Route concern by Jacob Brower

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2011

The

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Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

COUNSELOR: HOLIDAYS CAN BE DEPRESSING WILDCATS 2 WINS AWAY FROM LITTLE ROCK A therapist offers tips on how to cope with depression that can set in during the holiday season. — PAGE 3A

Harding Academy’s dream of a state championship is still alive following Friday’s blowout victory. — PAGE 1B

Police watch for seat belt violators

Meal costs Thanksgiving meal costs more this year, according to Arkansas Farm Bureau survey. ■ Locals tell how this has affected their cooking choices. ■

Since 2010, seat belts are primary offense

Click-It or Ticket

part of the Click-It or Ticket campaign. Some Searcy officers will be specifically assigned to watch for seat belt violators from Nov. 21-27. Major Tim Webb said that the department is able to participate in the program because of a $25,000 grant it received from the police highway safety office. The grant also covers

The Searcy Police Department will be teaming up with the Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office for a week of seat belt enforcement Nov. 21-27. Some officers will be assigned to specifically watch for seat belt violations. The officers’ overtime is being funded through a grant.

BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Turkey costs more this year

When visiting friends or family next week over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Searcy Police Department reminds residents to wear their seat belts or face a fine. Searcy police are teaming up with the Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office to reinforce the state seat belt law as

similar programs where officers watch for people driving over the speed limit and people driving while under the influence or drugs or alcohol. “The grant doesn’t pay for any extra officers on the street during this time,” Webb said. “It simply covers the overtime they may work while they are Please see TICKET | 3A

SEARCIANS CONCERNED ABOUT ROUTE

Locals hit sales, eat potluck-style to lessen expense BY MARISA LYTLE mlytle@thedailycitizen.com

The traditional Thanksgiving meal will cost more this year, according to a recent Arkansas Farm Bureau survey, but locals contend this is not necessarily true. The survey is based on responses from members of the Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and other volunteers who surveyed food prices between Oct. 28 and Nov. 7 at 11 grocery stores and supermarkets statewide. They reported the best in-store prices of 12 Thanksgiving meal items and were allowed to take advantage of advertised specials, excluding discount coupons and purchase requirements. Please see TURKEY | 2A

U of A considers limiting student enrollment Associated Press

FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas officials are considering limiting enrollment at the flagship campus in Fayetteville where close to 25,000 students are enrolled, the campus chancellor said. Fall 2011 enrollment totaled a record 23,199 students, and Chancellor G. David Gearhart said Friday that applications from prospective freshman for fall 2012 are up about 30 percent, or about 800 over last fall. Gearhart said 25,000 has long been considered an enrollment goal for the university, and leaders hoped to reach that number in 2015 or later, but based on the applications, they could hit the mark as early as next fall. “We need to decide how far we can go and how far we want to go,” he told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, saying a decision must be made on whether to limit the number of incoming students or make plans for new residential and academic buildings. More faculty also would be needed to accommodate the rising enrollment, Gearhart said. The increase in enrollment could be slowed by raising academic requirements for admission or admitting fewer outof-state students, according to campus officials. “We feel that we could go larger,” Gearhart said. “But we want to be cautious. We want to do it through careful planning.”

Molly M. Fleming/mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Searcy resident Beth Patterson shows her neighbor Karen Davis just where the bypass would cut through their neighborhood, which would be less than 300 yards from Patterson’s front porch.

Residents along Holmes Road worried about project BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

On Dec. 13, the residents of Searcy will be asked to cast a ballot in an election to decide if the city will collect a 1-percent sales tax to build a route that connects Highway 36 to Highway 67. While city leaders are pushing the bypass as an economic opportunity for the city, some residents are worried about

No injuries in train vs. SUV crash The Daily Citizen

No one was injured when a train collided with a SUV in Beebe at around 7 p.m. Saturday evening. According to Brian Duke with the Beebe Police Department, a Ford Expedition’s tire got stuck at a crossing on East Center and South Apple streets. Duke said there were two people in the vehicle who were able to got out to safety before the collision took place. The identities of the two were not immediately available.

the bypass project. And those residents have cause to worry — the bypass could cut right through their front yards. “I’m moved up here on a hill to be away,” said Beth Patterson, who lives off Headlee Drive, which is off of Holmes Road. “If I wanted to live on a freeway, I’d move to Little Rock.” Patterson is just one of many

residents off of Headlee Drive that are concerned about their property when it comes to the future route of the bypass project. One of the proposed routes would run less than 300 yards from her front porch, while another route would run a quarter of a mile away from her back porch. She wrote a letter to the area Please see BYPASS | 3A

Highway 3667 Connector Route Searcy residents along the proposed connector routes are not pleased with the project and are afraid they will soon live along a four lane highway.

