Free Republic

MARLIN- A 13-year-old girl is back with her family after she was kidnapped Sunday evening by an illegal immigrant. Marlin Police said Jesus Diaz-Lopez convinced the girl to get in his car before traveling to North Carolina Sunday evening. The girl was found Monday around 8:30 p.m. in Berryville, Ark. with Diaz. He has been charged with sexual assault of a child and kidnapping. Police also say Diaz, who is between the ages of 18 and 26, could also be face charges of taking a minor across state lines. Diaz is being held in the Carroll County Jail with a...

Huckabee: Alright I'm strapped into the chair. The IV's are inserted. I'm ready for execution. Hey are those snakes in the studio? Oh I'm glad I'm not in there with them. I hate those things. Here's a better idea.. why don't you take a 45 caliber glock and blow their head off. http://www.mydamnchannel.com/Harry_Shearer/Found_Objects/FoundObjectsMikeHuckabee_549.aspx

Michelle Malkin notes that unhinged Leftists are blaming her "hate" for the murder of the Arkansas Democratic Party chairman, and that this isn't the first time they have done this sort of thing. What does this have to do with jihad? Everything. Just as Leftists consistently try to portray conservatives as purveying "hate," so also do jihadists and their allies insist that any honest discussion of the jihad ideology and Islamic supremacism is "hateful." The advocates of the "Fairness Doctrine," which would restore the hegemony of the politically correct Left over the airwaves, are numerous. And so also are the...

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/14/america/Gwatney-Profile.php "The owner of three Little Rock-area General Motors dealerships, Gwatney had been planning to travel to the Democratic National Convention later this month as a superdelegate. He had backed Hillary Rodham Clinton, but endorsed Barack Obama after she dropped out of the race."

(CNN) -- The chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party died Wednesday, hours after a shooting at the party's headquarters, according to a statement from former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Jeannie Burlsworth, Founder and Chairman of Secure Arkansas, is hosting two town hall meetings in Northwest Arkansas which are open to the public and will focus on the impact of illegal immigration on the taxpayers of Arkansas. The first meeting will be held at the Rogers Public Library Monday, August 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the RPL Community Room. The second meeting will be at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale on Tuesday, August 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel. Jeannie Burlsworth said, "Are you tired of illegal aliens unfairly benefiting from the privileges of citizenship in Arkansas?...

Shortly before noon Wednesday, a possible shooting was reported at the State Democratic Party Headquarters in Little Rock. Dozens of police cars are on the scene at 1300 West Capitol, and at least one ambulance was seen leaving as KARK 4 crews arrived. MEMS ambulance officials confirm one person was transported to the hospital from the scene. Shortly after noon, police were reported to be in pursuit of a suspect in the incident on a Little Rock interstate. ~ snip ~

Authorities say a gunman entered the Arkansas Democratic Party headquarters and shot the party chairman, Bill Gwatney, who is hospitalized in critical condition. Police say the gunman asked to speak to the party chairman and fired three shots.

The city, created in 2006 after the rival cities of Helena and West Helena joined, is in one of the nation's poorest regions, trailing even parts of Appalachia in its standard of living. Phillips County lost a third of its population from 1970 to 2000 and, of the 24,107 people who remain, more than a quarter live in poverty.

Go home or go to jail! Those are the only two options for people living in one Mid-South neighborhood. The mayor of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas has issued a mandatory curfew. the curfew is in place for an area he refers to as a "hot spot" for crime. It applies to anyone, any age, and any time of day. According to Mayor James Valley, this move is in the best interest of the city. "This curfew is for all people...everyone is subject to be stopped - almost like marshal law. And that's exactly what some are calling it. The mayor has...

Chris Hooten, 34, of Greers Ferry, is recovering from a gunshot wound to his abdomen after a scuffle around 10:15 p.m. Friday. He reportedly entered a home without permission, fought and choked the homeowner, and was shot in the process. Hooten, and James Gadberry, 26, of Greers Ferry, reportedly went to the home of Don Brown on Shaw Road earlier in the afternoon Friday and an argument ensued. "Brown was upset over how Hooten and Gadberry reportedly treated a female," said Detective Phil Burnham with the Cleburne County Sheriff's Department. "Brown told them both to leave and they did." Hooten...

