Commentary

MIKE MASTERSON: Three grandmas persevere

Buffalo hearing

More than 100 showed up at the Don Nelms fine art gallery in Jasper last week to raise funds in support of our Buffalo National River. Some came from families who've lived five generations in the Buffalo watershed.

Just as significant will be those who care equally for the Buffalo taking time to turn out Wednesday morning at 9:30 at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (cough) building, 5301 Northshore Drive in North Little Rock.

That's when a representative of the agency will hear an appeal by the "Three Grandmothers" opposing the permit that allows C&H Hog Farms of Mount Judea to spray waste generated by their operation across even more acres of karst terrain on the long-dormant C&C Hog Barn farm owned by one of the same families within the Little Buffalo River and Buffalo National River watershed.

Dr. Nancy Haller, Carol Bitting and Lin Wellford have retained attorney Richard Mays in their valid appeal to stop the state's initial wrongheaded modification to their present wrongheaded permit. They believe the facts were not adequately researched before approving this permit modification, and doing so further threatens the country's first national river.

It's bad enough the Department of Environmental Quality, purported guardians of our environment, so quickly and quietly permitted the hog factory into this sacred region. Now they blindly approve spraying millions of gallons of raw waste onto hundreds of additional acres.

So if you live anywhere near Little Rock and care about the Buffalo, I'm sure these ladies and most of our state's population would surely appreciate seeing your supportive faces.

Good to be da chief

Did you see the news story the other day that said Brinkley Mayor Billy Hankins would be asking a prosecutor to investigate the handling of an Oct. 21 traffic stop involving the town's police chief? Can't say as I blame the mayor.

Chief Ed Randle reportedly was driving his red Ford pickup over 100 miles an hour to referee a ballgame in Clarendon. Arkansas State Trooper Charles Williams made a U-turn to stop the chief at the request of a Brinkley police officer seeking assistance.

It was the Brinkley policeman transporting a prisoner to Clarendon that first fell behind Randle and supposedly clocked his boss' speed at up to 112 miles an hour. But the officer was outside his jurisdiction, so couldn't pull the truck over.

The flap arose when Randle wasn't ticketed although the Brinkley officer arrived only seconds behind the trooper. Seems the trooper couldn't legitimately issue the ticket because he wasn't the one who'd caught Randle on his radar.

Randle expressed surprise that a member of his own department would summon the state police. He also insisted his truck couldn't go over 95. The Brinkley officer disagreed, saying his radar showed well beyond that.

After a minute of so of sharing laughs at the roadside, the officers all walked off, leaving the chief free to go his way.

Later, Randle told a Little Rock TV station that he couldn't recall how fast he'd been driving but it might have been "a little bit" over the 45 mph speed limit. Ahh yes, my friends, it is good to be both the king and the chief.

Which Hogs?

I'll be the first to admit I'm neither a sportswriter nor a memorizer of Razorback factoids. But as a lifelong journalist and columnist, I am by nature curious.

With that in mind I'm still trying to figure out how this 2016 football team, ostensibly comprised of the same players each week, is capable of the following: Losing convincingly to Texas A&M in Dallas. Defeating a very good Ole Miss team in Razorback Stadium who later would defeat Texas A&M. Then getting systematically demolished and demoralized by an Auburn team at Auburn's stadium. Then beating Florida back in Razorback Stadium by a large margin. Then losing by 28 points to the same LSU team in Razorback Stadium that earlier had lost to Auburn.

If you followed that trail, you, too, must be as confused as I am over the inconsistency in performances by our 2016 Hogs who this week travel to face Mississippi State, a team that lost by just 3 points to the same LSU that battered the Hogs on senior day in Fayetteville.

Yeah, I didn't mention Alabama by choice.

I can't help wondering what's behind this roller-coaster season where the 2016 Razorbacks have found ways to win six games while losing four by an average of just over 30 points a game. Does the problem lie with preparation? Energy? Determination? Ability? Focus? Fundamentals?

I know, I know, it's the brutal SEC West. But that's also the fallback for any team who plays in this brutal conference, isn't it? Whatever is behind the phenomenon of inexplicable inconsistency, they only have two season games remaining. And we can only wonder which Razorback team will show up. We can hope it's the one that defeated TCU, Ole Miss and Florida.

------------v------------

Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.

Editorial on 11/15/2016

Upcoming Events