EDITORIAL >> How to fix our roads

Leadership sometimes surfaces in the most shocking places, which is to say, in Arkansas, where it should surface. That would be in the lawmaking branch of government. Four senators—all Republicans!—are proposing that the legislature raise excise taxes on motor fuels when they convene next week in a special session that is intended to raise a little cash to repair the […]

SPORTS STORY >> New faces for Cabot’s spring

By GRAHAM POWELL Leader sportswriter The Cabot Panthers are in the middle of their third week of spring football practices and this year’s group has nothing but new faces up front. The Panthers return plenty of experience in the backfield, but because of injuries and other spring sports, a good number of inexperienced players have seen a lot of reps […]

SPORTS STORY >> Cabot ladies defeat Eagles

By RAY BENTON Leader sports editor The Lady Panther softball team got one final nonconference game squeezed into its schedule Friday before the Class 7A state tournament, and pulled out a 3-1 home victory over 5A-East champion Greene County Tech. Cabot (22-3) went 14-0 in conference play and will carry the 7A-East’s No. 1 seed into the state tournament in […]

SPORTS STORY >> Lonoke holds off JW Warriors

By RAY BENTON Leader sports editor The Lonoke Jack-rabbits couldn’t get their bats going in the semifinal round of the 4A-East Regional tournament on Friday at Lonoke Ballpark, but they made up for it in the third-place game on Saturday. The Jackrabbits beat Jonesboro-Westside 11-9 and will carry the three seed from the East into the Class 4A state tournament […]

TOP STORY >> The A, B, C’s of cooking

Sylvan Hills juniors Steven Anderson (from left), Terriya Jones, Douglas Whidden and Hayley Cross plan to sign up for a second year of culinary classes in Jacksonville. BY DEBORAH HORN Leader staff writer It’s been two years since Drew McLain roamed the halls of North Pulaski High School, but he frequently pops in, updating culinary-arts teacher Teresa Perkins on his […]

TOP STORY >> Report cards mixed bag

By RICK KRON Leader staff writer Editor’s note: This is the fourth and final in-depth look at state report cards released last month. Using its own grading system, the state went from more than 100 A schools last year to 10 this year and none of the 10 were in this area. Lonoke followed the trend of other area districts […]

TOP STORY >> Road work seen key to area growth

By JOHN HOFHEIMER Leader senior staff writer Most of the action and all of the controversy over the state Highway and Transportation Department’s 30-Crossing highway plan may center on expanding and replacing the I-30 Arkansas River Bridge and changes on I-30 between the river and Ninth Street in Little Rock, but more than 50 people turned out in Jacksonville to […]