By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A break in a water main Saturday night left Forrest Citians under a precautionary boil order Sunday and into the morning today.
According to Forrest City Water Utility Manager Jim Beazley, the order was issued after a 12-inch water main burst in the industrial park at close to 11 p.m. Saturday.
"Sometime Saturday night we had a major blowout of a 12-inch main out near Forrest City Grocery. It actually pulled a couple of our tanks down, and when you have a problem like that you have to put out a precautionary boil order until you can find out if you actually have any bacteriological problems. I do want to dispel one rumor, a tanker truck did not contaminate our system. We've heard some talk about that, and it is false," Beazley said.
According to an official with the Division of Engineering for the Arkansas Department of Health, the reason for the precautionary order was due to concerns over contaminated water leaking back into the system.
"Basically, no system is 100 percent leak proof. There is always some leakage, and when a system falls to zero pressure then some of that leakage can leak back into the system. We issued the order under the assumption that that might have happened, so that we could be safe," said Harold Seifert with ADH.
As of this morning, most of Forrest City was cleared of the order, but residents east of Forrest Street and north of the Union Pacific Railroad to Interstate-40 are still under the precautionary order. That area also includes the Highway 1 area north of I-40, including Caldwell, the Newcastle Road area, Madison and Widener.
According to Beazley in cases where a precautionary order has to be issued, it is customary to release the information over the local radio station. If there had been an actual contamination boil order, Beasley said attempts to notify residents door to door would have been made. Water should be boiled three to five minutes before being used.
"We notified the hospitals, restaurants, nursing homes and the like over the telephone that there was a precautionary order. If there had been actual contamination issues, we would have been out knocking on doors in the area that was affected," Beazley said.
According to Seifert, the illnesses associated with water contamination range from upset stomach to on rare occasions more serious diseases such as hepatitis. Seifert also cautioned that the elderly, people who are ill and parents with young children and babies should make sure to follow the order until it is cleared.
"For people in good health, you're running the risk of having an upset stomach and some nausea for a couple of days and being fine, but if you have an already decreased immune system, then you face risks that could be deadly."
The areas that remain under the boil order could be cleared late Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning at the latest.
"The absolute earliest that we can clear the remaining areas under the order is tomorrow afternoon, but it really looks like they'll be cleared Wednesday morning. We have to have two consecutive days with good bacteriological readings, and that would put us on schedule to clear them Wednesday," he said.
The filing period for most candidates in St. Francis County will begin tomorrow -- Tuesday, March 16 -- at noon, and will continue until Tuesday, March 30 at noon.
Candidates will file, and pay their filing fees, at the St. Francis County Clerk's Office. County Clerk Elizabeth Smith said her office has the necessary papers.
Most independent candidates also have to file a notice of intent to run by March 30 at noon, and they have to have petitions, which are due May 1.
Two cities in the county have different filing periods. Hughes and Forrest City do not have party primaries. They have ordinances which say that candidates must file by noon on May 17, the day before the May 18 primaries.
According to an Associated Press story, with a presidential race heading the ticket and school consolidation fresh in voters' minds, candidates planning to file for public office are counting on perhaps the greatest interest in politics in the post-Bill Clinton era.
A proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages also could add a spark to this year's election season.
Five of Arkansas' six congressional seats are up for grabs, along with the 17 state Senate seats of officeholders who drew two-year terms following the 2000 census, all 100 state House seats and two seats on the state Supreme Court.
Presidential elections traditionally draw more voters to the polls. President Bush has raised more than $150 million for his re-election bid and is expected to be a frequent visitor to Arkansas, as he was in 2002 when he beat Vice President Al Gore in the state.
State issues were expected to add political interest in this year's elections.
A 2002 state Supreme Court decision declaring Arkansas' public education system unconstitutional led the Legislature to pass the state's first statutory consolidation of public schools, but not before a statewide outcry from rural Arkansans fearful of losing their community identities, along with their schools.
