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Pryor Tracks Over 730 Allegations of Stimulus Waste

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:37:14 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mark Pryor today said data he received from 20 federal agencies indicates that a portion of stimulus money is being mishandled, but that Inspectors General are aggressively following more than 730 allegations of potential wrongdoing. The data comes in response to Pryor’s ongoing review of potential waste, fraud and abuse of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Stimulus money is meant to create jobs and get the economy moving again. There is zero room for fraud,” Pryor said. “That means ensuring our federal watchdogs root-out inefficiency and fraud in stimulus spending. It means wrongdoing will be publicized, and fraudsters will be caught and punished.”

The new data stems from letters Pryor sent to 22 Inspectors General in January to ensure they investigated cases of potential fraud referred to them by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. The letters sought information about the status of the referred cases, Recovery Act waste they uncovered independently, spending programs that show the greatest risk, and what additional improvements are needed to safeguard the Recovery Act funds.

Findings from the Inspectors General responses include:

Of the 122 cases referred to Inspectors General by the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, 51 have been closed and 71 are open.

Federal agencies received or uncovered an additional 739 leads or allegations of waste, fraud or abuse.

Of those, 386 remain open, including 31 under active investigation; 131 referred for administrative action; 19 referred to US Attorneys; 1 referred for prosecution; 2 referred to the FBI; and 3 referred to the IRS. 220 allegations were closed.

Examples of concerns uncovered by independent audits include:

The Department of Defense (DoD) allotted stimulus funds to “several” companies that are already subject to ongoing investigations.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a recipient $1.9 m. when it was not eligible. Adequate controls were not in place to ensure only qualified applicants were selected.

The Department of Energy awarded contracts to large businesses that were slotted for small businesses.

Many of the Inspectors General investigations have come from allegations and leads from citizens. Citizens who see misuse or waste of Recovery funds should call the Recovery Board Fraud Hotline at 1-877-392-3375 or via the internet at www.recovery.gov.

Pryor said he will hold agencies accountable for handling funds and continue to probe Inspectors General to ensure they fully investigate every allegation or lead. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners has found that U.S. organizations lose an estimated 7 percent of their annual revenues to fraud, a problem Pryor wants to avoid with stimulus funds. If this number were to apply to stimulus funds, it would amount to a staggering $55.1 billion.

“The jury is still out on whether Federal departments charged with spending and managing Recovery Act funds can do better,” Pryor said. “I will continue to review this data, follow the trail and ensure those who seek to defraud the government are punished to the full extent of the law.”

Harding University to feature authors of “Man From Macedonia”

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:34:28 +0000

Social justice advocate Dr. Aaron Johnson has been beaten during lunch store counter sit-ins led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; prayed with death row inmates during his time as North Carolina’s first African-American Secretary of Corrections; stood blindfolded before the Ku Klux Klan; and traveled across the U.S. during racial unrest in an effort to subdue the violence and conflict after King’s death.

Author and Harding alumna Debbie Cleveland joins Johnson in telling his life story as he strove to uphold social justice in a world that could have killed him for his commitment in their new book, “Man From Macedonia: My Life of Service, Struggle, Faith and Hope.”

Both Cleveland and Johnson will visit Harding University next week, and Johnson will give a presentation in Cone Chapel Monday, March 15, at 7 p.m. The event is hosted by the College of Communication, The Roosevelt Institute, HUmanity and Pi Sigma Alpha, and is free and open to the public.

A book signing will be held at the bookstore in the Hammon Student Center Tuesday, March 16, at 10 a.m.

For more information, contact the College of Communication at 501-279-4445.

Cleveland published her first book in 2000 titled “Hugs From Heaven: Portraits of a Woman’s Faith” and wrote a weekly newspaper column, Footsteps and Heartbeats, for more than 17 years.

Secretary Daniels Certifies Candidates for the 2010 Ballot

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:14:37 +0000

Secretary of State Charlie Daniels today certified the 338 partisan and nonpartisan judicial candidates who filed for state and district office during the weeklong 2010 candidate filing period.

This Year, 338 candidates filed for the 180 open state and district offices. This number includes the 11 nonpartisan judicial candidates who previously filed by petition. Out of the 338 total candidates, 196 filed as Democrats, 108 as Republicans, and 34 as Nonpartisan Judicial.

This year, 84 of the 180 open seats are contested. This includes a record number of US Senate primary candidates in the state’s Republican primary election with a total of eight. The previous record of five US Senate primary candidates occurred in the Democratic primaries in 1932 and 1996. All four of the state’s Congressional offices are contested, along with four out of the seven state constitutional offices. 48 out of the 100 state representative seats, 14 out of the 17 open state senate seats, and 7 out of the 23 open nonpartisan judicial seats are also contested.
Secretary of State Charlie Daniels today certified the 338 partisan and nonpartisan judicial candidates who filed for state and district office during the weeklong 2010 candidate filing period.

