By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
St. Francis County Election Commissioners said Thursday afternoon they were unsure why the State Board of Election Commissioners is requesting their presence at the group's September board meeting.
On Thursday, it was reported that the state board had requested the appearance of the three-member county commission at the Sept. 8 meeting in Little Rock.
According to Susie Stormes, Director of the State Election Commission, board members made the request during a meeting Wednesday to determine whether funding for the May preferential primary would be released. Stormes confirmed yesterday that she had written a letter to county commissioners notifying them that they were in compliance with requests for records made earlier this year. She also said that she appeared before the state board Wednesday to request that funds for the county be released.
"What we wrote to Bettye (Bettye Proctor with the SFC Election Commission) was a letter telling her that we had received all of the requested information and that we would be requesting the funding for the primary election at the next meeting of the state board. On Wednesday, we made that request, but board members voted to withhold any funding until after they had an opportunity to meet with the county commission and question them over complaints made after the primary election," Stormes said.
In a meeting of the county commission Thursday, committee members reiterated that they didn't know what they would be questioned over.
"We have to go and face the board on Sept. 8, at 11 a.m., and we don't know why, but we'll be there to answer any of their questions," said re-appointed commissioner Joe Young.
"Bettye and Florence (Florence Brown, Republican member of the SFC Election Commission) have both said that they've talked to Susie Stormes, and she said that St. Francis County was not the only county being questioned," Young said.
According to Stormes, St. Francis County is the only county the board has requested to make an appearance at their meeting. Stormes did say that other counties were having funds withheld pending information requests.
The county commission welcomed Young back on Thursday, after working for several months with only two commissioners.
In June, Young resigned from the commission after county officials decided to close the commission's office at the St. Francis County Courthouse. Later in June, county officials re-opened the office after renovations had been made and the county Democratic Central Committee began the effort to place Young back on the commission. According to Young, state officials reluctantly reappointed him to the commission after their original selection to replace him declined the appointment.
"I first want to say that I'm ihappy to be serving the citizens of St. Francis County again. I resigned from this board over the issue over the room, and I can say that if placed in that position again, I would do the same thing.
"After being asked by county officials to reconsider my resignation, I accepted the nomination but Susie Stormes did not want to reappoint me. She eventually had to reluctantly, very reluctantly, reappoint me and when she did, the letter authorizing my reappointment was mailed to Elizabeth Smith (SFC County Clerk) where it sat for a week," Young said.
In other business, commission members were hopeful that ballots for the school elections would arrive in St. Francis County for the start of early voting which begins on Tuesday, Sept. 7, due to the Labor Day holiday. According to Proctor, the only thing holding up the process now is the final proof from the Palestine-Wheatley School District.
"We've gotten our proofs back from all of the school districts except one, and that's over in Palestine. I spoke with John Manning, and he told me that he would have the proof to me today and once we've got that in, we can mail everything off and ES&S can get started," she said.
While the commission explored the idea of getting ballots from a different printer, according to Proctor, contractual issues are forcing them to remain with ES&S despite issues with ballots during several past elections.
"We talked with a company in Memphis about doing the ballots and they can do the ballot style, but in order for us to use our machines, we have to get a chip from ES&S. To get that chip, they have to do the ballots. Since we're still under contract, we really don't have any other choice," Proctor said.
Commission members also approved the names of 79 workers for the Sept. 21 school election.
The commission also voted to attempt to get a local cellular phone company to allow the use of close to 15 cell phones on election day in an attempt to make the process smoother. According to election officials, many polling locations in the county do not have telephone access which forces voters to come to the courthouse on election day if there are any questions. The use of cell phones would allow poll workers to contact the county clerk's office with any questions over voter eligibility.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute is starting its year with the biggest enrollment in several years, the CRTI board learned Thursday.
With a couple of days left for registration, several classes have already been filled and closed, President Burl Lieblong told board members. They include auto body repairs, auto service tech, business, child care specialist, cosmetology, practical nursing and welding. Other classes are filling. There were a total of 322 on-campus students as of Thursday. Off-campus adult education enrollment, as of August 19, in Cross County, Lee County, Monroe County and St. Francis totaled 48.
On a slightly different subject, the summer enrollment at the state prison at Brickeys was 394.
"Crowley's Ridge is off to a banner year," Lieblong said.
There are some concerns, he said, such as a lack of local job opportunities for graduates.
"The only thing that bothers us is that after students graduate, they're leaving this area," he said.
In the meantime, Lieblong said, the school needs more parking. He said a count was recently taken of the vehicles which had to park in places other than designated parking spaces. Fifty-eight vehicles were counted.
A new math instructor, James Richmond, was introduced to the board.
The board also elected officers for the coming year, and voted to keep the same slate as the current year. Glenda Caldwell is the board chair, Odell McCallum is vice chair and Ken Patterson is secretary.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City community is close to becoming one of only four cities statewide to be honored by having an Arkansas Air National Guard plane named after it.
