Molly county beat by Jacob Brower

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

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Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

Lady Lions open 2011 season at home Beebe hires new officers, dispatchers Searcy hosted Batesville Tuesday night in the volleyball team's first conference game. — Page 1B

The Beebe City council hired two new officers and two new dispatchers at their meeting Monday. — Page 3A

County discusses health plans

Discounts offered for positive health changes

By Molly M. Fleming mfleming@thedailycitizen.com White County government officials are already starting to look at the 2012 budget and one of the first steps in that process is reviewing the county’s health insurance plan, said County Judge Michael Lincoln. Lincoln called a special meeting of the Quorum Court on Monday

County health plan

n County employees take part of healthy changes n Discounts offered through insurance plan n More discounts could be offered next year

evening to discuss the county’s health plan and possible changes that could be made next year. Cindy Dixon of Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. presented

Quorum Court members with the latest information regarding the employee benefits package. Dixon works for the brokerage firm that puts together the employee benefit package for the county. Gallagher is hired by the county to research and find the best insurance package to fit the county’s insurance budget. In this case, the best insurance company for the county’s budget was QualChoice. In the past, the

county has used Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and United Health Care. Dixon said county employees have undergone some health changes, which have resulted in discounts on their insurance rates. The first money-saving change was the “Kick the Nic” program that promoted a nicotine-free lifestyle. Employees who participated in the “Kick the Nic” program, or

Continued on Page 3A

Motorcycle ride raises scholarship money

HU class resumes n Classes started Monday n Students from across the nation back in town n Record-setting freshman class

Students discuss coming to HU

Harding’s first-day enrollment over 7K

By Molly M. Fleming mfleming@thedailycitizen.com On Monday morning, some students at Harding University heard a sound they might not have heard a lot this summer — their alarm clock. Young adults, as well as non-traditional students, from across the country woke up to the start of a new school year on Monday. According to the Harding Admissions Office, enrollment on Monday was 7,020, topping the 7,000 mark as Dr. David Burks had expected earlier this summer. These numbers is only an early estimate of enrollment, as it is not the official fall enrollment. The official fall enrollment total will be available after the Labor Day holiday. For some of those 7,020, Monday meant not only a new school, but a whole new state. Freshmen Zachary Smith moved from Illinois to attending Harding. He said he had been to Searcy in the Continued on Page 3A

National American Legion Rider Bill Music and his stepdaughter, Kelly Beggs, check the weather forecast as he gets ready to ride his motorcycle from Searcy to Indianapolis. Music departed Searcy on Thursday and then joined more than 250 other riders in Indianapolis on Sunday for a ride to Minneapolis. Marisa Lytle/mlytle@thedailycitizen.com

Man rides from Searcy to Minneapolis M By Marisa Lytle mlytle@thedailycitizen.com any participate in fundraising for scholarships, but few do so by traveling 1,750 miles across several states by motorcycle. One man is doing just that. Bill Music of Heber Springs and member of the American Legion Riders, left Searcy on Thursday, Aug. 18 for Indianapolis, Ind., where he would join more than 250 other motorcycle riders in a five-day ride to Minneapolis, Minn. This ride, known as the American Legion Legacy Scholarship Run, raises money for a scholarship fund that provides financial support for children of service members killed on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001. According to American Legion Multimedia Editor Steve Brooks, the organization aims to raise $450,000 for the scholar-

Motorcycle ride

What: American Legion Legacy Scholarship Run When: Aug. 21-25 Who: Hosted by the national American Legion organization Why: To raise college scholarship money for students who have lost a parent or have parents in active military service

ship fund this year. In five years, the Legacy Run has raised more than $2 million. Music was in Searcy Thursday to see his stepdaughter, Kelly Beggs, off to college at Harding University. As they checked weather maps together on his phone, he said, “It’s supposed to rain, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem. “You’ve got diehards like me who will go on the ride no matter what,” he said.

Music rode his motorcycle from Searcy to Indianapolis, the starting point of the journey. On Sunday, the riders were fed breakfast and assembled into a meeting to go over last minute details before taking off at 8 a.m. The ride covers 1,225 miles and includes stops in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin before arriving in Minneapolis. U.S. flags line part of the roadway, and a police escort and medic team ride along with the group. According to Music, towns block off roads and shut off overpasses if officials know the riders are coming. “Gas stations even close to everyone but us,” he said. In fact, an advance team goes ahead to prepare each gas stop for the main group of riders. One Legion Rider, Rusty Payne, has helped with gas stops for three years. Last year, he was part of

Next meeting

Who: Bald Knob School Board Next meeting: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26 Location: Bald Knob School Administration Building

a team that got 326 motorcycles filled with gas in only 24 minutes. Upon arrival at different posts, the group accepts donations. As of Monday evening, the total donation amount had surpassed $202,000. "I expect to meet our goal," said Scott Miller, program developer for the American Legion Riders. "We have very few cooperate sponsors so we rely a lot on the people we've met to donate." The riders stay in hotels along the way. Nearly a year of planning goes into making everything run smoothly and providing food and shelter for the riders and escorts. “This run really relates to college-aged kids,” said Music as he acknowledged his stepdaughter. “It’s raising money so kids can go to college.” The riders are set to arrive in Minneapolis at Richfield American Legion Post 435 on Thursday for a reception and welcoming event.

