Stories from Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Buffalo Island Central School Board members met in regular session Monday, Jan. 14. Among the topics they worked through were an expulsion issue, student transfer requests, filling a maintenance position, and discussing security upgrades...

Recent reports from the Blytheville Police Department:

OSCEOLA -- An Osceola athlete has been arrested in connection with last week's shooting of another teen. Shaquille Lockhart, 18, was arrested Jan. 15 on battery first and engaging in violent group activity charges, according to Osceola Police Chief David Gladden...

A new twist to the Blytheville/Greene County Tech rivalry happened Tuesday night. It was the first time since 2001 that neither David Hixson or Scott Bowlin was on the sideline for either club. New Blytheville head coach Jeff Flanigan took over for a retiring Hixson last spring while Tech was led by assistant coach Jay Robertson for an absent Bowlin, who was ejected during last Friday night's loss to Beebe...

BROOKLAND --The Gosnell Pirates won their sixth game in a row with a stunning, 59-58, overtime win on the road at first place Brookland, Tuesday night. Brookland came into the game without a loss in the 3-4A at 9-0 and ranked number four in class 4A by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette...

Sherry Jean Hardesty Mahan, 63, of Paragould, passed from this life Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, at her home.

Mr. Rufus Hamilton Jr., 62, of Turrell, died Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis.

Julia Carol Baker, 78, passed away Monday, Jan. 21, 2013.

The Mississippi County Quorum Court met briefly Tuesday night for its first meeting of 2013, in which a new ordinance and a new resolution were adopted.

The Arts Council of Mississippi County will be presenting a concert performance by The Petar Jankovic Ensemble at 7 p.m. Friday a the Ritz Civic Center on Main Street in downtown Blytheville.

John Ed Regenold of Armorel, chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission, addressed Mississippi County mayors Tuesday at their quarterly county-wide meeting, held at the Manila Depot.

A budget for 2013 was passed by members of the Gosnell City Council at their finance committee meeting Tuesday night, although it was commonly acknowledged that many questions still exist regarding the projected numbers in their current state.

Officers of the Second Judicial Drug Task Force completed a three-month investigation Friday which led to multiple arrests and the seizure of $230,164 worth of illegal drugs, weapons and cash.

Relay for Life 2013 will kick off the new year with a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 5:15 p.m. at the Great River Medical Center executive dining room. I encourage all current team captains and committee chairs to please attend. If you cannot do so, please send a representative in your place...

Around the time I graduated from college, I was in a band. We called ourselves "Red Dot," a name we came up with after wandering around the woods one weekend following a Boy Scout trail marked by red dots spray-painted on trees.