Major break in Janie Ward murder

After nearly two decades, a witness to the brutal 1989 murder of Janie Ward near Marshall, Arkansas has finally come forward. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist Mike Masterson reports in today’s edition.

As you might expect, the news is not altogether good.

The 47-year-old witness was sought out in early October by Teri Whitcraft, a producer for the ABC News Justice Unit, which is preparing a documentary on the case to be aired in the spring. In turn, Whitcraft said that she promptly contacted Williamson, who then drove to Harrison, where the witness gave him an interview on camera. Afterward, I’m told, Williamson told the witness that he wanted to take her statement under oath within a matter of days. Yet to my knowledge, as of last week, more than two months afterward, that had not occurred. It’s unclear why Williamson did not place the witness under oath at the time of that interview. Time may well be a factor. Since providing her statement to Williamson, she has told me that she‚s twice been threatened in the presence of a witness by a woman in a green car and has been followed by a man who told her that he was a private detective.

The Ward family has never given up and Mike Masterson has been relentless. Where are our public officials? In Arkansas, we expect to be lied to and robbed by elected officials and their flunkies. Is murder also now acceptable?

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Lyncho audio "on demand"

Here are the latest audio offerings at my personal web site, lyncho.com.

The interiview with Kurt Voigt, author of “Year of the Dog,” was one for the time capsule. We get all the appropriate background on Mitch Mustain’s mon, Gus, Houston and the fine people at Notre Dame. There is a bunch more. This is one of my best and a MUST for every Arkansas Razorback fan.

The Resident Moral Theologian, Dr. Mark Quay, came by to review the top stories, as rated by the Religion Newswriters Association. It was big fun. Honest. Great hour.

Stephens Media Group columnist David Sanders and I talked about the late President Ford, supposed liberal media bias (ugh!) and ethics.

Congressman Vic Snyder stopped by and the discussion was far ranging. We got into Iraq, North Korea, military staffing, and good old fashioned politics.

Here is the much anticipated Oaklawn preview with Mark the Magician. Horse race fans check it out and head over to his web site for all the latest picks.

Arkansas Travelers Manager, Bill Valentine, is always a scream. He talks about Razorback football; Damean William and the Springdale parents. Valentine is all over the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau. He talks about the new park and the best restaurants – including Luigi’s on Chicot Road. You need to hear this one!

Author, reporter, and activist Mara Leveritt came by and talked about her recent opportunity to go through the records Dan Harmon kept as Saline County Sheriff while he was also a drug kingpin. We talked about the train deaths, the West Memphis Three and the high cost of phone calls for prisoner’s families.

Ben Mays is on the State Board of Education and he says that Arkansas public schools spend over $200 million dollars anually in inter-school sports. This is money that comes from the funds intended for educational purposes. Ben thinks that local school districts should stop covering up the true cost of athletics. We also spent a few minutes on the Charter School story. Why do some get approved, and other’s don’t? This hour simply rocks.

John Deering, the Democrat-Gazette’s crack editorial page cartoonist had a few things to say about a few things. We talked about taking the Christmas Trees down in the SeaTac airport, putting Santa hats on the Little Rock nine, and the latest developments in cartooning on the web. Carole Kramer gets in the act and it is a very cool hour.

Was the American Civil War the first “modern war?” I am sure you have spent many hours discussing this stimulating topic and it occupied me and Dr. Carl Moneyhon from UALR for one hour.

Our Assistant Resident Moral Theologian, Bill Elkins, came by the studios recently to talk about the “emerging church.” We also got into “faith and reason:” along with a little romp over why men don’t like church. This hour was highlighted by a telephone call from the President of the Pat Lynch Fan Club in Florida.

It was a two-hour non-stop laughfest when the two Arkansans from “Deal or No Deal” showed up with me. Meet Brooks Leach and Ronnie Fewell! You will laugh yourself silly. Enjoy BOTH hours. Each has been edited and runs for about 44 minutes. Hour #1. Hour #2.

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Video of Saddam Hussein being executed

See title.

