Stories from Thursday, January 19, 2023

Larry Calvin Hannah, 71, of Osceola, passed away Jan. 7, 2023, at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville. He was an IT specialist, a U.S. Army veteran and a member of the Masonic Lodge. Mr. Hannah was born April 25, 1951, in Osceola to Halbert Hannah and Minnie Lee Norris. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Dean Halbert Hannah; and one sister, Bonnie Hannah...

Raymond Marshall was born May 27, 1928, to Dillard and Annie Mae Marshall in Joiner. He traveled the world as a truck driver for over 70 years with a trade and hobby of small engine repairman until retirement. We will miss the wisdom and jokes that he always gave us. He will be greatly missed...

Norma Jean Westbrook, 93, of Jonesboro, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at The Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House. She was born Aug. 18, 1929, to Claude and Fonnee Simpkins. Norma’s passions in life were her faith, family and friends. Her signature gift of joy shown through her constant smiling, laughter and her joking around will never be forgotten...

WHEREAS: The way that Arkansas public school districts plan and apply for state and federal funds is burdensome, fragmented, and inefficient; WHEREAS: Academic and financial planning processes should operate collaboratively—not in silos; WHEREAS: Arkansas’ existing academic and financial planning processes create significant administrative burdens for local school districts, encourage inefficient spending, exacerbate bureaucratic waste, and detract school officials from more critical education priorities;. ...

Joann Jarrett, 82, of Manila, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at Manila Nursing Home. Joann was born in Blytheville to C.L. and Hazel Aycock Jarrett and was a graduate of Blytheville High School. Joann worked for GMAC in Blytheville until the office closure, and then moved and worked in the GMAC office in Jonesboro until her retirement...

LITTLE ROCK—A Blytheville man’s pattern of identity theft and fraudulent credit applications will result in him spending more than eight years in federal prison. Palmer Stubblefield, 41, was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for stealing identifying information and using it to apply for more than $148,500 in fraudulently obtained credit. United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky handed down the sentence...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Former Arkansas State Senator and State Representative Henry (Hank) Wilkins IV, 68, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for conspiring to accept over $95,000 in bribes in exchange for influencing Arkansas state legislation and transactions, including steering approximately $245,000 in Arkansas General Improvement funds to his co-conspirators, which included executives at a Missouri-based health care charity...