By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Additional charges have been filed against a teenager arrested this week for capital murder.
Prince Lee Banks was arrested Monday in connection with the weekend death of 62-year-old Althema Griggs, 141 Brandon St., Forrest City. Police said Griggs was beaten and stabbed before her home was set on fire.
Banks is also charged with arson in connection with a Jan. 20 fire at the Kisha K. Carter residence at 633 Christian St. The fire was reported just after 5 a.m., by a neighbor who told police he heard someone yelling outside his home saying, "I told you I was going to get you. Now I got all of you." Carter and other people living at the residence were not at home when the fire was set.
Banks also faces commercial burglary charges in connection with burglaries at the Fina Quik Stop on North Washington on Dec. 24 and Dec. 27, and an aggravated robbery charge in connection with a Dec. 29 robbery at Shell Superstop on Holiday Drive.
Two people associated with Banks were arrested Tuesday on a variety of charges.
Kendrick Coleman, 22, 333 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Forrest City, is charged with intimidating a witness, first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree assault.
Robert Bernard Humbert Jr., of 116 E. Church Street is a 16-year-old being charged as an adult with commercial burglary, intimidating a witness, breaking or entering and theft under $500.
"We are knee-deep in this investigation, and we're still investigating the murder and other cases," said Forrest City Police Department Criminal Investigation Division Lt. Dwight Duch. "We're looking into the possibility of other cases being connected to Banks, Humbert and Coleman and whether these cases are connected or not. We don't know what will come out of it until we get through with the investigation. We're trying our best to do everything possible to get these cases resolved."
Duch said there were more cases involving these suspects, but would not comment on whether Coleman or Humbert were suspects in the Griggs murder.
U.S. Rep. Marion Berry warned today that Arkansas faces a loss of $93.5 million in federal highway funds under a Bush administration budget proposal.
Highway officials were taking a wait-and-see attitude until they get a chance to study the implications.
Berry made the announcement by e-mail this morning.
"Projections from the Treasury Department and the Department of Transportation show federal fuel tax collections falling about $5 billion short of early estimates," Berry, who serves on the House Transportation Committee, was quoted as saying. "Under the 1998 Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21), this projected shortfall triggers cuts in the highway funds distributed to states under the Federal-Aid Highway program."
Contacted this morning, Ray Woodruff, district engineer with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, said it was the first he had heard about the cuts.
Randy Ort, public affairs officer for the department, said he had just received the same e-mail.
"We don't know what to make of it yet," he said. "It seems apparent there will be some decreases in federal funding for the coming year, but we do not know yet what impact it will have on Arkansas."
Berry, painting a worst-case scenario in the e-mail, claimed the cuts in the federal aid program would result in layoffs and would slow down, if not stop, highway projects across the state.
"This unprecedented cut in federal highway spending will put the brakes on the extensive highway improvement projects currently underway in Arkansas and across the country," Berry added. "It will result in massive layoffs in construction and related industries as states cut back on bidding out projects. By my estimate, the impact in Arkansas would result in the loss of about 4,000 jobs.."
Ort agreed that the numbers sounded serious. However, he said it was still too early to tell exactly how the state will be affected.
"The reason I say that is that federal funds come to us in categories," Ort said. "There are, literally, hundreds of categories in federal funds. And until we know exactly where those cuts are going to fall, we don't know the impact it's going to have."
The e-mail from Berry's office said his estimate is based on figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce, showing that for every $1 million spent for highway construction on the state level, 40 jobs are created, and $2.3 million is added to the state economy by associated activity.
In celebration of Black History Month, the St. Francis County Museum's third annual African-American Art Exhibit starts Friday, Feb. 1. This year's exhibit will honor the life and works of the late John Isom, an educator, accomplished artist and musician.
Isom, a former teacher in the Forrest City School District, was a decorated World War II veteran and an active community member. He was recognized in Who's Who Among Community Leaders and listed among the United Artists of America.
The exhibit will run the entire month of February, and will feature several works by Isom.
There will be a reception to officially open the exhibit on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the museum.
Participants of all ages who are interested in showcasing their artistic talents in this year's exhibit still have time to submit their exhibit ready artwork utilizing any artistic medium, such as sketches, paintings, floral arrangements and quilting. Art submissions must be received by the museum staff no later than noon on Thursday, Jan. 31.
The St. Francis County Museum is located in the historic Rush-Gates Home at 603 Front St., Forrest City. For more information, call the museum at 261-1744.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Palestine-Wheatley School Board agreed this week to hire a professional photographer to handle pictures for the school's yearbook after hearing complaints from parents about the way the photos have been handled.
PWSD Superintendent Jimmy Allen said the district has received several complaints from parents of Palestine-Wheatley High School students who will be honored in this year's annual as Who's Who students. According to Allen, the students were photographed as a group this year, and in the past, the students had been photographed individually.
"I had some calls from parents who were complaining that we had changed the way the Who's Who pictures for the yearbook were taken. In the past, we had individual shots of the best male and female athlete, the student most likely to succeed, the wittiest student and so forth. For those students, I would think that would make them cherish their yearbook a little more. This year there was just a group shot taken, and that's what the complaints have been about," Allen said.
Palestine High School Principal Jeff Cagle told board members that this year's pictures were taken by a volunteer who made the decision to take the group pictures.
Board member Bill Ray made a motion which allocated the responsibility to the superintendent's office for the hiring of a professional photographer to take all individual pictures in the district .
"If these are district photos that will go in the district yearbook, then I think that we should have a professional come in and take the pictures, and the decision on the photographer should come through Mr. Allen's office," said Ray.
Ray's motion was passed by a 5-2 vote with Stan Siler and John Henry Parker voting against the measure.
In other business, board members agreed to hire Linda Brewer as the head cook for the district. The board also agreed to allocate $500 annually to the cheerleaders. The money will be used toward the purchase and upkeep of uniforms and attendance at cheerleading camps.
The Palestine-Wheatley School District has been having a problem with people using school facilities after hours without district approval, and the district is taking measures to try and ease the problem.
According to a press release from district officials, persons on PWSD property, or using school facilities after school hours without approval from the administration, will be subject to arrest for trespassing. District Superintendent Jimmy Allen said misuse of the facilities led to this action.
"We've had some people who have been using our gymnasium without prior approval from the administration. We want to make sure that we're not having any problems that will come back to haunt us later, so we've decided to put a stop to it. We've always worked with people, and if a person appointed by the administration is there to supervise, we don't have a problem. We're just putting a stop to the unsupervised activity," said Allen.