By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Tyler Carter put a sudden end to the Cabot Senior American Legion team’s game against Batesville on Sunday. He sent a towering shot over the fence in left field of Cabot City Park to put his team up 10-0 and end the game on the sportsmanship run rule.
The win marked the passing of a major litmus test of the Cabot senior squad. The team opened the season with a doubleheader at Batesville, gave up a combined 28 runs and lost both games. It was the first two of six-straight losses to start the season, but completely turning the tables on Batesville verifies the signs of improvement the team has shown in going 9-4 since the poor start.
Bryson Morris started on the mound and pitched four innings of shutout ball. He faced just 15 batters, giving up three hits while striking out two. Batesville’s only real chance to score was thwarted by bad base running and good defense by Cabot. In the fourth inning, Batesville’s Tyler Lictiker singled and reached second when a throwback to the mound by Carter sailed over Morris’ head and rolled into centerfield. After the second out, Wesley Rudd singled to left field with a one-hop line drive that was fielded too quickly by Cabot’s Cole Thomas for Lictiker to score. But that didn’t stop him from trying. Thomas routinely threw the ball in to cutoff man Tyler Wilkie at third base, just as Lictiker rounded third. Wilkie’s throw home was off the mark and in the dirt, but so far ahead of the runner that Carter had plenty of time to gather it in and tag the runner out.
Cabot (9-10) got its big, early lead primarily due to Batesville pitcher Riley Caraway’s struggles on the mound. He walked three in the first inning and hit another. Casey Vaughan doubled and Carter singled with men on base to give the Centennial Bank squad a 3-0 lead.
After getting Morris to ground out to second to start the second inning, Caraway walked Vaughan, but he was caught stealing for the second out. From there, things fell apart completely for the Batesville hurler.
With two outs and no one on base, Wilkie singled to centerfield. Caraway then walked Carter, Justin Goff, Thomas and Dustin Morris in a row before finally being pulled from the mound. He pitched one and two-thirds innings, faced 17 batters, gave up three hits, seven earned runs while walking eight and hitting another.
He was replaced by Jacob Rawlings, who yielded a hit to Scott Burnett and walked Ryan Logan before getting Bryson Morris to ground out to shortstop to end the inning with Cabot holding a 7-0 lead.
Rawlings put Cabot down in order in the third inning, but walked Goff to lead off the fourth and gave up an RBI single to Logan to make it 8-0.
Vaughan led off the fifth with a single to left and Wilkie lined out to right field, bringing Carter to the plate for his game-ending home run. He finished 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
Thomas pitched the last inning for Cabot, retiring the last three batters in order.
The win followed a doubleheader split at Marion on Saturday. Cabot lost the first game 6-1 and won game two 11-9. Cabot got seven base hits and drew two walks in game one, but couldn’t push runs across the plate. Bryson Morris led the way with two base knocks. Logan pitched all six innings and took the loss.
Vaughan threw game two and got knocked around a bit, giving up 11 base hits and nine earned runs, but Cabot’s offense also got 11 hits, including four for extra bases, to earn the win.
Tristan Bulice went 2 for 2 with two doubles and five RBIs to lead the impressive Cabot offense. Goff went 3 for 3 while Vaughan and Dustin Morris got two base hits apiece.
Carter got one base hit, a home run over the fence that drove in two runs. He now has five home runs this season, one short of the team record set by Junior Team 1 coach Chris Goss in 2006.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
SPORTS STORY >> Simmons rally tops Gwatney
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Jacksonville’s senior American Legion team stayed one run ahead of Pine Bluff Simmons for the majority of Saturday’s game. Gwatney Chevrolet led by the same margin going into the seventh inning, but in that final inning, Pine Bluff scored three runs to grab its first lead of the day and earn a 7-5 win at Dupree Park in Jacksonville.
Pine Bluff scored the first two runs to start the game, but in the bottom of the first, Jacksonville could do no wrong at the plate en route to a four-run rally to lead 4-2. Pierce Sloan started on the mound for Pine Bluff, but was pulled with two outs and the bases loaded in the first after giving up three runs.
Will Jacobs of 2012 class 2A state champion Woodlawn came in to relieve Sloan and made Jacksonville’s experience at the plate more of a challenge. Troy Allen scored Gwatney’s fourth run on a wild pitch by Jacobs. It was one of the few mistakes Jacobs would make as he finished the game with 12 strikeouts to just three walks in the winning effort. Half of Jacksonville’s strikeouts in the game came as a result of watching the third strike go by, which didn’t leave Gwatney coach Bob Hickingbotham feeling too happy about his team’s effort at the plate.
“When we got up (to the plate), we looked like we had never swung a bat,” Hickingbotham said. “We had too many people not swinging the bat on third strikes. You can’t win like that. We have too many guys that have everything but baseball on their mind right now, and we’re going to try to get that worked out.”
In the second inning, Pine Bluff cut Jacksonville’s lead to one when Nick Hefley hit a line-drive single to the gap in right field, which allowed Jacobs to score after singling earlier in the inning. After a scoreless third inning, Pine Bluff tied the game at four apiece in the fourth after Landen Colson hit an RBI-single to left field.
Leadoff hitter Justin Dardenne scored on the play after hitting a triple to start the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Jacksonville retook the lead when Derek St. Clair scored from third base on a ground ball hit by pitcher Jesse Harbin.
The next two innings were scoreless and Jacksonville held a 5-4 lead going into the seventh. Second baseman Jacob Richardson walked to leadoff the final inning, and scored the tying run for Pine Bluff when D.J. Dickson hit a hard line drive to right field for an RBI single.
Jacobs drove in the go-ahead run for Pine Bluff on a hard grounder to third base. Jacobs was thrown out on a close play at first, but Christopher Bryan scored from third on the contact. The next batter, Josh Dardenne, drove in the final run of the day with a single to right field. Dickson scored with ease to make the score 7-5.
Harbin and Alex Tucker led Jacksonville with two hits apiece. James McCranie and Blake Perry also had a base hit. Jacksonville (5-9) will play again tomorrow on the opening day of its annual Gwatney Chevrolet American Legion Classic tournament held at Dupree Park.
Leader sportswriter
Jacksonville’s senior American Legion team stayed one run ahead of Pine Bluff Simmons for the majority of Saturday’s game. Gwatney Chevrolet led by the same margin going into the seventh inning, but in that final inning, Pine Bluff scored three runs to grab its first lead of the day and earn a 7-5 win at Dupree Park in Jacksonville.
Pine Bluff scored the first two runs to start the game, but in the bottom of the first, Jacksonville could do no wrong at the plate en route to a four-run rally to lead 4-2. Pierce Sloan started on the mound for Pine Bluff, but was pulled with two outs and the bases loaded in the first after giving up three runs.
Will Jacobs of 2012 class 2A state champion Woodlawn came in to relieve Sloan and made Jacksonville’s experience at the plate more of a challenge. Troy Allen scored Gwatney’s fourth run on a wild pitch by Jacobs. It was one of the few mistakes Jacobs would make as he finished the game with 12 strikeouts to just three walks in the winning effort. Half of Jacksonville’s strikeouts in the game came as a result of watching the third strike go by, which didn’t leave Gwatney coach Bob Hickingbotham feeling too happy about his team’s effort at the plate.
“When we got up (to the plate), we looked like we had never swung a bat,” Hickingbotham said. “We had too many people not swinging the bat on third strikes. You can’t win like that. We have too many guys that have everything but baseball on their mind right now, and we’re going to try to get that worked out.”
In the second inning, Pine Bluff cut Jacksonville’s lead to one when Nick Hefley hit a line-drive single to the gap in right field, which allowed Jacobs to score after singling earlier in the inning. After a scoreless third inning, Pine Bluff tied the game at four apiece in the fourth after Landen Colson hit an RBI-single to left field.
Leadoff hitter Justin Dardenne scored on the play after hitting a triple to start the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Jacksonville retook the lead when Derek St. Clair scored from third base on a ground ball hit by pitcher Jesse Harbin.
The next two innings were scoreless and Jacksonville held a 5-4 lead going into the seventh. Second baseman Jacob Richardson walked to leadoff the final inning, and scored the tying run for Pine Bluff when D.J. Dickson hit a hard line drive to right field for an RBI single.
Jacobs drove in the go-ahead run for Pine Bluff on a hard grounder to third base. Jacobs was thrown out on a close play at first, but Christopher Bryan scored from third on the contact. The next batter, Josh Dardenne, drove in the final run of the day with a single to right field. Dickson scored with ease to make the score 7-5.
Harbin and Alex Tucker led Jacksonville with two hits apiece. James McCranie and Blake Perry also had a base hit. Jacksonville (5-9) will play again tomorrow on the opening day of its annual Gwatney Chevrolet American Legion Classic tournament held at Dupree Park.
SPORTS STORY >> Local fan favorite earns popular dirt series win
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
There were several extended cautions and a few hurt feelings, but at the end of the 35-lap Comp Cams Super Dirt Series feature at Beebe Speedway on Friday, there was a capacity crowd that cheered the popular victory of Curtis “Hollywood” Cook, the local kid who has made good in the regional late-model series as a major contender in the season points race.
Cook, the Vilonia driver who earned Rookie-of-the-Year honors in CCSDS last season, grabbed the lead from outside polesitter Timothy Culp on the seventh circuit and held on to the lead despite repeated charges by Culp and fast qualifier Jon Kirby of Russellville.
Kirby, fast qualifier for the event, got by Cook on one late restart just as one of the series-high seven cautions at Beebe came out for the crashed car of Tommy Surrett, which forced the field back to the last completed lap with Cook back out front.
Kirby did not get the same chance on the final restart as he was forced into a battle for second with Culp, who claimed the runner-up spot on the final circuit as Cook crossed the line for what turned out to be a victory that was decidedly spectator approved.
Cook stood atop his Lawson Farms 601 machine in the winner’s circle to a collective roar from local race fans who packed the stands in what was easily the biggest crowd at the quarter-mile oval in years.
“I’ve never been more up on the wheel in my life,” Cook said. “It didn’t take too strong at all, and it would go up the racetrack. You had to make sure to get it slow enough but not just stop. I’m worn slap out.”
The battle between Cook, Culp and Kirby was plenty contact oriented, and some of the battles behind them were even more heated as Jon “The Catman” Mitchell and Floral’s Brandon Smith made contact on lap 15, resulting in Mitchell’s 5 car spinning in turn four.
Mitchell, who came into the race as the series points leader, pulled alongside the defending series champ under the yellow to voice his displeasure before joining the back of the field for the next restart. Mitchell qualified fifth and was running in the fourth spot when the incident with Smith occurred.
Things did not get any better for Mitchell, who was involved in an incident with Russellville driver Dewaine Hottinger one green-flag lap later that resulted in heavy damage to Hottinger’s car. Hottinger followed closely behind Mitchell under caution before entering the pits, and the final straw for Mitchell came on lap 32 after getting caught up in a multi-car spin and bringing out his second caution of the night.
That meant he was required to go off the track, but with a tight points battle and good runs by his main season foes apparent, Mitchell disputed the call at the flag stand before being ordered off the track by series director Chris Ellis.
Mitchell declined comment following the race and was credited with a 14th-place finish.
As for Cook, it was his second CCSDS victory of his career and the first of the season. Mitchell’s bad luck also handed Cook the championship points lead.
“There’s no greater feeling,” Cook said. “We’ve been trying hard the last couple of years, and we’ve had some strong runs. We went through last year and were just up and down. We won some heat races, but we might run second one night and 16th the next night. We’ve been real consistent over the last couple of months here, maybe we can stay consistent like this and come home with that points championship.”
The race was also the second of six Rice-Tec Summer Series events, which gave Cook the points lead in the mini-series over Kirby and Smith.
Cook’s move around Culp on the outside of the third restart broke an early-race pattern of drivers trying to get to the bottom, with two and sometimes three-wide battles breaking out through the turns in the middle stages of the race.
“I seen them battling for the bottom,” Cook said of Kirby and Culp. “We got underneath Kirby there one time, and I knew we weren’t going to get that done without some pretty good contact. So we got that one restart, and I felt like I could get some go up there. We got a good charge there on the outside, and I couldn’t help it – we’re going for broke, let’s get the lead.”
Some drivers went high just below the upper cushion of the track while others such as Smith went way up on the rough stuff to gain position. The strategy worked out for Smith, who earned hard charger for the race with a fourth-place finish after starting 11th.
Baytown, Tex., driver Kevin Sitton completed the top five while Gary Christian of Broken Bow, Okla., was sixth. Allen Murray finished seventh and Austin driver Chandler Petty gained ground in the rookie-of-the-year standings with an eighth-place run.
Keith Lawson and Missouri driver Mason Oberkramer completed the top 10. Bryant driver Joseph Long was 11th while Cabot’s Stacy Taylor finished 15th and Kenneth Jackson of Beebe retired early in the 18th spot after a scary crash on the turn 2 fence in hot laps that required his car to be turned over by track workers.
The Comp Cams Super Dirt Series will return to Beebe Speedway in a few weeks with the 100th race in series history on July 13 before going back to another tour mainstay at Northeast Arkansas Speedway the following night for a doubleheader of Rice-Tec Summer Series events.
Leader sportswriter
There were several extended cautions and a few hurt feelings, but at the end of the 35-lap Comp Cams Super Dirt Series feature at Beebe Speedway on Friday, there was a capacity crowd that cheered the popular victory of Curtis “Hollywood” Cook, the local kid who has made good in the regional late-model series as a major contender in the season points race.
Cook, the Vilonia driver who earned Rookie-of-the-Year honors in CCSDS last season, grabbed the lead from outside polesitter Timothy Culp on the seventh circuit and held on to the lead despite repeated charges by Culp and fast qualifier Jon Kirby of Russellville.
