Stories from Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Citing safety reasons, the Blytheville Planning Commission is requiring the future KIPP charter school get a conditional use permit to occupy the old Montgomery Ward building in the Day Shopping Center on Moultrie. The property is zoned B-3. The commission asked that KIPP officials, who did not attend Tuesday's meeting, come to the next meeting and speak about their plans. ...

Committee doesn't want to wait for new station

A large portion of Mississippi County and part of Craighead County were without power Tuesday afternoon for roughly an hour and a half. According to Entergy customer service manager Paul Brewster, the outage was caused by a transmission line failure near the Taco Bell in Blytheville near Interstate 55...

A Blytheville man was arraigned Monday in Osceola Circuit Court on charges of rape, kidnapping and several other charges, according to the Blytheville Police Department. On Sept. 25, officers of the Blytheville Police Department responded to Great River Medical Center in reference to a possible rape. ...

GOSNELL -- After reading an ordinance to rezone property in Clement Cove three times, the Gosnell City Council took no action to approve the ordinance. Jim Pereszlay had asked the Council to rezone 5.16 acres of property from R-1 to a less restrictive R-2 so that he could be duplexes on the property. The matter has already received approval from the city's Planning Commission...

ARMOREL -- The Armorel School District's two construction projects have slowed down because of the persistent rain over the past few weeks. "We'd be done with the sewer project by now if it wasn't for the rain," Superintendent Mike Hunter said at Monday's school board meeting...

Olzo Earl Green, 86, of Leachville, died Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born at Heber Springs, he was the son of the late Walter Cross and Allie Lee Dean Green and had lived most of his life in Northeast Arkansas. ...

Audrey Lyvonne Henry, 70, of Manila, died Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born Dec. 1, 1938, in Alicia, the daughter of the late Frank and Myrtle Wadkins Davidson, she was a retired employee of the WalMart delicatessen and a member of Westside Baptist Church in Manila. ...

Lela Lorene Parks, 90, of Blytheville, died Friday, Oct. 2, 2009, at her home. Born Feb. 26, 1919, in Obion, Tenn., the daughter of the late Harvey and Mary Burns Lawson, she was a homemaker and a member of Blackwater Baptist Church near Manila. ...

Aubrey Marvin Walker, 89, of Gosnell, formerly of Manila, died Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009, at the Walnut Ridge Nursing Center in Walnut Ridge. Born at Toccopola, Miss., he was the son of the late Charlie and Carnie Mae Franklin Walker. He was a retired mechanic, parts/service department manager for several different automobile dealerships...

The Manila School Board finalized plans for construction of the new multi-purpose K-4th grade elementary complex at the board meeting held Thursday, Oct. 8. School Superintendent Pam Castor introduced project architect Jerry Brackett, with Brackett-Krennerich & Associates, and senior project manager Andrew Adlong with Nabholz Construction. Plans and cost for the facility were reviewed...

The Manila boys golf team picked up an eighth place finish in the recent 3A State Tournament held Monday, Oct. 5, at The Course at River Oaks in Searcy. Tracey Reinhart fired an 89 to lead the Lions, who shot a 275 team total. J.J. Helton shot a 90 while Garrett Scott came in with a round of 96. Blake Wheeler competed and shot a round of 107...

Manila picked up what may be the program's biggest win to date, posting a 46-36 shoot-out victory over perennial power Earle Thursday night on the Bulldog's home field in junior high football action...

George Ray's Wildcat Dragstrip in Paragould will celebrate 50 years next year and Jimmy Flanigan of Manila has been there from the start. Flanigan was presented a framed cover of the book that will recognize Ray's 50 years. The book will be released next year...

Gavin Moore had the thrill of a lifetime Oct. 5 when he met Nascar driver Kasey Kane. Gavin and his family were in St. Louis attending a Cardinals baseball game when they accidently ran into Kane at their motel. Kane graciously posed for a photo...

Deacon Ordination Services were held at Monette First Baptist Church on Sept. 27 to recognize new deacons, Larry Drummond and Robert Chambers. Rev. Rusty Bird conducted the services, assisted by former Monette pastor Rev. Captain Lovell and Mt. Zion Associational Missionary Harold Ray...

Billy Gene Lewis is the recipient of the Pioneer Heritage Award for his life story presented at the Pemiscot County Historical Society meeting held on Sept. 25, 2009. Here are excerpts from his life's story:...

The Childress High School class of 1959 celebrated their 50 year anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the home of Janis Chambers in Monette. Nine classmates attended the all-day celebration. The classmates attending were Freda Collins Bales, George Carney, Bob Carroll, Janis Howell Chambers, Rheba Boleyn Jones, Linda Waters Maynard, Pauline Hubble Pack, Wayne Ray, and Jerry Yates...

Marcella Downing Dugger of Pocahontas was raised in the Lost Cane Community. She is the daughter of the late Harve and Virgie Downing, early settlers of Lost Cane. They came to the area in the 1930s and like many other residents of the area they were sharecroppers...