By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The St. Francis County Election Commission on Thursday certified the results of Tuesday's special election.
The commission also discussed the vote counting machines and commented on the recent threat of a subpoena from the state Board of Election Commissioners.
In a light turnout, voters on Tuesday approved by a margin of 477-345 a measure to transfer part of Forrest City's share of a county solid waste tax to industrial recruitment. The transfer is to take place for four years.
"The main thing we need to talk about," said Bettye Proctor commission chairman, "is the machine."
There was some discussion over whether to pay several thousand dollars of regular maintenance on the machine (there are also some smaller machines which count votes cast at the civic center and Christ Church during big elections).
"I think we need to take this before the quorum court, because you all saw what the machine did the other night," Proctor said.
There were some problems with counting the votes, and some ballots were counted by hand Tuesday night.
"I would like to have us to go before the quorum court and ask them, do they want us to pay all this, or do they want to talk about us getting a new machine," she said. "That machine is so obsolete now. That machine's right at 10 years old, I think. It doesn't say here," she said, looking through some papers. "I'm sure it's at least 10 years old."
Ed Chauvin, who isn't a member of the commission but often attends in an advisory capacity, said it might take too long to get a new machine to have it ready this year. There is still a school election and a general election this year.
Chauvin said it might be better to go ahead and pay the maintenance fees, and then also work on getting a new machine.
No final decision was reached by the commission.
On another matter, Proctor addressed a report last week that the state had decided to subpoena records originally requested in May.
Proctor said all the information requested by the state has since been provided.
Contacted this morning, Susie Stormes, director of the state Election Commission, confirmed that.
"We ended up not having to serve the subpoena," said
Stormes. "We were ready to serve it on Tuesday, but we got
the information from Chairman Proctor."
Two former police chiefs have pled guilty in federal court to charges involving an alleged eight-state bank fraud scam in which State Farm checks were forged for more than $200,000.
Christopher McGill, 30, and Lucious Carroll, 28, who were patrolmen with the Forrest City Police Department when they were arrested, are among eight people who were originally charged in the investigation that began in early 2002. Both were arrested in March 2002.
McGill, who had been with the FCPD about three years, is a former police chief in Madison and Parkin. Carroll was a police chief in Cotton Plant before beginning his duties with the FCPD where he had been employed for just over a year before his arrest. Both men resigned from their positions with the FCPD following their arrests.
McGill and Carroll pled guilty to aiding and abetting, and attempting to defraud financial institutions. McGill entered his plea on June 25, and Carroll pled on June 21 to the indictments filed against them on May 4 this year.
Also included in that indictment was McGill's brother, David F. McGill of Wynne, but he has yet to enter a plea to the charges. Bud Cummins, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, said David McGill is expected to be indicted on the same charges as Chris McGill and Carroll in the next few days.
Court documents show the total loss to four local financial institutions to be $28,831.87. As part of the plea agreement, the two men agreed to pay restitution to the First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas for $13,911.22; Forrest City Bank, $4,955.61, First National Bank of Wynne, $4,982.52 and Union Planters Bank, $4,982.52.
The maximum penalty is not more than 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both, and not more than five years of probation.
The dates for sentencing hearings for McGill and Carroll have not yet been scheduled.
According to court records, the scam involved more than $200,000 in forged checks.
Reports of the counterfeit checks being cashed first surfaced in Forrest City in February 2002. Several checks were reported cashed at different banks in town. By March of that year, it was estimated that there were as many as 59 counterfeit checks deposited in as many accounts in Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois, Michigan, Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky.
According to the plea agreements, Chris McGill and Carroll attempted to obtain money under the custody and control of a financial institution. McGill and Carroll agreed to disclose all criminal conduct, testify as a witness for the United States to a Grand or Petit jury, be available for interviews and submit to polygraph examinations.
Also arrested in March 2002 on charges of first-degree forgery were Irene Gillespie, Rosa Lyn Taylor, Floyd Anderson, Leonard D. Howell and Meleshia Gail Lewis, all of Forrest City. Information on those cases was not available.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Two cases of senior citizens being swindled out of money in Cross County have caught the eye of Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe. The cases involve con artists visiting the homes of seniors posing as employees of the local Area Agency on Aging.
According to the press release from Beebe's office, the two cases were very similar and are currently being investigated by the Cross County Sheriff's Department. In the case described in the press release, a man came to an elderly woman's door and claimed that he was with the Area Agency on Aging. The suspect then told her that he was there on behalf of the AAA to help her save money on her utility bills. He asked for her Medicare information and then she assisted him in taking measurements around her house.
When he left, the woman said she saw him get into an unmarked vehicle with another man and drive away. As they left, the woman became suspicious and found that hundreds of dollars had been taken from her purse. The other case was not detailed, but the release states that the same scam was used to target another elderly woman the next day and the suspects again got hundreds of dollars from the victim.
