Stories from Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department.

Doesn't it just seem that the more we learn about technology, the more enslaved we become by that technology?

Mrs. Erma Lee Watkins, 91, of Leachville, passed from this life Friday April 22, 2011, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. Born near Valley Springs, Ark., she was the daughter of the late J. ...

Riverside swept a 2A-3 conference softball doubleheader Monday afternoon at Lake City. The Lady Rebels defeated Walnut Ridge 6-4 in the opener before taking the nightcap 12-4...

Manila swept a pair of 3A-3 conference baseball matchups last week, defeating Hoxie 6-1 Monday afternoon on the road before coming home Tuesday to thrash Corning 13-2. Taylor Morgan fanned 11 Hoxie batters in going the distance in Manila's victory over the Mustangs. ...

Arkansas Badboyz won the Grand Slam Stunner Tournament at Hornlake, Miss., on March 17. The Badboyz are 12AAA in class and knocked off the Delta D-backs with an 8-1 win in the championship game. Pictured are, from left: back - Blandon Barrett, Caden Barrett, Tommy Garcia, Trace Huckabay, Payton Gooch, Nolan Smith, Cory Lambert, and Brandon Nix. ...

Manila senior Kam Ashabranner was the guest of honor Thursday evening as family and friends gathered at the Manila Community Center to join him as he signed a letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Arkansas-Monticello...

The Caraway City Council met Thursday, April 14, with a full agenda consisting of reports, opening of bids, contracts, evaluation, and Park Commission appointments. Mayor Barry Riley reported that Basler Electric is still doing testing on the former business property before it is turned over to the city...

Lake City Council worked through several items on the agenda during the regular meeting held April 18. Attending were Mayor Jon Milligan, Aldermen Harold Barker, Tommy Eakins, Ann Davis, Jeffery Wisham, Danny Dunigan and Brenda Hutcheson and City Clerk Linda Simpson...

JONESBORO -- The Gosnell Pirates dropped their final 4A-3 contest of the regular season losing 6-4 to Jonesboro Westside Saturday afternoon. "Despite the loss, it was really a well played baseball game," said Pirate head coach Bret Jackson. "Blake (Sullivan) pitched a heck of a game and helped himself out with some great at-bats. Jake Westmoreland and Zach Perrin also had good days at the plate. They just tore the cover off of the ball."...

Monette City Council met Monday, April 18, and reviewed the Water Department policy on delinquent accounts. Water Superintendent David Moore addressed the council concerning the increasing difficulty of posting cut-off notices, making cut-offs and then doing re-connections in such a short time frame...

WEINER -- The Armorel Tigers remained perfect in the 1A-3 East after an 18-0 drubbing of the Weiner Cardinals Friday afternoon in five innings. Pitchers Chris Ashmore and Jacob Gatlin combined for a 1-hit shutout of the Cardinals. Armorel opened the flood gates with a 10-run second inning highlighted by a home run from Ryan Sullivan...

The Mississippi County Farm Bureau Federation recently established the President's Scholarship Foundation, according to Benton Felts, Joiner, president. The purpose of the 501(c)(3) tax exempt foundation is to make available scholarships to selected individuals to attend a four year college or university that offers a degree in agriculture...

ROGERS -- Three Buffalo Island High School students won journalism awards Friday as part of Arkansas Press Women's annual high school journalism competition...

It took less than two minutes for the young hunters to clean sweep the Caraway Park of 5,000 eggs. Over 300 children gathered for the annual Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Caraway Park Commission and city...

Laura Imler-Oldham and Danna Deaton expressed their appreciation to Dick Pace, community bank president at Liberty Bank in Monette, for the generous donation to the Butterfly House. The bank also made an annual three year commitment to the project...

Manila School Board members were treated to a dinner following the April meeting held Thursday. Nabholz Construction crew members treated the board members to a rib dinner in the school cafeteria. Nabholz Construction Services recently constructed the new elementary building and the cafeteria expansion...

Manila Lions Club welcomed four new members on Wednesday, April 19. Three of the four new members made Manila Lion history by being the first female Lions to be a part of the Manila Chapter...

The 10th annual Ozark Foothills Film Festival was held March 21-27, in Batesville. Tanner Smith, a 2010 graduate of Manila High School who is currently attending Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville, was an attending artist who had a film shown at the festival...

Buffalo Island Memorial Veterans Park committee members met Thursday discussing landscaping, hearing a financial review, and setting a deadline for the names to be placed on the next monument for $35...

Paul McAnally, senior vice president and director of the North Regional Advisory Board for Southern Bancorp, is the recipient of Arkansas State University's College of Agriculture and Technology's Outstanding Young Alumni Award for 2011...

Manila Scouts from Pack 32, Troop 32 and Crew 32, attended the Manila City Council meeting Monday, April 18, presenting the city with an appreciation plaque. Berry McKaskle, assistant Cubmaster, on behalf of the young Scouts, expressed his appreciation to the city for the use of the building and their support...

Pat Ivey Lendennie of Blytheville, formerly of Manila, is excited to have her first novel, "Warning! A Bonnie Moss Journalistic Adventure," available in print. The book was published under her pen name Anna Shaw and is available in paperback from www.publishamerica.com; www.amazon.com or local book stores including That Book Store and Barnes and Noble...

Brenda Hutcheson and Cindy Conner, teachers in the Riverside School District, spent their spring break with four other area citizens on a missionary adventure to Uganda. Other members of the group included Lisa and Lauren Weaver, Greg Douglas, and Jim Ladd...

Mrs. Nancy Spencer of Blytheville died Saturday, April 23, 2011, at her home. Funeral arrangements will be announced by McDonald-Horne Funeral Home of Blytheville.

Mrs. Lila Mae Ross, 75, of Blytheville, died Thursday, April 21, 2011, at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville.

Mr. Marvin Ray Pritchard, 83, of Olive Branch, Miss., formerly of Osceola, died peacefully at his home Sunday, April 24, 2011.

Rev. Elize Phillips, 82, of Columbia, S.C.. died Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at Providence NE Hospital in Columbia.

Mr. Joe Winfield McQueen, 66, died Friday, April 22, 1011, at St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro.

Members of the Blytheville School Board approved several changes in the district's policies and personnel handbooks Monday night during the April meeting. The changes, which are mostly those mandated by the state Department of Education, will go into effect next school year.

Monday, the Blytheville City Council's Finance and Purchasing Committee gave Blytheville Mayor James Sanders the green light to further research hiring a tax attorney for the city's apparent delinquent payroll taxes issue.

A Blytheville man was arraigned on a charge of first-degree murder Monday morning in connection with the death last November of a Blytheville woman.

A Blytheville man is being held without bond on charges including capital murder regarding the March 2 death of an Osceola man.

More severe weather Monday night meant more power outages throughout Mississippi County and abroad. According to Entergy customer service manager Paul Brewster, there were 1,203 Entergy customers without power this morning.

Results of the 2010 Census and rising gas prices may force the city of Blytheville to make some difficult decisions this year.

The water levels on the Mississippi River north of the Blytheville area have the river tied for its second highest flood in modern history, according to Jim Pogue, spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers in Memphis.

Recent reports from the Blytheville Fire Department.

Recent reports from the Mississippi County unit of the Drug Task Force.

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department.

Like anyone else, I'd like to think of myself of a person of at least average intelligence. I listened in school, went to college and even pay attention to the news on a relatively regular basis. But despite any efforts I put forth to this end, there are some things I still just don't understand.

Mrs. Juanita Jones, 92, died Monday, April 25, 2011, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro.