Stories from Friday, June 15, 2012

The Blytheville Planning Commission approved two requests presented during this week's meeting. Rev. Jay E. Slaughter approached the committee requesting a Conditional Use Permit for the purpose of establishing a Halfway House 201 W. McHaney. The name of the program, E.F.F.O.R.T -- Equipping Families For Ownership through Rehabilitation & Training, is designed to house up to 10 men who have just been released from prison with a supervisor on site at all times...

Another attempt at aggravated robbery was made at Gary's Food Mart on West Moultrie this week. Monday morning, two unidentified black males entered the store, one carrying a gun, demanding money from employees. An employee attempted to fight off the offenders, refusing to open the safe. According to the police report, the store employee struggled with one of the offenders, hitting him on the head with a beer bottle before both of the suspects fled the scene...

Here is the Mississippi County Sheriff's Dept. intake report for June 3-11, 2012.

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department: June 13 Freddie Lee Taylor Jr., 44, of 108 E. Cherry, was arrested and charged with public intoxication. A laptop computer, valued at $1,600, was stolen from a home on Promiseland Road. No suspects are known...

Blytheville Mayor James Sanders is urging citizens to report vandalism in the local parks. He noted vandals have unscrewed benches and thrown them, along with trash cans, in the Walker Park pond. Some have cut baby swings and damaged other equipment at the parks, the mayor said during Thursday night's Parks and Recreation Committee meeting...

Blytheville athletic director, David Hixson, hopes to have a head football coach by the end of next week. "This is a critical time," said Hixson. "The 'dead weeks' start next week. If we can have a coach in place next week, they'll have some time to get together with the coaching staff and put together a game plan. That way, we can hit the ground running when practices start up again."...

Blytheville Mayor James Sanders introduced Elroy Brown as the city's new parks and recreation director during Thursday night's Parks and Recreation Committee meeting. Brown is best known locally as an anti-smoking advocate, serving as chairman of the Mississippi County Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Arkansas, an organization he plans to stay involved with...

Juanita Davis Branan, 65, of Blytheville, passed from this life earlier today at her home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Cobb Funeral Home of Blytheville.

Dr. Bob Shields Edwards, 79, of Little Rock, went to be with our Lord Monday, June 11, 2012. He was born Aug. 15, 1932, in Blytheville, a son of the late Marvin Edwards and Grace Emboden Edwards. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Bill Edwards...

Mr. James Olan McDermott, 75, of Blytheville, died peacefully at home with his loved ones around him Tuesday, June 12, 2012, after a short battle with cancer. James was born Sept. 27, 1936, and was a lifelong resident of Blytheville. He was the oldest of five children, born to the late James Willis McDermott and Ora Ellen Battles. He was a United States Marine during the Korean War, worked as a Wal-Mart Associate. He was of the Baptist faith...

Mary Sue Poplin, 85, of Holland, Mo., died Wednesday, June 13, 2012, at Gosnell Healthcare. The family will receive visitors from 6-p.m. today at the Powell Funeral Home in Steele. A graveside funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Steele...

Janet Stone-Skaggs, 47, of Manila, passed from this life Friday, June 15, 2012, at her home in Manila. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Howard Funeral Service of Manila. A guest register is available at www.howardfuneralservice.com...

Mr. Freeman Junior Malloy, 83, of Manila, passed from this life Thursday, June 14, 2012, at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro. Born in Manila, he was the son of the late Freeman John Malloy and Agnes Andrews Pickett and had been a lifelong area resident. He was a U.S. Army Veteran of the Korean War and was a retired pallet manufacturer for Bush Canning Company, formerly of Blytheville...