OUTDOORS Pair arrested on wildlife violations
A White County couple faces charges for several wildlife violations after being arrested Friday by wildlife officers with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
The couple allegedly used wild animals, such as deer, to make tamales and sold them at their roadside stand, according to an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission news release.
Fred Thomas Atkins III, 49, and his wife Betty Louise Williams, 28, were arrested at their tamale stand on Arkansas 16 between Searcy and Pangburn, according to the release. The couple was issued citations for several game violations, including buying and selling wildlife.
The six-week investigation targeted the couple after undercover wildlife officers sold several deer to Atkins. The wildlife officers also purchased tamales suspected of being made with deer meat. Officers from the White County sheriff’s office and investigators with the Central Arkansas Drug Task Force, along with the AGFC, were involved in the investigation.
Atkins and Williams were taken to the White County jail in Searcy. If convicted, Atkins and Williams could face fines up to $5,000 on each count and up to a year in jail.
TRACK AND FIELD 2 Hogs among top 8 in heptathlon
Arkansas’ top-ranked men’s track team got off to a solid start Thursday at the SEC Indoor Championships.
The Razorbacks have two athletes among the top eight in the heptathlon and another in 10th place through four events in College Station, Texas.
Freshman Brad Culp is sixth with 2,911 points after the first day of competition and junior teammate Nathanael Franks is seventh with 2,858 points. Freshman Lane Austell is 10th with 2,636 points.
Culp picked up 851 points in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.06 seconds, 700 points in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 4 ¼ inches, 575 points in the shot put with a toss of 37-08 and 740 points by clearing 6-04 in the high jump.
Franks ran the 60 in 7.32 (772 points), leaped 22-4 ½ in the long jump (771), threw the shot 41-11 ½ (654) and cleared 6-0 ½ in the high jump (661).
Austell earned 762 points in the 60 (7.35 seconds), 682 in the long jump (21-1 ¼), 582 in the shot put (38-0 ¾) and 610 in the high jump (5-10).
Georgia sophomore Maicel Uibo leads the heptathlon with 3,225 points. The competition will conclude today with the 60 meters, pole vault and 1,000 meters.
Arkansas’ women’s team is fourth in the team standings with four points after the completion of the pentathlon.
Razorbacks sophomore Alex Gochenour finished fourth in the event with 4,137 points. She scored 1,002 points in the 60-meter dash (8.57), 842 in the high jump (5-6½), 655 in the shot put (39-1), 768 in the long jump (18-9¾) and 855 in the 800 meters (2:17.69).
Leigha Brown finished ninth with 3,952 points. She ran the 60 in 8.73 seconds (967 points), cleared 5-7¾ in the high jump (879), tossed the shot 37-3¾ (610), leaped 17-3 ¼ in the long jump (631) and ran 2:17.62 in the 800 meters (856).
Mississippi State junior Erica Bougard won the pentathlon with 4,458 points.
Georgia leads the women’s competition with 15 points. MSU is second with 10 points, followed by Florida (5), Arkansas, South Carolina (3) and Texas A&M (2).
SWIMMING & DIVING State meet begins today
The state high school swimming and diving meet will be held today and Saturday at the Donaghey Student Center Natatorium at UALR.
Boys and girls team titles will be awarded in two classes: 6A/7A and 5A and below.
Diving events will take place today on the 3-meter springboard starting at 3 p.m. Swimming events will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday starting with the 200 freestyle. There will be two heats in all events with eight participants in each heat.
Other swimming events will include the 200-individual medley, 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 200-freestyle relay, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and 400-freestyle relay.
Admission is $7. According to meet director Mavis Lansden, approximately 300-400 participants are scheduled to participate. - Jeff Halpern
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Clarksville hires Cranor
Arkadelphia offensive coordinator Eli Cranor is leaving to become head coach at Clarksville. Cranor, a former quarterback at Russellville and Ouachita Baptist, replaces Michael Banning, who led the Panthers for 15 years before becoming the school’s athletic director earlier this year.
Sports, Pages 25 on 02/28/2014