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Wal-Mart Distribution Center honored for safety practices

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:34 PM CDT

Ceremony recognizes OSHA ‘Star' participation

BENTONVILLE - The Wal-Mart distribution center in Searcy has been singled out for its commitment to a safe workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has approved Searcy Distribution Center 6018 for “Star” participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), joining an elite group of facilities that provide exemplary safety and health protection.

As a VPP participant, the Searcy DC will support programs to advance the cause of safety and health as a partner with OSHA. A presentation ceremony was held Thursday, May 22, 2008 at the distribution center.

“This designation is a testament to sustained excellence in all areas of the DC's safety and health management system,” said Johnnie Dobbs, executive vice-president of Wal-Mart Logistics. “This is the first Wal-Mart facility to ever be granted Star participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs. We are very proud of this accomplishment by the associates at our Searcy distribution center and we appreciate having the opportunity to work with OSHA in safety promotion programs.” Dobbs commended Michael Trusty, director of logistics safety and environmental compliance for Wal-Mart, for his role as liaison between the company and OSHA to bring Star participation status to the Searcy DC.

According to OSHA's website, “companies in the Star Program have achieved injury and illness rates at or below the national average of their respective industries. VPP participants develop and implement systems to effectively identify, evaluate, prevent, and control occupational hazards to prevent employee injuries and illnesses.

As a result, the average VPP worksite has a lost workday incidence rate at least 50 percent below the average of its industry.” OSHA removes participants from programmed inspection lists, however the DC will continue to submit safety and health management system evaluations and other information to the agency.

“On beha1f of OSHA, I extend my thanks to you and your employees for your commitment, hard work, and dedication to the principles embodied in VPP. I look forward to hearing about your continuing safety and health efforts and success,” said Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., assistant secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, in a commendation statement to the associates at the Searcy facility.

The Searcy distribution center is part of a network of 112 Wal-Mart distribution centers that service the merchandise needs for more than 4,100 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club locations across the U.S. The local facility employs more than 700 associates. In Arkansas, Wal-Mart employs more than 47,000 associates at 89 Wal-Mart stores, 7 Sam's Clubs, ten distribution centers and the company's Home Office.

Board approves $4M bond issue

Thursday, April 24, 2008 6:10 PM CDT

Searcy school OKs construction funds

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

The Searcy School Board approved a bond issue of $4,110,000 as they met for their regular monthly meeting Wednesday.

Stephens, Inc., received a low bid from Crews and Associates for the sale of the construction bonds, to be used for the final stages of the Performing Arts Center and other projects. The Series B bonds have a final maturity date of Feb. 1, 2032 and a true interest cost of 3.929322 percent.

Other bids came from Simmons First Investment Group (3.935723), Sterne, Agee & Leach (3.937637), Ross Sinclaire & Associates (3.960016), Morgan Keegan (3.975792), Stephens (3.977747) and FTN Financial Capital Markets (3.977847). The district has previously employed Stephens as fiscal agent for the district in connection with the sale and issuance of the bonds. Purchase price will be $4,059,616 and will be available in increments of $5,000. The interest rate for bonds maturing in 2013 is three percent while those maturing in 2032 will earn four percent.

In other business, the board approved secondary textbook selections. The recommended books were placed for review in the board room in March. No comments were received about the 10 books selected.

The district’s technology plan was approved after review and approval by the district technology committee, created in 1993, and Superintendent Tony Wood. The plan designates the Wilbur D. Mills Education Service Cooperative as the education cooperative used. The plan reports the district has 286 teachers and 3,857 students. Percentage of students eligible for a free/reduced lunch is 41 percent. The district plans to have 1,270 computers with Internet access by the 2009-10 school year, rising to 1,340 by the end of the 2011-12 school year, with 310 classrooms provided Internet access through 10 network systems throughout the district.

Kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms utlize networked student workstations and printers with five workstations per classroom and an additional workstation for each teacher. Each workstation has the capacity to allow networked usage of electronic grade book, Internet access, e-mail, office products package, encyclopedias with graphics and other teacher tools.

The 2008-09 calendar was approved, including the following dates:

- Aug. 11-13: District-wide teacher in-service

- Aug. 18: First day of school

- Oct. 10: Homecoming

- Nov. 27-28: Thanksgiving break

- Dec. 19: Last day of school before Christmas holidays

- Jan. 5: Students return to school after Christmas holidays

- March 23-27: Spring break

- May 9: Graduation

- May 21: Last day of school

There is one inclement weather day built into the calendar, and if not utilized school will dismiss Feb. 16.

Per diem for school employees has been raised from $25 a day to $33 a day,with mileage raised from 39 cents a mile to 43 cents a mile.

Beginning balance March 1 for the district was $14,656,936.16, with $13,939,487.62 in the operating fund.

The next meeting of the Searcy School Board will bet at 5:15 p.m. May 28 in the administration offices, 801 North Elm in Searcy. The board meets the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Searcy’s north bypass discussed

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 5:26 PM CDT

Talk of right-of-way acquisition begins

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

Searcy’s north bypass, long a subject of discussion and planning, is once again on the front burner as evidenced by preliminary plans revealed by Mayor Belinda LaForce and City Planner Jim von Tungeln Wednesday.

LaForce presented the results of meetings concerning the city’s transportation needs including projects involving the Arkansas Highway Transportation Department and local streets. Prominent among the former was the north bypass, a long-awaited widening of North Bypass Road and new construction resulting in a three-lane thoroughfare from Davis Drive to Highway 36 West.

The current route being discussed for the bypass would begin at the intersection of Highway 36 and Honey Hill Road, where the new extension of Highway 13 is expected to terminate, and go cross country to Collins Road, which it would follow to Holmes Road, then stop at Maple Street/Highway 16. On north Highway 16, the bypass would begin again near the intersection of Fairview Road and go east to the intersection of North Bypass Road and Main Street.

LaForce said the project would be expensive and that talks were ongoing with the state to “fast track” the project by beginning discussion of right-of-way acquisition.

“White County is huge in the gas development, and this will take care of a lot of trucks,” LaForce said.

Officials have begun to discuss annexing the area north of North Bypass Road.

“I’d love to go all the way to the river in annexation, simply because we could utilize the river,” LaForce said.

Local street projects have been prioritized, with those taking precedence consisting of those around schools and scheduled to begin in 2009: Benton Street from East Park Street to Race Street; Country Club Road from Beebe-Capps Expressway to Cecil Tedder Drive; North Ella Street from Beebe-Capps Expressway to Arch Street and from Searcy High School to Holmes Road; and Holmes Road from North Ella to Highway 16.

Priority II local projects scheduled to begin in 2010 are: Booth Road from Main Street to Honey Hill Road; North Main Street from Moore Avenue to North Bypass Road; and Davis Drive from Moore Avenue to the area already widened by the county.

Priority III local projects scheduled to begin in 2012 are: Country Club Road from Cecil Tedder Drive to Country Club East and Country Club West; Country Club Road West going East to Honey Hill Road; and Sawmill Road to Beebe-Capps Expressway.

The projects are in addition to resurfacing plans involving other streets, LaForce said, and are made possible by rising revenues from sales tax, state turnbacks and the severance tax. Local street improvements include widening, drainage, curb and gutter where appropriate, sidewalks and lighting.

The next meeting of the Searcy Planning and Growth Committee will be May 21. The committee meets at noon on the third Wednesday of the month in city hall, 401 W. Arch

Veterans clinic coming

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 6:16 PM CDT

Question is when: 2009 is likely year

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

The White County Quorum Court voted to approve a resolution to support the establishment of a veteran’s clinic in the county Tuesday night, sending a message to Washington administrators that the clinic is needed.

“It sends a message to the veterans affairs office that the justices of the peace are in support of it,” said White County Judge Michael Lincoln.

The decision to establish the clinic has already been made, according to Lauri Driver, spokesman for the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA).

“It’s basically a done deal,” Driver said. “The VA went through a process to see where they needed to have clinics in the communities to better serve our veterans population, and Searcy was identified.”

That decision was made on the basis of how many veterans are in White County and how far the county is from North Little Rock, the site of the closest medical care for veterans.

“That was approved a number of years back,” Driver said. “It is on the list to be implemented in 2008. We are only waiting for approval from our central office in Washington to tell us to implement that clinic.”

The question now is when the Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) will be opened, not if, Driver said.

“We love that the community is behind us,” Driver said.

A detailed proposal has already been written for distribution to prospective bidders, who would be required to write a technical proposal.

“The proposals will be evaluated by a team of clinical and administrative people, and graded to a certain extent,” Driver said. “They look at the price and award a contract.

The clinic, which will provide primary care services like a family practice, could be opened in a pre-existing hospital or clinic or a new clinic and building could be started.

“In Mena, the physician’s group that won the contract built the building,” Driver said. “It just depends.”

Received bids will be evaluated on the ability of bidders to provide the services.

“We will inspect the facilities and make sure it is adequate and make sure it meets all our regulations and fire and safety regulations,” Driver said.

