By SHANNON NICKS
T-H Staff Writer
The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) met on Wednesday with county and city officials to discuss the Disaster Response Plan.
The plan, created in 1997, contains a step-by-step outline of action for each city in the county to follow in the event of an earthquake.
However, the LEPC, chaired by Bill Dooley of the county Office of Emergency Services, decided that the plan was in dire need of updating in order to address any type of disaster, including bio-terrorism.
The LEPC asked representatives from each portion of the county to give input by answering a questionnaire, which will provide a list of all available community resources, where they are located, who has access to them and how to contact the people involved in the plan.
The list of resources should include any building suitable for housing people, first aid supplies, doctors, nurses, any retired member of the community with disaster or triage training or experience, generators, bulldozers, tractors and chainsaws. The committee plans to compile this information into books that will be stationed at major facilities throughout the county.
Disaster relief, however, will not be left solely to county and city officials.
James Griffin of the American Red Cross was also present at the meeting, and informed the LEPC that the American Red Cross is available to provide any emergency assistance when needed. The American Red Cross will also assist by providing volunteer training.
Many county and city officials will participate in a training session to begin on July 22, which will cover the Intro to Disaster Services. Training sessions will eventually be open to the public and will include five classes.
According to Dooley, "This is a kick-off meeting to get us started. Once things are under way, we plan to continue updating so that we will be ready for any disaster that might occur."
The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department will be in St. Francis and Woodruff counties sealing areas of Highway 306 from Monday, June 30, through Wednesday, July 2.
According to a press release from the ASHTD, Highway 306, sections 1 and 2, from Highway 49 to Highway 193 will be sealed at that time. A distance of 6.2 miles will be sealed in selected sections.
The material used for the sealing is bituminous surface treatment, which is liquid asphalt and pea gravel. The release states that it usually takes four to eight days from the time the material is placed for loose material to be swept off the roadway. Motorists are urged to use caution when traveling on treated highways because loose gravel can cause damage when kicked up by a vehicle that is traveling too fast for conditions.
Signs will be placed approaching the work area and throughout the job to warn motorists of the conditions and restricting speed to 25 miles per hour.
A burglary and an accident involving alcohol have led to two arrests. Meanwhile, the search continues for the person or persons who are shooting out windows with a BB gun.
On Wednesday morning, it was reported to the Forrest City Police Department that the front window of J&D Auction at 401 Front Street had been shot three or four times. According to the report, a BB was found on the sidewalk.
Later that morning, a man was arrested for allegedly burglarizing the home of his mother, after he allegedly walked away from a location where he was working off some fines.
Cornelius Tyrone Luster, 48, of 402 Davis Street in Forrest City, was arrested for residential burglary and theft of property over $500. He allegedly walked away Tuesday from a site at which he was working off fines. Luster was bound over to Circuit Court on $20,000 bond.
Not long after midnight this morning a Palestine man was arrested by the Sheriff's Department for DWI and leaving the scene of an accident.
A call was received of electric power being out in a certain area. Deputies found that a GMC truck had hit a power pole at the intersection of SFC 229 and 226.
According to the report, with the help of Palestine Police
officers, the driver of the pickup was found. He was identified
as Jay N. Jayroe, 21, of Palestine. Jayroe has been charged with
second offense DWI and leaving the scene of an accident.
St. Francis County government had sales tax receipts of $139,159.77 during May, according to City and Town, the publication of the Arkansas Municipal League.
In addition, the towns in St. Francis County received the following prorated amounts: Hughes, $27,580; Forrest City, $218,253.34; Wheatley, $5,495.48; Palestine, $10,946.64; Madison, $14,580.76; Caldwell, $6,869.36; Colt, $5,436.40 and Widener, $4,948.86.
Towns with their own sales taxes also received the following: Forrest City, $157,156.30; Hughes, $12,591.62; Madison, $1,843.71; Palestine, $6,590 and Wheatley, $3,579.32.
Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute will hold its graduation ceremonies tonight (Thursday) at 7 o'clock at the Forrest City Civic Center.
About 150 students will be graduating.
The Forrest City Planning Commission is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, June 24, at 4 p.m. in Forrest City City Hall.
Three variance requests will be presented at the meeting.
Two of the variances will be presented by Jennifer Hicky Collins for Preston Hicky and Michael Easley. Hicky is requesting that the commission grant a 13'3" variance from the 25 foot setback on the east side of the Easley, Hicky and Hudson building located at 510 East Cross.
The second variance is of one parking space. The law firm plans to add to their existing building.
The third request is from James Woodard, 138 Gregory, who is asking for a nine foot variance from the 15 foot setback on the back to build a garage on the back of his home.