By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
U.S. Rep. Marion Berry toured the newest addition at the Federal Correctional Institution-Forrest City during a visit on Thursday.
"That's one reason I'm here, to go out and visit with the folks at the prison, and get up to speed on what they're doing," said Berry.
The prison is currently in its third phase of construction, which is a medium-security facility. There is already a low-security prison and a minimum-security camp. While it's hoped that a fourth phase, housing a maximum security facility, will be built, Berry said phase four was still in the future too far for him to say if and when it would be built.
"I don't know where we are on phase four. We've just started on phase three. But it looks like we're going to need phase four. We're going to need the capacity," he said.
Speaking briefly before he went on his prison tour, Berry addressed several subjects, one of which was the need for a new Farm Bill.
"We're still struggling with the Farm Bill," he said. "I'm very concerned as to whether we're going to get a Farm Bill or not. The Republicans in the Senate were successful in blocking a vote on the bill before Christmas and we don't know what's going to happen when we go back. We do desperately need one."
Berry said he also took issue with some of the economic stimulus policies of the administration, and said the administration was at least partly to blame for the state of the economy.
"There is no question that the economy is not doing well," he said. "We knew. The expectation by all responsible economists was that the boom was not going to continue, that we were going to see some slowdown. And the administration basically refused to buy into that, and put projections out there that indicated there would just be money flowing in the streets forevermore, and chose to make public policy decisions based on that. Clearly that did not happen, and then the events of Sept. 11 compounded the problem."
As an example of the hurting economy, he said anyone who flies knows that the travel industry has been hurt.
"I fly a lot. You don't get on many full airplanes anymore. Before Sept. 11, every plane you got on was jam-packed."
He said Congress is trying to help put money back into the economy, but said the government is borrowing money to do it.
"We are borrowing money to operate on. We're going to be running a deficit. We've already spent every trust fund we could get our hands on. That money's gone," he said. "The president's idea was to cut taxes on the wealthiest people and even the big corporations, and even proposed a retroactive tax reduction on large corporations, and writing them a check and borrowing money to do that with."
He said Democrats believe that people who have lost their jobs need more help.
He was also asked about airport security, and said he was in favor of the federal government taking over airport security.
"I think it would at least standardize it," he said. "The airlines have been in charge of airport security up to this point, and they have done a lousy job with it. And we knew they were doing a lousy job, and instructed them to improve it, and they didn't do it, and now we've paid a tremendous price for it."
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Enrollment at East Arkansas Community College for the spring semester is on track to exceed last year's, the college's board of trustees learned Thursday night.
Catherine Coleman, vice president of Student Affairs, gave the report. She said it was only a preliminary report, but as of Thursday the head count was 1,339. Compared to this time last year, it is a 15 percent increase. Student hours are up 14 percent from this time last year.
There is still some time for enrollment, and usually there are some who drop out. She said Jan. 22 will be the date for counting enrollment officially.
There is a concentrated effort being made to retain students, it was reported.
The board also heard a report from Collie Walker of the EACC Foundation, and approved four new members. They are Carla Nimocks, Chris Quinn, John Burks and Carol Dillahunty. Walker also reported that three scholarships were funded in the last year -- a general education scholarship, a technical education scholarship and a non-traditional student scholarship.
In other business, the board elected officers for the coming year, and left them as they were last year: Oral Edwards chairman; Steve Hollowell, vice chairman; Ann Hudson, secretary and Dr. Dale Morris, treasurer.
On another matter, EACC President Dr. Coy Grace gave an update on the remodeling of the Betty Jo Hodges building. "It's moving along," said Grace. "They've got the sheet rock up, and I think they're going to start painting in a few days."
He said there has been one change order at the building, "That was to change the heating units that were there. The contractor came to us and said these have been in since the building was built, and were on their last leg. We agreed, and so we went ahead and decided to put in new units, so we won't, in a year or so, have to tear them out and start over. It may cost us a little up front, but long-term, it's probably the best decision."
He also said the new units are more energy-efficient. The work is supposed to be completed by March 1.
Grace told the board that there are hopes to have the facade and driveway modifications complete some time this summer.
On another subject, the board agreed to move its retreat to March.
The board also approved a recommendation to hire Gregory Fadairo as director of Computer Services.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Two Forrest City men wanted for questioning in the deaths of three men in December will soon be extradited from Wisconsin. One of those men was charged this week in a fourth murder that occurred in Forrest City in late December.
St. Francis County Chief Investigator Glenn Ramsey said Kevin Mosby, 30, 214 W. Cook St., and Jimmy Mills, 30, 720 N. Gorman St., will be transported back to Forrest City by local law enforcement officers within the next few days.
Ramsey said Mills has signed a voluntary extradition waiver to come back to St. Francis County. An extradition waiver had been pre-signed by Mosby, who was on parole for previous drug arrests and assaults.
"When you're on parole, you sign a pre-sign waiver that says if you violate the law and take off to another state, the State of Arkansas does not have to go through the extradition process," Ramsey said. "So, he can't fight it."
Mosby and Mills were arrested by officials with the Hudson, Wisc., police department Wednesday night. The two are being held on theft over $2,500 charges in connection with the theft of a van from a car rental business in Forrest City the same weekend that police found three men murdered inside a Crow Creek residence. Brothers Dylan A. Boyd, 31, and Carl Boyd, 21, along with Dewayne Stewart, 27, were shot numerous times inside the Boyds' home in the Crow Creek area of Madison on Dec. 7.
In addition to the theft charge, Mills is also being charged with capital murder in connection with the Dec. 28 death of Voltaurus Parchman, 22, at his home at 838 Inglewood Drive.