By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
An accident involving an off-duty Forrest City Police Department lieutenant is being investigated by the Arkansas State Police to determine if charges should be filed.
Details of the accident are sketchy at this time because the trooper who worked the wreck is not working today, according to Arkansas State Police Lt. Tommy Wicker with Troop D Headquarters in Forrest City. Messages left for Trooper Franklin McMillion were not returned before press time, and other state police officials were unwilling to comment on the wreck. Wicker said McMillion has five days to complete the accident report.
According to unconfirmed reports, the two-vehicle wreck occurred just before 8 p.m. on Highway 1 North near the new Highway 1 bypass intersection and involved a northbound vehicle driven by FCPD Lt. Frank Frymire and a car, the driver of which is unknown at this time.
A motorist who arrived at the scene just after the wreck occurred said the Frymire vehicle traveled an estimated 150 to 200 yards from the highway before coming to rest in a nearby field, and he was unable to get out of his vehicle before emergency personnel arrived. The driver of the second vehicle reportedly suffered cuts to his face, caused by broken glass. Both were reportedly taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where Frymire was treated and released. The condition of the second victim was unavailable due to the lack of identification information.
"I really can't tell you too much about it. The State Police handled it. I do know that right now he's (Frymire) off sick because he went to the hospital," McNeary said, adding that Frymire was scheduled to work today and had worked until 4 p.m. on Monday. Hospital officials confirmed Frymire was treated and released there after the accident. "The only thing I have is a note from another officer that he (Frymire) was involved in an accident on Highway 1 North, just outside the city limits, and he was taken to the hospital along with the driver of the other vehicle."
Frymire was not administered a breathalyzer at the St. Francis County Jail, but could have undergone a blood alcohol test at the hospital. According to records at the St. Francis County District Court office, Frymire had not been charged with anything prior to press time.
"I don't have an accident report or results. I don't have anything," McNeary said. "I can't confirm or deny" any rumors. I'm waiting on State Police to finish their report to see what's what, and then I will make a decision."
McNeary said if Frymire is charged with driving while intoxicated,
there are a "range of things I can do if he's never been
charged with DWI before and if he is charged with DWI. It all
depends on the court as to who is at fault," McNeary said.
"There are a range of things I can do. I can suspend him,
put him on administrative leave, demote him or terminate him."
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
With little headway being made on the emotional issue of school consolidation, some movement has been seen on funding, according to State Rep. Danny Ferguson.
Bills have been put forward to increase funding, both in the next school year and for the remainder of this one.
According to the Associated Press, the House on Monday passed a new school-funding bill that would spread an additional $330 million among Arkansas' 308 school districts in the 2004-05 academic year.
According to Ferguson, funding for that will involve some tax increases, although how much and in what form is not known yet.
In the meantime, and for the remaining part of the 2003-2004 year, the Joint Budget Committee has approved a proposed stop-gap funding change in the present school formula that would channel districts about $16.5 million more this school year to help students overcome barriers to learning caused by poverty.
"We didn't finish until 6:30 last night," said Ferguson. He said the stopgap funding measure was passed in the hopes of preventing having an injunction.
"The fear is that someone could go to court and request an injunction, stopping any money from flowing to public schools starting this Friday," he said.
Ferguson said the additional money would be going to schools according to the number of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. It would only apply until June 30 of next year.
The money for this bill will come from a $90 million fund of federal money from the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003.
"That $16.5 million will be transferred out of that fund and will not require any tax increases," he said.
He said it was hoped that the stopgap measure will pass, and prevent the threatened injunction from being imposed.
"Even though this is similar to the current funding formula, it basically is new, and if anyone wants to challenge it, they would have to go through the whole process of filing a lawsuit," Ferguson said.
In the meantime, work could be done on a completely new formula.
"I believe it (the $16.5 million measure) will fly through and be on the governor's desk by Wednesday night," said Ferguson. "It was just the realization that we're not going to have the big funding formula finalized by Wednesday."
On the consolidation issue, the sides continued to be far apart. The House Education Committee planned to take up Gov. Mike Huckabee's plan to consolidate school districts today, with more than 500 students, a day after the Senate education panel rejected a House alternative that would stave off consolidation for at least two years.
According to the AP, it isn't known whether the formula approved by the House on Monday would be enough to comply with a state Supreme Court order that Arkansas spend more money on its public schools and distribute funds equitably. The bill's backers said that, with a Thursday deadline, something had to be done.
''The day of reckoning is here. If you look at the clock, you've got less than 48 hours. To escape what could happen with the court, we've got to get a funding formula out of here,'' Rep. Buddy Blair, D-Fort Smith, told House Members in urging them to pass HB 1049.
If legislators fail to change the existing school funding formula before Jan. 1, they will leave the state open to a lawsuit enjoining it from sending money to schools through a system that the state Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional.
"That was one of the big points of the Lake View suit (upheld by the Arkansas Supreme Court)," said Ferguson. "It generally takes more money to educate students from high poverty districts."
Four people were arrested on drug charges Monday night after a county deputy investigated a car that had allegedly fled from him.
The St. Francis County Sheriff's deputy reported a car fled from the deputy at a residence located at 23 SFC 343, Forrest City just before 11 p.m. After losing the car, the deputy reportedly returned to the residence, where he saw a while male later identified as Brett Miller, standing in the door.
The deputy walked up to the residence to question the occupants about the vehicle which had fled, and reported a strong odor of marijuana. He entered the residence and noticed marijuana still smoking in an ashtray.
The deputy received consent to search the residence, and found drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine.
A 2-year-old child was also in the residence.
Arrested were Pamela Ann Osier, 23, of Wynne; Cory Bart Hooper, 22, of Wynne; Brett Eugene Miller, 26, of 23 SFC 343, Forrest City; and Kelly Lyn Miller, 21, of the same address.
All were charged with manufacture of a controlled substance (meth), possession of a controlled substance (meth), possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. In addition, Brett Miller and Kelly Miller were charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.
H & R Block will open its doors at its new location at 405 Cleveland across from Harvest Foods on Friday, Jan. 2, at 9 a.m., to provide Forrest City and the St. Francis County area with tax services. Owner Don Dowdle says the new office will offer several services.
"We will offer complete income tax service," said Dowdle. "We will offer electric filing and rapid refund services. With rapid refund, you can receive your return possibly within 24 hours. Another service we will offer is direct deposit of refund checks. People can get the check deposited directly to either their checking or savings accounts."
Another service which Dowdle said he is very proud of checks last year's tax returns for errors. "It is called 'Double Check Challenge.' We check your last year's return to make sure it was done correctly. If the return is amended, we charge you, but it is free if there is no amendment. On average nationwide, refunds that were amended averaged over $1,000 in extra returns."
Both Dowdle and office manager Cindy Dickie have nearly 10 years experience with H & R Block, have completed the basic H & R Block tax course and all advanced courses that are taught annually.
The H & R Block office will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office will also be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.