Nearly $25 million slated for Corning bypass

CORNING — A plan to build a bypass at Corning at part of the future I-57 project is moving closely to fruition as nearly $25 million was announced last week.

Officials with ArDOT said that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $24.9 million for the project. It will be part of a federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, grant to ArDOT.

The money will be used for the construction of a four-mile highway that will bypass Highway 67 around the west side of Corning, officials said. The project will seek to complete I-57, from Walnut Ridge to Poplar Bluff.

Officials said the Corning bypass will be a four-lane, fully controlled access area that will have two interchanges with Highway 67. There will also be an alternate route for commercial trucks to go around the Corning downtown business district, officials said.

In discussing the project, a state highway official said he believes it will help in many ways.

“When complete, the Interstate 57 Corridor will improve mobility and enhance economic development for our state and the region,” ARDOT Director Jared D. Wiley said.

Wiley said he also believes it could also have a regional or possibly national impact as well.

“This transportation grant funding will be used to assist ARDOT as we work to complete the missing link in the transportation network that will ultimately connect the Little Rock metropolitan area with Chicago via an Interstate highway,” Wiley said.

Work on the project is also being done in the Little Rock area, near Cabot.

Wiley said he also wanted to thank members of the state’s congressional delegation for their support.

“I am grateful to Senator Boozman and Congressman Crawford for their support of this project,” Wiley said.

“Through their efforts, Arkansas has received an additional $17.4 million in Congressionally Directed Funding specifically for Interstate 57, bringing the total amount of additional funding to $42.3 million for this project.”

***

WALNUT RIDGE — The former city attorney for Hoxie is seeking her day in court, alleging defamation, libel, retaliation, loss of reputation and monetary damages against the city and its council.

In a 101-page court filing late Wednesday, Nancy L. Hall filed suit against the city of Hoxie as well as against council members Tim Taylor, Jerry Decker, Becky Linebaugh, Geneva Waldrupe, Darrell Pickney and Kerrie Hancock.

Hall, through the Little Rock

See STATE, page A3 STATE

From page A2

firm of Sutter and Gillham, is seeking legal action against the council members in their official capacities as policymakers for the city as well as five of the six council members individually, according to court records.

The filing also alleges at least 37 violations of due process, including a decision to cancel a Feb. 13 City Council meeting as a possible violation of the Arkansas Civil Rights Act and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Hall said in the court papers that she has lived in the county and in Arkansas since 2014. She said she took and passed the state bar exam, being sworn into practice law in 2012.

Before she served as city attorney, Hall said she served as the city attorney in Walnut Ridge from Jan. 2015 until Dec. 2018.

'Her tenure at the City of Walnut Ridge was without complaint or warning and she received no disciplinary or other types of redirections from the Mayor or Councilmembers during her term,' Hall said in court papers about her work in Walnut Ridge.

She was later hired as a contractor for the city of Hoxie in 2019 for a $1,000 a month fee 'on the condition that if her performance was acceptable and her value was positive to the city of Hoxie, she would begin the 2020 calendar year at double the amount.'

Hall alleged that she requested a copy of her initial contract with the city, through the state's FOI law, but that the contract had been misplaced.

She also said she worked at her contract position at the agreed upon contract rate and that she was hired as city attorney at the end of 2019. She said she also remained as the attorney until Jan. 14 of this year and worked on several projects not typically asked for by a city attorney.

'For example, in the absence of a city clerk in 2019, Hall wrote the employment manual for the city of Hoxie, a job not usually assigned to a city attorney. Hall did not complain about the need for her to fulfill a number of duties that were above and beyond the duties of an average city attorney and completed each task as required,' Hall alleged in the suit. 'Hall was required to fill in for others, complete tasks ignored by others and be responsive to any needs of the city as requested.'

Hall also alleged in court records that she was often complimented and praised for her work in representing the city and that she won several 'favorite attorney' awards in the county and elsewhere. She also said she received no negative feedback from her work or performance and that she was required to serve on the city's budget committee and 'assist in the discussions regarding cost-cutting measures to assist the city.'

'At no time during the budget discussions for the 2025 calendar year was the position or salary of Hall discussed as being problematic or too costly for the city,' Hall alleged in court papers.

Hall said in the suit she was given a 4-1 vote in Feb. 2024 on her job duties and told that any move to 'decrease her pay or change her employment' would have to be discussed no later than Aug. 31.

She said she was not spoken to about any changes and that she felt blindsided about a council vote on Dec. 10.

Council members met on Dec. 10 for their monthly meeting.

During the meeting, council members discussed the budget and looked at a possible way to eliminate the position as a cost-saving measure, Hall alleged.

Hall said in court records that the issue was not on the council's agenda, but a plan for approval of 'like terms' was on the agenda. She also alleged that Pickney nor any council member moved to add the issue to the agenda, which would have taken a 2/3 vote of the council to do so.

'Pickney thereafter did not make the proper motion for the Council to discuss a matter relating to a personnel matter in an executive session. Instead, Pickney began to denigrate and belittle Hall as the city attorney. Pickney, Waldrupe, Hancock, Decker and Taylor continued to openly discuss Hall's position, pay and performance in a public forum,' Hall alleged in court records. 'Pickney advised Hall she was not wanted there (at a City Council meeting) by the entire counsel despite the Procedural Resolution of the City Council specifically requiring her presence. Though only Pickney made this public comment, no other council member objected or disagreed.'

Hall and Mayor Dennis Coggins soon left the meeting.

Hall also alleged that 'defamatory and insulting statements' were made about her after she left the council meeting.

Later in the meeting, council members voted to eliminate the city's full-time city attorney position. Hall also filed a separate EEOC complaint in December, alleging discriminatory practices, wrongful termination and other relief. She also alleged Pickney 'effectively created a very hostile environment' for her, with a purpose of creating harm.

She also alleged the city provided preference in the hiring of two attorneys – Jerrod Slayton, to handle misdemeanor cases; and Randal Miller.

'Slayton is male, an attorney, is not required to punch in on a time clock, and is not required to provide any accountability for his position or follow direction of the Mayor. Slayton, a younger male, is treated with preference by the City Council over Hall, an older female. Slayton and Hall have been licensed for approximately the same number of years,' Hall said in court records. 'On or about Jan. 24, 2025, the city of Hoxie wrote a check to Randal Miller, a male attorney in Jonesboro, Arkansas to employ him to represent the city in the civil matters, including the wrongful termination of Hall as City Attorney.'

No court date has been set as of Thursday in Lawrence County Circuit Court. When reached for comment Thursday, Pickney said he had not received a copy of the complaint and did not know anything about it.

Miller said he did not have a comment and that he has not been told about the situation.

He said he first learned from the report from a reporter Thursday morning.