SPORTS STORY >> Falcon stays one, signs with USAFA

By RAY BENTON  Leader sports editor North Pulaski senior Joe Aikens cemented his future plans Friday morning by signing an NCAA letter of intent to play college basketball for the Air Force Academy. Aikens averaged 13.5 points, five rebounds and five assists as a junior for the Falcons, but it wasn’t his performances on the high-school court that drew the […]

SPORTS STORY >> Panthers shake rust to defeat Hamilton

By GRAHAM POWELL Leader sportswriter The Cabot Panther basketball team showed a little rust in Thursday’s benefit game against Lake Hamilton, but it still outscored the class 6A Wolves 38-29 in the four quarters played at Panther Arena. Cabot’s players finally got to play against someone other than themselves Thursday, and played like an eager team, scoring the first four […]

SPORTS STORY >> Lady Blue Devils too big for JHS

By RAY BENTON  Leader sports editor The first six minutes of the William Rountree era of Jacksonville girls’ basketball went great, but West Memphis’ size and superior depth proved too much to handle for the tiny Lady Red Devils in their season opener on Friday. The visiting Lady Blue Devils blew a competitive game open in the fourth quarter to […]

SPORTS STORY >> Carlisle gets by Indians in first

By JASON KING Leader sportswriter Total yards and time of possession did not reflect Carlisle’s dominance in a 38-6 rout of Marked Tree in the first round of the 2A state football playoffs at Fred C. Hardke Field on Friday. The Bison (10-1) had two brief possessions through most of the second half, and had held the ball just over […]

SPORTS STORY >> Jackrabbits pummel on Pocahontas

By GRAHAM POWELL Leader sportswriter The Lonoke Jackrabbits earned their first playoff win since 2009 in dominant fashion Friday, as they manhandled Pocahontas 49-7 in the first round of the class 4A state playoffs at James B. Abraham Stadium. “I was very pleased,” said Lonoke coach Doug Bost. “We told them, ‘hey, let’s come out, do our job and let’s […]

EDITORIAL >> Graduation never too late

Dec. 6 will be a big day for me. That day, I will don a cap and gown, walk onto a stage and a man I’ve never met will shake my hand and present me with a piece of paper declaring that I am a college graduate. My daughter, Teagan, will be there in the audience. I originally entered college […]

TOP STORY >> Sherwood Roundtop museum unlikely

By SARAH CAMPBELL  Leader staff writer The project manager and two Arkansas Historic Preservation Program officials visited the 1936 Roundtop filling station recently to discuss the $75,000 effort to restore the Sherwood landmark. The project is being funded by a 2-for-1 matching grant through the preservation program, which is under the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Sherwood’s match is $25,000. Project […]

TOP STORY >> Piano trio thrills LR audience

By GARRICK FELDMAN Leader editor About 180 lucky people heard the great jazz pianist Marcus Roberts play for almost two hours last Saturday night at the South on Main Restaurant in Little Rock. The old Juanita’s used to be in that spot, which South on Main now shares with Oxford American magazine, one of the sponsors of the Roberts concert. […]

TOP STORY >> Deal to end school lawsuit stalls

By JOHN HOFHEIMER  Leader staff writer The wheels are threatening to come off a historic proposed desegregation settlement agreement that would ease the way for a separate Jacksonville/north Pulaski school district and ensure all three Pulaski County school districts continue getting state desegregation funding for three more years. It would also ensure a fourth year’s funding, earmarked for building, remodeling […]