the
and Northwest Arkansas.
You're watching 4029 News at 5.
And good evening. I'm Craig Cannon.
Angela is off tonight.
We begin tonight with a program
helping people who struggle with high utility bills.
The statewide program starts Monday morning
with a new program for people who struggle with high utility bills.
The Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council
says that they're seeing record requests for assistance.
But that the funds available have been drastically cut
and they expect the money to be spent within the first week or two.
People are already needing the help.
And it's going to be hard to serve all of them
because I will not have the money to serve everybody.
Utilities are going up because of the heat
and it's 100 degrees, it's hot out there.
And these people are doing their best to stay cool.
The Economic Opportunity Agency of Washington County
and the Office of Humane Concern and Rogers
both start their assistance programs Monday morning as well.
And both say that funding won't last long.
The weekend is just about here.
The best way to spend your Friday night might be at the rodeo.
And that's where our Chief Meteorologist, Drew Michaels, is right now.
Drew.
Hey, Craig, that's right.
We're excited to be here in Springdale at Parsons Stadium.
Everything's kicking off about 6.30 tonight
with my favorite event, the old mutton busting.
And believe it or not, we've got some clouds around
and some slightly cooler temperatures.
We hit a record high earlier today of 106 in Ft. Smith, 101 in Fayetteville.
We're going to be kissing those records goodbye
and some cooler temperatures are on the way.
Let's take a look at the SuperDoppler radar.
We do have some scattering, some showers and thunderstorms.
Let's zoom in.
Near the Washington County area, we've had some showers,
even a few thunderstorms near the Fayetteville area moving away.
In fact, they're moving just to the west of Prairie Grove.
Everything moving from the east to west,
so kind of a different story today.
Also some scattered showers and storms going on
near sections of Madison County, near the Huntsville area, St. Paul.
Even some showers and storms moving closer to the Goshen and Elkins area.
A little bit further to the north near Eureka Springs,
Holiday Island, a few scattered showers
and rumbles of thunder going on there.
Not a whole lot in Benton County.
We had a little bit further to the south, Ozark,
seeing some showers. Clarksville, you had some rain earlier today,
including some grass fires.
But near the Booneville area, Paris,
scattered showers and storms there.
And a little bit further to the south, near Waldron.
Nothing happening right now near Fort Smith,
but everyone will see just a slight chance this evening
of a shower or a thunderstorm.
On our graphics, you can see the showers and thunderstorms
will be falling apart.
So quiet for tomorrow morning.
By tomorrow afternoon, about a 40 to 50 percent chance
for scattered showers and storms to cool us down.
And we're still going to be hot in the 90s and lower 100s,
but big changes are on the way just in time for next week.
We haven't seen the middle 80s since.
Oh, but the middle of June, well, they are set to arrive.
We'll talk more about that coming up in your 40-29 weather forecast.
That is good news. OK, Drew.
Well, that blistering, sweltering, outright miserable record-setting heat
that's had so much of the nation's midsection in its grip for days now
is slowly moving east.
As ABC's Mark Greenblatt reports now,
this heat wave should not be taken lightly.
Over the course of the past week, it's proved both dangerous and deadly.
Severe storms ripped through Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
leaving eight injured and two dead.
We now know one of them was a 50-year-old from Georgia
who couldn't escape the fast-moving storms.
Tree limb fell, struck him on the head, and killed him fairly instantly.
In Detroit, residents are still cleaning up from a violent storm,
and crews are working to restore power after hundreds of thousands lost theirs.
In Washington, visitors to the park are still being treated
as if they were in a hospital.
In Washington, visitors to the mall took a beating.
It's more than hot for me.
Even the president couldn't escape.
He traveled to Pittsburgh, but some waiting for him there were overcome
by Friday's heat, passing out and needing medical attention.
An added concern, all this heat could lead to more deadly storms.
Extreme heat and strong thunderstorms are always tied together.
In fact, it's the extreme heat that is causing the thunderstorms.
3,000 temperature records have been shattered across America.
Construction crews in Virginia suffer through it,
with no choice but to wear heavy clothing.
But the summer's sweltering heat may spur devastating problems
for parts of the economy that could linger long after it finally cools off.
One of the byproducts of this extreme heat wave is the potential disaster
that is occurring with the nation's corn crop.
A lot of the crops have been damaged by this extreme heat.
The good news, some northern cities could finally catch a break this weekend.
Not so, though, for the East Coast, with cities ranging from Washington
to here in New York seeing triple digits potentially
and feeling as hot as 115 degrees.
Mark Greenblatt, ABC News, New York.
Thank you, Mark.
