By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
February is Black History Month — the perfect time to celebrate trailblazers like Carla Jones, the first black student to graduate from Arthur’s Beauty College in Jacksonville.
Jones was also the cosmetology school’s first black instructor and has been a valued employee of the family-owned and operated business for more than 30 years as the campus kept growing.
Co-worker Lizzy Smith said, “She’s just a living legend around here. She’s a staple. I think we all count on her. We all come to her for advice. There’s nothing that she doesn’t know. She’s our go-to person…You can’t outwork her. You can’t outsmart her. She gives us something to work toward.”
Gwen Cline added that Jones is “the rock of this school. She’s the one we always lean on. If we’ve got something we need to talk about, we go to Ms. Carla.”
Although students and instructors welcomed her when she enrolled at the school in 1979, she said, “It was kind of hard at first” because the clientele was older and had a different attitude.”
“They weren’t comfortable with me doing their hair because, I guess, they just weren’t used to it (having a black stylist),” she said.
One of the most difficult days was when an instructor led her to a customer who said in front of Jones, “No, I don’t want the little black girl.”
“That was one of the days that I left bawling, you know, went to the bathroom bawling,” Jones said.
“I had a few days of anxiety and a few hospital visits to get some medicine to cope with it until Arthur (the owner), you know, he told them, he said, ‘Look, Carla is one of my students as well and she has to train and learn as well as my other students. And, if you don’t feel comfortable with her doing your hair, then I would ask you not to come back to my school.”
Jones said, “After that, I didn’t have any problems.”
Since then, she has been a guide to others who have faced the same kind of adversity.
“Somebody’s got to be the one that spearheads the opportunity for someone else,” Jones said. “I always tell them keep the main thing, the main thing, and keep your eye on the prize…Don’t let them win.”
She added, “Quitters never win, and winners never quit, so you’ve got to keep on keeping on.”
Now the school, with campuses in Fort Smith, Conway, Jonesboro and Jacksonville, is proud to be racially diverse, Jones noted.
Many students make it past those difficult days fielding a client’s unkind words, Jones said. And it’s “worth a million” to hear that one of her students is still working in the business, she shared.
The 1979 Jacksonville High School graduate knew from a very young age that she wanted to become a cosmetologist.
Cosmetology was her dream because she grew up with it. “Having all those brothers and sisters, and then friends in the neighborhood always wanting me to braid their hair, or do something with their hair. My grandmother always had me to brush her hair and take care of her scalp and stuff,” she said.
“I just loved it. I’ve always loved it, from the time I was about 8 years old,” Jones said.
But her family — a single mom with 12 kids, including Jones’ four older and seven younger siblings — “had no way to pay” the $545 tuition Arthur’s was charging. The children’s father passed away when Jones was 13.
She came to Arthur’s because the school offered a scholarship, with the goal of recruiting black students to attend.
A counselor recommended Jones for the scholarship, and it was awarded to her after she met with then-beauty school owners Arthur and Virginia Doyle.
Their eldest daughter, Chris Strawn, owns the business now.
Jones enrolled at Arthur’s in June 1979 and graduated in February 1980.
Her first job was working as a stylist for Strawn, who had received a salon on Little Rock Air Force Base from her parents for her 21st birthday.
Jones returned to Arthur’s for the 600-hour (about two-month) instructor school after four years at Strawn’s salon.
She was old enough by then to train as an instructor, which was for ages 21 and up. The Doyles had encouraged Jones to become their first black instructor, and she did in 1984 or 1985.
There were 30 to 40 students at Arthur’s when Jones attended the nine-month course she finished in eight and a half months.
Now the student body is a couple hundred strong. Jones said there are about 50 at the Fort Smith campus, 75 in Conway, 50 in Jonesboro and 25-30 in Jacksonville.
Upon finishing instructor school, Jones was hired to supervise night classes.
Then she transferred to Arthur’s corporate office as the director of education.
Her next and current position is director of compliance.
Jones’ job is to make sure all four campuses have up-to-date licenses, their instructors are licensed and all regulations — enforced by the state Board of Cosmetology under the Health Department, the state Department of Education plus an accrediting agency — are being followed.
“It’s a lot of work, but I love it. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else…I mean this business will consume you if you let it,” she said.
Jones continued working at the school because of its “family atmosphere.”
She explained, “It’s not like a job. My grandmother once told me that, if you find something to do that you just love to do, you’ll never have to work another day in your life…I have that with this company.”
Jones also owns a salon and works there when she’s not busy at Arthur’s. “I love to cut hair. I love to color hair. I just love it, it’s like a blank canvas. Someone sits in your chair and says, ‘do what you want.’”
She said the cosmetology business is “forever changing, but kind of the same” with new techniques such as using foil in hair coloring rather than pulling strands through caps, as Jones did when she was in school.
Curly hair was popular when the hairstylist got her start, but now straightened hair is the trend.
Jones has been married for 18 years.
The couple had one daughter, who was also a hairstylist but she passed away in 2009.
Jones also enjoys going to the movies, family game nights and being involved in church activities.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
TOP STORY >> Senate voting on dividing district
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
As early as today, the Senate Education Committee could consider a bill to remove a key stumbling block facing Sherwood and Maumelle, two area cities wanting to secede from the Pulaski County Special School District.
HB 1242, which would lower the threshold for a new district from 4,000 students to 2,500, was passed in the House Monday by a vote of 60 to 21, with 18 not voting and one voting present.
Among local lawmakers, Rep. Karilyn Brown, (R-Sherwood), Rep. Joe Farrer (R-Austin) and Rep. Tim Lemons (R-Cabot) voted for the bill.
Voting against the bill was David Hillman, (D-Almyra) and not voting were Reps. Douglas House (R-Sherwood), Donnie Copeland (R-North Little Rock), Bob Johnson, (D-Jacksonville) and Jeremy Gillam (R-Judsonia).
A multitude of hurdles would still face both would-be districts, not the least of which is a court-approved desegregation agreement settlement which declares that only Jacksonville can detach from PCSSD until the district is declared unitary — desegregated — in all aspects.
PERSEVERANCE
But Jacksonville, which has been approved to stand up its own district by local voters, the courts and the state Board of Education have shown that it can be done with patience and perseverance.
The bill being amended, originally passed by former state Rep. Pat Bond, (D-Jacksonville) in about 2001, set the number at 4,000 — a number believed to be achievable for a Jacksonville district. That’s according to eeeeeerr5former state Rep. Will Bond (D-Jacksonville), her son.
Proponents of Maumelle and Sherwood school districts hope it will not take them 13 years between lowering the minimum size for detachment and approval, like it did for Jacksonville.
Each district will each have to conduct timely feasibility studies that show, among other things, that a new district could support itself, that it could achieve a racial balance and that it would not harm PCSSD by detaching, especially in terms of racial balance.
WON’T JEOPARDIZE
Johnson said he didn’t support the bill because he didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize the new Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District. The desegregation settlement allowed only that detachment to happen before the Pulaski County Special School District is declared unitary.
House didn’t support the bill Monday. He said, “It stands a good chance of throwing out the desegregation agreement as it’s written.”
He explained how the agreement has a provision that reads the state shall oppose any detachment effort before PCSSD is unitary. Changing criteria in the law that deals with that is not opposing any detachment effort, House pointed out.
But, he said, he would support a Sherwood school district after PCSSD is released from federal court monitoring.
STRONG SUPPORT
Brown said she was pleased with the vote and the strong support it represented.
The last time that it failed was by just two votes because 51 were needed. She was out sick and others missed the meeting because of the bad weather.
The bill lowers the enrollment required of any detaching district from 4,000 to 2,500, a more reasonable figure, Brown said. She explained that more than 50 percent of the state’s schools have 1,000 or fewer students while more than 75 percent have fewer than 2,000 enrolled.
Brown also said there was concern the bill would favor white affluent neighborhoods. But Sherwood’s feasibility study shows it isn’t mostly white or affluent.
The study concludes that Sherwood’s racial composition and percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunches matches PCSSD figures.
Brown said Sherwood, the 14th largest city in Arkansas, had just one member on the school board before PCSSD was taken over by the state.
LOCAL CONTROL
“We feel that local control of our schools is important...I think the students will have more pride in their schools. I believe it will help attract business to the Sherwood area,” Brown noted.
Linda Remele, one of two former PCSSD administrators co-chairing the Sherwood Public Education Foundation Committee working toward detachment, agreed and added that the federal judge indicated he wasn’t against it. Before unitary status is achieved isn’t the right time, he told supporters, according to Remele.
She said the claim that the bill violates the desegregation agreement is “smoke and mirrors” and “holds no weight.”
Remele added that a second feasibility will be needed now that Jacksonville has detached.
Leader senior staff writer
As early as today, the Senate Education Committee could consider a bill to remove a key stumbling block facing Sherwood and Maumelle, two area cities wanting to secede from the Pulaski County Special School District.
HB 1242, which would lower the threshold for a new district from 4,000 students to 2,500, was passed in the House Monday by a vote of 60 to 21, with 18 not voting and one voting present.
Among local lawmakers, Rep. Karilyn Brown, (R-Sherwood), Rep. Joe Farrer (R-Austin) and Rep. Tim Lemons (R-Cabot) voted for the bill.
Voting against the bill was David Hillman, (D-Almyra) and not voting were Reps. Douglas House (R-Sherwood), Donnie Copeland (R-North Little Rock), Bob Johnson, (D-Jacksonville) and Jeremy Gillam (R-Judsonia).
A multitude of hurdles would still face both would-be districts, not the least of which is a court-approved desegregation agreement settlement which declares that only Jacksonville can detach from PCSSD until the district is declared unitary — desegregated — in all aspects.
PERSEVERANCE
But Jacksonville, which has been approved to stand up its own district by local voters, the courts and the state Board of Education have shown that it can be done with patience and perseverance.
The bill being amended, originally passed by former state Rep. Pat Bond, (D-Jacksonville) in about 2001, set the number at 4,000 — a number believed to be achievable for a Jacksonville district. That’s according to eeeeeerr5former state Rep. Will Bond (D-Jacksonville), her son.
Proponents of Maumelle and Sherwood school districts hope it will not take them 13 years between lowering the minimum size for detachment and approval, like it did for Jacksonville.
Each district will each have to conduct timely feasibility studies that show, among other things, that a new district could support itself, that it could achieve a racial balance and that it would not harm PCSSD by detaching, especially in terms of racial balance.
WON’T JEOPARDIZE
Johnson said he didn’t support the bill because he didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize the new Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District. The desegregation settlement allowed only that detachment to happen before the Pulaski County Special School District is declared unitary.
House didn’t support the bill Monday. He said, “It stands a good chance of throwing out the desegregation agreement as it’s written.”
He explained how the agreement has a provision that reads the state shall oppose any detachment effort before PCSSD is unitary. Changing criteria in the law that deals with that is not opposing any detachment effort, House pointed out.
But, he said, he would support a Sherwood school district after PCSSD is released from federal court monitoring.
STRONG SUPPORT
Brown said she was pleased with the vote and the strong support it represented.
The last time that it failed was by just two votes because 51 were needed. She was out sick and others missed the meeting because of the bad weather.
The bill lowers the enrollment required of any detaching district from 4,000 to 2,500, a more reasonable figure, Brown said. She explained that more than 50 percent of the state’s schools have 1,000 or fewer students while more than 75 percent have fewer than 2,000 enrolled.
Brown also said there was concern the bill would favor white affluent neighborhoods. But Sherwood’s feasibility study shows it isn’t mostly white or affluent.
The study concludes that Sherwood’s racial composition and percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunches matches PCSSD figures.
Brown said Sherwood, the 14th largest city in Arkansas, had just one member on the school board before PCSSD was taken over by the state.
LOCAL CONTROL
“We feel that local control of our schools is important...I think the students will have more pride in their schools. I believe it will help attract business to the Sherwood area,” Brown noted.
Linda Remele, one of two former PCSSD administrators co-chairing the Sherwood Public Education Foundation Committee working toward detachment, agreed and added that the federal judge indicated he wasn’t against it. Before unitary status is achieved isn’t the right time, he told supporters, according to Remele.
She said the claim that the bill violates the desegregation agreement is “smoke and mirrors” and “holds no weight.”
Remele added that a second feasibility will be needed now that Jacksonville has detached.
TOP STORY >> Winter storm causes pileups
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Two waves of wintry mix closed area schools for the second Monday and Tuesday in a row.
The first wave came through late Sunday dropping a slight but annoying amount ice, sleet and rain in central Arkansas and hardly any snow. But the snow came midday Monday, up to two inches in the area, and continued into the evening hours. The little bit of sleet, combined with the snow, gray skies and temperatures that never made it above freezing Monday made road travel dangerous in the early morning hours of Tuesday.
The wintry wave caused Cabot and Sherwood to cancel their council meetings Monday night.
Both council meetings have been reset to next Monday.
Cabot city offices closed at 1:30 p.m. Monday because of the heavy snow, and some Lonoke city departments were also forced to shut their doors.
The weather caused delays in Cabot trash pickup. Eddie Long, Cabot’s director of operations, said, “We’ll will have additional crews to catch up over the next couple of days. Please be patient.”
Cabot Fire Chief Phil Robinson said the department responded to a few minor accidents. The worst involved a woman who spun out on the highway and hit the cable barrier.
She appeared to be OK at the scene but was sent to the hospital to be checked for injuries, Robinson said.
The department also handled a diesel rig that blocked West Main Street. Its trailer blocked one side of the road and the cab blocked the other side, according to the chief.
Also, a few people slipped and fell on the ice and snow, he added. And some kids on sleds bumped their heads, Robinson said.
Sgt. Keith Graham of the Cabot Police Department said there were about a dozen weather-related accidents in the city this week, but no serious injuries that he knew of. He noted that the State Police responded to some accidents on Hwy. 67/167.
Bill Sadler, public information officer for the Arkansas State Police, said Tuesday that reports on weather-related accidents weren’t available yet, as troopers had fallen behind in filing them and were catching up. He also said there were no fatalities in The Leader’s coverage area.
April Kiser, public information officer for Jacksonville police, said Tuesday that the department had responded to six weather-related accidents since Sunday but no injuries were reported.
The accidents included one man who hit a light pole on Homer Adkins Drive after sliding on the ice and swerving to avoid a parked car.
In a two-vehicle accident on Loop Road, a driver changed his mind about turning left, changed lanes and struck a car he said must have been in his blind spot. The other driver told police he “had no time to stop due to the ice.”
A driver on John Harden Drive reported that the car in front of him stopped suddenly and, when he tried to do the same, he lost traction and swerved into the other lane to avoid rear-ending the stopped car. But an oncoming car struck him.
In a third two-vehicle accident, a driver said he was unable to stop in time to avoid rear-ending a car that had stopped in front of him at the intersection of West Main and Marshall Road.
Lonoke Police Lt. Randy Mauk said his city had no weather-related accidents. “I think everyone heeded the warnings and stayed off the road until the ice melted.”
Light flurries are possible Thursday, according to Jeff Hood with the National Weather Service, but after that the temperature warms and he expects just rain on Sunday.
Jacksonville Public Works Director Jimmy Oakley called the last few days tough. “It was difficult to keep up with the weather,” he said, “even though we had three crews working around the clock.”
Oakley said the city has used a lot of salt and sand over the past two weeks, but had stocked up in the fall. “We have enough for one or two more incidents, and then when things slow down we’ll order more,” Oakley said. He said the storm pushed back sanitation pickup by one day. Recycling ran Monday.
The ice and sleet has caused chunks of asphalt overlay to come up on some streets in the city and especially on Hwy. 67/167 between Redmond and Main Street.
Oakley said the city has some instant patch material that it is using on local streets.
The highway department will have to make repairs to the freeway.
Danny Straessle with the state Highway Department said crews would go out after the storms ease and assess highway damage. “If we find problems that are safety issues, we will try to do some type of temporary fix right away. But, normally, to make a repair stick it needs to be warmer and drier,” he explained. Straessle said, because of the belly plows used, some striping, raised pavement markers and some asphalt is coming up. He added that their focus is getting the ice off the highways and that sometimes damage does occur.
