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BREAKING NEWS
UCA board to meet, discuss Hardin's future
LOG CABIN DEMOCRAT

The University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting today to discuss president Lu Hardin's future with the university.

The meeting will take place at 11 a.m., and Rush F. Harding III, vice chairman of the board, told the Associated Press that Hardin offering his resignation may be one of the university president's options.

Vice president for university communications Warwick Sabin said he hasn't heard of any plans for Hardin to resign and said he has not been able to confirm the 11 a.m. meeting of the Board of Trustees as of 7 p.m. Wednesday.

"I'm confident the president has the votes to stay, if he would choose," Harding said. "However, I know the president cares deeply about the institution and he's assured me that he wants some resolution to this issue and he will put the interest of the university above his own."

The controversy began when it was reported that Hardin secretly received a $300,000 deferred-compensation bonus in May. Hardin has since repaid the money and said he would not accept it until faculty members receive salary increases and enough private funds are acquired to cover the early payment of deferred-compensation.

Hardin first said the money used to pay the bonus was private funds, but Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said in an advisory opinion that the money used to pay the bonus was public money because it came from student book and food sales.

A memo later surfaced that had been distributed at the May 2 meeting with typed names of three university vice presidents containing talking points that would encourage Hardin to stay at the university. Among the talking points were suggestions to accelerate the payment of the $300,000 deferred-compensation, as well as a new $150,000 per year deferred-compensation package. All three vice presidents denied authoring, or seeing, the document before it was distributed, and none agree with every suggestion included on the memo.

"The board is having a meeting (Thursday) to sit down with the president and figure out how to get this behind us," Harding told the Associated Press Wednesday.

The university Faculty Senate met last week where faculty addressed concerns about Hardin. A Faculty Affairs Committee was to review and deliberate the facts considering Hardin's bonus and make a recommendation to the senate. Faculty senator Ed Powers was selected to chair the committee.

A vote of confidence and a request for Hardin's resignation are two of the options Powers said the committee could suggest to the senate. A closed meeting of the committee was scheduled to take place today.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.




Local business owners hold successful 'Salute the Heroes'


Salute the Heroes, an all-day concert event in downtown Conway's Simon Park Saturday, raised money to be used to send care packages to U.S. troops overseas and support the local National Guard Family Readiness Group.

Tina and Jeremy Scaggs, owners of Conway business Scaggs Scrap Hauling, organized Salute the Heroes. Tina Scaggs said it's something she's been trying to put together for three years, with varying degrees of success.


 

"I have a lot of friends who are serving in the military," Scaggs said. "They really want a way to see their families and have their families see them."

Accordingly, the cost of admission was one web cam for two adults or $10 per person. A web cam, which allows its user to send real-time video and audio over the internet, can be purchased for under $20 these days, but to a soldier, airman or sailor who's far from home, Scaggs said, they're priceless.

"We tried this three years ago in Little Rock," she said. The look on her face indicated that it wasn't a runaway success, but her hopes were higher when she re-focused her energies on a Conway event.

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"Conway's a much better town, as far as putting something like this together," she said. "They'll really help you out."

Of the 11 bands and various vendors booked for the event, none asked for compensation.

One of the only expenses was the standard $20 fee to rent Simon Park. Turnout early Saturday afternoon was lighter than she could have hoped for, but attendance picked up in the evening as the music drew downtown visitors to the park and the cause. The generosity of those who dropped by, she said, went a long way towards making up for the lighter-than-hoped-for turnout.

Master Sgt. Vince Sherrill, a member of the Army National Guard's professional bass angling team, also donated his time to the event, answering questions about the National Guard as well as giving fishing tips.

Sherrill, who's served 21-years in the military so far, said he fished competitively in amateur events for years before joining the National Guard team. When he had '1-800 G0-Guard' decals put on his boat, he said, his fishing career "took off."

Now he's got several major sponsorships, including a deal with Triton Boats that includes a brand-new 70-plus-mph tournament-spec bass boat every year. Without the generosity of sponsors, he jokingly agreed, professional fishing shares the old motor racing adage that the best way to make a small fortune in the sport is to start with a large one.

On decals applied to both sides of his boat's engine are the names of 22 Arkansas guardsmen who have lost their lives serving their country in the war on terror. There's no one, he said, that he'd rather be fishing for.

Sponsors for the event included Scaggs Scrap Hauling, Pepsi, the Conway School of Music, DeBoard Electronics, Bear's Den BBQ, Music Man Entertainment and Y107. Booked musicians included Shanna McCormack, John Alumbaugh, Annabelle, Enemies in a Maze, Hollywood Homicide, Pride Before the Fall, Fire and Brimstone, Double Shot, Some Guy Named Rob, Solstice and Method of Doubt.

(Staff writer Joe Lamb can be reached by e-mail at joe.lamb@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1238. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)

 

  More Stories from Joe Lamb:

    · City Council denies Campus Crest rehearing - 08/27/08
    · HP, airport decisions at tonight's council meeting - 08/26/08
    · The Race - 08/26/08
    · Mayflower estate sale turns up C-4 explosives - 08/24/08
    · Sec. of State releases summary of May 20 election foul-up - 08/23/08


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