By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
An 18-wheeler carrying over a half-million dollars worth of supplies to the Sanyo Manufacturing Plant flipped onto its side Wednesday morning near the Interstate 40 overpass. The wreck delayed traffic in the northbound lanes of Highway 1 for about seven hours.
According to Patrolman William Sparkmon of the Forrest City Police Department, at about 10:50 a.m. a call was received by the department that an Ozark Freightliner was exiting the ramp on I-40 headed to Highway 1 North when it ran over the median and flipped onto its left side. It was reported that the operator of the truck was traveling too fast. No citation was issued to the driver, Thurman Felder, 49, of Houston, Texas.
The trailer was carrying $700,000 worth of television picture tubes to the Sanyo plant. According to Sparkmon, with the loss of the picture tubes and the damage to the truck and trailer, the total damage estimate is over $1 million.
Clean-up efforts lasted until about 6 p.m. "They had 10 or 15 guys out there cleaning up the glass and loading the tubes into another truck," Sparkmon said.
Sanyo officials did not return phone calls today regarding the wreck.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Cohn Family and Forrest City Grocery Co. made their annual donations Wednesday to local charities and worthy causes, using proceeds from the yearly Charity Golf Tournament sponsored by the company.
This year's donations totaled $210,500. (See Page 2) It brings the amount of money donated by Forrest City Grocery to just under $900,000, according to David Cohn. He said the amount would certainly top the $1 million mark next year.
Cohn said the tournament had started out as a treat for Forrest City Grocery customers, and then it was realized that it could be a vehicle to raise money. He said he didn't know of another town which had so many worthy organizations to receive the money.
The biggest single recipient was the Forrest City Education Foundation, which received $90,000 in all. This was divided between general ($71,000) athletics ($15,000) and the Rumble on the Ridge basketball tournament ($4,000).
Also receiving a generous amount was the St. Francis County Community Foundation, which received $31,000. This was divided up in Cohn family grants of $10,000 and $15,000, an operation pledge of $1,000 and $5,000 to the Youth Advisory Council.
The following grants were also received: Toys for Tots, $2,000; Rolling Readers, $1,000; East Arkansas Community College Foundation (for scholarships), $5,000; St. Francis County Food Pantry, gift certificates for 300 turkeys; the St. Francis County Humane Society, $1,000; the Heart Association Heart Walk, $2,000; the University of Memphis, $15,000; and the St. Francis County Literacy Council, $1,000.
Other grants were announced, for whom there were no representatives present. These included: The University of Arkansas Foundation, $20,000; the American Cancer Society, $2,000; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, $2,000; Arkansas Children's Hospital, $2,000; the American Diabetes Association, $2,000; the Make-A-Wish Foundation, $10,000; and other non-profit donations, $18,500.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Negligent homicide charges have been filed in connection with an accident on Interstate-40 near Palestine this week which took the life of a 41-year-old North Carolina man.
According to a report from the St. Francis County Sheriff's office, Dick Nordmann, 47, of Mann's Harbor, N.C., was charged Tuesday, with negligent homicide, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, careless driving, no seat belt and DWI. The charges were filed after 41-year-old George G. Thornton was killed when the 1986 Chevrolet Blazer he was a passenger in overturned, ejecting him from the vehicle.
According to Arkansas State Trooper Mike Kennedy, the two men were traveling westbound on I-40 when Nordmann lost control of the vehicle, driving off the southern shoulder. Nordmann then overcorrected as he attempted to cross back onto the roadway and flipped the SUV several times. According to Kennedy, a urine test was administered to Nordmann after marijuana was found in his possession and results of the test are pending.
Nordmann appeared in St. Francis County District Court on Wednesday, and was bound over to Circuit Court on $15,000 bond.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
With tropical storm Isidore blasting the Louisiana coast with winds just below hurricane strength, two local energy providers have answered a call for assistance.
Woodruff Electric of Forrest City has sent two employees and a truck to Baton Rouge, La., and Entergy of Arkansas has sent about 10 employees from the local area, and 200 statewide, to Louisiana in response to a request for help.
