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Friday, January 28, 2011

The

Daily Citizen www.thedailycitizen.com

Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

Snowstorm wallops northeast again

A long-predicted storm caught much of the East Coast off guard, affecting nearly 300,000. — Page 2A

Searcy School Board meeting

When: Wednesday, 5:15 p.m. Where: Administration building Next meeting: February 23, 5:15 p.m.

School projects still on schedule

Conference foes to square off

Riverview will host Bald Knob tonight in the second meeting of the teams this season. — Page 1B

Who will earn the...

Artificial turf

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y?

Advantages: More durable than grass Cost: Shared by district and donors

Beebe school considering artificial turf for stadium

Meet the contestants of today’s 2011 White County Spelling Bee inside this edition. — Page 7A

Durability, support are key issues

By Warren Watkins warren@thedailycitizen.com The Beebe School Board is set to decide March 14 on putting artificial turf in their high school football stadium. Officials are gathering information on the decision and have received a promise of local help from the county road department. Vilonia, Greenbrier and Conway schools are among a number of districts that have installed artificial turf for reasons for effectiveness and efficiency, according to Hal Crisco, assistant superintendent for support services at the Beebe School District, who described the advantages. “It could be used all day every day, 365 days a year, without any worry about destroying the field, where now if it’s wet they have to worry about harming the field,” Crisco said. “Artificial turf would allow a massive amount of additional use for everything from the band to cheerleading and possibly, for us, a soccer program. These are all things we are obviously not equipped to do right now.” The cost of the change is also under consideration, Crisco said. “The booster club would help

Practice gym structure completed

By Annette Whitehead awhitehead@thedailycitizen.com Construction projects for Searcy schools are going smoothly, according to Assistant Superintendent Calvin Estes. At the school board meeting on Wednesday, it was reported that the practice gym construction has been completed and was able to be utilized at the beginning of the second semester. “I think everyone is pleased with the facility,” Estes said. The construction at Southwest Middle School is proceeding well, according to Estes. He said the project is proceeding will and the new building is still scheduled to be ready by July 1. The board also discussed several other issues during the meeting. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sheena Williamson discussed the beginning of textbook selections. The Elementary and Secondary Textbook Selection Committee will begin visiting caravans next month, mainly in Conway and Jacksonville. According to Williamson,

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Gates faults Congress for Canadian money crisis

Continued on Page 3A

Senate leaders now agree on filibusters

By Jim Abrams The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Senate leaders said Thursday they have agreed that minority Republicans would filibuster fewer bills and nominations in exchange for a promise by the Democratic majority to give them more chances to offer amendments. The gentleman's agreement announced by Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican leader Mitch McConnell was part of a package of measures to make the Senate a more workable and less contentious place. It also included support of a resolution, to be voted on later in the day, to end the practice of one senator being able to secretly block votes and a rules change that would slash by a third the number of presidential appointments that need Senate approval. The agreement came as the Senate prepared to vote against proposals by several Democrats that would put more formal restrictions on the right of the minority to hold up or block bills and nominations through filibusters.

Ark. Senate passes bill limiting abortion coverage

By Andrew DeMillo The Associated Press LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Senate voted Thursday to prohibit insurers in new markets set up under the federal health care law from offering coverage for abortions except in cases where the mother's life is at stake — a move that opponents say will make it virtually impossible for Bledsoe women to get abortion coverage. The Senate voted 27-8 to approve strict limits on when abortion would be covered in the new insurance markets that will be set up starting in 2014 under the federal health care overhaul. The legislation would prohibit abortion coverage by insur-

WEATHER

ers in those markets even in cases of rape and incest. Coverage for abortions could be obtained through separate supplemental policies. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Cecile Bledsoe, R-Rogers, said it was aimed at preventing publicly funded abortions in Arkansas in the new system. Under the reform law, some people participating in the new networks will receive tax credits to subsidize their health insurance coverage. "This is about tax dollars and Arkansans have said overwhelmingly we don't want to spend tax dollars on abortions," Bledsoe told the Senate. Opponents called the measure too harsh because it didn't include exemptions for rape and incest. Medicaid recipients can receive abortions in cases of rape or incest.

Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, said the restriction was unreasonable because women don't know if they will need a supplemental policy. "Nobody plans to have an abortion," Elliott said. "Nobody plans to be a victim of rape or incest." Bledsoe said she didn't exempt rape or incest because an amendment in the state Constitution bars public funding for abortions, except to save the life of the mother. That amendment, however, is trumped by federal law. Bledsoe's bill now heads to the House. A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe said he was still studying the language of the bill and did not have a position on it yet. The bill is the second attempt this week to reject or alter parts of the health care overhaul that President Barack Obama signed into law.

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

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By Robert Burns The Associated Press OTTAWA, Canada — Defense Secretary Robert Gates is accusing Congress of dumping a "crisis on my doorstep" by holding the Pentagon to last year's spending levels and creating a potential $23 billion gap that could weaken a wartime military. "That's how you hollow out a military," Gates said Thursday. Gates said it looks increasingly likely that Congress will not act on the Pentagon's 2011 budget request even as lawmakers argue over Gates' proposal to slow the rate of increase in defense spending next year and freeze it by 2015. Gates was in Canada for North American defense talks. In an interview as he traveled to the Canadian capital, the Pentagon chief said he understands that his proposal for $78 billion in cuts in future spending has run into opposition among lawmakers.

Let us live for the beauty of our own reality. Charles Lamb

English critic, 1775-1834

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