Friday, January 19, 2007
Friday early summary
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee depleted the governor’s office emergency fund in the final weeks of his administration in part to pay for the destruction of computer hard drives in his office. Documents that the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette obtained under the Freedom of Information Act describe the destruction of the computer drives, as ordered by Huckabee’s office, and Huckabee complaining strongly about his cell phone and BlackBerry not working.
Former state senator Cliff Hoofman is the newest member of the state Highway Commission. Hoofman will serve a 10 year term.
Gov. Mike Beebe is replacing Maj. Gen. Ron Chastain as Arkansas’ adjutant general, just six months and three days after the Iraq war veteran took command of the state’s National Guard as one of the last department heads appointed by former Gov. Mike Huckabee. Beebe is expected to announce Maj. Gen. Bill Wofford of Conway as the new adjutant general in the next few days.
Gov. Mike Beebe says he supports changing the law requiring public schools to calculate the body mass index of students. Rep. Keven Anderson of Rogers filed two bills Wednesday dealing with the body mass index. House Bill 1173 would repeal the program and House Bill 1174 would give school districts the option whether to do the test.
A bill that would require schools to adopt policies against online bullying received the endorsement Thursday of the House Education Committee. The bill advanced despite testimony from an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer the measure might not pass constitutional muster.
Bulldozers at Camp Robinson rumbled into action amid Thursday morning’s chill, beginning the first phase of an expansion at the nation’s second-largest infantry school.
Two Arkansas congressmen gained new committee assignments Thursday, gaining waivers to a rule that limited them to serving on just one committee. Rep. Marion Berry was chosen for the House Budget Committee. Rep. Mike Ross was named to the Science and Technology Committee.
Asa Hutchinson says that Arkansas voters chased him out of public service, and he advised other attorneys who may seek office not to follow his lead. Hutchinson, speaking to an American Bar Association conference weeks after losing a race to be Arkansas governor, also said it was good to be back in Washington and away from his home state where he said his public record was distorted during the campaign.
House Democrats appear ready to launch an investigation into the insurance industry's handling of Hurricane Katrina claims. And Mississippi Republican Sen. Trent Lott said Thursday he will join with Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, in introducing a bill to repeal the federal antitrust exemption for the property/casualty insurance industry.
Mayflower superintendent Rhonda Bradford tells Conway’s Log Cabin Democrat she has no clue why the school board tabled the renewal of her contract. Several sources confirmed to the paper that the girl’s basketball coach has been under pressure. The daughters of several school board members play on his teams and the issue is playing time. Bradford reportedly refused to transfer the coach.
Attorneys for the Little Rock School District and a group of intervenors in the long-running school desegregation case asked a federal judge Thursday to delay Saturday’s hearing on whether the district is eligible to be released from court supervision of its desegregation efforts. Within 11 minutes, U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson handwrote across the request for a continuance “Motion Denied” and sent the request back.
Phone calls from prison will be significantly cheaper for inmates’ families, and the state will take less of their money. Collect calls from inmates will cost $4.80 per 15 minutes, a 27 percent reduction from current rates. The state’s share of the expected $4 million in revenue will fall from 55 percent to 45 percent.
A 34-yearold Little Rock man will do 90 years in prison for raping a 75-yearold woman during a middle-of the-night break-in at her home after he told a judge the woman had seduced him. Darwin Frazier Gaye had initially denied the accusations. But he pleaded guilty to rape, kidnapping and residential burglary charges in November after testing showed his DNA had been found on the floor of the woman’s bathroom.
A 71-year-old Humphrey woman received a 20-year prison sentence Wednesday after pleading no contest in circuit court to second-degree murder in the April 2006 death of her live-in boyfriend, a deputy prosecutor said.
A not-guilty plea has been entered in Crawford County Circuit Court for Mary Akins, the wife of a Van Buren man awaiting trial on multiple counts of rape and sexual assault of minor children enrolled in a day-care center. Akins is accused of permitting the abuse of a minor.
Lee Anthony Thompson is the latest person caught in the Russellville Police Department’s five-month-old Internet sting operation. Thompson discovered the person he was chatting online with for the past week was not a 14-year-old girl, but a police officer. He was arrested in City Park in Russellville, where he had arranged to meet the “girl,”
Oaklawn Park’s 56 day “live” racing season begins today at 1.
The nearly 18-month-old strike at the National Wire Fabric plant at Star City is apparently over. The strike was reportedly the longest in Arkansas history. Members of United Steelworker’s Union Local 1671 have made an unconditional offer to return to work.
A parade in Cabot on Saturday will honor Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s 200th birthday. Participants include the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the 1st Arkansas Infantry and the 7th Arkansas Infantry and the Citizens for Confederate History and Heritage in Cabot.