Emergency crews battled a fire at a local restaurant
that was a landmark for many of us who traveled Highway 71.
The fire happened around noon today at the Ozark Mountain Smokehouse
in Crawford County.
Several crews responded to the fire,
but the building received a lot of damage, as you see in this video.
Firefighters say that the fire may have started in the kitchen.
That's what got the most damage right now.
The roof's trying to fall in on the kitchen.
We got all the other rooms pretty well intact,
but they've got smoke damage real bad.
The business was recently purchased,
and new owners were renovating the building.
They were hoping to open soon.
A lot of work ahead now.
Police need your help finding a man who fled from authorities
in a high-speed chase.
Van Buren police say that Justice Wallace fled from police
after being pulled over in a traffic stop.
Police chased Wallace within the Kibler City limits,
reaching dangerous limits, some 120 miles per hour.
Wallace turned onto a dirt road.
Police say the chase ended there for safety reasons.
Anytime that we're in a pursuit, the number one thing is the safety
of our officers and the safety of the public.
Anytime we get in a situation such as this,
where we hit a dirt road and visibility was almost zero,
of course we're going to cancel out of that pursuit.
Again, police are searching for this man.
The driver, Justin Wallace, seen here,
they say that he has warrants out of Oklahoma for drug charges,
and now of course is facing more charges in the state of Arkansas.
A local man has died after drowning in a lake.
Logan County officials say that 26-year-old Ernesto Patino
was swimming at Cove Lake with his friends.
It's the second drowning there this summer.
Patino's friends told authorities that he was complaining of leg cramps
before he went under.
Investigators don't believe drugs or alcohol were a factor.
The casino proposal is one step closer to getting on the ballot in Arkansas.
Supporters needed over 78,000 signatures from registered voters
to be on the November ballot.
Today was the deadline for all groups to enter their petitions
for proposed initiatives in the state.
If approved in November, the proposal would allow casinos in Franklin
and other counties to open.
Another proposal may also be on the ballot in November.
Supporters of putting a legalized medical marijuana measure up for a vote
have submitted almost 68,000 signatures.
And the most talked about proposal in our area is the Benton County wet-dry issue.
The group Keep Dollars in Benton County is seeking approval for the sale of alcohol here.
Previously, supporters have set up sites for voters to sign the petition
around the county today.
4029 News tried to contact the group to get an update on their progress,
but our calls went unanswered.
In a shocking story from Arizona, a man kills himself after he was found guilty of arson.
James Marin was on trial for burning his house down back in 2009.
Just moments after the jury found Marin guilty,
you can see him holding his head and then putting something in his mouth.
Cameras continue to capture his last moments as he took a drink
and then began convulsing.
His attorney was shocked, of course, by what happened.
It was a gigantic shock.
I think it's fair to say that we certainly had no inkling that this was going to happen.
I'm not aware that anybody did.
Officials have not released what drug Marin took.
Marin was facing 21 years in prison.
George Zimmerman posted bail a few hours ago
after a judge issued that million-dollar bond yesterday.
Zimmerman had to come up with $100,000 for the bail bondsman to be released today.
His bail was revoked last month, you might remember,
after a judge learned that he and his wife did not disclose the amount of money
that was donated to his case.
Zimmerman's release comes with the restrictions now of not consuming alcohol,
he can't leave the country, or the county, actually,
and he will be tracked with an electronic device.
Two more states have been granted waivers from the No Child Left Behind law.
Wisconsin and Washington state have waived the requirements of the 10-year-old law now.
President Obama began granting waivers to the law this year.
Now, more than half the states have been excused from that law.
The latest jobs report is causing mixed emotions on Wall Street.
Still to come on 4029 News, we have a live report from Washington
about what this report means to the November presidential election.
And then later, Drew, we'll be back with your full forecast
from the rodeo of the Ozarks.
4029 News will be right back after the break.
We'll be right back.
and we face a stigma that can be as painful as the disease itself.
Change your mind about mental illness, and you can change your life.
Say what you need to say
You know...
Now, here's your 4029 weather forecast.
Hi everyone, back out live at the Rodeo of the Ozarks.
Excited things are going to be kicking off here at 630 tonight.
But we've got some showers and storms that are moving throughout the area.
Let's take a look at that Superdoppler radar.
Right now, nothing over Parsons Stadium in Springdale,
but we do have some of the scattered showers moving throughout,
oh, just to the west of Fayetteville, near Westville and Christie,
into sections of Adair County.
Also, right around the Elkins area,
some showers and storms moving in closer to you.
Even some showers and thunderstorms near Hinesville,
into the Huntsville area throughout sections of Madison County.
And those showers near Eureka Springs have fallen apart,
but a few more have developed across sections of southwest Arkansas.
