Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Wednesday Wakeup

What's up?

Weather and emergency personnel assessing damage from Sunday’s severe weather say that preliminary reports indicated more than 200 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by a storm system that produced at least seven tornadoes in Arkansas.

Arkansas received a grant of almost $6 million to help four community colleges train at least 2,500 Arkansas workers for automotive and advanced-manufacturing jobs.

The Morning news of Northwest Arkansas has this. A report from an independent investigation that cost the city of Springdale $10,000 but was never released to the public has been opened to the bright light of scrutiny. Sid Rieff, former Springdale police chief, authorized the release of the report on allegations against him made in an anonymous e-mail. The mayor says that, except for some inappropriate emails and a few minor indiscretions, Reif is vindicated.

Authorities said Monday that special treatment was given to Fort Smith City Administrator Bill Harding when an officer gave him a ride after the officer suspected Harding of drinking Sunday morning.

Fort Smith City Administrator Bill Harding, who faces two misdemeanor charges - including driving while intoxicated first offense - following a traffic stop Sunday morning, said he has a long-term alcohol abuse problem. “I'll be honest .I've had a problem for many years,” Harding told the Southwest Times Record.

A Van Buren food service and an executive of the company pleaded guilty to federal charges related to employing an undocumented alien. White Dairy Ice Cream and its vice president, Juanita Sue Salyers, were indicted by a federal grand jury in June.

A statue of St. Francis of Assisi, which has been a fixture at St. Francis Catholic Church in Forrest City for almost 30 years, has been vandalized. Police estimate the loss at $8,000.

Between Nov. 7 and Sunday, Monticello police received six reports of stolen vehicles, nearly half the number stolen during the entire year in 2004, according to police reports and the Arkansas Crime Information Center. The Pine Bluff Commercial reports that most of the vehicles, all of which have been recovered, were found abandoned.

Less than 12 hours after defiantly saying he and his staff would return for a 13th season on South Main, Ken Hatfield resigned as Rice football coach Tuesday night. Tuesday morning, Hatfield conducted a news conference in the Owl Club at Rice Stadium and gave every indication he would return for his 28th season overall as a head coach despite leading the Owls to a 1-10 finish in their first season in Conference USA.

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