According to court records, the Circuit Court of Madison County ordered the mental health evaluation last month for 25-year-old Hunter Chenoweth of De Queen. Chenoweth is accused of killing his mother, 51-year-old Tami Lynn Chenoweth; his stepfather, 59-year-old James Stanley McGhee; and his sister, 26-year-old Cheyenne Chenoweth. All three were found deceased inside a home in Madison County on Feb. 23 of 2021, according to the Arkansas State Police.
The evaluation will determine if Chenoweth, who has pleaded not guilty to the three counts of capital murder, is capable of appearing in court for a jury trial.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in Chenoweth’s case. Chenoweth’s attorneys filed a motion early last year seeking to prevent the death penalty as a possible sentence in his case. Chenoweth asked the court to hold a hearing to present evidence suggesting that prosecutors are denying him the opportunity to enter a plea and thereby avoid the death penalty. The motion described the lack of a plea deal from prosecutors as “abritrary, capricious and standardless.”
That motion was defeated and the Madison County Circuit Court upheld the prosecution’s intent to seek the death penalty. The notice of intent originally filed by prosecutors states the murders for which Chenoweth has been accused were committed in an “especially cruel and depraved manner.”
Chenoweth’s defense was unable to prove its claim that nothing in his case distinguishes it from other cases in which the State of Arkansas has agreed to a plea bargain for a sentence of less than death. A further defense motion sought to proclaim the death penalty as “cruel and unusual” and prohibit it as a sentence in Chenoweth’s case.
The court order filed last year denied Chenoweth’s claim and makes him eligible for the death penalty upon his conviction. Defense attorneys then filed a notice of intent to raise lack of criminal responsibility as a defense due to mental health issues.
Chenoweth has been repeatedly scheduled to appear in court for a jury trial over the past year and a half. However, the trial has been continued on several occasions due to incomplete reports from the Arkansas State Crime Lab. The jury trial is now on hold pending completion of the mental health evaluation.
Water restored, but boil order continues for some SCRWA customers 01/27/23
DE QUEEN – The Sevier County Rural Water Association completed work on a broken water main on Thursday, restoring water service to affected customers although they remain on a boil order.
Crews worked for approximately eight hours on Thursday to repair the main break and restore water to homes located west of De Queen. The current boil order is impacting water association customers in the Chapel Hill community as well as along Johnson Bridge Road, Brooks Road, Well, Waldon, Dunn, Dogtown, Red Bud and Crooked Roads. Homes along Highway 70W are also included in the boil order.
The boil order impacting these homes will remain in effect until late next week, according to the Sevier County Rural Water Association.
Affected customers are advised to briskly boil water for drinking or cooking purposes for at least one minute.
Benefit this Saturday at Williamson Church for Mrs. Bobbie Sexton 01/27/23
HORATIO – A benefit pancake breakfast will be held at the Williamson Community Church this Saturday, Jan. 28 from 7-11 a.m.
The benefit breakfast will also include a community yard sale. Spaces are available by donation. Bring your own items to the sale and plan to stay.
All proceeds raised will go to support Mrs. Bobbie Sexton with medical expenses.
Williamson Community Church is located at 555 Central Road near Horatio. For more information contact Bro. Jimmy Roden at (870) 832-4358 or (870) 582-2983.
Fish fry fundraiser this weekend in support of Pauley Cemetery 01/27/23
CERRO GORDO – A fish fry fundraiser is scheduled for this weekend to help raise funds for the Pauley Cemetery in Little River County.
Plates will be served between 4-6 p.m. at the Cerro Gordo Fire Department this Saturday, Jan. 28. Cost is $10 per plate. An auction and pie walk will begin at 6 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend.
Extension Service to host Best Care classes 01/27/23
Submitted by Sevier County Extension Agent Janet Cantrell
Don’t miss out on all the free training opportunities and resources available to childcare professionals in Arkansas! All childcare training programs are offered free of charge by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in partnership with the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education and the Professional Development Registry (PDR).
So, what are the top 5 reasons to participate in Best Care? Training classes are registered with PDR & Supports Better Beginnings, training is offered face-to-face and ONLINE, new curriculum is developed every year, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available, and it is free to our local childcare providers.
The 2022 course topics will be offered in a face-to-face atmosphere that equal to 10 Best Care hours. The lessons include, Body Positivity, Good Nutrition Counts on Basic Math Skills, Importance of Immunizations, Literacy in Early Childhood, Money as you Grown, Guidance, Kindergarten Readiness, Engaging Children in Physical Activity, Observation in Early Childhood, and Professionalism.
We also continue to offer Best Care Connected, which is five hours of online training, and Guiding Children Successfully is 30 hours of self-guided study and available online. If you prefer to use the self-guided hard copy of the Guiding Children Successfully, it is available at your local county Extension office.
The 2023 Best Care professional development training has been scheduled for Saturday, February 25 from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M in a classroom setting in the Howard County Extension Homemakers Educational Center at 425 Second Street (behind the courthouse) in Nashville, AR. This is an all-day event and participants are asked to bring their own lunch. Light snacks will be provided during the day.
The deadline to register is February 17. For more information about The Best Care classes for early childhood professionals, contact Sevier County FCS Agent, Janet Cantrell, at (870) 584-3013 or email at jcantrell@uada.edu.