A Better REGION 8

Out of the Dark

"My heart hurts for him." That's what a Region 8 mom said about her son being arrested for a string of charges including stealing a police cruiser. Sean Whitney was arrested Friday after his mother called police to turn him in for stealing televisions from her apartment. Whitney was taken into custody after he tried to take off on foot and then stole a police cruiser to get away. Deborah Brewer told Brandi Hunter she called 911 hoping to get her son arrested so he could get help for his habit. It was so sad to me this mother felt she had no other option, but to call the police. It made me think about an organization I learned about recently called Out of the Dark. Out of the Dark is a community volunteer movement started in 2008 after several people in Jonesboro felt the need to address the horrible impact chemical addiction is having on our community. If you have a family member of friend caught up in the throes of addiction, there is help. You can call the Into the Light Hotline at 800-592-8460 or 870-336-1755. Reaching out for help will help make this A Better Region 8.

Counseling services can help avert family tragedies

March 19, 2012

A MOTHER AND 3 DAUGHTERS -- AGES 8 YEARS OLD, 6 YEARS OLD AND 3 YEARS OLD WERE FOUND SHOT TO DEATH OVER THE WEEKEND.

POLICE IN BOURBON, MISSOURI SAY THEY SUSPECT THIS WAS A MURDER-SUICIDE.

I WAS HORRIFIED WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE DEATHS AND EVEN MORE SHOCKED WHEN I LEARNED THESE CHILDREN MAY HAVE DIED AT THE HANDS OF THEIR OWN MOTHER.

WE HEAR ABOUT THESE TRAGEDIES AND IT'S SO HARD FOR US TO IMAGINE HOW MUCH PAIN A PERSON COULD BE IN TO KILL HER OWN DAUGHTERS.

BUT THEN I REALIZE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN PAIN OUT THERE AND THEY NEED HELP.

WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE SEVERAL COUNSELING SERVICES IN REGION 8 - PLACES PEOPLE CAN TURN TO WHEN THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN UNBEARABLE PAIN. 

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO END LIKE THIS. 

YOU CAN FIND A LIST OF COUNSELING SERVICES AND PHONE NUMBERS BY LOGGING ON TO KAIT8.COM AND CLICKING ON THE COMMUNITY TAB AT THE TOP OF OUR HOME PAGE.  YOU WILL FIND A LINK TO MY EDITORIALS THERE AND CONTACT NUMBERS.

• Better Life Counseling:  (870) 935-4673
• Life Strategies:  (870) 972-1268
• Mid-South Health Systems:  1-800-356-3035
• Hope Gilchrist:  (870) 910-3730
• ASU Counseling Center:  (870) 972-2318
• Families, Inc. Counseling Services (870) 268-7680

THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP MAKE THIS A BETTER REGION 8.

 

Dangers of Drunk Driving

March 12, 2012

WHEN I THINK OF DRUNK DRIVING, I TYPICALLY THINK OF HOLIDAYS LIKE NEW YEAR'S EVE.

BUT ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED HOLIDAYS OF THE YEAR IS COMING UP THIS WEEKEND.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY IS THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 17TH.

SO IT'S A GOOD TIME TO REMIND YOU OF THE DANGERS OF DRINKING AND DRIVING.

IF YOU LOG ON TO THE MOTHER'S AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING WEBSITE, YOU WILL FIND A SOBERING STATISTIC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOME PAGE -- ONE IN THREE OF US WILL BE IMPACTED BY DRUNK DRIVING.

IF YOU PLAN TO DRINK THIS WEEKEND, DO SO RESPONSIBLY. 

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO DRIVE YOU HOME. 

YOU CAN ALSO HELP BY LEARNING HOW TO SPOT A DRUNK DRIVER.

A FEW OF THE THINGS TO LOOK FOR ARE SPEEDING UP AND SLOWING DOWN, TAILGATING, WEAVING, STOPPING FOR NO REASON, SLOW RESPONSE TO TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND TURNING ABRUPTLY OR ILLEGALLY.  EXPERTS TELL US DON'T TRY TO INTERFERE WITH A DRUNK DRIVER -- CALL POLICE.

BOTTOM LINE - IF YOU DRINK, STAY OFF THE ROADS.

AND IF THAT'S NOT DETTERENT ENOUGH -- POLICE OFFICERS AND SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES WILL BE OUT IN FULL FORCE THIS WEEKEND.

SAVE YOURSELF A LOT OF TROUBLE AND HEARTACHE AND MAKE THIS A BETTER REGION 8.