One-year contract for HVAC approved Bald Knob board hires 2, 1 resigns

Rose Bud schools re-finance bonds to save district money Next meeting Who: Rose Bud School Board Next meeting: 7 p.m. Sept. 26 Location: Rose Bud School Administration Building

By M. A. Webb Special to The Daily Citizen The Rose Bud School District should expect to save some money because of a decision by the school board. The board passed a resolution to re-finance the bonds at the regularly-scheduled meeting on Monday night.

WEATHER

According to Spann, the purpose of re-financing bonds is to save the district money in interest fees. The resolution unanimously passed. In other business, the board unanimously voted to accept bids from Hostess for bread and from Swan Distributing for milk.

Today: Mostly sunny. Rain likely. Highs in the mid 90s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Rain likely. Lows in the mid 70s. Southwest winds 5 mph.

The school board unanimously approved several student transfers. According to Spann, two students will be coming to the district and four students have transferred out. The board unanimously approved the Special Education Statement of Intent. According to Spann, this is done on a

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

yearly basis for the purpose of funding. The school board unanimously accepted the resignation of Tami Baker, business teacher. The next meeting will be 7 p.m. Sept. 26. They meet the fourth Monday of each month at the Rose Bud Schools Administration Building.

“

By M. A. Webb Special to The Daily Citizen BALD KNOB — Bald Knob Schools has a new HVAC service contract because of a school board decision. Superintendent Dr. Kieth Williams recommended that the board offer a contract to Kennedy Air Conditioning at the regularly-scheduled meeting on Monday. According to Williams, the contract for the HVAC system had been handled by Trane of Arkansas. Williams stated that Kennedy Air Conditioning had the software that was required for the

Continued on Page 2A

Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made. Darren L. Johnson Author, 1958

”

The Daily Citizen

Local

Beebe hires new officers, dispatchers

Council condemns Main Street house

By Erica Sirratt Special to The Daily Citizen The Beebe City council hired two new police officers and two new dispatchers at the regular council meeting Monday night. Brian Blauser and Justin Lee were both hired as full-time police officers at $12.93 per hour and they will both attend the police academy within the next year. Emily Nichols was hired as a full-time dispatcher at $11 per hour and will begin as soon as possible. Amy McDaniels was hired as a part-time dispatcher at $9. McDaniels is not to exceed 19 hours in a workweek. Councilman John Johnson also made a correction regarding the minutes of the Aug. 4 council meeting, which state that Assistant Chief Ron Lewis was given a salary raise to $40,000, but it was actually raised to $41,000. In other business, the council passed a resolution condemning the property at 901 N. Main Street which is owned by Jackie Moffitt of Romance. Moffitt said that there is someone inter-

Next meeting

Who: Beebe City Council Next meeting: 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 Where: City Hall

ested in buying the property and he thinks they have plans to restore the house. There has been no offer made on the house and he hasn’t received a call back from the prospective buyer, Moffitt said. The council also passed a motion to draft a resolution of condemnation for the property at 805 N. Cyprus. At next month’s regular meeting, the council will vote on the resolution. Mayor Mike Robertson said that the city has been working on addressing the properties in town which have tall grass. Robertson said he wants to being a city-wide cleanup, the goal of which would be to encourage residents to make a move to clean up the town. The next regularlyscheduled city council meeting will be 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 22 at city hall. The council meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month.

Health: County officials discuss health insurance

Continued from Page 1A

who were already tobacco free, were offered a $50 savings on their insurance. Dixon said the health changes have been successful in the county and the number of insurance claims by employees have dropped within the past year. Another lifestyle change that QualChoice promoted is the Employee Health Fair, conducted by White County Medical Center. The Health Fair did not cost employees extra money, and it is now being funded by what the county saves in the decrease of insurance claims. Those who attend the Health Fair were also offered discounts on their insurance rates. “I know the decisions we made regarding the health changes were tough and people didn’t like them — sometimes I wanted to wear a bullet proof vest — but those changes worked,” Dixon said. I stand behind our decisions.” The benefit of the changes have been evident in the amount the county has spent on insurance claims, Dixon said, pointing out that the county spent more than $1 million on claims in 2010, but with only half of 2011 passed, the county has only spent $287,910 on claims. “Even if you double the amount spent so far, we are still well under half of the amount you spent last year,” Dixon said.

In 2012, more health changes could be required if the county continues with the same insurance plan. Beside the discounts already rewarded, discounts will also be offered for cholesterol numbers, blood pressure rates, and an employee’s weight being within government guidelines. Also, every employee who attends the Health Fair will be required to take a nicotine test to see if there is any nicotine in their system. In the past, the nicotine discount was offered on an honor system. QualChoice has already offered incentives for being within a health weight, such as a “Biggest Loser” program, named after the popular television show, and a walking program. Billy Ann Ascue of QualChoice attended the meeting and fielded questions from the Court. She said that Benton County was the first to promote discounts for healthy lifestyle changes, and now other municipalities and counties are wanting to do the same. The Quorum Court did not make a decision on the health care plan during the informational meeting.