This Year 338 candidates filing for the 180 open state and district offices. This number includes the 11 nonpartisan judicial candidates who previously filed by petition. Out of the 338 total candidates, 196 filed as Democrats, 108 as Republicans, and 34 as Nonpartisan Judicial.

This year, 84 of the 180 open seats are contested. This includes a record number of US Senate primary candidates in the state’s Republican primary election with a total of eight. The previous record of five US Senate primary candidates occurred in the Democratic primaries in 1932 and 1996. All four of the state’s Congressional offices are contested, along with four out of the seven state constitutional offices. 48 out of the 100 state representative seats, 14 out of the 17 open state senate seats, and 7 out of the 23 open nonpartisan judicial seats are also contested.
23 individuals filed notices of candidacy to run as independent candidates in the November 2 General Election and Nonpartisan Judicial Runoff. In order to get on the ballot, they must submit petitions with the requisite number of valid signatures for their prospective office to the Secretary of State’s office by the May 1 deadline.

Write-in candidates must file a written notice of candidacy with the county board of election commissioners of each county in which the candidate seeks election and the Secretary of State by August 4, 2010.

The deadline to register to vote in the May 18 Preferential Primary and Nonpartisan General Election is April 19. Voters can view their voter registration status, find their polling place, and learn more about voting in Arkansas at www.votenaturally.org.

Law Enforcement Campaign Will Target Underage Drinking

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:08:05 +0000

The Arkansas State Police will be working closely with other state, county and city law enforcement agencies March 12-21 and April 16-25 conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols. Officers will be looking for drunk drivers of all ages, but with an emphasis directed toward teenage drivers.

According to highway safety officials, mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. A statistical analysis indicates drivers in the age group of 15 to 20 years old are especially vulnerable to death and injury on roadways.

For more information on underage drinking prevention visit www.stopimpaireddriving.org or call the Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office at (501)-618-8136.

Learn to Make your own Gourd Banjo March 14-20

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:00:15 +0000

Title: Learn to Make your own Gourd Banjo
Location: Ozark Folk Center State Park
Description: Want to take your pick’n and play’n to a new level? Make your own gourd banjo. Spend the week of March 14-20, 2010 in Mountain View, Arkansas at the Ozark Folk Center and learn to make your own gourd banjo. This Ozark Folk School class will be taught by well known banjo maker, Jeff Menzies, from Toronto, Canada. Jeff will teach you the techniques to make a banjo that sounds as beautiful at it looks. You can choose to make either a gourd or tack head style banjo in this seven-day class.
The class will start Sunday morning, March 14, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. This intensive class often works late into the evening and includes informal jam sessions to lighten up the hard work of making a quality musical instrument.
You’ll use both hand and power tools to shape the body and neck of your banjo. Previous woodworking experience is beneficial, but not required. You’ll be able to choose to make either a gourd or a tack head banjo. You’ll get to pick your gourd from a range of different shapes and choose your banjo neck from a variety of woods.
The final day, Saturday, March 20, 2010, Jeff will teach you how to make beautiful music on your new banjo. Jeff is quick to note that playability is a major design element and that he teaches students to make banjos that are made to be played. Jeff’s gourd banjos are not historical reproductions; his work is influenced by neck designs of mid-1800’s minstrel banjos, contemporary styles and makers, and also his own sculptural practice. Believing in the importance to have the work of other makers/players feeding his practice, Jeff has devoted significant effort to study and collect other gourd banjo makers’ work, and to the extent possible, meet and learn from them. The final ingredient is the impact of the materials. Each individual banjo is unique because the banjo itself is initiated by the materials used to create it and the wood that becomes the neck. To learn more about Jeff and his style of banjos, visit his web site at www.jeffmenzies.com.
The registration deadline for the Gourd Banjo Making class is Feb. 12. The class needs a minimum of 12 students to make so gather your friends and come make your own banjo.
The cost of this class is $525, plus a $175 materials fee for everything you’ll need to make your own unique banjo. A non-refundable registration fee of $105 is due when you sign up, the rest is due at the beginning of class..
The Ozark Folk School offers more than 30 different classed in crafts, mountain music and herbs. For more information on any of our Folk School Classes, or to register for the Gourd Banjo Making Class, call the Ozark Folk Center at 870-269-3851 or visit www.ozarkfolkcenter.com.

Contact Person: Jeanette Larson
E-Mail Address:jeanette.larson@arkansas.gov
Phone: 870-269-3851
Start Date: 2010-03-14
End Date: 2010-03-20

Quapaw Quartet of the Arkansas Symphony Concert March 14

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:02:51 +0000

Title: Quapaw Quartet of the Arkansas Symphony Concert
Location: Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church 250 Dave Creek Parkway, Fairfield Bay
Link out: Click here
Description: Quapaw Quartet of the Arkansas Symphony Concert Sunday, March 14,2010
3 p.m.
at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church 250 Dave Creek Parkway, Fairfield Bay

The Quapaw boasts two principal players from the orchestra itself: Eric Haywood principal second violin, and David Gerstein, principal cellist. Violinist Meredith Maddox Hicks and violist Ryan Mooney. Violinist Meredith Maddox Hicks and violist Ryan Mooney complete the talented group. Fascinating to watch and pure pleasure to hear.

