By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Board of Trustees of East Arkansas Community College was told Thursday that a Supreme Court decision on the Lake View school lawsuit will affect all aspects of education, including two-year colleges.
The high court ruled Thursday morning that public school funding in Arkansas was inadequate and unfair, and gave the Legislature 13 months to do something about it.
"It is important that we understand the dilemma that education finds itself in, the uncertainty," said EACC President Dr. Coy Grace. "The one thing that is certain is that education in Arkansas will change. Certainly public education, and probably for higher education and other state agencies as well. We are in a change mode. I think there's not anything that can prevent that. We must do the best we can to keep the funding we have for our area, and promote our two-year college and the two-year college system in Arkansas. I think it's an integral part of economic development. So I would familiarize yourself with this as best you can."
On a different subject, the facade and driveway modifications at the school's entrance are nearing completion, and plans are being made for other projects, Grace reported.
Plans are also being made for the renovation of Classroom Building 1.
"We do not have classes scheduled in that building for the spring semester," said Grace.
On another matter, Vice President of Student Affairs Catherine Coleman gave an update on early registration for the spring semester. She said that as of Thursday, there was about a 20 percent increase over early registration for the spring semester at this time last year. She said she hoped that increase would hold for the entire registration period. The fall semester had an enrollment increase of about 21 percent, and Coleman said it was hoped the trend would continue for the spring semester.
During the president's report, Grace told the board about the opportunity recently presented by Cross County Economic Development. The group has purchased a building formerly occupied by K-Mart, and EACC will lease an area. The board had authorized such a move earlier. The school's offerings can be expanded with the use of the building.
The board also agreed to accept several grants and to employ the provisional workers paid through the grants.
The following new hires were reported: Remonia Willis, Even Start coordinator; Sharon Pickard, temporary Nursing faculty; Wilma Thomason, youth coordinator; and Nancy Herbert, purchasing agent.
There were also two resignations reported, Doris Courtney in the Nursing faculty and Jerry McGill, EMT instructor.
The board also viewed a brief promotional tape for the school.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Law enforcement personnel throughout Eastern Arkansas are saying goodbye this month to a friend who has supported them for more than 35 years.
Captain Steve Gray, commander of Arkansas State Police Troop D in Forrest City, is retiring Nov. 30, at the age of 55, ending his career in law enforcement in the same city in which it began 35 years and four months ago -- a feat not many people associated with state government can say they have accomplished.
Gray's hard work and dedication have enabled him to work his way up through the ranks of state police. He began his career as a radio dispatcher when the ASP headquarters was located on Highway 70 West. Sans a six-year span in which he worked as a trooper out of Troop C in Jonesboro, Gray has basically served residents in Troop D his entire career. Troop D includes St. Francis, Monroe, Lee, Phillips, Woodruff, Cross, Crittenden and Prairie counties.
Law enforcement is the only full-time job Gray has ever had. While in high school, he worked part-time at a funeral home in Brinkley, and said that job is what led him to choose a career in law enforcement.
"All through high school, I worked at Midkiff Funeral Home in Brinkley, and I got to see the troopers come in with wrecks, and I said, 'I think that's what I want to do,' and that's how I got interested in it," Gray said.
His first stop was as a radio dispatcher, working under Troop D commander Dwight Galloway, and from there he worked his way through a number of ranks to the top position from which he is retiring. "I missed corporal. I made sergeant before I made corporal," Gray said. He has spent the last four years as Troop D commander.
"After working the highways for a number of years, I saw my opportunity to get into management. Of course, you have to take a lot of tests, and you have to compete with a lot of people. I was fortunate enough to get promoted to sergeant, and then when the position of assistant troop commander came open here in 1988, I put in for it and was promoted to lieutenant," Gray said. "I've been in this office ever since."
Gray's personal life has not taken him far from where he was born and reared. The son of Leonard and Jackie Gray of Brinkley, he graduated from Brinkley High School, and continues to live in that area with his wife Jane, who is postmaster at the Wheatley Post Office. He is the father of two children, a son Lance, who also lives in the Brinkley area, and a daughter Jill, who is married and lives in West Memphis. Gray said he is anticipating the arrival of his first grandchild at the end of January.
Admitting the decision to retire was tough, Gray said he looks forward to some free time. As for his plans, Gray said nothing is really set. "I don't know. I'm going to hunt for a while and do a lot of jobs Jane has been wanting me to do for some time. Then, I think I'm just going to sit back and see what life brings. I may get back into public service one of these days, I'll just have to wait and see."
