Baxter Bulletin from Mountain Home, Arkansas • 2

Page2A THE BAXTER BULLETIN, Mountain Home, Ark. Monday, July 14, 2008 Mussels face environmental threat Dover to auction ton factory in Iowa, then he and some partners built a button-blank factory that punched out pill-shaped 1967 fire truck blanks that were shipped especially in the larger rivers such as the Black, White and Cache," says Alan Christian, a biologist and aquatic ecologist at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Arkansas is home to about 80 species of freshwater mussels, although pearl industry. Arkansas mussels aren't the kind eaten by people. Leasure Shell Co.

near Possum Grape, one of the three licensed buyers in the state, owns several warehouses full of mussel shells. "We probably have a thousand tons of shells in rades," he said. When the city pur to Iowa and finished into buttons. The mussel meat also was sold locally as chased the Howe truck in 1967, Dover firefight hog feed. Other button-blank fac ers were still using tories opened at Brinkley, 1939 Chevrolet fire truck, the first owned by Clarendon, Cornmg, New port, Parkin and Pocahon the department.

Former Fire Chief tas. By the mid-1930s, Arkansas was producing DOVER (AP) Among the antiques and collectibles, jewelry, toys and DVDs, eBay shoppers will find something a little more pecu-. liar a 1967 Chevrolet Howe fire truck. The truck, bought more than 40 years ago for the Dover Fire Department, is to go up for auction on the popular Web site, Assistant Fire Chief Jonathan Isaac said. The city took the Howe out of service Bob Campbell recalled about one-third of all U.S.

the pumper on the 1939 button blanks. truck, which was pur chased in 1950, was con When mussel-shell sup CLOVER BEND (AP) Brothers Lloyd and Wayne Wade are among Arkansas' few remaining commercial mussel-shell harvesters as the state's mussel industry contends with threats to the degradation of the an-, imal's habitat and changes in fashion. "I pity a new person," says Wayne Wade. Would-be shelters and weekend divers lack the experience to be able to regularly find and harvest large beds of legal-sized mussels that fetch top dollar. Their timing also is off as mussels lose out to development.

"As a group, they (mussels) are considered to be extremely imperiled because of degradation to our rivers and streams," says John Harris, assistant head of the environmental division of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Contributing to the degradation are dams, dredging, construction and pollution. Commercial harvesting is permitted in only 39 of nected to a crankshaft and there was no control except for a foot feed. The 1967 Howe was as welcome an addition to storage," many of them no longer in demand, says Amanda Leasure Duncan, who manages the business. "It's crazy, but next year's fashion directly affects these guys who spend their time on the bottoms of rivers." Most of Leasure Shell's current business consists of selling ebonyshell mussels to buyers in China.

Duncan buys those shells for $1.35 per pound. Meanwhile, hundreds of tons of washboard and bleufer shells remain in inventory waiting for tastes to change. Commercial mussel-shell harvesting in Arkansas dates back to April 1897, when J.H. Mey one or two are believed to be extinct, says malacolo-gist Bill Posey of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Eight species are on the federal government's endangered species list, two are classified as threatened, and three are considered by the state to be of "special concern." None of the species in those categories can be harvested legally, Posey says.

Only about six mussel species are of interest to commercial harvesters, though. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission sold 43 shelltaker licenses and 18 shelltaker helper permits last year. The state has only three licensed shell buyers. The Wades earn about May 22 after the" pur-' the department then as chase of a newer truck: the 1982 Mack is now. a 1982 Mack.

Isaac said the city decided to auction the older truck be cause it no longer meets National Fire Protection plies began to falter as a result of overharvesting, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helped the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission restock streams in the early 1940s. After World War II, zippers, metal fasteners and plastic burtons became increasingly popular and Arkansas' first button-blank factory in Black Rock closed in 1954. But demand for the shells developed again in the 1960s, when Japanese buyers sought them to make cultured pearls. Last year, almost 109,000 pounds of mussel shells were harvested in Arkansas, according to reports submitted to the Game and Fish Commission by shell takers and shell buyers.

Association or Insurance Services Office standards. "It's not safe any more, Isaac said. He said that, in addition to an outdated pump, the truck's inadequate stor age capacity makes it hard for firefighters to Isaac said he would like to see the truck have a new lease on life. He said he thought an eBay sale could mean restoration and a new life in a showroom for the old truck. Kyle Lynch, a lieutenant with the department, told the Dover City Council that he thought if the Howe were sold locally, the new owner would probably use it as a hay truck.

Proceeds from the sale of the truck will be applied to the $15,000 loan the city took out from the Arkansas Forestry Commission to pay for the newer truck, Isaac said. Lynch estimated the truck would bring $1,500 to $2,000 at auction. ers found a large natural pearl in a mussel known as a mucket that was taken from the Black River near Black Rock. That set off a pearl rush that spread to the White and St. Francis rivers.

Meyers began shipping the empty shells to a but Arkansas' 75 counties, with a number of exceptions for specific portions of certain rivers, creeks and lakes. The restrictions help protect the mussel population. "Many of the populations are doing very well, $50 for every five-gallon bucket of shells. They can make a little extra money by selling fresh mussel meat as fish bait. Their shells Wades are cleaned, sold and exported to Asia for use by the cultured carry all the equipment they need when they go on a call.

