Monthly Archives: February 2017

Delta Not Directly Affected by Dakota Access Pipeline

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By Madison Gomez
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — The Dakota Access Pipeline has grabbed headlines for months with concerns on environmental and cultural impact.

Energy Transfer Partners received an easement that will push along the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The 1,172-mile long, underground pipeline starts in North Dakota and runs through three other states. The pipeline will be the only fully functioning pipeline among eight other underground pipelines that run under Lake Oahe in South Dakota.

The Dakota Access Pipeline will transport crude oil to different refining markets. President Trump issued a memo to push forward the pipeline’s progress, which is subject to terms negotiated by the United States. While the pipeline will help create jobs and bring money into investments, potential problems could arise. The pipeline has brought a lot of controversy with protests from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe over the desecration of burial sites and potential water contamination.

Another problem arises from potential contamination due to a spill or leak. That experience occurred in Mayflower, Arkansas in 2013, when an oil spill pushed people out of homes and got into waterways. Such an effect to the Delta seems unlikely.

“I do not foresee any direct problems from a Dakota Access pipeline unless it gets into the Mississippi River,” said Richard Grippo, professor of environmental biology at Arkansas State University. “This may cause transportation problems that could possibly affect the Delta Region.”

Joseph Richmond, an instructor of disaster preparedness at A-State, agreed.

“I don’t really see this being an issue that could affect this part of Arkansas,” Richmond said.

The underground pipeline does seem to have some effect on this issue, according to Jerry Farris, a distinguished professor of environmental biology.

“Pipelines below ground would certainly impact the ways in which product would be mobilized or contained in the event of a spill,” Farris said. “That is also largely impacted by proximity to vulnerable resources, geology and climate conditions at the time of and following the spill.”

Though the Delta region might not see any effects, other issues are at play with the pipeline.

“It seems that the environmental and cultural impacts of the pipeline have not been fully evaluated and taken into consideration when planning the routing of the pipeline,” Grippo said. “They definitely need to reroute around Native American lands.”

Protesters from both the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other concerned people evacuated the area Feb. 23.

(NOTE: Featured image courtesy of Lars Plougmann, [CC BY 2.5], via Creative Commons)

Affordable Care Act Still Raises Questions, Concerns

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By Destiny Quinn
Delta Digital News Service

BLYTHEVILLE — Throughout a very divisive election, one of President Donald J. Trump’s key campaign promises was to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The day after his Electoral College victory, over 100,000 Americans registered for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

Former President Barack Obama designed the Affordable Care Act as a way to make health insurance more affordable and accessible. The act reduces the cost of health care and lowers the uninsured rate. It requires all U.S. citizens and residents to obtain basic health insurance. If they refuse, they must pay a fine. However, certain circumstances can lead to an exemption.

Abby Houseworth Whitener, Holiday Inn’s manager in Blytheville, finds fault with ACA in its current form.

“It covers just the basic. You still have to pay out the wazoo just to see the doctor,” Whitener said. “It doesn’t cover (Holiday Inn employees) for prescriptions.”

Whitener said she believes the coverage could be improved.

“Ultimately, it’s like a big façade. Everyone has health insurance, but they don’t get anything for it and they are having money taken out of their check to cover it,” she said. “It’s a letdown for them.”

Whitener said she would like to see President Trump replace it with something that would be more beneficial for her employees. But others note the benefits.

“I have seen good outcomes from it and I have seen frustrations with it. I’ve seen outcomes where pregnant women are able to gain insurance under it and are more readily accepted by providers,” said Amanda Deel, assistant dean of the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University’s Jonesboro campus.

The ACA made the process for women to see the OB-GYN easier. Women no longer need a referral from another doctor to seek medical attention from an OB-GYN.

Through the ACA, women also have the benefit of prenatal care visits, iron deficiency anemia screening, gestational diabetes screening, Rh incompatibility screening, tobacco counseling and cessation intervention, and alcohol misuse screening and counseling.

“I’ve seen people that have the insurance, but aren’t really sure of what they have,” Deel said. “They don’t understand; they have this card in their hand that says I have insurance, but they don’t really understand what that actually covers and what it doesn’t.”

Deel said some patients feel frustration due to the miscommunication. She said she believes the general public is less informed than it should be about the various plans and the total coverage.

Whitener spoke about some aspects of the ACA she did like.

“One thing I do like is the vision care. They (Holiday Inn employees) love it,” Whitener said. “They get to go and get their eyes checked and they get to get discounts on glasses. The dental is really good. You get to go and get your teeth cleaned quarterly.”

Both Deel and Whitener emphasized the importance of having a replacement for ACA that will be as good, if not better than what is already in place if ACA is repealed. So far, the Trump administration and Congress have not released a plan of action for its repeal.

