Briefly

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/BENJAMIN KRAIN Chuckwagon driver Allen Fuller with the team County Line Bunch from Perry leaps from his wagon Friday as it tips on a sharp turn during the 30th Annual National Championship Chuckwagon Race being in Clinton. The event continues through Sunday. There were no injuries in the accident.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/BENJAMIN KRAIN Chuckwagon driver Allen Fuller with the team County Line Bunch from Perry leaps from his wagon Friday as it tips on a sharp turn during the 30th Annual National Championship Chuckwagon Race being in Clinton. The event continues through Sunday. There were no injuries in the accident.

Malvern man dies in crash in Hot Spring County

MALVERN -- Arkansas State Police say a Malvern man has been killed in a single-vehicle crash on Arkansas 84 in Hot Spring County.

A state police report says 39-year-old Shonn Dewayne Lewis died in the Thursday crash.

The report says Lewis was westbound on the highway when he apparently lost control of the vehicle he was driving and went off the highway, striking a culvert and overturning.

-- The Associated Press

Portion of hiking trail reopens at Buffalo National River

PONCA -- A portion of a popular hiking trail at the Buffalo National River has opened after it was damaged earlier this summer from heavy rain.

Officials say most of the Lost Valley trai opened Friday after temporary repairs were made. Crews will continue to work on the trail after the Labor Day holiday weekend. The uppermost section of the trail on the return loop will remain closed for safety reasons.

Heavy rain in June forced the closure of the 1.2-mile Lost Valley trail, which is located near the Boxley Valley Historic District on Arkansas 43 in the Ozarks.

Park officials are considering changes to the flood-prone Lost Valley area, including modifications to the road or a redesign of trail routes and facilities.

-- The Associated Press

Attorney general rejects ballot title

LITTLE ROCK -- Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge rejected the popular name and ballot title of a proposed constitutional amendment to make self-defense a "fundamental natural right," allow residents to openly carry weapons and redefine public spaces to include some types of private property such as hospitals, apartment complexes and churches.

Rutledge said the "Public Safety Amendment" popular name could mislead voters who would otherwise oppose the amendment, and rejected the title due to "ambiguities in the text of the measure that contribute to the ballot title's failure to explain in adequate detail the provision's substantive provisions and how precisely adoption of the proposal would change current law."

David Brennan of Searcy sponsored the amendment.

-- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Accident injures Jonesboro patrolman, others

JONESBORO -- A Jonesboro police officer and others were injured in a collision just north of the city.

Police spokesman Paul Holmes said Cpl. David McDaniel was hospitalized with nonlife-threatening injuries after the crash Thursday afternoon.

Holmes said Arkansas State Police is investigating the accident.

State police spokesman Bill Sadler said those in the other vehicle suffered serious injuries, but there were no reports of fatalities. Sadler did not know how many people were in the second vehicle.

Details of the crash were not immediately released.

The collision occurred on Arkansas 351 just north of the Jonesboro city limits where Holmes said McDaniel lives.

-- The Associated Press

Heber Springs man gets three years in cattle rustling case

SEARCY -- A Heber Springs man pleaded guilty to stealing cattle valued at $12,500 from Pangburn farm in a plea deal Wednesday in White County Circuit Court.

The Daily Citizen reports in exchange for the plea, prosecutors lowered the initial charge against John S. Sanderhoff, 30, to class D felony theft of property. Sanderhoff was sentenced by Judge Robert Edwards to three years in the Department of Correction with 84 days of jail credit.

White County Sheriff's Office deputies began investigating a report of five Angus heifers being stolen from a farm owned by Shon Turley. Sanderhoff claimed he purchased the cattle in the parking lot of the Searcy Walmart for $5,000. Sanderhoff also told detectives he sold the cattle at the 101 Livestock Auction in Blackwell for $6,158.

During the course of the investigation, detectives also learned Ryan N. Kinsey, 29, and Kimberly N. Kinsey, 28, both of Pangburn also were allegedly involved in the theft. Sanderhoff said he used a truck and trailer belonging to Ryan Kinsey to take the cattle from the Walmart parking lot to the auction.

Ryan Kinsey and Kimberly Kinsey have been charged with a class C felony of theft of property. Their pretrial hearings are scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 10.

-- The Associated Press

Woman killed following barrel-racing accident

DANVILLE -- Funeral services were held Wednesday for a Yell County woman who died Friday during the Yell County Rodeo and Riding Club's annual play day.

The Russellville Courier reports Amanda Lambert, 33, of Plainview was competing in barrel racing when her horse lost its footing and both fell. Paramedics from Yell County EMS treated Lambert at the arena, then a helicopter took her to Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith, where she died Saturday.

-- The Associated Press

Police: Wynne man arrested for impregnating 10-year-old girl

WYNNE -- A 20-year-old man has been arrested after police say he raped and impregnated a 10-year-old girl.

According to a news release from Wynne Police Detective Mike Smith, authorities were notified the girl was being treated at a local hospital and was found to be pregnant.

The man was arrested Aug. 29 after an investigation by local and state police. He has been charged with three counts of rape and one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.

The man is being held in lieu of $500,000. His next court hearing has been set for Oct. 2.

-- The Associated Press

Courtroom brawl erupts in murder cases

JONESBORO -- A courtroom fight broke out as tensions between family members of murder victims and defendants reached a boiling point Wednesday morning.

The Jonesboro Sun reports a woman in the courtroom when the fight broke out said Cedric White, 59, of Fort Worth, Texas, said, "You killed my son," then punched Timothy Joe Fields, 34, of Fayetteville.

Fields is charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 30, 2013, shooting death of Xavier White, 22, of Jonesboro.

Alan Hicks with the Craighead County prosecutor's office and Court Clerk Joe Monroe fought to separate the parties. After Jonesboro police and Craighead County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived, Hicks ordered the arrest of four people on charges of disorderly conduct.

Fields has been free on $250,000 bond since shortly after the shooting. Also arrested following the brawl were Timothy Fields, Larry Darnell Fields of Dallas, Texas, and Tradeus Vaughn, 52, of West Memphis.

Circuit Judge Victor Hill hadn't arrived when the fight began. When he learned of the incident, he ordered the families to leave the courtroom.

Fields is scheduled to stand trial Sept. 14.

-- The Associated Press

Blytheville High School has temporary lockdown

BLYTHEVILLE -- Blytheville High School was placed on "perimeter lock down" for 30 minutes Wednesday morning after the school received a threatening phone call.

The Blytheville Courier News reports "perimeter lock down" is when a school locks outside entrances, yet students are allowed to move from class to class.

"In my opinion there wasn't any real threat, but we took measures purely as a precaution," Superintendent Richard Atwill said.

The woman making the threats was arrested by police and later released into her husband's custody for psychiatric help.

-- The Associated Press

NW News on 09/05/2015

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