By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Memorial Day holiday kept troopers in Arkansas State Police Troop D in Forrest City busy.
The holiday, which ended Monday night, saw troopers making close to 950 officer-to-vehicle contacts during the four-day period.
According to figures from Troop D, Troopers made 941 contacts during the holiday period with 534 arrests or citations being issued.
Lt. Tommy Wicker, assistant commander with Troop D, said there were 197 speeding tickets issued along with 128 DWI/DUI violations, 104 seat belt offenses, 17 child restraint violations and 40 violations listed as other. There were also 72 non-hazardous arrests for violations such as no proof of insurance or a malfunctioning tail light and 74 criminal violations reported.
Wicker also noted an increase in the number of citations issued for seat belt and child restraint violations in conjunction with the statewide Click-It or Ticket campaign.
"The officers were really concentrating over the weekend to see if drivers were buckling up. For us, 104 seat belt violations is a high number over a holiday weekend so we know that they are keeping an eye out for it. We've still got a week left in this, so people need to go ahead and buckle their seat belts," Wicker said.
The weekend did see one fatality in Troop D, according to Wicker. He said a Prairie County woman was killed in a one-vehicle accident in Prairie County. There were 16 total accidents in the Troop over the weekend, with 13 of those occurring on the interstate. None of the accidents were listed as alcohol related.
Troop D includes St. Francis, Lee, Phillips, Prairie, Cross, Crittenden, Monroe and Woodruff counties.
A Forrest City man was killed in a freak accident Monday afternoon while baling hay.
The accident occurred about 2 p.m. on Harmony Grove Road, according to a report at the St. Francis County Sheriff's Department.
Deputies reported Shelby Perry, 39, 1909 SFC 229, was working with J.O. Smith just off County Road 707 when the tractor he was using to rake hay wrecked. According to the report, Perry was driving the tractor on a dirt road when the left rear wheel struck a tree. The front end broke out from under the tractor causing the victim to fall off the machinery and in front of the rear wheel, deputies reported. The tractor then came to a stop on top of Perry, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Smith told police Perry was raking the hay and he was baling it about 30 minutes behind Perry. According to Smith, he saw Perry's tractor running but no one on it, and when he approached the tractor saw Perry under the rear wheel.
St. Francis County had an April unemployment figure of 8.4 percent, down from 8.9 percent in March, and also down from 8.6 percent in April of last year.
The figures, supplied by the Arkansas Employment Security Department, show St. Francis with the 11th highest unemployment out of Arkansas' 75 counties.
During April, St. Francis County had a civilian labor force of 11,775, with 10,800 working and 975 not working.
Unemployment rates in surrounding counties were as follows: Cross, 6.8 percent; Crittenden, 5 percent; Lee, 7.4 percent; Phillips, 10.1 percent; Monroe, 7.9 percent; and Woodruff, 7.5 percent.
The highest unemployment in the state was 13.8 percent, in Mississippi County. In all, there were five counties with unemployment over 10 percent.
The lowest unemployment was in Benton County, where 2 percent was recorded in April. Fourteen counties had unemployment figures of 4 percent or lower, while 35 counties were at 5 percent or lower.
The rate was higher for the entire state, up one tenth of a percent to 5.3 over March. Nationally, the average stood at 6 percent.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A woman walking to her rural home was reportedly kidnapped and raped in downtown Forrest City Monday night.
The 21-year-old victim told police about 1:30 a.m. that she had left her mother-in-law's residence about 11 p.m., near Izard Street walking enroute to her home off Highway 334 when she was approached by a black male subject driving a white sport utility vehicle.
The victim reported the vehicle circled the block several times before the driver stopped. A black male reportedly holding a handgun exited the vehicle and approached the victim, later forcing her into the vehicle. The victim told police the suspect told her he was a cop.
According to the report at the Forrest City Police Department, the victim said the suspect drove her around Forrest City for a while before taking her to a rural area near the industrial park where he then allegedly raped her.
The suspect allegedly drove back to Forrest City where the victim reportedly jumped out of the vehicle near Arkansas Street. From there, she told police she ran back to her mother-in-law's home and reported the attack to police.
The suspect is described as a black male about six feet tall, wearing a beard with a heavy build and in his late 20s.
Anyone with information on the rape may contact the Forrest City Police Department at 633-3434. Forrest City Crime Stoppers may also be reached at 261-1499. All information will remain confidential.
Alan Cline has announced his candidacy for Forrest City City Attorney in the Nov. 5, general election.
Cline, a partner in the Forrest City law firm of Sharpe, Beavers and Cline, has been a local lawyer for 15 years. He has experience in handling matters at all levels in both state and federal courts.
Cline is a member of the St. Francis County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations, and is a member of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He has served as president of the St. Francis County Bar Association and as a member of the House of Delegates of the Arkansas Bar Association.
"I have the background and training necessary to advise and represent the city and its officials and to represent Forrest City in the district and circuit courts. I would also like to serve as an ambassador for the city in areas of industrial recruitment," Cline said.
"The upcoming term runs through 2006, and this is a position that needs leadership for the next four-year term. I believe it is time for a change. I have knowledge and experience in municipal law, and I look forward to the challenge of serving as Forrest City's city attorney," Cline added.
Cline is a lifelong Forrest Citian and a graduate of Forrest City High School. He earned both his Bachelor of Science in business administration with a major in accounting, and his Law Degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He is married to Cathie Cline, also a native of Forrest City. They have two children, Molly, 4, a preschooler at Calvary Christian Day Care, and McCulloch, 9, a third-grader at Central Elementary.
"Forrest City has been good to me and my family, and I am excited about our prospects for the future. I look forward to the opportunity to give back to my home town by serving as its city attorney. If elected I will serve all the citizens of Forrest City to the best of my ability with common sense, fairness, dedication and honesty," Cline pledged.
A recount of the race for St. Francis County Treasurer will take place at 4 p.m. at the county courthouse.
The final, unofficial count in the May 21 Democratic Primary had incumbent Treasurer Ann Harbin winning over challenger Tammy Talley by a narrow 111-vote margin, 2,736-2625. Talley asked for the recount.
There is no Republican challenger.
U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln will host a public forum to give local farmers and residents the opportunity to ask questions about the 2002 Farm Bill. The meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 29, at the Forrest City Civic Center.
Afterwards, she will receive a briefing and presentation on welfare reform from the Lee County Community Development Corp. The session is scheduled to start at about 9 a.m.
A candidate for mayor of Forrest City died Monday of a heart attack.
Carroll Bishop, 67, was also a captain with the Forrest City Fire Department.
According to a report from the St. Francis County Sheriff's Department, a 911 call was received from Albert Lewis Auto Sales at Widener Junction about 3:52 p.m., that a man had passed out.
Bishop was treated at the scene and then transported by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Forrest City. He was pronounced dead at around 4:30 p.m.
Bishop's death leaves four candidates for mayor -- incumbent Larry Bryant and challengers Frederick Freeman, Chris Oswalt and Bill Baxter.
Stevens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.