100 YEARS AGO March 18, 1914 McNEIL - Despite strenuous opposition by the president of the Magnolia Agricultural College that resulted in their arrest, Miss Fannie E. Wimson and Arthur Smith, students, were married here Sunday night. The marriage followed a sensational elopement from Magnolia in which the couple used a motor car. J.P. Reagan, justice of the peace, officiated and completed the wedding ceremony but a few moments before officers arrived and arrested Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They immediately were released, however, and returned to the school at Magnolia.
50 YEARS AGO March 18, 1964
State Education Commissioner A.W. Ford today gave his support to a move to initiate an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to enable the General Assembly to establish district community junior colleges. Ford said that a petition for the constitutional amendment has been written and has his endorsement. There are at least two areas of interest in Arkansas for two-year community colleges. They are the Helena-West Helena area and El Dorado.
25 YEARS AGO March 18, 1989
The Legislature stood face-to-face with the“sins” of 1957 Friday. History blinked. The House agreed to a Senate amendment that provides a $31 million down payment on the $118 million Pulaski County school desegregation settlement. The vote will end 32 years of state involvement in the legal action if the settlement is approved by U.S. District Judge Henry Woods. “I’m not voting for the settlement. I hate the settlement, but I am voting to stop the hemorrhage,” Rep. David Matthews of Lowell told his colleagues. Gov. Bill Clinton held an afternoon vigil holed up in the office of House Speaker B.G. Hendrix. Lawmakers were ushered into the office by state agency heads and lobbyists. Pulaski County school officials helped Clinton’s lobbying efforts.
10 YEARS AGO March 18, 2004
An Italian restaurateur in the continuing pursuit of his American dream enjoyed the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day when he won a permit to serve alcohol in a dry county. In a 4-1 vote Wednesday, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board granted Piero Trimarchi a private-club permit that will allow him to serve alcohol with meals at his downtown Jonesboro restaurant. It is the 13th permit issued in Craighead County, one of 43 dry counties in the state.
Arkansas, Pages 12 on 03/18/2014