The state/region in brief

Innocent plea given in Texarkana death

TEXARKANA - A woman accused of murdering a fellow square dancer entered an innocent plea Tuesday morning to a charge of capital murder.

Virginia Ann Hyatt, 65, appeared for an arraignment hearing before Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson with her attorney, Bruce Condit of Texarkana, in a courtroom at the Miller County jail. Hyatt, who was held without bail because of the seriousness of the charge against her, stood in handcuffs and shackles.

Prosecuting Attorney Carlton Jones said his office has not decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case. Capital murder is punishable by death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Johnson scheduled Hyatt to return to court April 8 and set a tentative trial date of April 21.

Hyatt is accused of planning the Dec. 3 killing of 59-year-old Patricia “Patti” Wheelington. A friend found Wheelington dead on her front porch on Valley Street in Texarkana, according to a search-warrant affidavit.

Wheelington and Hyatt were both members of the Guys and Dolls Square Dancing Club in Texarkana.

  • TEXARKANA GAZETTEEl Dorado man dies in crash on highway

An El Dorado man died early Tuesday after a crash on Arkansas 7 at Arkansas 160 in Union County, Arkansas State Police reported Tuesday.

Javier Silvo-Navarro, 32, was driving south on Arkansas 7 when his car was struck by a Toyota Tundra pickup at 6:11 p.m. Monday.

He was taken to the UAMS Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead eight hours later.

State police reported that the pickup was traveling south on Arkansas 160 and “crossed into the path” of Silvo-Navarro’s car. Two people in the pickup were not injured.

  • ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTEVehicle hits tree, kills 2-year-old girl

LAKE VIEW - Arkansas State Police say a 2-year-old girl was killed when the vehicle she was riding in left the road and crashed into a tree.

State police said the crash happened early Thursday on Arkansas 44 in Phillips County. According to a preliminary report, a vehicle was driving east on the highway when the driver missed a curve and crashed into the tree.

State police said all four occupants of the vehicle were taken to a Helena-West Helena hospital, where 2-year-old Anastasia Paige was pronounced dead. State police said two adults and 1-year-old boy were injured in the crash.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMan gets year term in bomb-threat call

COLUMBUS, Ga. - An Arkansas man has been sentenced to a year in federal prison after prosecutors say he called in bomb threats to the Carmike Cinemas’ headquarters in Georgia.

Prosecutors said 59-yearold Keith Bowers of Jessieville was sentenced Tuesday to serve a year and a day in prison for making a bomb threat. Bowers pleaded guilty in December to making two calls from Longview, Texas,in August 2012 to Carmike’s headquarters in Columbus.

Prosecutors said he used a “Hispanic accent” and said he was unhappy that Carmike underpaid immigrant workers for cleaning. He said he would detonate a bomb during a screening of The Expendables.

Prosecutors said Bowers provided cleaning services to businesses, including Carmike, and was angry about rivals he said used immigrant labor and could undercut his bids.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESSHung jury ends trial in conspiracy case

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The trial of a southwest Missouri man accused of planning his ex-wife’s murder while he was in prison ended in a hung jury.

David L. Thomas, 62, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree domestic assault. He’s accused of conspiring with his girlfriend, Diane Greer, to have Thomas’ ex-wife killed. A hung jury was declared last week.

Prosecutor Dan Patterson said a final decision hasn’t been made, but he likely will try the case again.

Prosecutors say a hit man hired by Greer was actually an undercover police officer.

The ex-wife was not injured, according to reports.

Greer pleaded guilty two weeks ago to conspiracy as part of a plea deal.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESSWorkers convicted in inmate assaults

MUSKOGEE, Okla. - A federal jury in Muskogee has convicted two former Muskogee County jail officials of assaulting prisoners or ordering other jailers to assault them.

The jury in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee found former jail superintendent Raymond Barnes, 43, and former assistant superintendent Christopher Brown, 32, guilty Tuesday of conspiring to violate the rights of prisoners at the Muskogee County jail. Brown was also convicted of making false statements to the FBI.

Both had pleaded innocent.

Both men face up to 10 years in prison for the rights violations, and Brown faces up to an additional five years in prison for making false statements to the FBI.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESSTribal health center breaks new ground

STILWELL, Okla. - The Cherokee Nation is expanding its health center in Stilwell that’s named after the tribe’s first - and so far only - female chief.

The tribe will hold a groundbreaking ceremony today for the expansion project at the Wilma P.

Mankiller Health Center.

The project will add 28,000 square feet to the center that opened in 1995. In 2012, the health center handled more than 134,000 patients in a variety of services, including primary care, pediatrics and physical therapy.

Tribal officials said they plan to invest $100 million from casino profits to improve health infrastructure.

Cherokee Nation Chief Bill John Baker, Cherokee Nation Businesses CEO Shawn Slaton, tribal councilors and others will be on hand at the groundbreaking ceremony.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 8 on 02/28/2014

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