Arkansas Has Diamonds Plus Millions of Tons of Lithium

 

Researchers say Arkansas may have 19M tons of lithium critical for battery power

Researchers said in a recent article that Arkansas may have 19 million tons of lithium, which is used in rechargeable batteries for important products like phones and electric cars.

The researchers said in their article released last month in the journal Science Advances they had “calculated that there are 5.1 to 19 million tons of lithium in Smackover Formation brines in southern Arkansas,” making up “35 to 136% of the current US lithium resource estimate.”

UOP Is Negotiating with the University of Arkansas

 It sounds like the University of Phoenix will be purchased by an entity in Arkansas. 

Items to note from Provost Woods' video

 

"Last week a news report broke the story of a potential deal between the University of Phoenix and the University of Arkansas System. Discussions are underway, but there's no agreement at this time. If something does develop, we'll be sure to keep you informed."

 Do we get the UOP Stadium in the deal?
Or does Arkansas give up its coaches?

Fired Ecclesia College Coach Sues College for Violating Laws - Double-Dipping

 http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2017/03/03/fired-coach-questions-ecclesia-college-in-lawsuit

Fired coach questions Ecclesia College in lawsuit

Posted By Max Brantley on Fri, Mar 3, 2017 at 1:31 PM

click to enlarge

• LAWSUIT MATERIAL: A fired assistant baseball coach's lawsuit makes allegations about Ecclesia College operation.

Those unfamiliar with Ecclesia College, the work-study Bible college in Springdale that profited through state money from friends in the legislature, might be interested in some information about campus culture as depicted in this lawsuit by a fired employee.

The lawsuit is by Don Thompson, hired as an assistant baseball coach in 2014 but fired less than a year later. He claims he was fired for objecting to others' violation of the college's code of Christian conduct. The Christian environment enticed him  to work there, he said, but others cussed and used tobacco and alcohol.

Thompson also made allegations that might be more serious in the eyes of others than a chaw of tobacco. For instance, he says the college "double-dipped" by receiving reimbursement for student work both from the University of Arkansas for athletic stadium cleanup work and under the federally financed work-study program from which the college benefits. He alleges the students also worked in non-secular areas, which the federal program didn't allow.

Thompson argues that defendants in the case, who include the college president Oren Paris III, had misrepresented to him that working at Ecclesia would "involve a threshold level of moral forthrightness and Christian environment."

The college denied all allegations and is seeking to have the case dismissed.

All the local circuit judges recused from hearing the case. A retired judge, Kathleen Bell, has been assigned to handle it.

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President of Ecclesia College is indicted - Oren Paris III.

Inside Higher Education

A federal grand jury has indicted the president of Ecclesia College, Oren Paris III, a former Arkansas state senator and a consultant, on multiple charges of mail and wire fraud. The allegations center on reports that Paris, through inappropriate means, asked legislators to provide state funds to the college, a Christian institution in Arkansas. The indictment is against Paris, not the college.

The college's board posted a statement to the Ecclesia Facebook page Thursday in which it said that it was confident that Paris has acted "with absolute integrity and always with the best interest" of the college. The statement also called Paris "a godly leader." Further, the statement said that board members were in unanimous agreement that Paris should continue as president.

This strange building is for classrooms, the library,
administrative offices, two (2) restrooms, and athletic offices.
Money was collected for an elevator -
no elevator was installed.
The entire campus could be on five acres with room for parking.

Former Board and Faculty Member Sues Ecclesia College for Facts about the Government Money and How It Was Spent

Jim Parsons, former Viet Nam Green Beret,
is suing Ecclesia College to find out where the money went.
"FAYETTEVILLE -- A Freedom of Information lawsuit was filed Thursday against Ecclesia College seeking documents about state money the school received.Arkansas legislators gave nearly $700,000 of taxpayers' money to help the Springdale college buy almost 50 acres of land in Benton County."