Kirby, fast qualifier for the event, got by Cook on one late restart just as one of the series-high seven cautions at Beebe came out for the crashed car of Tommy Surrett, which forced the field back to the last completed lap with Cook back out front.
Kirby did not get the same chance on the final restart as he was forced into a battle for second with Culp, who claimed the runner-up spot on the final circuit as Cook crossed the line for what turned out to be a victory that was decidedly spectator approved.
Cook stood atop his Lawson Farms 601 machine in the winner’s circle to a collective roar from local race fans who packed the stands in what was easily the biggest crowd at the quarter-mile oval in years.
“I’ve never been more up on the wheel in my life,” Cook said. “It didn’t take too strong at all, and it would go up the racetrack. You had to make sure to get it slow enough but not just stop. I’m worn slap out.”
The battle between Cook, Culp and Kirby was plenty contact oriented, and some of the battles behind them were even more heated as Jon “The Catman” Mitchell and Floral’s Brandon Smith made contact on lap 15, resulting in Mitchell’s 5 car spinning in turn four.
Mitchell, who came into the race as the series points leader, pulled alongside the defending series champ under the yellow to voice his displeasure before joining the back of the field for the next restart. Mitchell qualified fifth and was running in the fourth spot when the incident with Smith occurred.
Things did not get any better for Mitchell, who was involved in an incident with Russellville driver Dewaine Hottinger one green-flag lap later that resulted in heavy damage to Hottinger’s car. Hottinger followed closely behind Mitchell under caution before entering the pits, and the final straw for Mitchell came on lap 32 after getting caught up in a multi-car spin and bringing out his second caution of the night.
That meant he was required to go off the track, but with a tight points battle and good runs by his main season foes apparent, Mitchell disputed the call at the flag stand before being ordered off the track by series director Chris Ellis.
Mitchell declined comment following the race and was credited with a 14th-place finish.
As for Cook, it was his second CCSDS victory of his career and the first of the season. Mitchell’s bad luck also handed Cook the championship points lead.
“There’s no greater feeling,” Cook said. “We’ve been trying hard the last couple of years, and we’ve had some strong runs. We went through last year and were just up and down. We won some heat races, but we might run second one night and 16th the next night. We’ve been real consistent over the last couple of months here, maybe we can stay consistent like this and come home with that points championship.”
The race was also the second of six Rice-Tec Summer Series events, which gave Cook the points lead in the mini-series over Kirby and Smith.
Cook’s move around Culp on the outside of the third restart broke an early-race pattern of drivers trying to get to the bottom, with two and sometimes three-wide battles breaking out through the turns in the middle stages of the race.
“I seen them battling for the bottom,” Cook said of Kirby and Culp. “We got underneath Kirby there one time, and I knew we weren’t going to get that done without some pretty good contact. So we got that one restart, and I felt like I could get some go up there. We got a good charge there on the outside, and I couldn’t help it – we’re going for broke, let’s get the lead.”
Some drivers went high just below the upper cushion of the track while others such as Smith went way up on the rough stuff to gain position. The strategy worked out for Smith, who earned hard charger for the race with a fourth-place finish after starting 11th.
Baytown, Tex., driver Kevin Sitton completed the top five while Gary Christian of Broken Bow, Okla., was sixth. Allen Murray finished seventh and Austin driver Chandler Petty gained ground in the rookie-of-the-year standings with an eighth-place run.
Keith Lawson and Missouri driver Mason Oberkramer completed the top 10. Bryant driver Joseph Long was 11th while Cabot’s Stacy Taylor finished 15th and Kenneth Jackson of Beebe retired early in the 18th spot after a scary crash on the turn 2 fence in hot laps that required his car to be turned over by track workers.
The Comp Cams Super Dirt Series will return to Beebe Speedway in a few weeks with the 100th race in series history on July 13 before going back to another tour mainstay at Northeast Arkansas Speedway the following night for a doubleheader of Rice-Tec Summer Series events.
SPORTS STORY >> Right sport drives Austin teen
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
He’s not exactly a chip off the old block, but 16-year-old Austin resident Chandler Petty has still found a way to fulfill his dad’s wishes when it comes to being young and competitive in a sporting capacity.
It just doesn’t involve sticks, balls or goals.
It does, however, involve engines, shocks and sheet metal. And with a last name like Petty, maybe it should’ve been obvious all along.
There’s no relation to the famous Petty racing family, but there has been lots of prep time at the race shop with young Petty contending for the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series Rookie of the Year title as the youngest regular competitor on the regional super-late-model tour.
Petty’s father Brian grew up a farm boy turned multi-sport college athlete as a baseball and basketball standout at Crowley’s Ridge College in Paragould during the early 1990s, but struggled years later when it came to getting his grade-school-aged son involved in any type of athletic endeavor. Stints in T-Ball and basketball proved uninteresting to the younger Petty, who finally convinced dad to explore the world of go-kart racing.
“He couldn’t get me to play any other sport,” Petty said. “I couldn’t get into it. He was a football star and everything else, and I just couldn’t get interested in it. I tried a couple of sports, I just didn’t like it. We just got into the kart deal, and here we are.”
The potential for success was evident right away, as Petty quickly became a rising star at Arkansas Motorsports Park in Paragould. He won four races and finished second in the points his first season in 2007 before heading out on the national circuit the following year.
That led to more success, with Petty winning 28 feature events, including the coveted Gator Nationals. In 2009, he moved up a class and won 14 races, and the following year, he tested the stock-car waters with a hobby entry at Beebe Speedway, winning two races and finishing third in the points standings.
Petty also stayed active in the karting world that year and won the Batesville, Miss. Nationals, the biggest karting race in the country. He switched to a crate late model in 2011 and won nine features, finishing eighth in the NeSmith Late Model Series national championship.
For the elder Petty, his son’s fast success in racing was an added benefit for his quest to get Chandler away from the television set. The character development and responsibility learned while participating in organized sports was important to Brian when it came to his son, and while racing was not his first choice, it seemed to fit the bill after a number of fruitless attempts in more conventional youth activities.
“I kept pressuring him,” Brian Petty said. “Because all he was ever doing was playing video games. I finally said, ‘what is it you want to do?’ He told me about go-kart races they had in Warren, so we went and checked it out. I bought him a racing kart for his birthday that year, and that’s where it all started.”
The learning curve has been considerably steep with the move to super lates this season. Petty has failed to qualify for three events on the Comp Cams tour, and had four straight finishes outside the Top 10 in the events where he did make the show. His breakthrough run came at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis on June 2 when he posted a sixth-place finish, his best finish this season.
Last Friday’s feature at Beebe Speedway was another learning experience for Chandler, who had to finish the last half of the 35-lap event without brakes. He stayed out of trouble in the caution-marred event and brought home his second top-ten finish with an eighth-place effort.
“It’s about a 400-horsepower difference,” Petty said of the switch to super late models from crates. “They’re fun to drive, and I don’t think it’s been the motor that’s thrown us for a curveball this year, it’s just been bad luck. I mean, we’ve had about as bad of luck as you can get.”
Many young racers have dreams of making it to NASCAR one day, but Petty’s aspiration for the future is to rise to the top of the super dirt late model world. He said he would not turn down an opportunity to race in the major-league ranks, though his heart truly lies in the dirt.
Sponsoring Chandler’s 47 car is also a family affair, with grandfather Gordon Petty providing the primary backing from his successful Whistle Stop Barbeque restaurant on Pleasure St. in Searcy. Gordon is also a fixture in the team Petty pit area on race day. While most of the wrench turning is left up to Brian, Gordon’s position seated to the side of the trailer ramp with cigar in hand appears to be more of a supervisory role.
Vision Wheel also sponsors for Petty, who is currently second to Bryant modified veteran Robert Baker in the CCSDS rookie standings.
Petty has a full slate of racing on tap this summer before returning to Cabot High School in the fall to start his junior year.
The football frenzy that consumes Panther Nation every autumn is among the strongest in the state, while few in the town of 29,000 pay much attention to racing.
Many of his classmates will be practicing blocking patterns and running drills later this summer, but Chandler will still be in the shop, doing the things necessary to excel at his sport.
“It’s a football-crazy town, and no one really cares about racing,” Petty said. “They don’t really know what it’s like. There’s so much more than what people think. When I’m not at school, I’m working on the car like they are with practice. It’s not any different, and it’s just as much athletic work like you wouldn’t believe.”
Leader sportswriter
He’s not exactly a chip off the old block, but 16-year-old Austin resident Chandler Petty has still found a way to fulfill his dad’s wishes when it comes to being young and competitive in a sporting capacity.
It just doesn’t involve sticks, balls or goals.
It does, however, involve engines, shocks and sheet metal. And with a last name like Petty, maybe it should’ve been obvious all along.
There’s no relation to the famous Petty racing family, but there has been lots of prep time at the race shop with young Petty contending for the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series Rookie of the Year title as the youngest regular competitor on the regional super-late-model tour.
Petty’s father Brian grew up a farm boy turned multi-sport college athlete as a baseball and basketball standout at Crowley’s Ridge College in Paragould during the early 1990s, but struggled years later when it came to getting his grade-school-aged son involved in any type of athletic endeavor. Stints in T-Ball and basketball proved uninteresting to the younger Petty, who finally convinced dad to explore the world of go-kart racing.
“He couldn’t get me to play any other sport,” Petty said. “I couldn’t get into it. He was a football star and everything else, and I just couldn’t get interested in it. I tried a couple of sports, I just didn’t like it. We just got into the kart deal, and here we are.”
The potential for success was evident right away, as Petty quickly became a rising star at Arkansas Motorsports Park in Paragould. He won four races and finished second in the points his first season in 2007 before heading out on the national circuit the following year.
That led to more success, with Petty winning 28 feature events, including the coveted Gator Nationals. In 2009, he moved up a class and won 14 races, and the following year, he tested the stock-car waters with a hobby entry at Beebe Speedway, winning two races and finishing third in the points standings.
Petty also stayed active in the karting world that year and won the Batesville, Miss. Nationals, the biggest karting race in the country. He switched to a crate late model in 2011 and won nine features, finishing eighth in the NeSmith Late Model Series national championship.
For the elder Petty, his son’s fast success in racing was an added benefit for his quest to get Chandler away from the television set. The character development and responsibility learned while participating in organized sports was important to Brian when it came to his son, and while racing was not his first choice, it seemed to fit the bill after a number of fruitless attempts in more conventional youth activities.
“I kept pressuring him,” Brian Petty said. “Because all he was ever doing was playing video games. I finally said, ‘what is it you want to do?’ He told me about go-kart races they had in Warren, so we went and checked it out. I bought him a racing kart for his birthday that year, and that’s where it all started.”
The learning curve has been considerably steep with the move to super lates this season. Petty has failed to qualify for three events on the Comp Cams tour, and had four straight finishes outside the Top 10 in the events where he did make the show. His breakthrough run came at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis on June 2 when he posted a sixth-place finish, his best finish this season.
Last Friday’s feature at Beebe Speedway was another learning experience for Chandler, who had to finish the last half of the 35-lap event without brakes. He stayed out of trouble in the caution-marred event and brought home his second top-ten finish with an eighth-place effort.
“It’s about a 400-horsepower difference,” Petty said of the switch to super late models from crates. “They’re fun to drive, and I don’t think it’s been the motor that’s thrown us for a curveball this year, it’s just been bad luck. I mean, we’ve had about as bad of luck as you can get.”
Many young racers have dreams of making it to NASCAR one day, but Petty’s aspiration for the future is to rise to the top of the super dirt late model world. He said he would not turn down an opportunity to race in the major-league ranks, though his heart truly lies in the dirt.
Sponsoring Chandler’s 47 car is also a family affair, with grandfather Gordon Petty providing the primary backing from his successful Whistle Stop Barbeque restaurant on Pleasure St. in Searcy. Gordon is also a fixture in the team Petty pit area on race day. While most of the wrench turning is left up to Brian, Gordon’s position seated to the side of the trailer ramp with cigar in hand appears to be more of a supervisory role.
Vision Wheel also sponsors for Petty, who is currently second to Bryant modified veteran Robert Baker in the CCSDS rookie standings.
Petty has a full slate of racing on tap this summer before returning to Cabot High School in the fall to start his junior year.
The football frenzy that consumes Panther Nation every autumn is among the strongest in the state, while few in the town of 29,000 pay much attention to racing.
Many of his classmates will be practicing blocking patterns and running drills later this summer, but Chandler will still be in the shop, doing the things necessary to excel at his sport.
“It’s a football-crazy town, and no one really cares about racing,” Petty said. “They don’t really know what it’s like. There’s so much more than what people think. When I’m not at school, I’m working on the car like they are with practice. It’s not any different, and it’s just as much athletic work like you wouldn’t believe.”
Saturday, June 23, 2012
TOP STORY >> More dry, hot weather
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
In one week, Arkansas went from 1 percent of the state being in severe drought to almost 84 percent.
The state’s drought monitor map shows more than 99 percent of the state having some sort of drought classification as burn bans increase, wildfire danger expands and cattle producers worry about hay.
The hot and dry conditions also increase the number of orange Ozone Action Days calling for those with breathing difficulties to stay indoors. Today is one of those Ozone Action Days.
So far in June the local area has received just .77 inches of rain, down about two inches from the average. Couple June’s dryness with the half-inch of rain the area received in May and the onslaught of near 100-degree temperatures, and that becomes the recipe for drought conditions.
All of the state, except for a sliver of Columbia County near the Louisiana border, is either under moderate or sever drought conditions.
