By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A fire Thursday afternoon at the Planter's Cotton Oil Mill on Davis Street could shut a portion of the operation down for as long as a week.
According to Planter's manager Jim Cobb, the damages from yesterday's fire has stopped the mill from taking in seed until repairs can be made, but Cobb said that seed is currently being shipped, despite the blaze.
"We've started shipping again, but until we get the repairs made we can't take any seeds in. We're hoping that we can be back up within a week," Cobb said.
According to Forrest City Fire Captain Johnny Ruffin, the fire damaged the electrical equipment, and those repairs will have to be made before officials with Arkansas Power and Light will connect electricity to the damaged portion of the mill.
The cause of yesterday's fire might be traced to a conveyor belt at the facility, which Ruffin said could have overheated and then dropped sparks onto cotton seeds which were then ignited.
Due to the distance from the fire to the nearest fire hydrant, firefighters also had to employ a relay system according to Ruffin. The system pumped water from the hydrant to a pumper truck which then pumped water to the three trucks that were on the scene of the fire.
"The distance from the hydrant forced us to use a relay pump system to keep enough pressure to fight the fire. We had three trucks on the scene, and we had to use hoses to relay the water from the pumper truck up to the scene. We also had some assistance from the Water Department," Ruffin said.
"Jim Beazley (Forrest City Water Utility Manager) had the pressure for the pumps turned all the way up so that we could be sure that we had enough water and pressure to fight this thing, and that really did help us," Ruffin added
The fire department also was assisted by the Wynne, Palestine and Caldwell Fire Departments. According to Captain Henry Peacock, yesterday's assistance was much appreciated.
"Once again, our area departments came to cover our backs, and we really appreciate them for that. Anytime that we call needing them, they are always there, and we do the same for them. It's nice to know that you've got that kind of support when needed," Peacock said.
There were no damage estimates available this morning, and according to Ruffin, there were no serious injuries. Some firefighters did face problems with the heat and humidity.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
School officials gathered for the first time in an informal, public setting Thursday to discuss issues in the Forrest City School District.
Superintendent Lee Vent said this format was being tried instead of having a series of board retreats.
"So much is going on in this day and time in our school district that we think it would help" to have these types of meetings. He said these meetings will be work sessions rather than formal school board meetings.
"We'll talk about issues in school or things going on in the district, over a sandwich," he said. "It will help make our regular school board meetings a little more efficient. I can't make a newsletter long enough to report all the things going on."
Vent said there would be no decisions made, no votes taken. Only one board member, Dr. Wayne Jones, was able to attend Thursday's meeting. Vent said he doubted there would ever be 100 percent attendance.
Vent gave a brief report first, saying that the school district's fiscal year was drawing to a close (as of June 30).
"The district is in pretty good shape financially, in spite of the major cuts we received," he said. "We received almost $900,000 in cuts. We have tightened the belt."
He said that in the future there are going to have to be some "tough choices. But we have not backed down from those decisions" in the past.
According to Vent, the district has also lost more than 1,100 students over the last 10 years.
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Alice Barnes gave a report on personnel. She said there are currently several teaching positions which need filling. These include Spanish, physical science, oral communication, NJROTC, middle school math, social studies and English, special education, speech pathology and others.
Leodis Williams also gave a reporta on buildings and grounds. Projects this summer include remodeling the bathrooms in the eighth grade building. He also said the library at Forrest Hills Elementary is being enclosed to reduce noise.
Athletic Director Michael Bender said one thing that is being done in his department is to get coaches to teach in the same schools at which they coach. He said this is better for the athletics and the schools.
He also said, "We have a great arena and a great fieldhouse. We have to make sure we take care of them." He said a special sweeper has been received, at no cost, to clean the turf laid down at the field house. It came at no cost with the turf.
On another matter, Mayor James Brooks of Madison, along with some other concerned citizens attended the meeting to ask if rumors were true that Madison Elementary was going to be phased out.
Vent said there are no plans to that effect at this time. However, he said he couldn't guarantee that it might not happen in the future. One of the reasons is that the district continues to lose students.
There was also some concern voiced over parents' choice as to which school their children attend.
Vent answered that efforts are made to accommodate the wishes of parents, as long as they do not conflict with a federal court mandate which requires certain balances of race and gender in every school. He said having single schools for each grade would solve that problem, but there are no immediate plans for that, either.
A summer school student has been suspended after allegedly bringing a stolen gun to class this week.
The Forrest City Police Department reported a maintenance worker at the eighth grade building on Irving Street overheard two students discussing the weapon during an outside break Wednesday before they allegedly walked behind the cafeteria.
The employee told police he waited for the students to go back into class before walking behind the building. According to police, the employee found a .380 caliber pistol and turned it over to FCJHS Principal Billy Ferguson who notified police.
After conducting several interviews with students Thursday, police arrested a 16-year-old on a charge of possession of a handgun by a minor on school property.
Ferguson said the weapon was not loaded and no ammunition for the gun was found on school property.
However, the teen told police the gun had been stolen by another individual, and that subject had left the ammunition clip for the weapon at Stuart Springs Park. The clip was recovered after the student showed police where it was located.
The teen told police the subject who allegedly stole the weapon had told him he would kill him if he told police about the gun.
"This is the first time in 30 years I've had to expel a student from summer school," Ferguson said.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Fireworks stands are beginning to pop up throughout St. Francis County which means fireworks-related injuries won't be too far behind.
Forrest City Police Chief Clarence McNeary said that so far, the police department has not received many complaints due to fireworks, but as the holiday gets closer the complaints are expected increase.
"We have a few people who complain about the noise, but as a rule, people know that it's illegal to shoot off fireworks in the city, so they just go out to the county to enjoy themselves. We just want everyone to make sure that they have a safe and enjoyable time, as well as making sure that they keep their children safe," McNeary said.
According to Tiffany Billingsley with Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City, there are several safety tips which can be used to help prevent injuries when handling fireworks.
* Wear eye protection.
* Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.
* Read and follow all warnings and instructions.
* Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
* Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials.
* Never try to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned.
* Keep a bucket of water in case of a malfunction or fire.
The Arkansas State Police is also joining in this year's effort to keep the number of fireworks-related injuries down through their Volunteer Fireworks Safety Project.
According to a press release from ASP Lt. Lloyd A. Franklin, State Fire Marshal, fireworks operators are being asked not to sell bottle rockets to anyone under the age of 18 unless they are accompanied by an adult. According to the release, close to 20 percent of all fireworks-related injuries can be traced to bottle rockets. Close to 95 percent of fireworks businesses statewide have signed the Volunteer Agreement.