Week in Review 3-5 to 3-11

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Storm destroys local post office

     Monday night's round of thunderstorms destroyed the post office in Parthenon located in Newton County. According to Investigator Glenn Wheeler of the Newton County Sheriff's Office, no one was injured and there were no other injuries reported from the storms across the listening area. Wheeler says there were other reports of sporadic damage, across Newton County, to some homes however, nothing to the extent of the damage done in Parthenon.
     The only other major damage reported was to one home in St. Joe, located in Searcy County, according to a spokesperson from Searcy County Sheriff's Department. No reports of damage were reported through Marion County Sheriff's Department or Baxter County 911. Howell and Izard County both reported trees down, one which fell near Dolph, blocking a road for a short time until emergency crews were able to get it removed.
     There were two separate super cell thunderstorms which moved through ahead of the main line of thunderstorms. The first cell started in Madison County and intensified in Newton County, when tornado warnings began to be issued.
     A trained weather spotter said a possible funnel cloud was spotted near Norfork, although no reports of a tornado have been officially confirmed.

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Baxter County inmate charged after cell search

      An inmate at the Baxter County jail, 26-year-old inmate Gary Lee Palmer, faces additional felony charges following a search of his cell which found marijuana hidden in a Bible. Palmer, who was originally jailed for a misdemeanor charge, is now facing felony charges of possession of a controlled substance and furnishing prohibited articles. He remains in the Baxter County jail on a $10,705 dollar bond.
     An affidavit filed with the county shows on March 6th, jailers searched the cell of inmate Palmer, where they found marijuana and tobacco, along with a lighter, which triggered a more thorough search.
     They found what appeared to be cards rolled up with a metal tube, which they believed to be a smoking apparatus. Small baggies allegedly containing tobacco were also found under Palmer's bed, secured by magnets. A further search of a Bible in Palmer's possession, revealed another baggie, which appeared to be marijuana.

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Jail search leads to another drug arrest

     Another Baxter County Detention Center inmate, 27-year-old, David Michael Fiss has been charged with felony posession of a controlled substance and furnishing prohibited articles as a result of the same pod search which found 26-year-old Gary Lee Palmer with marijuana hidden in a Bible.
     According to a report from the Baxter County Sheriff's Office Fiss was being searched in a change out room when suspected methamphetemine, in a small baggie, fell on the floor as Fiss was taking off his sock. The reports says the baggie fell on the floor near Fiss and he attempted to cover it with his foot.
     The approximate weight was .2 of a gram.

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Newton County Assessor arrested again

     The Newton County Assessor, Sheila McCutcheon, was arrested for the second time within a year at her office Monday afternoon on a felony perjury charge after a handwriting expert determined she had forged her deceased mother, Lorene Smith's, name on more than 50 documents. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, McCutcheon was taken from her office in the Newton County Courthouse, in Jasper, in handcuffs to the Harrison Police Department. She posted a $10,000 bond and was released the same day, according to Harrison Police Department Chief Paul Woodruff.
     She was arrested after allegedly stating under oath, on February 11, 2016, she had never forged Smith's signature. The perjury charge stems from a civil-court case regarding Smith's estate.
     Document examiner Dawn Phillips determined McCutcheon had signed Smith's name on six sets of documents and two checks and fraudulently endorsed more than 50 checks.
     McCutcheon's previous arrest was in June 2016 when she and her chief deputy, 35-year old Desiray McCutcheon, Shelia McCutcheon's daughter-in-law, were charged with felony theft of property for allegedly charging personal items to two county-issued credit cards.
    According to court records, the Arkansas Division of Legislative Audit provided detailed reports regarding purchases by the Assessor's Office from 2010 to 2015 on credit cards issued to the office. It is estimated that slightly more than $11,500 were involved.
    Auditors examined purchases by the office and found that the two women not only made purchases on the cards but also made personal payments on the accounts.
    On May 19th, the assessor and chief deputy were interviewed and, according to court records, admitted to using the county-issued cards to purchase personal items.
    McCutcheon resigned after the theft charge even though she had already filed for re-election. Because she was unopposed, she was re-elected to the Assessor position in November and resumed office in January. She retains the office because she has not yet been to trial.

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Classic Ford pick up truck grand prize at ASUMH Truck Party

     Christy Kearn, Director of Communications and Institutional Advancement at ASU Mountain Home, told KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot news Friday the Truck Party at the Sheid Thursday night was a huge success, with Kelly and Richard Johnson taking home the grand prize of a 1977 Ford F150.
     Keirn says there were over 375 people in attendance, with about 400 people entered in the drawing, itself.
     She says the response was overwhelming, and they are already planning a similar event for next year.
     Proceeds from the evening will go to the scholarship fund, and she thanks the community for their incredible support.

   

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