Not all the medical services at the clinic will be provided by the bid winner.

“There will be some services offered at the CBOC that we provide, from the VA in Little Rock,” Driver said. “Our intent is provide a psychiatrist and a social worker to do mental health outreach, and they are almost always VA employees.”

The contract winner would provide space for the VA employees.

Driver said the time from when the “go ahead” order is given from Washington to the time the clinic opens it doors is generally less than a year.

“The clinic is slated to open no later than 2011, but we’re hoping it will be in 2009,” Driver said. “But that’s all dependent on approval from Washington.

“We have a team of folks waiting to open this clinic. We’ve been updating our proposal to make sure we get the highest quality healthcare for our veterans. We review it periodically and update it.”

March sales tax revenue jumps again

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 6:17 PM CDT

City, county see 19-20 percent jumps

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

The local economy continues to grow, as evidenced by increases in income from sales taxes. The City of Searcy experienced a 19 percent jump in sales tax revenue in March while White County saw a 21 percent rise.

Searcy
Revenue from city and county sales taxes jumped 19 percent in March over the same month last year, bringing in $76,090.81 of unbudgeted money.

Searcy Clerk/Treasurer Tammy Gowen reported to the council at its March meeting that the city’s portion of the county sales tax was $115,844.19 over receipts in 2007 and the city sales tax revenues were up $58,186.11 over 2007 for a total of $174,030.30.

“It’s from growth and people buying things at home,” Gowen said of the growing economy.

Dealing with the unexpected surplus is a challenge with which Gowen has had to deal.

“We’re looking at putting some of the money in certificates of deposit,” Gowen said.

Currently Gowen is researching interest rates on certificates of deposit (CDs) at area banks. The city has $500,000 in general funds in CDs at this time and $500,000 in its capital reserve fund also invested in CDs.

“You have to keep so much on hand to pay the bills,” Gowen said. “You can’t put it all in CDs.”

Total county sales tax collections for the year to date total $695,632.59 and city sales tax revenue totals $737,374.94 for a total of $1,433,007.53. The general balance fund stands at $1,995,629.52 and the year to date revenues and expenses total $376,871.50.

The street fund balance is $90,308.39 with expenses of $31,935.03 while the capital equipment fund is $1,084,332.48 with expenses of $98,265.80. The city’s Local Police and Fire retirement fund (LOPFI) balance is $156,514 and payments have been $185,478.39.

The total of all funds is $3.3 million.

On a month-by-month basis, the increases for the city’s portion of the county sales tax was $36,495.61 in January, $31,495.25 in February and $47,853.33 in March over revenue in the same three months last year. For the city sales tax, revenue increases were $13,352.08 in January, $16,596.55 in February and $28,237.48 in March over revenue in the same three months last year.

White County

With income from sales tax in March 2008 that are 21 percent above those in March 2007, the county has confirmed the marked increase in local sales.

White County Judge Michael Lincoln knows where increases in services should be.

“If the trend continues, from the road department’s standpoint, we want to add additional help and additional equipment to take care of our infrastructure,” Lincoln said.

But Lincoln said some of the surplus may be already spoken for.

“The increase will probably be offset by rising prices in fuel,” Lincoln said. “Diesel is over $4 a gallon, so that’s going to eat a lot of it, that’s for sure. When gas goes up everything goes up, like tires and gravel.”

Lincoln said the increase, which he along with other officials traces back ultimately to the natural gas development industry, has seen the sheriff’s department receive 51 percent of the year’s projected income.

“That’s pretty phenomenal that we’re at that percentage level after only a quarter,” Lincoln said.

“That means the treasurer can go back at any time and raise the projection of our revenue and that will create more money the justices of the peace can appropriate.”

The quorum court cannot budget over certain percentages of the treasurer’s projections for various funds.

“We ought to feel blessed,” Lincoln said.

Fink gets promotion at Yarnell's

Friday, April 4, 2008 6:03 PM CDT

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

While changes have been made in the front office of Searcy's unique ice cream factory, the taste of the product will remain as distinctive as ever and their patriarch will still work every day.

Yarnell's Ice Cream board of directors has elected Jim Fink its first non family member president and chief operating officer of the company. A. Rogers Yarnell II, who joined the company in 1975, served as president 23 years and is now chairman and chief executive officer. Christina Yarnell is now executive vice president and treasurer. Albert R. Yarnell, 84, inducted in 2007 into the University of Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, is now chairman emeritus and secretary.

“This management realignment will ensure that we can more efficiently manage our growing business,” said Rogers Yarnell, who currently serves on the Federal Reserve Board in St. Louis. “Yarnell's is one of the largest privately-held ice cream companies in the United States and our team looks forward to tackling the opportunities and challenges currently facing the company.”

Fink joined the company in 2003 as its chief financial officer and was former executive vice president of TCBY Enterprises and president of Americana Foods, a national frozen dessert manufacturer located in Dallas.

“Jim Fink ran the American Foods plant in Dallas for TCBY, which was four times larger than this in volume and size,” Rogers Yarnell said. “He is one of the most experienced and respected leaders in the ice cream industry and is uniquely qualified to being the fourth president in the history of our company.”

In addition to its Yarnell's branded ice cream products and its marketing of the Angel Food brand, the company has forged a distribution relationship with Nestle', the largest food company in the world.

The company also produces ice cream products for several Fortune 500 food companies.

“Our growth has been considerable over the past few years,” Rogers Yarnell added. “For example, we distribute approximately 29 percent of all the ice cream and frozen treats sold in the region we serve. We serve every major supermarket, drug store and convenience store in our core area, such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, Schnucks, Walgreen's, Harvest Foods and Harps.”

“We're in a tough industry,” Rogers Yarnell said. “We're not knocking the cover off the ball as far as profits are concerned but we're good.”

Rising fuel and dairy costs have made the industry even more competitive, Fink said, noting the company now serves 3,500 locations. Yarnell's also markets the Angel Food brand products.

“The objective is to continue to grow our direct store delivery system in the trade area we serve, which is Arkansas, Mississippi and west Tennessee,” Fink said. “The reason we're realigning is to allow for the continued growth of our direct store delivery system and to grow our custom manufacturing business so we can fully utilize our production capacity here in Searcy.”

Rogers Yarnell said he and Albert Yarnell will continue to be just as involved in the company as ever.

“These are both challenging and exciting times as the ice cream industry enters the final stages of consolidation,” Rogers Yarnell said

Crain talks business

Thursday, March 20, 2008 6:27 PM CDT

Businessman addresses YPN gathering

By Sara Dacus

Special to The Daily Citizen

The Young Professionals Network (YPN), a committee organized by the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce, recently began Searcy Heroes: A Professional Development Series. The group welcomed Larry Crain of Crain Automotive and Crain Media as the first speaker in the series.

“Mr. Crain and several other role models in Searcy have achieved statewide success,” Mat Faulkner, President and Creative Director of Think Advertising, said. “Our Searcy Heroes seminars give us a chance to learn from these fellow citizens about a variety topics: How did you get where you are today? What character traits do you value the most? How do you advance your career in Searcy? What do you look for in your key people?”

The four areas that Crain discussed as being essential for a successful career are faith in God, family relationships, education and experience.

“Don’t measure success by the world’s standards,” Crain said. “Success is achieving something you planned or intended. Success is something that turns out well.”

Crain discussed his early childhood in the community of Crosby, which is outside of Searcy on Highway 36.

“We didn’t own a car. My parents and I would walk to church,” Crain said. “That was the foundation of my faith. That’s what I have the most appreciation for.”

Crain’s father and grandfather both owned small country stores in Searcy.

“My dad had an eighth-grade education, but he could really cipher. He was good with numbers, and he was a good trader,” Crain said. “I got my passion for business from him.”

Crain emphasized that passion is essential.

“Have a passion about what you do. Passion comes with DNA, but it can also be developed,” he said.

He talked about the importance of discipline, persistence and taking risks.

“Get absorbed in what you’re doing, and be willing to do each part of it,” Crain said. “Learn every job there. I don’t feel like I can fully understand what’s happening in a business unless I know what each person is doing.”

Crain discussed that reputation is more important than wealth. He emphasized the importance of making moral choices.

“My goal each day is to do the best I can do,” he said.

As a young entrepreneur, Faulkner said I could relate to everything Crain said about starting a business.

“I enjoyed hearing his story: It is reassuring to know that someone who is so successful went through similar challenges that I’ve faced,” Faulkner said. “In the short five years since I’ve started my business, I’ve experienced the hard work, the emotional ties, the pitfalls that he discussed. I am pleased that Mr. Crain chose to join us.”

The Young Professionals Network (YPN) is a group organized by the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The YPN strives to retain and advance the young workforce in Searcy by providing them with professional development, social activities and service opportunities.

“I enjoy being a part of the YPN in Searcy,” Faulkner said. “We are an enthusiastic, powerful and diverse organization that helps young professionals in our area discover new business relations, strengthen existing contacts and ultimately get excited about working in such a great city.”

