By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Forrest City will host a meeting of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission June 18 and 19.
"There are 13 commissioners, and Steve Edwards (of GES, Inc.) is chairman," said Danny Ferguson, executive director of the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce. "There will also be some of the top staff members from the Department of Economic Development."
Ferguson said the commission likes to meet in different parts of the state, and "Several months ago we invited them to Forrest City for a meeting."
Ferguson said the commissioners would probably do a community tour the afternoon of the 18th, and possibly tour an industry.
The commission meeting itself will take place in the East Arkansas Community College Learning Resource Center on Thursday, June 19.
"It's a good idea, an opportunity, to showcase the area to the commissioners," said Ferguson.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Fire Department is in line to receive over $150,000 in funding from the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
According to Forrest City Fire Chief Dan Curtner, the funding will go towards the purchase of hazardous materials equipment which will enhance the ability of the department to respond to hazardous materials incidents as well as possible acts of terrorism.
"Once we get all of the paperwork and everything lined up, these funds will go to purchase equipment such as suits and airtanks so that our hazmat team is equipped to properly handle hazardous materials situations. We've worked closely with the county judge's office and with Emergency Services officer Bill Dooley, and this has been really successful," Curtner said.
According to Curtner, the additions to the Forrest City Fire Department will not only assist St. Francis County, but counties in the surrounding area as well.
"We're one of several counties that will be receiving grants, and some of those counties are close to us. We plan to establish agreements with those counties which will allow us to partner with them when needed so that we can most effectively look out for the people of Eastern Arkansas," Curtner said.
According to the release from ADEM, Cross County is receiving $85,245.93 for decontamination equipment; Crittenden County will receive $67,792.26 for additional equipment, they currently have the closest fire department response team in the area; and Phillips County will receive $148,315.59 for the hazmat equipment.
The total received by St. Francis County and the Forrest City Fire Department is $152,494.15.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The deadline for St. Francis County residents to get assessments on personal property is nearing, according to SFC Assessor Craig Jones.
"The deadline for assessments this year will be on Monday, June 2, instead of the usual May 31 deadline, because that date is on a Saturday this year. The assessment deadline is mandated by the state so that school and other taxing entities will have some idea about how much they will have for their next year's budget. Dates in other counties maybe different, but every county in the state has an assessment deadline," Jones said.
"Assessing consists of declaring all of our personal property. Some examples are any vehicles, such as cars, trucks, boats, four-wheelers and tractors. Also business inventories," Jones added.
To assess, or for more information on assessments, call 870-261-1710 or 1-800-203-0211. Failure to assess property by June 2 will result in a 10 percent penalty on one's tax bill for next year, according to Jones.
Jones also added that his office will be open special hours on the deadline date for the public.
"On June 2, my office will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. to better serve the residents of St. Francis County in meeting this deadline," Jones said.
A workshop exploring methods that connect the generations within families will be held June 4 and 5 at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
According to a press release from the St. Francis County Cooperative Extension Service, the workshop, titled "Family and Community Connections: Exploring Intergenerational Programs" will feature Dr. Matthew Kaplan, an Intergenerational Specialist from Pennsylvania State University.
Kaplan will discuss the importance of connecting the generations and will share information and resources from a number of PSU programs. To preview Kaplan's materials visit http://intergenerational.cas.psu.edu/.
The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 5. Those who are interested must complete a registration form and pay a $20 registration fee. Continuing education units are available upon request and space is limited to 40 people. To obtain a registration form, call Mona Norris at 501-671-2355. For more information, call Dr. Steve Dennis, family life specialist, at 501-671-2202.
The Forrest City Police Department was out in force this weekend in a move to let drivers know they are serious about people buckling up this Memorial Day.
According to reports at the FCPD, a total of 37 tickets for seat belt violations were issued Friday through Sunday. The fine for not wearing a seat belt is $25.
Both the FCPD and the Arkansas State Police will continue their heightened efforts to protect motorists this week through Sunday, June 1.