By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The St. Francis County Sheriff said this morning that a bad local situation will only be made worse if the state has to stop reimbursing the county for housing state prisoners.
Gov. Mike Huckabee announced $142 million in budget cuts last week. Part of that cut -- about $21.6 million -- would come from the state Department of Corrections. It could prevent the department from reimbursing counties for housing inmates who have been convicted and are waiting for beds in the state prisons.
"I'm telling you, naturally, it's going to affect us," said Sheriff Dave Parkman. "With our already short funds here, I don't know how we're going to hold inmates in the county jail with the proposed budget that the quorum court has presented me. And then the state says they are not going to be able to reimburse us for holding post-trial inmates. I don't know what's going to happen.
"I know I can't hold those people if I don't have funds to maintain the jail. I don't know what the solution is. All I can say is, we're going to wait and see what happens. That's all I can tell you," he continued.
According to Parkman, he jail has to meet federal and state guidelines.
"And I can't do that on
the budget that has been proposed to me," he said. "And then in addition to that, the state is saying they can't reimburse us. That's going to create an even more difficult situation."
The state Board of Correction and Community Punishment was expected to meet this afternoon to decide how to make its cuts.
The cuts won't endanger prisoners' health and safety or the state prison system's accreditation status, spokeswoman Dina Tyler said.
''Prisoners' quality of life is a huge concern to us. There are federal guidelines that we must follow and we want to keep our national accreditation,'' she said.
Areas to be cut could include money to hire staff for 356 prison beds scheduled to be opened within the next two weeks, and funding to counties that house state prisoners.
The beds are to be opened as part of construction at the state's Wrightsville Unit and Varner Unit. Tyler said the work should be completed on time, but that the new cells likely will remain empty.
Money for corrections officers, grievances officers, disciplinary hearing officers and other support staff for the expanded prisons is in the department's ''Category B,'' or second tier funding, she said. All of that funding will be absorbed by the cuts, she said.
That's bad news for counties already battling jail overcrowding and an overflow of state prisoners.
Counties are supposed to receive $28 a day per prisoner for housing state prisoners. According to one report, the Department of Corrections has about $600,000 to cover about $2.7 million in bills submitted by counties so far this fiscal year, which started July 1.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Work on the proposed transportation mall for St. Francis County took another step forward last week when Forrest Citian Frederick Freeman was officially named coordinator for the project.
Freeman, along with Bobby May of Forrest City, has been serving as a consultant for the project since its inception. St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco said Freeman's involvement will allow him the ability to delegate the work on the mall project to Freeman.
"Frederick has consulted on several projects in St. Francis County that many people don't know about, and this is just something new that he will work on for us. He has been instrumental in getting several grants for St. Francis County for different things that we have been able to do recently," Cisco said.
Cisco also answered questions regarding the dispersal of grant funds the mall project has received. According to Cisco, the funding for the program, $200,000 from the Commerce Department and $100,000 for a feasibility study grant, is to be spent for administration and ground work for the project.
Records from St. Francis County Treasurer Ann Harbin's office indicate that $66,150.91 of the $100,000 grant had been spent since February. Of that amount, $26,000 had been issued to Freeman Resources Inc.; $12,251.96 had gone to Freeman and $13,480.78 has been issued to May.
According to Cisco, those figures not only reflect money that had been paid to the consultants, but also funds that have been paid for sub-consultants, such as engineers, a truck park expert, architectural work, and marketing and financial work ups.
"If someone looks at the figures without knowing the background, there could be some questions. A lot of the funding given to Frederick was for subcontractors that he brought in to help him with the workload because one man can't do everything. The records might show a large payment to him, but that doesn't reflect what he distributed to any of the sub-consultants that he used in the project," Cisco said.
According to the projected budget presented when the group first applied for the feasibility study grant, $1,500 was set aside for accounting and auditing; $1,000 for advertising and printing; $80,000 for consultants, $1,200 for meeting costs, $600 for postage, $2,400 for supplies; $1,200 for telephone usage, $4,500 for travel; $3,600 for legal services; and $3,600 for miscellaneous costs.
According to Freeman, the project is currently expecting to come in under budget.
Cisco said the $200,000 grant is currently in an account with the Planning and Development District in Jonesboro. Cisco said that the decision to turn the money over to them was based on several reasons.
"The Planning and Development District helped us get that grant, and since we're having our study done by Arkansas State University it also made sense to us to have the Planning and Development District helping us because they're in Jonesboro and have more contact with ASU then we would," Cisco said.
According to Noel Mace with the Planning and Development District, no funds from the $200,000 grant have been dispersed but that will be changing soon.
"As of yet nothing has been charged to this account so the full funding is still there. We are expecting to begin receiving charges soon, and then we will begin distribution. But as of right now, Dr. Horsly (Dr. Joe Horsly, director of transportation management with ASU) hasn't invoiced us for their services," Mace said.
