Arkansas

Arkansas mayor, murder victim’s sister reacts to Grant Hardin’s escape

Published

11 months ago

May 29, 2025

Arkansas mayor, murder victim’s sister reacts to Grant Hardin’s escape

The town where Arkansas prison escapee and convicted murderer Grant Hardin once served as police chief remains on edge, according to its mayor who is also the sister of Hardin’s victim.

“Anxiety is still high,” Cheryl Tillman, the mayor of Gateway, Arkansas, told USA TODAY in an interview May 28. “I think everybody’s still on alert, being vigilant, doing every precaution that they can.”

Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25, wearing a “makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement,” according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

Hardin had been serving time for the 2017 murder of James Appleton, Tillman’s brother, in Gateway and the 1997 rape of a school teacher in nearby Rogers. He was sentenced to 80 years on the combined convictions, according to court records.

Tillman described Hardin, who served as Gateway’s police chief while Tillman was on the city council in 2016, as “very arrogant” and “angry.”

“He’s an evil person,” Tillman said.

Hardin remains at large as of Wednesday night, with the FBI, Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police and local police were working to find Hardin, officials said earlier in the day.

Sister remembers brother slain at hands of ‘Devil in the Ozarks’

Hardin pleaded guilty to in 2017 to murder in the first degree for shooting and killing Appleton in February of the same year, according to court records.

Appleton’s brother-in-law and Cheryl’s husband, Andrew Tillman, told Benton County Sheriff’s investigators that he was on the phone with Appleton when he was shot, according to a probable cause affidavit. Andrew was the Gateway’s mayor at the time of the shooting.

Cheryl described Appleton as a “very good brother” with a strong civic sense who obtained a license to work for the Gateway Rural Water Authority when asked by his brother-in-law.

“Everybody in this town knew James. They knew that they could call James if they needed help on anything,” Tillman said.

Tillman said that learning of Hardin’s escape brought back memories of the murder.

“Everything was happening all over again. From the time he shot my brother and the time we had to go to court with him,” Tillman said.

The 1997 rape was the focus of a 2023 documentary titled “Devil in the Ozarks,” for which Tillman was interviewed. She said that the interview was “tough to do.”

“We’ve since been in touch with the subjects of that film and law enforcement and are praying for Hardin’s immediate capture in the name of justice and the victims and their families’ peace of mind,” Ari Mark, one of the executive producers of the documentary, told USA TODAY in a statement May 28.

Tillman emphasized the need for residents of Gateway, a place she described as “a very quiet town” where “everybody knows everybody,” to remain vigilant while Hardin remained at-large.

“Lock their doors. If they need to, load their guns,” Tillman said. “Whatever they need to do, just stay vigilant and watch your backs.”

Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, Michael Loria, Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY.

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Arkansas

Gymbacks Place Seventh at NCAA Championships, Four Earn All-America Honors

Published

5 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

Gymbacks Place Seventh at NCAA Championships, Four Earn All-America Honors

The No. 9 Gymbacks saw their season come to an end on Thursday night as they placed fourth in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships evening semifinal and seventh overall with a score of 196.9625.

Arkansas finished behind No. 1 Oklahoma (198.300), No. 13 Minnesota (197.4625) and No. 4 UCLA (197.275) in its session, with the Sooners and Golden Gophers advancing to Saturday’s national championship. In the afternoon session, No. 3 Florida (197.7875) and No. 2 LSU (197.4375) advanced, while No. 6 Georgia placed sixth overall (197.2625) and No. 7 Stanford placed eighth (196.9375).

The Gymbacks’ team score of 196.9625 is the second highest in program history at NCAAs for Arkansas, and highest since 2009. The team got out to a strong start on floor, in which the Razorbacks scored 49.300, a new NCAA championships record for Arkansas on the event.

