By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Forrest City High School is changing the way students register for classes.
Don Williams, FCHS art teacher and Parent Involvement Coordinator, recently discussed the changes which are designed to get parents more involved in their child's education.
"We are going over each student's program of study," said Williams. "We have tried to outline specific courses that fit the students' abilities (based on testing). The adbase (or homeroom) teachers will go over these classes with them and help them develop sort of a 'wish list' of classes they would like to attend."
Williams stated that while this process is not so different than in years past, parents will not be sent home a proposed schedule to sign and return to the school.
"Many times, the schedules don't get to the parents," said Williams. "Students have in past years signed the schedules themselves. We have had students in higher classes take lower classes because they have a friend in that class. We want the parents to know what classes their child is taking, what grades they are making in the level of classes they are in and any changes that can be made for improvement. Parents must meet with their child's adbase teacher to approve their schedule.
"On (Thursday) March 11, we will hold a meeting for parents at 5:30 p.m., in the lecture room at the school. We will go over the changes in registration with them at the meeting and answer questions," Williams said. "We will hold registration on (Thursday) March 18, from 12 to 6 p.m. State law requires that parents come to the school at least twice a school year, and we want one of those times to be the 18th. On that day we, the student, parent and adbase teacher will go over what the student and teacher plan for their schedule. The time between the 11th and the 18th should give parents plenty of opportunities to talk to the student and discuss their class schedule."
According to Williams, information is available to parents on their child's courses. "We will have a check list available of the courses completed by their child and the level of those courses. For any parent who is interested, the school's website (mustang.grsc.k12.ar.us/fchs/home.html) has course syllabus' for every class taught. We also have e-mail addresses for teachers and staff so that parents can ask questions if they need to.
"Getting parents more involved in their children's education gives them a heads up on several issues concerning their children," added Williams.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A Forrest City man who appealed a five-year prison sentence on charges to which he pled guilty was sentenced to twice that amount of time in the Arkansas Department of Corrections after his case was returned to St. Francis County Circuit Court.
Rex Bradford, 44, 2786 SFC 811, Forrest City, was scheduled to go to trial this week on charges involving drugs and weapons, stemming from a 2001 police raid at his home. During the raid, police reportedly found evidence of marijuana packaged for resale and methamphetamine, along with marijuana plants growing outside the home.
In February of 2002, Bradford pled guilty to the charges, but later withdrew that plea and appealed his case based on plea issues, according to First Judicial District Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chris Morledge. "The case was appealed for plea issues, and the appellate court sent it back here where he was set for trial this week," Morledge said.
On Wednesday, Bradford again pled guilty, but to a charge of criminal conspiracy to simultaneously possess guns and drugs.
In 2000, Bradford was given a five-year suspended imposition of sentence after he was convicted of theft by receiving, according to court records.
In other circuit court action Wednesday, a rape charge was nolle prosequi against one of several people accused in the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in a ditch near her home in 2002. The girl reportedly told police she left her home about midnight on the night of the incident with several males she knew and they allegedly raped her in the ditch and again in a nearby vacant house.
Freddie Lee Gray admitted in a voluntary statement to police, after his arrest on a parole violation, that he had sex with the girl, but denied knowing her age. Court records show Gray's statement corroborated information given to police by the girl.
"We must have other independent corroborating evidence, other than the codefendant's statement, such as DNA, blood, hair, semen, etc., and we didn't have that," Morledge said. "There was no other independent evidence other than boys pointing fingers at each other."
Morledge said two subjects, who he referred to as the most culpable of the suspects charged in the crime, have already pled guilty to the rape and are currently serving time in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
Also on Wednesday, Terry Hamilton, 34, of Forrest City, was given a three-year suspended imposition of sentence for second-degree sexual assault. In June 2002, Hamilton was charged with rape, kidnapping and criminal impersonation after a woman reported to police that she had been kidnapped and raped at gunpoint by a black male impersonating a police officer.
The Forrest City Area Humane Society will have an adoption day on Saturday, March 13, at the gazebo between Fred's and the North Washington branch of First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas.
The time will be from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
"We've arranged to have many of the dogs impounded in the Forrest City Shelter shuttled to the gazebo where they can be seen and hopefully adopted," said Jean Guarr, Humane Society president. "We desperately need volunteers to help hold and walk dogs, manage adoptions, etc. You don't have to stay the whole time. Any help for any time would be appreciated. The more volunteers we have, the more dogs we can bring out for the public to see. This exponentially increases their chances of being adopted."
Anyone wanting to help may let Laura Houseal know, either by phone, 870-633-2978 or by e-mail, lhouseal@ducks.org.
A 27-year-old Forrest City man seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident this weekend, was still listed in critical condition at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis this morning.
According to a report from the Forrest City Police Department, Demario Jordan, 165 Gregory St., was driving west on Broadway, near McCutchen Street, at a high rate of speed when he crossed the eastbound lane of Broadway, left the highway and struck a driveway culvert on the south side of the road.
The Forrest City Fire Department's rescue team extracted Jordan from the vehicle and he was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City and then airlifted to the Med in Memphis.