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.
Monday, February 23, 2015
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.
Friday, February 13, 2015
TOP STORY >> Cops get new bike for accident victim
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
A 5-year-old Cabot hit-and- run victim received a new bicycle and a helmet Thursday from the Cabot Police Department after he was injured Sunday.
Tristen Doane test rode his Spiderman bike for detectives and the public information officer who chipped in to buy him a new one to replace the old one that was damaged.
“It was a surprise because my birthday already passed,” Tristen said.
“I like the inside of the wheels and the (front handlebars number plate),” he added.
According to the police report, Tristen was riding his cousin’s bike at 6:05 p.m. Sunday in front of his house on 600 S. Jackson St. He was hit from behind by a black scooter ridden by a 17-year-old boy.
Tristen was pushed into a metal mailbox at 604 S. Jackson St. and landed in the yard.
“I don’t know why I got run over by the scooter. I was going to my friend’s house,” Tristen told The Leader.
His mother rushed him to North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville. He was then transferred to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock by ambulance.
Tristen was diagnosed with a skull fracture and had minor bleeding of the brain.
Detectives noted significant damage to the front wheel and frame of the bike. The impact knocked the mailbox down.
The scooter rider was arrested on Monday. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury, a felony, and having no license.
Laura Doane, Tristen’s mom, said he was really concerned about the broken bicycle.
She said, when she saw Tristen lying unconscious, “It was horrible not being able to do anything. For a mom, it was scary.”
Laura Doane said Tristen is healing. He complains about his head when he gets busy and runs. He wants to act like a normal kid, she explained.
Police spokesman Sgt. Keith Graham said, “We thought it would be nice to bring some happiness and take his mind off his injuries.
“We all have kids. When we see one that has injuries that (Tristen) sustained, it touches us, and we wanted to do something for him,” Graham said.
Leader staff writer
A 5-year-old Cabot hit-and- run victim received a new bicycle and a helmet Thursday from the Cabot Police Department after he was injured Sunday.
Tristen Doane test rode his Spiderman bike for detectives and the public information officer who chipped in to buy him a new one to replace the old one that was damaged.
“It was a surprise because my birthday already passed,” Tristen said.
“I like the inside of the wheels and the (front handlebars number plate),” he added.
According to the police report, Tristen was riding his cousin’s bike at 6:05 p.m. Sunday in front of his house on 600 S. Jackson St. He was hit from behind by a black scooter ridden by a 17-year-old boy.
Tristen was pushed into a metal mailbox at 604 S. Jackson St. and landed in the yard.
“I don’t know why I got run over by the scooter. I was going to my friend’s house,” Tristen told The Leader.
His mother rushed him to North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville. He was then transferred to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock by ambulance.
Tristen was diagnosed with a skull fracture and had minor bleeding of the brain.
Detectives noted significant damage to the front wheel and frame of the bike. The impact knocked the mailbox down.
The scooter rider was arrested on Monday. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury, a felony, and having no license.
Laura Doane, Tristen’s mom, said he was really concerned about the broken bicycle.
She said, when she saw Tristen lying unconscious, “It was horrible not being able to do anything. For a mom, it was scary.”
Laura Doane said Tristen is healing. He complains about his head when he gets busy and runs. He wants to act like a normal kid, she explained.
Police spokesman Sgt. Keith Graham said, “We thought it would be nice to bring some happiness and take his mind off his injuries.
“We all have kids. When we see one that has injuries that (Tristen) sustained, it touches us, and we wanted to do something for him,” Graham said.
TOP STORY >> Private option helping hospitals
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
Uncompensated care is down by about 12 percent at North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville, according to CEO Cindy Stafford.
And, while he couldn’t provide specific figures, St. Vincent-North President David Fox said the hospital in Sherwood is also doing well.
Stafford added that North Metro’s inpatient and outpatient admissions have increased by at least 50 percent.
Why?
She said, “It’s the private option. It’s allowed us to be able to sign patients up when they come into the hospital for the private option insurance.
“So the Affordable Care Act and the private option that Arkansas implemented has definitely impacted our reimbursement in a positive way.”
Fox said, “We’re in the same boat. We have seen a very positive impact from the Arkansas health-care exchange. It has both improved access and affordability for the uninsured and underinsured.”
Uncompensated care has decreased at the nonprofit hospital as well, he noted.
“Our bottom line has improved. We’re still in the red, but not losing as much.”
Stafford said in a Friday interview with The Leader that North Metro’s chief financial officer was unable to pull figures for her on such short notice.
That is why she couldn’t say 12 percent with certainty. But, uncompensated care had decreased by 10 percent four months ago, Stafford noted. She said, if the trend continued, 12 percent was a good estimate.
Another recent change for North Metro has been the promotion last month of state Rep. Joe Farrer (R-Austin) to chief operations officer.
Farrer said he hopes to also be selected for the Health Reform Task Force that will study alternatives to private option, continuing or continuing the program with changes.
Private option is set to end Dec. 31, 2016.
The Leader reported on Feb. 3 that the state representative, who staunchly opposed private option in 2012 and 2013, co-sponsored Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Health Care Reform Act of 2015.
The new law guarantees private option – Arkansas’ innovative solution to Medicaid expansion – through 2016 and created the 16-person task force Farrer wants to serve on.
The state representative said interviews for the eight House positions on the task force would begin Monday.
About the uncompensated care figure, Farrer said, “If we gave people insurance for free, it’s going to decrease it. The problem is we can’t afford it.
“I’d like to see Arkansas have health care, not health insurance.”
Farrer said, in the new post at North Metro, he would not deal directly with Medicare or Medicaid payments.
He added that he would like to see hospitals viable and the working poor on private option provided for after 2016. He also said the system in place needed tweaking.
Stafford said Farrer being chief operations officer means, “He is over operations from a departmental standpoint. He’s got several departments that report directly to him. He helps us with purchasing equipment, negotiating leases, those types of things.”
