State Troopers in this area were kept busy over the New Year's holiday investigating 12 accidents, one of which was alcohol-related. But there were no fatalities reported over New Year's.
According to a press release from Arkansas State Police Troop D, there were 160 speeding arrests and 14 DWI arrests in the period from the beginning of the day on New Year's Eve until midnight Sunday, Jan. 4.
There were also 42 safety belt violations and eight child restraint violations. Eighteen hazardous arrests (changing lanes erratically, following too close, etc.) took place. Non hazardous arrests (tail light out, etc.) numbered 73.
There were 30 criminal arrests (possession of a controlled substance, etc.) and 157 speed warnings given.
Troopers assisted motorists on 42 occasions, gave safety belt warnings 14 times, and issued two child restraint warnings.
In addition to the normal holiday emphasis, the State Police were also taking part in the national "You Drink. You Drive. You Lose" campaign.
According to the report, there were nine checkpoints set up in the Troop D area, which includes St. Francis, Crittenden, Phillips, Lee, Cross, Woodruff, Monroe and Prairie counties. There was also one saturation patrol.
During this period, there were 522 speeding citations issued and 32 DWI or DUI arrests. There were 172 safety belt citations and 30 child restraint citations issued.
During the course of stopping vehicles, troopers also recovered three stolen vehicles, and made 16 fugitive arrests (wanted on warrants). There were 103 people arrested for having suspended or revoked licenses, 91 uninsured motorists and 29 drug arrests.
Only one fatality was reported by the ASP in the Troop D area
over the entire holiday period. That fatality occurred Dec. 24,
when Christopher Spencer of Forrest City died in a one-vehicle
accident on Ark. Highway 306 west of Colt.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
You might have seen them children on scooters cruising up and down neighborhood streets. The Arkansas State Police issued a press release this week addressing these pint-sized motorists and the Arkansas laws that regulate where they can be operated.
The ASP release cites two specific Arkansas codes that concern scooters. The first defines a motorized bicycle (which scooters are categorized as) as a bicycle with an automatic transmission and a motor which does not displace in excess of fifty cubic centimeters. The release also states that although scooters today operate with electric motors, unlike those of the 1950's and 60's, the vehicles continue to be regulated under the "motorized vehicle" statutes.
The second code states that operators of motorized bicycles on public streets and highways should obey all traffic laws required of other motor vehicle operators and meet the requirements of possessing necessary insurance (liability insurance is the minimum requirement), a driver's license or an operator's certificate for individuals 10 years of age or older.
"No child under 10 years of age can possess a motorized bicycle operator certificate," said Major J.R. Howard, commander of the Arkansas State Police Law Enforcement Operations Bureau, in the release. "Without an operator's certificate, the scooter cannot be driven on a public street or highway, and the vehicles are specifically banned by statue from operating on public sidewalks."
Forrest City Police Chief Clarence McNeary added that the state statutes are being enforced by the city police. "We generally deal with these situations on a case-by-case basis. If a child is operating a scooter in their driveway, we aren't concerned with that. Children are not allowed to operate the vehicles on public streets if they are under 10 years old or do not have an operator's certificate." State law does not require a child operating a scooter on private property to have a certificate. Neither does it require a certified or licensed operator, no matter their age, to wear a safety helmet or eye protection.
"If a child is caught driving unsafely, is too young to operate the scooter or does not have an operator certificate, we will speak to the parent about the situation," said McNeary. "If the warning is ignored, we will confiscate the scooter and cite the parents of the child."
The ASP release also explained how a child 10 years or older can receive a motorized bicycle operator certificate. Any Arkansas State Police Driver License Testing Site can issue a certificate after the completion by the potential driver of a written examination, vision test and road test. There is a $2 fee for issuance of a certificate. The ASP is the only state agency authorized to issue a certificate, and license plates are not required.
For more information about testing and certifying operators of motorized bicycles or regulations regarding the bikes, contact the Arkansas State Police in Forrest City at 870-633-1454, or the agency's web site at www.asp.state.ar.us.
Most of the items stolen from layaway trailers at Wal-Mart in Forrest City last month have been recovered and returned to the store, according to Forrest City Police Department Criminal Investigation Division Lt. Dwight Duch.
