By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Hopes for a smooth election are running high in St. Francis County, while in places like Pulaski County, provisional ballots may end up being the difference in who carries the state.
Provisional ballots are ballots cast by voters whose eligibility is challenged at the polls. They are sealed in envelopes and set aside until election workers can determine which ones should be counted.
It has been reported that Arkansas Republicans have registered 121 poll watchers in Pulaski County alone.
Locally, things are a little calmer, or at least they were this morning.
"I don't have any inkling that we will have a lot of challenges," said Frederick Freeman, chairman of the St. Francis County Election Commission. "We will have provisional ballots as prescribed by law. And once they come in, we'll deal with them according to the law and deal with each one individually."
As of this morning, according to Freeman, 10 people had registered as poll watchers in St. Francis County. He said they were spread over the county.
"Indications right now, if I had to make a statement -- it doesn't look like (there will be a large number of poll watchers)," Freeman said. "But we are prepared. There is a process they have to go through to become a poll watcher. And the judges in the particular sites, if someone says they are a poll watcher they should produce a poll watcher's affidavit. But as far as a slew of poll watchers, I don't see it."
Anyone working as a poll watcher must fill out an authorization form, signed by an official of the party or group for whom the person will be working, or by the candidate the poll watcher will be representing. The form must be notarized and signed by the county clerk.
Steve Hollowell, a member of the county's Republican Party, did not echo the concerns voiced in other parts of the state about election controversy.
"I don't see much of that. It will probably be the smoothest election we've had in several years," Hollowell said.
In the meantime, the state is not planning to monitor the election in St. Francis County. The county's election commission had been called to Little Rock earlier this year to explain some alleged violations. Since that time, an all-new election commission has been formed for St. Francis County.
"We have no plans to send monitors to St. Francis County," said Susie Stormes, director of the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners. "From all indications, things appear to be going smoothly. They've worked hard, and we're grateful for that."
Provisional voting covers more than simple challenges. If a voter mistakenly goes to the wrong precinct and cannot find his or her name on the voter books, that person must be allowed to vote provisionally. There are differences of opinion over whether those votes should be counted.
Statewide, 162,000 new voters registered this year.
With only one day before the General Election, St. Francis County voters have several races to choose from on Tuesday's ballot.
In the lone county wide race voters will decide between long-time sheriff and collector Dave Parkman and Forrest City Police Officer John "Big John" Heckler. This race will be the second of the year for Parkman, who fended off George Cochran in the May Democratic Primary Election. Parkman is seeking his 10th consecutive term as sheriff and collector.
Forrest City voters will also see several city council positions up for grabs with races for seven of the eight council seats contested. In Ward 1, alderman Cecil Twillie will be challenged by Clifton Avant for the position 2 spot on the ballot and council member Roy Hancock will attempt to fend off Henry Peacock. In 2002, Hancock defeated Peacock to retain the position 1 seat and Twillie ran unopposed after Avant was left off of the ballot for failing to file for election during the filing period.
In Ward 2, a former alderman is attempting to win back his seat on the city council as Glenn Ford faces off against incumbent Louise Fields in the race for the Position 2 seat. Fields defeated Ford in the 2002 general election. The race for the position 1 seat will see incumbent Mary Jeffers challenged by George Wise.
Ward 3 is the only city ward with only one race and council member Steve Hollowell will try to keep his seat on the council despite a challenge from local businessman Danny Capps. The race will be the second between the two men after facing off for the same spot in 2002. In the position 2 spot alderman Brent Ponder is running unopposed.
Ward 4 will also see a former council member attempting to win a spot on the council. In position 1, Roger Breeding will defend his spot on the council against Bobby Woodard. The position 2 race will see incumbent John Gadberry challenged by former alderman Chris Oswalt. Oswalt stepped down from the council in 2002 as he made a bid for Forrest City Mayor.
The cities of Caldwell, Widener and Palestine will also see races for city positions. In Caldwell, Barbara Posey and Isaac Wilburn will face off for the position five spot on the Caldwell City Council which is being vacated by John Logan Clark. In Palestine the city clerk position is up for grabs as current city clerk Charles Maness faces Cappi Vaughn.