Support for this program is provided in part by the Arkansas Arts Council, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Students attend FREE.
Adults $8 NCAFA&E Members are $6
501-253-7909
Start Time: 1500
Date: 2010-03-14

St Patrick’s Day Dinner – Clinton March 13

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:01:22 +0000

Title: St Patrick’s Day Dinner – Clinton
Location: Clinton Senior Center
Description: Van Buren County Aging Program Meals on Wheels
St Patrick’s Day Dinner at the Clinton Senior Center March 13th, 5:30 pm.

$8.00 adult
$4.00 children
For more information call 501-745-2244
Start Time: 1730
Date: 2010-03-13

Arkansas Craft School Digital Marketing Class March 12-14

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:00:29 +0000

Title: Arkansas Craft School Digital Marketing Class
Location: Ozarka College Campus in Mountain View
Link out: Click here
Description: March 12 – 14, 2010; Blayne and Deltha will be presenting the three day workshop “Professional Networking for Craftspeople”. Topics to be covered include how to write a professional artist’s resume, the role of social networking sites in the world of arts marketing, and website development know-how. Days one and two will cover background information and day three will be a hands-on workshop with the opportunity for walking away with a completed DIY website.
Instructor Blayne Stewart is a professional web designer, web developer and consultant who heads up his own marketing and digital media firm, b‌‌‌│media. Deltha Shell is director of TRIO Student Services for Ozarka College. She regularly presents workshops on Leadership Training, Motivation and Professional Resume Writing.
Classes will be held on the Ozarka College Campus in Mountain View. Tuition for the three day workshop is $150.00, and scholarships are available. Although the class is designed primarily for Craft Artisans and Fine Artists, the content covered during the workshop will be relevant to many small businesses as well.
The Arkansas Craft School, located in Mountain View, Arkansas is dedicated to the education of aspiring and practicing craft artisans for success in the Creative Economy. The Craft School partners with Ozarka College which offers Continuing Education credits for all of its courses. Scholarship grants are also available for most courses. Support for the Arkansas Craft School is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and the National Endowment of the Arts. Visit the Arkansas Craft School’s website, www.arkansascraftschool.org for more information on these and other upcoming classes; as well as information on scholarship applications. For further information, contact Executive Director, Terri Van Orman at (870) 269-8397; or email arkcraftschool@mvtel.net.

Start Date: 2010-03-12
End Date: 2010-03-14

White River Area Agency on Aging Seeking Senior Arkansans for Silver Haired Legislative Session

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:00:35 +0000

The Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services, in partnership with the Arkansas Area Agencies on Aging, is seeking Arkansans who are at least 60 years old to volunteer to serve as delegates to the Seventeenth Biennial Silver Haired Legislative Session taking place on August 25 -26, 2010. Delegates will act as legislators in this non-partisan session by writing, debating, and voting on bills addressing issues critical to older Arkansans.

Organizers are seeking one delegate from each Arkansas County. Anyone who is interested in becoming a delegate should contact the Area Agency on Aging in their county or the Division of Aging and Adult Services. County candidates need to circulate qualifying petitions and submit them to their Area Agency on Aging by April 15, 2010. Elected delegates will receive training on topics such as the legislative process, how to write bills, and how a bill becomes a law.

The Silver Haired Legislative Session has been conducted biennially since its institution by a 1977 General Assembly resolution sponsored by Rep. B. G. Hendrix and the late Rep. W. F. “Bill” Foster. It is one of at least 28 such sessions held throughout the country to give senior citizens a chance to participate in the legislative process.

For more information please contact Peggy Pearce at 870-612-3000 or 1_800_382_3205. You may also access information on the DAAS website at www.daas.ar.gov

A Voter Education Candidate Forum March 13

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:00:57 +0000

Title: A Voter Education Candidate Forum
Location: Van Buren County Fairgrounds
Description: A Voter Education Candidate Forum, being hosted by the Clinton Area Rotary Club and coordinated by the local League of Women Voters (LWV), will be held Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the Van Buren County Fairgrounds, according to a news release cooperatively issued by both groups.

Beginning at 1:30pm with the Presentation of Colors, Pledge of Allegiance and singing of America the Beautiful, the program will introduce candidates eligible for the November ballot and May primary to the voting public, feature a ‘fun-raising’ Pie Supper and local entertainment.

Over the course of the afternoon and concluding at 7pm, candidates will be introduced and have the opportunity to respond to questions. Rotary will sell grilled hamburgers and drinks with proceeds to benefit various of Rotary’s goodwill projects and service goals.

The Voter Education Candidate Forum is a cooperative production of the Clinton Area Rotary Club and the local LWV. For information particular to the forum and/or to confirm candidate participation contact Christine Beems, LWV Forum Coordinator, 501-745-4153 or visit http://www.gozarks.com/forum
Start Time: 1330
Date: 2010-03-13