The YPN currently has 60 members.

“The Young Professionals Network is one of the Chamber’s most exciting committees,” Tara Cathey, Vice President of the Chamber, said. “We feel that the YPN helps our area attract and retain young professionals in our workforce and helps strengthen the community as a whole.”

To become a YPN member, the participant or the business that he or she works for must be a member of the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“I am excited to develop an organization that creates an infrastructure for young Searcy professionals,” Faulkner said. “As the YPN continues to evolve, we hope each and every Searcy professional will consider joining both the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce and the YPN.”

For more information concerning the Young Professionals Network, contact the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce at (501) 268-2458.

Searcy chamber endorses Career Readiness Certificate

Monday, March 10, 2008 7:22 PM CDT

Governor announced credential at first of 10 employer forums

LITTLE ROCK — The Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce recently endorsed the Arkansas Career Readiness Certificate, a new workplace-readiness credential that will reduce employee turnover, build job-seeker confidence, increase a graduate’s chances for hire and boost economic development.

“The Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the implementation of this valuable tool to help us expand our economy, reduce unemployment and attract new businesses and industries,” said Paul Ford, the chamber’s Workforce Development Committee chair. “For us to be successful, we will need active participation from our employers in the surrounding area.”

The Arkansas Career Readiness Certificate designates that an individual has core employability skills required across multiple industries and occupations. The CRC will give job seekers a competitive edge, assist them with creating a skill-enhancement road map and assure employers that they can perform the duties required for 21st century jobs. The CRC is portable, meaning it is not tied to any specific job or business.

Individuals can receive an Arkansas CRC by successfully completing the WorkKeys¨ comprehensive skills assessment, which is offered free of charge.

Gov. Mike Beebe recently announced the credential at the first of 10 employer forums held around the state.

“One of the most frequent requests we get from businesses is for more comprehensive advance screening of potential employees,” Beebe said. “The CRC will give Arkansans confidence in their own skills and qualifications, while helping employers improve the effectiveness of training dollars and streamline hiring decisions.”

Additional benefits of the Arkansas CRC include increased chances that graduates will be hired, another incentive for students to take course work seriously, improved success in entry-level and subsequent jobs, and curricula that will be aligned to meet the job skills employers need.

It also will keep employers from moving entry-level jobs to other states, decrease the unemployment rate, create a work-ready community, increase the tax base and attract new employers to the state.

Upon successfully completing the desired levels of WorkKeys¨, a person will then earn a bronze, silver or gold CRC signed by the governor and directors of the Department of Workforce Services and Arkansas Workforce Investment Board.

The first step toward achieving an Arkansas CRC is completing the KeyTrain¨ instruction, which is offered free of charge. The score achieved helps determine if the job seeker is ready to take the WorkKeys¨ assessment. If not, KeyTrain¨ provides additional instruction to develop the skills needed to pass WorkKeys¨ and for employment. The job seeker may also be referred to Adult Education for additional instruction.

More than 20 other states have adopted the CRC initiative. Based upon its benefits, the agencies on the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet are partnering to ensure the program is implemented in Arkansas. Members of the cabinet include the directors of the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, Arkansas Workforce Investment Board, Arkansas Department of Workforce Education, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Arkansas Department of Higher Education, Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges, and Arkansas Science and Technology Authority.

DWS and Arkansas Workforce Center staff are available to assist employers who want to make the CRC a necessary credential for hiring. Job seekers may take KeyTrain¨ at any DWS office or at various Arkansas Workforce Centers around the state. WorkKeys¨ is administered at Arkansas’ 22 two-year colleges including Arkansas State University at Searcy and Beebe; the Valley View Adult Education Center at Jonesboro; the Adult Education Centers at Conway, Magnolia, Texarkana and Russellville; the Henderson State University/Southwest Arkansas Technology Learning Center; the Center of Business and Professional Development at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith; Arkansas Tech University-Ozark; and the University of Arkansas at Monticello-Technical Colleges at McGehee and Crossett.

For more information, call 1-866-757-2999, e-mail crc@arkansas.gov or visit www.ArkansasAtWork.org. Employers and job seekers can also contact the Arkansas Workforce Center at Searcy by calling 268-8601.

Harding Univ. receives pre-candidate accreditation for College of Pharmacy

Tuesday, January 15, 2008 5:25 PM CST

The Harding University College of Pharmacy has received pre-candidate accreditation status and will seat its inaugural class this fall, President David B. Burks announced to students, faculty and staff in chapel Tuesday.

“A newly instituted doctor of pharmacy program of a college or school of pharmacy must be granted each of two pre-accreditation statuses at the appropriate stage of its development,” explains Dr. Julie Hixson-Wallace, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “Our faculty members are hired, and we look forward to enrolling 60 students for our inaugural class in August.”

A total of 35 students - representing 11 states - have been interviewed and accepted for enrollment this fall. More than 245 applications have already been received for the approximately 25 remaining spots.

On Nov. 14-15, representatives from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) conducted a pre-candidate accreditation site visit at Harding. The College of Pharmacy was awarded pre-candidate accreditation status through June 30, 2009, by the board of directors of the ACPE at its January 2008 meeting. The granting of pre-candidate status indicates that a college's or school's planning for the doctor of pharmacy program has taken into account ACPE standards and guidelines and suggests reasonable assurances of moving to the next step, that of candidate status. ACPE will schedule a site visit for spring 2009 to consider the college's advancement to candidate status.

Hixson-Wallace formerly served as assistant dean for administration and clinical associate professor at Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy in Atlanta. She holds the doctor of pharmacy degree from Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy, where she worked in various capacities from 1994 until her appointment at Harding in 2006.

Harding's College of Pharmacy is designed to meet the University's mission of providing a quality education that will lead to an understanding and philosophy of life consistent with Christian ideals.

The College of Pharmacy will offer a four-year program of study leading to the doctor of pharmacy ( Pharm.D.) degree. Curriculum will emphasize the integration of faith, learning and living; development of Christian scholarship; promotion of Christian ethics; and promotion of citizenship within a global perspective through participation in mission efforts.

Plans for the new health sciences center are proceeding on schedule. The 40,000-square-foot facility will house both the pharmacy and physician assistant programs.

Harding had a record enrollment this year of more than 6,300 students from 49 states and 52 foreign countries. It is the largest private university in Arkansas and attracts more National Merit Scholars than any other private university in the state. Harding also maintains campuses in Australia, Chile, England, France/Switzerland, Greece, Italy and Zambia.

Gathering of minds

Wednesday, December 26, 2007 6:31 PM CST

Up-and-comers connected through professional network

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

New, stronger strands are being woven into the fabric of Searcy's professional community.

Business owners and managers in the early parts of their careers are linking and interconnecting through the Young Professionals Network (YPN), sponsored by the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce. The YPN has seen outstanding growth in its first year, from 12 organizers to more than 72 current members.

Designed as a source of further growth and development, those pursuing careers and committed to vocations are encouraged through YPN to see themselves as interdependent and related parts of the Searcy business community.

“We have been an organization for about a year and a half now,” said Sara Dacus, marketing coordinator for White County Medical Center and a member of the YPN planning committee. “It's been extraordinarily successful in getting some of the younger members of the workforce together.”

Dacus said she had been involved in chamber activities, and knows many of those business people are at later stages in their careers.

“I do go to some of the chamber coffees and the Business After Hours events, and there are a few younger people that go to those,” Dacus said. “But for the most part that's the established part of the business community. I grew up in Searcy and felt like I knew people, but was shocked at the first YPN event because of the number of people I didn't know. It's been neat to help us to learn about each other and make some connections.”

The YPN has had social events and professional development events, and also performed a service project for the Searcy Sunshine School. Dacus said the group has a three-pronged focus of networking, professional development and service, to give back to the community.

“Searcy isn't necessarily a hot spot for young people, and it was refreshing to see there were so many younger people who are working in Searcy,” Dacus said. “One of the goals has been to try to retain the younger workforce and make them realize Searcy has a lot going for it, so they don't feel like they have to move to Little Rock or Fayetteville.”

Goals for 2008 for the YPN include hosting a quarterly professional development seminar on “Searcy Heroes.”

“We're wanting to get some of these people from Searcy who have been successful to talk to us about what advice they would give to people in our stage in our careers,” Dacus said. “How did you get where you are now? What values made you a success? If you look around Searcy, it is pretty amazing with businessmen who have gone on to success in the state or nation.”

Dacus said examples of successful role models in the Searcy business community include Reynie Rutledge, Chairman of First Security Bank, Wayne Ridout of Ridout Lumber Company, Larry Crain of Crain Automotive, Crain Media and Crain Management, Albert and Rogers Yarnell with Yarnell Ice Cream Company, Gov. Mike Beebe, J.R. Howard, a U.S. Marshall in Arkansas, Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Hannah and Sen. John Paul Capps.

Alex Behel, assistant vice president at First Security Bank and financial advisor with Crews and Associates, has served as chairman of YPN during its first year.

