By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A fight near Palestine Sunday afternoon ended when the mother of four small children was killed and her brother was injured as they were run over by a truck.
Two Forrest City men have been arrested on murder charges stemming from the incident that is believed to have been the result of an all-day fight between two groups of people.
The St. Francis County Sheriff's Department reported the accident occurred about 6:10 p.m.
According to court records, Tonya Baker, 25, and her brother, Jason Taylor, 28, both of Forrest City, were in a 1988 Plymouth van along with their mother, Dena Rains, Baker's husband Clarence and Steven Wilkins, when they allegedly drove to Scott Wright's residence on Highway 70, stopped on the side of the road and started cussing and yelling at Juston Busby.
According to reports, Busby and Taylor were reportedly arguing over a woman.
Deputies reported Busby, 23, and Scott Wright, 32, got into Busby's 2003 Ford pickup and started following the van which drove to the intersection of County Roads 204 and 221 where it stopped and everyone but Wilkins got out of the van. The county roads intersect just behind Casteel Cemetery on Highway 70 West near the Hamilton-Moses Steam Electric plant.
According to the report, when Busby drove by the van, the group allegedly began cussing, hollering and throwing rocks at Busby's new pickup. Witnesses told police that Busby drove down the road for a short distance, stopped and watched as Scott Wright allegedly motioned with his hand for him to begin backing up. Deputies reported Busby was looking out the back window of his pickup as he drove backward "very fast." The right rear side of Busby's pickup struck Taylor on his legs before the truck hit Baker. Baker was carried backwards on the tailgate until she was pinned between the truck and the van.
Med Flight landed near the accident scene and transported Baker to the Med Center in Memphis where she died a short time later. Deputies reported Baker was the mother of four small children, ranging in ages from about six months to seven years.
Taylor was taken by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where he was treated for a dislocated knee and injuries to his left hand and released.
Busby and Wright are both charged with first-degree murder, first-degree battery and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.
Two Colt people were arrested Saturday after material allegedly used in a methamphetamine laboratory were found at their residence.
The incident began with John N. Brown, 37, was arrested for a traffic violation on Ark. Highway 1, and gave permission for his residence on Old Military Road in Colt to be searched.
Officers searching the residence found the alleged meth lab, along with a small amount of marijuana.
Also arrested was Amy Camille Smith, 24, of the residence.
Both are charged with criminal attempt to manufacture methamphetamine; possession of anhydrous ammonia in an unlawful container; possession of ephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia; and possession of a controlled substance (marijuana). They were to appear in court today.
St. Francis County had an unemployment rate during January of 9.5 percent, according to figures from the Arkansas Employment Security Department. Average figures for 2002 were also released, showing the county's average unemployment was 8.6 percent last year.
The county's January figure was up sharply from the 8.2 percent recorded for December, but was down from the 10.6 percent recorded a year earlier.
During January, St. Francis County had a civilian labor force of 12,300, with 11,125 working and 1,175 not working. The 9.5 figure put the county into a two-way tie with Lawrence County for the 17th highest unemployment out of 75 counties.
Mississippi County had the highest unemployment for January, with 13.5 percent. Eleven counties in all had unemployment of 10 percent or higher. The lowest unemployment was 2.5 percent, recorded in Benton County. Seventeen counties had unemployment under 5 percent.
Unemployment in surrounding counties during January was as follows: Cross, 9.4 percent; Crittenden, 8.1 percent; Lee, 10.8 percent; Phillips, 11.5 percent; Monroe, 9.7 percent; and Woodruff 10.6 percent.
In the over-all figures from last year, St. Francis County's unemployment ranged from a high of 10.6 in January of 2002, to a low of 6.9 percent in October.
The month-by-month unemployment from St. Francis County during 2002 was as follows: January, 10.6 percent; February, 10.1 percent; March, 9.3 percent; April, 8.7 percent; May, 8.1 percent; June, 9.4 percent; July, 9.4 percent; August, 8.1 percent; September, 7.3 percent; October, 6.9 percent; November, 7.5 percent; December, 8.2 percent.
A skull and other skeletal remains found on the banks of a pond near Wheatley have tentatively been linked to a man who was reported missing in 2001.
Malcolm E. Noble of Little Rock was reported missing in the Wheatley area on Oct. 21, 2001.
On Sunday, according to the report by the St. Francis County Sheriff's Office, a call came in from Larry Clifton, who said he had found a human skull on the banks of a pond behind his home. Clifton's home is located at 657 SFC 930, Wheatley.
Investigator Gene Wingo reported that Clifton showed him the skull, and Wingo looked for other remains. He found other bones and some clothing. Wingo also found a driver's license, issued to Noble, who was 67 when he disappeared. There were searches made at the time, but Noble was not found.
According to the report, at the time of the disappearance, Noble's vehicle was found in a ditch, not far from where the remains were found Sunday.
The remains were collected and sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in order to get a positive identity, and to try to determine the cause of death.