(NOTE: Featured photo courtesy of Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

Mumps Outbreak Affects Public Schools

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By Destiny Quinn
Delta Digital News Service

KENNETT, Mo. — An infectious viral disease continues to spread at a rapid rate in Arkansas and nearby Missouri. With 2,595 cases of mumps confirmed, the Arkansas Department of Health has a lot of work to do in the upcoming months.

Northeast Arkansas school districts impacted by the mumps include Tuckerman, Paragould, Jonesboro and Randolph County. The ADH also released information indicating two college/vocational schools impacted by the mumps as well as 31 workplaces.

Missouri has also dealt with the mumps outbreak over the past few months. At the University of Missouri’s main campus in Columbia, more than 300 mumps cases have been identified, according to the Associated Press.

 

School districts everywhere are taking special precautions in an effort to keep children healthy. Kennett School District’s Director of Nursing Deborah “Deb” Cook said nurses in Kennett were given materials to review regarding the signs and symptoms of mumps.

“We have not done any additional education with teachers,” she said.

Cook said the Kennett School District has not had any confirmed cases of the mumps. She also spoke of a law regarding exclusion that could affect students in Kennett.

“Parents of students with medical exemptions were notified of the mumps outbreak and the state law requiring inadequately immunized students to be excluded from school,” Cook said.  “The exclusion is a minimum of 21 days from the date of the last identified case.”

Amanda Deel, assistant dean of the New York Institute of Technology’s Osteopathic School of Medicine on the Arkansas State University campus, noted mumps vaccination comes with the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccination.

“So the way that works is even with two shots, two injections, two doses of that vaccination, the efficacy of protecting against mumps is about 88 percent,” she said.

Deel said there aren’t really any vaccines that are 100 percent effective. However, she said it is important to be vaccinated in order to protect against the mumps.

Jada Hess, a registered nurse for NEA Baptist, said education provides the key to preventing the mumps.

“Educating parents on vaccinations for themselves and their children, signs and symptoms, and prevention of spreading viruses is very important,” she said.

(NOTE: Featured photo courtesy of Frankie Leon, [CC BY 2.5], via Creative Commons)

 

 

Sheriff: Offenders Treat Prison As ‘Revolving Door’

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By Jorge Quiquivix
Delta Digital News Service

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. – One of the main problems in Arkansas’ judicial system is prison overcrowding. While many work to fix the issue, an Arkansas sheriff explained who is reaping the benefits of this situation.

Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery said repeat offenders take advantage of the efforts to decrease the prison population. As a mid-sized county, Montgomery said the number of repeat offenders is drastic.

“We’ve had people paroled from prison who have already been to prison three, five, eight, 11, 15 times. I believe that it’s almost just like a revolving door,” he said. “They’re letting them out so fast that there’s no deterrent. They’re out hurting society and committing new crimes against the citizens of this state.”

According to findings from a 2012 release cohort by the Arkansas Department of Correction, 53 percent of the inmates released in 2012 returned to jail in three years.

He said when the prison fills, some of the inmates get housed in county jails. It puts a strain on county jails across Arkansas including those in the Delta, which has him begging for help.

“Please! You got to get them out of there because I got them sleeping on the floor or whatever the case may be,” he said. “So the prisons are under a lot of pressure to create bed space. How they are creating it is by kicking folks out early.”

Solomon Graves, public information officer and legislative liaison for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, released a statewide population report that states Arkansas has 1,340 inmates backed up in county jails.

“We also have 336 inmates housed in a Texas facility,” Graves said.

The population report states even the ADC facilities have more inmates than the capacity listed.

Following the Council of State Governments report in April 2015, a bipartisan Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force was formed to combat the overcrowding. Montgomery said he feels the task force did a lot of great work, but none of it reflected what he suggested when he testified before them in Little Rock.

“When I cornered them and asked if their recommendations were done, would they still need more prison beds and they said yes. Yet, none of that was a part of the recommendations,” he said. “The department requested funding for 576 beds. As of now, we have not received any indication that we will receive the necessary funding.”

Graves said prison overcrowding could be lessened with the passage of Senate Bill 136, which has been proposed in this year’s legislative session.

“The department is supportive of the reforms in SB136,” he said. “The reforms within that bill will help to divert low-level offenders to Community Correction Centers, thereby freeing up prison beds while maintaining the public’s safety.”

That could also set up a way for repeat offenders to not cheat the system. However, Montgomery said Arkansas should look at how Missouri is fighting its ever-growing population system.

According to the Missouri General Assembly, if an offender has already been in prison once then the offender must now serve 40 percent of their sentence. Those who have been in prison twice before would have to serve 50 percent of their sentence. Those who have three or more previous prison sentences must serve at least 80 percent of their sentence.