Regardless, he said he looks forward to retirement, and hopes he's making the right choice. "I hope I enjoy it," Gray said. "I hope I'm not leaving too early. The state budget is in such bad shape and everything. There are cutbacks, and not enough people to work with. There are just so many issues."
Although his career has been highlighted in many ways, Gray said one of the most rewarding assignments during his tenure was the Presidential detail he was assigned to when then-President Bill Clinton attended a funeral in Cross County.
"That was probably one of the best deals," Gray, who was assistant troop commander at the time, reflected. "I was in the motorcade. Just being at the airport in Memphis when he flew in on Air Force One was amazing. He got off the airplane and came over and shook all of our hands and said he was glad to be home. He acted like he really knew who you were and was glad to see you."
Not discounting the responsibility of the day, Gray said, "That's pretty serious. The Secret Service is there in numbers, and they take their job pretty seriously."
"I hope I've set a good example, both in my private and my professional life, for people to follow," Gray said. "The main thing is to make a difference. Don't just come through the agency without anyone knowing you were here. Let them say you did something positive and that you brought something to the department."
ASP Colonel Don Melton said Gray's presence will not only be missed in Troop D, but throughout the entire state police organization. "He's a true cop. He understands what's needed to do to get the job done.
"I met Steve when he was sergeant. I have admired Capt. Gray and the way he has managed the troop since I've been colonel," Melton said, referring to a shortage of troopers in this area. "Steve has had to manage innovatively just to keep up with the basic services we're required by law to provide. In addition to that, his workload has been increased by all of the interstate construction and the frequency of crashes associated with that.
"State police are sure going to miss him, and I'm going to miss him personally as well. I'm envious. He and I both enjoy a golf game now and then, but I don't have the time he'll have. I wish him well," Melton added.
St. Francis County Sheriff Dave Parkman said he will miss Gray's presence at Troop D.
"I've known Steve for a long time, and we've worked well together. It's been a pleasure working with Steve. He's always been agreeable and helpful in any way he could. Frankly, I hate to see him retire, but I'm glad for him. I do know he has been a tremendous help to law enforcement."
Monroe County Judge Tom Catlett, a lifelong friend to Gray, said, "He's one of the finest gentlemen I've ever known. He does his job well, and he's well respected. I've known him since he was a teenager, and he's still the same today.
"I knew him before he was a state trooper, and everything I know about Capt. Gray is good. I couldn't say enough about him. He's fair. Besides being a gentleman, he's an excellent law enforcement officer, and he's my friend. I hate to see him retire, but at the same time, you reach that stage sometime," Catlett said. "I could talk all day about him and not say enough. He's one of a few people who is OK in every respect."
Mike Easley, a Forrest City attorney who has worked closely with state police during the years, offered some ideas on Gray's future, "I think they ought to make a movie about Steve. He's got plenty of wild stories to tell. He's got a squeaky clean record of busting the bad guys, and he's got those movie star good looks," Easley said. "Hollywood has made some great movies and television shows about legendary lawmen, real and fictional. I've been thinking that for the last 35 years, we've had a star right here in Forrest City in Steve Gray.
"But, they probably won't (make the movie) because with Steve, you couldn't film any of that juicy stuff you know, the awful language, the bloody violence, the 'good cop gone bad.' You know, maybe that's a movie we do need to see. Thanks Steve for doing it right."
Ditto.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
People are still trying to get a handle on Thursday's state Supreme Court ruling which, in effect, stated that Arkansas isn't educating its children well enough, a lawmaker said this morning.
And it will constitute a trial by fire for many new lawmakers.
"We've heard rumbles from some of the folks that have been around a long time," said state Rep. Danny Ferguson this morning. "Term limits have hit both the House and Senate, so the legislature is going to be pretty green. And people who have been in government a long time are saying this will be the toughest legislative session in the history of the state."
Not only did the high court, in effect, declare the state's public school system unconstitutional, it only gave the Legislature 13 months to find the funding to correct the situation.
Ferguson said the ruling was not unexpected, but now it is a reality and will have to be faced.
"I have to admit I was not surprised," he said. "I think the general guess of most legislators was that probably the bulk of the lower court's decision would be upheld."
