Dogtown Wire

Gov. Mike Beebe announced the reappointment to Arkansas boards and commissions Wednesday of North Little Rock resident Glenna Butler to the Arkansas Towing and Recovery Board.

Butler’s appointment expires June 22, 2011.

If you are interested, the Arkansas Towing and Recovery Board website has the rules and regulations that govern towing companies in case you have occasion to understand your rights if towed. The site describes the process of becoming a state licensed towing company.

The city’s Police Department has jurisdiction of determining if a car is considered abandoned and Code Enforcement has the occasion to identify these vehicles.

Word is the big Frostop mug on JFK Boulevard will soon be just a memory when the restaurant moves to a new location.

Before this landmark becomes that memory only, make sure you share with your kids or grandkids any stories of the good times you might have had over the years while munching in the shadow of the mug.

My name is Scott Yielding. I'm a Sergeant with the Levy Substation and President of the Police Athletic League (PAL) Board of Directors.

PAL is looking for Tackle Football coaches. We've had three teams in Rose City for a number of years. Last year we added a 6-8 year old Levy team. We were pleasantly surprised by the parent participation that Levy brought.

We just received a grant from the NFL to add a 9-10 year-olds' team in Levy. We have the funding to purchase the equipment. We just need of coaches!
Coaching PAL football would require two practices and approximately one game per week. Practice is held at Bellwood Elementary School. Our games are played at the PAL Ballpark in Rose City.

Anthony Jones and Lynn Godfrey work on the east side of the bait shop damaged by this morning's car crash

Because of the sharp eyes of a boyfriend and the good judgment of North Little Rock Police officer, a man now sits in jail on multiple charges without anyone getting hurt or killed.

Sgt Terry Kuykendall said that Brandon D. Marcelis, 18, of North Little Rock was arrested this morning and charged with aggravated robbery, theft of property, theft by receiving, fleeing, leaving the scene of an accident, no drivers license, and no seat belt.

But not before police were led on two chases; one by car and one on foot.

Officer Ron Messer was on morning patrol in Rose city when he was flagged down by a resident who told Messer his girlfriend’s car had been stolen last night and he knew where it was.

The City Council found the money to approve raises for about fulltime 800 employees Monday.

The funds will come out of the city's reserves and the total amount for these raises is $756,353.

The resolutions were sponsored by Mayor Pat Hays, except for the resolution raising full time elected officials, which include the offices of mayor, city clerk and city attorney, that was sponsored by Ward 4 Alderman Murry Witcher.

City Council members will not receive a raise since they are considered part-time employees.

The raise was made retroactive to April 1 and employees will be receiving a separate check for the retroactive pay, said Finance Director Bob Sisson at Monday’s council meeting.

Last minute negotiations with the firefighters union, the International Association of Fire Fighters Local No. 35, were successful with members voting to ratify the new contract with the city before the council met.

Extreme heat is expected over the next several weeks, creating a need for the City of North Little Rock to open a heat relief cooling center, and an opportunity for the public to help by donating box fans! 

Fan Drop Off ONLY:  The North Little Rock Fire Dept. is collecting new or used fans (in good condition) to distribute to elderly people or those who are not able to run their air conditioners all day long. Fans can be dropped off at any of the North Little Rock fire stations Monday –Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  For more information call the Central Fire Station at:  340-5377.

Fan Distribution: The fans will actually be distributed to people in need at the North Little Rock Health Department, 2800 Willow Street.

For more information, contact Jeannetta Martin 791-8551. The public is asked to check on anyone you know who is suffering from the heat and help them obtain a fan!

Emergency Heat Relief Cooling Center: The North Little Rock Community Center, 2700 Willow in North Little Rock, will be open as a cooling center when the temperature reaches 100 degrees or the Heat Index is predicted to reach 105 degrees.  The Cooling Centers will be available Monday –Thursday from 6:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.; Friday, 6:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Saturday,  9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; and Sunday 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m.

The family of Paul Suskie is just days away from having him back at home from his second deployment to the Middle East.

Our city’s ex-City Attorney and currently chairman of the Arkansas Public Service Commission Governor Mike Beebe appointed Suskie to has been in Iraq since January. He was serving with the Arkansas National Guard as a judge advocate general (JAG), as he did during a previous deployment to Afghanistan.

Below is a list of North Little Rock’s mayors. Voters elected Ross L. Lawhon, a Texan by birth, to six terms – one more than William F. “Casey” Laman and Patrick Hays.

But Hays, now in his 20th consecutive year as mayor, has served longer than anyone and may seek a record-tying sixth term in the November election.

During Lawhon’s tenure, the terms were two years and twice he didn’t finish out his terms. Accused of public drunkenness in January 1929, the flamboyant Lawhon resigned moments before the City Council intended to convene an impeachment hearing. At the same meeting, Lawhon announced he would run for a second term in that April’s mayor’s election, which he won handily.

Lawhon also won the mayor’s office in April 1931, but resigned a few months later to accept a position as North Little Rock postmaster. He returned to city politics in 1937, winning a fourth term as mayor. However, Otis W. Neely defeated Lawhon in 1939 and was elected mayor to four consecutive terms.

If you have a taste for Starbucks Coffee you better hurry. It won’t show up as store No. 4 located at 4120 E. McCain Blvd. on the caffeine company’s website much longer.

The North Little Rock Starbucks has been put on the list of the 600 stores it plans to close from now until March 2009.

My favorite store bought brand recently went from $5 to $8 for the big can that shows that the gas prices may be having an impact on other fuels.