Stories from Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department:

David Alan Garner, 50, of Jonesboro, Ark., died Oct. 20, 2011, at his home after a brave battle with cancer. Mr. Garner was born Oct. 29, 1960, in St. Louis, Mo., to John and Cynthia Thomas Garner. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and pottery...

Mrs. JoAnn Elizabeth Rogers, 79, of Paragould, former longtime Leachville resident, passed away Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born at Paragould to the late Ray and Hazel Davis Carter. ...

Ms. Kensie Noyes Laffoon, 91, of Paragould, Ark., died Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, at the Craighead Nursing Center. Ms. Laffoon was born Aug. 18, 1920, in Perdue, Ala., to the late Benjamin Franklin and Ada Cordelia Laffoon. ...

Naomi Irene Ross, 81, of Kennett, Mo., died Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, at her home. Born Jan. 18, 1930, in Cotton Plant, Mo., she was the daughter of the late Hiram Rolland and Daisy Edwards Ross. ...

Shari Stewart, 61, of Robertsdale, Ala., peacefully passed away Oct. 19, 2011, at Sacred Heart Hospital, Pensacola, Fla., after a courageous fight against breast cancer. Shari was born April 11, 1950, in Macey to the late Bland and Mabel Harrell Stewart. ...

Buffalo Island Central's Lady Mustangs closed out the Joe V. Jones Classic Saturday night with an impressive 69-32 rout of Hughes. Brittany Fowler poured in a team high 17 points. Cassidy Qualls and Katelyn Sparkman also had double figures, scoring 10 points apiece as BIC put 11 players in the scoring column...

Riverside celebrated the opening of its new basketball arena with a four game sweep of the Armorel Tigers Friday night at Lake City. The night began with a 39-12 victory by the junior girls, followed by the junior boys' 50-22 win over Armorel. ...

Piggott's Lucas Brewer made a diving catch in the end zone to pick off a Lion pass and bring an end to Manila's night in a tough 30-22 overtime loss to the hosting Mohawks Friday night. The teams were forced into bonus time in the conference meeting after ending regulation in a 22-22 bind...

Mid-Southern Championship wrestling will be in Manila to benefit Manila Cub Scouts Pack 32, on Saturday, Nov. 12. The event will be held at the Manila Community Center. Bell time will be 7 p.m. The main event will be a cage match with Nugget versus Chief Hill. The loser will lose his hair. Special referee will be Jared Camp...

Riverside captured its third girls state tennis title in the last four years, outscoring runner-up and rival Ridgefield Christian 14-6 Thursday at Allen Park in Jonesboro. Sophomore Anna Brickell took home her second consecutive state singles title with a straight set 6-0,6-3 victory over freshman Adrianna Moorehouse of Ridgefield Christian. ...

Manila volunteer firefighters and family members were recognized Monday night, Oct. 17, with an appreciation dinner hosted by Manila Mayor Wayne Wagner and members of the city council...

Lake City Council members approved Resolution 1017-11 approving the city's millage rate at 1.6 mills for 2012 at the regular meeting on Oct. 17. Aldermen present were Harold Barker, Tommy Eakins, Ann Davis, Jeffery Wisham, Danny Dunigan and Brenda Hutcheson. Also present was Linda Simpson, city clerk. Mayor Jon Milligan presided...

Sunday, Oct. 30, New Hope Baptist Church in Caraway will celebrate Homecoming. This yearly event is one members, present and past, look forward to. This year Ed Gilham, director of mission for the Mt. Zion Baptist Association, will be the guest preacher. He is the new DOM for the Association...

The Manila junior and senior play, A Hillbilly Weddin', will be presented Thursday and Friday, Oct. 27-28. Performances will be held during the day on Thursday and Friday. An evening performance will be held at 5 p.m. Friday. Adult tickets are $3 and students $1...

Mrs. JoAnne Elizabeth Rogers, 79, of Paragould, former longtime Leachville resident, passed away Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould.

Mr. Martin Ray, 78, of Marked Tree, died Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro.

Manila City Council worked through a short agenda Monday, Oct. 17, discussing progress on the new city maintenance building, Christmas parade and lights, swimming pool results, and the purchase of trash cans...

Geanie Channell with Economics Arkansas presented a plaque to LeAnn Helms, Manila assistant K-8 principal, at the Thursday, Oct. 20, Manila School Board meeting. Channell told school board members Economics Arkansas has a special line of teacher training...

Airplanes are seen through the fog on a recent morning near the Aviation Repair Technologies facility on the Arkansas Aeroplex. This photo was submitted by Sydney.

Mayor Chub Qualls administered the oath of office to newly appointed city councilman Philip Duffel at the beginning of Monette City Council meeting Monday night, Oct. 17. Duffel will assume the duties of former Alderman Perry Wood as Sanitation Department Commissioner...

Blytheville Public Schools are looking to raise standards this school year.

The millage tax hike being considered for Mississippi County will not be brought before the Quorum Court until November, according to Justice Michael White, chair of the court's Finance Committee.

All of you who read my columns know that this time of year, with the temperatures cooling and the garden finally producing, all the flowers blooming, the cotton pickers working in the fields, and the holidays about to start, is my very favorite time of year.