Stories from Thursday, February 12, 2009

Morgan Sims, sixth grade student at Buffalo Island Central West, earned the title of 2009 Craighead County Spelling Bee champion. The event was held at Arkansas State University one week later than originally planned because of the ice storm...

Barbara Ann McGuirt Barcom, 66, of Blytheville, died Friday, Feb. 6, 2009, at her home. Born in Burdette, the daughter of Charlie and Barbara Tate McGuirt, she was a lifelong area resident and member of Bethany Baptist Church. She was part owner of Town & Country Tree Service...

Carl Madison Byrd, 83, of Manila, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, at his home. Born at Leachville he was the son of the late E.E. and Lula Coffell Byrd and had been a Leachville-Manila area resident for most of his life. ...

Ronald Dale "Ron" Cathey, 51, of Pocahontas, formerly of Manila, died Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009. Born in Watervliet, Mich., he was the son of the late Willie and Gladys Armada Long Cathey. A former longtime Manila resident, he attended Manila High School and began his business as a used car dealer before making his home in Pocahontas approximately 16 years ago...

Henry Edd Donner, 98, of Piggott, formerly of Manila, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell, Mo. Born May 15, 1910, in Valemeyre, Ill., he was the son of the late Albert and Caroline Burgett Donner. He was united in marriage to Jannie Wagner on Nov. 25, 1930. She preceded him in death in July 1983...

James "Jonesie" Jones, 46, died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at his residence. He was born Jan. 28, 1963, in Osceola. He worked at Basler Electric in Caraway. Survivors include his mother, Rosetta Hightower of Caraway; two brothers, Johnny Northcutt and Virgil Ray Hightower, both of Caraway; two sisters, Janie Augustine of Manila and Shirley Scroggins of Jonesboro; three nephews, Timothy Augustine, William Hightower and Justin Augustine; and a niece, Elizabeth Scroggins.. ...

Vickie Bernice Mauldin, 55, of Lake City, died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at St. Bernards Medical Center. She is survived by her children, James Mauldin and Brandy Suazo and her husband, Rolando, all of Mansfield, Texas; mother Geraldene Clark of Forrest City; brothers, Michael Brinkley of Columbia, Tenn., Terry DeGunya of Oklahoma and Charles DeGunya of Forrest City...

Bobby Wayne McGuire, Sr., 60, of Brookland died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, at his residence. He was born on April 1, 1948, in Dyess, the son of Everett McGuire and Clara (Blansett) McGuire. He has spent the last 15 years with his family residing in Brookland. He was of the Pentecost faith and attended the Lighthouse Pentecost Church...

Johnny Howard Stanfill, 67, of Manila died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was the son of the late Eugene Wesley and Ruby Lee Mason Stanfill and had been a lifelong Manila resident. He was the retired owner/operator of Stanfill Trucking in Manila...

Darrell Dwayne Watkins, II, 26, of Blytheville, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville. Born Jan. 12, 1983, in Blytheville to Darrell Dwayne Watkins and Trisha Dawn Watkins, he was a lifelong area resident of the protestant faith. ...

Delta Waterfowl banquet has been set for Saturdy, Feb. 14, at the Lake City Fire Department. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with barbecued ribs, chicken and pork steak meal catered by Strawberrys starting at 7 p.m...

West Memphis physician Dr. Trent Pierce, 54, formerly of Leachville, was injured on Wednesday morning, Feb.4, when a bomb exploded outside his home as he prepared to leave for work around 8 a.m. Reports indicate the bomb had been placed on or near his car, a white Lexus hybrid. The explosion shattered the front of his vehicle and could be heard nearly a mile away...

The Manila First Baptist Church sign read "No Services Sunday" but even though services were not held in the sanctuary, there was service -- service to the community. Several of the members had been out since Wednesday, Jan. 28, since the ice storm checking on people and cleaning up limbs and debris...

Riverside rolled past Marked Tree 62-35 Thursday night at Lake City behind the double figure scoring of Tyler Warhurst and Cody O'Guinn. The two seniors scored 15 and 10 points respectively in the last home appearance of their careers...

T.J. Gordon led three Rivercrest players in double figures as the Colts ran past Manila 66-55 Tuesday night at Wilson. Demoine Brown scored 12 while Terrence Banks dropped in 10 points and dished out 10 assists to lead the Colt attack...

Kimberly Wise drilled 16-18 free throws, including nine of 10 in the decisive fourth quarter, to lead Manila to a 61-56 victory over Rivercrest Tuesday night at Wilson. Wise, who led the Lady Lions with a game high 34 points, also got double digit help from Tiffany Pentecost who scored 12 points, all on three pointers, while Rebekah White added 11 more. ...

Manila's junior boys and girls teams extended their season with first round victories in Saturday's 3A-3 junior district tournament at Wilson. The junior boys held off host Rivercrest 44-39 while the Lady Lions knocked off Hoxie 29-26...

Buffalo Island Central Senior and Parent Appreciation Night was held Friday with six senior athletes honored. They are Brittany Smith, senior girls basketball manager; players Jordon Miller, Corie Flannigan, and Erickia Robinson; Autumn Fletcher, cheerleader; and basketball player Ricardo Cordero...

Buffalo Island Central celebrated senior night with a 55-43 victory over Rector in 2A-3 conference action Friday night at the Monette Athletic Complex. Kam Ashabranner scored a game high 19 points, while Blake Wheeler and Dillon Hargrove added 15 points apiece. ...

Buffalo Island Central dropped two out of three games in senior girls basketball action last week. The Lady Mustangs began the week with a 75-51 loss at Lepanto to East Poinsett County before bouncing back to whip Cross County 53-22 on Thursday night at Monette. Rector knocked off the Lady Mustangs 64-58 on Friday night in BIC's last home game of the season...

Riverside celebrated senior night with a 68-32 win over Marked Tree in senior girl's basketball action Thursday night at Lake City. Katey Campbell pumped in five three pointers on her way to a game high 24 points to lead the Lady Rebels, who improved to 19-7 overall and 10-2 in league play...

Johnny McDaniel, lifelong resident of Leachville and an electrician, is giving back to the community by helping others who suffered damage from the Jan. 27 ice storm that left Buffalo Island without power...