Friday, September 22, 2006
Friday formalities
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette begins a series on the death of Bobby Joe Rylee in the Pope County jail. A tired and frightened Rylee anticipated a confrontation with Russellville police early in the morning of July 15, according to the woman who was with him at the time. Rylee died in custody several days later. An FBI investigation is underway, an officer and dispatcher involved in the incident have been disciplined, and Rylee’s family has sued the police department.
Jurors in the first-degree sexual assault trial of former Greenwood teacher Deanna Bobo heard testimony Wednesday from two people, including one of her ex-husbands, who said they had sex with Bobo while she was teaching at their schools. Bobo, 38, is accused of having sex with a male student while she was employed as a teacher at Raymond E. Wells Junior High School in early 2005. The alleged victim testified Tuesday that he had sex with Bobo on two occasions.
Jackson, Mississippi’s mayor and his two bodyguards waived their arraignments, tentative trial dates were set, and a judge issued a gag order - the latest developments as the high-profile cases continue to receive national attention. Mayor Frank Melton and bodyguards Marcus Wright and Michael Recio were indicted a week ago for allegedly helping wreck a duplex on Ridgeway Street in northwest Jackson.
Though he said he hadn’t missed an opening weekend of deer season since 1967, special Circuit Judge John Cole rejected a motion Thursday asking that he put off a Lonoke County criminal case until the end of hunting season.
A high-speed pursuit ended Thursday morning when the suspect traveling 90 miles per hour and a Rogers police patrolman lost control of their vehicles. The 15-year-old driver failed to negotiate a curve at high speed and lost control of his vehicle, which went over the shoulder and struck parked cars in an adjacent parking lot, according to the police. Officer Mike Lira also lost control of his vehicle and hit an embankment during the high-speed pursuit. Lt. Mike Johnson of the Rogers Police Department said both vehicles were totaled.
A former Little Rock fireman who bilked his mother’s sick, 88-year-old neighbor out of nearly $95,000 must pay the money back at $200 per month, Pulaski County Circuit judge Chris Piazza ruled Thursday. Bill McEntire will need 39 years to pay back the entire amount.
The Board of Corrections on Thursday followed a member’s advice and unanimously approved a renewed attempt to persuade the state to designate special attorneys to prosecute inmates who attack officers.
The Saline County sheriff notified the county judge Thursday that the Texas company providing telephone service for county jail inmates was prepared to sue to keep the contract, which the Arkansas attorney general’s office has suggested might be illegal.
Wal-Mart is applying its famous price rollback strategy to health care by announcing it will make nearly 300 generic drugs available to customers and employees for only $4 per prescription. Wal-Mart officials announced the news Thursday at a live conference in Tampa, Fla., attended by Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Bill Nelson.
Drought conditions persist in much of Arkansas, but a Sunday cold front brought much needed rainfall to most of the state, including more than 4 inches in the northeast. Improvement is expected through November, according to a National Weather Service forecast. Year-to-date rainfall deficits through Wednesday range from 12.56 inches in El Dorado, to 6.44 inches in Texarkana, 5.95 inches in Harrison and 4.04 inches in Monticello. Unique among the major reporting stations, Jonesboro had received 35.55 inches of rain through Wednesday, 2.35 inches more than normal.
Pine Bluff City Clerk Loretta Whitfield says that the question of a higher minimum wage for city employees and employees of contractors doing business with the city will be on the Nov. 7 general election ballot. The ordinance calls for all uninsured city employees, or uninsured employees of contractors doing business with the city, to be paid at least $10.55 per hour. Employers who provide health insurance or child care at the rate of $1.25 per hour would have to pay employees at least $9.30 per hour.
David Pryor, a Democrat who served Arkansas as governor and senator, is poised to become the newest member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s board of directors at a time the congressionally chartered nonprofit is struggling to maintain a politically neutral stance.
Deluxe Media Services Inc., a manufacturer of DVDs for motion picture studios, announced Thursday that it will shut down its North Little Rock plant by late March, putting about 500 workers out of jobs.
The massive collection of American Indian artifacts to be auctioned this weekend began as a hobby 50 years ago for two Jackson County brothers disenchanted with their jobs. Stephen J. Graham and Gus Graham started searching fields near their Tuckerman home in the mid-1950 s for arrowheads and spear points - as well as scrapers and other ancient tools - when not working at their family mercantile store. They would toss their finds in 5-gallon buckets and assorted boxes, then trade them with store customers for other artifacts. This weekend, Grady Auctions and Realty Inc. of Newport will auction off nearly 13,000 pieces of Stephen Graham’s collection at the Center for the Arts on the Arkansas State University-Newport campus.