Sophomore Paul Hedden and Megan Sherk stroll across the Harding campus on Tuesday during the second day of the fall semester. Hedden is from Ohio and Sherk is from Washington. Molly M. Fleming/mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Harding: Area students discuss returning to school

Continued from Page 1A

past to visit his grandparents. Smith said he is enjoying his college experience thus far as he is seeking a degree in nursing. “College is a very relaxed. It’s a lot more laid back here. The teachers are a lot nicer too,” he said. He said the move was a “big change,” because “Illinois is a lot different than Arkansas.” Another freshman, Molly Stapleton of McCrory, is following in the footsteps of her parents as she begins her years at Harding, which is one of the reasons she decided to attend the school. “I really liked the Christian atmosphere too,” she said. Stapleton is an only child, so she is learning to adjust to residence hall life. “It’s been different, but my roommate and I get along well,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed meeting a lot of new people from across the country.” Stapleton has not yet declared a major, but said she will probably study art. For Paul Hedden and Megan Sherk, this was their second year to return to Harding. Hedden hails from Ohio and his girlfriend, Sherk, is from Washington. Hedden is studying psychology and Sherk is studying history. The two met their freshman year during Harding’s Spring Sing. “Moving back is always a little stressful,” Hedden said. “But it’s nice to be back and see all of my friends,” Sherk said. When some students came to Harding this past weekend, they were faced with the scorching Arkansas summer. But for Senior Wesley Phillips and Junior Velvet Janelle, they were already used to the temperatures. They both spent their summer working in-state. “It’s nice to be back to school, but the weather is really muggy,” Janelle said. “I missed everybody. That’s what makes this place.” Janelle is from Pennsylvania and studies advertising. Phillips is from Florida and studies finance and Bible. “[Coming back] to college was like coming home for me,” Phillips said.

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2012 Pet Calendar HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: Submit a really good photo of your pet digital photos only. Photos can be emailed digital files, photos on CDs, or we can download the photos off your memory card. (Process any non-digital photos at a photo processing store that will put your submitted photo or photos on a CD). Complete the entry form below and include a $5.00 contest entry fee with each photo submitted. Bring your digital photos to The Daily Citizen office or email photos to: pets@thedailycitizen.com All entries will appear in the 2012 HSS Pet Calendar. 12 winning photos will be featured for all 12 monthly covers. All other entries will be pictured on additional calendar pages. Winners will be announced at a future date in The Daily Citizen featuring all pet entries and winning photos.

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Freshman Zachard Smith catches up on some reading for class on Tuesday while taking in the scenery at the front lawn at Harding. Smith is from Illinois and is studying nursing. Molly M.

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Freshman Molly Stapleton of McCrory relaxes on her second day of class while catching up on some reading. At the table, Senior Wesley Phillips and Junior Velvet Janelle discuss their summer. Phillips is from Florida and Janelle is from Pennsylvania. Molly

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Pet’s Name __________________________________________________________ Your Name __________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________ City___________________________________State_______ Zip _______________ Work Phone_________________________Home Phone ______________________ File Name ___________________________________________________________ Bring photos by our office or email photos to: pets@thedailycitizen.com

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‘THINK PINK’ IS INSIDE TODAY’S EDITION

WEEK 8 OF PREP FOOTBALL IN THE BOOKS

Turn to Section C for local stories about breast cancer survival, treatment and awareness. — PAGE 1C

Turn to the sports section to see how local high school football teams fared Friday night. — PAGE 1B

County chooses insurance plan Committee discusses addressing issue, lack of safety plan BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

When it comes to insuring the White County employees and elected officials, insurance companies were not enthused to offer their services, said Cindy Dixon, with Gallagher Benefit Services.

The company is hired by the county to find the best insurance rates, and the only company that offered a competitive rate was QualChoice, who has insured the county for the last two years. But this year, the company increased its fee 12.9 percent because of the number

of claims filed in the county last year. “In the last plan year, QualChoice made less than $1,000 due to the amount of claims they had to pay,” Dixon said during the Thursday night meet-

Concert Who: Bradford Schools band director Matthew Watson and ASUJonesboro tuba and euphonium quartet What: Performed concert Where: Newly constructed Bradford Schools Auditorium When: Thursday evening

Please see INSURANCE | 2A

Concert White County farmers plant strawberries held at Bradford Schools Local Farm

Who: Kenneth and Debbie Horton What: Raise commercial crops on their farm and sell at fruit and vegetable stand Where: Bald Knob Additional info: The Hortons just planted strawberries. Pumpkins and turnips, among other crops, are being harvested.

Quartet, new director perform in new auditorium

Horton farm in Bald Knob grows variety of commercial crops

BY MARISA LYTLE mlytle@thedailycitizen.com

training force. The U.S. also had been interested in keeping a small force to help the Iraqis deal with possible Iranian meddling. The task now is to speed the pullout of the remaining U.S. forces, nearly 40,000 in number. Staying behind in Iraq, where bombings and other violence still occur, will be some 150-200 U.S. military troops as part of embassy security, the defense attaché’s office and the office of security cooperation. That’s common practice but still a danger to American forces. Obama, an opponent of the war since before he took office, nevertheless praised the efforts of U.S.

BRADFORD — The school district hosted a concert in their new auditorium Thursday evening. Also new to the school is band director Matthew Watson, who performed during the concert. Watson is a May 2011 graduate of ASU in Jonesboro and first-year teacher. He teaches grades fourth through twelfth, with beginning band starting in fifth grade. “My goals for the band are to continues to build off of the encouragement from the administration,” Watson said, “and to show students that music is an enjoyable and worthwhile endeavor.” Performing in the Thursday concert was a quartet from Watson’s alma mater. Dr. Ed Owen, a euphonium player and former professor of Watson’s, performed with a graduate level euphonium player, a graduate level tuba player and a junior music education tuba player. Their names are Jeremy Drymon, Jason Tacker and Eric Barnett. The ensemble played pieces by Anton Bruckner, Antonio Vivaldi and John Stevens. Owens performed a solo rendition of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” arranged by a Norwegian tuba player. In addition, Watson and Owens, both on euphonium, played the four-movement duet “Suite for Two” by John Stevens. Watson commented on the importance of the new auditorium to Bradford Schools. “Having a new auditorium is a terrific asset to have,” Watson said. “It shows the administration’s commitment to the arts at Bradford Schools and also allows the school a place to hold pageants, talent shows and graduation. It has improved the school by helping the community and showing that the arts are an important, fundamental staple in public schools.” According to Watson, from what he has been told, the band has generated more interest than in previous years, as is evidenced by the number of beginning students who rented instruments this year being triple the number from the past three years combined. While euphonium is his primary instrument, Watson also plays all of the band instruments, as well as piano and guitar. He said he has really enjoyed being the new band director at Bradford

