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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The

Daily Citizen TheDailyCitizen.com

Serving Searcy and White County, Ark., since 1854

14-U ALL-STARS TAKE ON TEXARKANA

Searcy faced Texarkana, the only undefeated team left in tournament play, Monday. — Page 1B

Woman suffers severe burns in fire

A White County woman suffered severe burns as the result of a fire near Beebe early Monday. — Page 3A

Former business owner returns

Searcy man opens up about time missing

By Jacob Brower jbrower@thedailycitizen.com Robert Armstrong headed out of town in mid-June, not sure where to go or what to do.

The 52-year-old owner of Furniture Gallery stores in Searcy and Batesville, which have since closed, had fallen on hard financial times. He said he couldn’t find the

Robert Armstrong

Who: Former owner of Furniture Gallery stores in Searcy and Batesville Age: 52 Missing since: June 16 Returned: Late last week

courage to talk to family members about the monetary problems, and felt they may be better off without him.

“I guess you could call it a mid-

life crisis or whatever,” he told The Daily Citizen Monday afternoon. “I just said, I’ve got to do something to help my family, and maybe the best thing is for me to be gone.”

Armstrong was originally reported missing on June 16. He returned to Searcy on Thursday.

Armstrong abandoned his white 2009 Dodge pickup at Halls Ferry Park in Vicksburg, Miss., on June 17. City of Vicksburg workers first spotted the truck in the parking lot

of the baseball fields around 9 a.m.

When workers returned at 1 p.m. and saw the truck had not been moved, they called police to file a suspicious vehicle report.

Corp. Steve Hernandez with the White County Sheriff’s Office said that no criminal charges are, or ever were, pending against Armstrong.

“We’re just glad that he got home and that the family has the peace of knowing he’s OK,” he said.

Continued on Page 3A

Sunshine School gets over $80K from Searcy Lions Club

Accidental death

Victim: Rickey Martin Age: 39 Location of accident: 132 Ferguson Mountain Road in the Floyd and Romance area.

Man ran over, killed by truck WCSO: Death was likely accidental

By Jacob Brower jbrower@thedailycitizen.com A death of a White County man was apparently accidental, according to a spokesman for the White County Sheriff’s Office.

On Sunday, deputies were called to 132 Ferguson Mountain Road in the Floyd and Romance area to find Rickey Martin, 39, deceased.

According to a press release from the department, Martin was attempting to enter or exit his truck when it began rolling and Martin was ran over by the truck and a trailer attached to it.

Martin was unloading round hay hales at the time of the accident, according a family member.

Corp. Steve Hernandez said the sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate the incident.

“We haven’t ruled anything out,” he said. “It’s an open case, but everything we’ve learned and seen so far definitely points to it being an accident.”

Above: David Goff assists Sunshine School teacher Jocelyn Goff with supplies for her new firstthrough-third grade classroom. The two were moving in items on Monday after the Searcy Lions Club donated $83,346 to the Sunshine School.

Vehicle theft

Accused: Jerome D. Dale, 38, of Broadway Street in Little Rock Location: Idaho and South Main streets in Beebe Charge: Felony theft of a vehicle.

Status: Dale is being held at the White County Detention Center in Searcy

Little Rock man arrested in Beebe for vehicle theft

Right: Sunshine School director Mary Lou Dunn, head teacher Sally Paine and Cousins' Office Furniture main owner Jerry Hanson walk down a yellow painted hallway of the new building Monday.

Wendy Jones/ editor@thedailycitizen.com

Commission opens bids for local highway improvements

LITTLE ROCK— The Arkansas State Highway Commission has opened bids for improvements to roadways in White County, according to Commissioner John Burkhalter of Little Rock and White County Judge Michael Lincoln.

The purpose of the first project is to resurface seven miles of Highway 157, near Sunnydale.

Delta Asphalt of Arkansas, Inc. of Paragould was awarded the contract at $1,046,517.43.

“These improvements will begin at the Independence County line and continue southward,” Burkhalter stated in a press release from the commission.

