By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
An off-duty police officer was injured Sunday night while attempting to help neighbors during an apartment fire at the complex where he lives.
The fire was reported about 7:20 p.m. at the Manor House apartment of Latisha Harris, 1421 N. Division, Apt. 211.
Off-duty Forrest City Police Officer Billy Andrews, who also lives at Manor House, said he heard a little girl running toward his apartment screaming that a house was on fire. "When I got there, it was burning pretty good. I was trying to find out if anyone was still inside the apartment," Andrews said. In the process, he broke out a window, severing the tendons in his right thumb.
"Once I got inside the apartment and determined that there was no one in there, I went straight to the emergency room," Andrews said, adding that he is scheduled for surgery on his hand Tuesday morning.
The Forrest City Fire Department was able to contain the fire to Harris' apartment.
FCFD Captain Johnny Ruffin said the fire began when food left on the stove caught fire, and firemen were able to contain the fire to the kitchen area of the home. Damage to Harris' apartment is estimated at $15,000. An unoccupied apartment below Harris' residence received smoke and water damage, Ruffin said.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A Forrest City man has been charged in connection with a residential burglary and six incidents of theft from vehicles.
Jason Sims, 25, is charged in incidents which took place in the North Izard Street and in the Washington Heights area on Oct. 5.
Sims was already in custody, facing charges out of Pulaski County for auto theft. He has been brought back to Forrest City to be charged in St. Francis County.
Sims is also charged with a residential burglary which took place on Lombardy Street in Forrest City on Sept. 4.
Simes is charged with two counts of theft of property over $500; six counts of breaking or entering; failure to pay fines; and was also served with a notice of revocation. He was scheduled for arraignment this afternoon in St. Francis County District Court. His bond has been initially been set at $100,000. After arraignment, he will be returned to Pulaski County, according to a press release.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The Times-Herald is beginning a three-day series on the local effects of proposed Amendment 3, which would eliminate the sales taxes on food, medicine and soft drinks. The series outlines how,the county, Forrest City and the Forrest City School District would be impacted by the loss of revenue. Today's interview focuses how the measure would impact St. Francis County government.)
With voters in St. Francis County and statewide casting their first ballots today, so begins an attempt to remove the sales tax on food, medicine and soft drinks through ballot Amendment 3.
According to figures provided by the St. Francis County Cooperative Extension Service, St. Francis County would stand to lose $595,724 annually if the amendment passes. Of that total, $194,802 is distributed to county government. The remainder is distributed to municipal governments, which would lose an estimated $400,922. According to St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco, that loss would force the county into cutbacks in services and personnel, and the cutting out of some services.
Cisco answered a series of questions on the issue, and his answers are as follows:
How much will Amendment 3 cost St. Francis County?
"For us, no matter how much in actual money it is, it would be a pretty good blow. We're already facing cutbacks from the state in the money that they will be sending, and word is spreading that the counties will again feel the brunt when the state tries to balance their budget. We're expecting to get hit pretty hard from them, and if Amendment 3 passes, then we'll basically have to go back to the drawing board with our budget."
How will that loss be offset?
"Well, the county will have to cut back in some of the services that we're offering, and we'll have to take a hard look at personnel. Anything outside of basic county operations would face being cut, and we might begin charging a fee to residents for things such as garbage pickup and the use of NEARCO, which we haven't been charging for.
We might also see some restrictions placed on the number of people held in the jail and other services that the Sheriff's Department offers. And, the entire 3-mill road tax might have to be put back on to keep the road department operating efficiently. We're already looking at putting a part of it back on because of cutbacks from the state, and if this happens the whole thing will have to be put back on. We really don't want to do that."
What services will citizens lose if Amendment 3 passes?
"As I said before, all non-essential county operations will face cuts and elimination if this passes. A lot of residents don't realize that right now they pay nothing for the garbage pickup in the county or for NEARCO coming out and picking up the larger items. If this is passed, they could see some of those types of things done away with, or they could see charges placed on both of those to offset the losses that the county will face."
Why are you encouraging voters to vote against Amendment 3?
"On the surface, anytime you can cut taxes it seems like a good thing, and this one is no different. But when you weigh the benefits of cutting the taxes with the losses that the residents in St. Francis County will take, then you can't help but be against this measure. If we remove this tax, then we will have to find a way to offset those losses, be it through personnel cuts or cuts in services, and those options are things that we just don't want to see. That's why I'm asking voters to vote against Amendment 3."
The EACC lecture room will be the site of a mayoral debate at 7 tonight. Each of the four candidates will answer a series of five questions prepared by American government students.
The Palestine-Wheatley School Board is scheduled to meet tonight on the Wheatley campus.
Board members are expected to consider a special education budget, hire personnel and elect officers.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the junior high school library.
On Tuesday, the Forrest City Planning Commission is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. at city hall.
Also on Tuesday, the St. Francis County Quorum Court will hold a budget meeting at 6 p.m. at the courthouse.
A traffic stop Saturday afternoon ended with two people being arrested for illegal possession of prescription drugs.
According to the report by the Forrest City Police Department, a patrolman observed a vehicle with no license plates which allegedly was also failing to yield. The vehicle was stopped and the driver reportedly identified himself as David Striker. He was later identified as Thomas Striker, 32, of Rand, W.Va. There was also a passenger, Tanya Jones, 33, of Thibodeaux, La.
According to the police report, there was a large plastic bag in plain sight which had prescription bottles in it, with the patients' names torn off the label.
The contents of one bottle were identified as Hydrocodone. The contents of two of the bottles were unidentifiable. The other pills were identified as Naproxin, Promethazine and Zoloft.
Striker was arrested and charged with six counts of possession of a controlled substance, criminal impersonation and driving on a suspended driver's license. Jones was arrested and charged with six counts of possession of a controlled substance and obstruction of government operations.