Federal prosecutors voiced opposition Friday to a proposal that former Cross County District Judge Joseph Boeckmann be allowed to reside with relatives at a Garland County home, instead of in jail, until his federal jury trial. Boeckmann, 70, who presided over traffic infractions and misdemeanor cases in Wynne from 2009 until he resigned in May, was arrested Monday on 21 federal charges, including bribery, fraud and witness tampering.
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Proposal to free ex-judge opposed
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Former judge Boeckmann indicted on federal charges
Former District Judge Joseph Boeckmann of Wynne, who stepped down from the bench in May amid a judicial conduct investigation that he traded light sentences for sexual favors from defendants, has been indicted on federal charges. A 21-count indictment returned Oct. 5 was unsealed today.
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Former judge charged with dismissing cases and tampering with witnesses
A former Arkansas State Judge was charged in an indictment unsealed for perpetrating a fraud and bribery scheme in which he dismissed cases on his docket in exchange for personal benefits, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. O. Joseph Boeckmann, 70, of Wynne, Arkansas, was charged with eight counts of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, 11 counts related to bribery and two counts of witness tampering in an indictment filed on Oct. 4, 2016, in the Eastern District of Arkansas.
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Clerk shot 5 times in holdup
A cashier shot five times during a robbery early Thursday at a Wynne truck stop is in stable condition at a Memphis hospital and police are searching for two men, Wynne Police Chief Jeff Sanders said. Danny New, 40, of Wynne was shot by a handgun five times after he gave the two men money from a cash register but then tussled with them when they tried to force him to open a safe, Sanders said.
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Indicted ex-judge, in jail, has release prospect
A former judge in Wynne who is accused of giving out lenient punishment in exchange for taking inappropriate photographs of defendants will remain jailed until his federal trial unless he can legally arrange to live on the other side of the state until then. That's what U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Volpe decided Wednesday after presiding over a detention hearing in Little Rock for former Cross County District Judge O. Joseph Boeckmann.
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Lottery ticket worth $1 million
William Tinzie of Forrest City claimed a $1 million prize with a $20 Golden Ticket purchased at Jordan's Kwik Stop in Wynne. After tax withholding, Tinzie kept about $680,000.
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State Senate committees set for 2017
LITTLE ROCK, AR - A Northeast Arkansas state senator was selected Wednesday to chair a key state senate committee while other senators received their committee assignments. Sen. Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne will serve as chair of the Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development while Sen. John Cooper, R-Jonesboro will be the vice-chair of the committee.
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With Trump's Victory, GOP Hopes to Overhaul Medicaid
Earlier this year, Ryan and Republican leaders offered another, more flexible option: States would receive a fixed amount from Washington for each person enrolled.
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Arkansas judge resigns after accusations of sexual bartering
An Arkansas judge has resigned after allegations he granted leniency to female defendants in exchange for sexual favors, a state judicial review commission said on Wednesday. The judge, Timothy Parker of Eureka Springs, has denied the charges but submitted his resignation on Dec. 30, one day before his term in office was to end, the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission said.
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Frog-call recognition seminars stretch well beyond 'ribbit'
The Southern leopard frog sounds like it's laughing when making its calls, and the spring peeper imitates the clucking of a chicken. There is no stereotypical "ribbit."
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Two in court after breaking into shop twice
CROSS COUNTY, AR - Two men who were arrested by the Cross County Sheriff's Office faced a judge Thursday morning after being involved in two separate break-in cases. According to a release from the sheriff's office, Christopher Tyler Davis, 20, of Wynne and Kyle Farmer, 20, of Wynne face felony charges for breaking into Wilbur Taylor Machine Shop.
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House panel furthers college merger
Rep. Steve Hollowell and Sen. Ron Caldwell discuss in a committee meeting Tuesday their bill that would merge Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute and East Arkansas Community College. The House Education Committee voted Tuesday to advance legislation allowing Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute to merge into East Arkansas Community College.
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Dumas man has $1 million Arkansas Lottery ticket
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Mid-South woman born with rare skin condition dies unexpectedly
WYNNE, AR - A Wynne, Ark., woman who was not expected to live more than one hour due to a debilitating skin disease died last week at the age of 23. Stephanie Turner's husband, Curtis, confirmed that his wife died unexpectedly on Friday, March 3. WMC Action News 5 introduced you to Stephanie in April 2013 . She was born with Harlequin Ichthyosis, an extremely rare and severe genetic condition that makes a person's skin hard, thick, and prone to cracking.
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Huntsville's Zagster bike share program launches on Wednesday
Zagster will officially launch their bike sharing program in Huntsville on Wednesday! The company is "the leading provider of bike share programs for cities, universities, businesses, and properties." Huntsville's bike share program was sponsored entirely by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.
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High school basketball coach on administrative leave
WYNNE, AR - A high school's basketball coach is currently off the court as administrators look into an alleged incident. Coach Russell Jones of Wynne High School is on administrative leave after he reportedly made inappropriate comments.
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Hungry-kid gap echoed at trial of 2 Arkansans accused of defrauding feeding programs
Jacqueline Mills is flanked by relatives Wednesday as she leaves the federal courthouse in Little Rock, where she is on trial, accused of defrauding U.S.-funded food programs for underprivileged children. About 20 people testified Wednesday in the ongoing federal trial of two Arkansans accused of defrauding federally funded feeding programs for underprivileged children, confirming inaccuracies in reports that prosecutors say the defendants falsified to obtain millions of dollars.
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Man arrested, accused of trafficking meth
CROSS COUNTY, AR - A multi-agency effort resulted in the arrest of a man suspected of drug trafficking. According to a post by the First Judicial District Drug Task Force , 41-year-old Paris Riley was charged with trafficking meth.
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Of itch and irony
I've never beheld such a powerful official hankering to kill and kill now as was evident Monday night in the political leadership of Arkansas. The state had weathered a wild flurry of late-afternoon court decisions that shook out this way: Instead of killing seven death row inmates in 11 days starting Monday night, the state would be allowed to kill five death row inmates over a week starting Thursday night.
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Several customers without power
David Burnette, a customer service manager with Entergy, said the hardest hit areas were Blytheville, Cherry Valley, Etowah, Lepanto, Trumann, and Wynne. Burnette said they have already started assessing the damage, including downed trees and power lines.
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