Other days

100 YEARS AGO May 6, 1924

PARAGOULD — The annual meeting of the Arkansas State Federation of Labor convened here with J. P. Hampton, president of the local Trades Council. Approximately 56 delegates were present at the opening of the session. The committees were appointed this morning on constitution and by-laws, rules and regulations law, and order and legislative.

50 YEARS AGO May 6, 1974

■ Members of the Arkansas Sheriffs Association may present a “Firearms and Dangerous Weapons Act” to the state legislature in 1975. The association has taken no official stand on such a law yet, but Mississippi County Sheriff George C. Ford Jr. said Sunday a bill had been drafted. In accordance with the law, if a person commits a crime with a weapon one time, then commits another crime 10 months later with a weapon, the punishment will increase.

25 YEARS AGO May 6, 1999

■ Half of Little Rock high school students stayed home Wednesday amid rumors that a school “incident” would occur that day. Such rumors, reportedly arising from an unknown Internet site and circulating in all three Pulaski County school districts, heightened concerns about school safety and prompted calls from parents. On Wednesday, the rumors led to massive absenteeism. Nearly half of all students were absent Wednesday from Parkview Magnet, Central and J.A. Fair high schools. At Hall High School, more than 60 percent of the students stayed home. Absenteeism at Little Rock’s junior high schools was not as widespread. At Forest Heights Junior High, about 90 of 780 students called the school to report their absence. On an average day, the school receives between 30 and 35 such calls. “We have about three times as many absent as we normally do for callins,” attendance secretary Ann Stormans said. The Little Rock district has been besieged with threats in recent weeks after the Littleton, Colo., school shootings last month. There have been 21 reports of threatening statements and 22 arrests of people who were charged as juveniles, according to Little Rock police. No weapons or destructive materials were involved.

10 YEARS AGO May 6, 2014

■ School districts build safe rooms primarily as tornado shelters for students and staff members when school is in session, but when severe weather approaches, districts also open them to the community. Many school districts, including Vilonia and Fort Smith, open community safe rooms when tornado warnings are issued and sirens sound. Weather and emergency officials say that when tornado sirens go off, residents should take cover right away.