KCAB NEWS
ARKANSAS STATE POLICE HAVE IDENTIFIED TWO PEOPLE KILLED IN A MULTI-VEHICLE ACCIDENT YESTERDAY (MON.) MORNING ON INTERSTATE 40, WEST OF RUSSELLVILLE. THE TWO VICTIMS ARE 51-YEAR OLD DEBBIE HARRELL OF SHILOH, NORTH CAROLINA, THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE AND 40-YEAR OLD RAMZI BEDAS OF BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA. POPE COUNTY SHERIFF AARON DUVALL SAYS INVESTIGATORS WORKED THROUGHOUT THE DAY MONDAY, EVALUATING HOW THE INITIAL COLLISION OF AN 18-WHEELER AND A VEHICLE OCCURRED. AFTER THAT INITIAL CRASH, A THIRD 18-WHEELER BECAME INVOLVED...
SHERIFF DUVALL SAID AFTER INITIAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE VEHICLES CARGO, AUTHORITIES WORKED TO EVACUATE RESIDENTS IN THE AREA UNTIL THEY DETERMINED THAT THE TRUCK ON FIRE WAS NOT CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. THE DRIVERS OF THE ORIGINAL TWO TRUCKS WERE TREATED AND RELEASED. A WESTBOUND 18-WHEELER AT SAME SITE ALSO LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE, OVERTURNED THE TRUCK. DUVALL SAID HE BELIEVED TRAFFIC, STOPPED AS RESULT OF THE EASTBOUND ACCIDENTS, RESULTED IN THAT ACCIDENT. THAT DRIVE WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. BOTH EAST AND WESTBOUND TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE AND HIGHWAY 64 WERE BROUGHT TO A STAND-STILL, FOR A TIME, AS AUTHORITIES WORKED THE ACCIDENT SCENE.
AN UNIDENTIFIED 32-YEAR OLD MALE, INJURED IN A PEDESTRIAN/MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON WEST MAIN IN RUSSELLVILLE ON MONDAY, HAS BEEN TRANSFERED TO A LITTLE ROCK HOSPITAL. RUSSELLVILLE POLICE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER JOSH McMILLEN SAYS THE VICTIM WAS MED-FLIGHTED TO LITTLE ROCK ABOUT 4 P.M. ON MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE NOON-HOUR, IN THE 27-HUNDRED BLOCK OF WEST MAIN STREET. NO REPORT ON THE VICTIM'S CONDITION WAS AVAILABLE.
AN EFFORT BY THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY'S FOR POPE COUNTY RESIDENT VAN TUCKER TO RECEIVE A CHANGE OF VENUE IN HIS UPCOMING TRIAL, HAS BEEN DENIED BY CIRCUIT JUDGE BILL PEARSON. TUCKER APPEARED ON MONDAY, WITH HIS ATTORNEY HUGH LAWS, DURING A HEARING IN POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT. LAWS INDICATED HE BELIEVED TUCKER, WHO WAS CONVICTED OF MURDER IN THE DEATH OF A RUSSELLVILLE MAN IN 2000, WAS TOO FAMILIAR A NAME TO RECEIVE A FAIR TRIAL. AFTER HEARING TESTIMONY FROM SEVERAL WITNESSES, JUDGE PEARSON DENIED THE MOTION, AND SET ROBBERY TRIAL FOR MARCH 9th IN POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT. TUCKER WAS ONE OF THREE INDIVIDUALS WHO ASSAULTED AN ATKINS MAN, DURING A HOME INVASION IN MAY OF LAST YEAR. THE TWO OTHER SUSPECTS RECENTLY ENTERED GUILTY PLEAS, AS PART OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
BOND HAS BEEN SET AT 100-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A 61-YEAR OLD MALE SUSPECT ARRESTED BY ARKANSAS STATE POLICE ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES. THE SUSPECT, WHO'S NAME IS BEING WITHHELD PENDING THE FILING OF FORMAL CHARGES, APPEARED ON MONDAY BEFORE POPE COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE DON BOURNE. JUDGE BOURNE FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD THE SUSPECT OVER FOR AN APRIL 5th PLEA AND ARRAIGNMENT HEARING IN POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT. CHARGES OF POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA WITH INTENT TO DELIVER, POSSESSION OF DRUGS PARAPHENALIA AND SIMULTANOUS POSSESSION OF DRUG AND FIREARMS ARE TO BE FILED IN THE CASE.
DARDANELLE CITY COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THE LEVYING OF AN ADDITIONAL 20-DOLLARS ON FINES ASSESSED WITHIN THE CITY. DARDANELLE POLICE CHEIF MONTE SIMS SAID THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS WOULD BE USED TO HELP PAY RISING COST FOR INCARCERATING CITY PRISONERS. A 5-DOLLAR ADDITIONAL FEE LEVYIED BY THE COUNTY, UNDER STATE LAW, HAD PROVIDED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT FUNDS SINCE ITS INCEPTION, AND PROPOSED CITY FUND WOULD PROVIDE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNTY TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THEIR 5-DOLLAR FEE, WITH 15-GOING TO THE CITY. THE MATTER WAS APPROVED WITH ONLY ONE DECENTING VOTE, THAT OF ALDERMAN KENNY GEORGE, WHO SAID HE BELIEVE THE MATTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED OVER A THREE MONTH PERIOD, INSTEAD OF ALL THREE READINGS OF THE ORDINANCE DURING THE MARCH SESSION.
TODAY'S (TUES.) MEETING AGENDA INCLUDES THE MARCH SESSION OF THE POPE COUNTY QUORUM COURT BUDGET COMMITTEE, WITH A 5:30 MEETING SET IN THE QUORUM CHAMBERS OF THE POPE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. DOVER CITY COUNCIL WILL MEET AT 6 P.M. AND ATKINS PLANNING COMMISSION AT 7 P.M.
ARKANSAS KICKED OFF ITS ONE-WEEK FILING PERIOD FOR PUBLIC OFFICE ON MONDAY, WITH SEVERAL LOCAL AND STATE CANDIDATES PAYING THEIR FILING FEE. ON THE STATEWIDE SCENE, DEMOCRATIC LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILL HALTER INDICATED HE WILL SEEK THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR THE U.S. SENATE. HALTER'S SPOKESMAN PROVIDED A STATEMENT TODAY IN WHICH THE ONE-TERM LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SAID HE WOULD FILE PAPERS FOR THE U.S. SENATE THIS WEEK. HALTER IS THE ONLY DEMOCRAT TO FORMALLY ANNOUNCE A CHALLENGE TO LINCOLN AS SHE SEEKS A THIRD TERM.
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