Monday, December 18, 2006
Hurry up Monday summary
According to a Democrat-Gazette report, the Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars illegally, including $141,000 to two restaurants owned by Commission Chairman Mary Beth Ringgold.
A surprise late-afternoon announcement Friday that J. Timothy Griffin will become the new U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas drew the ire of U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, whose spokesman said the maneuver amounts to “basically circumventing the normal process.”
Some Arkansas cities want the leeway to issue more traffic tickets, and the Arkansas Municipal League will ask the Legislature to amend the state's speed trap law to appease them. The league, which represents cities across the state, included a proposed amendment in a legislative package presented to lawmakers last week.
An ad hoc committee of legislators is to meet with the state attorney general's office this week to determine how to address a Supreme Court ruling that said the Legislature violated the state constitution by appropriating $400,000 for local projects in Bigelow, which is represented by Senator Bob Johnson who leads the State Senate’s so-called “Brotherhood” faction.
State Sen. Jim Argue is resting in a Little Rock hospital after undergoing an angioplasty after suffering a heart attack Sunday morning, a family spokesman said.
he U.S. Department of Education has approved Arkansas’ plan for ensuring that all core courses in the state’s public schools are taught by teachers who have bachelor’s degrees, hold state certificates and can demonstrate competence in the subjects they teach.
The state Department of Education’s top attorney is researching the legality of charter schools offering enrollment preferences to certain students. Several of the planned schools want to give enrollment preferences to children of their employees, board members, trustees and other volunteers when space is limited.
The Arkansas State House of Representatives will have 34 new members, which is one-third of the total, when the legislative session begins in January.
Southland Park Gaming and Racing will not appeal any decision denying it tax breaks for a $40 million renovation project, Barry Baldwin, the park’s general manager, said Friday.
Former Springdale Police Chief Gary Payne is dead at age 54. Paramedics found Payne dead of a single gunshot wound to the head at his residence Friday morning,
Authorities say that an electrical problem is the cause of a fire that destroyed the Holly Grove school and gymnasium. The town has around 80 students in K through 6th grade and recently merged with Clarendon.
Citing Federal privacy laws, the Russellville school district has denied requests to see the video tape of an alleged October 6 assault by two males on a female student aboard a school bus. Requests were made by both the Russellville Courier and an lawyer for the alleged victim. The district is seeking an Attorney General’s opinion.
Two Glen Rose High School students who allegedly threatened students at the school were interviewed by Hot Spring County authorities and State Police and released to the custody of their parents.
Benton Panthers boys head basketball coach Joe Wise was not in attendance at the first Everett Motors Saline County Shootout on Friday night at Benton High School's arena. Wise was placed on administrative leave through the holidays, pending the outcome of a Benton school board meeting in early January, a Benton High School official said.
With test drilling complete on more than 5,000 acres spanning several counties, German oil and gas company Activa Resources AG said Friday it plans to drill 15-20 wells in White County on its slice of the Fayetteville Shale.
Eduardo Aquino has appealed his conviction for animal cruelty. Aquino was arrested Sept. 30 after officers found a dying pig in the back yard of Aquino's in Springdale. Aquino said he had bought the pig for a cookout and decided to butcher it himself. Aquino was arrested on the misdemeanor charge and issued citations for two city ordinances, skinning an animal in city limits and having swine in city limits.
A surprise late-afternoon announcement Friday that J. Timothy Griffin will become the new U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas drew the ire of U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, whose spokesman said the maneuver amounts to “basically circumventing the normal process.”
Some Arkansas cities want the leeway to issue more traffic tickets, and the Arkansas Municipal League will ask the Legislature to amend the state's speed trap law to appease them. The league, which represents cities across the state, included a proposed amendment in a legislative package presented to lawmakers last week.
An ad hoc committee of legislators is to meet with the state attorney general's office this week to determine how to address a Supreme Court ruling that said the Legislature violated the state constitution by appropriating $400,000 for local projects in Bigelow, which is represented by Senator Bob Johnson who leads the State Senate’s so-called “Brotherhood” faction.
State Sen. Jim Argue is resting in a Little Rock hospital after undergoing an angioplasty after suffering a heart attack Sunday morning, a family spokesman said.
he U.S. Department of Education has approved Arkansas’ plan for ensuring that all core courses in the state’s public schools are taught by teachers who have bachelor’s degrees, hold state certificates and can demonstrate competence in the subjects they teach.
The state Department of Education’s top attorney is researching the legality of charter schools offering enrollment preferences to certain students. Several of the planned schools want to give enrollment preferences to children of their employees, board members, trustees and other volunteers when space is limited.
The Arkansas State House of Representatives will have 34 new members, which is one-third of the total, when the legislative session begins in January.
Southland Park Gaming and Racing will not appeal any decision denying it tax breaks for a $40 million renovation project, Barry Baldwin, the park’s general manager, said Friday.
Former Springdale Police Chief Gary Payne is dead at age 54. Paramedics found Payne dead of a single gunshot wound to the head at his residence Friday morning,
Authorities say that an electrical problem is the cause of a fire that destroyed the Holly Grove school and gymnasium. The town has around 80 students in K through 6th grade and recently merged with Clarendon.
Citing Federal privacy laws, the Russellville school district has denied requests to see the video tape of an alleged October 6 assault by two males on a female student aboard a school bus. Requests were made by both the Russellville Courier and an lawyer for the alleged victim. The district is seeking an Attorney General’s opinion.
Two Glen Rose High School students who allegedly threatened students at the school were interviewed by Hot Spring County authorities and State Police and released to the custody of their parents.
Benton Panthers boys head basketball coach Joe Wise was not in attendance at the first Everett Motors Saline County Shootout on Friday night at Benton High School's arena. Wise was placed on administrative leave through the holidays, pending the outcome of a Benton school board meeting in early January, a Benton High School official said.
With test drilling complete on more than 5,000 acres spanning several counties, German oil and gas company Activa Resources AG said Friday it plans to drill 15-20 wells in White County on its slice of the Fayetteville Shale.
Eduardo Aquino has appealed his conviction for animal cruelty. Aquino was arrested Sept. 30 after officers found a dying pig in the back yard of Aquino's in Springdale. Aquino said he had bought the pig for a cookout and decided to butcher it himself. Aquino was arrested on the misdemeanor charge and issued citations for two city ordinances, skinning an animal in city limits and having swine in city limits.
