Taggart case is top story for 2023 at Commercial

On Aug. 30, as reported by the Pine Bluff Police Department, Maurice Taggart, 43, and his 26-year-old son, Justice Taggart, were fighting earlier that morning when, during their struggle, both were shot. Maurice Taggart later died at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. His son was said to be in stable condition.

In a move that was roundly questioned as to its timing, Police Chief Denise Richardson said in her only interview about the case on Aug. 31 that Justice Taggart would not be charged in the incident. Richardson also said police believed Justice Taggart was not the instigator of the incident. At the time of her statement, Maurice Taggart’s body had not yet been transferred to the state Crime Lab.

On Sept. 1, The Pine Bluff Commercial released the recordings of the 911 calls that were made after the shooting occurred, revealing the frantic nature of what was described as a domestic disturbance.

The Commercial, in October, reported that Maurice Taggart was shot twice, once in the back and once in the upper shoulder, creating a narrative that has been described as contrary to the description given by the Pine Bluff Police Department, which has said the shooting was in self-defense. Eyewitnesses also came forward and gave a different account from what was originally reported.

“I didn’t realize Maurice was [mortally] wounded at the time,” said the eyewitness. “He didn’t appear to be in distress. I was shocked when he died.” The witness stated they never saw a gun in the hands of the people who were fighting and did not know where the gunshots came from.

Another witness said they saw an unnamed individual with “no shirt on with shorts running around” who later disappeared, and they described the scene of the aftermath as appearing “chaotic.”

Some in the community blamed Taggart’s death to some extent on the involvement he had with Go Forward Pine Bluff and the city Urban Renewal Agency, like former city council member and NAACP Pine Bluff Branch President Ivan Whitfield.

In early June, Taggart, the former director of the Urban Renewal Agency — which is closely associated with Go Forward, and Roderick Morris of Texas were charged with 46 counts of forgery and 38 counts of theft of property in a scheme that officials said bilked the Urban Renewal agency out of $667,384 by submitting fake invoices for asbestos testing and house demolitions that prosecutors claimed never happened. At the time of Taggart’s death, he was out on bond with a trial hearing dated March 2024.

The charges against Taggart, and his death, topped The Commercial’s Top 10 stories of 2023.

Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Hunter, who has had the police department’s murder investigation file in his possession since late September, told The Commercial that the Maurice Taggart killing was still under investigation and while he didn’t have a time frame on when the case would be completed, he did say he would release a statement once it is complete.

As part of the newspaper’s coverage of the incident, The Commercial released a letter to the editor from Taggart on the editorial page. The package also included a reporter’s column and two links about Taggart, one containing the 1½-hour Pine Bluff Commercial production of The Newsroom’s Web series special “Maurice Taggart: The Final Say,” consisting of recordings of conversations with him and another containing files of various text conversations he had with The Commercial staff.

— Eplunus Colvin

2. Go Forward tax vote renewal rejected twice by voters

A five-eighths-cent sales tax to support Go Forward Pine Bluff initiatives was approved by a clear majority of voters in 2017. But as time went by opposition against Go Forward grew, with many saying the group had yet to complete any projects and that the organization itself was neither transparent or accountable.

With a mostly friendly Pine Bluff City Council, Go Forward asked for and received approval for a vote to extend the tax, which sunsets in September 2024. The vote also included a three-eighths-cent public safety tax that would support the police and fire departments and would never expire.

The votes on both measures were close but the “against” sides won.

Go Forward organizers said they were implored by many to try again, so the city council once again was asked to put the two measures back on the ballot for a second special-election vote. That November vote, however, was more decisive with the “against” vote comfortably outdistancing the “for” contingent.

At this point, Go Forward has not publicly stated what its plans are, but the city departments that have relied on the Go Forward tax to run some of their operations are making moves now to scale back in the absence of the tax dollars.

