News Bites
District 7 Senate Seat up for Grabs
Bill Pritchard, R-Elkins is the current seat holder. If re-elected, he will reach his term limit in 2016. Jon Woods, R-Springdale is the Republican challenger. He and Pritchard will face off in the Republican primaries in May. Diana Gonzales Worthen from Springdale is the only Democrat in the race.
Man Arrested In Connection
With Aggravated Robbery, Kidnapping
Last Monday, Betty Davis walked into an Arvest Bank and told employees that she had been forced to walk into the bank with an explosive device attached to her leg. Davis told police masked man had broken into her home and threatened to detonate the device if she did not cooperate by withdrawing money from her account. The investigation revealed that the device was nonexplosive. Police arrived at the Davis household to find Mr. Davis taped to a barstool.
Authorities reviewed surveillance footage at area hardware stores in hopes of catching video of the man purchasing materials that may have been used to make the fake bomb. Footage led police to Paul Lewis Bradley, 60, of Elkins. After Bradley was linked to a vehicle noted to be at the scene of the crime, police searched his home and found evidence that tied him to the Davis home invasion.
Bradley was charged in connection to the incident after a possession of a firearm, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, aggravated residential burglary and 13 counts of committing a terrorist act. Mr. Davis and Bradley were acquaintances.
Monte Ne May Get New Lease On Life
The fate of the turn-of-the-century resort has been postponed until the U.S. Corps of Engineers conducts a study to determine whether the site will be demolished or preserved.
Crystal Bridges Employees Get Couture Uniforms
The world-class art museum asked Korto Momolu, an Arkansas fashion designer featured on the Bravo channel’s “Project Runway” to design the uniforms of its employees. The designer visited the grounds of the museum during various stages of construction and gathered inspiration from the outdoor environment.
New Home For Fayetteville Artists
Artists from the Fayetteville Underground are being offered the opportunity to lease space in the old post office building on the square. If all goes as scheduled, the artists will occupy the renovated space in time for the kick-off of First Thursday in April 2012.
Additions To Fayetteville’s Downtown Skyline
Seth Mims and Jeremy Hudson, the developers of Eco Modern flats plan to build a 250 unit apartment complex that will wrap around a six-story parking garage. It will be located between Campbell and West Avenues. Last month, the city approved another venture from the developers: the 183 unit 555 Maple apartment project that will take up an entire city block. The planning commission has waived the height limits for both projects, and some citizens have expressed concern about the effect these buildings will have on the downtown skyline as well as the view.
(What’s your opinion on downtown construction? Email the editor at bjackson@nwaonline.com)