Fifty-seven school districts with fewer than 350 students must submit plans to consolidate or be annexed to other districts by April 1, about six weeks before the May 18 primaries.
Gov. Mike Huckabee, who pushed for more widespread consolidation, has threatened to lead a petition drive for a ballot initiative on the issue which, if certified, could join the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages on the ballot.
The state attorney general's office certified the popular name and ballot title of the proposed Amendment Concerning Marriage and Civil Union on Friday, clearing the way for backers to begin gathering petitions.
Those issues would be decided in the fall.
This spring, a primary challenger could force Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., to spend some of the nearly $4 million she has raised for her bid for a second term.
Lisa Burks of Hot Springs, a former local and state chapter president for the National Organization for Women, has said she would challenge Lincoln in the Democratic primary on the senator's support for the Iraq war resolution, the Patriot Act and other Bush initiatives.
A Republican primary also was shaping up, with state Sen. Jim Holt of Springdale, former Benton County Sheriff Andy Lee and ex-Maumelle alderman Tom Formicola of Little Rock all announced candidates for the GOP nomination.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce Education Sub-committee is sponsoring the second annual Career Expo on Wednesday, March 17, at the Forrest City Mustang Arena.
The purpose of the Expo is to inform 11th and 12th grade students from St. Francis County of potential career and employment training opportunities in this area and to promote local business and industry.
There will be two sessions, from 8:45 to 10 a.m. and from 10:45 to 12 noon.
"The Education Committee believes the Expo will positively impact our students and our community and will demonstrate the power of education and will offer hope and the idea students have the power to shape their own destiny. The Career Expo which is a partnership between the school and business and industry, could benefit the students by motivating them to succeed in school. It will also provide them the knowledge and information to help make future career choices," said Joey Astin, Career Expo co-chairperson.
Dr. Alice Barnes, deputy superintendent of Forrest City Schools, said last year's initial Career Expo was extremely successful, and everyone wants to build on that this year.
"Right now, we're anticipating that about 30 vendors will be set up at Mustang Arena," she said, adding that the same physical layout used last year will be put into effect this year.
She said a lot of people and organizations have helped.
"Woodruff Electric sponsored our banner this year," she said. "And the YAC (Youth Advisory Council of the St. Francis County Community Foundation) group will be helping. Boar's Head and Food Giant are providing snacks for lunch. The mayor's office is providing tables. East Arkansas Community College is providing gift bags. And the St. Francis Area Developmental Center, where Joey Astin, a co-chairman works, has done a lot of the groundwork along with Margie Cannon."
The only down note so far this year will be the absence of the Hughes and Palestine-Wheatley school districts.
"They will be on spring break, so Forrest City juniors and seniors will be the only ones participating this year," said Barnes. "We were hoping they would be able to participate, but we understand that when people are on spring break they have other plans. And we just couldn't work it out."
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Residents of Wheatley will see an increase in their water bills due to a 40 percent hike in wholesale water prices adopted last month by the Brinkley City Council.
Mayor Larry Nash presented the council members with four proposals to increase the city water rates to keep pace with the increase that was passed on by Brinkley, from which Wheatley purchases 2 to 3 million gallons of water per month.
"I have run some scenarios to increase the water rate," said Nash. "The old rate was $6 for minimum water and $6 for minimum sewage (both applies to use of up to 1,000 gallons per month). The current rate is short for the increase they have put on us. I have increased from the rate to $6.50, $6.75, $7 and the full 40 percent increase at $8.40. The $6.50 rate would put us in the hole, but all of the options I ran are based on usage. That means that those on a fixed income who use the minimum will not face as great of an increase as someone who uses 3,000 or 150,000 gallons. The $8.40 rate is 40 percent across the board."
According to information provided in the meeting, an example at the $6.75 rate for a person using 3,000 a month would see an increase from the current rate of $11.50 to $13.15, an increase of 14.348 percent. At the same rate, a person using 150,000 gallons per month would see an increase of 24.243 percent, from the current $312.25 to $ 387.95.
