By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A proposed multimillion dollar golf course and lodge at Village Creek State Park cleared another hurdle recently with the signing of an agreement between the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Wellington International. The agreement guarantees the state's ability to build the course.
According to Greg Butts, ADPT Director, the agreement signed recently will clear up to $225,000 in payments to Wellington to finance contracts with course designer Andy Dye. The agreement between the state and Wellington secures pay through the third phase of the design process, which includes biddable plans and specifications for the 27-hole golf course.
"We have advanced up to $225,000 to Wellington, which will get the design process through Phase 3. This will give us biddable plans and specifications on the course and still allow Wellington to pursue its financing on the lodge and other aspects of the course," Butts said.
Butts also said that the payment, which he referred to as a credit toward a loan from Wellington to State Parks, would basically guarantee State Parks the ability to complete the golf course if for some reason Wellington did not complete the lodge project. The newest plans for the facility call for a 40-room lodge with a conference center and restaurant along with several multi-room villas along the golf course.
"The good thing about this agreement is that it gives Wellington the capital to move forward with Andy Dye, while at the same time pretty much guaranteeing us the ability to complete the golf course if something were to happen. As part of the agreement, we will receive the plans and the specifications from Andy Dye, and if at some point Wellington decides not to pursue the project or they have financing issues, we have the plans and can then contract with Andy Dye for the completion of the golf course," Butts said.
With rumors of a groundbreaking in the coming months, Butts said that he was not sure of when the project would begin, but that construction would need to get underway soon to utilize the growing seasons.
"I haven't heard anything about a groundbreaking, and that's not to say that one hasn't been scheduled, but one of the reasons that we entered into the contract is due to the time-sensitive nature of this project," he said.
"In order for the growing season to be best utilized, construction would need to begin on the course soon. That would give us the spring of '05 growing season and the summer season to develop the course and then the spring of '06 growing season to finish getting the course ready," Butts said.
According to Butts, the course is tentatively scheduled to open in the summer of 2006. The projected total cost for the project is $25 million, and it is the first partnership between a state entity and a private corporation of its type in the state of Arkansas.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A series of public meetings is being held around the state in which people will be asked for their opinions on the efficiency of the circuit court system.
The meeting, which affects St. Francis County, will be held Tuesday, Aug. 24, at the Jefferson County Courthouse, quorum court room, at 100 E. Barraque Street in Pine Bluff at 6:30 p.m.
"The Legislature in 2003 created the Circuit Court Apportionment Commission," said Karolyn Bond, court information coordinator. "The objective was for this commission to look at the jurisdictional boundaries and also to look at alternatives. This is a one-time deal."
Bond said members of the public are invited to attend, either to listen or voice their opinions.
The commission has already conducted a survey of court users.
"We surveyed attorneys, public defenders, prosecuting attorneys, circuit clerks, county clerks, etc., and asked them specific questions," Bond said. "One question might be, are there enough judges to handle the case load? Or, are you satisfied with the geographic makeup? Or, would law clerks be helpful?
"The commission will present it all to the Legislature in a final report on what they find, through the surveys and public hearings," she continued. "I think the Legislature wanted some information, and this was the best way to go about it."
The court system in Arkansas has gone through some fairly recent changes. In the 2000 election, the Arkansas Electorate voted to adopt Amendment 80, which made several changes in the state's judicial system.
First, it changed the judicial selection method from partisan to nonpartisan elections. It also merged circuit, chancery, probate and juvenile courts into a single trial court of general jurisdiction -- the circuit court.
"It made circuit judges hear all issues, whereas previously, you had chancery and probate courts," said Bond. "The amendment changed that, so circuit judges hear everything now."
he amendment also consolidated courts of limited jurisdiction into one court -- the district court.
Term lengths for judges in circuit court were increased to six years and the term lengths for district court judges were set at four years.
Five meetings were scheduled, and three have already been held. The fourth will be held in Jonesboro this Thursday.
The meeting in Pine Bluff on Aug. 24 will be the last. In addition to St. Francis County, the counties invited to this meeting include Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Cross, Desha, Drew, Jefferson, Lee, Lincoln, Monroe, Phillips and Woodruff counties.
