By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A new website was introduced during the annual Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce banquet held Thursday night at the Civic Center. The website address is www.forrestcitychamber.com.
The website, designed with help from Southwestern Bell, will upgrade the chamber's current internet site and will showcase not only the chamber, but also its members. According to Chamber Executive Director Danny Ferguson, the new site is designed as a marketing tool for the community and for the Chamber and its members.
"Not only are we going to promote our community, we're also going to promote Chamber members on the site because our membership supports our economic development," said Ferguson.
The site, according to Ferguson, will have several pages that focus on different areas that the Chamber works in as well as areas that will promote economic development in Forrest City. The site will also have links that will allow web surfers to go to different internet locations that will be posted on the chamber site.
"There are pages on the demographics of Forrest City and pages on economic development. We have several pages on the economic development portion that will give the breakdown of the workforce and income levels of the workforce. There are also pages that will highlight the industrial park as well as pages on telecommunications and the Forrest City tax base," said Ferguson.
Ferguson also noted that one area of the site will focus primarily on those that might visit or relocate to Forrest City.
"For someone who's looking at our area, they will be able to click on an area that will give them updates on several things ranging from churches, banks, city and county government, civic organizations and education. There will also be a membership directory highlighting Chamber members. They will be able to search by category, company name or contact name," Ferguson said.
The Chamber also welcomed its new president, Tom Machen. Machen was introduced by outgoing president Florine Bingham. Machen spoke to the audience of over 200 on the benefits of being members of the Chamber of Commerce.
"I've come up with a theme of my own for the Chamber, and it's that the Chamber doesn't cost, it pays!" Machen said. He also stressed the Chamber's efforts in economic development, which has helped lower the unemployment rate in St. Francis County from over 20 percent in the late 80's to eight percent at times last year.
Miss Arkansas Sara Harris performed at the banquet. She thanked Chamber members for their support and also thanked the community and her parents for their support over the last year. She performed a solo entitled "I Believe."
The Steve Bernard family of Hughes was presented with the St. Francis County Farm Family Award by Donna Sugg, with the Times-Herald.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A late afternoon altercation involving a pair of drivers sent one to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis and one to the Forrest City Police Department.
According to reports at the FCPD, James Starkey, 54, of Forrest City, and Richard Bailey, 32, also of Forrest City, were involved in an accident at the corner of Broadway and Burke Streets.
FCPD Detective John Riggins said Starkey, who was riding a 1995 Yamaha motorcycle, and Bailey, the driver of a 1989 Oldsmobile, were traveling west on Broadway when the two began arguing.
"According to witnesses at the scene, Starkey was in the outside westbound lane arguing with Bailey when Starkey allegedly pulled a gun on Bailey. Bailey was behind Starkey and when he allegedly pulled the gun, Bailey moved into the lane in which Starkey was traveling. As he changed lanes Starkey allegedly switched the gun to his other hand at which time Bailey struck his motorcycle causing the accident," said Riggins.
Eyewitnesses told police Bailey then continued west on Broadway but returned to the scene.
"It wasn't a hit-and-run accident because Bailey basically continued down the road. We arrived at the scene almost immediately, so we were actually there before he got back to the scene. Bailey simply went down the road and made the block back to the scene of the accident," said Riggins.
Bailey was arrested and charged with first-degree battery in connection with the accident. According to Riggins, charges may be pending against Starkey for his involvement in the accident.
When asked if alcohol played a role in the altercation, Riggins replied, "There was a broken beer bottle on the ground near the downed motorcycle, but we don't know if the bottle was on the ground near the accident scene and was broken during the wreck or if the bottle was on Mr. Starkey. We requested a blood work up from the hospital and that should let us know if he had been drinking and to what extent."
Starkey was transported to the Med Center by helicopter, and was listed in satisfactory condition this morning.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
With many experts saying it is only a matter of time before a major earthquake in this area, a researcher has said the New Madrid Seismic Zone may extend farther south than previously thought.
One Forrest City official said the possibility of an earthquake cannot be ignored.
According to Chester Crossen, code enforcement officer for Forrest City, a major earthquake would not bode well for some of the older buildings in downtown Forrest City.
"We don't know exactly how far we are from a quake, what time or what magnitude," Crossen said. "Those old two-story structures downtown -- I don't think they would even withstand a 4 or a 6 (on the Richter scale) if it was very close to Forrest City."
The seismic zone historically has been thought to extend from Cape Girardeau, Mo., to Marked Tree. New evidence shows the zone may extend 65 miles south to near Marianna.
''There is a sizable area outside the generally acknowledged New Madrid zone that is at a greater risk from earthquakes than previously believed,'' said Haydar Al-Shukri, director of the Arkansas Center for Earthquake Education and Technology Transfer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in an Associated Press story.
Professor Robert Lemmer, part of the team researching the zone, said they have found evidence between Forrest City and Parkin indicating that faults also may exist near there. He said they would be digging trenches near those cities this summer to investigate.
Two years ago, team members conducted an aerial search of regions from the zone south to Helena and from the Mississippi River to near Little Rock. They found evidence of a past, strong earthquake near Marianna.
Lemmer said the team then dug trenches and found evidence of ''sand blows'' near Marianna. Sand blows occur when sand erupts from 15-20 feet underground during an earthquake. He said it takes an earthquake with a magnitude 8 or higher to create those.
Crossen said he has a VCR tape put out by a company which reworks existing structures to make them more earthquake resistant.
"I would be glad to loan it out and let people view it," he said. "It's only about 30 to 45 minutes long. Of course, people would have to sign it in and out. It shows how to put in brackets and how to go in and prevent lateral movement."
As for the old downtown buildings, some of which are more than 100 years old, "With those old brick buildings over there, a person would have to get an engineer to come in and go over those buildings to see what could be done."
He said newer buildings are generally constructed to be earthquake resistant.
The New Madrid Seismic Zone, named for a small Missouri town near its center, was the site of a series of earthquakes in 1811-12 that were felt hundreds of miles away. Many seismologists believe another large earthquake in the region is inevitable.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Local and state authorities are investigating injuries to a four-month-old child.
The baby was rushed to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Forrest City Thursday afternoon, and then transferred to Le Bonheur Children's Research Center in Memphis last night.
The Forrest City Police Department reported, Perry Dequarris Garry, was taken by ambulance to BMH-FC after it was reported by the baby's father, Perry Garry, 22, 130 Turner Circle Apt. 24, Forrest City, that the baby had stopped breathing. According to the report, when officers and paramedics arrived on the scene the child was breathing and was rushed to BMH-FC.
Police reported the parents had given the infant Tylenol for a fever when the child suddenly went limp and quit breathing. Questions were raised at the hospital after nurses found Garry suffering from head trauma. According to police, the parents told officials that the child had fallen off of a couch last week. Emergency room doctors questioned that incident. The doctor on duty at the hospital told police earlier injuries may have attributed to the baby's seizure yesterday.
No charges have been filed.
By CRYSTAL HOLLIS
T-H Staff Writer
Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute is bracing for a budget reduction that could see the school operating on $120,000 less each year for the next two years.
CRTI Business Manager Ava Hankins discussed the funding cut with board members during the group's quarterly meeting Thursday.
"We did have to take a budget cut a couple of weeks ago. It was for $4,055 on this fiscal year's budget." said Hankins. "The next two years, we're going to have to take $120,000 and put it in allocation C which is highly unlikely that we'll be funded. So, we are going to have to take out $120,000 for the next two years."
According to Hankins, a lot of state agencies have had to do the same thing due to the 2001 to 2003 Revenue Stabilization Law. Allocation C includes recommended budget reductions and grant reductions, less B-1 priorities. B-1 priorities reflect priority programs to be funded as the economy improves, such as the public school fund and the human services fund. Under allocation B-1, $5 million is being added for the State Central Services Fund under general education.
Hankins said right now, the institution has a cash balance of $800,630 for the period ending March 31 of this year.
On another matter, CRTI President Burl Lieblong praised the efforts of area State Senators Mike Everett and Alvin Simes for their work in blocking a merger between CRTI and East Arkansas Community College. The bill to merge the two was introduced during the recent Legislative session.
In other business, the board passed a motion to transfer $13,500 from maintenance and operations to promotional operations.
Lieblong announced CRTI graduation ceremonies will be held Monday, June 17, at 7 p.m., at the Forrest City Civic Center. According to Student Services Coordinator Dighton Ewan, 96 students are expected to graduate, not counting GED students and 15 or 20 EMT and CNA students.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Four men were arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly breaking into video games at Truckstops of America at Shell Lake.
According to the report from the St. Francis County Sheriff's Office, at about 2:51 p.m., the office received a call that four men were in the store, breaking into video games. At that time, the caller said they were still there.
When deputies arrived, the men had left, followed by a witness who also gave a description of the suspects, the car they were in and the license number.
The vehicle with the suspects was spotted getting on the eastbound entrance ramp of Interstate 40. Officers caught up with the vehicle and pulled it over near the 200 mile marker.
All the suspects were taken into custody without incident. According to the report, the men had more than $2,000 in cash and coins.
Arrested were Darryl Johnson, 36, Terrence Kenneth Dorsey, 33, Michael Anthony Stepp, 37 and Keith E. Roundtree, 31, all of Baltimore, Md.
Each was charged with Criminal Mischief, attempted theft under $500 and possession of instruments of a crime.
They are also accused of a similar break in at Lake Side Grocery in Heth at 3 p.m.
The Forrest City Planning Commission will not meet in regular session this month.
The meeting had originally been scheduled for Tuesday, April 24.
There will be a public meeting concerning a possible annexation on Tuesday, May 1, in the Forrest City City Hall before the city council meeting. The annexation meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.
All residents questioning the annexation will be allowed to voice their opinions on the move.