By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
St. Francis County officials are looking at possible ways to increase the money in the county general account.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chris Morledge discussed one possible way of adding money to that account with members of the Quorum Courts budget committee during a meeting Tuesday night at the courthouse.
According to Morledge the county used forfeited cash bonds last year to increase county general. Morledge said he had been contacted by County Judge Carl Cisco about possibly doing that again this year.
"Last year, $78,000 was entered into county general from forfeited bonds. The county judge asked me if I could assist the quorum court in securing those funds for county general. The process for which you do that is rather complicated, but as a result of that, the $78,000 was able to be entered into county general," said Morledge.
He also explained the process for attaining those funds, and said it could take between 30 and 90 days for that money to reach county general. Morledge told justices the bond money could be between $50,000 and $150,000.
At the end of February, the ending balance in county general was $66,535.82, up $22,105.71 in comparison with the ending balance for February 2000 which was $44,430.11.
County Treasurer Ann Harbin that increase is largely due to the amount of money that was transferred from other county accounts into county general. In February, $157,997 was moved into the general fund against $46,589.12 a year ago. Harbin also told justices that the fund currently stands at close to $57,000.
According to Cisco, the county is currently in a financial crunch and not a collapse. Cisco said last night that overall county finances are in good shape and that the general fund is the only fund that really needs to be watched.
"We're cutting back and pinching pennies right now so that we can avoid a major problem down the road. We haven't set a date on when any of the people that were laid off will return, and we're still looking at cutbacks in other areas," said Cisco.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The family of a Wheatley woman has been awarded a total of $12 million in federal court in Mississippi, following an accident which claimed her life.
Camilla "Cammy" Haynes, of Wheatley, was killed while driving a van near Jackson, Miss. on Aug. 3, 1998, when a blade flew off a Bush Hog which was cutting grass along Interstate 55. The blade crashed through the Haynes' minivan's windshield, hitting Haynes in the chin and throat area.
Named as defendants in a lawsuit filed by the Haynes family were Bush Hog of Selma, Ala., and Southeastern Forge Inc. of Columbus, Ga., the manufacturer of the blade.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation had contracted with Culpepper Enterprises of Collins to mow the grass. The company uses Bush Hog equipment. Culpepper wasn't named in the federal lawsuit, but Bush Hog and Southeastern forge said Culpepper should share the blame.
The jury in Jackson affixed 50 percent of the blame to Bush Hog, 40 percent to Southeastern Forge and 10 percent to Culpepper.
The jury awarded $7.5 million in the wrongful death damages to the family. An additional $1 million was awarded to each of the Haynes three children, Noelle, Dustin and Jerrod, who were traveling with her.
In addition, $1.25 million was awarded to Darlene Giffin, mother of Cammy Haynes, who was also in the van. She was ejected from the van and suffered a broken back. Another $250,000 was awarded to Jerry Giffin, Darlene Giffin's husband, for loss of consortium.
Cammy Haynes' husband, Gary Haynes, was not in the vehicle.
The family allowed their attorneys to speak for them.
"This is a victory, not only for the Haynes family but for the driving public." said attorney Charles Darwin "Skip" Davidson of Little Rock. "Their verdict says the mower, because it did not have adequate shields to deflect a large thrown object such as a blade or debris, was unsafe. I think the verdict will cause people in Mississippi, Arkansas and other states who use mowers, and the manufactures who make them, to improve their shields."
Davidson said there are some states such as Texas, Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota, which require a much better shield on mowers used along roadsides.
"Since Cammy was killed, there have been two people killed in Wisconsin, and a man in Texas lost his leg, in incidents of blades thrown from different brands of mower," said Davidson. "Broken blades do happen, and the industry either needs to provide adequate shielding, or improve the blades, or both."
Davidson said he had no word on whether there would be an appeal.
According to the latest information from the Arkansas Department of Health, there are now 44 confirmed cases of shigellosis in the community.
"It's still here," said Elisia White, R.N. "It is still mostly among preschool children. We are interviewing families and stressing handwashing, but it is just that easily spread."
She said the public has been good so far about reporting symptoms either to the Health Department or family physicians.
"It's still around and we're still working on it," White said.
The disease's symptoms include can include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and fever. Hand-washing is the best defense against spreading the disease, according to health officials.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A special Sports Day will bring kids from Central Elementary to Mustang Arena on Thursday to engage in activities they have been taught in P.E. class.
Thursday's activities are a pilot project, being done in conjunction with Special Olympics of Arkansas. However, the Elementary Unified Sports Skills Program, as it is called, includes all the kids, teamed up as partners.
"This is the first school district in Arkansas that has actually tried to do this program," said the coordinator, Sue Jayroe. "We want to make sure it's a program we can use and that kids will be interested in. Central is our largest elementary school and that is why it was chosen."
In Unified Sports Skills, kids with special needs are partnered with kids in regular education.
A total of 150 kids from grades two through five from Central will participate. An effort will be made to partner the kids as much as possible, according to Jayroe.
