Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – An update on the construction progress of the Ridge Athletics Center (RAC) evolved into an attack on city leadership at the Jonesboro City Council meeting Monday night.

Following the pledge of allegiance, prayer, and mayor recognitions at the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Harold Copenhaver told the council that Alderman Chris Moore had asked for a construction update on the RAC and recognized Craig Rickert, executive director of the Jonesboro Advertising and Promotion (A&P) Commission, to present the update.

Following Rickert’s RAC update, he looked to A&P Commission Chair Jerry Morgan to “go over some numbers.” Morgan instead motioned for Matt Modelevsky to speak. Rickert introduced Modelevsky as the chairman of the City Public Facilities Board.

Modelevsky began his comments by referencing the Ridge Center and indicating he thought it was off to a great start. He added that it is “critical that we get sports tourism right.”

He then began a lengthy presentation during which he accused Copenhaver of failing to respond to concerns he said he had expressed for over two years about the organization and finances of the City Stars soccer program, and specifically the relationship with the Revolution Soccer Team.

| READ MORE: Jonesboro parks director under investigation from Department of Justice

Modelevsky presented council members with binders that allegedly show copies of e-mails and text messages between Modelevsky, Copenhaver, and others dating back to 2024. He alleged multiple meetings and conversations with the mayor, where he told the mayor he had concerns that the former Parks and Recreation director, Danny Kapales, was lying about money.

“Danny Kapales, the former parks director, was the self-appointed treasurer of that board,” Modelevsky told council members. “That was the one position that was never open for election, or even frankly, discussion. Danny would prepare a one or two-page spreadsheet that he would present to the board periodically. That represented what he said was the financial state of the organization. One of the line items on that was an entry filled usage fee. Some of you are probably familiar with this issue. That field of usage fee was questioned not only by me, but other members of the board, multiple times.”

Modelevsky went on to say he took his concerns directly to Mayor Copenhaver in July 2024. He added, “The mayor’s first comment to me was ‘Well, Matt, he’s probably paying himself.'”

Kapales resigned his position with the city on Jan. 2, 2026. Copenhaver had placed him on paid administrative leave on Dec. 2, 2025, after learning that Kapales was the target of a Justice Department investigation.

Copenhaver suggested at a Dec. 5, 2025, meeting that the investigation most likely involved the City Stars program and suggested the nature of the investigation was “financial.” He also announced that the City Stars board was dissolving and that the city was “taking over” the program.

After reviewing a timeline of communication, Modelevsky asked council members to “pause so that we get this right” as it relates to moving forward with the city’s youth sports programs. He thanked city council member Chris Gibson for supporting the rebirth of a city parks board.

“I urge the council to empower that committee or create another one to get this right,” Modelevsky said. “I want to be part of the solution.”

Referencing the youth sports programs later, Morgan said after learning of some of the concerns Modelevsky and others had raised, he had expressed concerns to the mayor and his administration as long ago as last year about the finances of the City Stars program. He said the A&P commission has given over $150,000 to City Stars in the last five to six years.

“That’s money that we were asked by them (City Stars) to give them to support programs for low to moderate-income kids,” Morgan said. “We thought that program was part of the city. That’s on us. We didn’t find out until recently that it didn’t flow through there (the city).”

Morgan said he also asked the administration last year why the Legislative Audit wasn’t involved with reviewing City Stars’ funds. He said he understood the response regarding City Stars being its own separate 501(c)3 organization.

“What I don’t understand is, you had city employees on city time using city facilities, using city trucks and vehicles, and the only thing that wasn’t part of the city was the collection of funds going through a portal for City Stars,” Morgan said. “I would think that would be a red flag for Legislative Audit to get involved and review it.”

Morgan quoted Copenhaver at the Jan. 10, 2026, city council meeting, saying, “I have talked to several members of our parks advisory committee, I know Jim has talked to most of them, if not all of them…about our youth sports program.” 

Morgan said he had spoken to members of park-related groups who told him they haven’t been involved.

“I don’t know who talked to them or who communicated with them, but I heard from several of them who said they haven’t heard anything,” Morgan said. “If I’m wrong, let me know who you talked to,” Morgan added, addressing Copenhaver.

Morgan was critical of the administration “moving forward” regarding the city youth programs without consulting “the stakeholders.”

“We’re making decisions on going forward just like nothing happened without any input from stakeholders,” Morgan said. “A&P’s not been involved, the facilities board hasn’t been involved, and it seems like most of the parks commission hasn’t been involved. Why would you go through and start making decisions without input from the stakeholders?”

Morgan supported Modelevsky’s idea to designate a group to lead the future of the parks program. “We need a separate commission that is focused on sports that has actual input, and that also reports to the city council,” Morgan said. “Because obviously the path we have used previously hasn’t worked well for our city.”

Copenhaver had no response to comments made by Modelevsky, Morgan, and others during Tuesday’s meeting. During his mayor’s report presented later in the meeting, Copenhaver introduced Jim Stearns as the new Parks and Recreation director but did not reference or respond to any of the comments that had been made.

JonesboroRightNow will continue to follow this story as well as other news from the council meeting.