By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The St. Francis County Election Commission is already in compliance with most of the recommendations made by the St. Board of Election Commissioners in a recent letter, according to the local commission chairman.
In addition, Chairman Joe Young said he had no idea why materials were being turned over to the U.S. Department of Justice for investigation on whether criminal violations have occurred.
"I don't even know what part of it this is about," said Young this morning. "This is the wildest thing I've ever seen. I don't even know what she's (Susie Stormes, director of the state Election Commission) talking about."
He continued, "We welcome the Department of Justice to come and investigate us or anything else. We've just kind of got a problem with her."
The investigation stems from a complaint entered after the May primary by Arvin Billingsley, a candidate for mayor of Widener, who claimed there were irregularities.
Stormes' letter gave the following recommendations to the local commission:
*"Comply with the laws governing absentee and early voting pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated 7-5-401 (The law states that the County Clerk should be in charge of early voting. For the primary, the Election Commission removed the early voting ballots from the Clerk's office. The reasoning was that the County Clerk, Elizabeth Smith, had opposition).
*"Comply with the laws governing the form in which a candidate's name will appear on the ballot.
*"Comply with the laws governing the counting and recounting of ballots, specifically opening the counting of the ballots to the public and candidates or candidate representatives.
*"Perform an accounting of the ballots pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated 7-5-707.
*"Ensure that election officials closely follow the steps for spoiling ballots.
*"Preserve the secrecy of all ballots.
*"Ensure that election officials closely follow the steps for fail-safe voting, and challenging ballots, including determining prior to certification of the results of the election whether challenged ballots are valid.
* "Comply with the laws governing the preservation of election materials.
* "Comply with the laws governing meetings of the Commission, specifically notifying all members of the Commission and filing minutes with the County Clerk...and notifying the media pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act."
The letter also stated, "In addition, the Board noted that in the future, the Commission must comply with the Board's requests for information and provide accurate information or risk withholding of reimbursement to the County by the State."
According to the letter, the investigation materials have been forwarded to the U.S. Department of Justice, H.E. "Bud" Cummins, U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Arkansas, for investigation and determination of whether criminal violations have occurred, "pursuant to any applicable election law."
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the Madison City Council left their monthly meeting angry and confused after voting to remove a shop building that some council members said they had wanted to remain standing.
Madison Mayor James Brooks told council members at the October meeting that engineers on the city's planned community center had requested that the shop be demolished. On Monday night, council members again discussed the removal of the building with council person Annie Winfrey voicing stiff opposition to removing the shop and building a new shop at a different location.
"Mayor, we spent a lot of money to buy that property and that building and we bought it for a specific reason. That building was never to be used as a shop, and why it was decided to be a shop is still beyond me, but now we're talking about tearing down a perfectly good building for parking and then having to spend more money to build a new shop. That just doesn't make sense to me," Winfrey said.
Brooks defended his request by telling aldermen that the lack of parking space was the city's only hold up in the construction of the community center.
"I know that we talked about this last month, and I'm telling you again that the only thing holding up the center is that building. We can tear it down and rebuild it on this side (the west side) of city hall. We might have to close this street, but it can be done. All we have to do is bid the job, and it shouldn't cost us anything because I'm sure that someone would tear it down just to get the wood and tin," Brooks said.
A motion not to remove the building was voted down by a 4-to-0 vote with council member Gail Graham abstaining from the vote. Following the meeting, Winfrey was upset when reporters questioned Brooks on the vote which left the building in limbo because council members neither voted to remove or keep the building.
"My no vote was to keep the building, and I don't understand where the confusion is. The question was whether we wanted the building torn down or not, and I don't want it torn down. If this will let the mayor tear the building down, then we need to have a called meeting to settle this," Winfrey said.
No plans had been made at press time for the special meeting.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
For years, the city of Widener struggled to build a civic center. Now that it's built, city council members have learned there's still a lot of work to be done.
Discussions began Monday night on the fee schedule and rules, as well as security provisions, at the facility.
"People are already asking about it," said Mayor Dot Halford. "We have it rented for Thanksgiving, but they're just waiting to find out how much it will cost them.
After about 40 minutes of discussion, City Attorney Marshall Wright proposed that he make a draft containing the provisions which seemed to be the consensus of the council. The draft could still be amended in any way the council wants, but it would give them something to look at.
The tentative fee schedule is as follows: $75 for the building without the kitchen; add $25 for the kitchen -- which also includes the barbecue equipment in back. After discussion, it was decided that the center is too small to accommodate two functions at the same time, so there will not be a problem with events conflicting with one another.
There will also be a deposit required, refundable if the center is cleaned up and there is no damage. During discussion, it was suggested that a deposit of $100 be required for most events, and a deposit of $225 be required for dances or events where rowdiness might be a factor.
In answer to a question, Wright said that a person responsible for a group could be asked to sign a contract in case damage occurred exceeding the deposit. But he also said it might also be difficult to collect.
Only one motion was made about the rules Tuesday, by Alderman Ronnie Barnett, to ban alcohol from the premises. The motion passed. Council members also seemed in favor of banning smoking inside the building.
Security was briefly addressed, but no firm decisions were made on whether the city or groups renting the center would be responsible for security. By security, Halford said the city should mean people with some sort of certification, such as off duty police officers, for functions such as dances.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Early voting on the Nov. 26 runoffs has not started because the ballots have not arrived, but it is hoped they will arrive Wednesday.
"We're hoping they'll be here tomorrow, said Joe Young, chairman of the St. Francis County Election Commission.
Young said there was not much time to get the ballots printed after the regular election. "We were pretty much on time, but I think the whole state is in about the same position," he said. "We're hoping that the ballots are going to get here tomorrow, so we won't have too much of a delay. We're doing everything we can."
The only race in Forrest City is the mayor's race runoff between incumbent Mayor Larry Bryant and his challenger Bill Baxter.
Hughes voters will select two council positions. In Ward 3, Position 1, Irene G. Combs and Gary B. Barkley will face off. In Ward 3, Position 2 at large, Ray Charles Robinson and Jon E. Tate are the candidates.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A 20-year old Widener native was the victim of a vendetta shooting Saturday night in Robbins, Ill., a suburb of Chicago.
According to reports from the Robbins Police Department, Pier Lenear was found dead near a concrete stoop in the 13300 block of South Woodlawn Avenue.
Det. Sgt. Terrance Franklin with the RPD said Lenear was shot several times by an individual who was either a passenger in Lenear's vehicle or had approached the vehicle. According to Franklin, Lenear was shot three times inside the vehicle and several times after he exited the vehicle.
"This was one of the more heinous crimes that I have seen in my 13 years on the police force. This young man was shot three times as he sat in his car. He jumped out of the car trying to get away and the assailant followed him out of the car and shot him several more times. It was an execution," Franklin said.
According to Franklin, officials are filing the murder as a vendetta killing. Franklin said that officials did not feel that the murder was drug related or gang related.
"This was just a vindictive crime. There's nothing that ties this in to drugs or gangs, it was just purely a vindictive assault," he said.
According to a Chicago Sun Times report, witnesses reported that a man wearing a black hood or ski mask was seen running away from the scene. Franklin said authorities are currently seeking an individual, who had been seen riding in the vehicle with Lenear, for questioning.
In a week that didn't offer too many surprises, Nancy Herbert of Forrest City cashed in for the $50 Professor Pigskin Contest prize by only missing one of the 23 listed games.
Herbert's only miss was the Palestine-Wheatley-Salem football game played Friday.
The Pigskin contest is winding down with just four more weeks to play.
This week's selection of games -- a special high school playoff edition of the contest -- can be found inside today's Times-Herald.