“At the Searcy Heroes meetings we will learn from mentors at a lunch setting,” Behel said. “Having events like that increases your business skills, and you get to hear the best of the best, people who were successful right here in Searcy.”

The group meets to learn more about the community, Behel said.

“We have what we call the YPN Exchange, which meets every two months for lunch events sponsored by local businesses,” Behel said. “It allows our business people to see a group we may not have been aware of.”

The annual social event for the YPN is held in late summer.

“We try to really increase our numbers and bring prospects, a membership drive,” Behel said.

Goals for 2008 include starting a quarterly newsletter and having a Valentine's banquet and charity ball.

YEAR IN REVIEW: Up and down

Businesses opening and closing, salvation of school district and gas exploration marked news of 2007

All in all, 2007 was a pretty big year for news.

SEARCY

Searcy Mayor Belinda LaForce points to several things as being big in her city in 2007.

“Well, one thing was the opening of our new Central Fire Station - good things can come from tragedies. Our old central station burned in January,” LaForce said. “The city’s leasing of mineral rights on city property with Chesapeake - receiving bonus dollars ($482,158.61) prior to end of year - enabling Searcy to use funds for capital improvements for 2008 and providing a new capital equipment fund for continuing replacement of equipment. With the Fayetteville Shale - Searcy’s economy was greatly improved at a time when our Whirlpool facility closed leaving 700-plus people without employment - the gas industry has brought many new service industries and businesses (60 new oil- and gas-related businesses) here providing a number of new jobs and good-paying jobs, and this will continue to grow.”

Searcy has also bucked a large national trend.

“Our housing sales are higher than anywhere in the state - millions of dollars continue to stream into our economy,” LaForce said. “Local Developers are continuing to develop residential and commercial properties.”

And like elsewhere, roads were a big deal in Searcy for 2007.

“The Arkansas Highway Department completed the Race Street Widening project,” LaForce said. “Searcy was able to make significant improvements to Pleasure Street, through a one-time contribution from the state.” AUGUSTA

In Augusta, Mayor Jimmy Rhodes Jr., wasn’t available to answer questions. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he was off on his honeymoon. His marriage was pretty big news for Augusta, but not the biggest, said officials in theWoodruff County judge’s office.

The big news was actually at the end of last year when Paslode shut down Dec. 31, leaving 56 employees out of work at the holidays and on into the start of 2007.

Paslode was a specialty nail manufacturing plant. Some of the operations were moved to Pocahontas, according to news reports at the time. The last date for production was Nov. 29.

BALD KNOB

It was the news that dominated the front pages for months: Bald Knob School District.

First it was the revelations of financial distress at the district, then the state Board of Education came in and fired superintendent Wayne Fawcett, dismissed the school board and took control of the district. The first step was installing James Staggs as the acting su-perintendent and then threatened the district with forced consolidation with other, surrounding districts.

The town then went on a massive fundraising effort, raked in $1 million in one month and then went back to the board. Bald Knob was told “maybe,” but it needed to raise more money. So the community raised nearly $700,000 more, a citywide sales tax was passed, and the shortterm debt was paid off thanks to the money in the Save Our School fund.

With all that, the state Board took the consolidation threat off the table and told Bald Knob it was a “job well done.”

With the school district dominating headlines, Mayor Robert Carpenter pointed out there were other news items worthy of note in 2007.

“The second thing would be the sports complex we built for the kinds in our town,” he said.

As far as economic development goes, Fayetteville Shale has had an impact on Bald Knob.

“We’re getting some of those subsidiary companies,” Carpenter said. “That’s created a few jobs, and our hotels are staying full with all the workers.”BATESVILLE

For Batesville Mayor Rick Elumbaugh, it was all about economic development in his town, or the lack thereof.

“I’d hate to start with the negative first, but probably the closing of the GDX plant, that was one of the biggest things that happened here this year,” Elumbaugh said. “Then you have the downsizing of the White Rodgers manufacturing plant. Those were two big hits for here.”

GDX employed about 400 people, while White Rodgers lost about 300 employees.

It wasn’t all bad news for Batesville though.

“On the positive side, [there was] the growth of Bad Boy Lawn Mower,” he said. “They manufacture zero-turn lawnmowers and employ about 125 to 150 people, and they are expanding. They are a good company for here. The Future Fuels plant has shown growth also. Those are two of the most talked-about events here” CABOT

Eddie Joe Williams has been on the job as mayor of Cabot for one year now, and it was one of the first things he did that he thought was most significant.

“I think it was when we heldthat transportation summit earlier this year,” Williams said of the February meeting. “We had Congressman [Marion] Berry, Dan Flowers, Booby Glover, they all came in and we laid out our needs. Since then we’ve added lanes, built bridges. We have formed a wonderful relationship with the county, state and federal people.”

Getting everyone involved was the key.

“We recognized that we can’t do it ourselves,” Williams said. “So we need everyone’s help to get what we need.”

That work has paid off, “I’d like to think that for every dollar invested, we get ten dollars back.”

It wasn’t all roads though.

“Something else that was a huge story us was the video arraignments,” he said of the new program that is just a few months old. “It used to take hours and now it just takes minutes to get someone arraigned. We don’t even have to take them anywhere. The video arraignments, now that we have it down, I’m taking it out to the rest of the county to see if the county can get it going on their level and ifthe other cities. It just saves so much time, now that we don’t have to transport people anymore.”

Williams pointed out another key development for Cabot. “We have managed to put the city back at financial stability,” he said. “We have turned the corner on that.” JACKSONVILLE

Jacksonville Mayor Tommy Swaim points to two things in his city as being the biggest stories of 2007: the library and the air base.

“[The library] was a $4.5 million project, and that happened this year. The other is that Little Rock Air Force Based received additional personnel from the BRAC process.”

BRAC stands for Base Realignment And Closure, something that used to be said with a bit of a shudder in Jacksonville, but no longer.

As a result of the BRAC process, funding is set to modernize the Aerospace Ground Equipment and Engine facility. Nearly $11 million is going to a multipurpose education facility off-base with Arkansas State University, among others, operating the facility. Nearly $10 million is also headed to the base for runway repair as well.

MCCRORY

Mayor Ronnie Pittman doesn’t have millions of dollars headed to the city, but a staple of Arkansas small-town life is on the horizon.

“We’re getting a Sonic built,” Pittman said. “That might be the thing everyone is talking about. That Sonic.”

But it wasn’t all hamburgers with cheese and onion rings in McCrory.

“We got the American Greetings building leased out,” Pittman said. “Calpaco has said they will move in, and they’re supposed to hire a bunch of people. They’re waiting on getting a railspur built before they move in. The need that spur so they can move paper in and out.”

The Woodruff County Health Center also opened up an expansion with some fanfare as Gov. Mike Beebe spoke at the ceremony. Also on tap for 2008 is a dialysis treatment center and $215,175 in federal money has been freed up for it.

MOUNTAIN VIEW

Jim Cash has a vested interest in Mountain View’s music scene.

For one thing, he’s a performer. He is also Mountain View’s mayor. So it should come as no surprise that music was on Cash’s mind when asked what he thought was the big news in his town.

“I’d have to think it was the bluegrass festival,” Cash said. “We got it right, and it fills up the Folk Center.”

The Ozark Folk Center is another thing Cash pointed to.

“We have people coming in from all over,” he said. “All because they want to go there. It has meant a lot, especially for the tourists who come in. Then you have the Bean Fest. You have people coming in from all over for it.”

Cash thinks the festivals will beeven more popular next year.

“That’s one thing we are doing, we are going back to the handcrafted stuff around the square,” Cash said of the Arkansas Folk Festival. “Those handcrafted things have always been real popular, but we drifted away from that. Now we are going back to that, and I think people will like it.” ROSE BUD

Rose Bud is abuzz with construction - all fueled by fuel.

“The growth of the natural gas industry along the Fayetteville Shale Play [resulted in] several businesses in town [being] refurbished and expanded their inventories this year,” Rose Bud Mayor Tammy Bomar said. “This was necessitated by the increase for demand in goods brought about by the influx of workers in the natural gas industry as drilling continues.”

Bomar ticked off the construction projects:

◊Construction of the Rose Bud Area’s first motel is almost completed and will be ready for occupants by year-end. The Gateway Inn, a 12-unit motel, is located just east of the city on Hwy. 36 East.

◊Construction began on a new Senior Citizen Center. The new building is a 2100 square foot building and will provide facilities for activities for seniors. Construction began in Augustand should be ready for opening shortly after the first of the new year.

◊Construction and upgradeon community ball parks continued during 2007 and included the installation of bleachers and will be complete by Maynext year with the installation of lights for all fields. Our good neighbor, Chesapeake Energy, has pledged $10,000 to assist inthis endeavor.

Will 2008 be in the red?

Wednesday, December 12, 2007 5:15 PM CST

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

The Searcy City Council voted to raise fees for garbage pick-up and passed the 2008 budget in their regular monthly meeting Monday night.

