Polling BNC by Jacob Brower

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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012

The

Daily Citizen

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Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

HU RECEIVES MABEE FOUNDATION GRANT

RIVERVIEW HOSTS DISTRICT MEET TODAY DAY

The Mabee Foundation has given Harding a grant toward the construction of an $8.5 million facility. — PAGE 3A

For the first time since its completion in 2011, 11, Riverview will host a varsity track meet. — PAGE GE 1B

Poll: Lincoln leads judge race Incumbent holds 15 point lead over Haynie BY JACOB BROWER jbrower@thedailycitizen.com

A recent poll of White County voters shows that incumbent Judge Michael Lincoln holds a 15 percent lead in his bid for re-election. Of those polled, 49 percent said they will vote for Lincoln, while 34 percent said they favor challenger Bill Haynie. SevenPlease see CANDIDATES | 2A Haynie

Planning and growth ■ Reached conclusion on sign ordinance revisions ■ Commercial, off-premise, temporary signs will be banned ■ Other sign users will need permit

City panel decides on signs

Lincoln

STUDENTS CREATE TOOL FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT

Committee plans to ban off-premise commercial signs BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Businesses that want to advertise around the city of Searcy by using temporary signs will not be able to for much longer, according to the plans discussed during a committee meeting on Wednesday morning. The Searcy Planning and Growth Committee has been working for months on what it can do to regulate temporary sign usage within the city, and they have finally reached some conclusions. One conclusion that was drawn Wednesday is that the panel wants to create some type of permit system. The panel concluded that a permit system would help avoid visual clutter caused by the signs, avoid litter when the signs aren’t picked up in a timely fashion and help with city beautification. City Planner Jim von Tungeln is expected to report back to the

Please see SIGNS | 2A

Marisa Lytle/mlytle@thedailycitizen.com

John Falwell (far right) of the Searcy Fire Department inspects a fire hydrant map presented by Searcy High School EAST students Brett Pope (far left) and Dusty Womble. The map depicts more than 970 hydrants and represents an up-to-date street map of the city of Searcy.

More than 970 hydrants mapped per GPS BY MARISA LYTLE

Fire hydrant map

mlytle@thedailycitizen.com

The Searcy Fire Department has a new tool to help fight fires, thanks to students in the EAST program at Searcy High School. Four students have spent more than 100 hours outside of school mapping the location of 970 fire hydrants in the city of Searcy. Sophomore Josh Duff, juniors Robert Noland and Dusty Womble and senior Brett Pope of the Environmental and Spatial Technologies (EAST) program at Searcy High have worked from October through March on the project. Earlier this month, the students presented their complete project to the fire department. Pope explained that team of students had accomplishing updating the department’s fire hydrant map, marking each hydrant’s global position, creating a virtual tour/picture of each hydrant and updating the city of Searcy street map. Members of the fire department explained how this new mapping system will aid them in their work. “When the ISO (Insurance Service Office) comes to grade the city, they will have to check the location of hydrants

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Who: Searcy High School EAST students What: Used GPS technology to map out more than 970 fire hydrants in Searcy Importance: Searcy Fire Department said the mapping system will aid its efficiency. to ensure there is one every 1,000 feet,” ISO administrator Debbie Raney said. “Now, we’ll be able to show them this map [to facilitate the process].” Lt. Bryon Jones said since the hydrants are plotted per GPS, their latitudinal and longitudinal locations are “pretty much as accurate as we’re going to get.” Capt. Kevin Smith said that the system the fire department uses relies on hand-drawn maps kept in books. He gave an example of how using a GPS and computer-based system could be more efficient. “A couple of months ago, we had a structure fire on Holly Street,” he said. “We gave [the firefighters] what we thought was the closest hydrant accord-

ing to our books. However, there was a hydrant one street over on Evergreen Street that was actually closer to the house. “The GPS system could have helped us save time in that situation, and time is the factor. Fires may start small, but they can double in size in one minute.” Jones agreed that the fire department’s ultimate goal is to efficiently put out fires and that the new mapping system should prove a great ally once fully installed. The fire hydrant map is available for viewing online at www.arcgisonline. com. People who are interested may enter “Searcy EAST” or “Searcy Fire Department” into the search bar on that website and click on “Searcy Fire Department - EAST Project - 2011-12.” Along with a map of all the hydrants, the website gives data about each hydrant and represents an up-to-date street map of Searcy. Raney said the fire department must wait to use the new program until the city approves and implements it. Pope said other EAST programs have completed similar mapping projects,

INDEX NATION & STATE, 2A OPINIONS, 4A LIFESTYLES, 5A CALENDAR/OBITUARIES, 6A SPORTS, 1B CLASSIFIEDS, 5B

Please see EAST | 2A

“

Senator: No ‘Girls Gone Wild’ intern this summer Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK — State Sen. Mark Pryor says his internship program isn’t going wild. Pryor on Wednesday denied a claim that the winner of a contest put on by the “Girls Gone Wild” video empire will intern in Pryor’s office this summer. “Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis says he announced the internship would be part of the prize package for the winner of “The Search for the Hottest Girl in America” after bidding on it at a Los Angeles-based fundraiser last weekend. Francis refused to identify the charity or say how much he paid. But Pryor’s office says it doesn’t sell or auction internships and calls the announcement a “hoax.” A Pryor spokesman says he doesn’t know what Francis thinks he bought but “he did not buy anything from our office, period.”

We are minor in everything but our passions. ELIZABETH BOWEN 20th Century Irish author

”

Page 2A • Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Daily Citizen

FROM PAGE ONE

Walnut Ridge to honor rockabilly history BY GEORGE JARED The Jonesboro Sun

WALNUT RIDGE — Johnny didn’t want to go on stage, but to make his $20 he had to play. Sonny Burgess and his band just opened for Johnny in front of a crowd at B & I’s King of Clubs. He told the burgeoning musician he had no choice. A king was waiting in the wings. Johnny Cash went on stage that night, and Elvis Presley soon followed. It’s been almost six decades but Burgess still remembers that night, and he hopes to share that story and many others with tourists in northeast Arkansas. Lawrence County officials broke ground Tuesday morning on the Guitar Walk, a monument that will honor early rock ‘n’ roll legends such as Presley, Cash, Conway Twitty, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bur-

gess. About 70 people attended a ceremony where the Guitar Walk will be located, just south of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Office on U.S. 67. “Sonny Burgess and the Pacers opened for Johnny Cash that night,” Guitar Walk committee member Charles Snapp said. “Hearing that story sent shivers down my spine ... Johnny Cash was opening for Elvis Presley that same night, and it was only 12 miles from here.” Rockabilly legends Billy Lee Riley, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Wanda Jackson will also be honored. Rock ‘n’ roll was born during the early 1950s in cities like Memphis and New Orleans, but it was cultivated in small towns, honky-tonks and juke joints along U.S. 67 that stretches from Newport to Pocahontas.

During the last couple of years a movement has been under way to commemorate the area’s ties to its musical past. The first step was erecting a memorial to The Beatles last September. In 1964 The Beatles made their lone stop in Arkansas as a group at the Walnut Ridge Airport. A more ambitious project, the Guitar Walk, was then started, Snapp said. The plaza will be 100 feet long and 40 feet wide. It will be shaped like an Epiphone guitar, similar to ones used by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Although the two Beatles’ legends never played in Northeast Arkansas, Lennon was once famously quoted saying “he never felt anything” until he heard Presley’s music, Snapp said. Life-sized silhouettes of the legends will ring

the inside of the guitar, strings will be cut into the concrete, and even the enlarged frets will be made from brass, Snapp said. An audio tour, a system similar to ones used by the U.S. Forestry Service and Arkansas Parks and Tourism, will tell visitors unique stories about the singers and will be narrated by Burgess, who was on hand Tuesday at the ground-breaking. Burgess will tell personal stories, outlining his experiences with rock ‘n’ roll immortals. Presley, Cash and others began playing at venues in Newport, primarily the Silver Moon nightclub, in the early 1950s. Jackson County is one of the few wet counties in Northeast Arkansas, so it became a magnet for residents in other counties who wanted to drink. The Bloody Bucket, B & I’s

Associated Press

Officials in Lawrence County recently broke ground on the Guitar Walk, a monumet devoted to the roots of rock ‘n’ roll. King of Clubs, Red’s Clover, Charlie’s Place, GB’s, Jarvis’ Bamboo Club, Porky’s Rooftop and the largest of them all, the Silver Moon Club, were among the clubs and honky-tonks

CANDIDATES

News in Brief

CONTINUED FROM 1A Associated Press

Trooper suspended for paperwork mistake

Trooper cleared in Crawford fatal shooting

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas State Police say a trooper will be suspended for two days without pay after a paperwork mistake led to the release of a man later charged in a double killing. State police spokesman Bill Sadler says an internal investigation found that Cpl. G.L. Smith failed to give prosecutors the case file on James Michael Davis within 60 days of Davis’ arrest on a theft charge. Sadler tells the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the failure to do so is a violation of state police policy. A judge in Little Rock ordered Davis’ release on Dec. 21 because formal charges weren’t filed. Two days later, David Linnon Smith and Tracey Mills were stabbed to death, and Davis was arrested on suspicion of murder. Smith did not return a message seeking comment.