Sports Day will begin at about 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony that will include welcomes and reciting of the Special Olympic Oath.
The participants will be put through several athletic tests, including general athletics, softball and baseball skills, basketball skills, floor hockey skills, soccer skills and volleyball skills.
That afternoon, every participant will be given a Unified Sports Participation Award before being taken back to their school.
Plans are to make this a district-wide event next year.
Jayroe said that while the activity benefits the special needs, or Special Olympic kids, it also benefits everyone.
"First, they're getting a day out of school and that's fun," she said. "And you can't find too many kids -- in elementary anyway -- who aren't ready to go when it's P.E. time. Plus, they're coming to Mustang Arena, which is an awesome building, and getting exposed to it. And I want that. Every time I can get elementary kids into our arena and get them exposed to this, it's going to be better for all of us down the road. They're our future Mustangs and Lady Mustangs."
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The St. Francis County Quorum Court's personnel committee said Tuesday night that the firing of a former county employee was unjust.
County Clerk Elizabeth Smith and former deputy county clerk Tammy Talley discussed Talley's January dismissal with the group.
Talley told justices she felt her dismissal was unfair. In January, Talley was terminated from the clerk's office after printing a check for former County Clerk Dick Krablin.
"I thought, and I still feel like, Mr. Krablin was due a check. We were talking about it, and I told him that I didn't know if he was due a check or not but I felt like he was because he had worked the last two weeks of December, and that would have been paid on Jan. 2. I have been doing payroll, and I had never had this happen before. That Friday, I took the check to Ann (Harbin, County Treasurer). She said that she didn't think that he was due another check, and I told her that I thought he was because I never dreamed that Elizabeth (Smith, County Clerk) would come in here on Jan. 2 and receive a check because that would have been prepaying her because she hadn't worked those two weeks prior to that paycheck," Talley said. "So, Ann signed it. If she thought it was wrong then why'd she sign it?"
Talley then explained to justices that she spoke with Tracy Teal, chief of staff in the county judge's office regarding the check and was told that the check had been voided. Talley also told justices that she returned the check on Jan. 2 when she returned to the office.
Smith told justices that Talley was terminated due to the fact that she should have had knowledge of the rules on the payment of checks due to her experience with payroll in the clerk's office.
"Probably 95 percent of my decision was based on someone with 10 years experience in payroll," Smith said. Smith served as Chief Deputy County Clerk under Krablin before she ran against him for the office. "She (Talley) should have known," said Smith.
Justice Earlene Smith questioned Harbin on her experience with the county. "Ms. Harbin, how long have you been in the treasurer's office?"
Harbin answered, "Since 1987."
Smith replied, "And she didn't know."
When asked if the check was written deliberately, or if it was a mistake, Elizabeth Smith said that she felt like the error was a mistake.
Talley also informed justices that following a prior administration, the same error was made by another employee in the clerk's office. That error was resolved by Harbin and the judge's office by voiding the check. That employee was not reprimanded.
Justice Jack Crumbly asked Elizabeth Smith if she considered a lower reprimand or if firing was the only decision that could be made.
"If the situation was reversed, and you were in her shoes, would the same decision be made. She was directed by the standing public official, and at that time she was his chief deputy. She cut the check as she was told and took it to the treasurer. Surely the treasurer should have known not to sign the check because after she signed it she said that she didn't think that he was due a check. Out of all of the mistakes made, Ms. Talley was the only person punished. I just think that if the situation was reversed...was there any other way that this situation could have been resolved?" asked Crumbly.
Justices went into executive session and determined that Talley's termination was unjust. Talley said that at this time she could not comment as to whether litigation was her next option.
It's a favorite time of year for most children as a week-long break from school is planned next week.
Students in the Forrest City, Palestine-Wheatley and Hughes school districts, along with those students attending Calvary Christian Schools, will be out next week, March 19-23, for Spring Break. East Arkansas Community College students will also be on break that week.
The PWSD will begin its break early. Students there will be dismissed at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 15. Friday will be a teacher inservice day in the PWSD.
The HSD will dismiss at 1:30 p.m. Friday. The FCSD and Calvary will dismiss at the normal times on Friday afternoon.
Classes at all schools are scheduled to resume on Monday, March 26.
Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute has scheduled its spring break for the following week, March 26-30.
A benefit basketball game will be held this weekend at the Forrest City Junior High School gym.
The Forrest City Law Enforcement Officers will play the Federal Correctional Institution employees in a game set to begin at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 17.
Admission to the game is $2 for adults and $1 for students. Concessions will be provided with all proceeds benefiting the March of Dimes.
This is the final week to register for the Forrest City Recreation Department's youth softball and baseball league.
The recreation department will be open from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., each day this week through Friday, March 16, for those who have not yet signed up for either league.
Youth signup fees are $15 for youths living inside the Forrest City city limits and $25 for those youths living outside the city limits.
For more information, call Kenneth Taylor at 633-3667.