Both votes passed by a 6-2 vote, with Aldermen Kyle Reeves and Carl Nutter voting “no” and aldermen Mary Ann Arnett, Jim Dixon, Dale English, Jackie Liles, Mark Derrick and Mike Chalenburg voting “yes.”

By creating a new capital reserve account using $1.5 million in cash on hand, to be supplemented by at least $250,000 a year from garbage fee increases, the city has solved one of the problems associated with previous budgets. The other issue, raises for city employees, is also addressed.

The residential garbage pick-up fee will be raised from $12 to $14 and small businesses will be charged $25. In multi-family housing, there will be a fee of $10 per unit. To “bump” a 40-yard bin, the city will charge $75 inside the city limits and $100 outside. Unscheduled pickups inside the city limits will receive a $50 additional charge, and outside will be $75.

Reeves said he voted against the increase in sanitation fees for two reasons.

“I feel that when the people voted the tax down, they wanted us to live within our budget,” Reeves said. “Increasing the fees is a way of putting a tax on the people without going to the voters.”

Voters in Searcy rejected a proposed half-cent sales tax increase Sept. 11.

“I felt the sanitation committee did not look at recycling programs and ways to improve recycling in the city to reduce our amount of waste going to the landfill,” Nutter said. “We've got so many elderly in the city, and I thought a 15 percent increase was going to hit them kind of hard.”

A “no” vote by Reeves on the budget came because the plan called for spending more money than the city projected to take in, he said.

“The budget is a deficit budget by almost $300,000,” Reeves said.

Reeves was using figures obtained when the capital expenses were taken out of the budget. A transfer of $300,000 from reserve funds was being made to cover the budget, Reeves told The Daily Citizen.

“What this means is that the revenue we have projected to come in is almost $300,000 less than the operational expenses of the city,” Reeves said.

But with projected revenue for the year of $14,420,320.30 and total expenses projected to be $14,240,774.39, the budget shows a $179,545.91 surplus, not a deficit.

A $279,000 payment that must be transferred into the LOPFI retirement account will leave the city a little less than $100,000 in the red.

Chesapeake Energy presented a check for $482,158.61 to the council before the meeting. The check represented the upfront money paid to the city for gas leases on city property and will be applied to a new capital expenditure fund. That fund was set up as part of the 2008 budget after a suggestion was made to that effect by Chalenburg.

Before the tax vote, LaForce said a new revenue stream was needed, Reeves noted.

Chief of Police Kyle Osborn had said a crisis existed regarding funding for the police department, with salaries and patrol cars the two greatest needs. After the tax vote failed, Osborn told the council the situation was “even more critical” and was “beyond an emergency.” Fire Chief Bill Baldridge said after the tax vote that his department was “in trouble.”

“We really don't address what was determined by the mayor to be an emergency,” Reeves said. “If there really is an emergency we're not addressing it. When the tax was coming about, we were 10 short on police officers. Is there really an emergency? That's the question.”

In the 2008 budget, city workers will receive a 2.3 percent cost of living increase. In addition, each city department will also receive a three percent budget increase designated for salaries, each of which must be authorized by the mayor.

Nutter said he voted against the budget because of the ways the salary increases will be applied.

“The lower-end employees are not going to be compensated sufficiently,” Nutter said. “We're losing the lower level people.”

The budget was presented for a vote after months of meetings, discussions and debates.

A spokesman for the police department said Osborn is looking at concentrating the three-percent budget increase on new officers and dispatchers, but that decision has not been finalized. It is not yet known what the new starting salary will be for police officers, only that it will be increasing. No new officer positions were added for 2008 in the budget.

The next agenda meeting of the council will be 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3 and the next regular meeting will be 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8. The council meets at Searcy City Hall, 401 W. Arch.

2007 chamber report

Thursday, December 13, 2007 7:24 PM CST

Membership services accomplishments

The Business and Commercial Retention Committee was formed to address member businesses needs and concerns.

The Chamber conducted a Membership Event April 2-5 and recruited 275 new members and in three days. The chamber added 311 members during this calendar year for a current membership of 815 members and over 1,000 member business representatives.

The 61st Annual Banquet was held at Harding University Nov. 19. Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe was the speaker. A crowd of over 550 attended. Denise Drye was recognized as Business Woman Owner of the Year, Charles Green as Humanitarian of the Year and Dr. A. R. Brown as Medical Professional of the Year.

The Coffee Club hosted three Coffees. In May, the Fayetteville Shale Play was featured and representatives from Chesapeake Energy and Hallwood Petroleum spoke. An Industry Appreciation Coffee was held July 18 as part of the chambers' Business Retention and Expansion program. Representatives from Land O'Frost and Yarnell Ice Cream spoke and displayed samples of their products. In October, Kenny Hall, Executive Vice President, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas, presented an update from this past legislative session and the state chamber of commerce.

Taking a fourth trip to the awards

Saturday, December 8, 2007 5:41 PM CST

This Tuesday, Dec. 11, some of our school personnel will travel to the University of Central Arkansas for the Fourth Annual Golden Apple Awards, which are presented by THV, Channel 11, and hosted by popular television personality Craig O'Neill.

This is our fourth trip to the awards, and along with Bentonville and Valley View School Districts, I believe we are the only three districts to be recognized all four years.

Now just exactly what does this recognition mean? To be a Golden Apple School District means that our students in grades K-12 have made us one of the top ten school districts in the state to have the highest scores on the Benchmark and end of course exams.

On Tuesday evening, we will see where we rank in the top ten. In 2004, we were number two. We ranked number nine in 2005, and in 2006, we came in at number two again.

It does “take a village” to make this honor possible. Hopefully, the following categories include all of the entities of the “village.”

Our students are bright, inquisitive children who are highly motivated.

Our district has a Board of Education that provides direction by giving their time in careful consideration of complex issues, making informed decisions, and then providing strong leadership.

Our administrators and teachers are dedicated to their chosen profession and provide a stable workforce that devotes itself to the insurance that young people in Searcy receive the best education possible.

Members of our support staff take their assignments very seriously and work hard to ensure a well-run physical plant.

Our parents fervently want their children to succeed and provide the support that we need to help those children perform to the best of their capability.

Finally, we have a community that is “education-minded” and realizes that an educated community is a more progressive community. The level of support that the community of Searcy has always shown for public schools is hardly matched in the state of Arkansas.

We invite you to tune in this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to Channel 11 when we see how we did among the top ten school districts in the state, and thanks to everyone in our community for all of your support.

Chamber honors leaders

Tuesday, November 20, 2007 7:19 PM CST

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

The annual banquet of the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce, held Monday at Harding University, was the venue for honoring three singular local leaders who have made contributions of various kinds to their community. Denise Drye was selected Business Woman Owner of the Year, Dr. A.R. Brown as Medical Professional of the Year and Charles Green as Humanitarian of the Year.

Gov. Mike Beebe of Searcy gave the keynote address. Speaking informally, Beebe recognized state leaders from Searcy with whom he had served, including Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jim Hannah, Sen. John Paul Capps and Rep. David Evans.

Repeating an emphasis he has used as a focus for his service, Beebe reminded the crowd of 400 that education and economic development were connected. While some communities struggle economically, White County is in “excellent” condition, Beebe said, primarily because of its human and natural resources.

“Where we’ve had manufacturing losses, we’ve more than made up for it with the Fayetteville Shale play,” Beebe said.

Spin-off companies and industries from the natural gas development are making the impact of the gas play on Searcy even larger, Beebe said.

Denise Drye

Denise Drye is the business manager/co-owner Charlie’s Auto Paint and Body in Searcy and was selected as Business Woman Owner of the Year.

“I find it an honor to be among the women who have already received the award, and following in their footsteps,” Drye said. “It’s a pretty impressive crowd. To me, it’s important that I can be as much of a role model as they are.”

Drye gave advice to younger women who want to be successful in the business world.

“Get your education,” Drye said. “Do exactly what you want to be doing and make sure you keep your integrity, because your integrity is everything.”

The success of her business comes from an emphasis to put customers first and strive for customer satisfaction, Drye said.

Dr. A.R. Brown

Dr. A.R. Brown, 91, retired in 1980 as a general practitioner. During his career he spent 18 years delivering babies. His office was with Dr. M.C. Hawkins until 1959, when he built a clinic at East Race and Grand. Brown built another clinic in the 1500 block of East Race and in 1974 went together with four other doctors to start Searcy Medical Center.

“My wife and I came to Searcy in 1946. I came here to serve,” Brown said. “We came because Searcy was a unique place and had a lot of fine people in it. We felt like it would be a good place to raise our family, with Harding University, which was Harding College at the time, an ideal place to educate our children.”

In 1946 Brown said there were only four doctors in Searcy: Hawkins, Brown, Porter Rodgers, Sr. and Hugh Edwards.

After retirement Brown continued to work with the Department of Human Service mental health clinics until 1992, and served as a medical director for the alcohol treatment center, only quitting because of eye problems.

“Otherwise I’d still be trying to do something, if my vision wasn’t impaired, but I had to quit driving about 10 years ago, and it’s difficult for me to read,” Brown said.

