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Tag: Arkansas

  • States Sue Google For Antitrust Violations

    States Sue Google For Antitrust Violations

    As predicted, a coalition of 10 states have sued Google for alleged monopolistic behavior in digital advertising.

    The DOJ filed a lawsuit against Google in October, accusing the company of abusing its monopoly in the search business. Shortly after, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned that state lawsuits would likely follow.

    The first of those lawsuits has now been filed, according to NPR, with 10 states accusing the search giant of similarly abusing its monopoly in online advertising. The states involved are Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.

    “These actions harm every person in America,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a video announcing the lawsuit. “If the free market were a baseball game, Google positioned itself as the pitcher, the batter and the umpire.”

    Google has said the claims are “meritless” and vowed to vigorously defend itself in court.

  • Manslaughter Charge in Arkansas Missing Persons Case

    The bodies of an Arkansas man and his 10-month-old son were discovered in a remote area of the Ouachita Mountains on July 29, concluding a four-day search. Now the mother of the infant has been charged with manslaughter.

    Brian Floyd, 33, and his son Harper Floyd were last seen on the morning of July 25 with Brooke Floyd. Brooke was found hours later, walking alone down a rural road in the area, which is situated roughly 80 miles west of Little Rock. Yell County Sheriff Bill Gilkey commented that Floyd appeared to be “cut up and scarred as if she had been in a wooded area.”

    Floyd was initially detained on the charge of endangering the welfare of a minor, as she was uncooperative regarding the search effort for her husband and child. Her bond was set at $50,000, and she was able to make bail.

    Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the Floyd couple had both been hallucinating after ingesting methamphetamine, and believed that they were being chased. Capt. John Foster Jr. wrote in an affidavit, “I asked her if she was taking any medication because she appeared to be hallucinating many of the events she described.” Floyd explained that she added anti-seizure medication to the meth.

    Floyd added that her story was an amalgam of mutual hallucinations she and her husband were experiencing. Foster Jr. commented, “She seemed to be indicating that they would tell each other what they were seeing or experiencing as they were hallucinating and then the other would believe they also saw or experienced the same thing.”

    Preliminary autopsy reports indicate that infant Harper died of “exposure and abandonment.” The cause of the Brian Floyd’s death is awaiting toxicology results.

    Floyd’s lawyer, Bill James, said he does not believe she is guilty. Floyd is set to appear in a Danville, Arkansas court on Thursday.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bodies of Missing Arkansas Man and Infant Son Found

    The bodies of an Arkansas man and his 10-month-old son were discovered in a remote area of the Ouachita Mountains on Tuesday, concluding a four-day search.

    Brian Floyd, 33, and his son Harper Floyd were last seen on Friday morning with Brooke Floyd, the child’s mother. Brooke Floyd was found hours later, walking alone down a rural road in the area, which is situated roughly 80 miles west of Little Rock. Yell County Sheriff Bill Gilkey commented that Floyd appeared to be “cut up and scarred as if she had been in a wooded area.”

    Gilkey added that Floyd “spoke of a separation Friday night.” She also listed her marital status as “single” on the police report. “Investigators are still trying to get to the bottom of what caused the separation,” Gilky said.

    Floyd was detained on the charge of endangering the welfare of a minor, as she was initially uncooperative regarding the search effort for her husband and child.

    It is still not clear if Brooke Floyd is considered to be a suspect or a victim. She was being held on $50,000 bond, but made bail.

    Floyd eventually revealed the location of the family truck, which lead investigators to the bodies. Harper’s body was found in the mountainous region at roughly 1:30 p.m. and and Brian’s body was found nearly one hour later. Both bodies were transported to the state crime lab for autopsies.

    Gilkey didn’t mention if the deceased were accident or homicide victims, and commented during a press conference at the site, “It’s not the outcome we certainly had hoped for and our prayers and thoughts go out to the families involved.”