ALMA — A prosecutor says an Arkansas State Police trooper was justified when he fatally shot a man in Crawford County. Prosecutor Marc McCune says Trooper Michael Bowman’s actions were reasonable, professional and done in self-defense. Bowman shot 28-year-old Christopher Snyder on Saturday night. Authorities say Bowman was trying to make a traffic stop when Snyder pulled into the driveway of an empty house and ran away. Authorities say Bowman chased Snyder and that a police microphone recorded Bowman telling the man to stop and submit to arrest. The prosecutor says Snyder began to choke Bowman as the trooper was trying to place handcuffs on the man. Fayetteville television station KHOG says Bowman shot Snyder three times in the abdomen.

EAST CONTINUED FROM 1A

but the Searcy EAST’s project has been by far the largest. Searcy’s project, in fact, turned out to be much more involved than the students had originally supposed, Pope said. “The hardest part was the girth of the project,” he said. “We didn’t realize how huge it was. It took five minutes to get all the information we needed on each hydrant. Multiply that by more than 970 hydrants, and that’s a lot of time.” In September, the group received the EAST After Hours Grant in the

amount of $4,730.30 for this project, titled “Searcy Fire Hydrants Tagged Virtually and with Global Position Program.” With the money, the students purchased three Juno Series Tremble GPS receivers and an iPad 2, which, along with the handheld GPS units and virtual reality equipment they already possessed, enabled them to accurately locate and map all but a few of the hydrants in Searcy. After planning their course of action in October, the students divided the fire hydrants into 18 grids and set about mapping them.

established during the era. Many performers branched out to other venues along the route in Walnut Ridge and Pocahontas. Elvis even once sang at the high school in Bono.

Pope attended a training course called “Using GPS and GIS” and then taught the rest of the students how to use the equipment. Students spent more than 100 hours outside of class and took more than 200 panorama shots. In addition, a team of two students left school for an hour each day to complete the work. EAST facilitator Kathy Rowlett said the project was a major learning experience for her and the students. “Generally, the students in the SHS EAST program have been reluctant to work with the

GPS and GIS equipment and software,” she said. “The After Hours Grant sparked an interest in the students, since they would not have the time constraints that a class period presents.” This EAST After Hours project is funded by the Enhancing Education Through Technology grant made possible by the Arkansas Department of Education and is done in cooperation with the Southeast Educational Service Cooperative and the EAST Initiative. For more information, people may contact Kathy Rowlett at (501) 368-0765.

teen percent of respondents said they are undecided. The poll was conducted at The Daily Citizen’s office Monday and Tuesday nights with the help of 11 local residents hired by the newspaper. The poll consisted of 410 successful telephone interviews with randomly-selected participants, resulting in a 4.82 percent margin of error. The margin of error means that poll results could be 4.82 percentage points higher or lower than reported. The polling sample and questions were compiled with the help of Tom Howard, Harding University distinguished professor emeritus of political science. People polled were asked the following questions: “Are you registered to vote in White County elections?” “Barring any unforeseen circumstance, will you definitely vote in the Republican primary for White County Judge?” and “If the election were held today, which of these candidates would receive your vote?” The candidates’ names were then read aloud as they appear on the ballot — Lincoln’s first, Haynie’s second. People who answered “no” on either of the first two questions were not asked the third question, and the interview was not

considered successful. Lincoln said he was pleased with the results of the poll but realizes he has more work to do between now and the May 22 primary. “You can’t win with 49 percent,” he said. “You have to have 50 percent plus one, so I anticipate working hard in the next two or three weeks to try to convince that undecided amount that I’m the best one for the job. “I anticipated this election being closer than other elections, and I have never discounted my opponent’s challenge. I have taken it seriously, and I plan to work hard and finish strong.” Haynie said he is disappointed with how the poll turned out, but hopes to sway some undecided voters and Lincoln voters to his side before the May 22 primary. “The incumbent always has an advantage, and the ones who go to the polls are going to decide it, not a phone poll,” he said. “I’d like to see better numbers, but I’m not torn up about it either. This just means I have to get out and work harder to get votes.” Lincoln and Haynie will face off in the May 22 primary election. The victor will not face a general election opponent, meaning the GOP primary will determine the officeholder.

SIGNS CONTINUED FROM 1A

committee in June with four amendments to the city’s current sign ordinance. One of the changes will ban the use of commercial off-premise temporary signs, such as signs that advertise a business, but do not include a direction to a special sale. “We need to get rid of ‘temporary’ signs that can become permanent,” said Buck Gibson, city attorney. This ban would not include real estate signs that point home buyers in the direction of a house, or garage sale signs because the committee classified those as directional signs for special sales. Special sale directional signs will be another issue that von Tungeln addresses in his amendment. The third issue to be addressed in the amendment

is temporary signs for special events. The panel discussed creating some type of sticker system that can be placed on signs to let the code enforcement officers see the time period a sign has been allowed to be placed around the city. The time period discussed was two weeks before an event and then the organization has two days after the event to pull all of the signs. Gibson was asked to give a legal opinion on what the city can do regarding temporary signs. He said the most important issue the panel needs to address is what is the panel trying to regulate, as well as even if the city wants to try to regulate signs. “The only thing we’ve every tried to do is to eliminate visual clutter,” von Tungeln said. Gibson said the city

Corrections The Daily Citizen corrects factual errors promptly and courteously. If you have a correction or clarification, please call Editor Jacob Brower at (501) 2688621 or e-mail him at jbrower@thedailycitizen.com.

could just eliminate all signs if it does not want to regulate them. He said when it comes to regulations, the city must decide a time period, place, and manner for all signs. The manner applies to the size and design of the signs. “We need to have the least restrictive way to address specific problems that is even handed for everyone,” Gibson said. The sign ordinance does not pertain to political signs, said Von Tungeln. “Political signs are a long-standing tradition,”

he said. “Regulating political signs would be a minefield, so the cities usually just stay out of that.” Real estate signs that tells people that a home is for sale are already addressed in the city’s sign ordinance. “Real estate property had always been advertised by signs, so when zoning codes came around, the real estate industry was allowed to continue doing that,” von Tungeln said. All of the changes discussed during Wednesday’s meeting will not

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be made official until an ordinance is approved by the committee, which then forwards the ordinance onto the planning commission. If the commission agrees to the ordinance, it will forward the ordinance to the city council. The ordinance could be approved by July at the earliest. There will be a public hearing before

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Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

3A-2 DISTRICT BASEBALL TOURNEY TODAY KENSETT TO HOST CITY FESTIVAL, CONCERT Bald Knob and Rose Bud will play today in the district tournament at Harding Academy. — PAGE 1B

The First Baptist Church of Kensett will host the first-ever “I Heart Kensett” festival Saturday. — PAGE 3A

Poll: Evans leads clerk race Sellers-Hawkins in second place, many still undecided BY JACOB BROWER jbrower@thedailycitizen.com

A recent poll of White County voters shows that Deputy Assessor Cheryl Evans is leading the White County Clerk race, while many voters are still undecided. Of those polled, 34 percent said they will vote for Evans, putting her 17 percentage points ahead of Deputy Clerk Brittney Sellers-Hawkins, who gathered 17 percent. Randall

Young, former White County Republican Party chairman, is in third place with 10 percent of the vote, and 39 percent of voters remain undecided. More than 50 percent of the vote is required to be elected in the May 22 primary election. If none of the candidates receive a majority, a run-off election between the top two finishers will be conducted June 12.

Shelby Glenn Taylor ■ Pleaded guilty to manslaughter ■ Missing since February ■ Arrested by U.S. Marshal

Man missing after guilty plea arrested BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Please see CLERK | 3A

FLIPPIN’ FLAVORFUL FLAPJACKS FOR FUNDS

A man who has been missing since February after pleading guilty to a felony was arrested around noon Thursday, according to Steve Hernandez with the White County Sheriff’s Office. S h e l b y Glenn Taylor of Pangburn Taylor was arrested by the U.S. Marshals, who were asked to find Taylor after the sheriff’s office searched for a month for the man. Taylor had previously pleaded guilty to the felony charge of manslaughter. He was scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 6, but failed to appear. He had been missing since then. Taylor was arrested Thursday off of Hodge Road, which is north of Judsonia. Hernandez said Taylor had two warrants for his arrest, which had a bond total of $650,000. The bonds have since been revoked, Hernandez said. Taylor will appear in court on May 2 at 9 a.m. where is now facing a charge of failure to appear in court. He has also not been sentenced yet for pleading guilty to negligent homicide. His crime dates back to De-

Molly M. Fleming/mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Please see ARREST | 2A

Tom Martin with the Searcy Kiwanis Club flips a pancake on Thursday morning during the club’s annual Pancake Day. The event was held at First United Methodist Church in Searcy. All of the proceeds from the event will be used to support the club’s various projects in the community.

Searcy School District changes sick leave policy BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

The Searcy School District will have a different policy for certified and classified staff regarding sick leave. Certified and classified staff can now transfer their sick leave to other staff members who have used all of their sick leave time, but still have personal time. But that will change with the new policy that the board recently approved.

