Monthly Archives: December 2016

DeltaYou: Bradley Ledgerwood’s Fight

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by Jiayue Liao
Delta Digital News Service

CASH, ARKANSAS — Though confined to a wheelchair for 34 years, Bradley “Brad” Ledgerwood continues fighting for his personal rights.

Ledgerwood was born with cerebral palsy, which keeps him from independently standing, walking, taking care of his personal hygiene and feeding himself. The only parts of his body he can move by himself are his hands, but they have a limited range of movement.

“I can’t do anything by myself,” Ledgerwood said.

Ledgerwood lives in Cash, a very small town with fewer than 400 residents and no hospitals.

When Ledgerwood joined the ARChoices program in 2002, he was approved for 56 hours per week of in-home personal care Medicaid services, which was the maximum allowed. In January 2016, the Arkansas Department of Human Services introduced a new system for setting the maximum number of hours for ARChoices’ participants. The new system relies on computer algorithms rather than caregiver discretion.

LISTEN: Bradley Ledgerwood explains the difference in his care hours.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services twice cut Ledgerwood’s in-home personal care services from 56 hours per week down to 32 hours per week since he’s not on a respirator, according to the Ledgerwood family. Although two appeals have kept services at 56 hours a week, Ledgerwood must undergo another evaluation in January 2017.

He said the slash of personal care services would take his life away.

“I can’t drive, so if I want to go anywhere, I have to ask my mom to take me there,” Ledgerwood said.

The Ledgerwood family at Paragould's Lincoln Day Dinner.

David and Ann Ledgerwood kneel for a picture with Bradley at Paragould’s Lincoln Day Dinner. Bradley Ledgerwood will start his third term as alderman for Cash in January. (photo by Alice Mellow, courtesy of the Ledgerwood family)

When DHS first cut Ledgerwood’s hours, his mother had to quit her job to take care of him. If a life-threatening emergency happened, she might not be able to make it back in time from Jonesboro — an approximate 30-minute one-way commute.

Ann Ledgerwood said the system changed the service hours without reasoning other than a computer system that only allots so much time.

“We just know the last two years, his hours have been cut from 56 to 32 with no improvement,” she said.

Critics note a recent ruling only makes DHS explain to ARChoices’ participants why their allocated hours will be cut, and claim hours are being cut even more drastically. But testimony from the professor who invented the algorithm suggests the state’s software may be faulty and DHS does not understand the tool it uses.

“If you going to do a program, you are knowing how it works,” Ledgerwood said. “Nobody in state government knows how the computer program works.”

His father, David, notes technology may not always be the answer.

“I have a love/hate relationship with technology,” he said. “Algorithms do work, but there’s a human element that has to be there.”

Since DHS started using the new system in January 2016, 47 percent of participants in ARChoices have seen a reduction in service hours, according to a Nov. 6 Jonesboro Sun article.

“I feel like the people in government are just wanting to make a name for themselves … the ones who are supporting the cuts are just wanting to make a name for themselves and I don’t think they care about people,” Ledgerwood said.

LISTEN: Ledgerwood voices his frustration with those in government.

Skate Through the New Year

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by Austin Hayslip
Courtesy of A-State Department of Media

JONESBORO — “Downtown is a very happening place to be in during the holidays,” Downtown Jonesboro Association Executive Director Hailey Knight said.

The holidays in downtown Jonesboro have always been full of activities. This year, Knight said they’re adding more to the holiday experience in downtown.

“This year in addition to our Winter Wonderland, we also have this wonderful new ice skating rink that was donated by First Community Bank,” she said.

Winter Wonderland is a building full of Christmas spirit. There are booths that are set up full of Christmas décor that the community can walk through and experience. Knight said the location is what makes it so great.

Residents skate

Residents skate at the Wonderland Rink sponsored by First Community Bank. The Downtown Jonesboro Association hopes the rink will become an annual tradition.

“There’s been a lot of people down here. It’s really neat because they can visit Winter Wonderland, which is right across the street, and see the different holiday-themed booths inside Winter Wonderland, and then come right across the street after that with their friends or family and ice skate.”

All you need is $5; that will buy you 45 minutes of skate time. Knight said the community response has been overwhelming.

“It’s really cool to see all the people coming downtown. Normally about 5 p.m. when we come out of the office, we’ll see all kinds of kids over here because they’re out of school and they’re ready to ice skate,” she said.

