By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A Forrest City man was sentenced to prison Tuesday on a manslaughter charge which was reduced from an original charge of first-degree murder.
Markeith D. Somlar, 20, was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for his involvement in the death of Marquis George in August 2000.
George had been shot six times, five in the back and once in the front, and his body dumped in the middle of Mallory Road Extended, SFC 200. Police estimate he was shot about three hours before his body was found.
Two other men were also charged in George's death. One of the men, Larry Taylor, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for George's death. The second subject, William Applewhite, has not yet been sentenced. His case is being heard in juvenile court, according to St. Francis County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chris Morledge.
Morledge said Somlar's case was reduced to manslaughter because the only evidence the state had of his involvement in the murder was from statements made by the co-defendants in the case. "Under Arkansas law, you cannot convict someone on a co-defendant's statement without some other corroboration," Morledge said.
In other circuit court action during hearings this week at the St. Francis County Courthouse, Archie Lee, 45, Marianna, was sentenced to 15 years in the ADC on three counts of rape and one charge of first-degree carnal abuse. He will also serve a five-year suspended imposition of sentence after his release from prison.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Water Commission gave FCWU Manager Jim Beazley authorization Tuesday to purchase three Dodge trucks through a state contract.The move could save the Water Department close to $10,000.
According to Beazley, information he received over the Internet would allow the FCWU to purchase three Dodge trucks at a price of $13,049 per vehicle. During a water commission meeting last week, bids on trucks were opened from Machen Ford, which bid $18,225 on two pickups and an additional $22,387 for a truck with a utility bed. Steve Jones bid $16,522 on three Chevrolet pickups, but did not bid on a truck with a utility bed.
Beazley seemed apprehensive about using the state contract but conceded that the money saved would help the utility.
"We've never used a state contract before, and I'd really prefer to keep the money locally, but with this much money being saved, it's kind of hard not to go with it," Beazley said.
Beazley also told commissioners that the cost for installing a new bed in one of the trucks would be $4,312. Commissioners authorized Beazley to purchase the trucks if the state bid saved the department more than $1,000 per truck from the lowest bidder.
In other business, commissioners also agreed to accept a bid from Universal Solutions for a new phone system for the department. Bids from Apex Communications of Wynne and Universal were opened during the recent meeting. Apex's bid ranged from $9,274 to $12,284, depending on features. Universal's bid ranged from $9,662 to $12,284. Beazley felt that Universal came closer to fitting the specifications from the FCWU.
Utility Service of Perry, Ga., was awarded the job of painting and repairing the Kittle Road ground storage water tank during Tuesday's special meeting. Utility was the low bidder, at $137,810 for the project, which commissioners originally sought bids on last fall. Utility Service beat out a $145,320 bid from Maintenance Painting of Brighton, Tenn.; a $184,280 bid from Leher Painting of Mayflower and a $200,780 bid from Protective Linings and Coatings of Alexander.
The St. Francis County Museum will be awarded a $4,156 grant from the Department of Arkansas Heritage, to be used specifically for an Arkansas Heritage Month project.
The grant announcement was made recently by Gov. Mike Huckabee.
The grant program is designed to promote community participation in Arkansas Heritage Month each May, and to foster lasting contributions to the preservation and promotion of Arkansas heritage.
The museum was awarded the grant based on a collaboration between the museum and Mark Kumming of KXJK/KBFC Radio. The project, called Growing Up-Together, will document the integration of local public schools as well as the national Civil Rights Movement and its impact on children of yesterday and today.
The project will include taped interviews with both teachers and students who experienced the integration movement in the St. Francis County community in the 60's and 70's. The interviews will be part of a radio documentary. Also, the final result of the project will be a magazine style booklet.
The recordings and the booklets will be made available to schools and the general public through the museum during May. In addition, there will be a photo and text exhibit in the front parlor of the museum.
Local residents are encouraged to participate in the program by sharing photographs, news articles and memories. For more information, contact the museum at 261-1744, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The museum is located in the Historic Rush-Gates House at the corner of North Izard and Front Street.
The Forrest City Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a rezoning recommendation for property located on North Izard Street.
However, the city council will have the final vote on the request by Jim and Betty Reeves, owners of Coast to Coast at 906 N. Washington. The Reeves are asking that 815 N. Izard be rezoned from residential to commercial, so that a 30-foot by 50-foot warehouse can be built.
The Reeves own three adjacent lots that are already zoned C-2.
They were represented by attorney Jim Miller, who told the commission that all parking and setback requirements will be met. He also said there will be a landscaped buffer in the form of a wooden fence.
No one in opposition to the request was at the meeting.
Incumbent Quorum Court member Sam Armstrong today announced his bid for reelection to the St. Francis County Quorum Court District 4 seat.
Armstrong has lived in St. Francis County in the Parrott Community on SFC 311 (Barrow Hill Road) since 1971. He is employed with the Forrest City Water Utility and is a plumbing inspector for Colt, Palestine and that portion of St. Francis County which is furnished water through the Forrest City Water Utility.
He and his wife Judy, have one son, Dewayne of Forrest City. He is a member of the Village Creek Missionary Baptist Church.
Armstrong currently serves on the solid waste, personnel and grant committees of the Quorum Court. While serving on the grant committee, Armstrong said he was instrumental in obtaining a grant for the sewer improvements at Patillo Acres 1 and 2, the Redfern area and part of the western city limits of Forrest City. He is also a member of the Arkansas Plumbing Association, Arkansas Association of Counties and the Arkansas Waterworks & Water Environment Association of the Eastern District.
"In 2001, St. Francis County, along with all other counties in Arkansas, faced some financial downfall, but we were able to get through the year with a carryover of funds," Armstrong said. "The budget for 2002 has been tight, but with everyone working together to keep expenditures down, things will be better in the remainder of the year.
"I appreciate all the cooperation and support of the people of my district. I believe that have made every effort to represent all of them equally and will continue to listen to their suggestions and endeavors to accomplish our community goals. I will continue to work with other member of the Quorum Court for what is best for our district and the county as a whole.
"I want to thank everyone for the support that you have given me in the past and I ask for your vote in the upcoming election on May 21," Armstrong said.
A new concept designed to make computers and the Internet more accessible to low-income families will open Thursday in Forrest City.
The Cyber Cafe will celebrate its grand opening Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Workforce Alliance headquarters at 500 S. Rosser.
Nicole Williams with the St. Francis County Workforce Alliance said the Cafe hopes to address the needs of low-income families in regard to computer usage.
Williams said the Cyber Cafe will be a place for citizens to come and surf the Internet, open e-mail accounts and become more acclimated to computers.
"This is something that we're doing to try to help the low income communities get used to working on the Internet and on computers. This will allow people to see what the Internet is all about and at the same time find and do things on the computer that they wouldn't have ever thought about doing," Williams said.
The Cyber Cafe will be open from Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and there is no charge to use the computers. There will also be a restaurant at the site.
"What we're hoping is that we can get people to come in and sit down and have a bite to eat while they surf the web and just get a new understanding of the technology that's out there," Williams said.