Sherwood reported no weather-related accidents for Sunday through Tuesday. But the county responded to one on Koko Drive in Gravel Ridge, just outside city limits.
Even though the area has seen precipitation more than half the days this month, central Arkansas is still almost an inch below the 30-year average for the month. The cold onslaught over the past two weeks has February running more than 8 degrees cooler than the average for the month.
The average high for the month is 57 degrees and the low is 39. So far, for this February, the average high is 47.1 degrees and the low is 25.5.
Monday’s high of 31 degrees was almost 20 degrees below the norm for that date, plus the 1.3 inches of snow that hit the area, according to the NWS, set a record for that date.
National Weather Service meteorologists say, as a general rule, it takes 10 inches of snow to equal one inch of precipitation. It depends on how wet the snow is. Hood said Monday’s snow was very fine and dry (hard to clump together to make snowballs) and carried very little moisture. He also said that, although sleet contains more moisture, it is counted in the snowfall totals.
(Leader staff writer Sarah Campbell also contributed to this article.)
Leader staff writer
Two waves of wintry mix closed area schools for the second Monday and Tuesday in a row.
The first wave came through late Sunday dropping a slight but annoying amount ice, sleet and rain in central Arkansas and hardly any snow. But the snow came midday Monday, up to two inches in the area, and continued into the evening hours. The little bit of sleet, combined with the snow, gray skies and temperatures that never made it above freezing Monday made road travel dangerous in the early morning hours of Tuesday.
The wintry wave caused Cabot and Sherwood to cancel their council meetings Monday night.
Both council meetings have been reset to next Monday.
Cabot city offices closed at 1:30 p.m. Monday because of the heavy snow, and some Lonoke city departments were also forced to shut their doors.
The weather caused delays in Cabot trash pickup. Eddie Long, Cabot’s director of operations, said, “We’ll will have additional crews to catch up over the next couple of days. Please be patient.”
Cabot Fire Chief Phil Robinson said the department responded to a few minor accidents. The worst involved a woman who spun out on the highway and hit the cable barrier.
She appeared to be OK at the scene but was sent to the hospital to be checked for injuries, Robinson said.
The department also handled a diesel rig that blocked West Main Street. Its trailer blocked one side of the road and the cab blocked the other side, according to the chief.
Also, a few people slipped and fell on the ice and snow, he added. And some kids on sleds bumped their heads, Robinson said.
Sgt. Keith Graham of the Cabot Police Department said there were about a dozen weather-related accidents in the city this week, but no serious injuries that he knew of. He noted that the State Police responded to some accidents on Hwy. 67/167.
Bill Sadler, public information officer for the Arkansas State Police, said Tuesday that reports on weather-related accidents weren’t available yet, as troopers had fallen behind in filing them and were catching up. He also said there were no fatalities in The Leader’s coverage area.
April Kiser, public information officer for Jacksonville police, said Tuesday that the department had responded to six weather-related accidents since Sunday but no injuries were reported.
The accidents included one man who hit a light pole on Homer Adkins Drive after sliding on the ice and swerving to avoid a parked car.
In a two-vehicle accident on Loop Road, a driver changed his mind about turning left, changed lanes and struck a car he said must have been in his blind spot. The other driver told police he “had no time to stop due to the ice.”
A driver on John Harden Drive reported that the car in front of him stopped suddenly and, when he tried to do the same, he lost traction and swerved into the other lane to avoid rear-ending the stopped car. But an oncoming car struck him.
In a third two-vehicle accident, a driver said he was unable to stop in time to avoid rear-ending a car that had stopped in front of him at the intersection of West Main and Marshall Road.
Lonoke Police Lt. Randy Mauk said his city had no weather-related accidents. “I think everyone heeded the warnings and stayed off the road until the ice melted.”
Light flurries are possible Thursday, according to Jeff Hood with the National Weather Service, but after that the temperature warms and he expects just rain on Sunday.
Jacksonville Public Works Director Jimmy Oakley called the last few days tough. “It was difficult to keep up with the weather,” he said, “even though we had three crews working around the clock.”
Oakley said the city has used a lot of salt and sand over the past two weeks, but had stocked up in the fall. “We have enough for one or two more incidents, and then when things slow down we’ll order more,” Oakley said. He said the storm pushed back sanitation pickup by one day. Recycling ran Monday.
The ice and sleet has caused chunks of asphalt overlay to come up on some streets in the city and especially on Hwy. 67/167 between Redmond and Main Street.
Oakley said the city has some instant patch material that it is using on local streets.
The highway department will have to make repairs to the freeway.
Danny Straessle with the state Highway Department said crews would go out after the storms ease and assess highway damage. “If we find problems that are safety issues, we will try to do some type of temporary fix right away. But, normally, to make a repair stick it needs to be warmer and drier,” he explained. Straessle said, because of the belly plows used, some striping, raised pavement markers and some asphalt is coming up. He added that their focus is getting the ice off the highways and that sometimes damage does occur.
Sherwood reported no weather-related accidents for Sunday through Tuesday. But the county responded to one on Koko Drive in Gravel Ridge, just outside city limits.
Even though the area has seen precipitation more than half the days this month, central Arkansas is still almost an inch below the 30-year average for the month. The cold onslaught over the past two weeks has February running more than 8 degrees cooler than the average for the month.
The average high for the month is 57 degrees and the low is 39. So far, for this February, the average high is 47.1 degrees and the low is 25.5.
Monday’s high of 31 degrees was almost 20 degrees below the norm for that date, plus the 1.3 inches of snow that hit the area, according to the NWS, set a record for that date.
National Weather Service meteorologists say, as a general rule, it takes 10 inches of snow to equal one inch of precipitation. It depends on how wet the snow is. Hood said Monday’s snow was very fine and dry (hard to clump together to make snowballs) and carried very little moisture. He also said that, although sleet contains more moisture, it is counted in the snowfall totals.
(Leader staff writer Sarah Campbell also contributed to this article.)
Monday, February 23, 2015
EDITORIAL >> Last chance, sign petition
Kudos and good luck to those collecting signatures on the wet-dry petitions in Jacksonville. Organizers are only 500 signatures short now and “sprinting to the finish line,” Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce board president Roger Sundermeier said Friday.
He also wanted to publicly thank the business owners who took petitions to their offices and offered places where people could sign.
Sundermeier’s optimism was palpable, and the news that two-thirds of the work is done was quite a turnaround after the effort suffered a blow early this month.
On Feb. 3, the Pulaski County Clerk’s Office notified petitioners that they were still short by 1,415 names and had until March 5 to close the gap.
If that goal isn’t reached, volunteers will have to start all over. They’ve already been at it for years.
Having the required 5,008 signatures from registered voters will lead to local elections that let residents decide if they want restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores to sell alcohol.
Under the plan, restaurants would be allowed to have a full bar without paying thousands in annual fees for private-club licenses, and grocery stores and gas stations would be allowed to sell only beer and wine.
Restaurants like Chili’s, which has a private-club license, are also unable to purchase alcohol at reduced wholesale prices. They pay the same marked-up rates as everyone else, and that must be taking a large cut of potential profits.
The Sherwood chamber, leading the same effort for their portion of the defunct and dry Gray Township, has struggled even more. Canvassers there have collected only about 1,500 out of the 4,752 that are required.
Why is this issue important for both cities?
Jacksonville officials expect an estimated $600,000 in sales tax revenue to pour in when national chains — especially restaurants — have one less excuse not to move here.
Sherwood wants to develop the northern half of the city, which is dry and includes Gravel Ridge. A UALR study that predicted the $600,000 for Jacksonville estimated that Sherwood could see $10 million flowing into the local economy if it became wet.
Skeptics who say drunk driving will increase if liquor laws are changed should understand that in Missouri and Louisiana, where liquor laws are among the loosest in the nation, DWI rates are actually lower than in Arkansas, where only 10 counties are completely wet.
Repealing local alcohol prohibitions has proven difficult given that signatures from 38 percent of registered voters are required while 10 percent is needed for most other ballot initiatives. Sherwood economic developer Barry Sellers is hoping legislators will change the law.
Meanwhile, diners will continue to spend their dollars in wet North Little Rock and elsewhere.
Having the option to order a cocktail or beer with dinner or to buy a six-pack on the way home from a long day at the office doesn’t mean more residents will drink.
And those who are against alcohol consumption for moral reasons can still choose not to drink if the area goes wet. It’s doubtful Chili’s serving booze here made a dent in any strongly-held beliefs.
What these petitions mean is being able to choose. Those who drink can choose to pour their hard-earned wages back into their community. And they can choose whether they want to continue detouring miles out of the way for what they want just because those who were here in the 1950s turned off the taps.
—Sarah Campbell
He also wanted to publicly thank the business owners who took petitions to their offices and offered places where people could sign.
Sundermeier’s optimism was palpable, and the news that two-thirds of the work is done was quite a turnaround after the effort suffered a blow early this month.
On Feb. 3, the Pulaski County Clerk’s Office notified petitioners that they were still short by 1,415 names and had until March 5 to close the gap.
If that goal isn’t reached, volunteers will have to start all over. They’ve already been at it for years.
Having the required 5,008 signatures from registered voters will lead to local elections that let residents decide if they want restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores to sell alcohol.
Under the plan, restaurants would be allowed to have a full bar without paying thousands in annual fees for private-club licenses, and grocery stores and gas stations would be allowed to sell only beer and wine.
Restaurants like Chili’s, which has a private-club license, are also unable to purchase alcohol at reduced wholesale prices. They pay the same marked-up rates as everyone else, and that must be taking a large cut of potential profits.
The Sherwood chamber, leading the same effort for their portion of the defunct and dry Gray Township, has struggled even more. Canvassers there have collected only about 1,500 out of the 4,752 that are required.
Why is this issue important for both cities?
Jacksonville officials expect an estimated $600,000 in sales tax revenue to pour in when national chains — especially restaurants — have one less excuse not to move here.
Sherwood wants to develop the northern half of the city, which is dry and includes Gravel Ridge. A UALR study that predicted the $600,000 for Jacksonville estimated that Sherwood could see $10 million flowing into the local economy if it became wet.
Skeptics who say drunk driving will increase if liquor laws are changed should understand that in Missouri and Louisiana, where liquor laws are among the loosest in the nation, DWI rates are actually lower than in Arkansas, where only 10 counties are completely wet.
Repealing local alcohol prohibitions has proven difficult given that signatures from 38 percent of registered voters are required while 10 percent is needed for most other ballot initiatives. Sherwood economic developer Barry Sellers is hoping legislators will change the law.
Meanwhile, diners will continue to spend their dollars in wet North Little Rock and elsewhere.
Having the option to order a cocktail or beer with dinner or to buy a six-pack on the way home from a long day at the office doesn’t mean more residents will drink.
And those who are against alcohol consumption for moral reasons can still choose not to drink if the area goes wet. It’s doubtful Chili’s serving booze here made a dent in any strongly-held beliefs.
What these petitions mean is being able to choose. Those who drink can choose to pour their hard-earned wages back into their community. And they can choose whether they want to continue detouring miles out of the way for what they want just because those who were here in the 1950s turned off the taps.
—Sarah Campbell
TOP STORY >> Cabot roast March 10
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
The Cabot Scholarship Foundation will hold its 20th Roast and Toast Banquet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 at the Cabot Junior High North cafeteria. The event honors students who are receiving scholarships from the foundation this year.
This year’s honoree for the Roast and Toast Banquet is Eugene L. “Laddie” Crouch. He will be roasted by James Handley, Ken Hatfield and Mike Malham. John C. Thompson will be the master of ceremonies, and Rev. David “Buzz” Crouch, Gene’s brother and Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church in Searcy, will deliver the invocation.
Eugene Crouch was born in Helena and raised in nearby Lexa. He is a 1961 graduate of Barton High School. Crouch attended the University of Arkansas on a football scholarship. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education.
He held coaching positions in Brinkley and El Dorado schools before beginning a 25-year career with the FBI. Crouch had assignments in Philadelphia; New York, Rapid City, S. D.; Muskogee, Okla.; and Little Rock.
After retirement from the FBI in 1995, Crouch taught and coached in Cabot schools, retiring in 2003. His support of Cabot’s sports programs continues with his regular attendance each season at most sports competitions.
Gene was married to the former Sue Wood until her death in 2013. Their sons, Lad and Andy, attended Cabot schools and both were active in Cabot athletics.
Gene is an active member of Cabot United Methodist Church and the Rolling Hills Golf Association. He was a Cabot Rotarian for many years, and honored as Rotarian of the Year for 2008-09.
Tickets for the event are available for $30 per person or $240 for a table of eight. They may be purchased from Cabot Scholarship Foundation members, which include John C. Thompson, Cal Aldridge, Nina Butler, Fred Campbell, Carole Jones, Stephen Tipton, Mike Verkler and Angela Wallace, or Cabot High School’s main office.
The Cabot Scholarship Foundation was formed in 1992 by the Cabot Centennial Committee to encourage and recognize academics in Cabot schools. The Roast and Toast Banquet is the foundation’s only fundraising event. Due to the tremendous growth at Cabot High School, community support is greatly appreciated.
Donations are accepted throughout the year at the Cabot Scholarship Foundation, 200 W. Main St. in Cabot. Last year, the foundation awarded 92 scholarships worth $93,550.
Leader staff writer
The Cabot Scholarship Foundation will hold its 20th Roast and Toast Banquet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 at the Cabot Junior High North cafeteria. The event honors students who are receiving scholarships from the foundation this year.
This year’s honoree for the Roast and Toast Banquet is Eugene L. “Laddie” Crouch. He will be roasted by James Handley, Ken Hatfield and Mike Malham. John C. Thompson will be the master of ceremonies, and Rev. David “Buzz” Crouch, Gene’s brother and Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church in Searcy, will deliver the invocation.
Eugene Crouch was born in Helena and raised in nearby Lexa. He is a 1961 graduate of Barton High School. Crouch attended the University of Arkansas on a football scholarship. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education.
He held coaching positions in Brinkley and El Dorado schools before beginning a 25-year career with the FBI. Crouch had assignments in Philadelphia; New York, Rapid City, S. D.; Muskogee, Okla.; and Little Rock.
After retirement from the FBI in 1995, Crouch taught and coached in Cabot schools, retiring in 2003. His support of Cabot’s sports programs continues with his regular attendance each season at most sports competitions.
Gene was married to the former Sue Wood until her death in 2013. Their sons, Lad and Andy, attended Cabot schools and both were active in Cabot athletics.
Gene is an active member of Cabot United Methodist Church and the Rolling Hills Golf Association. He was a Cabot Rotarian for many years, and honored as Rotarian of the Year for 2008-09.
Tickets for the event are available for $30 per person or $240 for a table of eight. They may be purchased from Cabot Scholarship Foundation members, which include John C. Thompson, Cal Aldridge, Nina Butler, Fred Campbell, Carole Jones, Stephen Tipton, Mike Verkler and Angela Wallace, or Cabot High School’s main office.
The Cabot Scholarship Foundation was formed in 1992 by the Cabot Centennial Committee to encourage and recognize academics in Cabot schools. The Roast and Toast Banquet is the foundation’s only fundraising event. Due to the tremendous growth at Cabot High School, community support is greatly appreciated.
Donations are accepted throughout the year at the Cabot Scholarship Foundation, 200 W. Main St. in Cabot. Last year, the foundation awarded 92 scholarships worth $93,550.
TOP STORY >> Taking it to the woods
By Sr. Airman KAYLEE CLARK
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
The tip of an arrow must be like a razor to pierce the heart of its prey. The hunter spends countless hours sharpening the many skills required to become a bridge from this life to the next.
As he stands describing the qualities of a fine arrow, you couldn’t tell whether Capt. Matthew Spencer is filming an episode of a hunting show or delivering the word of God.
The woods are his sanctuary, and hunting his way of life.
It may seem strange that someone who has devoted his life to saving others relishes the opportunity to take another life. For Spencer, it’s not about seeing one of God’s creations die, but rather the journey a hunt represents.