School Board ■ Approved new sick leave policy for staff ■ Implemented supplemental pay for child nutrition managers ■ Created schedule for incidental pay

In order to transfer sick leave to someone, staff members receiving the sick leave must have used all their personal and sick

leave time before they are allowed to receive additional sick leave. Assistant Superintendent Calvin Estes said Estes Wednesday that the policy change came about from a recommendation from the per-

sonnel policy committee. The board approved two additions to salaries that are already in place. One of the additions is a supplement to child nutrition managers across the district. Each school has a different number of people that are supervised by the nutrition manager. Board president Jim HoffPlease see SCHOOL | 2A

Senator denies allowing an internship to be auctioned BY ANDREW DEMILLO Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK — A member of a Los Angeles temple apologized Thursday for offering an internship in a U.S. senator’s office as part of a charity auction that the founder of “Girls

Gone Wild” says he won. Chad Brownstein said he didn’t get Sen. Mark Pryor’s permission to list the internship and didn’t think it would be posted online before he had a chance to check with the office. He apologized to Pryor, an

Arkansas Democrat, in a letter Brownstein provided to The Associated Press. A day earlier, Pryor asked the FBI to investigate who offered his internship in the auction benefiting the Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

“Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis says he won the internship in the auction and planned to include it in a prize package for his TV contest, “The Search for the Hottest Please see SENATOR | 2A

INDEX NATION & STATE, 2A OPINIONS, 4A LIFESTYLES, 5A CALENDAR/OBITUARIES, 6A SPORTS, 1B CLASSIFIEDS, 5B

“

Second-grader brings gun to school Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK — Authorities in Little Rock say a second-grader at Daisy Bates Elementary School is recommended for expulsion after bringing a cocked and loaded pistol to school to show a friend. The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday that the 8-year-old boy had the gun in his backpack and showed it to a friend, who alerted a teacher. The boy, who is not being named because of his age, told a sheriff’s deputy he had hoped to play cowboys and Indians with the .22-caliber revolver. The investigative report says the boy’s father was shaken and told deputies the pistol should have been in a locked gun cabinet. The report says the school principal will recommend the boy be expelled.

Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing. OSCAR WILDE Irish writer

”

The Daily Citizen

Friday, April 27, 2012 • Page 3A

FROM PAGE ONE

Kensett to host city festival, concert BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

The city of Kensett experienced a tragedy earlier this year when four of the buildings downtown were lost in a fire. But the First Baptist Church of Kensett wants to lift the city “up from the ashes,” said Joe Clement, pastor at the church. “The town needed a boost, I think,” Clement said. And a boost the town will get on Saturday during the church’s first ever I Heart Kensett festival. “We’re taking to heart the verse in Matthew about a ‘city on a hill should not be ashamed,’” Clement said. “We’re making something positive out of something negative, and exalting the Savior at the same time.” The festival will be held at Cowan Park in Kensett

from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families will be able to enjoy face painting, booths for children, inflatables, and other free games for children. There will also be a booth for free blood pressure checks from ArHealth, with some medical supplies donated by White County Medical Center, Clement said. The church will host two sports clinics — a baseball clinic at the baseball field on Searcy Street, and a basketball clinic at the First Baptist Church Gym in Kensett. Both clinics will start at 9 a.m. and no pre-registration is required. “We’re going to have door prizes at the clinic and the block party,” Clement said. “We have some neat prizes, such as bicycles and gift certificates to local business,” The church came up

Kensett festival When: Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner at 5 p.m., concert at 6 p.m. Where: Cowan Park in Kensett What to expect: Games, face painting, inflatables with the idea for the festival after attending a “mission blitz” in Dequeen. “A lot of our group was dispatched to Horatio, which is a little community outside of Dequeen,” Clement said. “[Horatio] had a block party while we were there and we thought, ‘We could do this in Kensett.’ We thought it would be a great way to show the community we love them and we’re glad to be here.”

Members of the congregation will not only be working the booths at the festival, but they will also be doing mission work throughout the city. Some church members will be prayer walking and prayer riding throughout the city. But the I Heart Kensett festival isn’t the only event on Saturday. The church invites all families back later that evening for free dinner and a concert. Free hot dogs and Yarnell’s Ice Cream will be available at 5 p.m., Clement said, with the concert to start at 6 p.m. The church’s praise and worship band, “The Pursuit” will perform. “We don’t know what to expect or how many people to expect, but we’re excited,” he said. “If this is successful, we could make it a regular thing.”

Worker admits to selling personal information Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK — An employee of the Social Security Administration in West Memphis has pleaded guilty to selling confidential information she obtained at work. Leeanna Brooke Morgan pleaded guilty to one charge of illegally transferring someone’s date of birth and mother’s maiden name for the purpose of misusing a Social Security number. Prosecutors claim she texted the information

to a man who allegedly used it to commit financial identity fraud. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Morgan will be sentenced at a later date, though she faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 under federal law. Prosecutors say Morgan worked as a service representative at the Social Security office, where she processed applications for new and replacement Social Security cards.

Occupy camp on the move A sign is displayed at the Occupy Little Rock campsite in Little Rock Wednesday. The protest group is trying to negotiate with the city to move to a new high-profile location despite the city’s ultimatum that its downtown encampment be dismantled by May 16. Associated Press

Secret Service investigates another trip Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Expanding the prostitution investigation, the Secret Service acknowledged

Thursday it is checking whether its employees hired strippers and prostitutes in advance of President Barack

Obama’s visit last year to El Salvador. The disclosure came not long after the Homeland Security secretary

assured skeptical senators that the recent prostitution scandal in Colombia appeared to be an isolated incident.

v o t e in the Republican primary for White County Judge?” If res p o nSellers-Hawkins dents a n swered no to either of the first two questions, the interview was terminated. After stating their preference for county judge, respondents were asked, “The White County Clerk race appears on the same ballot. If the election were held today, which of these candidates would receive your vote?” The names were then read aloud as they appear on the ballot — Young’s first, SellersHawkins’ second and Evans’ third. Evans said she is pleased with the results of the poll. “I have gotten a lot of good feedback, and I’m happy with how the race

is going worked so far,” h a r d s h e since said. July and “ I ’ m plan to s u r c o n prised tinue about to work all the h a r d undeo v e r c i d e d the next Evans Young voters. several Looks weeks like we need to do some and finish strong.” more work.” Young said he was not Sellers-Hawkins said surprised by the results of she plans to push her ex- the poll. perience as deputy clerk “A lot of people don’t in the following weeks in know any of the candihopes of swaying unde- dates,” he said. “I’m going cided voters. to continue to go door-to“I just hope between door and contact voters now and election day that who are likely to vote in the voters realize that I’m the Republican primary.” the only one with experiThe primary victor will ence in the office which not face a general election means I’m the best choice opponent, meaning the to become White County GOP primary will deterClerk,” she said. “I have mine the officeholder.

CLERK CONTINUED FROM 1A

The poll was conducted at The Daily Citizen’s office Monday and Tuesday nights with the help of 11 local residents hired by the newspaper. The poll consisted of 410 successful telephone interviews with randomly-selected participants, resulting in a 4.82 percent margin of error. The margin of error means that poll results could be 4.82 percentage points higher or lower than reported. The polling sample and questions asked were compiled under the direction of Tom Howard, Harding University distinguished professor emeritus of political science. The poll was part of The Citizen’s poll on the White County Judge race, the results of which were published in Thursday’s edition. Respondents were asked the following questions: “Are you registered to vote in White County elections?” and “Barring any unforeseen circumstance, will you definitely

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Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

WEEK 8 OF FOOTBALL SEASON IN THE BOOKS HARDING LYCEUM SERIES CONTINUES NOV. 1 Turn to the sports section for recaps of all six White County teams’ Friday night games. — PAGE 1B

A basset horn trio will continue Harding’s Lyceum Series Nov. 1 in the Reynolds Recital Hall on campus. — PAGE 3A

Poll: Biviano leads House race

Incumbent holds 16-point advantage over challenger Osborne

Candidates split on trucker tax exemption

A recent poll of Arkansas House District 46 registered voters shows that incumbent State Rep. Mark Biviano, R-Searcy, holds a 16 percent lead less than three weeks before election day. Of those polled, 50 percent said that will vote for Biviano, while 34 percent said they favor his Biviano

Please see POLL | 2A

Osborne

WCMC HOSTS BARBARA MONTGOMERY MEMORIAL LUNCHEON

Biviano opposes; Dismang, Rogers, Osborne support BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@thedailycitizen.com

Three of four local candidates for seats in the state legislature say they will vote to repeal the state trucker tax exemption if elected, while State Rep. Mark Biviano plans to keep the exemption in place. State Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, and his opponent Rep. Tiffany Rogers, D-Stuttgart — as well as Biviano’s opponent, Kyle Osborne, D-Searcy — said they would vote for repeal of the exemption if it is brought to another vote. In 2011, a procedural measure was brought up that would have made it possible to repeal the exemption, but after passing through the House, it was shot down in the Senate by a 21-12 Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@thedailycitizen.com

Please see EXEMPTION | 2A

Kolton Thomas (right) and Matthew McEuen, both students at Harding University, provide musical entertainment at the 19th annual Barbara Montgomery Memorial Luncheon on Friday.

Director, chamber oppose measure

Anna Overbay (left), event specialist at White County Medical Center, hugs breast cancer survivor Rhonda Corssen during the 19th annual Barbara Montgomery Memorial Luncheon at the WCMC Friday afternoon. More than 120 people attended the luncheon.

