Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Wicked Wednesday
Despite decreasing staff vacancies, the state’s Children and Family Services Division shows little improvement in its performance in 2005 and 2006, according to a report released. by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, a Little Rock nonprofit. Staffing levels of caseworkers continue below that measured in 2002.
The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas reports the swirl of legal moves surrounding Paron high school makes it likely the doors will be open when the new school year begins next month. The state Supreme Court likely will decide whether to overturn a judge's ruling barring the closing of Paron High School without a hearing, but justices are under no obligation to rule before the beginning of the school year, court clerk Leslie Steen said Tuesday.
Seth Blomeley in today’s Democrat-Gazette reports campaign officials for Republican gubernatorial nominee Asa Hutchinson posted a statement on Hutchinson’s Web site Tuesday accusing the Democratic nominee, Attorney General Mike Beebe, of having a “gay problem,” spinning a “web of deceit,” and having “clearly lied” about his stance on gay adoption.
Two Jefferson County Election Commission officials have hand delivered copies of a letter to Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Steve Dalrymple’s office detailing alleged election violations. The prosecutor told the Pine Bluff Commercial last Friday that he had not received a previous complaint sent in June.
Pine Bluff’s new finance director, Eric Tucker, said Monday that when a department runs out of money he will shut it down. “I will shut it down if there is no money in the budget,” Tucker told the Pine Bluff City Council’s Ways and Means Committee. The strain has been felt after the city settled a discrimination lawsuit against a former police chief.
The Bentonville City Council has approved establishing impact fees for library, parks and police. The council also supported increasing existing fire and water impact fees. Impact fees are a one-time charge placed on developers to pay for growth-related infrastructure, such as new water lines and fire stations.
Jonesboro city engineers and private firms are meeting in Jonesboro this week planning solutions to 11 chronic drainage problems. Preliminary estimates will be submitted to the city council today. Formal contracts are expected to be approved by August 1. A heavy storm earlier this month caused the flooding projects to be put on a fast track.
A white Geo Metro managed to elude officers from four Northwest Arkansas law enforcement agencies in a 20 minute high-speed chase Tuesday. Often reaching speeds of 110 miles an hour, the pursuit ended when a Springdale police care was wrecked on a dirt road in Benton County. Authorities are looking for Charles Hammons of Springdale, who has an outstanding warrant for failure to pay traffic summons.
The 61-year-old man who became ill hours after being arrested by two Russellville police officers and who later died suffered a “broken neck with spinal-cord injury” and fractured ribs, a prosecutor said Tuesday, citing preliminary findings by the state medical examiner’s office. Two Russellville officers are on administrative leave as the investigation of Bobby Joe Rylee’s death continues.
Murphy Oil Corp. reported second-quarter net income Tuesday that was down 38 percent from the corresponding period a year ago, but the results exceeded analysts’ expectations and the company’s own predictions three months ago.
The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas reports the swirl of legal moves surrounding Paron high school makes it likely the doors will be open when the new school year begins next month. The state Supreme Court likely will decide whether to overturn a judge's ruling barring the closing of Paron High School without a hearing, but justices are under no obligation to rule before the beginning of the school year, court clerk Leslie Steen said Tuesday.
Seth Blomeley in today’s Democrat-Gazette reports campaign officials for Republican gubernatorial nominee Asa Hutchinson posted a statement on Hutchinson’s Web site Tuesday accusing the Democratic nominee, Attorney General Mike Beebe, of having a “gay problem,” spinning a “web of deceit,” and having “clearly lied” about his stance on gay adoption.
Two Jefferson County Election Commission officials have hand delivered copies of a letter to Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Steve Dalrymple’s office detailing alleged election violations. The prosecutor told the Pine Bluff Commercial last Friday that he had not received a previous complaint sent in June.
Pine Bluff’s new finance director, Eric Tucker, said Monday that when a department runs out of money he will shut it down. “I will shut it down if there is no money in the budget,” Tucker told the Pine Bluff City Council’s Ways and Means Committee. The strain has been felt after the city settled a discrimination lawsuit against a former police chief.
The Bentonville City Council has approved establishing impact fees for library, parks and police. The council also supported increasing existing fire and water impact fees. Impact fees are a one-time charge placed on developers to pay for growth-related infrastructure, such as new water lines and fire stations.
Jonesboro city engineers and private firms are meeting in Jonesboro this week planning solutions to 11 chronic drainage problems. Preliminary estimates will be submitted to the city council today. Formal contracts are expected to be approved by August 1. A heavy storm earlier this month caused the flooding projects to be put on a fast track.
A white Geo Metro managed to elude officers from four Northwest Arkansas law enforcement agencies in a 20 minute high-speed chase Tuesday. Often reaching speeds of 110 miles an hour, the pursuit ended when a Springdale police care was wrecked on a dirt road in Benton County. Authorities are looking for Charles Hammons of Springdale, who has an outstanding warrant for failure to pay traffic summons.
The 61-year-old man who became ill hours after being arrested by two Russellville police officers and who later died suffered a “broken neck with spinal-cord injury” and fractured ribs, a prosecutor said Tuesday, citing preliminary findings by the state medical examiner’s office. Two Russellville officers are on administrative leave as the investigation of Bobby Joe Rylee’s death continues.
Murphy Oil Corp. reported second-quarter net income Tuesday that was down 38 percent from the corresponding period a year ago, but the results exceeded analysts’ expectations and the company’s own predictions three months ago.
