By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Two people were killed in a small St. Francis County community Sunday afternoon after a husband and wife argued over an out-of-state move.
The St. Francis County Sheriff's Department reported Connie Austin, 54, and her son, Scotty Austin, 21, were shot and killed during an argument between Lester Moss, 43, and his wife at the home the four shared in the Heth community.
SFCSD Chief Investigator Glenn Ramsey said Moss allegedly killed his mother-in-law, Connie Austin, and his brother-in-law, Scotty Austin, all of 397 St. Francis County Road 530, at about noon yesterday. According to Ramsey, an argument between Moss and his wife is believed to have led to the shooting.
"Apparently, Moss and his wife had been arguing for the past few weeks as to whether they were going to continue to live in this area or move to Oklahoma. The argument started up again Sunday, and when it did, the mother-in-law and the brother-in-law got involved," Ramsey said.
After allegedly shooting the pair, Moss got into his vehicle and drove to a St. Francis County Auxiliary Deputy's home where he turned himself in and turned over the weapon he reportedly used in the double murder. Moss' wife was not reported injured in the shooting.
"When I arrived at the scene, Moss had gotten into his vehicle and left the scene. He drove around and then went to an auxiliary deputy's home that lives in the area, and he turned himself in and gave the gun to the deputy without incident," Ramsey said.
Moss is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a certain person. He is scheduled to be arraigned in St. Francis County District Court today.
According to Ramsey, the bodies of Connie Austin and Scotty Austin were transferred to the Arkansas Crime Lab in Little Rock for autopsy.
More details surrounding the murders were expected to be released later today.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
When local parents receive the news from school on their kids' body mass index, much will depend on how well the BMI is explained.
That was the concern expressed by Lisa Drake, director of Health Services for the Forrest City School District.
A recently-released report stated that 40 percent of public school children in Arkansas are overweight, and nearly one in four is obese.
"My personal opinion is, we may have put the cart before the horse," said Drake. "We've got all these numbers but parents may not know how to use them."
She said she worries that the reports might be in "nursery talk" which could confuse students and their parents.
"Say, you have a 12-year-old who is very competitive. And somebody had a BMI of 97 and this kid had a 98. The kids have no idea what that means," she said.
According to Drake, one confusing point is that the figures may not take in body type.
Last year, Arkansas legislators passed a law requiring schools to find out the body-mass index of all schoolchildren and report it to their parents.
"We did it in Forrest City for K through 12," said Drake. "About 98 percent of the elementary kids let us do it. Some of the junior high and senior high kids said it was none of our business."
She said there are legitimate concerns about the effect of being called fat -- or thinking that they're being called fat -- may have on kids, especially girls.
"I'm worried about eating disorders with sixth through 10th grade girls," she said.
Drake, who is also vice president of the Arkansas School Nurses Association, said she isn't the only one who is worried.
"This has been batted around in meetings," she said.
She said at a recent school nurses' meeting she heard about the Arkadelphia School district, which was used as a pilot program. "They sent the body mass index home with the kids. One little girl read hers on the school bus and became so distraught the bus driver had to stop the school bus. And this kid didn't even know what the numbers meant."
However, some health officials say the benefit of spotting at-risk children outweighs the stigma of branding them as too heavy.
Arkansas already has removed vending machines from elementary school campuses and set up a Child Health Advisory Committee to help parents get their children to normal weights.
Still, Drake said it is also difficult to put so much of the burden for obesity on the schools.
"I know we've taken all the snack machines out of the elementary schools," she said. "And our cafeterias are very compliant with what should be served. But we only feed them at breakfast and lunch."
She said she hopes the information received by parents is written so that it can be easily understood. She said some parents may get mad, saying, "I can look at my kid and tell if he's fat."
Some may be concerned, or panicked, and others honestly may not know what foods are healthy. "And we don't want to be the candy bar cops or the Twinkie police."
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The May term of First Judicial District Circuit Court produced over $32,000 in fines and sent seven people to the Arkansas Department of Corrections during the two-week term which began on May 10.
According to records from the St. Francis County Circuit Clerk's Office, 91 cases went before Circuit Judge Harvey Yates during the term which lasted from Monday, May 10 through Thursday May 20. Yates sentenced 44 people during the term, with 37 receiving either probation or suspended imposition of sentences.
Of the seven individuals sentenced to prison, Carolyn Williams received the longest sentence with two 10-year sentences for negligent manslaughter surrounding the deaths of a Marianna couple last June. Williams pled guilty to two counts of negligent homicide in connection with the deaths of John Jones, 49, and his wife, Danita D. Jones, 48.
According to a report from Arkansas State Police Troop D headquarters last year, the Jones' were traveling south on Highway 1 on a 1992 Harley Davidson when Williams, who was driving a 1993 Oldsmobile, turned in front of the motorcycle near the intersection of Hwy. 1 and South Rosser Street. John Jones died at the scene of the accident from injuries suffered in the collision and his wife Danita died a week later at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis.
