Our network

Reminder: Deadline to assess personal property May 31

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Commissioner of State Lands John Thurston would like to remind everyone that the deadline for assessing your personal property is May 31, 2013.

Assessments determine how much your property tax bill will be.

"Property taxes are vital to our counties and communities, without timely assessments counties may miss out on funding," says Commissioner Thurston. These tax revenues help fund our schools, public libraries, emergency and county services.

Please contact your county assessor's office to assess your personal property by May 31 to avoid late penalties.

Service dogs help vets cope with PTSD

CABOT, Ark. (KTHV) -- Many military members return from overseas with unseen injuries. In order to help them cope, one group is enlisting the help of A Veteran's Best Friend.

Greg Sporer is an Air Force veteran and counselor who has worked with service members affected by post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Our veterans have already given so much; this is just something to give back," says Sporer. "Freedom is not free. There is a cost, and it's a heavy cost for the veterans."

Veteran's Best Friend is a non-profit, faith-based group in Cabot that provides service dogs to treat veterans with PTSD and other ailments. They get together once a week to work with the animals and their clients to improve the lives of veterans and their families.

Ribbon cutting

Ribbon cutting

Please make plans to attend a ribbon cutting for Chamber member The Hearing Aid Center on Thursday, May 23 at 1 pm. They are located at 1014 W. Main St. Ste. B in Cabot.

ASMSA to hold commencement ceremony May 25

ASMSA to hold commencement ceremony May 25

HOT SPRINGS — The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts will hold its commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 25, in Summit Arena at the Hot Springs Convention Center. There are 97 students in the Class of 2013.

Three seniors will speak during the ceremony. Student Government Association President Sorena Lo of Paris will give the senior address. Mehr Shah of Little Rock will provide the welcome, and Dimple Shah of Paragould will give the senior speech. Lo is the daughter of Vanessa and Hue Lo. Mehr Shah is the daughter of Sitara and M.B. Shah. Dimple Shah is the daughter of Nisha and Himansu Shah.

AHSCA announces 2013 All-Star Baseball/Softball/Soccer coaches

CONWAY, Ark. (AAA) - The Arkansas Activities Association announced the head coaches and coaching staffs for the 2013 Arkansas Army National Guard/Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Baseball, Softball and Soccer games on June 18-19, 2013.

UCA associate athletic director Darrell Walsh welcomed the members of the AHSCA, the 2013 All-Star coaches and media representatives during the morning press conference.

This marks the 58th anniversary of All-Star competition and the 10th for baseball, softball and soccer.

Safe stolen from Cabot home recovered

CABOT, Ark. (KTHV) - Cabot authorities pulled a safe stolen from a local home out of a body of water Sunday.

May 19, the Cabot Fire Department dive team assisted in the recovery of a safe which had been taken during a home burglary. The house where the safe was taken is one of four residential burglaries that occurred in the same community.

Lt. James Kulesa with the Lonoke County Sheriff's office says some of the property taken from these burglaries has been recovered such as jewelry, old coins, a laptop, and firearms.

Three juvenile suspects and one adult suspect have been identified and arrests are pending. Investigators are still attempting to recover some of the property which is still missing.

The Cabot Police Department Criminal Investigation Division is assisting in the investigation and have been a valuable assistance. Lt. Kulesa related without the assistance of the Cabot Fire Department Dive Team the safe may have not been recovered.

Cabot taekwondo instructor arrested for sexual assault

CABOT, Ark. (KTHV) - A Cabot taekwondo instructor is under arrest for allegedly sexually assaulting a young boy.

Lt. James Kulesa with the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office says a store clerk told him she had seen some unusual behavior between instructor William Steven Cossey, 38, and a young male juvenile May 17.

On May 20, further investigation led to the arrest of Cossey for second degree sexual assault.

Kulesa says Cossey was currently on bond for a prior offense. He is currently being held without bond at the Lonoke County Detention Facility.

Sheriff John Staley related this is an on-going investigation and further interviews are pending.

(Source: Lonoke County Sheriff's Office)