YOU COULD WIN PRIZEWEEK PUZZLE $7,2 00 PAGE 10B SENIOR SCENE: News of interest Pages 1-8C LOCAL: Business Fest coming Page 3A Three sections, 28 pages Number 301, Volume 137 Seventy Five Cents TUESDAY October 28, 2014 www.hotspringssr.com Published daily in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, since 1877 Suspect arrested in robbery/shooting, others sought STEVEN MROSS The Sentinel-Record Tops A Hot Springs man was arrested Saturday afternoon in connection with an armed robbery and shooting in Mountain Pine, but Garland County Sheriff’s investigators are still reportedly seeking the man who pulled the trigger. Philemon Cornell Tops, 19, who lists an address of 139 Fairwood St., located off Bull Bayou Road, was taken into custody near the scene of the shooting at 301 McCurtain St. in Mountain Pine shortly after 3:30 p.m. and charged with aggravated robbery, a felony punishable by up to life in prison. Tops, who reportedly has a previous felony conviction out of Conway, was still being held without bond Monday and is set to appear Nov. 4 in Garland County District Court. According to the affidavit, GCSD deputies responded to a shooting at the McCurtain Street residence and upon arrival encountered the victim, 28, with what appeared to be gunshot wounds to his abdominal area. Family members at the scene told The Sentinel Record the victim’s name was Alex Oliver, who also goes by the name Alex Green, and that he was injured during an alleged home invasion robbery. Oliver was transported by LifeNet Air to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs where his condition Ross takes message to the people of Ark. DON THOMASON The Sentinel-Record Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Ross said Monday that he is in the final week of his Jobs First tour across the state. “This is the final stretch, the final week, and we’re taking our positive vision for the future of the state to every corner of the state of Arkansas, and I have a plan to create more and better-paying jobs, and create opportunities for all Arkansans and to grow the middle class,” he said prior to touring Alliance Rubber Co. Other candidates for the state governor’s position are Republican Asa Hutchinson, Green Party candidate J. Joshua Drake, and Libertarian Frank Gilbert. PARADE ARRESTED, PAGE 10A Fire victim identified DON THOMASON Prior to visiting Alliance Rubber, Ross stopped to chat with supporters at The Pancake Shop, 216 Central Ave., to discuss his plans to strengthen education, cut taxes for working families and small businesses, and create more and better-paying jobs in Arkansas. Ross also had stops scheduled in his hometown of Prescott, Magnolia and Stamps on Monday. Before touring the Alliance Rubber plant, Ross told The Sentinel-Record that he wants to keep more jobs in America. “That is exactly what I want to The Sentinel-Record/Richard Rasmussen change. Actually, we’re starting to see more manufacturing jobs come VISION FOR THE STATE: Mike Ross, left, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, visited back to America. The standard of patrons of The Pancake Shop in downtown Hot Springs Monday morning as he completed the final leg of his Jobs First tour across the state. Before leaving Hot Springs, Ross toured MESSAGE, PAGE 5A Alliance Rubber Co., and then made stops in Arkadelphia, Prescott, Magnolia and Stamps. Arkansas court: Minimum wage stays on ballot was not known Monday. Deputies were advised by bystanders that they had detained one of the suspects and brought a man, identified as Tops, to them. The bystanders said they saw Tops and another black male running from the victim’s residence shortly after hearing gunshots. The Sentinel-Record A Hot Springs woman died as a result of a fire in her apartment Sunday afternoon, officials said Monday. Garland County Coroner Stuart Smedley said Lois Cullum, 74, was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire, 128 Hickory St., by Chief Deputy Coroner Daniel Stramp. Hot Springs Fire Marshal Tom Braughton said the fire call was received at 5 p.m. and, upon arrival at the apartments, firefighters found heavy smoke but had difficulty determining which one was involved until residents directed them to an apartment around the corner of the building. “They entered the apartment IDENTIFIED, PAGE 5A PARTICIPANTS ANDREW DEMILLO The Associated Press LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ highest court ruled Monday that a proposal to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage can remain on the November ballot. The Arkansas Supreme Court denied a Little Rock businessman’s effort to block a ballot question that will ask voters to raise the state’s minimum hourly wage from $6.25 to $8.50 by 2017. Arkansas