Changing people’s lives was part of his life’s work, Brown agreed.

“Especially back in the earlier days,” Brown said. “I made house calls and got to know people real well and better understand their problems.”

The chamber honored Brown as the 2007 Medical Professional of the Year.

Charles Green

Charles Green, President of First Arkansas Valley Bank, was recognized by the chamber as Humanitarian of the Year.

With a lengthy list of volunteer work, Green has been involved in many organizations. He is president of White County Domestic Violence Prevention, a member of the Searcy Planning Commission, Treasurer of Searcy Rotary Club, board member and past president of the White County Community Foundation and is the president of the church council at First United Methodist Church of Searcy.

“Any place I’ve ever been, I enjoy people,” Green said. “I just feel like you need to give back to the community. I believe in all these things.”

Green has served as past chairman of the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce, where he also served on various committees, past president of Searcy Country Club, treasurer of White County Fair Board for eight years, and is a past president and past campaign chairman for United Way of White County.

“There’s lots of non-profit organizations that need good people, and most all of them need to raise money and expertise in management,” Green said.

Longtime doctor receives service award from AHA

Monday, October 29, 2007 8:29 PM CDT

Special to The Daily Citizen

Dr. A.R. Brown, a founding father of White County Medical Center, was recently honored with the 2007 Arkansas Hospital Association's (AHA) Distinguished Service Award. The award was presented during the AHA's 77th Annual Meeting in Little Rock. This recognition is one of three service awards AHA gives annually.

When Dr. Brown came to Searcy in 1946, he joined three physicians who practiced at two small hospitals: Porter Rodgers Hospital and Hawkins Clinic Hospital. Porter Rodgers Hospital had one operating room, one delivery room, and one labor room with two beds. Similarly, Hawkins Clinic Hospital had 26 beds. Today, White County's medical facilities have 438 licensed beds and over 150 physicians on staff. Dr. A.R. Brown was instrumental in this transformation.

When he first came to Searcy, Dr. Brown worked for Dr. Martin Hawkins. Dr. Hawkins paid him $250 a month, and Dr. Brown made house calls for $3. And during this period, plenty of house calls were involved in the practice of medicine.

“Oftentimes I wouldn't have a time slot for a patient during the regular working hours,” Dr. Brown said. “So sometimes I would make eight or ten house calls a night.”

And sometimes Dr. Brown didn't go home at night at all.

“I'd sleep on an operating table two or three nights in a row waiting for a baby to come, and then I'd work all the next day,” he said. But back then that's the way it was. It was part of life.”

In 1961, Dr. Brown and other people in the community felt Searcy needed an additional hospital. In public forums, Dr. Brown discussed the need for more hospital space and services, and he expressed concern over crowded conditions in White County's medical facilities. Patients were being put in hallways, and in some instances they were sent to hospitals outside the county.

A formal campaign was organized, and Dr. Brown became a leader in the efforts to bring a county-owned hospital to White County. Another organizer in this endeavor was John Paul Capps, who is now one of Arkansas's state senators.

“Dr. Brown served first of all as a medical advisor, which was very important, and then he also served as a political advisor. He knew lots of people, and without Dr. Brown we couldn't have been nearly as successful,” Capps said. “He was a visionary because he saw the need for the hospital. He knew that if White County was going to grow and provide adequate medical facilities, we had to have the new hospital.”

On Nov. 28, 1961, White County voters went to the polls to vote on the construction of the hospital and the proposed $900,000 bond issue. Federal matching Hill-Burton funds were available to enable the county to erect a two million dollar hospital. The citizens voted to build a county hospital, but they defeated the two mil tax that was needed to construct the facility. The county hospital could not be built. Despite this setback, Dr. Brown did not let the dream of a county hospital die.

A year and a half later, many citizens were motivated to reconsider the construction of a county-owned hospital. On June 30, 1963, Dr. Martin Hawkins closed his hospital. At this point, Rodgers Hospital was the only hospital in White County. The need for more facilities was even greater.

“We needed adequate space and bed capacity and good ancillary facilities. We wanted a hospital that would be inviting to other doctors. If Searcy was to grow like it was predicted, we had to have more doctors,” Dr. Brown said. “And good hospital facilities were necessary to attract industry.”

Dr. Brown was pleased when more businessmen and physicians became active in the second campaign.

These men took the campaign outside of Searcy, into the county.

The second election for a county hospital was held on Sept. 10, 1963. Voter turn-out was heavy. This time, the millage passed and the construction of the county hospital passed.

The hospital opened on January 16, 1967. The facility had three operating rooms, three emergency rooms, three labor beds, two delivery rooms, a recovery room, a pharmacy, three laboratories, a blood bank room, a chapel, two admissions offices, a main business office a 40-person capacity dining room, and a medical records department.

“Everyone was proud to have it,” Dr. Brown said. “It certainly was a facility that exceeded most places in Arkansas outside of the Little Rock area.”

Dr. Martin Hawkins served as White County Memorial Hospital's first Chief of Staff. The second year, Dr. A.R. Brown succeeded him in this position.

As predicted, the new hospital was a factor in the recruitment of physicians. Shortly after the hospital opened, two radiologists - Dr. Robert Elliott and Dr. John Bell, joined the medical staff. Soon, other specialists slowly joined the medical community in White County.

“We began to get more and more physicians,” Dr. Brown said. “This made the practice of medicine so much easier.”

Dr. Brown retired from his clinic in 1979. Looking back on his career, he considers the fight for a county-owned hospital as some of the most important work he ever did.

“From my perspective as a practicing physician, White County Medical Center has been a wonderful blessing,” Dr. Brown said. “It's amazing to see what has happened: how many doctors have come here and how many specialties are represented by physicians here. It's been nothing but amazing to me and wonderful to have had the privilege of being a part of it.”

Today, White County Medical Center's complete selection of services includes acute care, rehabilitation, geriatric psychiatry and inpatient hospice. Offering advanced technology, the hospital has state-of-the-art equipment, including an Open MRI and a 64-slice CT. The medical staff consists of over 150 physicians representing a wide variety of specialties. White County Medical Center is the second-largest employer in Searcy, with over 1400 employees. The hospital serves a six-county area of Cleburne, Independence, White, Jackson, Woodruff and Prairie.

Water expansion to increase rates

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 5:18 PM CDT

Upgrade of treatment plant still two years away

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

The growth of White County, which relies on Searcy for its water, comes with a cost.

Members of the Board of Public Utilities heard a report Tuesday from Gary Bennett of Garver Engineers on a proposed expansion of the water treatment plant. Bennett said the project would likely cost $14.5 million and bring the system’s capacity from 15 million gallons a day to 19 million gallons a day.

The health department requires capacity to be at least 20 percent above maximum usage, which this summer peaked out at 14.9 million gallons a day.

“There will have to be a rate increase. There’s no question in my mind,” Clarence Buckner, manager of the utilities, said.

A decision on the plans is expected in January or February and will include plans to upgrade a water main in order to allow increased pressure, especially in the downtown area. The utility services 9,300 customers, including industrial meters.

In other business, Truman Skinner, 74, was recognized for 37 years service to the water system. Skinner is retiring after starting work Oct. 1, 1970. He operated a back hoe with the utility for 19 years and has been known as the worker who turns water service on and off for customers.

Board chairman Reynie Rutledge presented a plaque to Skinner, who was accompanied by his wife, Beverly.

Results of the board’s annual audit were presented by David Spradlin of Hamilton, Cherry, Spradlin and Co. of Searcy. Everything was in order, Spradlin said.

Total assets of the utility went from $54 million in 2006 to $55 million in 2007, and total liabilities went from $12.9 million in 2006 to $12.5 million in 2007, making total net assets go from $40.8 million in 2006 to $43.1 million in 2007.

Expenses for the year for the water and sewer utility were $5,695,831 and income before contributions was $1,186,387.

Sewer pretreatment surcharges for 2007 decreased 10.6 percent from 2006 amounts due to permitted industrial users contributing less conventional pollutants in 2007.

Penalty charges were also down while water revenue increased.

Connections fees for 2007 decreased 17 percent from 2006 due to eliminating the $300 per sewer connection surcharge on connections to the Deener Creek trunkline beginning in May 2005.

Actual expenses for power and pumping in 2007 were 86 percent lower than 2006, a variance of $200,000 due to decreased repair and maintenance charges for sewer.

The costs for four construction projects were listed as: Backbone Ridge tank and pump station ($1,068,486); SCADA project ($28,610); airport lines ($220,604); wastewater expansion ($5,534,216).

The City of Searcy issued Water and Sewer Revenue Bonds in September 2005 totaling $6 million to finance the cost of acquiring, constructing and equipping extensions and improvements.

The three largest customers of the system are Southwest White County Water Association, with $512,813 in purchases (7.8 percent of total sales); Northeast White County Waterworks PFB, with $289,269 (4.4 percent); Kohler Company with $286,583 (4.3 percent).