“It’s been nice having Joe on board in that leadership capacity,” she continued.
“He’s just demonstrated that leadership role that we felt would be a good fit here at the hospital and help the hospital improve in areas and move forward and succeed,” Stafford added.
Farrer’s role in the legislature has in the past and will continue to provide North Metro with “insider information,” Stafford said with a laugh.
The new post won’t change how he was always “sharing with us the politics,” she noted.
Stafford also said the state representative is well known in the area, a “good face for the community” and had been with the hospital for years. Farrer said he’d worked at North Metro for 18 years.
As for the future of health care here, Stafford said, “I’m hopeful that we keep some form of a plan in place for those individuals that don’t have insurance and work for companies that don’t offer it.
“I do agree though that it probably needs restructured in the future because they just don’t have enough funds. They’re going to have to take funds from other plans. It’s just the funding I worry about.”
Stafford added that she was sure legislators would redo the Medicaid program, too.
“Whatever they do, it will still be positive for the communities,” the CEO said.
In other good news for North Metro, Stafford announced that the hospital’s wound-healing center has reopened and about 50 people visited it this month.
About the increase in overall admissions, the CEO said, “It’s just real positive around here. When you’ve got more patients coming into your facility, it not only makes the executives happy, but it makes the staff happy. They see positive change.”
North Metro is also speaking with a general surgeon about coming to work there, but a deal hasn’t been struck yet, Stafford said.
Leader staff writer
Uncompensated care is down by about 12 percent at North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville, according to CEO Cindy Stafford.
And, while he couldn’t provide specific figures, St. Vincent-North President David Fox said the hospital in Sherwood is also doing well.
Stafford added that North Metro’s inpatient and outpatient admissions have increased by at least 50 percent.
Why?
She said, “It’s the private option. It’s allowed us to be able to sign patients up when they come into the hospital for the private option insurance.
“So the Affordable Care Act and the private option that Arkansas implemented has definitely impacted our reimbursement in a positive way.”
Fox said, “We’re in the same boat. We have seen a very positive impact from the Arkansas health-care exchange. It has both improved access and affordability for the uninsured and underinsured.”
Uncompensated care has decreased at the nonprofit hospital as well, he noted.
“Our bottom line has improved. We’re still in the red, but not losing as much.”
Stafford said in a Friday interview with The Leader that North Metro’s chief financial officer was unable to pull figures for her on such short notice.
That is why she couldn’t say 12 percent with certainty. But, uncompensated care had decreased by 10 percent four months ago, Stafford noted. She said, if the trend continued, 12 percent was a good estimate.
Another recent change for North Metro has been the promotion last month of state Rep. Joe Farrer (R-Austin) to chief operations officer.
Farrer said he hopes to also be selected for the Health Reform Task Force that will study alternatives to private option, continuing or continuing the program with changes.
Private option is set to end Dec. 31, 2016.
The Leader reported on Feb. 3 that the state representative, who staunchly opposed private option in 2012 and 2013, co-sponsored Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Health Care Reform Act of 2015.
The new law guarantees private option – Arkansas’ innovative solution to Medicaid expansion – through 2016 and created the 16-person task force Farrer wants to serve on.
The state representative said interviews for the eight House positions on the task force would begin Monday.
About the uncompensated care figure, Farrer said, “If we gave people insurance for free, it’s going to decrease it. The problem is we can’t afford it.
“I’d like to see Arkansas have health care, not health insurance.”
Farrer said, in the new post at North Metro, he would not deal directly with Medicare or Medicaid payments.
He added that he would like to see hospitals viable and the working poor on private option provided for after 2016. He also said the system in place needed tweaking.
Stafford said Farrer being chief operations officer means, “He is over operations from a departmental standpoint. He’s got several departments that report directly to him. He helps us with purchasing equipment, negotiating leases, those types of things.”
“It’s been nice having Joe on board in that leadership capacity,” she continued.
“He’s just demonstrated that leadership role that we felt would be a good fit here at the hospital and help the hospital improve in areas and move forward and succeed,” Stafford added.
Farrer’s role in the legislature has in the past and will continue to provide North Metro with “insider information,” Stafford said with a laugh.
The new post won’t change how he was always “sharing with us the politics,” she noted.
Stafford also said the state representative is well known in the area, a “good face for the community” and had been with the hospital for years. Farrer said he’d worked at North Metro for 18 years.
As for the future of health care here, Stafford said, “I’m hopeful that we keep some form of a plan in place for those individuals that don’t have insurance and work for companies that don’t offer it.
“I do agree though that it probably needs restructured in the future because they just don’t have enough funds. They’re going to have to take funds from other plans. It’s just the funding I worry about.”
Stafford added that she was sure legislators would redo the Medicaid program, too.
“Whatever they do, it will still be positive for the communities,” the CEO said.
In other good news for North Metro, Stafford announced that the hospital’s wound-healing center has reopened and about 50 people visited it this month.
About the increase in overall admissions, the CEO said, “It’s just real positive around here. When you’ve got more patients coming into your facility, it not only makes the executives happy, but it makes the staff happy. They see positive change.”
North Metro is also speaking with a general surgeon about coming to work there, but a deal hasn’t been struck yet, Stafford said.
TOP STORY >> District to shut middle school
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Jacksonville-North Pulaski officials will discuss moving middle school students from Jacksonville to Northwood beginning the next school year, the transition to one high school in 2016-17 and future facilities planning at a pair of “community conversations” next week, according to chief of staff Phyllis Stewart.
The first will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Jacksonville Community Center, according to Stewart, and the second is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Bayou Meto Elementary School.
The Pulaski County Special School District has said Northwood would close at the end of the 2014-15 school year because of declining enrollment, Stewart said. Jacksonville-North Pulaski Superintendent Bobby Lester proposed the move to provide Jacksonville Middle School students and staff a better, safer facility for teaching and learning.
