By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The final tax settlement for the 2001 tax year is in, although delayed, and checks to several cities and school districts throughout the county could be in the mail as early as this afternoon.
The settlement, which was due Dec. 23, was within cents of completion this morning, according to St. Francis County Clerk Elizabeth Smith. Smith said the delay in balancing the settlement was caused by errors in the original tax book amounts which were certified to the Tax Collector's office. According to Smith, problems also occurred in balancing the delinquent tax amounts to the amounts on the tax books.
"Our biggest problem was because the original charge on the books that were certified to the Collector's Office were incorrect. We also had problems trying to match the delinquent amounts to the amounts on the tax books, and all of that just took a while to get together," Smith said.
The tax books for St. Francis County are compiled by St. Francis County Assessor Craig Jones' office.
"As far as we know, the figures were correct. We checked them and then double checked them, but those figures also change on a week-to-week basis," Jones said.
Jones also said that his office is one of only a few, and possibly the only assessor's office, which prints the tax books.
"That job was originally a duty of the clerk's office, but a few years ago, the Quorum Court agreed to pass them on to the assessor's office. Perhaps if we're the problem, it would be better if the clerk's office took that job back," Jones said.
The delay in receiving the settlement caused several government entities to find different ways of countering the lack of funding. According to St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco, county officials foresaw the setback and transferred $350,000 into the county general account to pay outstanding bills in December.
"We saw this coming, and transferred funds so that we could clean up our bills at the end of the year, and now our settlement money will be included in our carryover for 2003," Cisco said.
The county general account will receive $377,778.59 from the $3,024,573.39 total.
The Forrest City School District, which will receive $1,742,514.11 in funding, the largest portion in the county, was able to offset any problems, but may see some audit issues due to the funds arriving late.
"We were able to take care of everything in December, but it will skew our December balances because we budgeted to have the settlement funds. Although our fiscal year ends in June, the tax year ended for us in December, and we have a call in to the school auditors to see how we should handle it," Superintendent Lee Vent said.
A surplus of city funds meant that the city of Forrest City didn't have any major problems with the delay of $257,908.85, which is to be split with the general account getting $150,774.44, the fire department and police department each receiving $15,871.32 and the library receiving $75,388.77. According to Mayor Larry Bryant, the delay did force the city to make a few budget adjustments.
"We would like to have had the money last year, but since we ran between $900,000 and $1 million in surplus, we were fine. It will cause a few budget adjustments, but that's it," Bryant said.
According to Dr. Coy Grace with East Arkansas Community College, the holdup in funding did not have a major effect on EACC because only a small portion of the colleges funding comes from the property tax settlement. EACC will receive $99,884.45.
The totals for distribution are as follows:
* School District 7 (Forrest City) , $1,742,514.11
* School District 23 (Palestine) , $294,459.77
* School District 27 (Hughes) , $215,334.75
* EArkansas Community College, $99,884.45
* Caldwell, 4,121.04
* Colt, $2,714.16
* Forrest City General Account, $257,908.85
* Forrest City Police Department, $15,871.32
* Forrest City Fire Department, $15,871.32
* Forrest City Library, $75,388.77
* Hughes, $4,041.84
* Madison, $1,940.25
* Palestine, $1,893.49
* Wheatley, $10,617.74
* Widener, $862.22
* Timber, $4,871.89
* Drainage, $5,420.96
* Condemnation Fee, $140.17
* Late Assessment, $4,835.46
* Assessor's Continuing Education, $239.10
* SFC General Account, $377,778.59
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A Forrest City man is on suicide watch at the St. Francis County Jail after threatening to kill himself and his estranged wife in a Sunday evening kidnapping incident.
The Forrest City Police Department reported Louis Moore, 24, 605 Sherwood, jumped into a vehicle driven by his wife, Lashonda Moore, 25, while she and a friend were at a Grant Street business about 6 p.m.
According to the police report, Moore forced his wife to drive to an apartment complex on Kittle Road where he told the friend to get out of the vehicle because "one of us is fixing to die." The couple remained inside the vehicle, with Mrs. Moore allegedly being held at gunpoint, while the friend went into an apartment and called police.
When police arrived, both subjects were removed from the vehicle without incident. Moore was arrested for kidnapping and first-degree terroristic threatening and taken to the county jail. He was scheduled to appear in St. Francis County District Court this afternoon.
