Man in custody following chase, crash into BRMC ER
A Baxter County man is in custody following a chase that ended when the parolee drove his vehicle into the Baxter Regional Medical Center Emergency Room Friday afternoon shortly before 2:30.
Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery has the details.
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Sheriff Montgomery identified the suspect as 56-year-old Rory Gregory of Mountain Home, currently on parole, with a lengthy criminal history. Gregory was reportedly being treated for injuries he sustained in the crash, and he was later booked into the Baxter County Detention Center with charges pending. Sheriff Montgomery says there was a near head-on collision with a law enforcement officer during the chase.
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BRMC Vice President for Business Development Barney Larry issued a statement just before 4:30.
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Larry said BRMC was on a silver alert for about an hour when it was believed the suspect had a weapon. The silver alert was issued as a precautionary measure. He says the weapon was unconfirmed.
Larry says a visitor at the hospital was brushed by the vehicle when it entered the emergency room but was not injured.
Larry also says hospital officials are not aware of the suspect having any connection with the medical center that led him to the emergency room.
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Marion County chaplain charged with molesting girl for over 5 years
A Summit man, 45-year-old Scotty Joe Scaggs, who had been serving as a volunteer chaplain in the Marion County Jail, has been charged with three felonies regarding accusations he molested a female, when she was 7 years old, for a period of approximately five and one-half years. Scaggs faces charges of sexual indecency with a child, rape and sexual assault.
Marion County Sheriff’s Captain and Chief Deputy William Batterton says Scaggs was immediately suspended as chaplain. Scaggs is being held in the Marion County Jail on a $15,000 bond.
According to the arrest affidavit in the case, on May 15th a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department was contacted by an investigator with the Crimes Against Children Division of the Arkansas State Police. The investigator said a report was taken regarding a juvenile female, along with several other children, who spent the night with Scaggs after a family get together. The victim said Scaggs made her take off her clothes and dance on a dresser. The victim also alleges Scaggs made her kiss his daughters and sleep in his bed, where he touched her inappropriately and made inappropriate comments.
Captain Batterton says the investigation is ongoing, with more potential victims are being interviewed.
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Arrest made in Izard County for local man who hid in attic
A citizen tip has led to the quick arrest of a rural Mountain Home man who has 19 prior bookings in the Baxter County Detention Center since 1996. Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery says 41-year-old Chad Lee Merriman was arrested Thursday morning in Izard County after he had been published Wednesday on the Baxter County Sheriff’s Most Wanted website.
Sheriff Montgomery says a warrant for Merriman’s arrest was issued for residential burglary and other charges following an investigation into an early morning incident Tuesday. Deputies were dispatched to 29 Major Street in Norfork in response to an open line call received at the 911 center from that address.
Sheriff Montgomery says there is an order of protection prohibiting Merriman from going to the Norfork residence. Merriman has reportedly violated the order numerous times, with deputies being called to the residence previously and arresting him. Deputies suspected the open line 911 call was an indication that Merriman had come back to the residence again.
The victim told deputies she heard a knock at the door and saw Merriman outside. When she went to another room to call 911, Merriman broke open the front door and made it into the room where she was before she could dial 911. Merriman was carrying a stick and approached the victim in an aggressive manner. During this time, she was able to dial 911 on her phone, but could not verbally communicate with the 911 operator.
When officers arrived at the scene, the victim unlocked the front door and said in a whisper that Merriman was hiding in the attic.
With one officer watching the attic opening, the second called to Merriman outside the residence through the ceiling of the front porch. Merriman agreed to exit the attic. But while one officer was waiting at the opening, he heard a crashing noise right above from Merriman kicking out the wall of the attic and jumping to the ground. The second officer ran around the house in time to see Merriman running into the woods. Officers pursued Merriman, but were not successful in capturing him.
On Thursday, the Sheriffs Office received a tip that Merriman was at an Izard County residence. With assistance from the Izard County Sheriffs Office, he was located and taken into custody without incident. He was transported to the Baxter County Detention Center where he has been booked on a felony charge of residential burglary and three misdemeanor offenses.
Merriman is being held without bond. He is scheduled to appear in Baxter County Circuit Court on September 14th. Merriman’s prior offenses include five previous fleeing charges and arrests for domestic battery and violating an order of protection.
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2 fire departments respond to Cotter blaze
A home in the Cotter area sustained substantial fire and smoke damage Thursday afternoon.
The Cotter Gassville Rural Fire Department responded to the home of Leonard Jones at 64 County Road 889 shortly before noon, with the Gassville Fire Department rendering mutual aid.
Cotter Gassville Chief Jay Dukes says no one was at the residence at the time the fire broke out, with Jones returning home to find a portion of it fully engulfed.
Chief Dukes says the fire appears to have begun in the kitchen area. That portion of the home, along with a back storeroom sustained the heaviest damage. He estimated 25 to 30 percent of the residence received fire damage, with smoke damage throughout the one-story structure.
While an ambulance was requested at the scene for Jones, Chief Dukes says he was monitored and later opted not to seek further medical attention.
Chief Dukes said Gassville Fire Chief Bill Johnson, his firemen and their tanker were a tremendous help to his firemen.
The Cotter Gassville Rural Fire Department Chief says the Red Cross was contacted to assist Jones.
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Corps of Engineers has fined up to $100,000 for cutting down trees
Although it may not be clear to some residents of the Twin Lakes Area, cutting down trees on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ property, to get a better view of the lake, can come with some heavy fines. Chief of Natural Resources for Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes, Bruce Caldwell, says there have been several cases locally, and across the states of Arkansas and Missouri, where fines were in the thousands of dollars, including one case on Table Rock Lake in which a property owner was charged over $100,000 for damage to Corps’ property. Cutting of trees can also be considered criminal with charges possible for timber theft.
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Caldwell says restitution is expected if timber is damaged due to its intrinsic value. Damaging trees can be considered the same type of offense for damaging any other property belonging to someone else.
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A certified arborist will go to a damaged location and evaluate the landscape value and species of tree destroyed. Some species are worth more than others. The measurement of the tree, the size of the tree and how long it will take for the tree to return to that size are all considered in determining the price of the fine.
Mistakes are sometimes made by new residents of the Twin Lakes Area.
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One of the main reasons the Corps of Engineers takes the matter seriously is due to the importance of trees to the lakes’ ecosystem.
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Illegally cutting down trees diminishes the quality of the local drinking water and clarity of the lakes.
Caldwell says scuba divers come from nearly every state and other countries due to the clear water visibility. That type of attention is a revenue stream generated from tourist dollars.
Anyone with questions about trees or vegetation on Corps of Engineers’ property may call the Mountain Home Project Office at 870-425-2700 and speak with a duty ranger. Questions about boundary lines can also be answered.
The Corps can come to a property and visually mark the boundary line. Brass monuments are placed by teams of surveyors to distinguish the corners and lines of property. Contractors are also employed to cut lines in the woods and mark trees with white paint blazes.
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