Stories from Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Kelly Coalter, 65, of 4915 E. County Road 186 in the Armorel community, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Nov. 28 death of her companion, Claudine Hendrix, 71.

Annette J. Emison, 93, of Caraway passed from this life on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011, at NEA Baptist Hospital. She was born July 22, 1917, in Stillwater, Okla., to Mike and Johannah Koeller Juenger. Mrs. Emison worked at American Greeting and retired from Basler Electric. She was of the Methodist faith...

Shirley Jean Leitzen, 77, of Manila, died Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, at her home in Manila. Born April 25, 1933, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Thelma Dyson Veer and had been a Manila area resident for the past 48 years...

Raymond Nunly, 79, of Lake City, died Jan. 15, 2011, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born Feb. 22, 1931, he was the son of the late Richard and Thelma Lee Nunly. Mr. Nunly enjoyed baseball games and playing dominoes...

Jerry Wayne Wright, 74, of Benton, died Jan. 19, 2011, in Benton. He was born Aug. 17, 1936, in Manila to J.C. and Dorothy Lee (Odom) Wright. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in the Korean War. He loved horses, and motorcycles. Mr. Wright was a professional truck driver, and of the Baptist faith...

Peggy Brooks, 69, of Manila, widow of Jimmy D. Brooks, died Monday, Jan. 24, 2011, at her home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Howard Funeral Service of Manila. Guest register is www.HowardFuneralService.com...

East Poinsett County traveled to the Mustang Athletic Complex and came away with a four game sweep over Buffalo Island Central in 2A-3 conference basketball action Friday night at Monette. Junior Girls...

Manila led by as many as 20 points, but had to hold off a fourth quarter three point shooting barrage from Bay to hang on for a 71-63 victory in senior boys basketball action between two of the state's top ranked teams Tuesday night at Manila...

Riverside celebrated Homecoming with a 60-47 victory over Maynard Friday night at Caraway. The Rebels, who improved to 17-12 overall and 7-5 in league play, was led by Cole Winford who posted a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds...

Newly elected Lake City Mayor Jon Milligan presided at the first meeting of the year held Monday, Jan. 17. Regularly scheduled meetings are held the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall...

The Monette City Council debated the necessity of having a new parking ordinance for the second month, before tabling it again, at the regular city council meeting held Monday, Jan. 17. Mayor Chub Qualls and the council reviewed a proposed parking ordinance regulating parking on city streets. ...

Sunken Lands Chapter of Delta Waterfowl will host the annual banquet on Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Lake City Fire Department. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with a catered meal from Strawberry's of barbecued ribs, chicken and pork steak tarting at 7 p.m...

Manila's newly elected Mayor Wayne Wagner presided over the first council meeting of the year on Monday night, Jan. 17. The three new council members, Dale Murphy, Tony Hawkins and Jason Baltimore, were welcomed by returning councilmen Larry "Whiz" Davis, Linda Donovan, and Donnie Wagner...

Riverside junior high Homecoming Court and escorts pictured are, from left: Zachary Reece, Trisha Null, Kollin Stone, Haven Crews, Ben Hensley, Ashton Raney, Brandon Sain, Kaitlin Lindley, Devon Austin, Molly Davis, Caleb Waugh and Lauren Smith. Front - flower girl and crown bearer Lexie Moyer and Kenley Sanders. (Town Crier photos/Revis Blaylock)...

Riverside Senior High Homecoming Court and escorts are, from left:

No one should ever have to deal with the loss of a child. Unless you have experienced this devastating loss, you cannot understand how much of your own life is lost with that one event.

Dr. William V. Wyatt, 70, died Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011, in Jonesboro.

Joe Lee Sharkey Sr., 85, of Blytheville, died Friday, Jan. 21, 2011, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro.

Mrs. Mary Lou Robinson, 85, of Osceola, died Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011, at South Mississippi County Regional Medical Center in Osceola.

Velma Ann Philyaw, age 64, of Gosnell, passed away Friday, Jan. 21, 2011, at her home.

Ms. Deborah Ann Hooks, 46, of Osceola, died of heart failure Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, at the Regoinal Medical Center in Memphis.

Mrs. Sarah Ruth Prichard Aycock, 96, of St. Louis, passed away Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011.

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department.

In their Monday night meeting, the Gosnell School Board approved the use of more than $16,000 in grant money for the purchase of elementary literature books.

All employees of the Blytheville School District, with the exception of Superintendent Richard Atwill, will receive a one-time bonus of up to $1,769, thanks to additional funding from the stimulus program.

Blytheville City Council members learned the city has three outstanding bond issues, while being educated on the intricacies of bonds, Monday afternoon.

A Blytheville man was found dead along Interstate 55 early Saturday morning in Crittenden County, police said.

Working in his hometown is "a heart thing," according to Mayor James Sanders. Having gone from working at Hays Grocery store to being a police officer, sheriff and eventually mayor, public service is "all (he's) ever known."

For this Arkansas team and John Pelphrey regime, tonight's clash versus Auburn becomes THE most pivotal game of the campaign.

The Gosnell Pirates got back on the winning track Monday night with an impressive, 63-30, blowout win over the Harrisburg Hornets.

The Blytheville Chickasaws remained unbeaten and atop the 5A-East standings with a 53-39 win over the Wynne Yellowjackets Saturday night at Chickasaw Gym.

Bulka, the Rag Puppy, from the Act 2! presentation of "The Velveteen Rabbit."

This alien was spotted roaming around the Riverbend Neighborhood at Armorel Halloween night.

Fans may be looking down the road to Friday's road clash of 5A-East beasts at Forrest City.

John Wesley Yarbro, age 71 of Manila, died Monday, Jan. 24, 2011, at his home. Born at Portageville, Mo., he was the son of the late Willie Henry and Ethel Wigington Yarbro and had been a Manila area resident for nearly 50 years. He was a retired farmer and was a member of the Blackwater Church of God near Manila...

Peggy June Brooks, age 69 of Manila, widow of Jimmy D. Brooks, died Monday, Jan. 24, 2011, at her home. Born at Keiser she was the daughter of the late Otis and Mildred Crawford Bowman and had been a longtime Manila area resident. She was retired from American Greetings in Osceola and had been a longtime member of the Bethany Baptist Church in Manila...

Vernon "Tex" Fletcher, age 82 of Manila, died Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born in Manila he was the son of the late George W. and Edna Marks Fletcher and was a lifelong area resident. He was of the Baptist Faith...

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department

We received a letter to the editor a couple of years ago that raised an excellent point that's worth revisiting. The author pointed out that Blytheville is among an increasingly smaller number of Southern cities without a street named after Martin Luther King Jr.