Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Tuesday toppings
The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas reports that State health officials have not had any confirmed cases of mumps in Arkansas, but a recent airline flight into Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport did have an infected traveler from Iowa. Ann Wright says that anyone who was on American Airlines flight 3617 from Dallas-Fort Worth to the regional airport in Highfill or on American Airlines flight 5399 from the regional airport to St. Louis on April 2 who has not been contacted by health officials should call the department.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is protesting the Shrine Circus which will play at the State Fairgrounds April 21 and 22. PETA, in urging the State Fair not to host future circuses, also raises questions about how much of the profit from the shows reaches Shrine Hospitals for children and how much pays for administrative costs of the fraternal organization.
Today’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports a Toyota Motor Corp. executive confirms that the Japanese automaker is studying plans to build its eighth assembly plant in North America but would not say where the company is looking. Daniel Sieger, spokesman for Toyota’s North American operations, said it is considering sites in a number of states, although he declined to say how many or which states are under consideration. Sunday’s New York Times included Arkansas among the states under consideration.
Time magazine includes U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor among five Senate "up-and-comers' it names in its Apr. 24 issue. The others are Sens. Hillary Clinton, Lindsey Graham, Barack Obama, and John Sununu.
St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco signed an order Monday morning placing a burn ban into effect. According to Cisco, the move comes after increasing reports of grass fires across the county, including one last week that extended across portions of Crowley's Ridge.
More mobile homes continued to leave the Hope municipal air port. FEMA is sending some to Marmaduke and others to New Jersey for storage.
About 5,700 residential and commercial customers of Entergy Arkansas Inc. lost power for 30 minutes Monday evening after a voltage support device failed at the company’s Boyle Park substation in Little Rock. Some 400 students and staff were without power at Eastside Elementary School in Greenbrier earlier Monday morning.
A proposed temporary sales tax to fund construction of a convention center will return to the Jonesboro City Council agenda on Tuesday. Hotel magnate John Q. Hammons offered last July to construct a 9-story, 220-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel on a 14-acre site that he purchased at Race Street and Fair Park Boulevard. Hammons said that the hotel project is contingent upon the city's participation in the development and construction of the 65,000-square-foot convention center that would adjoin to the hotel.
City officials are trying to salvage a computer system that cost Springdale $324,000 and doesn't work. Fort Smith's computer system staff visited Springdale last week to help with the system, Mayor Jerre Van Hoose said. Fort Smith has used the program for more than five years.
Arkansas ranks eighth nationally in the percent of college applicants who have been denied federal aid for college because of drug convictions, according to a national report released Monday.
Jose Ologio Lopez , a 26-year-old illegal immigrant living in North Little Rock apologized Monday for killing two young brothers in a fiery car crash last year, but said he has no memories of the collision. Lopez, whose blood alcohol level was .013, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of manslaughter and one count each of leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury and driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. The charges carry a maximum 26 years in prison. Judge Marion Humphrey imposed a 22-year sentence.
Lyle Guthrie of Pocahontas remains in critical condition at a Memphis hospital, recovering from a bullet wound sustained during a Sunday night shootout with police officers at his home, Pocahontas Police Chief Chad Mulligan said. A call to local police reported that Guthrie wanted to kill himself.
Authorities concentrated their search Monday in Pine Bluff for a federal prisoner accused of murder and kidnapping who made an elaborate weekend escape from the Dallas County jail in Fordyce. Joshua Howe used toothpaste, a cigarette lighter, a piece of wire and a hacksaw blade to secure his freedom from a maximum-security cell late Saturday or early Sunday.
The latest disturbance at the Calico Rock state prison may have been a ploy by inmates to be transferred. Previous confrontations, in which three inmates were hurt and one-third of the prisoners transferred, may have been racially motivated.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is protesting the Shrine Circus which will play at the State Fairgrounds April 21 and 22. PETA, in urging the State Fair not to host future circuses, also raises questions about how much of the profit from the shows reaches Shrine Hospitals for children and how much pays for administrative costs of the fraternal organization.
Today’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports a Toyota Motor Corp. executive confirms that the Japanese automaker is studying plans to build its eighth assembly plant in North America but would not say where the company is looking. Daniel Sieger, spokesman for Toyota’s North American operations, said it is considering sites in a number of states, although he declined to say how many or which states are under consideration. Sunday’s New York Times included Arkansas among the states under consideration.
Time magazine includes U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor among five Senate "up-and-comers' it names in its Apr. 24 issue. The others are Sens. Hillary Clinton, Lindsey Graham, Barack Obama, and John Sununu.
St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco signed an order Monday morning placing a burn ban into effect. According to Cisco, the move comes after increasing reports of grass fires across the county, including one last week that extended across portions of Crowley's Ridge.
More mobile homes continued to leave the Hope municipal air port. FEMA is sending some to Marmaduke and others to New Jersey for storage.
About 5,700 residential and commercial customers of Entergy Arkansas Inc. lost power for 30 minutes Monday evening after a voltage support device failed at the company’s Boyle Park substation in Little Rock. Some 400 students and staff were without power at Eastside Elementary School in Greenbrier earlier Monday morning.
A proposed temporary sales tax to fund construction of a convention center will return to the Jonesboro City Council agenda on Tuesday. Hotel magnate John Q. Hammons offered last July to construct a 9-story, 220-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel on a 14-acre site that he purchased at Race Street and Fair Park Boulevard. Hammons said that the hotel project is contingent upon the city's participation in the development and construction of the 65,000-square-foot convention center that would adjoin to the hotel.
City officials are trying to salvage a computer system that cost Springdale $324,000 and doesn't work. Fort Smith's computer system staff visited Springdale last week to help with the system, Mayor Jerre Van Hoose said. Fort Smith has used the program for more than five years.
Arkansas ranks eighth nationally in the percent of college applicants who have been denied federal aid for college because of drug convictions, according to a national report released Monday.
Jose Ologio Lopez , a 26-year-old illegal immigrant living in North Little Rock apologized Monday for killing two young brothers in a fiery car crash last year, but said he has no memories of the collision. Lopez, whose blood alcohol level was .013, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of manslaughter and one count each of leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury and driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. The charges carry a maximum 26 years in prison. Judge Marion Humphrey imposed a 22-year sentence.
Lyle Guthrie of Pocahontas remains in critical condition at a Memphis hospital, recovering from a bullet wound sustained during a Sunday night shootout with police officers at his home, Pocahontas Police Chief Chad Mulligan said. A call to local police reported that Guthrie wanted to kill himself.
Authorities concentrated their search Monday in Pine Bluff for a federal prisoner accused of murder and kidnapping who made an elaborate weekend escape from the Dallas County jail in Fordyce. Joshua Howe used toothpaste, a cigarette lighter, a piece of wire and a hacksaw blade to secure his freedom from a maximum-security cell late Saturday or early Sunday.
The latest disturbance at the Calico Rock state prison may have been a ploy by inmates to be transferred. Previous confrontations, in which three inmates were hurt and one-third of the prisoners transferred, may have been racially motivated.