John Robinson of the National Weather Service at North Little Rock said groundwater is evaporating at the rate of about a third of an inch a day. “Pop-up showers won’t help us now. We need a tropical storm,” he said.
None of those are on the horizon. But triple-digit temperatures on Sunday and Monday and no rain into July is expected.
The prolonged heat and dry conditions have caused nearly two-thirds of the state’s counties, including Pulaski and Lonoke, to declare burn bans, which means no fireworks.
The Jacksonville Fire Department said that city ordinances require permits before anyone can shoot off fireworks. But because of the county burn ban, no permits will be issued until the ban is lifted.
“Any permits already issued are considered null and void. The burn ban expressly forbids the discharge of any fireworks within the county without special permissions granted to licensed professionals.
“Until the ban is lifted, no fireworks may be discharged within the city of Jacksonville without written permission from the Pulaski County courts,” said Capt. Mike Williams, the city’s fire marshal.
The possibility of wildfires is one of the big reasons for burn bans. Fireworks caused one multi-acre fire in central Arkansas as did a farmer’s tractor blade striking a rock; the conditions are that severe.
To help seniors and others in the area American Legion Post 71 and the Cabot Community Coalition will open a cooling center on days, except Sundays, when the temperature reaches 100 degrees or the heat index is 105 degrees.
The cooling center will be at 208 N. First St. at the Cabot Mini-Mall and is projected to be open Monday and possibly all of next week.
It will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Transportation to the center will also available and can be arranged by calling Joe McLoughlin of the American Legion at 501-203-5715.
The drought is also cutting into the livelihood of area farmers as pastures continue to shrivel.
Monday’s crop report from the national Agricultural Statistics Service said that last “week’s rainfall was enough to prevent a decline in pasture and range conditions but not enough to significantly improve conditions.”
Only 1 percent of pastures were rated excellent; 11 percent were good, 32 percent fair, 35 percent poor and 21 percent very poor.
Leader staff writer
In one week, Arkansas went from 1 percent of the state being in severe drought to almost 84 percent.
The state’s drought monitor map shows more than 99 percent of the state having some sort of drought classification as burn bans increase, wildfire danger expands and cattle producers worry about hay.
The hot and dry conditions also increase the number of orange Ozone Action Days calling for those with breathing difficulties to stay indoors. Today is one of those Ozone Action Days.
So far in June the local area has received just .77 inches of rain, down about two inches from the average. Couple June’s dryness with the half-inch of rain the area received in May and the onslaught of near 100-degree temperatures, and that becomes the recipe for drought conditions.
All of the state, except for a sliver of Columbia County near the Louisiana border, is either under moderate or sever drought conditions.
John Robinson of the National Weather Service at North Little Rock said groundwater is evaporating at the rate of about a third of an inch a day. “Pop-up showers won’t help us now. We need a tropical storm,” he said.
None of those are on the horizon. But triple-digit temperatures on Sunday and Monday and no rain into July is expected.
The prolonged heat and dry conditions have caused nearly two-thirds of the state’s counties, including Pulaski and Lonoke, to declare burn bans, which means no fireworks.
The Jacksonville Fire Department said that city ordinances require permits before anyone can shoot off fireworks. But because of the county burn ban, no permits will be issued until the ban is lifted.
“Any permits already issued are considered null and void. The burn ban expressly forbids the discharge of any fireworks within the county without special permissions granted to licensed professionals.
“Until the ban is lifted, no fireworks may be discharged within the city of Jacksonville without written permission from the Pulaski County courts,” said Capt. Mike Williams, the city’s fire marshal.
The possibility of wildfires is one of the big reasons for burn bans. Fireworks caused one multi-acre fire in central Arkansas as did a farmer’s tractor blade striking a rock; the conditions are that severe.
To help seniors and others in the area American Legion Post 71 and the Cabot Community Coalition will open a cooling center on days, except Sundays, when the temperature reaches 100 degrees or the heat index is 105 degrees.
The cooling center will be at 208 N. First St. at the Cabot Mini-Mall and is projected to be open Monday and possibly all of next week.
It will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Transportation to the center will also available and can be arranged by calling Joe McLoughlin of the American Legion at 501-203-5715.
The drought is also cutting into the livelihood of area farmers as pastures continue to shrivel.
Monday’s crop report from the national Agricultural Statistics Service said that last “week’s rainfall was enough to prevent a decline in pasture and range conditions but not enough to significantly improve conditions.”
Only 1 percent of pastures were rated excellent; 11 percent were good, 32 percent fair, 35 percent poor and 21 percent very poor.
Friday, June 22, 2012
TOP STORY >> Unions ask governor to intervene in PCSSD fight
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
The teacher and support staff unions have petitioned Gov. Mike Beebe to step in and tell Pulaski County Special School District administrators that they needs to recognize and work with the unions.
A petition signed by nearly 1,600 people, along with hundreds of personal comments, was mailed to the governor Wednesday.
It asks him to “direct Dr. (Tom) Kimbrell (Arkansas education commissioner) to order Dr. (Jerry) Guess (the district superintendent) to restore recognition to PACT and PASS, return to the negotiating table and work with the unions to resolve the current crisis.”
The governor is on his way to France for a seven-day agricultural and economic development visit and won’t be back until next Saturday.
Stacey Hall of the governor’s office said Beebe had not received the petition as of Friday afternoon, but that the governor would definitely review it on his return.
The petition goes on to say that if Kimbrell or Guess won’t work with the unions, then the governor should fire them or “direct both men to seek employment elsewhere.”
The petition states, “A crisis exists in the PCSSD due to severe fiscal irresponsibility on the part of past and present PCSSD administrators and school boards. The man currently at the top of the organization, Superintendent Jerry Guess, is costing taxpayers more than $261,000 — for the current school year alone — and 56 others in the PCSSD also cost taxpayers in excess of $100,000 per year, each.”
The petition said that none of those 57 individuals are classroom teachers or support staff.
The unions claim it was “incredible that district administrators refuse to take cuts to their own exorbitant salaries, yet expect teachers to sacrifice large portions of theirs.”
“It is also shameful,” the petition states, “that the PCSSD’s legal fees for the current school year are already in excess of one-third of a million dollars — and climbing — simply to defend actions which were illegal and/or unethical, from the start.”
The unions tell the governor through the petition that only teachers are being forced to give up contracted work days and that taxpayers and parents no longer have a voice in the district because the school board consists of just one person, the commissioner of education.
“We, the teachers, certainly understand that we have to accept cuts in the number of days on our current (contract). What we are not willing to accept is for the teachers to shoulder the brunt of the cuts,” the petition said.
The petition implores the governor to “take a closer look at this inequitable situation that has been created by Dr. Jerry Guess and Dr. Tom Kimbrell.”
About 90 percent of people signing the petition, either directly or from the Internet, are from Arkansas. Additionally, people from Florida, New York, Utah, Great Britain, Ecuador and India have signed on in support of the unions.
Among the hundreds of comments attached to the petition was this one from Jerry Cookus: “One of the most asinine assumptions popular in many political circles is that teachers cannot manage themselves. Here is a situation where teachers did not have a chance to fiscally manage themselves, yet they are first in line to be fiscally disciplined for a problem they did not cause. This is unjust.”
Dan Scott commented, “How can we justify paying astronomical salaries to a superintendent and state commissioner of education, while contemplating taking away labor unions, cutting employee pay and breaking legal contracts that are legally binding through 2015? It is disgraceful when the ‘chiefs’ begin attacking their own ‘warriors.’”
Grace Leavitt implored, “How can you be making these cuts to teachers? Don’t you see the connection between these cuts and the negative impacts they will have on students? There is no logic to this? And it is just plain wrong!”
According to Pam Fitz-given, “Thirty-five years of mismanagement by greedy and ignorant administrations are to blame. Stop blaming the teachers and work legally with them.”
Kerry Bowman added, “It is hard enough to find good teachers and now we want to take money away from the ones that we have. What incentive does that give the next generation to want to be educators? Where are our priorities?”
Cyndia McEwen was succinct: “PCSSD has been fiscally irresponsible for many, many years. Now to cover their butts, they are stripping teachers of their hard-working money while they sit back and continue to collect theirs. This is ridiculous.”
Leader staff writer
The teacher and support staff unions have petitioned Gov. Mike Beebe to step in and tell Pulaski County Special School District administrators that they needs to recognize and work with the unions.
A petition signed by nearly 1,600 people, along with hundreds of personal comments, was mailed to the governor Wednesday.
It asks him to “direct Dr. (Tom) Kimbrell (Arkansas education commissioner) to order Dr. (Jerry) Guess (the district superintendent) to restore recognition to PACT and PASS, return to the negotiating table and work with the unions to resolve the current crisis.”
The governor is on his way to France for a seven-day agricultural and economic development visit and won’t be back until next Saturday.
Stacey Hall of the governor’s office said Beebe had not received the petition as of Friday afternoon, but that the governor would definitely review it on his return.
The petition goes on to say that if Kimbrell or Guess won’t work with the unions, then the governor should fire them or “direct both men to seek employment elsewhere.”
The petition states, “A crisis exists in the PCSSD due to severe fiscal irresponsibility on the part of past and present PCSSD administrators and school boards. The man currently at the top of the organization, Superintendent Jerry Guess, is costing taxpayers more than $261,000 — for the current school year alone — and 56 others in the PCSSD also cost taxpayers in excess of $100,000 per year, each.”
The petition said that none of those 57 individuals are classroom teachers or support staff.
The unions claim it was “incredible that district administrators refuse to take cuts to their own exorbitant salaries, yet expect teachers to sacrifice large portions of theirs.”
“It is also shameful,” the petition states, “that the PCSSD’s legal fees for the current school year are already in excess of one-third of a million dollars — and climbing — simply to defend actions which were illegal and/or unethical, from the start.”
The unions tell the governor through the petition that only teachers are being forced to give up contracted work days and that taxpayers and parents no longer have a voice in the district because the school board consists of just one person, the commissioner of education.
“We, the teachers, certainly understand that we have to accept cuts in the number of days on our current (contract). What we are not willing to accept is for the teachers to shoulder the brunt of the cuts,” the petition said.
The petition implores the governor to “take a closer look at this inequitable situation that has been created by Dr. Jerry Guess and Dr. Tom Kimbrell.”
About 90 percent of people signing the petition, either directly or from the Internet, are from Arkansas. Additionally, people from Florida, New York, Utah, Great Britain, Ecuador and India have signed on in support of the unions.
Among the hundreds of comments attached to the petition was this one from Jerry Cookus: “One of the most asinine assumptions popular in many political circles is that teachers cannot manage themselves. Here is a situation where teachers did not have a chance to fiscally manage themselves, yet they are first in line to be fiscally disciplined for a problem they did not cause. This is unjust.”
Dan Scott commented, “How can we justify paying astronomical salaries to a superintendent and state commissioner of education, while contemplating taking away labor unions, cutting employee pay and breaking legal contracts that are legally binding through 2015? It is disgraceful when the ‘chiefs’ begin attacking their own ‘warriors.’”
Grace Leavitt implored, “How can you be making these cuts to teachers? Don’t you see the connection between these cuts and the negative impacts they will have on students? There is no logic to this? And it is just plain wrong!”
According to Pam Fitz-given, “Thirty-five years of mismanagement by greedy and ignorant administrations are to blame. Stop blaming the teachers and work legally with them.”
Kerry Bowman added, “It is hard enough to find good teachers and now we want to take money away from the ones that we have. What incentive does that give the next generation to want to be educators? Where are our priorities?”
Cyndia McEwen was succinct: “PCSSD has been fiscally irresponsible for many, many years. Now to cover their butts, they are stripping teachers of their hard-working money while they sit back and continue to collect theirs. This is ridiculous.”
TOP STORY >> Trophy back at air base
The Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council this week was presented with the Abilene Trophy, which recognizes the community that provides the “finest support” to an Air Mobility Command unit.
This is the second time the council has received the award. The council also won the trophy in 2010 for its support of the air base.
At a luncheon Wednesday, a promotion campaign was un-veiled using the slogan, “The Little Rock Difference: Rock & ROLE.”
The logo features two C-130s flying inside a red outline of Arkansas, with the words “ROCK” and “ROLE” prominently featured.
The top and bottom of the logo feature blue bands with the phrases, “Little Rock Air Force Base” and “What’s Your Role?”
The base is known as “the Rock.” “ROLE” stands for Responsive, One Team, Leading and Excellence.
The idea for “the Little Rock difference” came from Col. Mike Minihan, former commander of the 19th Airlift Wing. Rep. Tim Griffin (R.Ark.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, picked up the phrase and has used it in speeches and suggested the marketing campaign.
The community council plans to use this campaign to heighten the awareness of the importance of the base to the entire state, as well as individual communities.
According to council president Larry Biernacki, “This is an exciting new concept to let the public know how important the base is to all of us. It also lets the base know our support for it is immeasurable. We are eager to see this develop into a major brand for the base.”
The council unveiled a video that can be viewed at http://griffin.house.gov/video/little-rock-air-force-base-rock-and-role.
A committee headed by Larry Wilson, president and chief executive officer of First Arkansas Bank, came up with the concept over the last six weeks.
Roger Sundermeier, marketing director at First Arkansas Bank and Trust, did the conceptual drawings for the design.
Kevin Clay did the video that was first shown at the luncheon.
In the video, Minihan and current commanders at the base praise the relationship between the base and the community.
Griffin also appears in the video and stresses the importance of the air base to the community.
“Little Rock Air Force Base plays a critically important role in our nation’s defense capabilities and is an integral part of Arkansas’ economy, culture and family,” Griffin said in a news release.
