Almost two years and justice will be done for Dawna Natzke

Garland County investigators on November 25, with the assistance of the prosecuting attorney’s office, completed an arrest affidavit, for the charge of Murder 1^st Degree, for KEVIN CONWAY DUCK, in reference to the disappearance and murder of Hot Springs Village police dispatcher Dawna Natzke in December 2011.

The arrest warrant was signed late yesterday afternoon in Garland County Circuit Court. Bond has been set at $250,000.00.

Investigators are working with local authorities in another jurisdiction, Louisiana, to bring Duck into custody.

The murder of Hot Springs Village dispatcher DAWNA NATZKE was first investigated by Hot Springs Village Police and then turned over to Garland County's Sheriff's Department and the Arkansas State Police once Natzke's body was found in the Ouachita National Forest on New Year's Eve of 2011. Investigators followed numerous leads, but quickly exhausted most of them.

The facts and evidence garnered through the investigation revealed there were no other persons of interest, other than the last known person to see her alive after leaving former Hot Springs Village POA general Manager Scott Randall's home, her boyfriend, Kevin Duck.

Since February 2012, investigators were in contact with special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Garland County investigators received assistance from the FBI in analyzing evidence, specifically electronic data, e-mails and text messages, obtained during the course of the investigation. The effort by the FBI was ongoing and investigators waited a long time for additional analysis to complete the technical portion of the investigation.

Once this information was received and reviewed, investigators again meet with the prosecuting attorney to discuss the facts of the case and determine the next course of action. The case languished on the prosecuting attorney's desk for nearly six months before a warrant was finally issued.

A reward, in the amount of $11,000, total, was offered for any information that would assist in the arrest and prosecution of the person or persons responsible for this murder.

POA statement regarding today's dog mauling

Date: November 21, 2013

Contact: Lisa Watson, Communications Specialist

lwatson@hsvpoa.org or 501.922.5565

HSV Resident Dies of Injuries After Being Attacked and Mauled by Neighbor’s Dog

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE – A Hot Springs Village resident was attacked and mauled by a neighbor’s dog in Hot Springs Village early on the morning of Nov. 21. The victim, Joan Kappen, 75, was transported to Mercy Hospital but later died of injuries sustained in the attack. 

Kappen was attacked by at least one dog, a bull mastiff, as she was walking. The dog’s owner is Emily Coy, of Hot Springs Village. 

Hot Springs Village police, fire, and LifeNet personnel responded to the scene.

The dog was picked up by Hot Springs Village Animal Control and later euthanized at a local animal clinic. 

Kappen’s body has been sent to the Arkansas Crime Lab to determine exact cause of death.

Hot Springs Village Contact: Police Chief Gary Adams, 501-922-0457.

Get your Annie tickets now

Annie starts this Thursday. I'll be down front working the music computer. Hope to see you there. It's a good show, the children are fantastic. Tickets are available at and through the Woodlands in the Village.

Little earthquake Saturday

M2.1 - ARKANSAS

Preliminary Earthquake Report

Magnitude	2.1
Date-Time	16 Nov 2013 15:29:33 UTC 16 Nov 2013 09:29:33 near epicenter 16 Nov 2013 09:29:33 standard time in your timezone
Location	35.327N 92.752W
Depth	6 km
Distances	18 km (11 mi) ENE of Atkins, Arkansas 35 km (21 mi) E of Russellville, Arkansas 38 km (23 mi) NW of Conway, Arkansas 60 km (37 mi) NNW of Maumelle, Arkansas 76 km (47 mi) NNW of Little Rock, Arkansas
Location Uncertainty	Horizontal: 2.4 km; Vertical 4.4 km
Parameters	Nph = 11; Dmin = 18.3 km; Rmss = 0.10 seconds; Gp = 172° Version = A
Event ID	nm 111613f

The Highwaymen review

The Highwaymen rode into the Village last night and carried the audience away. Michael Moore, Bob Gill, Philip Bauer and their band of merry men appeared on the Woodlands Auditorium stage as their alter egos – Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash, and amazed their viewers with their high level of musicianship and emotion. These three musicians match the styles, voices and mannerisms of the stars they pay tribute to. All of them have long-standing experience individually, but their talents have come together in a perfect blend to create this stellar performance.

From the touching ballad “Always On My Mind” to the spirited and witty “A Boy Named Sue”, the group and their back-up band played a huge body of songs, delighting the audience and receiving heavy applause for each song. As their final number ended, the listeners rose to their feet and were treated to a terrific encore for their enthusiasm.

The most striking aspect of their performance was the emotion they brought out by each number. If you closed your eyes you could feel the lyrics carry you off. Especially touching was Waylon’s recognition of our veterans when he sang his rendition of “America”, which he has performed at the Grammy awards.

The back-up players must be mentioned for their obvious talent and great sound. Big John Condiff added just enough bass guitar and Marcus Hurst kept the drums at just the right level. Lead guitarist Doc Peters, a real virtuoso, was featured by the Highwaymen several times in solo parts, as was keyboard man Scott Keys, who was described as “crazy” - he was a crazy good piano and midi player.