    Here is a clip of an interview with Brooke Floyd’s family:

    Gilkey said that investigators were presently meeting with county prosecutors to go over the case.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Gay Marriage: Arkansas Attorney General Backs Same-Sex Marriage, But Defends Ban

    Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel spoke out on gay marriage today and let everyone know that he believes in marriage equality. While having another politician that supports same-sex marriage should be a good thing from the gay rights perspective, McDaniel’s admission is pretty much meaningless, as the attorney general says he will continue to uphold his state’s ban on gay marriages.

    That’s right. McDaniel says he is tired of gays being treated like “second class citizens,” but said he won’t do anything to change his state’s law in pretty much the same breath.

    McDaniel, a Democrat, spoke at a convention today and decided to share his personal views on gay marriage. McDaniel said that he has been struggling with the decision to speak out on marriage equality for years, but finally wanted to let everyone know where he stands.

    “I want to tell you I do support marriage equality and I do believe Arkansans should have the right to be equal in the eyes of the law,” said McDaniel. “I’m going to zealously defend our constitution, but at the same time I think it’s important to let people where I stand on the matter.” McDaniel further said, “It’s become more and more difficult for me to accept the idea of anyone being treated as a second class citizen.”

    Arkansas banned recognizing gay marriages in 2004, but a lawsuit filed in 2013 that will be decided in the coming week could change that. While the recognition of gay marriage is banned under the Arkansas state constitution, the group of same-sex couples that are challenging the ban maintain that the refusal to recognize these marriages goes against the federal and state constitutions.

    McDaniel’s admission about where he stands on gay marriage has left many people confused, with some accusing him of talking out of both sides of his mouth. Check out the Twitter reaction to McDaniel’s stance on gay marriage below.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Tornado Damage Extensive, 17 Dead In Aftermath

    The damage from last night’s tornados in Arkansas and Oklahoma will not even be fully known for a few days, but as residents continue to comb through what is left of their possessions, they are also mindful of the 17 who have been reported so far as victims of this nasty storm.

    A possible EF3 tornado touched down about 10 miles west of Little Rock at around 7pm and ran an 80-mile path of utter destruction through the land, killing 16 and injuring many others.

    This tornado was the largest of a huge storm system that battered the central and southern parts of the country, also spawning a tornado that killed one in Quapaw, Okla. before crossing the state line into Kansas where it destroyed up to 70 homes and injured a reported 25 people.

    The tornado that did so much damage and killed so many in Arkansas narrowly missed several other victims in cars and trucks who were traveling along I-40 north of Little Rock.

    Bill Sadler, a spokesman for the Arkansas State Police, said, “About 30 vehicles — large trucks, sedans, pickup trucks — were going through there when the funnel cloud passed over.”

    The tornado will most likely be rated as the strongest that the country has seen so far this year, according to AP.

    “It has the potential to be EF3 or greater. Based on some of the footage we’ve seen from Mayflower and where it crossed Interstate 40, things were wrecked in a very significant way.”, said meteorologist Jeff Hood. EF3 storms are storms that have winds greater than 136 mph.

    A very significant way, indeed, for the residents who will face the damage on Monday as the sun rises to reveal what is left of their lives. Karla Ault, a Vilonia High School volleyball coach, took shelter in the school’s gym when the sirens went off. Her husband then got in contact with her as the storm passed and told her that the twister had reduced their home and everything in it to a bare slab.

    “I’m just kind of numb. It’s just shock that you lost everything. You don’t understand everything you have until you realize that all I’ve got now is just what I have on,” Ault said.

    President Obama made a promise from a press conference in the Philippines that the government will do all that it can in helping the people get back on their feet after last night’s terrifying storms.

    Image Via YouTube

  • Mother Thrown In Jail For Breastfeeding While Drinking; Charges Dropped

    In November of last year, a 28-year-old mother from Toad Suck, Arkansas was arrested and charged for endangering the welfare of a minor after she decided to breastfeed her child while drinking alcohol at a restaurant.

