By FRED CONLEY
T-H Staff Writer
After a search that lasted close to 10 hours Tuesday, 12-year-old Iola Danielle Pulley, a sixth-grade honor student at Wynne Junior High School, was found safe by searchers in the Village Creek State Park boundaries.
Pulley, wet and cold and suffering only from minor scratches and bruises, was taken to a local hospital after being found about 1 o'clock this morning.
Pulley, who was on a school-sponsored field trip with approximately 130 other students, became separated from the group as they walked one of the many hiking trails at the state park.
She was reported missing about 2:30 p.m., as the group of students exited the trail and a head count was taken by the teachers who had accompanied the students on the field trip.
"Before they started the hike, the teachers took each of the students' name badges so they wouldn't lose them along the trail," said Wynne Superintendent Darrell Smith. "As the students got back on the buses, the teachers gave each one back their name badge. They knew immediately that Iola wasn't on the buses and immediately notified park officials. Probably within 30 minutes from the time they realized she was missing, the search efforts began."
Organized search efforts began about 3 p.m. and by nightfall, close to 200 volunteers were combing the area where Pulley was last seen.
The Cross County Sheriff's Department, Wynne police and firefighters, Arkansas State Police, the National Guard and volunteers from Fair Oaks, Parkin and Forrest City, were involved in the search as well as volunteers from Wynne Junior High School. Teams searching the woods by foot and using four-wheelers were aided in their efforts by search and rescue dogs and tracking dogs from the Tucker Unit of the Arkansas State Prison System.
Helicopters, using infrared heat sensing detection devices hovered over the park until thunderstorms moved through the area and forced officials to call off the air search.
About 10 p.m., Sheriff Ronnie Baldwin briefed the family members and told them the dogs had picked up a scent.
"We felt good when we heard that news," Baldwin said.
It was the second time in three weeks that searchers have looked for a missing Cross County child. Three-year-old Justin Sides of Wynne was lost for nearly 24 hours last month after wandering into a forest near his home but was found safe the next day.
Pulley, whose mother passed away a year ago, lives with her father, LeRoy Pulley and her grandmother, Iola Pulley, a retired Wynne school teacher.
While Iola Pulley waited with family members and supporters at the park's visitor center, LeRoy Pulley joined the search efforts. News that his daughter had been found safe brought smiles to all.
"We're wet and tired but we are overjoyed that she has been found and that she is okay," LeRoy Pulley said as he and several friends exited the woods. "We never gave up hope and we knew the search effort would continue until we found her."
Smith said the state park is a favorite place for field trips and to hold class picnics, and that this incident probably won't affect future outings.
"At this time, I would have to say that future trips won't
be affected because Village Creek has a lot to offer. This has
certainly raised our awareness level of potential situations that
could arise, and we will evaluate the guidelines that we have
in place for field trips. Our guidelines for outings of this nature
have always been stringent."
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A check destined to Election Systems and Software for over $17,000 may have finally left St. Francis County this morning, after delays at the county level have kept the bill from being paid. The bill is for ballots used in the May 2002 Primary.
Questions over the payment of the bill arose Tuesday during the monthly meeting of the St. Francis County Budget Committee. According to budget committee chairman Henry Wilkinson, a request was made earlier this month to make the payment, but justices found out it had not yet been paid. St. Francis County Clerk Elizabeth Smith told committee members that she was unsure why the bill was still unresolved.
"The check was written on May 1, but it hasn't been mailed because Joe (election commission chairman Joe Young) said that he is still getting calls from ES&S seeking payment. I personally thought that the bill had been paid," Smith said.
According to St. Francis County Treasurer Ann Harbin, the check, which Smith said was mailed this morning, was not previously paid because the Quorum Court had failed to appropriate funds to that account.
"The auditors told me last year that we had to get our spending in line and stop writing checks when there weren't any appropriations. Although there was over $30,000 in appropriations to that account at the end of last year, the court never issued the necessary new appropriations for 2003. I was basically just following the state law," Harbin said this morning.
Harbin also said that the May 1-dated check had never reached her office, claiming that St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco had voided the check before it reached her office.
According to Cisco, his first contact with the check was in an attempt to get it signed by Harbin so that it could be mailed.
"I don't want to get into anything with any of the elected officials, but the budget committee requested that the bill be paid. It was cut and the clerk's office took it down with all of the checks. It was the only one out of the group that wasn't signed, and at that time, I said that I would try to get the problem resolved," Cisco said.
Smith also said that the check was taken to Harbin and endorsed by Harbin.
During last night's meeting, justice Regan Hill questioned why the check had not been paid when other checks which place accounts over appropriations have been paid.
"My problem is that you (Wilkinson) requested that the bill be paid and yet it wasn't. There are several other accounts that are over appropriation, and bills are paid out of them every month. At the end of the year we always write a catch-up ordinance to make sure that the books are balanced, and I just don't understand why this bill was singled out," Hill said.
