Other days

100 YEARS AGO

Aug. 30, 1921

■ WALNUT RIDGE — The statistical report of Lawrence County schools just completed and sent to the State Department of Education by County Superintendent. W. R. McLeod, shows that there are in the county 78 school districts; 32 school houses; 125 school rooms; 132 teachers last year; 8,498 children of school age; 6,475 in daily attendance, and value of school property in the county was $247,725.

50 YEARS AGO

Aug. 30, 1971

■ Early reports have indicated that the Little Rock School District’s first experience with busing this morning got off to a fair, but faltering start. There were some reports of missed or overcrowded buses, but most schools reported that all buses were in with only a few late arrivals, and all students were accounted for. Dr. Don Roberts, the district’s assistant superintendent for pupil personnel, said that he had talked with “all three bus companies: (from whom the district is leasing buses) and “they have not seen it as a disaster.”

25 YEARS AGO

Aug. 30, 1996

■ BLYTHEVILLE — When Mississippi County Sheriff Leroy Meadows enters a Wendy’s restaurant, people stare. “I wonder what I did wrong,” Meadows said. “Is my hair not combed?” Occasionally an employee asks for a raise. That helped Meadows figure it out. Meadows recently entered a national contest for look-alikes of Dave Thomas, Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers founder. Meadows won a preliminary round. He should learn today if he is one of five finalists who will receive an all-expense paid trip to New York to witness the filming of Thomas’ 500th Wendy’s commercial. One of those five will be selected to appear in the commercial as Thomas’ double. “It would be neat to win,” said Meadows, who has been sheriff for about eight years.

10 YEARS AGO

Aug. 30, 2011

■ Donors dug into their pockets to pull the Arkansas Arts Center out of $2.1 million of debt that the museum mostly accumulated when hosting the “World of the Pharaohs” exhibit that failed to attract as many people as expected in 2009 and 2010. The Arkansas Arts Center Foundation raised $4 million — including two $1 million donations from anonymous patrons — over the summer to pay off the museum’s debt and increase the foundation’s endowment that supports the city-owned Arts Center in Little Rock.“For the psyche, it has everyone’s spirits lifted and we’re thinking about moving forward with some ideas and plans we have to make the Arts Center better,” said Todd Herman, the museum’s new director, who took over in July.