The annual Relay For Life is ready to roll tonight, rain or shine.
If the weather is good, the Relay will take place at Sam Smith Stadium. If there is rain, the Relay will be held in Mustang Arena.
Phyllis Autry, chairman of this year's event, said that so far, the Relay has fallen short of its goal to raise $50,000. She said part of the decrease came because of Yale Hoists' leaving. She said Yale used to match whatever its employees raised, which could add about another $10,000 to the total.
"We'll still be selling food at the relay, and still selling bows," said Autry. "We're still trying to get more money to get closer to our goal."
Although setup will be going on most of the day, the "warm-up" will begin at about 6:30 with some gospel music.
The opening ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. Included will be the National Anthem, a color guard, presentations of sponsors and committee members. Mike Lawyer will be the master of ceremonies.
There will also be the introduction of this year's honorary chairperson, Bette Green.
Green, who is also St. Francis County Circuit Clerk, is a cancer survivor herself and said she invites all cancer survivors to be there for the Survivor's Walk, which will kick off the relay and will take place at around 7:30 p.m.
"We want all survivors to be there to start the walk," she said.
Green said she had been the victim of a rare form of sarcoma, and said she was grateful and realized the importance of research.
"A pathologist I've never seen and will never know found an abnormality on a slide," she said. And it went from there."
She said she remembers exactly when she was informed that she had cancer: 11:15 a.m., March 2, 1998. She said, "It was like my personal Sept. 11."
She has undergone two surgeries and chemotherapy, and will lead out the Survivors Walk tonight.
There will also be a luminaria ceremony at 9 p.m., in memory of those lost to cancer and in honor of survivors.
Once the walk has begun, there will continuously be people on the track until 7 a.m. Saturday.
Along with concessions, there will be entertainment and other activities throughout the night.
Definitely scheduled are the Good Book Quartet and the Gospel Express. There will also be a "Midnight Lip Sinc Contest," line dancing, a Hula Hoop contest, a puzzle contest and other activities.
At 6 a.m. there will be a sunrise service.
Clean-Up Day will be held in Forrest City Saturday, May 4, beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing until noon. As of press time, plans called for the day to go forward as planned, in spite of the weather.
This will be a combined community effort, focusing on cleaning neighborhoods, the downtown area and areas around local businesses.
Mayor Larry Bryant said that along with individual efforts, groups are being recruited. He said teams are being organized to work in neighborhoods. He said some neighborhoods will have block captains to organize the cleanup in their areas.
Garbage bags and gloves will be handed out to participants. Bryant said earlier this week that there will be a dumpster at Wal-Mart. Another dumpster will be located on Farr Street, for people to drop off the trash they collect. St. Francis County is providing two bins for newspapers, magazines, office paper and most paper products, along with cardboard bins, at the Wal-Mart site.
At noon following the cleanup, there will be a community gathering at Stuart Springs Park. Along with refreshments, there will be door prizes. Bryant commented that the festivities at Stuart Springs Park will be partly to celebrate the clean up efforts, and partly to give people a chance to meet people they may not know, "and just get together and have a good time with others."
Forrest City Bank has announced that Aubrey L. Jayroe, a local businessman and minister, has been named to the Board of Directors of the bank.
He will also serve as a member of the bank's Audit and Compliance Committee.
Jayroe, a 1970 graduate of Palestine High School, also graduated from Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute with honors in accounting in 1971. He also graduated from IBM Computer School in Memphis and completed a course in Organizational Management at East Arkansas Community College. He also completed a course by the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and training for Chaplains, and has a Masters Degree in Theology from Twin Cities University.
He is the owner and founder of Jayroe & Company Professional Business Services, and also the owner of Ministry Resource Group. He has been pastor of First Pentecostal Church in Forrest City since 1981.
Jayroe has been enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service since 1974, and was accredited in federal taxation by the Accreditation Council for Accountancy in 1981. He served as secretary-treasurer of the Youth Department of the Arkansas District United Pentecostal Church from 1981-1985, and served as president from 1985-1989. He was regional president of the Youth Division of the United Pentecostal Church, Int., St. Louis, Mo, in 1988-89. He was director of the Arkansas Foreign Missions Division of the United Pentecostal Church, Int., from 1989-1992. Since 1996, he has been secretary-treasurer of the Arkansas District United Pentecostal Church and was chaplain of the Forrest City Police Department from 1980-2000.
He is the author of "Tax Guide for the Minister and the Church" (1989-2002 and updated annually), and "Etiquette in the Sanctuary (1995)." He has also conducted two seminars, "Taxes for the Minster and the Church," since 1988 and "Your God and Your Money," since 1986.
Jayroe is a member of numerous professional organizations. He has received many honors over the years, and is also a member of the Forrest City School District Board of Education.
He and his wife, Donna, live in Forrest City. He has one son, Trent.
"We're fortunate to have a person who has the community at heart, as he has shown in his activities," said John Stipe, president and chairman of Forrest City Bank. "We're also fortunate to have someone with his expertise in professional business services and financial matters, and we're fortunate to have someone of his moral integrity. We're looking forward to more things we can provide to the community."
Jayroe said he is honored to be named to his new position.
"It's quite an honor to be asked to serve Forrest City Bank," he said. "I'm very humbled at the opportunity and I hope I can be of benefit to the local bank."
Tiffany F. Haynes and Vincent Lee have been named co-valedictorians for the Class of 2002 at Forrest City High School, according to Abby Robinson, FCHS principal.
Lindsay Huett is salutatorian for the class, which will be graduated Friday, May 10, in commencement exercises which begin at 7 p.m. at Sam Smith Stadium.
Haynes is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Haynes of Colt.
At Forrest City High School, she is a member of FCCLA, Parliamentary Procedure Team, Future Teachers of America, Mu Alpha Theta, Principal's Club, Beta Club and Spanish Club. She is also an active member of the Mt. Moriah M.B. Church of Colt where she serves in several capacities.
Tiffany plans to attend Xavier University in New Orleans, La. She is planning to major in psychology, and later attend medical school to specialize in adolescent psychiatry.
Lee is the son of Andy and Viola Lee of Forrest City.
In high school, he has been a member of the Principal's Club, Beta Club, Future Business Leaders of America, Spanish Club, Quiz Bowl, Student Council, Mu Alpha Theta and DECA.
He has also received the U.S. Achievement Award in English, Math and Science, Who's Who Among American Students, has been accepted to the Arkansas Governor's School, and has been named to a number of other honors.
He has received the Hendrix Presidential Scholarship and the Arkansas Governor's Scholarship, and he plans to attend Hendrix College in Conway and pursue a career in medicine.
Huett is the daughter of Larry and Fran Huett of Forrest City.
She has been in the Principal's Club, Who's Who in American High School Students, Beta Club, Treasurer of the Student Council, Quill and Scroll, Mu Alpha Theta, co-captain of the Mustang cheerleaders, a member of Delta Beta Sigma and corresponding secretary for DBS.
After graduation, she plans to attend the University of Mississippi and study pharmacy.
Widener Day, originally set for Saturday, May 4, has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 18.
Mayor Dot Halford cited possible bad weather, and said there were also concerns over safety at the site where the town's new community center is being constructed, across the street from city hall.
Early voting begins Monday, May 6, for the May 21 Primary.
Those wanting to cast their ballots before election day may do so at the election commission's office in the courthouse during normal business hours.
County Clerk Elizabeth Smith said there are several advantages to early voting. "You don't have to wait in long lines, and if you know you are going to be out of town on election day, you'll already have voting taken care of."