BY ANDREW DEMILLO Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ top anti-drug official and the state Chamber of Commerce joined pharmacists and law enforcement agencies Friday to announce their opposition to a measure on the November ballot that would legalize medical marijuana. State Drug Director Fran Flener said she and the groups planned to speak out against the measure that, if passed, would make Arkansas the first southern state to legalize medical marijuana. The proposal would allow patients with qualifying conditions to buy marijuana from nonprofit dispensaries with a doctor’s recommendation. “While our group’s vision of compassion does not include smoked marijuana as a medicine, it does include elements that we consider equally important measures of compassion,” Flener said.

Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@thedailycitizen.com

Shank found in cell of man who shot soldiers BY JEANNIE NUSS Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK — Corrections officers found a sharpened metal shank hidden in the prison cell of a man who shot two soldiers outside an Arkansas military recruiting station three years ago, a prison sys-

tem official said Friday. Officers found the makeshift weapon in Abdulhakim Muhammad’s mattress during a routine search in April, Arkansas Department of Correction spokeswoman Shea Wilson told The Associated Press. “It looks like it had been

sharpened at one end and appeared to be stainless steel,” Wilson said. She said the piece of metal was about 12 inches long and a half-inch wide, and that it had been stripped from his cell door, which has since been fixed. Muhammad, 27, also failed

INDEX NATION & STATE, 2A OPINIONS, 4A LIFESTYLES, 5A CALENDAR/OBITUARIES, 6A SPORTS, 1B CLASSIFIEDS, 5B

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to obey orders and used threatening language toward an officer, Wilson said. He was placed in isolation for 30 days and wasn’t allowed to have visitors, use the phone or buy anything from the prison commissary for 60 days, she said.

Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself. DESIDERIUS ERASMUS Dutch philiosopher

”

Page 2A • Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Daily Citizen

FROM PAGE ONE

Fire destroys Texas’ fair icon Big Tex

News in brief I-40, I-630 lanes to close for work LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department says portions of Interstates 630 in Little Rock and I-40 in West Memphis will be closed next week. The department said Friday that the inside and center lanes of I-630 will be shut down Monday starting at 9 p.m. for installation of beams for a bridge over the interstate at Baptist Health Medical Center. All lanes will be closed periodically during the night for the installation and are to reopen at 5 a.m. Tuesday. The department also says the outside westbound lane of Interstate 40 will be closed in the area of Southland Park for pavement patching. The lane will be closed from 7 p.m. Sunday until Thursday to allow the concrete to cure.

Wife of convicted doctor appeals surrender order LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A woman convicted of conspiracy in a bombing that nearly killed the head of the Arkansas State Medical Board is appealing her order to surrender to U.S. marshals to begin serving her one year sentence. An attorney for Sangeeta Mann filed the motion Friday in U.S. District Court in Little Rock — a day after a judge ordered that she surrender on Dec. 3. The order came after the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Mann’s conviction in July. The motion says Mann should surrender in January at a prison chosen by the Bureau of Prisons. Prosecutors say Mann hid documents as authorities investigated her husband, Randeep Mann, in the 2009 bombing at the home of Dr. Trent Pierce. Randeep Mann was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Student accused of bringing knives to Arkansas school MARION (AP) — Authorities in northeast Arkansas say a 14-yearold student was arrested after he allegedly brought knives to Marion Junior High School. Marion Police Assistant Chief Gerald Martin said Friday that the teen was apprehended Thursday after a school resource officer found out the student was in the cafeteria armed with a knife. Martin says no one was hurt. Authorities say the teen was wearing a black trench coat, had three kitchen knives and a piece of paper with drawings on it. Martin says the teen was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and possession of a prohibited weapon on school property. The teen’s name hasn’t been released because of his age. Martin says he’s scheduled to have a court hearing on Monday in Crittenden County Juvenile Court.

State Fair sets attendance record LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas State Fair officials say clear skies and cool temperatures helped lead to a record-setting attendance day at the fair — although overall attendance is down. General Manager Ralph Shoptaw says the 35,648 set a Thursday attendance record for the fair — breaking the record of 32,115 set last year. The single day attendance record of 88,769 was set last Saturday — a day after cold temperatures and rain held attendance to fewer than 12,000. Overall attendance was 241,420 going into Friday’s seventh day of the fair — compared to 276,614 after seven dates in 2011. The fair runs through Sunday.

BY DANNY ROBBINS Associated Press

DALLAS — The man who provides the voice for Big Tex, the giant cowboy at the State Fair of Texas, was greeting people with his usual “Howdy, folks!” in a slow drawl Friday when someone rushed into his trailer to tell him the towering fair icon was on fire. “It moved quickly,” Bill Bragg said of the fire that engulfed the 52-foot-tall structure, leaving not much more than its charred metal frame behind. “It was a quick end.” This year’s fair was supposed to be a celebration for Big Tex, marking his 60th birthday. Instead, the beloved cowboy was hauled from the grounds on a flatbed truck two days before the end of the fair in a procession resembling a funeral. “It’s sad to see this happen, but it’s lucky no one was injured or killed,” said Mike Blucher of Dallas, who was at the fair with his wife, Linda. The fire brought a temporary end to a piece of Texas culture. The cowboy with the 75-gallon hat and

AP Photo

Dallas firefighters put out the last hot spots after Big Tex caught fire at the State Fair of Texas, in Fair Park on Friday in Dallas. 50-pound belt buckle always was easy to spot and served as a popular meeting place for people coming to the fair or attending the annual Texas-Oklahoma football game at the nearby Cotton Bowl. But all that remained by noon Friday were hands and shirt leaves on a burned skeleton.

“Big Tex is a symbol of everything the state fair stands for,” fair spokeswoman Sue Gooding said. “Big Tex is where my parents told me, ‘If you get lost, meet at Big Tex.’” Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Joel Lavender said Friday afternoon that the cause of the blaze had not been determined.

Some dispatchers took a playful approach to reporting the blaze. “Got a rather tall cowboy with all his clothes burned off,” one said. “Howdy, folks, it’s hot,” another said. Fair officials and city leaders quickly called for the return of Big Tex, vowing to rebuild the structure. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings tweeted that the cowboy would become “bigger and better for the 21st Century.” Big Tex’s hands, boots and face were made of Fiberglas, Gooding said. The clothing that burned had been provided last year by a Fort Worth company, she said. Gooding speculated that the fire could have started in mechanical workings at the base of the structure and that the metal skeleton “served as a chimney.” The skeleton will be evaluated, and a new one will be built if necessary, she said. Stanley Hill, who supervises a food stand that has been located near the structure for 18 years, said he noticed smoke coming from Big Tex’s neck area. That quickly turned into a blaze that engulfed the structure’s fabric covering. “Once it started burning, it was gone,” Hill said.

New Mexico peanut capital at heart of recall ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The country’s largest organic peanut processing plant is scrubbing its facilities top to bottom and hopes to get back in production soon after a massive recall of scores of products linked to a salmonella outbreak. The recall has affected peanut butter and nut products sold at major retailers around the country, raising concerns about the long-term impact on the industry — espe-

cially in products grown and processed in the flat, dusty eastern New Mexico town of Portales. The region is home to the prized Valencia peanut, which represents just a small percentage of the nation’s massive peanut crop, but is favored for natural and organic peanut butter products because of its sweet flavor. This year’s crop is exceptional, growers say, and the town is set this weekend to celebrate at its 39th annual peanut festival. But the festivities are likely to be overshad-

owed by anxiety as the crop is piling up in drying trailers while the Sunland Inc. facility linked to the outbreak remains shuttered for a top-to-bottom scrubbing. “We are very concerned about it,” said Wayne Baker, a retired peanut farmer and chair of the New Mexico Peanut Growers Association. “The harvest is going on as normal and Sunland is receiving peanuts, but we have got to get the FDA to approve some changes and get going.” Sunland, which oper-

ates the country’s largest USDA certified organic peanut processing plant, first closed its peanut butter plant late last month when the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked a salmonella outbreak to peanut butter that it produced for Trader Joe’s. Its roasting and processing facilities were also closed and the recall expanded this month to include more than 300 peanut and other nut products after the FDA found salmonella at the plant.

successful telephone interviews, resulting in a 4.45 percent margin of error, meaning that poll results could be 2-1⁄4 percentage points higher or lower than reported. The polling sample, methodology and questions were compiled with the help of Tom Howard, Harding University distinguished professor emeritus of political sci-

ence. People polled were asked the following questions: “Barring any unforeseen circumstance, will you definitely vote in the Nov. 6 general election?” and “If the election were held today, which of these Arkansas House District 46 candidates would receive your vote?” The candidates’ names and party affiliations were then read aloud as they

appear on the ballot — Biviano’s first, Osborne’s second. People who answered “no” on the first question were not asked the second question and the interview was not considered successful. Biviano said he is pleased with how the numbers look as his campaign enters the home stretch. “I’m optimistic and ap-

preciate the support I’m getting in the community,” he said. “We’re going to continue focusing on the issues that are important to people in the district and the state in the next two weeks.” Osborne said he will focus on gathering additional support in the coming days. “I’m surprised my numbers came back that

low,” he said. “I thought it would be a lot closer than that. I just have to get out there and work harder, knock a lot more doors.” Biviano and Osborne will appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. District 46 encompasses the cities of Searcy and Kensett. Early voting begins 8 a.m. Monday at the White County Courthouse.

