WHATEVER HAPPENED TO: Webster Lee "Webb" Hubbell, whose past positions include Little Rock mayor, Arkansas Supreme Court chief justice, U.S. associate attorney general and lawyer with the Rose Law Firm? In 1995, Hubbell was sentenced in federal court to 21 months in prison after admitting to overbilling some of his former clients and to income-tax evasion. In 1997 he wrote an autobiography titled Friends in High Places. This month, he released the first in a series of legal thrillers, When Men Betray. Now living with wife Suzy in Charlotte, N.C., Hubbell returns to Little Rock this week to hold a book signing from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Barnes & Noble booksellers in west Little Rock and another at 4 p.m. Friday at Wordsworth Books in the Heights.
RAINBOW AMONG THE RUINS: This paper's projects editor, Sonny Albarado, 63, and his wife, Linda, have had a rough time of it these past three weeks. On April 27, their home in the Brush Mountain neighborhood off Kanis Road in western Pulaski County was the first of many to be destroyed by tornadoes touching down in Arkansas that night.
Fortunately, they weren't home at the time and the couple found all four of their cats, who survived the storm. They have spent the past three weeks salvaging what possessions they could while living in a hotel. They just recently found a home to rent.
At first, it seemed Albarado would have to cancel a scheduled trip to his hometown of Thibodaux, La., to receive an honorary doctorate in literature and serve as commencement speaker at this past Saturday's graduation ceremonies at his alma mater, Nicholls State University. Albarado, who received his bachelor of arts degree in English in 1973 at Nicholls, was chosen to be honored with the doctorate because of his professional achievements, which include being elected national president of the Society of Professional Journalists two years ago and being appointed this past winter to the national board of the Associated Press Media Editors.
"There was some concern that we wouldn't be able to go," Albarado tells Paper Trails from the road Friday. "But it was a commitment I had made and it turned out, we were able to go."
CHANNEL SURFING: Maumelle native Josh Zajac, now a contractor and living in Tulsa, is appearing on a pilot of a new HGTV show, Five Figure Flip. Corbin Pitts, a young boy from North Little Rock, has been cast in a new comedy series, Catch-Em Lane, on the life and times of professional BassMaster Classic champion Mark Davis, who grew up as a fishing guide in Hot Springs and Mount Ida. Little Rock native Natalie Canerday (Sling Blade, October Sky) has been cast as Davis' wife, Tilly. The pilot for the show will begin filming in Mount Ida in the next week or two and once complete, will be shopped to various networks.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or [email protected].
SundayMonday on 05/18/2014