The City of Widener will see several races as city clerk Lillian
Williams faces Arvin Billingsley. In council races, Abron Pitts
and Rodney Burgess run for the position 1 spot on the council
and incumbent Versie Pitts tries to retain her spot on the council
facing Holly Sanders for position 4.
Today marks the official opening of the medium-security phase of the Federal Correctional Facility at Forrest City, although some prisoners actually have been housed there since late September.
The prison had to start accepting prisoners early, after the federal prison facility in Marianna, Fla., was damaged by a tornado which was part of the fallout from Hurricane Ivan. The medium facility will house 1,536 inmates.
The medium-security facility joins a minimum-security camp and a low-security prison at Forrest City.
The opening of this third phase brings the total number of jobs at the FCI-FC to just over 600, with an inmate population of 3,800. The entire facility will have an estimated annual payroll of $36 million.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A Forrest City man had to be airlifted to the Med from Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City Saturday because of a head injury.
According to a report from the Forrest City Police Department, 40-year-old Dennis Williams of 317 Dooley St., was flown from BMH-FC after emergency room officials notified the police department of a possible assault. A doctor at the hospital told officers that Williams had been brought into the hospital with an open wound to the head, possibly caused by a baseball bat.
A police report revealed that Williams was taken to the emergency room by a relative who told them Williams had been beaten by someone, but that relative left the hospital before officers could arrive.
Williams is listed in good condition today.
In a separate incident Saturday, a 19-year-old man was arrested on charges of first-degree battery and endangering the welfare of a minor, after he allegedly beat a pregnant teenager.
According to the FCPD report, Detrius Turner, 130 Turner Circle Apt. 91, allegedly assaulted the teen after she attempted to end a relationship with him. Police officers were called to a Whitaker Street address at 3:30 Saturday morning, where the altercation allegedly began, but both Turner and the victim had left. Police later found the couple walking along Division Street, and while talking with the subjects, officers noticed swelling to the victim's face, along with a bloody nose.
Both were taken to police headquarters and the victim told officers that Turner had punched her in the face and stomach after she attempted to break off their relationship. The teen was transported to BMH-Forrest City for possible internal injuries, and was later treated and released.
Turner is currently being held at the St. Francis County Jail.
The Forrest City Fire Department will receive a portion of nearly $2.6 million in grants in Arkansas from the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Office for Domestic Preparedness.
According to a release from the Homeland Security office, $2,586,432 worth of grants were given to fire departments across the state. The FCFD will receive a $112,500 grant for a fire fighting vehicle. Officials at the FCFD could not be reached for immediate comment.
The release goes on to state that 1087 grants worth a total of $80,537,436 were distributed to fire departments around the country in this latest round of grants through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Over the next several months, 8,000 awards worth nearly $750 million in direct assistance to firefighters will be given.
"The Assistance to Firefighters grants represent a major effort by the federal government to ensure that the nation's firefighters continue to have the basic capability they require to do their jobs, improve safety and save lives," said David Paulison, administrator of the Department of Homeland Security's United States Fire Administration (USFA).
For more information on the USFA, go to www.usfa.fema.gov. For more information on the Office of Domestic Preparedness, go to www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp.
With time winding down in the early voting period for the general election, almost 3,200 St. Francis County residents have cast early ballots.
According to numbers provided by election officials this morning, 3,196 voters in the county had taken advantage of early voting. Officials also stated that 242 of those ballots cast were recorded during the Saturday voting period.
Today is the last day to cast an early vote for Tuesday's general election. Early voting will be held until 6 tonight in the vault of the SFC Clerk's office.
The general election will be held Tuesday with polls being open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at various polling locations throughout the county.
Election workers will begin processing absentee ballots at 3 p.m. Tuesday in the election room at the St. Francis County Courthouse, according to Frederick Freeman, chairman of the St. Francis County Election Commission.
Freeman said the ballots will be processed early due to the large voter turnout that is expected in the general election.
The Forrest City Airport Commission is scheduled to meet at 6 this evening at the airport.
On Thursday this week, the Forrest City City Council will meet at 7 p.m., and the Delta Regional Airport Commission is slated to meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Colt Community Center.