A teenager riding in the bed of a pickup Saturday in Hughes was shot when a gun inside the truck's cab accidentally discharged.
Cody Ladner, 16, and his brother, Charlie Norris, 8, were riding in the back of a pickup driven by Randy Norris, 42, when the accident occurred just before 1:30 p.m.
St. Francis County Chief Investigator Glenn Ramsey said Norris had taken the two brothers, along with his two daughters, Kimberly Odom, 13, and Tyler Odom, 18, to a rural area near Hughes Saturday morning for target practice with a hunting rifle, and the family was on its way home to Heth when the shooting occurred.
After target practice, the loaded weapon had been placed in the truck with the barrel pointed toward the truck's bed, according to Ramsey.
Ramsey said Norris and the two girls were riding in the front of the vehicle when the gun discharged, sending the bullet through the rear of the pickup's cab and into Ladner's back near the Highway 79 intersection with Kinney Street in Hughes. Ramsey said the bullet entered the lower portion of Ladner's back and exited through his stomach.
"We were going to my Dad's house. It was not uncommon for the gun to be in the truck since they go out in the country and shoot it," Tyler Odom said in a statement to police. "We heard a big pop, then my brother stood up in the back of the truck and started screaming."
Officers with the Hughes Police Department responded to the shooting first and drove Ladner to the nearby highway intersection where they were met by a medical helicopter which transported him to the Trauma Center in Memphis. According to the report, none of Ladner's vital organs were damaged, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
An innocent motorist was caught in the middle Monday night when her car was rammed by a man whose truck had been shot at while he was driving on Lake Street.
The 1993 Pontiac Grand Am, driven by Valerie George, 29, 129 Turner Circle, Apt. 41, Forrest City, was traveling south on Rosser Street, near the Lake Street intersection, when she was hit by the southbound 2003 Chevrolet pickup driven by Jerome A. Elps, 29, 542 Gore St., Forrest City.
Elps told police responding to the accident that he was driving in front of a carwash on Lake Street about 7:30 p.m. when he saw a subject armed with a pistol running toward the street. Elps said the suspect shot the door on his truck before fleeing to a nearby vehicle. Elps had apparently turned around on Rosser Street and was headed back to the shop when he struck the driver's door on George's vehicle as she attempted to turn onto Lake Street.
Elps told police he was trying to get back to the shop so he could identify the person who had shot his truck and that he "didn't see the other vehicle because he was upset."
George had to be extricated from her vehicle by rescue workers with the Forrest City Fire Department. She was taken by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where she was treated and released.
Elps was not injured in the accident. Damage to his truck, which was dented by the bullet, is estimated at $500.
Police charged Elps with driving on a suspended driver's license (DWI related) and no proof of insurance. George was charged with no insurance.
Police had no trouble identifying the subject who robbed a Forrest City man while he walked along West Broadway early Saturday morning.
Paul Parks, 45, of 329 Lombardy, told officers with the Forrest City Police Department that while he was walking just after 1 a.m., a black male subject armed with a handgun approached him and demanded his money. Parks said the subject reached into his coat pocket and took $180 before running to a nearby car.
However, while running, the suspect dropped his wallet which contained a photo identification card. Based on the information in the wallet, Parks signed an affidavit against the suspect who is still being sought by police.
Widener will be getting some money from the East Arkansas Enterprise Community to help in the purchase of land for a new city park, city council members learned Monday.
Mayor Dot Halford said the city would receive around $2,700, and said the city would provide another $300, to make a total of $3,000. The city leaders have been wanting to build a new park for some time.
On another matter, Halford said two recent special days had been successful. Bill Lindsey Day, honoring a city volunteer and decorated World War II veteran, was held Aug. 8. He received several honors, including having all 22 medals he was awarded, along with his tech sergeant stripes and Ranger patch, mounted for display.
Also, Kid's Day was held Aug. 15, the last Saturday of summer vacation, with public school classes beginning this Thursday. Halford said about 40 kids attended, played games and ate hot dogs.