Other days

100 YEARS AGO July 2, 1922

TEXARKANA — The promised railway strike took place on schedule here today. It is estimated from 300 to 400 men representing a full 100% of the crafts involved, laid down their tools, picked up their belongings and in a quiet, orderly manner left the company property and went to their homes. Some of the men laughed and joked as they departed, but some of the older ones, men who have grown gray in the service, had little to say as they left the scene of many years of activity.

50 YEARS AGO July 2, 1972

■ The North Little Rock Electric Department installed huge, multi-vapor lights on utility poles surrounding the City Hall last week. Mayor Laman, when asked what they were for, disclosed that they were part of a program to illuminate the outside of every public building in the city. Why the new policy? “It looks good and decreases vandalism,” the mayor said. Among the city buildings already illuminated are the Parks and Recreation Department Information and Administration Building at Burns Park, the William F. Laman Public Library, and the Police and Courts Building, he said.

25 YEARS AGO July 2, 1997

■ The Little Rock Board of Directors passed a pair of ordinances Tuesday designed to stamp out smoking by minors. One ordinance, designed to restrict minors from seeing tobacco ads or getting access to tobacco products, must be approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration. It would take effect by Jan. 1 at the earliest, City Attorney Tom Carpenter said. The other ordinance would require businesses to pay a special license fee to sell tobacco products, starting Jan. 1. … As part of his state-of-the-city address New Year’s Day, Mayor Jim Dailey said he planned to expand the city’s smoking ordinance to cover minors. He mentioned such possibilities as licensing tobacco vendors, conducting undercover inspections, regulating outdoor advertising and addressing the issue of secondhand smoke in restaurants. … Minors who buy tobacco products, if convicted in a municipal court, would face a civil penalty. On the first offense, the penalty is mandatory enrollment in a smoking education or stop-smoking class. A two-time offender convicted within two years must participate in up to 40 hours of community service. A business owner or employee convicted once of selling tobacco to a minor faces a $50 maximum fine for the employer and $50 for the employee. A second conviction within 24 months can be mean a $100 fine for the employee and $100 for the business.

10 YEARS AGO July 2, 2012

■ Arkansas has had more rabies confirmations this year than in each of the past 10 years, and the 2012 rabies season isn’t over. A particularly mild winter could be behind the 86 confirmed cases so far, state public health veterinarian Susan Weinstein said. The only active host strains in Arkansas are found in bats and skunks, and those animals are typically more active in warmer months. With more animal activity, more cases of the virus can appear. Weinstein said she saw the first confirmed cases of rabies this year in January, which is unusual. Last week, a dog that had killed a skunk in Saline County was confirmed as having rabies. The dog didn’t get sick for six weeks, and in that time, 17 people were exposed to the pet. The puppy’s owners thought they couldn’t vaccinate dogs until the animals were 6 months old, Weinstein said.