And we're talking about Johnson County into Franklin County,
near the Boonville and Paris area.
Nothing right now in Ford Smith,
but everyone will see a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm this evening.
Of course, most of this activity will be dying out with the setting of the sun.
All right, your satellite radar,
on your graphics, we've seen the pop-up showers and storms throughout the day.
Today, let's widen out, been watching a little disturbance just to our east.
Kind of unique, so the storms are moving from the east and going to the west.
Around that area of high pressure, it's going to be very similar for tomorrow as well.
We'll see more chances for scattered showers and storms in the afternoon and evening.
So here's that forecast.
These showers and storms will be falling apart after the sun goes down by tomorrow afternoon,
especially after about 2, 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Scattered showers and storms popping up.
Some of those storms could contain even some damaging winds,
so that's something we'll have to watch all in all.
Not a widespread severe weather event by any means,
but we'll have to watch it closely for you.
Temperatures right now, they're hot, right around 100 degrees in Rogers.
Cooler in Fayetteville with some rain-cooled air in the lower 90s
and still in the lower 100s in Ford Smith.
If you missed it earlier, we did set record high temperatures in both Fayetteville and Ford Smith.
Now for tonight, a few evening showers and thunderstorms clearing overnight
down to 70 degrees for a low in northwest Arkansas,
Ford Smith, River Valley down to 76 degrees.
Tomorrow afternoon, the extreme heat around for one more day,
upper 90s in northwest Arkansas with about a 40 to 50 percent chance
for some pop-up showers and thunderstorms.
Ford Smith, River Valley, your highs for tomorrow.
Definitely hot in the lower 100s from Ford Smith, the Van Buren, your Alma.
We'll also see those hot temperatures across southeast Oklahoma and southwest Arkansas.
So gates open tonight at 6 o'clock.
Mutton busting at 6.30, the full rodeo going on and a nice concert afterwards.
Kicks Brooks from Brooks and Dunn will be putting on a performance here.
And it's tough enough to wear pink night, so make sure,
especially you cowboys out there, to come on out and wear that pink.
We'll talk a little bit more about the 70 forecast
and wonderful temperatures coming up in a little bit.
Okay, Drew, thank you.
The latest jobs report from the U.S. Labor Department shows weak growth in the month of June,
leaving the unemployment rate unchanged at 8.2 percent.
The report dominated the political debate in the presidential race.
4029's Sally Kidd is live in our exclusive Washington, D.C. newsroom with the story.
Hello, Sally.
Hi there, Craig.
This was a highly anticipated report,
and both campaigns are trying to spin the numbers in their favor.
The Labor Department reports 80,000 jobs were added to the economy in June.
That's 15,000 fewer than economists projected
and leaves the unemployment rate holding at 8.2 percent.
It is another kick in the gut to middle-class families.
Republican Mitt Romney pounced on the news,
putting the blame squarely on President Obama and his economic policies.
Their prediction was unemployment would be at 5.6 percent now.
Instead, it's 8.2 percent.
On day two of a bus tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania,
President Obama said while he's not satisfied with the latest numbers...
That's a step in the right direction.
...and he sought to emphasize the positive.
Businesses have created 4.4 million new jobs over the past 28 months,
including 500,000 new manufacturing jobs.
Political observers say the lackluster report is bad news for Mr. Obama.
It is tough for the president whether or not the current state of the economy is his fault.
Voters are going to ultimately hold him responsible.
Meantime, a pro-Romney group launched a new wave of attack ads.
Barack Obama's got lots of excuses for the bad economy.
A pro-Obama super PAC countered with a 2006 video portraying Romney as a hypocrite.
And if you're going to suggest to me that somehow, the day I get elected,
somehow jobs should immediately turn around, well, that would be silly.
Well, economists say they aren't expecting any dramatic changes in job growth
between now and election day, and so the political debate likely won't change much either.
Live in Washington, Sally Kidd, 4029 News, Craig.
No doubt that's true.
Now, Sally, which sectors are the big winners and losers on the jobs front?
Well, the bright spots in this report are manufacturing, healthcare, professional services, and hospitality.
The big losers are retail, transportation, and the federal government.
Boy, okay, Sally, thank you.
How hot is it there in Washington? Pretty hot?
I guess she's gone. It is hot.
Economists say the country needs to add between 100,000 and 125,000 new jobs each month
just to keep pace with the growing labor market.
The rodeo of the Ozarks wouldn't be a rodeo without the bull riders, now would it?
Coming up on 4029 News, sports director Mike Jocks is live with one of those brave cowboys.
The weather is brought to you by the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.