GAINESVILLE, Mo. -- A man living in Ozark County is charged with second-degree murder after a shooting during a family outing Sunday near Mammoth. The victim was a man from Mountain Home, Ark. The shooting was next to Lick Creek near Mammoth, south of Gainesville, on private property near Big Rock swimming hole. A family of about 10 from Mountain Home was enjoying their Sunday, swimming and cooking hot dogs, when the owners came down to confront them. “There was an argument, push came to shove, a gun was drawn,” said Sheriff Raymond Pace. Pace says that's when Jesus Sesena-Murrieta,...

A 41-hour manhunt ended Friday with the arrest of a man suspected of gunning down his cousin’s wife in her east Rogers home. Sergio Morales-Carrera, 23, was arrested in a vehicle in Fayetteville about 2: 10 p. m. by members of the Rogers Police Department’s criminal investigation division, said Lt. Mike Johnson, department spokesman. Morales-Carrera was arrested “without incident,” Johnson said. He was taken to the Rogers jail and later to the Benton County jail, Johnson said. A bond hearing is scheduled for 9 a. m. Monday, he said.Two other men also were arrested on charges of hindering apprehension: Ramiro...

For those familiar with the antics of shock comic Sacha Baron Cohen , it was a case of déjà vu, all over again. On May 28, he outraged a crowd of unsuspecting guests at a Carrollton office park by luring them to what they thought was a new talk show on "family values." [Click image for a larger version] Hello, Arkansas. As an encore early last month, he outraged a crowd of 1,600 by luring them to what was billed as cage fighting. Police say the show was designed instead to capture the reactions of the unsuspecting to the sight...

A Rogers husband and wife who worked as a pastor and school bus driver were sentenced Monday to four years in prison for cooking methamphetamine in their family home. Joseph and Barbara Sisneros pleaded guilty last week to a reduced charge of possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture as part of a plea agreement between Deputy Prosecutor Drew Ledbetter and defense attorneys Blake Warren and Bobby Digby. "This meth lab was not a small operation," Ledbetter told Benton County Senior Circuit Judge Tom Keith. "Certain people should be held to a higher standard. At best, the court could...

A former youth pastor was sentenced on Friday to six years- three years in prison and three years suspended- for his sexual involvement with a 14-year old girl. Keith Daniel Kiger, 31, of Winslow entered a negotiated plea of guilty to reduced charges of sexual indecency with a child before 4 th Judicial Circuit Judge William Storey. He was initially charged with second-degree sexual assault. Kiger was a youth minister at a church the victim had attended only a few times, so it would have been hard to prove he committed the act while being in a position of trust,...

4-Day, 10 Hour Work WeekReported by: Robin Thibault, KARK 4 NEWS Friday, Jun 27, 2008 @04:43pm CST The state of Utah's doing something that Arkansas state leaders are considering. Beginning in August, state employees in Utah will work four, ten hour days per week. That means dozens of buildings will be closed on Friday, saving energy and money. Back at home, a legislative panel agreed to look at a similar proposal by state senator Tracy Steele. Steele says a four day work week would save gas, cut down on emissions and improve productivity and morale. The legislature would have the...

The Arkansas Department of Higher Education has begun checking students’ Social Security numbers and alerting colleges and universities if they appear invalid. Jim Purcell, the department director, said Thursday that the goal is to ensure that illegal aliens aren’t allowed to pay instate tuition rates when state officials think they’re ineligible under federal law. The investigation into the Social Security numbers began last week after Purcell alerted institutions, at the direction of Gov. Mike Beebe, that they need to ask students for evidence of legal residency before allowing them to pay the cheaper in-state rates. Purcell said the first check...

LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Arkansas college administrators are already looking to a proposed state lottery to help solve an expected $1 billion shortfall in financial aid to students over the next three decades, even before the issue makes it onto the November ballot, e-mail exchanges obtained by The Associated Press show. Jim Purcell, director of the state Department of Higher Education, acknowledged in an e-mail to the governor's office that funding for college programs remains locked in a "death spiral to the bottom." Purcell urged the governor to defer all new scholarship ideas unless voters support the lottery measure backed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWW0P1d-v40 Video footage of the Mexican Consulate creating programs for it's neglected citizens (illegals) at the Arkansas State Capitol.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry wants to build a big highway through the Lone Star State. No, make that a really big highway, as in a monstrously big highway. The exact route hasn't been determined. The mega-highway would run roughly from Laredo on the Rio Grande River through the Hill Country and the Piney Woods and then through Texarkana in that tiny portion of the state that borders Arkansas. Imagine for a moment if that thoroughfare would be pointed in the other direction - from the Valley, through the South Plains and then through the heart of the Panhandle, right past...

