LITTLE ROCK — 100 YEARS AGO Dec. 22, 1912

CAMDEN - The work of connecting the approach to the Martin free bridge over the Ouachita river at this city to the roadway built on a dump leading to the bridge has been started. Work will be finished so that wagons may cross the bridge within several weeks. The new bridge will do away with a free ferry that has been operated by the city and county for many years, and will greatly lessen the time for making trips across the river.

50 YEARS AGO Dec. 22, 1962

A new law which makes it a federal offense to use slugs or tokens in a coinoperated vending machine resulted in a six-month sentence imposed by federal Judge H. Smith Henley yesterday on Glyn B. Glisson, 35, of Blytheville. Glisson entered a plea of guilty when arraigned in federal court on a charge of using copper slugs for 25-cent pieces in soft drink machines at Osceola. Secret Service agents said he had 2,100 of the copper slugs in a box when arrested. Glisson is the first Arkansas resident, and perhaps the first in the nation, to be tried under the new law.

25 YEARS AGO Dec. 22, 1987

New Year’s Eve revelers who drink too much alcohol can call Black & White Cab Co. for a free ride home anywhere in Little Rock or North Little Rock. Officials from Baptist Medical Center, radio station KARN-AM 920 and the cab company explained the ride program Monday at a news conference where they also announced an anti-drinking campaign.

10 YEARS AGO Dec. 22, 2002

RISON - It’s a pretty safe bet that if Rison has a community Christmas tree next year, it won’t be located in the middle of Main Street, after two different trees were hit by motorists and destroyed this holiday season. In the latest incident, charges of reckless driving and firstdegree criminal mischiefwere filed against 36-yearold Roy Staggs of Rison, who police say intentionally drove his pickup into the tree. The tree was the second erected this year as part of a local tradition. The first tree was struck by two motorists the first week of December, shortly after being put up, and was damaged so badly it had to be replaced.

Arkansas, Pages 10 on 12/22/2012