By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Along with transacting regular business, the East Arkansas Community College board heard a reminder that the state Supreme Court's Lake View decision is going to affect more than K-12.
The high court recently declared public education in Arkansas to be unconstitutional, and gave a deadline of Jan. 4, 2004, to correct it.
"If you've been anywhere, if you've heard anything, if you've seen a newspaper, if you've heard the radio, if you've watched TV, then you know that the Legislature, this year, is challenged," said EACC President Dr. Coy Grace.
"There will be various directions the Legislature will be pulled in, trying to meet the various demands that are out there...I don't know what all of the ramifications will be at this time...We don't know the exact language that will be in the bills, we don't know many of the recommendations. We probably won't know until sometime later in the session."
He said EACC will be affected, "I hope positively." But he said it is still too early. He said he will be following the session as closely as he could to see how it would effect two-year colleges.
"This is going to be a very unusual session, and I don't know how to predict it," he said.
On another matter, the board passed a resolution, accepting a statement of intent for the college's efforts at fund-raising to build a Fine and Performing Arts Center at the school.
Terry Crawford, the school's director of development, presented the statement to the board.
"We have developed an enabling document, which tells how this project will help this college in meeting its mission and vision for serving the citizens and students of this area; how the building of a Center for Fine and Performing Arts will enhance the overall program of the college," Crawford said.
He said that along with enhancing the overall program, "It can bring thousands and thousands of citizens of east Arkansas onto this campus for events and programs and gallery showings and theater productions and all of the things that center can do for us."
He said an official, written statement is required by most private and corporate foundations that might be asked for money. The document also includes a campaign plan.
Board member Dale Morris explained further, saying that boards and foundations which give money want to have official statements of purpose.
"These are official documents that foundations ask about," Morris said. "If somebody approaches them for a significant amount of money, which is what we're going to be doing, this is something they ask about...If somebody tells you to go raise the amount of money we're asked to raise, there needs to be a little more to it than just knocking on the door and saying, 'Give me something.' They come back with questions like, 'Who are you?' and 'How organized and how serious are you?' And what we need is this type of resolution, because they ask to see this specifically."
The board also heard the most recent enrollment report. Enrollment currently stands at 1,507, which is a 4.5 percent increase over the spring semester of 2002. He said there is currently a 7.5 percent increase in the number of semester hours taken.
The board also heard reports from the Learning Center, student Support Services and Title I and the EACC Foundation.
In other action, officers were elected for the coming year, with Steve Hollowell remaining as chairman, Dale Morris as vice chairman, Ann Hudson as secretary and Rausch Hodges as treasurer.
The board was informed that Kathyrn Riffle had resigned from the nursing department.
The board was also informed of two new hires, Rebecca Baxter as director of Institutional Research and Sharon Pickard as a temporary, full-time member of the nursing faculty.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
A budget for the city of Hughes was adopted by councilmen this week during the group's first meeting of the year.
Mayor Donnie Mooney explained the 2003 budget proposal to councilmen, and urged the group to adopt it.
"We have to pass this tonight," said Mooney. "We can always go back and make changes as necessary. Usually we take a look at it in July to see where we are and if we need to make changes."
After a lengthy presentation by Mooney, which touched on each budget item, councilmen agreed to adopt the proposal.
In other business, Police Chief James Wilson updated councilmen on a grant the department received. Wilson began as chief on Jan. 1, following several months as interim chief.
"We have had a grant of $6,713 approved. This money can only be used for equipment not for repairs on vehicles or for payroll," Wilson said. "We would like to use the money on sirens and a computer."
Wilson explained that the computer is needed to help the department meet a new state requirement.
"The new computer system is to help us try and comply with the National Incident Based Reporting System. The NIBRS system is a statewide project that allows our local police to match up our crime records with state and national records. Every station in the state is supposed to have their first reports on the system by Feb. 1. The computers we have now don't have enough memory to run the program, and we need new ones."
Wilson also requested permission to replace an officer that recently left the department.
"I feel it would be more effective for us to fill this position with another full-time officer. It would save us money instead of paying overtime to our regular officers to cover that void. I would recommend that we send one of our reserves to the academy for training." The issue was tabled.