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You know, Jay, we do have a drive-through.
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The new menu options.
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We don't have Cox Whole Home DVR.
That means we can't record all our shows at once.
So my dad makes us compete to see who's show gets recorded.
A couple days ago, it was dodgeball.
Last night, guess mom's weight.
Really?
That went over well.
We did arm wrestling.
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All right, let's take a look at that 7A forecast.
Finally, a big break from the heat.
We'll be back with more rain and storms.
We'll see you then.
Thanks so much for tomorrow.
Upper 90s and lower 100s throughout the area.
There will be a 40% chance for afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
So that's good.
Better chances for storms with a cold front coming,
especially Sunday night into Monday.
We'll still be in the 90s on Sunday, but look what happens on Monday.
Middle 80s in Northwest Arkansas, lower 90s throughout the River Valley.
It's been about since the middle of June,
since we've had temperatures like that.
And it looks like the rain and storms will be clearing out partly cloudy on
Tuesday.
But we'll see the rain and storms.
We'll see the rain and storms.
We'll see the rain and storms throughout the River Valley.
And that trend will really continue a very consistent forecast.
Lower humidity, nice, cool mornings.
Low to mid sixties of hides in the afternoon in the upper eighties.
And lower nineties.
So a slow warming trend by the end of the week, but nothing extreme.
Like we've been talking about when it comes to the heat,
speaking of the extreme heat.
Rodeo officials say the high heat is to blame for a low turnout this year.
Plus with the 4th of July being on Wednesday,
the
Iowa State University will be
hosting a
big
turnout tonight and tomorrow.
Wednesday and Thursday was tough.
I mean, you know, yes, we would wish we had a bigger attendance.
You know,
we realize Friday and Saturday is usually by far your two stronger nights.
And so that's what we're hoping and praying for.
We think that Friday and Saturday night will be good nights.
We're hoping that Friday and Saturday night will be good nights.
And we hope that Friday and Saturday night will be a great night tonight.
And I want to bring in our sports director, Mike Jocks, who,
believe it or not, this is your first rodeo.
Yeah.
A lot of people have said that to me and asked me that question.
Probably about a million times to.
That's a billion one for your brother. Correct. I appreciate you.
Thank you very much.
You're glad to be here.
Really honored to be here at the rodeo of the Ozarks and honored to have a
special guest, Mr.
Travis Adams, who hails from Gary, Texas.
And he's a professional.
And you've been on the rodeo for about 20 years now.
18 years on the professional level.
And I'm one of the older guys, one of the last ones around.
Now your job is pretty demanding. I think at this rodeo.
Tell the people what you do.
I'm a professional bullfighter.
It's my job when we bought bulls to try to keep the bulls from hooking the
Cowboys, help them get off.
Maybe help the bulls buck a little better if I'm needed.
But mostly we're all here just for crowd entertainment.
You know, put on a good show.
I think that's why I'm here for two is just crowd entertainment.
That would be scary. That would be scary.
So tell me what your favorite part about doing this whole rodeo thing is.
My favorite part is the travel, you know, and being with these guys,
these Cowboys, they're my buddies.
So I feel like I get to go to work with my friends every day and travel around
the country, meet a lot of great people and get to go to a lot of great places.
And it's just things like that makes it really interesting.
All right, Travis, you say safe.
We'll go find a bull to ride here in a minute.
But it's a good time.
And hopefully you join us out here at the rodeo of the Ozarks.
Craig, I know that I'd love to see you actually on a bull.
That would be fun.
We'd have to do, you know, those bulls that you see at the clubs or something.
I don't know. Not the real thing.
Thanks, Choco.
All right. You bet.
Let's go back to the news.
Now, more arrests of terror suspects were made in Britain just weeks before the Olympic Games.
Now, over a dozen men have been arrested in connection with terror plots so far.
British counterterrorism police say the plan involved Islamic extremists
with possible targets in the UK.
Police arrested six suspects at a home close to Olympic Park in London.
If you ever leave your gadgets in the heat, you could be causing some major damage.
Coming up, we'll tell you an easy way to protect your values.
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Now back to 4029 News.
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Nine years have counted.
Well it's hot across our area, but not only here throughout the Mid-South and Central Plains.
Big heat wave, but it's finally going to go away.
Let's take a look at the graphics.
You can see that heat just centered across the Mid-South and Central Plains.
We're talking 90s and 100s.
From Little Rock to Kansas City, Wichita.
But let's put this in motion.
Take a look at what's going on just to our north.
Some cooler temperatures from Rapid City to Bismarck near Duluth.
Now we're not going to see 60s and 70s, but those cooler temperatures will be heading our way.
