RUSSELLVILLE AND POTTSVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT CREWS WERE CALLED EARLY THIS (TUES.) MORNING TO A STRUCTURE FIRE AT THE PREMIMUM PROTEIN PRODUCTS PLANT IN THE 34-HUNDRED BLOCK OF BERNICE AVENUE. UNITS RESPONDED ABOUT 2:45 A/M, AND REMAINED ON SCENE FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS, BRING THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL AND EXTENGUISHING THE BLAZE. LUCKILY, NO INJURIES OCCURRED, ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES. CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.
DARDANELLE RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENT CREWS WERE RESPONDED ABOUT 6:41 THIS (TUES.) MORNING TO A STRUCTURE FIRE IN THE 10-THOUSAND BLOCK OF BLUEBIRD LANE. FIREFIGHTERS QUICKLY BROUGHT THE BLAZE UNDER CONTROL. UNITS WERE BACK IN SERVICE ABOUT 7:15 A/M, WITH NO INJURIES REPORTED, ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES. NO EXTIMATES OF DAMAGE, AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE HAVE BEEN RELEASED.
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BOND HAS BEEN SET AT 30-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A 46-YEAR OLD GEORGIA MAN, ARRESTED BY ARKANSAS STATE POLICE ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES. THE SUSPECT, IDENTIFIED AS JOEL PURNELL WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON, NEAR THE 90 MILE MARKER OF INTERSTATE 40, EASTBOUND. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, TROOPERS DISCOVERED 92-POUNDS OF MARIJUANA IN THE FRONT FLOOR BOARDS OF THE VAN PURNELL WAS DRIVING. STREET VALUE OF THE DRUGS WERE SAID TO BE APPROXIMATELY 147-THOUSAND DOLLARS. PURNELL APPEARED MONDAY BEFORE POPE COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE DON BOURNE, WHO FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD THE SUSPECT OVER FOR A FEBRUARY 9th PLEA AND ARRAIGNMENT DATE IN POPE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT. CHARGES OF POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER AND SIMULTANIOUS POSSESSION OF DRUGS AND FIREARMS ARE TO BE FILED IN THIS CASE.
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RUSSELLVILLE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE CALLED A SPECIAL SESSION FOR THIS (TUES.) AFTERNOON, TO ADDRESS A PERSONNEL MATTER. THAT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR 5 P/M, IN THE DISTRICT'S ADMINSTRATION BUILDING.
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