Also sentenced to incarceration in the ADC during the term were Bennie Adams on DWI charges; Derrick Powell for two counts of burglary; Michael Like, Brian Key and Wesley Stultz on drug charges and Elmira Powell for forgery.
Close to $32,654 in fines, court costs and restitution was also ordered by Yates during the May term on charges ranging from burglary to drugs.
St. Francis County had an unemployment rate of 10.2 percent in April, the ninth highest unemployment in the state.
According to the report by Arkansas Workforce Labor Market Information, the county's April unemployment was down from 10.6 percent in March, but slightly up from the 10 percent recorded in April of 2003.
During April, St. Francis County had a civilian labor force of 12,450, with 11,175 working and 1,275 not working.
The state's highest unemployment in April was 12.7, percent, in Dallas County. Ten counties had unemployment higher than 10 percent. The state's lowest unemployment was 2.5 percent, recorded in Benton County. Nine counties had unemployment of 4 percent or lower.
Unemployment rates in surrounding counties during April were as follows: Cross, 11 percent; Crittenden, 7.7 percent; Lee, 11 percent; Phillips, 10.3 percent; Woodruff, 12.1 percent.
A pair of all-terrain vehicle accidents this weekend sent two St. Francis County citizens to the hospital.
According to a report at the St. Francis County Sheriff's Department, on Saturday, 26-year-old Byron Lamont Rogers, 556 SFC 418, was hurt when he lost control of the four-wheeler he was riding.
Witnesses told deputies that Rogers was riding the vehicle around his yard at a high rate of speed when he drove the vehicle off a steep hill, lost control and was thrown from the ATV. Rogers was transported by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where he was treated and released.
In addition, Rogers was charged with possession of a controlled substance, marijuana in connection with narcotics found in his driveway, according to the police report.
A second accident involving an all-terrain vehicle sent a 15-year-old Forrest City boy to the Med Sunday.
According to the report from the SFCSD, Todd Parris, 972 SFC 309, Forrest City, and a passenger were traveling east on SFC 442 when Parris lost control of the ATV as he attempted to make a left-hand turn into the driveway of Horton Gin, located at 668 SFC 442. Deputies reported the ATV rolled down a small embankment onto Parris.
Deputies reported Parris lost consciousness and was transported to the Regional Medical Center, via Med Flight, where he was treated and released.
St. Francis County government received $130,856.66 in sales tax in April, according to figures from the Arkansas Municipal League.
At the same time, cities inside St. Francis County received the following prorated amounts: Hughes, $25,935.18; Forrest City, $205,231.02; Wheatley, $5,167.58; Palestine, $10,293.50; Madison, $13,710.78; Caldwell, $6,459.48; Colt, $5,112.02; Widener, $4,653.60.
In addition, the following towns with sales taxes of their own received the following: Forrest City, $146,035.13; Hughes, $11,009.99; Madison, $1,223.66; $5,546.89; Wheatley, $3,134.76.
Arkansas State Police found close to $1 million in drugs during a routine traffic stop Friday afternoon on Interstate 40 near Forrest City.
According to an arrest report on file at the St. Francis County Sheriff's Department, a trooper stopped a 1991 Ford 350 near the 248 eastbound mile marker about 3:17 p.m., after the vehicle had driven onto a white line.
The trooper reported the vehicle's driver, Juan Jose Ibarra, 45, of Midland, Texas, appeared confused while trying to locate his insurance papers, and the trooper reported as the conversation ended it was "my belief he was hauling drugs."
After issuing Ibarra a warning, the trooper received consent to search the vehicle where he found about 766 pounds of marijuana hidden in a false compartment inside a horse trailer Ibarra's vehicle was pulling.
ASP Troop D Headquarters in Forrest City reported the marijuana has a street value of about $1,000 per pound.
Ibarra is charged with possession of a controlled substance
with intent to deliver. He was scheduled to be arraigned in St.
Francis County District Court this afternoon.
Two juveniles were arrested Saturday after allegedly stealing a car and vandalizing it.
The Forrest City Police Department received a message early Saturday morning from Cross County authorities, about a vehicle they had stopped.
Local officers contacted the car's owner, Willie B. Blackman of Apartment 328 Grobmyer Circle, who said he had last driven his car, a 1989 Plymouth Reliant, at about 7:30 the night before. He was informed that his car was missing.
The Cross County authorities informed Forrest City that they had two juveniles in custody, one 16 and one 15.
Blackman went to pick up his car, but was unable to start it. According to the police report, the engine had been blown and oil was leaking from the crank case. Also, someone had apparently jumped up and down on the hood, roof and trunk of the car, doing over $1,000 in damage.
Both juveniles are charged with theft of property over $500.
The Forrest City Airport Commission is scheduled to meet at
6 tonight at the Municipal Airport.