Stories from Wednesday, January 24, 2024

A section of Highway 158 near Victoria is scheduled to close Monday, Jan. 29 through Friday, Feb. 23. This section of Highway 158 will be closed to through traffic from Interstate 55 to Highway 181 to allow crews to make repairs to the bridge deck...

The Blytheville Water Works has stated a 10 inch main has busted and will need to be repaired. This incident affects citizens in the Elm and South Division area. It is unknown when water will be restored.

By REVIS BLAYLOCK NEA Town Courier Justice Molly Jackson chaired the Friday afternoon Mississippi County Energy & Property Committee meeting discussing projects including the health department facilities in Blytheville and Osceola as well as the construction at the Blytheville and Osceola courthouses...

By REVIS BLAYLOCK NEA Town Courier Members of the Mississippi County Sanitation and Solid Waste committee met on Friday afternoon reviewing the finances and discussing a permanent structure needed at the landfill. Justice Tobye McClanahan, chair, opened the meeting giving a finance report for the year of 2023 compared to the year before...

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. - Iota Beta Zeta Chapter in Mississippi County has announced the 2024 scholarship application is now available for Mississippi County female high school graduating seniors. Applicants must be a graduating high school female, resident of Mississippi County, complete scholarship application, submit a copy of transcript with application (minimum 2.5 weighted grade point average), two letters of recommendation from either a community leader, high school teacher/administration, or church/community organization, and an essay “My Future Goals” (one page or at least 500 words).. ...

Arkansas Northeastern College Educational Talent Search will hold its first Rising Senior Workshop Thursday, Feb. 1. The workshop will be held from 4-7 p.m. and dinner will be provided. Junior TRIO ETS participants are required to attend one of the Rising Senior Workshops...

The deadline to register for Intro to Zumba and Yoga is Jan. 30. The class will be offered by the Department of Community Education at Arkansas Northeastern College Tuesdays, Feb. 6-March 5. To register or for more information, call 870-563-3236.

Osceola, AR, Jan. 13 – Plant workers employed before 1981 diagnosed with various cancers are entitled to special benefits.  Lung cancer, esophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, and mesothelioma are frequently caused by asbestos exposure.  Asbestos-laced products were used for decades at Fruit of the Loom.  Neither employees nor management were aware of the asbestos risk...

Lake City Council appointed a new council member to fill the Ward 2, Position 1 vacant seat at the first meeting of the 2024 year on Monday, Nov. 15. The council voted unanimously to appoint Kasey Eakins as council member to fill the remainder of time on the position. Later in the meeting, Eakins was sworn in...

In a game that was like a rivalry game should be, Riverside (22-6, 8-0) held on a for 61-58 win over BIC (17-10, 5-5) Saturday in 2A-3 conference play in Lake City. Riverside got jumpers from Thatcher Durham, Cash Gillis and Grayson Taylor to take an early 6-0 lead before Max McCord scored in the paint for the Mustangs making it 6-2 Rebels. ...

MANILA - Osceola and Manila met Saturday at Manila Gymnasium in a key Conference 3A-3 boys matchup. The Seminoles would pull out an 83-79 overtime victory to grab a piece of third place in the league. The Seminoles would build a big first half lead as they outscored the Lions 20-12 in the first quarter, as Jeremiah Jacobs scored eight points. ...

By STEVE KNOX Sports Connection Team MANILA - Osceola built a 28-21 halftime lead and went on to defeat the Manila junior Lions 61-51 in boys basketball action Saturday at Manila. The junior Seminoles and junior Lions battled back and forth during a tight first quarter which saw Osceola grab a 13-11 lead after one period of play...

By STEVE KNOX Sports Connection Team MANILA - Manila jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and never looked back and went on to defeat Osceola 44-13 Saturday at Manila Gymnasium. Manila was dominant from the opening tip as they controlled the game with ease. While the Lady Lions were able to get to the basket often, Osceola was unable to find the range from the field...

Riverside (20-4, 10-0) used a 25-9 second quarter to take a 38-20 halftime lead on their way to a 67-27 win over BIC (10-12, 4-5) in 2A-3 girls' conference basketball action this past Saturday in Lake City. Hallee Wells gave BIC the early 2-0 with two free throws before Gracie Washington scored in the paint for the Lady Rebels to tie the game at two. ...

Trumann (0-18, 0-9) fell behind early and could never recover as the Lady Wildcats remained winless on the year with a 45-30 loss to Southside this past Friday at Wildcat Gym. The Lady Southerners jumped out to 9-0 lead before Trumann got a basket inside from Oshua Smith and back to back steals and lay ups from Smith and Chelsy Jones to make it 9-6 with less than a minute left in the first quarter. Southside scored a basket late to take an 11-6 lead after one...

WILSON – Fran Robinson and Jayden Young combined for 40 of Rivercrest’s 68 points as the Colts resumed basketball for the first time in a week Saturday with a 13-point win over Harrisburg. Rivercrest (15-2, 5-0 3-3A) shook off the week-old rust by pulling away from the visiting Hornets (4-17, 1-6) with a 35-22 advantage over the second and third periods. That ballooned a 17-14 first quarter lead to a 52-36 advantage by the end of three quarters.  ...

WILSON – The Rivercrest Lady Colts stayed in the hunt for a 3-3A Conference title with a 65-36 win over Harrisburg Saturday. The Lady Colts, Corning and Manila all have one loss although Corning’s win total is six compared to Rivercrest and Manila’s five...

WILSON – In the first pair of a quadruple header of basketball games Saturday, the Rivercrest Junior High girls and boys teams were victors over conference foe Harrisburg. Teams resumed action after a week layoff as a result of winter weather and the Junior Lady Colts (7-6, 2-3 3-3A) opened with 42-26 win over the Junior Lady Hornets...

Trumann (4-13, 3-7) only managed 14 points in the first half letting Southside build a double digit lead that proved to much for the Wildcats to overcome in a 59-38 loss this past Friday at Wildcat Gym in Trumann. The Southerners jumped out to an 8-0 lead before Cobey Riddle scored in the paint for Trumann making it 8-2 Southside with 3:45 left in the opening quarter. ...

BIC (17-9, 5-4) only scored two points in the opening quarter but a 20 point outburst in the second quarter gave the Mustangs a 22-19 at halftime on their way to a 52-41 2A-3 conference victory over Marmaduke this past Friday in Monette. The Greyhounds jumped out a 5-0 lead before Nicholas Patterson hit a jumper for BIC to make it 5-2 with 2:14 left. Marmaduke scored back to back baskets to push their lead to 9-2 after one quarter of play...

BIC (10-11, 4-4) outscored Marmaduke 11-7 in the fourth quarter to force overtime only to see the Lady Greyhounds outscore the Lady Mustangs 10-9 in overtime to take a 72-71 win in 2A-3 girls' basketball action this past Thursday at the MAC in Monette...

William Franklin “Frank” Sickels, 81, of Manila, passed from this life Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at his home. Born in Manila, he was the son of the late Herman and Hettie Wortham Sickels and was a longtime Manila resident. He was a 1962 graduate of Augusta High School and a 1992 graduate of Cotton Boll HVAC. ...

Charles “Buddy” Griffin III, 90, of Wilson, passed away Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. He was born Dec. 20, 1933, in Wilson to Charles Robert II and Gertie Mae Griffin. He was a member of the First Methodist Church in Wilson. Buddy served in the United States Navy, worked for 40 years for Lee Wilson Co. and later worked and retired from American Greetings. He was a gun enthusiast who enjoyed hunting, collecting coins, and taking loving care of his cat, Little Bit...