Stories from Tuesday, January 28, 2014

BAY--The Armorel Lady Tigers dropped to 3-3 in the 1A-3 East after a tough, 48-45, loss to the Bay Lady Yellowjackets Tuesday night. Armorel had the ball with six seconds remaining and a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer but Bay did not allow them to get a shot off. Bay led 11-8 after one period before Armorel tied the game at 20-20 by halftime. Armorel had a 34-26 lead heading into the fourth...

The cold temperatures are not stopping area schools from playing basketball Tuesday night. Blytheville, Gosnell and Armorel are all on schedule for tonight's games. Blytheville (2-17, 2-3 5A East) heads to Paragould to take on longtime rival, Greene County Tech (11-7, 4-1 5A-East). The Chicks are looking for back-to-back wins for the first time in over a year. Action begins at 5 p.m. with junior varsity followed by the Lady Chicks (8-11, 2-3 5A-East) and concluding with the senior high boys...

The Blytheville school board unanimously voted to hire Ben Fisher Monday night as the new head football coach, officially removing the interim tag. Fisher, 38, was named interim head coach midway through the 2013 season, after former head coach, Vince McCrosky, took a leave of absence to fight Parkinson's Disease...

East Poinsett County outscored Buffalo Island Central 21-5 in the second quarter and went on to cruise to a 63-42 victory, handing the Mustangs their first conference loss of the season Friday night at the Mustang Athletic Complex in Monette...

Buffalo Island Central withstood a determined second half comeback from archrival Riverside to hang on for a hard fought 57-48 victory Tuesday night, Jan. 14, at Lake City. The win allowed the Mustangs to solidify their hold on first place in 2A-3 conference play, while the Rebels fell two games behind BIC in the league race. ...

Buffalo Island Central claimed a pair of 2A-3 conference victories as the Lady Mustangs disposed of Cross County 66-41 Monday night before routing East Poinsett County 61-35 Thursday night at the Mustang Athletic Complex in Monette...

Mr. George Ward Jr., 72, of Jonesboro, formerly of Osceola, died Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro.

Mr. Leeroy Stone, 45, of Manila, passed away Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

Mr. Paul "Tommy" Hemphill, 74, of Ocean Springs, Miss., passed away in the arms of his loved ones, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014, in Moss Point, Miss.

Mrs. Rubena Battles, 98, daughter of the late Charlie Ford and Rose Burns Ford, died Monday, Jan. 27, 2014.

Mrs. Queen Ester Anderson, 78, of El Paso, Texas, died Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014, at her home.

Every week I try to bring you guys a story that shows what it's been like for me as a new father.

Manila began the 2013-2014 basketball season as the defending 3A-3 conference champions, but most prognosticators pegged Osceola and Rivercrest as this year's league favorites. Not so fast, my friends. With three quarters of the league race complete, it's the defending champion Lions who hold first place, thanks to a three game sweep last week...

Manila's Lady Lions continued their winning ways with a pair of convincing 3A-3 conference victories in senior girls basketball action last week. The Lady Lions, currently ranked third in the state in Class 3A, improved to 20-2 overall and 9-1 in conference play...

Well, here we are back in the deep freeze. There are not many things you can look forward to when the temperature drops below freezing and stays there for several days.

Riverside traveled to Rector Monday night to face the state's second ranked team, but fell short, dropping a 64-49 decision on the Lady Cougars' home floor. Rector came away with an 18-14 lead after the first quarter and held a slim 34-33 edge at the half. The Lady Cougars stretched their advantage to 50-43 after three periods of play before pulling away in the final frame...

A Pemiscot County woman is dead after a fatal wreck that occurred on Interstate 55 Monday night.

The city of Blytheville's 2012 audit is expected to go before the Arkansas Legislative Joint Auditing Committee's Standing Committee on Counties and Municipalities on Wednesday.

Junior Rebels maintain grip on 2A-3 Conference lead Riverside found the road tough going last week in senior boys basketball action. The Rebels traveled to Rector Tuesday night and fell to the Cougars 68-53 before suffering a tough 63-59 loss at Augusta Friday night...

Three of Blytheville's schools have been chosen to participate in a field test for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test, which will be implemented nationwide next year.

Mississippi County Attorney Dan Ritchey is expected to file the long-awaited complaint against the city of Blytheville today to try to get judgment for the payment of overdue jail fees the county says is owed by the city.

Homer Lenderman, Democrat, announced his candidacy for re-election to Arkansas House District 53. He has lived in the Brookland area since 1980 and taught high school agriculture and served as FFA advisor for 30 years...

Lake City Council discussed the purchase of two fire trucks at the Monday, Jan. 20, meeting. Fire Chief Chris Snyder made a presentation to the council for the purchase of two fire trucks for the Lake City Volunteer Fire Department...

I can still remember when we got our first television. It was a small black and white one. I ran home after school and arrived just in time to hear. "It's Howdy Doody time." Since we were the only home on our block to have a television, I came home with a lot of neighbor children as we lay on the floor laughing at Howdy Doody, Captain Bob and Clarabell. ...

Kevin Foley and Lindsey Gamble of Black Oak announce the arrival of their daughter, Lynlei Brooke Foley. Lynlei was born Jan. 8, 2014, at St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro. She weighed six pounds and 13 ounces...

Alexander James Blocker, son of Joshua and Kimberly Blocker of Keiser, was born Nov. 8, 2013, at St. Bernards Hospital in Jonesboro. He weighed 5 pounds and 15 ounces and measured 19-1/4 inches. Grandparents are Bobby and Patti Nettles of Monette, Larry and Nancy Brewer of Etowah, and Dennis and Sheila Blocker of Gosnell...

Lori Tudor, assistant chief engineer-planning with the Arkansas Highway Department, along with Michael Fugett with the Highway Department were at Monday, Jan. 20, regular meeting of the Monette City Council to ask the city to take over maintenance of existing Highway 18 and a portion of Highway 139 that will act more as city streets once the new Highway 18 corridor is complete.. ...

Lori Tudor, assistant chief engineer-planning with the Arkansas Highway Department, along with Michael Fugett with the Highway Department were at Monday, Jan. 20, regular meeting of the Monette City Council to ask the city to take over maintenance of existing Highway 18 and a portion of Highway 139 that will act more as city streets once the new Highway 18 corridor is complete.. ...

There was a full house at the Manila City Council meeting Monday, Jan. 20, when City Council members voted unanimously to rescind a November vote granting construction of a crematorium in the Costner subdivision area...

Lynlee Womack of Monette, daughter of Brandon and Shona Womack, will celebrate her seventh birthday on Feb. 15. She asked her mother, a RN who works part time at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, if she could raise money for her birthday to give to the children at St. Jude instead of receiving gifts...

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department:

Mr. Kerry L. Rainey, 64, of Blytheville, died Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014, at NEA Baptist in Jonesboro.

A house fire on County Road 36 outside of Gosnell kept Gosnell and Blytheville firefighters busy Tuesday afternoon as they fought to douse the flames.