By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A Forrest City woman is in critical condition today at the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center in Memphis, following a Sunday morning fire.
Cheryl Walker, 21, was listed in critical condition this morning after being found inside a burned structure after the fire had been extinguished.
According to the Forrest City Police Department report, the fire occurred about 8:14 a.m., at 808 S. Division.
Police reports show Officer Bobby Daniel called in and said a house was on fire on South Division, and someone was still inside.
Other officers and the Forrest City Fire Department arrived, and firemen went inside but were unable to find anyone.
After the fire was out, firemen located Walker under a bed in the back room of the house. According to a Fire Department spokesman, Walker was badly burned. She was taken by ambulance to the corner of Davis and Division, where a helicopter picked her up and transported her to the Memphis hospital.
According to the fire department spokesman, there apparently was also a man who injured himself jumping through a window. However, the man was not identified, and the hospital would not give a condition report without a name.
The St. Francis County NAACP branch has called a rejection by the Forrest City Council of a proposal on a proposed community center at Southside Park politically biased and shortsighted.
"The resolution (to apply for a grant to build a community center at the park) died because the City Council is unwilling to move out of its conservative 1950s attitude when it comes to improving the south side of Forrest City," said branch president Frank Shaw.
Southside Park is located in a predominantly minority neighborhood. The particular grant for which Mayor Larry Bryant wanted to apply required that it benefit a low income area. Alderman Cecil Twillie made a motion to pass a resolution to seek the grant, and the motion died for lack of a second during a special city council meeting last week.
"We were glad to see council member (Cecil) Twillie step up to the plate and make the motion to consider the proposal, but totally shocked by the reaction of alderman (John) Gadberry, given that he represents a large minority population also," Shaw added
Gadberry voiced opposition to the proposed location. He said the council was not given adequate time to investigate the proposal and the location of the facility. He also expressed doubt that a Southside Park location would be accessible to all citizens.
"The same city council voted to draw up plans to build an animal shelter with an estimated cost of over $160,000. So the question is, is it money, is it about people, politics or just plain old racism?" said Shaw.
The council recently gave the local Humane Society permission to design a humane shelter, prior to bidding it out. The estimated cost is $160,000.
Shaw said the grant, from the Arkansas Department of Economic Development, was for $970,000, with the city's match being some $486,000. He also said the city currently has over a $1 million dollar surplus.
"The City has the money to improve the quality of life of its citizens, but will not." added Shaw. "It is evident that some members of the City Council place the well being of animals before the taxpaying citizens of the south side of Forrest City."
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Several drug arrests were made Friday in two separate incidents reported by the St. Francis County Sheriff's Department.
According to the report, at about 1:30 p.m. Friday, deputies stopped Justin B. Busby, 22, of 5114 U.S. Highway 70 W., Forrest City, for reckless driving. According to the report, Busby did not have a driver's license and became disorderly.
He was arrested, and officers found both methamphetamine and marijuana in the car. Busby was charged with possession of a controlled substance (marijuana and methamphetamine) along with possession of drug paraphernalia.
In the other incident, deputies along with Arkansas State Police executed a search warrant at the residence of Ricky Andrews at 783 SFC 707, Forrest City.
Methamphetamine was found at the scene. Also, while the officers were there, according to the report, several subjects came to the residence to purchase drugs.
The following arrests were made: Rickey Andrews, 53, for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and a bench warrant from Searcy; Randal Watlington, 45, Colt, two counts possession of drug paraphernalia; Sherrie Benefield, 33, Wynne, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal intent to purchase illegal drugs; John Walls, 23, Wynne, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal intent to purchase illegal drugs; and Clarissa Jackson, 36, of Colt, possession of a controlled substance, drinking on the highway, possession of drug paraphernalia and refusing a breath test.
The Forrest City City Council will meet Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at city hall.
Among agenda items is the opening of bids for a new repeater system and hand-held radios.
There will also be second reading of an ordinance to rezone an area on Ark. Highway 1 South from R-2 to C-2., and second reading of an ordinance to establish a deferred compensation plan for the city.
There will also be second reading of an ordinance to require developers to install street lights at their expense in new subdivisions.
There will also be a possible first reading of an ordinance to amend the rotation of wrecker services.
Representatives of the Humane Society are also an the agenda to discuss a new building.
The Palestine Advertising and Promotion Committee, with help from the First National Branch Bank of Palestine, will be sponsoring a "Community Bell Tree" this Christmas. The deadline for selecting a bell is Friday, Dec. 7.
Each bell will contain information about a child.
Those wishing to help can stop by the bank and select a bell. Patrons can then purchase the gifts, wrap them, attach the bell to it, and bring it back to the bank by Tuesday, Dec. 18.
The families receiving the gifts will need to pick them up by Wednesday, Dec. 19, before 3 p.m.
For more information, call 581-2500 or call the Palestine City Hall at 581-2166.
In order to help customers with Christmas mailings, the Forrest City Post Office will extend its hours on one Saturday this month.
"We're going to extend work hours for the Christmas mailing season on Saturday, Dec. 15, said Normal Gilchrist, postmaster. "We normally close at 12 noon. On that particular Saturday, we will stay open until 2 p.m."
He said that would be the only day the post office would extend hours during the holidays.