    The stay-at-home mom, whose name is Tasha Adams, appeared in ABC’s primetime news program 20/20 in her first televised interview, in which she admitted having consumed alcohol while breastfeeding her then 6-month-old baby daughter Ana. However, she claimed that she was not aware that the act was illegal and that she “wouldn’t have done it” had she known it was against the law.

    Adams had attended a funeral with her parents and three young children and decided to have dinner at Gusano’s Pizzeria, which is located in Conway, Arkansas. The family ordered pizza with spinach dip, which Adams claimed she had with a couple of beers.

    Adams says she didn’t know drinking while breastfeeding was illegal

    However, the details of the incident were slightly different according to Gusano’s waitress Jackie Connors, who also gave an interview on 20/20. Connors, who was off-duty at the time, claimed she saw “two or three drinks” in front of Adams when she arrived at the restaurant for an after-hours staff meeting. While Adams was not in the act of drinking when Connors saw her, the waitress said that she saw the bartender fix up what “looked like Long Islands”, which were served to Adams’ table.

    Connors decided to notify the police about Adams’ actions when Gusano’s management refused to reprimand the breastfeeding mother. When the officers arrived at the restaurant, they spoke to Adams about Connors’ report after which Adams said she was not aware that drinking while breastfeeding was illegal. State law does not state anything about the supposed offense, but the police officers decided to arrest Adams for endangering the welfare of a child.

    The waitress called the police

    Conway deputy city attorney Chuck Clawson dropped the child endangerment charges against Adams last week. Clawson claimed that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove that she had indeed been too intoxicated to care for her child.

    Adams said on 20/20 that she hoped the police officers had made her undergo a Breathalyzer test at the restaurant before making the decision to arrest her.

    Image via YouTube

  • Arkansas Man Asks Bank Teller To ‘Punish’ Him, Gets Arrested

    Bank tellers have a pretty routine job. It’s always a withdrawal this or deposit that. The highlight of their day must be somebody asking for a loan application. While they may crave excitement, having a customer ask for a withdrawal from the spank bank might be a bit too much.

    5 News reports that Drake Parks, 50, of Van Buren was arrested last week after he called a bank teller asking her to “punish” him. In the police report, the punishment in question was a good spanking. Now, it’s at this point where you make a joke about masochism, but the full story is a little weirder than that.

    You see, Parks was in the bank earlier that day for some regular bank business. At 3:30 p.m., the teller received a call from somebody claiming to be Parks’ father who said that he was being an “expletive” and that he needed to be punished. He even offered to pay him $50 for her troubles Parks then got on the phone and asked the teller to do what his father said – punish him.

    It’s at this point that you’d probably call the cops for two reasons. First, it’s a little weird to have somebody ask you for a spanking; and second, it’s even weirder when that person is impersonating their father to ask for said spanking.

    The teller hung up and called the police. Parks was arrested afterwards. He was charged with harassing communications – a misdemeanor. It’s certainly not on the same level as somebody who asks women to pleasure him with cheese, but it’s still a little messed up.

    Image via Crawford County Jail/5News

  • Killer Butt-Dials Victim, Gives Details Of A Hit

    An Arkansas man with murder on his mind recently laid out his plan for a hitman to take out one of his enemies; little did he know, the potential victim was listening in courtesy of an accidental butt-dial.

    68-year old Larry Barnett has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder after the victim–who has not been identified–called police to tell them what he’d overheard. Barnett was thorough, giving the hitman detailed directions for an hour and a half that included the best way to get to the victim’s home.

    “I don’t care if you have to burn his house to the ground with him in it. I don’t care what you have to do, make it look like an accident,” Barnett said.

    The victim’s home had been burglarized when police arrived, and they also found that his gas stove had been “tampered with”. He was unharmed, and no motive has been named in the case. The man is a former employee of Barnett’s, however.

    Barnett, who owns Legend Motor Company, was arrested on Thursday and attended a probable cause hearing today; potential sentencing hasn’t been released yet.