In a separate incident, Danny Carter, 46, of Forrest City, was arrested Saturday morning in the Newcastle Community after allegedly attempting to choke his wife as she slept in her home on North Division.
Sharon Carter, 44, told police her estranged husband entered her home and allegedly put a knife to her throat before trying to choke her. The suspect fled the residence with the victim's purse, which was later recovered at a family member's home.
Carter is charged with first-degree assault on a family member.
A man who allegedly fired several shots at a car traveling west on Broadway early Sunday morning was arrested outside his apartment after a brief chase by police.
Elliot Johnson, 29, 726 N. Izard, apt. 10, Forrest City, is charged with aggravated assault, fleeing, carrying a weapon and driving on a suspended driver's license after an incident that occurred at a nightclub. In addition, Johnson faces three counts of failure to appear and one count of failure to comply on outstanding FCPD warrants.
Police were notified about 4:30 a.m. that a suspect was shooting at a vehicle at the Coconut Lounge on West Broadway. Witnesses provided police a description of the suspect's vehicle which was observed a short time later traveling at a high rate of speed on North Division Street. Johnson reportedly refused to stop for police who followed him to his Izard Street apartment where he was taken into custody. Police found a loaded .25 caliber pistol inside his vehicle.
Johnson was also scheduled to appear in district court this afternoon.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A teenager out of jail on bond for a previous drug charge was arrested again on similar charges Friday afternoon near a city park.
The Forrest City Police Department reported Cedric Lee Wilson, 19, 143 E. Midway, Forrest City, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent near certain facilities and two counts of failure to comply after detectives observed him standing outside apartments where drug activity had been reported by residents.
"Wilson was standing there, and as soon as myself and other detectives passed, he started flagging down a car. He was not moving, and not visiting anyone at the apartment complex he was standing in front of. We have received numerous complaints of drug activity in this area by the citizens of Forrest City. We stopped him because of the activity that was observed," said FCPD Criminal Investigation Division Lt. Dwight Duch.
Duch said Wilson told police he was visiting a relative at the apartment, but that claim was later discredited. Wilson was wanted by the FCPD on two contempt charges involving about $1,945 in back fines that he owes.
During the arrest, police confiscated about 1.6 grams of crack cocaine, with an estimated street value of $160, from Wilson.
Wilson is charged with possession of a controlled substance (crack cocaine) with intent to deliver near certain facilities. The charge carries a possible sentence of 10 to 40 years to life in prison. According to Duch, Wilson was within 1,000 feet of a church located at the corner of Day and South Rosser Streets and the Lake Street City Park, both of which are defined at "certain facilities" which enhances the drug charge for up to an additional 10 years in prison.
In addition, Wilson is charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to comply. The suspect was currently out of jail on bond from a previous felony drug arrest that was made by the FCPD last year. He was scheduled to appear in St. Francis County District Court this afternoon.
Duch encourages residents wanting to report suspicious activity to anonymously call the police department's Crime Stoppers at 261-1499. Crime Stoppers offers rewards for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of suspects in crimes. Rewards of up to $1,000 may be awarded.
In an unrelated case, the FCPD arrested four people on drug charges Saturday afternoon.
Police officers stopped a pickup driven by Jeffery D. Davis, 20, of Palestine about 4:40 p.m. at 837 N. Rosser St., after officers noticed the truck did not have a license plate. Davis and three passengers gave police consent to search them and the vehicle, after which an estimated 3.5 grams of marijuana had been found.
Davis is charged with possession of a controlled substance, violation of a restricted driver's license and no seat belt. The three passengers, Phillip E. Houston, 20, Palestine; Shannon Brown, 19, 519 E. St. Andrews, Forrest City and Benny Hilliard, 24, 822 N. Rosser, Forrest City, are each charged with possession of a controlled substance.
The four were scheduled to appear in District Court this afternoon.
The St. Francis County Quorum Court will meet at 6 tonight at the courthouse to set the regular monthly meeting time for the year.
The Forrest City Airport Commission is also scheduled to meet tonight. That meeting will be held at 6 at the airport.
The Forrest City City Council will meet in regular session Tuesday, Jan 7, at 7 p.m.
Judge Steve Routon will be on hand to swear in council members at the beginning of the session.
During the meeting, the council will hear bid openings on a heating and air conditioning unit for the Forrest City Civic Center.