Even chaplains need to renew their spirituality. When Spencer needs a chaplain, or a place of serenity to lay down his burdens and the cares of the world, he takes it to the woods. His pulpit is a tree, and his congregation encompasses the inhabitants of the forest.
He receives his amens from the sounds of nature, and he feels the presence of God every time the wind blows, momentarily returning him to the hunts of his youth.
Spencer’s Air Force journey began 11 years ago. He spent his first six years as an enlisted security forces airman. It was then that he realized the importance of seeking a chaplain during times of trouble.
Spencer, of the Air Force Reserve, is stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and filling the Protestant chaplain position at Little Rock Air Force Base while its active-duty chaplain is deployed.
“It’s a great job for me because I want to see people prosper,” Spencer said. “I used to be a young airman, too, and I know the difficulties that come along with that. I just want to see people get where they need to be in their career and, more importantly, their life.”
It’s easy to envision Spencer in the woods rehearsing his sermon, as he quotes Genesis 27:3: “Now take your hunting equipment, your quiver and bow, and go out into the wild country and hunt some wild game for me.”
This scripture speaks to him directly, and he lives by it.
“I really enjoy the outdoors. I love to hunt. That’s my outlet,” Spencer said. “To just get away and get in the woods and just be who I grew up being. For me, it’s connecting with God while I am out there. That is where I feel the most connected to him.”
The holidays were a busy time around the chapel. Spencer, a husband and a father, spent the season separated from his family and serving the men and women of the air base.
On Christmas Day, Spencer started before the sun came up, preparing a bounty that he harvested during his stay here.
Back home, he films a hunting show, “Final Fate TV,” which is aired on Dish Network’s Hunting Channel.
On this day, instead of filming another episode, he woke at 3 a.m. to cook for airmen who had to work.
“I was elated that someone would care about us and put in all that work to bring us food while we were out here doing our job,” said Airman 1st Class Charles Bryant, a member of the 19th Security Forces Squadron. “It made me feel great.”
After spending several hours with the airmen, it was time to take it to the woods.
Warm coffee in hand and the backseat of his pickup filled with equipment and camouflage, Spencer headed to his sanctuary.
As soon as his feet hit the ground, he slowly and softly closed his door, so as not to wake his trophy, and the hunt began.
The hunter carefully applied paint to his face and began to blend into the nature that surrounded him. He amassed layer upon layer of Mossy Oak gear and inspected his bow and razor-sharp arrows. With a grin on his face, he hoped that today would be the day.
“It’s not just about the trophy or the size of the antlers. To me, it’s about the journey and how it all comes together, and, at the end of the day, how did you share that with your friends,” Spencer said. “Fellowship is really what I live for; it’s what I really desire.”
Spencer’s personal life directly mirrors his spiritual one. No two days are ever the same.
“You can relate the two as far as the ups and downs,” Spencer said. “Some days you will come in with the uniform on as a chaplain, and it’s a really good day — a lot of positives things are happening. But some days you have to deal with some really hard things that just weigh on your heart. The same can be in the woods. There’s times we go days or weeks at a time and sit in a tree freezing and not see anything.”
Ups and downs aside, chaplains are needed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether it be delivering an inspirational message on Sunday or waking up at an inconvenient time to console a grieving family, a chaplain’s work is never done.
“The one thing that we chaplains have is 100 percent confidentiality. No matter what somebody walks into our office with, we don’t take it outside those doors,” Spencer said. “A lot of the time, it weighs on our hearts. Even though we are here to help, we are humans as well.”
“When I dig deep into why I love being a chaplain and love hunting, it boils down to understanding that I will never perfect either, but the journey trying is addicting,” Spencer said.
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
The tip of an arrow must be like a razor to pierce the heart of its prey. The hunter spends countless hours sharpening the many skills required to become a bridge from this life to the next.
As he stands describing the qualities of a fine arrow, you couldn’t tell whether Capt. Matthew Spencer is filming an episode of a hunting show or delivering the word of God.
The woods are his sanctuary, and hunting his way of life.
It may seem strange that someone who has devoted his life to saving others relishes the opportunity to take another life. For Spencer, it’s not about seeing one of God’s creations die, but rather the journey a hunt represents.
Even chaplains need to renew their spirituality. When Spencer needs a chaplain, or a place of serenity to lay down his burdens and the cares of the world, he takes it to the woods. His pulpit is a tree, and his congregation encompasses the inhabitants of the forest.
He receives his amens from the sounds of nature, and he feels the presence of God every time the wind blows, momentarily returning him to the hunts of his youth.
Spencer’s Air Force journey began 11 years ago. He spent his first six years as an enlisted security forces airman. It was then that he realized the importance of seeking a chaplain during times of trouble.
Spencer, of the Air Force Reserve, is stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and filling the Protestant chaplain position at Little Rock Air Force Base while its active-duty chaplain is deployed.
“It’s a great job for me because I want to see people prosper,” Spencer said. “I used to be a young airman, too, and I know the difficulties that come along with that. I just want to see people get where they need to be in their career and, more importantly, their life.”
It’s easy to envision Spencer in the woods rehearsing his sermon, as he quotes Genesis 27:3: “Now take your hunting equipment, your quiver and bow, and go out into the wild country and hunt some wild game for me.”
This scripture speaks to him directly, and he lives by it.
“I really enjoy the outdoors. I love to hunt. That’s my outlet,” Spencer said. “To just get away and get in the woods and just be who I grew up being. For me, it’s connecting with God while I am out there. That is where I feel the most connected to him.”
The holidays were a busy time around the chapel. Spencer, a husband and a father, spent the season separated from his family and serving the men and women of the air base.
On Christmas Day, Spencer started before the sun came up, preparing a bounty that he harvested during his stay here.
Back home, he films a hunting show, “Final Fate TV,” which is aired on Dish Network’s Hunting Channel.
On this day, instead of filming another episode, he woke at 3 a.m. to cook for airmen who had to work.
“I was elated that someone would care about us and put in all that work to bring us food while we were out here doing our job,” said Airman 1st Class Charles Bryant, a member of the 19th Security Forces Squadron. “It made me feel great.”
After spending several hours with the airmen, it was time to take it to the woods.
Warm coffee in hand and the backseat of his pickup filled with equipment and camouflage, Spencer headed to his sanctuary.
As soon as his feet hit the ground, he slowly and softly closed his door, so as not to wake his trophy, and the hunt began.
The hunter carefully applied paint to his face and began to blend into the nature that surrounded him. He amassed layer upon layer of Mossy Oak gear and inspected his bow and razor-sharp arrows. With a grin on his face, he hoped that today would be the day.
“It’s not just about the trophy or the size of the antlers. To me, it’s about the journey and how it all comes together, and, at the end of the day, how did you share that with your friends,” Spencer said. “Fellowship is really what I live for; it’s what I really desire.”
Spencer’s personal life directly mirrors his spiritual one. No two days are ever the same.
“You can relate the two as far as the ups and downs,” Spencer said. “Some days you will come in with the uniform on as a chaplain, and it’s a really good day — a lot of positives things are happening. But some days you have to deal with some really hard things that just weigh on your heart. The same can be in the woods. There’s times we go days or weeks at a time and sit in a tree freezing and not see anything.”
Ups and downs aside, chaplains are needed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether it be delivering an inspirational message on Sunday or waking up at an inconvenient time to console a grieving family, a chaplain’s work is never done.
“The one thing that we chaplains have is 100 percent confidentiality. No matter what somebody walks into our office with, we don’t take it outside those doors,” Spencer said. “A lot of the time, it weighs on our hearts. Even though we are here to help, we are humans as well.”
“When I dig deep into why I love being a chaplain and love hunting, it boils down to understanding that I will never perfect either, but the journey trying is addicting,” Spencer said.
TOP STORY >> Budget of $92M for new schools
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
Interim Jacksonville-North Pulaski Superintendent Bobby Lester received a much warmer welcome from about 40 people Thursday at Bayou Meto Elementary, where the second of two “community conversation” meetings was held.
The meetings were about the new school district’s intention to shut down Jacksonville Middle School next year and move its 190 middle school students into Northwood Middle School, which would have been vacated for low enrollment.
But Thursday’s talk turned to the planned building of a combined high school on 300 acres of Defense Department land, a new elementary school on 20 acres of Defense Department land and converting the North Pulaski High School in between the two lots into a combined middle school.
Those projects, plus renovating Adkins Pre-K, Bayou Meto, Dupree, Pinewood and Taylor elementary schools, will cost about $92 million, Lester said.
The new elementary school would replace Arnold Drive, which was built on Little Rock Air Force Base in the early 1960s, and Tolleson.
North Pulaski will become the new middle school in 2016-17, Lester said, and its students would transfer to Jacksonville High School until the combined high school becomes a reality.
Derek Scott, PCSSD director of operations, said the Defense Department’s Office of Economic Adjustment, which would provide a portion of the funding for the elementary and high school projects, is processing paperwork for both.
“It’s a funding issue right now. I am hopeful,” he said.
Scott also noted that the 300 acres is large enough for a facility like the new Maumelle High School local people have compared to the Taj Mahal or Conway’s collegiate-like high school campus with separate buildings.
And the Jacksonville district has submitted a skeleton master facilities plan to the state Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation, in order to qualify for matching funds of about 50 percent for all approved academic instructional spaces beginning in the 2017-18 school year.
Lester has said the new district doesn’t know yet how much of a millage increase might be needed to fund new facilities.
A millage increase for Jacksonville-North Pulaski patrons will not be voted on this September, and the 5.6-mill increase sought by the Pulaski County Special School District won’t affect them.
When the millage question came up, a woman raising her granddaughter — a junior attending Jacksonville schools — voiced her concern over being told her ballot wasn’t counted in the last school election when the detachment was approved by 95 percent of voters.
Darlene Dickman said she lives in Faulkner County but is zoned for PCSSD and pays taxes that will go to the new district when it separates completely.
Daniel Gray, the Jacksonville school board president, suggested she work that issue out with the Faulkner County Election Commission.
One man at the meeting pointed out that much needs to be done at North Pulaski for it to become a middle school. There are missing tiles, a “deplorable” cafeteria and classrooms that have to be walked through to get to other classrooms while classes are in session, he said.
Another attendee, Kathy Caswell, was also curious about what work would be done at North Pulaski. Then she mentioned, and many agreed, that the rivalry between JHS and NPHS students would be challenging when both sets of students attend classes together at JHS temporarily and for the first few years at a new combined high school.
Scott noted that NPHS has a new auditorium, new parking lots and a new bus lane. Carpet and tiles have been replaced, but half of the school needs those kinds of things done, he said.
Scott said improving North Pulaski would continue but admitted that the district “under invested” in facilities for 20 years. PCSSD spent one-sixth of what it should have on buildings, the director explained.
Things changed after the state took over the fiscally-distressed PCSSD in 2011, he said.
The school board was dissolved, and Jerry Guess was appointed superintendent then.
The first year after the takeover, $8 million was spent on roofs and renovating the front of JHS because the steps there were dangerous, Scott said.
He explained that crews have focused on improving and fixing common areas throughout the PCSSD’s 40 buildings, which include 36 schools.
But workers have only seen about 4 percent of the district’s classrooms, Scott said.
“There’s still a lot of things to be done, and it’s going to take a period of time,” he emphasized.
Lester said Scott had been doing a good job. But, he added, “It’s hard to put lipstick on a sow and make her look a whole lot better when she’s been wallowing in the mud as long as she has been.”
Another woman at the meeting was concerned about the new district not having enough middle school students to fill North Pulaski, but she was told the Jacksonville-North Pulaski district has between 800 and 900 middle school students.
Scott was asked why PCSSD made improvements to Northwood when they were planning to close it. He said the closure would not have been permanent and the building would have been used within the next five years to alleviate crowding at other campuses.
Lester explained at the beginning of the meeting why moving kids from JMS, which was built in 1952, to Northwood, which was built in 1979, would help.
“I think our students, if we can put them in some nice facilities that are warm, safe and dry, they’re motivated to get a good education,” he said.
The plan still needs approval from the interim Jacksonville school board, but Lester expressed confidence that its members are supportive of the proposal.
About JMS, he said, “It’s a whole lot worse than what I even remembered” with students putting their coats on to travel between classes or in the cold bathrooms, walking through mud to the gym and being taught science in “dressing rooms.”
Lester added, “Our kids deserve more.”
PCSSD’s original plans called for Northwood’s 300 students to attend Sylvan Hills Middle School in Sherwood and left Northwood vacant for at least a year.
That school has a controlled climate with classrooms that aren’t outside, community-based instruction courses JMS didn’t offer and plenty of room for JMS students, Lester noted. He added that one of the drawbacks is some students living east of JMS would be an extra 20 minutes riding the bus.
But, Lester pointed out, the 20 minutes is worth the seven hours of being warm in classes at Northwood.
Leader staff writer
Interim Jacksonville-North Pulaski Superintendent Bobby Lester received a much warmer welcome from about 40 people Thursday at Bayou Meto Elementary, where the second of two “community conversation” meetings was held.
The meetings were about the new school district’s intention to shut down Jacksonville Middle School next year and move its 190 middle school students into Northwood Middle School, which would have been vacated for low enrollment.
But Thursday’s talk turned to the planned building of a combined high school on 300 acres of Defense Department land, a new elementary school on 20 acres of Defense Department land and converting the North Pulaski High School in between the two lots into a combined middle school.
Those projects, plus renovating Adkins Pre-K, Bayou Meto, Dupree, Pinewood and Taylor elementary schools, will cost about $92 million, Lester said.
The new elementary school would replace Arnold Drive, which was built on Little Rock Air Force Base in the early 1960s, and Tolleson.
North Pulaski will become the new middle school in 2016-17, Lester said, and its students would transfer to Jacksonville High School until the combined high school becomes a reality.
Derek Scott, PCSSD director of operations, said the Defense Department’s Office of Economic Adjustment, which would provide a portion of the funding for the elementary and high school projects, is processing paperwork for both.
“It’s a funding issue right now. I am hopeful,” he said.
Scott also noted that the 300 acres is large enough for a facility like the new Maumelle High School local people have compared to the Taj Mahal or Conway’s collegiate-like high school campus with separate buildings.
And the Jacksonville district has submitted a skeleton master facilities plan to the state Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation, in order to qualify for matching funds of about 50 percent for all approved academic instructional spaces beginning in the 2017-18 school year.
Lester has said the new district doesn’t know yet how much of a millage increase might be needed to fund new facilities.
A millage increase for Jacksonville-North Pulaski patrons will not be voted on this September, and the 5.6-mill increase sought by the Pulaski County Special School District won’t affect them.
When the millage question came up, a woman raising her granddaughter — a junior attending Jacksonville schools — voiced her concern over being told her ballot wasn’t counted in the last school election when the detachment was approved by 95 percent of voters.
Darlene Dickman said she lives in Faulkner County but is zoned for PCSSD and pays taxes that will go to the new district when it separates completely.
Daniel Gray, the Jacksonville school board president, suggested she work that issue out with the Faulkner County Election Commission.
One man at the meeting pointed out that much needs to be done at North Pulaski for it to become a middle school. There are missing tiles, a “deplorable” cafeteria and classrooms that have to be walked through to get to other classrooms while classes are in session, he said.
Another attendee, Kathy Caswell, was also curious about what work would be done at North Pulaski. Then she mentioned, and many agreed, that the rivalry between JHS and NPHS students would be challenging when both sets of students attend classes together at JHS temporarily and for the first few years at a new combined high school.
Scott noted that NPHS has a new auditorium, new parking lots and a new bus lane. Carpet and tiles have been replaced, but half of the school needs those kinds of things done, he said.
Scott said improving North Pulaski would continue but admitted that the district “under invested” in facilities for 20 years. PCSSD spent one-sixth of what it should have on buildings, the director explained.
Things changed after the state took over the fiscally-distressed PCSSD in 2011, he said.
The school board was dissolved, and Jerry Guess was appointed superintendent then.
The first year after the takeover, $8 million was spent on roofs and renovating the front of JHS because the steps there were dangerous, Scott said.
He explained that crews have focused on improving and fixing common areas throughout the PCSSD’s 40 buildings, which include 36 schools.
But workers have only seen about 4 percent of the district’s classrooms, Scott said.