did not get the support it needed in the Senate. Dismang said he voted against the measure because it did not qualify as a fiscal matter. It was proposed during the 2011 fiscal session. “I think it will be brought up again and I will vote for its repeal,” he said. “That’s something I’ve committed to with the highway department, but there also may be another proposition to get the department that money that may be considered.” The trucker tax exemption repeal, which would have done away with a tax break for commercial truck sales, results in a $4 million annual loss for the highway department, $3 million for state highways and $1 million for county and city roads. The tax reduction on

commercial vehicles was meant to help the industry offset a proposed diesel fuel tax increase for road repairs. The trucking lobby dropped its support of the diesel tax hike, but the vehicle tax cut stayed on the books. “It’s unfortunate because that’s the agreement that was made with the truckers association, and shortly after the session, they withdrew their support,” Rogers said. “The truckers came out for repeal of the exemp-

tion and we didn’t get it repealed because of the politics that were played.” Rogers said she hopes for a repeal to come up in the next session. “I think it should be repealed and I would vote for that,” she said. “I think since the truckers supported it last year, they will support it this year.” Osborne said he will vote for the repeal to replace lost revenue. “The state lost revenue and I’d like to put that back in place like it was before,” he said.

Biviano and Osborne will face off on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. House District 46 encompasses the cities of Searcy and Kensett. Dismang and Rogers will also face off on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. Senate District 28 encompasses southeastern White County, in-

cluding Searcy, Kensett, Higginson, Beebe, West Point, Griffithville, Garner and McRae. The district also includes all of Prairie County and portions of Lonoke, Monroe and Arkansas counties. Early voting begins 8 a.m. Monday at the White County Courthouse.

Associated Press

POLL CONTINUED FROM 1A

opponent, Searcy Police Chief Kyle Osborne, DSearcy. Sixteen percent of respondents said they are undecided. The poll was conducted at The Daily Citizen’s office Monday and Thursday nights with the help of eight local residents hired by the newspaper. The poll consisted of 472

EXEMPTION CONTINUED FROM 1A

vote. There were 24 votes needed to have the measure passed. Biviano voted against the repeal in the House last year, and said he plans to do so again if a repeal measure is brought up in the future. “I believe we need to support the trucking industry and, given the economic conditions, anything we can do to support the industry through incentives, we should be doing,” he said. Biviano said if the exemption stays on the books, he believes it would promote the industry in Arkansas. “I believe the return will be greater than the actual cost,” he said. “I will vote the same way if it comes up again in the next session.” The tax break went into effect on July 1, and the House tried to put off imposition of the tax break until July 1, 2013, which would give legislators another crack at the bill in the regular session that starts in January. However, that measure

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

BISONS SQUARE OFF WITH NO. 10 OBU ‘I LOVE MY PET’ 2013 WINNERS ANNOUNCED No. 25 Harding went on the road to take on No. 10 Ouachita Baptist Saturday afternoon. — PAGE 1B

The ‘I Love My Pet 2013’ contest winners are announced in a full color insert inside today’s newspaper. — INSERT

Poll: 44 percent oppose A&P Tax opposition 12 percent stronger than support BY JACOB BROWER jbrower@thedailycitizen.com

A recent poll of registered Searcy voters shows that opposition is 12 percent higher than support for the advertising and promotion (A&P) tax proposal that will appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. Of those polled, 44 percent said they will vote against the A&P tax

and 34 percent said they will vote in favor, while 24 percent said they are undecided. The poll was conducted at The Daily Citizen’s office Monday and Thursday nights with the help of eight local residents hired by the newspaper. The poll consisted of 366 successful Please see OPPOSE | 2A

Economy concerns House candidates Biviano, Osborne: Focus should be off natural gas industry

RUNNERS TACKLE LIZARD LICK 5K

BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@thedailycitizen.com

A group of runners go down the water slide together at the Lizard Lick 5K in Judsonia Saturday morning. This is the first year for the race, whose proceeds of which benefit Kids First in Searcy. Kyle Talley (left) and Johnathon Burgess clear one of the final hurdles at the Lizard Lick 5K in Judsonia Saturday morning. Talley finished first in the opening group of runners. The 5K race featured 31 obstacles for runners to overcome.

Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@thedailycitizen.com

Irrigation helping White County soybeans thrive BY KYLE TROUTMAN

Soybeans

White County farmer Keith Feather said his soybean crop is a little above average this year, citing irrigation as the major reason why. Feather has 600 acres of soybeans and said his system of furrow irrigation is what’s led to the high yield. “Keeping everything irrigated

White County soybean farmers are in line for an average yield, especially for farmers who have irrigated their crops. is the key to growing any crop in our types of soil,” he said. Feather said he uses poly pipe throughout his land, using a computer program through the cooperative extension service to

WEATHER

Today: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph in the morning...increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

determine how many holes to punch into the pipe and what size the holes are to ensure proper irrigation. “When we put water in the poly pipe, it expands,” he said.

Please see CONCERNS | 2A

Debate What: Arkansas Congressional District 2 debate When: Will broadcast 8 p.m. Tuesday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4. Network: AETN

Daily Citizen editor to serve on debate panel The Daily Citizen

“We water the soybeans once per week and during the peak of the heat, we water about every five days.” Keith Martin, White County Cooperative Extension Service agent, said White County farmers’ yields will depend largely on whether they were irrigated.

Jacob Brower, editor of The Daily Citizen, will be one of three panelists for an Arkansas House District 2 congressional debate Tuesday. T h e 90-minute debate is Brower sponsored by the Arkansas Educational Tele-

Please see SOYBEANS | 3A

Please see EDITOR | 3A

Local farmers in line for average yield despite drought ktroutman@thedailycitizen.com

In the past five years, White County has been one of six counties in the state to greatly benefit from the natural gas industry in the Fayetteville Shale Play. But the economic boom from that in- Biviano dustry is slowly dwindling, as the price of natural gas decreases and the amount of gas drilling increases, causing a surplus in the industry. Because of Osborne

INDEX NATION & STATE, 2A OPINIONS, 4A LIFESTYLES, 5A CALENDAR/OBITUARIES, 6A SPORTS, 1B CLASSIFIEDS, 5B

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What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. PLUTARCH Greek philiosopher

”

Page 2A • Sunday, October 21, 2012

The Daily Citizen

FROM PAGE ONE News in brief

CONCERNS that overabundance, State Rep. Mark Biviano, R-Searcy, and challenger Kyle Osborne, D-Searcy, think that the county and the state need to look at other ways to continue the steady economy. “We have to realize that the business has obviously slowed down,” Biviano said. “It doesn’t mean that opportunities aren’t there or that the investments aren’t there. We have to look at the economic conditions in our county. There’s oversupply (in the natural gas industry) and less demand.” Osborne said he thinks that the gas industry will always be in the county. “There will come a time in the future when natural gas prices will come back up and a lot of these companies will come back to Searcy,” Osborne said. “As far as the county and city depending on them — we can’t deny the fact that it has had a huge impact on our local economy. I sincerely don’t believe that the county and the city have prepared their budgets expecting the gas industry to shore them up.” The change in the natural gas industry isn’t just political rhetoric. In 2008, natural gas was $10.36 per thousand cubic feet. As of July 2012, it was $2.59. With the price of natural gas so low, many companies have left areas where they were only excavating natural gas to areas where they can drill for natural gas and oil. When gas companies leave, the supporting companies usually leave as well, such as in August

when Weatherford Industries left Searcy and put 90 people out of work. Until the gas companies come back, Osborne said Searcy officials should work on getting the empty factory buildings filled in the city. “Somebody should be working with the Arkansas Department of Economic Development and the Searcy Chamber of Commerce and get some type of industry back in these buildings,” Osborne said. “If elected, that would be a priority of mine to get these people back to work. We have to do everything in our power to get businesses back in our community and get these people back to work.” He said one of the big incentives the state does have for putting people back to work is Gov. Mike Beebe’s Quick Action Fund. “Thank God for that,” he said. “Otherwise, Shulze and Burch wouldn’t have reopened Yarnell’s.” Biviano’s plan for bringing jobs back to the area is more dynamic, as he thinks the way to get jobs to the area starts first on a statewide level in making the state more attractive to businesses. He thinks there are five steps to help bring industry back to the state. The first is to improve the business tax climate. “We have to improve our tax climate in order to attract business in the state,” Biviano said. He said that when combined, Arkansas’s individual, corporate, sales and use tax and property tax rates put the state in the lower third of the country

when compared to other states. According to the Tax Foundation, Arkansas is No. 33 on the state business tax climate index. It ranks higher than Oklahoma, but lower than Louisiana. Mississippi, Kansas, Tennessee, Missouri and Texas all rank higher. The foundation states that the absence of a major tax is dominant factor in the states that were ranked in the top 10, which included Texas. “Property taxes and unemployment insurance taxes are levied in every state, but there are several states that do without one or more of the major taxes: the corporate tax, the individual income tax, or the sales tax,” states the foundation on its website. “Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota have no corporate or individual income tax; Alaska has no individual income or statelevel sales tax; Florida has no individual income tax; and New Hampshire and Montana have no sales tax.” The second step is to improve the number of skilled workers. Biviano said he wants to create some kind of partnership between universities and private industries to help students learn job skills. He also would like to designate a certain amount of the lottery scholarship funds toward students who are learning a skilled trade. The third step, Biviano said, is to reduce regulation in the state. “In the last regular session, there were six bills regulating the gas indus-

