Friday, August 25, 2006
Fried-brain Friday
Federal authorities have arrested 11 employees of the Little Rock Country Club on identity-theft charges, authorities said Thursday. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, with the assistance of U.S. marshals and Social Security investigators, made the arrests. But U. S. Attorney Cummins said, “I would not characterize this as an immigration raid.”
Independent candidate Rod Bryan of Little Rock has expressed frustration with being excluded from three so-called “debates” scheduled by the two major party candidates. "It's a scheme of the Hutchinson and Beebe campaigns to privatize the debate process," Bryan said, describing the two as "corporate candidates." Bryan and Green Party candidate Jim Lendall have been invited to participate in a televised debate that the Arkansas Education Television Network plans to air Oct. 22. Hutchinson and Beebe have conflicts and will not participate, their campaign spokesmen said.
An international scam involving counterfeit Arkansas government checks resurfaced Wednesday. The same check numbers and scheme as were used in a scam a year ago are being used again, and the state auditor’s office advised banks in a dozen states that the checks – totally about $55,000 – were no good.
The state’s largest school district wants to expand its pilot program that awards teachers bonuses based on their students’ test score improvements. The Little Rock District will add three new schools, if a majority of teachers approve.
A Northwest Arkansas resident has died from the summer heat, according to the state Division of Health.
State environmental officials are trying to reassure residents who live near the shuttered Cedar Chemical Co., in the Helena-West Helena Industrial Park, that the site - at the center of a lawsuit alleging decades of contamination - is not a hazard.
Some of the 62 Farm Service Agency offices in Arkansas may close as part of a nationwide overhaul of the federal organization, the head of the state FSA said Thursday.
In a classic case of "it's not over till it's over," the Mississippi Legislature passed, then held up approval, of $173 million in public incentives Thursday for the largest development ever proposed in DeSoto County. The Riverbend Crossing master plan calls for an entertainment district including a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie-themed park, a nationally branded aquarium or museum, hotels, golf courses, lakes and up to 9,500 homes in a residential resort community.
Mississippi’s unemployment rate was 8.3% in July, which was three-tenths of a point higher than June 2006 and nearly a full point above July 2005.
An ongoing drought across the country has resulted in the Mississippi River approaching record low levels, Brig. Gen. Robert Crear told a Greenville, Ms. audience earlier this week. Dry weather has helped hurricane cleanup and flood control projects along the river.
Tammy Estes, who is accused of waving a loaded handgun during a July 30 church service in Newport while ordering her husband - the church pastor - to admit to indiscretions, is competent to stand trial, a circuit judge ruled Thursday.
Maumelle police arrested 19 year old Laroy Powell Thursday evening in the rape of two female joggers at Lake Willastein on Tuesday.
Police have charged Gary Dewayne Cooper in the 2005 rape of an 85-year-old Hot Springs woman. He was in jail on a separate rape charge at the time of his arrest Wednesday.
Prison officials are investigating whether a lieutenant at the Ouachita River Unit at Malvern violated federal law by reportedly maintaining a romantic relationship with a former inmate that may have started while she was still behind bars.
Freedy Pollock, a Van Buren contractor accused of accepting more than $100,000 from a church for work he never performed, has entered a guilty plea and been sentenced to 20 years in prison with 18 suspended. He must pay restitution of $200 a month. Pollock spent the church funds on personal bills and gambled away the rest in an Oklahoma casino.
Some residents in Helena-West Helena are circulating petitions asking local government to end the night curfew for adults and to stop police stopping people from congregating during daylight hours. Police have reportedly broken up several groups discovered sitting in the shade on a hot day.
Brian Snowden found one of the few hot spots on the Arkansas River on Thursday to take the first-day lead in the Bassmaster Legends On a day when more than half the field weighed in one fish or fewer, Snowden, of Reed Springs, Mo., caught five bass weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces, virtually ensuring that he will make the 12-man cut on Saturday.