    Barnett isn’t the only criminal mastermind to get busted via a butt-dial; two Wisconsin thieves bragged to one another about how awesome they were at looting video games and DVDs, only to realize–when they were surrounded by police with guns drawn–that one of them had dialed 911 accidentally and an operator was listening in on the whole thing.

    Image: Thinkstock

  • 3.85-Carat Diamond is Found By Teen at Arkansas Park

    After Oklahoma teenager Tana Clymer heard about a boy who had found a 5-carat diamond at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park in southern Arkansas earlier this year, she wanted to see if she would have any such luck. Tana, who is 14, ended up finding a whopping 3.85-carat diamond after searching for only two hours.

    See the diamond Tana found, which is described as being about the size of a jellybean.

    “I thought it was a piece of paper or foil from a candy wrapper,” Tana said of her find on Saturday. “Then, when I touched it, I thought it was a marble. I think God pointed me to it. I was about to sprint to join my family, and God told me to slow down and look. Then, I found the diamond!” According to park officials, Tana named the diamond “God’s Jewel.”

    The park lets people keep whatever they find, so the diamond is Tana’s to do with as she pleases. “No two diamonds are alike, and each diamond finder’s story is unique, too,” assistant park superintendent Bill Henderson said. “What an experience for Tana to remember the rest of her life,” he said. “Tana told me that she was so excited she couldn’t sleep last night. She’s either going to keep the diamond for a ring, or if it’s worth a lot, she’ll want that for college.”

    Tana’s family hasn’t had the diamond appraised yet, but Henderson said that a similar diamond found in 2006 was sold for $30,000.

    Hundreds of diamonds are found at Crater of Diamonds State Park each year. The 37-acre park is an eroded surface of an ancient volcanic crater and is the only diamond-producing site open to the public. The largest diamond ever found at Crater of Diamonds was The Uncle Sam Diamond. The 40.23-carat, white diamond was found there in 1924, and so far, more than 75,000 diamonds have been found at the site since 1906.

    Diamonds aren’t the only stones found at Crater of Diamonds State Park, either. Other gems found at the state park include jasper, amethyst, garnet, agate, barite, and quartz.

    Images via YouTube

  • 107-year-old Man Shot in S.W.A.T. Standoff

    A 107-year-old Pine Bluff, Arkansas man was killed on Saturday after firing at police. According to KATV, the police were responding to a report of aggravated assault when they found themselves in a standoff with the elderly man, Monroe Isadore.

    After a call came in reporting Isadore for allegedly pointing a gun at someone, police responded and tried to negotiate with the man. According to the Pine Bluff Commercial, police were able to get the two people inside the house out safely. After the officers approached a closed bedroom door where they were told Isadore was with a gun, Isadore fired rounds through the door. No one was hit by the shots, and the police called in backup.

    In a statement made by the Pine Bluff Police Department, “negotiations continued for some time and when S.W.A.T arrived, negotiations still continued. S.W.A.T. was able to insert a camera into the room, where Isadore was, and confirmed he was armed with a handgun. S.W.A.T. inserted gas into the room after it was evident negotiations were unsuccessful, in hopes Isadore would surrender peacefully.”

    Isadore began firing his gun again after noticing the gas, which prompted the S.W.A.T. team to shoot and kill him. The Pine Bluff Coroner’s Office said that Isadore had multiple gunshot wounds.

    Despite reports of Isadore firing at law enforcement, some people think that Isadore’s death was unnecessary. A neighbor of Isadore’s, Chelisa Canada, said that the officers didn’t have to kill Isadore and that “they could have done something else.” Canada questions details of the incident, including whether or not Isadore had enough bullets to fire as many rounds as officers are claiming. “I think they went in there with the intention of killing him. He couldn’t have had that many bullets in his gun,” Canada told the Pine Bluff Commercial.

