By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Five people have been arrested in connection with a recent rash of burglaries and thefts throughout St. Francis County.
Five Palestine residents, including one teenager, have been charged by St. Francis County Sheriff's Department officials in connection with burglaries at the Caldwell Fina, the Colt City Hall, the Palestine-Wheatley High School and the Palestine Water Department. They are also charged in connection with an attempted burglary at Tony's Grocery on Barrow Hill Road in Forrest City.
According to sheriff's department reports, Kevin Lee Watkins, 27; Donald Joe Roderick, 20; Michael Coleman Jr., 20; Christy Hutcherson, 20 and James Carl Rising, 16, have all been arrested as part of the investigations into the incidents. According to deputies, Rising is being charged as an adult in the case.
Watkins is charged with two counts of commercial burglary, PWHS and the Colt City Hall, one count of theft of property over $500 and one count of theft of property under $500. Roderick, Coleman and Rising are all being charged with one count of commercial burglary, in connection with Caldwell Fina, one count of attempted commercial burglary and theft of property under $500. Hutcherson face charges of commercial burglary and theft of property over $500 in connection with the break-ins at PWHS.
According to SFCSD Investigator Herbert Neighbors, the Forrest City Police Department is assisting in the investigation which is continuing. The suspects are also being questioned in several other burglaries in the area.
"We're waiting to close the case on this group because we've got other burglaries that took place during the time when all of this was going on. Forrest City Police Detectives are questioning Hutcherson and Watkins in connection with a recent robbery of a business where they both worked. It all seems just a little too coincidental," said Neighbors.
Neighbors also said the group will be questioned Wednesday by federal authorities in connection to a recent robbery at the Palestine Post Office.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The redrawing of Arkansas House lines may have shifted some of the power base in this immediate area, according to two House members.
Rep. Danny Ferguson's new district, 51, cuts an irregular path through St. Francis County, goes down the west part of Lee County to the Phillips County line, takes in all of Monroe County and edges up slightly into Woodruff County.
Ferguson said he has less of Forrest City than he used to have.
"If you were going west on Broadway, and if you turned right on Division, and then if you turned left at that big ditch (at Beech Grove) and went due west (drawing an imaginary line; the street doesn't go in that direction) to Dawson and then turned up north on Dawson, everything to your right would be in my House district" he said.
Ferguson said that roughly, he still had the northeast two-thirds of Forrest City.
"I no longer have the area once called Yankee Town, but I do have Beech Grove," he said.
The rest of Forrest City and St. Francis County will be in new District 52, currently held by John Eason of Marianna. His district will take in roughly the eastern half of St. Francis County and the eastern two thirds of Lee County.
"The only thing is, I'm located in Marianna, and it may dilute the effect if someone else runs against me," he said. "Lee County won't be as well represented. The citizens from Lee County will lose some representation."
In any case, Eason said he will take things as they come.
"As for me, I represent the people," he said. "When we took our oath, it was first to uphold the constitution of the United States and then the Constitution of Arkansas. That says we're supposed to be representing all the people."
He commented that should he be elected again, it will be his last term because of term limits.
State Sen. Alvin Simes will have District 16, taking in most of St. Francis County, including Forrest City. The district will also take in about the eastern half of Lee County, and a small part of northeast Phillips County. Simes could not be reached for comment.
The state-wide redistricting was done to accommodate population shifts reflected in the 2000 census.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
People arriving at the Forrest City Municipal Airport by land or air will find themselves facing more security than in the past, following a conference call with Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Gil Gilbreath reported that the airport listened in on the call, which included mayors, county judges, chiefs of police and sheriffs.
Gilbreath said several changes have been called for.
"What needs to be announced is that as of today, all planes landing at Forrest City must be locked up," he said. "We're going to provide chains to visiting airplanes. Also, all gates will be locked at dark, and no one will be allowed on airport property unless they have the permission of the airport manager."
The lone exception to the lock-out is the Civil Air Patrol.
St. Francis County Sheriff Dave Parkman said he listened in on the governor's call, and said there were several concerns addressed.
"Of course, security was one of the things," Parkman said. "Some of the things were just reiterated -- things we have already done, like airport security and emergency vehicle security."
He also said there was a message of calm from the governor.
"It was a message of, 'Let's don't panic.' He made the statement that we are not in too great a danger from terrorist attacks in Arkansas," Parkman continued. "But, he said he didn't want people to take that the wrong way and say there is no threat. There is a threat, it's just not a great threat."
He said all the officials were given phone numbers and the names of contacts," in case of a situation we might encounter."
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Three Pine Bluff teenagers were injured, two of them seriously, in an accident Monday morning in St. Francis County.
St. Francis County Sheriff's Department Deputy Donald Parkman said the three are believed to be runaways.
According to the accident report, Earnest Hand, 14, is believed to have taken his parents' 1994 Chrysler Sunday night, along with two 14-year-old friends, Chad Sanders and Brandy Meeks.
A 911 call about 6:49 a.m. notified the sheriff's office of the accident on County Road 536, located between Blackfish and Shearerville.
Parkman said Hand was traveling west on SFC 536 when he lost control of the vehicle, traveled 36 feet off the roadway and struck a tree. "Skid marks at the scene indicate the vehicle was traveling too fast for conditions," the deputy reported.
An airbag on the car deployed, saving Hand from serious injury, according to Parkman, who added the two passengers were not as lucky.
Sanders, a front seat passenger, and Meeks, who was sitting in the back seat, received more serious injuries, causing both to be airlifted from the accident scene to the Med Center in Memphis. A Med spokesperson this morning said Sanders is listed in satisfactory condition, but Meeks' condition is listed as serious.
Hand was taken by Parkman to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where he was treated for a leg injury and released. "The airbag saved him," Parkman said.
According to the deputy, Hand's father did not know the vehicle was missing until he received a telephone call Monday morning that his son had been involved in an accident.
It took some doing, but Harold Rogers of Wynne edged out four other readers to win last week's Professor Pigskin Contest.
Rogers missed three of the selected games while four others missed only four.
For his efforts, Rogers will pocket $50 in cash.
For everyone else, it's back to the drawing board.
This week's Pigskin picks can be found inside today's Times-Herald.
Building permits were sought for only a few commercial projects in September.
Machen Ford bought a permit to place a sign valued at $7,500 at its business at 2930 N. Washington. The First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas, 101 N. Washington St., bought a permit for sign repairs estimated at $2,000. Vaccaro Lumber Company, 327 Front St., bought a permit for a siding project valued at $5,000.
Other permits issued last month were for remodeling, roofs, garages, additions and repairs. Only one permit was issued for the construction of a new home. The 13 building permits issued in September are for projects with an estimated total value of $149,650.
Through September, building permits have been issued for projects with a total estimated value of $3,572,014.
The St. Francis County Housing Authority has received $18,304 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The announcement was made by U.S. Rep. Marion Berry's office.
According to Gary Chapman or the housing authority, the money is for the agency's self-sufficiency program. It is a program which helps people in subsidized housing to better their education or training, with the goal of actually being able to leave subsidized housing eventually.
"We already have a coordinator," said Chapman. "This continues that position."