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On-time Friday summary (for a change)

Friday December 29, 2006

Roby Brock, of SuperTalkArkansas and TalkBusiness.net reports that Gov.-elect Mike Beebe has cast doubt on prospects for a highway construction program during the 2007 legislative session. Beebe also said the more than $250 million needed for public school renovations next year should come for the state’s bulging budget surplus and that his plan to phase out the state sales tax on groceries is not negotiable.

Gov. Mike Huckabee plans to use $2 million to pay for new cancer, diabetes and obesity research at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, leading two of the state’s top budget officials to question the governor’s financing mechanism for the programs.

Arkansas joined 12 other states in a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a case consumers brought against the insurance industry’s use of credit scoring in determining auto insurance rates. In two separate cases, plaintiffs claimed Safeco and GEICO violated the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act by not sending out adverse action notices when a consumer’s credit information resulted in the consumer receiving a higher rate.

The slowdown in the Arkansas housing market continued last month but at a reduced pace, reflecting an encouraging national picture. The decline in Arkansas home sales slowed in November, off 6.6 percent from the corresponding month last year.

Little Rock leaders appointed a team of City Hall lawyers and financial advisers Thursday to investigate the city’s troubled Convention and Visitors Bureau, but refused to consider removing members of the Advertising and Promotion Commission, including City Board member Dean Kumpuris, from the Commission.

North Little Rock’s City Council unanimously approved tax-increment financing districts Thursday for two major developments, one of which is a Bass Pro Shop, while promising it won’t ignore the needs of the city’s school district. TIF districts subsidize private businesses out of school district funds.

The winner of a contested Quorum Court race in Jefferson County will be sworn in as scheduled Monday, Circuit Judge Rob Wyatt ruled Thursday.

Rep. Dawn Creekmore filed a bill Wednesday that would allow victims of identity fraud to prevent credit-reporting agencies from releasing credit histories to prospective lenders.

A German company has tentatively agreed to purchase a North Little Rock DVD manufacturer in the process of closing, but with no assurances that the remaining work force of 400 will be retained.

Searcy’s unemployed workers will be glad to know a small drop has landed in the job market bucket as TitleVue, Inc., a software development company, has announced it is hiring 40 new data entry workers. 600 Whirlpool workers became unemployed last week.

A teenager is dead after the motorcycle he was driving collided with a pickup driven by his father in rural Baxter County. Samuel B. Roth was killed near the Roth family home in the Buford community. Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery identified the pickup’s driver as the youth’s father, Steven J. Roth, who was not injured. Neither father nor son was aware that the other would be driving on the gravel road when the accident happened.

Benton County deputies drew their guns Tuesday night on four boys they thought were armed and dangerous, a report said. The boys, ages 11 and 13, were dressed in black and carrying toy guns that appeared to be real,

State and local police are gearing up for a busy New Year’s Eve, announcing plans for increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints looking for drunken drivers.

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Too close to home

There have been two murders within a mile of where Marie and I live in west Little Rock. One was a forced entry into a residence that seems to have a history of police contacts. The other is the brazen shooting of a bank teller on Saturday morning. You have seen Mr. Garrison’s picture and the awful photo of the perpetrator with his gun. So much for peace on earth.

Where are all the men of good will anyway? The men of ill will are packing and I have a theory on what might help. The problem is that society does not deal with violent behavior seriously. Bad guys go through the revolving door and do not fear prison. They are so impulsive, they never even think about execution.

When somebody hurts a fellow human being, they are all out of bounds and have already forfeited the right to live among the rest of us. People who shoot, or stab, or hit should be doing so much jail time that, if they ever get out, they will be too old to cause any more harm. The result is less violence, fewer murders, no pressure for capitol punishment.

Get serious about violence. It’s that simple.

(Broadcast December 28, 2006)

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Christmas presents

Christmas at my house was great, although I think that, by giving my lovely bride Marie a digital camera, I may have created a monster. We went to church twice and dined with wonderful friends twice.