“I feel for the Oklahoma State community. How many more tragedies can they endure?” Kim Mulkey Baylor head coach

Oklahoma State copes with 2nd crash BY JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS Associated Press

TULSA, Okla. — It had been 10 years and 10 months since the plane crash that killed 10 people associated with Oklahoma State’s men’s basketball program — long enough for the healing to begin but recent enough to rush old memories to the surface when news of another plane crash broke. This time, two coaches from

the women’s basketball team had been killed. “I feel for the Oklahoma State community. How many more tragedies can they endure?” said head coach of topranked Baylor, Kim Mulkey. Kurt Budke, the head coach for the women’s basketball team, and Miranda Serna, his assistant, were killed Thursday when the single-engine plane transporting them on a

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

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recruiting trip crashed in steep terrain in Arkansas, the university in Stillwater said. The pilot, 82-year-old former Oklahoma state Sen. Olin Branstetter, and his 79-year-old wife, Paula, also died when the plane sputtered, spiraled out of control and nosedived into the Winona Wildlife Management Area near Perryville, about 45 Please see COACHES | 2A

We owe a lot to Thomas Edison — if it wasn’t for him, we’d be watching television by candlelight. MILTON BERLE American Actor

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The Daily Citizen

Sunday, November 20, 2011 • Page 3A

FROM PAGE ONE “I am very happy that you have accepted it and have put lots of conditions on it. I accept this resolution. It is the instruction to the Afghan government from the Afghan people.” President Hamid Karzai

Associated Press

An Afghan delegate listens to a speech from his committee chairman, unseen, on the third day of the loya jirga or grand council on Friday in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Afghan assembly talks troops with U.S. military BY AMIR SHAH AND RAHIM FAIEZ Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai received a resounding endorsement Saturday from a traditional national assembly to negotiate a security agreement that could keep a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan past 2014, when most international forces are to have left. The size of the force is subject to negotiations but a future deal could keep thousands of American troops here for years. The nonbinding resolution issued at the end of a Loya Jirga assembly also suggested some conditions for the talks between Afghan and American officials, including an end to unpopular night raids by military forces searching for insurgents. The more than 2,000 people who attended the four-day meeting asked Karzai to ensure the United States hands over all detainees to Afghan custody and limits any agreement to 10 years. They also said the future pact must be approved by parliament. “We will act on the basis of your consultation,” Karzai told the assembled delegates. “I am very happy that you have accepted it and have put lots of conditions

on it. I accept this resolution. It is the instruction to the Afghan government from the Afghan people.” As part of a future deal, both sides envision a force of several thousand U.S. troops, who would train Afghan forces and help with counterterrorism operations. The pact would outline the legal status of that force in Afghanistan, rules under which it would operate and where it would be based. The jirga’s findings are likely to bolster Karzai’s negotiating position with the United States during difficult talks under way to craft what the U.S. is calling a Strategic Partnership Document. Some critics have complained that Karzai organized the assembly as a rubber-stamp body, noting that it endorsed all conditions that Karzai outlined at the opening session. “From the beginning we were pretty sure that the jirga was mainly a symbolic gathering of Afghans,” said Haroun Mir, the director of the Afghanistan Center for Research and Policy Studies, a Kabul-based think tank. “This is a symbolic gathering — more political leverage for President Karzai to show to international community that he is still able to gather Afghans under one tent.”

TICKET: Some officers will only be on duty to stop seat belt violations CONTINUED FROM 1A

enforcing the seat belt law.” During the week-long campaign, Webb said some police officers will not have to respond to calls or other duties, as they will be on the lookout for seat belt violators. “Seat belts are very important,” Webb said. “It’s hard to put into words how important they are. The statistical data proves that seat belts save lives.”

The seat belt law makes it a primary offense, meaning a ticket violation, for anyone 15 years old and older who is in the front seat and not wearing a seat belt. For many years, not wearing a seat belt was a secondary offense, meaning the police could not pull someone over for simply not wearing a seat belt. But since the 2009 legislative session, not wearing a seat belt has been a primary offense.

