Of the people, By the people, For the people
Home of subscribers
Judy Branscum
TUESDAY, September 11, 2018 / Vol. 4 Issue 37 / 75 cents
We will never forget Seventeen years ago today the United States was under attack. At 8:46 a.m. eastern time Sept. 11, 2001, an American Airlines flight out of Boston that had been hijacked flew into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Sixteen minutes later, a United Airlines flight, also out of Bos-
ton, smashed into the South Tower. Two more planes also were hijacked, one of them crashing into the Pentagon, the other crashing in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers, who had heard about the previous incidents, fought with hijackers for control of the plane. When all was said
and done, 2,996 people were killed, including the 19 terrorist hijackers. That number included 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 police officers and 37 Port Authority officers in New York as well as 2,360 people in the World Trade Center. The death toll at the Pentagon was 189, and the crash in the Pennsylvania field
took the lives of 44. The attack would define the presidency of George W. Bush and bring many changes to the United States. It took almost 10 years, but on May 2, 2011, U.S. forces finally caught up with Osama bin Laden, and on orders from President Barack Obama, killed the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attack.
Panel hears report on ambulance The Van Buren County Ambulance Oversight Committee appeared to be pleased with the performance of Medic One when it met last week. The 911 dispatch center’s Judy Wells reported year to date numbers for the service, which was awarded a five-year contract in December. Total calls were 1,505. Of those calls, 959 were emergencies, 546 were patient transfers. Medic One and Fairfield Bay ambulances covered for each other several times. Five times patients were transported
by other sources such as police or civilian vehicles. About 220 times the county was out of Medic One ambulances though there were no 911 calls. Those times ranged from minutes to hours. Eighteen times there was no ambulance available when 911 was called. Medic One President Ryan Kibler said he has not personally received any complaints. He said he is aware that some people would like to see more ambulances in the county but statistically two ambulances are enough.
DHS to give flu shots on Oct. 4 The Arkansas Department of Health is conducting a flu vaccination clinic from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 4, 2018, at the Van Buren County Fairgrounds on Highway 16 East. Bring insurance information and drivers license or state issued ID. Those with no insurance or insurance that does not cover the vaccine will not be charged.
SWN to sell shale assets to Flywheel Southwestern Energy Co. agreed to sell its Fayetteville shale assets in Arkansas to privately owned Flywheel Energy LLC in an all-cash deal valued at about $1.87 billion, Southwestern said last week. The deal, scheduled to close in December, ends a six-month effort by the Houston-based company to find a buyer for the Fayetteville shale operations to pay off debt it ran up years ago when U.S. natural
gas prices were higher. Flywheel is backed by the investment firm Kayne Anderson. It will assume $438 million of future contractual liabilities. Southwestern will turn its focus to expanding its natural gas and gas-liquids output in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In July, BHP Billiton sold its Fayetteville assets for about $300 million to Merit Energy Co. as part of its exit from U.S. shale properties.
The Clinton Yellow Jackets take the field Friday night in their home game against Conway Christian. The Jackets made short work of the Eagles, notching their second win of the season with a 55-21 final. More coverage, Pages 6-7. (Photo by Robert R. Gaut)
Culprit tries to take off with inflatable bug An attempt to make off with an inflatable insect at Jim Tumlison Field on Aug. 31 was thwarted by fleet-footed law enforcement officers. According to Clinton police, someone tried to take down the Yellow Jacket balloon at the football field as Clinton was preparing to play Heber Springs in the season opener. The culprit scaled the fence by the concession stand then fled on foot and apparently tried to fight with officers who caught up with him across the street.
One witness said she couldn’t tell who the police officer that caught up with the suspect first was, but he showed “nice form” in his tackle. “He tried to juke, but (the officer) jived and put him flat on his back,” the witness stated on Facebook. Larry Webb, 57, has been charged with criminal mischief-second degree, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and fleeing on foot, all misdemeanors. His bond has been set at $1,500. Arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 8, 2018, in District Court.
Charge filed in sign theft On Sept. 4, a felony theft of property charge was filed against a man accused of taking a sign that was to be installed at the Methodist Thrift Store in downtown Clinton. The sign, valued at $5,860, had been delivered for installation and left at the back of the thrift shop in March. Video surveillance of the incident showed Joshua Aron Miles loading each piece of the sign on top of his silver Mustang, according to an
affidavit for arrest. A Clinton officer drove to Miles’ apartment on Pate Street and found the sign panels leaning against the outside of the building, the affidavit states. Miles told police he had taken the sign pieces from the trash area of the thrift store. He said he had cut one of the panels to repair a hold in his shower wall, the report states. The rest of the pieces were loaded into the officer’s patrol truck and returned to the
Larry Webb faces misdemeanor charges after incident at football game. (Photo from Clinton Police Department Facebook)
thrift store. The sign builders have repaired the damaged part of the thrift store sign. Theft of property is a Class C felony. An arrest warrant has been issued for Miles, 40.
Other arrests:
* Van Buren County sheriff's deputies arrested 25-year-old Justin L. Davis of Alexander, Arkansas, on charges of domestic battery-third degree, fleeing on foot, possession schedule VI. All are misdemeanors. * Deputies arrested 31 year old Elbert
L. Jolly of Louisiana on disorderly conduct charges for threatening employees at the Ozark Health Medical Center and causing a disturbance, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. * Tommy R. Williams, 52, of Bee Branch has been arrested and charged with four misdemeanor counts of terroristic threatening, misdemeanor assault on a family member-third degree, and misdemeanor resisting arrest.