By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Construction on the third phase of the federal prison compound in Forrest City is ahead of schedule.
Federal Correctional Institution-Forrest City Warden Marvin Morrison and Administrative Assistant Barbara Young updated members of the prison's Community Relations Board Wednesday on the progress being made in building the medium-security facility which is expected to cost $86 million.
The new unit was originally set to open in June 2003, but Morrison said that opening date could possibly be moved up three months or more if the contractor is able to stay on pace. Young said the summer weather has allowed contractors to move forward on the project.
"This is a changing atmosphere for us here," Morrison said. "I'm impressed with the contractor to be perfectly honest with you. Things are moving along really good."
At the end of July, Young said the medium-security phase was 1.38 percent complete, but she expects that figure to have increased because since that time, the frame for the unicor building in that compound has been constructed. She said the Federal Bureau of Prisons has not yet determined what prison workers will build in that unicor factory. At the low-security unit, unicor prison workers build furniture for government agencies.
Morrison said he has requested an additional 300 employees be included in the prison's overall budget for operating the new facility. The operating budget for the facility must be approved by Congress before it can open to inmates.
According to Young, included in the 300 jobs will be 150 entry-level positions that will be open to local applicants. The operating costs for that facility is estimated at $23 million annually.
Morrison said the overall size of the new compound will be about the same as the low-security unit even though some services at the institutions will be shared. A minimum security camp is also located at FCI-FC.
The new medium-security unit will house 1,152 inmates in three, four-story residential units. The cells, which will house two inmates each, will be made prior to being installed in the housing units.
"The cells will come in prefabricated on the railroad tracks. They will be lifted off the railroad cars with a crane, placed on a truck and transported to the prison site where they will be placed on the slabs being poured in the housing units," Morrison said.
Board members also learned of several community service projects inmates have performed in the area. During the summer, the inmates worked with maintenance employees in the Forrest City School District by painting the interior and exterior at Central, Stewart and Forrest Hills Elementary Schools. The inmates have also helped with Habitat for Humanity and at the Forrest City Community Voices Center.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Employees of Airtherm who were terminated when the plant closed in August of last year are a little closer to receiving compensation, according to an attorney representing some of the employees.
James E. Nickels, an attorney from Sherwood, said a decision had been made in U.S. District Court in Helena that Airtherm can be held liable.
"Judge (William) Wilson has issued a ruling that basically states Airtherm is liable to the former employees of Airtherm for violation of the Warn Act," said Nickels. "This was a law passed in 1988, designed to give workers notice when their plant will be closing. In this particular case, workers were given one or two days notice that their jobs would end."
He said the employees were given the option of applying for employment with the new owners, but he said that wasn't sufficient.
"It took away the ability of those workers to decide, to evaluate their situation," he said. "The Warn Act is designed for workers to get notice and look at retraining possibilities, look at possibilities for jobs at other companies, but not to be forced to make a decision within 24 or 48 hours. It was not the promise of a job, it was, 'come and make an application.'"
According to Nickels, it will still be some time before the workers will get relief.
"This was one stage of the trial, the liability stage," he said. "The damage stage, I believe, is scheduled in March of next year in Helena. Between now and then I'm sure we'll be trying to figure the actual damages these employees suffered."
Nickels said the act allows for 60 days of pay, with benefits. "So we're either at 58 or 59 days of pay," he said.
According to Nickels, there were 123 to 126 employees of Airtherm at the time of termination.
Anyone receiving an e-mail from the Forrest City Public Library is being urged not to open it, as the library's computer system has been hit by a virus.
A similar virus was reported recently at the Forrest City Chamber of Commerce, in which the virus can send out confidential files at random to anyone on the victim's e-mail list, and then infect any computer on which one of the infected e-mails is opened.
A library employee said that since the virus was discovered, anyone receiving e-mail from the library is being told not to open it. She said the virus will also destroy hard drives.
Allison Oates, formerly of Forrest City, who now lives in New Orleans, called the Times-Herald Wednesday to warn people. She said she received an e-mail from the library, but was suspicious.
"I ran a virus scan on it before I opened it," she said. "I know people who work at the library, but I just wanted to check it. It would have shut down my entire computer if I had opened it."