Stories from Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tuesday night, the Blytheville City Council agreed to sell a piece of land to the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department for the future four-lane Highway 18 project.

Mrs. Mable Louise Adams, 67, of Osceola, died Wednesday, March 9, 2011, at St. Bernards Hopital in Jonesboro. Born at Halltown, Ark., she was the daughter of the late Berten and Liddie Fraizer Brewer and was a longtime area resident. ...

Mildred Murphy Andrews, 93, of Hardy, died Saturday, March 12, 2011, at Eaglecrest Nursing and Rehab in Ash Flat. She was a homemaker and a retired secretary. She is survived by her two sons, William Andrews of Little Rock and Allan Andrews of Blytheville, and a grandson, Stephan Andrews...

Bobby Joe Bartholomew, 72, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., died Monday, March 7, 2011, at St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. He was born June 23, 1938, in Blytheville, the son of Marion "Joe" and Roberta Graham Shackelford Bartholomew. He and Kathleen McMasters were married Dec. 21, 1960, in Manila...

Octavia "Marie" Fortner, 76, of Burdette, died on March 12, 2011, at Great River Medical Center. Ms. Fortner was born Sept. 4, 1934, in Hot Springs. She was a long time resident of Burdette and was retired from the Mississippi County Tax Assessors office...

Leachville Orvil Lee Robertson, 82, of Leachville, died Tuesday, March 8, 2011, at his home. Born at Batesville, Ark., he was the son of the late William C. and Frankie Ada Hodges Robertson and had lived most of his life in the Leachville and Monette areas. ...

Marsha Lynn Rushing, 43, of Leachville, died Thursday, March 10, 2011, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born at St. Louis, Mo., she had been a lifelong Leachville area resident. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Charlie and Fannie Burks, an aunt, Norma Jean Bunch, and an uncle, Charles Burks, Jr...

Bobby Lynn White, 79, of Manila, passed from this life early Saturday, March 12, 2011, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born at Manila, he was the son of the late Albert and Oshia Shedd White and was a lifelong Manila resident. ...

Cheryl Renee Penix, 31, of Leachville, died Friday, March 11, 2011, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. Born in Osceola she had lived much of her life in Manila and had been a Leachville resident for the past two years. Cheryl was preceded in death by her brother, Marty Eddings...

Riverside girls recently won the state bowling title, while the Rebel's James Boness captured the individual championship on the boy's side in the 1-2-3A State Bowling Tournament held at Conway...

Committee members of the Buffalo Island Relay for Life met Thursday discussing upcoming activities and honorary survivors for the June 24 event. This is the 10th annual Buffalo Island American Cancer Relay for Life. It will be held at the Leachville City Park. "Sports, Teaming Up for a Cure," is this year's theme...

Jeanne Chen, student at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, was the guest speaker at the Manila Lions Club on Wednesday at noon. Chen is a member of SVOSH (Student Volunteers in Optometric Service to Humanity). ...

The Caraway City Council met on Thursday, March 10, and worked through a short agenda. Mayor Barry Riley gave a brief overview of his recent trip to Washington, D.C., with the Arkansas Delegation...

Riverside Junior High Quiz Bowl team won third place in state. The team won first place in Regional qualifying them to go to state in Hot Springs on Saturday, Feb. 26. They played six games and were only defeated once...

Amelia Bedelia has long been a favorite character for young readers. The literal-minded housekeeper character came to life on Thursday morning at Buffalo Island Central West elementary. BIC art teacher Amber Crabtree dressed the part of Amelia Bedelia during a visit from the author Herman Parish...

While reports continued cropping up Monday that former Kentucky coach/current Minnesota coach Tubby Smith might be a leading candidate for the vacant Arkansas Razorbacks head basketball coaching job, the Kentucky grad forced to vacate the Arkansas job met the Arkansas press for the last time.

A former Blytheville coaching candidate will be in the 5A-East after all. Chris Hill told the Blytheville Courier News this morning that he has been informed that he will be the next head football coach at Wynne High School.

The home-openers for the Chicks and Lady Chicks, scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed because of the weather.

Mrs. Bobbie Sue Long Mosley, 77, of Knoxville, Tenn., formerly of Blytheville, passed from this life Sunday, March 13, 2011, at Ft. Sanders Regional Hospital in Knoxville.

Ms. Octavia "Marie" Fortner, 76, of Burdette, died Saturday, March 12, 2011, at Great River Medical Center.

Mr. John H. Crim, 94, of Paragould, passed from this life Monday, March 14, 2011, at Green Acres Nursing Home in Paragould.

Mrs. Mary Alice "Mame" Caldwell, 73, of Blytheville, wife of Dan Caldwell, died Monday, March 14, 2011, at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville.

Abby and Creighton Cross announce the birth of their son, Connor Creighton Cross, on Dec. 21, 2010, at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville, Tenn.

Jessie Sun and Michael-Jon Ainsley Hore, both of Philadelphia, are planning a July 1, 2012, wedding in Philadelphia.

Action is being taken in the Arkansas State legislature toward the so-called "Robin Hood" law.

The Mississippi County Quorum Court's Finance Committee approved two proposals Monday, which will upgrade the sound system in the courtroom and expand the security system for the Senior Activities Center in Blytheville.

There was mixed news from Little Rock Monday for the city of Osceola.

A group of sixth-graders from Gosnell Elementary have recently been learning the positive benefits of helping others.

Chris Vandyke, 50, of 717 W. Pecan St., and Holly Birmingham, 18, of 116 N. Broadway, were arrested last week by officers of the Mississippi County unit of the Third Judicial District Drug Task Force.

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department:

Mary Alice Wroten McWaters (Mame) Caldwell, 73, prominent Blytheville businesswoman, community leader and loving wife, mother and grandmother, died suddenly Monday, March 14.