OFFICIAL SECRETS: Chief Stuart Thomas still mum about October wreck involving former assistant police chief. After I talked with Sgt. Cassandra Davis yesterday, the Little Rock police apparently filed charges against Joseph Williams, the driver of a car seriously wounded Tuesday by police officer Chris Johannes‘ gunshot in the Park Plaza parking deck. Johannes has said [...]

Read the full story

Channel 4 reports that Little Rock police found the getaway car — a PT cruiser — believed used by men who fatally shot Richard Ratley of Dallas outside the Discovery nightclub in Riverdale early Christmas Eve. The car was believed to have been stolen and there’s no indication of other information found that might lead [...]

Read the full story

Interesting item on Channel 4 last night. More details needed, but it reports that the Sherwood City Council had passed a resolution expressing disappointment in Mayor Virginia Hillman for misleading them on a report they’d commissioned about imposing a development impact fee to generate money for parks. The Street Committee, along with Parks and Recreation, had [...]

Read the full story

THE TICKET: Obama-Clinton, says Reich. Robert Reich, a Clinton administration cabinet member, claims no inside information but predicts the 2012 Democratic ticket will be Obama-Hillary Clinton, with Vice President Joe Biden heading to the secretary of state slot. His thinking is sound: Why do I say this? Because Obama needs to stir the passions and enthusiasms of [...]

Read the full story

Things slow where you are? Deadly dull around downtown. Your thoughts are still welcome. Final notes: * MERIT PAY DOESN’T WORK: That’s the conclusion of a writer in the Harvard Business Review. He’s not talking about teachers, but CEOs, but the general theories apply. Variable pay schemes encourage people to manipulate the system, for one thing. [...]

Read the full story

PRESS LORD: Warren Stephens adds to newspaper holdings. Interesting that an investment company owned by Little Rock financier Warren Stephens has purchased 16 newspapers from the New York Times to add to a newspaper Halifax Media already owned in Daytona Beach, Fla. Industry press says the price — $143 million and change for more than 400,000 [...]

Read the full story

ORDER VACATED: Judge Brian Miller overturned on end of state desegregation payments. It had tipped its hand clearly earlier with a stay of the order, but the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals finished the job today of undoing Judge Brian Miller’s unexpected and peremptory order ending state desegregation funding to the Little Rock School District. Here’s [...]

Read the full story

WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM: Which Hog games will it host in 2012? The University of Arkansas released most of its 2012 Razorback football schedule today. The Hogs are still looking for a non-conference opponent for Sept. 22. The Hogs will play seven and perhaps eight home games. Details remain to be worked out, such as where the Texas A&M [...]

Read the full story

WHAT HAPPENED AT PARK PLAZA: Crime scene tape gone today but many questions remain. A Little Rock police officer, working private security at Park Plaza mall, shot and gravely wounded one person and slightly wounded another in the mall parking deck yesterday. Two people in the car, including the one with the minor wound, were detained/taken [...]

Read the full story

NO MORE: Name and logo giving way to new brand. The Little Rock Housing Authority — the somewhat self-governing city agency that provides government subsidized housing in the city — has a new name and a marketing agency. It now will be known as the Metropolitan Housing Alliance and a news release indicates it has aims [...]

Read the full story