The day was highlighted by a great all-around performance by senior Morgan Price. She scored 39.4625, which was good for fifth in the session and tied for ninth overall, good for Second Team All-America honors. She also tied for eighth on vault (9.900) and fifth on bars (9.9125) to bring her All-America total to three, the most by a Gymback at a single nationals since Kennedy Hambrick in 2021.

Fifth year Leah Smith sent her Arkansas career out with a bang as she notched a pair of 9.900s on vault and bars, both of which tied for the session for All-America nods. Smith is now a three-time All-American with two on vault.

Freshman Allison Cucci had a fantastic first NCAA Championships with Arkansas’ highest individual score of the day, 9.9375 on vault. She tied for fourth in the session to earn First Team All-America honors and tied for sixth overall. Her score is the third highest ever by a Gymback on vault at NCAAs, and the best for Arkansas since 2014.

Sophomore Joscelyn Roberson closed out her second season with her first All-American honor on floor. She scored 9.9125 and placed eighth in the evening semifinal. Roberson has now earned two All-America nods in as many seasons at Arkansas.

Floor

After an uncharacteristic start from Hailey Klein on floor, Smith got the Gymbacks on track again in the two spot with a 9.8375. The Price duo of Morgan and Frankie earned matching 9.825 marks back-to-back, and Lauren Williams broke through for the first 9.900 of the night for Arkansas in the fifth spot. Roberson anchored the Gymbacks with a 9.9125, which brought the floor total to 49.300.

Vault

After a 9.7875 from Cami Weaver in the lead-off position, Smith stuck her Yurchenko full up second and earned a 9.900. The sticks were contagious as Cucci delivered one of her own midway through the lineup on her Yurchenko 1.5 for a 9.9375. Klein and Williams scored 9.8125 and 9.825, respectively. Morgan Price finished the rotation with a 9.900, and Arkansas posted 49.375 on vault.

Bars

Roberson led off with a 9.7875 for Arkansas, and the scores built from there with a 9.800 from Klein and a 9.900 for Smith to pace the Gymbacks halfway through the rotation. The freshman duo of Avalon Campbell and Cucci scored 9.800 and 9.775 next, which brought up Morgan Price to anchor. She put down her typical solid routine on the event and went 9.9125. The Gymbacks’ total on bars was 49.200.

Beam

Arkansas went to one of its best events of the season for the last rotation, beam. Priscilla Park kicked it off with a 9.8125, followed by a 9.7875 by Klein up second. Weaver and Cucci then scored 9.750 and 9.775. Morgan Price and Joscelyn Roberson both posted good scores of 9.825 and 9.8875, but neither were enough to move Arkansas into a spot to contend for a national finals berth.

More Information

Visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com for the latest information on all things Arkansas Gymnastics. You can also find the Razorbacks on social media by liking us on Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Gymnastics) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@RazorbackGym).

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Arkansas

Arkansas Community Foundation commemorates 50 years with summit

Published

17 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas Community Foundation commemorates 50 years with summit

KATV ABC 7 in Little Rock, Arkansas covers news, sports, weather and the local community in the city and the surrounding area, including Hot Springs, Conway, Pine Bluff, Jacksonville, Sherwood, Stuttgart, Benton, Bauxite, East End, Scott, Pinnacle, Maumelle, Gibson, Landmark and Hensley.

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Arkansas

Pulaski Tech’s Diamond Chef event brings big flavors and friendly competition

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Pulaski Tech’s Diamond Chef event brings big flavors and friendly competition

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — If you like great food and a little friendly competition, Diamond Chef Arkansas is about to serve up both at the University of Arkansas- Pulaski Technical College.

Diamond Chef Arkansas is a fundraiser for UA Pulaski Tech’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute.

The event centers on a head-to-head cooking competition where students team up with local chef mentors to collaborate on dishes and practice together ahead of the big night.

Along with the competition, attendees can also sample tastings from local restaurants, giving people a chance to try a variety of foods while cheering on their favorite team.

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Among the chefs involved this year are Scott Rains, Alyssa Frisby, and Reis Bertram, including a team from Table 28.

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