Veteran makes “Old Glory” run through Central Arkansas

SEARCY — A 52-year-old Army veteran from La Grange who served in the Gulf War made a few stops in the Natural State over the weekend to show his love for America and Arkansas residents.

“March 11, COVID-19 hit Arkansas this year and we had a town hall meeting that night in Forrest City, and I was at the town hall meeting listening to the leadership talk about what they could do to get whole community prepared,” retired Staff Sgt. Nathanial Thomas said. “I just jumped in my spirit mode – ‘Pick up Old Glory and run.’ That’s what I was able to do to inspire the community and the communities around the state of Arkansas, just to pick up Old Glory and run because I love running.”

Thomas said he enlisted in the Army in 1982, and “I have been to Germany. I was there when the Berlin Wall came down, Korea, Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Benning, Ga., and my last duty was Fort Carson, Colo.”

Every year, Thomas said he runs with the U.S. flag on Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day weekend and on the Fourth of July. The call he received this year was a bigger one, he said. “Pick it up and go and go until the Lord tells me to stop.”

“That’s what I have been doing, running all over the state of Arkansas, every town, every community, the big ones and the small ones, and I will stay on the journey to inspire people, keep everyone positive, keep their heads up and we’re going to get through it together,” he said. “With all the national crisis we’re going through, it dawned on my spirit again, ‘Start spreading love.’ That’s what I am trying to do now, keep everyone up , the whole idea of spreading love to one another, keep the country unified and just try to keep everyone up.”

March 13 was the first run for Thomas, starting in Forrest City. He has already ran through Wynne, Marianna, Helena, Little Rock and Conway and “all of the big towns. I have done a second lap already. I have been to Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Russellville, Hot Springs, West Memphis, Blytheville, Osceola, Marion, El Dorado, you name them, I have been there.”

Concerning feedback from residents in those cities, Thomas said, “They love it!. When Old Glory and I get out there on the road running, within the first 20 to 30 feet of me running, when people see that flag, the horns start blowing, people just start blowing, they’re waving, they’re giving me a thumbs up, saying ‘USA.’ “They love it and it really inspires them and that’s why I do it so much; I do it so often because I know that’s a good thing that people need to see and that they feel that and that’s how you spread that positivity and love because they will be inspired. If they are having a bad day and see Old Glory flying by … I salute everybody that I pass. Everybody that comes through is going to get that old military salute.

It just does them good and it does me well to know they appreciate what I do.

It’s awesome, it really is.”

On Saturday morning, Thomas will be driving into Searcy from Forrest City and once he gets to the city, he said he will basically run 10 miles Searcy, up and down Race Avenue.

“Some towns are small and clustered together, I will just run from that town to another, but if the town is far away, I will just drive to town and park there and just run all up and down through the town,” Thomas said. “I average about 10 miles per town. I started out doing 20 miles per town and that was when it

Continued on Page 11 STATE NEWS (cont.)

was kind of cool, but now that it is hot and humidity is coming up, I average about 10 miles in a town.”

After Searcy, Thomas said he will probably make Newport his next city to run through and also some other city he has already visited once.

“I have been asked to come back to every last town,” he said. “The police department in Fort Smith wants to come run with me when I go back there. It’s going to be a real good one. I am going back to Fayetteville.

Every time I leave, they want me to come back.

‘When you coming back, when you coming back,’ they ask. ‘You all just stay up and stay inspired, I’m coming.’” Thomas said he does a city a week.

“I even have to go to Strawberry, Ark., on Sept.

12. I wanted to end on Aug. 29, but that didn’t happen,” he said. “So many towns out of state started reaching out to me, I’m talking about Richmond, Va., Birmingham, Ala., a place in New York, Louisiana. All these states have contacted me and asked me, ‘Are you coming? When you coming here?’ “I am pretty much trying to take care of my communities here in Arkansas, my home state. I can’t stop yet because there’s still some more towns in Arkansas that I want to hit. I want to inspire everybody. Before I step out to those others towns, I will take care of Arkansas first, my home state.”

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced on Monday his intent to grant 12 pardons and three commutations. An additional 71 clemency requests were denied. These include requests from both inmates and non-inmates.

The applicants intended for pardons have completed all jail time, fulfilled all parole and probationary requirements and paid all fines related to their sentences.

There is a 30-day waiting period to receive public feedback on the notices before final action is taken.

Of local interest, among those selected for clemency is Michael B. Rushing of West Memphis). Rushing was initially convicted of: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia with Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine (B Felony), Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver (Y Felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia with Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine (B Felony), Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver (Revocation) (Y Felony), Possession Of Ephedrine (D Felony) and Driving While Licensed Cancelled, Suspended, or Revoked (U Misdemeanor); date of conviction (2001 – Crittenden County, 2002 – Crittenden County, and 2002 – Faulkner County). There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

Hutchinson also intends to grant pardons to the following people:

• Joel Brown (Lavaca): Possession of Methamphetamine (Reduced) -2 counts (C Felony); dates of conviction (1999 – Crawford County). There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

• Ronald J. Christopher (Russellville): Battery-2nd Degree (D Felony), Battery-2nd Degree (Revocation) (D Felony), and Delivery of Controlled Substance-2 counts (Y Felony); date of conviction (1999 – Pope County).

There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

• Nolan P. Dill (Jonesboro): Burglary-Residential (B Felony) and Theft of

Continued on Page 14 STATE NEWS (cont.)

