By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
As a prelude to an all-out campaign for corporate and individual donations, East Arkansas Community College board members are being asked to ante up to show local support for a Fine and Performing Arts center.
Dr. Dale Morris, board member and one of the leaders of the fund-raising effort, told the board members that once people start calling on corporations, one of the first questions that will be asked will be about local involvement and local support.
It is estimated that at least $8 million will be needed for the building. Morris said the school currently has about $1.2 million. He said it would be good to have around $2.5 million by the time the push starts.
"We're not talking bake sales here," said Morris, drawing laughter from the board members.
He said a response is needed by the end of January. "This is our first task," he said.
On other matters, EACC President Dr. Coy Grace told the board that it's hoped the renovation of Classroom Building 1 will be complete on the inside by Dec. 1, and that classes will be held there for the spring semester. The board approved continuing work on other projects.
One upcoming project is a new parking lot. Grace said the school's growth over the past five years has been good, but it has created a parking problem. The new parking lot will be located in an area behind the Music Building. Kenco Construction submitted a low bid of $76,500 for the job.
In other action, Grace recommended salary increases for school employees. Although the formula is complicated, Grace said no one would get less than a $570 a year increase.
A report on enrollment was given. Grace said the fall semester enrollment is 1,514, down from 1,572 last fall. He said that overall, the enrollment has shown a dramatic increase over the past several years.
On another matter, a report was given on a proposed agreement between the community colleges and Wal-Mart. If it becomes a reality, the 22 community colleges in Arkansas will be offering distance learning courses to Wal-Mart employees, nationwide. Grace said there is still a lot of details to work out, but he said it is a good opportunity.
The board also agreed to accept several grants as follows: Even Start literacy grant ($90,000); Title I Youth Consortium grant ($424,208); and a Student Support Services grant ($1.8 million).
Special guests at the meeting were students and teachers from Norton Radstock College in Bath, England. This particular group of students are divided into two fields of study -- horticulture and child care. They were introduced and a couple of them said they had a wonderful time, attending classes and making trips to Memphis, St. Louis and Little Rock.
Several retirements and resignations were announced, including Libby Casbeer, chair of the Humanities Department; Carletta Jones, controller; Tommie Lamb, receptionist; Tiffany Hardrick, coordinator of distance education; Tracey Goldsmith, receptionist; and Mary Ella Riley, St. Francis and Cross County Literacy Coordinator.
In addition, the following new hires were announced: Nell Lawrence, St. Francis County and Cross County Literacy Coordinator; Scynthia Edwards, Title I Youth Services coordinator; Janie Bailey, Allied Health Science chair/director of Nursing; Gil Freitas, director of Computer Services; Lisa Bailey, Nursing instructor; Cindy Shaw, Nursing instructor; T.J. Simmermon, director/faculty EMT/Paramedic; Suzanne Hendrix, temporary full time Business instructor; Kyla Turner, Recruitment and Student Activities clerk; and June Chinn-Jones, director of Educational Guidance Services.
After a brief executive session, the board voted to give Grace the same increase as other employees, and also to give him credit for previous experience.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
If all goes as planned, voters in St. Francis County could go to the polls as early as January to vote to issue bonds to help construct the multi-million dollar lodge at Village Creek State Park.
Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Danny Ferguson said voters should be aware that St. Francis County will not face any risks by issuing the bonds for the construction of the buildings.
"These bonds are Enterprise Zone bonds, and they are for companies which locate in enterprise communities. The bonds are federal tax-free so when people buy them, they don't have to pay federal income tax on the interest accrued over the life of the bond. That also makes the bonds low-interest, which is another strong selling point," Ferguson said.
According to Ferguson, voters will be asked to cast their ballots due to Arkansas constitutional law. "The state constitution requires the electorate to vote to authorize the issuance of any bonds. The county quorum court nor the facilities board can do that. But this, I really can't see any reason not to vote to do this," he said.
The proposed $17-to-$24 million golf course and lodge was originally planned to be located in the Cross County section of Village Creek. According to Ferguson, St. Francis County's status as an enterprise zone shifted the location of the lodge, while leaving the golf course in Cross County.