try, which could have had a negative effect on the industry,” he said. The fourth step is to promote the state’s assets. “We have a lot of major companies in Arkansas,” he said. “We need to engage those corporate entities to help engage the public.” He said that because of the number of industries Searcy already has involved in food production, he would like to see the city become a hub of that type of similar manufacturing. Finally, he said he would like to more aggressively use incentives at the state level, such as the Beebe’s Quick Action Closing Fund, which was alloted to him by the state legislature to give incentives to businesses that are adding jobs in the state. Biviano said he would also like to see more investment in start-up companies. “Searcy has a lot of assets,” he said. “It’s a college town. It has a regional medical center. It has a reasonable cost of living, good housing, and a close proximity to Little Rock and Memphis. It has fairly good infrastructure and vacant facilities. We have to do those five steps in order to attract businesses to Arkansas and then it will give White County the opportunity to compete for those businesses.” Biviano and Osborne will face off on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. District 46 encompasses the cities of Searcy and Kensett. Early voting begins 8 a.m. Monday at the White County Courthouse.

Searcy. We’re going to try to get the word out to everybody on what this is really about.” Raney said he takes exception to signs funded by the Independent Tea Party of White County’s A&P tax committee calling A&P a food tax. The tax will only be applied to prepared foods, meaning food or beverages that are sold in different forms than they arrive at a business. Therefore, most grocery items will not be taxed.

“It’s a half truth and, sometimes, a half truth is worse than a whole lie,” Raney said. Ernie Blount, chairman of the Independent Tea Party of White County, said he was disappointed by Raney’s remarks. “Look who’s talking?” he said. “I would like to remind them if they want to get ugly, we can get ugly too. We’ve kept it a really clean fight so far. It’s a tax on food. That’s a food tax. When we say it’s a ‘forever tax,’ when has an A&P tax

been repealed? It will be there from now on.” Blount said he was pleased with the results of the poll. “I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said. “I thought it would be really close, within 1 or 2 percent. I think it shows that people see the truth about what the tax is for.” If passed, A&P tax funds would be allocated to Searcy parks and recreation. The tax would collect 1 percent from prepared foods and 3 percent

from hotels and motels. The tax would go into effect July 1, 2013, and does not have a sunset. Early voting begins 8 a.m. Monday at the White County Courthouse.

CONTINUED FROM 1A

El Dorado man slain, pickup truck stolen EL DORADO (AP) — An El Dorado man was found dead inside his residence, and police are investigating the death as a homicide and searching for the victim’s truck, which was reported missing. A relative discovered Benjamin C. Taylor, 48, covered in blood inside Taylor’s residence Friday morning, according to Capt. Kevin Holt, public information officer for the El Dorado Police Department. Union County Coroner Curtis Butterfield pronounced Taylor dead at the scene. Holt declined to comment on the type of injuries Taylor sustained, saying that his body will be sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for an autopsy. Holt said investigators were still piecing together details Friday afternoon and did not yet have solid leads on a possible suspect or motive. He said police were working to determine how long Taylor had been dead before being discovered by his adult son.

Arkansas growers slow to plant winter wheat JONESBORO (AP) — Arkansas agriculture officials say growers have been slow to get winter wheat into the ground because of rainy weather and because some are still busy harvesting. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

specialist Jason Kelley says there is still about two to three weeks to plant winter wheat. Kelley says winter wheat can even be planted late and still generate a good yield if conditions are right. The Jonesboro Sun reports that UA economist Scott Stiles says wheat acres are expected to rise in Arkansas for the 2012-13 crop year. He predicts 15 percent increase that would equal 621,000 acres, which is the 2011 level. Arkansas producers harvested 540,000 acres of wheat in spring 2012.

Regulators order ouster of One Bank & Trust chairman LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has issued its third regulatory sanction in 21 months against One Bank & Trust of Little Rock, ordering its chairman and sole shareholder to be dismissed immediately and relinquish all bank property. The “prompt corrective action directive” was issued against One Bank on Sept. 28 but was not publicly released until Friday. The directive gave Layton Stuart, also the bank’s chief executive officer and president, 24 hours to “relinquish any bank-owned or bank-issued property in his possession” or at “any distant location.”

OPPOSE CONTINUED FROM 1A

telephone interviews, resulting in a 5 percent margin of error, meaning that poll results could be 2-1⁄2 percentage points higher or lower than reported. The polling sample, methodology and questions were compiled with the help of Tom Howard, Harding University distinguished professor emeritus of political science. People polled were asked the following questions: “Barring any unforeseen circumstance, will you definitely vote in the Nov. 6 general election?” and “If the election were held today, would you vote for or against the

A&P tax?” People who answered “no” on the first question were not asked the second question and the interview was not considered successful. Alderman Don Raney, who proposed the tax in July, said he is surprised by the numbers, but will work to get the tax passed in the days leading up to the election. “I’m a little surprised, but that just reinforces us to press on in the last couple of weeks until the election and see if we can get people to vote in favor of the tax,” he said. “We have various groups walking neighborhoods and as many homes as we can in

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The

Daily Citizen TheDailyCitizen.com

Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

RAIDERS PREP FOR RAMBLERS’ OFFENSE HARDING AIMS TO CONNECT RECENT GRADS Riverview is hoping to move back to .500 in conference play with a road win Friday. — PAGE 1B

Harding has launched a new program that aims to keep graduates from the last 10 years connected. — PAGE 3A

Mayor’s approval 65 percent 10 percent disapprove, 25 percent have no opinion BY JACOB BROWER jbrower@thedailycitizen.com

A recent poll shows that 65 percent of registered Searcy voters approve of David Morris’ performance as Searcy mayor nearly two years into his first term. Of the 35 percent polled who said they do not approve, 10 percent said they disapprove of Morris’ performance as mayor while 25 percent said they have no opinion. Please see APPROVAL | 3A

Morris

WHITE COUNTY VOTERS TAKE TO THE POLLS

A&P proposal different than 2009 Direct referral to voters, no commission among differences BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@thedailycitizen.com

Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@thedailycitizen.com

Election Official Bethany Sellers assists Joyce Gaskin of Bald Knob as she prepares to cast her vote in the general election Monday. Early voting began Monday and will continue today through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Voting resumes Monday, Oct. 29, and will continue through Friday, Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Election Day, Nov. 6, all precincts will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. White County voters cast their ballots Monday afternoon at the White County Courthouse.

Searcy is no stranger to advertising and promotion (A&P) taxes, but the proposed A&P tax on this year’s ballot has differences form the proposal submitted in 2009. One of the biggest differences is how the tax has been proposed. In 2009, the council voted to pass the tax because it is the only tax that can be passed directly by the council. However, an uproar over the tax lead to a special vote and an end to the tax, which had garnered nearly $460,000 in five months of 2010. This time around, Alderman Don Raney, who proposed the tax, made sure it would head to the general election ballot for the people to have a say. Please see DIFFERENT | 3A

Rep. Webb supports marijuana measure Associated Press

Kyle Troutman/ktroutman@thedailycitizen.com

Early voting begins for Arkansas election BY ANDREW DEMILLO Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin predicted that 65 percent of voters will cast a ballot in the Nov. 6 election, as residents began voting early throughout the state Monday. A spokesman for Martin’s office said he didn’t expect the

turnout to be much higher than the 64.5 percent who cast a ballot in the 2008 presidential election. The state has about 1.6 million registered voters. “We are predicting about the same because we appear to not be a target state, just as we were not presidentially in 2008. But the state legislative races will more than likely increase turn-

out due to the large focus put on those races by both sides,” spokesman Alex Reed said. “But it is, after all, just a prediction.” Registered voters can cast their ballots early through Nov. 5 in an election that has focused more on local matchups and ballot measures than the presidential contest. President Barack Obama remains deeply

unpopular in the state, and Republican Mitt Romney is widely expected to win Arkansas’ six electoral votes. Much of the focus in Arkansas has been on dozens of House and Senate races around the state. Republicans believe they’re poised to win control of the state Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction.

INDEX NATION & STATE, 2A OPINIONS, 4A LIFESTYLES, 5A CALENDAR/OBITUARIES, 6A SPORTS, 1B CLASSIFIEDS, 5B

“

LITTLE ROCK — A state legislator who co-chairs the Joint Budget Committee says she supports a ballot measure that would legalize medical marijuana in Arkansas. Democratic Rep. Kathy Webb of Little Rock told The Associated Press on Monday that she voted for the proposal that, if approved, would make Arkansas the first southern state to legalize medical marijuana. Webb cast her ballot on the first day of early voting. Webb said she didn’t plan on campaigning for the measure. The proposal has faced opposition from elected officials from both parties. Webb is term-limited and not running for re-election this year, but said she would have voted for it even if she was running. The proposal would allow patients with qualifying conditions to buy marijuana from nonprofit dispensaries with a doctor’s recommendation.

