Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Tuesday line
Open for business.
NEWS NOTE: The University of Central Arkansas today issued a brief news release acknowledging that the UCA Board of Trustees had briefly discussed in executive session a matter not allowable under the FOI. It was apparently a brief discussion of a report issued today by the Higher Learning Commission, a national accrediting agency. UCA had late last week issued a news release summarizing the report. UCA continues to be accredited, but continuing monitoring is required of the school's efforts to rebuild its financial position from difficulties of the Lu Hardin era, among other issues. In that regard, UCA said earlier today that Moody's Investors Services continued to maintain a stable rating for the school.
The Board's discussion was specifically about a section of the report criticizing Board performance of its oversight role. A draft of the report had been distributed to Board members by UCA President Allen Meadors.
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Politics Jail escapee on the loose
- BRYAN JONES
He's on the loose at this hour. He's said to be 5 feet 7 inches, 130 pounds, shoeless, wearing blue pants and a white shirt and perhaps still has a handcuff on one wrist. He was arrested in May for abducting a former girlfriend from Central High School. She received minor injuries in the course of escaping from his car in North Little Rock.
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J.B. Hunt gives $5 million to Children's
J.B. Hunt Transport Services' $5 million gift for a new wing at Arkansas Children's Hospital was officially announced by the company today. Word had leaked out last week.
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Drugs Pot and booze at the UA CORRECTION
Interesting report from KFSM-TV. Penalties for misdemeanor possession of marijuana and alcohol have been equalized at the University of Arkansas. The UA was said, in this KFSM report, to be the first university to take this step. (Alcohol is a legal substance, of course, but there are a range of offenses possible — minor in possession, providing alcohol to a minor, public intoxication and others.)
UPDATE AND CORRECTION: You can apparently put this story down to a student's over-exuberance. Whatever discussions may have been held about an equivalent policy on pot and alcohol, it was not approved by the final authorities. The dissemination of the story prompted an official statement of denial from the UA:
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The media have reported that certain changes to the guidelines for marijuana and alcohol sanctions on campus have been equalized. This information is not accurate. No changes have been made to university policies having to do with alcohol or drug violations. While certain revisions to existing policy have been considered by various campus organizations and groups, none of them were ever approved by the university administration.The university is constantly looking at ways to address student alcohol and drug violations in a comprehensive manner. The sanctioning guidelines for violations are in place to educate students and help them understand that all actions have consequences.
The smoking lamp is NOT lit.
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Education Legislature punts on school funding
It's official. A joint legislative committee isn't ready to put a price tag on what educational adequacy will cost in fiscal 2011-12. More study is required, at least until some time after the November election.
I think it is possible to argue that certainty about inflation indexes and revenue is elusive these days. But ... adequacy remains a legal term that, in theory, isn't adjustable to economic fortunes.
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Health Care So much for the health care bounce
The unrelenting, high-dollar organized opposition plays a part, of course. But I thought the advent of the valuable aspects of health care reform would slowly increase positive feelings about health legislation. It's not happening.
The only good news is that one recent poll still shows only a third favoring speedy repeal of the law. That means most are willing to give it a chance to work.
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Little Rock Government Mayor Stodola's glass: Half full
I gather Mayor Mark Stodola thinks our report on his first term as "strong mayor" wasn't sufficiently worshipful. He particularly objects to failure to include favorable mentions of Little Rock in various national ratings (some with tenuous connections at best to city leadership and some, such as cheap prices, that are counter-indicative of growth and prosperity).
So read on for his upbeat assessment of a city battling budget woes with depleted city staff. (He did omit that recent Moody's report that said Little Rock could be cruising for a double-dip recession.)
He also didn't highlight the marvelous job the city has done converting its lost minor league baseball franchise to a sparkling new park oasis.
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Mike Huckabee Mike Huckabee: Saying and doing
Under a headline, "Is Mike Huckabee Nuts?", a Huffington Post writer says:
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee wants to turn the United States back over to God and Jesus.Huckabee actually said this in a just released 60 second commercial for Lou Engle's "The Call."
In the spot Huckabee says, "Fast and pray and turn this nation back to God, as Jesus is our only hope." He goes on to tell everyone to go to Sacramento and fast and pray for the sanctity of marriage over Labor Day Weekend.
The Huckster will pray for the sanctity of marriage right after he runs to the bank to deposit checks for his TV show, on which he recently showcased an adulterer's website. A source close to Huckabee insists his show receives no advertising from the website, despite what Jason Tolbert said on the blog post linked here.
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Police beat Murder charges announced UPDATE
The State Police this morning announced charges in three murders that occurred in 2009.
The news included charges related to two people — Tammy Lawrence and Ahki Hughes — found dead May 9, 2009 in an SUV near the Crystal Hill exit from I-40 in North Little Rock. David Koon wrote about progress in this case not long ago.
