By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Counties throughout Arkansas are suffering financially, due in part to a reduction in state turnback funds.
County judges representing most of the state's 75 counties learned during the Association of Arkansas Counties judges meeting last week not to expect any additional state funding for general accounts until after the end of the current fiscal year in July.
St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco, who attended the meetings, said state legislators and officials representing Gov. Mike Huckabee's office, talked with judges about financial matters. Cisco said that although state officials told judges that funds might be available, a consensus among the judges is that no funding should be expected before the next legislative session.
"We were told that there might be funding available once the next fiscal year begins, but the state isn't expecting its financial situation to get any better. If they don't get the funding, then we're not expecting to get anymore from them. Unless something changes drastically, we're working on the assumption that there won't be any state funding," Cisco said. "We're not optimistic about receiving any money from the state, and even though the federal government is pumping money into homeland security, it really won't help us on the county level. We're actually taking a cut from the federal government too."
Cisco also said that officials with the Arkansas Department of Corrections told judges that counties will be paid for housing state inmates, but no time frame was given for those payments. According to officials with the St. Francis County Jail, the state has been billed, $103,630 for the months of August through December of 2001.
"We're going to operate under the assumption that we're also not going to be getting any of the money from the Department of Corrections until a legislative session is held also. It's going to be tough, but we're going to work our way through this," said Cisco.
When asked what measures the county will take regarding the budget crunch, Cisco said, "We've been tightening our belts for the last year, and we're going to have to continue to do that."
There are no current plans for layoffs at the county level, but Cisco said that the county has an unofficial hiring freeze in place to help with the budget.
"Right now we have more or less a hiring freeze in place, and I don't know what we're going to do down the road. Some counties are implementing hiring freezes and others are laying off employees to get through this," he said.
Quorum Court members will address the budget, and are scheduled to pass a budget to allocate funds for the general account for March and April. The county is currently operating under a two-month budget approved last month.
By CRYSTAL HOLLIS
T-H Staff Writer
The American Cancer Society's fourth annual St. Francis County Relay for Life "Walk-A-Thon" is scheduled for Friday, May 3, at 7 p.m., at the Forrest City High School football stadium.
The relay is an all-night team event to raise money to fight cancer.
With this being the fourth year for the fund raising event, local relay members said they are hopeful about this year. "Last year we raised over $46,000, and our goal was only $40,000," local relay chairperson Phyllis Autry said, adding that this year's goal is $50,000.
The money was raised by team fundraising efforts like the Yale Flea Market, which is held twice a year, raffles and donations.
According to Autry, businesses wishing to make corporate donations may call her at 633-4592. There are four levels for corporate donations. Businesses donating $1,000 or more are platinum, $500 is gold, $250 is silver and a $100 corporate donation is bronze.
The event will start with a victory walk for cancer survivors. Those interested in taking part in the victory walk may call Mary Ann Stipe at 633-4523.
There will be a candlelight luminary ceremony to honor or memorialize those who have had cancer.
Anyone wanting to start a relay team, become a team captain or join an existing team, may contact Wilma Thomason at 630-1231.
Autry said there is no set deadline for registering teams. However, she said the organizers would like to see teams registered by the end of February if possible. "Last year, we had some people who didn't start their team until March because they weren't sure if they could raise enough money or have enough people interested in becoming a eam member, so we do encourage people to try and get their teams together as soon as possible, but we will accept teams as late as March."
Each team member is asked to raise at least $100 from donors before the night of the event.
During the relay, volunteers from each team will be walking or running in competition against other teams to raise the most money and to travel the most miles around the field throughout the entire event, which is usually about 12 hours.
In addition to the victory walk and luminary ceremony, there will be games, activities and entertainment, as well as food for sale at concession stands, with all proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.
An investigation is being conducted by the Palestine-Wheatley School District in regard to an alleged strip search of 12 students over missing money.
Several parents of students involved in the incident have told the Times-Herald that their children were strip-searched by a high school principal after money was reported missing from the junior high school office. Most parents contacted regarding the incident said they could not comment on the matter at this time due to possible legal action.
However, the mother of one of the students said Jeff Cagle, the high school principal, allegedly strip searched her son along with 11 other students in an attempt to locate the missing money.
The incident is reported to have occurred about two weeks ago at the junior high campus in Wheatley.
Palestine-Wheatley School District Superintendent Jimmy Allen said this morning that due to the legalities involved, he is unable to comment on the allegations, but that the matter is currently under investigation.
When this year's annual Read Across America takes place at Forrest City, it will be part of a national celebration of reading.
Read Across America will be held at the Forrest City Civic Center on March 1 at 6 p.m. The event has traditionally been held in the junior high cafeteria, which is undergoing remodeling.
Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program sponsored by the National Education Association. Locally, the event is sponsored by the Forrest City Education Association. It calls for every child to celebrate reading on (or as near to as possible) the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to millions of children and the young at heart as Dr. Seuss.
Children who are read to (including at home) have a higher success rate in school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Education. And according to the Educational Testing Seville in a 1999 publication ("America's Smallest School: The Family:"), The more types of reading materials there are in the home, the higher students are in reading proficiency.
Read Across America locally will be a Seuss-themed party with guest readers and the traditional red and white stovepipe hats.
Numerous meetings are scheduled for this week throughout St. Francis County.
Three city councils meet tonight. The Madison City Council will host a public hearing at 6 p.m. at city hall prior to the start of the monthly council meeting at 7 p.m. The public hearing is in regard to a possible community center for the city. The Widener City Council meets at 6 tonight, and the Hughes City Council meets at 7 p.m.
Two meetings are planned for Tuesday afternoon.
The St. Francis County Democratic Central Committee is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. at the courthouse to determine the filing fees for Democratic candidates planning to seek election in the May primary.
The Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Commission will also meet at 2 p.m. That meeting is set for the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce office on Izard Street.
The Palestine City Council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. at city hall, and the Hughes School Board is scheduled to meet at 7:30 p.m.
On Thursday, the Wheatley City Council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. at city hall.
A Forrest City man was arrested Sunday for alleged misconduct with several children.
According to the report by the Forrest City Police Department, at about 5:55 p.m., an officer was traveling on Franklin Street, when he noticed several bicycles in the street. A girl reportedly told him, "That man is after us."
A man was seen running from the area, south on Water Street. According to the report, the man, Percy Clayborn, had some outstanding warrants for failure to appear, and was apprehended.
Clayborn, 28, of 114 E. Franklin, reportedly shouted obscenities at the children when he was arrested.
Several children, ranging in age from 8 to 14, told the police that Clayborn had tried to force them to engage in inappropriate behavior. The suspect was later released on bond, but was scheduled to be arraigned today.