    Reports of the 107-year-old man’s death have set the Twitterverse afire, with some users in agreement with Canada’s belief that the S.W.A.T. team didn’t have to kill Isadore, while others were in shock at the news a centenarian was involved in a shootout.

    Image via YouTube

  • Boy Finds Diamond While On Vacation

    Boy Finds Diamond While On Vacation

    Michael Dettlaff, a 12 year old boy from North Carolina, struck it rich when he discovered a 5.16 carat diamond or specifically honey brown gem, while vacationing with his family at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro AK.

    “We were probably there about 10 minutes and I was looking around on the ground and found it on top,” the boy told ABC. “It was very glassy. Very smooth.” Michael named his new diamond “God’s Glory Diamond” and plans to either keep it as a souvineer or sell it depending on the diamond’s appraisal.

    His discovery has been recorded as the 27th largest diamond at the state park and could be valued at over $15,000.

    Michael wasn’t the first to discover a diamond at the state park, according to the park’s website the largest diamond found was the 16.37-carat Amarillo Starlight which was found in 1975. The State Park is the only one in the world that is not only open to the public, but allows the discoverers to keep their diamonds.

  • Boy Finds Diamond In Arkansas State Park

    Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Well, it turns out that diamonds can be a boy’s best friend, too. A 12-year-old boy from North Carolina recently found this out when he entered the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. Michael Dettlaff had only been in the park minutes when the discovery was found. He told ABCNews.com, “We were probably there about 10 minutes and I was looking around on the ground and found it on top. It was very glassy. Very smooth.”

    It’s not everyday that someone finds a diamond, even in a state park renown for visitors finding diamonds. When Michael was reviewing the contents of his bag, witnesses were equally shocked.

    According to ABC, Michael said, “When I brought this rock out of the bag the guy who’s there, he just went bug-eyed and he said, ‘Hang on a second. I need to take this to the back room.’ So then people start coming from everywhere and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah. It’s a big diamond.’”

    Michael Dettlaff was originally in Arkansas visiting family as part of his summer vacation when the decision to visit the state park was made. The diamond discovery was made on July 31st, Michael’s first venture into the park. It happened so suddenly near the initial entrance into the park that Michael’s father was still in the process of renting equipment to aid during the diamond hunting.

    The light, golden brown diamond weighs in at 5.16 carats and has even been named. Michael Dettlaff calls the gem, “God’s Glory Diamond” to be remembered as a blessing.

    Waymon Cox, a representative from Crater of Diamonds State Park had this to say about the incident, “It is thrilling any time a child finds a diamond here at Crater of Diamonds State Park. Michael was excited to have found his own diamond, as just about any boy would be, but he was absolutely awestruck when he realized its significance.”

    The diamond has yet to be cut; however, it is estimated that this stone could be worth $15,000, which sure beats allowances for taking out the trash. It appears everyone is overjoyed at this positive news that concerns an object no bigger than a jelly bean.

  • Bobby Petrino Fired For Indiscretions, Apologizes To Razorbacks

    Arkansas Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino hired the young woman he was having an affair with as the Student Athlete Development Coordinator, officials say, just four days before the motorcycle accident that was the catalyst for their indiscretions to be discovered.

    “Coach Petrino abused his authority when over the past few weeks he made a staff decision and personal choices that benefited himself and jeopardized the integrity of the football program,” athletic director Jeff Long said at a press conference.

    Petrino was put on paid leave on April 5th after a police report named Jessica Dorrell as a passenger on Petrino’s motorcycle when it crashed. School officials had previously been told Petrino, who suffered various injuries and was briefly hospitalized, was alone on the bike.

    Long announced the coach’s disciplinary action last week in a press conference, saying he would have to investigate the matter further before making a final decision on Petrino’s fate.

    “I am disappointed that coach Petrino did not share with me, when he had the opportunity to, the full extent of the accident and who was involved,” Long said.

    The investigation turned up evidence that Petrino had been involved with Dorrell for a “significant amount of time” and that he had given her substantial cash gifts, and ultimately led to Long terminating the university’s relationship with Petrino for good last night. Petrino issued a statement afterward, apologizing to his family, his team, and Razorback fans.

