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Ross Hosts Town Hall Meeting at UACCH

Congressman Mike Ross was in Hope Tuesday (8-31) for a Town Hall meeting at UACCH.  Ross noted he is continuing the meetings across the 4th District and he is hearing a lot of the same concerns from his constituents.  These include stopping deficit spending by the federal government, curbing illegal immigration, and working to provide more jobs for citizens.  Ross ranks 2nd among congressman nationally in the number of town hall meetings he hosts annually.  He is in the midst of a hosting 35 such meetings in the 29 counties he serves.

Texarkana Woman Finds 6 Foot Alligator in Driveway

Tina Brewer says her Great Dane wasn't just woofin' when he set up a racket in the front yard of her home. Brewer said she went out to the front yard about 3 a.m. Tuesday when the dog, named Sir Harley Rhodes, began barking furiously. Brewer said she didn't see anything amiss until she noticed a dark object moving in her driveway. She said the object turned out to be a six-foot alligator. According to Brewer, she contacted police, who then notified state Game & Fish Commission Wildlife Technician Mike Harris. Harris, who captured the alligator, said it appeared to have taken refuge in Brewer's yard after having been struck by a vehicle. But he said the animal's wounds didn't appear severe – the worst was about a foot of missing tail - and he released it near the Red River at Fulton.

El Dorado, Ark., police looking into woman's death

El Dorado police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in her home last week with what appeared to be two gunshot wounds. Police say the body of 62-year-old Fran Farley was found by a neighbor who had gone to check on her after Farley's adult daughter, who was out of town, called to say she was unable to reach her mother. According to a police report, Farley's neighbor said she knocked on the door and received no response. The neighbor used a key to unlock the door and found Farley slouched on the couch in the living room. Police said Farley had what appeared to be two gunshot wounds, one to her head and the other to her left arm. They said the back door had been kicked in, but no items appeared to have been disturbed.

The Tradition Continues with the Annual Hope Kiwanis Club Pancake Supper

The Hope Kiwanis Club will hold its annual pancake supper Friday (today) from 4:30pm to 7pm at the Hope High Cafeteria.  Kiwanian Catherine Cook says the club enjoys preparing the homemade pancakes in part because of the tradition of the supper.  The dinner has been a tradition by the Kiwanis Club since at least the 1960’s.  Tickets are $6 each and will be available at the door.  Those attending can enjoy pancakes and sausage and “to-go” orders will also be available.  The proceeds benefit local Kiwanis projects for the youth of our area.

Bobcats Face Tough Opponent on Opening Day

The Hope Bobcats kick off their season Friday (today) against the Nashville Scrappers.  New Head Football Coach Jay Turley of the Bobcats says the Bobcat attitude will have a lot to do with the outcome of the game.  He notes the Scrappers seem a little less athletic this year.  The Bobcats will host Nashville in Hammons Stadium.  The kick-off is set for 7:30pm.  The game will be heard live on 1490AM-KXAR.

Inmate Dies After Escape Attempt at Texarkana Jail

Authorities say a federal inmate has died after falling five stories while trying to escape from a jail in Texarkana. The U.S. Marshals Service says 30-year-old Anthony Lewis of Springhill, La., escaped from a fenced recreation area on the roof of the Bi-State Justice Center in downtown Texarkana. Authorities say Lewis tried to lower himself to the ground with a rope made of clothing, but fell five stories to the ground. He was taken to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, where he was pronounced dead at about 10:45 p.m. Monday. Authorities say Lewis was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to robbing a bank in Magnolia.

Local Lawmen Urge Residents to Dispose of Old Medications

The Hope Police Department and the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Department will join forces September 25th for an event in which local residents can turn in old prescription drugs and over the counter medicine they are not longer using says Hope Police Chief J.R. Wilson.  The event is set for 10am until 2pm at the Hope Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will receive the drugs for proper destruction.  Unfortunately some young people abuse old prescription medicine they find in the medicine cabinets of family and acquaintances.  Also, it is advised to not dispose of old medicines into the wastewater system.  The event will allow the medicines to be disposed of properly and hopefully will prevent someone from taking and possibly overdosing on someone else’s medicine.

Local “Legend” Featured in Documentary Film  

Prescott's famous "Old Mike" is now the star of a documentary film.  Prescott resident Alex Ross, now a freshman at the University of Arkansas spent December 2009 to May of this year conducting interviews with people about the unidentified man whose body was preserved and stored at the old Cornish Funeral Home in Prescott for 64 years.  The film debuted earlier this month at Prescott High School.  Old Mike was found dead in Prescott City Park in 1911 with no identification.  He was believed to have been a traveling salesman.  After his body was preserved, it was kept at the funeral home hoping someone might identify it.  It was never identified but several generations of people remember seeing "Old Mike" whose body was kept in a special closet at the mortuary.  State officials required the body be buried in 1975...but thousands still remember "Old Mike" and Ross's documentary will acquaint many younger people with the story of the unidentified man.

