By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
In a busy but fairly routine meeting Thursday, the East Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees passed a budget for next year, voted to keep the same tuition and fee schedule through the fall semester, and extended the president's contract.
The budget total is $11,598,619. Dr. Coy Grace, president, said there were no major changes in the budget, and said no salary increases were figured into the budget. He said the salaries might be discussed again in the fall.
After an executive session, the board voted unanimously to extend Grace's contract through June 30, 2005.
The board also voted to retain Frank Morledge as attorney.
On the subject of tuition, Grace recommended that the tuition and fee schedule remain the same through the fall semester. He also recommended that the tuition be increased after the fall semester by $2 across the board per credit hour. That will make the tuition as follows: Resident tuition from $41 to $43 per credit hour; out-of-county tuition from $49 to $51; and out-of-state tuition from $60 to $62. The board approved the recommendation.
In other business, the board voted to pursue some new academic offerings.
One will be a bachelor's degree in Human Resource Development, in cooperation with the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Along with courses offered at EACC, there would be distance-learning courses taught in the lab of the Learning Resource Center.
The second would be a Radiologic Technology program, which Grace said some health providers in the area have asked the school to look into. The 73-hour course would lead to an Associate of Applied Science degree.
Thirdly, the board agreed to pursue a Secondary Career Center. High School students would be transported to the EACC campus for classes. There would be three start-up programs offered, including Medical Professions, Computer Information Services and Criminal Justice.
On another matter, the board was informed that Kenco Construction had been given the contract for the renovation of Classroom Building 1. Kenco's bid was $347,500.
The board also approved a catastrophic leave program for faculty.
In other action, the board approved $15,000 for promotional items, including $10,000 in Student Services and $5,000 in the bookstore.
It was also announced that the Lecture Hall is undergoing a major facelift.
Grace announced that the school received an additional $515,000 in general improvement funds during the recent legislative session. That includes $290,000 toward a Fine Arts Center. Grace said that amount was not figured into the budget, because if revenue projections don't prove out, general improvement funding will be cut accordingly.
On another matter, Vice President for Student Affairs Catherine Coleman reported that as of Thursday, there were 410 students registered for the Summer I session, and 200 registered for the Summer II session, with several days of registration remaining. Also, 345 people have already registered for the fall semester.
A toddler was killed in a freak accident Thursday afternoon in a residential area.
Cody Lyn Hand, 2, died after being backed over by a car driven by his mother, Terri D. Hand, 21, just before 4 p.m. The accident occurred at the family's home at 616 Westview Dr., in Forrest City.
The Forrest City Police Department reported Hand had just returned home from picking up her 15-year-old sister and another girl at school and told them and the toddler to go into the house while she drove her mother to work.
As she was backing out, Hand told police she felt the car roll
over something and realized it was her son when her sister started
screaming for her to stop the car. Police arriving at the scene
reported the child was unconscious due to severe head and neck
injuries. He was taken by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest
City where he was pronounced dead.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
With the unofficial start of summer this weekend as the Memorial Day Holiday rolls around, so also will increased patrols on the state's interstate highways, and Interstate 40 will be no exception.
According to Lt. Tommy Wicker with Arkansas State Police Troop D in Forrest City, an increased patrol will be seen on the highways over the holiday period. According to Wicker, officers began a saturation program this morning on I-40.
"We've got all of our officers out patrolling the interstate today, and they will be out in force during the weekend. We'll be checking for speeding and the normal offenses, but there will be a special emphasis on our 'Click-It or Ticket' program and on drinking and driving," Wicker said.
The "Click-It or Ticket" program is a two-week nationwide program that focuses on safety belt use as well as child restraint usage. The program began on Monday and will end on Sunday, June 1.
In the fight against drinking and driving, Wicker said that motorists can look for several sobriety checkpoints to dot the district, with many of them beginning tonight.
"We want everyone to have a safe weekend, and we'll be out there to protect people. We'll start with checkpoints tonight in different places, and we'll keep them going through the end of the holiday period Monday," he said.
Drivers are also being cautioned of the increased interstate construction underway across the state. According to a press release from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department motorists should be take several steps to ensure safe interstate travel.
* Merge Left: For consistency, the AHTD has specified that interstate work zones will begin by merging left and motorists should do so as quickly as possible.
* Plan Ahead: Allow plenty of time to take into account any construction projects you may encounter.
* Slow Down: Follow posted speed limits. They are calculated for your safety based on work zone conditions that may not be apparent to motorists.
* Stay Alert: Watch for warning signs and changing conditions at all times.
* Leave Room: Maintain a safe distance between you and the car ahead while driving and an adequate safety zone when stopped to allow for defensive driving.
* Keep your cool: Don't allow impatient or speeding motorists to cause you to alter your own good driving habits.
* Always wear your seat belt: Buckle up and keep children safe in an approved car safety seat installed according to vehicle and car seat manufacturer's recommendations.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Delta Regional Airport Authority moved one step closer to becoming a legally sanctioned body Thursday as board members learned that at least one of the cities involved in the formation of the board had passed an ordinance giving them authority to take action.
According to DRAA chairman Dr. John Kerr, the Wynne City Council approved the ordinance on May 13. The ordinance outlines the creation of the board and would give the group actual legal status to go about the job of studying, and possibly even establishing, a regional airport between Forrest City and Wynne.
On Tuesday, the Forrest City City Council heard the first reading of the ordinance and plans to hear the second reading at its next scheduled meeting. Similar ordinances are to be passed by the St. Francis and Cross county governments.
In other business, commission members agreed to the selection of three engineering firms that will be interviewed to handle a master plan study for the airport concept. According to Kerr, the Wynne Airport Commission agreed earlier this month to fund 50 percent of the costs for the study. Kerr also told board members that an agreement at the last DRAA meeting, which would have allowed a firm selected by the Forrest City Airport Commission to do the master plan, would not have been acceptable by the Federal Aviation Administration.
"The plan that we discussed at the last meeting can't happen because when the Forrest City Commission advertised they didn't mention a possible site relocation as part of their legal description," Kerr told board members.
The firms selected had all been approved by the WAC, and according to Kerr, the firms were acceptable because an ad for engineers by the WAC included site relocation.
By a 5-2 margin, board members agreed to interview Garver Engineers, the LPA Group and EOCR. Forrest Citians Shirley Harvell and Joe Williams, who serves on the FCAC, cast the dissenting votes. New commissioner Dr. Robert Cole abstained from the voting citing his recent appointment to the DRAA.
While board members approved the bylaws for the commission on Thursday night, they also made the first amendment to those bylaws.
By a 7-1 vote, board members agreed to add a ninth member, Cole, to the commission. Harvell voted against the measure saying that the board did not have any legal standing currently to make such decisions.