There is a cold front that way.
And that cold front will be sliding our direction over the next 24 to 36 hours.
Now we'll see some pop-up showers and thunderstorms for tomorrow.
But that front is going to be moving just to our north.
Just in time for Sunday.
And that will spark off about a 50 to 60% chance for some showers and thunderstorms.
And eventually some cooler temperatures.
So those weather headlines just kind of go over everything again.
That cold front expected Sunday night into Monday with scattered showers and thunderstorms.
And of course those storms and that cold front will provide some cooler temperatures.
Much cooler than what we've been dealing with.
We're not going to be talking about record highs.
But high temperatures by next week with a partly cloudy sky in the middle to upper 80s and lower 90s.
And compared to the fact that we've been dealing with lower 100s, that's going to feel so nice.
If you missed that 7-day forecast, we've got that for you coming up in a little bit.
Yeah, I'll tell you today, Drew, I think today had to feel like one of the hottest days of the year so far.
Killer heat.
Record highs. You got it.
Okay, buddy, thanks.
You know, with all this sunshine we're getting though, protecting your skin is a must.
When you're picking a sunscreen, pay attention to the ingredients.
You want both UVA and UVB.
Now there's a debate between spray and cream, but both work as long as they're applied correctly.
I definitely think there are sunscreens that work better than other sunscreens.
Some that I like are the Neutrogena variety and Coppertone I think are really good.
And then just those that are especially water resistant, I think tend to work better.
We'll have more on the types of sunscreen your little one should have on tonight at 6 o'clock.
Your skin isn't the only thing you should protect from the sun.
Your smartphone and tablet also need protection.
If you're going out to the lake, don't, and don't have a waterproof case,
well you should place your phone or tablet in a plastic bag to protect them from water, dirt, and sand.
The bag also protects the gadgets from the sunscreen you use.
But if you think about leaving the devices in your car, think again.
It's a good idea to keep the device out of the sun, keep it somewhere cool, like in a bag, a little bit insulated even would be good.
Don't leave it in the car. Pay attention to that.
95 degrees to 100 degrees is sort of the max that you should be looking at.
Now, if your gadget gets wet, quickly remove the battery and SIM card,
and do not use a heat source to dry the device.
It could warp what's inside there. Just let it dry out.
Now, before you head out to the lake or any adventure this weekend,
let's take a look at the cheapest gas in the area.
Lee Automotive in Fort Smith has the cheapest gas we've found, a.305 a gallon in Fort Smith.
And Conoco Incilum Springs has apparently the cheapest gas, up in Northwest Arkansas, at.310.
We're looking for a low-invertebrate gas for.299 in the Bentonville area.
To find the cheapest price at stations near you, log on to 4029TV.com
and use our Gas Buddy tool in the On TV tab.
.
Tonight, with his 80-mile-per-hour knuckleball pitch, he's captivated baseball.
But it's his determination and tough journey to the top that will leave you speechless.
See the whole picture and meet our Person of the Week tonight on World News with Diane Sawyer on ABC.
.
A long-anticipated homecoming after a man rides his bike more than 1,600 miles.
I'll have that story coming up tonight at 6.
1,600 miles in this heat.
Let's check back in with Chief Meteorologist Drew Michaels.
He's at the Rodeo of the Ozarks. He joins us live once again. Drew?
Hey, Craig, that's right. The heat is finally going to be going away.
Take a look. We've got chances for showers and thunderstorms Saturday, Sunday into Monday.
And cooler temperatures to follow next week.
Middle to upper 80s and lower 90s. We're on north of Arkansas and the River Valley.
We're live here at the 68th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks at Parsons Stadium in Springdale.
Kicks off at 6.30 tonight. Kicks Brooks from Brooks and Dunn.
We'll be performing after the rodeo is done.
And it's tough enough to wear pink nights.
So if you've got the pink, come on out and wear it.
Definitely having a good time out here tonight. We'll be live again at 6 o'clock.
Take a look behind you there, Drew. What are they setting up right there behind you?
I'm not exactly sure, Craig. We've got some kids out there.
I know they graded the surface there, so they're all ready.
We'll figure it out for you. Maybe it's for the mutton busting.
I think that's exactly what it is. You're right.
They started, what did you say, 6.30?
6.30 for the mutton busting. You bet. Gates open at 6.
Okay. Thanks, Drew. Stay cool as much as you can out there.
Thanks for being with us for this half hour, folks.
I'm Craig Cannon for GRU and Jocko, all of us here at 4029.
We hope to see you in a half hour. Remember, you can track your live local late breaking weather sports news anytime at 4029tv.com. See you at 6.
Welcome to World News Tonight.