Monticello Live

On January 31 at approximately 10:00 pm, a Drew County Sheriff Department received a report that a man had been severely beaten at a residence located on Tara Grove, near Monticello.

(more…)

According to sources, the 22 year old forgery suspect who ran from police at Sonic, Wednesday, turned herself in to the Monticello Police Dept, Thursday morning around 8 am. (more…)

An Arkansas State Police Investigator escorted a 20 year old Monticello man to his first appearance hearing, Friday, where District Judge Ken Harper set a $20, 000 bond on the man’s 5 breaking and entering charges, along with one theft of property allegation.

(more…)

Recently, 39 bags of trash were picked up on the Old Dermott Highway and Fire Range Road by individuals assigned to the Drew County Sheriff’s Litter Crew. Sheriff Mark Gober says, “We continue to use individuals that owe old fines and probation fees to pick up litter on roads and streets in Drew County.” The litter crew is scheduled to pick trash on the Deep Green Road within the week.

(more…)

In May, a Drew County Circuit Court jury of 5 men and 7 women only took 40 minutes to find a local man guilty of sexual indecency with a child and 2nd degree sexual assault.  He had been arrested on September 2, 2010.

The jury sentenced him to 24 years in prison for those crimes, which were committed against a 7 year old.  He was released on an appeal bond, pending this court decision. (more…)

On Saturday evening, a Drew County deputy sheriff was dispatched to a theft of property report on Hwy. 425 South.

(more…)

Chief of Police Eddy Deaton addressed the City Council Thursday evening on warrant issues the department is having due to mix-ups in District Court. He told the Council that over the past few years people were being arrested on warrants for fines that they had already paid.

(more…)

Eddy Deaton has a new title at the Monticello Police Department as of January 2012… Chief Deaton. He takes his future goals for the department very seriously.

 “I want to make the Monticello Police Department one of the best departments in the state. I want the officers to have the most updated training and equipment out there. I want to see all law enforcement agencies working together to accomplish a common goal of professional enforcement of the law, and community involvement, to aid in preventing and stopping crime.”

(more…)

Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice Karen Baker issued a court opinion in the case of Ronald Wayne Magness overturned appeal before the court.

Ronald Wayne Magness claimed that the State failed to prove that he was “in custody,” which is a required element of the charged offense.

On March 31, 2010, a Drew County jury found appellant guilty of two nonviolent felony offenses. The circuit court entered an order releasing appellant on a $25,000 bond pending bed space, as long as he met certain requirement, including;  he must inform the sheriff of his address before release and not change it without the approval of his bondsman and the sheriff; and not leave the State of Arkansas without written permission of the sheriff.

In April 2010, Magness left the state without written permission and failed to contact the sheriff’s department and his bondsman in violation of the conditions of his release. He was charged with second-degree escape, a class B felony.1 A jury convicted Magness of escape. He was sentenced as a habitual offender to thirty years’ imprisonment in the Arkansas Department of Correction. (more…)

(more…)

 Several arrests have been confirmed by Sheriff Mark Gober

(more…)

Here are 3 recent reports from the Drew County Sheriff’s Office.

(more…)

According to Drew County Sheriff Mark Gober, on December 24 at approximately 10:30 pm, a Drew County Sheriff Deputy was notified by dispatch that there were three people at the Monticello Police Department who stated that they had been robbed at gunpoint.

(more…)

At least a dozen law enforcement officers were on patrol on New Year’s Eve, representing MPD, DCSO, and State Troopers, which may have been enough to convince some “celebrators” to “let somebody else drive.”

But that wasn’t the case for everyone, with 5 Drew County arrests being made on potential DWI charges, after the festivities ended well after midnight.

(more…)

A 25 year old Lincoln County woman  was arrested earlier this month by the Arkansas State Police.

She was charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Careless Driving, Improper Lane Change, No Seat Belt, Furnishing Prohibited Articles in a Jail, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Carrying a Weapon.

(more…)

MonticelloLive now has access to the full list of DWI arrests in Drew County and will be posting that list on a regular basis.

DWI, DWI-drugs, refusal to submit to BAC test, and related charges are planned to be posted.

All person charged are considered innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

DWI crashes have affected many Drew County lives, as demonstrated by the MADD Mock DWI shown in the video, below, which was done in memory of Dustin “Rooster” Ferguson, who died when his vehicle was struck by a drunk driver.

Around 6 pm,Christmas Eve, Monticello Police, Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Monticello Fire & Rescue Teams were paged out to the report of a car crash on HWY 35 East, near the Fairgrounds.

(more…)

According to Drew County Sheriff Mark Gober, on December 23 at approximately 11:45 PM, a deputy was dispatched to Winchester in reference to an erratic drive that drove through a person’s yard almost hitting their home.

(more…)

According to Drew CountySheriff mark Gober, on December 18, a Drew County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to a residence located at 484 Midway Route in reference to guns being stolen.

(more…)

According to Drew County Sheriff Mark Gober, on December 16, the Drew County Sheriff’s Department received a report that a green Kawasaki 650 4×4 ATV had been stolen from a residence located at 1047 Florence Road between the dates of December 6-16.

If anyone has any information regarding this theft they are urged to contact the Drew County Sheriff’s Department at 367-6211.

Drew Central High School Principal Steve Noble was arrested at his home on December 8, 2011. Charges were filed after detectives from Phoenix, Arizona Police Department posed as a 14 year old girl in a chat room and Noble allegedly asked the “girl” if she wanted to “watch him.” The same chat room had led the detectives to identify other sexual predators previously.

Search warrants of Noble’s home and office were executed where items listed to cease were computers, hard drives, jump drives, digital cameras, camcorders, cds and dvds. A warrant also allowed his iPhone to be taken and searched.