The ice skating rink is something that Knight hopes will be a staple in the holiday traditions downtown. It will be open through Jan. 1 Monday-Friday from 4 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturdays from 1 p.m. – 10 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. To schedule a group event, call 870-933-4604.

More information can be found online or on the Downtown Jonesboro Association Facebook page.

Bus Drivers Keep Students Safe

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by Austin Hayslip
Courtesy of A-State Department of Media

JONESBORO — “It’s a challenge. It’s a big challenge driving a school bus,” school bus driver Barney Totten said.

The most precious cargo you could ever transport. Fifty anxious kids sitting on the bus with their friends, waiting for their stop; the bus driver with one mission on his mind — getting them home safely. But before any driver is allowed behind the wheel, they go through pretty extensive training.

“You hit two cones, you fail,” Jonesboro Public Schools’ Transportation Director Mickey Long said.

After applying for the job, you immediately take a test.

“They have to take a written test, which is four parts. They have to take a general knowledge, air brakes, passenger and school bus, that’s the four sections,” Long said.

Then if you pass the test, you begin training for the district to ensure you can actually handle the bus. But before you’re allowed to drive on your own, you ride with the trainer. Then the trainer rides with you — this all before kids are even on the bus.

“Until those people feel good and the new person feels good, they’re not turned loose on their own,” Long said.

Totten said you’re doing more than just driving the bus.

“As a bus driver, you probably spend the biggest majority of your time looking at the student mirror up here in the front to see what the kids are doing in the back,” he said.

While there is a lot of attention on school bus drivers right now, Long is confident students are safe on his busses.

Digital Screens Cause Visual Consequences

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by Austin Hayslip
Courtesy of A-State Department of Media

JONESBORO — “I think that we do use it in every single class, except for P.E.,” Samuel Creekmore said.

Instead of flipping the pages of a book, kids are scrolling to the next page on iPads. And that could be affecting their eyesight.

“More and more I’m seeing earlier and earlier detection of visual problems in children,” Dr. Megan Moll of Hilltop Eyecare & Optical said.

Moll said the increase in “screen time” for kids is causing some serious vision problems.

“A lot of times, it’s the increased near-point activities with the devices and increased screen time, holding things a little bit too close has shown to increase the amount of nearsightedness over time,” she said.

Mother of two Shaila Creekmore said her children had vision problems at an early age.

“Both of my boys do wear glasses. Samuel started wearing glasses in third grade; he’s now in seventh. Tyler started wearing glasses right at the beginning of third grade,” she said.

Creekmore’s children aren’t just using devices too often. Findings from VSP Vision Care suggest by the time the average American child reaches the age of 17, they’ve spent nearly six years looking at digital devices.

“Computers and devices aren’t going away; technology is excellent. It’s definitely helped a lot with schools, but some things they can do is make sure the child takes breaks — every 20 minutes do something else,” Moll said.

She also suggests using a blue-light filter for children already wearing glasses or using night mode, a setting available on the iPhone. Another excellent option: spending time outdoors.

Voters Give Officials More Time

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by Kirsten May
Courtesy of A-State Department of Media

Arkansas voters passed an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution that will lengthen term limits for elected county officials from two years to four years. As Kirsten May explains, people in those positions think this will help them be more effective.

JONESBORO — Now even though the new term limits won’t go into effect until 2019, Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd said he is excited about what that means for the future of county officials.

“It’s going to be a great benefit to the operations of any department because you can set some long-term goals. Where in the past, just having a two-year office, it made it seem like you were always campaigning,” he said.

Boyd said he hopes the longer terms will let officials dig deeper to accomplish bigger goals, especially in a county that has a 2 percent annual growth rate. He said there are some things you just can’t get done in two years.

“Even though I know economically we can’t obtain maybe as many deputies as we want in the next 12 months, but I can look at the long-range plan and say in five years here is where we need to be,” Boyd said.

He said another benefit is being able to cut costs.

“Elections are expensive. I wish they weren’t, but in this day and time it takes a lot to run a successful campaign. Having to do that every two years, you get tired of the process and your supporters get tired of the process,” Boyd said.

There is also a better sense of job security for those in the department.

“It puts them in a better workplace knowing that they have at least four years to look at instead of two,” Boyd said.

Sheriff Boyd said there has been some concern about having an official in office that long. But he said as long as you research your candidates and know who you’re voting for before the election, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Issue 1 also states certain county officials cannot be appointed or elected to another civil office, and it allows unopposed candidates to be elected without their name appearing on the ballot.