More gas jobs

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 6:35 PM CDT

Chamber President gives city council update on gas boom

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

There are now 40 gas-related companies in White County and 960 new and shortly anticipated jobs in White County since the beginning of the Fayetteville Shale Play.

Evidence of the positive impact of the natural gas development and production industry on Searcy and White County was presented to the city council Tuesday night by Buck Layne, president of the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Layne reported that the Doniphan Industrial Park, owned by Robert Underwood, is now home to six companies providing 225 new jobs: Union Drilling (120); Integrity (two); KSW (seven); Impact Energy (14); Newpark Drilling; and Center for Transportation Safety (75).

According to Layne, existing gas-related companies active in the area including Union Drilling, operating six rigs and employing 120 people, and Chesapeake Energy, employing 30 plus 160 rig hands on eight rigs. Work on Chesapeake's NOMAC Training Center, employing 90, began Aug. 23, with the first of the 16 modular houses delivered. A café and exercise area will also be built on the site.

Hallwood Petroleum has three rigs with 10 employees in their office and 15-20 per rig in support personnel. Companies associated with Hallwood include Triple Transport of Judsonia, Circle K in Rose Bud with 20 working in pipeline construction and between 150-200 people on the ground every day.

Five prospective companies, one of which manufactures fiberglass tanks, are considering moving into Searcy, possibly bringing 375 more jobs, Layne said.

Existing local industry includes the Bryce Corporation, which is beginning a $7.8 million expansion creating 10-20 new jobs, Layne said.

Prospective manufacturing industry includes Defense System Components, which would create 10-50 jobs, Layne said.

“A real estate consultant is looking for a distribution center in the area with at least 250,000 to 300,000 square feet,” Layne said of the former Whirlpool building. “Higher ceilings are preferred. The client wants to be operational the first quarter of 2008 and could come in for a visit in the next few weeks.”

The chamber is attempting to maintain a catalog of available buildings and sites to make available to businesses interested in locating in the area, Layne said. The county's current unemployment rate is seven percent, compared to 5.9 percent in the state and 4.9 percent in the nation.

In other business, the council approved a request by the Bryce Corporation concerning use of a drainage ditch and set the salary of Searcy District Court Judge Phil Shoffner at $65,000. A bid of $145,062.50 from Delta Asphalt was approved for the paving of Pleasure Street and a state turnback check for $129,805.13 was appropriated for the project. Resolutions granting a right-of-way easement to White County on Jay Bird Lane and giving approval of the Cossey Hanger Project at the Searcy Municipal Airport were approved.

Two rezoning ordinances were approved, one for the Wal-Mart store on Race Street, from urban transitional to C-4 commercial, and the other for the new ConvaCare nursing facility on Moore Avenue, from urban transitional to C-3 and C-2 commercial. The council amended its voter notification ordinance.

Alderman Carl Nutter withdrew an ordinance annexing the Searcy Country Club after requesting it be introduced again in the form of a public referendum during the general election in November of next year. The council approved the withdrawal of the ordinance unanimously.

An ordinance adopting procedural rules for municipal officials and amending existing ordinances was tabled until next month after Alderman Kyle Reeves submitted an ordinance from the city of Bryant which could be used as a model for a Searcy ordinance.

The first ordinance on proper procedure considered by the council would have adopted the Procedural Rules for Municipal Officials produced by the Arkansas Municipal League. That tract is a simplification of the more complex rules of parliamentary procedure, and was produced for use by city councils.

Parliamentary procedure does not allow for informal discussions, with each alderman allowed to ask for recognition by the chair only to present a motion.

The Bryant ordinance allows the council to convene a “workshop” during city council meetings to allow informal discussions.

State law requires the mayor to preside at all meetings of city councils except in the mayor's absence, when a temporary replacement is elected by the council.

Maytag factory marketed

Tuesday, September 18, 2007 5:05 PM CDT

Whirlpool sends jobs to Mexico; to lay off 360 more

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

Dennis Donovan, former manager of the Whirlpool factory in Searcy, has been hired to help market the plant, which closed in December, to prospective tenants.

The Whirlpool Corporation sold the former Maytag factory to Industrial Realty Group (IRG) of Los Angeles earlier this year. IRG specializes in finding new use for shuttered or underused manufacturing plants and other sites, including closed military bases and commercial properties.

Buck Layne, president and chief executive officer of the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce, said IRG had contracted with Quadrell Realty to market the building and that firm had hired Donovan as its local contact and site manager. The factory employed 700 people.

“We met with Dan Robinson, a realtor out of Little Rock who is a local listing agent,” Layne said. “There’s a whole lot of people involved in this.”

The owner’s intent is to lease the facility to multiple tenants, customizing areas to meet customers’ needs, perhaps even providing separate entrances.

Layne said the building was shown to prospective tenants recently, one of which needed 25,000 square feet.

“Everybody has a little bit different need,” Layne said.

Others are also interested, Layne said, with some working through Donovan and some through the chamber.

“We had a meeting at the plant, and there were people from Entergy electric, CenterPoint gas, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Robinson, Donovan, and me,” Layne said. “We heard a plan from Robinson regarding his intent.”

When a call comes in about the plant, Layne said the chamber knows whom to call and which direction to go.

“A prospect came in and mentioned he needed an overhead crane,” Layne said. “That building has a couple of cranes in it, so we called Dennis and showed the building. “

Wayne Hartsfield of Regions Bank in Searcy is vice chairman of the Searcy Industrial Development Corporation.

“I think there’s a possibility of dividing it because it’s 501,555 square feet,” Hartsfield said. “It’s one of the largest that’s available in the state.”

Getting just one large industry to occupy the building is possible, just not probable, Hartsfield said.

“There’s not a high likelihood of getting one industry to come in there, although it could happen,” Hartsfield said. “If they would, it would be great.”

The building could be divided into two or three, or even four different manufacturing groups, Hartsfield said.

Fort Smith layoffs

In Fort Smith, the Whirlpool Corporation says it will lay off 360 people from its plant effective Nov. 2.

The layoff is part of a previously announced layoff that would occur as production is shifted from Fort Smith to a plant in Mexico, the company said. The layoff is also needed to balance production levels with market demands, according to the company.

The company announced last year that 700 workers would be laid off in the first half of 2008. Part of that layoff is coming early.

Union representative Roger Cravey said the plant is taking down a Fort Smith line that produces Whirlpool’s 22-cubic-foot side-by-side refrigerator. Cravey said there are severance provisions covered in a contract approved in March. Whirlpool said the plant has 2,900 workers.

Some information for this article was contributed by The Associated Press.

Hospital receives license and begins operating

Monday, September 17, 2007 7:38 PM CDT

Advanced Care Hospital of White County recently completed the initial licensure survey with the Arkansas Department of Health, Division of Health Facilities Services and was issued a license to operate. A team of five surveyors reviewed the hospital's plans, policies and procedures and found no deficiencies. Advanced Care Hospital accepted its first patients the week of September 10.

Advanced Care Hospital of White County is a 27-bed long-term acute care hospital (LTACH). It serves extended-stay patients who no longer require intensive diagnostic procedures but are too ill for home health, a rehabilitation facility, a nursing home or their own homes. Many extended-stay patients have chronic wounds or chronic lung disease or are weaning from ventilators.

“For years, patients had nowhere to go when they needed complex care for a long period of time. A traditional hospital isn't cost effective for long stays, and bed space is limited. A nursing home cannot provide the intensive care that is needed,” Eugene Zuber, Administrator of Advanced Care Hospital, said. “Advanced Care Hospital bridges this gap in care, and it provides care tailored to these patients' medical needs.”

Patients will typically come to Advanced Care Hospital of White County directly from a traditional hospital. The average length of stay will be 25 days or longer.

Advanced Care Hospital offers physician services; an experienced nursing staff; a complete respiratory department; and physical, occupational and speech therapy.

“I am excited about the opportunity to assist in bringing a new service and new idea to this area,” Zuber said. “The need for this type of care has been very well-demonstrated through data analysis and surveys.”

Currently, the closest LTACH facilities are in Little Rock.

“In looking at the medical needs of our community, we determined that White County Medical Center should add an LTACH facility,” LaDonna Johnston, Vice President of Patient Services at WCMC, said. “When patients require an extended stay, their families, neighbors and church family want to be with them. A drive doesn't make visiting patients convenient, so we are pleased to make this service available close to home.”

Advanced Care Hospital of White County is located at White County Medical Center South at 1200 South Main.

Harps set to open in mid-March

Thursday, September 20, 2007 7:14 PM CDT

Employee-owned supermarket will feature skylights, gas station

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

No firm date has been announced yet for the opening of the new Harps supermarket in Searcy but a company official says it will probably be in mid-March.

The store is under construction near the corner of Country Club Road and Beebe Capps Expressway on the east end of Searcy.

“The major features are that it will be, first of all, really convenient,” said J. Max Van Hoose, vice president of store planning for Harps Food Stores, Inc. “Two, we will do a bang-up job with a deli and bakery. Some of our signature items in those areas will be Martha Harp’s rolls and Martha Harp’s honey-dipped doughnuts. They are good.”