“There’s still a lot of things to be done, and it’s going to take a period of time,” he emphasized.
Lester said Scott had been doing a good job. But, he added, “It’s hard to put lipstick on a sow and make her look a whole lot better when she’s been wallowing in the mud as long as she has been.”
Another woman at the meeting was concerned about the new district not having enough middle school students to fill North Pulaski, but she was told the Jacksonville-North Pulaski district has between 800 and 900 middle school students.
Scott was asked why PCSSD made improvements to Northwood when they were planning to close it. He said the closure would not have been permanent and the building would have been used within the next five years to alleviate crowding at other campuses.
Lester explained at the beginning of the meeting why moving kids from JMS, which was built in 1952, to Northwood, which was built in 1979, would help.
“I think our students, if we can put them in some nice facilities that are warm, safe and dry, they’re motivated to get a good education,” he said.
The plan still needs approval from the interim Jacksonville school board, but Lester expressed confidence that its members are supportive of the proposal.
About JMS, he said, “It’s a whole lot worse than what I even remembered” with students putting their coats on to travel between classes or in the cold bathrooms, walking through mud to the gym and being taught science in “dressing rooms.”
Lester added, “Our kids deserve more.”
PCSSD’s original plans called for Northwood’s 300 students to attend Sylvan Hills Middle School in Sherwood and left Northwood vacant for at least a year.
That school has a controlled climate with classrooms that aren’t outside, community-based instruction courses JMS didn’t offer and plenty of room for JMS students, Lester noted. He added that one of the drawbacks is some students living east of JMS would be an extra 20 minutes riding the bus.
But, Lester pointed out, the 20 minutes is worth the seven hours of being warm in classes at Northwood.
SPORTS STORY >> Southerners shock Jackrabbits in district
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Lonoke boys’ basketball team’s season came to an end at the Gina Cox Center on Thursday. The Jackrabbits fell 55-42 to Southside-Batesville, a team they beat twice in the regular season, in the second round of the 4A-2 District tournament.
Lonoke started the game struggling to make baskets and never warmed up. Despite good offensive rebounding and taking four more shots than the Southerners, the Jackrabbits fell behind 5-0 in the first few moments of the game.
Southside stretched the lead to as much as 13-6 before Lonoke’s Isaac Toney scored to end the first quarter. Southside’s lead stayed between five and eight throughout the second quarter, but the third period was one of runs and droughts.
It started with a Southerner run accompanying a Lonoke drought. The Jackrabbits didn’t score for more than half the quarter. When Southside guard Hunter Tatum drove the distance of the floor for a layup and one, it gave the Southerners a 30-17 lead with 3:17 left to play in the third quarter.
Lonoke coach Dean Campbell called timeout, and the Jackrabbits came out pressing. It changed the game quickly. The Jackrabbits forced four turnovers on Southside’s next six possessions. The Southerners got open layups on the other two, but were rushing and missed them both too hard off the glass.
Lonoke didn’t take advantage of every opportunity, missing some easy shots of its own, but did finish the third quarter on an 8-0 run to close the gap to 30-25 going into the fourth quarter.
Southside coach Brad McGhee calmed his team down during the rest between quarters, and Lonoke’s pressure wasn’t as effective in the final frame.
“I think the difference between this game and the other two is that we handled their pressure this time,” said McGhee. “They pressed us early in this game and we handled it pretty well. I just told them not to get away from what they were doing earlier. They regrouped, got back to that in the fourth quarter.”
The lead stayed around five points until another quick 5-0 run put Southside up 38-28 with five minutes remaining.
Toney sank a 3-pointer with 4:48 left, but Tatum got another and-one to push it back to a 10-point margin with 4:05 remaining.
Lonoke was forced to begin fouling and Southside almost could not miss from the foul line.
Southside finished the game hitting 27 of 34 free-throw attempts, but four of those misses were in the final 30 seconds when all had been decided, including the last two by Tatum, who was 14 of 15 up to that point.
“We’ve been a pretty good free-throw shooting team, but I think we were a little better than usual tonight,” said McGhee. “One thing was that it seemed like every time we went to the line, it was one of our best free-throw shooters. So that helped us.”
Southside hit 43 percent from the floor, including 2 of 3 3-pointers. Lonoke shot 23 percent, hitting 8 of 33 from two-point range, and 5 of 24 from the 3-point line. The Jackrabbits were 11 of 23 from the foul line for 48 percent.
Jawaun Bryant led the Jackrabbits with 15 points while Toney added eight. Tatum led Southside with 21 while Braiden Meade scored 16.
Lonoke finishes the season with an 11-13 record while Southside takes a 12-16 record into the third-round game.
Leader sports editor
The Lonoke boys’ basketball team’s season came to an end at the Gina Cox Center on Thursday. The Jackrabbits fell 55-42 to Southside-Batesville, a team they beat twice in the regular season, in the second round of the 4A-2 District tournament.
Lonoke started the game struggling to make baskets and never warmed up. Despite good offensive rebounding and taking four more shots than the Southerners, the Jackrabbits fell behind 5-0 in the first few moments of the game.
Southside stretched the lead to as much as 13-6 before Lonoke’s Isaac Toney scored to end the first quarter. Southside’s lead stayed between five and eight throughout the second quarter, but the third period was one of runs and droughts.
It started with a Southerner run accompanying a Lonoke drought. The Jackrabbits didn’t score for more than half the quarter. When Southside guard Hunter Tatum drove the distance of the floor for a layup and one, it gave the Southerners a 30-17 lead with 3:17 left to play in the third quarter.
Lonoke coach Dean Campbell called timeout, and the Jackrabbits came out pressing. It changed the game quickly. The Jackrabbits forced four turnovers on Southside’s next six possessions. The Southerners got open layups on the other two, but were rushing and missed them both too hard off the glass.
Lonoke didn’t take advantage of every opportunity, missing some easy shots of its own, but did finish the third quarter on an 8-0 run to close the gap to 30-25 going into the fourth quarter.
Southside coach Brad McGhee calmed his team down during the rest between quarters, and Lonoke’s pressure wasn’t as effective in the final frame.
“I think the difference between this game and the other two is that we handled their pressure this time,” said McGhee. “They pressed us early in this game and we handled it pretty well. I just told them not to get away from what they were doing earlier. They regrouped, got back to that in the fourth quarter.”
The lead stayed around five points until another quick 5-0 run put Southside up 38-28 with five minutes remaining.
Toney sank a 3-pointer with 4:48 left, but Tatum got another and-one to push it back to a 10-point margin with 4:05 remaining.
Lonoke was forced to begin fouling and Southside almost could not miss from the foul line.
Southside finished the game hitting 27 of 34 free-throw attempts, but four of those misses were in the final 30 seconds when all had been decided, including the last two by Tatum, who was 14 of 15 up to that point.
“We’ve been a pretty good free-throw shooting team, but I think we were a little better than usual tonight,” said McGhee. “One thing was that it seemed like every time we went to the line, it was one of our best free-throw shooters. So that helped us.”
Southside hit 43 percent from the floor, including 2 of 3 3-pointers. Lonoke shot 23 percent, hitting 8 of 33 from two-point range, and 5 of 24 from the 3-point line. The Jackrabbits were 11 of 23 from the foul line for 48 percent.
Jawaun Bryant led the Jackrabbits with 15 points while Toney added eight. Tatum led Southside with 21 while Braiden Meade scored 16.
Lonoke finishes the season with an 11-13 record while Southside takes a 12-16 record into the third-round game.
SPORTS STORY >> Panther wrestlers win East
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Panthers’ wrestling team won the 7A/6A-Central/East Conference championship last Saturday at Searcy High School, and of the 13 Panther wrestlers that participated in the meet, six advanced to the finals in their respective weight classes.
Cabot seniors Michael Morgan and Erik Cooley, and junior Dillan Friesner finished first in their weight class, while teammates Cody Pugh, Tyler Giorgini and Cameron Pitchford finished second in their weight classes.
Of the 13 Cabot wrestlers that participated, 10 of them advanced to at least the semifinal round.
Morgan won the 138-pound weight class. His journey to the championship began with a win over Brighton Wagner of Mountain Home in the first round, which put him in the semifinals against Jared Gunderman of Little Rock Catholic.
Morgan beat Gunderman by an 11-3 majority decision, setting up a championship match with Searcy’s Wallace Robinson. At the 2:32 mark of the championship round, Morgan beat Robinson via pin to win the 138-pound conference championship.
Cooley’s first-place finish came in the 145-pound weight class. Cooley beat Little Rock Central’s James Igwe in the first round, and Cooley won a 6-0 decision over Sheridan’s Nathan Dobson in the semifinals.
In the finals, Cooley edged Catholic’s Josh Ayliffe by decision to win the 145-pound championship.
Friesner’s first-place finish came in the 126-pound division. Friesner received a bye in the opening round, and advanced to the semis with a pin on Benton’s Corey Robinson in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinal round, Friesner pinned Catholic’s Andrew Elmore at the 2:57 point of the match, and in the championship round, Friesner beat Keaton Douglas of Searcy by technical fall.
Pitchford’s second-place finish came in the 120-pound ranks. Pitchford beat Mountain Home’s Read Parker in the opening round and Pitchford pinned Bryant’s Reggie Clemons in the semifinals, which set up a championship match with Catholic’s Richard Buzzitta.
At the 2:23 point of the 120-pound championship match, Buzzitta won the match via pin, giving Pitchford the runner-up finish.
Pugh took second in the 152-pound weight class. He beat Bryant’s Dillon Medlock via pin in his first match, and advanced to the finals with a pin on Searcy’s Devon King in the semis.
Pugh was pinned in the championship round by Catholic’s Cooper Griffin, giving Pugh the title of runner-up.
Giorgini finished second in the 220-pound division. He opened the tournament with a pin on Lane Dutton of Searcy. His opponent in the semifinals, Malcolm Williams of Central, also won his first-round match via pin, but in the semis, Giorgini bested Williams by technical fall, putting him in the finals.
Jodeci Booker of Jonesboro was Giorgini’s opponent in the finals of the 220-pound weight class, and Booker took the championship with a 19-8 majority decision.
Cabot’s Harris Sutton also had a strong showing at last Saturday’s meet. He finished third overall in the 285-pound weight class. Sutton advanced to the semifinals of the tournament before losing a 19-5 majority decision to eventual champion Luc Bequette of Catholic.
Sutton, though, rebounded from the loss with two-straight wins via pin in the consolation rounds, giving him the third-place finish.
Three other Panthers advanced to the semifinals of the tournament, and all three finished fourth in their weight classes. Nathan Bonilla finished fourth in the 182-pound class, Delton Farinelli took fourth in the 113-pound class, and teammate Clayton Pitchford was fourth in the 106-pound class.
The Panthers are currently taking part in the state tournament, which began yesterday at the Jack Stephens Center on the campus of UALR, and the tournament will conclude today. Look for details of how the Panthers did in Wednesday’s edition of The Leader.
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Panthers’ wrestling team won the 7A/6A-Central/East Conference championship last Saturday at Searcy High School, and of the 13 Panther wrestlers that participated in the meet, six advanced to the finals in their respective weight classes.
Cabot seniors Michael Morgan and Erik Cooley, and junior Dillan Friesner finished first in their weight class, while teammates Cody Pugh, Tyler Giorgini and Cameron Pitchford finished second in their weight classes.
Of the 13 Cabot wrestlers that participated, 10 of them advanced to at least the semifinal round.
Morgan won the 138-pound weight class. His journey to the championship began with a win over Brighton Wagner of Mountain Home in the first round, which put him in the semifinals against Jared Gunderman of Little Rock Catholic.
Morgan beat Gunderman by an 11-3 majority decision, setting up a championship match with Searcy’s Wallace Robinson. At the 2:32 mark of the championship round, Morgan beat Robinson via pin to win the 138-pound conference championship.
Cooley’s first-place finish came in the 145-pound weight class. Cooley beat Little Rock Central’s James Igwe in the first round, and Cooley won a 6-0 decision over Sheridan’s Nathan Dobson in the semifinals.
In the finals, Cooley edged Catholic’s Josh Ayliffe by decision to win the 145-pound championship.
Friesner’s first-place finish came in the 126-pound division. Friesner received a bye in the opening round, and advanced to the semis with a pin on Benton’s Corey Robinson in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinal round, Friesner pinned Catholic’s Andrew Elmore at the 2:57 point of the match, and in the championship round, Friesner beat Keaton Douglas of Searcy by technical fall.
Pitchford’s second-place finish came in the 120-pound ranks. Pitchford beat Mountain Home’s Read Parker in the opening round and Pitchford pinned Bryant’s Reggie Clemons in the semifinals, which set up a championship match with Catholic’s Richard Buzzitta.
At the 2:23 point of the 120-pound championship match, Buzzitta won the match via pin, giving Pitchford the runner-up finish.
Pugh took second in the 152-pound weight class. He beat Bryant’s Dillon Medlock via pin in his first match, and advanced to the finals with a pin on Searcy’s Devon King in the semis.
Pugh was pinned in the championship round by Catholic’s Cooper Griffin, giving Pugh the title of runner-up.
Giorgini finished second in the 220-pound division. He opened the tournament with a pin on Lane Dutton of Searcy. His opponent in the semifinals, Malcolm Williams of Central, also won his first-round match via pin, but in the semis, Giorgini bested Williams by technical fall, putting him in the finals.
Jodeci Booker of Jonesboro was Giorgini’s opponent in the finals of the 220-pound weight class, and Booker took the championship with a 19-8 majority decision.
Cabot’s Harris Sutton also had a strong showing at last Saturday’s meet. He finished third overall in the 285-pound weight class. Sutton advanced to the semifinals of the tournament before losing a 19-5 majority decision to eventual champion Luc Bequette of Catholic.
Sutton, though, rebounded from the loss with two-straight wins via pin in the consolation rounds, giving him the third-place finish.
Three other Panthers advanced to the semifinals of the tournament, and all three finished fourth in their weight classes. Nathan Bonilla finished fourth in the 182-pound class, Delton Farinelli took fourth in the 113-pound class, and teammate Clayton Pitchford was fourth in the 106-pound class.
The Panthers are currently taking part in the state tournament, which began yesterday at the Jack Stephens Center on the campus of UALR, and the tournament will conclude today. Look for details of how the Panthers did in Wednesday’s edition of The Leader.
SPORTS STORY >> Lonoke girls advance
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
After two games against Helena-West Helena Central, it was no secret that stopping Kevonshaye Stackhouse would be the key to a Lonoke victory in the second round of the 4A-2 District tournament. And stop her they did. Stackhouse had scored 28 and 52 in the teams’ previous two meetings, but was held to nine points on Thursday as the Lady Jackrabbits won 60-30 at the Gina Cox Center.
Lonoke played a box-and-one defense much of the time with junior guard Kimistri Balance charged with sticking to Stackhouse.
“Kimistri frustrated her a little bit,” said Lonoke coach Nathan Morris. “Kimistri can play some defense. I thought she did a good job on here the first time even though she had 28. She was letting them fly from way out and they were falling for her. But I’m usually going to give you that shot. Now when we went over there, Kimistri and everybody else we had fouled out. So that’s how that happened.
“But Kimistri is pretty quick so she didn’t have much room even when she was trying to get open without the ball. And after a while she just wasn’t trying as hard. She got pretty frustrated.”
Both teams started slowly. Lonoke’s defense was good, forcing 10 Lady Cougar turnovers in the first quarter, but shots weren’t falling. Lonoke missed several point-blank layups, including three on one possession after a series of offensive rebounds.
Stackhouse left the game halfway through the first quarter with Lonoke leading 6-2. The lead was 6-3 two minutes later when Morris called timeout to address his team’s shooting woes.
“I don’t know why she went out, but we had a chance to put them away right then and I didn’t think we were playing with the kind of intensity we should’ve been,” Morris said.
“When you have to chance to put someone away early, I have a problem with lolly-gagging around.”