State Sen. Bryan King filed Senate Bill 177 in this year’s session. It would require someone who’s been sentenced three or more times to serve at least 80 percent of their sentence in Arkansas.

Montgomery said King’s bill may not pass because it should be staggered more like Missouri’s law.

“But I very much agree with his thinking,” he said. “He is like us. He is sick and tired of the repeat offenders that continue to get in and out of prison over and over again.”

Operation D.E.T.E.R. Causes Mixed Reaction

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By Jorge Quiquivix
Delta Digital News Service

WEST MEMPHIS — Even though this city has more than 25,000 residents, a police captain said it experiences violent crimes more than any other small town. That is something police hope to change.

Maisha Spears has lived in the Delta community for seven years and has seen crime get worse each year, especially when it comes to murders. West Memphis Police reported 11 murders in 2016.

“It’s actually scary because I have children of my own growing up in this neighborhood,” Spears said.

As a mother of three, Spears is one of many in the city who welcome the newly enacted crime crackdown by the West Memphis Police Department. Both the patrol and investigate units restructured so they could enact Operation Data Enhanced Targeted Enforcement and Restoration at the start of February.

Capt. Joe Baker said after being a member of the Violence Reduction Network for just more than a year, the police department visited Los Angeles to see LAPD’s Operation LASER in effect.

“We liked the elements of the program. So, we replicated the program to bring it back to West Memphis,” Baker said.

The department looked at the last three years of reporting data and searched for an area with a large concentration of violent crimes like homicides, battery, aggravated assault and terroristic acts. After an analysis, police focused on the southwest part of the city for the operation.

“It’s a really targeted effort,” Baker said. “It’s targeted based on the people committing these crimes. It’s not a suppression effort. It’s not a corner jump street effort.”

Spears agreed that particular side of the community was known for violent crimes.

“Hopefully, they’ll straighten it up because there have been a lot of killings going on in the last couple of months,” she said.

However, not everyone agrees with the crackdown. A man, who did not want to be named, was standing across the street from Maddux Elementary School. He said there’s no crackdown on crime because there is no crime.

“They’re harassing people,” he said. “The police say they are cracking down and they are setting up speed traps right in front of the school just to catch innocent parents who have nothing to do with anything.”

He said he feels violent crime in the southwest part of town is all lies because people can drive through the neighborhood without coming across gangs.

“In big cities, gangs huddle up. You see them everywhere; that’s not the case here,” the man said.

Nevertheless, Baker said the data speaks for itself. The department set a goal after the program has been in place for nine to 12 months.

“I know in a city like L.A. where we copied this from, a 3 to 5 percent decrease in their violent crime and a 10 percent decrease in their homicides is a big deal,” he said.

With more than 10 homicides last year, Baker said the odds look well for the small town.

“Ten percent, that’s one person’s life that is being saved,” he said.

The West Memphis Police Department is a pilot test for small-town adaptions of Operation LASER. If their version works, not only would the program expand to other parts of the city, Baker said his colleagues would teach other Delta communities how to incorporate it in their municipality.

Taxes Fund Necessary Services and Programs

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By Rachel Moore
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – As tax season approaches, citizens should be concerned with more than income taxes. From Jan. 1 to May 31, all Craighead County residents must have their personal property manually assessed. This includes vehicles, boats, trailers, camping trailers, tractors and airplanes.

“There is also business personal property, which is all of the assets not affixed to the physical structure of the building that are used in the regular course of business. For example, a hair salon should turn in items such as salon chairs, mirrors, drying stations, scissors, waiting area furniture, mobile stations, office supplies, a computer,” said Hannah Towell, Craighead County’s tax assessor.

Towell’s duties include appraising and assessing all personal property. She determines a property’s assessment by taking 20 percent of the market value and then multiplying that number by that person’s school district millage.

“In 2016, the collector’s office collected $66,823,765.58,” said Wes Eddington, the Craighead County tax collector. His office works alongside Towell’s in order to sort and obtain local taxes.

While most citizens know they must pay their taxes every year, not all of them know what programs the taxes fund.

“I just know I need to pay them to avoid legal trouble. I don’t really know anything about what it funds,” said Brigitte Schwartz, a hairdresser currently residing in Jonesboro.

Local taxes fund governmental operations such as the county courthouse and public schools. According to CraigheadAssessor.com, nearly 75 percent of the money goes to schools in the area. Some of the money also goes to the quorum court, county judge, mayor and City Council.

“Also, improvements such as drainage districts, timber, fire districts, city liens, mineral rights and other interests can be legally added to the tax books for collection by this office and there may be a set fee or it may be calculated differently,” Eddington said.

