By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
The investigation is still continuing into an accident Monday night involving a Forrest City Police Department lieutenant even though the investigating officer is reportedly on vacation through Monday.
First Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Fletcher Long said today he is waiting on Arkansas State Police Trooper Franklin McMillion to complete the accident report before his office could determine if charges should be filed.
The accident occurred just before 8 p.m. Monday on Highway 1 North near the new Highway 1 bypass intersection involving off-duty FCPD Lt. Frank Frymire and an unidentified vehicle.
Long said he had discussed the pending case with a deputy prosecutor Monday. "All we knew about it then is basically what you had in the newspaper last night. We know there has been a wreck, both drivers ended up in the hospital and apparently Frymire had been drinking," Long said.
"They must have drawn blood at the hospital, and I'm presuming
Trooper McMillion will get us that information," Long said.
"We're waiting to get his accident report."
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Many small towns and counties in Arkansas that applied over the past two years for police vehicles expected to cost them $1 are still waiting for the cars to arrive.
Wheatley is among the 33 cities and counties in Arkansas that applied for the program which was started by Government Acquisitions LLC of Charlotte, N.C., in the days following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. According to an Associated Press story, the company was contacted by law enforcement agencies to develop a program for corporate sponsorship of sponsor-themed government vehicles in an attempt to provide low-cost police cruisers.
The catch was that the new vehicles, which would be completely outfitted for police use, would carry advertising for products and businesses along with the police logo. Also, the police logo could not cover the advertising. To sweeten the deal, a new vehicle would be issued after three years.
However, so far, none of the cities in Arkansas that applied for the vehicles have received them, according to the Associated Press.
The city of Wheatley requested two of these vehicles in March of this year, but according to city officials, Wheatley has not received any notification on the cars since applying for the program.
"We haven't received any word from them that I know of," said Mayor Larry Nash of the North Carolina company. "We sent in the applications on March 7, 2003."
Nash also stated that while they have not heard anything on the program, the city was not out any upfront money.
"We have had no word, but no money has changed hands, so we aren't losing any money (if no word is received)," Nash said.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
As one era moves out of the Ole South Pancake House building, a new one is moving in with the opening of Granny's Country Diner planned for Friday.
Mary Boone, owner of Granny's, said the new restaurant will offer some old favorites, but customers will also see menu additions.
"We're going to offer everything from breakfast to steak and seafood and burgers. We're going to have good homestyle meals with some things that people also haven't seen on the menu here before," Boone said.
Boone, an employee of Ole South Pancake House for 11 years, also said that the business would offer new features, including a buffet, salad bar and a television.
"Pancake House was here for over 30 years, and the Forrest City location was the last to close. The old era is gone, and we're hoping to start a new era that will be just as successful. We've got employees that were with them for 24 years, and some of those employees will be coming on with us. We'll also have a lot of new features that we will offer including a salad bar and buffet, but that will be down the road. We've added a TV so that folks can keep up with news, weather and sports. We just couldn't get everything done by Jan. 2, when we will open," she said.
Granny's Country Diner will be open Sunday through Thursday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 24 hours on Friday and Saturday.
"We just hope people will come out and visit us. We plan to offer the same good food and good service, and we hope folks will just come out and give us a try," Boone said.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The St. Francis County Emergency Food and Shelter Board agreed Monday to distribute over $20,000 in funding to three St. Francis County charitable organizations.
The board unanimously voted to pay the St. Francis County Food Pantry and St. Francis County CARE Center each $8,362 in funding for 2004, and the American Legion Goodfellows $3,427. The funding for next year is up, $1,070, from 2003 when the board received $19,081.
The board also approved a measure which could give the CARE Center as much as an additional $4,000 in state funding. According to board chairperson Martha Couchman an application for $4,000 in state set aside money is in the works, but might not be completed by the Jan. 5, deadline. That money would be used to assist transients.
"Last year we missed it by one day, and I'm just not sure if we're going to be able to get all of the information that we need because of the holidays. The application requires poverty level information and several other things that we've been working on, but I don't know if we'll be able to get it in time," Couchman said.
In other business, Couchman was re-elected as chairman of the board.
A civil trial scheduled to begin on Monday in St. Francis County Circuit Court has been continued, according to SFC Circuit Court Clerk Bette Green. Green said an estimated 300 jurors had been summoned to appear in court on Jan. 5, but because that case has been continued, the jury will not be needed.
The next scheduled date for the jurors is on Thursday, Jan. 22. Green reminds jurors to call for information regarding this event, beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Potential jurors may call the jury information telephone number at 870-633-2035 or 1-800-570-5885, or her office at 261-1715.
A Booneville man was arrested Tuesday for rape after allegedly having consensual sex with a 14-year-old Palestine girl in September.
The St. Francis County Sheriff's Department reported Jim Reed, 31, was arrested on the rape charge Tuesday afternoon at the Logan County Sheriff's Department.
According to arrest records, the incident allegedly occurred at a truckstop in Palestine on Sept. 9. The victim told an investigator with the Arkansas State Police/Crimes Against Children Division that she went with the suspect to the Fina store in Palestine and agreed to have sex with him in the sleeper of his 18-wheeler.
Reed is scheduled to appear in court in St. Francis County on Jan. 9.
The offices of the Times-Herald will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 1, for the New Year's holiday. The offices will be reopen Friday.
Many government offices will also be closed. The St. Francis County Courthouse will be closed Friday as well as Thursday. The Forrest City City Hall will be open Friday.
According to a King Disposal representative, customers inside the Forrest City city limits, whose regular pickup is Thursday, will have their garbage picked up Friday. Those in the county with regular Thursday pickup are having their garbage picked up today.