Two students waiting for school bus struck by SUV in Norfork
Two students who were waiting on the school bus Thursday morning were struck by an SUV in downtown Norfork. According to information from the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, the unidentified students, ages 15 and 13, were injured, but their injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
The sheriff’s office reports a deputy responded to a car vs. pedestrian accident occurring at 7:26 on the corner of Third and Main Streets in Norfork. When he arrived along with a Baxter Regional Medical Center ambulance, two other deputies and personnel from Norfork Fire and Rescue were already on the scene.
An officer made contact with the driver of the SUV, 57-year-old Carol Boviall of Norfork, who said she was backing out of the driveway and did not see the children sitting on the ground waiting for the school bus. Both children were transported to Baxter Regional Medical Center for treatment.
The criminal investigation division was notified, and investigators arrived just after 8:00 and advised the officer to transport Boviall to the hospital for a blood test. Boviall was checked by emergency room staff and then consented to the blood test. She was later transported to the CID for further investigation, and her blood sample will be sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock for analysis.
No citations have been issued pending further investigation from the sheriff’s office.
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Manhunt starts in Bull Shoals following threats to public officials
A manhunt began Friday in Bull Shoals and surrounding areas. According to Mayor David Nixon, authorities are searching for 32-year-old James McDaniel, after he reportedly made threats to public officials. Bull Shoals City Hall was on lockdown, but that has since been lifted because McDaniel is believed to have left the area.
Mayor Nixon says McDaniel was allegedly heard at his place of work making a variety of threats by a fellow co-worker. He could be on foot or driving a Cadillac STS with the Arkansas license plate 906 XOW. A $25,000 reward is being offered by his employer for his capture.
As of Saturday, McDaniel had yet to be located. Anyone who sees McDaniel is asked to call 9-1-1 or your local authorities, but do not approach him. The Bull Shoals Police Department may be reached at 870-445-4775.
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MH man in trouble for making calls to national journalist makes 1st court appearance
A rural Mountain Home man, accused of making multiple threatening calls to a news anchor at CNN in Atlanta, made his first appearance in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
Dozens of calls were allegedly made to CNN laced with death threats, racial slurs and reference to pipe bombs. Thirty-nine-year-old Benjamin Craig Matthews is charged with five felonies and 13 misdemeanors. His bond is set at $15,000 in connection with those calls. He was ordered to reappear Nov. 15th to formally enter his plea to the charges against him.
At one point, Matthews is said to have asked if he could be directed to the CNN reporter’s dead body which he described as hanging from a tree.
In another call, Matthews refers to bloody pictures of the CNN journalist who is described as cut up into small pieces. According to the probable cause affidavit, the calls were made from Oct. 31st to Nov. 2nd. The affidavit lists the journalist who was identified only by the initials DL. A check of the CNN website shows the prime time anchor Don Lemon as the only on-air staffer with those initials.
The Baxter County Sheriff’s Office worked with the Atlanta Police Department in tracking Matthews to this area. Information gathered by Atlanta police showed the calls were made from a cellphone registered to Matthews.
Audio recordings of the calls indicated all of them were made from the same person. A person familiar with Matthews was asked to listen to the recordings and positively identified Matthews as the caller.
Phone records also showed Matthews had made calls to others, including Planned Parenthood, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters.
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MH woman jailed again on another harassment charge
A Mountain Home woman has been arrested for the second time in a week on a harassment charge. Fifty-five-year old Ellen Marie Griesi was arrested Tuesday evening on charges including a misdemeanor charge of harassment.
The probable cause affidavit in the case says Griesi was allegedly taking photos of vehicles and people at a get together on Oct. 27th. When confronted she said she was “taking pictures of the road.” The witness told law enforcement two juveniles left the residence and Griesi got in her car and followed them. The witness observed Griesi follow the two over three miles to a local restaurant where one of them went in to get his paycheck. When he returned to the car to leave, Griesi allegedly tried to cut them off to prevent them from leaving the parking lot. They were able to evade her and went to another business, where Griesi followed them and then left the scene.
The affidavit says the charge of harassment was filed because Griesi surveyed the two juveniles at the residence, followed them for no legitimate purpose and caused them alarm and annoyance.
Griesi was arrested last week on charges for the City of Mountain Home for allegedly threatening to kill a woman and her son and placing a sympathy card on the woman’s vehicle with handwritten words inside that said “losing a son is hard on a mother.” She also allegedly threatened a neighbor and ran from police when they tried to arrest her.
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Election results bring runoff for MH mayor
While 14,508 of the registered voters in Baxter County or about 50 percent cast a ballot in the General Election, those in Mountain Home will have the opportunity to return to the polls in a runoff for Mountain Home mayor in four weeks.
Complete but unofficial returns show Hillrey Adams received 46 percent of the vote, Nancy Osmon 36 percent and Dave Almond 18 percent in the race for mayor of Mountain Home. With none of the three candidates receiving a majority of the vote, Baxter County and Circuit Clerk Canda Reese says Adams and Osmon will face-off in a runoff in four weeks to determine Mountain Home’s new mayor.
Reese says a candidate in a municipal election with more than two challengers can win outright with a majority, which is 50 percent plus one vote. Or, a candidate can win with 40 percent of the vote if he is ahead of the second-closest candidate by 20 percent. Otherwise, a runoff between the top two vote-getters will be held Dec. 4th.
Voters in Mountain Home selected a new city council member for the Ward 1, Position 1 seat. Bob Van Haaren was the top vote-getter with 52 percent to incumbent Carl Graves’ 48 percent.
Incumbent city council member Jennifer Baker won re-election with 57 percent of the vote to challenger Clint Czeschin’s 43 percent.
At Cotter, McGeorge “Mac” Caradine will be the city’s new mayor after capturing 66 percent of the vote to Roland Morris’ 34 percent.
Three members of the Cotter City Council retained their seats.
Incumbent city council member Nathan Buck won re-election with 54 percent of the vote over Carolyn Gill with 46 percent.
Incumbent John Bell was the top vote-getter for the Ward 2, Position 2 seat at Cotter with 54 percent of the vote over Schuyler Brower’s 46 percent.
Incumbent Wayne Alexander received 52 percent of the vote for the Ward 3, Position 2 seat over Richard Gipson with 48 percent.
The Cotter City Council will have a new member for the Ward 2, Position 1 seat, with Charles Sugg taking 59 percent of the vote over Thurman Williams with 41 percent.
In the lone county race, incumbent Edna Fusco, Justice of the Peace for District 8, captured 71 percent of the vote over her challenger, Democrat Shane Tilley, who received 29 percent.
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