Tuesday 25 June 2024 12:28:40 1718213320

Jonesbororightnow has some more info on the new jail they want in Craighead County. Here ya go:

The ordinance authorizes collection of a one-half cent sales tax to raise 'up to $105 million.' The actual cost of a new jail isn't known. Justices decided to forego the cost of architect and other planning work until voters decide whether to approve the plan. The one-half cent tax would end once the bonds are paid off.
OK, hundred million is a lot of money. A half percent sales tax would take now long to pay that off? Use current figures, say average past three years, to get an idea. Voters should know that, donchathink? Of course the half percent tax would be eliminated once the hundred mil is paid off. Really? Or will there be a need to continue it for some other reason? I like this guy:
Justice Darrel Cook questioned the need for a new jail. He said he felt like flooding problems and other maintenance issues that had been cited could be fixed for a lot less than a $105 million new jail. "This is a concrete block building. If there's a maintenance issue, someone hasn't been doing their job the last 35 years."
Ya know, somehow I don't expect they're talking about fixing the existing jail. Know what I mean?

No crimes of note lately, but they found another suspect for the body in the field down in St. Francis County. Tell you the truth St. Francis and Crittenden haven't had much press lately but whether there's not much going on or they're not getting as much attention. I'm still wondering what the 'tote box' was. Makes me think of those plastic Tupperware things at Wal-Mart but they're not that big. Takes a pretty big box for a body.

The governor ordered the flag thing over the shooting. Not sure where I am on that. Multiple killings are pretty unusual in Arkansas, and a bunch or regular people getting it unexpectedly for no reason (unlike a block party or gang affair or juneteenth) is pretty bad. And apparently still nothing on why the guy did it. I ran the mental thing past some people.

Wednesday 26 June

A couple of fatal crop duster crashes have been reported lately. I hope it doesn't become a common occurrence as it was many years ago. That was back when they had the old biplanes. It scares me to watch them, I see a lot at my place in the country. I wonder sometimes if the wheeled spray rigs have reduced the amount of flying, don't know. It's sure safer. Back when I was younger I knew several people that had a fatality in the family or near kin. But you never know - I knew a fellow that had a small service, flew a lot, retired up in his sixties and perished in a tractor accident.

The shooter at Fordyce was in court, pleaded not guilty, no more info. The cop arrested for selling drugs while in uniform over in Hoxie has a trial date. Aside from that it's the usual but it's early. I'll be out of town most of the day some probably something will happen while I'm in Jonesboro. Just hope it doesn't happen to me while I'm there.

Jonestown was pretty calm and I didn't become crime victim. I avoid certain parts of town, some I used to visit regular with no serious trepidation. I believe the last time I was on Gee street was probably a year ago and I used to drive that street at least once a week for one reason or another. Couple of decent pawn shops over there where you could get some decent gun deals. Those shops over off Nettleton - a couple of them anyway I visited - had guns way overpriced. I haven't been to Jims down on Highland in years - bought a few there back in the day. Anyway looks like that's about it for today - no, wait a minute. Have to comment on a piece of weird news. Maybe the purveyors of local news should nave a weird news section. Anyway Roundup is mostly glyphosate - I buy generic stuff because I don't like Monsanto or the company that owns them now - but reportedly you can safely drink the stuff without enduring any serious adverse effects. Saw a dude that used to do it on TV to show it wouldn't hurt you. I'm not gonna try it, and those things have other ingredients that might hurt me. No word on what the other stuff (insecticide) was but that could be bad for you. The Mountain Dew definitely isn't good for you.

Thursday 27 June

Nothing big, another body found up in Misery. In the Mississippi it could be from a long ways off. Anyway if it was floating it didn't make it to NEA. People are still unhappy about education reform with the new governor.


