Stories from Tuesday, December 8, 2009

In an Airport and Utilities meeting Monday, five members of the Blytheville City Council voted unanimously that the city budget $500,000 each of the next five years for sewer projects. The $2.5 million commitment is an effort to be released from a consent order placed on the city by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality...

Family, friends pay tribute to the late 'Sonny' Williams

Blytheville firefighters were sent to 1333 West Main Monday afternoon for a report of a structure fire, according to a report from the Blytheville Fire Department. Firemen found flames and smoke coming from the upper level of the structure when they arrived on the scene. The residence suffered heavy fire, smoke and water damage from the fire. No one was injured in the blaze and a family pet was also rescued from the burning home...

Gosnell Schools got an early Christmas present the day before Thanksgiving -- a new electronic sign. According to Superintendent Stan Williams, the sign was donated to the schools by Pepsi Americas for switching the schools' vending and concession sales to Pepsi products...

ARMOREL -- Plans to connect the Armorel school district to the Blytheville sewer system are nearing completion. During a project update at Monday's school board meeting, board members were told that the sewer lines to the elementary school have been connected and the connection to the high school and the high school expansion will be finished within the next week or two...

Thomas Allyn Frazer, 73, of Leachville, died Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, at the Great River Medical Center in Blytheville. Born in Chester, Ill., he was the son of the late Francis Roosevelt and Ethel Loucille Atchison Frazer and had been a longtime resident of Illinois before moving to Leachville in 1986. He was a retired river boat captain...

Ima Jean Dortch McCullough, 80, of Bella Vista, and a former longtime resident of Blytheville, died Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009, at the Highland Health Center in Bella Vista. She was born in Leachville on March 1, 1929, to the late Ira Lee and Beatrice Stella Gossett Dortch. ...

Gary Perkins of Manila is the new director of nursing at Monette Manor. Perkins has been in nursing since 1999. A Manila High School graduate, he spent 20 years in the Navy, flew in P3s hunting submarines. After retirement, he worked in a plant in Blytheville as a design engineer...

Buffalo Island Central rolled over Pangburn 67-52 to capture the Bradford Basketball Tournament Championship Saturday night at Bradford. Brittany Fowler poured in 33 points as the Lady Mustangs improved to 9-3 on the year. BIC sank 14-17 foul shots in the final quarter to seal the win. Jenna Pike also hit double digits for the Lady Mustangs scoring 14 points...

Riverside began defense of its 2008 Williams Baptist Tournament championship with a 63-42 victory over Corning November 28th at Walnut Ridge. Jake Love powered home 22 points while Cole Winford pumped in 17 more to lead the Rebels. Riverside took a 23-13 lead at the first break and held a 33-19 advantage at halftime. The Rebels led 44-30 lead entering the fourth quarter...

Manila spoiled David Hixson's return to the Blytheville bench Tuesday night, and new Lions coach Bill Taylor inched closer to career win 600 as the 3A school knocked off the Chicks, 64-60. The win is believed to be Manila's first over Blytheville in the modern era...

Valley View took home both the senior high and junior high championships in Saturday night's finals of the Gerald Jennings Invitational Tournament at Manila. The Lady Blazers outlasted host Manila 58-50 in the senior girl's championship matchup while the junior Blazers completed the sweep with a 35-30 win over Paragould...