“The partnership between ‘The Rock’ and the community is a unique example of excellence, and, together, they are one team and responsive to the needs of each other. This is how LRAFB and the community council differentiate themselves from other communities with air bases and what led to the creation of ‘The Little Rock Difference.’
LRAFB is known as the “Center of Excellence” for training C-130 crews from all services, including 27 nations that train here annually. It has a $700 million economic impact in Arkansas, and is in the top five employers in the state.
This is the second time the council has received the award. The council also won the trophy in 2010 for its support of the air base.
At a luncheon Wednesday, a promotion campaign was un-veiled using the slogan, “The Little Rock Difference: Rock & ROLE.”
The logo features two C-130s flying inside a red outline of Arkansas, with the words “ROCK” and “ROLE” prominently featured.
The top and bottom of the logo feature blue bands with the phrases, “Little Rock Air Force Base” and “What’s Your Role?”
The base is known as “the Rock.” “ROLE” stands for Responsive, One Team, Leading and Excellence.
The idea for “the Little Rock difference” came from Col. Mike Minihan, former commander of the 19th Airlift Wing. Rep. Tim Griffin (R.Ark.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, picked up the phrase and has used it in speeches and suggested the marketing campaign.
The community council plans to use this campaign to heighten the awareness of the importance of the base to the entire state, as well as individual communities.
According to council president Larry Biernacki, “This is an exciting new concept to let the public know how important the base is to all of us. It also lets the base know our support for it is immeasurable. We are eager to see this develop into a major brand for the base.”
The council unveiled a video that can be viewed at http://griffin.house.gov/video/little-rock-air-force-base-rock-and-role.
A committee headed by Larry Wilson, president and chief executive officer of First Arkansas Bank, came up with the concept over the last six weeks.
Roger Sundermeier, marketing director at First Arkansas Bank and Trust, did the conceptual drawings for the design.
Kevin Clay did the video that was first shown at the luncheon.
In the video, Minihan and current commanders at the base praise the relationship between the base and the community.
Griffin also appears in the video and stresses the importance of the air base to the community.
“Little Rock Air Force Base plays a critically important role in our nation’s defense capabilities and is an integral part of Arkansas’ economy, culture and family,” Griffin said in a news release.
“The partnership between ‘The Rock’ and the community is a unique example of excellence, and, together, they are one team and responsive to the needs of each other. This is how LRAFB and the community council differentiate themselves from other communities with air bases and what led to the creation of ‘The Little Rock Difference.’
LRAFB is known as the “Center of Excellence” for training C-130 crews from all services, including 27 nations that train here annually. It has a $700 million economic impact in Arkansas, and is in the top five employers in the state.
SPORTS STORY >> Jacksonville shut down in nightcap
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Hits were few and far between for Jacksonville, particularly in the late going as winning North Little Rock pitcher Tyler Schaller seemed to strengthen with every frame during a 4-0 shutout victory for the Optimist Colts at Dupree Park on Thursday in an American Legion senior zone game.
Schaller gave up a pair of hits in the first inning and a few scattered hits throughout, but ultimately struck out nine batters while the defense behind him negated two of those hits with heads-up plays that caught Jacksonville runners off guard and off the pads.
Jacksonville (5-7) used a collection of pitchers to try and make its way through the seven-inning affair, starting with James McCranie, who gave way to Jarred Wilson in the top of the sixth. Wilson got in a bind in the top of the seventh, which led to Alex Tucker limping the Chevy Boys home on the mound.
The junior team had won big over the Colts in the first game of the twin bill, but with a number of those players called on for double duty in the senior game, it led to a lineup that appeared out of gas for the most part in the final frames.
“We’re probably playing the kids to where they’re about to wear out on me,” Jacksonville coach Bob Hickingbotham said. “They’re young kids, and we’ve been playing a whole lot. This is nearly 20 games for them. We’ve got some problems with some of the older ones right now that we’ve got to try and get worked out, and some other things that’s creating some problems.”
Derek St. Clair was one of those players appearing in both games. St. Clair led off the bottom of the first inning with a single to shallow right, but the decision to take two did not work out, and he was tagged out at second. Jessie Harbin followed with a two-out double to right but was left stranded when Xavier Brown grounded out to second.
Those were the only hits for Jacksonville until the bottom of the third inning, when St. Clair came up for his second turn and doubled to right. Through the final four innings, Harbin and Troy Allen were the only Jacksonville batters to record a hit against Schaller.
McCranie did his best to keep pace with Schaller through the first four innings, giving up only one hit during that time. But the Colts started to get to him in the top of the fifth inning, and the switch at the mound in the sixth seemed to affect Jacksonville’s defense as a whole.
“We’re a little bit short handed pitching wise,” Hickingbotham said. “When Jesse’s not on the mound, we just kind of have to hope, try to get someone out there that can maybe go four or five innings. We’re not hitting the baseball very good right now; we’ve got to get better than that. Our older kids right now are struggling with play, really.”
The Colts took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Jacob Stripling double to left field and later scored on an error at first base. That’s how the score remained until the top of the fifth, when John Chapman singled to center and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dillon Richardson. The middle of the season is providing for some frustrating situations for Hickingbotham, now in his 39th season as head coach over the Jacksonville American Legion program.
“We’ve got three guys who work all the time and not coming to practice,” Hickingbotham said. “And it’s making it difficult on some other people. Some of them need to work, and I understand that, but if you don’t practice, you can’t play very good.”
Leader sportswriter
Hits were few and far between for Jacksonville, particularly in the late going as winning North Little Rock pitcher Tyler Schaller seemed to strengthen with every frame during a 4-0 shutout victory for the Optimist Colts at Dupree Park on Thursday in an American Legion senior zone game.
Schaller gave up a pair of hits in the first inning and a few scattered hits throughout, but ultimately struck out nine batters while the defense behind him negated two of those hits with heads-up plays that caught Jacksonville runners off guard and off the pads.
Jacksonville (5-7) used a collection of pitchers to try and make its way through the seven-inning affair, starting with James McCranie, who gave way to Jarred Wilson in the top of the sixth. Wilson got in a bind in the top of the seventh, which led to Alex Tucker limping the Chevy Boys home on the mound.
The junior team had won big over the Colts in the first game of the twin bill, but with a number of those players called on for double duty in the senior game, it led to a lineup that appeared out of gas for the most part in the final frames.
“We’re probably playing the kids to where they’re about to wear out on me,” Jacksonville coach Bob Hickingbotham said. “They’re young kids, and we’ve been playing a whole lot. This is nearly 20 games for them. We’ve got some problems with some of the older ones right now that we’ve got to try and get worked out, and some other things that’s creating some problems.”
Derek St. Clair was one of those players appearing in both games. St. Clair led off the bottom of the first inning with a single to shallow right, but the decision to take two did not work out, and he was tagged out at second. Jessie Harbin followed with a two-out double to right but was left stranded when Xavier Brown grounded out to second.
Those were the only hits for Jacksonville until the bottom of the third inning, when St. Clair came up for his second turn and doubled to right. Through the final four innings, Harbin and Troy Allen were the only Jacksonville batters to record a hit against Schaller.
McCranie did his best to keep pace with Schaller through the first four innings, giving up only one hit during that time. But the Colts started to get to him in the top of the fifth inning, and the switch at the mound in the sixth seemed to affect Jacksonville’s defense as a whole.
“We’re a little bit short handed pitching wise,” Hickingbotham said. “When Jesse’s not on the mound, we just kind of have to hope, try to get someone out there that can maybe go four or five innings. We’re not hitting the baseball very good right now; we’ve got to get better than that. Our older kids right now are struggling with play, really.”
The Colts took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Jacob Stripling double to left field and later scored on an error at first base. That’s how the score remained until the top of the fifth, when John Chapman singled to center and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dillon Richardson. The middle of the season is providing for some frustrating situations for Hickingbotham, now in his 39th season as head coach over the Jacksonville American Legion program.
“We’ve got three guys who work all the time and not coming to practice,” Hickingbotham said. “And it’s making it difficult on some other people. Some of them need to work, and I understand that, but if you don’t practice, you can’t play very good.”
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot comes back for win
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Sylvan Hills’ senior American Legion team led Cabot in the early innings, but Cabot rallied to tie the Bruins late, and scored four runs in the ninth inning to win 11-7 Thursday at Mike Bromley Field in Sherwood.
Cabot struggled early at the plate as its first eight batters were retired by Sylvan Hills’ starting pitcher Lance Hunter. The Bruins on the other hand had little trouble connecting at the plate. Sylvan Hills scored a run in the first inning and added two more in the third to take an early 3-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Cabot looked like a completely different team offensively. Cabot (7-9) scored three runs in the inning to tie the score at three apiece. Sylvan Hills (8-6) retook the lead in the bottom part of the inning when Dylan Boone hit a RBI-single to right field.
Bruins Leadoff hitter Greg Atchison scored on the play after hitting a double to right-center field the previous at bat.
Sylvan Hills added two more runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-3 lead, and led by the same score going into the seventh inning.
In the top of the seventh, Cabot’s bats came to life and the senior team went on another three-run rally to tie the score at six apiece, and grab the momentum in the process.
Cabot took the lead for the first time in the eighth inning. Ryan Logan scored Cabot’s go-ahead run after T.C. Carter hit into a fielder’s choice at third base. Sylvan Hills, however, knotted up the score at seven apiece when Boone hit a stand up double to left-center field, allowing Atchison to score from first base. It was Boone’s second RBI of the game.
Bryson Morris gave Cabot the lead in the top of the ninth after hitting a hard grounder to shortstop with two outs in the inning.
Cole Thomas and Logan scored on the E6. The error was the fourth of the game for Sylvan Hills. Cabot committed no errors in the game. Tristan Bulice drove in two more insurance runs for Cabot two batters later on a line drive single to right-center field. Morris and Casey Vaughn scored on the play to set the final margin.
Dustin Morris picked up the win for Cabot after relieving Thomas in the fourth. Bulice led Cabot with a 3 for 4 performance at the plate, adding three RBI’s and two runs scored to his stats. Carter, Justin Goff and Dustin Morris each had two hits, while Bryson Morris also had a hit.
Boone and centerfielder J.D. Miller each went 3 for 4 for the Bruins. Atchison was 2 for 3.
Leader sportswriter
Sylvan Hills’ senior American Legion team led Cabot in the early innings, but Cabot rallied to tie the Bruins late, and scored four runs in the ninth inning to win 11-7 Thursday at Mike Bromley Field in Sherwood.
Cabot struggled early at the plate as its first eight batters were retired by Sylvan Hills’ starting pitcher Lance Hunter. The Bruins on the other hand had little trouble connecting at the plate. Sylvan Hills scored a run in the first inning and added two more in the third to take an early 3-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Cabot looked like a completely different team offensively. Cabot (7-9) scored three runs in the inning to tie the score at three apiece. Sylvan Hills (8-6) retook the lead in the bottom part of the inning when Dylan Boone hit a RBI-single to right field.
Bruins Leadoff hitter Greg Atchison scored on the play after hitting a double to right-center field the previous at bat.
Sylvan Hills added two more runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-3 lead, and led by the same score going into the seventh inning.
In the top of the seventh, Cabot’s bats came to life and the senior team went on another three-run rally to tie the score at six apiece, and grab the momentum in the process.
Cabot took the lead for the first time in the eighth inning. Ryan Logan scored Cabot’s go-ahead run after T.C. Carter hit into a fielder’s choice at third base. Sylvan Hills, however, knotted up the score at seven apiece when Boone hit a stand up double to left-center field, allowing Atchison to score from first base. It was Boone’s second RBI of the game.
Bryson Morris gave Cabot the lead in the top of the ninth after hitting a hard grounder to shortstop with two outs in the inning.
Cole Thomas and Logan scored on the E6. The error was the fourth of the game for Sylvan Hills. Cabot committed no errors in the game. Tristan Bulice drove in two more insurance runs for Cabot two batters later on a line drive single to right-center field. Morris and Casey Vaughn scored on the play to set the final margin.
Dustin Morris picked up the win for Cabot after relieving Thomas in the fourth. Bulice led Cabot with a 3 for 4 performance at the plate, adding three RBI’s and two runs scored to his stats. Carter, Justin Goff and Dustin Morris each had two hits, while Bryson Morris also had a hit.
Boone and centerfielder J.D. Miller each went 3 for 4 for the Bruins. Atchison was 2 for 3.
SPORTS STORY >> Teams split battle of the banks
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Cabot’s junior team one American Legion squad beat Lonoke Banking Center 10-3 in the first part of a doubleheader Wednesday, but fell hard in the second game as Lonoke avenged the loss with a 14-2 win at Lonoke.
In the first game of the twin bill, Lonoke led 1-0 after an inning of play. Cabot tied it up in the top of the second inning when Lee Sullivan laid down a routine bunt that rolled to the pitcher’s mound. As Sullivan hustled to first, the throw was out of first baseman Zack Risner’s reach, and Gavin Tillery scored from second base after singling to start the inning.
Lonoke (6-3) was held scoreless at its next at bat, and Cabot (12-12) took control of the game in the third inning, scoring six runs to make the score 7-1. Lonoke tried to rally in the fourth inning with two runs that cut Cabot’s lead to four.
But in the fifth and final inning, Cabot added three more runs to set the final margin.
“That first game they played awesome,” said Cabot coach Chris Gross about the win. “We were swinging the bat well, and we played good defense. We threw strikes and with any legion team the biggest thing is throwing strikes, especially with this age group.”
Landon James earned the win on the mound for Cabot, striking out three in the complete game performance. James also got it done at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a RBI and run scored. Tillery and Riley Knudsen also had two hits to go with two RBI’s apiece. Adam Hicks and Jonathan Latture had a base hit as well.
