Voters reject Fairplex tax by wide margin

It was a resounding "no" from Saline County voters as they overwhelmingly rejected a 1 percent county tax initiative to fund a "Fairplex" during a special election held Aug. 10. About 75 percent countywide voted against the proposal. In East End, approximately 96 percent voted against it. Overall, 10,314 people voted against the tax, while 3,450 voted for it. The total number of voters represents a turnout of 22.47 percent of the county's registered voters, which is thought to be a record for a special election in Saline County. The tax was defeated in every precinct countywide. In East End, 738 voted against it, and 33 voted for it. The proposed tax would have funded a Saline County Fairplex at the site of the existing Saline County fairgrounds off I-30 on the west side of Benton. Construction costs were estimated at $55-60 million.

Grant awarded to build arts center in East End for disabled children

A $200,000 grant to build an arts center for the disabled in East End has been approved. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission announced the award during the Project ELI premiere at Springlake Church of the Nazarene on Aug. 7. The "I CAN! Arts and Resource Center" will be located on Angel Court next to Los Toritos restaurant and is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2011. The center, run by the non-profit organization Community Connections, will offer the already established I CAN! Dance program, but will add ACTS Jr., I CAN! Make Music and I CAN! Be An Artist.

Sheridan School Board election uncontested; no poll open

There will be no polling location open for this year's school board elections on Sept. 21. That is because no candidate filed against the incumbent school board member Michael Mosley and there is no millage increase proposal. According to Linda Kelley with the Grant County Election Committee, the law says school districts only have to allow for early and absentee voting when there is only one candidate in the race and no millage increase proposal on the ballot. "It costs a lot of money to have the polls open," said Kelley. Early voting will take place at the Grant County Courthouse from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. from Sept. 14-20. Mosley will serve another five years on the Sheridan School Board. Next year, the term will expire for both school board members Jeff Lisenbey and Beverly Wells.

Cabot teen wins East End Sizzler 5K

Parker Dey, a 15-year-old from Cabot, won the second annual East End Sizzler 5K held Saturday, Aug. 21. Dey finished third in 2009 during the inaugural event. The 5K race is held in conjuction with a free community Health Fair. Dey finished the 3.1-mile course in a time of 17:23, bettering his time from last year of 17:51. The overall female winner was Cindy Knott, 49, of Farmington, who finished in 23:49. The race started and finished at East Union Missionary Baptist Church, which also served as the site of the Health Fair. Both the race and Health Fair were sponsored by the Little Rock South Lions Club. Despite near-record temperatures in the days leading to the event and competing races taking place in nearby cities, the Sizzler 5K attracted almost 100 participants from more than a dozen communities and cities in Arkansas.