A charge also was announced in the slaying of Barry Glenn Murphy, 48, of Little Rock, who was found in critical condition the same day the SUV was found at Crystal Hill. He died two months later. He was found near an I-440 ramp near Springer Boulevard..
The police are withholding many details on information that led to charges and aren't saying what the connections might be, if any, between the deaths at Crystal Hill and the later death of Murphy.
Three capital murder charges have been filed against Terry Dean Birts, 26, of North Little Rock. A hindering apprehension charge was filed against Broderick Patrick and Kevin O'Donald of North Little Rock and Tavio Garrison of Jacksonville. O'Donald and Patrick are still at large. Birts is in custody in the Dallas County Jail on a federal weapons charge. Garrison is in the state prison unit at Wrightsivlle.
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Arkansas Sports Capgate in a new light
I thought the UA overreacted in pressuring a radio station to discipline a sports show announcer who attended a Hog scrimmage wearing a Florida Gator cap, to Coach Bobby Petrino's apparent displeasure. She was fired.
But I have to evaluate all that in a new light on news from Tennessee, where Coach Derek Dooley allowed only select "respectful" reporters to attend the Vols' mock pre-season game. More troubling than a public university employee establishing such a ground rule for covering a public university's team is the fan commentary on this blog post. Most support Dooley. If a sportswriter isn't on the team, boot his butt, by God.
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Education The Pulaski school debacle
The latest in the rolling disaster area that is the Pulaski County School District is an allegation that suggests a purported sidewalk contractor paid a $100 bribe to school board member Gwen Williams. School Board member Charlie Wood, a fierce opponent of Williams on the School Board teachers union divide and facing a spirited election challenge from pro-union forces, took the lead in releasing the so-far unsourced allegation to the press.
The letter, video and audio that were released present Williams in a decidedly unfavorable light. (Williams has a lawyer — defrocked judge Willard Proctor — and says she'll be explaining all in due course.) Still. An independently filmed and taped citizen sting operation? Disclosure by a politically embattled foe of the target? It's more stench from a district that's already at the putrefaction stage. You sometimes think the solution is to throw the whole mess of them out and start over.
One blogger is already raising questions about the tactic of going to the School Board and press in the midst of the election battles.
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Police beat Three dead in helicopter crash
A State Police report says three people died in the crash of a medical helicopter. The news so far from spokesman Bill Sadler:
At approximately 4:30 AM today (August 31st) the Arkansas State Police was notified of a medical helicopter crash in Van Buren County in the vicinity of 6831 Highway 95, west, near the Scotland community. Van Buren County Sheriffs Deputies are on the scene along with Arkansas State Troopers. The FAA has been notified and will be directing the crash investigation. There are three confirmed fatalities onboard the helicopter. Initial reports indicate the crew was based in Vilonia and was dispatched to Alread to pick-up a patient.
No patients were aboard, the FAA says. Killed were the helicopter crew members.
Air Evac Lifeteam, operator of the service, has identified the dead as flight paramedic Gayla Gregory, flight nurse Kenneth Meyer, Jr., and pilot Kenneth Robertson.
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Monday, August 30, 2010
The line is open
You're up.
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Law Hewlett-Packard pays $55 million in kickback case
The Justice Department today announced Hewlett-Packard had agreed to pay $55 million to settle a lawsuit over kickbacks HP paid to influence federal purchases. The lawsuit was filed by whistle blowers in the federal court in Little Rock.
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Education School spending increase? Maybe not
A legislative panel is backing off an earlier finding that the state needed to increase school spending next year by 2.5 percent and 2.9 percent more the year after that to support a constitutionally adequate education.
Some members thought the group was moving too fast. The recommendation is a chunk of money for a state that has seen a drop in revenues in each of the last two years. But, adequacy is adequacy. The state must pay the cost and then adapt elsewhere, under terms of the Supreme Court's decision on support for education.
With campaigns ahead this fall, I can understand a reluctance to forcefully recommend increased spending for anything, even education, with the inevitable questions about where the money will come from — either taxes or cuts in other popular programs.
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Event Calendar
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Re: Riverfest eve open line
I suspect that what the Stephens study will reveal is that they need to lay…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Riverfest eve open line
Good, eLwood, good.
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Riverfest eve open line
Hussman-Stephens merged Newspaper in NWA bringing in outside "efficiency experts"
"Nearly three years…- on May 24, 2012
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Police close the Occupy Little Rock camp, perhaps the last Occupy encampment on public land.
Fox16 Local News and Weather
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Two LR police officers arrested on federal drug charges.
May 24, 2012Two Little Rock police officers were arrested Thursday on federal drug charges, accusing them of helping possess and distribute 1,400 pounds of marijuana. fox16.com /more/ -
Negligent Homicide and DWI Drugs charged in wreck
May 24, 2012A woman who hit and killed another driver on West Sardis Road Wednesday will be charged with negligent homicide and DWI drugs, according to the Saline County Sheriff’s Office. fox16.com /more/
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