By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A police officer who lost his job because he tested positive for drugs has been arrested on charges that he was helping to manufacture the illegal substance.
The St. Francis County Sheriff's Department today reported that former deputy Buddy Malone, 36, 7553 Hwy. 284, Forrest City, was one of three people arrested Saturday afternoon at a rural residence after police found them cooking methamphetamine, according to SFC Narcotics Investigator Gene Wingo.
Sheriff Dave Parkman said Malone was hired as a jailer in March of 2000 and transferred to the sheriff's department as a deputy last September. He was fired on Jan. 2 after testing positive for methamphetamine use during a random drug test administered by the department.
Malone was at the Timmy D. Jackson residence at 4602 SFC 311 in the Newcastle community when police raided the home about 4:30 p.m.
"We noticed a lot of vehicles of known drug users and dealers coming in and out of the residence," Wingo said. "We drove back to see what was going on, and when we pulled into the driveway, people took off running in different directions."
One subject who fled was Donald Dougan, 43, of Enola. Wingo said Dougan, who was allegedly carrying a backpack containing a variety of items used in a methamphetamine lab, was caught a short time later near the residence.
Deputies reported the suspects were allegedly cooking methamphetamine in a lab set up on the back porch of the residence. Wingo said officers recovered a large variety of items used in the drug's manufacture along with a small amount of meth.
"They threw most of it away when they saw us," Wingo said.
The three men are each charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and overpossession of ephedrine.
Jackson and Dougan appeared in St. Francis County District Court Monday afternoon where their bonds were set at $50,000 each. They are being held in the St. Francis County Jail.
Malone, who bonded out of jail, is scheduled to be arraigned in District Court Wednesday afternoon.
Wingo said warrants have also been issued for two other people believed to have fled the residence during the raid.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Today may seal the fate of a bill which would cap punitive damages that can be awarded in civil lawsuits.
Even after being amended, the bill still faces a battle for survival, according to the lead House sponsor.
"It does have a chance," said Rep. Danny Ferguson, D-Forrest City. "It's going to be close, but it does have a chance to get out (of committee). I just hope people listen to the merits of the bill."
The bill, filed originally by Ferguson, Marvin Parks, R-Greenbrier and Sen. Bob Johnson, D-Morrilton, originally would have limited punitive damages to $250,000. The amendment would raise the cap to $500,000.
On Monday, Ferguson said there are now 24 House cosponsors and 13 Senate cosponsors.
Both sides of the issue are scheduled to present their cases today before the House Judiciary Committee.
"It's scheduled for all day," said Ferguson, who also said there would probably be a vote at the end of the session.
The bill is opposed by the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association. The association contends the bill would benefit large corporations at the expense of injured parties, and would fail to punish corporations for egregious conduct.
Ferguson said that wasn't the case.
"Keep in mind, that if intent to harm is shown, the caps go away" in the bill, he said.
Ferguson continued by saying that most other states have passed some kind of tort reform legislation. He said he fears that Arkansas will become an island in which it will be more and more difficult to keep and recruit business and industry.
Ferguson said at the time the bill was filed that he sees tort reform as an economic development issue.
"We've got to keep Arkansas' tort laws competitive with surrounding states if we're going to save existing jobs and create new ones," he said when the bill was filed.
The trial lawyers contend that civil lawsuits have not contributed to rising insurance costs. They also object to other provisions in the bill, such as requiring that lawsuits be filed in the company's home county; limiting testimony in medical injury lawsuits to experts; and limiting the liability of one defendant for the acts of another defendant.
However, Ferguson said the bill does not limit an injured party's ability to recover medical costs as well as non-economic losses such as pain and suffering.
"We expect to go up and into the night," Ferguson said of the hearings before the Judiciary Committee.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
With a possible war with Iraq on the horizon, Congressman Marion Berry said that President Bush still needs to provide more evidence to support a war to the American people and Congress.
During a conference call Monday afternoon, Berry said that although combat with Iraq may be needed, Bush has failed to provide enough proof that war is necessary now, while Berry added that he does believe the President has the evidence. Berry also said he hopes Bush will use tonight's State of the Union address to present more proof.