According to Cisco, the results of the ASU study are expected in January.
Although cases of whooping cough have shown up in several counties in the state, there have been no reported cases reported in St. Francis County, as yet.
Arkansas is amid its worst whooping cough outbreak since the early 1960s. The disease has reached about three dozen of the state's 75 counties, with more than 300 cases reported.
According to Bonnie Dodson of the St. Francis County Health Unit, one case was recently reported in Lee County, and that is the closest to St. Francis County so far.
According to information from the Arkansas Health Department and Arkansas Children's Hospital, whooping cough, also called pertussis, has been around for many years. It has been part of the so-called "DPT" immunization for many years, and is one of the first diseases children are immunized against.
It is a bacterial infection, and highly contagious. It is spread through droplets in the air.
Whooping cough can be a dangerous disease, especially in children younger than six months. It can cause pneumonia or complications from a cough that can rupture blood vessels in the lungs or brain, or prevent oxygen intake.
In healthy older children and adults, the illness is usually not deadly.
The illness begins with symptoms similar to a common cold. Young children usually later develop coughing fits, usually 15 to 20 times a day. The high-pitched "whoop" for which the illness is named occurs when they try to catch their breath between coughs. Vomiting may follow a coughing fit. Adults usually have milder symptoms.
Those who think they have been exposed should be evaluated by their doctor. The incubation time after exposure is usually seven to 10 days, but can be as long as 20 days.
Therapy with antibiotics can reduce the amount of time a person is contagious -- from up to three weeks to as little five days.
According to the Children's Hospital, there are several reasons for the increase in incidents of whooping cough.
"Even though the vaccine has been around for a long time, it is not as efficient as vaccines for some other diseases, and doesn't convey the same level of immunity," a press release states. It goes on to say that there aren't any immunization that is suitable for an older child or adult. In addition, the boosters that children receive last only five to seven years.
In spite of this, the Health Department says that maintaining the highest possible level of immunization in a community is still the single most effective control measure. Also treatment with erythromycin can shorten the contagious period, and protect close contacts.
In addition the Children's Hospital, a new vaccine has been developed which may have he same immunization power, with fewer side effects. It is currently being tested in older children and adults.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A variety of topics were outlined to members of the Arkansas Black Mayors Association Saturday afternoon by U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson.
Hutchinson was one of several guest speakers at the group's conference held at the Forrest City Civic Center. Among the topics the Senator discussed with the large number of black mayors in attendance was the war on terrorism and pending legislation before the Senate.
"Recently in Washington, we've been consumed with the war on terrorism. I've been able to see what the power of hate can do to people's lives. I will never forget standing outside the Pentagon looking at the gash that was left in the building by the airliner that was overtaken by the terrorists. I will never forget visiting with the mother of a 27-year-old African-American from Pine Bluff who worked in the Pentagon. She told me that his lifelong dream was to work in the Pentagon. He had been posted other places but he had fulfilled his dream and there he was doing his job working in the Pentagon, serving his country when he lost his life," Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson also reminded the audience that the war effort is not one that will end quickly.
"We've seen a phenomenal effort by our military in Afghanistan. Our young men and women have not disappointed us. Our airstrikes have been successful. Now, we have ground troops in, and the Taliban is collapsing like a house of cards. But, I'd like to remind all of you that this is a war on terrorism, and it doesn't begin and end in Afghanistan. This is the start of what could be a long struggle against those who seek to destroy what we hold dear," said Hutchinson.
On homefront defense, Hutchinson said he is working to create a vaccine producing plant for both Anthrax and Smallpox, and that plant would be located in Pine Bluff.
"One of the things that I have worked on is a government-owned facility which would produce vaccines that would protect not only our troops but also the American people. We have only one small facility currently producing a vaccine, and it is not yet FDA approved. Our military is not protected, and the American people can't get a vaccine. I believe that the government should open a facility at the Pine Bluff arsenal that would produce this vaccine," he said.
Two deer hunters found a Madison woman's body near Burnt Cane Sunday afternoon.
St. Francis County Chief Criminal Investigator Glenn Ramsey said the body of Edna Mae Thompson, 36, was found about 1:45 p.m. in the remote area of St. Francis County. She had apparently suffered at least three gunshot wounds, based on preliminary review of the body. Ramsey did not elaborate on other possible traumas suffered by Thompson.
Thompson's body has been sent to the State Crime Lab in Little Rock for an autopsy.
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 St. Francis County Quorum Court will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the courthouse.
Also on Tuesday, the Forrest City Water Commission will hold its regular monthly meeting, at 10 a.m. in the conference room of the Forrest City Water Department.
The Forrest City School district will open bids on the construction of the new junior high school at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the administration building.
Other meetings planned for Tuesday include the St. Francis County Museum Board at 5:30 p.m., and the Caldwell City Council at 7 p.m.
All meetings are open to the public.