By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A former Methodist minister in Colt has been sentenced in a rape case involving a teenage boy.
John Gregory Speed, 34, was arrested in April, 2001, by Arkansas State Police on a charge of rape involving a 15-year-old. Speed pled guilty to a reduced charge of attempted rape on Wednesday before Circuit Court Judge Harvey Yates.
First Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Fletcher Long said the charge was reduced in order to allow Speed to be given probation. Rape is a Class Y felony, and probation is not an option for a Class Y felony, Long said.
Speed was sentenced to six years probation, with three years supervised probation. He was also fined $1,000. Long said the fine was levied to ensure that Speed's conviction would always remain on his record. Speed is also required to be registered as a sex offender. "He will also have to undergo whatever counseling his probation officer directs him to complete," Long said.
Long said it was important to him in this case for Speed to stand before a judge and enter his plea. "He stood before the judge and admitted his guilt. That was a big part of the thing with me, for him to stand in front of the judge and say 'yes, I did it.'"
According to court records, Speed was serving as the victim's adoptive parent when the incidents occurred. During Speed's interview with police, he admitted some contact between himself and the child, and said the incidents had occurred over a period of about six months while the victim lived with him in Colt.
"There were some problems in trying the case, and when I started looking at it, I realized he has some worth to society," although, Long admitted, "I don't know exactly what it is."
"If you send him to prison for 10 years, I don't know that anything is ever realized out of that," Long said. "At least this gives him a shot to use his clergy training to try and do something good for somebody."
Long said he believes Speed is now living in the Memphis area.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Three Wynne residents have been arrested and charged with allegedly printing and passing counterfeit $100 bills in the eastern Arkansas area, including Forrest City.
Danny Keith Jeffrey, 18, Joylesha Angela Collins, 22, and Willie Lakesha Collins, 21, all of Wynne, have been charged with numerous counts of first degree forgery.
According to Det. Sgt. John Riggins of the Forrest City Police Department, the arrests were the culmination of a combined effort by the FCPD, St. Francis Sheriff's Office, Wynne Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.
"It started back in early October," said Riggins. "We received reports from area businesses that they had received counterfeit $100 bills."
Among the local businesses were First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas, Waffle House, Sonic, Overton's Liquor, Ray's Place and Wilburn's Barbecue.
"To look at them, the bills seemed real," said Riggins. However, he added that the bills felt wrong to the touch, and had no water mark. "They definitely were not real."
The bills also all had the same serial number.
A break in the case came on Nov. 4, when a juvenile who was allegedly involved in a drug sale was found to have seven counterfeit $100 bills in his pocket, with the same serial number as the ones being passed.
"They were the same as had been reported here and in St. Francis County, and up in Wynne, Harrisburg -- all over eastern Arkansas."
From there the investigation expanded, and the Secret Service was contacted. From information gathered by law enforcement officers, three people were arrested in Wynne.
According to Riggins, "A search turned up a Hewlett-Packard printer-copier-scanner machine that was used."
The three were taken into custody in Wynne, where numerous phony bill had also been passed, and bound over to Circuit Court in Cross County. On Wednesday, they were brought to St. Francis County, where they were charged with seven counts.
Riggins said Parkin and Harrisburg might be working on some charges also. He said the Secret Service indicated that there may be federal charges brought.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Crossing arms, or the lack thereof, in Palestine, again dominated the discussion at this week's monthly city council meeting.
Several citizens attended the council meeting to discuss railroad crossing arms for the Highway 261 crossing and the proposed closure of the crossing on Sulcer Street. Highway officials have told the city that crossing arms could be placed at the Hwy. 261 crossing, but the other crossing would have to be closed first.
Erika Krennerich, a representative of U.S. Congressman Marion Berry's office, attended the meeting. "I was asked by Congressman Berry to listen in on the discussion. When it comes down to it, the federal government can't do much (to help get crossing arms at the 261 crossing), but we agree it is dangerous, and something needs to be done. We will help you in any way that we can."
Mayor Willetta Carroll recalled for councilmen a conversation she recently had with Berry. "I spoke to him, and he told me that it was up to Union Pacific and the Highway Department (Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department) whether crossing arms will be placed there."
Tina Pate, the mother of Angela Pate and Billy Pate, who were both killed by a train at the 261 crossing in March, was recognized by the council.
Last month, Pate presented a petition that was signed by 121 Palestine residents that asked the city council to close the Sulcer crossing so that arms could placed on the 261 crossing. That solution to the problem was offered by the AHTD.
"A woman wrote me from Humphrey. Her child was killed at a crossing. The city closed one crossing and they built arms on the crossing where her child was killed at."
"We are fighting two people (UP and the AHTD) who really don't care," said Carroll. "We have talked to all of them. How do we know they will do it? The people in the town are not for closing that crossing."
Pate then added, "The city (Humphrey) through the state got the closed crossing opened back up with arms there too."
A comment was made by council member Carolyn Burdett that the petition that was brought before the council by Pate last month asked the city council to hold a special election if the council did not want to take action. Burdett also commented that the petition was not brought to a vote by Carroll who favored the petition presented by Forrest City attorney Mike Easley.
Carroll responded to Burdett, "It (the petition) was sprung on me last month, and I am supposed to know everything that is coming before the council. It was sprung on me this month too. It is listed under old business, and we didn't table it last month. It did not come to a vote last month because the we (the council) were in agreement on the Easley petition."
Burdett compared the Pate petition to the Easley petition. "Our petition involved the citizens of Palestine. The Easley petition doesn't require you to be a citizen of this city or even of this state. We didn't have a vote. The petition stated that if the council would not take action, the people of Palestine would vote on the ballot."
Carroll responded, "I have talked to the people, and they don't want it and they don't want to vote on it. They won't even talk to you about it."
Krennerich addressed the council. "I'm going to ask the AHTD what they will do about the crossing, but they are not going to come back to you with something in writing about this until they get a formal request from you."
In other business, the council voted to give city employees
a Christmas bonus.
The Forrest City Area Humane Society will sponsor a "Red Hot Sunday Chili Cookoff" on Sunday, Nov. 30 -- the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
The event will be held at Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church, and will begin immediately after church, and will continue until about 3 p.m.
Contestants will be asked to bring their chili already prepared. There will be judging and trophies, donated by Gadberry's Sporting Goods. Because of the family atmosphere, there will be no alcohol or rowdy behavior allowed.
The general public will be able to sample all the chili they want until it runs out, for $5. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an admission-paying adult.
"People will pay $5 to get in the door," said Janet Griffith of the Humane Society. "And they'll get a bowl and a spoon. And you go from booth to booth for chili."
Condiments will be provided, such as cheese, onions and jalapeños. Frito-Lay is donating chips. There will also be ice cream, to "put out the fire," said Griffith.
There will also be entertainment, drawings and a silent auction.
Proceeds will go towards furthering the Humane Society's goals of finding homes for strays, spaying and neutering.
"We need money for many things," Griffith said, adding that even with help from the city to build a new facility, more is needed.
"The money from the city will cover the building," she said. "We're going to need office equipment, cages. And we hope, eventually, to be able to accommodate more than just dogs."
Griffith said she is hoping for at least 20 teams. Some have already signed up, but there's plenty of room for more. For more information on fielding a team or any other aspect of the event, call Janet Griffith at 633-3543.