 

Neighbors can be heroes

January 30, 2012

Friday was a sad day for Region 8 when we lost 13-month-old Blake Pierce in a house fire in Trumann. Blake and his twin brother Drake Pierce, his 3 year old brother Robert and their baby sitter were in the home when the fire started. When the fire broke out, neighbors rushed to the house, broke out the back window with a baseball bat and found the boys unconscious in a bedroom. One of those neighbors, Robert Beard, performed CPR on one of the children. He told Region 8 News he just wished he could have helped all 3 boys, but he knew if he didn't stay with the one boy -- he wouldn't make it either. First I want to ask that you keep the Pierce family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. And I want to commend Robert Beard and the other neighbors who came running when these precious children were in danger. Beard put his personal safety aside and was determined to help these boys. If faced with a dangerous situation, would you do the same? I am thankful for Robert Beard and the other neighbors who came to help. It's folks like these that make this a Better Region 8.

False police report on the Tusing case

January 9th, 2012

I was angry when I heard about the Region 8 woman charged with filing a false police report.

According to Craighead County Sheriff Jack McCann, Lindsay Sullivan claimed a police impersonator pulled her over on Craighead County Road 506, not far from Highway 18. 

This is just a mile from where Amanda Tusing was killed a decade ago.  Tusing’s case is cold with no leads.

When McCann got word about this incident, he was hopeful this might just be the break he’s been looking for.

According to McCann, Sullivan’s story started to fall apart and he says she admitted to making a false report.

The story not only alarmed McCann and his officers, but many people across Region 8. 

I could sense the pain in Sheriff McCann’s voice as he talked about getting his hopes up that this might be related to Amanda Tusing and it just wasted the whole day and put them back at ground zero.

Why would someone do this?  No one knows for sure, but this is not the kind of incident we need as we work hard to make this a Better Region 8.

 

Gun Safety and Teens

It was with great sadness I read on kait8.com about another Region 8 teenager losing his life in an accidental shooting.

Investigators said 16-year-old Zane Riddiough of Independence County was with a group of friends and he was handling a gun when the gun went off, hit him and he died.

Just a few weeks earlier, we reported another shooting death of a teenager named Dillon McKinnis Brown.  Dillon was just 14-years-old. Investigators said Dillon was accidentally shot and killed after a duck hunt.

These two incidents alone are enough for those of us who are parents of teenagers or friends of teenagers to at least talk to the young people we know about the dangers of handling guns.

Please don’t misunderstand me – I support our right to bear arms and am not against the responsible use of firearms especially in self defense and for hunting.  But as the mother of a 20-year-old son – I know teenagers and young adults often feel they are invincible. 

Please do what you can to talk with your teen, your young adult and their friends about the dangers of guns. 

Maybe, just maybe, you can help save a precious life and in turn make this a Better Region 8

 

Sobriety Checkpoints

The Labor Day Holiday Weekend is sneaking up fast. Another thing that will be sneaking up on you in Region 8...Sobriety Checkpoints. Now some may rail against this arguing that it is inconvenient or an unneccesary violation of your rights. There are lots of folks who buy into that argument. But let me tell you this.

If stopping someone at a checkpoint for five minutes saves lives...I'll take the inconvenience every time. Here are some pointers if you plan on celebrating this weekend. First, designate a sober driver and give them the keys

If you don't have a driver, call someone to pick you up. Use those cell phones to report drunken drivers. And if you know someone who has been drinking too much and plans to drive, take their keys and help get them home.

Finally, if you are sober and are stopped at a checkpoint, thank the officers for their effort. They are working hard out there to make this a safer and a Better Region 8.

A BETTER REGION 8: SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS

The Golden Rule on the Roadways

With the start of school upon us we can all expect morning and afternoon traffic to once again be a source of stress. It might be a good time to reflect on the "Golden Rule" and actually respecting others. Not to mention the often forgotten tenant of forgiving others. And then there's the common sense, practical applications of road sanity for all… especially those who seem to be attracted to my route. Like thou shall not signal left, and then veer into the right lane before turning . . .  thou shall actually use one's blinker before turning  . .  thou shall not drive 15 mph under the speed limit on major highways . . .  thou shall not merge and then check for cars already in that lane . . .  thou shall not apply make up with one hand and  overuse the omni-present cell phone with the other hand . . . thou shall really stop at those big red stop signs . . .   Finally, and most importantly if you are blessed to have children that you're transporting to and from school remember to take advantage of that very special time you have alone with them in the car. Exercising some simple etiquette on our roadways will keep us all safe and will lead to a better Region 8.

Back to School and the Golden Rule