The team got the message. Lonoke finished the first quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 14-3 lead into the second period. The Lady Jackrabbits kept the run going in the second, pushing the lead to 22-5 as Jarrelyn McCall and Kerasha Johnson continued to effectively dribble into the lane for easy shots. Stackhouse re-entered the game with 4:30 left in the half and made an immediate impact. She scored four-straight, but Lonoke answered and stretched the lead to 30-12 by halftime.
Each team added one basket to start the third quarter before HWHC went on an 8-2 run to cut the margin to 34-22 with 2:40 left in the period. After a timeout by Morris, Johnson took over. She scored five-straight and seven of a 9-0 Lonoke run to end the third quarter, giving her team a 43-22 lead going into the fourth.
“That’s her thing, she has to get in the lane for us,” Morris said. “She did that today, and when they didn’t have any backside help, she was able to take it all the way in. She turned it around and played well, because she didn’t have a very good start.”
Johnson didn’t score in the fourth quarter. She only played a few minutes of the frame and didn’t have to attempt a shot. McCall and Eboni Willis combined for eight-straight to make it a 29-point game. Lady Cougar Janaija Havey then hit a 3-pointer, but Lonoke freshman Keiunna Walker scored five in a row, with a three-point play sending the margin beyond the mercy-rule limit of 30 points with 2:08 left in the game.
Stackhouse and Havey led HWHC with nine points each. McCall led all scorers with 22. Johnson added 17 and Willis scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Lonoke, now 14-12 overall, advances to the tournament’s third round, where it will play Heber Springs at 2 p.m. today in the old gym because weather caused the postponement of Friday’s scheduled games.
Leader sports editor
After two games against Helena-West Helena Central, it was no secret that stopping Kevonshaye Stackhouse would be the key to a Lonoke victory in the second round of the 4A-2 District tournament. And stop her they did. Stackhouse had scored 28 and 52 in the teams’ previous two meetings, but was held to nine points on Thursday as the Lady Jackrabbits won 60-30 at the Gina Cox Center.
Lonoke played a box-and-one defense much of the time with junior guard Kimistri Balance charged with sticking to Stackhouse.
“Kimistri frustrated her a little bit,” said Lonoke coach Nathan Morris. “Kimistri can play some defense. I thought she did a good job on here the first time even though she had 28. She was letting them fly from way out and they were falling for her. But I’m usually going to give you that shot. Now when we went over there, Kimistri and everybody else we had fouled out. So that’s how that happened.
“But Kimistri is pretty quick so she didn’t have much room even when she was trying to get open without the ball. And after a while she just wasn’t trying as hard. She got pretty frustrated.”
Both teams started slowly. Lonoke’s defense was good, forcing 10 Lady Cougar turnovers in the first quarter, but shots weren’t falling. Lonoke missed several point-blank layups, including three on one possession after a series of offensive rebounds.
Stackhouse left the game halfway through the first quarter with Lonoke leading 6-2. The lead was 6-3 two minutes later when Morris called timeout to address his team’s shooting woes.
“I don’t know why she went out, but we had a chance to put them away right then and I didn’t think we were playing with the kind of intensity we should’ve been,” Morris said.
“When you have to chance to put someone away early, I have a problem with lolly-gagging around.”
The team got the message. Lonoke finished the first quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 14-3 lead into the second period. The Lady Jackrabbits kept the run going in the second, pushing the lead to 22-5 as Jarrelyn McCall and Kerasha Johnson continued to effectively dribble into the lane for easy shots. Stackhouse re-entered the game with 4:30 left in the half and made an immediate impact. She scored four-straight, but Lonoke answered and stretched the lead to 30-12 by halftime.
Each team added one basket to start the third quarter before HWHC went on an 8-2 run to cut the margin to 34-22 with 2:40 left in the period. After a timeout by Morris, Johnson took over. She scored five-straight and seven of a 9-0 Lonoke run to end the third quarter, giving her team a 43-22 lead going into the fourth.
“That’s her thing, she has to get in the lane for us,” Morris said. “She did that today, and when they didn’t have any backside help, she was able to take it all the way in. She turned it around and played well, because she didn’t have a very good start.”
Johnson didn’t score in the fourth quarter. She only played a few minutes of the frame and didn’t have to attempt a shot. McCall and Eboni Willis combined for eight-straight to make it a 29-point game. Lady Cougar Janaija Havey then hit a 3-pointer, but Lonoke freshman Keiunna Walker scored five in a row, with a three-point play sending the margin beyond the mercy-rule limit of 30 points with 2:08 left in the game.
Stackhouse and Havey led HWHC with nine points each. McCall led all scorers with 22. Johnson added 17 and Willis scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Lonoke, now 14-12 overall, advances to the tournament’s third round, where it will play Heber Springs at 2 p.m. today in the old gym because weather caused the postponement of Friday’s scheduled games.
SPORTS STORY >> Old mates lead Tigers to championship
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Ouachita Baptist men’s basketball team has gone from worst to first, and a pair of Jacksonville graduates are a big reason for it.
The Tigers just clinched the Great American Conference regular-season championship with Thursday’s 78-71 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma, and junior Tirrell Brown and sophomore Justin McCleary played a key role in that 14-3 record.
Neither Brown nor McCleary expected to be in Arkadelphia when they graduated from JHS. Brown signed with coach Corliss Williamson at the University of Central Arkansas in 2012. UCA had recently moved up to NCAA Division I and Williamson had just been hired to help bring the basketball program up to that level.
Things didn’t work out for Williamson or Brown.
In 2013, McCleary led the Red Devils to a state championship and had an offer from Williamson and UCA. An honor student in high school, he also drew interest from high-academic institutions like Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, but he chose to go the junior college route in hopes of landing a scholarship to a major program in two years.
That also didn’t work out. McCleary would only describe what happened at Holmes College in Jackson, Miss., as “dishonesty”, and decided to leave after one year.
McCleary had been offered by OBU coach Dennis Nutt out of high school, and Nutt still wanted him a year later.
“I was actually getting ready to go to Florida A&M, but then their coach ended up getting fired,” said McCleary. “So then I thought I would go on back to junior college. But then a bunch of bad stuff happened there with the coaches. When coach Nutt told me that his offer was still on the table, I said I wasn’t going to wait, and went ahead and accepted it.”
Brown played one year for Williamson and the team was bad. Williamson resigned to take a job with his old NBA team, the Sacramento Kings, and former Little Rock Central high-school coach Clarence Finley took over the Bears’ program on an interim basis. The program continued to suffer from a lack of structure, something that Brown admits to taking advantage of, along with most of the other players. The team was slapped with sanctions including a postseason ban for falling below academic progress rate (APR) standards set by the NCAA.
When new coach Russ Pennell was hired, he dismissed all but one player from the team, including Brown, and brought in what he called “more academic-minded players”, in hopes of building up a higher APR rate in the long run.
When McCleary heard about what was happening at UCA, he called his old high-school teammate and asked him to consider becoming a Tiger. Nutt, of course, was interested in getting a DI transfer. He set some stricter guidelines for Brown and the old Red Devil duo has taken the Great American Conference by storm.
Brown had some other Division I options after being dismissed by Pennell, but liked his visit to OBU and said it was an easy choice. And even though he accepted a scholarship after McCleary, he reported to Arkadelphia before his old high school teammate did.
“It’s a slower pace down here and it’s a totally different experience,” said Brown of Arkadelphia. “But I like the teammates and the program a lot more. There’s a lot more structure. I’ve put more work into it. Plus we’re winning. So it’s good.”
McCleary was a point guard in high school and junior college, but was moved to the two by Nutt, and it’s paid off.
The Tigers lead the league in several statistical categories, including scoring offense, scoring defense and obviously, scoring margin. They average 78.2 points per game while giving up 67.8. They lead the league in steals, turnover margin and are second in assist to turnover ratio.
Most importantly, OBU is at the top of the standings. They are 14-3 in conference play and 18-4 overall. That’s a major turnaround from last year’s last-place 6-14 conference mark, 9-17 overall.
Brown and McCleary are both in the top-25 in the conference in scoring. Brown is third in scoring at 18.1 points per game and sixth in rebounding at 7.6. McCleary is 25th in scoring, averaging 11.5 points per game and is the only Tiger to have started every game this year.
Brown leads the league in overall shooting percentage, knocking down 64.9 percent of his shots, and McCleary leads the league in 3-point shooting, hitting 46.3 of his long-range jumpers.
The Tigers have two games left and both would be great opportunities for hometown fans to see the old Red Devils in action. They host archrival Henderson State on Thursday. HSU is literally across the street from OBU. A walking bridge over 10th street connect the two campuses. It’s almost always standing room only when the two teams meet and anything could happen. Though the Reddies are just 10-13 and near the bottom of the conference standings, they beat OBU 71-67 in the first meeting.
The final game of the regular season is next Saturday at Harding University in Searcy, the closest school in the GAC to central Arkansas. HU has a nationally reknowned basketball atmosphere at Rhodes Fieldhouse, which has been featured on ESPN and has made several lists as one of the toughest places in the country for visiting teams.
Leader sports editor
The Ouachita Baptist men’s basketball team has gone from worst to first, and a pair of Jacksonville graduates are a big reason for it.
The Tigers just clinched the Great American Conference regular-season championship with Thursday’s 78-71 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma, and junior Tirrell Brown and sophomore Justin McCleary played a key role in that 14-3 record.
Neither Brown nor McCleary expected to be in Arkadelphia when they graduated from JHS. Brown signed with coach Corliss Williamson at the University of Central Arkansas in 2012. UCA had recently moved up to NCAA Division I and Williamson had just been hired to help bring the basketball program up to that level.
Things didn’t work out for Williamson or Brown.
In 2013, McCleary led the Red Devils to a state championship and had an offer from Williamson and UCA. An honor student in high school, he also drew interest from high-academic institutions like Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, but he chose to go the junior college route in hopes of landing a scholarship to a major program in two years.
That also didn’t work out. McCleary would only describe what happened at Holmes College in Jackson, Miss., as “dishonesty”, and decided to leave after one year.
McCleary had been offered by OBU coach Dennis Nutt out of high school, and Nutt still wanted him a year later.
“I was actually getting ready to go to Florida A&M, but then their coach ended up getting fired,” said McCleary. “So then I thought I would go on back to junior college. But then a bunch of bad stuff happened there with the coaches. When coach Nutt told me that his offer was still on the table, I said I wasn’t going to wait, and went ahead and accepted it.”
Brown played one year for Williamson and the team was bad. Williamson resigned to take a job with his old NBA team, the Sacramento Kings, and former Little Rock Central high-school coach Clarence Finley took over the Bears’ program on an interim basis. The program continued to suffer from a lack of structure, something that Brown admits to taking advantage of, along with most of the other players. The team was slapped with sanctions including a postseason ban for falling below academic progress rate (APR) standards set by the NCAA.
When new coach Russ Pennell was hired, he dismissed all but one player from the team, including Brown, and brought in what he called “more academic-minded players”, in hopes of building up a higher APR rate in the long run.
When McCleary heard about what was happening at UCA, he called his old high-school teammate and asked him to consider becoming a Tiger. Nutt, of course, was interested in getting a DI transfer. He set some stricter guidelines for Brown and the old Red Devil duo has taken the Great American Conference by storm.
Brown had some other Division I options after being dismissed by Pennell, but liked his visit to OBU and said it was an easy choice. And even though he accepted a scholarship after McCleary, he reported to Arkadelphia before his old high school teammate did.
“It’s a slower pace down here and it’s a totally different experience,” said Brown of Arkadelphia. “But I like the teammates and the program a lot more. There’s a lot more structure. I’ve put more work into it. Plus we’re winning. So it’s good.”
McCleary was a point guard in high school and junior college, but was moved to the two by Nutt, and it’s paid off.
The Tigers lead the league in several statistical categories, including scoring offense, scoring defense and obviously, scoring margin. They average 78.2 points per game while giving up 67.8. They lead the league in steals, turnover margin and are second in assist to turnover ratio.
Most importantly, OBU is at the top of the standings. They are 14-3 in conference play and 18-4 overall. That’s a major turnaround from last year’s last-place 6-14 conference mark, 9-17 overall.
Brown and McCleary are both in the top-25 in the conference in scoring. Brown is third in scoring at 18.1 points per game and sixth in rebounding at 7.6. McCleary is 25th in scoring, averaging 11.5 points per game and is the only Tiger to have started every game this year.
Brown leads the league in overall shooting percentage, knocking down 64.9 percent of his shots, and McCleary leads the league in 3-point shooting, hitting 46.3 of his long-range jumpers.
The Tigers have two games left and both would be great opportunities for hometown fans to see the old Red Devils in action. They host archrival Henderson State on Thursday. HSU is literally across the street from OBU. A walking bridge over 10th street connect the two campuses. It’s almost always standing room only when the two teams meet and anything could happen. Though the Reddies are just 10-13 and near the bottom of the conference standings, they beat OBU 71-67 in the first meeting.
The final game of the regular season is next Saturday at Harding University in Searcy, the closest school in the GAC to central Arkansas. HU has a nationally reknowned basketball atmosphere at Rhodes Fieldhouse, which has been featured on ESPN and has made several lists as one of the toughest places in the country for visiting teams.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
TOP STORY >> Letter from '78 finally arrives
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
A letter mailed to Cabot in 1978 from Greenville, Texas, nearly 37 years ago, was delivered last week by the post office.
When Bettee Pacheco of 17 Morgan St. went to her mailbox on Thursday with her
11-year-old granddaughter, Kyla Welsh, they found a letter addressed to Eva Bratcher of 14 Morgan St. The envelope did not have a return address.
Postal markings show that the letter was first canceled on March 18, 1978, and then again last week on Feb. 11 in Little Rock.
A note said it was from Mandy, and the letter was marked “Do not destroy.”
Neighbors believe that Bratcher passed away in the 1990s. Her home was across the street from Pacheco’s. The house is no longer there, and the property is owned by the school district.
Pacheco said the envelope was torn when it was delivered.
Inside was a two-page letter written on lined handwriting paper.
The letter was from Mandy Bratcher, a first grader from Greenville, Texas. It was dated March 18, 1978.
“I’m surprised it went through another cancelation on a machine,” Pacheco said.
Having worked as a postal clerk in Little Rock for 26 years, she speculates that the letter might have been stuck in a sorting machine for years.
“It makes me wonder where it’s been all this time,” Pacheco said.
Cabot postmaster John Gentry said, “This is very rare, having something this old.”
He was shown the letter on Friday and said the envelope was the oldest he’d seen come through the post office.
Here is the letter’s text as it was written:
“Hi Grandma an Sandy.
“I miss both of you. I wish i was going to be there Easter.
“So that Sandy could hide the egg’s for me.
“I love both of you.
“love Mandy Bratcher.”
Leader staff writer
A letter mailed to Cabot in 1978 from Greenville, Texas, nearly 37 years ago, was delivered last week by the post office.
When Bettee Pacheco of 17 Morgan St. went to her mailbox on Thursday with her
11-year-old granddaughter, Kyla Welsh, they found a letter addressed to Eva Bratcher of 14 Morgan St. The envelope did not have a return address.
Postal markings show that the letter was first canceled on March 18, 1978, and then again last week on Feb. 11 in Little Rock.
A note said it was from Mandy, and the letter was marked “Do not destroy.”
Neighbors believe that Bratcher passed away in the 1990s. Her home was across the street from Pacheco’s. The house is no longer there, and the property is owned by the school district.
Pacheco said the envelope was torn when it was delivered.
Inside was a two-page letter written on lined handwriting paper.
The letter was from Mandy Bratcher, a first grader from Greenville, Texas. It was dated March 18, 1978.
“I’m surprised it went through another cancelation on a machine,” Pacheco said.
Having worked as a postal clerk in Little Rock for 26 years, she speculates that the letter might have been stuck in a sorting machine for years.
“It makes me wonder where it’s been all this time,” Pacheco said.
Cabot postmaster John Gentry said, “This is very rare, having something this old.”
He was shown the letter on Friday and said the envelope was the oldest he’d seen come through the post office.
Here is the letter’s text as it was written:
“Hi Grandma an Sandy.
“I miss both of you. I wish i was going to be there Easter.
“So that Sandy could hide the egg’s for me.
“I love both of you.
“love Mandy Bratcher.”