Jurors in the first-degree sexual assault trial of former Greenwood teacher Deanna Bobo heard testimony Wednesday from two people, including one of her ex-husbands, who said they had sex with Bobo while she was teaching at their schools. Bobo, 38, is accused of having sex with a male student while she was employed as a teacher at Raymond E. Wells Junior High School in early 2005. The alleged victim testified Tuesday that he had sex with Bobo on two occasions.
Jackson, Mississippi’s mayor and his two bodyguards waived their arraignments, tentative trial dates were set, and a judge issued a gag order - the latest developments as the high-profile cases continue to receive national attention. Mayor Frank Melton and bodyguards Marcus Wright and Michael Recio were indicted a week ago for allegedly helping wreck a duplex on Ridgeway Street in northwest Jackson.
Though he said he hadn’t missed an opening weekend of deer season since 1967, special Circuit Judge John Cole rejected a motion Thursday asking that he put off a Lonoke County criminal case until the end of hunting season.
A high-speed pursuit ended Thursday morning when the suspect traveling 90 miles per hour and a Rogers police patrolman lost control of their vehicles. The 15-year-old driver failed to negotiate a curve at high speed and lost control of his vehicle, which went over the shoulder and struck parked cars in an adjacent parking lot, according to the police. Officer Mike Lira also lost control of his vehicle and hit an embankment during the high-speed pursuit. Lt. Mike Johnson of the Rogers Police Department said both vehicles were totaled.
A former Little Rock fireman who bilked his mother’s sick, 88-year-old neighbor out of nearly $95,000 must pay the money back at $200 per month, Pulaski County Circuit judge Chris Piazza ruled Thursday. Bill McEntire will need 39 years to pay back the entire amount.
The Board of Corrections on Thursday followed a member’s advice and unanimously approved a renewed attempt to persuade the state to designate special attorneys to prosecute inmates who attack officers.
The Saline County sheriff notified the county judge Thursday that the Texas company providing telephone service for county jail inmates was prepared to sue to keep the contract, which the Arkansas attorney general’s office has suggested might be illegal.
Wal-Mart is applying its famous price rollback strategy to health care by announcing it will make nearly 300 generic drugs available to customers and employees for only $4 per prescription. Wal-Mart officials announced the news Thursday at a live conference in Tampa, Fla., attended by Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Bill Nelson.
Drought conditions persist in much of Arkansas, but a Sunday cold front brought much needed rainfall to most of the state, including more than 4 inches in the northeast. Improvement is expected through November, according to a National Weather Service forecast. Year-to-date rainfall deficits through Wednesday range from 12.56 inches in El Dorado, to 6.44 inches in Texarkana, 5.95 inches in Harrison and 4.04 inches in Monticello. Unique among the major reporting stations, Jonesboro had received 35.55 inches of rain through Wednesday, 2.35 inches more than normal.
Pine Bluff City Clerk Loretta Whitfield says that the question of a higher minimum wage for city employees and employees of contractors doing business with the city will be on the Nov. 7 general election ballot. The ordinance calls for all uninsured city employees, or uninsured employees of contractors doing business with the city, to be paid at least $10.55 per hour. Employers who provide health insurance or child care at the rate of $1.25 per hour would have to pay employees at least $9.30 per hour.
David Pryor, a Democrat who served Arkansas as governor and senator, is poised to become the newest member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s board of directors at a time the congressionally chartered nonprofit is struggling to maintain a politically neutral stance.
Deluxe Media Services Inc., a manufacturer of DVDs for motion picture studios, announced Thursday that it will shut down its North Little Rock plant by late March, putting about 500 workers out of jobs.
The massive collection of American Indian artifacts to be auctioned this weekend began as a hobby 50 years ago for two Jackson County brothers disenchanted with their jobs. Stephen J. Graham and Gus Graham started searching fields near their Tuckerman home in the mid-1950 s for arrowheads and spear points - as well as scrapers and other ancient tools - when not working at their family mercantile store. They would toss their finds in 5-gallon buckets and assorted boxes, then trade them with store customers for other artifacts. This weekend, Grady Auctions and Realty Inc. of Newport will auction off nearly 13,000 pieces of Stephen Graham’s collection at the Center for the Arts on the Arkansas State University-Newport campus.