Now that it has happened for real, Ferguson said, "Everybody is just going around with a deer in the headlight look. Not literally, but at this point everybody's just going to have to back up and regroup."
He said all the work which has been done in budget meetings to this point is open to change.
"Should we hold back new growth, or possibly even consider some cuts, until we see what's going to happen?" he said.
According to Ferguson, several things have to happen now. He said the Legislature's Education Committee will have to decide what specific steps will have to be taken to satisfy the courts. There will also have to be a dollar figure attached.
"Then it will go to the Revenue and Taxation Committee, that I sit on, and we'll have to address how we'll generate that much money," he said.
To give an idea of what might be facing Revenue and Taxation, Ferguson said a lot of possible figures have been thrown out. But he said, for instance, if a figure of three-quarters of a billion dollars was used, and the state tried to raise it all with sales tax, it would mean a sales tax increase of 3 percent.
"That would move us up to about the highest in sales tax in the country, while we're among the lowest in property tax," he said. It would just make Arkansas non-competitive on retail sales."
There may be a move to cut funding to other areas of the state budget in order to raise at least some of the funds. Ferguson said that could end up hurting higher education, both in two-year and four-year institutions. It could also hurt the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health, Medicaid, city and county turnback and the Department of Corrections, to name a few.
"The Department of Corrections already owes counties hundreds of thousands of dollars in overdue bills for housing state prisoners," he said. "They've got a new facility in Malvern they haven't even had the money to open. They've done early release of prisoners. So DOC is asking for a big increase. How can you cut there?"
Ferguson said the public is going to have to try understanding the problem.
"What people are going to have to understand is that this is a court order. This is not some idea that somebody proposed that we have to revamp public education. This is local control, curriculum, equity in building, the whole works. This is a court order," he said.
Perhaps the biggest problem is the state's small population, he continued. There are few people from which to generate all that money.
"The bottom line is, Arkansas only has 2.8 million people. It's a sparsely populated state compared to many others. But there are a lot of demands."
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The reappointment of board members and the formation of a General Advisory Committee within the school were debated at the Crowley's Ridge Technical Institutes Board of Directors meeting Thursday evening.
Burl Lieblong, president of CRTI, presented new member Ken Patterson to the board. Patterson is replacing Bill Hays who had been board chairman.
"We need to get our officers straightened out before we go any further," said board member Frances Harper.
Lieblong pointed out that the state has not reappointed several members for several years, despite requests to do so.
"It's up to the board to elect officers or keep the board as it is or change it," commented Lieblong. "Mrs. (Vivian) Cooper has served almost two years after she was supposed to be up for reappointment and Mr. Hays, before he left, had served almost a year. I plan to talk to the state to hopefully get them to move faster on appointments and reappointments."
The board voted to move Cooper, the vice-chairperson, into the chair position on the board and leave the rest of the officers in place until reappointments are made.
Lieblong then told the board that General Advisory Committee will be required at the school.
"The Council of Occupational Education, a national organization, will visit us from June 2 until June 7 in 2003. We want to seek accreditation with them, but they require us to have a General Advisory Committee in place that meets a minimum of two times per year. I'd like to have one in place before the end of this year, so that they can meet and be able to show the C.O.E. minutes of those meetings.
"I feel a seven-to-nine person committee with three former board members on it would be great," continued Lieblong. " I'd also like to see the remaining slots filled with local businessmen."
The board voted to approve the formation of the new committee with six members and gave Lieblong authority to select the members.
Several men were sentenced to the Arkansas Department of Corrections during circuit court proceedings this week.
Altovise D. Swift, 29, of Madison, was sentenced to 10 years each for burglary and criminal mischief, with those sentences set to run concurrently. However, Swift is currently in prison, and the sentence imposed Wednesday is to run consecutively with his current sentence.
Maurice Jones, 22, of 369 Grobmyer Circle, Forrest City, was sentenced to six years with credit for time service, for possession of a controlled substance.
Robert Perkins, 25, of Widener, was sentenced to eight years with credit for time served, for attempted aggravated robbery.
Bruce A. Hoselton, 30, Forrest City, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug paraphernalia. He was originally charged with conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
Lonnie Nichols, 24, 2137 SFC 229, Forrest City, was given a three-year prison sentence for arson. Nichols reportedly tried to burn a house under construction on Wilson Street earlier this year. He told police a cousin offered him $50 to burn the structure.