TOP STORY >> Storm hurries baby's arrival
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Little Brennan Adamski is doing fine after coming into the world on the seat of his parent’s pickup truck in a hospital parking lot at the height of Monday’s winter storm.
But so much more happened that, when Brennan is old enough to understand, he may still not believe it: From dad driving into the wrong parking lot, to a bloody grandmother scaring hospital staff, to the umbilical cord around his neck.
The night started out very calm for Cabot couple Lauren and David Adamski, knowing the weather was getting bad, but also thinking they had two weeks left before delivery. Lauren headed to bed, and David was taking care of some work.
Lauren said she got up to use the restroom and, as she stood up from the bed, her water broke. “I knew it was time to go,” Lauren said. But she wasn’t feeling any pain, so she took a shower and David got things ready.
“All of a sudden, I got hit with excruciating pain. It was time to go,” she said.
Even with the pain, the couple went 10 minutes out of their way to pick up grandmother, thinking time was on their side.
Lauren’s doula, whom she hired because she wanted to have her baby naturally in the hospital, followed behind.
“She talked to me on the way to keep me calm, but the pain was getting worse. My mom said to get on my knees and maybe that would help. All the time, David is tying to keep the vehicle on the road and not slip on any patches of ice.”
By the time the couple got to Sherwood early Monday morning, Brennan’s head had popped out. Lauren said David kept telling her it would be just a few more minutes. “I don’t have a few more minutes,” Lauren told him.
David pulled into the Springhill Baptist Hospital parking lot. He discovered it was the wrong lot, but he also had no time left.
David ran to the passenger door and cradled his son’s head.
“But the shoulders wouldn’t come out, so David reached in and gently got him out. The cord was around his neck, but David unwrapped it and placed Brennan on my chest,” Lauren recalled.
While David was busy birthing a baby, grandmother, who Lauren said was freaking out as much as she was, ran into the hospital to get help. “She was covered in my blood, and the hospital staff thought someone had been murdered in the parking lot. They kept asking who got shot?” Lauren quipped.
And where was the doula?
When the head came out near Sherwood, David stepped on the gas and — by the time the doula got to the parking lot — the baby was born naturally, but not quite in the hospital.
Once Brennan was on Lauren’s chest, David told her to clean out his mouth and rub him. He then drove up to the right door, where the hospital staff met them.
They put Lauren in a wheelchair and into a room and whisked the baby away, worried about exposure.
“They kept him under heat, and we got to hold him for just a little while, but then the doctors were worried about his oxygen level and took him back again.”
But, by late Monday, Lauren and Brennan were reunited. “We are all stable, and he is just perfect at 6 pounds and 11 ounces. He cuddled and slept through the night. And it was good to feed him,” mom said.
Lauren praised her husband’s calmness. “I was freaking out,” she said.
But David said he had no other choice that he was just taking care of his family, which — besides Brennan — includes a 2-year-old daughter.
Leader staff writer
Little Brennan Adamski is doing fine after coming into the world on the seat of his parent’s pickup truck in a hospital parking lot at the height of Monday’s winter storm.
But so much more happened that, when Brennan is old enough to understand, he may still not believe it: From dad driving into the wrong parking lot, to a bloody grandmother scaring hospital staff, to the umbilical cord around his neck.
The night started out very calm for Cabot couple Lauren and David Adamski, knowing the weather was getting bad, but also thinking they had two weeks left before delivery. Lauren headed to bed, and David was taking care of some work.
Lauren said she got up to use the restroom and, as she stood up from the bed, her water broke. “I knew it was time to go,” Lauren said. But she wasn’t feeling any pain, so she took a shower and David got things ready.
“All of a sudden, I got hit with excruciating pain. It was time to go,” she said.
Even with the pain, the couple went 10 minutes out of their way to pick up grandmother, thinking time was on their side.
Lauren’s doula, whom she hired because she wanted to have her baby naturally in the hospital, followed behind.
“She talked to me on the way to keep me calm, but the pain was getting worse. My mom said to get on my knees and maybe that would help. All the time, David is tying to keep the vehicle on the road and not slip on any patches of ice.”
By the time the couple got to Sherwood early Monday morning, Brennan’s head had popped out. Lauren said David kept telling her it would be just a few more minutes. “I don’t have a few more minutes,” Lauren told him.
David pulled into the Springhill Baptist Hospital parking lot. He discovered it was the wrong lot, but he also had no time left.
David ran to the passenger door and cradled his son’s head.
“But the shoulders wouldn’t come out, so David reached in and gently got him out. The cord was around his neck, but David unwrapped it and placed Brennan on my chest,” Lauren recalled.
While David was busy birthing a baby, grandmother, who Lauren said was freaking out as much as she was, ran into the hospital to get help. “She was covered in my blood, and the hospital staff thought someone had been murdered in the parking lot. They kept asking who got shot?” Lauren quipped.
And where was the doula?
When the head came out near Sherwood, David stepped on the gas and — by the time the doula got to the parking lot — the baby was born naturally, but not quite in the hospital.
Once Brennan was on Lauren’s chest, David told her to clean out his mouth and rub him. He then drove up to the right door, where the hospital staff met them.
They put Lauren in a wheelchair and into a room and whisked the baby away, worried about exposure.
“They kept him under heat, and we got to hold him for just a little while, but then the doctors were worried about his oxygen level and took him back again.”
But, by late Monday, Lauren and Brennan were reunited. “We are all stable, and he is just perfect at 6 pounds and 11 ounces. He cuddled and slept through the night. And it was good to feed him,” mom said.
Lauren praised her husband’s calmness. “I was freaking out,” she said.
But David said he had no other choice that he was just taking care of his family, which — besides Brennan — includes a 2-year-old daughter.
TOP STORY >> Winter storm is behind us
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Brian Cagle with Ivy Hall Wrecker Service in Jacksonville said, despite nearly an inch of sleet Monday, business was pretty slow. “It was a holiday and, with the schools closed to begin with, most people just stayed in.”
Sherwood police Sgt. Berny Russell said, “Knock on wood, it’s been very quiet. People had the good sense to stay at home.”
The winter storm blew in late Sunday, and the National Weather Service had been following it and warning residents for days. But what the NWS wasn’t sure about was whether the area would get rain, ice, sleet, freezing rain or snow. It got everything but the snow Sunday night, leaving 0.8 of an inch of sleet on the ground in most places around Little Rock Air Force Base.
Brad Hutslar with Cabot Wrecker echoed what Cagle had to say. “It’s been no busier than normal. We did respond Monday to two weather-related accidents and pulled about five vehicles out of ditches. But most people just stayed at home.”
Another dusting hit the area late Tuesday night, coating the area with less than a half-inch of snow.
Another possible wintry mix is set to hit the area late Friday as high temperatures all week are predicted to stay below 40 degrees.
Jacksonville Public Works Director Jimmy Oakley said city road crews started working the streets about 11 p.m. Sunday. “We split our crews and worked 12-hour shifts,” he said.
Oakley added that it was an opportunity for the city to use two new spreaders and its very first snowplow.
But “with it being mostly sleet that was packed down, the plow didn’t clear off as much as we would have liked,” he said. “It really helped that drivers stayed home.”
Sherwood Fire Chief David Teague said the department responded to one weather-related wreck around 9 or 10 p.m. Monday. A car spun out and hit the wall on Hwy. 67/167 near the Wildwood Avenue exit. Minor injuries were reported.
He said firefighters also helped two people who fell on the ice Tuesday. Both were taken to the hospital for their injuries, which included at least one broken arm.
Teague said the ice slowed fire trucks down to 25 mph, but he told the staff to take their time because rushing could mean going into a ditch and not arriving at the scene of an incident. “We want to make sure we get there,” the chief noted.
He also said many firefighters working the Monday shift came into work early on Sunday evening to avoid the expected ice storm. “We do that a lot,” Teague added.
Cabot Fire Capt. Dwayne Boswell said the department responded to a few sledding accidents in which kids hit their heads.
But he didn’t think there were any serious injuries reported. Boswell wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think any of the kids needed to go to the hospital.
A vehicle rolled over on West Main Street in front of Splash Car Wash on Monday evening, he said, but no one was seriously injured.
Several Cabot firefighters also spent Sunday night at their stations instead of braving the icy roads that had been predicted.
Jacksonville Fire Battalion Chief Eddie Hill said the holiday helped keep accidents and ambulance calls down. “We did have some runs because of falls, but, overall, it wasn’t that busy,” he said.
Police Chief Kenny Boyd said police responded to three minor accidents caused by the weather. “There were no injuries,” the chief said, adding that the department also assisted State Police with a few accidents on Hwy. 67/167.
Boyd also said that a town-hall meeting set for Tuesday night was canceled. “Some neighborhood roads are still icy, so we’ll reset it for another day,” he explained.
Cabot canceled its garbage pickup for Monday and Tuesday. The civil and small claims court held sessions Tuesday afternoon, but the judge extended leniency to those who could not attend because of road conditions.
Cabot Public Works Director Brian Boroughs said there were no major problems with the city’s streets. “We were very fortunate, and the sun Tuesday helped us a lot,” he said.
The Cabot Parks and Recreation Commission moved up its Tuesday night meeting to 4 p.m. so no one would get stuck in the bad weather.
Soldiers and airmen from the Guard’s 87th Troop Command in North Little Rock, the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the 142nd Field Artillery and the Air National Guard’s 189th Airlift Wing from Little Rock Air Force Base deployed across the state to assist state troopers in conducting traffic control, to transport troopers to patrol the major highways and in reaching accident locations and to assist motorists as necessary.
In all, 20 military teams were dispatched early Sunday afternoon.
At the peak of the operations Monday, the Arkansas National Guard had 18 missions working and 78 soldiers and airmen on active duty. As the weather situation improved, some Guard teams were released. But, as of Monday, the Guard still had 10 ongoing missions with 45 of its members deployed.
The storm caused schools to cancel classes and activities Monday and Tuesday.
For the Pulaski County Special School District, that means just Tuesday will have to be made up at the end of the year. Students were already scheduled to be off Monday, but teachers were supposed to report for staff development.
One principal said those hours most likely will be made up in segments after the school day between now and the end of the year.
Cabot had Monday listed as a snow make up day, but, since it had not lost any days to bad weather, it became a school holiday. The district will have to make up just one day.
Beebe was set to have school Monday, so it will most likely have to make up two days between now and the end of the year. Also, parent-teacher conferences that were set for Tuesday were rescheduled for Thursday.
Icy rain is forecast to hit the area Friday morning, with rain continuing through the weekend.
The first day the area is expected to see 50 degrees, which is still about five degrees under the average, will be next Tuesday, according to NWS.
(Leader staff writer Sarah Campbell contributed to this article.)
Leader staff writer
Brian Cagle with Ivy Hall Wrecker Service in Jacksonville said, despite nearly an inch of sleet Monday, business was pretty slow. “It was a holiday and, with the schools closed to begin with, most people just stayed in.”
Sherwood police Sgt. Berny Russell said, “Knock on wood, it’s been very quiet. People had the good sense to stay at home.”
The winter storm blew in late Sunday, and the National Weather Service had been following it and warning residents for days. But what the NWS wasn’t sure about was whether the area would get rain, ice, sleet, freezing rain or snow. It got everything but the snow Sunday night, leaving 0.8 of an inch of sleet on the ground in most places around Little Rock Air Force Base.
Brad Hutslar with Cabot Wrecker echoed what Cagle had to say. “It’s been no busier than normal. We did respond Monday to two weather-related accidents and pulled about five vehicles out of ditches. But most people just stayed at home.”
Another dusting hit the area late Tuesday night, coating the area with less than a half-inch of snow.
Another possible wintry mix is set to hit the area late Friday as high temperatures all week are predicted to stay below 40 degrees.
Jacksonville Public Works Director Jimmy Oakley said city road crews started working the streets about 11 p.m. Sunday. “We split our crews and worked 12-hour shifts,” he said.
Oakley added that it was an opportunity for the city to use two new spreaders and its very first snowplow.
But “with it being mostly sleet that was packed down, the plow didn’t clear off as much as we would have liked,” he said. “It really helped that drivers stayed home.”
Sherwood Fire Chief David Teague said the department responded to one weather-related wreck around 9 or 10 p.m. Monday. A car spun out and hit the wall on Hwy. 67/167 near the Wildwood Avenue exit. Minor injuries were reported.
He said firefighters also helped two people who fell on the ice Tuesday. Both were taken to the hospital for their injuries, which included at least one broken arm.
Teague said the ice slowed fire trucks down to 25 mph, but he told the staff to take their time because rushing could mean going into a ditch and not arriving at the scene of an incident. “We want to make sure we get there,” the chief noted.
He also said many firefighters working the Monday shift came into work early on Sunday evening to avoid the expected ice storm. “We do that a lot,” Teague added.
Cabot Fire Capt. Dwayne Boswell said the department responded to a few sledding accidents in which kids hit their heads.
But he didn’t think there were any serious injuries reported. Boswell wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think any of the kids needed to go to the hospital.
A vehicle rolled over on West Main Street in front of Splash Car Wash on Monday evening, he said, but no one was seriously injured.
Several Cabot firefighters also spent Sunday night at their stations instead of braving the icy roads that had been predicted.
Jacksonville Fire Battalion Chief Eddie Hill said the holiday helped keep accidents and ambulance calls down. “We did have some runs because of falls, but, overall, it wasn’t that busy,” he said.
Police Chief Kenny Boyd said police responded to three minor accidents caused by the weather. “There were no injuries,” the chief said, adding that the department also assisted State Police with a few accidents on Hwy. 67/167.
Boyd also said that a town-hall meeting set for Tuesday night was canceled. “Some neighborhood roads are still icy, so we’ll reset it for another day,” he explained.
Cabot canceled its garbage pickup for Monday and Tuesday. The civil and small claims court held sessions Tuesday afternoon, but the judge extended leniency to those who could not attend because of road conditions.
Cabot Public Works Director Brian Boroughs said there were no major problems with the city’s streets. “We were very fortunate, and the sun Tuesday helped us a lot,” he said.
The Cabot Parks and Recreation Commission moved up its Tuesday night meeting to 4 p.m. so no one would get stuck in the bad weather.
Soldiers and airmen from the Guard’s 87th Troop Command in North Little Rock, the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the 142nd Field Artillery and the Air National Guard’s 189th Airlift Wing from Little Rock Air Force Base deployed across the state to assist state troopers in conducting traffic control, to transport troopers to patrol the major highways and in reaching accident locations and to assist motorists as necessary.
In all, 20 military teams were dispatched early Sunday afternoon.
At the peak of the operations Monday, the Arkansas National Guard had 18 missions working and 78 soldiers and airmen on active duty. As the weather situation improved, some Guard teams were released. But, as of Monday, the Guard still had 10 ongoing missions with 45 of its members deployed.
The storm caused schools to cancel classes and activities Monday and Tuesday.
For the Pulaski County Special School District, that means just Tuesday will have to be made up at the end of the year. Students were already scheduled to be off Monday, but teachers were supposed to report for staff development.
One principal said those hours most likely will be made up in segments after the school day between now and the end of the year.
Cabot had Monday listed as a snow make up day, but, since it had not lost any days to bad weather, it became a school holiday. The district will have to make up just one day.
Beebe was set to have school Monday, so it will most likely have to make up two days between now and the end of the year. Also, parent-teacher conferences that were set for Tuesday were rescheduled for Thursday.
Icy rain is forecast to hit the area Friday morning, with rain continuing through the weekend.
The first day the area is expected to see 50 degrees, which is still about five degrees under the average, will be next Tuesday, according to NWS.
(Leader staff writer Sarah Campbell contributed to this article.)
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
EDITORIAL >> New district will rebuild
The Jacksonville School District, which is working toward a complete separation from the Pulaski County Special School District, is floating several new ideas that will improve schools. Plans include closing at least one old school in the new district — some of the buildings are 50 years or older — and consolidating two high schools into a new campus near the air base.