I got some wonderful new clothes and a great new police scanner. I say “police scanner” so that you will understand that it is a radio monitor, not something you use to make copies of documents. I use the scanner mostly to listen to railroad traffic. It is reassuring to hear the great high-priority Z-trains of the Union Pacific go screaming through and coal trains come rumbling down full and headed back to Wyoming empty. There is a reassuring rhythm to the operation of the railroad.

Lots of folks listen to police and fire calls on those scanners, and sometimes I do too, but what’s the point. Unless the house next door is going up in smoke there is no real surprise in the slow demise of human behavior. Heck, some days you expect that a man really will bite a dog.

I hope your Christmas was perfect too. I am terribly blessed and really looking forward to the Hogs and Wisconsin. A little escapism is not a bad thing.

(Broadcast December 27, 2006)

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In all the early morning rush..

I never posted yesterday’s headlines. So, here they are. A day late and…..

Thursday December 28, 2006

Central Arkansas banks are increasing security after a recent wave of robberies that bankers say is unprecedented in its violence. A bank robber killed a 25-year-old teller Saturday, and on Tuesday, a group of robbers exchanged gunfire with police then led Little Rock officers on a chase through a residential neighborhood.

Appearing on the Pat Lynch Show, Congressman Vic Snyder told listeners that Democrats will demand more accountability from administration officials on military affairs. He said that the revival of the investigative functions of the House Armed Services Committee is not a partisan “gotcha’” weapon and compared it to Harry Truman’s WWII oversight committee.

President Bush will have to answer some tough questions from Congress if he wants approval for a massive increase of American troops in Iraq, Sen. Mark Pryor, said Wednesday.

Brian Walker of Atkins is dead after he lost control of his three-wheel all-terrain vehicle and struck a tree. He was dead at the scene from head trauma.

Two people are shot while driving along West Belding Street in Hot Springs shortly after 7pm Wednesday night. Police say one man was shot in the hand and leg and a female was shot in the head. Right now-police are looking for two suspects.

Lawrence County sheriff ’s deputies arrested L. F. Nance of Strawberry Wednesday and plan to pursue charges of cruelty to animals against him after an animal-rescue group found scores of dead pigs, chickens and goats on his property last week.

The Fayetteville pilot who died in an airplane crash Dec. 18 had trouble seeing in the fog as he tried to land at Fayetteville Municipal Airport, Drake Field, a passenger injured in the crash said Wednesday.

A circuit judge says he will rule by 5 p.m. today on a request to block the New Year’s Day swearing-in of John Graves as District 12 justice of the peace on the Jefferson County Quorum Court. Judge Rob Wyatt, who heard arguments on the request Wednesday in Jefferson County Circuit Court, made it clear that plaintiff Mike Burdine will not be the new District 12 justice of the peace.

A victory at the polls by a West Memphis City Council member who died before the election leaves the person appointed to fill the vacancy as the office-holder for the coming term, according to a state attorney general’s opinion. A majority of voters in West Memphis voted for Harold Thomas, who died Aug. 11. Thomas, the incumbent, defeated challenger Donn Fowler by 249 votes in the Nov. 7 general election.

Mark Stodola, Little Rock’s mayor-elect and a registered lobbyist at the state Capitol for several years, said Wednesday he will continue to lobby before the Legislature for private clients.

The Lawrence County businessman who successfully orchestrated an election on whether to allow the sale of alcohol on property he owns in neighboring Greene County says he plans to sell beer and barbecue at a yet-to-be-constructed convenience store on the banks of the Cache River.

Plans for a new high school to serve the Maumelle and Oak Grove communities moved a step closer to fruition Wednesday when the School Board for the Pulaski County Special School District accepted the donation of 83 acres as a possible site for the building. James Freeman of Texarkana, chief financial officer for Dillard’s, is donating the undeveloped Maumelle property west of portions of Arkansas 365 and Interstate 40 and east of Counts Massie Road.

Five of seven counties in western Arkansas are home to a higher percentage of overweight and obese adults than state and national averages, according to the results of a random telephone survey conducted nationwide.

