Arkansas man’s death ruled suicide

Joplin to New Orleans bike tour to raise money for disaster victims

Louis Niewald will travel 800 miles on a bicycle next month, pedaling from Joplin to New Orleans. He’ll have a lot to think about along the way. Niewald was returning to Joplin on May 22, 2011, when sirens sounded and an EF-5 tornado began grinding its way across the city.

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September 21, 2012

Arkansas man’s death ruled suicide

Anonymous From staff reports The Joplin Globe Fri Sep 21, 2012, 11:32 PM CDT

STELLA, Mo. — An Arkansas resident shot and killed himself Thursday night outside a residence near Stella, according to the Newton County Sheriff’s Department.

Chief Deputy Chris Jennings said deputies were called at 11:53 p.m. to an address on Route A after a woman discovered the apparent suicide outside her residence and called for help. Travis L. Smith, 39, of St. Joe, Ark., was pronounced dead at the scene. He died of a single shot to the head from a handgun, Jennings said.

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