Federal regulators close Arkansas bank ANB Financial. ANB Financial banks closed by federal regulators over "unsafe and unsound" practices

Thursday morning, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel approved the ballot title of an initiated act, seeking to stop illegal immigrants from getting state services and benefits. The proposal, if approved by voters in November, would require immigrants to prove their legal status before getting such benefits. The group pushing this initiative, Secure Arkansas, must now collect 61,794 signatures from registered voters, to get this proposal on the November general election ballot. The Secretary of State's office says those signatures must be turned in by July 7. The group Secure Arkansas will need help in gathering signatures, especially on May 20th, the...

County commissioners reaffirmed their stance against the Trans-Texas Corridor, and they took another step toward keeping county government transparent when they met Tuesday. First up on the court's agenda, commissioners heard a presentation by Connie Fogle on behalf of the newly formed Pineywoods Sub-Regional Planning Commission. According to Fogle, the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 391, requires state agencies to coordinate with local commissions to "ensure effective and orderly implementation of state programs at the regional level." "Critical in the code is the word 'coordinate,'" she said. "This does not mean the commission has to cooperate. The intent is to...

LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Federal judges ordered 18 illegal immigrants arrested a north Arkansas poultry plant to be processed for deportation. However, none will serve any jail time for using fake Social Security numbers and state identification cards. Magistrate Judge Beth Deere and U.S. District Judge James Moody accepted guilty pleas today from 17 of those arrested at the Pilgrim's Pride plant in Batesville last week. Federal prosecutors dismissed the misdemeanor charges against one man, but say they planned to ask U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to begin deportation proceedings against him. Those arrested had faced up to up to...

LITTLE ROCK -- A group supporting a proposed ballot initiative on illegal immigration is questioning Attorney General Dustin McDaniel's ability to be impartial in reviewing it because he has received campaign donations from people affiliated with an organization that opposes the measure. Kenny Wallis, president of Keep Arkansas Legal, said Monday his organization has discovered individuals with the Arkansas Friendship Coalition donated thousands of dollars to McDaniel's 2006 campaign for attorney general. Arkansas Friendship Coalition, a group of civic, church and business leaders that opposes punitive state and local laws targeting immigrants, has expressed opposition to the proposed ballot initiative...

Federal agents began a probe into immigration violations today in Chattanooga and several other states. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents along with Chattanooga police raided the Pilgrim's Pride plants in South Chattanooga this morning. They loaded vans with suspected illegal immigrants. Other agents hit Pilgrim's Pride plants in Florida and Arkansas. The probe centers around an alleged scam to provide fake identification for illegal immigrant workers. Pilgrim's Pride reportedly is cooperating in the investigation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sB4k_ejTPw The most notable statements in this video are from the ACLU officer in Arkansas Rita Sklar who compares immigration reform activist to 1930's Nazi activist in Germany. Rita Sklar's claim of scapegoating is partially correct, but the scapegoating is from bankers in Oklahoma trying to blame economic downturns on immigration reform activist for their sub-prime loans to illegals! The study put forth by the Arkansas Friendship Coalition is lie! I got this message from IRON- "The Oklahoma economy is going to maintain a stronger economy than all states around us because we cut off at least 6,000 off medicaid...

Sen. Clinton served on Wal-Mart's board of directors from 1986 to 1992, when she was first lady of Arkansas. During her presidential campaign, she has faced some criticism over Wal-Mart's labor record and the lack of women in upper management.There is footage in the archive of Mrs. Clinton joining Mr. Walton, Wal-Mart's founder, on a stage at the 1991 opening of a store in Rogers, Ark. "I'm so proud of this company and everything it represents," Mrs. Clinton said. "It makes me feel real good about what we've been able to do."Mr. Walton responded: "You're a great associate, Hillary." Turning...

Members of KeepArkansasLegal, along with other immigration reform activist protested a press conference held by a pro-illegal immigration group. Here is the link to our blog with video footage and a description of what happened: http://keeparkansaslegal.blogspot.com/2008/04/video-footage-of-illegal-immigration.html and the youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng1cg4HmzIU

A ballot initiative before the attorney general's office would require those seeking public benefits from the state to prove their citizenship. The measure by Secure Arkansas, a group chaired by Jeannie Burlsworth of Bryant, would make individuals sign an affidavit under the penalty of perjury that they are lawfully living in the United States. Burlsworth says the measure is aimed at stopping illegal immigrants from receiving state benefits. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has until April 9 to review the proposed ballot title. If approved, supporters of the measure could begin gathering the required 61,974 signatures needed to place it before...