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EMERGENCY City Board Meeting… LIVE

Here is what I typed and posted “on the fly.” Max’s report on the Arkansas Times Blog is much more complete. He especially sets the scene with Dailey and Kumpuris. Here is what I reported earlier…PLEASE forgive the spelling and typos.

So they are taking no comments from ordinary people. Figures.

Kumpuris is presenting.

And the city board just accepts that Barry Travis purchased a $25,000 car for $1,500? am I misinterpreting this? Joan Adcock asked about the auto allowence of other LRCVB employees and, naturally, Dr. Dean did not have the info.

An inordinate amount of time is being wasted with the LR – Houston comparison. Apples and Oranges. Let us grant that LR has more revenue and faciliites which must be operated. Move on.

Keck is questioning.

Q: Is there now a policy on appropriate travel and entertainment expenses.

A: 12 AmEx cares in use in 2003. It is now 3. Employyes use personal credit care to pay for room dinner or whatever. Employees fill out a form for reinvursement with details. “Conformity is not 100%” One credit card is being taken away and a travel agency is being employed. Kympuris is now filibustering on how each expense may not have a direct immediate result. Most of us understand this. Move on.

Cazort is asking about proportions of expense types versus number of emploees.

A: Vanilla answer. Is disproportionate. More is spent on dining and entertainment.

Q: about car allowences and reinbursement.

A: policy is in place. Do we do a good job of keeping it? no.

Q: biding guidelines

A: no answer.

Adcock questions

Q: Has the finances of the A&P been discussed with the commission members?

A: every month (Daily chiles in)

Q:: Have personal expenses on an A&P credit card been paid back?

A: will have to find out

Q: Adcock asks whether any money comes back to the City?

A: Kumpuris says we never get more money than we can spend. Revenue stable till Clinton Library came in but has gone up by $7 million. Has gone back into funds which needed to be repleted. This has to do with state turnback funds. Very obtuse question and answer.

Q $7 Million over 3 years is $21 million….

A: Really not $21 million…big math answer…”surplus” dollars?

Adcock is trying to find out if, and when, city government might get actualy revenue from the A&P revenue funds. I think this is based on the sharp increase in revenue.

Adcock: the City is not getting a dollar from the A&P

Stewart questions now.

Q: Is staff responsible for the “mistakes?”

Bruce Moore answers ..

City HR Dept handles those functions for A&P. When there is a vacancy, City HR advertises and screens applicants. City Attorney is reviewing practices. Also purchasing procedures. Those procedueres have been in place and have not been folllowed. None of our City Hall employees were involved.

What will change?

Daily passes around a proposed resolution which might be acted on today.

Kumpuris… A&P tax receipt has gone up (I think) 2 million a year…very confusing…

Wyrock … technical budget question about LRCVB

A: Kumpuris – almost 2,8 million to 3.5 for Sales and Marketing. Finance and Adm Apros 3 million

Q Who enforces polcies
A: Dan Byrne

Q: why were the polices not followed?
A: may not have been in every instance…yadayadayada…

Q there is someone between Dan and the person spending AP money?
A: Supervisors approve

Q: 21 people in Sales and Marketing, how many supervisors?
A: don’t know

Q; What experience does Mr. Byrne have with public funding?
A this led ot a lof ot these problems. Dan is from the private sector. When ……

Q: how long has he been there?
A: less than 2 years

Kumpuris contiues.. he cane in during a period hwen we had one agency which we were spending allthe money with…almost $1 million … we shoud develop expertise internally…”we” is the staff

Q: never saw any bids?
A: Dailey.. just saw recommendations on contracts
Kumpuris… was spreading funds around…now done according to policy…

Q: how did you get that info to the commission… how did you know that?
A: what we talked about was the principle of whether ot have a large group or expertise as needed…I can not tell you if I ever thought why we are not seeing a contract…the princple was discussed on how we do it.. the biggest lapse in the system… never a time where bidding was done correctly… no question it was not done the right way.

