By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
After months of waiting, St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco has a draft of the St. Francis County Transportation Mall study compiled by officials with Arkansas State University.
According to Cisco, the study which was completed late last month, details several areas of the project which could bring as many as 400 new jobs into the county. According to figures from the draft, with those jobs an estimated $8 to $10 million in income would be generated for St. Francis County citizens.
According to the draft, the first steps the county should take on the road to funding for the project include:
* Selecting an experienced and knowledgeable planning and marketing consultant expert in the truck stop business who can assist in developing a Master Plan for the project.
* Hire a full time coordinator.
* Determine the site, with help from the consultant, in the county best suited for the project.
* Develop a long-range Master Plan for the site that includes engineering, infrastructure, financing and design plans for both initial development and future growth.
* Use the Master Plan to promote the project to both private and public investors and related businesses where commitment to the project is critical to its success.
According to Cisco, copies of the draft have already been forwarded to Arkansas Senators Blanche Lincoln and Tim Hutchinson and the process of seeking grants for the infrastructure work is close to beginning.
"We've been waiting on this draft so that we could go to work on getting the funding for this project and now things are starting to move. We've presented the draft to both senators and after considering the economic impact of the project, both seem to endorse the idea. It also fits in with the Delta Commission's plans for improving the Delta, so we're starting to see some people get behind the project," Cisco said.
According to Cisco, the county's responsibility for the project would be limited primarily to the infrastructure work on the location, such as water, natural gas and sewer.
"This is a project which will impact our area in the number of jobs and income that it brings in and it will impact the county through the tax money that it generates. All the county would be doing is providing the property and infrastructure and individual companies would do the rest," said Cisco.
A similar transportation mall is located in Walcott, Iowa, the Cisco's dream would add increased technology.
"The mall in Iowa is very similar to what we're trying to do, only we would be a little larger and we're trying to incorporate more technology. As far as location, the mall in Iowa is located about 25 miles from two large cities on Interstate 80. We would also be between two major cities, although we'll be considerably closer to Memphis. We want to be able to take advantage of our location in that when truck drivers have their families traveling with them, they will be able to drop their trailers in our secure area and take a day trip to Memphis or over to Village Creek and just enjoy themselves. That way it impacts the entire area," Cisco said.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Conditions are becoming dangerous at the Forrest City Municipal Airport, members of the airport commission and the Memphis Soaring Society were told Monday night.
Jarrett McFarlin, safety program manager with the Federal Aviation Administration, wanted to discuss the interaction of agricultural aircraft, glider operations and general aviation aircraft.
McFarlin said he is an advocate of general aviation.
"I'm for general aviation 100 percent," McFarlin said. "But when things start getting dangerous, I've also got a job to do. And I feel like it's getting dangerous here at Forrest City."
He said there were some dangerous things happening at the airport.
"We're getting too close to each other," he said. "And when you start talking about right of way, if you're a pilot, you know a balloon has the right over everything. A glider has the right of way over any powered airplane, and an airplane in tow has the right of way over everything. Those are the regs. We've got to live by them."
He said there has been non-observance of the airport traffic pattern. And read the regulation aloud.
"What it's saying, if there are airplanes in the pattern, unless you fall into the pattern you have to stay clear. You have to stay five miles out," he said.
He said pictures have been taken showing agriculture planes taking off or landing too close to gliders.
"All I want is for everybody to work together," said McFarlin.
Gil Gilbreath, airport manager, acknowledged an incident where an ag plane landed over some gliders. He said that was a mistake and he told the pilots not to do it any more.
"The airport commission ought to sit down, study, set some rules and regulations, and I'll implement it. I'll do whatever they want us to do," said Gilbreath. "I agree. Something needs to be done because someone's going to get hurt out here."
He said the operations at the airport have outgrown the facility, which causes problems.
"We bump heads every once in a while, not very often," Gilbreath said. "And I agree that something needs to be done."
Bill Lawrence, a member of the Soaring Society, said that there have been some problems on both sides, but he said he believed they were isolated incidents.
"We've had some instances where we have blocked runways that shouldn't have been blocked," Lawrence said. "By the same token, the crop dusters have done some things. But they're all basically single instances that have happened over a period of months or years."
He said the Soaring Society wanted to cooperate as much as possible.
On another matter, the airport commission adopted a resolution acknowledging that the Soaring Society has exercised its option for 10 more years at the airport.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Concerns about the West Nile Virus were discussed at the Madison City Council meeting on Monday night.
Discussion centered around the $1 million to be distributed among the 21 counties in Arkansas that have had birds found with the virus and if any aid could be requested for the Madison mosquito problem.
Debate started when council member Oscar Brown asked about the possibility of adding a dollar to the city water bill to pay for mosquito spraying in Madison.
"I think we should either get someone from outside the city to spray or purchase the equipment ourselves and spray," expressed Brown. "We should take action ourselves instead of waiting for the (state) government to send us money. If we add a dollar to the water bill like they do in Forrest City, we could buy the sprayers and chemicals so we don't have these mosquitos everywhere."
Brown also added, "I feel a dollar extra a month is a small price to pay for human life."
Mayor James Brooks countered by saying, "If we started collecting a dollar on each water bill, it would only add up to about $300 a month. The chemical alone costs $4,000 a gallon, and we would have to purchase the trucks and equipment to spray with. Forrest City has about 15,000 people, and they already have the equipment. Adding a dollar wouldn't be enough to cover the cost here."
Member Annie Winfrey suggested that the dollar addition was just one step and that other measures were necessary.
"We need to do something about the ditches that hold water all the time in the city," Winfrey said. "And we need to do something about the grass that needs to be cut. Mosquitos breed there and its just unsafe."
Brooks addressed this by stating that the city workers are doing the best they can with the equipment that they have.
Another topic raised by councilman Brown was the alleged lack of action on paving and repair of city streets.
"Why haven't we seen streets paved and repaired," Brown questioned. "Other small communities have paved streets, I think the people of Madison deserve the same."
Brooks replied, "When money is available for street repair, we will tackle it, but right now the money is just not there."
The council adjourned without request for a vote on the dollar tax for mosquito spraying. The Madison City Council will meet again in September.
on its regular date and time.
Businesses in some Arkansas counties, including St. Francis County, have until Sept. 11, 2002 to apply for low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), according to a press release.
These loans are available to businesses that experienced financial losses due to damages caused by severe storms and flooding that occurred from Nov. 27 through 30, 2001. Physical losses caused by the disaster cannot be covered by these loans. These loans are available to businesses which meet the SBA size standards and cannot meet their disaster-related financial needs through other sources. Farmers and ranchers are not eligible for these loans, the release states.
Besides St. Francis County, eligible businesses in Arkansas include Chicot, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Lee, Lincoln, Mississippi, Phillips and Poinsett counties.
Applications and further information can be obtained by calling the SBA, toll-free at 1-800-366-6303 or TDD 817-267-4688 for the hearing impaired. Applications must be received no later than Sept. 11. For more information about SBA Disaster Loan Programs, visit their website at www.sba.gov/disaster.
A new city ordinance was the main topic discussed at the Widener City Council meeting.
City Attorney Marshall Wright presented the third and final reading of an ordinance that will add an additional $10 to court costs in Widener when the city is the plantiff in the case. The increase will bring the total costs of court to $60.
"The extra $10 dollars will help cover the costs and will go to the general fund. It is my recommendation that we go ahead with it," Wright told the council. "We are allowed to do this and I don't get anything out of it. I'll be here regardless of if you pass the ordinance or not."
The council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance.