Arkadelphia Dispatch - November 12, 2020

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Vol. 2, No. 41

Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020

Voting issues on Issue Two Julie Young University Correspondant

On and before Nov. 3, people all across Ark. exercised their right to elect the President of the United States. Elsewhere on the ballot was a race for State Senator between Ricky Harrington and incumbent Tom Cotton, which Tom Cotton won, and a race for US Representative of Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District between incumbent Bruce Westerman and Democrat William Hanson, which went to Bruce Westerman. Beyond this was a list of amendments ranging in focus from making permanent a temporary sales tax to changing both the initiative process and requirements for legislative referral. Term limits were the sub-

Baptist Health to celebrate centennial in Feb.

ject of the second of these issues. According to the website ballotpedia.org, “A “yes” vote supports this measure to impose term limits of twelve consecutive years for state legislators with the opportunity to return after a four-year break.” As of now, 55.3 percent of Arkansans voted for this amendment. However, not all Arkansans were aware of what they were voting for. “I didn’t understand it,” said Henderson State University student Tessa Walthour, who likened the wording of the ballot measures to “a language I didn’t understand.” The ballot measure “regarding term limits” made voters who hadn’t done their pre-election research, and even those who had, confused as to whether they were voting in favor of term

Brandon Riddle Marketing Baptist Health

Photo courtesy of Kelly Stiles.

Arkansans everywhere seemingly had trouble voting on Issue Two on ballot boxes just like these.

Photo courtesy of Kelly Stiles.

Last Tues. was election day in America. Millions of people flocked to locations across the nation to utilize their power to vote.

limits or against them. The ballot measure does not impose stricter term limits on elected officials, but instead allows them to return after a four year break, something which wasn’t clear for some. “My mom, my friend, and I all voted yes on issue two, but if we’d understood what it meant we would have voted no,” Walthour said.

If you are in favor of term limits, you would have wanted to vote no to this issue. If you are against term limits, you would have wanted to vote yes. The confusing and ultimately misleading wording of issue 2 led Arkansans to vote differently than they maybe would have had the implications of the amendment been more clear.

Baptist Health is counting down the days until its 100th anniversary in February 2021 and inviting the public to join in the preparations by sharing memories of how the health care organization has made an impact in their lives for the better. While the official anniversary will be commemorated on Feb. 16, 2021, work on what Baptist Health would eventually become largely started 100 years ago this month. In November 1920, Baptist State Hospital began operations temporarily in the former Little Rock Sanitarium building at 13th and Marshall streets. Baptist Health was incorporated three months later on Feb. 16, 1921. From humble beginnings of Baptist State Hospital nearly 100 years ago to more than 250 points of access across the state that include 11 hospitals, Baptist Health’s purpose has remained the same – to create a healthier community through Christian compassion and innovative services. Throughout 2021, Baptist Health plans to celebrate its 100th anniversary via a special website, social media, events and other activities that will reflect on how the health care organization

has remained committed to delivering All Our Best for residents in Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. If you are interested in sharing your story of how Baptist Health has positively impacted you, visit baptisthealth.com/100thstories. For nearly 100 years, Baptist Health has delivered All Our Best in health care through Christian compassion and innovative services. Baptist Health is Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization with more than 250 points of access that include 11 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community; over 100 primary and specialty care clinics; a college with studies in nursing and allied health; a graduate residency program; and access to virtual care anytime, anywhere. It is also the largest private notfor-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, providing care through the support of approximately 11,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. For more information about Baptist Health, visit baptist-health.com, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Can we stimulate the American economy post COVID-19? Philis Wood Staff Reporter

The job market and the overall economy remain under intense pressure from the rapidly accelerating COVID-19 pandemic. Almost routinely now, daily new cases exceed 100,000, with surging numbers reported all around the country. In addition, there are many clear signs that U.S. businesses remain cautious about the economy’s future as the pandemic worsens. The current pace of hiring simply isn’t enough to help the millions of Americans who were thrown out of work by the pandemic recession. As a sign of the deep uncertainty hobbling the economy as the virus rages, companies have added more than 100,000 temporary workers. This indicates they are seeing more demand but are still unable to make permanent job offers. The length of the average work week also rose, which means that employers pushed their workers to work longer hours rather than hire new employees.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has recently urged Congress to approve another stimulus package, this time one that actually helps small businesses and families. But the possibility of a truly effective stimulus has been sidelined by the election, which appears likely to preserve a Republican majority in the Senate. That might mean any effective aid for working people will be postponed until next year at least. The nation still has at least 10.1 million fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic intensified last March. Moreover, businesses will struggle as the weather turns colder. Consumers will likely be reluctant to shop, travel, and congregate in order to avoid contracting the virus. Millions remain jobless as more layoffs are becoming permanent. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve says that factory output has dropped. Clearly, Joe Biden will inherit a wrecked U.S. economy. Parents cannot return to work as childcare centers remain closed, many

permanently. Restaurants and small businesses have used up cash reserves, with many local employers anxiously expecting each new next week to be their last. According to an industry survey, one in six restaurants was already closed in September. Biden will also face an American population with opposed financial prospects, insofar as wealthy families have been weathering the pandemic well, while low income families face increasingly dire circumstances. It’s unclear whether Biden’s victory was enough to tip the balance of power in the Senate to Democrats and create the possibility of effective stimulus package. The longer that aid to workers is delayed, the greater the lasting damage to the economy will be. Gregory Daco—an economist for the consultancy Oxford Economics—has recently said that “The risk is that the recovery goes into reverse.” said. All of this could make the difference between an ineffective presidency and a successful one. Many voters in house-

holds earning less than $50,000 annually have reluctantly admitted that they’re drowning financially. Their misfortune is in sharp contrast to what’s occurring those with annual incomes above $100,000. Higher-earners are not only not struggling, but many have revealed that their finances have actually been improving. This is the kind of recovery economists have feared. Amanda Fischer, policy director at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth—a neoliberal think tank—said “It’s the Kshaped recovery—we see a divide between the wealthiest and everyone else.” The economy was hurting even as ballots were cast. Retail sales dropped at least 0.8% since the start of 2020, thanks largely to a steep drop-off in business for restaurants, as well as clothing and furniture shops. But it gets worse: “Employment is down in almost all industries,” said Jed Kolko, chief economist at the job posting firm Indeed. The nation’s top public health officials are warning

Higher Learning Commission approval moves Henderson closer to ASU System affiliation Steve Fellers Creative Services Manager Henderson State

Henderson State University is one step closer to becoming a member institution of the Arkansas State University System following approval by the Higher Learning Commission. On Nov. 5, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) approved a Change of Control application and the continuation of Henderson’s accreditation as a future member of the ASU System. HLC accredits colleges and universities in a 19- state region of the United States, including all public higher education institutions in Arkansas. Previously approved by the Henderson Board of Trustees on Nov. 21, 2019, and the ASU System Board of Trustees on Dec. 6, 2019, the affiliation agreement is now subject to action by the Arkansas General Assembly. ASU System President Chuck Welch said the target for completing the transition is January 2021. According to HLC, Hen-

derson “will remain a separately accredited institution as part of the System.” Henderson’s next reaffirmation of Higher Learning Commission accreditation is scheduled for 2021-2022, and a focused visit will occur within six months of the merger date. “We look forward to continuing Henderson’s rich traditions and mission of service to students as a member of the ASU System,” Dr. Jim Borsig, Henderson State University Chancellor, said. “I am confident that this affiliation will continue to strengthen Henderson, and I am grateful to the Higher Learning Commission for confirming this important step in the process.” “We appreciate the final review and approval of the Higher Learning Commission,” Welch said. “We will ask the General Assembly to dissolve the Henderson board while expanding the ASU System board from five to seven members so we can immediately include Henderson representation. Our hope is that the legis-

lation will be considered early in the session so we can complete the merger in January.” Henderson would become the second four-year institution in the ASU System and the third higher education institution to join the system in five years. MidSouth Community College in West Memphis became Arkansas State University Mid-South in July 2015, and College of the Ouachitas in Malvern became Arkansas State University Three Rivers in January 2020. Founded as a private institution in 1890, Henderson has a strong liberal arts heritage with more than 65 undergraduate and graduate programs. It became a public institution in 1929 and is the second oldest university in Arkansas under state control. Henderson, which competes in NCAA Division II sports, would become the third ASU System institution with an intercollegiate athletics program. Arkansas State University has an NCAA FBS Division I program, and ASU MidSouth competes in NJCAA