Burkhalter noted that the project is being funded with proceeds from the increase in the natural gas severance tax passed by the state legislature in 2008.

A second project will construct a bridge on Romance Road (County Road 26), near Romance.

WEATHER

Vol. 157, No. 178 ©2011 The Daily Citizen

Today: Mostly sunny. Rain likely. Highs in the upper 90s. Southeast winds 5 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 70s. South winds 5 mph.

Seagraves Construction Inc. of Maynard was awarded the contract at $929,088.33.

“This new bridge will be built over Bayou Des Arc and will mean safer travel for years to come,” stated Judge Lincoln.

Burkhalter noted that the County Road project is funded through the State Aid Road Program established by the legislature and administered by the State Aid Division of the Arkansas State Highway and

Transportation Department. This program provides approximately $20 million annually from the state motor fuels tax to assist counties with projects of their choosing on the county road system.

Burkhalter said work could begin on the projects in two to four weeks, weather permitting. Completion is expected in late November of this year on Highway 157. Improvements to Romance Road will be completed by early 2012.

INDEX NATION & STATE, 2A OPINIONS, 4A LIFESTYLES, 5A CALENDAR/OBITUARIES, 6A SPORTS, 1B CLASSIFIEDS, 6B

“

A Little Rock man was arrested recently for felony vehicle theft.

At about 3 p.m. Friday, Beebe Police Captain Eddie Cullum stopped Jerome D. Dale, 38, of Broadway Street in Little Rock while Dale was driving a 1995 Jeep Cherokee. Cullum observed the vehicle run a stop sign at the intersection of Idaho and South Main streets, and then drive around the flashing railroad crossing arms as a train approached from the east, according to a press release from the department.

Dale provided Cullum a false name and further investigation revealed that the Continued on Page 3A

Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.

Brendan Gill Critic, 1914-1997

Contact us: 3000 E. Race, Searcy, AR 72143, (Phone) 501-268-8621, (Fax) 501-268-6277

”

The Daily Citizen

Local woman suffers severe burns in fire Beebe-area home a total loss

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 • Page 3A

From Page One Lions Club gives to Sunshine School

Structure fire

Where: 801 Shiloh Road, near Beebe Injuries: Jennifer Latture, 34, suffered severe burns to her face and arms as well as smoke inhalation.

Structure: Total loss

By Jacob Brower jbrower@thedailycitizen.com A White County woman suffered severe burns as the result of a structure fire that took place near Beebe early Monday morning.

Jennifer Latture, 34, was transported to the White County Medical Center via personal vehicle following the blaze. According to a White County Sheriff’s Office press release, deputies were advised that Latture suffered severe burns to her face and arms as well as smoke inhalation.

Hospital officials confirmed that Latture had been discharged by Monday afternoon.

Latture went from the hospital to the Arkansas

Children’s Hospital Burn Center. Her status was not available as of press time.

At around 3:45 a.m.

Monday, firefighters and deputies responded to 801 Shiloh Road to find the structure fully engulfed.

Floyd/Romance Fire Chief Raymond Allen said the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but he does not suspect foul play.

White County Chief Deputy Jeremy Clark said sheriff’s office is still investigating the matter due to Latture’s injuries.

By Andrew DeMillo The Associated Press LITTLE ROCK — A group of landowners and a hunting club opposed to a $2.1 billion power plant under construction in southwest Arkansas have agreed to drop their challenges after Southwestern Electric Power Co. agreed to scale back some plans, the utility announced Monday.

SWEPCO announced that it had reached a settlement with the Hempstead County Hunting Club Inc. and several other area landowners who had opposed the John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant. They agreed to drop their lawsuits and regulatory challenges to the plant, SWEPCO said.

An attorney for the hunting club did not immediately return a call Monday afternoon.

"With this settlement, we can turn from the time and expense of legal battles to continued work on the plant and actions that will help conserve and protect the area surround-

ing our plant," said Venita McCellon-Allen, SWEPCO's president and chief operating officer.

