By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A teenager is charged with capital murder in the weekend beating and stabbing death of a reclusive Forrest City woman before her home was set on fire.
Prince Lee Banks, 19, 816 W. Broadway, Apt. 1, Forrest City, was arrested Monday evening for capital murder in the death of Althema Griggs, 62, 141 Brandon St., Forrest City. He was taken into custody without incident when police executed a search warrant at his residence, according to Forrest City Police Department Criminal Investigation Division Lt. Dwight Duch.
In addition to the capital murder charge, officials with the FCPD said today that more charges are expected to be filed against the suspect in relation to a variety of other crimes that have been committed throughout Forrest City.
Banks has an extensive criminal record dating back to 2000 when he received two separate suspended sentences for charges including burglary, fleeing, criminal mischief, breaking and entering and resisting arrest. Warrants were issued in November for Banks for public intoxication, failure to appear and disorderly conduct.
According to police, Griggs' body was found inside the fire rubble of her home on Saturday. The Forrest City Fire Department was called to the fire scene about 11:30 a.m. Griggs was a former teacher at the Forrest City Junior High School.
Griggs' body was sent to the State Crime Lab for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Duch said she had been beaten and stabbed before her home was set on fire. Because of the condition of Griggs' body, medical records were used to positively identify her as the victim.
Banks is being held without bond in the St. Francis County Jail. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon in the St. Francis County District Court.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Schedule changes are in the works for the Forrest City Public Library which will soon open later through the week and close earlier.
According to a schedule approved by Library Board members during Monday's called meeting of the board, library hours will be pushed back to an opening time of 11 a.m., Monday through Friday with closing hours at 7 p.m. on Monday, and Tuesday through Friday at 5:30 p.m. beginning Feb. 11. The change in times pushes back the opening of the library by an hour and a half and changes the closing time from 8 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays.
According to co-director Sarah Jumper, changing the hours of operation at the library will afford employees more opportunity to better manage their work without having to stop to help library patrons.
"Just because the doors won't be opening until 11 a.m. doesn't mean that we won't have employees here during that additional time. Myself and Dashaune (Hill, co-director) will continue to be here in the morning as will other employees. That hour and a half will allow us to get some work done without interruption. If we're able to get the majority of our work done in the mornings, then we will be able to devote more of our time to the patrons when they come in," said Jumper.
Board member Brad Beavers commented on the change in hours would also help ease the budget crunch faced by the library.
"What this does is, it will allow us, with the potential shortfall in state aid, which by the way has nothing to do with whether we have a state certified librarian but has to do with the overall shortfall in state finances, to tighten up as far as staff hours and other things. We would rather do this by staff hours as opposed to cutting services," Beavers said.
The board agreed to make the changes in hours and also agreed to extend hours when necessary. The board also met in executive session regarding some personnel matters.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The St. Francis County Conservation District, along with four other counties, has entered into a program to help landowners in the L'Anguille River Watershed to reduce the sediment from agricultural lands going into the river.
According to Patricia Perry, spokesperson for the St. Francis County district, the Environmental Protection Agency has designated the L'Anguille as an impaired waterway.
"The EPA is giving the state of Arkansas a two-year period to improve the condition of the river," said Perry. "If at that time, if they EPA thinks the state has not done enough, they might come in and start some kind of regulation."
She said she doesn't think that is happening because of the efforts being made. The conservation district is currently taking applications for assistance on sediment reduction practices.
Landowners may receive up to 40 percent cost-share assistance on the practices. She said there are several things which can be done. Although the terms are common in agriculture, she said they may not be familiar to many people.
*Pipe drops -- these are pipes in borders of fields where gullies might be forming. "They hold back the water and let it drain from the field," she said.
*Flash-board risers -- These are simply boards which can be moved to raise and lower the level of water. Perry said these are already common, especially in rice fields, and are often used to raise and lower the water levels for duck hunters. "By holding water in the field during the winter, it lets sediment settle out. And when the water is released in the spring, it is clear," she said.
*Filter strips and buffer strips -- A filter strip is a grass strip at the edge of a field which captures sediment or pesticide. A buffer strip is similar, only with trees and shrubs added.
"All this is a part of an ongoing effort to keep sediment from reaching the L'Anguille," Perry said.
The other four counties involved are Craighead, Poinsett, Cross and Lee.
Anyone wanting more information or who wants to apply for assistance should call the St. Francis County Conservation District at 633-3055, Extension 101, or visit the office at 623 N. Division.
The second of three men believed to have committed a triple homicide in the Crow Creek area of Madison, has been charged.
"We served warrants yesterday on Kevin Mosby, on three counts of capital murder," said St. Francis County Sheriff's Department chief investigator, Glenn Ramsey.
He said Mosby is being held without bond.
Mosby, 30, of Forrest City, is one of three suspects in the murders of Dylan. A. Boyd, 31, and Carl Boyd, both of Madison, and Dewayne Stewart, 27, of Forrest City.
The three men were found Dec. 7 inside the Boyd residence in Crow Creek.
Police in Wisconsin captured Mosby on Jan. 9. Also captured at that time was a second suspect, Jimmy Mills, 30, of Forrest City. Mills is also a suspect in another murder, that of Voltaurus Parchman, 22, of Forrest City on Dec. 28 in Parchman's home.
Mosby and Mills were apprehended by members of the Hudson, Wis., police force, who had been tipped off that men wanted in a triple homicide were staying at an apartment complex.
There is still one suspect at large.
"We're still trying to locate Steven Neal, and we have a couple of murder warrants for him also," said Ramsey.
Neal, 35, is from Marianna.
Mosby has been charged with more than the triple murder, according to Ramsey. He said the other charges are from Forrest City.
"His original charges started with the kidnapping, aggravated assault and rape of his ex-wife," Ramsey said. "Subsequently he was also charged with the theft of a vehicle."
The vehicle in question was a white van stolen locally, which officials believed was used as a getaway vehicle. It was eventually recovered in Wisconsin.
A girlfriend of one of the victims found the bodies of the three men. Each had died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Mosby and Mills are being held in an undisclosed location.