By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The weather was chilly, but Forrest City's annual Christmas Parade, held Friday was called a success.
"We were really pleased," said Mary Beth Doler of the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce. "We were pleased with the turnout and the participants and the spectators."
The parade is traditionally held the first Friday in December. This year's theme was "The Joy of Christmas."
"Participation was a little down this year, but we still ended up with 10 floats, which we were pleased to have," said Doler. "I think the classic cars was a category we were down in, but we did have some people tell us they're going to get ready for next year."
Winners in the float competition were as follows.
Novelty Category: First place, Cub Scout Pack 224; second place, Girl Scout Troop 289; third St. Francis County UAPB Alumni Association.
School Category: First place, Palestine-Wheatley Cheerleaders; second place, Cross County Hippy.
Church Category: First place, Landmark Baptist Church.
Small Industrial /Commercial Category: First place, CCC Recording Studio; second place, Manley Printing; third place, First National Bank of Wynne.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The Arkansas Department of Health has had no reported cases of the flu in St. Francis County.
According to Ann Wright, communications director for the ADH in Little Rock, most of the seven counties not reporting the sickness are in the Delta area.
"As of Friday, St. Francis County is not reporting the flu," said Wright. "It is one of the few counties not reporting flu at this time. The other counties in the state not reporting are Monroe, Lee, Cross, Crittenden, Izard and Lawrence.
"We have had three probable deaths from the flu statewide," added Wright. "Those were in adults in the high risk category. What we want people to know is that we are getting low on flu shots. We are urging them to go to their local health departments to receive a shot. Also, the health department highly encourages people to follow simple protective measures that include: washing their hands with warm water and soap as often as possible; covering their nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing; staying at home when ill; staying away from crowds whenever possible; and keeping infants and the elderly away from those that are ill."
A press release provided by Wright says that most individuals will develop immunity from flu two weeks after receiving a shot. In spite of what some people believe, the flu shot will not give someone the flu, Wright said.
In a typical year, roughly 36,000 Americans die from complications of the flu. The risk of complications and death is higher among:
*Persons aged 50 and above.
*Residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities that house people with chronic medical conditions.
*Adults and children who have chronic disorders of pulmonary or cardiovascular systems, including asthma.
*Adults and children who require regular medical follow-up or hospitalization during the preceding year because of chronic metabolic diseases including diabetes, renal dysfunction, hemoglobinopathies and immunodeficiency caused by medications or HIV/AIDS.
*Children and teenagers (six months eighteen years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and, therefore, may be at risk for developing Reye Syndrome after influenza infection.
*Women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the flu season.
*Children 6-23 months of age and their close contacts.
The release goes on to state that the influenza vaccine is recommended for anyone over the age of six months who does not want the flu.
Influenza virus passes from an infected person to a healthy person via nasal secretions or droplets produced through coughing or sneezing. It can cause fever, chills, headache, cough, sore throat and muscle aches. If an individual contracts the flu, antiviral drugs are available that can ease the symptoms.
High-risk groups should also get a pneumoccocal vaccination because of potential complications like bacterial pneumonia. For more information on obtaining this vaccine, contact your private medical provider.
For more information on influenza, click on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov.
The Forrest City Civic Center will be the backdrop Tuesday, as the East Arkansas Enterprise Community holds its annual public meeting.
Representatives from across the Delta will be in Forrest City for the meeting tomorrow, which will feature the president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Sybil Jordan-Hampton.
According to a press release from the EAEC, the theme for Tuesday's event will be "Collaboration, Partnerships and Trust = Empowered Communities" and the meeting will highlight activities from 2003 and focus on projects for the future.
Since 1997 the 62 projects using $2.8 million in EAEC funding has leveraged close to $23 million from grant funding entities nationwide. Those funds are being used throughout Eastern Arkansas to fund entrepreneurship through the EAEC's small business loan fund, youth groups through the EAEC Youth Consortium, health projects and the organization's "Breathe Easy" program which works to stop smoking.
Registration and display set-up for the annual meeting will be held from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. with the annual board of directors meeting following from 9:30 to 10:30 and the public meeting beginning at 11 a.m.
The EAEC incorporates four counties, St. Francis, excluding
Forrest City; a portion of Wynne in Cross County; Lee; and Monroe.
A man was stabbed in the neck area with a pocketknife inside a downtown nightclub early Sunday morning.
The Forrest City Police Department reported Kenny Clark, age and address unavailable, was inside the Blue Flame Restaurant at 206 N. Grant St., about 2:35 a.m. Sunday, when he was allegedly stabbed by Willie Lee Flenoy, 44, of Marianna.
Clark refused help for his wounds at the scene and told police he did not want to file a report on the attack, but later called police to request an ambulance be sent to him at 125 S. Water St. He was treated and released at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City.
Flenoy is charged with disorderly conduct, public intoxication and carrying a knife as a weapon.
Stanley Reed of Marianna was recently selected as president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau during the organization's 69th annual convention.
Reed, who has been on the state board of the ARFB for more than 15 years, has served as vice president since December of 1999. He also served as the secretary/treasurer of the board for close to six years. Prior to serving on the state board, Reed served on the Lee County Farm Bureau board and was president from 1982-1984.
Also elected to the board was Randy Veach of Manila, who will serve as vice president and Troy Buck was elected to the ARFB's board of directors. Also during the annual convention, delegates established positions on a number of issues, including the continued opposition to the formation of a state department of agriculture. Arkansas is one of two states that lack such a department.
The ARFB is a 235,000 member-family organization that works to improve farm and rural life in the state.
Two men were arrested on drug charges Saturday afternoon when police executed a search warrant at a Hughes residence.
The St. Francis County/First Judicial District Drug Task Force executed the warrant at the home of Chester Burrows, 37, about 1:30 p.m. Inside the home, officers reportedly found a small amount of cocaine. They also reportedly found a small amount of cocaine in a vehicle at the home.
In addition to the drugs, police reportedly found 14 sticks of dynamite, along with about 20 feet of fusing cord inside a bedroom closet.
Burrows is charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of explosives.
Crawford is charged with delivery of a controlled substance, crack cocaine.