“Education today is delivered in an entirely different manner, with new tools, techniques and teaching methods that don’t fit the simplistic conventions of 60-year-old school designs,” Lester said. “Moving our Jacksonville Middle School students and staff to the Northwood facility for one year is not ideal, but it is a step in the right direction.”
North Pulaski High School is tentatively slated to be remodeled into the district’s middle school once all of its students go to a single high school.
Northwood, off Jackson-ville-Cato Road, is 6.8 miles from Jacksonville Middle School. Students will be provided transportation.
For more information, contact Stewart at 501-519-4768.
Leader senior staff writer
Jacksonville-North Pulaski officials will discuss moving middle school students from Jacksonville to Northwood beginning the next school year, the transition to one high school in 2016-17 and future facilities planning at a pair of “community conversations” next week, according to chief of staff Phyllis Stewart.
The first will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Jacksonville Community Center, according to Stewart, and the second is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Bayou Meto Elementary School.
The Pulaski County Special School District has said Northwood would close at the end of the 2014-15 school year because of declining enrollment, Stewart said. Jacksonville-North Pulaski Superintendent Bobby Lester proposed the move to provide Jacksonville Middle School students and staff a better, safer facility for teaching and learning.
“Education today is delivered in an entirely different manner, with new tools, techniques and teaching methods that don’t fit the simplistic conventions of 60-year-old school designs,” Lester said. “Moving our Jacksonville Middle School students and staff to the Northwood facility for one year is not ideal, but it is a step in the right direction.”
North Pulaski High School is tentatively slated to be remodeled into the district’s middle school once all of its students go to a single high school.
Northwood, off Jackson-ville-Cato Road, is 6.8 miles from Jacksonville Middle School. Students will be provided transportation.
For more information, contact Stewart at 501-519-4768.
SPORTS STORY >> One million rounds at range
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
One million shots have been fired in one year at the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex in Jacksonville. Mayor Gary Fletcher and several others were on hand to celebrate the milestone with a commemorative round on Wednesday.
Jacksonville Aldermen Kenny Elliot and Mary Twitty, as well as Police Chief Kenny Boyd, street department director Jimmy Oakley and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Youth Shooting Sports director Chuck Wood-son joined Mayor Fletcher for the commemorative round.
“It reassures us that we have something special here in Jacksonville that brings people, not just from this state, but we’ve people from six other states competing at this facility,” said Flecther.
“It’s obviously something that’s still going to grow. They told us if we do 750,000 rounds a year for five years, it would be deemed a success, and we’ve 25 percent more than what was projected,” he added.
About 200,000 of those rounds were fired during the five weeks of youth shooting tournaments that Woodson oversees each spring. The Jacksonville range took over those tournaments from the Remington firing range last year.
There are four regional tournaments before the best teams in each regional come back for the state competition. Approximately 1,000 to 1,200 junior high and high school students take part in each one, and Woodson expects even more this year.
“The youth shooting program is still growing,” said Woodson. “It’s well over 5,000 kids participating and we’re expecting another growth spurt this year; a little bit anyway. There are 20 more schools added onto the program this year and there are currently about 270 schools involved in the program across the state. Of course we allow church groups and 4H and programs like that to compete, so there are about 350 programs total.”
With participation in shooting sports projected to grow, the facility will grow with it. Fletcher said construction will begin on the 3-D archery range, that’s been in the plans from the project’s inception, this year. There will also be 19 camp sites added in the parking lot with water and power supplies for recreational vehicles.
The first day of shooting last year was on Jan. 1, but the grand opening wasn’t until May. Woodson says he has already seen an increase in the number of teams that come to the range for practice, and believes the facility will do well over one million this year.
“With last year’s competitions and more and more people becoming aware of what we have here, more and more I believe will be coming to prepare for these competitions, especially when it starts to warm up,” Woodson said. “The parks and rec department there is second to none. I’ve never worked with a group of people so willing to help in my life. The city of Jacksonville really has something special and a group of people really diligent about making it a success.”
Leader sports editor
One million shots have been fired in one year at the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex in Jacksonville. Mayor Gary Fletcher and several others were on hand to celebrate the milestone with a commemorative round on Wednesday.
Jacksonville Aldermen Kenny Elliot and Mary Twitty, as well as Police Chief Kenny Boyd, street department director Jimmy Oakley and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Youth Shooting Sports director Chuck Wood-son joined Mayor Fletcher for the commemorative round.
“It reassures us that we have something special here in Jacksonville that brings people, not just from this state, but we’ve people from six other states competing at this facility,” said Flecther.
“It’s obviously something that’s still going to grow. They told us if we do 750,000 rounds a year for five years, it would be deemed a success, and we’ve 25 percent more than what was projected,” he added.
About 200,000 of those rounds were fired during the five weeks of youth shooting tournaments that Woodson oversees each spring. The Jacksonville range took over those tournaments from the Remington firing range last year.
There are four regional tournaments before the best teams in each regional come back for the state competition. Approximately 1,000 to 1,200 junior high and high school students take part in each one, and Woodson expects even more this year.
“The youth shooting program is still growing,” said Woodson. “It’s well over 5,000 kids participating and we’re expecting another growth spurt this year; a little bit anyway. There are 20 more schools added onto the program this year and there are currently about 270 schools involved in the program across the state. Of course we allow church groups and 4H and programs like that to compete, so there are about 350 programs total.”
With participation in shooting sports projected to grow, the facility will grow with it. Fletcher said construction will begin on the 3-D archery range, that’s been in the plans from the project’s inception, this year. There will also be 19 camp sites added in the parking lot with water and power supplies for recreational vehicles.
The first day of shooting last year was on Jan. 1, but the grand opening wasn’t until May. Woodson says he has already seen an increase in the number of teams that come to the range for practice, and believes the facility will do well over one million this year.