That's just a video that links to here. I grew up in Cross County (I got older there, some would question whether I grew up) and went to Wynne. At the beginning of those eighteen years it was a pretty good school and the other district didn't exist - it was created to serve the offspring of the denizens of three small towns that were a pretty good ways from Wynne. There as also a school in Parkin but that was merged into Wynne some years ago. Got it. I lived near the edge of the Wynne district - in fact our house was outside of it. It was on a large farm my family owned and there were a couple of houses on it that were on the other side of the line. Mom and Dad said if we have to move into that house a quarter mile up the road to get into the Wynne district we'll do it but there were no objections. The Hickory Ridge school bus would have to add a couple of miles to its route to get to our house so everyone let the sleeping dog continue its nap. So we went to Wynne and it was a pretty good school. By the time I graduated there were some cracks but that's just the passage of time and societal evolution.

These days - as Jessica observed - people are trying to get their kids out of Wynne. Back in the day Cross County (we just called it that - it was District 7 and Wynne was District 9) it was regarded as second-class and probably was a little behind Wynne. It was - and remains - in the middle of farmland to be reasonably close to the scattered towns it serves and some called it the 'beanfield school' and such. I had several friends that went there as they lived even further from Wynne that I did. To give you an idea of where they stand now here's ratings for Wynne and Cross County according to one major source.



I believe the governor's education folks should look at some kind of incentive like awards for demonstrated improvement. I won't comment on the plans for spending the tornado money on the new school. Whether or not the garish outside costs much extra how hard would it be to do a quiet dignified brick and maybe some wood here and there? Think about how it will look in twenty years. Or even ten given the kind of work you get these days.

Since it came in so late there's no info yet on whether this was a disgruntled Arkansas educator. Catchyalater.
























































==========================================================================================
Mack Bolan 24 minutes ago Statistical probability is that he was medicated but only because it's so common these days. I would guess it will come out but you never know. If he gets a decent lawyer that angle would probably be investigated. If he's stuck with a public defender he's toast. For every action there is a reaction, for every good an evil, for every strength a weakness, and for every injustice there is somewhere a final justice. Reply 2G[-) Jessica Atreides Marshall 12 minutes ago It probably wouldn't help but go for it. There isn't enough awareness of what that can do to people. That nurse in Connecticut or somewhere, remember her? She was so full of stuff she was like a zombie and everybody was wanting to hang her. They should hang the doctor that prescribed the drugs. We have entered the time when all will turn against us and seek our lives. Reply HG Prime Chuck Norris 44 minutes ago Looking at the map is somewhat instructive if you know Arkansas. In some areas there's just no way, even if there are some good teachers there, to compete with some other areas. Perhaps if there were awards for improving performance over a period of time, even just year-to-year there would be an opportunity and incentive for teachers in those areas to be rewarded. Something they might want to look at, but from some of the complaints (and who is making them) it seems some people just want a prize whether or not they earned it. Make some constructive suggestions for improving the system. When I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you. Reply +4 Jessica Atreides Marshall 29 minutes ago Cross County is a good case. Parents are trying to get their kids out of one and into the other. I seem to remember a lawsuit some time back where the district losing students attempted to keep the per-student funds for the students they were losing to the other school. I can't find it just now but seem to remember they lost - duh. We have entered the time when all will turn against us and seek our lives. Reply HG Twisted Mentat 12 minutes ago Meritocracy is a bad word to some people. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. Reply oG rades served: PK, KG-12 Students: 697 21 County Rd 215 Cherry Valley, AR 72324 Primary Schools: 1 Middle Schools: 0 High Schools: 1 Alternative Schools: 0 (870) 588-3338 SchoolDigger Rank: 36 of 250 arkansas districts Wee we oe See the 2023 Arkansas District rankings! Grades served: K-12 Students: 2,484 1300 N Falls Blvd Wynne, AR 72396 Primary Schools: 2 Middle Schools: 1 High Schools: 1 Alternative Schools: 0 (870) 238-5000 SchoolDigger Rank: of 250 Arkansas districts 449th See the 2023 Arkansas District rankings! District Statewide Performance District Statewide Performance 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 ==========================================================================================