Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Juveniles Believed To Have Started Fire

A metal structure which burned Jan. 7, is believed to have been intentional.

Jim Westmoreland, criminal investigator for the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and Prescott Police Department, said the fire occurred around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in a tin building owned by Will Ed Loe.

Loe, and a woman he was renting a nearby house to, had property stored in the building at the time of the fire.

Firefighters with the Prescott Fire Department were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, keeping it from spreading to two nearby houses.

However, all the property inside the shed was destroyed. Westmoreland said the total amount of damage done is unknown at this time, but preliminary estimates are $10,000 in property was burned.

Prescott Police officers Kristi Hillery and Joey Beavers also responded to the fire call and found witnesses who said they saw two juveniles running from the structure as it was on fire.

Westmoreland said the investigation into the fire is complete with the results being turned over to the juvenile intake officer for the filing of charges.

It is not known if both youths will be charged in the arson at this time or not.

MAN STABBED

A 38-year-old Bluff City man was charged with stabbing his brother during an altercation recently.

According to Westmoreland, Larry Sims got into a fight with his brother, Floyd, and a nephew which resulted in his stabbing his brother in the arm.

Floyd Sims was treated and released at the Ouachita County Hospital, while Larry was charged with second degree battery.

TRIAL DATES

The following are trial dates which may be important to some area residents.

Jared Woodley and Dechay Wilson, accused of raping a 68-year-old Prescott woman have their pretrial date set for Thursday, Jan. 16, with trial dates scheduled for Feb. 3.

Matthew Ward, accused of burning the Emmet gymnasium, has a pretrial date of Jan. 16 and trial date set for Feb. 3 as well.

However, his wife, Latisha Ward, has a pretrial date of May 7, and trial scheduled for May 19 in the Emmet gym burning.

Joe Louis Dansby is scheduled to have a pretrial hearing in Texarkana Feb. 26 and should see his trial start April 7.