Other days

100 years ago

July 8, 1920

FORT SMITH -- Officials of the United Mine Workers of America said here tonight that the strike in the Spadra coal fields, where approximately 800 miners went on a "profiteer" strike today, will not be broken or declared off until relief is offered to the men. The Union officials deny the strike had been authorized.

50 years ago

July 8, 1970

• Both judges of Little Rock Municipal Court signed an order Thursday forbidding Albert M. O'Neil, a bail bondsman with offices at 718 West Markham Street, "from making bonds of any nature" in either division of Municipal Court. O'Neil's office is in the Denham Building, which the city has been trying to buy. The owner also wants to sell, but O'Neil has 4.5 years to go on his lease and doesn't want to move out.

25 years ago

July 8, 1995

• A year after organizing a series of abortion protests in Little Rock, the leader of Operation Rescue is coming back to rejuvenate the troops. The Rev. Flip Benham of Dallas, director of Operation Rescue National, plans to return to Little Rock on Thursday with 30 to 40 supporters. A year ago today, 30 of Benham's followers blockaded an abortion clinic on West Markham Street as part of a four-day event of praying, protesting and talking with people at the clinics in an effort to prevent abortions. About 200 people demonstrated against abortion then, most of them from out of town. Some were affiliated with Operation Rescue, others with the Houston-based group Rescue America, which joined with Operation Rescue to protest President Clinton's abortion-rights policies. Billed as the abortion protest of the "Summer of Justice," the demonstrations fizzled as most Little Rock residents went about their business. There were more abortion-rights activists than abortion opponents at the protests.

10 years ago

July 8, 2010

JONESBORO -- The family of former Arkansas Democrat-Gazette managing editor John Robert Starr has donated his collection of books, papers, recordings and photographs to Arkansas State University. His widow, Norma Starr, and their children have donated 35 boxes of his materials to the university. "I can't think of anyone else who had a more important role in journalism in Arkansas over the last 50 years," said Joel Gambill, the outgoing chairman of ASU's department of journalism, who will catalog Starr's collection. Gambill, who is retiring at the end of July, will have five years to sort through Starr's papers before they are made public. He hopes to publish some of the items, with proceeds from any sales going toward an ASU scholarship in Starr's name.

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