Q: was are Sales and Marketing salaries and paerks
A: would have to look it up

Fortson..
Q: all audits.. contain affirmative statememnt.. “all state laws on bidding were complied with”…do you know if management ever requested legal advice?
A: no I don’t

Q: does the commisison have an attorney?
A: yes… (did not say who?)

Adcock to Moore

Q: are City HR and AP following all practices…including repremands and dismissal?
A: not that I am aware of… odd answer and question. Could I have misunderstood?

Moore… AO not a dept of city.. we do not make hiring and firing decisions… we are the conduit…

Q: has AP requested info in repremands or dismissal
A: Dailey – no

Cazort question…
Resolution authorizes city attorney to interact with AP to investigate. What authority does the city have to force the AP to act as we wish them.

Carpenter offers a memo to board.

Legislature passed the AP Commission Act.. set up how Commission is organized…Money can not flow from AP to the city general fund by statue. We can not run the AP commission and impose the tax. City is mandated to create the commision and approves commissioneers.

Two attorney general opinions say the AP does not have to follow city policy. “Does not make sense.” Carpenter says this opinion violates the Home Rule Act. (this is getting thick). Carpenter says he belives the AP is bound by city policies. (He makes a good argument. Somebody down there makes sense.)

Cazort question….
State law does not provide for removing commissioneers.

Cazort…asks Carpenter to explain resolution…

Carpenter… references DG stories…outcry by editorial page and opinion writers…letters to editor…most of the problems seem to be failure to comply with fiscal and purchasing polcies….resolution…internal working group…manager, finance director, and city attorney…find out if there are violations? why are they there/ remedy? get suggestions…

Carpenter draws a comparison to AP contracts and towing contracts.. (now, THAT is unsetteling.)

Would allow businesses (eg, restaurants) to rotate in getting business.

Cazort.. what power does the city board have to get compliance from AP?
Carpenter: removal of commissioneers or director

Kumpuris… start having boards have a lawyer in Tom Carpenters office…
Cazort… they need to put out bids for legal service…
Kumpuris…City Atty could hire other attorneys to do the work.
Cazort…bidding practices for advertising and restaurants ….

Wyrick… abut removing members of AP commission…not followed fiscal and purchasing processes…why would that not constitue removal now?

Carpenter… there is no procedure in the AP stature, so we would have to set a cause and allow commisisoners to set a defense… remove commissioneers could breach covenents made with bond holders and could impact city bond rating… urges caution

Cazort… how to fill positions… discusses with Carpenter

Keck…amend resolution…beyond purchasing procedueres and practices….also include leases and services… travel and entertainment policy…reinbursement guidelines…

Bruce Moore….Tues major software conversion project… will need all of January to comply with resolution…Jam 30 deadline….passed…

Adcock.. public wants quick action… is there anything to assure things will be different at AP?

Daily… during the next 3 days that will be the case… light is shining brightly…

Adcock would like everythign put on hold…including WLR lease…and Kurin Hall…could this board sned a letter to put things on holld till the report comes back…

Daily… get Bruce to send letter to Dan…put that attitude in writing..

Stewart… does working group include Moore and HR?
A” yes
Recommendations will come back to city board second meeting in Feb.

Reading resolution….adopted….Daily is ready to leave….

Moore is listing members of the AP commission term expiration date.
Wyrick… we are leaving these commissioners in place?

Daily.. the way to handle that…need executive session..
Wyrock moved…to remove commissioneers
Keck..no…Fortson.. no… Kumpuris… no…Daily… no TIE…
(forces of darkness win again)

Cazort is in the chair. Daily left.

Fortson.. called for independent investigation.. (completely glowwed things over)

Adcock to Fotson…last week you pointed to documents sayhting policies were followed… what happened..

Answer… auditing procedures were unclear… may have relied on employees representations…

discussing two new members to be named to AP in January…

Moore…Corn Hall… confident an agreement will be put in place…had a meeting yesterday…agreement with QQA (quapaw quarter assn?)

ADNOURNED

More of the same…. what is that coming down on my head? Is it raining?

SO SORRY ABOUT THE SPELLING!!!

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