Stories from Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Basketball season is over and the spring sports have started. We can hope the game scheduled for the last of the season will have better weather than the first of the season. It seems the weather has not cooperated but teams have managed to get in a few games in spite of cold and rain...

“It’s not about talent, it’s about heart. It’s about who can go out there and play the hardest. They’re not going to give us anything, so you’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to take it.” – Don Haskins This quote hit like a ton of bricks the other night because sometimes you do have all the heart and drive in the world, but you just don’t win. ...

I take this opportunity to write and explain to the citizens of Blytheville my opposition to giving Arkansas Northeastern College a water credit in the amount of $217,000.00. ANC is requesting credit in this amount following their purchase and installation of a 100 ft. ...

Buffalo Island Central strung together two four-run innings and went on to upend East Poinsett County 9-3 in senior high baseball action Monday at Monette. Senior Kaleb Dublin singled, doubled, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice to spark the Mustang offense. ...

Manila scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to squeeze past Marked Tree 6-5 in senior high softball action Monday at Lion Field. Marked Tree took a 3-0 lead after the first inning before the Lady Lions pushed across a run in the second. The Lady Indians increased their lead to 5-2 when they plated two runs in the top of the third. Manila answered with a run in the bottom of the inning and tied the score 5-5 by pushing across three runs in the bottom of the fifth...

HARRISBURG — The Gosnell Lady Pirates were defeated Monday night 10-0 by the Harrisburg Lady Hornets. The Lady Pirates had one hit in the final inning by freshman Emery Cash. The Lady Hornets struck out the Lady Pirates 19 times in the loss.

Manila used a 10-run third inning and went on to outscore Buffalo Island Central 18-15 in senior high softball action Friday at Lion Field. The Lady Lions trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the third inning before exploding for 10 runs to grab an 11-2 lead. After the Lady Mustangs scored a run in the top of the fourth, Manila tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the frame to push their advantage to 15-3...

Riverside entered Saturday night’s 2A State Championship matchup with Melbourne looking for the school’s first ever state basketball title. But for the fourth time this season, the Lady Bearkatz defeated the Lady Rebels, this time by a 48-23 score, denying Riverside of the state’s top prize...

Monday night, the Blytheville City Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee sent a request to the Finance Committee to lease new maintenance equipment at Thunder Bayou Golf Links. The current lease ends on June 27. According to Thunder Bayou groundskeeper Jordan Farrow, the golf course budgeted for the equipment through June because it knew the lease would be up. He noted there is $33,000 budgeted in salaries for a mechanic, but if the lease is approved the city will not need to hire a mechanic...

During a contentious meeting Monday night, the Blytheville City Council’s Airport and Utilities Committee sent Arkansas Northeastern College’s request to be reimbursed $217,000 for a fire suppression well to the Finance Committee for it to study. “I’m sending it to the finance committee to let them work it out with how much, to go the legal way with the city attorney explained to this committee tonight,” said Blytheville City Councilman R.L. ...

Nearly 500 people were on hand at the Arkansas Northeastern College Briggs-Sebaugh Wellness Center for the 2019 Greater Blytheville Area Chamber of Commerce annual banquet. 2018 President Courtney Fisher’s theme for this year came from something that Fisher is known for, sports, as the theme was “in it to win it.”...

Monday night, Donald “Don” Houseworth was the recipient of the 2019 Lifetime Community Achievement award given by the Greater Blytheville Area Chamber of Commerece at its annual banquet. Houseworth is the owner and operator of Houseworth Hotels and restaurants, along with being a father to four girls — Sherry, Debbie, Molly and Abby— and a husband to Robin since 1977...

Lyla Jean Wood, 87, of Paragould, former Leachville resident and widow of Billy Jerald Wood, Sr., passed from this life Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at the Green House Cottages of Belle Meade in Paragould. Born in Dumas she was the daughter of the late Mark and Annie Morgan Jones and had been a longtime Dumas resident and Leachville resident before making her home in Paragould three years ago. Lyla was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church in Leachville...

James D. Butler, 101, of Hot Springs, formerly of Leachville and Star City, passed from this life Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at the CHI St. Vincent Hospital in Hot Springs. Born in Palmyra, he was the son of the late John and Thelma Vivian Tucker Butler and was raised in the Palmyra and Star City areas. ...