Property ($500) (C Felony) (CR 2009-1228) and Burglary-Residential (B Felony); date of conviction (2009 – Craighead County and 2011– Poinsett County). There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

• Bobby D. Gilstrap (Charleston): Fleeing by Vehicle (D Felony) (CR 2001-36) and Possession of Controlled Sub/Marijuana (C Felony); date of conviction (2001– Franklin County). There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

• Larry D. Page (Hamburg): Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Deliver (U Felony); date of conviction (1986 – Ashley County). There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

Ernest Pattyn (Pearcy): Possession of Marijuana with Intent (C Felony); date of conviction (2000 – Garland County). There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

• Fatima O. Thurman-Stepps (Little Rock): Hot Check/Personal Service (C Felony); date of conviction (1998 – Pulaski County).

There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

Stephen Wheeler (Ozark): Possession of Controlled Substance-Methamphetamine (C Felony); date of conviction (2008 – Franklin County).

There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

• Marshawn C. Wilbourn (Sherwood): Violation of Hot Check Law (C Felony), and Hot Check (10.01 to 100.00) (Misdemeanor); date of conviction (1998 – Jefferson County and 1998 – Arkansas County). There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

• Jeffrey D. Williams (Bono): Possession of Drug Paraphernalia with Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine (B Felony), Possession Pseudoephedrine with Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine (D Felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (C Felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Revocation) (C Felony), Possession of Pseudoephedrine with Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine (Revocation) (D Felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Revocation)(C Felony), Possession of Methamphetamine (C Felony), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (C Felony); date of conviction (2002 – Randolph County and 2003 – Randolph County). There are no law enforcement objections to the application.

• Dana J. Young (El Dorado): Drug Fraud (C Felony), Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Fraud-Forged Prescription (C Felony), and Drug Fraud (C Felony); date of conviction (2004 – Union County and 2005 – Union County). There are no law enforcement objections to STATE NEWS (cont.)

the application.

Hutchinson also announced he intends to grant a commutation

of sentence to the

following people:

•Ibraheem A. Shabazz (ADC #082672): Poss Cocaine w/intent to Del (Y Felony) (1989-126).

The governor has given notice of his intent to commute the sentence of Ibraheem A. Shabazz, who was convicted in Sebastian County in 1989 for the above offenses, from life in the Department of Correction to making him immediately parole eligible. The Prosecuting Attorney has raised objections to applicant's request.

•Dewayne E. Withers al-Jalil (ADC #086770): Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent (Habitual Offender) (Y Felony) (1990-1555). The governor has given notice of his intent to commute the sentence of Dewayne E. Withers al-Jalil, who was convicted in Pulaski County in 1991 for the above offenses, from life in the Arkansas Department of Correction to making him immediately parole eligible. There are no law enforcement objections to

the application. • Elvis Walker (ADC

#095341): Capital Murder, 2 counts (Y Felony) (1990-1307) and Burglary (Probation Revocation) (B Felony) (1989-1751) (Jury Trial). The governor has given notice of his intent to commute the sentence of Elvis Walker, who was convicted in Pulaski County in 1990 and 1991 for the above offenses, from life in the Department of Correction to 450 months. The Prosecuting Attorney has raised objections to applicant's request.

***

JONESBORO — Looters apparently tried to steal a refrigerator from a stormdamaged apartment, but abandoned the idea as the ceiling and walls started to collapse.

More than six months after the March 28 tornado, that refrigerator is still inside the two-story apartment at 2221 Needham St., just a few yards west of South Caraway Road, and the structure is barely standing. The out-of-town owner of the four units has refused to respond to communications from city officials, seeking a remedy to the dangerous and ugly situation, Mike McQuay, a code enforcement officer, said Friday.

McQuay met with construction contractors to obtain quotes for demolition of the property as city officials consider an emergency condemnation procedure.

The Needham Street property is just one example of private property that needs to be cleaned up.

In the immediate aftermath of the tornado, Mayor Harold Perrin announced that the city would issue building, demolition and other permits at no cost to help property owners recover from the 12.5-mile long path of the tornado.

That grace period is about to end, Mike Downing, Perrin’s chief of staff said Thursday evening during a presentation to the Jonesboro City Council.

“We have some property owners who haven’t started reconstruction that should,” Downing said. “Some are on the waiting list for a contractor. Some are still in the process of selling to contractors. Some have insurance concerns. And some have just simply abandoned their property.”

Downing proposed ending that grace period on Nov.

1. He also proposed a Dec.

1 deadline for property owners to obtain permits.

Otherwise, the city would begin condemnation.

The council took no action on Downing’s proposal, but no one objected to the plan. In the case of the apartment buildings, the city would pay for demolition, then place a municipal lien against the real estate. The absentee owner would be unable to sell the land until the lien is satisfied, City Attorney Carol Duncan said Friday. And Craighead County Collector Wes Eddington has instituted a policy of refusal of property tax collections until outstanding liens are satisfied.

Downing said the future of The Mall at Turtle Creek also remains uncertain. In all, 63 stores were affected. Only three – Target, Dillards and JC Penney have reopened.

Downing said some stores have relocated elsewhere in Jonesboro, while others continue to study their next moves.

During his presentation, Downing provided a quote from mall owner Brookfield Properties of Chicago.

“We are reviewing the best options for the shopping center and community going forward. Due to the global pandemic, our timeline will be extended as we navigate this unprecedented situation,” the company wrote to city officials.