“With last year’s competitions and more and more people becoming aware of what we have here, more and more I believe will be coming to prepare for these competitions, especially when it starts to warm up,” Woodson said. “The parks and rec department there is second to none. I’ve never worked with a group of people so willing to help in my life. The city of Jacksonville really has something special and a group of people really diligent about making it a success.”
SPORTS STORY >> Sylvan Hills repeats as River City champion
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Sylvan Hills freshmen Bears overcame a five-point halftime deficit to win the River City Conference tournament championship game 52-40 over Jacksonville on Thursday night at the Devils’ Den. The win brings the second-straight conference tournament plaque to Sherwood after last year’s freshmen won it in Sheridan.
Jacksonville led 15-12 at the end of the first quarter, and the freshmen Red Devils pushed their lead to 25-20 at the half, but Sylvan Hills took over the second half with stellar shot selection and smothering defense.
In the second half, the freshmen Bears made 12 of 14 shots from the floor and forced 16 Jacksonville turnovers. The Red Devils had just five turnovers in the first two quarters of play.
“I’m not surprised, because these guys are the first ones in the gym and the last ones to leave,” said Sylvan Hills coach Willie Larry Jr. of his team’s play in the second half.
“They have been coachable to a T. They didn’t win any games as seventh-graders, and they won two as eighth-graders. They believed in us coaches and they were coachable to the end, and I’m proud of these guys.”
Sylvan Hills made its first four shots of the third quarter. Those four buckets along with a pair of free throws by J.D. Smith led to a 10-5 Bears run that tied the game at 30.
The game-tying points came on a Charles Smith steal and dish up court to teammate Zion Butler, who scored on a transition lay-in. That forced Jacksonville coach Brandon Weems to call timeout with 3:41 left in the quarter.
With 2:39 left in the third, Sylvan Hills took its first lead of the half on a left-handed lay-in by J.D. Smith, which made the score 34-32. It was the Bears’ first time ahead on the board since leading 5-2 early in the first quarter.
Jacksonville battled back and eventually tied the game at 38-38 on a Darrius Martin 3-pointer at the 1:38 mark of the third, but Sylvan Hills took the lead again on the ensuing possession with an inside bucket by Alex Curry.
Curry’s bucket put the Bears up 40-38, and that was the score at the end of three. Jacksonville struggled against the Bears’ defense in the fourth quarter, and could only manage one basket on 1 of 6 shooting.
With 2:07 left to play, Sylvan Hills went up 48-40 on an acrobatic, one-handed lay-in by Butler that was highly contested. With 48.5 seconds remaining, the Bears went up double digits, 50-40, with a pair of one-and-one free throws by Brandon Dupree.
As the final seconds ticked away, the Bears added the last points of the night on a transition basket by Charles Smith, which was the result of another Jacksonville turnover.
Once the clock ran out, the Bears celebrated the win by taking hold of the tournament championship plaque at midcourt.
“They’re unselfish,” Larry said of his team. “On the back of their (pre-game) shirts it says family, and when they are unselfish, we can accomplish big things. We’re trying to build a culture at Sylvan Hills, and it’s time. It’s time.”
For the game, the Bears made 20 of 35 shots from the floor for 57 percent. Jacksonville finished the game 15 for 36 from the floor for 42 percent.
From 3-point range, the Red Devils made 8 of 14 attempts for 57 percent. Sylvan Hills made 2 of 10 shots from beyond the arc for 20 percent, and all of its 3-point attempts came in the first half.
At the free-throw line, Jacksonville made 2 of 5 attempts, and had zero trips to the line in the second half. Sylvan Hills made 10 of 13 free throws, including 8 of 9 in the second half.
The Bears outrebounded the Red Devils 16-14, and Sylvan Hills had fewer turnovers as well; finishing with 14 to Jacksonville’s total of 21.
Jacksonville had two different players score in double figures. Braylon Hawkins led all scorers with 16 points, and Martin had 13 points.
Sylvan Hills had three different players score in double figures. J.D. Smith and Butler led the Bears with 12 points each, and Charles Smith scored 10.
With the win, the freshmen Bears finish their championship season with a 16-8 overall record.
Leader sportswriter
The Sylvan Hills freshmen Bears overcame a five-point halftime deficit to win the River City Conference tournament championship game 52-40 over Jacksonville on Thursday night at the Devils’ Den. The win brings the second-straight conference tournament plaque to Sherwood after last year’s freshmen won it in Sheridan.
Jacksonville led 15-12 at the end of the first quarter, and the freshmen Red Devils pushed their lead to 25-20 at the half, but Sylvan Hills took over the second half with stellar shot selection and smothering defense.
In the second half, the freshmen Bears made 12 of 14 shots from the floor and forced 16 Jacksonville turnovers. The Red Devils had just five turnovers in the first two quarters of play.
“I’m not surprised, because these guys are the first ones in the gym and the last ones to leave,” said Sylvan Hills coach Willie Larry Jr. of his team’s play in the second half.
“They have been coachable to a T. They didn’t win any games as seventh-graders, and they won two as eighth-graders. They believed in us coaches and they were coachable to the end, and I’m proud of these guys.”
Sylvan Hills made its first four shots of the third quarter. Those four buckets along with a pair of free throws by J.D. Smith led to a 10-5 Bears run that tied the game at 30.
The game-tying points came on a Charles Smith steal and dish up court to teammate Zion Butler, who scored on a transition lay-in. That forced Jacksonville coach Brandon Weems to call timeout with 3:41 left in the quarter.
With 2:39 left in the third, Sylvan Hills took its first lead of the half on a left-handed lay-in by J.D. Smith, which made the score 34-32. It was the Bears’ first time ahead on the board since leading 5-2 early in the first quarter.
Jacksonville battled back and eventually tied the game at 38-38 on a Darrius Martin 3-pointer at the 1:38 mark of the third, but Sylvan Hills took the lead again on the ensuing possession with an inside bucket by Alex Curry.
