YESTERYEARS FOR SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009
77 Years Ago
July 25, 1932
DETROIT — Kid McCoy, once the welterweight champion of the world, once a millionaire sportsman with a French villa and an Italian estate, once a salesman of suspenders, is in Detroit today ready to “start over again” after his release on parole from San Quentin prison, Calif., where he served eight years of a 30-year term for slaying his sweetheart.
43 Years Ago
July 25, 1966
Pine Bluff’s “mystery” industry that was announced January 4 was identified today as a plant of Illinois Tool Works of Chicago.
The plant is scheduled to begin “pilot operations” by October and reach full employment of 150 persons by early next year.
Elizabeth Ann Terry, 24, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Terry of Pine Bluff, was killed early yesterday when she walked into the propeller of a light plane she was boarding at Mount McKinley National Park, Alaska.
She was a teacher at Grimm Elementary School at Texarkana.
21 Years Ago
July 25, 1988
LITTLE ROCK — After Gov. Bill Clinton’s nominating speech at the Democratic National Convention last week bombed, Johnny Carson opened “The Tonight Show” with Clinton jokes for two nights running.
Clinton says he expects to have fun with his guest spot on the Carson show on NBC Thursday night.
LITTLE ROCK — Pine Bluff Cotton Belt Express rolled to a 14-2 victory over Hot Springs TNT in the finals of the 12-Year-Old-and-Under Girls Class A Slow Pitch state softball tournament here Sunday. TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO DRUG ARREST OVER MARIJUANA
By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
A traffic stop by Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies Wednesday led to the arrest of a Pine Bluff man on drug-related charges after he ran while carrying several bags of marijuana.
At a court hearing Friday, Circuit Judge Rob Wyatt Jr., ruled prosecutors had probable cause to charge Maury White, 20, with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia, based on an affidavit from sheriff’s Capt. John McNeil.
Reading from that affidavit, Deputy Prosecutor Cymber Gieringer said McNeil, Major Greg Bolin and reserve deputy Mark Robinson conducted a traffic stop at 34th Avenue and Old Warren Road after seeing two occupants of the vehicle not wearing their seat belts, and when McNeil approached the vehicle, reported a strong odor of marijuana coming from it.
Gieringer said White, who was the passenger, initially gave deputies a false name, and when he was patted down, McNeil found several bags containing a green vegetable substance that field tested positive for marijuana in White’s pants pockets.
McNeil reported that White ran into a wooded area after the marijuana was found, and was caught after a short chase. A set of digital scales were found in the passenger seat of the vehicle, and additional marijuana in the front console.
Gieringer said White waived his right to an attorney and told investigators the marijuana was his.
The total weight of the marijuana was 20.6 grams, Gieringer said.
Also Friday, the judge set a $10,000 bond for Robert Williams, 25, after ruling prosecutors had probable cause to charge Williams with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Gieringer said sheriff’s Sgt. Larry Gragg was on patrol Wednesday when he saw a yellow Oldsmobile parked in the middle of the roadway at Sixth Avenue and Tennessee Street with the door open, and a man, later identified as Williams, sitting in the driver’s seat.
Gragg reported that Williams had no identification but after giving his name and date of birth, Gragg learned that a warrant had been issued for Williams’ arrest for failure to appear.
Gieringer said Gragg placed Williams under arrest and while checking the car, saw an assault rifle on the front floorboard of the vehicle.
She said Williams, who told the court he would hire his own attorney, is currently on both probation and parole stemming from prior convictions dating back to 2001. SIX ARRESTED DURING METH LAB BUST THURSDAY
By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Six Pine Bluff residents, including two currently on parole, were arrested Thursday after police vice and narcotics officers found a methamphetamine lab at a house in the Dollarway area.
Following a court hearing Friday, Circuit Judge Rob Wyatt Jr., ruled prosecutors had probable cause to charge David Phillips, 50, Robert Phillips, 25, Angela Smith, 30, Mickey McDonald, 53, Darryl Little, 36, and Monica Esquibel, 29, with possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, based on an affidavit from vice and narcotics detective Jack Hendon. A seventh person was released without charges, pending further investigation.
Reading from that affidavit, Deputy Prosecutor Cymber Gieringer said detectives received information that methamphetamine was being manufactured at 6609 Jones St. and when they went to check out the report, Smith met them outside the residence.
She said McDonald came outside through a sliding glass door and detectives reported smelling a strong chemical odor coming from inside the house. Smith told them there were several other people in a back room and gave them a verbal consent to search.
“As they entered the house, the smell got stronger and five people were found in a bedroom,” Gieringer said. “The detectives found a glass jar with a liquid substance, an electrical hot plate, can of Heet, and other items in plain sight in the front part of the house.”
After Smith withdrew her consent to search further, Gieringer said detectives secured the house until they received a search warrant, then re-entered the residence where they found three propane tanks, coffee filters with residue in them, additional cans of Heet, Drano, and other items commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
Gieringer said Robert Phillips is currently on parole after being convicted of drug-related charges in 2007, and Little is on parole after several prior convictions dating back to 1993. He is also out on bond stemming from a 2008 drug-related charge.
She said Smith is also out on bond stemming from two drug-related cases in 2008, and McDonald is on probation after a 2008 conviction for criminal use of a prohibited weapon. David Phillips had no prior convictions, Gieringer said.
Wyatt set a $50,000 bond for David Phillips, Robert Phillips, Smith, Little and Esquibel, but then revoked the previous bonds for Little and Smith and told them they would be held at the detention center without bond until all their other cases.
After McDonald told the judge he didn’t know his address, Wyatt told him he would give him one, ruling that McDonald would be held without bond until he figured out where he lived.