Latest news with #EncyclopediaofArkansas
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Saline County set for Old River Bridge ribbon-cutting
Video: Historic Old River Bridge returns to Saline County, nears reopening SALINE COUNTY, Ark. – A long-time project in Saline County will receive its formal opening with a June ribbon-cutting. Officials with the county announced that the Old River Bridge is scheduled for a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 24. Standing on the banks of the Saline River, the bridge is at the end of Airline Drive in Benton, near the 2215 address. Historic Old River Bridge returns to Saline County, nears reopening The Old River Bridge first opened on July 15, 1891, and served for decades before being taken out of commission on April 12, 1974, when a truck hauling concrete bricks fell through its floor. In 2021, the bridge was disassembled and relocated from its original location to Lansing, Michigan, to a bridge restoration specialist. The bridge returned to Saline County in 2022, and construction began at its original location in the county. The ribbon cutting will mark the end of the bridge's restoration project, which according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, began with a grassroots group formed in 2008. The 260-foot-long iron and wood bridge is believed to be the oldest in the state. Saline County Judge Matt Brumley said the bridge's opening is more than a celebration of history; it is also a monument that brings the community together. Historic Saline County bridge expected to return to original location by May With its opening, the bridge is now part of the 65-mile Southwest Trail, a greenway project that connects Hot Springs to Little Rock through Pulaski, Saline, and Garland counties. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Historic Arkansas Museum reopens oldest original building in Little Rock after restoration
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Historic Arkansas Museum has completed the restoration of what is considered the oldest original structure still standing in Little Rock. Museum officials said the oldest structure title belongs to the Hinderliter Grog Shop at 3rd and Cumberland Street in Little Rock, which was built circa 1827-1828. The hand-hewn log, two-story structure was once considered the original meeting place of the Arkansas territorial legislature, but historians later disproved that claim. Little Rock prepares for SOMA Pride Street Festival and Parade Museum officials said proprietor Jesse Hinderliter died in 1834, and the grog shop was sold at auction to become a tenement with a restaurant and laundry business in the 1880s. A restoration began in 1939. It opened in 1941 as the Arkansas Territorial Restoration, now known as the Historic Arkansas Museum. The Hinderliter building will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2027, according to museum officials. Alligator sightings increasing across Arkansas The Encyclopedia of Arkansas describes the grog that Hinderliter served as rum, sometimes watered down and served warm. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Natural State History: Duo executed in 1997 for killing marshal, park ranger
LOGAN COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Nearly 50 years ago, two men broke out of an Oklahoma prison to go on a crime spree that involved murdering a town marshal and a park ranger in Logan County. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Paul Ruiz and Earl Van Denton escaped from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. The two men were both serving life sentences. Ruiz for armed robbery. Van Denton for murder. On June 23, 1977, the pair were a part of a 20-member crew tasked with tearing down a brick factory near the prison when they decided to escape. They had been placed in an empty building during a lunch break. The door to the building was not guarded, which allowed Ruiz, Van Denton and Elmer Finin to escape. Two of the guards in charge of supervising the work crew were demoted and suspended after the incident. The three men fled from the prison into the city of McCalester. Shortly after the escape, Finin separated from Ruiz and Van Denton. Finin was arrested in Hot Springs on October 31, 1977, at a service station where he worked. He was returned to the prison he escaped from and died there on October 21, 1981. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas says the first possible murder associated with Ruiz and Van Denton's crime spree happened on June 27, 1977, when Gerald Tiffee disappeared in Boswell, Oklahoma. However, the two were never charged with the disappearance. Natural State History: The powerful political 'family' that influenced Arkansas' early days and pre-Civil War US Ruiz and Van Denton headed southeast to Louisiana. Ruiz and Denton murdered Jimmy Cockrell near Colfax. Cockrell's body was found on June 28. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas says it is suspected that on the same day, Ray Jones and Alton Wilson were killed near Franklinton, Louisiana. Their bodies were found in Tiffee's pickup truck, which had been submerged in a flooded gravel pit. The men headed north into Arkansas in a stolen car. When they got a flat tire near Magazine, they rolled the tire to town to have it repaired. Marvin Richie was Magazine's marshal. He was informed of the men's actions by citizens. Richie went to offer assistance. Ruiz and Van Denton ultimately kidnapped Richie in an attempt to take his car. They drove through Magazine and Blue Mountain, where they were spotted in the patrol car with Richie handcuffed in the rear seat. The men drove to Ashley Recreation Area on the shore of Blue Mountain Lake. They stopped a truck driven by two United States Army Corps of Engineers rangers, David Small and Opal James. The rangers were ordered into the patrol car, and Ruiz and Van Denton drove into a thickly wooded area. The two men handcuffed Small and Richie together. They forced them into the trunk of the patrol car. Meanwhile, they made James lie on the ground behind the car. Ruiz took Small's watch and one of the men took Richie's shirt. Before closing the trunk, they shot Small and Richie. Richie was killed. Small was hit in the chest and blacked out for a period, but eventually regained consciousness. Small was rescued five hours later by searchers. Ruiz and Van Denton took the James and rangers' truck south. They abandoned the truck about forty miles from Magazine. They killed James there and hiked to Oden in Montgomery County, where they stole another truck. The two men used the stolen truck to drive back into Oklahoma, where they stole a taxi cab in Purcell on July 1. They killed the driver of the cab, Melvin Short. His body was found in Grady County, Oklahoma. Using Short's car, the men drove to Portland, Oregon, where they were captured on July 8. They had contacted a family member in Oklahoma for financial assistance, but the family member contacted law enforcement. The men were waiting for a money transfer when they were captured. Natural State History: Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an Arkansas native that inspired Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash At the time of their arrest, Van Denton and Ruiz were with a third man, David Christofferson. The men had picked up Christofferson while he was hitchhiking in eastern Oregon. Christofferson was questioned and released. The men were eventually extradited to Arkansas. They were tried in Booneville on capital murder charges and convicted on April 27, 1978. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas said during the trial, Small identified the fugitives who kidnapped him and shot him along with Ritichie and James. The jury found them guilty and recommended the death penalty. The Arkansas Supreme Court overturned their convictions due to the pretrial publicity in Logan County, which was deemed prejudicial to their case. A second trial was held in Morrilton in 1983. They were convicted again and sentenced to death. The death sentences were overturned by the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1987, and that phase of the trial was held again. They were convicted again and sentenced to death. Another appeal was filed in 1989 to the Eighth Circuit. It was denied. A final appeal was made on January 3, 1997. It was also denied. Ruiz and Van Denton were executed at the Cummins Unit prison in Lincoln County on January 8, 1997, along with Kirt Wainwright, who was convicted of murder and robbery in Nevada County in 1988. Ruiz and Van Denton declined to give final statements. Small was present for the executions but was not allowed to view the proceedings. Van Denton was executed first and declared dead at 7:09 p.m. Ruiz was executed and declared dead at 8 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
April sees anniversaries of 2 major tornadoes in River Valley
SEBASTIAN COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — April sees the anniversaries of two major tornadoes that devastated two cities in Sebastian County. April 19 and April 21 are the anniversaries of two separate tornadoes that changed the course of history for the cities of Greenwood and Fort Smith. April 19, 1968, was the 57th anniversary of the F4 tornado that touched down in Greenwood and caused immense damage to the city and the nearby area. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, the tornado was on the ground for four minutes. Still, it caused more than 12 deaths, 250 injuries, and more than $1 million in storm damage. Around 3:15 p.m., heavy rain began to fall in the area. Shortly after, a tornado was sighted as it touched down south of the city. The tornado produced wind speeds between 166 and 200 miles per hour. Before it dissipated, it destroyed the local courthouse, hit city hall and demolished businesses and homes. The tornado made a two-mile-long journey through the city and was 300 yards wide. It damaged 400 to 500 homes. It damaged 60 businesses and most historic buildings. The Missionary Baptist Church and the city's school were destroyed. Government analysis showed that 25% of the city was gone. The city was mostly rebuilt by 1969. Many of the buildings were rebuilt with stone and in more modern styles than preexisting buildings. Greenwood memorialized the day. A clock and bell tower that stand in the center of town honor Greenwood's history as well as the loss of life from the tornado. In 2014, Mayor Sharla Derry declared April 19 'Tornado Memorial Day' to remember the tragedy of the 1968 tornado. April 21, 1996, is the 29th anniversary of an F3 tornado that hit Fort Smith, causing extensive property damage, two deaths and more than 40 injuries. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado touched down on the west side of downtown Fort Smith at 11:12 p.m. The NWS says that after causing extensive damage to many historic buildings in the downtown area, the tornado moved northeast through an industrial area and then into a residential area on the north side of the city. The tornado crossed the Arkansas River and moved into a residential area on the west side of Van Buren and continued moving northeast through a more sparsely populated area. The two deaths occurred in the residential area on the north side of Fort Smith. Two children died in frame houses heavily damaged by the tornado. Numerous injuries occurred in the residential areas of Fort Smith and Van Buren, where the tornado substantially damaged around 1,800 homes. The tornado was estimated to be around 1.5 miles wide with a path length of around seven miles. It was estimated to have wind speeds of around 200 mph. Roofs and walls were torn off well-constructed houses, train cars were overturned, and vehicles were lifted off the ground. The NWS says the low loss of life in the storm may be attributed to preparedness activities conducted by the Fort Smith and Tulsa NWS offices and their partners in the local government and private sector contributions to the public's knowledge of life-saving actions. These anniversaries come around the same time as an EF1 tornado that hit Fayetteville on April 20. Photos of the damage from that tornado can be seen here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Arkansas State Police celebrates 90th anniversary
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) —The Arkansas State Police (ASP) is marking 90 years since its establishment as the state's primary law enforcement agency. On Mar. 19, 1935, Governor J.M. Futrell and the Arkansas General Assembly approved Act 120, creating the ASP. Initially composed of 13 officers, the agency was tasked with enforcing traffic laws and newly enacted liquor regulations. Over time, its responsibilities expanded to include criminal investigations and highway patrol. 1948 – ASP established separate divisions for highway patrol and criminal investigations. 1957 – The agency expanded under Governor Orval Faubus, increasing its presence across the state. 1967 – ASP hired its first African American officer, Marion Taylor, and engaged in efforts to enforce state laws in Hot Springs, where illegal gambling had persisted. 1975 – Barbara Cart became the agency's first female officer, and ASP integrated computerized records into its operations. 1980s-1990s – The agency expanded its drug enforcement initiatives, including a marijuana eradication program and drug interdiction units. 2019 – ASP was placed under the newly formed Arkansas Department of Public Safety as part of Act 910. Today, ASP operates as a division within the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, with nearly 1,000 officers and civilian employees. The agency remains responsible for law enforcement efforts across the state, including highway safety and criminal investigations. University of Arkansas issues measles advisory amid U.S. surge Since its founding, ASP has contributed to a decline in traffic fatality rates, from 24 deaths per 100 million miles traveled in 1934 to two per 100 million miles by 2001, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. 'We want to honor and thank all of the men and women – past and present – who have proudly worn the badge and Big Hat in selfless service to the citizens of our great state,' ASP Colonel Mike Hagar said in a news release. 'Here's to many more wonderful years ahead for YOUR ARKANSAS STATE POLICE!' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
