By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The president of the Board of Trustees of East Arkansas Community College issued a statement Thursday night during the board's regular meeting, in response to a recent discussion by the board of Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute which indicated a merger by the two schools was at least a possibility.
In its Feb. 20 meeting, the CRTI Board agreed to begin working toward an amicable combining of the two institutions. The statement released Thursday by Steve Hollowell says that the two institutions have existed independently for many years, and also praises CRTI for the quality of its training.
"We, the Board of Trustees of EACC, look forward to the opportunity of blending EACC and CRTI," the statement reads. "This has been done, and is now being done, successfully at sister institutions across Arkansas."
The statement ends by calling for meetings between the two boards in the near future, "to discuss how these things might best be accomplished in the best interest of our combined faculties, staff, students and various constituencies we both serve."
EACC and CRTI are on adjoining property. The board of the technical school has traditionally fought against merger, and the members have said they want to make sure that the technical curriculum survives the merger.
On another matter, it was reported that the final enrollment figure for the spring semester was 1,462, up slightly from the previous spring semester.
The board also heard from architect Bob Beavers, who gave a report on the upcoming renovation of Classroom Building 1. The renovation will include a new foyer, and the walls between two classrooms will be removed to create a larger meeting room.
Beavers said he has looked at small campuses around the state and around the region. He said most of them faced the same problem -- not much money when they were built, so the buildings were made to be functional but little else.
"Now we're trying to dress up these places some," he said.
Other plans, according to Dr. Coy Grace, EACC president, are to extend the covered walkway all the way to the back parking lot, and to add lighting all the way down the entrance drive to Ark. Highway 284.
In other action, the board increased a modified summer schedule, including four-day schedules for faculty and students, and 4 and one-half day schedules for staff. The same number of hours will still be worked by lengthening the time classes meet and the working hours.
The board also approved a holiday schedule and college calendar for the 2003-2004 school year.
On another matter, the board was informed of the resignation of Becky Suiter, a secretary in the Nursing Department.
Also, Dr. Dale Morris was announced as he chairman of the school's capital campaign.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A Forrest City man received two five-year prison sentences Thursday in connection with a series of commercial burglaries and his subsequent escape from the St. Francis County Jail.
Tyrone Hall, 24, 2129 Williams St., received two five-year sentences with credit for time served, which will run concurrently, in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for his involvement in commercial burglaries at a pair of construction trailers and the Subway restaurant last August. Hall was also sentenced on second-degree escape charges.
In other court action Thursday, Benny Word, 24, 211 S. Forrest St., received a four-year sentence in the ADC for sexual assault in connection with the assault of a 12-year old Forrest City girl by several men in August of 2002. Word, who is currently being held in the ADC on other charges, will serve his new sentence concurrently with his current sentence. His charges were reduced from an original charge of rape.
A second Forrest City man charged with commercial burglary was sentenced to three years in the ADC. Vincent Woodard, 21, received the three-year sentence on two counts of commercial burglary in connection with break-ins at the Luxury Inn in May of 2002. Woodard, who is also currently at the ADC, will serve this sentence concurrently with other charges.
A 28-year-old Forrest City man was sentenced to 10 years in the ADC on charges of manufacturing a controlled substance, marijuana and possession of a controlled substance. Daniel R. Weddington, 821 Sherwood Dr., received the sentence which he will serve concurrently with a 10-year sentence on charges from the state of Mississippi. Also being sentenced on drug charges was Erwin K. Hampton was given five years, with credit for time served, for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
A Walnut Ridge man Howard Cooper, 53, of Walnut Ridge was given 10 years with credit for time served, for sexual assault. Cooper was arrested in May of 2002 after it was reported that he had fondled an 11-year old Colt girl. Earlier charges of rape were reduced to sexual assault.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Colt City Council approved a pair of ordinances Thursday to help clear the way for the city to receive a new well.
By unanimous vote, council members approved an ordinance which permanently raised the minimum water bill in the city to $15. Council members originally approved a temporary increase from a $12 minimum three years ago. According to Colt City Manager Bobby Clarkson, last night's vote will not mean a rate increase for residents.
"This is something that we have to make permanent so that we can receive the funding from soil and water. Customers won't see any rate increases because of this. It's just one of the steps that has to be taken to get the new well," Clarkson said.
Council members also approved the issuance and sale of bonds, not to exceed $95,000, for improvements to the city's water system.
In other business, Clarkson told council members that property owned by Jerry Allen might have to be condemned so that water department employees could relocate pipe off of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department right of way. According to Clarkson, workers rerouted pipes around the property which might cause future problems for the utility.
"We had to use right angles to connect those pipes and go around his property, but looking back on it, we may have to go in and condemn the property so that we can stay in a straight line across the property," Clarkson said.
According to City Attorney Steve Routon, the property would have to be condemned because Allen cannot be located.
The council also agreed to call in two applicants in the hunt for a new police officer. According to Mayor Virgil Keeler, the city received five applications from individuals with police certification; two from non-certified applicants and two seeking part-time employment.
Two people were arrested Thursday night when police executed a search warrant at a Forrest City residence the second time police have searched the home for drugs this year.
The Forrest City Police Department, assisted by the K-9 unit of the Arkansas State Police Troop D in Forrest City, served the warrant at the Jack Dent residence at 604 N. Gorman St., about 8 p.m.
