By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Garbage in Forrest City is turning up in all of the wrong places, and not only is it ugly, it's also a crime.
Leslie McMillin, assistant public works director in Forrest City, said residents need to know where they can legally dump their garbage and the hazards of illegal dumping.
"We have this problem about every week people illegally dump their garbage in empty lots, ditches and here at the city shop," said McMillin. "It is illegal to dump garbage on city property. We have a truck that picks up the garbage. You should put the garbage in front of your house for us to pick up. Do not dump it here (the shop) or even the city dump. The city dump has been closed for about 12 years."
McMillin also talked about the dangers people, especially children, face due to illegal dumping. "Many times there is glass or medication mixed in with the garbage. A child might open a bottle of medication thinking it is candy. That is very dangerous."
McMillin also addressed the legal action the city is taking to prevent the dumping.
"We are turning this over to the Forrest City Police Department. We are looking through the garbage and trying to determine who it belongs to. Those people will be given tickets for illegal dumping. Many people don't realize the cost to us for cleaning it up. Also, they don't realize that they are still responsible for the illegal dumping if they pay someone to dump their garbage and they dump it illegally.
"We want anyone who sees someone illegally dumping to call the police," added McMillin.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
St. Francis County Clerk Elizabeth Smith is asking county residents to get their addresses corrected in the voter registry to save both time and aggravation at the polls.
"We are nearing election time, and my office is making a concentrated effort to get the correct addresses for St. Francis County voters," said Smith. "This has been an ongoing problem. Some people are listed by post office (P.O.) box and others are listed by route numbers. Route numbers don't even exist anymore.
"The problem is finding what district they need to vote in. Voters who don't have a correct address or a P.O. Box are classified as 'unprecinctable,' meaning they have no physical address and the voter system cannot find the correct precinct for them. We are asking that people who have a P.O. Box or an outdated address to come by the office to correct the information. We need to correct as many of these addresses as possible before May."
Smith stated that residents with incorrect addresses can vote, but it takes longer. "People without a physical address will be allowed to vote, but they won't be listed on the voters list. That means it is a longer process for them. They have to wait for us to look up the information. We will print out a list and send it to the polls of those voters that are unprecinctable."
Smith added that if anyone has any questions they may contact her office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by phone, 870-261-1725, or fax at 870-630-1210. Smith said she also wants to remind voters that Monday, April 19, is the deadline to register to vote in the Tuesday, May 18, primary.
Three men were sentenced to time in the Arkansas Department of Corrections Wednesday in circuit court in St. Francis County, while one man's case was nolle prosequi.
Andre Thomas, 16, of 215 Mann in Forrest City, was sentenced to five years on amended counts of battery first and battery second, along with possession of a controlled substance. Another five years were suspended
Reggie Henderson, 22, of 809 Oakland, Forrest City, received 10 years for robbery, reduced from aggravated robbery and battery second.
Marco Bobo, 25, of 204 E. South Street in Forrest City, received three years for possession of crack cocaine.
A rape charge against Edward Lee Woods, 30, of Hughes, was nolle prosequi.
The Hick's Station bridge over Interstate 40 will be closed at 12:01 a.m., on Sunday, March 14, for repairs. The bridge is scheduled to reopen no later than 11:59 a.m., on Sunday, March, 14. The bridge is located at I-40 mile marker 252.36.
A Little Rock woman is in fair condition today at a Memphis hospital after she was accidentally stabbed in the leg by her husband Wednesday night.
The Forrest City Police Department reported Brandi Burrell, 28, a driver for Cal-Ark trucking, had parked her 18-wheeler in the area between McDonald's and the north branch of the First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas on North Washington when the incident occurred about 9:30 p.m.
Burrell told police she had parked her truck to go eat dinner and when she stood up and turned around to talk to her husband, John Henagan, 36, who was cutting a lemon for her, she slipped and fell toward him. The knife he was holding went about six inches into the front of her leg, puncturing an artery.
She was transported by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City and later airlifted to the Med Center in Memphis.
Two men are in custody at the St. Francis County Jail today after an arrest by the First Judicial Drug Task Force in Colt Tuesday on a variety of charges.
According to a report from the St. Francis County Sheriff's Office, Jerry Pat Busby, 60, of Colt, and Mitchell L. Griggs, 36, of Vanndale, were both arrested on charges of manufacturing a controlled substance (methamphetamine), possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of ephedrine with intent to manufacture.
"We got some information from Cross County that there might be something going on out there so we got a warrant and when we went in they were there cooking dope," said Narcotics Investigator Gene Wingo.
Led by a new maintenance shop at the Forrest City Country Club, projects valued at a total $177,800 received building permits in February.
The maintenance building is valued at $73,000. Other permits included a sign for the Steve Jones auto dealership at 3600 N. Washington, valued at $10,000 and a $2,000 vinyl siding project at Calvary Elementary School at 1611 N. Washington.
Projects at private residences included a fence, three remodeling projects, a room addition and roof repair.