By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Engineers working on the Delta Regional Airport project will have a little less work to do in selecting a potential site after members of the Delta Regional Airport Authority voted to remove three of possible 10 locations presented by Garver Engineering Thursday night.
Committee members voted, by voice vote, without opposition to remove a site on the southern most end of the proposed area which would have been close to Interstate 40 and Forrest City, the northern most site, which Mike Stengel with Garver said is a good potential site due to its close proximity to Wynne, and a location which could have placed the airport on top of Crowley's Ridge.
"Mike, I think that we can help you cut into your work right off the bat by eliminating some of these locations. I can tell you right now that site number one (the southern location) won't work because it is too close to Forrest City and defeats the purpose of a central location for both communities. The same can be said for site number 10 (the northern location) because it is too close to Wynne. Site 6 (the Crowley's Ridge location) won't work either because even though it may be scenic and a potentially beautiful location and it would serve all of the work that will be taking place at Village Creek, it defeats one of the primary purposes for this project and that's economic development.
Another location, which is also close to Forrest City, survived at least for one meeting, due to the need for Garver Engineering to investigate six to eight locations. The sites were listed from south to north, and site number two raised several questions. According to Stengel, the site, which is located along the Highway 1 bypass, would almost perfectly serve the economic development needs of both communities. But Stengel said that he could see more fruitful developments for the area.
"This site would really fill the needs for the airport project, it is close to that great new bypass and it's in an area which does not have a lot of homeowners. It would also be in close proximity to the railroad which would also be a positive. The primary concern that I see really goes back to what you're trying to fulfill here. All of the positives that I have mentioned would really be positives for more lucrative industries that might be recruited once the airport becomes a reality. That area ppears to be a prime development area, and I would think, especially since there is existing industry in the area, that is one of the locations you might consider for industrial recruitment," Stengel said.
Another drawback to the location, according to Kerr, is its close proximity Forrest City.
Committee member Al Ashcraft suggested the removal of five locations, sites one, two, six and 10, along with site nine, which is close to the Fitzgerald Crossing area, which Ashcraft said might also be too close to Wynne and not serve the centralized location need for both communities.
Of the remaining seven sites to be considered, four would be located entirely in St. Francis County with two of those west of Highway 1 with one near Caldwell and the other between Caldwell and Colt. The western most site near the L'Anguille River basin caused flood concerns for many of the committee members. The other St. Francis County location is site two near the bypass.
Two of the remaining locations would straddle the St. Francis and Cross county lines with one just west of Colt and the other near the Rosenbaum community. The final location, still up for consideration, is site nine near Fitzgerald Crossing.
According to Stengel, the next phase will include plugging data in respect to the site requirements into a site selection matrix which will then assign a score to each location so that they can be ranked.
"We're at the beginning of this stage. These locations appear to be prime locations, but once we begin evaluating data we may find that some of these won't work for different reasons. What we will do is rank the sites according to our data and then come back to you so that we can narrow the sites to two or three and submit that information to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)," Stengel said.
While the sites will be ranked, according to Stengel, the final locations do not necessarily have to have the highest scores.
"This is where the Authority will really come in. Just because one location may have a higher site score does not necessarily mean that it will be what will fill your needs the most. You have to consider the access for economic development plus your desire for a centralized location and other things. This is where we will really look to you for guidance," said Stengel.
The DRAA is tentatively scheduled to meet again on Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Colt Community Center.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
The medium-security facility at the Federal Correctional Complex-Forrest City is officially open, and about one-third of the 1,536 inmate capacity has been filled.
Although the facility was not expected to open until the latter portion of this year, inmates began arriving at the complex in September. Those inmates were transferred here from the federal prison complex in Marianna, Fla., that suffered extensive damage from tornados spawned by hurricanes in that state. Although the Marianna facility is scheduled to reopen at the end of January, Warden Linda Sanders said the inmates who have been transferred here are expected to stay here, but staff members are scheduled to return to Florida.