Curry’s bucket put the Bears up 40-38, and that was the score at the end of three. Jacksonville struggled against the Bears’ defense in the fourth quarter, and could only manage one basket on 1 of 6 shooting.
With 2:07 left to play, Sylvan Hills went up 48-40 on an acrobatic, one-handed lay-in by Butler that was highly contested. With 48.5 seconds remaining, the Bears went up double digits, 50-40, with a pair of one-and-one free throws by Brandon Dupree.
As the final seconds ticked away, the Bears added the last points of the night on a transition basket by Charles Smith, which was the result of another Jacksonville turnover.
Once the clock ran out, the Bears celebrated the win by taking hold of the tournament championship plaque at midcourt.
“They’re unselfish,” Larry said of his team. “On the back of their (pre-game) shirts it says family, and when they are unselfish, we can accomplish big things. We’re trying to build a culture at Sylvan Hills, and it’s time. It’s time.”
For the game, the Bears made 20 of 35 shots from the floor for 57 percent. Jacksonville finished the game 15 for 36 from the floor for 42 percent.
From 3-point range, the Red Devils made 8 of 14 attempts for 57 percent. Sylvan Hills made 2 of 10 shots from beyond the arc for 20 percent, and all of its 3-point attempts came in the first half.
At the free-throw line, Jacksonville made 2 of 5 attempts, and had zero trips to the line in the second half. Sylvan Hills made 10 of 13 free throws, including 8 of 9 in the second half.
The Bears outrebounded the Red Devils 16-14, and Sylvan Hills had fewer turnovers as well; finishing with 14 to Jacksonville’s total of 21.
Jacksonville had two different players score in double figures. Braylon Hawkins led all scorers with 16 points, and Martin had 13 points.
Sylvan Hills had three different players score in double figures. J.D. Smith and Butler led the Bears with 12 points each, and Charles Smith scored 10.
With the win, the freshmen Bears finish their championship season with a 16-8 overall record.
SPORTS STORY >> Panthers win first place in boys’, girls’ district meet
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot swim teams made history on Thursday, winning the school’s first-ever district championships at the Veteran’s Park Community Center in Cabot. The Panther boys easily beat out second-place Jonesboro by more than 200 points, totaling 389 to the Hurricanes’ 177. Mountain Home was third with 144, Paragould had 132 and Lonoke finished fifth with 122 points. It was the Cabot boys’ fifth first-place finish in six meets this year.
The girls’ meet was a bit closer, but the Lady Panthers prevailed with a dominant 450 points. Jonesboro was also second in the girls’ meet with 346 while Mountain Home was third with 288. Greene County Tech and Searcy rounded out the top five. The Lady Panthers have also won five meets this year.
Haylee Beckley won the 200-yard individual medley by five seconds with a time of 2:25.88.
Caytee Wright and Katie Frederick took first and third in the 50-yard freestyle sprint. Wright also won the 100 freestyle while teammate Riley Young took third in that event.
The Lady Panthers didn’t win the 500-yard freestyle, but did sweep the next four spots. Beckley, Kristen Meyer, Allison Kindrex and Chelbi Dulin took second through fifth. Lonoke’s Colby Hartley was sixth in the event.
Melanie Abbot was third and Dulin fifth in the 100-yard butterfly.
Jessica Baldwin won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:02.21, and Young was fourth. Baldwin and Abbott then took second and third respectively in the 100 breaststroke.
The Lady Panthers also won all three relay races.
Noah Joyner won the boys’ 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.95.
The Panthers swept three of the top four spots in the 200-yard freestyle. Payton Jones won the event while Nick Cashel was third and Even Wilson fourth. Wilson was also second in the 500-yard freestyle. Jones also won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05.66, while Chris Daniel was third and Seth Herrera fifth in that event.
Daniel also took second for the Panthers in the 100-yard freestyle while Herrera was fifth. Lonoke’s Tanner Edwards and Jimmy Evans took sixth and seventh while Zach Brown was eighth.
Jacob Bland took second in the 200-yard IM. Ben Cameron won the backstroke and took fourth in the butterfly.
Next stop for the Panthers is the state meet at UALR next Saturday.
Leader sports editor
The Cabot swim teams made history on Thursday, winning the school’s first-ever district championships at the Veteran’s Park Community Center in Cabot. The Panther boys easily beat out second-place Jonesboro by more than 200 points, totaling 389 to the Hurricanes’ 177. Mountain Home was third with 144, Paragould had 132 and Lonoke finished fifth with 122 points. It was the Cabot boys’ fifth first-place finish in six meets this year.
The girls’ meet was a bit closer, but the Lady Panthers prevailed with a dominant 450 points. Jonesboro was also second in the girls’ meet with 346 while Mountain Home was third with 288. Greene County Tech and Searcy rounded out the top five. The Lady Panthers have also won five meets this year.
Haylee Beckley won the 200-yard individual medley by five seconds with a time of 2:25.88.
Caytee Wright and Katie Frederick took first and third in the 50-yard freestyle sprint. Wright also won the 100 freestyle while teammate Riley Young took third in that event.
The Lady Panthers didn’t win the 500-yard freestyle, but did sweep the next four spots. Beckley, Kristen Meyer, Allison Kindrex and Chelbi Dulin took second through fifth. Lonoke’s Colby Hartley was sixth in the event.
Melanie Abbot was third and Dulin fifth in the 100-yard butterfly.
Jessica Baldwin won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:02.21, and Young was fourth. Baldwin and Abbott then took second and third respectively in the 100 breaststroke.
The Lady Panthers also won all three relay races.
Noah Joyner won the boys’ 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.95.
The Panthers swept three of the top four spots in the 200-yard freestyle. Payton Jones won the event while Nick Cashel was third and Even Wilson fourth. Wilson was also second in the 500-yard freestyle. Jones also won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05.66, while Chris Daniel was third and Seth Herrera fifth in that event.