The house had over 400 people attending on Tuesday night, and when word gets out, I expect there will be packed houses for the next three performances. I highly recommend attending this show. It is exciting, emotional, reminiscent, and a good value – they played for 2 and a half hours!

This concert is a part of the Hot Springs Village Concert Association’s 2013/2014 concert series. There will be three more performances on the evenings of November 13, 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available on line, and at the door for cash or checks. Y’all come – this is one really great concert.

This review is courtesy of Melissa H. Sonnen, a member of the Hot Springs Village Writers' Club and the HSV Players.

Single Parent Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee receives two awards from state office

Members of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund (SPSF) of Garland County Committee were recently recognized for their fundraising efforts at the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) Leadership Conference in Little Rock. Ruthanne Hill, ASPSF State Director, presented awards to Karen Garcia, SPSFGC Chair, and Ann Hair, SPSFGC Vice Chair, in recognition of the committee’s 100 percent giving status and for doubling funds raised through their signature event, Style Show for Scholarships, held each year in February.

Garcia applauded the committee for all of their hard work in doubling funds raised at the style show crediting the generosity of sponsors such as Weyerhaeuser, Morris Foundation, Munro Foundation, and Forest Lakes Homes & Condos for making the difference. The SPSF of Garland County seeks to empower single parents to become financially self-sufficient through higher education by providing scholarships to men and women who demonstrate financial need and are enrolled in a post-secondary educational course of study leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate of graduation. Established in 1996, SPSF of Garland County has awarded over $178,000 in scholarships since their inception to 370 recipients.

The SPSF of Garland County scholarships can be used for any expenses related to education including transportation, child care, medical expenses, school supplies, books and fees, and housing. Applications for the SPSFGC 2013 fall scholarships can be completed online at aspsf.org/county_garland.html or at National Park Community College’s financial aid office.

For more information about the SPSF of Garland County, contact Jane Yamauchi at NPCCFoundation@npcc.edu or 501-760-6582.

 

Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Garland County Committee members were recently recognized for their fundraising efforts to provide for local scholarships. Pictured left to right: Ann Hair, Sylvia Chudy, Carla Mouton, Amy Whorton, Karen Garcia, Bob Megahan, and Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund representative Suzanne Wiltgen. Committee members not pictured are Helen Bumpus, Charlotte Gold, and Kelli Hall.

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Ann Wilson

Continuing Ed Coordinator

501.760.4155

 

Former lottery deputy director of security sentenced

A federal judge sentenced the Arkansas Lottery Commission’s former Deputy Director of Security, Remmele Mazyck, to serve 37 months in jail and to pay $482,671.93 in restitution for wire fraud and money laundering convictions for stealing and cashing lottery tickets worth close to half million dollars.

“Although I had hoped for the maximum sentence of 47 months under the sentencing guidelines, I am pleased with the Court’s sentence,” Arkansas Lottery Commission Director Bishop Woosley said.  “The amount of money taken was substantial, it was taken over a long period of time, and Mazyck was in a position of trust.  This sentence sends a strong message to everyone in public agencies that a violation of the public’s trust and resources is unacceptable.” 

The lottery is fully insured for the amount of the theft through the Arkansas Fidelity Bond Trust Fund administered by the Arkansas Governmental Bonding Board and a supplemental insurance policy which ALC purchased following start-up.  "We have submitted a claim under our supplemental policy insurance company and hope to find out soon if it will be paid.  Assuming our claim is paid under both policies, the ALC will sustain no monetary loss from this theft.  “I am glad that this chapter in the Lottery’s history is one step closer to being closed.”  Woosley added.

City partners with Wal-Mart Corporation to heighten stormwater quality awareness

Wal-Mart Corporation, having developed one of the strongest corporate stormwater programs in the nation, has agreed to partner with the City of Hot Springs’ Stormwater Division to mark storm drains at their three store locations within city limits.

Cutter Morning Star High School students have volunteered to perform the installation of storm drain markers at the Wal-Mart Superstores on Central Avenue and Albert Pike as well as the Sam’s Club on Higdon Ferry Road.  The markers bear the inscription, “No Dumping – Drains to Lake.”

The storm drain marking efforts underscore the fact that stormwater, or rainwater, runoff is not filtered or treated prior to entering the nearest stream or lake.  Therefore, any pollutants left outside uncovered or on the ground could be washed away during a rain storm and end up in area streams, creeks or lakes.  The markers will serve to educate store patrons to be mindful of what goes down a storm drain.

The City of Hot Springs is recognized as the first and only Qualifying Local Program in the state by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).  Hot Springs’ stormwater program exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Phase II Clean Water Act guidelines.  For more information, call Stormwater Coordinator Jessica Johnson at 321-6743.

Message from US Senator Mark Pryor

I signed on to the Keeping the Affordable Care Act Promise Act, a common-sense bill that would grandfather thousands of Americans’ health care plans. I’ve urged the White House to fix this administratively, but until that happens, this is the most reasonable solution. As I’ve said many times throughout this process, I will always work to find responsible solutions to fix problems where they exist.