Nash also cautioned councilmen about increases they may face in the future. "Brinkley increased their wholesale rate from $1.10 per 1,000 to $1.53 per 1,000. They might raise the rate to $1.62 per 1,000 next year. I think we need to be looking at that too when we pass the increase. It is not a question of whether we increase the rate, but how much we increase it."
Councilman Rodney Hicks made a motion that the members vote in the $8.40 rate, stating, "If you are going to raise the rate, do it so we don't have to come back again two or three years down the road to increase it again. The water department has never been self-sufficient, and this would give it a chance. In the 14 years I've been with the city, it (increasing the water rates) has been the hardest and cruelest thing we have to deal with, but it has to be done." Hicks motion died due to a lack of a second.
On the other side of the issue was member John Clifton, who made a motion to accept the $6.75 increase. "I believe that we should go with the smallest increase that will pay our bills now."
Nash agreed, but stated, "I was going to recommend the $6.75 increase, but I'm afraid that we are just looking at increasing it again next year. It will cover the increase, but not by much. On the other hand, I hate to drop a large increase on the residents." Clifton's motion also died for a lack of a second.
Member James Smith then made a motion to accept the $7 increase. "We have a difference in opinion here," stated Smith. "The $7 increase will cover the Brinkley increase and give us some room if they increase it again next year." A vote was taken on the $7 rate, and passed by a margin of three-to-one with Clifton the lone "no" vote. Two readings were held on the new rate, and third will be held at the April meeting. The complete proposed ordinance is available for viewing at Wheatley City Hall.
In other news, city attorney Marshall Wright asked permission from the council to pursue an inattentive drivers' ordinance. "(Wheatley Police) Chief (Dallas) Brogdon has asked me if we could draw up an ordinance for inattentive driving. It would be a city ordinance and would fall below reckless driving. It is the officer's choice to charge it and burden of proof would be on them like it always is. The advantage is that since it is a city offense, we will get more of the fine.
"Say the fine is $1," continued Wright. "If the person is charged with speeding, a state law, the district court gets 20 cents of that dollar, the state gets 40 cents of that dollar and the city gets 40 cents. With the inattentive rule being a city ordinance, The district still get its 20 cents, but we get 80 cents because the state is not in on it."
Councilmen agreed to allow Wright to draw up the ordinance.
Sales tax receipts for January have been reported by the Arkansas Municipal League.
During January, St. Francis County government had receipts of $127,207.06 from its sales tax. Other towns also showed the following shares of county tax receipts: Hughes, $25,211.84; Forrest City, $199,507.12; Wheatley, $5,023.46; Palestine, $10,006.42; Madison, $13,328.38; Caldwell, $6,279,32; Colt, $4,969.44; and Widener, $4,523.83.
Cities with their own sales taxes had the following receipts: Forrest City, $150,564.47; Hughes, 8,760.66; Madison, $1,821.56; Palestine, $6,684.41; and Wheatley, $2,991.33.
A new Mexican restaurant opened in Forrest City last week.
The restaurant, Don Jose, opened Thursday. Although it is the first Don Jose restaurant, it isn't the first restaurant in which Alex and Fernando Mercado are involved.
"We named the place Don Jose because it was our father's name," said Alex Mercado.
The family also operates La Huerta restaurants in Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Russellville and Siloam Springs, and El Perian restaurants in Clarksville and Paris.
Fernando Mercado said they were born and raised in California, but also lived in Mexico for a time.
"We learned about cooking by watching our mom doing all that home cooking, before you had all those machines," said Fernando Mercado.
He said Don Jose features authentic Mexican cooking, as well as authentic furniture, imported from Mexico.
Alex Mercado said the restaurant will have daily lunch specials and will also have carry-out service.
"We are here to serve everybody," he said.