By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Memorial Day weekend will bring not only the normal concentration of efforts on traffic safety, but an extra emphasis on child restraints.
In addition, there will be no construction work underway on Interstate 40 at Forrest City, and the lanes should be cleared.
"Naturally, we will be out in force," said Lt. Tommy Wicker of Arkansas State Police Troop D. "All officers will be working. Leave has been canceled."
According to Wicker, the holiday weekend will officially start about 6 p.m. Friday and continue through midnight Monday. Concentrated enforcement will probably begin Friday morning, however.
He said the ASP will be working the interstate system and two-lane highways.
"We have scheduled about 13 sobriety checkpoints in the troop," said Wicker.
Troop D covers the counties of Crittenden, Phillips, Lee, St. Francis, Cross, Woodruff, Monroe and Prairie.
As always, drunk drivers will be a target of the ASP. However, there is also a national seat belt campaign taking place.
"There is a campaign, which started on May 21 and goes through May 29, called 'America Buckles Up Children.'" said Wicker. "It is a nationwide campaign, and we are involved. We are going to be paying particular attention to the use of seat belts and child restraints, in addition to our other enforcement activities."
He said drivers are also urged to use caution in construction areas around the state. However, there are some construction areas that will be safer over the weekend.
Forrest City is one example, according to Ray Woodruff, district engineer with the state Highway and Transportation Department.
"On that job out there (at Forrest City) we will be cleared out on the interstate," said Woodruff. "That is required in the contract. If they're not cleared out it will cost them dearly."
According to Woodruff, specific holidays are spelled out in the contract, and for Memorial Day the contractor is required to be cleared out Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday will give motorists an extra travel day.
Woodruff said that will vary across the state with different construction contracts.
"It varies with the project, but there are other projects within the state that have the same requirement."
A representative of the state Highway and Transportation Department said a press release should be on its way naming the different construction areas in the state and which areas will be open.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Attorneys for the Forrest City/St. Francis County Abstract Company and attorneys for Jim Taylor, former owner of a demolished building at 525 Front Street, and current owner Ralph Holland, owner of C.C.R. Inc., faced off in St. Francis County Chancery Court Thursday.
Attorneys for C.C.R. Inc., and the Abstract Company came to an agreement on the issue of the remaining firewall located on the property. The agreement will have the firewall being removed by C.C.R. Inc.
A restraining order was also granted to the Abstract Company which will keep employees of C.C.R. Inc. off of their property. According to W. Frank Morledge, lead attorney in the case against C.C.R., Forrest City Police officers had to be called to have contractors hired by C.C.R. removed from their property Wednesday.
"The individuals that were on top of our building were asked to come down by one of our attorneys and one or more of them remained on the building. So, we had to call the police department to have them removed. We trust Mr. Mitchusson (Gary Mitchusson, attorney for C.C.R. Inc.) implicitly but he can't be on the scene at all times, and an order from the court gives us more enforcement," said Morledge.
In a separate action in the case, Chancery Judge Kathleen Bell told attorney Jim Miller, representing Taylor, that she would need more time to make a ruling on a dismissal that Miller had petitioned the court for. Miller claimed that since Taylor had sold the building prior to the demolition taking place and before anyone was contracted to remove the building he held no liability in the actions with the building after the date of sale.
An Adventure Day Camp will be offered June 13-15 at Village Creek State Park for children ages 7-9 who are interested in learning about pioneers, Native Americans and the natural world.
There will be educational programs, crafts, games storytelling, horseback riding and other activities. Parents can bring the children to the Visitor Center at 8 a.m. and pick them up at 5 p.m. each day of the program.
The fee is $65 for the three-day program and includes meals, snacks, instructors, materials and use of equipment. Children must be registered by Friday, June 8 to attend. For more information, call Village Creek State Park at 870-238-9406.
A public hearing is set for Tuesday, June 5, to gather input on an Arkansas State Parks Outdoor Recreation matching grant application.
The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. at city hall.
The purpose of the grant program is to provide outdoor recreation.
Enclosed facilities cannot be constructed within the area described by the park boundary map, except as support to an outdoor facility such as restrooms or concession stands.
The grant application is for a 50/50 matching grant.
A Forrest City Middle School student was arrested Thursday afternoon after authorities found her in possession of a steak knife on campus.
According to a report at the Forrest City Police Department, the juvenile was sent to the office about 2 p.m. because she was disrupting class. After arriving at the office, the girl told the principal she had a knife that she planned to use on a girl she had been having problems with at school, police reported.
The 11-year-old girl is charged with carrying a weapon and disorderly conduct.