By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The 2004 General Election is in the rear view mirror for the St. Francis County Election Commission after members of the commission certified the vote, including the remaining provisional ballots and overseas ballots during a meeting on Friday.
The final stages of certifying the election were completed, and an official tally could be completed as early as this afternoon. According to Election Commission Chairman Frederick Freeman, the only hold-up remaining is a computerized tally of the adjusted figures following Friday's provisional and overseas ballot counting.
"We counted the overseas ballots on Friday and dealt with the remaining provisional ballots, but that was done by hand. We are going to input everything into the computer, hopefully today, and that will give us our actual final totals. We were able to certify everything on Friday, and this will just give us the computer calculated totals," said Freeman.
According to Freeman, the outcome to local elections were not in question after commissioners counted provisional ballots soon after the election in Widener and Palestine. The remaining provisional ballots were processed over the weekend after commissioners processed them on Friday, and Freeman said St. Francis County Clerk Elizabeth Smith was expected to complete her work on the ballots over the weekend. There were 10 overseas ballots mailed in prior to the election day deadline and they had no impact on the winners in any races. Freeman was not sure what time the additional tabulations would take place today.
In other business, commission members will travel to several polling locations across the county to determine the accessibility for disabled voters after receiving a complaint regarding possible access problems to the polls.
Commissioners agreed to inspect locations in Pine Tree, Wheatley, Wesley Chapel, Colt and at the St. Francis County Courthouse to check on the ease of accessing the polling locations at each site. Commissioners cited several issues with the courthouse including the disabled parking at the rear of the building with no disabled access from the rear, the sharp incline at the front of the building which makes it difficult for disabled access, and no access from the outside of the building near the actual early voting location which takes place in the vault in Smith's office. While commissioners mentioned problems at the courthouse, Freeman said that the other locations needed to be inspected only because commissioners were unsure of the conditions.
"By no means are we saying that any of the locations aren't accessible to the disabled, we're just not sure because we haven't visited these sites. We know that other locations have access because we either went to those sites on election day or we have attended functions or meetings in several of the other locations," said Freeman.
The need for updated software and a new computer may have the members of the commission asking the Quorum Court for additional funds for next year. According to Freeman, representatives from ES&S, the company which provides software and ballots for county elections, are forwarding a brochure which will be reviewed by the commission before a purchase is made. Freeman also told commissioners that any moves on purchasing new equipment will be made after possible election changes are made on the state level.
"We have requested a brochure from ES&S on updated software and computer equipment, but we're going to want to wait and see if the Legislature makes any changes or moves are made so that we can make a more informed decision," Freeman said.
Commissioner Pat Flanagin suggested that the commission ask the Quorum Court if funding for this year that is not spent be carried over to next year's budget so that the funding will be there when the commission decides to purchase the new equipment. If the carryover is not allowed, commissioner Maceo Hawkins suggested that any additional budget funds remaining be used to purchase supplies which are necessary for each election by year's end instead of waiting until the next election.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
As a rule, freshmen members of the Arkansas House of Representatives have to take what they can get as far as committee assignments.
Be that as it may, one new member from this area got exactly what he wanted.
David Dunn was appointed to the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, which handles tax bills.
Dunn is a freshman representative from District 51, which includes all of Monroe County and parts of Woodruff, Lee and St. Francis counties. That also includes a part of Forrest City.
Dunn is one of 39 new members of the House. He was also one of three freshmen members appointed to Revenue and Taxation. The committee has 20 members.
Dunn said he is glad to be on Revenue and Taxation. When asked, he also said he has a good idea of what he hopes to accomplish as a member of that committee -- essentially, keeping a lid on taxes.
"The number one thing is, we're going to make sure we keep taxation down to its lowest level," he said. "There are a lot of issues out there, and it always comes down to dollars. It always comes down to everyone jockeying for money."
Dunn said he believes Revenue and Taxation will be conservative and cautious when it comes to taxation.
"We've got a pretty conservative group on the committee now, and we're going to see that we run it as efficiently as we can," he said.
Dunn added that as a member of that committee, there is not any particular legislation he is looking toward, "but nonetheless there are some issues that need to have a conservative base."
According to Dunn, getting a tax bill out of committee could prove difficult if the members don't feel it is justified. He also said one of the committee's jobs would be to have any tax bill in as good a shape as it can be, "before it gets out on the House floor."
He continued, saying there will be more money because revenues are up, and speaking about his job in the House in general. "I want to make sure we disburse money to areas that are critical. We're going to make sure we take care of things, and be very effective and efficient."
Ski masks were the disguise of choice for suspects in three weekend robberies, while a fourth robbery occurred when the victim accepted a ride with people he thought he knew.
The first robbery was reported to the Forrest City Police Department about 11:30 a.m. Friday by Christal Parker, 22, 324 D St., Forrest City.
Parker told police she was sitting in her car at the intersection of South Rosser and Woodland streets when a woman she recognized used her car to block her path. At that time, a black male, who was wearing a ski mask, opened her car door, struck her in the face and pulled her out of her car, taking about $418 from her pocket.