Two suspects in the case surrendered to police on Monday, and warrants have been issued for two more suspects. Anthony Bean Jr., 19, 35 SFC 800, and Derrick Hilliard, 18, 139 W. Davis St., both of Forrest City, are each charged with one count of theft of property under $500. They were each released on their own recognizance.
According to a FCPD press release, the items were stolen from three layaway storage containers located behind the store on Deaderick Road during the night on Dec. 4.
Duch said each of the three containers were forced open, and Christmas layaway items were removed and carried to a vacant house in the Beech Grove area where the items were loaded into waiting vehicles and taken from the area.
Duch said because of the Christmas holiday, each time property was recovered, it was returned to the store immediately. "People had put these items in layaway, and they were making payments on it. So, we tried to get it back as quickly as possible before Christmas," he said.
The Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce has received a check for $6,746.54 representing matched funds earned by the Chamber at a September golf tournament.
Forrest City Mayor Larry Bryant presented the check.
The tournament was held at Forest City Country Club. Both the profit from the tournament and the matching funds have been earmarked for Chamber economic development activities.
According to a press release, the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce is the primary economic development agency for St. Francis County.
"The Chamber's relationship with the Arkansas Department of Economic Development (ADED) is crucial and allows access to the Department's LEAD Response System website, which notifies economic developers across the state about prospects and requirements for a site," the release stated.
The release went on to say that LEAD Response also allows a community to list detailed information about its industrial sites and available industrial buildings. The Forrest City Area Chamber's Executive Director (Danny Ferguson) is the trained designee for St. Francis County's access to LEAD Response.
The Chamber also maintains a working relationship with Entergy's Teamwork Arkansas, a division of ADED dedicated solely to economic development. The Teamwork Arkansas staff works to assist communities with all aspects of industrial recruiting, including technical and marketing assistance.
Forrest City is one of 26 cities in Arkansas that is a certified TeamCity Partner with Entergy.
The Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary organization of individuals, businesses and institutions working to advance the commercial, industrial, agricultural and civic interests of Forrest City and St. Francis County.
A Caldwell man suffered burns to the majority of his body when a working methamphetamine lab exploded Monday night.
Larry Henley Jr., 36, is in critical condition at the Med Center in Memphis today with second- and third-degree burns to 70 percent of his body.
The St. Francis County Sheriff's Department was notified about 10:30 p.m. of a shed fire at the Allen Weeks residence on Highway 70 East at Widener. The caller also reported a subject was on fire.
Deputies arriving on the scene found a severely-burned Henley, accompanied by Weeks, standing in the middle of the highway. Henley reportedly told a deputy he was "cooking dope and it blew up on me."
After Henley was taken by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City, deputies and firemen found the burnt remains of a meth lab in the area where the shed had reportedly stood.
Henley was later transferred by helicopter to the Med.
Deputies reported charges of manufacturing a controlled substance, meth and possession of drug paraphernalia are pending against Henley.
Debris on Interstate 40 near Palestine ruptured a fuel line on an 18-wheeler causing it to spill over 125 gallons of diesel on the roadway Monday night.
Arkansas State Police Troop D Headquarters in Forrest City notified the Forrest City Fire Department about 8:30 p.m. that fuel was leaking from the truck, driven by Frank Zapata and owned by Express Freight of California. The truck was located at the I-40, 229 mile marker. The FCFD and the Palestine Fire Departments responded to the scene, along with personnel from the Office of Emergency Services.
Sand, provided by the Arkansas Highway Department, was used to absorb the fuel.
County and municipal sales tax receipts for November have been announced by the Arkansas Municipal League.
In St. Francis County, county government received $135,016.20 Also receiving shares of the county sales tax were: Hughes, $26,759.58; Forrest City, $211,754.72; Wheatley, $5,331.86; Palestine, $10,620.70; Madison, $14,146.60; Caldwell, $6,664.82; Colt, $5,274.52; and Widener, $4,801.52.
In addition, several towns in the county which have their own sales taxes received the following: Forrest City, $145,575.82; Hughes, $14,128.60; Madison, $2,110.11; Palestine, $5,911.46; and Wheatley, $4,242.63.