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Posts tagged
'Mayor Frank Scott Jr'

Board of directors to vote on ordinance de-emphasizing marijuana enforcement next week

At next week's voting meeting for the Little Rock Board of Directors, city leaders will vote on an ordinance proposed by Ward 2 city director Ken Richardson that would make misdemeanor marijuana offenses committed by adults the “lowest law enforcement priority” for the Little Rock Police Department. Directors discussed the ordinance briefly on Tuesday afternoon at the board's agenda meeting. 
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Mayor announces Opportunity Zone Task Force members

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced the 20 members of his Opportunity Zone Task Force on Friday. The volunteer members will identify potential projects for Little Rock's four opportunity zones and present recommendations to the city on a "strategy" to attract investments in the zones. 
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Mayor Frank Scott Jr.

Directors approve extra time for 'policy issues' at meetings, allot $4.6 million to UAMS for Pine St. project

In a meeting Tuesday evening, the board of directors approved a resolution introduced last week by at-large director Dean Kumpuris to set aside an hour of time after the conclusion of its Tuesday afternoon agenda meetings to discuss “policy” issues for the city. It also approved a resolution to contribute $4.6 million from the city's Street Fund to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for a construction project to turn Pine and Cedar Streets into "one boulevard." 

City, White House officials say 'the light is green' for opportunity zone investments in Little Rock

In a "roundtable" meeting beginning Monday morning, Mayor Frank Scott Jr., White House staffers and city officials discussed the future of Little Rock's four opportunity zones and how investment in those areas could impact economic growth in the capital. 
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Assistant Chief Hayward Finks says mayor asked about firing Charles Starks during police chief job interview

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Clara Turnage's reporting suggests the rift between Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and local law enforcement officials is growing. Little Rock Police Department Assistant Chief Hayward Finks told Turnage that during his job interview for police chief, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. repeatedly asked him, "Who would you fire first if you were hired as police chief?" Finks understood that line of questioning to be about former LRPD officer Charles Starks, who shot and killed Bradley Blackshire during a "felony stop" on Feb. 22. Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley also told the newspaper that he'd never seen a felony case file rushed more in his nearly 30 years in office. He attributed the rush to pressure from the mayor on the police department.

Candidates in District 36 special election prioritize education, health care

Early voting began Tuesday in the special election to fill the House seat of former District 36 representative and House minority leader Charles Blake, who resigned in May to become Mayor Frank Scott Jr.’s chief of staff. Blake had served in the House since 2014. Five Democrats are running to fill the vacancy, and all say they are focused on improving quality of life and access to resources for residents of the large district that incorporates downtown east of Main Street south to the southeastern boundary of Pulaski County.
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Kumpuris proposes additional time for 'policy issues' at board meetings

In Tuesday afternoon's agenda meeting, at-large director Dean Kumpuris followed up to the letter he sent city leaders on July 18 — which called for the board to improve its policy making — by introducing a resolution asking for the board to meet for an additional hour and a half prior to its 6 p.m. voting meetings every other Tuesday to discuss "policy issues."

City attorney asks board of directors not to comment on Starks' appeal, chiefs' testimony

In an email sent to the Little Rock board of directors and Mayor Frank Scott Jr. on Friday, City Attorney Tom Carpenter urges city leaders, "in the strongest possible terms," not to comment on the ongoing appeal hearing for former Little Rock Police Department officer Charles Starks, which began with eight hours of testimony on Thursday. Starks is seeking to be reinstated as an officer with the department after he was fired by Police Chief Keith Humphrey in May. 
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Civil Service Commission hears former LRPD officer appeal; assistant chiefs say mayor rushed police probe of shooting

After eight hours of testimony and several interruptions on Thursday, the first day of former Little Rock Police Department officer Charles Starks' appeal hearing to the Little Rock Civil Service Commission ended when Starks' attorney, Robert Newcomb, fell down the stairs at City Hall. The hearing is set to reconvene Friday at 8 a.m., provided that Newcomb is well enough to attend.

'It's a very receptive city:' A Q&A with Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey after his first 100 days in office

After being selected by Mayor Frank Scott Jr. as the next police chief of the Little Rock Police Department in April, Keith Humphrey has made a few controversial decisions during his first 100 days in office, including the termination of former LRPD Officer Charles Starks and his assistance in creating the citizens review board ordinance. The Times sat down with Humphrey to learn more about the next steps for the citizens review board, the police department, and his impressions of life in Little Rock. 
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Family of Bradley Blackshire submits petition to City Hall supporting Starks' termination

On the steps of City Hall on Wednesday morning, Kimberly Blackshire-Lee, mother of Bradley Blackshire, who was shot and killed by former Little Rock Police Department officer Charles Starks during a traffic stop in February, told reporters she and other supporters of Blackshire had gathered over 2,000 signatures on a petition supporting Chief of Police Keith Humphrey's decision in May to terminate Starks' employment with the LRPD. The family said it planned to submit the petition to the Civil Service Commission.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr.

Scott makes tie-breaking vote to approve citizens review board ordinance

In a board of directors meeting Tuesday evening, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. made the tie-breaking vote to approve an ordinance he and Police Chief Keith Humphrey presented to the board last week that will create a citizens review board for the Little Rock Police Department. The emergency clause to create the board immediately, which was contained in a separate ordinance, did not pass, so the board cannot be established for another 30 days.
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