Bridge collapses over St. Francis River

COLDWATER — A highway bridge in Cross County, Arkansas that had been closed since last fall for structural concerns collapsed on Friday, the Arkansas Department of Transportation said.

The 56-year-old Highway 42 Bridge over the St. Francis River in Coldwater was closed to traffic on November 2, 2023, due to weakness identified in the bridge’s support columns. No one was injured in the incident but the bridge collapse caused more than traffic detours — it also cut off the water supply to a number of Cross County residents.

The water supply pipe attached to the the underside of the Highway 42 bridge over the St. Francis River was destroyed when the bridge fell.

The water supply line had been attached to the bridge since the early 1980’s. When the bridge fell Friday and the pipe broke, customers of Parkin’s Rural Water Association in parts of Earle and Tryronza lost their water for five days.

Aime Chism with Parkin Rural Water Association said about 100 customers were impacted.

A crew made a temporary fix by connecting a small diameter pipe to what was left of the original pipe and laying that section on the river bed until a permanent fix is made.

But a boil water notice is in effect for Rural Water customers.

ARDOT is investigating but says some weak wooden support columns could be to blame.

Meanwhile, the Parkin Rural Water Association is trying to find funding to replace the broken water supply pipe.

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Fayetteville woman facing 24 counts of animal cruelty, accused of torturing dogs

FAYETTEVILLE — Elkins Police Department (EPD) officers seized 24 malnourished dogs from a Fayetteville residence on June 20, according to a probable cause report.

Vikki Davidson, 36, was arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail on 24 counts of animal cruelty on July 2. She is being held on a $10,000 bond.

There was a family renting rooms in Davidson’s house who reportedly contacted police after one of Davison’s 24 dogs had bitten a teen in the house on June 20.

“Officers were aware of this residence due to numerous past complaints of dogs at large, unsanitary conditions, and drug activity,” the report said.

According to the report, Davidson has had 13 run-ins for dogs at large and unregistered dogs. Before the latest arrest, Davidson had 15 prior bookings, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

The dog that allegedly bit the teen had “numerous puncture wounds on its face and head from being involved in a fight with another dog at the residence,” the report said.

Of the 24 dogs, there were 11 newborn puppies. Davidson is accused of keeping all the

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dogs in one room of the house “for days on end.” When she did let them out, the report said they would defecate and urinate “all over the house.”

The family reportedly told police that Davidson lived at the residence but would be gone for days at a time.

The report accuses Davidson of feeding the dogs uncooked rice and beans instead of dog food, which resulted in several dogs getting sick and dying. The family also said Davidson hadn’t been paying the water bill, and because the house had no running water for over two weeks, the dogs had no water “for a long period of time.” The family told police that Davidson would also abuse and “torture” the dogs by punching them in the head with brass knuckles and frying pans as well as kicking the smaller dogs, the report said.

A man who was legally living at the house permitted officers to enter the home.

“Upon entering the home, several officers began gagging and had to exit the home in order to avoid vomiting,” the report said.

According to the report, dog feces were on the floors, an overwhelming odor of urine, and trash all over the common areas and rooms where the dogs were kept.

“The house and rooms were deemed to be too unsanitary for any living conditions for animals or humans,” the report said. “The home was in such bad condition it had to be boarded up and all living beings removed for health and safety reasons.”

Police seized 24 dogs from the home who were malnourished. Two of the dogs had to be “euthanized immediately.”

Upon further investigation, the officers reportedly found other dead dogs on the property. According to the report, officers located a shallow grave where a small dog was buried, which had reportedly been partially eaten by the other dogs.

“Another dog was found dead in a plastic bag inside a red cooler on the side of the house,” the report said.

Davidson is set to appear in court on July 22.

According to the police department, a hearing is pending on the home’s possible condemnation.

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2 injured, 1 missing after ‘pyrotechnics’ incident at Camden weapons facility

CAMDEN—At least two people were injured, and one person was missing after a pyrotechnics incident at a defense weapons facility in south Arkansas.

The incident occurred at a facility in Camden, about 86 miles south of Little Rock.

The state Department of Emergency Management is monitoring the situation, officials say. At least two people were injured and another was missing Wednesday after a “pyrotechnics” incident at a defense weapons facility in south Arkansas, the facility’s operators said.

A spokesperson for General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems said it happened at its facility Wednesday morning in Camden, located about 86 miles south of Little Rock.

“At this time, we are working with first responders and can confirm the incident resulted in at least two injuries and one missing individual,” Berkley Whaley with General Dynamics said in a statement. “We are cooperating fully with the authorities as they conduct their investigation.”

The statement did not provide any details on the extent of the injuries. The state Department of Emergency Management said it was monitoring the situation and stood ready to assist but did not provide any additional details.

One patient was treated at the Ouachita County Medical Center’s emergency room and is in stable condition, said Diane Isaacs, the hospital’s risk manager. Another patient was transported by helicopter to a facility out of state.

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Arkansas Abortion

Amendment still needs 8,200 signatures before Friday

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansans for Limited Government announced Tuesday on social media that they still need 8,200 petition signatures in order to get the Arkansas Abortion Amendment on the ballot in November. If passed, the amendment would allow for abortions under any circumstance within 18 weeks of fertilization as well as in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies or to “protect a pregnant female’s life or to protect a pregnant female from a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury.”

Yesterday, a similar post said that the organization needed 10,000 signatures, suggesting that serious progress is being made.

It remains to be seen whether the rate will be quick enough to reach the necessary threshold of 90,704 registered voters by the Friday, July 5 deadline.

Organizers are urging people to sign no later than Thursday, as Friday will be a hectic day of sorting packets and moving boxes of signature sheets to the secretary of state’s office.

Volunteers will also be collecting signatures in support of proposed amendments and statutes related to medical marijuana, government transparency, public education and taxes on menstrual products and diapers.

For those interested in signing the petition, you’ll need to do some driving. There are three locations in Northeast Arkansas:

• Janssen’s Lakefront Restaurant, 9999 Edgemont Rd., Edgemont. Friday, 5 to 8 p.m.

• Blytheville Book Co., 429 W. Main St., Blytheville. Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Eclectic Geekery, 201 W.

Main St., Walnut Ridge. Friday, 12 to 9 p.m.