The man who removes the mountain begins by carrying away small stones. WILLIAM FAULKNER American novelist

”

The Daily Citizen

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 • Page 3A

FROM PAGE ONE

Program launched to connect graduates

Taxes to go up in 2013 for workers

Harding University has launched a new program that specifically aims to keep graduates of the last 10 years connected to the university. Generation HU is based on three platforms of networking, serving, and giving — each one furnishing alumni opportunities to continue a relationship with the university. The program supplies several networking services to young alumni that include providing job search support, offering resume consultation, creating professional connections, and finding alumni a place both socially and professionally in a new area. “When students graduate from Harding, they become part of a very large network,” said Dr. Mike Williams, vice president of University Advancement. “Our goal with Generation HU is to engage young alumni in a meaningful and beneficial way. They can provide the university with tremendous counsel to help us stay relevant in the marketplace. By giving their time, talent and financial resources, they make a tremendous impact on the next generation of Harding graduates.” As a part of serving,

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama isn’t talking about it and neither is Mitt Romney. But come January, 163 million workers can expect to feel the pinch of a big tax increase regardless of who wins the election. A temporary reduction in Social Security payroll taxes is due to expire at the end of the year and hardly anyone in Washington is pushing to extend it. Neither Obama nor Romney has proposed an extension, and it probably wouldn’t get through Congress anyway, with lawmakers in both parties down on the idea. Even Republicans who have sworn off tax increases have little appetite to prevent one that will cost a typical worker about $1,000 a year, and twoearner family with sixfigure incomes as much as $4,500. Why are so many politicians sour on continuing the payroll tax break? Republicans question whether reducing the tax two years ago has done much to stimulate the sluggish economy. Politicians from both parties say they are concerned that it threatens the independent revenue stream that funds Social Security. They are backed by powerful advocates for seniors, including AARP, who adamantly oppose any extension. “The payroll tax holiday was intended to be temporary and there is strong bipartisan support to let that

BY STEPHEN OHLEMACHER Associated Press

Generation HU Harding has launched a new program specifically aims to keep graduates of the last 10 years connected to the university. Generation HU will host Bisons for Christ Nationwide, an extension of the University’s annual day of service in the spring. This event will facilitate service projects led by University alumni across the country. In addition to giving money, the program also encourages alumni to visit campus, interact with students, and share professional experiences in classes. “We want young alumni to see Harding as a resource for job help, a place that holds a lot of memories, and a university that is still working to help them after graduation,” said Jordan Smith, young alumni associate. For more information people may contact Smith at (501) 279-4860 or visit www.harding. edu/generationhu.

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California gestures during a news conference Sept. 13 on Capitol Hill in Washington. A temporary reduction in Social Security payroll taxes is due to expire at the end of the year and hardly anyone in Washington is pushing to extend it. tax provision expire,” said Sen. Orrin of Utah, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. “The continued extension of a temporary payroll tax holiday has serious long-term implications for Social Security and, frankly, it’s not even clear that it has helped to boost our ailing economy.” The question of renewing the payroll tax cut has been overshadowed by the expiration of a much bigger package of tax cuts first enacted under President George W. Bush. The Bush-era tax cuts also expire at the end of the year, and Congress is expected to try to address them after the election, in a lame-

duck session. The payroll tax cut could become part of the mix in negotiations that could go in many directions. But lawmakers in both political parties say they doubt it. “I think there’s a growing consensus that Congress and the president can’t continue to divert such a critical revenue stream from Social Security,” said Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, a senior Republican on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. “I think more and more Americans understand that that payroll tax cut, while politically appealing, is endangering Social Security.” Before he was named as

Romney’s running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., disparaged the payroll tax cut, calling it “sugar-high economics” that wouldn’t promote long-term growth. Social Security is funded by a 12.4 percent tax on wages up to $110,100, rising to $113,700 in 2013. Half is paid by employers and the other half is paid by workers. For 2011 and 2012, Congress and Obama cut the share paid by workers from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent. A worker making $50,000 saved $1,000 a year, or a little more than $19 a week. A worker making $100,000 saved $2,000 a year.

meaning results could be 2 1⁄2 percentage points higher or lower than reported. The polling sample and methodology was compiled with the help of Tom Howard, Harding University distinguished professor emeritus of political science. Morris said he is pleased with the poll’s re-

sults. “I am tickled to death,” he said. “On any given day, I would think disapproval would be 30 percent. Myself, the city council and all the city departments have strived to work together and make improvements, given that the city’s finances have not been in the best of shape. I think people have

recognized that.” Morris took office on Jan. 1, 2011. He was elected in a runoff against then-incumbent mayor Belinda LaForce in November 2010, winning 60 percent to 40 percent. Morris’ four-year term expires Dec. 31, 2014. He is eligible to run for reelection.

this year’s A&P vote. “People did not like the A&P commission because they weren’t elected by the people,” he said. “This is a provision for the A&P tax [revenues] to be put in a special fund handled by the city council to avoid objections.” The A&P tax proposed this year is also more specific in its uses than the 2009 tax. According to Morris, this year’s tax revenues are specifically spent on the parks system, and may not be used for advertising, tourism and promotion. However, Searcy Parks and Recreation Director Brian Smith said the city will not abandon those expenditures. “On thing we’ve tried talking to hotels and restaurants about is assuring we would focus on advertising, tourism and promotion,” Smith said. “But, the money for that will have to come from the general fund and not from the A&P tax.” Morris said A&P revenues may only be spent on acquisition, construction, improvements and maintenance of the parks

system. Smith said there’s also a major difference in the planning, with the list of concerns in the 2009 proposal including trying to fund a new civic center and pool. “This time, we specifically ruled out a civic center or pool because there’s not enough funds, and now, we’re being attacked for not including it,” he said. “The pool, drainage and other things will have to be done by the city, and this A&P tax would bring our parks up to current standards.” Smith said the department has identified a few more needs for the parks, but the proposed five-year plan is nearly identical to the plan offered in 2009. “That’s just an indicator that we haven’t accomplished a lot, and that’s because we have limited

revenues,” Smith said. Raney said his understanding all along is that the A&P tax does not provide enough funding for a new pool, which is why it’s not included in the plan. “Money for that will have to come from somewhere else,” he said. If passed, the tax would collect 1 percent from prepared foods and 3 percent from hotels and motels. The tax would go into effect July 1, 2013, and does not have a sunset. Early voting began Monday and will continue today through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Voting resumes Monday, Oct. 29, and will continue through Friday, Nov. 2 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Election Day, Nov. 6, all precincts will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

APPROVAL CONTINUED FROM 1A

The poll was conducted at The Daily Citizen’s office on Monday, Oct. 15, and Thursday with the help of eight local residents hired by the newspaper. The poll consisted of 365 successful telephone interviews, resulting in a 5 percent margin of error,

DIFFERENT CONTINUED FROM 1A

“One of the objections people had to the old A&P is that it was put in by the city council, and if that was an objection, we said let’s secure that by referring it to the citizens,” he said. “People also had concerns about the 2009 A&P tax because the did not like that it was voted on in a special election, so this time, we proposed it to be on the general election ballot in November.” Referring the vote to the people also squashed another objection to the 2009 tax — the A&P commission. Letting the people vote on the tax allows the revenue generated to be placed in the city’s funds and managed by city officials, rather than having to set up an A&P commission comprised of unelected officials to handle the money. “This A&P tax was specially designed to allow the council to dictate how the revenues are used,” said Mayor David Morris. Raney said the council considered previous objections when proposing

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The Daily Citizen

OPINIONS

Our Views

Results make poll deniers look silly

hen historians look back on the 2012 elections, they will certainly get a hearty chuckle over this year’s so-called polling controversies. National polls showing President Barack Obama with a lead in his re-election bid were derided by people who did not like what they saw. Many conservative commentators said that the polls were inaccurate and over-sampled Democrats. A West Virginia man even launched a website, UnskewedPolls. com, using cherry-picked data from polls showing an Obama lead to indicate that Gov. Mitt Romney was actually winning by wide margins. Instead of laughing off this ridiculous website, some in the national media took an ill-advised leap onto the liberal polling bias bandwagon. Bad move. Turns out, the pollsters were right all along, and deniers of math and science look silly today. We wish we could say we’re surprised, but we’re not. At The Daily Citizen, we are no strangers to manufactured polling controversies. Since the 2010 election cycle, we have run six political polls. Each poll has been publicly criticized for one reason or another, the most recent of which was the Searcy A&P tax poll. Alderman Don Raney, the mastermind behind the A&P proposal, attempted to discredit the poll in a recent town hall meeting for only surveying respondents who use landline telephones. The declining use of landline phones was obviously something we considered when deciding whether to conduct the poll. If there was any evidence that non-landline users were more likely or less likely to support the A&P tax than landline users, we would have scrapped the poll entirely or chosen a different methodology. Of course, that was not the case. The A&P tax was simply a bad proposal that failed to gain traction with Searcy voters. Instead of recognizing the A&P’s shortcomings or reconsidering how the tax was being promoted, Raney simply denied evidence he didn’t like. The other poll we conducted during the recent general election cycle was in the House District 46 race between Republican Mark Biviano and Democrat Kyle Osborne. Instead of conducting polling on Monday and Tuesday nights as usual, we did polling on a Monday and Thursday to avoid conflicting with Karl Rove’s visit to Harding University that Tuesday, and Wednesday church services. People don’t answer their phones when they attend public