For Lonoke, Darrius McCall was 2 for 2 for the game with a RBI. Josh Mathis, Jalin Holloway, Essick Shephard, Dustyn Perkins and Risner each had a base hit.
Cabot and Lonoke have been busy as of late as both teams played at least one game nearly every day this week. Cabot used its depth in the second part of the doubleheader as several players that sat the bench in the previous game came in to give some of its starters time to rest.
Lonoke wasted no time taking advantage of the switch. In the first inning, Lonoke was relentless at the plate, scoring 10 of its 14 runs on six hits and five walks. Once the first inning was finally over, Lonoke’s pitching was just as solid as its hitting.
Mathis started for Lonoke on the hill, and retired the first three batters he faced. Lonoke scored its next two runs in the second inning.
Jacob Gordon hit a stand-up double to left field to start the inning. Triston Sullivan, who was 3 for 3 with three RBI’s in the game, drove Gordon in with a line drive single to right-center field.
Sullivan stole second and scored two batters later when Holloway singled in the left field gap to give Lonoke a 12-run lead.
Cabot was held scoreless again in the bottom part of the inning, and Lonoke added its final two runs in the top of the third.
Sullivan picked up his second and third RBI’s with a single up the middle of the diamond which allowed Perkins and Tyler Young to score with ease, giving Lonoke a 14-0 lead. Cabot totaled just two hits in the game, but scored its only runs in the bottom of the third as a result of those hits.
Pinch-runner John Van Hoveln scored Cabot’s first run on a RBI single from Austin Null. Van Hoveln came in again to run the bases later in the inning, and successfully stole both second and third base.
Van Hoveln scored the final run of the day on a suicide squeeze bunt from two-hole hitter Trent Frizzell. Frizzell’s bunt was executed well enough that it resulted in a base hit.
Mathis was the winning pitcher in game two. Sullivan’s three singles led Lonoke’s offense. Deron Ricks had multiple hits as well, finishing 2 for 3 with two singles. Gage Johnson, Mathis, Shephard, Gordon, McCall, Holloway and Perkins also had base hits for Lonoke.
Leader sportswriter
Cabot’s junior team one American Legion squad beat Lonoke Banking Center 10-3 in the first part of a doubleheader Wednesday, but fell hard in the second game as Lonoke avenged the loss with a 14-2 win at Lonoke.
In the first game of the twin bill, Lonoke led 1-0 after an inning of play. Cabot tied it up in the top of the second inning when Lee Sullivan laid down a routine bunt that rolled to the pitcher’s mound. As Sullivan hustled to first, the throw was out of first baseman Zack Risner’s reach, and Gavin Tillery scored from second base after singling to start the inning.
Lonoke (6-3) was held scoreless at its next at bat, and Cabot (12-12) took control of the game in the third inning, scoring six runs to make the score 7-1. Lonoke tried to rally in the fourth inning with two runs that cut Cabot’s lead to four.
But in the fifth and final inning, Cabot added three more runs to set the final margin.
“That first game they played awesome,” said Cabot coach Chris Gross about the win. “We were swinging the bat well, and we played good defense. We threw strikes and with any legion team the biggest thing is throwing strikes, especially with this age group.”
Landon James earned the win on the mound for Cabot, striking out three in the complete game performance. James also got it done at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a RBI and run scored. Tillery and Riley Knudsen also had two hits to go with two RBI’s apiece. Adam Hicks and Jonathan Latture had a base hit as well.
For Lonoke, Darrius McCall was 2 for 2 for the game with a RBI. Josh Mathis, Jalin Holloway, Essick Shephard, Dustyn Perkins and Risner each had a base hit.
Cabot and Lonoke have been busy as of late as both teams played at least one game nearly every day this week. Cabot used its depth in the second part of the doubleheader as several players that sat the bench in the previous game came in to give some of its starters time to rest.
Lonoke wasted no time taking advantage of the switch. In the first inning, Lonoke was relentless at the plate, scoring 10 of its 14 runs on six hits and five walks. Once the first inning was finally over, Lonoke’s pitching was just as solid as its hitting.
Mathis started for Lonoke on the hill, and retired the first three batters he faced. Lonoke scored its next two runs in the second inning.
Jacob Gordon hit a stand-up double to left field to start the inning. Triston Sullivan, who was 3 for 3 with three RBI’s in the game, drove Gordon in with a line drive single to right-center field.
Sullivan stole second and scored two batters later when Holloway singled in the left field gap to give Lonoke a 12-run lead.
Cabot was held scoreless again in the bottom part of the inning, and Lonoke added its final two runs in the top of the third.
Sullivan picked up his second and third RBI’s with a single up the middle of the diamond which allowed Perkins and Tyler Young to score with ease, giving Lonoke a 14-0 lead. Cabot totaled just two hits in the game, but scored its only runs in the bottom of the third as a result of those hits.
Pinch-runner John Van Hoveln scored Cabot’s first run on a RBI single from Austin Null. Van Hoveln came in again to run the bases later in the inning, and successfully stole both second and third base.
Van Hoveln scored the final run of the day on a suicide squeeze bunt from two-hole hitter Trent Frizzell. Frizzell’s bunt was executed well enough that it resulted in a base hit.
Mathis was the winning pitcher in game two. Sullivan’s three singles led Lonoke’s offense. Deron Ricks had multiple hits as well, finishing 2 for 3 with two singles. Gage Johnson, Mathis, Shephard, Gordon, McCall, Holloway and Perkins also had base hits for Lonoke.
SPORTS STORY >> Gwatney pulls away late
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
A big fourth inning lifted Jacksonville Gwatney Chevrolet to an 11-2 blowout victory over North Little Rock at Dupree Park on Thursday. The Chevy Boys (20-3) scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and added two more for good measure in the fifth inning just as time was expiring in the American Legion junior zone matchup.
Blake Perry took the win on the mound for Gwatney, going the distance in five innings while giving up two hits and striking out two batters.
“We played pretty good,” Jacksonville coach Bob Hickingbotham said. “We didn’t hit the ball very well, but they began to make some mistakes on the field. They walked quite a few, and that kind of gave us a little bit of a chance to get some runs. After he changed pitchers, then they began to settle down a little. Those kids are playing pretty good.”
The Colts quickly retired the first two Jacksonville batters to start the bottom of the fourth, but a return to the top of the order for Gwatney marked disaster for pitcher Landon Hearnos. Hearnos walked Troy Allen and struck out Derek St. Clair, but a passed ball on the final strike allowed Clair to reach first and advance Allen. Justin Abbott then walked to load the bases.
Cleanup hitter Austin Allen drove in the first run with a single chopper over third base to keep the bases loaded, and a walk for Greg Jones scored St. Clair to give Jacksonville a 4-2 lead. Abbott scored on another passed ball to increase the margin to 5-2.
Hearnos gave up his fourth walk of the inning to Ryan Mallison to load the bases all over again, and James Tucker drove in two of those runners with a two-RBI single to right field. D.J. Scott popped up to center on his first trip to the plate to start the turn, but he was more successful on his second trip with a two-RBI single to right field.
Troy Allen put the first run up on the board for Jacksonville in the bottom of the first inning when he walked and eventually scored when his brother Austin Allen hit a line drive to second base. NLR attempted to catch Justin Abbott off the bag at first, but the throw was mishandled, allowing Abbott to second and Troy Allen home to tie the game at 1-1.
Abbott put the Chevy Boys up 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning when he singled to right field and scored on an infield error when Jones hit the ball to second base. The Colts tied the game again in the top of the fourth inning when Darrick Flowers hit a solo home run over the right field wall.
Troy Allen reached first after getting hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Abbott reached when he hit into a fielder’s choice that retired Perry at third. Austin Allen then put an exclamation point on the game with a two-RBI triple to right. Tucker was 2 for 3 with two RBI while Austin Allen was 2 for 4 with a triple and four RBI.
Leader sportswriter
A big fourth inning lifted Jacksonville Gwatney Chevrolet to an 11-2 blowout victory over North Little Rock at Dupree Park on Thursday. The Chevy Boys (20-3) scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and added two more for good measure in the fifth inning just as time was expiring in the American Legion junior zone matchup.
Blake Perry took the win on the mound for Gwatney, going the distance in five innings while giving up two hits and striking out two batters.
“We played pretty good,” Jacksonville coach Bob Hickingbotham said. “We didn’t hit the ball very well, but they began to make some mistakes on the field. They walked quite a few, and that kind of gave us a little bit of a chance to get some runs. After he changed pitchers, then they began to settle down a little. Those kids are playing pretty good.”
The Colts quickly retired the first two Jacksonville batters to start the bottom of the fourth, but a return to the top of the order for Gwatney marked disaster for pitcher Landon Hearnos. Hearnos walked Troy Allen and struck out Derek St. Clair, but a passed ball on the final strike allowed Clair to reach first and advance Allen. Justin Abbott then walked to load the bases.
Cleanup hitter Austin Allen drove in the first run with a single chopper over third base to keep the bases loaded, and a walk for Greg Jones scored St. Clair to give Jacksonville a 4-2 lead. Abbott scored on another passed ball to increase the margin to 5-2.
Hearnos gave up his fourth walk of the inning to Ryan Mallison to load the bases all over again, and James Tucker drove in two of those runners with a two-RBI single to right field. D.J. Scott popped up to center on his first trip to the plate to start the turn, but he was more successful on his second trip with a two-RBI single to right field.
Troy Allen put the first run up on the board for Jacksonville in the bottom of the first inning when he walked and eventually scored when his brother Austin Allen hit a line drive to second base. NLR attempted to catch Justin Abbott off the bag at first, but the throw was mishandled, allowing Abbott to second and Troy Allen home to tie the game at 1-1.
Abbott put the Chevy Boys up 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning when he singled to right field and scored on an infield error when Jones hit the ball to second base. The Colts tied the game again in the top of the fourth inning when Darrick Flowers hit a solo home run over the right field wall.
Troy Allen reached first after getting hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Abbott reached when he hit into a fielder’s choice that retired Perry at third. Austin Allen then put an exclamation point on the game with a two-RBI triple to right. Tucker was 2 for 3 with two RBI while Austin Allen was 2 for 4 with a triple and four RBI.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
EDITORIAL >> State fair misses mark
The state fair board’s decision to stay in Little Rock was really a no-confidence vote in the fair’s ability to do what it needed to do — reinvent itself.
It was a unanimous vote to wither on the vine and die.
The state fair is staying put because of $3 million offered by Little Rock, along with some extra acreage and promises that may or may not come true.
First off, the $3 million is actually $300,000 annually for 10 years. Right there, it will take the fair board longer to make improvements than it wants or needs to. The added land — up to 100 acres — will help, but it will also come in segments and at a cost.
Then there were longtime promises like a new exit off I-30 to the state fairgrounds.
Look at the trouble North Belt is in, and does anyone think the fairgrounds will really get a $20 million interchange to bring visitors to its front door? Maybe eventually, but not in time to save it.
Jacksonville was offering an interchange, already built, along with 450-plus acres. That’s double what Little Rock could possibly offer the fairgrounds — so why didn’t it move to Jacksonville?
Simply, the state fair is afraid to reinvent itself — and if it doesn’t, Little Rock will have thrown away millions in taxpayers’ money.
More land is always nice, but not required.
Oklahoma City’s state fair has almost double the space of Tulsa, but the Tulsa state fair has the better reputation. And that’s Little Rock’s biggest problem — its reputation.
Ask the eye glass cleaner salesman, ask the handwriting analysis guy, ask the jewelry vendor or the food vendor, and they will tell you that the state fair in Little Rock has a reputation for being one of the roughest, most dangerous and expensive fairs on the circuit.
Whether warranted or not, it is the perception and everyone knows perception is reality.
People think the Arkansas State Fair is dangerous because of fights, gangs, thugs and other undesirables. Vendors will tell you that theft is common.
In Tulsa, the fair brings in double the people that Little Rock does, has five times the vendors, double the rides and triple the entertainment, doesn’t charge for parking and its gate admission is about the same as Little Rock.
The fees vendors must pay for space in Little Rock and Tulsa is about the same, but in Tulsa, vendors see twice the people, have less shoplifting and an opportunity to make much more money.
By voting to stay in Little Rock, the state fair said it was willing to put on a little extra makeup, but had no desire to go through an extreme makeover to save its life.
Moving to Jacksonville would have given the fair a chance to shed its griminess and its ugly reputation. The fair said no to a chance to start over.
Look at what happened in Conway, where the Faulkner County Fair was in an area of town with a bad reputation.
Fair officials decided to move to a larger piece of property, but more importantly, by making the move, its county fair was able to reinvent itself.
The first two years in its new location have proven to be a wonderful experience for everyone — something state fair-goers in Little Rock can only wish for as efforts continue to save a dying tradition.
It was a unanimous vote to wither on the vine and die.
The state fair is staying put because of $3 million offered by Little Rock, along with some extra acreage and promises that may or may not come true.
First off, the $3 million is actually $300,000 annually for 10 years. Right there, it will take the fair board longer to make improvements than it wants or needs to. The added land — up to 100 acres — will help, but it will also come in segments and at a cost.
Then there were longtime promises like a new exit off I-30 to the state fairgrounds.
Look at the trouble North Belt is in, and does anyone think the fairgrounds will really get a $20 million interchange to bring visitors to its front door? Maybe eventually, but not in time to save it.
Jacksonville was offering an interchange, already built, along with 450-plus acres. That’s double what Little Rock could possibly offer the fairgrounds — so why didn’t it move to Jacksonville?
Simply, the state fair is afraid to reinvent itself — and if it doesn’t, Little Rock will have thrown away millions in taxpayers’ money.
More land is always nice, but not required.
