By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
With temperatures predicted to dip into the 30's this weekend, area peach farmers may have to take some precautions against a possible freeze.
According to St. Francis County Extension Agent Justin Hensley, many area orchards may try to "ride out" the cool temperatures and hope that there isn't a hard freeze.
"There really isn't a lot that local farmers can do when something comes up like this, except hope that it's not a real hard freeze that knocks the blossoms off," Hensley said.
According to Hensley, quiet telephones at his office from peach farmers may signal a good crop for the year.
"We really haven't heard from the orchards yet, and that's a good thing. For the most part if we don't hear from the farmers then everything is going well for them," he said.
Hensley also said that a recent decline in area orchards could be tied to area urbanization, although he added that there have been a few new orchards formed in the last two to three years.
"We've really seen a decrease in the number of orchards and that just goes directly to urbanization. In a lot of places that you once saw peach orchards, you now see housing developments springing up. There have been a few new orchards, like the one near the interstate, but it just so happens that a lot of places where orchards prospered also happen to be on prime real estate which is now being developed," Hensley said.
Hensley was unsure of what crop expectations might be for the year at this time.
Two lawsuits have been filed in St. Francis County Circuit Court involving alleged injuries.
One involves an incident which, according to the plaintiff, happened during last year's St. Francis County Fair. Summer Ballard of Palestine is the plaintiff, acting as guardian for Hannah Ballard. The defendant is P.B.J. Happee Day Shows, Inc., of Marion.
The suit alleges that Hanna Ballard was on a train ride on or about Sept. 10, when she fell from the ride and was injured. The suit further alleges that the Happee Day Shows knew or should have known of a dangerous situation, and failed to take reasonable care to ensure the child's safety.
As a result, according to the suit, permanent and severe personal injuries were received, along with pain and suffering. The suit asks for medical treatment and disability and all other "just and proper relief."
The second suit involves two St. Francis County residents and one Cross County resident, who were injured in an accident at a Jonesboro Auto Auction. Defendants are James Thompson, and Deana Construction Co, Inc., doing business as Jonesboro Auto Auction. Thompson is an employee of the other defendants.
The plaintiffs are Tracy Christianson, acting as parent of Alex Christianson, a minor, both of St. Francis County, and Christopher G. Elliot of Cross County.
The suit alleges that on Feb. 21 of this year. Thompson, an employee of Deana Construction Co., lost control of an auto he was driving into the Auto Auction building, and struck he plaintiffs, who were standing beside a set of bleachers at the Jonesboro Auto Auction.
All the plaintiffs were hospitalized as a result of the accident. The suit alleges, among other things, that Thompson failed to keep a proper look out for pedestrians and that he failed to maintain control of the vehicle.
The suit asks for compensation for injuries, medical expenses and lost wages, as well as "all proper relief."
The Forrest City School District is preparing for a one-day pre-kindergarten and kindergarten registration for all students who will be attending school in the of fall 2003.
Registration will be on Friday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Mustang Arena. The St. Francis County Health Unit on Division Street will be open to administer immunizations to children on the same day from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Parents or guardians must bring the following documents for registration purposes: the child's birth certificate, immunization record, Social Security card and physical exam document dated within the last six months.
A child must be five-years-old on or before Sept. 15, to register for kindergarten. To register a child for ABC and Madison preschools, the child must be four-years-old on or before Sept. 15, of this year.
Registration for the ABC Toddler Program and the three-year-old program will also be held on this date.
One hundred pounds of marijuana was confiscated during a routine traffic stop Thursday morning on Interstate 40.
Arkansas State Police reportedly stopped a Chevrolet Suburban about 7:22 a.m. near the Forrest City exit after a trooper had observed the vehicle following too closely behind a tractor trailer truck.
After talking with the subject and obtaining consent to search the vehicle, the trooper found the drugs in four compressed bundles on the truck's rear seat.
Jorge Gallegos Jr., 25, of Mission, Texas, was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent, no driver's license and following too close. He was arraigned in St. Francis County District Court Thursday afternoon where his bond was set at $100,000.