Stories from Wednesday, August 1, 2012

KIPP Blytheville College Preparatory School received its Benchmark scores for this year and despite only being in its second year the school is keeping up with district averages. Kipp had 67 percent of its fifth grade students score proficient or advanced on this years mathematics tests. This stays consistent with the district average, which is also 67 percent, and the regional average which is 67 percent. The school also came in at only nine points behind the state averages...

Dr. Tom Allen, DVM, brought his traveling dentist office to Susan Langston's Circle L Equine stables this week.

The first day of the new school year is approaching quickly, and this year Blytheville School District will be welcoming nearly 50 new teachers. The process for hiring these new teachers is a long, and often tedious, process for both the applicant and the district, making sure the school is staffed with the highest quality teachers available...

An escapee from the Luxora Police Department is back behind bars today. Burglary suspect, Kurt Morris, 18, escaped while in the custody of Luxora Police Chief Albert Wright Monday, July 9. According to Wright, he had placed Morris under arrest following a burglary investigation. During questioning, Morris indicated he would take the police chief to where the merchandise was hidden...

Bruce Luttrell and his family were attending a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's in Jonesboro. His 17-year-old daughter, Sabrina, placed her iPhone on the floor while counting out tickets they had earned that night. After cashing in the tickets she reached down to grab her phone, but it was gone...

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department:

The Mississippi County Sheriff's Department Intake Report for July 23, 2012 through July 29, 2012.

Mr. Sylvester David Cleggett, 88, of Blytheville, died Thursday, July 26, 2012, at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis. The son of the late Dan and Lee Ella Williams Cleggett, he was a member of Christ Temple Baptist Church. In addition to his parents, he was proceeded in death by one sister, Fannie Mae Clegget; and five brothers, Ernie Cleggett, Dan Cleggett, Hubert Cleggett, James Cleggett and John Cleggett...

L.C. Nelson IV was born and died Tuesday, July 24, 2012, at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville. He leaves his parents, L.C. Nelson III and Santell Rogers of Blytheville; His grandparents, Ramona Spencer, Ruby Cowley, and Jimmy Rogers of Blytheville, and L.C. Nelson Sr. of Caruthersville;...

Mrs. Lola B. Roberts, 85, of Jonesboro, formerly of Osceola, died Monday, July 30, 2012, in Jonesboro. She was a retired cook and member of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church. She was proceeded in death by two sons, Charles Roberts and Scotty Roberts;...

The members of the Blytheville Humane Society are hard at work to help take care of stray dogs and cats in the area. The task has recently become more difficult, as the shelter has changed to a "no-kill" status. That means that animals are not euthanized simply because they have not been adopted...

Members of the Mississippi County Quorum Court's finance committee met Tuesday afternoon with Senior Citizens Center Director Suzanne Southard to discuss the center's flagging financial situation. Due to cuts from state and county level funding and rising costs of food and fuel prices, in addition to an increase in requests for services, the center is repeatedly operating in the red. ...

Tickets are currently being sold for the First Tee of Northeast Arkansas 8th Annual Ball Drop. The event is scheduled for noon on Saturday, Aug. 25 at Thunder Bayou Golf Links. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased from any First Tee members or at the First Tee office at the Mississippi County EOC building on South Division St...

The Blytheville Area Soccer Association will hold registration for the upcoming season from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Wal-Mart. Saturday will be the first of four opportunities to register for the 2012 soccer season. Registration is $35 per player. BASA will hold three more registration days...

In my humble opinion our quorum court has to be the dumbest bunch of people since the Blytheville City Council. Baptist Health Care was going to build a new hospital for the county but our quorum court was too smart to let that happen; Baptist left town and taxpayer dollars have been poured down that rat hole for a while. Why don't they just issue a statement with one figure totaling all of the tax dollars that have been spent on the hospital system since Baptist left town?...

The state wide Annual Sales Tax Holiday for Arkansas will take place this weekend, from Aug. 4 at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5. The holiday will enable shoppers to purchase clothing and school supplies free of sales taxes...

Col. Paul Porter (USAF retired) and Wanda Ann (Vermillion) Porter of Wilson will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, Aug. 11, at a drop-in reception from 2-4 p.m. at Wilson First Baptist Church...