Daniel also took second for the Panthers in the 100-yard freestyle while Herrera was fifth. Lonoke’s Tanner Edwards and Jimmy Evans took sixth and seventh while Zach Brown was eighth.
Jacob Bland took second in the 200-yard IM. Ben Cameron won the backstroke and took fourth in the butterfly.
Next stop for the Panthers is the state meet at UALR next Saturday.
SPORTS STORY >> Healthy Cabot defeats Marion
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Panthers got another key player back for Tuesday’s 7A/6A-East home game against Marion, and the Panthers didn’t miss a beat, as they jumped on the Patriots early and beat them by the final score of 57-43.
Cabot guard Jarrod Barnes made his return from a knee injury last week against North Little Rock, and on Tuesday, starting forward Garrett Rowe made his anticipated return to the floor.
Rowe, who had suffered a broken collarbone earlier in the season, came off the bench Tuesday, and entered the game for the first time near the midway point of the opening quarter.
Rowe made an immediate contribution, scoring consecutive buckets that gave the host Panthers an 8-7 lead. Marion didn’t score for the rest of the quarter, and at the end of one, Cabot led 17-7.
“Our group has been getting better, too,” said Cabot coach Jerry Bridges, “and I think that was evident in the Searcy game. It was evident in the North Little Rock game just having Jarrod. It was good to be able to play Jarrod a little more tonight.
“Hopefully we can get Rowe in better shape, because we know it’s a big one Friday (against West Memphis). It feels real good to have him back out there. At 9:30 (a.m.) he texts me and told me the doctor said it’s all go, and I said ‘alright.’
“He’s been practicing for the last week and a half, but it’s been non-contact. He has done nothing five-on-five until tonight. I told the team, ‘guys, if he gets cleared, he’s going to be playing,’ because I want him to see some game speed before we get to West Memphis.”
By the end of the first half, the Panthers pushed their lead to 29-16. That margin was set on a pair of Rowe free throws with 7.8 seconds remaining in the half.
Cabot made 50 percent of its shots from the floor in the first half, making 10 of 20 shot attempts. Marion, on the other hand, made 23 percent of its shots from the floor on 7 of 31 shooting.
The Panthers’ lead grew to 47-26 by the end of the third quarter. Cabot’s Logan Gilbertson scored the final bucket of the quarter. It was an inside basket with 30 seconds remaining, set up by a Rowe lob pass from the top of the key.
Marion was able to put a short run together near the midway point of the fourth quarter, but the Patriots weren’t able to put much of a dent in Cabot’s already sizable lead.
Cabot led 55-38 with 1:20 left to play, and at that point, both coaches emptied their bench. In the final 1:20, Marion outscored Cabot 5-2, setting the final score.
“It’s good to have them back,” Bridges said. “We’ve just got big things coming up and we know that. Hopefully we’ll be ready to play.”
The Panthers finished the game 21 of 39 from the floor for 54 percent. The Patriots finished 17 of 56 from the floor for 30 percent. From the free-throw line, Cabot made 8 of 14 shots for 57 percent, while Marion made 4 of 10 shots for 40 percent.
From the 3-point line, Cabot made 7 of 12 shots for 58 percent. Marion, conversely, made 5 of 20 shots from beyond the arc for 25 percent.
Cabot outrebounded Marion 28-25, but the Panthers had more turnovers, committing 24 to the Patriots’ total of 17.
Panther forward Hunter Southerland led all scorers with 22 points. He also had 10 rebounds, giving him a double-double. Rowe was Cabot’s second-leading scorer Tuesday. He had nine points, and added eight rebounds and three steals.
Laquan Davie led Marion (9-12, 5-4) with 14 points. He was the lone Patriot to score in double figures.
The Panthers (12-9, 2-7) played another 7A/6A-East game at West Memphis last night after deadlines, and they’ll play another crucial conference game next Tuesday at home against Little Rock Central. Next Tuesday’s varsity games at Panther Arena will begin at 6 p.m. with the girls taking the floor first.
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Panthers got another key player back for Tuesday’s 7A/6A-East home game against Marion, and the Panthers didn’t miss a beat, as they jumped on the Patriots early and beat them by the final score of 57-43.
Cabot guard Jarrod Barnes made his return from a knee injury last week against North Little Rock, and on Tuesday, starting forward Garrett Rowe made his anticipated return to the floor.
Rowe, who had suffered a broken collarbone earlier in the season, came off the bench Tuesday, and entered the game for the first time near the midway point of the opening quarter.
Rowe made an immediate contribution, scoring consecutive buckets that gave the host Panthers an 8-7 lead. Marion didn’t score for the rest of the quarter, and at the end of one, Cabot led 17-7.
“Our group has been getting better, too,” said Cabot coach Jerry Bridges, “and I think that was evident in the Searcy game. It was evident in the North Little Rock game just having Jarrod. It was good to be able to play Jarrod a little more tonight.
“Hopefully we can get Rowe in better shape, because we know it’s a big one Friday (against West Memphis). It feels real good to have him back out there. At 9:30 (a.m.) he texts me and told me the doctor said it’s all go, and I said ‘alright.’
“He’s been practicing for the last week and a half, but it’s been non-contact. He has done nothing five-on-five until tonight. I told the team, ‘guys, if he gets cleared, he’s going to be playing,’ because I want him to see some game speed before we get to West Memphis.”
By the end of the first half, the Panthers pushed their lead to 29-16. That margin was set on a pair of Rowe free throws with 7.8 seconds remaining in the half.
Cabot made 50 percent of its shots from the floor in the first half, making 10 of 20 shot attempts. Marion, on the other hand, made 23 percent of its shots from the floor on 7 of 31 shooting.
