Stories from Saturday, February 16, 2019

This week I’m writing about two different issues that were brought up in the Blytheville City Council committee meetings earlier this week and have been brought up numerous times in the past. I'm referring to the ANC water well issue and the council attendance/pay issue...

I forgot to mention Groundhog Day on Feb. 2. I am not sure just how true all of the predictions have been through the years but it was reported Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow this year. As legend goes, if he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. I certainly hope he is correct...

Armorel senior Bo Hale’s hard work paid off Tuesday as he signed his national letter of intent to play baseball for Crowley’s Ridge College in Paragould. Hale was apart of the Tigers’ 2016 state championship team and credits his growth to longtime Tigers head coach Charlie Brown and assistant coach Michael Dobbins...

ARMOREL— In the battle between the Lady Tigers, Maynard prevailed again but this time the Lady Tigers of Armorel kept it within striking distance throughout most of the game. Maynard defeated Armorel 65-56 and both teams are automatically in the regional tournament due to there being only four teams in the conference...

MANILA — The Gosnell Pirates were defeated 55-44 Tuesday night in the late game of the 3A-3 District Tournament to rival Rivercrest Colts. The Pirates and Colts were tied at 10 after the first quarter and the Colts narrowly led at the half 24-22. GHS was outscored 31-22 in the second half...

Old rivals Buffalo Island Central and Riverside met in the quarterfinals of the 2A-3 district tournament Tuesday night at Monette with a regional tournament berth riding on the outcome. Host BIC pulled away late and held on for a 39-33 victory over the Rebels, sending the Mustangs into Thursday’s semifinals against top seeded Bay...

Buffalo Island Central saw its season come spinning to an end at the hands of Sloan Hendrix Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the 2A-3 district tournament in Monette. The Lady Greyhounds dealt BIC a 43-38 defeat by canning 10-11 free throws in the pivotal fourth quarter...

Osceola spoiled Manila’s bid for a regional tournament berth, downing the Lady Lions 44-30 in Tuesday night’s 3A-3 District Tournament quarterfinal matchup at Lion Gymnasium. Lakiya Turner pumped in 15 points while Rondaisha McNeal added 12 to pace the Lady Seminoles...

The Blytheville City Council Finance Committee met Tuesday to approve several purchases from within the city. The first item included a mowing tractor for Public Works. The tractor, which is a Kubota, is being purchased from Barton Equipment Co. of West Memphis for $24,000. Chief Financial Officer John Callens said the tractor was budgeted for 2019, however, because the purchase was over $20,000 they would need to get approval from the Finance Committee for the purchase and for waiving bids...

Caraway Mayor Bo James and city council members were excited about the possibility of jobs coming to Caraway. Mayor James said he had been talking to a well established manufacturing company for a couple of years about the possibility of locating in the Basler building, owned by the city of Caraway...

Speeding in the school zone has become a safety issue in Gosnell, according to Gosnell Police Chief Darrell Watkins. Addressing the Gosnell City Council Tuesday night, Watkins said officers have written citations, but drivers continue to disobey school zone speed limit signs...

Michael McBryde from Stephens Public Finance approached the Blytheville City Council’s Finance Committee earlier this week about two separate construction bond issues. The first concerned the Wastewater Construction bonds for the new treatment plant construction. The second dealt with the potential of the city to use Stephens rather than continue with USDA for the Arkansas sales and use tax bonds for the Justice Complex...

Blytheville Chief of Police Ross Thompson discussed the BPD's implementation of a policy regulating the operation of Proactive Policing Street Crime Units, which is described as officers who either full-time or in addition to the normal duties will conduct surveillance, proactive preventive patrol, and investigate street crime activity in Blytheville without calls for service interruptions...