Laser tag by Jacob Brower

White County Football 2010 < The White County Football 2010 guide is

inside today's edition of The Daily Citizen. Get in-depth looks at Searcy, Harding Academy, Riverview, Bald Knob, Beebe, Rose Bud and Harding University. — INSERT

Pictured, from left: Rose Bud’s Braden Irwin (WR-DB), Beebe’s Scot Gowen (QB-DB), Riverview’s Chayse Parson (RB-LB), Searcy’s Mike Brown (RB-LB), Harding Academy’s Seth Keese (QB-S) and Bald Knob’s Jordan Johnston (WR-DE). Jacob Brower/jbrower@thedailycitizen.com

BECK: US TURNING BACK TO GOD

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck told thousands of activists that the U.S. has too long “wandered in darkness.” — PAGE 2A

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2010

The

Daily Citizen www.thedailycitizen.com

Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

STIMULUS MONEY IN WHITE COUNTY

Transportation: $6.1 million Education: $14.6 million Community Development: $854,000 Safety/Law Enforcement: $271,000 Emergency Assistance: $19,400

Senator: $21M allocated locally

Entergy: Don’t fall for scam

Bills should be paid only through approved methods, official says

By Warren Watkins warren@thedailycitizen.com Just electric bills for cooling homes on the hottest days of summer are arriving in Searcy mailboxes, Entergy Arkansas is warning Searcy residents to not fall prey to a scam in the area. The scam like this, according to

ENTERGY QUICK-PAY CENTERS IN SEARCY

■ At The Bend, 401 N. Maple ■ Country Mart, 2702 E. Race ■ Mayflower Food Store, 2205 W. Beebe-Capps Expressway

Paul Ford, regional customer service manager: The setup: Someone claiming to represent a third-party bill-payment-

assistance agency approaches a customer and claims they’ll help the customer pay a portion of their electric bill. The hook: The customer must pay a portion of the bill, the scammer claims, saying his “agency” will send in the total amount due to the utility company. The sting: After the scammer gets the customer’s money, he may even call in a payment through Bill Matrix, which is a legitimate third party

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Teams convene from US, Europe

Andrew Reynolds, veteran Q-Zar player and organizer of the international Q-Zar tournament, fires off a round of phaser blasts. Several teams from California, Chicago, Ireland and elsewhere will gather at LazerCade for the first-place prize. Luke Jones/ljones@thedailycitizen.com

WEATHER

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LASER TAG TOURNAMENT TARGETS SEARCY

White County receiving federal stimulus funds

By Warren Watkins warren@thedailycitizen.com The federal government has allocated $21 million in stimulus money to White County since the beginning of the recovery effort last year, according to a U.S. Senator. “In addition PRYOR to significant tax cuts for middle class families, Arkansas is expected to receive $2.9 billion for investments in transportation, water infrastructure, education, public safety, energy efficiency and health care,” Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., wrote in a press release Aug. 19. “These funds are already having a significant impact on the local level.” White County Stimulus Funds as of July 1, according to Pryor: ■ Transportation: $6.1 million — Highway 16/Holmes Road signal (Searcy) and Hwy. 67B/Hwy. 31/Hwy. 367 signal (Beebe); Hwy. 167 rehabilitation (Jackson County line north, Overflow Creek north, Independence and White Counties, Pleasant Plains south; Hwy. 16, Pangburn to Searcy to construct one northbound and one southbound passing lane for 2.41 miles. ■ C o m m u n i t y Development: $854,000 — White County: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program; White River Area Agency on Aging, Inc. for meal delivery; Beebe

that customers can use to pay bills electronically. But the transaction is fraudulent, the customer’s bill remains unpaid and the amount the customer gave to the scam artist is gone. “We are disheartened, disturbed and downright angry whenever we hear of someone trying to con our customers out of their hard-earned money, and we are eager to help the authorities in any way we can to catch

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

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By Luke Jones ljones@thedailycitizen.com n September, one team will emerge from Searcy’s LazerCade with the international Q-Zar tournament trophy. The game of laser tag is played worldwide, and though the Q-Zar company declared bankruptcy almost a decade ago, its system is widely used. Andrew Reynolds helped organize the tournament and has been playing laser tag for 10 years. “Every kind of laser tag has its own competitive aspect of it, I suppose,” he said. “I think that Q-Zar is really the most — I don’t want to say difficult — but the most technical of the laser tag systems out there. “Most people who play multiple systems say Q-Zar is the best. The challenge that Q-Zar brings, the camaraderie and the friendship, that’s what really draws them to it.” Though it is smaller in comparison to laser tag systems like Laser Quest, Q-Zar still attracts a dedicated tournament crowd from all over the U.S. and U.K. This year’s event, Reynolds said, will include two teams from California, two from Ireland, one from Chicago, one from the Cincinnati area and at least one from Searcy. The tournament was originally intended to be held in a venue in Tampa, Fla., but when the buildCONTINUED ON PAGE 3A

All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams. ELIAS CANETTI

Swiss author, 1905-1994

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