7 on 7: The biggest stories from last week you might've missed
Little Rock (KATV) — Here are the biggest news stories that had you all talking during the week of Mar. 31 - Apr. 6
1. Arkansas businesswoman accused of federal fraud, money laundering in PPP loans misuse
FBI agents arrested Chandler Wilson Carroll, an Arkansas businesswoman, at her home in Little Rock.
According to federal court documents, Carroll is facing 4 counts of wire fraud and 4 counts of money laundering for abusing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). Carroll was an owner of 3 different businesses involved in the alleged fraud: WilCarr Ventures, Wilson Carroll Research Services (WCRS), and Brook Haven Lodge.
On April 6, 2020, Carroll applied for an EIDL loan for WCRS, two months later she received the loan of $150,000. The loan application stated that WCRS' gross revenue for 2019 was $90,570,864, and that she had 11 employees.
CLICK HERE to read the full story.
2. Solar eclipse details for Arkansas
April 8th, 2024 is the big day. A total solar eclipse will move across Arkansas for the first time since 1918.
The partial eclipse (eclipse glasses required to view) begins at 12:29 beginning in southwest Arkansas and everywhere else shortly after.
The path of totality will enter Arkansas just after 1:46 PM in southwest Arkansas and will quickly move through the southwest, west, central, north central, and northeast parts of the state.
CLICK HERE to read the full story.
3. Hikers protesting new 'Beetlejuice'-like sculptures in Pinnacle Mountain State Park
New sculptures at Pinnacle Mountain State Park have drawn the ire of local hikers, who have started a Change.org petition to prevent the installation of any more and perhaps remove the existing art pieces.
The art installations were part of an artist-in-residence program in which artists from Arkansas and beyond were to derive inspiration from the park.
"Uhh...I don't even have an opinion of what that is, I couldn't tell you. It just looks like a blob of...something," said Mat Seeling, an avid mountain biker and owner of Spokes bicycle shop in Little Rock.
CLICK HERE to read the full story.
4. Man shot & killed by officers after crashing into Conway massage therapy business
A man was shot by officers inside a Conway massage therapy business after crashing his vehicle into the store front, police said.
It happened Saturday morning at the Lewis Crossing Shopping Center in the 1000 block of Amity Road.
Officers were called to the business and found the man who was armed and confined to a room inside, according to Conway police. SWAT officers and negotiators tried to speak to the man who began shooting at them, police said. Officers fired back and wounded the man, but the extent of his injuries were not immediately clear. No one else was hurt during shooting, according to a police statement.
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5. ASP: Woman dies in crash after fleeing from authorities
On April 1, a car failed to stop when being pulled over by an Arkansas State Trooper on Interstate 40 near Exit 265.
Courtney Ridgeway, 28, was pursued by troopers on Bing's Store Road for around two miles at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour.
Ridgeway hit a patch of gravel, losing control of her car and crashing into a ditch.
CLICK HERE to read the full story.
6. Pulaski Academy senior accepted to 4 Ivy League universities
A Pulaski Academy senior will have a tough decision about where to attend college after being accepted to 16 schools so far, 4 of them Ivy League universities.
Nora Ali has a long list of academic accomplishments. She is President of Pulaski Academy Student Council, President of the Model U.N. Public Relations and Vice President of the Mayor's Youth Council of Arkansas: Environmental committee advocate lobbying for more accommodating regulations and policies.
She is also the editor of the Veritas Literary Art magazine and has a seal of biliteracy in Arabic. Her father Dr. Ahmed A. Ali tells KATV his daughter has been accepted to Harvard, Colombia, U Penn, Cornell, NYU, Rice, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Davis, University of Virginia, Emory, UC San Diego, Rhodes, Loyola, UMKC Accelerated MD Track and a full ride scholarship to Hendrix.
CLICK HERE to read the full story.
7. Hot Springs School District introduces year-round hybrid schedule, offers childcare aid
The Hot Springs School District will move into their year-round class schedule starting this year.
Officials there are calling it a hybrid schedule.
"We have basically chopped four weeks off the summer break," said Jennifer Hoyt, the District Communications and Public Relations Coordinator for the Hot Springs School District.
CLICK HERE to read the full story.