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HomeMy WebLinkAboutS-1827 Application 1Luc 1ic11t4J5c ut uur yc"yac in the past and certainly those who put themselves in harm's way for our citi- zens," he said. A committee member, Rep. John Payton, R-Wil- bur, said he favors the bill because "I believe it is little to ask that we go the extra mile to try to protect those memorials that have been set up by our ancestors because they wanted us to know and remember some- thing that happened." But another committee member, Rep. Gayla McK- enzie, R Gravette, said she opposed the bill because "we are taking the people's See STATUES, Page 2B Arkansas Democrat-GazetteiTHOMAS METTHE The wooden bridge on 14th Street in North Little Rock, shown here on April 27, 2018, will be taken down by Union Pacific Railroad. asa:� �o�,a iws vofw i<Ai id ! Vk.i a,ii i%.Wt: � in NLR; railroad free to rave it JAKE SANDLIN ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT -GAZETTE A wooden, humpback bridge over railroad tracks at 14th Street will be taken down by Union Pacific Rail- road after more than a month of North Little Rock city offi- cials exploring other options. The City Council agreed Monday evening to abandon and permanently vacate the portion of the 14th Street crossing within the Union Pacific right of way. Union Pacific will also pay the city $75,000 once the street -rail- road crossing is removed, ac- cess to the railroad right of way is permanently barricad- ed and the bridge structure is taken down. The bridge, believed to have been built during the 1940s, has been closed and due for dismantling for the past 13 months for being "structurally unsafe." Mayor Joe Smith was the deciding vote in Monday's 5-3 decision after council mem- bers Debi Ross, Beth White and Linda Robinson all vot- ed no. The mayor only votes when a fifth vote is needed to approve legislation. Council member Maurice Taylor was absent. "It's a sad deal, but it has to be done," Smith said after the vote. Legislation for the agree- ment with Union Pacific first went before the City Council on Feb. 26, but council mem- bers asked for alternatives to either keep the bridge open as a pedestrian crossing on- ly or rebuild it for pedestrian and bicycle use. The bridge, See BRIDGE, Page 2B LR subdivision returning to planners after judge faults itsaFproval RACHEL HERZOG ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT -GAZETTE A decision on a planned west Little Rock subdivision will go before the city's Plan- ning Commission again, after a judge's order on Tuesday said the panel unlawfully ap- proved the developer's plat submission without a prelim- inary analysis. Lawyer Robert Cortinez II filed a complaint on behalf of two neighborhoods adjacent to the planned residential development, which would be called Mergeron Court, in Pulaski County Circuit Court about three weeks after the Nov 1 decision. The order from Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen stated that the area where the subdi- vision would be constructed is "suspected to be" flood - prone, putting property own- ers at risk of irreparable harm Man gets 30-year term in slaying He pleads guilty for his role in Johnson County shooting BILL BOWDEN ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT -GAZETTE A Johnson County man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for sec- ond-degree murder. Zachary Aaron Geels, 26, entered a negotiated plea of guilty Monday in Johnson County Circuit Court. His trial was scheduled for June. Geels and three other men initially were charged with first -degree murder in the shooting death of Ver- nice "Duwayne" Ledbetter, 29, who disappeared after a New Year's Eve bonfire in 2017. Ledbetter's badly burned body was found Jan. 22, 2018, in a remote area north of Hagarville. Last month, Brian Antho- ny White, 23, pleaded guilty to first -degree murder in the case, according to court fil- ings. White was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Isaac Taylor Vaughn, 21, also has pleaded guilty to first -degree murder in the case, said Bruce Wilson, deputy prosecuting attor- ney. Vaughn has yet to be sentenced. The murder charge against Phillip Andrew Ra- ible, 30, was dropped when he pleaded guilty last month to a charge of hindering ap- prehension. Raible was sentenced to 20 years in prison. According to an affidavit for Geels' arrest warrant, Ledbetter spoke to his wife by telephone Dec. 31, 2017, telling her that he was with White in a pickup "goiug up on