TREES DOWN: At Forest Place apartments on University Ave.

  • Brian Chilson
  • TREES DOWN: At Forest Place apartments on University Ave.

I’m checking in briefly before heading off to UALR for the KUAR fund-raiser.

Advertisement

But, if you don’t already know, last night’s storms were deadly and damaging.

* A mother and child — Melissa Wedgeworth, 34, and her son Christopher Higgins, 8, were killed on Cynthia Street in Little Rock when a tree fell on their house. An infant in another room survived.

Advertisement

* Two dead, a young man, Jeffrey Allen Gibbs Jr., 24, and an 18-month-old girl, Rylin Gibbs, from a tree falling in a house in western Garland County, the Garland sheriff’s office says.

* One dead near Scott in Pulaski County. Channel 4 reports the man lived in an RV on River Road and was killed when a tree fell on the vehicle. The Pulaski sheriff reports other storm injuries.

Advertisement

* A six-year-old in Bald Knob was killed by a felled tree.

* An elderly woman in St. Francis County died when winds blew over her mobile home, Fox 16 reports.

Advertisement

SOUTH LOOKOUT BLOCKED: Note cameraman.

  • David Goins/Fox 16
  • SOUTH LOOKOUT BLOCKED: Note cameraman.

* Trees down all over — with multiple reports from the Heights in Little Rock — and the trees took out electricity service to thousands. Cantrell Hill was blocked with trees at one point in the early morning. I think dawn will be a surprising sight. I have e-mails from two friends about trees falling on their cars. The number of trees down was fearsome. Here’s the LRPD list at 7:30 a.m. this morning of streets blocked and power lines down.

Advertisement

* The electricity problems caused closure of some schools, including Forest Park, Jefferson, Henderson and Hall High in Little Rock and, in North Little Rock, the East high school campus, Lakewood middle and elementary and Park Hill elementary. Students at Felder Academy and Brady in the LRSD were to be sent home early because of power problems.

The city of Little Rock is to discuss the damage from the 60-mile-an-hour winds at a news conference. The Red Cross and a Baptist group are working together to provide volunteer help for the extensive tree removal.

Advertisement

UPDATE: The state Department of Emergency Management has provided a roundup of damage reported around the state.

UNRELATED TO WEATHER: But from the LRPD, report of a hit-and-run fatality last night.

50 years of fearless reporting and still going strong

Be a part of something bigger and join the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been tackling powerful forces through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 email subscribers, it's clear that our readers value our commitment to great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating – as little as $1 –, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Take a stand with the Arkansas Times and make a difference with your subscription or donation today.

Previous article Call KUAR Friday morning for blog match Next article School vouchers are back