Oklahoma City’s state fair has almost double the space of Tulsa, but the Tulsa state fair has the better reputation. And that’s Little Rock’s biggest problem — its reputation.
Ask the eye glass cleaner salesman, ask the handwriting analysis guy, ask the jewelry vendor or the food vendor, and they will tell you that the state fair in Little Rock has a reputation for being one of the roughest, most dangerous and expensive fairs on the circuit.
Whether warranted or not, it is the perception and everyone knows perception is reality.
People think the Arkansas State Fair is dangerous because of fights, gangs, thugs and other undesirables. Vendors will tell you that theft is common.
In Tulsa, the fair brings in double the people that Little Rock does, has five times the vendors, double the rides and triple the entertainment, doesn’t charge for parking and its gate admission is about the same as Little Rock.
The fees vendors must pay for space in Little Rock and Tulsa is about the same, but in Tulsa, vendors see twice the people, have less shoplifting and an opportunity to make much more money.
By voting to stay in Little Rock, the state fair said it was willing to put on a little extra makeup, but had no desire to go through an extreme makeover to save its life.
Moving to Jacksonville would have given the fair a chance to shed its griminess and its ugly reputation. The fair said no to a chance to start over.
Look at what happened in Conway, where the Faulkner County Fair was in an area of town with a bad reputation.
Fair officials decided to move to a larger piece of property, but more importantly, by making the move, its county fair was able to reinvent itself.
The first two years in its new location have proven to be a wonderful experience for everyone — something state fair-goers in Little Rock can only wish for as efforts continue to save a dying tradition.
TOP STORY >> Grant helps end stink over sewer
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville will use a $105,000 grant to finish off a 20-year effort to bring sewer service to the Valentine-Wooten Road area southeast of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville City Council approved the grant in a special meeting Thursday.
Thea Hughes, manager of the city’s wastewater department, called the situation dire and told the council that many area residents were living with failing septic tanks or worse.
Hughes said about $3.5 million in state and federal grants had been spent to build sewer lines and five pump stations so the 200-plus residents can tie into the city’s sewer system.
The latest contractor has been making repairs that had gone unattended for about five years when the last contractor walked off the job in a dispute.
“As he has been making repairs, more problems were discovered that funding wasn’t available for,” she said. Overall, the project was about $100,000 short of completion, but the Delta Regional Authority has stepped in with the money.
The authority was notified by Gov. Mike Beebe’s office that emergency funding was needed, and the project was approved by the DRA last week. The authority will contribute $105,000for the completion of the sewer project.
But the city had to agree to waive competitive bidding. “It makes no sense,” Hughes said, “to stop the work and go back out for bids when this contractor is doing a good job and was the low bidder when the repair project first went out for bids and knows where the problems are.”
She added that there would be increased costs and delays if the council went through the bidding process all over again.
The council agreed. They also agreed to let the city enter into a contract with the contractor and serve as a conduit for this latest grant.
The Delta grant will be used to repair and complete a large bulge in pipe that if left unattended will result in further cracking and seepage of raw sewage into residential properties, complete nine “change in grade” areas where the slope of the gravity sewer pipe allows sewage to travel through the system in compliance with Arkansas Department of Health regulations, and repair and replace defective pipes running under county roads.
Chris Masingill, chairman of the Delta authority, said during an announcement at city hall on Tuesday, “This is very important to the community, very important to our economy. What happens here in Jacksonville is important to the success of the entire region. This is the type of project that is why we do what we do. We want to help create jobs, build community and improve lives. This project helps complete that mission.”
The sewer project should be completed in about a month, “We’ll run a final inspection and then we’ll accept the line and that means maintenance, upkeep and repairs become our responsibility,” Hughes said.
But it doesn’t mean any resident will be ready to use the sewer.
“Each resident is responsible for having a line run from their homes to our line,” Hughes said, adding that state law requires anyone within 300 feet of a main sewer line to tie on.
Hughes said many of the residents have received approval, because of low income, for free hookups through various agencies.
Why isn’t the city paying for the sewer work to begin with?
Hughes said the city normally does not pay for sewer lines. “That cost is covered by the developer of a subdivision or area. But because the Valentine-Wooten was already established, it had to form a public service commission and apply for grants to build the lines,” she said.
Once it did that, Hughes explained, a contractor was hired but had problems and lawsuits and in a dispute with the commission walked off the job five years ago.
After the council voted to bypass competitive bidding and sign the contract with the contractor, Aldermen Reedie Ray, who has pushed for years to get sewer services out to the area, thanked the council.
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville will use a $105,000 grant to finish off a 20-year effort to bring sewer service to the Valentine-Wooten Road area southeast of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville City Council approved the grant in a special meeting Thursday.
Thea Hughes, manager of the city’s wastewater department, called the situation dire and told the council that many area residents were living with failing septic tanks or worse.
Hughes said about $3.5 million in state and federal grants had been spent to build sewer lines and five pump stations so the 200-plus residents can tie into the city’s sewer system.
The latest contractor has been making repairs that had gone unattended for about five years when the last contractor walked off the job in a dispute.
“As he has been making repairs, more problems were discovered that funding wasn’t available for,” she said. Overall, the project was about $100,000 short of completion, but the Delta Regional Authority has stepped in with the money.
The authority was notified by Gov. Mike Beebe’s office that emergency funding was needed, and the project was approved by the DRA last week. The authority will contribute $105,000for the completion of the sewer project.
But the city had to agree to waive competitive bidding. “It makes no sense,” Hughes said, “to stop the work and go back out for bids when this contractor is doing a good job and was the low bidder when the repair project first went out for bids and knows where the problems are.”
She added that there would be increased costs and delays if the council went through the bidding process all over again.
The council agreed. They also agreed to let the city enter into a contract with the contractor and serve as a conduit for this latest grant.
The Delta grant will be used to repair and complete a large bulge in pipe that if left unattended will result in further cracking and seepage of raw sewage into residential properties, complete nine “change in grade” areas where the slope of the gravity sewer pipe allows sewage to travel through the system in compliance with Arkansas Department of Health regulations, and repair and replace defective pipes running under county roads.
Chris Masingill, chairman of the Delta authority, said during an announcement at city hall on Tuesday, “This is very important to the community, very important to our economy. What happens here in Jacksonville is important to the success of the entire region. This is the type of project that is why we do what we do. We want to help create jobs, build community and improve lives. This project helps complete that mission.”
The sewer project should be completed in about a month, “We’ll run a final inspection and then we’ll accept the line and that means maintenance, upkeep and repairs become our responsibility,” Hughes said.
But it doesn’t mean any resident will be ready to use the sewer.
“Each resident is responsible for having a line run from their homes to our line,” Hughes said, adding that state law requires anyone within 300 feet of a main sewer line to tie on.
Hughes said many of the residents have received approval, because of low income, for free hookups through various agencies.
Why isn’t the city paying for the sewer work to begin with?
Hughes said the city normally does not pay for sewer lines. “That cost is covered by the developer of a subdivision or area. But because the Valentine-Wooten was already established, it had to form a public service commission and apply for grants to build the lines,” she said.
Once it did that, Hughes explained, a contractor was hired but had problems and lawsuits and in a dispute with the commission walked off the job five years ago.
After the council voted to bypass competitive bidding and sign the contract with the contractor, Aldermen Reedie Ray, who has pushed for years to get sewer services out to the area, thanked the council.
TOP STORY >> Cabot heroes honored
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
David and Sonya Stratton were saluted with the first Cabot Heroes award at Monday night’s city council meeting. Their actions are credited with saving the life of 7-year-old Brandon Waters after he was struck by a pickup on Easter while leaving church with his parents.
The Strattons are respiratory therapists who work at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. David works on Angel One, the emergency-transport helicopter, and along with her other duties, Sonya teaches CPR.
They posed for pictures with Mayor Bill Cypert and the plaque he had made for them. Sonya Stratton told the mayor it was a nice thing to do.
The word “miracle” wasn’t the first thing they said when reporters asked for comments, but what they described has been called a miracle by many, including Braydon.
“He tells everybody he has something in common with Jesus,” said Braydon’s mother, Amy Waters. “He came back on Easter, too.”
The Strattons had just left the Church of Christ down the street from First Baptist Church when their 14-year-old son saw a pickup hit Braydon.
Jake Waters, Braydon’s father, said he and his family were crossing Hwy. 367 at Locust with several other families. They were in the center lane when Braydon took one more step and the truck hit him.
The impact knocked him 25 feet, broke his jaw and collar bone, knocked out five teeth and caused bleeding in his brain and lungs.
Sonya Stratton said she jumped out of the SUV and ran to help Braydon while her husband found a place to park.
He wasn’t breathing when she got to him and she started CPR. When her husband arrived, they took turns.
Paramedics arrived a short time later and Stratton said someone gave her an automated external defibrillator. She had the pads in place and was about to shock his heart, when, to her surprise, he started waving his arms, she said.
Was it just a coincidence that two people who knew how to save lives came so quickly to the aide of a little boy who needed their help?
Stratton hesitated with her response as if a little fearful that her answer might be ridiculed.
Then she said, “I’m a believer and I believe God put us there on that day at that time.”
Braydon was also at the council meeting, but the mayor couldn’t convince him to join the Strattons up front.
“I asked him if he would come up and tell us what grade he’s in and he said no,” the mayor said. “I asked him if he liked girls and he said no.”
Jake Waters said his son stayed at Children’s Hospital for six days. He doesn’t remember the accident or the first days afterward. But he healed without surgery.
“It all went back the way it’s supposed to be, the way God intended,” he said.
Leader staff writer
David and Sonya Stratton were saluted with the first Cabot Heroes award at Monday night’s city council meeting. Their actions are credited with saving the life of 7-year-old Brandon Waters after he was struck by a pickup on Easter while leaving church with his parents.
The Strattons are respiratory therapists who work at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. David works on Angel One, the emergency-transport helicopter, and along with her other duties, Sonya teaches CPR.
They posed for pictures with Mayor Bill Cypert and the plaque he had made for them. Sonya Stratton told the mayor it was a nice thing to do.
The word “miracle” wasn’t the first thing they said when reporters asked for comments, but what they described has been called a miracle by many, including Braydon.
“He tells everybody he has something in common with Jesus,” said Braydon’s mother, Amy Waters. “He came back on Easter, too.”
The Strattons had just left the Church of Christ down the street from First Baptist Church when their 14-year-old son saw a pickup hit Braydon.
Jake Waters, Braydon’s father, said he and his family were crossing Hwy. 367 at Locust with several other families. They were in the center lane when Braydon took one more step and the truck hit him.
The impact knocked him 25 feet, broke his jaw and collar bone, knocked out five teeth and caused bleeding in his brain and lungs.
Sonya Stratton said she jumped out of the SUV and ran to help Braydon while her husband found a place to park.
He wasn’t breathing when she got to him and she started CPR. When her husband arrived, they took turns.
Paramedics arrived a short time later and Stratton said someone gave her an automated external defibrillator. She had the pads in place and was about to shock his heart, when, to her surprise, he started waving his arms, she said.
Was it just a coincidence that two people who knew how to save lives came so quickly to the aide of a little boy who needed their help?
Stratton hesitated with her response as if a little fearful that her answer might be ridiculed.
Then she said, “I’m a believer and I believe God put us there on that day at that time.”
Braydon was also at the council meeting, but the mayor couldn’t convince him to join the Strattons up front.
“I asked him if he would come up and tell us what grade he’s in and he said no,” the mayor said. “I asked him if he liked girls and he said no.”
Jake Waters said his son stayed at Children’s Hospital for six days. He doesn’t remember the accident or the first days afterward. But he healed without surgery.
“It all went back the way it’s supposed to be, the way God intended,” he said.
TOP STORY >> New chief at Lonoke schools is appointed
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
The Lonoke School Board on Monday hired Suzanne Bailey, a Beebe native with roots in Lonoke County, to take over as superintendent on July 1.
John Tackett, a 17-year veteran of the district, resigned his position to work for the Pulaski County Special School District as its director of secondary education. His last day is June 30.
Additionally, Assistant Superintendent Melissa Tash is leaving the district. She was hired as the director of curriculum and instruction and federal programs for the Bald Knob School District.
This was her second year at Lonoke.
Bailey is coming from the Waldron School District in Scott County. The small town is about 38 miles south of Fort Smith. Bailey said Waldron andLonoke both have 4A schools, meaning their enrollment is about the same, so she is comfortable with making that transition.
Bailey said, “I’m excited to come to Lonoke and meet everyone. I’ve heard wonderful things over the years about Lonoke schools. I’m hoping I can bring some new ideas and continue the success the Lonoke School District has.
“Getting to know the staff, that is extremely important, to just go in and talk to people, to find out why they love Lonoke. You can learn a lot from being a good listener.”
She continued, “It is very important for students to have voice. Building relationships is my strong suit and accountability. I place a lot of accountability on myself, No. 1, and that flows down the line. If a leader holds himself or herself accountable, then others follow suit. I also don’t think you can get in trouble for over communicating.”
Bailey said she wants to find out what the district’s “strengths and growth areas” are from the school board, staff, parents and students.
She would like to speak with Tackett before he leaves the district. Bailey also plans to work with the board to meet specific goals.
“I’ll find out more details from them. We’ll get a little bit deeper into the needs of the schools,” she said.
Bailey has been superintendent in Waldron for two years. She said two achievements made while she was at the helm there were a “tremendous” increase in test scores and the formation of a student leadership team.
Bailey said, “I really believe it was because of the teamwork. It’s trust. People have to trust you as a district leader to follow you. Student achievement is top priority. If it’s not what’s best for kids, I won’t be for it.”
She said she also aims to be transparent.