The New Orleans Saints close out their preseason football training camp at Millsaps College today with top officials uncertain if the team will return to Jackson, Ms. next summer.
Independent candidate Rod Bryan of Little Rock has expressed frustration with being excluded from three so-called “debates” scheduled by the two major party candidates. "It's a scheme of the Hutchinson and Beebe campaigns to privatize the debate process," Bryan said, describing the two as "corporate candidates." Bryan and Green Party candidate Jim Lendall have been invited to participate in a televised debate that the Arkansas Education Television Network plans to air Oct. 22. Hutchinson and Beebe have conflicts and will not participate, their campaign spokesmen said.
An international scam involving counterfeit Arkansas government checks resurfaced Wednesday. The same check numbers and scheme as were used in a scam a year ago are being used again, and the state auditor’s office advised banks in a dozen states that the checks – totally about $55,000 – were no good.
The state’s largest school district wants to expand its pilot program that awards teachers bonuses based on their students’ test score improvements. The Little Rock District will add three new schools, if a majority of teachers approve.
A Northwest Arkansas resident has died from the summer heat, according to the state Division of Health.
State environmental officials are trying to reassure residents who live near the shuttered Cedar Chemical Co., in the Helena-West Helena Industrial Park, that the site - at the center of a lawsuit alleging decades of contamination - is not a hazard.
Some of the 62 Farm Service Agency offices in Arkansas may close as part of a nationwide overhaul of the federal organization, the head of the state FSA said Thursday.
In a classic case of "it's not over till it's over," the Mississippi Legislature passed, then held up approval, of $173 million in public incentives Thursday for the largest development ever proposed in DeSoto County. The Riverbend Crossing master plan calls for an entertainment district including a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie-themed park, a nationally branded aquarium or museum, hotels, golf courses, lakes and up to 9,500 homes in a residential resort community.
Mississippi’s unemployment rate was 8.3% in July, which was three-tenths of a point higher than June 2006 and nearly a full point above July 2005.
An ongoing drought across the country has resulted in the Mississippi River approaching record low levels, Brig. Gen. Robert Crear told a Greenville, Ms. audience earlier this week. Dry weather has helped hurricane cleanup and flood control projects along the river.
Tammy Estes, who is accused of waving a loaded handgun during a July 30 church service in Newport while ordering her husband - the church pastor - to admit to indiscretions, is competent to stand trial, a circuit judge ruled Thursday.
Maumelle police arrested 19 year old Laroy Powell Thursday evening in the rape of two female joggers at Lake Willastein on Tuesday.
Police have charged Gary Dewayne Cooper in the 2005 rape of an 85-year-old Hot Springs woman. He was in jail on a separate rape charge at the time of his arrest Wednesday.
Prison officials are investigating whether a lieutenant at the Ouachita River Unit at Malvern violated federal law by reportedly maintaining a romantic relationship with a former inmate that may have started while she was still behind bars.
Freedy Pollock, a Van Buren contractor accused of accepting more than $100,000 from a church for work he never performed, has entered a guilty plea and been sentenced to 20 years in prison with 18 suspended. He must pay restitution of $200 a month. Pollock spent the church funds on personal bills and gambled away the rest in an Oklahoma casino.
Some residents in Helena-West Helena are circulating petitions asking local government to end the night curfew for adults and to stop police stopping people from congregating during daylight hours. Police have reportedly broken up several groups discovered sitting in the shade on a hot day.
Brian Snowden found one of the few hot spots on the Arkansas River on Thursday to take the first-day lead in the Bassmaster Legends On a day when more than half the field weighed in one fish or fewer, Snowden, of Reed Springs, Mo., caught five bass weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces, virtually ensuring that he will make the 12-man cut on Saturday.
The New Orleans Saints close out their preseason football training camp at Millsaps College today with top officials uncertain if the team will return to Jackson, Ms. next summer.
