Tuesday summary

The Southwest Times Record reports a coach and science teacher taught in five school districts in Arkansas during the last 15 years despite repeated allegations of inappropriate conduct with students. Anthony Stuart Rose resigned Nov. 12 from Wells Junior High School in Greenwood. The school district has refused repeated requests under the state’s Freedom of Information Act for documents related to Rose’s resignation.

A paternity suit has been filed in Pulaski County court against former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. Tiffany Rena Smith, who is listed in her motion as a Little Rock resident, filed a petition to establish paternity and child support on Jan. 18. Her daughter, Trinity Nevaeh Smith, was born on Oct. 2, 2007. Tiffany Smith’s motion states that she believes McFadden is the biological father.

President Bush’s final State of the Union speech disappointed Arkansas Democrats who said the address Monday was short on substance and too heavy on criticism of congressional earmarks. Democrats said Bush should have offered a more-detailed, long-term plan for an economy that is sliding toward recession. They also blasted him for lacking clear proposals on illegal immigration, health care and the war in Iraq.

An investigation by congressional Democrats shows the Federal Emergency Management Agency manipulated scientific research in order to play down the danger posed by formaldehyde in trailers issued to hurricane Katrina victims.

Gov. Mike Beebe says that legislators opposing his call to raise the severance tax would probably change their minds if he reaches a deal with the major natural gas production companies. He said it would be however many it takes to get three-fourths of the Legislature to agree to it. That’s how many legislative votes would be needed to pass a severance tax increase.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton will hold a town hall meeting in North Little Rock on Wednesday, six days ahead of the state’s Feb. 5 primary. “Solutions for the American Economy” will be the topic of the meeting, set for 10:30 a.m. in the basketball arena on the west campus of North Little Rock High School. The event will be open to the public.

Hoping to end a federal lawsuit and appease residents at the same time, Sherwood council members will take ownership of the privately owned North Hills Country Club for park land.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers erred in reducing operating hours at numerous Arkansas campgrounds without consulting the public first, a top Corps official said Monday.

An unidentified man was found shot to death in the back seat of a car in central Little Rock on Monday morning. The man had been shot several times, police said. The back window had been shot out, and there was blood on the trunk, police said.

A Russellville man who police said rear-ended a sport-utility vehicle while attempting to flee from an officer — an action that resulted in the death of the woman driving the SUV — now faces charges of first-degree murder, negligent homicide and felony fleeing. Prosecutor David Gibbons charged Matthew Thomas Killough with both first-degree murder and negligent homicide in order to allow a jury to decide whether Killough is guilty of murder, punishable by 10-40 years or life in prison, or of the lesser charge of negligent homicide, punishable by 3-10 years.

Nelson Miller, a former Little Rock mortgage broker, was convicted Monday by a federal court jury on one count of conspiracy and 15 counts of wire fraud.

Filed under: Arkansas