The plant still faces challenges from the Sierra Club and the National Audubon Society, which are suing in U.S. District Court in Texarkana and before a federal appeals court to halt work on the facility.

Officials with both groups said they did not plan to settle and would continue opposing the plant.

"Our goal all along has been to keep carbon emissions lower by keeping this plant from being built in Arkansas," said Ellen Fennell, executive director of Audubon Arkansas.

"We're fighting against the toxicity and the global warming issues. The hunt club has more local priorities and I understand their settlement, but we will not settling."

SWEPCO said the hunting club and the landowners agreed to drop a federal lawsuit and challenges to the air and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits for the plant.

Coal plant opponents settle with SWEPCO

Above: The Searcy Lions Club donated $83,346 to the Sunshine School Monday.

Pictured are (front row) holding check, Letain Devore, Cheri Yecke and Sunshine School director Mary Lou Dunn. Back row, from left, club member Bob Simpson, club member Reid Simmons, Roger Devore, Sunshine School head teacher Sally Paine and Cousins' Office Furniture in Searcy main owner Jerry Hanson.

Right: Charlie Medler with Cousins' Office Furniture in Searcy brings new chairs into the Sunshine School building Monday.

Wendy Jones/ editor@thedailycitizen.com

Man pleads guilty to cross burning in Salado

The Associated Press LITTLE ROCK — A 19year-old man has pleaded guilty to criminal violations of housing rights in the burning of a cross in front of a black man's apartment in Salado.

The Department of Justice says Curtis Coffee entered the plea Monday.

Justice Department officials say co-defendants, Tony Branscum and Bradley Branscum, pleaded guilty in the case last week.

According to prosecutors, Coffee admitted that he and the others schemed Aug. 28 to burn a cross in a black person's yard. Officials say Tony Branscum built a

wooden cross and the men covered it in gasoline-soaked clothing.

Prosecutors say that after they drove to the victim's residence, Coffee propped up

the cross on a satellite dish and ignited it.

His attorney, Misty Borkowski, didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.

Home: Former business owner returns

Continued from Page 1A

Armstrong called his wife, Donna, on Wednesday and headed back to town on Thursday. Until then, Robert had no contact with any family or friends.

Today is the couple’s 25th wedding anniversary.

They have two grown children: daughter Ashlea, 22, and son Austin, 19.

“I thought about our anniversary, and I thought about how much I missed my wife and my kids,” he said. “I have a lot of big fences to mend, a lot of ‘I’m sorry’s, but I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Donna said she was surprised and relieved to hear from her husband.

“I was excited, but I was shocked,” she said. “I was completely in shock when he did this, because it’s so out-of-character for him, and I was in shock when he did call. I didn’t know what

to expect, and I was expecting the worst. But he came back a better person.”

Robert said he traveled throughout the South by foot, bus and other various modes of transportation, working odd jobs, such as painting, along the way for some extra cash.

He made it as far as Key West, Fla., and his last stop was in Columbus, Ga. He slept wherever he could find — often in homeless shelters — losing more than 20 pounds in the process.

“I had to spend time with some people who were down and out,” he said. “I was polite and kept a good, clean attitude. They were rough, but very friendly in their own way.”

Robert said his biggest mistake was not facing the problem head-on.

“I tried to keep it all to myself,” he said. “What

I should have been saying is, ‘Help me,’ but I did the dumb thing. It was spur-ofthe-moment. I don’t know why I did it.”

Robert said that he is sorry for the trouble he caused.

“I want to apologize to everybody, and I will be going to people personally,” he said. “I have hundreds of ‘I’m sorry’s to say to friends and strangers who went out of their way to help.

“I wasn’t trying to do anything mean or evil. There was no malice intended toward anyone — especially not the three most important people to me.”

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Arrested: Vehicle theft

Continued from Page 1A

vehicle was stolen and that Dale was a federal parolee, Cullum said. Dale was arrested and charged with the traffic violations and felony theft of the vehicle.

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Dale's federal parole officer was notified of the incident and a no bond parole hold was placed on him.

He is being held at the White County Detention Center in Searcy.

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