By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Caldwell Community Park will host L'Anguille River Watershed Awareness Day on Thursday, July 29.
The event, which will be held from 4 to 8 p.m., is designed to increase awareness and understanding of the watershed and will feature numerous displays and activities for visitors of all ages. Rob Beadle, Ecologist with the Environmental Protection Division of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, explained what the L'Anguille Watershed is.
"The watershed is the area around the L'Anguille River," said Beadle. "The L'Anguille River Watershed is a newly formed non-profit organization that is dedicated to the preservation of the area. We are working hand-in-hand with the stakeholders in the area. A stakeholder is not just businesses or state and federal agencies, but anyone who works, lives, attends school in the area. With this event, we want people to get a better understanding about what the watershed is and what its preservation means to the area."
Some scheduled displays will include the Arkansas Game and Fish Mobile Aquarium, bird walks, global positioning systems (GPS), aquatic life identification, an interactive watershed model, a groundwater simulator, virtual fishing and other events related to water quality and conservation. Beadle then spoke of two other events that will be offered on Thursday.
"We will have David Long, who is the Agricultural Liaison Coordinator, give a presentation on alternate farm income," stated Beadle "It will be about the 2002 farm bill conservation program and is geared towards farmers."
The other activities will be for everyone, not just farmers. "We will have a free catfish dinner at 5:30 p.m.," added Beadle. "It will be 'first come, first served,' but it is totally free. There will be live entertainment provided by The Legacy, a bluegrass band from 6 to 8 p.m. We will also have 'waste water mini-golf.' It is very unique, but teaches about the waste water system. The mobile trailer has a Putt-Putt golf course on it and the first hole is a toilet. The ball represents the waste. Each hole goes through a stage in the waste treatment process until it goes to the river."
In addition, several state and federal agencies will have representatives on hand to talk about their work with the watershed, which includes portions of Lee, Cross, St. Francis, Woodruff, Craighead and Poinsett counties.
There is no charge for this event and Beadle extended an invitation
to everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities. "We would
love to have everyone come out, have fun and learn about the L'Anguille
River Watershed and our efforts to preserve it."
While statewide scores on the Arkansas Benchmark Exam showed improvement over last year, there are still some concerns locally, particularly at the eighth grade level, where some slight improvements in math at one end of the scale were matched by lower scores at the other end.
According to the statewide scores, 31 percent of Arkansas eighth graders were proficient at math. However, only 11 percent of Forrest City eighth graders scored at or above proficiency. Sixty-four percent scored below basic in math.
The 11 percent at or above proficiency was an improvement from the 9 percent who scored at that level in 2003. However, the 64 percent below basic was a fall-off from 55 percent in 2003.
Phyllis Russell, who handles testing for the Forrest City District, said the improvement in scores at the top end is good, while admitting that everyone would like to see the scores higher.
"We would hope that next year they will be higher in math," she said. "The teachers have worked extremely hard to bring these scores up."
Forrest City sixth graders did somewhat better in math, with 54 percent ranking below basic in math, (a large improvement from 70 percent last year), 29 percent at basic, and 17 percent at proficient or advanced. That is up from 10 percent proficient and advanced last year.
Local fourth graders scored with 47 percent below basic, an improvement from 51 percent last year. They also showed 16 percent with basic skills and 38 percent with proficient or advanced skills. That is four percentage points better than last year's proficient and advanced marks.
In literacy, scores were better. Local eighth graders scored 30 percent below basic (from 42 percent last year), 39 percent at basic and 31 percent at proficient or advanced. That is up from 21 percent proficient or advanced in 2003.
Among local sixth graders, 33 percent were below basic in literacy, an improvement from 45 percent last year. Forty percent scored at the basic level, and 27 percent scored at the proficient or advanced level, impresively up from 9 percent last year.
In the fourth grade, 25 percent of those taking the test scored below basic in literacy, an improvement from 51 percent last year. Twenty-six percent scored in the basic area and an impressive 49 percent scored proficient or advanced, although that is a slight decrease from the 51 percent who scored in that category last year.
In other St. Francis County schools, the scores were as follows:
Fourth grade -- In math, 56 percent below basic, 14 percent at basic, 12 percent combined proficient and 30 percent in proficient and advanced. In literacy, 19 percent below basic, 40 percent at basic, and 40 percent at proficient or advanced.
Sixth grade -- In math, 48 percent below basic, 40 percent basic and 12 percent at proficient or advanced. In literacy, 29 percent below basic, 54 percent at basic and 17 percent at proficient or advanced.
Eighth grade -- In math, 51 percent below basic, 40 percent basic and 9 percent at proficient or advanced. In literacy, 21 percent below basic, 38 percent basic and 40 percent at proficient or advanced.
