Arkansas's top news stories | August 30, 2024

Developing. Now, Conway is sharing plans to add more roundabouts just ahead, learn why and how they could keep traffic flowing. And more people are preparing to travel this Labor Day in minutes. We share what's fueling the need to get up and about. Plus new changes are ahead for the big 10 conference later in the show, what schools are joining and where you can watch THB 11 at noon starts. Now we're heading into this afternoon, two high schools are getting ready to face off in one of the biggest football match ups. As you see here THV 11 is bringing you salt bowl coverage all day long. Tonight is the 50 year miles zone of the Benton Panthers taking on the Brian Hornets. A few reminders before tonight's game kickoff starts at 730. If you tickets, you'll need to buy them online. A clear bag policy will be in effect in security is being heavily enforced this year with a zero tolerance policy for misconduct. Now, outside the stadium, there's going to be a heavy presence of law enforcement. Also patrolling the streets heading into the big weekend. State police is continuing their drive sober campaign let this be a reminder to avoid drinking before getting behind the wheel or risk the consequences of dealing with local and state police. Now, that same warning goes for people on the water, you can be arrested if you're caught operating a boat under the influence. This was the case for over 20 people during the fourth of July, don't make the same mistakes because a fun trip can go bad in a blink of an eye. If for some reason, you can't keep the party on the, on the shore. Have a designated driver operating that boat, have a sober driver on that boat. So, um, you can still have fun and be safe. Officials say again, they know there's plenty of reason to have fun this weekend, but they want you to stay safe and think twice before making decisions. All right. Well, a big weekend and it's been quiet. It has been quiet. We've been very lucky that most of the activity has stayed away until the rest of the game was over, which was the case last night or memorial. I will say yes. And I remember raindrops touching me a little bit. Please listen, I was at home checking that radar about, oh, I was so nervous. I knew it was gonna be close but it waited. Mother Nature waited and today we make it a little break as well. Take a look at our radar. We love these clouds that are out there. Right now because it's, uh, all of the storm activity. Now, we may see some rain showers, but that's ok. We can play in rain showers. That's not a big deal. Uh, central Arkansas starting to see just a few little very light showers. We're not worried about these really affecting anything for today. Uh, could see a little rumble of thunder early afternoon, but as we're heading into the evening, it looks like we're starting to clear out for that confect activity, which is good news and rain showers pushing back into the metro around 910 o'clock tonight. But those clouds, we need them. Certainly something that's gonna help this situation. Now, looking at this football forecast for, uh, the Salt Bowl, we are looking again for the possibility of those scattered showers in an isolated thunderstorm, looks like they're staying away, but the possibility is certainly there. It would be a very stray pop up shower. Um, but as the evening progresses, we're going to be in the seventies probably by the end of the game. So overall not too bad, we're just gonna keep positive and keep thinking good. Um, and we're gonna take another look at this forecast coming up in just a couple of minutes and one of our most viewed stories online, a woman is dead after being shot by a deputy near Glenwood. According to information sent to our newsroom, the Pike County Sheriff's office were tipped off a woman having a knife. After arriving to the scene, a deputy apparently asked Jennifer Province to put down the knife. Reportedly she failed to do so and that's when a deputy allegedly shot and killed her. We don't know if she's charged at the pretty first, but state police is investigating and we're working to find out more information new this afternoon. We're learning more on the punishment two Crawford County deputies could face after being caught on camera violently being a man. We've been following this story since it happened two years ago. The two deputies you see are Levy White and Zachary King. The third person is Mulberry, a mulberry officer, Bill Riddle who was later reinstated. The first thing they're on top of is Rendall Rossler White and King. Both have entered a glitzy plea plea for excessive force and a letter sent to the judge overseeing the case. The US Attorney's office is recommending prison terms for the two. The office is also asking for White to serve over eight years in prison. According to the US attorney, it's due to him boasting about beating to about the beating to the other officers while it's being recommended that King only serve one year prison sentence. Both will stand before a judge in October. We're turning now to a crime alert in Little Rock where a man is dead after being shot yesterday afternoon. According to social media post, LRPD found him suffering from gunshot wounds near 10th and Main street. He was taken