Tag Archives: Child Abuse

BY MELANIE BUCK – A Child Abuse Prevention Rally will be held in Mena on Thursday, April 27th at the Mercy Child Advocacy Center of Mena. The rally is being held in conjunction with Child Abuse Awareness Month in April. Throughout the state of Arkansas there are Child Advocacy Centers [CAC’s], each serving the victims of child abuse. Mena’s CAC ...

BY LEANN DILBECK – It took a jury less than one hour to return with a guilty verdict for Gregory S. Pruitt on the charge of 1st Degree Battery in the assault on (then) 2-year old Gregg Stanga, Jr.   According to medical professionals who first assessed “lil’ Gregg,” as he was commonly referred to during testimony, he suffered a subdural ...

Mayor Declares April as Child Abuse Awareness Month BY MELANIE BUCK – Mena Mayor George McKee, signed a Proclamation on April 1, declaring April as Child Abuse Awareness Month.  To remind Polk County residents to be the eyes and ears for all children, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and DCFS (The Division of Children and Family Services) have collaborated to ...

BY LEANN DILBECK – Gregory S. Pruitt, age 29 of Wickes, Ark., has been charged with Battery – 1st Degree, a Class Y Felony, for the alleged beating of 2 yr. old Greg Stanga on October 20. Stanga lived with his mother in the residence where Pruitt also resided. Stanga was transported to Mena Regional Health System but later airlifted ...

[MENA, Ark.]  It took a jury of five men and seven women only nineteen minutes of deliberation on Monday to convict a DeQueen woman of the offense of introducing methamphetamine into the body of her infant son.  Prosecuting Attorney Andy Riner charged Melissa Arms, age 37, with that crime by filing a criminal information on August 21, 2013. In the ...