote, and the bill was returned to the House, which is expected to send it to the governor for his signature.
HB1242 lowers the threshold to 2,500 students for districts trying to stand up their own districts. The law previously required 4,000 students, which was fine for its then-intended purpose, allowing Jacksonville to detach from PCSSD.
Jacksonville has jumped through three decades worth of hoops, including desegregation concerns, court approval, approval by PCSSD, approval by the state Board of Education and approval by a majority of affected residents (95 percent of voters supported the split in a special election). The city is now just a year off from having neighborhood schools.
Senate sponsors Jane English (R-North Little Rock) and Mark Lowery (R-Maumelle) were among the 20 yea votes, as was Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot).
Sen. Linda Chesterfield (D-Little Rock), whose husband was president of the Pulaski County Association of Support Staff, voted against the measure, as did Sen. Joyce Elliott (D-Little Rock), who is past president of the Pulaski Association of Classroom Teachers.
Among local senators, only Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe) didn’t vote.
In the House last week, the bill passed 60-21, with 18 not voting. House sponsors were state Reps. Karilyn Brown (R-Sherwood) and Donnie Copeland (R-North Little Rock).
State Rep. David Hillman (D-Almyra) was among the nay votes in the House, with Copeland, Bob Johnson (D- Jacksonville), Douglas House (R-North Little Rock) and Jeremy Gillam (R-Judsonia) not voting.
Still in the way of both detachments is a court-approved desegregation agreement that declares only Jacksonville can detach from PCSSD until it is declared unitary — desegregated — in all aspects.
Each district will also have to conduct timely feasibility studies that show, among other things, that a new district could support itself, achieve racial balance and would not harm PCSSD by detaching.
Sherwood has already completed one study that shows all three, including that the racial composition of its proposed district would mirror PCSSD.
But a new study will be required to factor in changes that are a result of the Jacksonville split.
Maumelle has not completed a feasibility study yet.
Leader senior staff writer
House Bill 1242, which, without naming them, makes it easier for Sherwood and Maumelle to form their own school districts by detaching from the Pulaski County Special School District, passed the Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 20-6.
Eight didn’t vote, and the bill was returned to the House, which is expected to send it to the governor for his signature.
HB1242 lowers the threshold to 2,500 students for districts trying to stand up their own districts. The law previously required 4,000 students, which was fine for its then-intended purpose, allowing Jacksonville to detach from PCSSD.
Jacksonville has jumped through three decades worth of hoops, including desegregation concerns, court approval, approval by PCSSD, approval by the state Board of Education and approval by a majority of affected residents (95 percent of voters supported the split in a special election). The city is now just a year off from having neighborhood schools.
Senate sponsors Jane English (R-North Little Rock) and Mark Lowery (R-Maumelle) were among the 20 yea votes, as was Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot).
Sen. Linda Chesterfield (D-Little Rock), whose husband was president of the Pulaski County Association of Support Staff, voted against the measure, as did Sen. Joyce Elliott (D-Little Rock), who is past president of the Pulaski Association of Classroom Teachers.
Among local senators, only Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe) didn’t vote.
In the House last week, the bill passed 60-21, with 18 not voting. House sponsors were state Reps. Karilyn Brown (R-Sherwood) and Donnie Copeland (R-North Little Rock).
State Rep. David Hillman (D-Almyra) was among the nay votes in the House, with Copeland, Bob Johnson (D- Jacksonville), Douglas House (R-North Little Rock) and Jeremy Gillam (R-Judsonia) not voting.
Still in the way of both detachments is a court-approved desegregation agreement that declares only Jacksonville can detach from PCSSD until it is declared unitary — desegregated — in all aspects.
Each district will also have to conduct timely feasibility studies that show, among other things, that a new district could support itself, achieve racial balance and would not harm PCSSD by detaching.
Sherwood has already completed one study that shows all three, including that the racial composition of its proposed district would mirror PCSSD.
But a new study will be required to factor in changes that are a result of the Jacksonville split.
Maumelle has not completed a feasibility study yet.
Friday, February 27, 2015
EDITORIAL >> Common Core fails many kids
The biggest problem with Common Core is not the curriculum, but the testing — it sets up Jacksonville students to fail.
Students will fail, not because of lack of knowledge, but because of lack of computer and keyboarding skills.
Many students are excellent writers and Common Core testing will require students to write at least one essay or narrative. With pencil and paper students can focus on being creative and making sure of the facts, but on the computer, the focus moves from content to where the letters are on the keyboard or how to indent a paragraph.
Now this may not be true everywhere, but students in Pulaski County Special School District are not taught keyboarding. It’s simply not required.
So students go in at a disadvantage. Not knowing basic keyboarding skills can cause frustration and students could shut down or just type in anything to be done with it.
A student must be able to type 20 words a minute fluently to “write” on the computer faster than they do with a pencil. Test your child. If they can’t do that as a minimum there is a chance they will fail or at least score much lower than their ability on the language arts portion of the test.
