By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Fire Department has begun the process of seeking a lower fire rating for the city.
In an attempt to lower the city's Insurance Services Organization (ISO) rating, firemen have begun looking for places to locate new fire plugs. Although there are several necessary steps in the process, fire department officials said the end result will be lower insurance costs for Forrest City residents.
"We are hoping to lower the ISO rating for the city from a five to a three. The change in insurance costs to the people of Forrest City will be a big one if we do," said FCFD Captain Anthony Renigar. "The ISO rating is what insurance companies go by to set rates, basically the lower the rate, the lower insurance costs.
"One of the ways to lower the ISO rating is to have a pre-fire plan for every building, commercial or residential, in the city. A pre-fire plan is a measurement of the distance between the building and the nearest fire plug and a measurement of the building itself. What this does is give us an idea of what we are heading into when a fire occurs, it gives us a game plan."
Renigar also noted that the department is actively looking for locations to place more fire plugs.
"Identifying areas to install new fire plugs is a part of our effort to lower the ISO. The more fire plugs we have, the easier it is to put out fires, and the easier it is to put out fires, the lower the ISO rate goes," added Renigar.
The fire department will be checking pressure on existing plugs, measuring for pre-fire plans and locating areas were new plugs are needed for the next several months, according to Renigar.
The City of Palestine has made a request to the Delta Regional Authority for $275,000 for street improvements.
The request is currently under review at the East Arkansas Planning and Development District.
Mayor Willetta Carroll said if the grant is received, the money will go toward South Main, a street she also said is known locally as the Old River Road.
"We've got to build it up and pave it," said Carroll. "It's so farmers won't fall through the little bit we've got there, and they're the ones who use it the most."
She said the use of the road by farmers with heavy equipment makes it important to build it up.
"That's the reason it's going to cost so much," she said, and jokingly added that the Old River Road got its name because "it really is a river when it rains."
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A lawsuit has been filed against a trucking company in the wake of an accident on Interstate 40 near Forrest City, which seriously injured a Hot Springs woman.
Sharan Marrow and her husband Shawn Marrow, and their two children are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Named as defendants are Celadon Trucking Company of Indiana, located in Indianapolis, and Celadon Trucking Services Inc., located in West Trenton, N.J.
The suit was filed in St. Francis County Circuit Court.
The accident took place June 22 of this year, near the 241 mile marker. Shawn Marrow was driving an automobile pulling a boat and trailer, westbound on I-40. His wife, Sharan Morrow, and their two children were passengers in the car.
An 18-wheeler belonging to Celadon and driven by Robert Eddins of Albans, W.Va. struck the boat and trailer from behind, knocking the boat from the trailer, and then rear-ended the automobile.
Sharan Marrow was ejected from the automobile, and was airlifted from the crash site to the Med in Memphis. Shawn Morrow and one of the children were treated and released at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City.
Eddins was not injured. It was reported at the time that he was being charged with careless driving.
The suit claims that the truck was being driven at a speed that was both in excess of the speed limit and greater than was "reasonable and prudent" under the existing conditions; and that the defendant's driver was operating the tractor-trailer without maintaining a proper lookout for other persons and property.
The suit claims severe and permanent injuries which have caused and will continue to cause medical expenses to be incurred.
The suit asks for an unspecified amount, to be determined by the court, to compensate the Marrow family for damages.
Three local groups are scheduled to meet this evening in St. Francis County.
The Forrest City Water Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the water department on Rosser Street.
The St. Francis County Quorum Court is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. at the courthouse.
The Forrest City City Council meets at 7 p.m. at city hall.
All meetings are open to the public.