is one of the few states with a minimum wage below the federal level of $7.25 an hour. Early voting for the election began Oct. 20. The businessman, Jackson T. Stephens Jr., said supporters missed a key deadline for submitting their petition and that some signatures were invalid because a notary’s signature had been forged. Justices said the secretary of state’s office properly certified the question, known as Issue No. 5, for the ballot. “It gives Arkansas voters an opportunity to vote on giving hard-working Arkansans a raise,” said Steve Copley, chairman of Give Arkansas a Raise Now, which petitioned to place the question on the ballot. “We always felt that if we could get this before voters, they would support this.” Stephens called the ruling “disappointing. “It is shameful that, according to our Supreme Court, fraud is not a consideration in this matter of public trust, and now the whole ballot initiative process is open to fraud,” Stephens said in a statement. Democrats have been pushing the wage increase, WAGE, PAGE 9A The Sentinel-Record/Richard Rasmussen St. Luke’s Episcopal School students gather for a group photograph on the steps of The Sentinel-Record Monday after making their annual parade and trick-or-treat visit to the hometown newspaper. Second arrest made in alleged plot to kill woman’s former husband CAMP LEATHERNECK STEVEN MROSS The Sentinel-Record The Associated Press Marines and sailors with Marine Expeditionary Brigade — Afghanistan load onto a KC-130 aircraft Monday on the Camp Bastion, Afghanistan flightline. The handover of the U.S. Marines’ main base to Afghan control in the hardscrabble Helmand province is more than a signal that America’s longest war is ending. It is a reminder of the enormous loss and sacrifice by Marines who swept in as part of President Barack Obama’s surge of forces against a resurgent Taliban in 2009. See story on Page 4A. A Little Rock man was arrested Saturday afternoon in connection with an alleged plot to kill a Hot Springs woman’s ex-husband, who learned about it from the ex-wife’s new boyfriend. Willie Eugene Evans, 51, was taken into custody around 12:30 p.m. in Little Rock by Little Rock police detectives on a felony charge of conspiracy to commit capital murder, punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and brought to Hot Springs where he was booked into the Garland County Detention Center shortly after 3 p.m. Evans, who was previously convicted of a felony in 2001 in Pulaski County, remained in custody Monday in lieu of $100,000 bond and is set to appear Nov. 4 in Garland County District Court. The ex-wife, Shannah Lynn Harrington, 38, who lists an address of 815 We a t h e r SHOWERS LIKELY. HIGHS IN LOWER 70S. LOWS IN LOWER 50S. WEDNESDAY: SUNRISE: 7:28 A.M. SUNSET: 6:24 P.M. THURSDAY: MORE ON PAGE 2A HIGH HIGH 71˚ LOW 46˚ 71˚ LOW 46˚ Arts, etc. Classified Sports Features, etc. FYI Park Ave., was taken into custody Oct. 17 on the same charge and remained in custody Monday in lieu of $100,000 bond with a hearing set for Dec. 2 in district court. According to the affidavits, on Oct. 14, the victim filed a report with Hot Springs police stating he was contacted on Oct. 11 by the current live-in boyfriend of his ex-wife, identified as Harrington, who told him Harrington had hired someone to kill him. He said the boyfriend also emailed him an audio recording of what he said was Harrington talking to an unknown person about killing the victim. The victim listened to the recording and confirmed it was Harrington telling someone his address, his vehicle description, including three digits of his license plate, and the manner in which she wanted him killed. The victim sent the audio recording to HSPD Detective M. Fallis Ind 7A 6-8B 1-3B 5B 2A ex Lifestyles Obituaries Stocks Viewpoints Hot Springs Village via email and the detective listened to it and could hear a female say the victim’s name and telling someone how she wanted it look like an overdose and to make sure her children were not there when it happened. The female is then heard giving the victim’s address Evans and vehicle description and saying, “Yes, I am sure I want it done.” On Oct. 15, Fallis interviewed Harrington’s boyfriend, who stated he and Harrington were at the residence of a man named “Willie” about one week earlier and while there he heard Harrington and “Willie” talking about getting someone to kill the victim. The boyfriend said on Oct. 11 he PLOT, PAGE 5A Subscriber of the Day 6A 9A 9B 8A 4B Recognizing Tommy Muldoon, a reader of The Sentinel-Record for 19-plus years • 300 Spring St. Hot Springs, AR 71901 • To subscribe or place an advertisement, call 501-623-7711 or 922-0979 in Hot Springs Village •
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