Yes, computers are the wave of the future. Walt Disney recognized that 40 years ago, but one must be trained to operate in that wave. And scoring high on Minecraft or New Jack City isn’t keyboarding training.
The typewriter has gone the way of the dodo bird, but not keyboarding. It’s more important as ever as Common Core essays are graded on spelling, mechanics and sentence structure – as well as content and style –but spelling, mechanics and sentences go downhill without keyboard training.
Lts knot set up r children 4 failere. — Rick Kron
Students will fail, not because of lack of knowledge, but because of lack of computer and keyboarding skills.
Many students are excellent writers and Common Core testing will require students to write at least one essay or narrative. With pencil and paper students can focus on being creative and making sure of the facts, but on the computer, the focus moves from content to where the letters are on the keyboard or how to indent a paragraph.
Now this may not be true everywhere, but students in Pulaski County Special School District are not taught keyboarding. It’s simply not required.
So students go in at a disadvantage. Not knowing basic keyboarding skills can cause frustration and students could shut down or just type in anything to be done with it.
A student must be able to type 20 words a minute fluently to “write” on the computer faster than they do with a pencil. Test your child. If they can’t do that as a minimum there is a chance they will fail or at least score much lower than their ability on the language arts portion of the test.
Yes, computers are the wave of the future. Walt Disney recognized that 40 years ago, but one must be trained to operate in that wave. And scoring high on Minecraft or New Jack City isn’t keyboarding training.
The typewriter has gone the way of the dodo bird, but not keyboarding. It’s more important as ever as Common Core essays are graded on spelling, mechanics and sentence structure – as well as content and style –but spelling, mechanics and sentences go downhill without keyboard training.
Lts knot set up r children 4 failere. — Rick Kron
EDITORIAL >> How to sue legislators
State legislators continue to violate the recently passed ethics amendment that prohibits lobbyists from offering free meals and booze to lawmakers.
Many legislators keep ignoring the intent of Amendment 94, the lobbying, ethics and term-limits law, which the voters last November passed thinking that lobbyists could no longer entertain lawmakers. The amendment doubled term limits for lawmakers to 16 years and established a pay commission that will greatly increase legislators’ salaries. Ignoring the ethics provision, lobbyists continue to wine and dine politicians under the so-called special events exemption. Citizens groups should file suit against this flagrant violation of the new amendment since the state ethics commission will not stop them.
Lawmakers should also worry about a possible lawsuit that Jacksonville attorney Mike Wilson could re-file against the pork-barrel politics at the state Capitol, so-called General Improvement Funds that funnel millions of dollars for local projects, in obvious violation of the law.
The former state representative told our reporter John Hofheimer he has not yet decided whether to take the matter back to court, which sided with Wilson and declared the practice illegal. He says funding GIF projects amounted to local legislation. A state constitutional amendment says the legislature must attend to statewide issues and may not cut special deals for targeted local communities.
Former state Sen. Bob Johnson (D-Bigelow) had earmarked $400,000 for road improvement in Bigelow, clearly not a statewide need. Wilson believes it’s unconstitutional for the state to do it with the equivalent of local legislation.
Since the court rulings on Wilson’s suit, he says the General Assembly has basically developed a money-laundering scheme, running each legislator’s share through the local planning and development districts. Their recipients of these grants are laughing all the way to the bank.
To date, the board of directors of the Central Arkansas Planning and Development District awarded a total of $9,243,289 from the GIF received through the 89th General Assembly, according to district director Rodney Larson.
Local legislators got funding for 186 transactions worth $6,096,030, according to information provided by CAPPD. They all go for good causes, of course, from local libraries to volunteer fire departments to Civil War battlefields and many other projects.
But as Jim Nickels, the former Sherwood state representative, told Hofheimer, “It takes money away from statewide projects, it ends up local, and we have a prohibition against that.”
Wilson probably could successfully challenge the next round of general improvements funds before they’re handed out to local politicians, who like nothing more than having their pictures taken presenting checks to area recipients.
Should Wilson win for the second time, local prosecutors should consider filing charges against lawmakers who abuse the ban against local improvement grants, as well as those who accept free meals and booze from lobbyists.
If legislators can’t follow the law, why should the rest of us?
Many legislators keep ignoring the intent of Amendment 94, the lobbying, ethics and term-limits law, which the voters last November passed thinking that lobbyists could no longer entertain lawmakers. The amendment doubled term limits for lawmakers to 16 years and established a pay commission that will greatly increase legislators’ salaries. Ignoring the ethics provision, lobbyists continue to wine and dine politicians under the so-called special events exemption. Citizens groups should file suit against this flagrant violation of the new amendment since the state ethics commission will not stop them.