Please see IRAQ | 2A

Please see CONCERT | 3A

BY MARISA LYTLE mlytle@thedailycitizen.com

Approximately 60,000 newly planted strawberry plants could yield 60,000 quarts of the delicious red fruit come April and May at one Bald Knob farm. Kenneth Horton planted his strawberries Oct. 12 and will wait until late April to begin harvesting them. In the meantime, he must ensure the fruit is protected from winter weather. “For these berries to grow properly, the temperature needs to stay in the upper 40s at night and in the 60s and 70s during the day for the next three to four weeks,” Horton said. “In the next month, we will put on row covers — they’ll look like white bed sheets covering the field — to protect the plants form the cold.” Horton said new leaves are just starting to appear on the plants. “I hope they’ll be more developed before the real winter sets in,” he said. “Having a healthy plant now is what determines the yield in the spring.” The harvesting will span five to six Marisa Lytle/mlytle@thedailycitizen.com weeks, beginning in late April and con- Kenneth Horton picks a few mustard greens at his farm in Bald Knob on Tuesday. tinuing throughout May. In addition to mustard greens, the Horton family grows strawberries, pumpkins, spinach, kale, purple hull peas, collard greens and more. They have just planted Please see STRAWBERRIES | 2A the strawberries, but some crops, such as pumpkins, are being harvested.

Iraq war over, US troops coming home BY BEN FELLER AP White House Correspondent

AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File

Members of 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Ga., walk toward a C-17 aircraft last November at Sather Air Base in Baghdad as they begin their journey home after a year in Baghdad. President Barack Obama on Friday declared an end to the Iraq war, announcing that all American troops would be withdrawn from the country by year's end.

WASHINGTON — America’s long and deeply unpopular war in Iraq will be over by year’s end and all U.S. troops “‘‘will definitely be home for the holidays,” President Barack Obama declared Friday. Stretching more than eight years, the war cost the United States heavily: More than 4,400 members of the military have been killed, and more than 32,000 have been wounded. The final exit date was sealed after months of intensive talks between Washington and Baghdad failed to reach agreement on conditions for leaving several thousand U.S. troops in Iraq as a

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

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It's not that we need new ideas, but we need to stop having old ideas. EDWIN LAND American scientist and inventor

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Page 2A â&#x20AC;˘ Saturday, October 22, 2011

The Daily Citizen

FROM PAGE ONE STRAWBERRIES: Hortons sell strawberries, vegetables from stand on Highway Avenue North in Bald Knob CONTINUED FROM 1A

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope to have a 90 to 95 percent survival rate between now and the spring,â&#x20AC;? Horton said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A few plants are damaged in the digging. Ideally, though, each plant will produce a quart or more of strawberries.â&#x20AC;? In the spring, people may purchase strawberries from the Horton familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fruit and vegetable stand on Highway Avenue North in Bald Knob. The Hortons grow several other commercial crops, including turnips, spinach, kale, purple hull peas, collard greens, mustard greens and wheat. Additionally, they raise cattle and grow non-commercial pecans. The Hortons allow people to come pick their own turnips from the field. Strawberries can only be acquired from the fruit stand, however. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lots of elderly people really love their greens,â&#x20AC;? Horton said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They come here and pick bagfuls. We have them planted in rows because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re easier to pick that way. If people want to come pick turnips, they can come to the farm from now until the first hard freeze.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We pick turnips Monday through Saturday and take the day off on Sunday. During strawberry season, we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do that. We have to pick seven days a week because the berries wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait.â&#x20AC;? Horton said the turnips are edible now but

Photos by Marisa Lytle/mlytle@thedailycitizen.com

A strawberry leaf (above) pokes out of the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s protective covering. According to farmer Kenneth Horton, the strawberry plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crown needs to be as large as possible to produce a good yield. Horton planted his 60,000 strawberry plants on Oct. 12, and he said a 90 to 95 percent yield for the spring harvest would be satisfactory. Bald Knob farmer Kenneth Horton (right) pushes aside leaves to make visible a turnip almost ready for picking. Horton said that while the turnips are ready to be eaten, they will be ideal to pick when they are baseball-sized, which he expects to occur within the week. will be ideal to pick next week when they grow to the size of baseballs. While he enjoys eating turnips raw, especially young turnips, his wife, Debbie, prefers them cooked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cooking them takes the edge off of them,â&#x20AC;? she said.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It makes them sweeter.â&#x20AC;? Hortonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife and his son, Justin, manage the fruit stand. The store will probably close for three months during the winter. If it stays open, it will keep limited hours. On the same plot of land as the store lies a pump-

kin patch from which the orange fruit is harvested and sold during autumn. Horton said the store stays open six days a week in the Halloween season to accommodate the high flux of business. Both Kenneth and Debbie came from dairy farm-

ing families and have been raising crops themselves for 10 years. Prior to that, Horton worked 27 years for a phone company. According to Horton, we may not have long before continual cold weather hits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last week, I saw the first Canada geese flying south,â&#x20AC;?

he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good indicator of winter not being far behind. Likewise, robins are good indicators of the coming of the spring.â&#x20AC;? Then, with spring comes the harvesting of the Hortonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 60,000 quarts of strawberries. In that case, bring on the robins.