— Byron Tate

3. Pine Bluff sees spike in homicides

While the murder rate is reported to be down by record double digits across the country, Pine Bluff has seen a resurgence. Two years ago, the city had 30 homicides. Last year, that number was down to 21, which is about the average for the city. The drop in murders led some to suggest that the city had turned a corner. However this year, as of the time of this writing, the city is at 28 homicides. That is a 33% increase over 2022 and puts the city at more than 11 times the 2022 national average for homicides.

In a list of the U.S. cities with the highest murder rate, St. Louis was at the top with a rate of about 69. Pine Bluff, however, tops that slightly with a rate of about 71 homicides per 100,000 residents.

This year, the murders were particularly troubling for many as the city experienced a high number of young people killed by gunfire during the summer months. On one warm Sunday afternoon in July, three teenagers were shot in a driveby. A 17-year-old who was in the front yard and a 14-year-old girl inside the house were killed, and an 18-year-old was injured.

Shortly after, pastors, city officials, police officers and firefighters came together to fight violent crime through prayer. Of the 14 homicides that had occurred by then, nine were 18 years old or younger.

Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington called out the devil “hiding in camouflage.”

“We know that was the result of our faithfulness, Lord,” Washington said. “I think we just rested or laid it to the side for far too long. … We ask you to forgive us, Lord. Put us back on the wall. Help us to stay on the wall and be guided by you to do what you call us to do. There’s one thing we know for sure, Lord Jesus, and that is Pine Bluff is a city destined for glory.”

— Byron Tate

4. Dysfunction in Jefferson County government

The year 2023 for county government could be described mostly as a stalemate. A certain contingent of justices of the peace, led by Lloyd Franklin Jr., pushed back against Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson to the point that the two sides could not even pass a typically routine provision that lays out the way the Quorum Court will operate for the new year.

Each month in 2023 resulted in tension, arguments, adjourned meetings, physical altercations and little to no order during the Jefferson County Quorum Court Committee meetings and full Quorum Court meetings.

Meetings continued month after month, unsuccessfully leaving several agenda items in limbo. Attorney Terry Wynne tried to give counsel to the majority of the justices telling them their meetings were not legal and that the policies and procedures that they drafted consisted of many errors.

By November public opinion grew as they showed up in numbers at the meetings to voice their concerns. Vendors who still had not been paid voiced their frustration while employees hoped their Christmas bonuses would pass.

In December Robinson attempted to chair another Quorum Court meeting to address the Christmas bonuses, an ordinance to levy the taxes to be collected in 2024 and to pass the county budget, but those meetings could not be held due to a lack of a quorum. The ordinance had to be passed by Dec. 31 or all government operations would have been shut down for 2024 except emergency services, according to county officials.

In one final attempt to get everyone to come together, Robinson said he reached out, as he has been doing all year to the justices in opposition.

Identical agendas were released from both the county judge’s office and the county clerk’s office. All 13 justices passed the ordinance to levy the taxes.

The following week, the Quorum Court and Robinson also came to a consensus and passed the 2024 county budget of $36,622,908, as well as Christmas bonuses for county employees.

— Eplunus Colvin

5. Progress and closure in Pine Bluff School District

The Pine Bluff School District scored two major victories under Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree, a Pine Bluff native hired to the role last January, and sustained two big losses during 2023.

Voters in the PBSD on Aug. 8 approved a unified, increased millage rate of 47.7 to fund construction of a new Pine Bluff High School at its present location on West 11th Avenue. Previously, residents in the former Dollarway School District, which was annexed into the PBSD in 2021, paid only 40.8 mills in property taxes, while those in remaining areas of the PBSD paid 41.7.

It marked the second year in a row, and third time in almost four years, that a Jefferson County school district approved a millage hike for facility improvements.

A five-year wait for local control in the PBSD finally came to an end Sept. 15, when the Arkansas State Board of Education voted unanimously to restore full authority to the district’s seven-person board.