You'll recall Hillary Clinton's recent speech in which she attempted to play up her foreign policy experience by recounting her "harrowing" 1996 trip to Bosnia. "I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base." Well, mainstream media has discounted that account, and such luminaries as comedian Sinbad have chimed in as well. It appears, however, that Clinton caved in too soon when she admitted overstating the dangers, as Barely Political...

Grassroots activism is essential for any organization’s effectiveness in the political world. It is the winning art of taking the issues and campaigns back to the individuals, helping them to realize the power they can possess in public policy. Make a difference in your community Whether you or your organization is trying to get an issue to the forefront or gain attention in your community, the Grassroots Activist School will make you more effective. Best of all, this amazing training comes right to you. The Leadership Institute proudly provides top-notch activist training right in your community from some of the...

All lank and bone, the boy stands at the corner with his younger sister, waiting for the yellow bus that takes them to their respective schools. He is Billy Wolfe, high school sophomore, struggling. Moments earlier he left the sanctuary that is his home, passing those framed photographs of himself as a carefree child, back when he was 5. And now he is at the bus stop, wearing a baseball cap, vulnerable at 15. A car the color of a school bus pulls up with a boy who tells his brother beside him that he’s going to beat up Billy...

BOONEVILLE, Ark. - A meat packing plant exploded Sunday afternoon, injuring an unknown number of people and forcing homes to be evacuated because ammonia gas leaked into the air, state officials said. Flames poured out of the Cargill Meat Solutions plant just after 2 p.m., witnesses said. It wasn't immediately known how many homes were evacuated in the western Arkansas town of 4,000, emergency management spokeswoman Renee Preslar said. A hazardous materials team from Sebastian County was heading to Booneville, Preslar said Meredith Voges, 22, of Connecticut, said she heard the explosion while staying at a hotel just behind the...

That would be Mark Pryor, first-term Democratic incumbent, running in a reliably red state. [T]he Republicans’ inability to field any Senate candidate in a Southern state that twice favored Republican George W. Bush for president this decade is yet another blow for a party that lost six seats and its Senate majority in 2006, and is mainly playing defense against further Democratic gains this year.Having missed the filing deadline, any Republican who might belatedly decide to run against Pryor would have to do so as a write-in candidate…Pryor becomes the first senator to draw no opponent from the other major...

Hispanic immigrant workers who toil on red-clay construction sites and cut flesh from bone on poultry plant lines in northwest Arkansas, helping to fuel the region's economic growth, say they've become targets for local police who are conducting raids once left to a few federal agents stationed here. After changes in state and federal law, local police, sheriff's deputies and state troopers throughout Arkansas can help enforce federal immigration laws. Recent raids in northwestern Arkansas rounded up a handful of illegal immigrants but even those with a legal right to be in the United States face questions. "It feels like...

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) reiterated Friday that he will not run against Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.). The filing period began March 3, the day before Huckabee withdrew from the presidential race, and ends Monday. In an interview with The Hill, Huckabee said he is still “decompressing” from his presidential campaign, and reaffirmed past statements that indicated he had no interest in challenging Pryor or serving in the Senate.

The mayor of an Arkansas town resigned on Wednesday, claiming he was abducted and brainwashed by Satan worshippers nearly three decades ago. Centerton Mayor Ken Williams said he has been living under an assumed name for nearly 30 years. He had been mayor since 2001. Williams told authorities he was born Don LaRose and that in the mid-1970s, he was a preacher in Indiana. He said he was abducted and brainwashed into forgetting all about his life as Don LaRose. It was a double-life he had never acknowledged, Williams said, because he didn't even realize it existed until he had...

Driving down to Austin lately has become a real trip. I-35 is usually packed for most of the 185 miles, and what used to take three or four hours now can take five or six. Flying down can take almost as long, when you figure in airline security delays, more flight delays, and the time it takes getting into and out of crowded airports. But what if it took 45 minutes to travel from the Metroplex to Austin by train or an hour to make a trip to Houston? Advocates of high-speed rail lines are floating these ideas once again...

A Rogers High School student accused of attempted kidnapping and trying to rob his employer recently had started therapy for personal problems, an advocate for the boy’s family said Tuesday. Jim Miranda, a lawyer and Hispanic rights advocate in Bella Vista, said Eduardo “Eddie” Hernandez, 17, suffers lingering effects because he stayed behind in Mexico as a boy while his mother came to the United States to work. “There is a certain amount of resentment that comes with being left behind in Mexico,” Miranda said. “The boy has some issues to work out, and his mother had recognized this and...

