By CRYSTAL HOLLIS
T-H Staff Writer
Stiffer penalties are needed to deter people from manufacturing and selling illegal drugs, St. Francis County Sheriff's Department Chief Investigator Glenn Ramsey told members of the Forrest City Kiwanis Club this week.
Ramsey, who was assisted by SFC Narcotics Investigator Gene Wingo and Assistant Criminal Investigator Herbert Neighbors, told Kiwanians the main problem with the manufacture of illegal drugs is that the ingredients for drugs are easily obtainable.
"All of the ingredients they use now to manufacture methamphetamine can be bought over the counter," Wingo added.
Ramsey said changes in the penalties for such crimes should be made. "We need truth in sentencing. They need to serve real time when convicted," Ramsey said. "We need to charge them with a Class Y felony which means they will have to serve 70 percent of the time they are sentenced to. Right now, they are not serving enough time when convicted."
Ramsey also updated Kiwanians on the investigation surrounding a fire this week that destroyed a large portion of the northern wing of the courthouse."
"We've looked at the electrical system to see if it could have been caused by electrical and we've also looked at the hottest spot of the fire to determine if some type of flammable liquid could have been used," Ramsey said. "Test samples gathered from the fire were submitted to the State Crime Lab as part of the investigation. You just have to keep digging through the haystack until you find the needle."
Ramsey also attempted to dispel rumors surrounding the health of SFC Sheriff Dave Parkman.
The rumors are just absolutely not true," Ramsey said. "He did have some minor problems and high blood pressure, but I guarantee you, I'd hate to have to wrestle with him."
He also discussed how far the sheriff's office has moved forward under Parkman's administration.
"I have worked under three separate sheriffs, and residents here owe Dave Parkman more than they realize," Ramsey said. "He has brought this department into the modern-day technology. I can recall a time when if you called a deputy out to file a report, and called back a few days, he might find that report or it might not be found. The sheriff has done a lot to bring in the computers."
Following the meeting, Kiwanians were invited to view samples of methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Crimestoppers board agreed Thursday to pay $500 to a person who provided information leading to the capture of an escaped murder suspect.
Lt. Dwight Duch of the Forrest City Police Department told the board members that this recipient actually resides in another state.
The case in question had to do with Roger Hill, a capital murder suspect who broke out of the St. Francis County Jail with some other prisoners on Nov. 29 of last year.
"The FBI became involved in the manhunt and worked leads in four states," said Duch. "One person gave them a tip on several addresses that he was staying at. The FBI hit all these addresses at the same time. Roger Hill answered the door at one of them and was taken into custody without any kind of fighting or anything...Because of this one tipster, we got a capital murder suspect back into custody...and no one was hurt."
Duch said because the tipster was from another state, the check would be made out in that person's name and would be delivered by hand by the FBI.
"The tipster agreed with this," said Duch.
Board member Frederick Freeman expressed reservations about having the tipster's name on the check, as a possible threat to the tipster's confidentiality.
"This person has agreed to have it put in his name. I question that judgment," Freeman said. "I don't know if there's a way to do...something else whereby the person's name is not on it...I just want to go on record as questioning sending a tipster their reward with their name on the check."
He said the tipster had no problem with the check being made out to him, as long as the FBI did not release his name in his local area. Freeman also suggested that a range of awards be established so the board could be consistent in its awarding of cash.
Duch had several other cases for review, but recommended no reward, and the board concurred. In these cases, either the tipster provided information the police already knew, or provided information that was no help, or provided information after the case had been cleared.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Site preparation has begun on a new Regional Child Support Enforcement Office in Forrest City.
The building is being constructed on land owned by the Herman B. Young Trust, adjacent to the Employment Security office. Scott and Johnnie Nell Carroll won the bid to have the building constructed on a build-and-lease agreement. The structure will be leased to the state upon completion.
Dan McDonald, state director of Child Support Enforcement, said the 10,000 square-foot building would meet the needs of a regional facility.
"We looked for available space and there wasn't anything really suitable," he said. "The new office will be handling several counties rather than the one county it is handling now."
He said the new office will also be in a more easy-to-find location. The present office is on Barton Lane.
"In our efforts to find something, we were also looking for something that's more accessible to customers. Right now the county office we lease is kind of hidden away," said McDonald.
Laura Sharp with State Building Services confirmed that there has been a bidding process which the Carrolls had won.
Contacted this morning, Scott Carroll said there was a target date of sometime in July for having the building complete. He said the initial lease for the building will be for 10 years, and the state will have options after that.
By CRYSTAL HOLLIS
T-H Staff Writer
Civic organizations may be asked to help support the St. Francis County Museum.
The museum's board agreed this week to vote in April on the possibility of organizing fundraising committees in a move to make the museum less reliant on county funds.
"We want to be able to not rely on county funding in the future. The county will begin work on the 2002 budget in September, so we want to be able to not have to rely on county funds as much as we do now," said Craig Jones, vice-chairman of the board.
Board member Anita Widby suggested the board seek help from civic organizations who might adopt the museum for a month at a time in order to raise funds. "They have adopt-a-school programs, why not adopt-the-museum," she said. "These groups could have fundraisers for a particular month, and all proceeds would go to the museum," she said.
In other business, Museum Director Laura Mazzanti explained her idea for a Road Rally to be held in late May or early June.
According to Mazzanti, the rally would be more like a scavenger hunt with those entrants knowing more about the county having a better chance at success.
"There will be an entry fee, and participants do not need a snazzy, classic automobile in order to participate, any car will do. They would meet at the museum and receive a list of hints about places in St. Francis County," Mazzanti said. "If they know their stuff about the county, they would drive to these places where they would pick up a card and go on to the next place. The first one back, after going to all of the historical destinations, would be the winner."
The Forrest City East Central Group of Citizens Against Fire are hosting a regional Fire Prevention Day on Saturday, March 24, at the Forrest City Civic Center, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The event will feature presentations by Arkansas State Fire Marshall Lloyd Franklin, Betty Watts of the Arkansas Department of Health and Jimmy Parks, a burn education nurse at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
Children will be able to enjoy activities which also teach fire safety. Those activities will be led by Smokey the Bear and the Fire Safety Pup. Also on hand will be a fire safety house which helps demonstrate how children can find their way out of a burning home. A 911 telephone simulator will help show children how to call for help in emergencies.
The event is sponsored by the Forrest City Fire Department along with volunteer units from Palestine, Caldwell, Colt and Widener.
Two men were arrested Thursday night after St. Francis County Sheriff's Deputies received notice that a methamphetamine lab was located in woods just off County Road 409.
According to reports at the sheriff's department, deputies investigating the tip found a meth lab consisting of various items used in the manufacture of the drug.
A short time later, deputies arrested two suspects on Good Hope Road on charges relating to the lab.
Gregory B. Cook, 30, Wynne, is charged with manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of anhydrous ammonia and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jason A. McKee, 18, Colt, is charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute will be closed next week for Spring break.
The business office will be open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.