IRAQ: President Obama declares end to one of the nation's most divisive, costly and long-standing wars CONTINUED FROM 1A

troops in Iraq. He said American soldiers would leave â&#x20AC;&#x153;with their heads held high, proud of their success.â&#x20AC;? For Obama, Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an-

nouncement capped a remarkable two days of national security successes, though thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no indication how much they will matter to re-election voters more concerned with economic woes at home.

On Thursday, the president heralded the death of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and a day later the end to one of the most divisive conflicts in U.S. history. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the

U.S. more than $1.3 trillion. Obama did not declare victory. He did speak, though, about the string of wins on his watch â&#x20AC;&#x201D; none bigger than the killing of Osama

bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Afghanistan war still rages, but there, too, Obama has moved to end the combat mission by the end of 2014.

This was, in essence, the third time Obama had pronounced an end to the war, allowing him to remind the nation he had opposed it all along â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a stance that helped his White House bid in 2008.

INSURANCE: 'This plan will help with our risk management and will help with our worker's compensation...' CONTINUED FROM 1A

ing of the Personnel and Safety Committee of the Quorum Court. The committee discussed several plan options offered by QualChoice and decided to stay with the current plan that offers a wellness package, which gives discounts to employees who participate in the different aspects of the county health fair. The wellness packages offers the following

discounts: $50 to nonsmokers, $10 to those who attend the health fair, $10 for cholesterol in the normal range without medication, $10 for blood pressure in the normal range without medication and $4 for blood sugar in the normal range without medication. Overall, a county employee could earn up to $84 in discounts, making that employeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insurance costs only $84 a month. The committee also picked Guardian for life,

vision and dental insurance. That recommendation will not have to be forwarded to the budget committee because the county does not pay for those insurance costs, as they are paid by each individual employee. In other business of the committee, County Judge Michael Lincoln discussed the issue with the 911 addressing system in the county. He said there is no ordinance in the books as to how addresses should be created; therefore,

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there are many duplicate streets and addresses in various parts of the county. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know in the past we have had a 911 call go out for a Thomas Road, and there is a Thomas Road in Beebe and in Bradford,â&#x20AC;? Lincoln said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The first responders went to the wrong one, so they lost a lot of time having to go to the other one. We are talking about life or death situations here, so we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a lot of time to lose.â&#x20AC;? Lincoln said that 911 Director Nancy VanWinkle volunteered for the task of sorting out the addressing problem in the county, and she has asked for an ordinance that requires

Personnel committee â&#x2013; Recommended insurance plan to county budget committee â&#x2013; Forwarded addressing ordinance to December Quorum Court agenda â&#x2013; Forwarded Safety Plan to December Quorum Court agenda

all plats to be signed off by the judge before they can receive a 911 address. Lincoln said this is just one step in a long process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are also trying to work with the assessor and make it required that you have to have your land assessed before you can get a 911 address because we have a lot of

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The Daily Citizen

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 • Page 3A

FROM PAGE ONE

JP arrested for DWI, other charges Medicare back Police report: on the brink over Osborn, 79, had BAC of 0.13 cuts to doctors BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

A White County Justice of the Peace was arrested Thanksgiving afternoon under suspicion driving while intoxicated and two other charges. The Searcy Police Department arrested District 12 JP George “Bud” Osborn, 79, for having a blood alcohol content of .13, with the legal limit

being .08, according to the police report. District 12 covers the central portion Osborn of the City of Searcy. “I wasn’t highly intoxicated and I wasn’t driving erratically,” Osborn told The Daily Citizen Monday. Searcy officer Michael Bullock said in his report

that he was dispatched to the area of Gum Springs Road regarding a state police message of a possible intoxicated driver entering town from the direction of Highway 267. Once Bullock saw the vehicle at around 1:40 p.m., he observed it cross left of center and leave the roadway to overcorrect the mistake, Bullock said in the report. He then pulled Osborn over, and after an initial investigation, Osborn was found to be under the influence of intoxicants. Bullock administered a field sobriety test and a blood alcohol

content test. Osborn was arrested and later released on his own recognizance. The other two charges were driving off marked road and driving left of center line or divider. He will appear in court on Jan. 5. County Judge Michael Lincoln said that he was not sure if the offense could lead to removal from office. “I would hope that [all county officials] would adhere to the law,” Lincoln said. “I want to refrain from comment until we get more information.”

FBI director raises concerns with detainee policy BY DONNA CASSATA Associated Press

WASHINGTON — FBI Director Robert Mueller on Monday raised significant concerns about requiring military custody for captured suspected terrorists, arguing that the divisive provision in a sweeping defense bill could harm ongoing terrorism investigations. In a letter to lawmakers, Mueller detailed his concerns with the provision that mandates military custody of a suspect deemed to be a member of al-Qaida or its affiliates and involved in plotting or committing attacks on the United States. The White House has threatened a veto over the language in the bill and limits on the administration’s ability to transfer suspected terrorists. “Because the proposed legislation applies to cer-

tain persons detained in the United States, the legislation may adversely impact our ability to continue ongoing international terrorism investigations before or after arrest, derive intelligence from those investigations and may raise extraneous issues in any future prosecution of a person covered” by the provision, Mueller wrote. The FBI director said the legislation would add a substantial amount of uncertainty as to what steps should be followed in a terrorism investigation in the United States. Mueller also said the provision could restrict the FBI from using a grand jury to gather records or subpoenaing witnesses. “The legislation ... will inhibit our ability to convince covered arrestees to cooperate immediately, and provide critical intel-

