Stories from Friday, October 18, 2013

POCAHONTAS --This two-game road trip for the Gosnell Junior Pirates has been less than kind. A week after losing their first game in over a year and a half at Highland, the Junior Pirates traveled to Pocahontas Thursday night and left with a 38-16 loss. Gosnell stayed close in the first half trailing, 24-16, before Pocahontas shut them out in the second half...

Once again, I, The Great Fitzini, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, Sage of Sages and Sports Prophet Extraordinaire, am back for another day of predicting this week's prep football games. I went 4-1 last week on my prep picks and remain in a 3-way tie for 1st in the Pigskin Panel with my editors, Mark Brasfield and Andy Weld. That could change this week with some key matchups in the college ranks...

Mr. Talmadge Gann, 91, of Blytheville, passed from this life Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013 at his home. Born in Gosnell to Zach Ervin and Eddie Lea Gaines Gann, he was a veteran of the U.S. Army and proudly served his country during World War II, was a retired farmer and farm equipment salesman for Simpson Ford and International Harvester. Talmadge was a charter member of North Tenth Street Baptist Church and the American Legion Post 24...

Mrs. Barbara Frances Grimes, 84, longtime Leachville resident and widow of Mr. Monte Grimes, passed from this life Thursday Oct. 17, 2013, at the Monette Manor Nursing Center. Born Nov. 8, 1928, in Monette, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Houston and Alma Jessica Abby Barnes and was a 1945 graduate of Childress High School. She was a retired office manager for the former Redbook Company of Leachville, a longtime member of the Leachville First Baptist Church, and a lifelong area resident...

Bonnie Maxine Hale Pilgrim, 75, of Lepanto, died Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013, at Floe and Phill Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. She was born in Cushman to the late Ed Barnes and Mearle Clark Barnes. She was a retired waitress and cook and a member of Assembly of God in Lepanto...

Don't get me wrong, I sort of like the two worthless mutts My Dear Sweet Sainted Wife has adopted into our home over the last few years. I really liked old Jake, the Yellow Lab, but he's been dead now for a while, after a couple of leg operations let him last till he was pushing the age of 20...

Next week marks National Bus Safety Week and Blytheville Public Schools transportation director Carolyn Barnes is reaching out to the community to raise awareness and improve overall bus safety. For Blytheville Public School employees student safety is the top priority year-round, but National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 21-25, offers the school a chance to reach out to community members and other motorists to help make safety a top priority for everyone -- especially students...

KIPP Blytheville seventh grader Joshua Brown was selected by the Arkansas Youth Leadership Initiative as one of 25 students across the state to serve on the Tobacco Control Youth Board.

Arkansas Northeastern College may be expanding its facilities once again in the near future with the approval of a $4-million appropriation to be used for the construction of a new Center for Applied Technology. The $4 million appropriation from the school's Plant & Loan Fund was approved unanimously upon recommendation by board member Dan Ritchey, who spoke for the building committee. ...

Economic developer Clif Chitwood told the Quorum Court's planning and development committee Thursday that his office is currently working with three new companies looking to locate in Mississippi County. He said that the businesses have been brought to the area by investors in the Big River Steel project, and that while none of them are seeking an economic development contract or financial incentive, they are requesting that the county pay for preliminary site surveys...