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Bomb report empties courthouse
BOONEVILLE (AP) — Police at Booneville say workers have been allowed to return to the Logan County Courthouse after it was evacuated following a report that a bomb had been spotted in a nearby car.
Fort Smith television station KHOG reports that the courthouse was evacuated Thursday morning after the supposed bomb was reported.
Police said that what a passerby took to be a pipe bomb, spotted in a car, turned out to be a harmless package. Officers said that, after the nature of the package was discovered, people were allowed to return to the courthouse. -
When Helena freezes over
HELENA-WEST HELENA (AP) — An ice rink is to open for four days next month in Helena-West Helena.
The rink is planned to operate Dec. 9-12 at Court Square Park. Tickets will cost $5, and skates will be included. Children 4 and younger will be allowed to skate free with an adult.
The city’s advertising and promotion commission has hired a West Virginia company to set up the synthetic ice rink.
The square is to feature other holiday activities, including photos with Santa, Christmas choirs and a large Christmas tree. -
Legislators skeptical about Medicaid computer plan
LITTLE ROCK (AP) — State legislators are expressing skepticism about a plan to spend $150 million to revamp Arkansas’ Medicaid computerized billing system.
Gov. Mike Beebe included the proposal as part of his budget plans for the next two fiscal years. But legislators say the idea reminds them of a proposed $25 million computer system implemented in 2001 under former Gov. Mike Huckabee.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the system, known as AASIS, had numerous start-up issues and eventually cost about $60 million. -
Elvis building in Fort Smith could go on National Register
FORT SMITH (AP) — The building in which then-U.S. Army inductee Elvis Presley received his first military haircut soon could be on the National Register of Historic Places.
The structure known as Building 803 on the old Fort Chaffee grounds is among 12 being considered by the state review board for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, which will meet Dec. 1.
The building now houses the Chaffee Barbershop Museum, which commemorates Presley’s famed March 1958 haircut and other historical events that occurred at the Army facility. -
AGFC chair sorry for records flap Lawsuit filed by Nelson still ongoing
LITTLE ROCK — The chairman of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission apologized Thursday for trying to impose restrictions on the release of certain public records, although he said he still thinks some agency information should be kept private.
Commission Chairman Craig Campbell read a letter of apology to the legislative committee that oversees the agency’s operations. In it, he took personal responsibility for “bad judgment” in a proposed plan to circumvent parts of the state’s Freedom of Information Act and promised not to pursue similar changes in the future. -
Junior Panthers win three of four against Batesville
HEBER SPRINGS — The home junior high basketball teams won three of four here Thursday night.
The eighth-grade boys provided Batesville with its one victory. Kenton Crawford scored 10 points to help the Junior Pioneers win 29-26. Justin Gallant and Riley Caraway added eight points apiece.
Heber Springs’ seventh- and eighth-grade girls won 23-4 and 26-4, respectively, and the Heber Springs seventh-grade boys won, but a score was not available. -
Junior T-wolves stay undefeated
NEWARK — The Cedar Ridge Junior Timberwolves stuck to their winning ways here Thursday with a 50-38 win over the Newport Greypups.
Spencer Reaves led the 5-0 Timberwolves with 19 points while teammate Cole Crabtree threw in 11.
Cedar Ridge’s seventh-grade boys also remained unbeaten with a 26-14 decision.
Tylin Richmond scored eight points and Austin Reaves added six for the 4-0 squad. -
Sharia scare
Much of the news media seemed bemused or bewildered when Sharron Angle warned of an Islamic-law takeover in America during her unsuccessful bid to unseat Sen. Harry Reid.
Angle was widely ridiculed for citing Frankford, Texas (a town that no longer exists), and Dearborn, Mich. (with a large population of Arab-Americans living under American law), as examples of the imposition of Islamic or sharia law. -
Baber sighting on Main
Rally on Main Street.
Hey, why not? Rallies are the rage. Just stick that title on your next multi-level marketing meeting flyer and maybe, this time, somebody will show up.
OK. It ain’t exactly a rally, in the classical sense. More like a BOOK SIGNING for my new novel, “Purity.” It’ll be Saturday from noon until 2 p.m. at the Paper Chase Book Store on Main Street in Batesville. -
Steady No. 22 MSU faces explosive No. 13 Arkansas
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi State’s 6-game winning streak vaulted the team into the national rankings for the first time since 2001. And during those good times, the Bulldogs thrived off a grinding approach that preached consistency on offense and defense — with few big plays on both sides of the ball.
Then came Alabama, and that plan was shredded — along with the winning streak. -
Correction
Incorrect information was provided to the Guard regarding the Batesville Preservation Association awards as published in Thursday’s edition. Ina Lee Henley was inadvertently left off the award for the addition at Maxfield Cottage at Sixth and Water streets.
Also, the wrong date was listed for the Salado Baptist Church revival. The revival will begin Nov. 28 and run through Dec. 1. -
Child care training offered
NEWPORT — Free training for child care workers, provided by Arkansas State University Childhood Services, will be offered in December and until mid-February at ASU-Newport.
Pre K ELLA (Pre K Early Literacy Learning in Arkansas) will be on Tuesdays from 5 to 9:15 p.m. at the Student/Community Center in the Arkansas Steel Associates Room.
Dates are Dec. 7 and 14, Jan. 4, 11, 18 and 25 and Feb. 1 and 8.
This is 30 hours of free, registered training, with continuing education units available for $10 after completion to those who need them.