According to a proposal announced last week, Jacksonville Middle School will close at the end of the school year and students will transfer for one year to Northwood Middle School, which is about five miles west of town. They will then transfer to North Pulaski High School, which will become the new middle school. North Pulaski is 36 years old, making it one of the newest structures in Jacksonville. Most of the other schools are ancient and rundown, which is one reason Jacksonville split from PCSSD.
Jacksonville High School was at the middle school half a century ago, but the campus soon became outdated. It looks more like a reformatory than a school. It’s not a friendly place for learning. The county district let schools crumble in Jacksonville while new campuses went up in Maumelle, Sherwood and Little Rock.
Because Jacksonville schools were neglected for decades, academic achievement has fallen. But there is good news: Jacksonville High School is no longer on the state’s watch list of failing schools. (The state is discussing whether Cabot’s Alternative Learning Academy and Beebe’s Badger Academy should return to the list of academically distressed schools.)
Interim Superintendent Bobby Lester understands the new district needs a complete overhaul and probably a millage increase. A combined new high school campus is planned on the outskirts of Little Rock Air Force Base, which will have easy access to the high school and the new middle school.
There’s also a Lighthouse charter middle school on the air base. A couple of miles away, the Lighthouse elementary and high schools continue to grow. They’re good examples of what modern campuses should look like: Bright, cheery places that encourage academic achievement, instead of dreary places that discourage learning.
According to a proposal announced last week, Jacksonville Middle School will close at the end of the school year and students will transfer for one year to Northwood Middle School, which is about five miles west of town. They will then transfer to North Pulaski High School, which will become the new middle school. North Pulaski is 36 years old, making it one of the newest structures in Jacksonville. Most of the other schools are ancient and rundown, which is one reason Jacksonville split from PCSSD.
Jacksonville High School was at the middle school half a century ago, but the campus soon became outdated. It looks more like a reformatory than a school. It’s not a friendly place for learning. The county district let schools crumble in Jacksonville while new campuses went up in Maumelle, Sherwood and Little Rock.
Because Jacksonville schools were neglected for decades, academic achievement has fallen. But there is good news: Jacksonville High School is no longer on the state’s watch list of failing schools. (The state is discussing whether Cabot’s Alternative Learning Academy and Beebe’s Badger Academy should return to the list of academically distressed schools.)
Interim Superintendent Bobby Lester understands the new district needs a complete overhaul and probably a millage increase. A combined new high school campus is planned on the outskirts of Little Rock Air Force Base, which will have easy access to the high school and the new middle school.
There’s also a Lighthouse charter middle school on the air base. A couple of miles away, the Lighthouse elementary and high schools continue to grow. They’re good examples of what modern campuses should look like: Bright, cheery places that encourage academic achievement, instead of dreary places that discourage learning.
EDITORIAL >> Remember Wilbur Mills
In 1965, Rep. Wilbur Mills (D-Kensett), the longtime Second District congressman and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, helped pass Medicare and Medicaid legislation that has provided health care to the state’s elderly and poor.
Mills had opposed President Kennedy’s plan to offer health care to those over 65, but, after President Johnson’s landslide victory in 1964, Mills negotiated an ambitious insurance plan that would be paid with Social Security taxes and other federal funds.
A decade later, an escapade with a South American stripper brought down the once-powerful Mills, who died in semi-obscurity in 1992 at the White County Hospital in Searcy, not far from his Kensett home.
A half-century after Mills shepherded Medicare and Medicaid legislation through Congress, Arkansas again leads the nation in providing health insurance to the working poor under Medicaid’s private option. It has helped numerous hospitals, including those in White County, by reducing charity care to those without insurance and offering coverage through the private option and insurance exchanges.
Mills pretty much wrote the law on Medicare and Medicaid, making sure that hospitals and doctors would remain independent. Doctors, for example, can opt out of Medicare and insurance companies play a role in the private option program and insurance exchanges.
Over the weekend, The Leader reported that admissions at North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville have increased 50 percent and uncompensated care has decreased 12 percent thanks to private option.
Rep. Joe Farrer (R-Austin), who has just been promoted to chief operating officer at the hospital, voted to extend private option for two years, although he was against it before — much like Mills, who opposed Medicare before he was for it. Farrer says he’s against continuing the private option after next year, but, when his hospital starts making money thanks to Medicaid expansion and insurance exchanges, it will be difficult for him, as chief operating officer, to end insurance for hundreds of thousands of Arkansans.
Can you imagine the hospital turning back thousands of patients who might not have insurance after 2016? Arkansans have a way of changing their minds when new facts warrant it. Just look to Wilbur Mills’ legacy, which has helped insure millions of Arkansans.
Mills had opposed President Kennedy’s plan to offer health care to those over 65, but, after President Johnson’s landslide victory in 1964, Mills negotiated an ambitious insurance plan that would be paid with Social Security taxes and other federal funds.
A decade later, an escapade with a South American stripper brought down the once-powerful Mills, who died in semi-obscurity in 1992 at the White County Hospital in Searcy, not far from his Kensett home.
A half-century after Mills shepherded Medicare and Medicaid legislation through Congress, Arkansas again leads the nation in providing health insurance to the working poor under Medicaid’s private option. It has helped numerous hospitals, including those in White County, by reducing charity care to those without insurance and offering coverage through the private option and insurance exchanges.
Mills pretty much wrote the law on Medicare and Medicaid, making sure that hospitals and doctors would remain independent. Doctors, for example, can opt out of Medicare and insurance companies play a role in the private option program and insurance exchanges.
Over the weekend, The Leader reported that admissions at North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville have increased 50 percent and uncompensated care has decreased 12 percent thanks to private option.
Rep. Joe Farrer (R-Austin), who has just been promoted to chief operating officer at the hospital, voted to extend private option for two years, although he was against it before — much like Mills, who opposed Medicare before he was for it. Farrer says he’s against continuing the private option after next year, but, when his hospital starts making money thanks to Medicaid expansion and insurance exchanges, it will be difficult for him, as chief operating officer, to end insurance for hundreds of thousands of Arkansans.
Can you imagine the hospital turning back thousands of patients who might not have insurance after 2016? Arkansans have a way of changing their minds when new facts warrant it. Just look to Wilbur Mills’ legacy, which has helped insure millions of Arkansans.
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot triumphs in fourth against Lady Blue Devils
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Lady Panthers overcame a bad first quarter to pull off a big road win at West Memphis on Friday, 41-32. In the first meeting between the two teams at Panther Arena in early January, Cabot jumped out to a big lead and then held off a furious Blue Devil rally.
On Friday, the Lady Panthers (20-5, 8-2) scored four points in the first quarter, and led for just a few seconds the entire first half.
The slow offensive start was alleviated by good defense. West Memphis held just a 7-4 lead at the end of the first. Neither team scored for about two minutes before West Memphis went on a 7-0 run. Cabot answered with one free throw by Alyssa Hamilton, and didn’t make a field goal until the final minute of the quarter when Danielle McWilliams scored and was fouled to make it 7-4.
Lady Blue Devil Alexis Hamlet drained a 3-pointer to start the second period. McWilliams and CoCo Calhoon combined for a 6-0 run that tied the game half way through the period and the teams were tied three more times before the half. Cabot led briefly when Leighton Taylor hit a 3-pointer to make it 16-15, but LaShala Saine answered just seconds later. McWilliams added a free throw to send the game into halftime tied at 17.
Cabot also led briefly in the third quarter on a 3-point play by Calhoon. But Hamlet answered quickly before the game fell back into a defensive battle. The Lady Blue Devils (15-8, 5-5) took a 28-26 lead into the final frame, and that’s when Cabot took control.
McWilliams hit a 3-pointer to start the quarter before Hamlet answered to make it 30-29. After three free throws by Cabot, Hamlet scored again to tie it at 32 with six minutes remaining, and it was the last bucket the Lady Blue Devils would score.
Cabot’s game-ending 9-0 run started with a pair of foul shots by Alyssa Hamilton. Josie Vanoss rebounded a West Memphis missed three and Taylor was fouled in transition. She also made both free throws to make it 36-32.
West Memphis coach Sheila Burns then called two full and one 30-second timeout consecutively, partly to regroup her team and partly to express her displeasure of the officiating, but it was for naught.
On the ensuing possession, Taylor deflected a Blue Devil pass in the half court set, Calhoon picked up the deflected ball and raced in for a layup that made it 38-32 with three minutes remaining. On the very next possession, McWilliams got a steal and was fouled in transition. She made 1 of 2 foul shots. Calhoon got the rebound but it was stolen by Niyha Townsend. She passed to Hamlet who was fouled by Hamilton, but missed the front end of the one-and-one. Taylor later added two free throws to set the final margin.
McWilliams and Calhoon combined for 23 points and nine steals, with McWilliams leading the way with 12 and six respectively. It was a night when defense was needed. The Lady Panthers shot just 29 percent (10 for 35) from floor.
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Lady Panthers overcame a bad first quarter to pull off a big road win at West Memphis on Friday, 41-32. In the first meeting between the two teams at Panther Arena in early January, Cabot jumped out to a big lead and then held off a furious Blue Devil rally.
On Friday, the Lady Panthers (20-5, 8-2) scored four points in the first quarter, and led for just a few seconds the entire first half.
The slow offensive start was alleviated by good defense. West Memphis held just a 7-4 lead at the end of the first. Neither team scored for about two minutes before West Memphis went on a 7-0 run. Cabot answered with one free throw by Alyssa Hamilton, and didn’t make a field goal until the final minute of the quarter when Danielle McWilliams scored and was fouled to make it 7-4.
Lady Blue Devil Alexis Hamlet drained a 3-pointer to start the second period. McWilliams and CoCo Calhoon combined for a 6-0 run that tied the game half way through the period and the teams were tied three more times before the half. Cabot led briefly when Leighton Taylor hit a 3-pointer to make it 16-15, but LaShala Saine answered just seconds later. McWilliams added a free throw to send the game into halftime tied at 17.
Cabot also led briefly in the third quarter on a 3-point play by Calhoon. But Hamlet answered quickly before the game fell back into a defensive battle. The Lady Blue Devils (15-8, 5-5) took a 28-26 lead into the final frame, and that’s when Cabot took control.
McWilliams hit a 3-pointer to start the quarter before Hamlet answered to make it 30-29. After three free throws by Cabot, Hamlet scored again to tie it at 32 with six minutes remaining, and it was the last bucket the Lady Blue Devils would score.
Cabot’s game-ending 9-0 run started with a pair of foul shots by Alyssa Hamilton. Josie Vanoss rebounded a West Memphis missed three and Taylor was fouled in transition. She also made both free throws to make it 36-32.
West Memphis coach Sheila Burns then called two full and one 30-second timeout consecutively, partly to regroup her team and partly to express her displeasure of the officiating, but it was for naught.
On the ensuing possession, Taylor deflected a Blue Devil pass in the half court set, Calhoon picked up the deflected ball and raced in for a layup that made it 38-32 with three minutes remaining. On the very next possession, McWilliams got a steal and was fouled in transition. She made 1 of 2 foul shots. Calhoon got the rebound but it was stolen by Niyha Townsend. She passed to Hamlet who was fouled by Hamilton, but missed the front end of the one-and-one. Taylor later added two free throws to set the final margin.
McWilliams and Calhoon combined for 23 points and nine steals, with McWilliams leading the way with 12 and six respectively. It was a night when defense was needed. The Lady Panthers shot just 29 percent (10 for 35) from floor.
SPORTS STORY >> Jackson, Portis honored
By NATE ALLEN
Special to The Leader
FAYETTEVILLE – An excellent past SEC basketball week for the Arkansas Razorbacks’ men’s and women’s teams reflected in Monday SEC’s choices for SEC Players of the Week.
The SEC Office in Birmingham, Ala. announced Monday that for his part the Razorbacks men winning SEC road games 101-87 on Feb. 10 at Auburn and 71-70 over Ole Miss last Saturday in Oxford, sophomore forward and Little Rock Hall alum Bobby Portis is the SEC Player of the Week
For her part in the Razorbacks women defeating Georgia, 54-48 on Feb. 9 at Walton Arena, playing No.14 Texas A&M to the wire in a 59-55 loss last Thursday in College Station, Texas, and routing Auburn, 54-36 Sunday at Auburn, sophomore forward Jessica Jackson of Jacksonville was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson’s men moved up to No.18 and No.17 in the AP and USA Today national media and coaches’ polls while advancing to 20-5 overall and to second-place 9-3 SEC going into the SEC Network televised game at 8 p.m. Wednesday against Missouri at Walton Arena.
The Razorbacks will honor Corliss Williamson, their two-time All-American in 1994 and ’95 and the MVP of Arkansas’ 1994 national championship team team, by raising a permanent banner with his name at Walton.
Jackson shares her honor with Kentucky guard Makayla Epps.
Jackson, a 6-3 forward, scored 15 points, with eight rebounds and four blocked shots against Georgia. She then scored 19 with six rebounds against Texas A&M and against Auburn scored 18 points with seven rebounds.
For the week, Jackson scored 52 points with 16 rebounds, an assist, four blocks and three steals. For the season, she averages 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Now 15-9, 5-7 in the SEC, Arkansas’ women play three consecutive SEC home games at Walton starting 8 p.m. Thursday on the SEC Network with nationally No. 2 SEC leader South Carolina, LSU at 1 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Feb. 26 against Kentucky.
At Auburn, Portis scored 14 points in the first half and 22 for the game while grabbing eight rebounds. At Oxford in Arkansas’ final appearance at the “Tad Pad”, Ole Miss’ Tad Smith Coliseum to be replaced next season with an arena currently under construction, Portis tallied 12 points, five rebounds and a season’s best four blocked shots while becoming the league’s lone player earning SEC Player of the Week honors for a second time this season.
Portis averages a league leading 18.7 points in SEC games.
“If the season ended today, Bobby Portis would get my vote as SEC Player of the Year,” Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy said on Monday’s SEC Teleconference.
Ironically, Portis was honored after an Ole Miss game during which Anderson acknowledged the Hogs strayed from what butters their bread by not getting the ball often enough to Portis.
“Ole Miss had something to do with that and we did, too.” Anderson said.
“At one point in time there I told our guys, ‘He needs to touch the basketball. So that is something we have got to continue to be aware of, especially the advantage he gives us starting inside and kicking it out outside. We started off the game doing that, we started attacking,” he added.
“But the second half I didn’t think we were on the attack. I thought we kind of settled more. I didn’t think the ball was going inside as much as it should have. But that’s something we can correct on that,” Anderson said.
Most impressive to Anderson, Portis didn’t allow not getting the ball to mean he wasn’t on the ball in other aspects of the game, especially shot-blocking.
“Against Ole Miss I just saw him take another step from a defensive standpoint,” Anderson said. “He became a rim protector. That’s something I have really been encouraging him to do. So he is big for our basketball team.”
He is always a big example and not just because he stands 6-11.
For Portis came in starring as Arkansas’ best player last year but never content resting on laurels.
“Last year he came in and was one of the better freshman in the country,” Anderson said.
“But Bobby’s work ethic is something that is really huge in his development. He wants to be a great player so he is here constantly with the coaches, asking ‘What do I need to do?’ And more importantly he is going out and doing those things. He has gotten stronger, he is playing a lot longer. He is a lot more active,” Anderson said.
Special to The Leader
FAYETTEVILLE – An excellent past SEC basketball week for the Arkansas Razorbacks’ men’s and women’s teams reflected in Monday SEC’s choices for SEC Players of the Week.
The SEC Office in Birmingham, Ala. announced Monday that for his part the Razorbacks men winning SEC road games 101-87 on Feb. 10 at Auburn and 71-70 over Ole Miss last Saturday in Oxford, sophomore forward and Little Rock Hall alum Bobby Portis is the SEC Player of the Week
For her part in the Razorbacks women defeating Georgia, 54-48 on Feb. 9 at Walton Arena, playing No.14 Texas A&M to the wire in a 59-55 loss last Thursday in College Station, Texas, and routing Auburn, 54-36 Sunday at Auburn, sophomore forward Jessica Jackson of Jacksonville was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson’s men moved up to No.18 and No.17 in the AP and USA Today national media and coaches’ polls while advancing to 20-5 overall and to second-place 9-3 SEC going into the SEC Network televised game at 8 p.m. Wednesday against Missouri at Walton Arena.
