By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The treatment of 22 cases of tuberculosis originally found in the Forrest City Junior High School is coming to a close, according to Bonnie Dodson with the St. Francis County Health Department.
In April of last year, five cases of tuberculosis were discovered at FCJHS and subsequently 4,964 individuals, mostly students, were tested for tuberculosis. In a May press conference, officials with the Arkansas Department of Health said that 22 cases had been confirmed in Forrest City and 117 people had tested positive in the skin tests.
According to Dodson, the individuals who were infected underwent a prescription program that took nine months to complete and that time frame is nearing in completion.
"This has been a long process, but it is coming to an end now. The patients that were confirmed to have tuberculosis have all been undergoing treatment, and that treatment lasts for nine months. We will be finishing the treatment soon, and there have been no new cases reported to us," said Dodson.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Eight students have been arrested in the Forrest City School District this week for a variety of offenses ranging from an assault with a razor blade to terroristic threatening.
A 13-year-old girl was arrested Monday afternoon at the Forrest City Junior High School for allegedly cutting a classmate on the hand with a double-edged razor blade. The Forrest City Police Department reported today that the suspect allegedly placed the blade on the 14-year-old victim's hand, moved it and asked him if it hurt. The assault occurred in a classroom at the school. Only minor injuries were reported to the juvenile, police reported.
The suspect is charged with third-degree battery, disorderly conduct and carrying a weapon at school.
Two students were arrested on drug-related charges Tuesday at FCJHS after both tested positive for drug use.
According to police, a juvenile intake officer tested both suspects for drugs after school officials noticed a strong odor of marijuana about the students.
The first student, a 14-year-old juvenile, was arrested just after 10 a.m. after testing positive for marijuana and cocaine use. He is charged with public intoxication by drugs and possession of a controlled substance on campus.
The second teenager, a 15-year-old, was arrested about noon after police said he had disrupted several classes at the school. He is charged with public intoxication by drugs, disrupting campus activities and disorderly conduct.
On Wednesday morning, two 14-year-old female juveniles, were arrested after fighting in the suspension school.
According to the police report, the two girls had been sent to suspension school to cool off following an argument. During the fight, one of the girls allegedly picked up a chair.
The two are charged with disorderly conduct and disrupting campus activities.
A fight during lunch Wednesday afternoon lead to the arrest of two 14-year-olds at the junior high. Police reported the students got into an altercation in the lunchroom and that argument continued to a nearby stairwell where they began fighting. Both students are charged with disorderly conduct.
A Lincoln Middle School student was arrested just after arriving at school Wednesday morning when he allegedly threatened to blow up the school.
Police reported the 13-year-old was arrested after disrupting classes and refusing to follow instructions from his teacher. He is charged with terroristic threatening, disorderly conduct and disrupting campus activities.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Arkansas Agricultural Exposition 2001 is well underway at the Forrest City Civic Center. Now in its 22nd year, the Expo is still drawing people who have an interest in all phases of the business of agriculture.
"The people who have been here have been really interested, and the visitors have pretty much kept busy in the breaks between the educational sessions," said Margy Cannon, Extension agent, staff chairman, for St. Francis County.
She said numbers might be down, but only slightly this year. "The numbers aren't down really. It's a little less than last year, but all the sessions have had a lot of questions for the speakers. It's been good."
The sessions have been successful, she said.
"Soybeans had a lot of interest. And the people who were at the crop insurance and marketing session had a lot of interest and a lot of questions. And we actually had more in the wheat session yesterday than we had in the wheat session last year."
She said the fall allowed a lot of wheat to be planted.
"That's one of the things that's going on now -- fertilizing wheat," she said. "But some people are hiring it custom done, so not everybody who's fertilizing wheat this week had to be out in their fields. People are trying to get their fertilizer out before the rain."
According to Cannon, some farmers may be taking advantage of the chance to get out in their fields, however.
"This is the driest weather we've had since October. Along about Sunday and Monday, people started being able to get in their fields. And of course, it was really cold this winter, plus wet. We're charging the subsoil back up that got so dry last summer."
Weather may have been a little extreme this past year, but not all that unusual, she said.
"Of course, around here, it's always dry in July and August, and usually the winter time is wet, December and January."
Cannon said interest in the exhibits is about average. She said it might be deceiving to walk the exhibit room when an educational session is going on.
"We always have a big draw for the sessions. And during the sessions, pretty much everyone comes to hear the speakers. And during breaks in the sessions they visit the exhibits."
Wednesday sessions included marketing and economics, feed grain production, soybean production and wheat production. Scheduled for today were sessions on cotton production and rice production.
The East Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees will meet in regular session tonight at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Administration Building.
Agenda items include a status report on the Learning Resource Center, a preliminary enrollment report, a report on campus projects, recommendations for employment, a retirement and a resignation.
There will also be recommendations for membership to the EACC Foundation Board.