By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A teenager charged with the rape of a convenience store employee last week in Forrest City is already familiar with the judicial system.
Dominic Winfrey, 16, was bound over to circuit court without bond during an appearance in St. Francis County District Court Wednesday afternoon on charges that he raped a woman at the Murphy USA on Deaderick Road just after midnight Friday. He is being charged as an adult.
He was arrested Wednesday morning at the Alternative School in Forrest City after a brief scuffle with police. In addition to the rape charge, he also faces counts of aggravated robbery, resisting arrest and possession of a counterfeit controlled substance.
Winfrey has a separate case pending against him in Cross County Circuit Court. According to court records, he allegedly attempted to rape a woman while she was asleep in her home last May. The victim told police she heard a noise and when she awoke, saw Winfrey standing over her bed. The suspect reportedly had removed an air conditioning unit from her window to gain entry into the home.
In June, Winfrey was released from custody at the request of his attorney on the condition that he meet certain conditions which included moving to Forrest City to live with his grandmother and enrolling in the Forrest City School District where he "shall attend with no disciplinary actions and meeting all academic requirements," according to the order signed by Judge L.T Simes. He was also ordered to attend church services regularly. Winfrey was to remain in Forrest City until his Cross County case was resolved.
Forrest City School District Superintendent Lee Vent said school officials were not notified of the charges levied against Winfrey in Cross County prior to his enrolling in the FCSD.
"We weren't made aware of that. You would think under common courtsey, they (court system) would notify us of something like that," Vent said. "If he or she moves in with a legal guardian, then he or she has the right to enroll in the school district."
Although there is no system for background checks on students, Vent said state law allows the district to refuse a student only if that student had been expelled from another school district.
Forrest City Junior High School Principal Billy Ferguson said, "It has never been the habit of the court system to notify us of any activity like that."
When asked if he felt a system should be implemented to inform
the school district, Ferguson said, "I think if there is
a student we're being ordered to take and part of his release
is determined by how he behaves in school or if he attends school,
then we need to know about it."
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The 25th annual Arkansas Agricultural Exposition will be held Tuesday, Feb. 3, at the Forrest City Civic Center, planned by Cooperative Extension Service representatives from Crittenden, Cross, Monroe, Lee and St. Francis counties.
The doors will open at 7:45 a.m. This year's theme is "Selling for More in 2004."
Farmers will have the opportunity to meet Extension Service researchers and conservationists, attend education programs on commodity marketing and precision agricultural technology tools, and have the opportunity discuss problems with Extension researchers and agents.
Changes in the format of the Expo are continuing this year. Last year, the event was shortened to one day instead of two. This year, there will not be any exhibitors.
"We've been trying to change the format the last couple of years," said Mitch Crow, St. Francis County Extension agent, staff chairman. "We're trying to have more cutting-edge topics. The exhibitors' part -- we may have to go back to it. We've been getting some calls in (from dealers) asking why they haven't been contacted (about exhibiting). But this time we're going to try to see how it will go without exhibitors."
Some of the sessions will deal with precision agriculture and other technologies.
Crow said farmers are in a better mood this year.
"The situation this year is much better," he said. "Our farmers had good yields and good prices, and they have a much better attitude than we've seen them in several years," he said. "And it's great to see that."
There will be four sessions during the Expo, beginning at 8:30. Justin Hensley will moderate "Introduction to Futures" with Gene Martin; "Hedging with Futures Contracts" also with Martin; and "Using Options to Manage Price Risk" with Dr. Tony Windham.
The second session begins at 10:15 a.m., moderated by Lazaro English. Topics will include "Hedging Exercise" with Gene Martin; "Options Exercise" with Windham; "Market Outlook Of Commodity Prides and County Cyclical Payments" with Martin; followed by discussions and questions.
After a noon break, the third session will begin at 1:30 p.m. moderated by Rick Wimberly. Subjects will include "On Farm Grain Bin Drying and Principles" with Dr. Dennis Gardisser; "Utilizing GIS Databases" with Gardisser and Suzanne Wiley; and "Data Available in GeoStar" with Wiley.
The fourth session will begin at 3:15 p.m., with Mitch Crow
moderating. Topics will include "Overview of Available Remote
Sensing Data" with Bruce Gorham; "How to Use Yield Maps"
with Dr. Bill Baker; "Remote Sensing" with Dr. Rick
Cartwright and W. Scot Monfort; followed by discussion and questions.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A Forrest City man jailed on charges stemming from a weekend shooting has been arrested in connection with another shooting earlier this month.
L.B. Haggins Jr., 47, was charged Wednesday with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. Haggins is accused of shooting Deadrick Crawford, 26, of Marion twice in the head on Jan. 17.
According to police reports, Crawford drove himself to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where he was treated and released following the shooting outside an apartment at 805 Mann Street. Crawford told police he was visiting with subjects there when he was invited into one of the apartments. Before he could get into the residence, he was reportedly attacked by two subjects who shot him and robbed him of $2,000.
Haggins was being held in the St. Francis County Jail on a $10,000 bond on charges of first-degree battery and unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle stemming from a Friday night shooting on North Washington.
According to police, about 6:20 p.m. Friday, Haggins allegedly shot Larry Washington, 33, 802 Laughrun Dr., Forrest City. Washington told police he was at the Sonic and saw a van get behind his vehicle. When he pulled into the parking lot at Staton's, Washington told police Haggins allegedly leaned out of the window of his vehicle and shot at him, striking him in the left eye.
Washington was treated and released at BMH-FC.
Haggins was arrested in connection with the Washington shooting
on Saturday at his home in Southside Trailer Park. Haggins' bond
was set at $10,000 in St. Francis County District Court on Monday,
but on Wednesday, he was bound over to circuit court without bond
on the charges stemming from Crawford's shooting.
Two Wal-Mart employees were arrested on theft charges Wednesday afternoon after allegedly stealing electronics from the store.
The Forrest City Police Department reported Roy Lee White, 21, 2705 Red Haven, and Clifford Boozer, 26, 16 SFC 441, both of Forrest City, were arrested on one count each of theft of property under $500.
According to police, the two are accused of stealing four of the Sony Playstation II video game consoles valued at about $200 each.
Forrest City Police are trying to determine why a man was shot Wednesday night.
James E. Mills, 39, of Madison, was reportedly shot in the lower left leg about 10:42 p.m. near the Franklin and Water streets intersection.
Police were called to the area regarding shots being fired, and upon arrival found Mills injured. He had reportedly been shot with a .45 caliber pistol.
Two men with Mills at the time of the shooting were questioned by police, but no arrests have been made.
According to the report, police saw Mills walk behind a nearby abandoned house, and while searching the area after him found a black semi-automatic pistol under the rear of the house.
Mills was taken by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where he was treated and released.