The Weight Control Clinic at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will be featured on the CNBC cable television program Diabetes Life at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Former state senator Cliff Hoofman is the newest member of the state Highway Commission. Hoofman will serve a 10 year term.
Gov. Mike Beebe is replacing Maj. Gen. Ron Chastain as Arkansas’ adjutant general, just six months and three days after the Iraq war veteran took command of the state’s National Guard as one of the last department heads appointed by former Gov. Mike Huckabee. Beebe is expected to announce Maj. Gen. Bill Wofford of Conway as the new adjutant general in the next few days.
Gov. Mike Beebe says he supports changing the law requiring public schools to calculate the body mass index of students. Rep. Keven Anderson of Rogers filed two bills Wednesday dealing with the body mass index. House Bill 1173 would repeal the program and House Bill 1174 would give school districts the option whether to do the test.
A bill that would require schools to adopt policies against online bullying received the endorsement Thursday of the House Education Committee. The bill advanced despite testimony from an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer the measure might not pass constitutional muster.
Bulldozers at Camp Robinson rumbled into action amid Thursday morning’s chill, beginning the first phase of an expansion at the nation’s second-largest infantry school.
Two Arkansas congressmen gained new committee assignments Thursday, gaining waivers to a rule that limited them to serving on just one committee. Rep. Marion Berry was chosen for the House Budget Committee. Rep. Mike Ross was named to the Science and Technology Committee.
Asa Hutchinson says that Arkansas voters chased him out of public service, and he advised other attorneys who may seek office not to follow his lead. Hutchinson, speaking to an American Bar Association conference weeks after losing a race to be Arkansas governor, also said it was good to be back in Washington and away from his home state where he said his public record was distorted during the campaign.
House Democrats appear ready to launch an investigation into the insurance industry's handling of Hurricane Katrina claims. And Mississippi Republican Sen. Trent Lott said Thursday he will join with Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, in introducing a bill to repeal the federal antitrust exemption for the property/casualty insurance industry.
Mayflower superintendent Rhonda Bradford tells Conway’s Log Cabin Democrat she has no clue why the school board tabled the renewal of her contract. Several sources confirmed to the paper that the girl’s basketball coach has been under pressure. The daughters of several school board members play on his teams and the issue is playing time. Bradford reportedly refused to transfer the coach.
Attorneys for the Little Rock School District and a group of intervenors in the long-running school desegregation case asked a federal judge Thursday to delay Saturday’s hearing on whether the district is eligible to be released from court supervision of its desegregation efforts. Within 11 minutes, U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson handwrote across the request for a continuance “Motion Denied” and sent the request back.
Phone calls from prison will be significantly cheaper for inmates’ families, and the state will take less of their money. Collect calls from inmates will cost $4.80 per 15 minutes, a 27 percent reduction from current rates. The state’s share of the expected $4 million in revenue will fall from 55 percent to 45 percent.
A 34-yearold Little Rock man will do 90 years in prison for raping a 75-yearold woman during a middle-of the-night break-in at her home after he told a judge the woman had seduced him. Darwin Frazier Gaye had initially denied the accusations. But he pleaded guilty to rape, kidnapping and residential burglary charges in November after testing showed his DNA had been found on the floor of the woman’s bathroom.
A 71-year-old Humphrey woman received a 20-year prison sentence Wednesday after pleading no contest in circuit court to second-degree murder in the April 2006 death of her live-in boyfriend, a deputy prosecutor said.
A not-guilty plea has been entered in Crawford County Circuit Court for Mary Akins, the wife of a Van Buren man awaiting trial on multiple counts of rape and sexual assault of minor children enrolled in a day-care center. Akins is accused of permitting the abuse of a minor.
Lee Anthony Thompson is the latest person caught in the Russellville Police Department’s five-month-old Internet sting operation. Thompson discovered the person he was chatting online with for the past week was not a 14-year-old girl, but a police officer. He was arrested in City Park in Russellville, where he had arranged to meet the “girl,”
Oaklawn Park’s 56 day “live” racing season begins today at 1.
The nearly 18-month-old strike at the National Wire Fabric plant at Star City is apparently over. The strike was reportedly the longest in Arkansas history. Members of United Steelworker’s Union Local 1671 have made an unconditional offer to return to work.
A parade in Cabot on Saturday will honor Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s 200th birthday. Participants include the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the 1st Arkansas Infantry and the 7th Arkansas Infantry and the Citizens for Confederate History and Heritage in Cabot.
The Weight Control Clinic at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will be featured on the CNBC cable television program Diabetes Life at 6 p.m. Sunday.