Highway 29 South Construction

The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department is continuing work on passing lane construction on state highway 29 south of Hope.  There will be temporary lane closures for paving on Wednesday September 1st through Friday September 5th from 7am until 5pm.  Motorists are urged to use caution and reduce their speed in the areas.  There will be personnel flagging traffic and delays are to be expected.

Hempstead County Fair to Feature Lions Club Fish Fry

A Lions Club fish fry is set for the Hempstead County Fair.  The event will raise money to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life says organizer and Lion Dave Phillips.  The event is set for Thursday September 9th from 4:30pm to 7pm at the Fair Park Community Center.  Tickets are $10 for adults and children’s tickets are available.  Take-outs are available with an adult ticket.  The Hope Lioness Club will help with the fish fry.  Tickets are available from any Hope Lion.

Murfreesboro Seeks to Annex Crater of Diamonds State Park

The City of Murfreesboro and the Crater of Diamonds State Park are making plans to possibly make their relationship closer.  The Pike County seat and the state park are talking about the city annexing the state park into the city limits.  There are advantages on both sides and both the city and the park want the annexation.  If the annexation takes place, the state park will collect an extra 1.5% in sales taxes on merchandise sold at the park and these funds will go to the city.  The annexation would also mean the park would get fire, police, garbage, and other municipal services free.  A public hearing is set for 7pm September 20th at the Pike County Courthouse in Murfreesboro.  If there are no objections, Pike County Judge Don Baker will sign an annexation order which will be filed with the state to make the merger official.

Family Council discouraging machines in stores

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Family Council has sent letters to several retail chains with stores in Arkansas in an attempt to discourage them from allowing lottery-ticket vending machines in their stores. The letters were announced by the council Thursday. They claim that some people may not be pleased to find lottery vending machines in the stores they patronize, and the machines could draw customers that the stores might not want. The news release announcing the mail campaign said about 420 letters were sent to managers of Dollar General, Family Dollar, Fred's Discount, and Walgreens stores in Arkansas. Family Council President Jerry Cox said in the letters that he believes some stores will lose customers if lottery vending machines show up in the stores.

Hunters press states for constitutional amendments

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Several states are considering constitutional protections for hunting in a pre-emptive move intended to thwart efforts of advocacy groups to make shooting animals illegal. Arkansas, Arizona, South Carolina and Tennessee have referendums for constitutional amendments on the ballot this year. Kentucky is poised to follow in 2012. If successful, they would join 10 other states that already have constitutional protections to ensure that hunting could never be outlawed without a statewide vote of the people. The National Rifle Association is lobbying along with hunter groups to get the constitutional amendments passed. The Humane Society of the United States says the initiatives are unnecessary.

Clinton headlining reception for Elliott in Ark.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton is headlining a fundraising reception for Democratic congressional candidate Joyce Elliott in his home state next week. Elliott's campaign announced Thursday that Clinton will host a lunchtime reception for Elliott on Sept. 8 in Little Rock. Elliott is running for the 2nd Congressional District in central Arkansas against Republican Tim Griffin. Clinton had already announced that he'll campaign for Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln that evening at an event marking her one-year anniversary as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Lincoln is running for re-election against Republican Congressman John Boozman. Elliott and Griffin are seeking the House seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Rep. Vic Snyder.

Ark. Game and Fish panel sued by former chairman

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A former chairman of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission claims in a lawsuit that the panel's committee structure illegally allows only three commissioners to make major decisions. Sheffield Nelson sued the seven-member commission in Pulaski County Circuit Court on Thursday, claiming that it is violating the state Constitution. Nelson claims in the lawsuit that the panel's committee rules allow three members to "exercise total and complete domination and control" of the commission's actions. Nelson's lawsuit claims that the commission's policies violate the constitutional amendment setting up the commission. Nelson, a former natural-gas utility executive, was twice a Republican candidate for governor. He was appointed to the commission by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2000 and left the panel in 2007.

Arkansas AG McDaniel launches Monsanto inquiry

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is launching an inquiry into the marketing practices of Monsanto Co. and its Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean trait. McDaniel on Thursday sent a civil investigative demand asking the company to substantiate its claims that the trait produces higher yields than a less costly trait. McDaniel says Monsanto has cited the higher yields as justification for announced price increases. Monsanto says it hasn't received a copy of McDaniel's request but defended its trait and the yields it produces. The company also says that a preliminary review of sales data shows that no Arkansas farmers planted the beans with the trait cited in 2009. Monsanto said it would cooperate with McDaniel on the inquiry.