Jacksonville police say a suspect boarded a school bus with children on it Thursday morning.
Police say 22-year-old Nicholas John Miller jumped on the bus at its regular stop armed with some sort of knife. There were 11 elementary school children on the bus along with the driver. Miller then drove the bus north onto Highway 5 follow by several police units. He eventually pulled the bus over when police deployed spike strips in the road.
No one was injured and everyone on board is safe. Miller told police there were people after him, and the only way to get away was to hijack the bus. Miller stated he had no plans to hurt any of the children or the bus driver; he just needed to take the bus to save his life.
He's being charged with vehicle piracy, aggravated assault and 12 counts of kidnapping. And apparently he's got a previous history with Jacksonville police. His record indicates that just this year he's been arrested for terroristic threatening, drug paraphernalia and breaking and entering.
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Governor Mike Beebe called a special session of the Arkansas legislature yesterday to address the issue of insurate rate hikes for teachers.
The controversy surrounds the new Public School Employee Health Insurance Program. A large number of unexpected claims and a lack of participation in the program have contributed to the debacle. If lawmakers don't act, teachers face having their insurance premiums doubled.
They do have a package of bills being considered, include using $43 million in surplus money and redirecting future funding in order to reduce the premiums.
The session continues today. They are expected to reach a deal on Saturday.
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October is national Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Verizon Wireless, the River Market District, and the Argenta Arts District are teaming up to raise awareness and encourage visitors to take a stand on the issue.
Local restaurants are using coasters for the campaign as reminders for customers to report domestic violence cases, take them seriously, and get help when needed.
For help with domestic violence, call 1-800-799-SAFE (that's 1-800-799-7-2-3-3) or visit Arkansas' Coalition Against Domestic Violence website at http://www.domesticpeace.com/shelters.html.
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Looking for highs in the 70s today with lows in the 50s overnight. Pretty much clear all this weekend.
