By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
With summer right around the corner, the annual war against mosquitoes has begun for Forrest City Pest Control Officer J.C. Rice and homeowners across the city.
According to Rice, the actual effort to slow the onslaught of the minuscule critters begins in January and continues throughout the year.
"We start putting briquettes in places where water stands on any warm days that we have early in the year and we pretty much continue that year round. Those briquettes work really well to keep the population down because they kill the mosquitoes before they can hatch. We'll place them in ditches and just about anywhere else that we can find standing water because they breed in stagnant, standing water," Rice said.
The briquettes can also be used in the three to four foot back yard swimming pools which have become popular in recent years. Homeowners can contact Rice at city hall at 633-1315 to request the treatment.
"This treatment doesn't harm fish or humans at all. The only things that it's harmful to are mosquitoes and buffalo gnats that might land in the water. We'll drop one pellet in and it takes a while to dissolve but it will keep any larvae from developing in the pool even out of season when it's not in use," he said.
In a press release from Forrest City City Hall, residents are also being asked to help in the fight against the pests.
According to the release residents should:
* Check yards for stagnant water
* Check all ditches in your neighborhood
* Contact city hall if stagnant water is found in your yard or your neighbor's yard
* Check for old tires, buckets, barrels, bottles or other containers which may have stagnant water
* Remember to mow grass regularly
Several people were arrested on drug charges Monday night when police observed them drinking beer outside apartments in a local housing project.
Forrest City Police Department officers approached the four subjects in Grobmyer Circle about 8 p.m., and one of them fled from police.
According to police, Cecil Aldridge Jr., 22, 513 Murray St., Forrest City; Martez Alton Hodges, 22, 805 Wooddale St., Forrest City, and Julian Green, 37, of Palestine, were searched by police after Gregory Hamilton, 21, of Colt, started running from authorities.
Police reported Hamilton appeared "extremely nervous" while officers were talking to the subjects, and he "took off running." A police officer chased the suspect who, police reported, ran to other apartments in the complex, "circled them and ran right back to the original location" where he was caught. Police found 25 individually wrapped bags of suspected powder cocaine, with an estimated weight of 6 grams, inside his pockets.
Hamilton is charged with possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, with intent to deliver near certain facilities.
Aldridge is charged with drinking in public, possession of marijuana and parole violation. Police reportedly found 1.3 grams of marijuana in his possession.
Hodges, who police reported had 24 individually wrapped bags of suspected crack cocaine, weighing about 4.6 grams, and five bags of marijuana, weighing 9.1 grams, in his possession, is charged with possession of a controlled substance, crack cocaine, with intent to deliver near certain facilities, possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, with intent to deliver near certain facilities, and an additional enhancement of habitual offender was added. Hodges has a previous drug-related conviction, and is currently under a probation from a 2001 felony conviction in St. Francis County. Police reported
Police reported Green had a .40 caliber pistol stuffed in the waistband of his pants. Green, who has previous felony convictions, was arrested for possession of a firearm by certain persons.
The Grobmyer Circle Housing Complex is defined as a certain facility in the Arkansas Criminal Code. This allows an enhancement to be placed on the subjects for an additional sentencing of 10 years and a $10,000 fine.
On another arrest on Monday, the FCPD arrested Terrence Lamont Wilson, 20, 857 Mann St., Apt. 116, Forrest City, when officers found 10 individually wrapped bags of suspected marijuana in his pocket. This arrest occurred at the intersection of Poplar and Cherry streets. This location is also within 1,000 feet of a city park which is defined as a certain facility in the Arkansas Criminal Code. Wilson is charged with possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, with intent to deliver near certain facilities.
These arrests are in conjunction with special operations conducted
by the department to aid the community in suppressing illegal
activities, illegal drug sales and other crimes associated with
these sales, according to the FCPD press release.
Calvary Christian School has announced its valedictorian and salutatorian for the year.
Gabriel Len Myers is valedictorian. He is the son of Jeffrey and Stacy Myers. His grandparents are Harold and Meryl Myers, and Smith and Shirley Hardee.
Myers is graduating with a GPA of 4.0.
Myers participated in basketball, soccer, choir, drama, journalism, Student Council and Spanish Club. He was named Homecoming King, was on the Honor Roll and was a member of the Kiwanis Club Top 10 percent. He was also included in "Who's Who Among High School Students."
His immediate plans are to go on a mission trip to Fiji, sponsored by the Child Evangelism Fellowship Ministry, and then return to the States and go to college the following year.
Randall Scott Baker is the salutatorian. He is the son of Randy and Tammy Baker, and the grandson of Burnis and June Baker, and Joyce Hubbard and the late Bill Hubbard.
He is graduating with a GPA of 3.81.
During high school, he participated in basketball, soccer, choir and the Spanish Club. He was named an all-American Scholar and was in the Kiwanis Club Top 10 percent. He was on the National Honor Roll, and was included in "Who's Who Among High School Students" and was a member of the Homecoming Court.
Baker has received an academic scholarship to the University of Arkansas-Monticello, where he plans to major in secondary education with an emphasis in math.
Calvary will hold its graduation this Saturday, May 17, at 6 p.m. in the Calvary Christian Auditorium.
A Forrest City man was sentenced to prison Monday during circuit court proceedings at the St. Francis County Courthouse.
James Warren, 44, is scheduled to report to the Arkansas Department of Corrections on June 26 to begin serving his five year sentence on drug charges.
Warren was arrested last December on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent, meth; and possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges were merged into a Class Y felony.
St. Francis County had an unemployment rate of 10.4 percent in March, putting it into a tie with Lee County for the fourth highest unemployment in the state.
The March figure was up one-tenth of a point from February, and up considerably from the 9.3 percent recorded in March of 2002.
According to figures provided by the Arkansas Employment Security Department, during March, St. Francis County had a civilian labor force of 12,525, with 11,255 and 1,300 not working.
The highest unemployment in the state was 12.5 percent, in Mississippi County. In all, seven counties had rates higher than 10 percent.
Benton County with 2.2 percent unemployment, had the state's lowest rate. Thirteen counties had rates of 4 percent or lower.
The unemployment rates in surrounding counties were as follows: Cross, 9.8 percent; Crittenden, 6.9 percent; Lee, 10.4 percent; Phillips, 9.9 percent; Monroe, 7.7 percent; and Woodruff, 7.2 percent.
The statewide average for March was 5 percent, up one-tenth
of a percentage point from February. The national rate was 5.8
percent, unchanged from February.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Widener City Council is considering an ordinance to create a violation for "inattentive, careless or imprudent" driving inside the city limits.
First reading was held on the proposed law at the council's regular meeting Monday.
City Attorney Marshall Wright and Police Chief Shelly Bieber both explained that the ordinance would create a violation that would not be as serious as some other offenses, such as reckless driving, DWI, or excessive speeding, which are covered by state law. People committing the greater offenses would still be punished accordingly.
"This (new ordinance) covers a multitude of small offenses," said Bieber.
Whether or not a traffic offense rated being written up under the city ordinance would be left to the discretion of the officer, he said. Bieber also said that a person charged under the city ordinance for the lesser offense would not have the violation entered on his or her state driving record.
The ordinance was read one time Monday, with two readings remaining before passage.
On another matter, it was reported that there have been complaints about children riding small motorbikes and motor scooters in a reckless manner. Bieber said he is looking into exactly what the law says about bikes with engines below a certain size.
In other business, Mayor Dot Halford told the council that Widener Day, Held May 3, had earned $312.75.
"I think it was pretty much a success," said Halford. "When you looked out and saw all the kids who were playing...and the music was great. People kept telling me how much they enjoyed it."