Four people die on state roadways
Ladonna K. Veach, 40, of Berryville died Thursday after the 2000 Plymouth Neon she was driving failed to negotiate a left turn on Arkansas 14 in Boone County, according to a preliminary Arkansas State Police fatality report.
The eastbound vehicle went off the south side of the highway, then spun counterclockwise across both lanes of traffic and off the north side of road, where it hit a tree, according to the report.
The accident occurred 41/2 miles east of Omaha about 1:28 p.m.
On Wednesday, three other people were killed in two crashes on Arkansas roadways, according to state police.
About 3:30 p.m., Neoma Johnson, 84, of Banks was driving west on U.S. 278 east of Banks, in Bradley County, when she lost control of her vehicle, which struck a concrete marker and a tree.
Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene.
About 9:16 p.m., Lisa Mitchell, 49, of Lansing, Mich., was a passenger in a Dodge pickup traveling south on Arkansas 27 Business when the driver attempted to make a U-turn where the highway merges with Arkansas 27. The Dodge was struck by a Western Star truck traveling south on Arkansas 27.
Mitchell and another passenger, Barbara Wynn, 58, of Nashville were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Dodge, Douglas Bullock, 54, of Nashville was taken to St. Joseph’s Mercy Health Center in Hot Springs with unspecified injuries.
The driver of the truck, Donald Dixon, 40, of Texarkana was not injured.
- ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Police: 2 heists appear unrelated
Two banks were robbed almost simultaneously Wednesday afternoon on opposite ends of Pulaski County.
A 2:30 p.m. robbery outside Delta Trust & Bank in the Chenal Valley area of Little Rock and the 2:35 p.m. robbery of First Arkansas Bank & Trust in Jacksonville were not connected, Little Rock Police Department spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings said.
“It’s just a strange coincidence,” Hastings said.
No one was hurt in either robbery, police said.
According to Hastings, an employee stepped out of the 16600 Chenal Parkway bank to fill the business’ drive-through ATM with fresh bills.
A gunman was waiting, Hastings said, and shoved the employee to the ground and told him to “close his eyes.”
The robber, described as a black man in his 20s and wearing a white cut-off tank top, fled from the bank on foot.
In Jacksonville, a man walked up to a desk in the lobby of First Arkansas Bank & Trust at 501 Loop Road and handed the teller a note that demanded money, Jacksonville police Capt.
Kenny Boyd said.
The robber didn’t show a weapon but suggested he had one, Boyd said.
The man took the undisclosed amount of money and also fled on foot.
Boyd described the Jacksonville bank robber as a black man standing roughly 6-foot-2, weighing around 210 pounds and dressed in plaid shirt and shorts, a green ball cap and black shoes.
- ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Hot Springs police training on Tasers
HOT SPRINGS - Most Hot Springs police officers are now armed with Tasers, which should reduce injuries to officers and suspects over time, Chief David Flory said.
“We did a full week of eight hours’ day training, so we’ve trained about 40 of our 100 officers. We’ll be doing another class in a couple of weeks to get the rest of the officers trained,” he said.
Flory said the department purchased 80 Tasers assisted by an Edward Byrne Memorial Local Justice Assistance Grant of $80,000.
Flory said the instructors used by the department have attended a Taser instructor certification school and seminars on liability issues and ways to avoid litigation.
- THE SENTINEL-RECORD
Murder suspect held for trial
POTEAU, Okla. - A special judge in LeFlore County said a Talihina man should be bound over for trial on a first-degree murder charge in the death of his girlfriend.
Judge Jeff Singer ruled Thursday after hearing testimony about the death of 25-year-old Kristi Ferguson of Pocola. Prosecutors accuse her boyfriend Donnie Lee Harris Jr. of dousing her with gasoline and setting her on fire on Feb. 18.
The judge scheduled a July 11 arraignment for Harris.
An autopsy found Ferguson suffered second- and third-degree burns and died March 9 of pneumonia.
Harris’ attorney, Peter Astor, said the report did not show how the burns and pneumonia were related or that Ferguson’s death was intentional. Astor said prosecutors did not prove that first-degree murder was committed.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Missouri Southern pay raises OK’d
JOPLIN, Mo. - The governing board of Missouri Southern State University has approved a pay raise for eligible employees.
The university’s Board of Governors approved the 3 percent raises on Thursday.
They take effect Monday with the start of the 2013 fiscal year. It’s the first increase in salary for Missouri Southern employees in four years.
The school said the raises will be funded by an additional $1.8 million appropriated to the university last week in Missouri’s 2013 state budget.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 10 on 06/30/2012