The Razorbacks will honor Corliss Williamson, their two-time All-American in 1994 and ’95 and the MVP of Arkansas’ 1994 national championship team team, by raising a permanent banner with his name at Walton.
Jackson shares her honor with Kentucky guard Makayla Epps.
Jackson, a 6-3 forward, scored 15 points, with eight rebounds and four blocked shots against Georgia. She then scored 19 with six rebounds against Texas A&M and against Auburn scored 18 points with seven rebounds.
For the week, Jackson scored 52 points with 16 rebounds, an assist, four blocks and three steals. For the season, she averages 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Now 15-9, 5-7 in the SEC, Arkansas’ women play three consecutive SEC home games at Walton starting 8 p.m. Thursday on the SEC Network with nationally No. 2 SEC leader South Carolina, LSU at 1 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Feb. 26 against Kentucky.
At Auburn, Portis scored 14 points in the first half and 22 for the game while grabbing eight rebounds. At Oxford in Arkansas’ final appearance at the “Tad Pad”, Ole Miss’ Tad Smith Coliseum to be replaced next season with an arena currently under construction, Portis tallied 12 points, five rebounds and a season’s best four blocked shots while becoming the league’s lone player earning SEC Player of the Week honors for a second time this season.
Portis averages a league leading 18.7 points in SEC games.
“If the season ended today, Bobby Portis would get my vote as SEC Player of the Year,” Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy said on Monday’s SEC Teleconference.
Ironically, Portis was honored after an Ole Miss game during which Anderson acknowledged the Hogs strayed from what butters their bread by not getting the ball often enough to Portis.
“Ole Miss had something to do with that and we did, too.” Anderson said.
“At one point in time there I told our guys, ‘He needs to touch the basketball. So that is something we have got to continue to be aware of, especially the advantage he gives us starting inside and kicking it out outside. We started off the game doing that, we started attacking,” he added.
“But the second half I didn’t think we were on the attack. I thought we kind of settled more. I didn’t think the ball was going inside as much as it should have. But that’s something we can correct on that,” Anderson said.
Most impressive to Anderson, Portis didn’t allow not getting the ball to mean he wasn’t on the ball in other aspects of the game, especially shot-blocking.
“Against Ole Miss I just saw him take another step from a defensive standpoint,” Anderson said. “He became a rim protector. That’s something I have really been encouraging him to do. So he is big for our basketball team.”
He is always a big example and not just because he stands 6-11.
For Portis came in starring as Arkansas’ best player last year but never content resting on laurels.
“Last year he came in and was one of the better freshman in the country,” Anderson said.
“But Bobby’s work ethic is something that is really huge in his development. He wants to be a great player so he is here constantly with the coaches, asking ‘What do I need to do?’ And more importantly he is going out and doing those things. He has gotten stronger, he is playing a lot longer. He is a lot more active,” Anderson said.
SPORTS STORY >> Sylvan Hills continues its improvement
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Not much was riding on the outcome, but when Sylvan Hills takes on nearby rival North Pulaski, pride is always at stake. Neither team can make the playoffs, but the Bears wanted to avenge a 10-point loss at NP from earlier this season. They accomplished that mission, winning 52-37 in Sherwood.
Though Sylvan Hills didn’t win last Tuesday at Jacksonville, it has experienced huge point swings from the first round robin in the 5A-Central to the second. After losing by 38 to Jacksonville earlier in the season at home, the Bears lost by six at Jacksonville last Tuesday. Then on Friday, they turned a 10-point loss into a 15-point win.
“I think you can see from the outcome of these recent games that we’re playing a little bit better,” said Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis. “A lot of that has to do with kids stepping up that weren’t getting a lot of playing time early in the year.”
One of those players on Friday was freshman post player Alex Curry, who joined the team after the freshmen Bears won the River City Conference tournament championship last Thursday. He provided a post presence the Bears have lacked all season, and scored 12 points on Friday.
Another is sophomore point guard Herman Washington, who scored 12 against Jacksonville and ran the point effectively on Friday.
“He does such a good job of delivering the ball where people can score easily,” Davis said.
“He’s one of those guys who may not have all the natural ability of some others, but he works his tail off. He doesn’t miss a practice and he’s all business when he’s in practice.”
The starting lineup of Herman Washington, Jordan Washington, Curry, Dexter Smith and Jaylin Johnson held North Pulaski scoreless for almost all the first quarter. They left the game with 90 seconds remaining holding an 11-0 lead. The Falcons scored four unanswered to end the period, and the game leveled out a bit from there.
Sylvan Hills won the second quarter 15-11 to take a 26-15 lead into the break. The two teams battled to the exact same score in the third quarter to make it 41-26, and tied 11-11 in the fourth.
The Falcons cut the margin to four midway through the third quarter, but Smith sank back-to-back 3-pointers in less than a minute to quickly push the margin back to double digits.
“They battled and scrapped pretty hard to get back in it,” Davis said of the Falcons. “I think when all that got erased by two quick shots, it kind of took some wind out of them. Dexter can do that. He hasn’t lost one of our little shoot-around competitions we have all year.”
Leader sports editor
Not much was riding on the outcome, but when Sylvan Hills takes on nearby rival North Pulaski, pride is always at stake. Neither team can make the playoffs, but the Bears wanted to avenge a 10-point loss at NP from earlier this season. They accomplished that mission, winning 52-37 in Sherwood.
Though Sylvan Hills didn’t win last Tuesday at Jacksonville, it has experienced huge point swings from the first round robin in the 5A-Central to the second. After losing by 38 to Jacksonville earlier in the season at home, the Bears lost by six at Jacksonville last Tuesday. Then on Friday, they turned a 10-point loss into a 15-point win.
“I think you can see from the outcome of these recent games that we’re playing a little bit better,” said Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis. “A lot of that has to do with kids stepping up that weren’t getting a lot of playing time early in the year.”
One of those players on Friday was freshman post player Alex Curry, who joined the team after the freshmen Bears won the River City Conference tournament championship last Thursday. He provided a post presence the Bears have lacked all season, and scored 12 points on Friday.
Another is sophomore point guard Herman Washington, who scored 12 against Jacksonville and ran the point effectively on Friday.
“He does such a good job of delivering the ball where people can score easily,” Davis said.
“He’s one of those guys who may not have all the natural ability of some others, but he works his tail off. He doesn’t miss a practice and he’s all business when he’s in practice.”
The starting lineup of Herman Washington, Jordan Washington, Curry, Dexter Smith and Jaylin Johnson held North Pulaski scoreless for almost all the first quarter. They left the game with 90 seconds remaining holding an 11-0 lead. The Falcons scored four unanswered to end the period, and the game leveled out a bit from there.
Sylvan Hills won the second quarter 15-11 to take a 26-15 lead into the break. The two teams battled to the exact same score in the third quarter to make it 41-26, and tied 11-11 in the fourth.
The Falcons cut the margin to four midway through the third quarter, but Smith sank back-to-back 3-pointers in less than a minute to quickly push the margin back to double digits.
“They battled and scrapped pretty hard to get back in it,” Davis said of the Falcons. “I think when all that got erased by two quick shots, it kind of took some wind out of them. Dexter can do that. He hasn’t lost one of our little shoot-around competitions we have all year.”
SPORTS STORY >> Devils dominate at PA
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Jacksonville boys overcame a three-point halftime deficit to beat Pulaski Academy 63-44 Friday, giving the Red Devils sole possession of third place in the current 5A-Central standings.
Jacksonville (18-6, 8-3) trailed Pulaski Academy (11-10, 5-6), who’s fifth in the conference standings behind Little Rock Fair (15-9, 7-4), 14-11 at the end of the first quarter, and 27-24 at halftime. The Red Devils began to turn things around in the third quarter.
Jacksonville cut the PA lead to one, 29-28, with a pair of free throws by LaQuawn Smith at the 6:02 mark of the third quarter. With 5:33 left in the third, Smith gave the Red Devils their first lead since leading 3-2 early in the first quarter on an and-1 that made the score 31-29.
The Red Devils led by as much as six in the third quarter. With 3:17 to go in the quarter, point guard Tyree Appleby banked in a short floater that upped Jacksonville’s lead to 35-29.
Pulaski Academy’s offense struggled mightily throughout the second half. The Bruins’ first field goal of the half came on a steal and reverse layup by junior scorer Lawson Korita with 1:02 remaining in the third.
Korita’s bucket cut the Jacksonville lead to 37-33, and by the end of the third quarter, the Bruins got the Red Devil lead down to three, with the score 39-36. The Red Devils, though, pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville opened the fourth quarter with a 7-1 run to push its lead to 46-37. With 4:44 to play, PA guard Rico Lindsen became the first of three Bruin starters to foul out in the fourth quarter.
Lindsen’s foul on Jacksonville’s Lakalon Huskey put Huskey on the line. It wasn’t a shooting foul, but the Red Devils were already in the double bonus, and Huskey made 1 of 2 free throws to give Jacksonville a 48-41 cushion.
The Red Devils took their first double-digit lead with 3:36 left to play on a Braylon James free throw, which made the score 51-41. Shortly after, PA’s Tre Bruce picked up his fifth foul after delivering a hard one on Jacksonville’s Devin Campbell.
Campbell made both free throws to give the Red Devils a 53-41 cushion with 2:40 remaining. With 1:44 to play, Korita fouled out as well, and in turn, sent Appleby to the free-throw line, where he made both shots. That gave Jacksonville a 55-43 lead.
With 1:22 remaining, Jacksonville’s Campbell put an exclamation point on the win with a thunderous two-handed slam that made the score 57-43.
With 27 tics remaining, Tedrick Wolfe threw down a one-handed slam that made the score 61-44, and with two seconds left, Malik Aaron scored the final bucket on a putback that was the result of an Appleby miss.
Jacksonville’s second-half turnaround started with its defense, and included getting to the free-throw line more on offense. Pulaski Academy made 10 field goals in the first half, but just three in the second.
Both teams got to the line more in the second half, but Jacksonville was 2 for 2 from the stripe in the first half and 19 for 23 in the final two quarters.
“Once we got them out of their 3-2 (zone) and they had to go man, it gave us an advantage,” said Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner. “They’re not used to playing man-to-man. Those kids have been playing 3-2 ever since they’ve been in elementary school.
“All we had to do was be patient. They couldn’t keep up with us, so there was a lot of holding and grabbing and people out of position. We forced fouls by being patient.”
Joyner said he challenged his players at halftime in order to spark some motivation in them, and it showed on both ends of the floor throughout the second half.
“We challenged them,” Joyner said. “They’re better than what we saw in the first half. They were not focused. That’s been the problem – bone-headed plays and a lack of focus.
“I think they realized how bad they played in the first half, and they settled in and got focused and they played better as a team and were more focused. It makes a big difference.”
Jacksonville finished the game 20 of 45 from the floor for 44 percent. Pulaski Academy finished the game 13 of 44 from the floor for 30 percent. From the free-throw line, the Red Devils made 21 of 25 attempts for 84 percent. The Bruins made 13 of 19 shots from the stripe for 68 percent.
The Red Devils outrebounded the Bruins 31-20, and Jacksonville had two fewer turnovers, finishing with 14 to PA’s total of 16 committed.
Korita led all scorers with 27 points. He was the only Bruin to score in double figures. Jacksonville had three different players score in double figures. Wolfe had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Appleby scored 13 points, and Campbell added 12.
The Red Devils continued 5A-Central play last night at North Pulaski (4-17, 2-9) after deadlines, and they’ll play another crucial conference game this Friday at home against second-place Mills (16-5, 9-2), who beat Jacksonville last month.
This Friday’s home game will tip off after the girls’ game, which begins at 6 p.m.
Leader sportswriter
The Jacksonville boys overcame a three-point halftime deficit to beat Pulaski Academy 63-44 Friday, giving the Red Devils sole possession of third place in the current 5A-Central standings.
Jacksonville (18-6, 8-3) trailed Pulaski Academy (11-10, 5-6), who’s fifth in the conference standings behind Little Rock Fair (15-9, 7-4), 14-11 at the end of the first quarter, and 27-24 at halftime. The Red Devils began to turn things around in the third quarter.
Jacksonville cut the PA lead to one, 29-28, with a pair of free throws by LaQuawn Smith at the 6:02 mark of the third quarter. With 5:33 left in the third, Smith gave the Red Devils their first lead since leading 3-2 early in the first quarter on an and-1 that made the score 31-29.
The Red Devils led by as much as six in the third quarter. With 3:17 to go in the quarter, point guard Tyree Appleby banked in a short floater that upped Jacksonville’s lead to 35-29.
Pulaski Academy’s offense struggled mightily throughout the second half. The Bruins’ first field goal of the half came on a steal and reverse layup by junior scorer Lawson Korita with 1:02 remaining in the third.
Korita’s bucket cut the Jacksonville lead to 37-33, and by the end of the third quarter, the Bruins got the Red Devil lead down to three, with the score 39-36. The Red Devils, though, pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville opened the fourth quarter with a 7-1 run to push its lead to 46-37. With 4:44 to play, PA guard Rico Lindsen became the first of three Bruin starters to foul out in the fourth quarter.
Lindsen’s foul on Jacksonville’s Lakalon Huskey put Huskey on the line. It wasn’t a shooting foul, but the Red Devils were already in the double bonus, and Huskey made 1 of 2 free throws to give Jacksonville a 48-41 cushion.
The Red Devils took their first double-digit lead with 3:36 left to play on a Braylon James free throw, which made the score 51-41. Shortly after, PA’s Tre Bruce picked up his fifth foul after delivering a hard one on Jacksonville’s Devin Campbell.
Campbell made both free throws to give the Red Devils a 53-41 cushion with 2:40 remaining. With 1:44 to play, Korita fouled out as well, and in turn, sent Appleby to the free-throw line, where he made both shots. That gave Jacksonville a 55-43 lead.
With 1:22 remaining, Jacksonville’s Campbell put an exclamation point on the win with a thunderous two-handed slam that made the score 57-43.
With 27 tics remaining, Tedrick Wolfe threw down a one-handed slam that made the score 61-44, and with two seconds left, Malik Aaron scored the final bucket on a putback that was the result of an Appleby miss.
Jacksonville’s second-half turnaround started with its defense, and included getting to the free-throw line more on offense. Pulaski Academy made 10 field goals in the first half, but just three in the second.
Both teams got to the line more in the second half, but Jacksonville was 2 for 2 from the stripe in the first half and 19 for 23 in the final two quarters.
“Once we got them out of their 3-2 (zone) and they had to go man, it gave us an advantage,” said Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner. “They’re not used to playing man-to-man. Those kids have been playing 3-2 ever since they’ve been in elementary school.
“All we had to do was be patient. They couldn’t keep up with us, so there was a lot of holding and grabbing and people out of position. We forced fouls by being patient.”
Joyner said he challenged his players at halftime in order to spark some motivation in them, and it showed on both ends of the floor throughout the second half.
“We challenged them,” Joyner said. “They’re better than what we saw in the first half. They were not focused. That’s been the problem – bone-headed plays and a lack of focus.
“I think they realized how bad they played in the first half, and they settled in and got focused and they played better as a team and were more focused. It makes a big difference.”
Jacksonville finished the game 20 of 45 from the floor for 44 percent. Pulaski Academy finished the game 13 of 44 from the floor for 30 percent. From the free-throw line, the Red Devils made 21 of 25 attempts for 84 percent. The Bruins made 13 of 19 shots from the stripe for 68 percent.
The Red Devils outrebounded the Bruins 31-20, and Jacksonville had two fewer turnovers, finishing with 14 to PA’s total of 16 committed.
Korita led all scorers with 27 points. He was the only Bruin to score in double figures. Jacksonville had three different players score in double figures. Wolfe had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Appleby scored 13 points, and Campbell added 12.
The Red Devils continued 5A-Central play last night at North Pulaski (4-17, 2-9) after deadlines, and they’ll play another crucial conference game this Friday at home against second-place Mills (16-5, 9-2), who beat Jacksonville last month.
This Friday’s home game will tip off after the girls’ game, which begins at 6 p.m.
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