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Lola Nelson
TUESDAY, July 7, 2020 / Vol. 6 Issue 27 / 75 cents
Pursuit leads to arrest of driver Damascus Police and an Arkansas State trooper pursued a vehicle after a report that the silver Toyota 4Runner had almost hit a pedestrian on Highway 124 and nearly hit another vehicle head-on, according to an affidavit for arrest. The pursuit led to Highway 65 in Bee Branch where
the suspect headed north, the affidavit stated. Traffic was moderate to heavy as the pursuit moved through Bee Branch, the document states. The vehicle traveled about a mile north of Bee Branch and began to turn around to head south, the report stated. As the 4Runner began to turn around, it almost hit a
deputy head-on, the report stated. The vehicle then traveled back through Bee Branch and turned on Highway 92 East, weaving in and out of the eastbound lane to Highway 356, according to the document. After several attempts to box the vehicle in or to “pit” the vehicle into a ditch,
the 4Runner drove out of the ditch and hit a Damascus officer’s vehicle head-on, the report states. The officer suffered an injury to his shoulder, the affidavit stated. The suspect then traveled through a driveway and resident’s yard and fence and fled down Long Lane back toward Highway 92 East.
The vehicle was finally stopped on 92 East and the state trooper held the suspect at gunpoint and busted out a window to pull him out of the vehicle, the report states. Once detained, the suspect refused to identify himself. He later was identified as Jacky Lemley and was taken to Ozark Health for treatment
of a possible heart attack, the affidavit states. Jacky Lemley, 43, of Heber Springs has been charged with misdemeanor reckless driving; fleeing, a D felony; two counts of aggravated assault on a certified law enforcement officer, a Class D felony; and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor.
Inmate brawls with jailers
Jaws rescue - About 6:30 p.m. Sunday, the Van Buren County Rescue Jaws was notified of a single vehicle rollover with entrapment at the approximate 7500 block of Highway 16 East. Rescue members arrived on scene to find a single patient trapped in the vehicle. Firefighters from Fairfield Bay Fire/Rescue, Burnt Ridge, and Rescue Squad Jaws team extricated the patient. The patient was transported by Medic One to a Survival Flight helicopter for transport. (Photo from Burnt Ridge Volunteer Fire Department Facebook)
Coronavirus By the numbers/July 4
Van Buren County • 2 active cases • Total Positive to Date 33 • Recovered 28 • Deaths 2 • Negatives 986
Arkansas • Arkansas/July 5 • 605 news cases • 2,814 total cases • 6,323 Active cases • 287 deaths • 17,133 recoveries Top 3 counties with active cases: Washington, Pulaski, Benton
Order allows mandated masks Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed an executive order last week that allows cities to mandate masks to slow the spread of Covid-19. The model order, drafted by the Arkansas Municipal League, will provide a consistent approach for cities to slow the spread of the virus, the governor said in a news conference
on Friday. John Wilkerson, General Counsel for the Municipal League, said there are no enforcement measures included in the order. Little Rock and Fayetteville passed ordinances last month that require people to wear masks in public. Before Friday, the city mandates weren’t supported by the state.
On Friday, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott said he was thankful for the new Hutchinson said on Friday that 82% of Arkansans said they are already wearing PPE in public, according to a recent survey conducted by the state. Arkansas reported 547 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday; 605 cases were reported Sunday.
Two more people had died from the virus and 13 more people were hospitalized. On Thursday, Arkansas had the largest single-day increase in cases the state has seen. On Friday, there had been 22,622 cases of coronavirus in the state; 16,164 people had recovered from the virus and 281 people had died.
An inmate’s request to use the bathroom led to a brawl with correctional officers at the Van Buren County Detention Center, according to an affidavit. Emily Barnhouse tried to get out a side door at the jail and began to physically resist jailer Cassady Davis, according to the court document. Jailer Casey Simonton came to help and Barnhouse grabbed a fistful of Simonton’s hair, the report states. At some point, Barnhouse managed to get the jail keys and struck jailer Jordan Richardson on the hand with them, the document stated before the corrections officers subdued her. Barnhouse, 24, of Marshall has been charged with battery II, a Class D felony. The incident occurred June 27.
Police say man pulled gun
“You have five seconds to run,” three teen-age boys reported to Fairfield Bay Police that they were ordered when passing a driveway on Lynn Creek Drive. The boys said they were walking home after swimming at the lake on June 1 when they heard what they believed to be a gun
Barnhouse cocked, according to an affidavit for arrest. Two of the boys said they did not actually see a gun but the third boy said he saw a black pistol being pointed at him and heard a woman say, “Just put your hands up,” according to the report. He said he kept walking, then heard the man say he was “sorry and shouldn’t have done that.” Fairfield Bay Police obtained a warrant on June 5 to search the residence where they found a pistol matching the boy’s description as well as an “illegal marijuana home grow” and several other items. The 20th Judicial District Drug task force also responded to the scene. Eric Peter Tornblom, 51, has been charged with terroristic threatening-first degree, a Class D felony, See Arrests on page 2
Stars and Stripes serves valuable role By U.S. Sen. John Boozman
For several years now, my office has made a concerted effort to capture and preserve the memories of Arkansas’s war veterans for inclusion in the Library of Congress’s Veteran History Project (VHP). Not only is it a great way to honor their service and commitment to our country, but it is a valuable
educational tool for future generations. We can learn a great deal about what life in a war zone is like through the stories collected by the VHP, and those stories can inform the decisions we make for the future. Here’s a perfect example. My office had the honor of interviewing Lt. Col. (retired) Karen King-Johnson of Hot Springs about her
service in Vietnam. As the Command Information Officer for the U.S. Army in Vietnam, her role included making sure that every unit received news material, including a copy of Stars & Stripes. Stars and Stripes, the newspaper written for America’s servicemembers about the military community in which they serve, dates back to the Civil
War. It is a main source of news for the men and women of our Armed Forces who are serving overseas. Throughout its storied history, the newspaper has relayed vital information, provided much-needed morale boosts and offered a connection to home for our deployed serSee Boozman on page 2
Up in the sky - The annual Alread Community Fireworks show drew a large crowd on Saturday night. Event-goers stayed in their vehicles to enjoy the extravaganza.