Stories from Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Monette City Council met at the American Legion building Monday evening to allow distancing for aldermen during the coronavirus pandemic. “We just had so many things that we needed to settle, and still we wanted to remain safe,” said Mayor Bob Blankenship. “We have not met since February.”...

The Blytheville Chickasaw boys basketball team is making the most out of not being able to hold practices together due to COVID-19. Blytheville head coach McKenzie Pierce came up with a solution by ordering basketballs for both the Blytheville High School and Blytheville Middle School boys basketball teams. He plans to go over skills and fundamental work via Zoom video conferencing...

Blytheville Fire Chief Mike Carney confirmed firefighters answered several calls over the Easter weekend. The rash of suspicious fires to vacant houses started on Saturday night and continued through the early hours of Sunday morning. Firefighters then answered an early Monday morning fire call. Chief Carney said the Monday fire is believed to be an accidental fire due to electrical issues...

Blytheville Police Chief Ross Thompson stated Monday at Mayor James Sanders’ press conference that the officer mentioned to be in quarantine last Wednesday tested negative for the coronavirus. Thompson stated it could have been the regular flu or possibly even food poisoning but the officer should be “returning back to work soon.”...

A month after saying he would not fight the quorum court’s decision to override his veto, Mississippi County Judge John Alan Nelson apparently sought legal advice to move the county finance department from underneath the treasurer’s office back to the county judge’s office, which would give him the authority to hire and fire the finance director...

Jannette Sanders Day, 70, passed away at her home in Blytheville. She was born June 17, 1949, in Armorel and was the daughter of LC and Ella Lewis Sanders. Jannette was a graduate of Armorel High School and was of the Baptist faith, she was a member of New St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church under the pastorage of Reverend Clark Phillips. Jannette was a past employee of Mississippi County Senior Citizens Center...