Also, due to the use of the EZ bonds, developers will be required to employ at least 35 percent of the lodge's workforce from St. Francis County. The lodge will include a clay shooting range, golf course, spa, restaurant and 124-bed hotel. According to Ferguson developers hope to have the lodge open by the Summer of 2005.
"If everything goes as planned, we'll finalize everything at the December meeting of the Arkansas Tourism Board, and then the election will take place in January. Once that happens, the developers are looking at a summer of '05 opening, which means everything is really moving fast," Ferguson said.
Eligible EZ Bond projects include business offices (including tenant improvements), retail establishments such as department and specialty stores, theaters, restaurants and coffee houses, shopping centers, recreation and health centers, warehouses and manufacturing facilities, transportation and parking facilities, tourism and entertainment centers, private for-profit day care centers, and other facilities.
Forrest City police have arrested a third suspect in a weekend robbery and kidnapping after receiving a tip from the public.
Walter Lee Williams, 21, 1108 S. Rosser St., Forrest City, was arrested without incident after the Forrest City Police Department was notified of his whereabouts on Thursday.
According to police files in the case, Williams allegedly accompanied Colby Dent, 23, of Marianna, and Chris Jones, 26, 113 E. Davis St., to the Chong Ing residence Saturday night where the three reportedly bound Ing, her brother and her babysitter with duct tape, and forced Ing into her van.
Dent and Jones are accused of driving Ing and her seven-year-old daughter to the family's business, Unique Fashions, where Jones reportedly forced Ing at gunpoint into the store while Dent was supposed to wait in the van with the child. Williams was left at the Ing home to watch the two victims there, according to police reports.
However, the FCPD was notified of the robbery in progress and surrounded the building before Jones could leave, resulting in about a two-hour hostage standoff with police as he allegedly held a pistol to Ing's head. Ing was released without being harmed, and Jones surrendered to police a short time later. Dent was arrested on Tuesday.
Williams, like Jones and Dent, is charged with three counts of aggravated robbery, four counts of kidnapping, four counts of aggravated assault, residential burglary, auto theft and felon in possession of a firearm.
All three are being held without bond in the St. Francis County Jail. Williams is scheduled to be arraigned in St. Francis County District Court on Monday.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Bids were opened Thursday for additions and alterations to the St. Francis County Museum.
The apparent low bid was from MACO General Contractors, Inc. of Monticello, which bid $175,000.
Other bids were from Kenco Construction Co. ($231,000) of Forrest City and Murdock Enterprises ($245,000) of Marianna. Kenco and Murdock also submitted alternate bids of $30,000 less and $25,000 less, respectively.
Architect Bob Beavers said county officials would make the final decision, contingent on acceptance by the state Highway Department, which is where the funding for the project is coming from.
Plans call for the installation of an elevator, and for part of the porch to be closed in to create a visitor center. Beavers said the state Historic Preservation office is strict about what can and cannot be done to old structures in order to qualify for funding.
Beavers said it is possible that actual work could begin in
a month, weather permitting.
Probation was ordered Thursday for a Palestine teenager accused of raping a four-year-old girl.
Dale Martin Wright, 18, was given five years probation with a two-year suspended imposition of sentence for an incident that occurred earlier this year, according to court records. The rape charge was reduced to sexual assault.
Wright appeared before Judge Harvey Yates in St. Francis County Circuit Court.
Wright was also ordered to cease contact with the victim.
A Forrest City man was robbed Thursday at a local service station.
Gerrad B. Delancey reported that as he got out of his vehicle at the Shell Superstop, a suspect approached and punched him, then slammed him to the ground. The suspect allegedly took his wallet.
The investigation is continuing.
A Forrest City teenager surrendered to police this week after allegedly discharging a pistol from a moving vehicle earlier in the month.
According to the police report, a 911 call was received on Saturday, Nov. 15, reporting that Marcus Matthew Turner, 18, of 836 Calvert, was allegedly shooting at people from his vehicle, a pickup truck, at 424 Virginia Circle.
There reportedly was an argument with a woman, after which Turner allegedly drove off and fired a pistol out the window of the truck.
After Turner turned himself in, he was charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, a Class B felony, and aggravated assault, a Class D felony.