Stories from Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Waymon W. Brooks, 81, of Mountain Home, passed away Wednesday, April 14, 2010, at Baxter Regional Medical Center. He was born April 8, 1929, in Hancock, to Dick and Lovis Brooks. He married Lois Jean Davis Brooks in West Memphis...

John Marlin Williams, 63, of Black Oak, died Wednesday, April 14, 2010, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was a seven year cancer survivor but died of heart complications. Mr. Williams was born on Aug. ...

Juanita Ballard Scott, 86, of Hobart, Ind., passed away Sunday, March 7, 2010, at VNA Hospital in Valparaiso. She was born Dec. 3, 1922, in Manila, the daughter of William and Cora Lee Ballard. Juanita graduated from Black Water High School with the Class of 1941...

Dennis Glen Metheny, 66, of Washington, Mo., formerly of Leachville, died Monday, April 12, 2010, at St. Johns Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. Born at Leachville, he was the son of the late Glen and Della Hyde Metheny and had been a longtime Washington area resident. ...

Brent Ray drove in the winning run with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Buffalo Island Central a thrilling 6-5 victory over Rector Thursday afternoon at Monette. The Mustangs (9-7, 5-4 2A-3) rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning from a two-run deficit when Mark Stone belted a two-run double to tie the game, setting up Ray's ninth inning heroics...

Manila held both Tuckerman and Marmaduke to only two runs apiece in picking up a pair of victories last week in high school baseball action. The Lions began the week with an easy 16-2 victory at Marmaduke. Tray Malone belted four hits, including a home run, to lead the Lion's offensive attack. The senior also drove in five runs and scored three times...

Kimberly Wise fired a three-hit shutout to lead the Lady Lions to a 10-0 whitewash over Tuckerman in 3A-3 conference play Tuesday afternoon at Manila. Wise pitched five innings, striking out nine Lady Bulldogs while issuing just three walks. Wise, Katie Donner and Kristen Painter all had two hits apiece...

Marmaduke slipped past Riverside 15-14 in 2A-3 softball action Thursday afternoon at Lake City. Courtney Southerland, Tori Benoit and Rachel Vangilder all had two hits apiece for the Lady Greyhounds, who improved to 11-10 and 3-5 in conference play...

Buffalo Island Central completed a perfect week of softball with an 11-9 victory Friday afternoon at Rector. The Lady Mustangs scored six runs in the top of the sixth inning to rally for the win. Karla Marroquin pitched a complete game, going seven innings while striking out 11 Lady Cougars. ...

Riverside swept a pair of games Saturday afternoon to complete a successful week of baseball, running their record to 11-5 on the season. The Rebels began the day rallying to take a 2-1 victory over Crowley's Ridge Academy before knocking off host Bay 12-3 in the nightcap...

Family, friends, teammates, and coaches gathered in the Manila gymnasium to cheer on Manila guard Carla Kemp as she signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Ill...

Manila senior Leigha Woody signed a letter of intent to play softball for Williams Baptist College on Friday morning at the Manila High School gymnasium. Family members, friends, teammates, coaches, and teachers were on hand to congratulate her...

The Caraway City Council met March 11 and worked through a short agenda consisting of the passage of six city resolutions and receipt of a Fire Department grant. Resolution #2010-5 was read and accepted to apply for a grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission...

The Manila School Board worked through a full agenda including hiring personnel, policy changes, officially naming the elementary building, classified personnel contracts and early graduation request. ...

Buffalo Island Central School Board members hired summer staff at the April 12 meeting. They are: CPEP Academic Enrichment Program -- Lynn Smith, administrator; Coty Cornish, English; Linda Smith, reading; and Steve Brummett, math...

Members of the Riverside Class of 2010 volunteered to help throughout the community offering helping hands at city hall, the senior citizen center, the city shop, the Fire Department, assisted with the meter reading, and clean up at the Lake City ball park...

It was a sad day for Gary Fletcher as he came home to find 30 years of items he had collected and restored up in flames. The fire call came in on Monday afternoon, April 12, from a neighbor. Fletcher's 60x70 foot shop, located just outside Caraway, was on fire...

Some of the $2.4 billion set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for rural development could be coming to Blytheville. USDA Rural Development outreach specialist Michelle Stinnett recently told Blytheville City Council members and Mississippi County EOC director Sam Scruggs that she knows there is a need here, but she has to show an interest...

Postmaster talks dogs A Blytheville resident was presented a certificate and a watch for aid he gave to an employee of the post office last year. Wallace Wells stepped in when Mark Martin, a mail carrier, was being attacked last fall by three dogs, said Brian Schaeffer, postmaster. The city has too many vicious animals roaming the streets, Schaeffer said. Just last week, a female mail carrier got surrounded by dogs. "At least one of (the dogs) outweighed her," Schaeffer said. Terri Gaines, Animal Control officer, responded and helped the carrier get away. "This has nothing to do with the animal control officer," Schaeffer said. "She does a great job and has always been there for us," he said. "Action is required. We've got to do something." Last week, two mail carriers were bitten, Schaeffer said. One was bitten by a pet that had received the proper vaccinations, but the other bite was from a stray, he said. Councilwoman Shirley Connealy, who chairs the health and sanitation committee, said that her committee would be looking into the matter.

A wide range of local talent is slated to take part in a fundraiser for the Arts Council of Mississippi County at 7 p.m. Friday at the Ritz Civic Center. Performers will include pianists Dennis Hay and Paul Ross, performing a four hands duet on grand piano of "Exodus," as well as a vocal solo performance by Ross...

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Gov. Mike Beebe, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and U.S. Rep. Mike Ross are among the speakers scheduled to participate in a tribute to Rep. Marion Berry Saturday night during the meeting of Arkansas Federation of Democratic Women at the Blytheville Holiday Inn...

Candidate touts experience in business world