Friday Arkansas early morning

The attorney for the admitted killer of a soldier outside the Little Rock recruiting center says his client was hardened and mistreated in Yemen.

New York authorities have displayed the guard uniforms and prison employee identification cards used by two convicted murders in last week’s escape from Cummins Prison.

A National Guard helicopter crashed in the Buffalo River in Marion County near Yellville today. A State Police Special Agent was among those on board.  The chopper apparently lost power and went into the river, but apparently no serious injuries to the three on board.

Ray Thornton, Chairman of the State Lottery Commission, now says lottery experience may be very important for an executive director. Thornton says he is not pleased with the pool of candidates and there is talk of raising the salary.

An Iraq war veteran, Larry “Beau” Stricklin, Jr. plans to form an exploratory committee to run in the 3rd Congressional District against incumbent Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers.

The State Supreme Court finds no merit in a lawsuit by several school districts, led by Fort Smith, that contended the state wasn’t making sufficient financial effort to support public schools.

An Arkansas State Police trooper who left his job while under investigation on suspicions that he used cocaine didn’t retire, but instead resigned his position, the Arkansas Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday.

A state law that makes people on active military duty exempt from being served with civil lawsuits does not conflict with the Arkansas Constitution, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation has given $33.4 million to the Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. It’s the campus’ second biggest gift.

The Wal Mart annual shareholders meeting is today in Fayetteville. Wal-Mart is actively seeking acquisitions abroad, including in Russia.

A Minnesota judge has given final approval to a settlement of a wages-and-hours lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that could be worth up to $54.25 million.

Sales at Little Rock-based Dillard’s dropped 14 percent in May, though comparable store sales were marginally better.

A 19-year-old Little Rock man convicted Wednesday of raping a teenager and shooting a man in the face during an armed robbery went home instead of to prison after one of the jurors suffered a brief emotional breakdown, prompting Pulaski County Circuit Judge Marion Humphrey to order a new trial.

Most categories of violent crime in Little Rock declined dramatically in 2008, while property crimes saw less sensational but still significant drops, according to preliminary statistics released earlier this week by the FBI.

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