Other days

100 YEARS AGO

Feb. 8, 1919

■ Consideration of Representative Atkisson’s bill which would abolish the University of Arkansas Medical Department in Little Rock was postponed by the House Committee on Public Health and the Practice of Medicine yesterday. Dr. A. G. Blakenship, chairman of the committee, was in Fayetteville with the House inspection committee, and the other members decided to postpone the hearing until Tuesday afternoon. The committee will meet back of the speaker’s stand immediately after the House adjourns Tuesday. Dr. Blankenship, a former student in the department, strongly is in favor of the passage of the bill.

50 YEARS AGO

Feb. 8, 1969

■ G. W. (Whitey) Tyler, who has been appointed to succeed D. D. Panich on the state Commerce Commission, cannot begin his duties because Panich, whose term has expired, will not vacate his office in the Justice Building. Panich maintains that he is entitled to serve until the Senate confirms Tyler, who was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for state auditor last year. “I’m just following what I think is the law,” Panich said. “Until he is confirmed, I’m still the commissioner.”

25 YEARS AGO

Feb. 8, 1994

■ About 18,000 child-support payments will be almost a week late because of computer problems, officials with the state Department of Finance and Administration said Monday. The computer operated by the department’s Child Support Enforcement Unit broke Thursday. The problem was fixed by computer specialists who worked during the weekend, a department spokesman said. The payments will be processed this week and mailed early next week. Department officials plan to mail letters to those who receive the payments notifying them of the delay.

10 YEARS AGO

Feb. 8, 2009

■ Among the high-profile issues in the current legislative session, one has made it into law, two — both of them notable tax changes — have made it half way, and another has yet to surface. The one that’s law, Act 33 of 2009, makes torture of dogs, cats and horses a felony on the first offense, but lacking an emergency clause it won’t take effect until 90 days after this legislative session ends. Of the big tax changes, one, Gov. Mike Beebe’s plan to increase taxes on cigarettes and other forms of tobacco by $86 million, has been approved by the House of Representatives. The measure’s fate now is in the hands of an eight-member Senate tax committee.