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TUESDAY, July 4, 2017 / Vol. 3 Issue 27 / 75 cents Naked runner spotted in park
Man charged with failure to register
A man clad only in a garbage bag was spotted Thursday running through the Clinton City Park. A witness to the incident called police who searched the woods for the subject. The witness said the man was wearing a black garbage bag as he ran. One of the bag’s corners was above his head, and it “looked like a black banana running,” she said. When Clinton Police found the man, he told them he woke up naked in the men’s room at the park and didn’t know how he got that way. David Allen Brown, 47, of Heber Springs was cited for indecent exposure in the incident, according to Clinton Police.
David Brown
A Wisconsin man is in the Van Buren County Detention Center after failing to register as a sex offender, according to an affidavit. Romeo Salinas Jr., 27, advised authorities in Wisconsin that he was leaving the state for about a week and a half, but did not tell them where he was going. Salinas is a lifetime registered offender and is required to wear a GPS monitor at all times, according to the affidavit. He was tracked to an address in Choctaw on June 12, 2017. When deputies arrived to
Salinas Jr. arrest him, he tried to flee out the back door, according to the court document. A deputy was waiting for him there. Failure to register as a sex offender or report an address change is a Class C felony. Salinas’ arraignment is set for July 7.
New officer fired from Cleburne County Woman, 54, facing additional charge The new Van Buren County sheriff’s deputy hired as the Corps of Engineers officer was fired from his previous job earlier this year. Todd Maxey, 44, was fired from the Cleburne County sheriff’s office after an ethics investigation. According to an official statement from Cleburne County Sheriff Chris Brown, his office received a complaint on Feb. 2, 2017, that a deputy had driven a patrol car past a school bus while it was stopped and in the process of letting children off at their designated stop.
The sheriff’s office report states that the deputy was placed on administrative leave as the incident was investigated. The report states that Maxey provided conflicting statements about the incident and that the investigation concluded that the deputy had committed the traffic violation and was issued a citation of the offense of passing a stopped school bus. Brown said that during the course of the internal investigation, “it was discovered that the deputy violated the Law Enforcement Code of
Ethics by providing contradicting stories” of the incident. “Consistent with holding our own to the high standard of the Code of Ethics, and based on the totality of the investigation, the deputy’s employment was terminated for the ethics violation,” Brown states. The traffic incident, “though leading to the discovery of the Code of Ethics violation, was not a determining factor in the employment status of the deputy. The Cleburne County sheriff’s office sincerely believes that integrity is the basis for com-
munity trust. Any time an ethics violation occurs, it will be investigated, and proper and fair action will be taken. We believe that transparency is vital to a thriving and productive relationship with the citizens we serve,” Brown’s statement concludes. Van Buren County Sheriff Scott Bradley received approval of a resolution at the Quorum Court’s April meeting to hire an officer to be paid by the Corps of Engineers. Maxey was added to the Van Buren County payroll on May 12, according to county records.
Veteran Services van coming to county The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that its Vet Center Van will be visiting Van Buren County next week. Paul Pronia of the Veteran Services Office in Van Buren County, said that according to Thomas Norman of the Little Rock office the van will be at the Walmart parking lot on Highway 65 South from
10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thursday, July 13, 2017. Veterans can find out more about state benefits and health services available. Any veteran who needs information or has questions about programs offered through the Veterans Administration is encouraged to visit with staff on that day.
Janet Gail Weaver, who was charged in a shooting on May 17, is now facing another charge. Weaver, 54, previously was charged with battery-first degree, a Class B felony, and a second charge of a terrorist act with the purpose of serious physical injury or death. She was released on $10,000 bond. A status hearing in her case is set for July 7. Weaver is accused of driving her lawn mower to a residence in Alread and shooting Ed Chalupski in the chest. Chalupski is recovering from the wound. On June 12, Weaver was charged
Weaver with terroristic threatening-first degree, a Class D felony. A witness to the May 17 shooting played a voicemail message of a woman’s voice threatening him, according to a court document. Arraignment on that charge is set for Aug. 18, 2017.
Fake bills found - These counterfeit 10 dollar bills were turned over the the Clinton Police Department last week. One of the bills was discovered by an employee at Doublebee’s Exxon as she was giving change to a customer.
Graduation day
Thursday, June 28, was graduation day for 10 5-year-old students at the Van Buren County Special School/Lakeside Learning Center in Choctaw. The cafeteria was decked out Hollywood-style, including a red carpet and golden statues for the honorees who are now ready for kindergarten this fall.
Bowtie fun - Veteran EuGene Smith turns a red, white and blue ribbon into a patriotic bowtie in celebration of the Fourth of July.