The line is open. Some final notes:
* WHAT’S A FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF WORTH? At the University of Arkansas, Chris Bahn at Arkansas Business runs the numbers and comes up with $6.2 million. That’s $3.2 million for head coach Bret Bielema and $3 million for his assistants. I think Barry Lunney has an Arkie-discrimination lawsuit. He’s getting a miserly $200,000 to coach the tight ends, bottom of an assistants’ roster that runs up to $550,000 for offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. If 62,000 fans would send $100 each, they have the payroll knocked. But then there’s shoulder pads and stuff, so they may be called on for a bit more for some of that priority seating.
* HOG BASEBALL PLAYERS IN TROUBLE: Fox 16 has report on two baseball players getting arrested for stealing beer and deli items from a Fayetteville Walmart.
* HAPPY FEET: The Little Rock Black Police Association today had a day of service in conjunction with a group, Samaritan’s Feet. They handed out more than 200 pairs of athletic shoes and socks to kids at the Thrasher Boys Club.
* PUT THE TECH PARK DOWNTOWN: Here’s another voice in the debate over where to locate the taxpayer-financed Tech Park project. Tom Peterson, a former Heifer International executive, makes the case for a downtown location. Success of the park is dependent on attracting talent, Peterson said. That’s why it should not be isolated, but be at a place most attractive to talent — “Little Rock’s increasingly vibrant (and cool) downtown.”
* HOW’S THAT U-VERSE WORKING FOR YOU?: Complaints all over the country, including Arkansas, about AT&T’s U-verse TV service, but the company’s communications on it has been scant. Mostly, “we’re working on it.”
* BRYANT CONFIDENTIAL: It may often be petty stuff, but you can’t beat Bryant for bickering. The latest comes to me from Shelli Russell, who operates the MySaline.com website. She also is a host of a show at 10 Saturday nights on KARN Radio, “Singles and Exes,” about dating life, life after divorce and such.
A recent guest was Bryant Police Chief Mark Kizer. A former political candidate, James Ward, heard the show and was upset when he heard something described as XXX-rated. No, the show isn’t hot stuff. One of the hosts has been divorced three times. Three strikeouts, see.
Russell tells me the only thing even slightly racy, and then not much, came when Kizer, who’s divorced from Bryant Clerk Heather “Republican” Kizer, was asked about kissing preferences — regular, French or Australian.
Ward posted his unhappiness about the show and the chief’s appearance on Facebook.
Local Police Chief should not be hosting an X-Rated show on live radio. You sir are held to a higher standard. KARN 102.9 should be ashamed for having this smut on air.
Russell says Danny Steele, an alderman who’s been part of the faction unhappy about anonymous criticism of aldermen on MySaline.com and also at war with the current Bryant administration, copied the post and sent it around to other aldermen. The city’s human resource director also got a copy. So did Mayor Jill “Republican” Dabbs, who appointed the chief back when she and his then-wife ascended to Bryant power. Now, says Russell, the chief is going to have to appear before the council — particularly the three who tend to be aligned against Dabbs. Man your Facebook pages, Bryant readers. Maybe he’ll explain that Australian reference.