The nine-person state board and Education Commissioner Jacob Oliva met at the Pine Bluff Convention Center in front of many longtime residents of the district, who saw the previous local board disbanded due to financial issues in September 2018. The state’s decision came less than a year after it granted the PBSD a limited-authority board, meaning the committee could conduct business in leading the district like any other school board in Arkansas, but final approvals for each decision would be made by the education commissioner.

Before the summer, two long-standing campuses in the PBSD would close.

Barbaree announced in March that Dollarway High School and Jack Robey Junior High School would be phased out at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Barbaree said the decision was made in an effort to improve financial stability as the PBSD sought full local control.

The Dollarway and Robert F. Morehead Middle campuses are now known as Pine Bluff Junior High School.

— I.C. Murrell

6. Zebras win 5A boys basketball state championship

The Pine Bluff High boys basketball team won the Class 5A state championship March 9, its 14th championship in school history.

The Zebras clinched the trophy with their third win of the season against Lake Hamilton, 67-51, at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs in front of a near-capacity crowd, many of whom favored the local Wolves.

Pine Bluff senior X’Zaevion Barnett scored a game-high 19 points and shot 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Fellow senior Jordon Harris added 13 points and nine rebounds. Courtney Crutchfield, then a junior, was named the 5A state tournament MVP and scored 16 points in the title game for a total of 90 in four playoff games.

The Zebras qualified for the championship game after winning the 5A-South Conference title for a third-straight year with a 15-1 record, losing only to Hot Springs Lakeside. Pine Bluff cruised through the state tournament at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, taking down Sylvan Hills 75-49, Nettleton 55-43 and Greene County Tech 62-36.

The Zebras came out hot in the championship, leading 7-0 early. Lake Hamilton closed the gap to 11-9 by the end of the first quarter, but the Zebras extended their advantage to 26-18 by halftime. The closest Lake Hamilton got the rest of the game was 33-23.

Lake Hamilton Coach Scotty Pennington received a technical foul with 2:46 remaining. Seconds later, Crutchfield put a final exclamation point on the championship with a two-handed dunk.

This was Pine Bluff’s first state title since 2015, when Coach Billy Dixon was an assistant under Clarence Finley. The Zebras finished as state runners-up the following season, then promoted Dixon to head coach the season after.

During the regular season, Pine Bluff defeated Lake Hamilton 66-48 in Pearcy and 62-55 in Pine Bluff.

— Tanner Spearman

7. Drowning of Coach Ryan Mallett

Tragedy struck the White Hall football program for the second time in just over a month when head coach Ryan Mallett died June 27 in Destin, Fla.

Mallett, 35, drowned while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. He had just completed his first season as the Bulldogs’ coach. He was hired after the 2021 season, during which White Hall had reached the Class 5A state championship game. He went 4-6 in his one season with the Bulldogs.

In what would be his final game, White Hall defeated Watson Chapel 21-14 on Nov. 4, 2022.

Prior to beginning his high school coaching career, Mallett became a household name in the state as the starting quarterback for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks from 2008-10 after one year at Michigan. He led the Razorbacks to a 2009 Liberty Bowl win against East Carolina and a 10-win season in 2010. The Texarkana native finished his time in Fayetteville with 8,385 passing yards and 69 touchdowns.

He was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2011 and backed up Tom Brady for three seasons. He was later traded to the Houston Texans before finishing his career with the Baltimore Ravens. He started eight games in his NFL career and played in 21. He finished with 1,835 yards and nine touchdowns.

Mallett began his coaching career as the offensive coordinator at Mountain Home before taking over at White Hall.

His death came just over a month after one of his White Hall players, Benjamen Redix, was shot and killed the night before he was set to graduate. Redix played football and ran track for the Bulldogs. He won the triple jump at the Meet of Champs, his final track meet.

White Hall held a memorial service for both, as well as student Tyler Via, in August.

