Mountain Home men injured in plane crash near Arkansas River
Two Mountain Home men were involved in an airplane crash Wednesday afternoon near the Arkansas River. According to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, 49-year-old James N. Brown and his son, 20-year-old James D. Brown, were transported by helicopter to University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock with injuries.
Pulaski County Lieutenant Cody Burk says two deputies responded to a call of an airplane crash in the area of a field off Arkansas Highway 161 west of England. Upon arrival, the Arkansas State Police and medical personnel were on the scene treating the pilot, identified as James N. Brown, and the passenger, James D. Brown.
James N. Brown stated the engine of his airplane stopped working prior to the crash landing, and he called in an emergency “Mayday” and attempted to land the plane in the field. The plane reportedly came down between trees and into an open grass area. One of the deputies reports the landing gear was broke off, but the plane was upright upon coming to a stop. The front of the aircraft was damaged, and the propeller was partially buried in the ground.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident.
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Sanitation worker dies when dumpster falls on him
A sanitation employee was fatally injured Wednesday morning on the Calico Rock Public Schools campus when a dumpster fell on him while he was emptying it into his truck.
Izard County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Earnie Blackley says 48-year-old Steve Allen of Mountain Home was an employee of Methvin Sanitation.
Blackley says the accident occurred shortly after 10:00. School Superintendent Jerry Skidmore says a district employee found Allen unconscious when she went to break.
The Calico Rock superintendent says students were never in danger, saying the teachers were instructed to use another playground during recess to avoid the scene.
Blackley says while the investigation is ongoing, no foul play is suspected.
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Woman whose home was seized sentenced to addiction treatment
Rebecca Martin, who has faced a number of charges related to her involvement in the drug business, is now headed to a Community Corrections Center after violating her probation. Martin is to undergo a program designed to help people deal with addictions.
Martin was found guilty of probation violations and sent to the CCC during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
In late April, the 53-year-old Martin entered a guilty plea to three active drug-related criminal cases and was given 20 years probation.
In mid-June, Martin was charged with violating her probation by testing positive for the use of methamphetamine for the third time in just over a month. She was also accused of failing to report for various appointments with staff from Arkansas Community Correction.
Martin was also a no-show in early June to undergo a substance abuse assessment.
Prior to her being put on the lengthy period of probation, 14th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge told the court a review had been conducted of the evidence the state could present at trial — as well as the ways and means the evidence had been gathered. The prosecutor told Judge John Putman the review indicated there could be problems in proving many of the charges against Martin at trial.
In fact, prosecutors had already been hampered in bringing some of Martin’s past cases to court. The cases were deemed unwinnable and charges dismissed after courts ruled evidence was illegally gathered by investigators, due to defects in affidavits on which search warrants were obtained.
Ethredge said putting Martin on probation for two decades would allow law enforcement to monitor her activities to see this doesn’t happen again.
It did not take long for Martin to run afoul of the law by violating the terms and conditions of her probation. She has been in the Baxter County jail since June 12th on the probation violations, after being sentenced to her original charges in late April.
Martin’s court records contain information concerning a number of controlled drug buys orchestrated by law enforcement. Many of the buys were made from Martin’s residence along County Road 30.
As part of her original plea back in late April, Martin lost her home, which was seized by the state. Martin stood accused of running a fairly substantial drug business from the residence for a period of nearly 20 years.
The state seized the house and recently sold it for $34,000. According to records maintained by the Baxter County Assessors Office, the home was listed as a 1,200-square-foot structure. It is described in other court records as a two-story log house located at the end of a circular driveway.
Martin’s changed circumstances are illustrated by her indication she is indigent in an affidavit filed in July showing her living with a relative and with a monthly income of $100.
Allegedly, Martin used the proceeds of a large lottery winning to retire the debt on the house the state has now seized and sold.
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MC judge vetoes transferring 911 center supervision to sheriff
Marion County Judge Terry Ott has vetoed an ordinance approved last week by the quorum court designating the county sheriff’s office as the operator of the 911 public safety communications center.
Judge Ott tells KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot news he tried to make his case to the court before its vote on the ordinance, saying there was information of which the justices were not aware. However, the court, with only justice Mike Scrima opposing, passed the measure.
Judge Ott gives two reasons for his action in a statement attached to the vetoed ordinance. He says he is exercising his right under state law, noting the quorum court does not have jurisdiction in this matter. Instead, again citing state law, Ott says the chief executive of the political subdivision, meaning the county judge, shall determine and designate the 911 operating agency.
While in cases of vetoes there is normally an opportunity to override the decision, Ott says that is not the case in this instance. He says an override is not an option because the action of the quorum court was not legal.
The second reason cited for the veto is the opposition of an unnamed adjoining county judge, who has agreed to participate with Marion County in the Solacom 911 system. Solacom provides purpose-built and customizable software and hardware solutions for emergency call handling and management.
Ott says after a discussion with the unnamed judge, it has been revealed if Marion County’s 911 center operation is transferred to the sheriff’s department, the partnership will not move forward.
While the county judge is not identified in Judge Ott’s correspondence, he confirmed to KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot news, it is Baxter County Judge Mickey Pendergrass.
Last October, Judge Pendergrass said a pilot 911 partnership initiative between Baxter and Marion counties, believed to be the first of its kind in Arkansas, will enhance emergency services while saving much-needed funding.
Ott says jeopardizing the partnership with Baxter County will make the monetary portion greater for Marion County. Consequently, he does not want to designate the sheriff’s office as the operator of the 911 public safety communications center for Marion County.
Last week, Marion County Sheriff Clinton Evans said the plans for the new detention center, set to open later this year, call for the 911 center to be located in the new facility.
Judge Ott says he had agreed to that plan. However, he says that did not include designating the county sheriff’s office as the operator of the 911 center.
Both Ott and Pendergrass say state officials have a goal of separating 911 operations from the supervision of county sheriffs in some 10 to 20 counties.
Judge Pendergrass, who sits on the County Judge’s Association of Arkansas’s Executive Board, says the goal across the state is to get all 75 counties on the same page in order to move forward for additional funding from the legislature for the 911 centers.
Pendergrass says he visited with Sheriff Evans to explain the goal for funding. He also noted operating a 911 center is more than just dealing with law enforcement matters. He said cases of natural disasters like the flooding in April 2017 is a perfect example of the efforts required by a 911 center, including coordination with rural fire departments, outlying cities and media contacts.
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ASUMH named top community college in US
Arkansas State University Mountain Home (ASUMH) has been ranked as the number one community college in the United States. The financial website wallethub.com conducted a study using several factors and determined ASUMH is the top choice in the nation for students selecting a community college.
Dr. Robin Myers, chancellor of ASUMH, says it’s an exciting honor for the local college and speaks well of the staff and students.
Listen:
The study factored in three key dimensions: cost and financing, education outcomes and career outcomes. Myers says while ASUMH was not number one in any of the three categories, it was ranked high enough to give the college the best overall score from all two-year schools in the U.S.
Listen:
Out of all of the community colleges across the nation, ASUMH was ranked 39th in cost and financing, 22nd in education outcomes and 40th in career outcomes.
Two other community colleges in our area made the list. North Arkansas College in Harrison is ranked 17th and Ozarka College in Melbourne is number 18.
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