According to AANG Chief Master Sgt. and Forrest City Postmaster Normal Gilchrest, the honor is coming as part of a program used to recognize Arkansas communities and to also bring recognition of the Air National Guard to communities.
"The whole idea of this program is a win-win situation for both the community being honored and the Air National Guard. Through the program, whereever the plane might travel across the world, it will be known as the Forrest City. That gives this community recognition across the nation and across the world.
"The program also helps the Air National Guard because it will be another tool in recruitment. Not only will the plane be named after the city, but also 30 or 35 children from the school district along with the mayor and other representatives of the area will be allowed to go up in the plane and see the cockpit and tour the plane and the base. It's a win-win situation for everyone," Gilchrest said.
Gilchrest said the ceremony will take place on Saturday, Oct. 2, and that the tail of the plane would display the city's name and possibly a slogan.
"On all of the planes, the tail section has the word 'Arkansas' written on it. The name of the city will be added to it and possibly a phrase. The mayor suggested 'Jewel of the Delta', but the decision hasn't been made yet," Gilchrest said with a laugh.
According to Gilchrest, Forrest City is the fourth city honored with the name designation, and is the first city outside central Arkansas to receive the honor. The plane will be named for the city for between six and eight months.
"This is quite an honor for the city because we're one of the first involved in this program. The only other cities included have been in the Little Rock area. We're the first outside of that area and the first to be honored in the Delta," he said.
The other cities included are Morrilton, Searcy and Cabot. After the naming ceremony in October, the plane will be carry the city's name for six to eight months when another Arkansas city will be honored.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The second annual St. Francis County Cancer Expo will be held Saturday at the Forrest City Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will offer a wealth of health information and medical screenings, all free to the public.
Delores Woods, the East Arkansas Enterprise Community Health Outreach Coordinator, recently discussed what visitors can expect at this weekend's event.
"We are trying to increase cancer awareness in St. Francis County year round," said Woods. "But Saturday is the one day out of the year that we set aside for cancer awareness in the county."
According to Woods, the events will feature everything from mammograms to prostate screenings. "We will have pelvic tests and clinical breast exams for eligible women through the Breast Care Program, as well as mammograms.
"We will have information on cancer and healthy living," added Woods. "Our focus will be on preventative health education. We will have tips on healthy cooking, so that people can learn to prepare healthier meals. We want people to live a healthier lifestyle so that they will life longer, healthier lives."
Another program that will be held in conjunction with the cancer expo is the Look Good Feel Better program through the American Cancer Society. This program gives women who are currently undergoing cancer treatment beauty tips. "The only restriction to this program is that the women must be currently undergoing treatment," added Woods.
Other events will include games, door prizes and cancer-related healthcare booths and vendors.
"We invite everyone to come out on Saturday," said Woods. "We will have events for the whole family, healthy snacks and a lot of educational information about cancer. Come on out and see what we are doing. The event is free and we hope to see many people there."
The second annual cancer expo is sponsored by the East Arkansas Enterprise Community, the University of Arkansas for Medical Science Cancer Outreach Program, Woodruff Electric, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City, the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation, the Lee County Co-op Clinic and the St. Francis County Cancer Council.
St. Francis County's sales tax receipts during June totaled $122,507.60, according to figures from the Arkansas Municipal League.
In addition, the following towns had prorated sales tax receipts:
Hughes, $24,280.44; Forrest City, $192,136.66; Wheatley, $4,837.88; Palestine, $9,636.74; Madison, $12,835.98; Caldwell, $6,047.34; Colt, $4,785.86; Widener, $4,356.71.
In addition, towns in St. Francis County with their own sales taxes received the following:
Forrest City, $142,759.47; Hughes, 7,558.28; Madison, $1,655.79; Palestine, $4,163.90; Wheatley, $3,716.03.
M&T Paving and Construction Inc. of Forrest City was the apparent low bidder on a project involving a mile of a St. Francis County Road, according to a press release from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.
The bid from M&T was $95,883.52. The project is to surface one mile of SF265 and SF267. Both roads are off Ark. Highway 261 west of Caldwell.
County Judge Carl Cisco said that county roads are "always a top priority."
According to state Highway Commission Chairman Buddy Benafield, work should begin in six to eight weeks, weather permitting, and be completed late this year.
The St. Francis County Food Pantry is in desperate need of donations, according to Pantry founder Catherine Freeman.
"If people want to bring us food, that's good too, but we need some money because we have bills to pay," Freeman said.
The Food Pantry is located on Water Street.
Windows were shot out of seven vehicles parked inside a fenced area at the Arkansas Highway Department headquarters on Highway 70 West Wednesday night.
The St. Francis County Sheriff's Department reported damage estimated at $2,750 to the three pickups, three dumptrucks and a road grader
Joe Dewitt, a supervisor with the AHD, told deputies the windshields and door glasses appeared to have been shot out by someone using a high-powered BB gun from outside of the fence.