    “I have hurt my wife Becky and our four children,” the statement reads. “I’ve let down the University of Arkansas, my team, coaching staff and everyone associated with the Razorback football program. As a result of my personal mistakes, we will not get to finish our goal of building a championship program. I wish that I had been given the opportunity to meet with the players and staff prior to this evening’s press conference and hope that I will be given the opportunity to give my apologies and say my goodbyes in person. We have left the program in better shape than we found it and I want the Razorback Nation to know that is my hope that the program achieves the success it deserves.”

    Because Petrino was fired “with cause”, the Razorbacks aren’t responsible for giving him the $18 million buyout named in his contract.

  • Bobby Petrino On Leave After Admitting Affair With 25-Year Old

    Arkansas Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino was put on leave yesterday after disclosing an “inappropriate relationship” with co-worker Jessica Dorrell. The admission came after the coach was in a motorcycle accident with Dorrell as his passenger and lied to administrators about being alone on the bike. Athletic Director Jeff Long appeared in a press conference on Thursday night to announce the news.

    Petrino was briefly hospitalized for four broken ribs and a cracked vertabra after rolling his bike; no other vehicles were involved and Dorrell declined treatment at the hospital. When a police report was filed regarding the accident which included Dorrell’s name, Petrino admitted to school officials that he’d been having a relationship with her and said he had initially been untruthful because he wanted to protect his family; the 51-year old is married and has four children.

    25-year old Dorrell, who is the Student-Athlete Development Co-ordinator at the university, has not been disciplined yet, but Long said he will have to investigate the matter further to see if action needs to be taken against her. It is unclear how long Petrino will be on paid leave.

    “I’m at the beginning of the review. I don’t know what I’m going to find,” Long said. “I am disappointed that coach Petrino did not share with me, when he had the opportunity to, the full extent of the accident and who was involved.”

    In a statement released on Thursday, Petrino said he hopes to make amends for his decisions.

    “I will fully cooperate with the university throughout this process and my hope is to repair my relationships with my family, my athletic director, the Razorback Nation and remain the head coach of the Razorbacks,” he said.

    Petrino has been with Arkansas for four years and has improved the Razorback’s game every season. Some fear this scandal will injure–or perhaps ruin–his career.

  • Little Rock Girl Shoots And Kills Little Brother

    Seven year old Zeus Diviaio has apparently been shot and killed by his nine year old sister in Little Rock, Arkansas on Monday afternoon. Details about the shooting death are still unclear. According to the Little Rock Police, the father of the children describes his daughter as having, “high functioning Autism.” The parents had evidently left the two children alone for a few minutes. They had locked the door and gone to a nearby leasing office to sign some paperwork.

    When the parents returned after just a few minutes, their nine year old daughter initially told them that little brother had been hurt while they were out. Then she told her parents that two men had entered the apartment and shot her little brother. The father of the children kept guns stored inside a case in the home. In a back bedroom, blood was found where the gun had been stored and in another bedroom there was more blood and the body of the seven year old boy.

    There were no signs of forced entry according to investigators. Cassandra Davis, Little Rock Police Sargent said that after several conversations with the nine year old girl, investigators believe she is responsible for shooting her little brother. The gun has not been tested yet for residue and Police are not releasing any other details about their conversations with the girl. Sargent Davis said, “I can’t comment on whether she pulled the trigger or whether she dropped it or if it was an accident.”

    (image)@lindameas
    Linda Meas    Kids getting killed by guns. Not something I like hearing. Keep your firearms away from kids, hide them very well and far!!(image) 26 minutes ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@AboutPediatrics
    Vincent Iannelli, MD    The Latest Shooting Tragedies. 9 y/o with autism shoots brother. http://t.co/FHuv9liC Lock up your guns. #pediatrics(image) 17 hours ago via bitly ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto