Stories from Friday, December 27, 2019

Blytheville police are investigating the shooting death of a Memphis man Thursday night on South Lake. According to Blytheville Police Chief Ross Thompson, officers responded to the 300 block of South Lake Street in reference to a shooting. Thompson said when they arrived, they found 18-year-old Damon Matthews of Memphis had been shot. ...

Irene Bass, 92, of Blytheville passed away peacefully on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019 at her home. Irene was born in 1927 in Lancaster, Ohio, to Joseph and Jeanette Feldman. She attended Ohio State University. Irene was a lifetime member of Temple Israel of Blytheville where she was a member of the Temple Sisterhood. ...

Gwendolyn Harrison, 87, of Jonesboro passed away Monday, Dec. 23, 2019, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House. Born at 40 & 8, Arkansas, she was a retired registered nurse and had worked in various areas of nursing during her career. She was a graduate of Arkansas State University College of Nursing, Jonesboro, was a member of Bethany Baptist Church, Gosnell, and attended Nettleton Baptist Church, Jonesboro...

Kathryn Martin Simpson passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019 in Little Rock. She was born in 1932 in Blytheville to Hilda and Sterling Martin. She graduated from Blytheville High School in 1950 and attended the University of Arkansas. She married Russell Simpson on May 18, 1952...

Violet Evelyn Carney, 99, of Blytheville passed away Dec. 26, 2019, at Gosnell Healthcare and Rehab. She was one month away from her 100th birthday. She was born Jan. 26, 1920, in Holland Mo., to Henry Willard Ladd and Gertie Jones Ladd. She was Church of Christ all of her life...

JONESBORO—The Armorel Lady Tigers (7-9) fell behind early and were never able to come back as they fell Friday morning in their NEA Tournament semifinal matchup with the ICC Lady Cougars, 51-35. ICC jumped out to a 17-10 lead in the first quarter and outscored the Lady Tigers 11-10 in the second quarter to lead 28-20 at the half. The Lady Cougars poured the scoring on in the third quarter as they put the game out of reach and led 42-28 heading into the final quarter...

BROOKLAND — The Armorel Tigers led a majority of the game but were outscored by the Cross County Thunderbirds in the final quarter 21-11 to fall 65-58 in the finals of the NEA Invitational’s consolation bracket at Brookland High School Friday night. ...

Manila watched an eight-point fourth quarter lead slip away but came up with enough big plays down the stretch to slip past Westside 59-53 in quarterfinal action of the 73rd Annual Northeast Arkansas Invitational Basketball Tournament Friday night in Jonesboro...

JONESBORO—The Manila Lady Lions and the Cedar Ridge Lady Timberwolves got off to a slow start in their NEA Tournament semifinals Friday afternoon and the two teams kept it low scoring all the way down to the wire as the Lady Lions prevailed, 37-35, to put them in the finals of the Division 1 Girls bracket...

JONESBORO — The Class 4A second-ranked Blytheville Chickasaws and the Trumann Wildcats put on a show for the huge crowd in Arkansas State’s First National Bank Arena Friday night, and the Chickasaws (11-2) held on to defeat the Wildcats, 74-55. “It’s always good to get a win. ...