Week in Review 8-14 to 8-20

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Nearly 3900 students return to the classroom in Mtn. Home



     Mountain Home students were welcomed back to the classrooms by teachers, staff and administrators Tuesday. Dr. Jake Long, superintendent of schools, says bus routes went smoothly and classes resumed without any problems.


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     Long reports enrollment at 3,897 students.


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     The Mountain Home Superintendent thanks the community for their support and cooperation as students return to the classroom.


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Local schools off to a smooth start across Twin Lakes Area



     Students returned to the classroom across the Twin Lakes Area Monday, including in Cotter, Flippin and Norfork, where school administrators report a smooth start to the school year.

     In Cotter, Chad Harp, who experienced his first day as their new superintendent says there were very few problems.


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     Harp reports enrollment at 729 students, which he says is up a little from last year.

     Norfork Superintendent Mike Seay reports their enrollment up by 35 or 36 to 462 students.


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     Seay says the first day of classes went well.


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     Kelvin Hudson, the new superintendent at Flippin, says the school year is off to a great start.


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     Hudson says Flippin’s school enrollment is holding steady at 810 students.



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West Plains man arrested on Murder charges



    A West Plains man has been arrested and is being held without bond after authorities say he admitted to killing and dismembering the body of a missing women.

    According to Court Documents, 63-year-old Walter Stewart of West Plains is in the Howell County Jail pending the filing of formal charges of First Degree Murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and abandonment of a corpse.

    Stewart told officers during an interview that he and the victim were living together and had been fighting. He then admitted to stabbing the victim several times. Stewart then said he dismembered the women body and hid parts of the women remains in a wooded area and in a nearby pond.

    Partial remains of the 35-year-old woman, identified on Terri Jean Wright, was found in a wooded area off the 800 block of Lanton Road near West Plains where the victim lived. The woman had not been heard from since July 20. A missing person report was made on August 9th.

    Wright had been reported missing August 9th. The case remains under investigation.



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Man dies after possible drowning in Brockwell



     An Izard County man died after a possible drowning during the weekend. According to Izard County Sheriff Tate Lawrence, deputies responded Saturday to a Brockwell residence at the intersection of Highways 9 and 56 where 36-year-old James Patscheck was found unresponsive in a swimming pool. Patscheck was transported to Community Medical Center of Izard County in Calico Rock were he was pronounced dead. Patscheck’s body was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock to determine the cause of death.



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Roos hearing held Wednesday



    Judge Gordon Webb spent part of Wednesday afternoon in a hearing in Marion County Circuit Court attempting to hack away some of the legal entanglements which now surround Nicholas Roos’ attempt to obtain post conviction relief from his current life without parole sentence. The hearing was conducted in Marion County since Circuit Judge Webb was due to hold court in Yellville earlier than he is scheduled to be in Mountain Home.

    Roos, Mikayla Mynk and Zach Grayham, all in their 20s, were initially charged with capital murder and arson stemming from the killing of Donald and LaDonna Rice and the burning of their home located on Baxter County Road 508 in early November last year.

    Judge Webb said one of the first steps he wanted to take in the case was to appoint an attorney to represent Roos. Since Roos’ efforts to obtain post-conviction relief include attacks on the ability of the two lawyers from the State Public Defender Commission who represented him through his guilty plea, Judge Webb said it would be an obvious conflict to appoint any public defender to represent Roos in his post conviction pleadings, and that presented problems. Judge Webb said he would appoint an attorney from “the local pool of attorneys,” but the lawyers would most likely receive little or no compensation for his or her work.

    Roos pled guilty May 24th to participating in the Rice murders along with other charges that had been filed against him.



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Mountain Home woman arrested on forgery charges



     A rural Mountain Home woman has been arrested on forgery charges. According to Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery, 38-year-old Carrie A. Toth has been charged with five Class C felony counts of Second-Degree Forgery following an investigation into the fraudulent use of another person’s credit and debit card information for personal gain.

    On August 13th, the sheriff’s office took a complaint of forgery from a Baxter County resident. The person accused Toth of obtaining the number of a debit card tied to the victim’s account and using the card numbers to make purchases she had no standing or permission to make. The victim also discovered a defaced credit card of hers in Toth’s possession. Toth had been a caregiver living in a residence with the victim’s family members.

    During the investigation and the examination of bank records, it was determined Toth had used the debit and credit card information she had allegedly stolen to make at least five fraudulent purchases since May totaling over $1,265.

    Toth was arrested and incarcerated in the Baxter County Detention Center Thursday afternoon. She was released after posting $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in the Baxter County Circuit Court on August 25th.

    The investigation into this matter is continuing.



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MHFD responds to house fire near Big Creek



     The Mountain Home Fire Department was on the scene Friday night of a house fire near Big Creek Golf and Country Club. According to a report from Fire Captain Kris Quick, the entire house on Town Park Avenue was damaged by smoke, and the living room also had fire damage.

     Captain Quick says the living room was the origin of the fire. The Mountain Home Fire Department was on the scene of the house owned by Mary Markoff for nearly an hour and a half with assistance by the Buford Volunteer Fire Department.

     The cause of the fire remains under investigation.



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Cotter School District wins Spirit of Arkansas Food Drive Award



     A Twin Lakes Area school district was recognized by the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance for its efforts to end hunger in the Natural State. Cotter Public Schools were given the 2015 Spirit of Arkansas Food Drive Award.

     Cotter picked up the award after partnering with Arvest Bank and the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas to collect the most meals of any school participating in the contest. Arvest North Central Arkansas Branch Administrator David McBee says the local district was able to win the award after a pair of change drives held last year.


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     In addition to its plaque, Cotter Schools were also awarded a check for $1,500 to go its backpack program.




   

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