Board president Darrell Park said, “We interviewed some very good candidates. We came to the conclusion that Ms. Bailey would be our best option at this time, the best person for the job at this time.”
Board member Chris James said he felt she could help move the district forward.
The board held four special meetings to discuss personnel in executive session after accepting Tackett’s resignation on May 21. The sessions, combined, were 11 hours long.
During those special meetings, members interviewed a handful of applicants for the position.
Before Bailey arrived at Waldron, she served for two years as the superintendent of the Maynard School District in Randolph County, spent four years as the principal of Newport Junior High School in Jackson County and was the Carlisle Elementary School principal for four years.
Bailey graduated from Beebe High School in 1987.
In 1991, she earned a bachelor’s from University of Central Arkansas in Conway. She later earned a master’s degree from Harding University is Searcy, where she is working on her dissertation for a doctorate. She hopes to have her Ph.D. by next summer.
Bailey’s first job was teaching second-grade, third-grade and gifted and talented classes at Beebe Elementary School.
Her husband, Chris, is from Carlisle and his father, Jim Bailey, lives in Lonoke.
Bailey has two children and one grandson, 3-month-old Landen.
Her son, Benjamin, is going into fourth-grade.
Her daughter, Lauren Gunter, is married to Scott Gunter and works as a teacher in Beebe.
Education runs in the family, Bailey said. Her mother was also a teacher. The new superintendent said her entire family lives within a 20- or 30-minute drive of Lonoke
Leader staff writer
The Lonoke School Board on Monday hired Suzanne Bailey, a Beebe native with roots in Lonoke County, to take over as superintendent on July 1.
John Tackett, a 17-year veteran of the district, resigned his position to work for the Pulaski County Special School District as its director of secondary education. His last day is June 30.
Additionally, Assistant Superintendent Melissa Tash is leaving the district. She was hired as the director of curriculum and instruction and federal programs for the Bald Knob School District.
This was her second year at Lonoke.
Bailey is coming from the Waldron School District in Scott County. The small town is about 38 miles south of Fort Smith. Bailey said Waldron andLonoke both have 4A schools, meaning their enrollment is about the same, so she is comfortable with making that transition.
Bailey said, “I’m excited to come to Lonoke and meet everyone. I’ve heard wonderful things over the years about Lonoke schools. I’m hoping I can bring some new ideas and continue the success the Lonoke School District has.
“Getting to know the staff, that is extremely important, to just go in and talk to people, to find out why they love Lonoke. You can learn a lot from being a good listener.”
She continued, “It is very important for students to have voice. Building relationships is my strong suit and accountability. I place a lot of accountability on myself, No. 1, and that flows down the line. If a leader holds himself or herself accountable, then others follow suit. I also don’t think you can get in trouble for over communicating.”
Bailey said she wants to find out what the district’s “strengths and growth areas” are from the school board, staff, parents and students.
She would like to speak with Tackett before he leaves the district. Bailey also plans to work with the board to meet specific goals.
“I’ll find out more details from them. We’ll get a little bit deeper into the needs of the schools,” she said.
Bailey has been superintendent in Waldron for two years. She said two achievements made while she was at the helm there were a “tremendous” increase in test scores and the formation of a student leadership team.
Bailey said, “I really believe it was because of the teamwork. It’s trust. People have to trust you as a district leader to follow you. Student achievement is top priority. If it’s not what’s best for kids, I won’t be for it.”
She said she also aims to be transparent.
Board president Darrell Park said, “We interviewed some very good candidates. We came to the conclusion that Ms. Bailey would be our best option at this time, the best person for the job at this time.”
Board member Chris James said he felt she could help move the district forward.
The board held four special meetings to discuss personnel in executive session after accepting Tackett’s resignation on May 21. The sessions, combined, were 11 hours long.
During those special meetings, members interviewed a handful of applicants for the position.
Before Bailey arrived at Waldron, she served for two years as the superintendent of the Maynard School District in Randolph County, spent four years as the principal of Newport Junior High School in Jackson County and was the Carlisle Elementary School principal for four years.
Bailey graduated from Beebe High School in 1987.
In 1991, she earned a bachelor’s from University of Central Arkansas in Conway. She later earned a master’s degree from Harding University is Searcy, where she is working on her dissertation for a doctorate. She hopes to have her Ph.D. by next summer.
Bailey’s first job was teaching second-grade, third-grade and gifted and talented classes at Beebe Elementary School.
Her husband, Chris, is from Carlisle and his father, Jim Bailey, lives in Lonoke.
Bailey has two children and one grandson, 3-month-old Landen.
Her son, Benjamin, is going into fourth-grade.
Her daughter, Lauren Gunter, is married to Scott Gunter and works as a teacher in Beebe.
Education runs in the family, Bailey said. Her mother was also a teacher. The new superintendent said her entire family lives within a 20- or 30-minute drive of Lonoke
SPORTS STORY >> Pair of runs place Colts back on top
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Cabot’s senior American Legion team put itself in position to get a win against North Little Rock with solid pitching and tough defensive play, but a two-run rally in the sixth inning allowed the Colts to regain the lead and pick up a 3-2 win Monday at North Little Rock’s Burns Park.
In addition to its solid play in the field, Cabot had no trouble putting the bat on the ball throughout the game as not a single Cabot player struck out. The problem was Cabot often hit the ball right at someone wearing a North Little Rock jersey, which resulted in just four hits total for the team.
“They’re swinging the bat, and they know what to do,” said Cabot coach Craig Nyborg. “It’s just up to them to get things done. Like tonight, nearly all of our hits were hit pretty hard. They just weren’t falling in the gaps or in the holes. But as long as they keep swinging it, we’re going to be fine. We have a good team, and we’re going to be competitive wherever we go.”
Kyle Kaufman got the start on the mound for Cabot (5-8) and was tough to hit early as the high-powered lineup of North Little Rock (12-3) was held scoreless through the first two innings. The Colts did manage to score the game’s first run in the third inning after Mike Hodge hit a RBI-double to the wall in right field, driving in three-hole hitter Tyson Tackett to give the Colts a 1-0 lead.
Cabot wouldn’t trail for long. In the top of the fourth inning, Cabot scored two runs to take the lead and the momentum. After reaching base on a walk, Tristan Bulice scored Cabot’s first run when Dustin Morris hit a RBI-single that rocketed past shortstop to tie the score at one apiece.
Morris followed his timely hit by stealing both second and third base. Two batters later, Morris scored after Scott Burnett hit a sacrifice fly to center field, giving Cabot a 2-1 lead.
Kaufman struck out the first batter in the bottom of the sixth, but Jacob Stripling followed with a double into the gap in left field. As Stripling ran to second base, the throw from left field missed the cut-off man, and Stripling was able to run to third.
Nick Cleveland followed by hitting a stand-up, RBI-triple that rolled to the wall in left center field, allowing Stripling to score with ease to tie the game at two apiece. Catcher Gunner Allen then reached base on a walk, and with Jack Hopkins at the plate, Cleveland scored on a passed ball at home to make it 3-2.
Leader sportswriter
Cabot’s senior American Legion team put itself in position to get a win against North Little Rock with solid pitching and tough defensive play, but a two-run rally in the sixth inning allowed the Colts to regain the lead and pick up a 3-2 win Monday at North Little Rock’s Burns Park.
In addition to its solid play in the field, Cabot had no trouble putting the bat on the ball throughout the game as not a single Cabot player struck out. The problem was Cabot often hit the ball right at someone wearing a North Little Rock jersey, which resulted in just four hits total for the team.
“They’re swinging the bat, and they know what to do,” said Cabot coach Craig Nyborg. “It’s just up to them to get things done. Like tonight, nearly all of our hits were hit pretty hard. They just weren’t falling in the gaps or in the holes. But as long as they keep swinging it, we’re going to be fine. We have a good team, and we’re going to be competitive wherever we go.”
Kyle Kaufman got the start on the mound for Cabot (5-8) and was tough to hit early as the high-powered lineup of North Little Rock (12-3) was held scoreless through the first two innings. The Colts did manage to score the game’s first run in the third inning after Mike Hodge hit a RBI-double to the wall in right field, driving in three-hole hitter Tyson Tackett to give the Colts a 1-0 lead.
Cabot wouldn’t trail for long. In the top of the fourth inning, Cabot scored two runs to take the lead and the momentum. After reaching base on a walk, Tristan Bulice scored Cabot’s first run when Dustin Morris hit a RBI-single that rocketed past shortstop to tie the score at one apiece.
Morris followed his timely hit by stealing both second and third base. Two batters later, Morris scored after Scott Burnett hit a sacrifice fly to center field, giving Cabot a 2-1 lead.
Kaufman struck out the first batter in the bottom of the sixth, but Jacob Stripling followed with a double into the gap in left field. As Stripling ran to second base, the throw from left field missed the cut-off man, and Stripling was able to run to third.
Nick Cleveland followed by hitting a stand-up, RBI-triple that rolled to the wall in left center field, allowing Stripling to score with ease to tie the game at two apiece. Catcher Gunner Allen then reached base on a walk, and with Jack Hopkins at the plate, Cleveland scored on a passed ball at home to make it 3-2.
SPORTS STORY >> Early runs, late defense keys to win for Beebe
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The bats were strong for Beebe early, but it was solid defense down the stretch that made the biggest difference for the Post 91 team as they defeated the Cabot 2 junior American Legion team 7-2 at Cabot City Park on Monday.
Beebe scored four runs in the top of the first inning and added three more during their next turn in the top of the second. Those two frames were the total of Beebe’s scoring, but solid defense and a strong effort on the mound from winner Dillon Tippy carried Post 91 late when Centennial Bank threatened to come back.
“Our bats are starting to come around,” Beebe coach John Underwood said. “We’ve had some practice, and had some time out in some games. Everything is starting to come together for us a little bit. Defense is looking a whole lot better – we didn’t have too many errors. It made a big difference for us.”
Tippy was close to going the distance before running out of gas late in the bottom of the fifth inning. He struck out two batters to start the frame as the game was nearing its timelimit, but he gave up a single to Centennial Bank No. 3 hitter Dillon Buchanan and hit cleanup batter Lino Garcia with a pitch. That was followed by walks for Wesley Brown and Nathan Davis, with Davis’ walk scoring Buchanan to cut Beebe’s lead to 7-2.
Post 91 switched Tippy out on the mound with Brandon Gray, who needed just one pitch to force Christian Henson into an infield groundout to end the game.
Beebe built a big lead fast in the top of the first when Luke Dixon led off with a double to left field and scored when Jonathan Underwood singled to left.
Cleanup hitter Gray sent Underwood home on another single to left to give Post 91 a 2-0 lead before J.T. Rainbolt started the next round of base runners with a walk from starting Centennial pitcher Andrew Dolan.
Nate Rogers then hit into a fielder’s choice at third that retired Gray, but Aaron Nunez came up big for Beebe with two outs when he hit a two RBI single into deep left field that gave Beebe a 4-0 lead after one.
Dolan struggled to start the second inning with walks for Cole Sanders and Dixon, which led to a switch for Ethan Holland on the mound. Holland hit Underwood with a pitch to load the bases, and Tippy drove in Sanders with a single to left center to make it 5-0. Gray scored Dixon with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, and Rainbolt did the same to score Underwood.
That made the score 7-0, but the Cabot side contended that Underwood left the bag at third early and did not tag up properly. Centennial Bank coach Greg Frantel appealed the call, and the home plate umpire ruled Underwood out, though the run was allowed to stand since it was scored before the appeal.
Gray was 2 for 3 with two RBI for Beebe. For Cabot, Davis was 2 for 2 with a double and three RBI.
Leader sportswriter
The bats were strong for Beebe early, but it was solid defense down the stretch that made the biggest difference for the Post 91 team as they defeated the Cabot 2 junior American Legion team 7-2 at Cabot City Park on Monday.
Beebe scored four runs in the top of the first inning and added three more during their next turn in the top of the second. Those two frames were the total of Beebe’s scoring, but solid defense and a strong effort on the mound from winner Dillon Tippy carried Post 91 late when Centennial Bank threatened to come back.
“Our bats are starting to come around,” Beebe coach John Underwood said. “We’ve had some practice, and had some time out in some games. Everything is starting to come together for us a little bit. Defense is looking a whole lot better – we didn’t have too many errors. It made a big difference for us.”
Tippy was close to going the distance before running out of gas late in the bottom of the fifth inning. He struck out two batters to start the frame as the game was nearing its timelimit, but he gave up a single to Centennial Bank No. 3 hitter Dillon Buchanan and hit cleanup batter Lino Garcia with a pitch. That was followed by walks for Wesley Brown and Nathan Davis, with Davis’ walk scoring Buchanan to cut Beebe’s lead to 7-2.
Post 91 switched Tippy out on the mound with Brandon Gray, who needed just one pitch to force Christian Henson into an infield groundout to end the game.
Beebe built a big lead fast in the top of the first when Luke Dixon led off with a double to left field and scored when Jonathan Underwood singled to left.
Cleanup hitter Gray sent Underwood home on another single to left to give Post 91 a 2-0 lead before J.T. Rainbolt started the next round of base runners with a walk from starting Centennial pitcher Andrew Dolan.
Nate Rogers then hit into a fielder’s choice at third that retired Gray, but Aaron Nunez came up big for Beebe with two outs when he hit a two RBI single into deep left field that gave Beebe a 4-0 lead after one.
Dolan struggled to start the second inning with walks for Cole Sanders and Dixon, which led to a switch for Ethan Holland on the mound. Holland hit Underwood with a pitch to load the bases, and Tippy drove in Sanders with a single to left center to make it 5-0. Gray scored Dixon with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, and Rainbolt did the same to score Underwood.