— Tanner Spearman

8. Tucker Bearden announces big plans for abandoned Pines mall

Pine Bluff likes its historic places and institutions. So, when news of a possible resurgence at The Pines broke over the summer, it naturally created excitement among those hoping the mall would reestablish Pine Bluff as the hub of retail in southeast Arkansas.

Tucker Bearden, a 30-year-old entrepreneur, announced plans to purchase and revitalize the mall on Harding Avenue in July, but he was met with vocal opposition from those skeptical of his intentions due to a venture in Elkins that fell through.

“When you see somebody who’s trying, who really has a dream that’s worthwhile, a vision that’s worthwhile, something that could really save the city, why would you not stand up and say, ‘He might fail, and that’s OK, but I supported this happening?’ That should happen,” Bearden said during The Commercial’s Facebook live edition of “The Newsroom.”

Bearden said this is his first attempt to revitalize a mall, adding he’s working with investors on The Pines.

“I’m more of a visionary,” Bearden said. “I’ve got big dreams. I’ve got great ideas, and now for the first time in my life, I have the ability to bring them to life.”

Bearden, who signed a contract to purchase The Pines for $12 million, said in August it may take about $20-25 million to fully remodel the mall. Bearden in November said he would not give any more updates on the mall until construction begins.

The Pines first opened in 1986 and closed in 2020. Previous owner Judy Vu cited the pandemic as a reason for its closure.

Presently one store — Dillard’s Clearance — is open at the mall campus.

— I.C. Murrell

9. WCSD lands on accreditation probation after student schedules botched

What started as a problem with class schedules led to an investigation by the Arkansas Department of Education that resulted in the Watson Chapel School District landing in accredited-probation.

The state Board of Education sanctioned the WCSD after findings from state education officials revealed the district violated three standards related to student records. WCSD Superintendent Tom Wilson and Dee Davis said they became aware Aug. 9 — five days before the start of school — that a large population of high school students received incorrect schedules. It was determined district officials did not report the matter to the Education Department until 23 days later, leading to a visit from state officials to Watson Chapel.

Wilson told the state board the WCSD was receiving help from the Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative when parents informed the Education Department about the problem.

Department officials also discovered 23 seniors during the 2022-23 school year were short on graduation requirements, but were listed as graduates for the four-year cohort anyway.

Wilson blamed the record-keeping problems on turnovers in district and high school staff.

Any other violations of standards by the WCSD through the 2024-25 school year could result in further action by the state board.

— I.C. Murrell

10. UAPB stuns Arkansas in women’s basketball

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff women’s basketball team made history Dec. 10 when the Lady Lions traveled to Fayetteville and defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 74-70 at Bud Walton Arena.

This was the Lady Lions’ first-ever win against a Power Five program. It was also Arkansas’ first loss to an in-state school since lifting its self-imposed ban on playing them in sports in 2019. The Razorbacks had already defeated Arkansas State, Central Arkansas and Little Rock this season prior to hosting UAPB.

UAPB Coach Dawn Thornton said after the game the Lady Lions are talented enough to play with top-level programs despite not having the same type of resources.

“We don’t even scratch the surface of what they have in Fayetteville, but one thing that we do have is a big heart, and we have young women that don’t really care about stuff,” Thornton said. “They just want to come out and play hard and make a name for themselves.”

UAPB guard Zaay Green scored 21 points with nine rebounds. Coriah Beck scored 15 points, and Demetria Shephard added 12. The Lady Lions collected 22 offensive rebounds while giving up just nine, and UAPB outscored Arkansas 36-18 in the paint.

Arkansas led 42-32 at halftime after making 7 of 8 3-point attempts in the second quarter. UAPB answered by scoring 28 points in the third quarter.

Beck, the daughter of former Razorback men’s player Corey Beck, gave UAPB the lead with a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter in the same building her father once called home. Shephard hit a 3-pointer with 1:11 to play to seal the biggest win in UAPB women’s basketball history.

— Tanner Spearman