The store’s produce department will be lit with natural light through skylights, Van Hoose said.

“Several skylights will be included around the facility,” Van Hoose said. “It’s already a beautiful facility and that will be a nice feature that everyone will enjoy.”

Harps has three stores in northwest Arkansas in Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers that will be virtual footprints of the Searcy store. The company also has stores in Vilonia, Rector and Walnut Ridge, as well as the Price Cutter store in Cabot.

“We try to distinguishing ourselves in our meat department by having products that are natural, not modified with sodium like some of our competitors,” Van Hoose said. “The store will have over 100 frozen food doors, so there will be a good selection of ice cream and frozen food products.”

A drive-through pharmacy will be offered as well.

“We will have a gas station there,” Van Hoose said, “and we have a marketing program called Fuel Rewards where we provide discount fuel with purchase of different grocery items.”

The new Searcy store is an extension of the unique Harp’s corporate culture. The company was started by the Harp’s family a little over 70 years ago.

“In 2001 our culture changed significantly when we became employee-owned,” Van Hoose said. “While we’re a relatively small company, the ownership is spread out over all of our stores.”

Every employee is an owner at Harp’s, influencing the way business is done, Van Hoose said.

“Our employees have a vested interest in the success of our company, the way we treat our customers and the service we provide,” Van Hoose said.

Jason Jackson is manager of Food King, an existing grocery store located a quarter-mile away from the new store at 2205 Beebe-Capps Expressway.

“We’re excited about the competition,” Jackson said.

Van Hoose is thankful for the good weather, allowing construction to continue on schedule.

“We’re anxious to get it open and let everybody get in there and try it out,” Van Hoose said.

Harding freshmen arrive on campus

Thursday, August 16, 2007 6:46 PM CDT

‘Student Impact’ orients new students

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

Searcy’s population is experiencing its annual explosion as the first of 6,000 Harding University students arrive for the beginning of the new school year.

A cadre of upperclassmen were already on campus, ready to greet the new freshmen in a weekend of activities called Student Impact.

“It’s fun to help out the freshmen getting here,” said Randall Gabriel, 20. “I’m going to Australia this semester and I’m came to help out before I left.”

The theme for Student Impact this year is, “Made for This.”

“Everyone is made for college,” Andrew Griffin, 21, a health care management major from San Diego, said as he offered nametags to those registering in the lobby of Benson Auditorium. “Everyone who wants to try to go to college can.”

Matthew Perring, 21, an oral communications major from Guthrie, Okla. and Jaime Brown, 21, an English major from West Plains, Mo., are student Impact coordinators this year.

“It is our idea that freshmen are coming into a new adventure in life,” Perring said. “We believe you’re coming here to be made into something. Impact is a freshman orientation program that brings 250 upperclassmen back to volunteer to help move in the freshmen.”

Perring recognizes the college experience as the student’s last step before “the real world.”

Over 1,200 freshmen have enrolled at HU this fall and 900 of those are expected at Impact.

“It’s really to make them feel welcome and to get them involved before school starts,” Brown said. “It gets their minds off of home and gets their minds onto here.”

Harding is a private university affiliated with the Church of Christ.

“At Harding our motto is integration of faith, learning and living,” Brown said. “It’s like our mission statement.”

Events planned for the weekend include a mixer with food and fun at the Campus Ministries House Thursday night, energy group sessions, time for academic counseling, and a luau at Ganus Athletic Center at 5:30 p.m. Friday, entertainment the Evasons, who are billed as mentalists, at 8:30 p.m. Friday, worship and devotional times, service project orientation, a theme dinner in the cafeteria in which participants will dress as their favorite television character and entertainment by hypnotist Dale K. at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

HU’s economic impact felt

Tuesday, August 14, 2007 5:52 PM CDT

Harding payroll, construction, students and parents add dollars to White County

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

Harding University, the largest private school of higher education in the state, is putting nearly a half a billion dollars into the White County economy this year, according to its president, Dr. David Burks.

The information was distributed during a media luncheon on the HU campus Tuesday. With an operating budget of $92.6 million and a capital improvement budget of $11 million, the number of dollars Harding circulates locally is significant. Multiplied by five to find the impact on the local business community, a conservative estimate of the university’s economic impact for Searcy and White County this year is $518 million. Added to that would be millions spent locally by students and their parents in stores and restaurants.

Enrollment was 6,108 last year, making Harding the eighth largest university in Arkansas, bested only by state schools in number of students. This year’s enrollment is expected to be 6,300. Students from more than 50 countries are expected, including 110 Chinese and 68 Central Americans, the latter from the Walton Scholarship Program. About 30 percent of students are expected to be from Arkansas.

“Harding’s Doctorate of Pharmacy program will begin next year with 60 students, along with our Master of Speech Pathology program,” Burks said. “We will open a campus in Zambia this fall, our eighth program abroad, with 24 students.”

An undergraduate degree in leadership is now offered, targeted at college drop-outs who want to complete their degrees, at 10 cities around Arkansas. A Doctorate of Leadership degree is beginning in the education department, and the Center of Adult Ministry Training, formerly called the Harding School of Biblical Studies, serves those in active ministry who are at least 23 years old.

In sports, 120 men came out for football and are conducting two-a-day practices in 100-degree heat, Burks said.

The school’s American Studies Institute Distinguished Lecture Series will see Steve Russell return to the campus Sept. 11. Russell appeared at Harding earlier this year and is known for helping capture Saddam Hussein. On Sept. 27 the President of the Republic of Zambia, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, will speak, and on Nov. 8 Herman Cain, former chief executive officer of Godfather’s Pizza will speak on the topic of “The Climate and Ethics in the Business World.” On Feb. 12, David Barton will speak on “The Role of Civil Government.”

Harding’s $7.7 million Center for Health Sciences is under construction on Park Street, the largest part of $11 million in construction and renovation being done this year. The school’s new center for dramatic productions will be named the Evan Ulrey Performing Arts Center in honor of the retired chairman of the speech department who founded the school’s “Little Theatre.”

Dormitory renovations, squeezed into the school’s annual two-and-a-half-month summer break, are ongoing, and a $750,000 project on the third floor of the engineering building has just been finished. Along Race Street, the school has torn down several older buildings to make a parklike north border for the campus.

Economic boom continues on Beebe Capps Expressway

Saturday, July 28, 2007 7:02 PM CDT

Homeowners package houses as one property

By Warren Watkins

The Daily Citizen

Seven residential lots near the new fire station on the Beebe Capps Expressway have been put on the market by homeowners, opening up a prime new business location.

Four of the seven lots located in the 600 block are being offered for $715,921, representing 300 feet of highway frontage and 1.1 acres for development, all zoned commercial.

“We're still working on the other three, and are having to work with individual owners, so that makes it more difficult,” said Linda Castle, broker/owner of Century 21 Realty Associates, which has listed the properties. Century 21 sells both business and residential properties.

“Almost anything could go there,” Castle said. “Restaurants like corners, or a strip center could go there - just about anything that needs exposure on Beebe Capps Expressway.”

Development will be limited, Castle said, because the lot depth is only 159 feet and there is a 25-foot setback which leaves only 134 feet for construction.

“We've worked awfully hard with the owners and they're all excited about relocating and getting off Beebe Capps,” Castle said. “We didn't give any value to the houses. The value is in the property.”

By bundling the four together, maximum value will be reached for both the buyers and the sellers.

“One lot by itself is not anything of value,” Castle said. “You don't have room enough to do anything. Since we were able to get them to do it collectively, their property is worth more and they can end up moving into new houses.”

The economic development along the Beebe Capps Expressway continues to gain momentum, and is moving at a brisk pace, Castle said.

“There's a lot going on on the Beebe Capps Expressway,” Castle said. “I think there's going to be a new bank that is going to build a little further down. We were glad to see Burger King go ahead and build. There are some other new businesses that are looking at Searcy for new locations.

Castle said she was notified by the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce that a pizza restaurant is looking for a new location in Searcy.

A difference remains between the Race Street retail corridor and that found along the Beebe Capps Expressway.

“You probably have as much traffic on Beebe Capps as Race, and Race will still be the main artery,” Castle said. “But you've got excellent exposure with people going right by you on Beebe Capps.”

The new Brick Oven Pizza is a good anchor along that portion of the highway, and there has been some activity for the Harp's new grocery store at the corner of Country Club and Beebe Capps, Castle said

“There's not a whole lot of property available on Race Street,” Castle said. “Race Street is pretty well built up, and there's not a whole lot of opportunities, whereas Beebe Capps gives us a whole new area to develop.

“We're real pleased with what Harding University has done in front of our office, with the buildings they've removed. It's going to be like a park, and be very nice.”

The Century 21 office is located at 904 E. Race St.

Finding property on the Beebe Capps Expressway is becoming harder, Castle said.

“They are snatching them up pretty quick, but there are still locations available,” Castle said. “H