By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
County finances continue to be tight, but according to St. Francis County Treasurer Ann Harbin, the two-month budget plan the county is working under is continuing to be a success.
Tuesday night, during the St. Francis County Quorum Court regular monthly budget committee meeting, committee members received an update on the state of county finances, and also learned what income could be expected for the remainder of the month.
According to Harbin, although the county received close to $8,000 less than projected for February, county officials were able to come in $30,687 under the approved budget.
"Even though we received $7,884 less than was projected, all of the elected officials did a good job, and we were able to come in at $259,313.03, which saved the county $30,687 from the $290,000 appropriated," said Harbin.
Harbin also updated committee members on the most current figures for several county accounts. Harbin said the county general account stands at $157,140.59, with an additional $50,000 still to be transferred; the county road account was at $73,632.94, and the county trust account at $80,813, after all transfers have been made. Justices were also told that close to $22,000 in bills were sent to the county clerk's office for processing Tuesday afternoon.
In other business, St. Francis County Circuit Clerk Bette Green told commissioners that the recent term of circuit court would bring in approximately $38,100 over the next two to three months.
"During this term of court, Judge Simes (Circuit Court Judge L.T. Simes III), fined people approximately $38,100, which includes their court costs, and that money will have to be paid within the next 60 to 90 days," said Green.
She also answered questions regarding the ease of court due to the addition of the circuit court coordinator's position.
"It took a while for all of the kinks to get worked out, as is normal when you're doing something new, but this time everything just really came together, and that's due in large part to Mrs. Bonds (circuit court coordinator Shannon Bonds). This was the fifth term under the new system, and we were able to remove between 110 and 115 cases from the docket. When the judge would come in, in the morning, the docket would be read and attorney's would know what clients would be seen that day. A lot of the success of this term can be attributed to Mrs. Bond's work," Green said.
On Thursday, April 4, Arkansans will have an opportunity to discuss what they want public schools across the state to do to educate children as a part of Speak Up, Arkansas.
According to a press release from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education, "Speak Up, Arkansas!" is a program which will give citizens in each of Arkansas' 75 counties an opportunity to gather and voice their opinions on, and contribute ideas for, education reform.
"Arkansas citizens will have the opportunity to express their ideas and views on improving education in our state. It's a statewide event unlike anything we have ever seen before," said Bob McGinnis, co-chair of the commission.
The Forrest City High School Cafeteria will be the site of the St. Francis County event. According to Sheila Lieblong, who is assisting in coordinating the project, the facilitators for the forum will be Tom Machen and Florine Bingham. Martha Lucas will serve as site coordinator. The event will take place on Thursday, April 4, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
According to the press release, each site will have trained facilitators to help lead the discussions and to record input from participants. Each site will have a brief video about Arkansas education, and focus groups are to be formed after the viewing of the video.
"We want the public to understand that these meetings are about them, about their communities and about their ideas for improving education," said Stacy Pittman, co-chair of the commission. "These are not public hearings or gripe sessions. This is a unique opportunity for Arkansans' ideas about education reform to be heard," Pittman added.
The Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education was created by the legislature last year to respond to a chancery court judge's ruling in the Lake View School District case that the state's system of educating its children is inadequate and inequitable. The decision has been appealed to the state Supreme Court.
Former U.S. Senator David Pryor will be in Forrest City on Saturday, March 23, as the keynote speaker for the 13th annual P.O.P.S/M.O.M.S. banquet.
Tickets for the P.O.P.S/M.O.M.S. banquet can be purchased at the Forrest City Chamber of Commerce office or by calling Willie Whitley at 633-2755 or Glenn Ford at 633-7618.
Pryor, who served six terms as senator, retired in 1996. He currently serves as the director of the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and is a managing director of Herrington, Inc. in Little Rock. He also serves as a consultant to Federal Express Corporation in Memphis and serves on the board of Winrock International and Heifer International. He is the founder of the Clinton Legal Defense Fund and a trustee of the Clinton Presidential Library.
In 1952, Pryor graduated from Camden High School. He later received his B.A. from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, in 1957. In 1960 Pryor returned to Camden and he and his wife, Barbara Lunsford Pryor, of Fayetteville, founded and published a weekly newspaper, The Ouachita Citizen. He began his political career also in 1960 when he was elected to the Arkansas State House of Representatives, where he served three terms.
In November of 1966, Pryor was elected to fill the unexpired term of a congressman and went on to serve three full terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1974 Pryor was elected Governor of Arkansas and held the position for four years.
In 1979 Pryor was elected to the United States Senate. He served as chairman of the Agricultural Production and Stabilization of Prices subcommittee. Pryor also served on and chaired the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Using his position as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Pryor developed his "Taxpayer Bill of Rights" which was enacted in 1988.
During his tenure, Pryor also served as Secretary of the Democratic Conference, was third in the Senate Democratic leadership and served as a member of the Senate Democratic Steering Committee.
The Pryors are the parents of three sons, David Pryor Jr., Mark Pryor and Scott Pryor, and they have three grandchildren.
Roger Breeding of Forrest City today announced his candidacy for the Forrest City City Council Ward 4, Position 1 seat.
"My past experience on the council, and a desire for Forrest City to be the hometown we're all proud of, are my best qualifications. Forrest City should be the community we want our children to grow up and raise their families in," Breeding said.
Breeding is married to the former Pamela McGuire of Forrest City. They have two children, Paige Breeding Hopkins and Chase Breeding, and one granddaughter, Hayden Hopkins, all of Forrest City. The Breedings are members of the Second Baptist Church. Breeding is the store manager for Dixie Furniture in Forrest City, and his wife is a nursing student at EACC. They are also co-owners of Oscar's restaurant in Forrest City.
"When elected, I vow to stand up for the rights of the voters and taxpayers. If you vote against the city doing something, the council and mayor should not override that decision," Breeding said. "These people are elected to serve you and your needs with respect to your feelings."
"I would like to ask all of Forrest City, especially the citizens of Ward 4, to support me in this bid for public office and public trust. I will do everything in my power to earn it," Breeding said.
Crowley's Ridge Development Council has submitted a grant request for $416,202 in weatherization assistance for low income, elderly and handicapped residents.
According to Ashley Bowie, housing transition manager for CRDC, the weatherization assistance is an ongoing program.
"This can include weather stripping, caulking, doors, windows, insulation -- anything to make a home more energy-efficient for the resident," she said.
The program takes in an eight-county area -- Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson, Poinsett, St. Francis and Woodruff.
Bowie said beginning in April, the CRDC hopes to do 152 jobs this year.