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Counselor: Holidays can be depressing Searcy church offers service for those who need hope BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

For some people, the holidays bring a time of love and joy, a time to get together with the friends and loved ones in a time of celebration. For others, the holidays can bring up dismal memories or reminders of those that are no longer in their lives, causing them to get the “holiday blues,” as Searcy counselor Wenoka Young calls the depression. Young is a licensed counselor at Arkansas Counseling and Associates in Searcy. She said this time of year can be hard for some because of their family — or lack, thereof. “If you have a family that has a high level of conflict, you might have a history of holidays where you have conflicts, so the holidays just may be discouraging,” Young said. “People might have had a death in the family this past year, which can cause them to feel really disconnected. There are variety of reasons why people get the ‘holiday blues.’” Young said that in order to combat these seasonal symptoms, they should reach to others in their lives. “People need to realize that the holidays are not supposed to be about getting stuff,” she said. “They

“People need to take their own pulse and look for symptoms. They need to be willing to go and seek help.” Wenoka Young Counselor are suppose to be about connecting to family and friends. If people don’t feel that connection, then they will begin to become depressed.” Young said that if people do know that the holidays will be hard for them to cope with by themselves, it’s never to early to reach out to a support group for comfort. “I would encourage a closer connection to a church group or supportive group of friends,” she said. “People need to take their own pulse and look for symptoms. They need to be willing to go and seek help.” For those who do not have a close group of friends or a church group, Young recommended seeking professional help at the Harding University Community Clinic, which only costs $10 a session. She said those who need help should never turn to alcohol to deal with their depression. “People who overuse al-

cohol to deal with their depression will find that their problems haven’t changed once their alcohol is gone,” she said. “They will see that they have less money, which will make them even more depressed.” Those who are grieving or depressed and are seeking a supportive church family are invited to attend the Hope for the Holidays service on Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Searcy. The service will be held in the sanctuary and last about an hour. Child care will be provided for children up to elementary school age. Associate Pastor Dee Harper said this is the first time the church has ever offered a service. “We’re trying to reach out to those for who the holidays are not as happy or a joyous occasion,” Harper said. “We know there are a lot of people dealing with depression, melancholy from the loss of a loved one, financial issues, divorce and other

Holiday depression ■ Searcy counselor discusses warning signs of holiday depression ■ Counselor offers advice to deal with issue ■ Searcy church offering service for those who need extra hope this holiday

problems. We want to let them acknowledge it and process that in a safe place. We want to give them a hopeful message.” Harper said that the congregation had several people this past year, so the church can relate to those who are grieving loved ones. “We just felt like this was something God was calling us to do because of our own experience in our church family,” he said. “We hope it will be helpful to everyone in the community.” Harper said everyone is invited to attend, as this is not a event for just members of the church. For more information about the service, persons call Harper at (501) 2685869. The church is located at 304 N. Main Street in Searcy.

BYPASS: Potential downturn in downtown business raises concern CONTINUED FROM 1A

highway commissioner, John Burkhalter, where she discussed her reasons for being opposed to the connector route. Patterson’s neighbor, Karen Davis, said that she and her husband enjoy the wildlife around their property, and all of that would disappear if the bypass were to cut through the neighborhood. “I’m not against the tax,” Davis said. “I’m just against where they want to put it. We need a northern bypass because we do have a traffic problem in this area.” The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department has not picked the route for the bypass, though the route for the connector to Highway 13 has been finalized. Randy Ort with the highway department said that choosing a route for a bypass does take time. “We are not expecting to choose a route until late spring or early sum-

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mer,” Ort said. “We are still identifying alternative routes and analyzing the environmental impact of those routes. This is all part of the process.” Though the highway department doesn’t have a final route, residents along Holmes Road know where they don’t want it to go. “I just don’t think this project will be advantageous to the city of Searcy, given the money, time and displeasure to those that will have to give up their property,” said Debbie Wantulok, who lives at the corner of Ella Street and Holmes Road. She and her family just moved to the area in January, which is when they were told that nothing would change in that part of town “for about 20 years,” and then the bypass project was developed. “The biggest issue is that we have a septic tank and our land only perks in the area where the bypass is expected to go

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Davis said. “We need to know where it’s going.” Wantulok said she is afraid of not only what will happen to her property but to other people in the area. “I’m not for the proposal at all,” Wantulok said. “I think it’s a waste of time and money when we have other roads that are deteriorating. We need to make repairs on our existing roads. Some would say that means I don’t like progress. I like progress, but I don’t think we need to have progress if it’s going to take away from what we already have,” Patterson discussed one friend she knew who estimates the bypass could possibly go through his garage. “If the city council wants it so bad, they can put it in their backyard,” she said.

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through,” she said. “They will have to consider putting us on city sewer.” Patterson said she is not only concerned about her property, but the future of downtown business. She said that when a bypass was constructed around Walnut Ridge, the traffic was diverted from downtown in that city. “If they move it further north, it will dry up the downtown business,” Patterson said. “If they move it south, it will get into the residential area. There’s no winning situation.” Davis and Patterson agreed that the residents need to have a better understanding of where the bypass will be before the election on Dec. 13. “If we’re going to be asked to vote for something, we need to know where the route will be,”

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