ligence,” Mueller said. Proponents of the provision have defended the legislation, pointing out that it includes a waiver that allows the administration to decide a suspect’s fate as well as who should be covered by the requirement. In an op-ed Monday in The Washington Post, Armed Services Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, DMich., and the panel’s top Republican, Arizona’s John McCain, wrote that the bill’s provisions on detainees “represent a careful, bipartisan effort to provide the executive branch the clear authority, tools and flexibility of action it needs to defend us against the threat posed by al-Qaida.” Mueller described the waiver as too cumbersome, requiring that it be obtained from the defense secretary in consultation

with the secretary of state and the director of National Intelligence with a certification to Congress. “These limited exceptions ... fail to recognize the reality of a counterterrorism investigation,” Mueller wrote. “Building rapport with, and convincing a covered individual to cooperate once arrested, is a delicate and time-sensitive skill that transcends any one interrogation session.” The Senate resumed work on the massive defense bill Monday and approved an amendment to expand the Joint Chiefs of Staff to include the head of the National Guard. The voice vote approval reflected the overwhelming support for the amendment by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who had some 70 cosponsors for their effort.

BY RICARDO ALONSOZALDIVAR Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Politicians of both parties outdo each other vying for the approval of seniors, but their inability to compromise on the federal budget has put Medicare in the crosshairs again. Unless Congress acts before Jan. 1, doctors face a 27 percent cut in their fees for treating Medicare patients. That could undermine health care for millions of elderly and disabled beneficiaries. Last year around the holidays doctors were looking at a cut of about 20 percent. It’s become a recurring symbol of the government’s budget dysfunction. The cuts are the consequence of a 1990s budget law that failed to control spending but never got repealed. Congress passes a temporary fix each time, only to grow the size of reductions required next time around. The supercommittee’s breakdown leaves the so-called “doc fix” unresolved with time running out. A thousand miles away in Harlan, Iowa, Dr. Don Klitgaard is trying to contain his frustration. “I don’t see how primary care doctors could take anywhere near like a 27 percent pay cut and continue to function,” said Klitgaard, a fam-

ily physician at a local medical center. “I assume there’s going to be a temporary fix, because the health care system is going to implode without it.” Medicare patients account for about 45 percent of the visits to his clinic. Klitgaard said the irony is that he and his colleagues have been making improvements, keeping closer tabs on those with chronic illnesses in the hopes of avoiding needless hospitalizations. While that can save money for Medicare, it requires considerable upfront investment from the medical practice. “The threat of a huge cut makes it very difficult to continue down this road,” said Klitgaard, adding “it’s almost comical” lawmakers would let the situation get so far out of hand. There’s nothing to laugh about, says a senior Washington lobbyist closely involved with the secretive supercommittee deliberations. The health care industry lobbyist, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to make public statements, said lawmakers of both parties wanted to deal with the cuts to doctors, but a fundamental partisan divide over tax increases blocked progress of any kind.

BABY: Younges belt child born at 11:11 a.m., Nov. 11, 2011 at White County Medical Center in Searcy “It was pretty neat, I thought, pretty special,” Amanda said. “She’s our fourth, so that will make it easy to remember [her birthday], for sure.” “We knew it was going to be on 11/11/11, but that was just how the doctor scheduled us,” Paul said. “We didn’t know it was going to be at 11:11 a.m. We were really excited about it. We think God has a plan for everything, and we wouldn’t normally put any credit into coincidences. But when it ended up with that time and date, we thought, ‘Wow, that’s just wild.’” According to Bristol’s

CONTINUED FROM 1A

ed to have a midwife named Alyssa Miller deliver him,” Paul said. “She was also a nurse practitioner at the time and had hospital privileges, so we were going to have the best of both worlds — she would have access to hospital if something went wrong. Well, lo and behold, we had to have a c-section.” Instead of Miller, White County Medical Center obstetrician Jerry Burns, M.D., delivered Paul III. The Betts’ said Burns did a “wonderful” job and have since chosen him to deliver all their babies, including Bristol. “Taking an hour-and-ahalf drive to Searcy from Jonesboro has been difficult at times, especially with a little one in diapers,” Amanda said, “but it has completely been worth it. Dr. Burns is tried and true. The hospital staff is exceptional. I would recommend it to anyone.” According to Paul, since Amanda had c-sections with the first two children, she had to have them with the last two as well. The Betts’ scheduled the

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parents, her brothers are very excited about the special date and time, and about their new baby sister. “Our 10-year-old wanted to make sure I emailed his teacher,” Paul said. “He wanted to make sure she and all his classmates knew about his sister and about the time and day.” “Bristol’s brothers just adore her,” Amanda said. “They think she’s a little princess and give her kisses and hugs. “She’s my precious little one. She’s so peaceful and sweet. We’re so excited that she’s here.” DOLBY DIGITAL

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Dr. Paul and Amanda Betts hold their newborn daughter, Bristol, at White County Medical Center in Searcy. Bristol was born at 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 11 (11/11/11). c-section for Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. at WCMC. On the appointed day, they began their trip to Searcy. “As we were passing through Judsonia that day, we got a call from the hospital at 7:15 a.m.,” Paul said. “They asked us

where we were and told us we were scheduled for a c-section at 8 a.m. We told them we were on our way. Because of the mixup, when we arrived at the hospital we had to wait for a little bit.” After about a two-hour