The Panthers’ lead grew to 47-26 by the end of the third quarter. Cabot’s Logan Gilbertson scored the final bucket of the quarter. It was an inside basket with 30 seconds remaining, set up by a Rowe lob pass from the top of the key.
Marion was able to put a short run together near the midway point of the fourth quarter, but the Patriots weren’t able to put much of a dent in Cabot’s already sizable lead.
Cabot led 55-38 with 1:20 left to play, and at that point, both coaches emptied their bench. In the final 1:20, Marion outscored Cabot 5-2, setting the final score.
“It’s good to have them back,” Bridges said. “We’ve just got big things coming up and we know that. Hopefully we’ll be ready to play.”
The Panthers finished the game 21 of 39 from the floor for 54 percent. The Patriots finished 17 of 56 from the floor for 30 percent. From the free-throw line, Cabot made 8 of 14 shots for 57 percent, while Marion made 4 of 10 shots for 40 percent.
From the 3-point line, Cabot made 7 of 12 shots for 58 percent. Marion, conversely, made 5 of 20 shots from beyond the arc for 25 percent.
Cabot outrebounded Marion 28-25, but the Panthers had more turnovers, committing 24 to the Patriots’ total of 17.
Panther forward Hunter Southerland led all scorers with 22 points. He also had 10 rebounds, giving him a double-double. Rowe was Cabot’s second-leading scorer Tuesday. He had nine points, and added eight rebounds and three steals.
Laquan Davie led Marion (9-12, 5-4) with 14 points. He was the lone Patriot to score in double figures.
The Panthers (12-9, 2-7) played another 7A/6A-East game at West Memphis last night after deadlines, and they’ll play another crucial conference game next Tuesday at home against Little Rock Central. Next Tuesday’s varsity games at Panther Arena will begin at 6 p.m. with the girls taking the floor first.
SPORTS STORY >> Lady Bears earn sweep against JHS
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills Lady Bears went into the Devils’ Den at Jacksonville High School and walked out with a win and a season sweep on Tuesday. The game was nip and tuck for three quarters before the Lady Bears pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 50-43 victory to complete a season sweep of Jacksonville.
The two teams entered the game mired in a three-way tie with Beebe for second place in the 5A-Central Conference, making the outcome even more important.
“You and I both know how big this win was for us,” said Sylvan Hills coach Shelley Davis. “It was huge. I thought they played hard. I thought we were very aggressive. I don’t know. It was just a well-played game. We didn’t shoot very well, but we did almost everything else pretty well and we got a very big win.”
It was still a one-point game with 1:51 remaining. Sylvan Hills led 42-41 but both of Jacksonville’s starting post players had fouled out. Jerika Hardaway’s fifth foul sent Sylvan Hills point guard Jessica Brasfield to the free-throw line, where she made 1 of 2 to make it 43-41. A series of turnovers followed. Jacksonville’s Alexis James got the rebound, but it was stolen by Jahnay Duncan, who then walked with the ball. But Sylvan Hills freshman Alana Canady stole the ball and was fouled. She missed the front end of her one-and-one trip to the line, but Duncan got the rebound. She passed to Brasfield who was fouled, and this time made both shots for a 45-41 lead with 1:15 left.
James missed at the other end, and with 50 seconds remaining, Sylvan Hills senior Sarah Beckwith drained a 3-pointer that all but sealed the win.
Taylor Toombs made two free throws for Jacksonville with 36 seconds remaining, but Jacksonville (12-9, 7-3) was still forced to foul. This time it was leading scorer Antrice McCoy who fouled out sending Dabria Thompson to the line with 30 seconds to go. She hit both shots to set the final margin.
“I have to give a lot of credit,” said Jacksonville coach William Rountree. “We have played this team twice and both times they have absolutely killed us on the boards. That’s something we usually do well, but they have some good athletes and they have soundly beaten us twice in that aspect of the game, and I think it made the difference tonight.”
Jacksonville led 11-8 in the first quarter when Sylvan Hills went on an 8-0 run. Thompson got a 3-point play before hitting a 3-pointer, and Brasfield hit a running jumper to put the Lady Bears up 16-11 and force a Jacksonville timeout.
Sylvan Hills (12-9, 8-2) focused defensively on McCoy, who is averaging more than 20 points per game. She had four points and was held without a bucket until 50 seconds remained in the first half when she hit her first shot of the game.
That cut Sylvan Hills’ lead to 23-22. After a Thompson miss, James sank a running 40-footer at the buzzer to give the Lady Red Devils a two-point lead at intermission. But Jacksonville failed to capitalize on the momentum. Sylvan Hills started the third quarter with an 8-0 run.
“We got a big momentum swing with that big shot to end the half,” Rountree said. “But then we came out flat in the third quarter. Once we fell behind we were trying to swim upstream, and we just weren’t playing well enough to pull it off. I don’t question our effort at all. I thought we played hard. Sylvan Hills has a good team.”
Sylvan Hills won the rebounding battle 36-27, led by Duncan’s 12 rebounds.
“She played her best game of the year without a doubt,” Davis said of Duncan. “I think some of these girls are maybe still a bit too young to notice what that kind of effort and tenacity can do for you. But I think she can see it now and I think she’ll keep it up. She’s so athletic, and if she’ll work that hard she can do that consistently.”
Brasfield led all scorers with 16 points while Thompson added 15. Beckwith quietly contributed 11 points for the Lady Bears.
“I love her because I know I’m going to get 100 percent out of her every second she’s on the floor,” Davis said of Beckwith. “She loses her head a little bit every now and then, but I get her attention and she’s right back on track. And I never have to worry about effort. That’s why I love having her out there on the floor.”
James and McCoy each finished with 12 points to lead Jacksonville.
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills Lady Bears went into the Devils’ Den at Jacksonville High School and walked out with a win and a season sweep on Tuesday. The game was nip and tuck for three quarters before the Lady Bears pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 50-43 victory to complete a season sweep of Jacksonville.
