By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A recount Thursday of the primary races in St. Francis County didn't change the outcome of any of the races, although it did reveal a problem with the computer chip used in the vote tallying machine.
Joe Young, chairman of the county's Election Commission, said this morning that the recount had to be done.
"I had to do it," said Young, who added that he wasn't sure who is going to pay for the recount.
"Hopefully, the county is," he said. "If not, I may have to do it. I haven't even researched that, and I don't know if the county or the state would do it."
Some seven people worked on the recount.
Young said the biggest problem was in Courthouse East and West boxes.
"Our chip did not count Courthouse East and West," he said. "One hundred and 64 votes zeroed out. We ran the ballots through the computer again, and got a new tally, which we added to have a new printout."
He said seven ballots were also discovered in an envelope which figured in the race between Donald Cagle and Ronnie Crider for a spot on the Quorum Court. He said when they were counted, four of the votes went to Cagle and three to Crider, leaving the outcome the same but increasing Cagle's winning margin by one vote.
"We added 164 votes and seven votes to the total," Young said. "There were no changes in who won or who lost. And the percentages on winning and losing actually stayed the same. The people who won by 70 percent or 60 percent or 59 percent just kept on with that standard."
Young said the Election Commission would certify the new numbers today.
In the meantime, the State Board of Election Commissioners has asked for help from the county Election Commission for assistance in determining whether alleged election law violations occurred during the May 18 preferential primary.
The request was made in a letter, dated May 24, to the three election commission members. The commission members are Young, Bettye Proctor and Florence Brown.
The specific alleged violations are not spelled out. However, the state board has asked the SFC Election Commission to provide the following information: Minutes of the meetings of the commission beginning March 30, 2004; a copy of the published public notice of the election; a copy of the published list of appointed election officials; an estimate from ES&S (the company which printed the ballots) of the minimum ballot order and associated cost of printing Republican ballots.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
With school out for summer, many parents are looking for ways for their children to have fun, but also keep learning while on break from classes.
The Forrest City Public Library is providing two programs beginning in June that will help parents keep their children's minds sharp while also having a good time.
The summer reading program will begin on Tuesday, June 8, at 3 p.m. and run on each Tuesday through June 29. Sarah Jumper, co-director of the FCPL, talked about some of the activities that will be provided during the programs.
"The theme this year is 'Discover New Trails,' which is a western theme," said Jumper. "The first program we will have on June 8 will be a Campfire Storytime. We will read western stories and have western-style refreshments around a 'campfire.' We will also make a cowboy craft and have bandanas."
According to Jumper, the programs will offer different experiences each week. "One week we will have an Arkansas Magic Show, the Parkin Archeological Park will come by and the Arkansas Game and Fish Aquarium truck will be here."
And that's not all. Jumper said there will be several other activities for the children. "We will have what is called a 'Trading Post' where children can earn points for the amount of books they have read or the amount of hours they have spent reading. They will earn prizes for their points.
"Other contests will be held," continued Jumper. "The bookmark contest will be offered for the third year. The children draw bookmarks and the patrons at the library will vote on them. The drawings that win will be made into real bookmarks and distributed with books that are checked out. Another contest is the 'Golden Nugget' contest. The children have to guess how many nuggets are in the jar and the closest child wins a prize."
Registration for the program will be held from Tuesday, June 1, through Saturday, June 5. Refreshments will be served and free balloons will be handed out. The program is available for children in kindergarten through fourth grade. Information about both the trading post and bookmark contests will be available during registration.
The second program, the Museum of Discovery, is a science program that will be held each Thursday for six weeks beginning on Thursday, June 17, at 12:30 p.m. According to Jumper, the museum program is intended for children who are a little bit older.
"The Summer Reading Program is geared more towards the younger children," explained Jumper. "The Museum of Discovery is geared more towards the older children. It offers activities that will keep their interest better than the reading program. Each week of the six-week program, a representative from the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock comes down and they bring live animals along with other hands-on teaching aids to teach the children about nature. We are limited to 25 children at the museum session, so we ask that everyone who is interested to call to sign up."
Another activity that will be offered for children in both groups will be a book fair. The fair will run during the summer reading program sign up period through the first week of the program. Jumper stated that many books ranging from the Harry Potter series to coloring books will be on sale.
Jumper invited parents or children interested to attend the programs. "The point of both programs is to get people who don't normally come into the library to come in and also to encourage reading. Also, a library card is not needed to attend either program, but I would like to encourage them to get one while they are here."
Anyone who wants more information on either program should contact the Forrest City Public Library at 633-5646 or visit their website at www.forrestcitylibrary.org.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Officials with Wellington International and the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Department could soon sign an agreement that will pave the way for the construction of a 124-room lodge and 27-hole golf course at Village Creek State Park.
According to Greg Butts, Parks and Tourism Director, the final details on the ground lease agreement for the course have been worked out, and the contract with Wellington should be signed within the next week to 10 days.
"We've worked out all of the final details on the project, and I expect that we could get this all signed off on by the middle of next week," Butts said.
The finalization of the ground lease agreement will allow Wellington to begin the financing process on the lodge and golf course, according to Butts. While the negotiations on the land are complete, Butts said that the state is attempting to negotiate a deal which will allow the design work to begin while Wellington is seeking financing on the project.
