By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Two Forrest City firemen were injured while fighting a suspicious fire at a vacant structure early Sunday.
Forrest City Fire Department Chief Dan Curtner said firemen were called to the burning structure at 203 Stone St., about 3 a.m. The property is owned by Gerald Neeley of Memphis.
Yesterday's fire was the second time firemen had been called to that address in less than a week. On Wednesday, firemen responded to the same address, and reported that a match had apparently been used to ignite the exterior wall covering of the structure. About $5,000 damage was caused by this fire, according to firemen.
The Sunday fire completely destroyed the three-story structure, according to Curtner, who added that firemen from Caldwell and Palestine assisted in fighting the blaze, and the Wynne Fire Department brought a portable air unit to the scene so that airpacks could be refilled immediately. "This was a three-story house, and we were just running short on manpower," Curtner said. Firemen remained at the scene until about 11 a.m.
Firemen Samuel Pettus and Jeremy Sharp were injured when they were knocked off their feet by water from a hose. "They were fighting the fire and were hit with one of the master hose streams, and it caused some injury to them," Curtner said, adding that neither man was seriously injured. "Jeremy had a bruised back, and Samuel suffered a hyper-extended elbow and hurt his thumb. Both men are back on duty."
Although Curtner said both of the blazes are under investigation, he would not say if they were being investigated as arson.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The weather outside wasn't frightful -- just cold -- and the annual Forrest City Christmas Parade came off without a hitch.
The theme of this year's parade was "A Christmas To Remember."
"It turned out really well," said Mary Beth Doler of the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the event. "There was a good crowd. It was chilly, but it wasn't raining."
One area in which participation went down this year was in the number of floats.
"The floats were down a little," Doler said. "We're hoping that next year, people will have a little more time and will be able to enter some floats."
In spite of a slightly changed route and a new staging area, there didn't seem to be too much confusion. For the past several years, the parade had been forming up in the parking lot of the Forrest City Civic Center. This year, because of scheduling problems, the parade's staging area was changed to the parking lot at Forrest City High School.
The parade left the parking lot onto Victoria and then to Division, then up Arkansas to make a right onto Washington. From there the parade went south until reaching Hill Street, then turned right. Another right was taken at Rosser, and the parade finally disbanded at the Union Planters Bank Parking Lot.
The float winners were as follows:
Spring Grove Masonic Lodge and Order of the Easter Star Chapter 306 took first place in the Civic division. Second place went to Cub Scout Troop 224 and third went to Forrest City Masonic Lodge 198 and Order of the Eastern Star.
In the Novelty Division Sfirst place went to a Native American Float, sponsored by the NCNOLT (Native Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory). Second place went to the Arkansas Soul Devils, and third place went to Girl Scout Troop 266.
In the Industrial/Commercial -- Large division, Christmas From Cross County won first place, and a float from the Federal Correctional Institution-Forrest City took second.
There were no entries in the Industrial/Commercial -- Small division.
Two women were reportedly raped in separate incidents during the weekend in Forrest City.
A 31-year-old Madison woman told police she was walking along Lewis Street on Sunday when a black male subject asked her if she needed an escort. After refusing his assistance, the woman told police she was grabbed from behind and forced to the ground where she was raped.
A 33-year-old Forrest City woman told police she was walking on Turner Road after midnight Friday when she accepted a ride with a black male who was driving a dark Mustang. The woman told police the man pointed a gun at her and drove to a nearby business parking lot where he allegedly raped her before letting her out of the vehicle. She told police the man was about five feet tall and weighed about 170 pounds.
The victim reportedly became disorderly at the hospital after being told the doctor on duty would not give her anymore medication, and was later charged with disorderly conduct.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
With the final term of Circuit Court for 2002 winding down this week, numbers for the term, which began in November, have cracked the 100 case barrier.
According to figures from St. Francis County Circuit Clerk Bette Green's office, 101 cases were disposed during the final term. Of those cases, 24 sent criminals to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
According to the report, two of the cases handled dealt with capital murder charges and four cases rape were disposed of.
Deputy Circuit Clerk Judy Frost said an increase in theft and burglary charges brought about one abnormality in Circuit Court this term.
"We had 22 thefts or burglary cases this term, and they outnumbered our drug cases for this term. That's something that is actually a little out of the ordinary for St. Francis County," Frost said.
According to Frost, there was also an increase in the number of aggravated assault cases during the November/December term of court.
Of the 101 cases disposed of, 57 were handled by the public defender's office with 41 of those cases worked by St. Francis County Public Defender Dan McGill. Approximately $55,400 in fines or court costs were assessed.
A former guard at the Federal Correctional Institution in Forrest City was indicted last week on bribery accusations.
A grand jury meeting in Little Rock charged James D. Collins, 28, of Texarkana with public official bribery.
Collins allegedly took a $250 bribe to allow someone to bring prohibited items into the prison. The indictment alleges that Collins accepted the money July 29 for allowing someone to bring a tobacco pipe, tobacco and a wristwatch into the prison.
The charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Several regular meetings are scheduled throughout the county this week, starting tonight.
At 5 p.m., the Forrest City Civic Center and the Palestine-Wheatley School Board are scheduled to meet. The Widener City Council meets at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m., the Madison and Hughes city councils meet.
On Tuesday, the Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Commission meets at 2 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., the Forrest City Water Commission meets. The Quorum Court Budget Committee is due to meet at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m. the Palestine and Caldwell city councils are scheduled to meet.
On Thursday, Dec. 12, the Wheatley City Council meets at 6 p.m.