The St. Francis County Assessor's office will soon be able to find properties easier, thanks to a new computer system.
County Assessor Craig Jones recently attended a two-day seminar in Rogers, hosted by Apprentice Information Systems Inc., which currently provides the software for the office.
The session trained Jones on the different functions of the Windows program, that will be installed in the Assessor's Office before the end of this calendar year.
The office currently has a DOS based system.
"Right now, with the DOS System, we are limited to the functions we can perform. The Windows system will allow us to access more data in a shorter amount of time."
Jones said the seminar "showed us how to navigate the numerous functions in this new system. After we do the conversion, it will take a while to get the feeling of he new program, but when we are all comfortable with it, the things we will be able to do with the program will be limitless."
He said real property will be converted to the new system by Dec. 31, and personal property will be in place by July 1, 2005.
"The way the system is now, you have to run record filters to find specific properties," said Jones. "The new system will allow us to do a more detailed search for a property without the trouble of creating a filter. This will save time and make our office more efficient."
This year's Angel Tree project, sponsored by the Forrest City Junior Auxiliary with the cooperation of the St. Francis County Museum, will be held next week.
The decorated Angel Tree will be at the museum from Monday, Nov. 29, through Friday, Dec. 3.
Junior Auxiliary representatives will be present from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. each day to help people select cards, and later to help them pick up their angels.
Anyone who wishes to help a needy child at Christmas is welcome to come and pick a card off the tree. Each individual card, while it will not reveal the name of a child, will have the needs of a specific child, referred to the Junior Auxiliary from various choices. The card will have information about the child, including age, gender, clothes size and gift suggestions.
The participant then buys the items and brings the presents back to the Museum. At that time, the participant may pick an angel off the tree to keep.
There is one change this year. In past years, all the presents were to be brought back wrapped. This year, according to project chairperson Linda Hall, folks participating in the Angel Tree have the option of bringing the presents in wrapped or unwrapped.
The presents will be delivered some time before Christmas.
In addition, a person can pick an angel for a donation of $10 or more.
While Hall is chairing the Angel Tree project, Jamie Foust is acting as co-chair for this year's event.
The museum is located at the corner of Izard and Front, in the old Rush-Gates House.
An arrest was made Thursday in connection with a burglary that took place at a local store in September.
It was reported on Sept. 13 that there had been a break-in at the Radio Shack at 955 N. Washington. Entry had apparently been gained through a garage door located on the north side of the building, after which a pry bar was used to enter the store.
Arrested yesterday was Larry Jones, 38, of 128 E. Sharp Street. He was charged with commercial burglary and theft of property over $500.
An estimated $100 in cash was taken in the burglary, along with a variety of electronic items were taken from the store, including radios, a telephone, two satellite receivers, several scanners, cell phones and chargers, a camcorder, a digital camera, walkie-talkies and other items.
None of the items have been recovered.
Dear Kids,
Christmas is right around the corner, and you know what that means -- time to send in your letters to the Times-Herald!
The paper will start accepting letters immediately. They can be dropped off at the Times-Herald office, at 122 N. Izard in Forrest City, or mailed to Times Herald Letters to Santa, P.O. Box 1699, or e-mailed to newsroom@thnews.com.
The deadline for receiving letters to be published will be Dec. 17. Those received after that will still be forwarded to me at the North Pole; they just won't be published. The letters will be published on Dec. 22 and 23.
So get to work on those letters and remember, I'm watching to see who's naughty and nice!
-- S. Claus
A section of Highway 350 south of Wynne will be closed for up to two weeks beginning Monday, Nov. 29, for repairs according to a press release from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.
Highway 350 will be closed at its intersection with Arkansas Highway 1 as workers install a precast concrete box culvert. Detour routes will be posted directing traffic to an alternate route. The closure will begin at around 8:30 a.m. and will last one to two weeks depending on the weather.
An incident at a Forrest City bar sent a Forrest City man to the emergency room early this morning.
According to a report from the Forrest City Police Department, 21-year old Nathaniel Britt, of Widener, told officers that he was at the Coconut Lounge at around 2 a.m. when he was hit with an unknown object as he was leaving the men's room. The blow broke Britt's jaw and he was transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City and later transferred to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis.
A Thanksgiving day argument ended up with a Forrest City man arrested for two felonies.
According to a report from the Forrest City Police Department William Applewhite, 20, 728 W. Gorman St., was arrested on charges of third-degree domestic battery and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver near certain facilities (marijuana), following an altercation with his pregnant girlfriend. According to the report, an argument between Applewhite and his girlfriend Angel Grady, over fruit, escalated into domestic battery when Applewhite struck Grady after she called him stupid.
Applewhite allegedly struck Grady in the face and the two began wrestling around the apartment. When Grady attempted to leave, Applewhite struck her in the back of the head according to the police report.
Applewhite was arrested at 11:40 a.m. after leading officers on a foot chase near the intersection of Water and Franklin streets. When he was taken into custody officers found Applewhite in possession of 11 individually wrapped bags of marijuana. Grady was charged with possession near a certain facility after being arrested within 1,000 feet of a church and a school.