"This is a particularly ruthless and despicable scam," Beebe said. "These con artists are taking money and personal information and using the good name of a legitimate agency to do so. The local police are looking into the case, and I hope this alert will help prevent similar crimes in other parts of Arkansas."
But how do you recognize the con artists from the real employees of the Agency on Aging?
Sharon Weeams, the RN supervisor at the Eastern Arkansas Area Agency on Aging, offered some tips on how to avoid becoming victims of a scam.
"Our employees normally have cards with their name on them," stated Weeams, who also said that no such cases have occurred in St. Francis County that she is aware of. "Our employees are many times in scrubs and should be wearing an ID badge above their waist. These badges should have their picture and name on them.
"We don't go out and find clients, clients come to us," continued Weeams. "We don't normally go to people's homes and tell them that we can help them save on their utility bills. People call us for help, we don't actively go to people's houses like that. If I go out to assess someone for our services, it is because they or one of their family members have requested me to visit."
Weeams also offered advice to seniors if they are unsure if someone is with the EAAAA. "If your not sure, call our office (870-633-2248). We know who works here. Don't let them into your home. Ask for their name, call us, and we can tell you if they work here or not.
"Not all of our vehicles are marked," added Weeams. "Our vans are marked, but our nurses and aides use their own vehicles. If the person says they are with our agency and you don't know them, contact us."
The release from Beebe's offices also offers some advice. Anyone
who cannot get confirmation that the person is who they say they
are, ask them to leave and call the agency to set up another time
for the visit. It also suggests that if the person will not leave,
is applying too much pressure or if someone feels threatened,
call the police.
Several activities for parents of preschool children will be taking place soon in the Forrest City School District.
Also, kindergarten and preschool students will be given the Early Prevention to School Failure Test.
The parents of the toddler group (18 months to 3 years old) and the 3-year old program will meet Thursday, Aug. 12, at 5 p.m.
The ABC Preschool will have a meeting for the parents for the 4-year-old program on Thursday, Aug. 12, at 6 p.m.
The first day of school for toddlers will be Thursday, Aug. 19.
The Early Prevention test will be given to all kindergarten and preschool students in the school they have been assigned to attend. The purpose of the test is to help teachers get to know the children early.
Testing will take place on Aug. 19, 20, 23, 24 and 25. The first full day of school for kindergarten and preschool students will be Aug. 26.
Parents of these children should contact their child's school to set up a time and date to bring their child for testing.
Parents are asked not to send their children on the bus during testing week. Parents are urged to keep the appointed time and accompany their children.
In addition, parents of kindergarten students who have not
yet enrolled are encouraged to enroll their children immediately
so they can be included in the testing. Enrollment applications
are available at the superintendent's office, at 845 N. Rosser.
After receiving a school assignment from the superintendent's
office, parents then need to report to the school to complete
the registration process and receive a test schedule.
The value of projects receiving building permits in Forrest City during July almost reached the $1 million mark, according to figures from the mayor's office.
The total value of projects was $993,099 during July. The biggest single project to receive a permit was a $516,000 remodeling and renovation at Boar's Head, 2530 W. Broadway.
In addition, PM Investments received permits for two new homes in the Oaks Subdivision, one valued at $121,295 and the other valued at $140,000. Also, the Shady Oaks Apartments at 220 received a permit for a roof, valued at $5,000.
The rest of the permits were for private homes, and included one remodeling one manufactured home, a triplex, duplex, a carport, a shed and roof repairs.
The Forrest City School Board is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9, in the administration building.
The meeting will begin with an employee grievance hearing.
Under new business, the board will review milk and bread bids, gasoline bids and budgets for special education, federal programs and district operations.
The board will also discuss disposing of the Caldwell Elementary and Evans school buildings, and a service contract for the heating and air system at the junior high school.
In Widener, the only city in the county in which council members can file as either Democrats or Independents, three contested races have developed for council positions.
For the Position 1 seat, Rodney Burgess and Abron Pitts face each other in November. Pitts defeated the incumbent in the Democratic election, and will face Independent Burgess. Incumbent Versie Pitts will face Holly Sanders for the Position 4 seat on the council.
Lillian Williams, incumbent for the city clerk position, will face challenger Arvin Billingsley. Both Williams and Billingsley filed as Independents.
Other filings for the Widener City Council were Brenda White for the Position 2 seat, Ronnie Barnett for the Position 3 seat and Felicia Watson for the Position 5 seat. All three are unopposed incumbents. White has filed as a Democrat, and Barnett and Watson have filed as Independents.
One school board filing was recorded at the St. Francis County Clerk's office on Thursday for a position on the Hughes School Board. Jimmy Bain has filed as a candidate for the Zone 5 seat on the board.
Filing for school board positions in the Forrest City, Hughes and Palestine-Wheatley school districts will close Monday, Aug. 9, at 4:30 p.m.