presentations, and people who are willing to take time out of their week to listen to Rove speak are likely Republicans. There is no evidence that House 46 Republicans are more likely to attend Wednesday night church services than Democrats, but pushing the second day of polling back to Thursday eliminated any real or perceived risk. In what should be a surprise to no one, our A&P tax and House District 46 polls accurately reflected the ultimate outcome of both elections. Prior to this general election cycle, our polls accurately reflected the order of finish in the 2012 White County Judge Republican primary, the 2012 White County Clerk Republican primary, and the 2010 Searcy general mayoral election — twice. While it may appear that we’re bragging, we’re not. We simply wish to point out that our 6-0 record is not due to sheer luck. We used scientific methodology, as any legitimate pollster would. Like any news organization, we don’t like being wrong. A belief that any legitimate polling organization or mainstream media outlet would willfully risk its reputation out of carelessness or a desire to push a political agenda is simply conspiratorial hogwash. Each election cycle, after the final votes have been tallied, we wait for apologies — or at least admissions of guilt — from poll deniers. Alas, they never come. Unfortunately, the same mindset that allows people to deny math and science allows people the same hubris to pretend they were right all along. As the old saying goes, “You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts.” Sadly, this may be becoming a thing of the past. Technology helps in the spread of misinformation, and the aforementioned UnskewedPolls. com is a perfect example. Far too many people only gather information from “news sources” that tell them what they want to hear, regardless of factual accuracy. Being informed has taken a back seat to having one’s beliefs reaffirmed. Even when claims from the alternative media are proven to be false or misleading, faithful followers vigorously defend the lies and those who tell them — all the while decrying “bias” in the mainstream media, with no sense of irony. It is truly sad to see how far we’ve fallen. History will decide in due time whether voters made wise decisions on Tuesday. Until then, we just hope that the results of Tuesday’s elections stopped — or at least slowed — our descent into becoming a post-fact world. — The Daily Citizen

To announce an event for your group or organization in the calendar, mail (3000 East Race, Searcy, AR 72143), e-mail (editor@thedailycitizen.com), or fax (501268-6277) your information to The Daily Citizen. Please tell us what the event is, who is holding the event, and when and where the event will be held. Also include a contact phone number for readers to call for more information. Items must be received one week in advance. Contact us at 2688621, 1-800-400-3142 The Daily Citizen (ISSN 0747-0401) Periodicals postage paid at Searcy, Ark. Published daily and Sunday (except Monday) by The Daily Citizen, 3000 E. Race, Searcy, AR 72143. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Citizen, P.O. Box 1379, Searcy, AR 72145. The entire contents of each issue of The Daily Citizen are protected under the federal copyright act. Reproduction of any portion of any issue will not be permitted without express permission of The Daily Citizen.

Local Views

Remembering Papa Perrin Jones apa was a real character. At times, he was an absolute scream. He had quite an eclectic sense of style, which manifested itself most evidently in his wardrobe. As a little girl, I loved his berets and furry Russian hats. The entire back end of his old BMW was a history lesson in and of itself, complete with political stickers kept on long after campaigns had passed. We would zip through the streets of Little Rock in that car, listening to old show tunes and Frank Sinatra. When he shifted gears, the experience was one similar to whiplash. He liked to “feel the road,” he said. That old house on West Academy was an enchanted fortress in the eyes of a child. It was a great place to

LIBBY CLARK hunt Easter eggs. Papa had a green thumb, and he loved his tiny, hot peppers. I remember a potted banana tree inside that old house. I don’t recall if it ever produced any bananas, but it fascinated me just the same. He would sit with me on the front steps while I threw sticks in the road. We picked tulips in the springtime and raked big piles of leaves in the fall. The bamboo that grew in the yard was my Hundred Acre Wood. I learned of Auntie Mame, Dorothy Gale and the real Doctor Dolittle (Rex Harrison) in that old house. I remember

him cracking open crab legs for me when I could barely reach the table. He would let me “cook” with all of his spices, mixing up whatever concoctions my little heart desired. I loved to dress up in my Tigger costume, bridal veil, and knight in shining armor outfit. His big dog, a Saluki named Raaz, was my trusty steed. Papa bought an Easter dress for me every year. He always made sure I had a corsage, too. When he moved to Little Rock, he took me ice skating every weekend for many years. We went to Razorback football games. Before the River Market, there was the Arkansas Children’s Museum and Spaghetti Warehouse. I loved visiting the Territorial Restoration downtown. I felt important when he would let me tag along to the Attorney General’s office with him. He took me to

New Orleans to hear real jazz musicians. He made me try caviar for the first time, which was also my last. We loved going to the movies and going out to eat. Every time I go out for sushi, I always think of him. I will treasure the memories I have of him always. He did so much for me. All that he did, he did not have to do, as I was of no blood relation to him. But still, he embraced me as his grandchild, “The Little One,” and loved me like I was his own. That is a true testament to his character. He was such a sweet soul with a heart of gold. I will miss him dearly. “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” -Thomas Campbell Libby Clark of Searcy is the granddaughter of the late Perrin Jones, often referred to in his columns as the “The Little One.”

State Views

Abandoned at birth, now she saves others Have you ever heard the starfish story? An old man and a boy are walking along the beach. The tide has receded, and thousands of starfish are dying in the sun. The boy reaches down and tosses one into the ocean. The old man asks him why he bothers; he can never save them all. “You’re right,” the boy says, picking up another starfish and throwing it in the ocean. “But I saved that one.” Lydia Miles of Little Rock tells that story. She’s been both the starfish and the little boy. Born with a cleft palate and abandoned by her parents as a baby, Lydia spent her first eight-plus years in an Asian orphanage. She was well cared for, but she didn’t seem destined to have a family until one day when a tall, blond, curly haired American woman arrived to take her across the ocean to her new home. Linda Miles and her husband, Jim, already had four children, but they had room for one more, and so Lydia grew up an American girl. Certainly, there was an adjustment period when she arrived and a questioning period as she reached her teenage years. But thanks to her faith in God and her supportive parents, she thrived. Nice story. One starfish saved. Then a few years ago, Lydia returned to that same orphanage with an American family that was adopting a little boy there. She was, in fact,

STEVE BRAWNER the first orphan to return to visit after going overseas. She’s been back twice during the past two years to serve in a nearby orphanage – the first time for three months, and recently for a year. Her job was to take care of medically fragile babies. She often worked overnight shifts feeding those tiny mouths, which sometimes took a long time. Some were born with serious birth defects and couldn’t survive long without her close attention. Some didn’t survive even with her close attention. When that happened, she said, there was a period of mourning, but, “In the bigger picture, we understood that God had another plan for the child.” And then she went back to saving the ones she could. Worldwide, there are millions of children like Lydia who need homes, but there are also many in Arkansas. On any given day, 4,500 kids in this state are in foster care, but only 1,100 foster families are potentially available to take care of them. The group, Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime (The CALL) (www. thecallinarkansas.org), sprung up to meet that need in 2007. Its mission is to mobilize churches one at a time to find foster and adoptive homes for kids. From a single Pulaski

County chapter, it’s grown to 25 counties. The group’s executive director, Lauri Currier, told me that 450 families so far have become certified to receive foster children thanks to The CALL. For many children, their best hope is to get out of the foster system and find a forever family. The state maintains a website, the Arkansas Heart Gallery (dhs.arkansas.gov/dcfs/ heartgallery) with pictures of kids waiting for a home. But fostering and adopting are major commitments. Currier said that families who want to do less, but do something, can help in other ways, and they can contact her office to get plugged in. They can relieve foster families for a few days, for example, or take kids to the doctor. They can volunteer to file papers at a Department of Human Services office. They can even bake a cake. As Currier put it, “Lots of

kids in foster care haven’t ever celebrated a birthday before.” Now 25, Lydia said her trips to her homeland have brought her full circle. She’s gone from being the abandoned child to caring for abandoned children. Someday, she hopes to adopt her own. In fact, she’s hoping to have “a rainbow family” with kids from many varied backgrounds. Why bother? Because even though she can’t save every child, she can save some. After all, she could have been one of those forgotten kids without a family to call her own. But, in the bigger picture, God had another plan for that child. Steve Brawner is an independent journalist in Arkansas. His blog — Independent Arkansas — is linked at arkansasnews. com. His e-mail address is brawnersteve@mac.com

Serving our readers since 1854 Mike Murphy Publisher Jacob Brower Editor

Contact us: ■ Publisher Mike Murphy: mmurphy@thedailycitizen.com ■ Editor Jacob Brower: jbrower@thedailycitizen.com ■ News Editor Wendy Jones: editor@thedailycitizen.com ■ Sports Editor Harrison Keegan: hkeegan@thedailycitizen.com

The purpose of the Opinions page is to provide a forum of various viewpoints. We encourage letters to the editor, but ask that submissions be 250 words or less. The opinions of columnists are not necessarily shared by our staff. If you have an opinion, send a letter to Editor, The Daily Citizen, 3000 East Race, Searcy, AR 72143 or by e-mail to editor@thedailycitizen.com