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Daily Citizen Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

TheDailyCitizen.com

LIONS SHOW WELL IN 2011 STAT BOOK CHILDREN’S HOME SEEKS OFFICE SPACE The Searcy Lions fell in the state quarter final, but the season’s stats tell a bigger story. — PAGE 1B

The Searcy Children’s Home is searching for more office space due to significant growth. — PAGE 2A

WCSO PLUNGES FOR A CAUSE

JP faces charges Only one JP asked for George “Bud” Osborn’s resignation. ■ County Judge Michael Lincoln has no comment. ■ Osborn will appear in court Jan. 5. ■

Team raises more than $3,000 for Special Olympics Arkansas JP says BY MOLLY M. FLEMING

he won’t resign

mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

If someone wanted to know the temperature of Lakewood Lake No. 3 in North Little Rock on Saturday morning, one could have simply asked White County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeremy Clark. By 5 a.m. on Saturday, he had already taken a refreshing dip in the brisk 40-degree lake, one of several he had taken over the last few hours. Clark, along with Trace Madden and Eric Fleming of the sheriff’s office, was a member of this year’s Super Plungers team, part of the Polar Bear Plunge benefitting Special Olympics Arkansas. Clark, Madden and Fleming started jumping in the lake at 11:30 a.m. on Friday morning and continued to take several dips for the next 24 hours. Their final jump was at noon on Saturday, which was part of the one jump Polar Bear Plunge. The White County Super Plungers were joined by officers from police departments in North Little Rock, Little Rock and Maumelle. In total, the team raised $22,000 for Special Olympics, and more than $3,000 of the total came from White County. “The money we raised is a testament to all of the people in White County who donated to our team,” said Clark. “Those people that donate in our community continue to donate each year.” Clark was especially appreciative to White River Flooring, First Community Bank, NorthStar EMS, Bill Haynie Construction and Walmart Supercenter for their donations. Besides the officers on the Super Plunge team, White County Sheriff’s Deputy and

Osborn still claims he’s innocent of DWI charge BY MOLLY M. FLEMING mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Molly M. Fleming/mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Members of the Super Plungers team line up with the other teams before their final plunge Saturday morning. The team is led by White County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jeremy Clark. Also on the Super Plungers team are White County Sheriff’s Deputies Trace Madden and Eric Fleming. Dive Team member Quinton Neads was part of the dive team that checked out the jumping area of the lake to make sure everything was free and clear for the plungers. He stayed in the water during each plunge in case a participant needed help exiting the lake. Dressed in his diving gear, Neads was probably the warmest person in the water. But the temperature didn’t scare away Clark and the rest of the White County officers from helping support Special Olympics Arkansas. “I say every year that I won’t do this again, but it’s hard to back down since the Super Plunge team nearly doubles the amount raised from the overall Polar Bear

District 12 Justice of the Peace George “Bud” Osborn said he will not resign from his office after being arrested for driving while intoxicated, along with driving off marked road and driving left of center line or divider, according to a Searcy Police Department report. “I’ll say this: I’m not guilty,” Osborn said. The Searcy Police arrested Osborn, 79, on Thanksgiving afternoon for having a blood alcohol content of .13, with the legal limit being .08, according to the police report. District 12 covers the central portion of Searcy. Osborn faces three misdemeanor charges for his arrest. He will appear in court Jan. 5. White County Judge Michael Lincoln has not commented on

Molly M. Fleming/mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

Please see JP | 3A

Members of the Super Plungers team celebrate their final plunge Saturday morning. Quinton Neads with the White County Sheriff’s Department, far left, watches to make sure all of the plungers make it out of the water safely. The Super Plungers team consisted of police officers from the White County Sheriff’s Office, the Little Rock Police Department, the North Little Rock Police Department and the Maumelle Police Department.

Horse theft suspect Jonesboro woman just nuts for nutcrackers lied, state police say BY KELLIE COBB Associated Press

JONESBORO, Ark. — Pat Qualls Taylor has been collecting nutcracker dolls for more than three decades. “I’m a musician, and you associate the nutcracker with Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker Ballet,’” she said about why she started collecting the dolls. Taylor has more than 60 nutcrackers in her collection — and that number continues

Please see PLUNGE | 3A

to grow. “It’s sort of an obsession. The more you get, the more you want,” she said. Taylor likes the more unique, interesting dolls. She has nutcrackers in all shapes and sizes. Some of her nutcrackers feature characters from “The Nutcracker Ballet,” and some double as music boxes. She also has nutcrackers in the shape of Santa Claus, snow-

men, jesters, angels, toy makers and even mice. “My sister and I exchange nutcrackers every year,” Taylor said. “She is deathly afraid of mice, so I’ve bought her a couple of mouse nutcrackers. One year we bought each other the same mouse nutcracker.” Taylor said she went through a phase where she would decorate her nutcrackers with real fur and crystals. She also purchases broken nutcrackers and

repairs them. “All the time I find ones that are broken. I’ll fix them up in some way by adding to them,” she said. In recent years she began collecting Steinbach nutcrackers, which are handmade in Germany. “They are the Cadillac of nutcrackers,” she said, adding that not all view the Steinbach

Please see NUTCRACKER | 2A

3 killed in crash on northwest Arkansas highway Associated Press

CENTERTON, Ark. — Arkansas State Police say three people have been killed in a head-on collision near Centerton in northwestern Arkansas. A report on the crash says

Frances Lee of Siloam Springs and Brandi Brumley and Brayon Atkinson of Bentonville died in the crash just after 1:15 p.m. Friday. Troopers say sport utility vehicles driven by Lee and Brum-

WEATHER Today: Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 20s.

ley were in a curve on Arkansas Highway 102 when the SUV driven by Brumley crossed the centerline and collided headon with the SUV driven by Lee. Atkinson was a passenger in Brumley’s vehicle.

