Sherwood, Arkansas



Sherwood is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 29,523. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area with 699,757 people according to the 2010 census.

Geography
Sherwood is located at 34.83083°N, -92.21139°W (34.830890, -92.211514).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.0 km2, of which 53.4 km2 is land and 0.6 km2, or 1.15%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,511 people, 8,798 households, and 6,211 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,557.9 people per square mile (601.4/km²). There were 9,272 housing units at an average density of 671.5 per square mile (259.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.23% White, 17.83% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 2.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,798 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,838, and the median income for a family was $51,510. Males had a median income of $34,133 versus $25,757 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,515. In Sherwood, 6.3% of the population and 5.4% of families were below the poverty line. In addition, 9.7% of those under the age of 18 and 4.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government
The City of Sherwood is an incorporated municipality (city of the first class) with a Mayor elected to a four-year term, and eight elected aldermen, a city clerk, and a part-time city attorney.

Mayors
The Sherwood Mayor serves four year terms, with election held during the November midterm elections. Virginia Hillman was sworn in on August 1, 2007, as Sherwood's first female mayor. Bill Harmon served as interim mayor April 12, 2007 to July 31, 2007, following the resignation of Mayor Danny Stedman. Harmon had not run for re-election after holding the office of mayor for 14 years through 2006.

Stedman, who was elected in November 2006, previously served as a Sherwood alderman for four years. Upon taking office in January 2007, Stedman was extremely excited about his plans for Sherwood and the city's future. In April 2007, Stedman cited health concerns for himself and his wife as he resigned from office.

Stedman had been one of three newly elected officials in the city in the 2006 election. Others include city clerk/treasurer Virginia R. Hillman, and council member Charlie Harmon (Alderman Ward 1, Position 2).

2007 mayoral special elections
Five candidates ran for the office of Sherwood mayor after the resignation of former Mayor Danny Stedman. No candidate received more than 50 percent of the votes, forcing a special election runoff between the two candidates receiving the most votes, which was held on July 31, 2007.

Results

City council
The City of Sherwood is represented on the city council by two aldermen position from four wards for a total of eight aldermen. Aldermen currently serve four year terms, staggered with alternating positions up for election every 2 years.

Gravel Ridge
The community of Gravel Ridge, located at 34.87°N, -92.18694°W (34.870068, -92.187069), was a census-designated place (CDP) in Pulaski County that was annexed into the city of Sherwood in 2008. Gravel Ridge, located between western Jacksonville and the Sylvan Hills area of Sherwood, had a population of 3,232 and total area of 1.9 sqmi, as of the 2000 census.

Annexation
Gravel Ridge carried ties to both Jacksonville and Sherwood for many years. Its telephone number prefix is shared with Sherwood, while Gravel Ridge shares a ZIP code with Jacksonville. On February 5, 2008, a special election was held in Jacksonville for the annexation of Gravel Ridge into Jacksonville. Upon the Jacksonville ballot issue being announced, Sherwood Mayor Hillman and the Sherwood city council ordered a special election for March 11, 2008, to gauge support for the annexation of Gravel Ridge into Sherwood. In each of the cities' respective elections, each city's residents as well as the residents of Gravel Ridge voted. The proposal for annexation into either Jacksonville or Sherwood passed in each election. The result prompted a third special election for Gravel Ridge residents only on April 1, 2008, to vote on whether they wanted to be annexed into Sherwood or Jacksonville, with voters ultimately deciding in favor of annexation by Sherwood.

Gravel Ridge was formally annexed during the Sherwood city council meeting on April 28, 2008, during which the territory comprising the one-time census designated place was divided along Arkansas Highway 107 into additions to the first and second wards of Sherwood.

North Hills Country Club controversy
The city is involved in a lawsuit over the proposed development of North Hills Golf Course and Country Club, in the southern end of the city adjoining North Little Rock. The court date was scheduled in April 2008. Mayor Virginia Hillman repeatedly stated during her campaign for mayor for the special election that her plans were to put the issue to a vote for the citizens. A petition was circulated to hold an election on the issue, but the Sherwood City Council voted to go ahead with the acquisition despite Mayor Hillman's objections. The issue was last discussed at the Sherwood city council meeting at 7:00 P.M. on Monday, September 24, 2007. A re-zoning sign was placed on the North Hills property the week before Christmas of that year.

2009 theft of city funds
In July 2009, after city officials were notified by Eagle Bank in December 2008, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating the theft of $219,913 in municipal funds. These funds were taken from the city’s checking account through an unauthorized online electronic transfer. This was the first time the city had experienced unauthorized accessing the city’s checking account via the internet. In response, city officials analyzed city’s security system to its financial network and additional safeguards and protections were implemented.

Education
Sherwood is home to several public and private schools for elementary and secondary education. Students seeking higher education often attend nearby colleges and universities including the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and University of Central Arkansas.

Public schools
The city's public schools are managed by the Pulaski County Special School District. The city's public high school is Sylvan Hills High School. Other public schools include Sylvan Hills Middle School, Clinton Elementary Magnet School, Oakbrooke Elementary School, Sherwood Elementary School and Sylvan Hills Elementary School.

Private schools
The Abundant Life School is a co-educational private school for grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).

Other private schools include Victory Baptist Elementary School, Central Arkansas Christian School, and Immaculate Conception Catholic School.

Public libraries
The Central Arkansas Library System includes the Amy Sanders Library in Sherwood.

Media
The Sherwood Voice is a local weekly newspaper serving the city and its nearby communities in Pulaski County with its print publication and website.

As a community newspaper, articles are centered around local news, issues, classified ads and events. Sports coverage is usually limited to the area's middle school and high school teams, such as the Sylvan Hills Bears and the Abundant Life School Owls.

Notable natives & residents

 * Wes Bentley, film actor
 * Kelly George, Miss Arkansas USA 2007
 * David Kerr, World Champion collegiate debater
 * Kevin McReynolds, former professional baseball player
 * Christina Marie Riggs, a woman who killed her children by injection and suffocation, later executed by lethal injection
 * Jennifer Sherrill, Miss Arkansas USA 2004
 * Terry Tiffee, current professional baseball player
 * Harry Vines, former coach of Arkansas Rollin' Razorbacks; member National Wheelchair Basketball Association Hall of Fame