According to the report on file at the FCPD, Parker told police the suspect fled on foot as the vehicle that had blocked her in pulled away. Parker said she saw the suspect get into the car that had blocked her path.
Three robberies were reported on Sunday.
The first occurred at the Flash Market at 203 Deaderick Road just minutes after a police officer had left the business. An undetermined amount of money was stolen.
A cashier told police a male subject wearing a ski mask pointed a handgun in her face, demanding money from the register about 1:40 a.m. After retrieving the money, the suspect fled on foot south toward a fence surrounding the Pecan Grove Apartments, near the Flash Market. Police searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect who is described as about 16 years old, five feet tall and weighing about 125 pounds.
A carhop at the Sonic was robbed just after 9 p.m. Sunday.
The teenage worker told police she was taking food to a parked car when she was met by two black males wearing ski masks. One of the suspects pointed a gun at the teen and demanded her money, which she gave to them.
According to the police report, the suspects fled north on foot in the alley behind Staton's, just north of the Sonic.
An arrest was made in the last robbery reported Sunday night.
Charles Anderson, 31, of 715 Cherry St., Forrest City, is charged with aggravated robbery, fleeing, contempt and two counts of driving on a suspended or revoked license after he allegedly robbed Deondra D. Henderson, 26, of 333 Martin Luther King Drive, Forrest City, about 10:20 p.m.
Henderson told police he was walking along South Rosser Street toward a store to buy computer parts when a vehicle occupied by a female subject he recognized from school stopped and offered him a ride. Anderson was also a passenger in the vehicle.
Instead of driving to the store, the female subject drove o Grobmyer Circle where they picked up Anderson's wife Chrishun, according to police. After leaving Grobmyer, the group drove to Anderson's home where he retrieved a gun and allegedly threatened to take Henderson and Chrishun out and kill them.
Anderson and his wife were both arrested, but she was released after giving a statement to police and being cited for traffic violations.
Forrest City Police are investigating an incident Friday afternoon in which a bail bondsman may have taken off with a prisoner while an officer was dealing with another suspect.
Police were notified of a red Dodge Neon being driven in a reckless manner near Central Elementary School, where children were being dismissed for the day.
Officer Eric McCoy was dispatched to the school, and found the Neon, which had been blocked in at the east entrance to the school by a white van in front of the school.
McCoy stated in his report that the driver of the van, later identified as Billy Kennedy, a bail bondsman, had handcuffs in his hand and handcuffed the driver of the Neon in McCoy's presence.
The driver of the Neon was later identified as Christopher Wayne Martin, who was wanted on a bench warrant for failure to appear. There was also a woman in the Neon, Linda Fay Cox of Forrest City and two unidentified children in the back seat of the Neon.
McCoy reported that he found a pellet rifle while searching the car.
In the meantime, Kennedy allegedly left the scene in the van, taking Martin with him.
At that time, McCoy reported that he contacted the dispatcher, to see if she could contact Kennedy and have him bring back the prisoner. The dispatcher reported back that Kennedy said Martin had an outstanding warrant of $36,000 in Crittenden County. McCoy said he then spoke to Kennedy by cell phone, and told him to return the prisoner. According to the report, Kennedy did not return the prisoner.
Kennedy is wanted for obstructing government operations, and the police report states that he acted "with arbitrary indifference to police authority as well as public safety." There is also an allegation that Kennedy identified himself as a police officer. As of this morning, he was being sought.
Two unrelated incidents in which people were attacked took place over the weekend in Forrest City, one resulting in a knife wound.
The first incident occurred about 9:40 p.m. Saturday.
Grover Key, 32, of 662 SFC 231, said he was talking to a former girlfriend at the Shell Superstop. According to Key's account of the incident, the woman, who was not named in the report, pulled a knife and stabbed him in the chest.
Key was treated and released at the Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City emergency room, and told police he did not want to file charges.
The second incident took place Sunday night, at the Fina station at 1221 N. Washington.
Adel Saleh Musleh alleged that two men were stealing things from the store, and he followed the men outside and told them not to come back to the store any more.
He said the men then attacked him, kicking and hitting him. The victim provided officers with the license number of an automobile the men were allegedly driving. There was also a video security camera in use.
The Palestine-Wheatley School Board will meet at 6 tonight in the cafetorium on the high school campus in Palestine.
Also tonight, the Widener City Council will meet at 6 p.m. at city hall.
Four meetings are planned for Tuesday night.
The Forrest City City Council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m., at which time councilmen will hear the third reading of an ordinance to amend the city's current curfew hours. The council will also continue reviewing a preliminary plat approval for the Meadowbrook Subdivision.
Under new business, the council will open bids for a Civic Center caterer, and hear an update on items needed at the Civic Center.
Other meetings set for Tuesday include the St. Francis County Quorum Court, which is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. in the Quorum Court's meeting room at the courthouse.
At 5 p.m., the St. Francis County Museum Board will meet at the museum, and at 5:30 p.m., members of the Forrest City Water Commission will meet at the water department.