State Digest
Charged Arkansas State Hospital worker returned to state
LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A psychologist charged with taking an Arkansas State Hospital patient from the facility without permission has been returned to the state.
Pulaski County jail records show 42-year-old Michelle Messer was booked into the jail just before 3 a.m. Tuesday without bond.
Messer faces a felony charge of providing prohibited articles to a patient and a misdemeanor count of aiding an unauthorized departure for allegedly taking 46-year-old Cory Chapin from the hospital.
Court records do not list an attorney for her.
The two were arrested March 26 in North Las Vegas, Nevada.
Charged Arkansas State Hospital worker returned to state
It was not immediately clear where Chapin is located. He had been committed to the hospital after he was acquitted in 2015 by reason of mental illness of attempted kidnapping and other charges.
Remains of sailor killed in Pearl Harbor attack identified
WALNUT RIDGE (AP) — An Arkansas sailor who died during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor will be honored after his remains are brought home this summer.
Glenn Tipton was killed aboard the USS Oklahoma, a battleship that capsized in the attack by Japanese aircraft.
The Jonesboro Sun reports that Tipton's remains were identified after his family submitted DNA five years ago to the U.S. Navy as part of its efforts to distinguish the remains of sailors.
A funeral ceremony will be held in honor of the Purple Heart recipient at the Wings of Honor museum in Walnut Ridge once his remains are returned to Lawrence County.
Harold Johnson runs the museum. Johnson says he and his staff are extremely honored by the family's choice to use their facility.
UA police discuss addressing violence at homeless camp site
FAYETTEVILLE (AP) — Police at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville say regularly patrolling homeless encampments would address reports of violence on undeveloped land owned by the university.
Portions of the land are populated by people living in tents. The site is near 7 Hills Homeless Center's day center, which provides showers, food and other services for the area's growing homeless population.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that university police and leaders of local organizations helping the homeless addressed issues regarding the site at a Monday panel discussion.
UA Police Director Steve Gahagans says police hope to have regular patrols of the property rather than react to "increasing reports" of issues. But he says the idea needs more community input.
Center official Jessica Andrews says the focus should be "putting people into housing."