the mountain to get more firewood." A But something changed at a bonfire shortly afterward. Vaughn told police that Geels "put Ledbetter on the ground," according to the affidavit. "They took his phone and started going through it and found `cop stuff,"' according to the court document. Vaughn told police that Raible and Geels tied Led- better's hands together with wire. They forced Ledbetter in- to the pickup and took him to another location, accord- ing to the affidavit. "Vaughn said Ledbetter was 'pistol whipped' and that White walked up to him and shot Ledbetter five times," according to the affidavit. White told police that Vaughn shot Ledbetter, ac- cording to the ,affidavit. L if the development was con- structed without an engineer- ing analysis. The developer's submission did not include that analysis, the order states. Cortinez said residents of the Wingate and Kaylin Hills neighborhoods were con- cerned that the city did not follow Ordinance No. 31-90, which states that "where a portion of a plat is suspect- ed to be floodprone" and the area is not covered by federal flood insurance study or in- formation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an arialy- sis shall be submitted as part Firefighter of the hour of the preliminary plat filing. "Mey just want to see that the city complies with its own ordinance," Cortinez said of the Wingate and Kaylin Hills residents. "We don't know for a fact what that develop- ment would have done from a See JUDGE, Page 3B Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/JOHN SYKES JR Capt. Edwin Faubion of the North Little Rock Fire Department playfully acknowledges applause _ after he was named firefighter of the year by the department during a ceremony Tuesday at the Wyndham Riverfront hotel in North Little Flock. Local television personality Bob Clausen (rear) served as emcee at the event. Article. 3B V. am ■ 4W -.1&Z91 --re ryr Bankhead. to r DU[, rviar>: ^.ncierson. -- _ ___ Officer Blake Barnes. Officer Greg Blankenship. multiple units Battalion 1. 19-1392 Mary Camp v. Waymon Camp. 19-1396 Lisa Heritage v. Chad Heritage. ■ Officer Rick Beaston. 0 Lt. Dana Bowers. 0 Officer Robert Cupps. ■ Rescue 1. GRANTED ■ Officer Michael Bowen. R Officer Vincent Thornton. ■ Engine 1. 16-4887 Keysher Green v. Timothy Green, 17-1329 John Dillard v. Karen Dillard. Officer Justin Cross. E Officer Christopher Hen- Chief's award ■ Truck 1. ■ Engine 2. 17-3969 Jessica Elrod v. Sammy Elrod. derson. ■ S L DanC gt' Larry Y ■ Safety 1. 18-4169 Maurine Tarvin v. Larry Tarvin, 18-4543Tammy Felder v. Russell Felder- Officer Joseph Madison. FIRE AWARDS Engine 7. 18-4573 Kinya Johnson v. Kevin Johnson ■ Officer Bruce Moyster. Individual citation 19-273 Jonathan Huff v. Susan Huff ■ Officer Matthew Roebuck. Firefigl iter of the year 0 Fire Marshal Chief John 19-397 Teresa Lewis v. Milton Lewis. III Officer Jon Schwulst. lit Capt. Edwin Faubion Pflasterer. 19-676 Catesha Yancy v. Chase Clark Sr. 19-829 Adonna Skinner v. Jason Skinner. f ■ Officer Michael Stanley. . Officer Cody Stroud, Emergency medical fire- y 19-886 Kendrick Patrick v. Stasel Harris y fighter of the year (EMT Patrick- 19-1003 Kimberly Prater v Rashad Prater. Leadership awards ■ Officer Justin Cross. or paramedic) ■ Capt. Jeff Combs. Bear cub caught ■ Cap'. Tracy Roulston. Fire officer of the year b Merit awards (lieutenant or captain) in LR euthanized 10 Jackie Carrington, volunteer. ■ Lt. Dustin Free. ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT -GAZETTE A bear cub that was spotted in west Little Rock on Monday afternoon was caught and euth- anized, officials said. Little stock police received a call of a vicious animal near the 14000 block of Longtree Drive about 3:30 p.m., according to dispatch records. Responding authorities found the 1-year-old bear in a nearby tree and tranquilized it, said Keith Stephens, spokesman for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, in an interview Tuesday. A video posted by the Little Rock Fire Department shows rescuers waiting below to catch the cub. After the capture, officials euthanized the animal as is de- partment policy, Stephens said. According to Stephens, the bear was caught in Benton, tagged and relocated late last week be- fore turning up Monday in Little Rock "It's been our policy that if they come back into an area where people are that we euth- anize them," he said. Stephens said it's common to spot younger bears in rural and near urban parts of Arkansas in springtime. That is