Public tours were originally planned, but those plans were quashed after prisoners began arriving. However, members of the FCC-FC Community Relations Board were treated to a tour of the new facility Thursday afternoon, accompanied by FCC-FC Public Information Officer Gary Bowers and Amy Carlton, the associate warden for the medium complex.
The complex is basically a city within itself, complete with medical, educational, personal and recreational services.
The complex is anchored by three, four-story inmate units that consist of two-man cells which are each equipped with bunk beds, a sink, commode, locker, chair and desk. All of the inmates in each unit share telephone and television equipment. The first unit is nearing capacity, with about 400 inmates currently, after which time prisoners will begin occupying the remaining two units.
Housing at the medium facility is different from the low-security complex in which inmates are housed in dormitory-type units.
The educational complex boasts an electronic law library, one of the first to be used within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The law library allows inmates an opportunity to check on their cases via the Internet.
Inmates are assigned jobs within the facility where they are paid anywhere from 12 cents per hour for menial tasks such as laundry service to $1.25 per hour for jobs in the UNICOR where inmates make office furniture for government agencies. All medically-able inmates are required to work at productive jobs in the facility, according to Bowers.
The low-security facility, which was the first of four prisons planned at the complex, opened in March 1997. That was followed by the opening of the minimum security camp in April 1999. The FCC-FC also boasts a warehouse facility and training complex complete with an outdoor shooting range.
An estimated 60 percent of the new staff at the medium facility has been hired from the Eastern Arkansas area, according to information provided by Bowers. Once fully staffed, the FCC-FC will have an estimated $36 million payroll. There will be over 3,800 incarcerated at the FCC-FC when all three prisons are filled.
The medium facility was officially opened on Dec. 9 by Harley G. Lappin, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, who was the keynote speaker at a staff recognition event marking the opening of the facility. South Central Region Deputy Regional Director David Berkebile and Sanders also addressed the audience of BOP staff.
During his speech, Lappin commended the staff for its exceptional work in preparing the institution for activation. He also expressed his appreciation to the local community for its support of the building expansion project.
The medium facility is designed for 1,536 male inmates. The adjacent low-security facility and satellite camp house about 2,300 male inmates, bringing the total inmate population to 3,836 once the newest portion is completely activated.
With the holiday season approaching, most area students enjoyed their last day of classes today.
Students in the Forrest City, Palestine-Wheatley and Hughes school districts and those who attend Calvary Christian Schools, Inc. will all be off for the holidays until Monday, Jan. 3.
College students will get a break from class as well. Students at East Arkansas Community College will have their last day of class on Thursday, Dec. 23 and will return on January 3.
Classes at Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute ended today for the holidays and will resume on Jan. 3.
The U.S. Postal Service is predicting that Monday, Dec. 20, will be its busiest day of the year for receiving mail.
Then on Wednesday, letter carriers will be delivering all those greetings and presents.
That's exactly what is expected locally, according to Forrest City Postmaster Normal Gilchrest.
"That's pretty accurate," he said, referring to the prediction. "It will probably be the biggest day, and then we expect Wednesday to be the largest delivery day, volume wise.
The U.S. Postal Service estimates 20 billion packages will be delivered between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
In the United States, postmarks increase by 50 percent during the holidays. The Postal Service expects it might see 280 million cards and letters for a total volume of 850 million pieces of mail, including packages, enough when placed end-to-end to circle the Earth four times.
A Little Rock man on parole for armed robbery was arrested on several charges in Forrest City Thursday night.
A report was received from the Arkansas State Police that a vehicle was being driven recklessly on the Interstate, and had taken the Forrest City exit.
The vehicle was pulled over on Lewis Street by a Forrest City Police officer.
According to the officer, the driver, later identified as Anthony L. Davis, 23, of Little Rock, stumbled out of the car.
Davis had a suspended driver's license, and a check of his identification showed he was on parole for armed robbery. The officer found a loaded .25 caliber automatic pistol lying in the passenger's seat of the car, along with a can of beer.
Davis was charged with possession of a firearm by a certain person, driving on a suspended driver's license, no tail light and public intoxication.