During the search of the home and its occupants, police found Dominic Fields, 22, of Stockton, Calif., in possession of several bags of marijuana. Fields is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver near certain facilities.
Police also arrested Colby Dent, 22, of 906 S. Division, Forrest City, on charges of failure to appear. Dent is also being held for a parole violation.
Also found during the search was a set of brass knuckles, police reported.
Both men were taken to the St. Francis County Jail where they are being held pending an arraignment set for Monday.
According to a police report, officers first searched the home on Jan. 7.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
If the business can't go to the Internet, perhaps the Internet should come to the business.
In a nutshell, that's the idea behind the Netmobile, according to Ramona Clower, Netmobile coordinator. She took part in a press conference this morning at the Cyber Cafe in Forrest City.
"My job is to travel the Delta of Arkansas and talk to businesses about using the Internet," she said. "I can talk to individuals or I can work with groups. My van has the capability of satellite connection 24-7."
The van can also operate on either an internal or external power source.
"I can go anywhere in the Arkansas Delta," she continued. "I can meet with you out near a corn patch or I can meet with you in a business type setting, and we can work on researching the information, how to find information on your business or your competitor's business."
The Netmobile is operating on a two-year grant. Major sponsors are Arkansas State University and the Economic Development Administration out of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Also sponsoring the Netmobile is the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority. "And we're also working with the state libraries," she said. "The reason is, once I leave this area, you can have access to the state library data bases through your local libraries. So we contact with local libraries and let them know they're here and that they may have some people coming in afterwards."
The Netmobile comes by appointment, Clower said. And because of the time required for setup, a half day is probably the shortest amount of time.
André Stephens, executive director of the St. Francis County Community Development Corporation, was at the press conference and said the traveling van is filling a need.
"It's part of our agenda to close the digital divide," said Stephens. "The Cyber Cafe was our first effort. This mobile Internet access vehicle is a tremendous way of reaching some of the harder-to-reach areas of St. Francis County. It has satellite capabilities and has its own power source. We're just trying as many ways as we can to figure out how to get people familiar with the Internet."
Clower said she would be working with Stephens, "and anyone who works with him about using the Internet and teaching people how to use the Internet so they can get on there and do better research. A lot of people don't use the Internet because they don't know how. What we want to do is train them on how get on the Internet and how to use it effectively."
The Internet is constantly growing and changing every day, she said, adding that her training is basic.
"I'm teaching the basic strategic aspect of it," she said. "You may do a search today and come in and do the same search tomorrow and get different hits. I want to teach people what's relevant and how to figure that out.
"And we don't want to lose the libraries," she added. "We don't want people to think the Internet is going to take that place because I don't think there's ever going to be anything to take the place of reading books. What do you do when you get something on the Internet? You print it out. We just want to use the Internet as a resource, because we have access to the entire world now and we don't utilize it."
Stephens said he was excited to have the Netmobile in St. Francis County for a while.
"Ramona has expressed a desire to touch a lot of the small businesses in the community. And there are so many that really do not know about the Internet. And they could really use a lot of the stuff that's out there. And I'm really excited about that."
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
A new bid for the construction of city sidewalks was accepted by the Wheatley City Council on Thursday night.
In February, Mayor Larry Nash advised the council that the project needed to be rebid due to financial problems with the first contractor.
"We've got a new lowest bid on the city sidewalk program from February," said Nash. "Burrows Construction of Brinkley came in with the lowest bid at $67,000. For them to begin work, we must vote to go with them or rebid the project again." The council voted unanimously to accept the new bid.
In other news, Nash presented the council with a recommendation from the Wheatley Planning Commission on the replacement of a resigning member.
"The planning commission has recommended that Debbie Horton replace Robbie Horton on their board. Robbie resigned his position when he was elected to the city council." The council agreed with the planning commission's selection, and voted to approve the appointment of Debbie Horton.
Local option sales and use tax receipts for January have been published by the Arkansas Municipal League.
St. Francis County received $144,931.49 out of its share of the county-wide tax. Other towns in the county also received the following amounts: Hughes, $28,724.74; Forrest City, $227,305.50; Wheatley, $5,723.40; Palestine, $11,400.66; Madison, $15,185.50; Caldwell, $7,154.26; Colt, $7,154.26 and Widener, $5,154.16.
Towns with their own sales taxes also received the following: Forrest City, $177,053.74; Hughes, $8,544.68; Madison, $2,048.42, Palestine, $6,743.81 and Wheatley, $2,989.30.
Health insurance for city employees dominated the discussion at the Palestine City Council meeting held this week. The topic was continued from last month's meeting where members learned that a proposal for new insurance approved in January could not be honored.
Tasha Holland, of Capital Financial Services in Forrest City, presented a new insurance plan to the council.
"I've researched the companies, and I can tell you that I can't save you money, but I can increase your benefits," said Holland. "I quoted out to several places, and no one came back cheaper than what you are paying now."
After some discussion of the current rates the city pays, and the new rates proposed by Holland, Mayor Willetta Carroll suggested a solution.
"I hate to do this, but because of the costs, I suggest that we have the employee pay for family coverage under the old coverage," said Carroll. The council voted unanimously to keep the current coverage and have the city employees pay for insurance coverage for their families.
In other news, Palestine Police Chief Todd Baggett, who has served as interim chief for three months, was named official chief and his salary was set following an executive session.