when their mothers send the cubs out on their own, "just like a mother pushing a teenager out" "We can't allow bears to become habituated," Stephens said. "When they see people and everythin , they kind of connect that to food so we can't risk somebody getting injured by a bear that's lost that fear of humans." VIDEO ONLINE Bear falls from tree after being tranquilized 0 e arkansasonlinexom/40bear/ Judge • Continued from Page 1 B flooding standpoint." A preliminary analysis would have informed residents whether there was any risk for flooding, and concerned resi- dents were happy to hear the court's decision, Cortinez said Tuesday. Griffen issued his opinion from the bench after a daylong trial on March 15 and in a writ- ten order on Tuesday. Little Rock Planning Direc- tor Jamie Collins said Tues- day that it's not unusual for the commission to approve a plat submission before a pre- liminary analysis. At the time of the vote, planning com- missioners knew that a more comprehensive drainage anal- ysis would have taken place, and still will, in addition to a separate analysis ordered by Griffen, Collins said. Collins noted that though the preliminary plat submis- sion was approved by the com- mission, a building permit has not yet been approved by the Planning Department staff. He said the judge's order does not reverse the Plan- ning Commission's decision, though if it comes before the board again, commissioners will be provided with the results of the court -ordered analysis. "Just because somebody gets a plat approved doesn't mean there will be a building permit," Collins said, adding that the developer didn't "by- pass the system." The planned subdivision includes a L-house develop- ment with a private drive, traf- fic circle, detention pond and other associated construction over about 2 acres of land. It would be accessed off West Markham Street, Collins said. The developer is Rodney Chandler, owner of the Lit- tle Rock -based Icon Homes. 3 flu deaths added; state toll hits 100 ARKANSAS DEM0C.RKrGA7.1 1_rE Three more flu -related deaths Nvere reported in the past week, raising the death toll from the current flu season to 100, according to the Arkan- sas Department of Health. Two of the most recent deaths were of people 65 or older and the other was of a person age 45-64, according to a Health Department report. The other deaths were those of 61 people who were 65 or older, 31 who were 45-64, four who were 25-44 and one child under age 5. The department also re- ported fiat emergency -room and doctor visits by peo- ple with flu -like symptoms dropped for the third -straight week. Based on the doctor visits, the department reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that flu activity in the state was "low," down from "moderate" a week earlier. The death toll from the cur- rent season is the third -highest since at least 2000-01, accord- ing to the report. The season generally runs from October through. May. During the previous sea- son, 227 people died, making it the state's deadliest 'In de- cades. Fire chief's award ■ Capt. David Wilson. North Little hock emer- gency services awards Merit award ■ Public Safety Dispatcher Erica King. Police beet ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT -GAZETTE LR police say man attacked officers A Little Rock man who witnesses said was jumping in and out of traffic near University Avenue bit and scratched two police officers, an arrest report said. Little Rock police offi- cers arrested Michael Anto- nio Settles, 40, on Friday on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement offi- cer, criminal mischief, public intoxication and two counts of second-degree battery, the report said. A 911 caller told dispatch- ers that Settles was "jump- ing in front of vehicles" near West Markham Street and University Avenue, the report said. After first re- sponders took the man to UAMS Medical Center, the report said, Settles bit and scratched two UAMS police officers while he was getting treatment. Settles was in the Pulas- ki County jail as of Tuesday evening with no bail set. MORE CONTENT Interactive map of LR crime arkansasoniine.com/Ircrime / LMore Arkansas News Every Day Demi ocrat'V}"OmzctW cr the desire to snack. One 2 hour session is all it takes. Penny Rea Penny Rea Hypnosis Clinic Over 20 992-9060 Years Experience 523 Louisiana St., Ste. 414 * LIl www.PennyReaRypnosisClinic.com,»4 pennyreahypnosiselinic Pole & Hardware Sale 25%' OFF. 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