Ecclesia's receipt of the grant money entered the spotlight after former state Rep. Micah Neal, R-Springdale, pleaded guilty in federal court Jan. 4 to taking a pair of kickbacks worth $38,000 for helping two entities receive grants through the state's General Improvement Fund.

The lawsuit, filed in Washington County Circuit Court on behalf of Jim Parsons of Bella Vista, contends private organizations that receive public money, engage in activities that are of public interest, carry on work that is intertwined with that of a government body or receive grants to promote economic development are subject to the requirements of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

"The purpose of filing this lawsuit is not to get anyone punished, rather, it is to draw attention to the need for Arkansas to have a law that will make nonprofit organizations that have an annual gross income of over $200,000 to be subject to the provisions of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act," Parsons said in an emailed statement.

The complaint says Parsons first requested the documents via email Jan. 22. After receiving no response, he sent another request by certified mail Jan. 28 and the school "has failed or refused and continues to fail and refuse to produce such documents," the complaint says.

Attorney Travis Story emailed Joey McCutchen, an attorney from Fort Smith who filed the complaint for Parsons, on Monday denying the records request.

The lawsuit asks a judge to order Ecclesia to make the documents available.

John Tull, the attorney who represents the Arkansas Press Association in Freedom of Information matters, said he thinks the public should be entitled to see what Ecclesia did with the money.

"The complaint obviously identifies the most difficult issue for the plaintiffs which is whether or not it's intertwined with government bodies," Tull said. "The law is not clear on that issue, although on first blush I find it hard to believe that a private entity that receives General Improvement Funds is not a public entity at least for those funds and the related documents associated with those funds."

Parsons is chairman of the Benton County chapter of Transparency in Government Group. He said he is a former Ecclesia board member and faculty member.

McCutchen said he filed in Washington County Circuit Court because the corporate headquarters for Ecclesia is in Washington County.

Oren Paris III posed with Ted and Heidi Cruz.

Former Arkansas Sen. Jon Woods, Ecclesia College president accused of fraud in federal indictment

 John Woods is on the left, and Oren Paris, president of Ecclesia College, on the far right.

Former Arkansas Sen. Jon Woods, Ecclesia College president accused of fraud in federal indictment: "

Another $100,000 from the fund to Ecclesia came through the West Central Arkansas Planning and Development District in Hot Springs. The only documents from legislators provided by that district in support of the grants came from Woods.

Paris and Shelton were named in a federal subpoena issued to the development district Oct. 23, 2015,

Paris has declined to comment. He hasn’t responded to four messages, an in-person request at the college nor an email. A Facebook post attributed to him says he can “assure you that neither I nor anyone associated with Ecclesia College has ever participated or engaged in any activity to provide money to Mr. Neal or any other legislator in exchange for the receipt of those funds.”

He also stated “every effort was made to comply with every aspect of the law as we understood it.”

The General Improvement Fund is made up of unallocated state tax money at the end of each fiscal year and interest earned on state deposits. Each legislator is given a share and can earmark where he or she wants it to go as long as it goes to a nonprofit group or government entity. The money is administered through one of the state’s eight economic development districts.

Arkansas legislators gave nearly $700,000 of taxpayers’ money to help Ecclesia College buy almost 50 acres although it already owned more than 200 acres, according to state and county records.


The private Christian college in Springdale used state improvement fund grants to help buy two proprieties in 2013, both for well over their county-appraised value, Benton County records show.

Ecclesia said in its grant applications it needed the land for student housing to accommodate rapid growth in its fall 2013 and fall 2014 enrollments, but the Springdale building department shows no new buildings or structural renovation have occurred on the properties.

Several of the current and former legislators who directed money to Ecclesia said they did so because they support the college's mission.

Ecclesia College is a work-learning college, which allows students to earn money toward tuition and graduate with much less debt than the average university student, according to the school website. It offers three associate of arts degrees, 12 bachelor degrees and one graduate degree. The school was founded in 1975."



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