"The President made a commitment to Congress and the citizens of this country last year that he would provide evidence for war with Iraq. Right now, I don't think that has been done, but I do believe that he has more to present. We're looking for more proof, and I hope that he will give us more evidence during the State of the Union," Berry said.
Berry also said that during a recent tour of the First District, he only encountered one person who was in favor of the war.
"I spent the last two weeks in a number of cities in the First District, and of all the people that I talked to about this, I only had one person tell me that they were in favor of going to war right now. The people feel that more evidence must be presented before any actions are taken and the President must take that into account," Berry said.
The Congressman also said that any action concerning North Korea should remain diplomatic and should be left in the hands of Bush.
According to Berry, Bush intends to continue his push for the privatization of Medicare during tonight's speech. Berry argued that the idea of Medicare privatization would place senior healthcare into the hands of insurance companies who have moved away from plans associated with Medicare.
"The Medicare reform that the President will discuss basically shows that he intends to continue going forward with plans to privatize Medicare by placing it into the hands of the insurance companies. Medicare was created for those age 65 and older because they couldn't get the insurance companies to cover them after that age, and now we're going to put their medical plans back in their hands," Berry said.
Berry also commented on the continuing high costs of prescription drugs for seniors.
"The Democrats would approve any attempt to decrease the costs of prescription drugs for our seniors, and a bill has been signed that only needs the stroke of a pen from the President to bring the price for prescription drugs in this country to the current world prices which are significantly lower," Berry said.
"Now the President wants to put our seniors on an HMO, and at the same time he refuses to sign a patients' bill of rights. It's nothing more than a political smokescreen. We could reduce the costs paid by Americans by 75 percent without spending a dime, and he won't even make a phone call to the FDA giving them the go-ahead," Berry said. "At the same time, the pharmaceutical companies are robbing people every day, and folks who worked hard and played by the rules are suffering because the United States government continues to let those companies rob them. Hard-working American people are now facing abject poverty and having to choose between food and medicine, and that just sickens me."
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Residents in the Palestine-Wheatley School District will have to go to the polls later this year to determine if the school district can move forward with a plan to shift 13.1 debt service mills into the maintenance and operation mills to meet state requirements.
Members of the PWSD school board voted unanimously Monday night to approve a plan submitted by PWSD Superintendent Jimmy Allen, which will transfer the 13.1 mills, while not requesting any new mills. According to Allen, the plan will also keep the district on pace to pay off its debts in 2014 as planned.
"If we follow this plan, then we don't have to ask for any new mills, and we also don't have to increase the time that we're paying this off or increase the interest that would have to be paid. This move will bring us in line with state requirements, and all we need now is for the citizens to vote on this," Allen said.
According to Allen, if the millage transfer is voted down, the St. Francis County Quorum Court will be responsible for adjusting the millage.
In other business, board members voted to expel a Palestine-Wheatley Junior High School student who allegedly took a box-cutter to school in his coat. According to Allen, the district is working with county juvenile officials to place the student in a boot camp at Camp Robinson. Allen also said that once the student completed the camp, he would be allowed back into the school district.
"This is a young man, who through all appearances isn't the type of student you would expect this from. We're hoping that we can get him into Camp Robinson and that he'll be able to straighten himself out and then become a fine addition to our school district," Allen said.
Board members also denied a request from a parent who had removed his children from the district. Board member Rodney Hicks made a motion not to hear the parent's complaint after board members found out his children were no longer in the district.
"If this gentleman has removed his children from our district, and he no longer lives in our district, then I don't see why we're obligated to hear from him," Hicks said.
The motion passed by a 4-2 margin with John Henry Parker and Dow Lee voting against it.
A 16-year-old student at Forrest City Junior High School was arrested Monday after an altercation in the principal's office.
According to a Forrest City Police Department report, the male juvenile had a cell phone, which was ringing and allegedly disrupting the class. A teacher told him to hand over the cell phone and the student refused, and walked out of class to the office.
At the office, the security officer and others asked him to surrender the phone, and he refused. After being threatened with arrest, he allegedly threw the phone at a school employee.
After being told to pick up the phone and apologize, he refused, allegedly using profanity. There followed a struggle in which the student was physically restrained and handcuffed. A knife was reportedly found in his possession.
The student is charged with third-degree battery, disorderly conduct and carrying a weapon.