The two teams entered the game mired in a three-way tie with Beebe for second place in the 5A-Central Conference, making the outcome even more important.
“You and I both know how big this win was for us,” said Sylvan Hills coach Shelley Davis. “It was huge. I thought they played hard. I thought we were very aggressive. I don’t know. It was just a well-played game. We didn’t shoot very well, but we did almost everything else pretty well and we got a very big win.”
It was still a one-point game with 1:51 remaining. Sylvan Hills led 42-41 but both of Jacksonville’s starting post players had fouled out. Jerika Hardaway’s fifth foul sent Sylvan Hills point guard Jessica Brasfield to the free-throw line, where she made 1 of 2 to make it 43-41. A series of turnovers followed. Jacksonville’s Alexis James got the rebound, but it was stolen by Jahnay Duncan, who then walked with the ball. But Sylvan Hills freshman Alana Canady stole the ball and was fouled. She missed the front end of her one-and-one trip to the line, but Duncan got the rebound. She passed to Brasfield who was fouled, and this time made both shots for a 45-41 lead with 1:15 left.
James missed at the other end, and with 50 seconds remaining, Sylvan Hills senior Sarah Beckwith drained a 3-pointer that all but sealed the win.
Taylor Toombs made two free throws for Jacksonville with 36 seconds remaining, but Jacksonville (12-9, 7-3) was still forced to foul. This time it was leading scorer Antrice McCoy who fouled out sending Dabria Thompson to the line with 30 seconds to go. She hit both shots to set the final margin.
“I have to give a lot of credit,” said Jacksonville coach William Rountree. “We have played this team twice and both times they have absolutely killed us on the boards. That’s something we usually do well, but they have some good athletes and they have soundly beaten us twice in that aspect of the game, and I think it made the difference tonight.”
Jacksonville led 11-8 in the first quarter when Sylvan Hills went on an 8-0 run. Thompson got a 3-point play before hitting a 3-pointer, and Brasfield hit a running jumper to put the Lady Bears up 16-11 and force a Jacksonville timeout.
Sylvan Hills (12-9, 8-2) focused defensively on McCoy, who is averaging more than 20 points per game. She had four points and was held without a bucket until 50 seconds remained in the first half when she hit her first shot of the game.
That cut Sylvan Hills’ lead to 23-22. After a Thompson miss, James sank a running 40-footer at the buzzer to give the Lady Red Devils a two-point lead at intermission. But Jacksonville failed to capitalize on the momentum. Sylvan Hills started the third quarter with an 8-0 run.
“We got a big momentum swing with that big shot to end the half,” Rountree said. “But then we came out flat in the third quarter. Once we fell behind we were trying to swim upstream, and we just weren’t playing well enough to pull it off. I don’t question our effort at all. I thought we played hard. Sylvan Hills has a good team.”
Sylvan Hills won the rebounding battle 36-27, led by Duncan’s 12 rebounds.
“She played her best game of the year without a doubt,” Davis said of Duncan. “I think some of these girls are maybe still a bit too young to notice what that kind of effort and tenacity can do for you. But I think she can see it now and I think she’ll keep it up. She’s so athletic, and if she’ll work that hard she can do that consistently.”
Brasfield led all scorers with 16 points while Thompson added 15. Beckwith quietly contributed 11 points for the Lady Bears.
“I love her because I know I’m going to get 100 percent out of her every second she’s on the floor,” Davis said of Beckwith. “She loses her head a little bit every now and then, but I get her attention and she’s right back on track. And I never have to worry about effort. That’s why I love having her out there on the floor.”
James and McCoy each finished with 12 points to lead Jacksonville.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
EDITORIAL >> Who can lead new district?
The Jacksonville School Board is looking for a permanent superintendent to run the fledgling district as it continues the process of breaking away from the Pulaski County Special School District.
The new schools chief will have to be dedicated to creating a long-term vision that will include building multiple new campuses and finding a way to reinvigorate the students and teachers to boost academic achievement.
The new school board recently paid $9,000 to a company in Omaha, Neb., to look for candidates for the job. They must find a superintendent who understands the community and who is willing to stay for several years. Whomever the board finally chooses, the new superintendent will be dealing with impatient residents who have seen their hometown suffer under the dysfunction of a failing district for years.
It will take time to rebuild the education system: Schools will have to be consolidated, buildings will have to be demolished and, perhaps most importantly, trust will have to be developed between the community and school administrators, which the city has not had since Bobby Lester was in charge.
Lester is the new district’s interim superintendent. He will step aside from that role by summer.
Jacksonville needs someone as capable as Cabot Superintendent Tony Thurman, our gold standard for school administrators.
We’ve said before that schools are key to thriving communities and, because of that, they are more important to a city’s future than even the mayors. Superintendents are rightfully paid more, and we’re sure the mayors would agree.
Choose a leader we can count on.
The new schools chief will have to be dedicated to creating a long-term vision that will include building multiple new campuses and finding a way to reinvigorate the students and teachers to boost academic achievement.
The new school board recently paid $9,000 to a company in Omaha, Neb., to look for candidates for the job. They must find a superintendent who understands the community and who is willing to stay for several years. Whomever the board finally chooses, the new superintendent will be dealing with impatient residents who have seen their hometown suffer under the dysfunction of a failing district for years.
It will take time to rebuild the education system: Schools will have to be consolidated, buildings will have to be demolished and, perhaps most importantly, trust will have to be developed between the community and school administrators, which the city has not had since Bobby Lester was in charge.
Lester is the new district’s interim superintendent. He will step aside from that role by summer.
Jacksonville needs someone as capable as Cabot Superintendent Tony Thurman, our gold standard for school administrators.
We’ve said before that schools are key to thriving communities and, because of that, they are more important to a city’s future than even the mayors. Superintendents are rightfully paid more, and we’re sure the mayors would agree.
Choose a leader we can count on.
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