to the hospital where he later died right now. We still don't know his identity but the investigation remains ongoing. We're also learning more on the person caught in North Little Rock after stealing a bus. According to state troopers, Elvin Richard led them on a chase down. I 40 on motor coach on a motor coach bus. It wasn't until troopers shot out the bus tires when they were able to catch him. Richard is now being held on a number of charges. And just yesterday, 24 people stood before a federal court connected to a string of pharmacy thefts. That list of people add to the already 18 people arrested for the same thing. Last year. We've learned that the operation span from just 20 pharmacies in Arkansas to over 200 across 30 different states. The US attorney says all 42 of them are from Houston, Texas. They're all now indicted for stealing thousands of drugs to stay on the streets of their hometown. In the early morning hours, they would shatter glass at pharmacy locations, low crawl on the floor to evade motion detectors and systematically remove dangerous opioid, Benzodiazepines promethazine with codeine and other scheduled medication from the pharmacy shelves. Ross says they will continue working to catch people committing these types of crimes. The city of Conway has quite the love for roundabouts and we're learning they're planning to add even more. Our team spoke with Conway mayor and discovered there's already 35 roundabouts in the city. That number will increase with time as the city says construction is underway to put more throughout the city. Now, the reason is due to how well they regulate traffic because of the curvature of the road. You you you naturally slow down. If you do happen to get hit possibly by the car to your left in a roundabout, it's going to be a side swipe type of situation versus a head on. Mayor Bert Cassowary says the people of Conway like it so they won't stop anytime soon. And a little further northwest students at the University of Arkansas can expect more from its mcmillian Innovation Studio, the Ceo of Walmart gift it $1 million to help the school expand. The hub focuses on developing innovative ideas and thanks to the money, it will now expand to two floors giving students additional space for work, which is hours ago, our team learned a federal judge has blocked a recent ban on electronic signatures. Earlier this week, the legislative council approved only allowing physical signatures for voter registration forms with that decision now blocked as US district judge, Timothy Brook says it violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and as that unfolds, the state election commission is working to ease concerns over voting machines. 15 counties were originally selected for an audit and that data revealed 14 counties had 100% accuracy when using voting machines. Election officials say the reason for doing this is to ensure a transparent election system, very important for voters to trust the system. And this is a way for voters to learn that we do have accurate elections in Washington County and in the state of Arkansas and that you can trust the results. Now, the election commissioner director says Arkansas is among the top when it comes to using a secure system and we're less than 70 days away from watching. Voters decide on who will lead the nation for the next four years. Nie brand shares how both presidential candidates are tackling key issues. Let's be clear, my values have not changed in her first major interview as the democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris was pressed on some of her policy shifts over the years including signaling during the primary in 2019. She supported a ban on fracking. No. And I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking as vice president. I did not ban fracking as president. I will not ban fracking. It's an issue central to voters in battleground Pennsylvania where former president Donald Trump holds a rally later today. The Republican ticket has also slammed Harris and President Biden for record crossings at the southern border last year. Harris was asked in a CNN interview about how her views have changed. I believe there should be consequences. We have laws that have to be followed and enforced that address and deal with people who cross our border illegally. The Republican nominee is facing questions from conservative groups about his own evolving stances. In an NBC news interview, Trump suggested Florida's six week abortion ban is too restrictive. I think the six week is too short has to be more time with Harris holding a sizable advantage among female voters. Trump appears to be looking for ways to cut into that lead. He made this announcement on Thursday. Your government will pay for or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for all costs with treatment tonight. Trump speaks to the conservative group moms for Liberty, Natalie brand CBS News Washington from campaigning on the ground to focusing her. She's getting there after the break. We verify who's paying to get presidential candidates from point A to point B Friday. Night lights are on the minds of many Arkansans. We're to talk about the rain are gonna dampen the spirits coming up after the break. We'll have my full forecast.