Fourth grade -- In math, 21 percent below basic, 12 percent basic and 67 percent in proficient or advanced. In literacy, 9 percvent below basic, 24 percent at basic and 68 percent at proficient or advanced.
Sixth grade -- In math, 36 percent below basic, 23 percent at basic and 41 percent at prorficient or advanced. In literacy, 16 percent below basic, 59 percent at basic and 25 percent at proficient or advanced.
Eighth grade -- In math, 31 percent below basic, 44 percent at basic and24 percent at proficient or advanced. In literacy, 19 percent below basic, 31 percent at basic and 50 percent at proficient or advanced.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Possible layoffs and a hiring freeze announced last week in Washington D.C. in the Federal Bureau of Prisons will have no effect on hiring at the medium-security facility scheduled to open later this year at the Federal Correctional Institution-Forrest City, according to BOP officials.
According to a Washington Post story Monday, the Federal Bureau of Prisons began a 30-day hiring freeze last week and will have to lay off some of its 35,000 employees next year unless the agency finds other ways to avert a budget crunch.
While the BOP is working on budget issues the hiring freeze will have no effect on the opening of the third of four potential phases at FCI-FC, according to Tracy Billingsley, with the FBOP public relations department.
"The action last week was a temporary hiring freeze and will have no effect on new facilities or facilities that are being activated. The Bureau of Prisons is facing possible future layoffs and because of that we have instituted a hiring freeze on all currently open positions. That is so we can offer current employees an opportunity to apply for those positions that and allow them to transfer from their current positions to new positions avoiding layoff," said Billingsley.
Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Harley G. Lappin announced the freeze Friday in a memo to employees and disclosed the prospective layoffs last month in a letter to a federal employee leader according to the Washington Post. He wrote that it was his "sincere desire" to avoid a layoff -- known as a reduction in force, or RIF -- through other cost-saving measures at the agency, which has a $4.4 billion budget and operates 104 federal prisons.
Layoffs could begin as soon as March and "could affect every employee and position," Lappin wrote. He did not indicate how many workers might be let go.
Earlier this month, FBOP officials held job fairs in both Forrest City and Wynne seeking to fill more than 200 positions still open at the medium-security facility. The 1,500-bed medium-security facility is hiring for correctional officer positions along with support staff, such as teachers, medical personnel and case workers. Correctional officers have a starting salary of $34,000 annually and applicants can be no older than 36. The fourth phase of the facility, a high-security prison, has not yet been funded. The facility currently houses minimum- and low-security inmates.
A four-month old Hughes child died Monday in spite of efforts to revive him.
According to a report from the Hughes Police Department and the St. Francis County Sheriff's Office, the HPD received a call from 911 dispatch, stating that a CPR certified officer was needed at a Hughes residence.
As officers left the station, the child's grandmother, Lee Benjamin and a neighbor, Maurene Campbell were walking to the police department.
An unidentified nurse started to do CPR on four-month-old Xavier Matthew Louis Benjamin with Hughes Mayor Donnie Mooney also performing CPR on the infant.
An ambulance arrived at the scene and the child was transported to Crittenden Memorial. The Sheriff's Office was notified of the child's death at about 3:30 p.m. According to the Hughes Police report, Lee Benjamin stated that the infant had been up that morning, playing and having breakfast and doing fine. She checked on him later and called 911.
Glenn Ramsey with the SFC Sheriff's Department said the child would be sent for an autopsy. He said he saw nothing that would indicate foul play.
With five days left to cast an early vote in the Tuesday, Aug. 3 special election, the numbers of St. Francis County residents that have taken advantage of period has reached 90.
Early voting is being held in the St. Francis County Clerk's office from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Early voting will end on Monday, Aug. 2.
Voters will decide on Tuesday, Aug. 3 whether or not Forrest City will be allowed to transfer $125,000 of its portion of the countywide solid waste tax to the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce to be used for industrial recruitment and to hire an executive director. The $125,000 would be given to the Chamber for four years. Taxes will not increase if this measure passes.
Joe Kerr, incumbent for the District 2, Position 2 seat on the Colt City Council, has become the fourth person to file for the Nov. 2 general election
Kerr joins three candidates who filed last week for positions on the Widener City Council. Incumbent for the Widener Position 4 seat Versie Pitts has filed along with a challenger for her seat Holly Sanders. Rodney Burgess has filed to seek the Position 1 seat on that council.
Current members and challengers for city council positions in Caldwell, Madison, Hughes, Colt and Palestine must file by Wednesday, Aug. 4, at the St. Francis County Clerk's office.