Division II men’s and women’s basketball. The ASU System, based in Little Rock, currently serves almost 34,000 students annually on campuses in Arkansas and Queretaro, Mexico, and globally online with a total operating budget of $280 million. The ASU System includes Arkansas State University, a four-year Carnegie R2 Doctoral research institution in Jonesboro with degree centers in Beebe, Mountain Home, Blytheville, Forrest City, and West Memphis. Arkansas State University Campus Queretaro opened in September 2017. The system’s two-year college institutions include ASUBeebe, with additional campuses in Heber Springs and Searcy and an instructional site at Little Rock Air Force Base; ASU-Newport, with additional campuses in Jonesboro and Marked Tree; ASU-Mountain Home; ASU Mid-South in West Memphis; and ASU Three Rivers in Malvern.

that the virus is escalating and are beseeching Americans to maintain social distance, wear masks, and avoid large groups. It is likely that the worsening pandemic will force even more businesses to close permanently. Control of the Senate will certainly determine how much additional aid gets approved. It is likely that Republican control will mean a stimulus package of under $1 trillion. However, a Senate Democratic majority would probably mean somewhere between $2.5 trillion to $3 trillion. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said at a Thursday news conference that economic recovery depends on approving more aid: “We’ll have a stronger recovery if we can just get at least some more fiscal support.” The challenge involves not just the amount of the aid package, but whether it helps state and local governments that have lost tax revenues, and also whether it is passed promptly enough to help workers rather than high-income individuals.

The working class will certainly suffer the most as a result of a Senate stalemate. We can only hope that our representatives in the Senate—on both sides of the aisle—will remember the economic reforms carried out by the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. From 1933 until his death in 1945, FDR’s economic programs brought relief for the poor and the unemployed, recovery of the US economy back to pre-depression levels and reform of the entire financial system in order to prevent another depression in the future. The New Deal restored confidence in the economy, and allowed Americans to return to work. It created a regulatory framework that—for over four decades—would protect the interests of all Americans. In fact, this regulatory framework successfully protected the US against a financial crisis until it was dismantled in the 1980s by the Reagan administration.

Arrest made in case; homicide case leads to Oregon Arkansas State Police Public Affairs Office

A Texas man visiting Izard County in 2004 has been arrested and charged with murder (1st) degree in connection with the death of Rebekah Christian Gould, whose body was discovered 16 years ago on a hillside off Arkansas Highway 9 south of Melbourne. William Alama Miller, 44, now a resident of Cottage Grove, Oregon was arrested Saturday night (November 7th) by a Special Agent of the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division. The arrest occurred in Lane County Oregon after the state police special agent assigned to the case learned Miller had returned to his home following an extended stay in the Philippines. Miller will remain in the Lane County Jail in Eugene, Oregon pending an extradition hearing. Ms. Gould was 22 yearsold when she was murdered. In the days leading up to the

discovery of her body on September 27, 2004, family members had reported Ms. Gould missing, leading to a community based search across Melbourne and much of Izard County. Izard county law enforcement authorities handed-off the criminal investigation to Arkansas State Police immediately while the search was underway. Special Agents of the Criminal Investigation Division have devoted hundreds of hours to the case which was never classified as a cold case. Upon learning of the arrest, Colonel Bill Bryant, Director of the Arkansas State Police stated, “The special agents assigned to this case never abandoned any hope of finding the necessary evidence and facts to lead them to a suspect and an arrest. This case is a testament to the Criminal Investigation Division and the devotion the special agents assigned to the division possess in helping police and sheriff’s department across Arkansas with their toughest cases.”


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