REFUGIO, Texas - With an abandoned Wild West-vintage town of storefronts slumbering just a block from old US 77, tiny Refugio is a place where myth and reality coexist in a ghostly silence. more stories like this Obama faces heat over aide's NAFTA remarks to Canadians Texas, Ohio could decide Dem nomination Canada says didn't misrepresent Obama over NAFTA McCain tags Dems on trade treaty NAFTA seen differently in Ohio, Texas And now this South Texas outpost is swept up in one of the more intriguing tests of myth vs. reality in today's political life: the battle over the so-called...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- A University of Arkansas-Little Rock spokeswoman says one person has been hurt in a shooting in a campus parking lot. University spokeswoman Joan Duffy says shots were fired around 2 p.m. Wednesday behind the school's theater and a classroom building. She says the victim likely will be taken to a hospital. -snip-

One of my favorite songs is perhaps the most creative song ever written - Billy Joel's WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE. It is indeed an amazing history lesson in song. For several years, I've wanted to do a parody and make it a Clinton history lesson. Finally, I discovered a MIDI that was somewhat tolerable. This took many hours of work, and I hope you enjoy it. I only wish the sound quality were better. WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE - A Clinton History Lesson

Benton County jailers illegally held an inmate on behalf of Northwest Arkansas’ Immigration Criminal Apprehension Task Force for 3 1 / 2 days, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U. S. District Court. According to the suit, Amilcar DeJesus Lopez-Santos of Gentry was held without proper documentation or authority from U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lopez-Santos posted $ 3, 000 bond Friday on charges of driving without a license, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, and careless and prohibited driving, the suit states. Ken Swindle of Rogers (properly named), one of Lopez-Santos’ attorneys, said his client...

HOUSTON -- It did not take long Tuesday for the Texas Department of Transportation to find out what the Houstonians at a public hearing thought about the proposed 600-mile Trans-Texas Corridor, KPRC Local 2 reported. "George Washington, Sam Houston would vomit on you people," one attendee said. Chris Zora, who opposes the plan, attended the hearing at the Arabia Shrine Center in Southwest Houston. "I'd like to see a show of hands here of anybody that approves of this corridor," Zora said. "Is there anyone in this room who approves of this corridor? Raise your hands if you approve of...

Among the collections of classes I am tasked with is one called “Advisement”, which is a character ed/decision making class. The theme of the class is (I came up with this) “Enabling students to make good decisions”. Anyway - one of the tools I use is debate. While the students in my section of this class are 7th graders, they are rather bright. The subject of global warming came up in a question about their concerns. So last week, for an exercise in thinking and researching before coming to conclusions, we researched, planned, and conducted a debate (was Friday). I...

The medical community is warning the public: a leprosy outbreak in Springdale could blossom into an epidemic, if something isn't done soon. Doctors say at least nine cases of leprosy have been confirmed in Springdale. Local doctors say they would be shocked by even one case of leprosy in their entire career, so they say something must be done soon, in order to stop leprosy's spread. Springdale MD Jennifer Bingham says, "my initial response was: I am shocked. I am shocked we are seeing this. It's a true reason to be very worried." Medical specialists say the Marshall Islands have...

LITTLE ROCK -- The people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands are among the unhealthiest people in the world. An estimated 6,000-8,000 Marshallese immigrants live in Springdale, AR. and the surrounding areas, of whom 867 are children enrolled in the Springdale School District, Pritchard told the House and Senate Interim Committees on Public Health, Welfare and Labor.Deputy State Health Officer Dr. Joe Bates testified that between 2000 and 2005, Northwest Arkansas had nine cases of congenital syphilis, six of which involved Marshallese; 38 people with infectious syphilis, 21 of whom were Marshallese; and nine cases of leprosy, all Marshallese....

Tornadoes Roar Across Southern U.S., Killing at Least 44, Injuring Hundreds February 06, 2008 LAFAYETTE, Tenn. — Crews went door-to-door Wednesday searching debris for more victims of deadly tornadoes that ripped the roof off a shopping mall, pummeled mobile homes and blew apart warehouses as they tore across four states. At least 44 people were killed throughout the South. The victims included 24 people in Tennessee, 13 in Arkansas, and seven in Kentucky, emergency officials said. Among those killed were Arkansas parents who died with their 11-year-old in Atkins, about 60 miles northwest of Little Rock. Hundreds more were injured....