By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
With the possibility of more snow looming tonight, officials in the Forrest City School District have begun the waiting game for determining whether or not school will be in session tomorrow.
According to FCSD Superintendent Lee Vent, officials hoped to decide by this afternoon if roads would be passable throughout the county for transporting students.
"A lot of people see that the roads here in town may be in pretty good shape and think that schools should be open, but we also have to look at the roads out on the ridge and the roads throughout our district. There are some roads on Crowley's Ridge that in this type of weather get pretty treacherous, and the safety of our students is paramount," Vent said.
Forrest City roads, according to Forrest City Police Chief Clarence McNeary, were "navigable" this morning. McNeary said that the wetness of the snow and a lack of ice on streets may have helped keep the number of weather-related accidents low.
"We haven't had a lot of calls this morning, and that's probably because of the conditions of the roads. This is a really wet snow so it hasn't been too bad. People can get around in it by taking their time and driving slowly. With schools closed, there aren't a lot of people out and about, and that has also helped," McNeary said.
According to Vent, the forecast for additional snow, sleet or ice are causing school officials to temporarily wait before making the call for school.
"We're hoping that the doors will be open tomorrow, but if we get more of this tonight, we are going to have to check things over. We're trying to decide today so that we can let parents know in advance, but right now we just can't," he said.
There are no "snow days" built into this school year, and the school board will make a decision later in the year on what to do about any days missed.
Motorists may call 630-1207, a phone line maintained by state police, for updates on travel conditions.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City City Council took no action Tuesday on a request for preliminary plat approval on a subdivision, after strong opposition to the subdivision was expressed by councilmembers and citizens.
The request was for a 15-lot subdivision to be called Downs Village, located in the area of Broadway, Day and Moore Streets. Engineer Paul Gunn presented the plat for the owner, Di-Com of America, located in Marianna. The company manufactures pre-fabricated housing. Gunn said he did not know what type of housing was going to be built in the subdivision.
The objections to the subdivision were primarily because the area is prone to flooding after heavy rains. Alderman Cecil Twillie was the first to voice his opposition, unless drainage was improved.
"Until they work out the flooding there, they will never get Cecil Twillie's vote," he said. "When that water comes down through there, you will have water that comes above that ditch, and that ditch is over my head...We need to go to the Corps of Engineers, get some help, and the city pitch in. The ditch needs to be covered up, there needs to be some elevation. All you got to do is dam it up and you could go fishing, or as soon as the ducks recognize it you could build some duck blinds...I wouldn't vote to make a hog pen there."
Also speaking was Vivian Ryan, who already lives in that area. She was concerned in part that building more houses would make the flooding worse.
"If anybody knows what the flooding problem is, I know," she said.
She said she was also concerned over the quality of housing that might be built there.
"Will they be prefabricated houses? Or will it be so anybody can buy a lot and put anything on it?" she asked.
The property is currently zoned C-2.
Gunn said he didn't think anyone else's property would be affected. He also said that the area is not considered in a flood zone.
"It's not considered as, but it does," responded Twillie.
Twillie said additional roofs would cause even more rapid runoff of rain water, which could increase the flooding problem.
Mayor Larry Bryant said the new EPA regulations over the handling of storm water could also come into play. He said he would try to find out if some additional drainage could be added to the area.
Also during the discussion, it was brought out that some drainage improvements have been made in the area, but there is still a flooding problem after a hard rain.
Bryant asked if anyone wanted to make a motion on the plat, and no on made a motion.
In other action, council members stated they wanted an ordinance to waive the bidding procedure to purchase a used bucket truck.
Bryant said the city's truck has almost seen the end of its usefulness. He said Woodruff Electric has a used truck it will sell to the city for under $12,000.
Bryant wanted to waive the bidding procedure by a voice vote. However, Twillie and Alderman Glenn Ford wanted an ordinance. After some discussion, it was decided that an ordinance would be drawn up for the next meeting.
The council also agreed to seek bids on a copy machine for district court, providing the county pays its half of the cost. In addition, the council agreed to seek bids for 10 airpacks and cylinders for the fire department.
In other action, a bid from Dacus Fence Co., of Jonesboro was the apparent low bid, for an eight-foot fence at the municipal ball park. The old four-foot fence will be moved to South Side Park. The Dacus bid was $16,150. Other bids were, Jones and Son Fence and Pool Co. of Forrest City, $16,900; Kerby's Home Improvements of Forrest City, $16,380; J&D Fence Co. of Forrest City, $17,700; and West Memphis Fence Co., $21,138.
Steve Higginbothom of Marianna announced today that he will be a candidate for the Arkansas State Senate District 16 seat which includes parts of Phillips, Lee, St. Francis and Crittenden counties. Higginbothom, a native of Helena, has lived and farmed in Lee County for the past 24 years.
Higginbothom ran for the position in 2000, and was narrowly defeated by Alvin Simes of West Helena.
"My first run for public office was a very positive experience for me in many ways. I met hundreds of people committed to making their communities and Eastern Arkansas a better place for all to live and work. My understanding of the issues grew as did my resolve to help improve education, build our economy, and serve this area. With the economy in a recession, and the state facing serious budget problems, I believe that someone with a strong business background such as mine will be an asset in the Senate. That is why I decided to run again. Having grown up and lived in Eastern Arkansas for 50 years, I have been an advocate for this area and will be a strong advocate in the Arkansas Senate."
Higginbothom, a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and Central High School in Helena, is a board member and one of the organizers of the Marianna Economic Development Commission. He serves on the board of the Lee County Soil and Water Conservation District and was named outstanding District Director for the State of Arkansas in 1989. He serves on the boards of the Lee County Community Foundation, the Lee County Public Library and the Marianna/Lee County Chamber of Commerce. He is a Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, and serves on the Crowley's Ridge Trail Commission. He serves on the vestry of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church where he has been a lay reader for 20 years, and is a past Senior Warden.
Higginbothom served as co-chairman of the Lee County Public Schools Public Relations Committee and the Schools Clean-Up Campaign. He is a past president of the Marianna Rotary Club, the Lee County Unit of the American Cancer Society and the Marianna/Lee County Chamber of Commerce. He is past vice-chairman of the Lee Memorial Hospital and the Lee County Grain Dryer.
Higginbothom and his wife Diane have two sons, West and Drew. Drew is a student at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. West, an UAF graduate, works in Washington, D.C. Diane is a former teacher. The Higginbothoms were named Farm Family of the Year in 1985.