"It's something that we (the State) do when we're planning a new park, and we're just trying to see the same thing happen with this project. We're just asking that all of the design work begins while they are in the process of seeking the financing. We're certain that we'll be happy with the design from Andy Dye, and we're really looking forward to seeing this project completed," Butts said.
According to Butts, the lease agreement scheduled to be signed does not include plans for any of the park's property located in St. Francis County.
Wellington International was studying the possibility of locating the lodge in the St. Francis County portion of the park in order to utilize funding breaks due to the county's designation as an Enterprise Zone, and infrastructure costs were also being considered in the decision on where to place the lodge.
"At this point, none of the property in the lease is in St. Francis County, but at some point there could be. Wellington is pursuing a variety of financing options, and they will have to make the decision on what would be their best option," Butts said.
The formation of the golf course at Village Creek could also assist the state in a tourism project currently under way. Butts said that Wellington has agreed to criteria for the course to make it eligible for the Arkansas Golf Trail.
"Tourism has been working on the creation of an Arkansas Golf Trail which will market to golfers across the nation the golf courses located in the state. We're wanting it to be similar to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama and have similar success. The major difference between our program and the one in Alabama is that we're going to try to utilize courses, both private and public, across the state that are already in existence, and this course at Village Creek will be included among those," Butts said.
"We're just happy to see this project moving forward," he added.
Dates for the beginning of construction on the course were not available.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Memorial Day weekend for many people means family outings and traveling. Arkansas State Police Troop D and the Forrest City Police Department want local travelers to know there are efforts under way in this area to ensure a safe holiday for everyone.
Lieutenant Tommy Wicker, with the ASP Troop D Headquarters in Forrest City, said the holiday period began at midnight. "It began at 12 a.m. today, and will continue through Monday night at midnight," stated Wicker. "We will be placing roadblocks throughout the Troop D area, and we will also be conducting sobriety checkpoints in the area.
"A saturation effort will be conducted in West Memphis," continued Wicker. "We will be conducting that with the West Memphis Police Department. Also, the Click it or Ticket program (which began on Monday, May 24) overlaps the holiday period, so we will be strictly enforcing seat belt use. The program will continue through (Sunday) June 6."
FCPD Chief Clarence McNeary spoke about what his department is planning to do to help keep the roadways safe. "With it being Memorial Day weekend, we will have a whole lot of people traveling through the city," said McNeary. "We will be setting up sobriety checkpoints in the city, as well as enforcing the Click it or Ticket program. The Forrest City Police Department has participated in the program for many years, and we will be out enforcing seat belt use during the holiday weekend. We want it to be a safe and enjoyable weekend for everybody."
The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department also wants travelers to be safe this weekend, especially through construction zones.
According to a press release provided by the ASHTD, there will be approximately 98 miles of roadway construction in the state between today and Tuesday. A total of 14 Interstate miles will be reduced to one lane in each direction, including a two-mile stretch between Forrest City and West Memphis, near Parkin.
According to a press release issued by the ASHTD, while only 14 miles of Interstate have reduced lanes, motorists still need to be prepared for possible delays and should use extra caution while driving through the state. Highway officials are urging drivers to manage the three S's: Speed (follow posted speed limits and do not speed in work zones), Space (leave adequate braking room between yourself and other cars) and Stress (be patient and allow yourself extra time for delays).
A juvenile was arrested Thursday in connection with a recent burglary.
According to a police report on file with the Forrest City Police Department, Officer Rubin Ivey spotted two teenagers carrying bags at the Jones and Culley Street trailer park. When he went to check on them, he was told by a concerned citizen that the two teenagers were behind some bushes.
One juvenile was located and ran, leaving the bags, when Ivey told him to stop. Eventually he was apprehended near Christ Church.
Inside the bags police found several items including video games, DVD movies, CD players and several other items, valued at about $900. The items had been reported stolen from the home of Carolyn Ruffin on Thursday.
A 16-year-old juvenile was charged with residential burglary and has been scheduled to meet with Juvenile Intake officers. Police are still looking for the other juvenile.
According to a press release, "School is out and summertime is here. The police department is requesting assistance from citizens. If you see something suspicious, like kids going around your neighbor's houses knocking on doors and walking through the side and back yards, please contact the police department and have us check them out."
Anyone with information on this crime or any others, may contact Forrest City Crimestoppers at 261-1499 and leave confidential information. If the information leads to an arrest and conviction, there could be a cash reward of up to $1,000.
A 50-year-old Forrest City man was arrested this morning in connection with an assault on a local minister that occurred earlier this month.
According to a press release from the Forrest City Police Department, Eugene Edwards, 240 W. Buford St., Forrest City, was arrested at 105 East Broadway around 12 a.m. in connection with the assault on Rev. Uzziah Duncan, 56, of Forrest City, at the Forrest City Post Office on May 13.
According to the press release, Edwards approached Duncan at the Post Office and struck him, knocking him to the ground. Duncan was taken by ambulance to Baptist Memorial HospitalForrest City and was later transferred to the Med in Memphis. Duncan spent five days in the hospital being treated for internal injuries to the brain.
Edwards is charged with first-degree battery in connection with the incident and is free on $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in St. Francis County District Court next month for arraignment.