In other business, Smith and County Assessor Craig Jones informed the court of possible additions to their payrolls.
According to Smith, she has hired an employee to currently work as contract labor, but added that she plans to place the person in a soon-to-be vacated position. The employee's salary will be higher than the amount allotted in the budget for her current employee.
"The lady that I have brought in is a former employee in the collector's office, and she left the courthouse earlier this year. Due to her experience in working in the courthouse and with the public, I felt that the increased salary would be acceptable," Smith said.
Jones also requested an additional employee who he said would work with a new computer program that Jones is seeking for his office. He also requested a raise and full-time status for an employee who has been working in his office for the past two years under contract labor.
"I don't feel that it would be right to this lady who has been a good employee for two years and hasn't received a raise, for me to bring someone into a new position and pay them more than she is getting," he said.
Both issues will be heard by the full court at the regular
quorum court meeting as will a matter proposed by the Sheriff's
Office which will add $5 to all fines levied in District Court.
The additional funds will go towards maintenance and upkeep of
the St. Francis County Jail.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The first stage of work by the Corps of Engineers at the Madison sewage treatment ponds has begun and could be completed by the end of this week, according to Madison Mayor James Brooks.
Brooks gave Madison City Council members the news Monday during the group's regular monthly meeting.
"The sewer work is coming along really well, and I'm sure that you all have seen all of the trucks and stuff coming through. They're expecting to complete some of the work later this week," Brooks said.
Brooks also updated the council on a pair of grants the city is applying for to assist the police department. Brooks said applications have been filed which would purchase a police car and would give the department $5,000 for equipment purchases, which Brooks said would be used to buy radio equipment.
"We have some problems with contacting our fire department or the sheriff's department once our officers get down in Crow Creek. Our equipment just isn't strong enough. The money would go towards buying newer and stronger radios," Brooks said.
During the meeting, Brooks deflected questions from council member Annie Winfrey over the state of the city's police department. Winfrey asked Brooks the number of officers in the city and also whether the city currently has a chief of police.
"Mrs. Winfrey, every month you come in here, and I think
you ask this same question. I've told you that you can come down
to the office anytime to find out anything you want to know about
the police department. Instead you ask in meetings to try to get
publicity in the newspaper. If you really want to know the answer
to that question, feel free to come down to the office,"
Brooks said.
Two juvenile programs, one of them at Colt, have been recommended for accreditation by the American Correctional Association.
The East Arkansas Regional Juvenile Program in Colt, along with the Northeast Arkansas Regional Juvenile Program in Harrisburg, were both recommended after undergoing a review by accreditation teams from the ACA.
Both received a 100 percent score in both mandatory and non-mandatory requirements.
"We have truly reached a milestone," Doyle Herndon, director of the Department of Human Services Division of Youth Services in a press release. "Only 1 percent of accredited agencies in the United States have received an overall score of 100 percent in every area of the accreditation review."
There is still one step to go. Next will be an appearance before the Commission on Accreditation in Nashville to be awarded national accreditation. The Colt and Harrisburg programs join three other Arkansas programs that are tare ACA accredited. They are the Regional Juvenile Programs at Mansfield, Lewisville and Dermott.
The Colt and Harrisburg juvenile programs are managed by Consolidate Youth Services of Jonesboro. South Arkansas Youth services manages Mansfield, Lewisville and Dermott.
"Achieving and maintaining accreditation ensures that programs are utilizing best practices in the administration of programs and services for juvenile offenders committed to the Division of Youth Services," the release stated.
The Harrisburg and Colt programs each have about 30 beds. Statewide,
about 500 youth are assigned to one of the seven existing programs
each year.
Forrest City High School has named its valedictorian and salutatorian for this school year.
Shannon Elizabeth Nicks, daughter of Ricky Nicks and Sandra Nicks, is valedictorian, having achieved a 4.0 grade point average throughout her high school career.
She has served as president of the school's Beta Club and Principal's Club, and vice president of Future Business Leaders of America. In the Mustang Marching and Concert Band, she was Concert Band section leader and First Chair player. She was also a member of Mu Alpha Theta and was secretary of the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), a subsidiary of the St. Francis County Community Foundation.
Nicks has received several scholarships, including a National Beta Club Scholarship, Arkansas Governor's Scholarship, Robert C. Byrd Scholarship and University of Arkansas Honors College Academy Scholarship.
She plans to attend the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Honors College, majoring in biology and pre-med.
This year's salutatorian is Jessica Robin Long, daughter of Kenne and Patti Long, who is graduating with a GPA of 3.88.
During her high school career, Long has been Student council president, and a member of the Beta Club, Principal's Club, Spanish Club and Mu Alpha Theta. She was also a Mustang cheerleader and a member of the softball team.
She is a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship and the Hammonds Scholarship.
Long plans to attend Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge.
FCHS will have its commencement exercises this Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m.