Woodruff Electric employees Tommy Talley and Rodney Kelso make up one of five crews coordinated by Arkansas Electric of Little Rock and dispatched to help in areas where needed.
The call from the Little Rock group came early Tuesday, according to Woodruff District Manager Glenn Shepherd.
"The governor of Louisiana declared a state of emergency and put out a request for help, and we are answering that request," Shepherd explained.
Shepherd also added that of the crews in the group, this is the only crew from Woodruff, but this is not the first time this crew has been sent to a disaster.
"I have been to ice storms, tornados and hurricanes," said Talley. "We went to a big ice storm in Mississippi one year, and that was rough, but this might be rougher."
Kelso said he was ready to help, and is glad that his long-time working partner is going with him.
"We've worked together for a long time, and we have done several of these calls together," said Kelso. "I hope we can make a difference down there."
Both Talley and Kelso are being sent to a staging area in Baton Rouge were they will await orders as to when and where their help is needed.
"We plan on staying until the end," added Kelso. "It is going to be tough, but we plan to stick it out."
The 10 Entergy employees from the local area are from Forrest City, Wynne, Brinkley, Lexa, Marianna and Helena, according to Entergy Customer Service Manager Mike Davis, who added that the company's aid to Louisiana is in a sense, returning the favor.
"They helped us when the ice storms hit in Arkansas. Now it's time for us to help our neighbors, whether it's repairing downed lines, setting poles or connecting service to homes," Davis said. During the 2002 ice storm, more than 10,000 utility workers from 25 states came to Arkansas' aid.
Today's paper contains the Times-Herald's annual tribute to the rice industry and to Miss St. Francis County Rice.
This year's Miss St. Francis County Rice is Lauren McCain Collier, 17-year-old daughter of Ed and Joan Collier of Forrest City.
The rice section is made possible by the following sponsors:
A/C Services, Aflac Insurance, Argo Distribution LLC, The Antique Rose, Arkansas Concrete, Arkansas Distributing, Astin's Taekwondo, Baptist Memorial Hospital, Bennett Tractor Parts and Brothers Implement Company.
Calvary Christian Bookstore and Nature Nook, Capital Financial Services, Carlow, Gentry, and Associates PLLC, Catfish Island, Cellular Mobility, Central Arkansas Turbines Inc., Chez Weenie, Clark Oil Company, Classic Flowers and Colony Shop.
Cranford Farms, Creative Framing, Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute, Debbie's Flowers, Delta Beta Sigma, East Arkansas Equipment Co., East Arkansas Insurance, Edward Jones, Entergy and Express Dry Cleaners and Laundry.
The Family Shoe Box, Farm Credit Mid-South, Faulk Battery and Muffler Warehouse, Federated Insurance, First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas, First National Bank of Wynne, Food Giant, Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce, Forrest City Bank and Forrest City High School.
Forrest City High School Mustang Cheerleaders, Larry Giffin DDS, Gray's Service Center, Hair Force One Barber Shop, Hardwick Well Supply Inc., Bobby Heard Tire Service, Howard Miller LUTCF, Ann and Sarah Hudson, John Deere Company and LaRand's.
Laserplane Arkansas Inc., Lawhon Farm Services Inc., Lindsey Brothers Gin and Warehouse, The Lower Deck, Machen Ford and Chrysler, McCain-Collier Farms, McDonald's, Mike's Family Foods, Movie Gallery and NAPA Auto and Truck Parts.
National Carpet One, The Nehus Family, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Obstetrics and Gynecology of East Arkansas, Ole Sawmill, Producer's Rice Mill, Racer's Ag Service, Ray Houser, Riceland and Riceland Foods-Wheatley.
Rountree Small Animal Clinic, Ruby's Flowers and Gifts, St. Francis County Farm Bureau, St. Francis County Farmer's Association/Hutcherson Flying Service, St. Francis County Officials, Sharpe, Beavers and Cline, Gary Sims Construction and Mowing Service, Sonic, Steve Jones Chevrolet and Stough Enterprises.
Taco Bell, Taylor-Casbeer, Ted's Marine and Sporting Goods Inc., Times-Herald Printing and Office Products, Western Auto, Wholesale Metal Supply and Woodruff Electric Cooperative Corp.