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A few days back I posted clean water activist Kate Althoff's letter objecting to the reappointment of Rose Law Firm lawyer Jane Dickey (pictured) to the Central Arkansas Water Commission. She's already served 11 years and wants to serve another seven-year term.

Althoff has company, I learned today, and some political fireworks seem likely.

The people have spoken and someone was listening. Just received this e-mail from Scott Carter at Little Rock City Hall:

Today, Little Rock Vice Mayor Stacy Hurst announced that she was reimbursing the City of Little Rock for the costs associated with inclusion in the "Power Women" listing in the June issue of Soiree.

Soiree selected the honorees and contacted them individually. While Hurst agreed to be featured in the publication, the city was invoiced for the feature. The city  paid for the ad based on the assumption it was an advertisement for promoting city service while honoring one of its own servants.

"After seeing the appearance of this feature in Soiree, I feel it is better for me to reimburse the City to remove any appearance of impropriety," said Vice Mayor Hurst..  "There are pressing issues such as public safety and economic development that deserve our full attention.   Let us move forward together to ensure our City is safe, sound, and living up to its outstanding potential."

UPDATE: Following is a statement on the matter from Jeff Hankins, president of Soiree's parent, the Arkansas Business Publishing Group:

"We should have labeled the Soiree section on "Power Women" as a promotional feature. We made a mistake. We regret it for the women featured, all of whom were chosen by Publisher & Editor Becki Moore and were worthy of recognition.

"Becki selected Stacy Hurst and no other City Board members for inclusion, so the city was not showing any favoritism to her over the others.

"Our intent was to bring recognition to women and their businesses and organizations. We asked businesses and organizations to help pay for the section and photography."

Conservation groups will go before the state Pollution Control and Ecology Commission tomorrow to argue for a change in definition of air contaminants to recognize the harmful effects of carbon dioxide.

The Arkansas polluters lobby will be there in hysterical opposition. Here's the statement they'll release to the media tomorrow. Clean air costs money is their essential howl.

And here is the response from the conservation groups.

Ernie Dumas tells you everything you need to know on this subject, including the background on the state commission's historically lukewarm stance on environmental protection. (What? You thought that was its mission and not protecting industry?) As Dumas notes: "You would think that would be a no-brainer since every scientist in the world who didn't get his degree from a Bible college acknowledges CO2 to be the most perilous of the greenhouse gases ..."

The city dedicated the new children's play area -- it will be known as the Peabody Park for the financial support provided by the nearby hotel -- in Riverfront Park today. There are new structures, even a water play area, but kids today found a simple pleasure in the new landscaping. Grassy bowls were created that are just perfect for sliding downhill on a piece of cardboard.