In other news, Mooney reported that water department past due bills had more than doubled in the last few months. "We did have the number down around $4,000 past due, but now the numbers are back up to about $11,000," said Mooney. "The increase is mostly due to us letting people buy Christmas for their children. We do need to work on getting that number back down as soon as possible."
The second annual Chili Day, a fundraiser for the Literacy Council of St. Francis County, will be held on Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Masonic Lodge on North Division Street in Forrest City.
The purpose for the event is to raise money to support the programs of the Literacy Council, but it is also to spread the word of the work that the Literacy Council does for the county.
While the program is grant funded, funding has been cut each year, making donations important. The program services a large population of non or low reading adults and those who require assistance in learning to speak English. All funds raised from Chili Day will go toward the purchase of supplies or areas that need revenue to serve students.
Tickets are $5 per person with carryouts available, and may be purchased at the door. Chili, chilidogs or Frito pies are available with dessert and drink. Serving time is from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
For more information contact any member of the Literacy Council.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The 24th annual Agriculture Expo will be held this year on Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Forrest City Civic Center.
The event has traditionally been held over two days and usually in February.
"What we're trying to do this year is to have a kind of new format for the Expo," said Mitch Crow, St. Francis County Extension Agent-staff chairman. "We're getting away from production meetings."
He said production meetings on corn, rice and cotton, for instance, are being scheduled for other times.
"We're trying to do more cutting-edge type programs" at the Expo, he said.
This year's theme is "Making the Most with Diversification and Conservation."
Beginning at 8 a.m. on Jan. 30 and continuing until noon, the topic of the programs will be "Farm Bill -- Conservation Programs." Topics will include CRP/On Farm Storage; EQIP/Technical Service Providers; Partners Program; Hunting Leases; Wildlife Habitat; and Restoring the Delta. There will be times for discussion and questions, and also time to visit the exhibits.
The afternoon sessions will last from 1:30 until 4:45, and the topic will be "Water Management." Individual topics will include Polyacrylamide; Center Pivot Irrigation (Cotton); Drip Irrigation; Water Rights; and No-Till/Conservation Till. The afternoon sessions will also have time for discussion and questions, and for visiting the exhibits.
Speakers at the sessions will be experts in their fields, including the Cooperative Extension Service, Ducks Unlimited, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Farm Service Agency, Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission, U.S. Forestry Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and agricultural engineers from the University of Missouri and Mississippi State University.
As usual, there will be exhibits inside and outside, featuring the newest farm machinery and equipment. The indoor manufacturer's booths will have displays of products.
The Expo Planning Committee is made up of Extension agents from St. Francis, Crittenden, Cross, Lee and Monroe counties.
Two Forrest City residences were searched for drugs Thursday night.
The Forrest City Police Department executed search warrants at homes located on D and East Buford streets.
Inside the residence of Donta Leshawn Jones, 27, at 515 D St., police found 24.8 grams of marijuana that was packaged for sale. Jones was charged with possession of marijuana as a habitual offender. Jones' home was raided by the Drug Task Force on Nov. 6 last year, and he is currently out of jail on bond from that incident, according to the police report.
A 17-year-old from Chicago was also reportedly inside the Jones' residence when police raided it. The teen is reportedly being charged as an adult for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver near certain facilities.
The second search warrant was served at the home of Ella Reese Tripp, 29, and Tracy Cottrell, 26, at 120 E. Buford St.
Police reportedly found less than one gram of suspected cocaine inside the residence.
Tripp and Cottrell are each charged with possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, with intent to deliver near certain facilities.
Tripp was also arrested for failure to comply due to back fines of $1,350 owed to the local courts. In addition, Tripp was also served with a parole violation warrant by the Department of Community Punishment.
Police urge anyone wanting to report suspected drug activity to contact the Forrest City Police Department at 633-3434. Calls can remain confidential at the request of the caller, or the caller may call the Forrest City Crime Stoppers at 870-261-1499. All Crime Stoppers calls are confidential and rewards can be paid up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects involved in criminal activity.