Lawmakers should also worry about a possible lawsuit that Jacksonville attorney Mike Wilson could re-file against the pork-barrel politics at the state Capitol, so-called General Improvement Funds that funnel millions of dollars for local projects, in obvious violation of the law.
The former state representative told our reporter John Hofheimer he has not yet decided whether to take the matter back to court, which sided with Wilson and declared the practice illegal. He says funding GIF projects amounted to local legislation. A state constitutional amendment says the legislature must attend to statewide issues and may not cut special deals for targeted local communities.
Former state Sen. Bob Johnson (D-Bigelow) had earmarked $400,000 for road improvement in Bigelow, clearly not a statewide need. Wilson believes it’s unconstitutional for the state to do it with the equivalent of local legislation.
Since the court rulings on Wilson’s suit, he says the General Assembly has basically developed a money-laundering scheme, running each legislator’s share through the local planning and development districts. Their recipients of these grants are laughing all the way to the bank.
To date, the board of directors of the Central Arkansas Planning and Development District awarded a total of $9,243,289 from the GIF received through the 89th General Assembly, according to district director Rodney Larson.
Local legislators got funding for 186 transactions worth $6,096,030, according to information provided by CAPPD. They all go for good causes, of course, from local libraries to volunteer fire departments to Civil War battlefields and many other projects.
But as Jim Nickels, the former Sherwood state representative, told Hofheimer, “It takes money away from statewide projects, it ends up local, and we have a prohibition against that.”
Wilson probably could successfully challenge the next round of general improvements funds before they’re handed out to local politicians, who like nothing more than having their pictures taken presenting checks to area recipients.
Should Wilson win for the second time, local prosecutors should consider filing charges against lawmakers who abuse the ban against local improvement grants, as well as those who accept free meals and booze from lobbyists.
If legislators can’t follow the law, why should the rest of us?
TOP STORY >> Mrs. Hutchinson will guest speak at shelter dinner
Arkansas First Lady Susan Hutchinson will speak during Open Arms Shelter’s third annual Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Banquet at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 2 in the cafeteria of the Cabot Freshman Academy.
In 1986, Open Arms Shelter began providing emergency safe housing for children who have been abused or neglected.
It is one of the few emergency shelters in the state that will accept children under the age of 8, teenage mothers with their children and large sibling groups. Most of the children the shelter cares for are from central Arkansas.
Tickets are $25, tables of eight are $200 and sponsorships are available for $500. For more information or to make reservations, call 501-676-6166 or 501-843-9460.
A silent auction will be held from 6 until 7 p.m., and dinner will be served by Cabot’s ROTC at 6:30 p.m.
Singer, songwriter and motivational speaker Sondra Burnett will emcee the event and will sing “The Star Spangled Banner” as Cabot High School’s ROTC presents the colors.
John C. Thompson and an army of volunteers will cook boneless pork loin. Lapel pins will be given to all attendees to be worn throughout April in recognition of National Child Abuse Awareness Month.
Open Arms Shelter will participate in the statewide online campaign Arkansas Gives on April 2.
“You can help Open Arms Shelter compete for additional bonus dollars from a $250,000 match pool by making your donation at ArkansasGives.org on April 2 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.,” according to a news release.
Executive director Nancy Hamlin said, “Open Arms Shelter is licensed by the state of Arkansas and is a nonprofit organization. Your tax-deductible donations ensure that children in need have hope for a better tomorrow.”
Donations may be mailed to Open Arms Shelter, P.O. Box 161, Lonoke, Ark. 72086.
In 1986, Open Arms Shelter began providing emergency safe housing for children who have been abused or neglected.
It is one of the few emergency shelters in the state that will accept children under the age of 8, teenage mothers with their children and large sibling groups. Most of the children the shelter cares for are from central Arkansas.
Tickets are $25, tables of eight are $200 and sponsorships are available for $500. For more information or to make reservations, call 501-676-6166 or 501-843-9460.
A silent auction will be held from 6 until 7 p.m., and dinner will be served by Cabot’s ROTC at 6:30 p.m.
Singer, songwriter and motivational speaker Sondra Burnett will emcee the event and will sing “The Star Spangled Banner” as Cabot High School’s ROTC presents the colors.
John C. Thompson and an army of volunteers will cook boneless pork loin. Lapel pins will be given to all attendees to be worn throughout April in recognition of National Child Abuse Awareness Month.
Open Arms Shelter will participate in the statewide online campaign Arkansas Gives on April 2.
“You can help Open Arms Shelter compete for additional bonus dollars from a $250,000 match pool by making your donation at ArkansasGives.org on April 2 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.,” according to a news release.
Executive director Nancy Hamlin said, “Open Arms Shelter is licensed by the state of Arkansas and is a nonprofit organization. Your tax-deductible donations ensure that children in need have hope for a better tomorrow.”
Donations may be mailed to Open Arms Shelter, P.O. Box 161, Lonoke, Ark. 72086.
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