Noble is currently out on bond and faces possible extradition to Phoenix.

This was the 2nd leading pageview story in 2011.

Though the tragic case against Michael Binns came to light in November of 2010, it is a story that shook nearly all of 2011 for Monticello.

Binns was arrested and charged on 2 counts of rape, the victims being 16 and 18 year old males and later charges also included two counts of introducing a controlled substance, without the knowledge of the victim, for the purpose of engaging in an unlawful sexual act.

After a two-day jury trial, Michael Binns, Sr., former MHS and MJHS choir director, was found guilty of two counts of 2nd degree sexual assault and one count of introduction of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to twenty years each on the second degree assault convictions and five years for the introduction of a controlled substance, for a total of 45 years.

After his conviction on July 14, 2011 Binns went to the Drew County Detention Facility until July 20, when he was then transported to Baptist Hospital in Little Rock. He returned to the CDF on the 21st and was sent to the Arkansas Department of Corrections on July 22nd. He then passed away on July 31, after being treated at JRMC in Pine Bluff for seizures.

A spokesperson for he department of correction confirmed in late December that Binns” cause of death has been determined by the State Crime Lab to be a “pulmonary embolism, complicated by a seizure disorder.”  They were unable to determine the cause of the embolism. 

Binns’ arrest in November, 2011 was that year’s leading pageviews story.  The updated coverage of his July trial day, was the leading pageview day for 2012.  This shows the impact that this case had on the community.

Front door congestion and crowding issues came to a frustrating head in May of 2011 when Mayor Allen Maxwell and the MEDC decided that enough is enough. The MEDC and the District Court share a building, and therefore share the same entrances. It had been decided that Court access would occur through the doors at the back of the building, and MEDC would use the doors at the front. However, parking issues and over-crowding resulted in court traffic using and being shuffled to the front corridor, especially during closed-court sessions.

Flaring frustrations resulted in the Mayor having a confrontation with a bailiff, and Judge Ken Harper found himself with pending criminal charges after the way he chose to deal with MEDC Executive Director Nita McDaniel.

District Judge Ken Harper was reprimanded and censured by the state judicial discipline commission after DWI charge.

From December of 2010 until January of 2011, local churches were suffering from unknown suspects breaking in and stealing from them. The count reached seven churches before the 20 year old suspect was apprehended.

Freddie Campbell, Jr. of Monticello plead guilty to six counts of commercial burglary and three counts of theft of property. He was sentenced to 24 months in Delta Regional Punishment Facility, with 96 months suspended, and ordered to pay over $6,000 in restitution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katlin Lidge, 25 years old, of Monticello, was shot and killed at a local apartment complex in Monticello in March of 2011. The prime suspect, Nicholas Nix, fled to Salt Lake City, Utah after the incident, and turned himself in a few days later. Arkansas State Police and Monticello Police Department drove to Utah and brought him back to face charges.

Nix has since been tried twice, both trials resulted in hung juries. He is scheduled to be retried for the third time in March of 2012.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One September Sunday morning around 12:30, a call came into MPD, reporting a stabbing on Davis Street.

Michael Ray Danzy, age 42 of Monticello, reportedly a family member of victim, was arrested by police, shortly after the crime.

The victim, Tony McCarney, age 48, of Pine Bluff, was transported to Drew Memorial by personal vehicle, and died in the emergency room, of laceration to the neck.

Danzy was charged with first degree murder. during his bond hearing in front of Circuit Judge Kenny Johnson.  Danzy also faced on a probation revocation hearing filed in Chicot County.

A state police special agent told the court that Danzy said McCarney hit him, before he used the knife.: but continued of the 3 witnesses who saw altercation, “No one saw Mr. McCarney strike Mr. Danzy.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Numerous break-ins and armed robberies of Monticello businesses occurred over the past 12 months.

Western Sizzlin was broken into twice in one week. Other businesses hit included Pizza Hut, Sonic, EZ Mart (numerous times), Piggly Wiggly, Topps Pizza, Crackerbox North, and the Tobacco Superstore.

Far too many sex crimes made the headlines in 2011.

Those allegedly charged and/or convicted included (in no specific order):
James Dotson, Jeremy Hill, Arthur Lee Newton, Ronald Magness, Billy Ray Austin, James Green, and Alex Rayford

Eddy Deaton, a 22 year veteran of law enforcement, with 19 years experience with the Monticello Police Dept. will become the new MPD chief on January 6.

Both the City of Monticello and Drew County entered into contracts with Mid-South Adjustments to collect on old, unpaid court fines.  The city also hired them to collect on out of service water bills.

A Warren police officer was arrested earlier this week, and charged with abuse of the public trust for accepting bribes.

Here’s the story from SalineRiverChronicle.com.

Reward offered for the safe return of the Canon Rebel DSLR camera taken in the Old Hwy 13 robberies a couple weeks ago.

Camera must be returned in the same condition it was taken from the property to obtain reward.

Please call (870) 814-3634.

A 26 year old Dumas man, likely to be charged with Capital Murder and Felon in Possession of  a Firearm, appeared before Circuit Judge Bynum Gibson for a First Appearance Hearing, Monday afternoon, at the Drew County Courthouse.

(more…)

(more…)

(more…)

A Monticello man, arrested for stealing multiple items from his employer, was released on a $20,000 bond in February.

He allegedly fled to Los Angeles, CA, and was recently arrested there by U.S. Marshals.

(more…)

Fredrick “Alex” Rayford was arrested Sunday, and charged with the rape of a juvenile victim in Drew County, earlier that day.

Rayford is a registered sex offender and was on probation at the time of the alleged event.

(more…)