Overall, taxes fund services crucial to the county. Without them, over 100,000 people in the area would not be able to live as they do. But legal punishments exist for those who fail to follow local tax guidelines. This can include monetary penalties that accumulate over time.

It’s important to note real estate taxes are handled differently than property taxes.

“Real Estate is appraised on a five-year cycle. Once every five years, we re-evaluate all of the real property — houses, farm land, commercial buildings — in Craighead County,” Towell said.

The county’s five-year cycle is ending, so officials are currently compiling data that they will use to determine the current fair-market value of everyone’s real property.

Tax assessment and collection can become complicated. So for more information about personal property and real estate taxes, visit the Craighead County courthouse in Lake City at 107 Cobean Blvd. in Lake City, Arkansas, or the Jonesboro courthouse at 511 S. Main Street.

 (NOTE: Cut money image courtesy of TaxCredits.net, [CC BY 2.5], via Creative Commons)

Dog Park Awaits Donations

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By Katie Woodall
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Almost a year after plans for a dog park were unveiled, lack of funding still keeps the city from starting the groundwork.

Organizers presented plans for a dog park for Jonesboro at a late March 2016 meeting, after a group of citizens approached Mayor Harold Perrin and Parks and Recreation Director Wixon Huffstetler with the idea. The park will be located in Craighead Forest Park at Access 6 and be approximately 2 acres large. Huffstetler said the new park will cost nearly $150,000 to build and with no money in his budget for funding, donations for the project will be left up to the citizens.

“The city is going to donate the land. We’re going to do some site work, cutting down trees and getting the ground ready for grass and we’re doing the irrigation. Pretty much the grunt work for it,” Huffstetler said.

One concern voiced by Abby Landers, a local dog owner, remains the lack of awareness being raised for the park and its fundraising.

“I think they would have to put it right under the nose of the average citizen. I didn’t even know there were plans for a dog park at all,” Landers said.

While anyone may donate money, a citizen-led group of individuals has recently been talking with local businesses about sponsorships and major donations for the park. Gary Johnson, one of the citizens involved in talking with local businesses, said they hope to hear back from businesses soon.

Although getting the donations for the park is being left to the citizens, Huffstetler said raising the money can be done quickly.

“This town is so giving with projects like this. Personally, I think they can get the money raised by the middle of summer. We might be able to start the project this year,” Huffstetler said.

For more information on the dog park plans, visit www.jonesboro.org/449/Dog-Park-Information.

(NOTE: Graphic rendering courtesy of the Jonesboro Parks and Recreations Department)

Piano Competition Allows College Entrants

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By Seth D. Cleveland
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — Arkansas State University hosts the J.D. Kelly Piano Competition every year, but until this year, the competition never allowed students to participate.

Lauren Schack Clark, professor of Music at A-State and organizer of the competition, said the competition has evolved over the years. The competition’s roots started in a former summer music festival. Clark said the festival began as “really a camp for pre-college students.  We started the competition as part of that festival around 2007, and the last year of the camp was 2014.”

But the time came for a change and the camp, which proved “very successful” according to Clark, drew to a close. Clark did not want the competition to end. So she retained the competition, but held it during the school year to make it more accessible for students who participate in other summer camps and family travel.

Starting last yea, Clark decided to incorporate an undergraduate division into the competition. According to Instructor of Music and annual judge Brian Henkelman, “It adds another level.”

With the addition of a new division with a larger cash prize, talented students from A-State and the entire surrounding area have the chance to win. According to the website, the competition offers cash prizes ranging from $25 to $200 for first and second place in every division.

No collegiate participants outside of Jonesboro participated this year, but Clark said she hopes that will change. The goal is to increase participation in all of the divisions by next year.

“The cash prizes are an incentive that not every competition can offer,” she said.

Those cash prizes do not come so easily. As a judge, Henkleman said, “The difference is perhaps in level of expectation.”

With the addition of the collegiate division comes a higher level of “maturity and professionalism.” Henkleman said while “the collegiate level usually offers more difficult literature … the judges are still listening for accuracy, musicality, appropriate interpretation and all of the elements of music that the students in the earliest levels are beginning to explore.”

Clark said the addition of the division serves as somewhat of a recruiting tactic.

“The competitions are designed to encourage excellence in musicianship and to give the students a goal to work toward.  They are also a recruiting tool.  Allowing college students to participate brings potential graduate students onto campus,” she said.

Henkleman and Clark said they agree that the incorporation of the undergraduate division is a great way to expose other students and colleges to the caliber of the music program. In addition to the college division, the competition also began to accept video entries.

The winners of this year’s undergraduate competition were Samantha Holt and Xin Ying Kong.