Since the purchase of the newer truck, Isaac said, the city no longer has room to house the Tyson to add deboning, 370 workers to plant old truck, though it's part of the volunteer department's history. We probably would Keep it it we had the The release said current Tyson currently has workers can earn a $600 1,200 workers at Green bonus for each new work- Forest and 1,300 workers er they recruit when the at Berryville. new worker reaches 90 Starting July 20, current days on the job. The new general production work- room and use it in pa- installation is expected to ers will earn $10.50 to $11.50 an hour in addition to va GREEN FOREST (AP) A new chicken-debon-ing operation and 370 more jobs will be added to the Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Green Forest, the company says.

The payroll at the plant will increase by about $15 million a year, the company announced Friday. "We're really excited about the expansion and looking forward to seeing the growth both for Tyson and the city," Green Forest Mayor Richard Deweese said. Deboning workers will earn $12 to $13.50 an hour, plus 40 cents extra for night workers. That's higher than other Tyson line workers, even with the raise announced for them Friday and effective July 20. The company may pro-' vide bus transportation for workers from Huntsville and Harrison, and Tyson has talked with developers about the need for new, affordable housing in the Berryville and Green Forest area, according to a company news release.

cost about $11 million. Tracy Tedder, manager of the Green Forest-Berryville Poultry Complex, said deboning at Green Forest instead of shipping fresh chickens to other plants for deboning would be more efficient and should result in im-: proved product yield. cation and health-care benefits. That's a raise of 35 cents an hour for employees of more than a year and more for recent employees, who will jump from $8.85 an hour to $10.50. Current maintenance workers will be raised to $11.40 to $17.20 an hour.

I Si Chemical Peels 30 Off Return that Vibrant Look To Your Face Eyelash Perm $40 Reg. $50 You can't swim these lashes off! Blood, shoe link man to Arkansans' deaths A switch QX treatment for Qellulite $50 Reg. $60 Firm Smooth Problem Areas flops Police say Sheley attacked the couple as they got out of their car at night at the motel, put the bodies in a stolen pickup truck, then drove to the gas station and left the bodies in a ditch. Police say blood from the 1 a MEDICAL SPA SALON 870-435-5000 Offm expire 7108 coiiege riaza anopping center couple and the shoe belonging to Mrs. Estes were found in the pickup that witnesses saw Sheley driving, according to a probable cause statement Police say Sheley stole the truck a day earlier in CvUIMXOAP Mountain Home 425-5050 G0LD CROwk Hours: Mn-Sat- JULIE'S LITTLE ROCK (AP) An Illinois man was linked to the murders of Arkansans Tom and Jill Estes through blood and a flip-flop police say belonged to Mrs.

Estes, according to Knox County (I1L) court documents. The Sherwood couple, both 54, were beaten to death June 29 outside a Comfort Inn in Festus, and their bodies found behind a gas station less than two miles away. Nicholas T. Sheley, 28, of Sterling, 111., has been arrested in their deaths and the slayings of two Illinois men. He also is a suspect in the killings of four other Illinois residents, including a 2-year-old.

Police say nothing indicates Sheley knew the Arkansas couple, who were in Missouri for a family function. Sheley supposedly was in Festus, looking for a woman he had corresponded with when he was in prison. Police say he was Hope is not a financial strategy Hoping the stock market performs the way you want it to Is not a sound financial strategy. Successful Galesburg, III Sheley has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action in the Esteses' deaths. He also has been charged in the June 24 death of Russell Reed, 93, who lived near Sterling, and the June 28 death of Ronald Russell, 65, in Galesburg.

Ronald Russell owned the pickup truck that police say Sheley stole. In addition, Sheley is a suspect in the deaths of Brock Branson, 29, Kenneth Ulvey, 25, Kilynna Blake, 20, and Dayan Blake, 2, at an apartment in Rock Falls, III LGVU Large 3" Interactive Touch Screen Mobile TV Capable savers understand the benefit of guarantees. Our guarantee plus fixed annuity gives guaranteed interest that is locked-in and guaranteed so you don't have to hope for good performance it's Guaranteed 2 MP Camera with Autofocus and Video unable to find the woman but was seen by witnesses near the Comfort Inn. ONLY $69" SAVE $150 II after SlOOmaJ in rebate II I wtfi2 year serwce agreement I I and daia package puctuse 5th escapee captured, returned to Ark. jail Midland mtji)M 1- A 3-YHAj? niMii ii Jim H2 TEXARKANA (AP) One of six Miller County jail escapees continued to elude authorities Sunday.

The sheriff's office said deputies were still looking that evening for Bennie Ray Johnson, 23, of Bradley. Before his escape Tuesday, Johnson was in jail on charges of aggravated robbery and second-degree battery. Anthony Michael Brown, 30, of Texarkana, Texas, was arrested Saturday after a brief chase in Wake Village, Texas. Miller County authorities had received an anonymous tip regarding Brown. "I ain't violent, man.1" he shouted as deputies guided him into the jaiL Before his escape, Brown was in jail on charges of theft, burglary and failure to appear in court Deputies on Wednesday captured escapees Jeffrey Dean Smith, 36, of Texarkana, Texas; Codar-rius Morris, 20, of Texarkana; and Kenneth Dewayne Riley, 40, of Wilton, who faces an 80-year prison sentence for an aggravated robbery conviction as a habitual offender.

Officials believe a guard snuck a hacksaw inside the jail at the request of inmates. Jail guards on duty the night the six escaped will be questioned by deputies, officials say. 406 Hwy. 62 Surtel, Mtru Home, AR 870-425-6726 213-AN. Main, Berryville, AR 870-423-4311 1309 Hwy.

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