A popular sportscaster in Arkansas , Paul Eells, 70, was killed in a head-on collision a little after 8 p.m. on Monday, July 31. Also killed was the driver of the car into which his sedan crashed, Billie Jo Burton, 40, of Dover, Ark., who also was traveling alone. Eells’ car drifted over the median of Interstate 40 at Russellville, into the path of Burton’s, and that was that.
One article in Democrat-Gazette editions of Wednesday, Aug. 2 (Page 1C in the Northwest edition) was headlined “Woman killed in collision was fan of Eells, Arkansas.” (That day had multiple sidebars to the Eells story and only a couple are available online. So you’ll have to find a hard copy.)
It reported Burton loved the Razorbacks, and the longtime Voice of the Razorbacks in particular, according to a close friend. And, “I know Paul would be the first one to say, ‘I’m so sorry this happened,’†said UA football Coach Houston Nutt. Burton was married and the mother of a 22-year-old and a 16-year-old, as well as being a volunteer girls’ softball coach.
First “no comment” goes here.
Gov. Mike Huckabee ordered that only Arkansas flags be lowered to half-staff and just on the day of Eells’ funeral, Friday, Aug. 4. Up here, on Interstate 540, the Landers and Fletcher car dealers had their giant U.S. flags lowered the entire week.
In July, Huckabee ordered both state and American flags lowered for several days between the death and funeral for Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller. And they were at the dealerships and ‘most everywhere you looked.
Let’s see, a sports personality, though reputed by many, many people (including friends of mine) to be a very nice man — and an elected official who had spent decades before this state post dedicated to public service, particularly to special needs children and the Scouts.
Oh, I almost made a comment and this is a no-comment Brick. -30-