That made the score 7-0, but the Cabot side contended that Underwood left the bag at third early and did not tag up properly. Centennial Bank coach Greg Frantel appealed the call, and the home plate umpire ruled Underwood out, though the run was allowed to stand since it was scored before the appeal.
Gray was 2 for 3 with two RBI for Beebe. For Cabot, Davis was 2 for 2 with a double and three RBI.
SPORTS STORY >> Dirt series back home this Friday
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
A competitive points battle and a field featuring several new faces highlight the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series as it rolls into Beebe Speedway this Friday night.
The series was scheduled to race at Beebe on April 20, but rainy weather forced the postponment of the event. That was the first of two postponments for series director Chris Ellis when Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis was forced to cancel the following night, but compared to the numerous rainouts the series suffered in 2010 and 2011, two seems paltry to Ellis.
“The weather has been dry everywhere, so it’s worked out for us,” Ellis said. “This will be the 98th race in our series history, and our 100th race will also be at Beebe in July.”
Ellis’ operation is based out of Beebe, making the quarter-mile, mixed clay oval somewhat of a home track to the series.
Through 10 events, Texarkana, Tex. driver Jon “The Catman” Mitchell holds a slim two-point lead in the points standings over Bryant driver Robert Baker, who is a rookie in the super late-model ranks. Baker has been impressive throughout the spring, posting his first feature victory in only his fourth start when he took the checkered flag at Diamond Park Speedway in Nashville in early April.
Though Mitchell has yet to post a victory in 2012, his string of consistent finishes allowed him to overtake Baker in the points standings when he finished seventh in the most recent race at Northeast Arkansas Speedway in Harrisburg while Baker finished ninth.
Local favorite Curtis “Hollywood” Cook of Vilonia has also been strong as of late with three consecutive top 5 finishes starting with a runner-up performance at Riverside at the beginning of the month.
That has put Cook third in the points standings, 26 points behind leader Mitchell. Defending series champion Brandon Smith is currently fourth in the points standings while Johnny “Underdog” Virden is fifth.
Friday’s race at Beebe will also be the second in the Rice-Tec Summer Series. The Summer Series is essentially a season within the season with six races throughout the summer. The highest averaging finisher in the six races will pocket an extra $1,000.
Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville won the first of the Rice-Tec Summer Series races at NEA two weeks ago, but with Moyer taking part in another national tour over the summer, the door is still wide open for drivers to claim the coveted prize.
The series will go from Beebe to 67 Speedway in Texarkana the following night, but will return to Beebe on July 13. That will be the first of another doubleheader weekend with the second NEA race on July 14.
Leader sportswriter
A competitive points battle and a field featuring several new faces highlight the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series as it rolls into Beebe Speedway this Friday night.
The series was scheduled to race at Beebe on April 20, but rainy weather forced the postponment of the event. That was the first of two postponments for series director Chris Ellis when Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis was forced to cancel the following night, but compared to the numerous rainouts the series suffered in 2010 and 2011, two seems paltry to Ellis.
“The weather has been dry everywhere, so it’s worked out for us,” Ellis said. “This will be the 98th race in our series history, and our 100th race will also be at Beebe in July.”
Ellis’ operation is based out of Beebe, making the quarter-mile, mixed clay oval somewhat of a home track to the series.
Through 10 events, Texarkana, Tex. driver Jon “The Catman” Mitchell holds a slim two-point lead in the points standings over Bryant driver Robert Baker, who is a rookie in the super late-model ranks. Baker has been impressive throughout the spring, posting his first feature victory in only his fourth start when he took the checkered flag at Diamond Park Speedway in Nashville in early April.
Though Mitchell has yet to post a victory in 2012, his string of consistent finishes allowed him to overtake Baker in the points standings when he finished seventh in the most recent race at Northeast Arkansas Speedway in Harrisburg while Baker finished ninth.
Local favorite Curtis “Hollywood” Cook of Vilonia has also been strong as of late with three consecutive top 5 finishes starting with a runner-up performance at Riverside at the beginning of the month.
That has put Cook third in the points standings, 26 points behind leader Mitchell. Defending series champion Brandon Smith is currently fourth in the points standings while Johnny “Underdog” Virden is fifth.
Friday’s race at Beebe will also be the second in the Rice-Tec Summer Series. The Summer Series is essentially a season within the season with six races throughout the summer. The highest averaging finisher in the six races will pocket an extra $1,000.
Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville won the first of the Rice-Tec Summer Series races at NEA two weeks ago, but with Moyer taking part in another national tour over the summer, the door is still wide open for drivers to claim the coveted prize.
The series will go from Beebe to 67 Speedway in Texarkana the following night, but will return to Beebe on July 13. That will be the first of another doubleheader weekend with the second NEA race on July 14.
SPORTS STORY >> Express outlasts Gwatney
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville blew an opportunity to make it to bracket play on the final day of the Sheridan Wood Bat Classic by losing 10-3 to Little Rock-Continental Express on Saturday.
After beating Stuttgart 12-4 and Hot Springs Village 15-0, the Gwatney Chevrolet senior team had only to beat a Continental squad that had already lost badly to Sheridan and barely escaped with an 8-6 win over Stuttgart.
But Express wasn’t the same team on Saturday, and neither was Jacksonville. Little Rock played solid defense while Jacksonville ended the game with six errors.
Gwatney starting pitcher James McCranie left the game with one out in the fourth trailing 2-0 after giving up five hits. But the relief pitching had trouble finding the strike zone while the defense fell apart.
Jacob Abrahamson took the mound and got two-straight outs to finish the fourth inning, but left the first four batters on base in the fifth. He hit Seth Campbell to start the inning then walked Ian Mayfield. Abrahamson struck out cleanup hitter Jacob Green, but Green reached base on a third-strike passed ball. With the bases loaded, Campbell scored on a wild pitch and Abrahamson balked in Mayfield.
Joseph Harris walked to put runners on the corners. Abrahamson then got a double-play ground ball to the left side of shortstop, but second baseman Derek St. Clair couldn’t handle the throw from Jesse Harbin and both base runners scored on the error.
That put Express up 7-0, and Jacksonville never seriously threatened.
Singles by Alex Tucker and Harbin drove in a run apiece in the bottom of the fifth. Tucker’s shot scored Kenny Cummings, who had walked, and Harbin drove in James Tucker, who was hit by a pitch.
Jared Wilson took the mound for the last two innings, and though Express scored three more runs, none were earned. Wilson gave up just two hits, but he walked three and hit another while the defense committed five errors while he was on the mound.
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville blew an opportunity to make it to bracket play on the final day of the Sheridan Wood Bat Classic by losing 10-3 to Little Rock-Continental Express on Saturday.
After beating Stuttgart 12-4 and Hot Springs Village 15-0, the Gwatney Chevrolet senior team had only to beat a Continental squad that had already lost badly to Sheridan and barely escaped with an 8-6 win over Stuttgart.
But Express wasn’t the same team on Saturday, and neither was Jacksonville. Little Rock played solid defense while Jacksonville ended the game with six errors.
Gwatney starting pitcher James McCranie left the game with one out in the fourth trailing 2-0 after giving up five hits. But the relief pitching had trouble finding the strike zone while the defense fell apart.
Jacob Abrahamson took the mound and got two-straight outs to finish the fourth inning, but left the first four batters on base in the fifth. He hit Seth Campbell to start the inning then walked Ian Mayfield. Abrahamson struck out cleanup hitter Jacob Green, but Green reached base on a third-strike passed ball. With the bases loaded, Campbell scored on a wild pitch and Abrahamson balked in Mayfield.
Joseph Harris walked to put runners on the corners. Abrahamson then got a double-play ground ball to the left side of shortstop, but second baseman Derek St. Clair couldn’t handle the throw from Jesse Harbin and both base runners scored on the error.
That put Express up 7-0, and Jacksonville never seriously threatened.
Singles by Alex Tucker and Harbin drove in a run apiece in the bottom of the fifth. Tucker’s shot scored Kenny Cummings, who had walked, and Harbin drove in James Tucker, who was hit by a pitch.
Jared Wilson took the mound for the last two innings, and though Express scored three more runs, none were earned. Wilson gave up just two hits, but he walked three and hit another while the defense committed five errors while he was on the mound.
SPORTS STORY >> Bruins end strong at tourney
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills Bruins didn’t advance to bracket play in the Sheridan Wood Bat Classic over the weekend, but did close the event with a 7-4 win over Benton. The Bruins went 2-1 in the tournament, upping their season record to 7-4.
After beating Hot Springs Lakeside 1-0 to open the tournament on Thursday, the Bruins blew a late lead in a 12-9 loss to Texarkana, Texas. They bounced back on Saturday to earn a decisive, if sluggish, victory over Benton.
Sylvan Hills dominated most of the game, led by starting pitcher J.D. Miller, who turned in a dominant overall performance. But Miller, just like the rest of the team, suffered a lapse of focus in the fourth inning that allowed Benton to not just climb back into the game, but briefly take the lead.
With Sylvan Hills leading 2-0, Benton catcher Zach Carlinger got his second base hit into left field to start the fourth inning. It wasn’t just Carlnger’s second hit, it was only the second hit given up by Miller to that point.
He moved to second base when Miller walked Tyler Turbyville and scored on two passed balls by Lance Hunter.
Turbyville then scored on a single to right field by Kody Fortner. He moved to second on a bunt back to Miller by Dillon Pierce. Pierce also reached safely when no one covered first base on the play. Another Bruin error allowed Pierce to cross the plate and give Benton a 3-2 lead.
It didn’t last long, as the Bruins scored five in the bottom half of the same inning to set the final margin, allowing Miller to do the rest of the work from the mound.
Sylvan Hills left the bases loaded in the first inning, and again in the second, but not until two runs scored.
Blake Maddux started the rally with a double to centerfield. He moved to third base on an error at second base off the bat of Blake Holmes. Connor Eller was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Greg Atchison walked to drive in Maddox. Dylan Boone singled to score Holmes but all three base runners were left stranded after a 5-2 fielder’s choice and a fly out to right field.
After falling behind, the Bruins came back to score five runs on just two base hits in the bottom of the fourth. Eller walked and Atchison was hit to start the rally. Boone laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Miller walked to drive in one run, but was thrown out at second on Robert Brock’s 6-4 fielder’s choice that also scored Atchison. Austin Spears doubled to left field to score Boone. Brock scored on an error at first base and Spears crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Maddox.
Miller went right back to work in the top of the fifth, striking out the first two batters before getting a pop up to Hunter to end the fifth inning quickly. He sat them down in order again in the sixth with two strikeouts and a weak comeback to the mound.
He struggled briefly in the top of the seventh inning, walking the first two batters. Benton’s Fortner tried to steal third and ended up scoring when Hunter’s throw sailed into left field.
Miller regrouped and got a pop up back to the mound and fanned the last two batters of the game. The aberrant fourth inning was the only inning in which Miller did not record a strikeout. He finished the game giving up three hits and one earned run, while striking out 12 and walking four
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills Bruins didn’t advance to bracket play in the Sheridan Wood Bat Classic over the weekend, but did close the event with a 7-4 win over Benton. The Bruins went 2-1 in the tournament, upping their season record to 7-4.
After beating Hot Springs Lakeside 1-0 to open the tournament on Thursday, the Bruins blew a late lead in a 12-9 loss to Texarkana, Texas. They bounced back on Saturday to earn a decisive, if sluggish, victory over Benton.
Sylvan Hills dominated most of the game, led by starting pitcher J.D. Miller, who turned in a dominant overall performance. But Miller, just like the rest of the team, suffered a lapse of focus in the fourth inning that allowed Benton to not just climb back into the game, but briefly take the lead.
With Sylvan Hills leading 2-0, Benton catcher Zach Carlinger got his second base hit into left field to start the fourth inning. It wasn’t just Carlnger’s second hit, it was only the second hit given up by Miller to that point.
He moved to second base when Miller walked Tyler Turbyville and scored on two passed balls by Lance Hunter.
Turbyville then scored on a single to right field by Kody Fortner. He moved to second on a bunt back to Miller by Dillon Pierce. Pierce also reached safely when no one covered first base on the play. Another Bruin error allowed Pierce to cross the plate and give Benton a 3-2 lead.
It didn’t last long, as the Bruins scored five in the bottom half of the same inning to set the final margin, allowing Miller to do the rest of the work from the mound.
Sylvan Hills left the bases loaded in the first inning, and again in the second, but not until two runs scored.
Blake Maddux started the rally with a double to centerfield. He moved to third base on an error at second base off the bat of Blake Holmes. Connor Eller was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Greg Atchison walked to drive in Maddox. Dylan Boone singled to score Holmes but all three base runners were left stranded after a 5-2 fielder’s choice and a fly out to right field.
After falling behind, the Bruins came back to score five runs on just two base hits in the bottom of the fourth. Eller walked and Atchison was hit to start the rally. Boone laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Miller walked to drive in one run, but was thrown out at second on Robert Brock’s 6-4 fielder’s choice that also scored Atchison. Austin Spears doubled to left field to score Boone. Brock scored on an error at first base and Spears crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Maddox.
Miller went right back to work in the top of the fifth, striking out the first two batters before getting a pop up to Hunter to end the fifth inning quickly. He sat them down in order again in the sixth with two strikeouts and a weak comeback to the mound.
He struggled briefly in the top of the seventh inning, walking the first two batters. Benton’s Fortner tried to steal third and ended up scoring when Hunter’s throw sailed into left field.
Miller regrouped and got a pop up back to the mound and fanned the last two batters of the game. The aberrant fourth inning was the only inning in which Miller did not record a strikeout. He finished the game giving up three hits and one earned run, while striking out 12 and walking four
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