A 3-year-old boy in Brumley’s SUV was injured and taken to a Little Rock hospital. His condition was not released. Officials closed the highway and redirected traffic for more than two hours after the crash.

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

“

Associated Press

MAGNOLIA, Ark. — A Southern Arkansas University rodeo team member lied when she said she stole horses from fellow team members in retaliation for an attempted rape and has been charged with felony theft, said an Arkansas State Police investigator. Jaci Jackson, 19, of Broken Bow, Okla., has pleaded not guilty to taking five horses, riding equipment and a trailer from the SAU stables. Four of the horses were found alive, but malnourished, near Tom, Okla., and the fifth was found dead and cut into pieces. Jackson told a friend that the thefts were because two men on the rodeo team tried to rape her, according to an affidavit first

Please see HORSES | 2A

The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware. HENRY MILLER Author, 1891-1980

”

The Daily Citizen

Sunday, December 11, 2011 • Page 3A

FROM PAGE ONE PLUNGE: According to deputy, the sheriff’s office

takes a lot of pride in helping with Special Olympics CONTINUED FROM 1A

Plunge,” Clark said. This was Clark’s sixth year as a Super Plunger and his ninth year of participating in the plunge. He credits White County Sheriff Ricky Shourd for first sparking his interest in Special Olympics Arkansas and the plunge. Clark said Shourd has participated in many plunges in the past, including when he worked for the Searcy Police Department. “People think [the Super Plungers] are crazy,” Clark said, “but when they find out why we’re doing it, they understand. Special Olympics focuses on what these athletes can do, instead of what they

“People think [the Super Plungers] are crazy, but when they find out why we’re doing it, they understand. Special Olympics focuses on what these athletes can do, instead of what they can’t do.” Jeremy Clark White County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy can’t do.” According to Clark, the White County Sheriff’s Office takes a lot of pride in helping with the Special Olympics Games every year at Harding University. “In law enforcement, we see the negative a lot and very little positive,” he said. “Helping with Special Olympics gives a

chance to see the positive part of life. It’s the best part of law enforcement to me.” Donations can still be made to Clark or any of the other White County officers, and all donations go straight to Special Olympics Arkansas. To make a donation, people may visit FirstGiving. com/jeremyclark.

Molly M. Fleming/mfleming@thedailycitizen.com

White County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeremy Clark, far right, makes his way into the water for his final plunge during the Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday morning at North Little Rock Lakewood Lake No. 3. Joining him in the water from the White County Sheriff’s Office is Trace Madden and Eric Fleming.

Henard Utility Products Henard Utility Products

JP: Quorum Court members say nothing should be

done about Osborn until he goes to court next month CONTINUED FROM 1A

the future of Osborn’s office and refused to comment on the matter when contacted by The Daily Citizen Friday. While Lincoln hasn’t said if he will ask for Osborn to resign, District 1 JP Horace Taylor said he thinks Osborn should be asked to step down from his position. Within the possible 14 conditions as written in the state law for when a seat on the Quorum Court can be declared vacant, condition No. 8 states: “The incumbent is convicted of a felony, incompetency, corruption, gross immorality, criminal conduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office by judicial proceedings.” Three other members of the Quorum Court said they think nothing should be done about Osborn’s office until he is seen in court in January. “He’s innocent until proven guilty,” said Kenneth Horton, who represents District 7. “We have judges and lawyers to decide if he’s guilty or not. Then, if it’s required of us to do some-

“We have judges and lawyers to decide if he’s guilty or not. Then, if it’s required of us to do something, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Kenneth Horton Represents District 7 on Quorum Court thing, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Justices Ed Land and Bobby Quattlebaum shared similar sentiments as Horton. “I think he needs his day in court before anything is decided,” said Quattlebaum, who represents District 10. “Then we can go from there. I don’t think that we as individuals need to get a rope and hang him. I think everyone needs their day in court and I think he does too.” Land echoed Quattlebaums’ statement. “If what I read in the paper is true, I think we have a good man charged with a serious crime,” said Land, who represents District 11. “But since we live in a country where people are innocent until proven guilty, I don’t

3 women accept peace prize Associated Press

OSLO, Norway — Three women who fought injustice, dictatorship and sexual violence in Liberia and Yemen accepted the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize on Saturday, calling on repressed women worldwide to rise up against male supremacy. “My sisters, my daughters, my friends — find your voice,” Liberian Presi-

dent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said after collecting her Nobel diploma and medal at a ceremony in Oslo. Sirleaf, Africa’s first democratically elected female president, shared the award with women’s rights campaigner Leymah Gbowee, also from Liberia, and Tawakkul Karman, a female icon of the protest movement in Yemen. DOLBY DIGITAL

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think anything should be done just yet.” Justice Bobby Burns said Osborn’s actions are not those becoming of a public official. “I don’t think [his DWI arrest] really sets a good example for citizens,” said Burns, who represents District 2. Justice Ron Gibbs said that Osborn’s future in office should be decided by the voters from his district. Justice Jimmy House refused to comment about the matter. JPs Cameron Cooper, Allen King, Shane Sellers, Waylon Heathscott and Mike Cleveland could not be reached for comment.

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