Stories from Tuesday, May 20, 2014

After a nearly a week of rainouts, clear skies were above the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex Monday night just in time for the opening of the high school summer baseball and softball leagues, along with the continuation of Cal Ripken baseball and ASA softball...

2014 was supposed to be a rebuilding year for longtime Armorel head baseball coach Charlie Brown and his Tigers. At least that's what he thought back in February. Actually, Brown probably thought about that months before February, like in May of 2013 shortly after the Tigers lost in the 1A state semifinals to Taylor at Taylor Field in Pine Bluff...

Madison Greathouse threw out a Lady Rattlers runner trying to steal home for the final out of the game preserving a 7-6 win for BIC (22-1) in the opening round of the Class 2A State softball tournament being held in Marked Tree...

Jay Kulin slashed a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally Manila to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Melbourne, giving the Lions third place in the 3A Regional Tournament Monday afternoon at Harrison...

Horatio dealt Manila a heartbreaking 5-4 loss in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A State Baseball Tournament Friday afternoon in Harrison. Manila took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. Caleb Reinhart belted a triple before Jordan Goff slammed a two-run homer to put the Lions on top...

STRICKLAND'S TWO-RUN SINGLE GIVES BIC 3-2 VICTORY Buffalo Island Central found itself down two runs entering the seventh inning in Monday afternoon's 3A Regional finals against Tuckerman. Jodie Lucas' two-run homer in the fourth inning had staked the Lady Bulldogs to a 2-0 lead, entering the BIC's last at bat...

Buffalo Island Central advanced to the Class 3A State Tournament semifinals, shutting out Conway St. Joseph's 8-0 Saturday afternoon in a rain delayed contest at Marked Tree. The quarterfinal game was set to begin at 10 a.m., but inclement weather forced the first pitch to be delayed until 1 p.m...

Sara B. "Patty" Sprague, 73, of Russellville, Ala., passed away Saturday, May 17, 2014, at her residence.

Billie "B" Parker, 89, of Bluefield, W.V., former longtime Cardwell, Mo., resident, went home to be with the Lord Sunday May 11, 2014.

Rebecca Myers, 84, of Blytheville, passed from this life Saturday, May 17, 2014, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro.

Mrs. Mary Patricia "Patti" Hale, of Burdette, passed away Sunday evening, May 18, 2014.

Dr. Clifford C. Councille Jr. age 70, of Fayetteville, passed away Saturday, May 17, 2014, in Fayetteville

Dorothy Annette Beach, 74, widow of Mr. Charles "Buck" Beach and longtime Leachville resident, passed from this life Monday, May 19, 2014, at the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould.

In a few days, Ashley turns 29, and as a birthday gift, I made the ultimate sacrifice ... we're spending a week in Florida.

The Mississippi County Hospital System's board of governors received good news Monday about Great River Medical Center's progress in comparison with other hospitals across the state.

Five years later, Westminster Village is still dealing with damaged limbs from the 2009 ice storm.

With the school year almost over, Blytheville High School New Tech's recent placement on the "Academic Distress" list has administrators in a holding pattern of sorts while it waits on instructions from the Arkansas Department of Education.

The Armorel Board of Education approved the hiring of a new high school principal during Monday's school board meeting.

There will be no fishing at the Walker Park pond for 30 days to give the Nile Tilapia time to reproduce, according to Parks and Recreation Director Elroy Brown.

Mississippi County voters are heading to the polls today (Tuesday) as the primary election wraps up. All polling sites will be open until 7:30 p.m.

Ronnie and Terra Rountree of Manila announce the arrival of their daughter, Ellie Joe Ann Rountree, born May 5, 2014, at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital. She weighed nine pounds and one ounce, measuring 22 inches...

Ronnie and Terra Rountree of Manila announce the arrival of their daughter, Ellie Joe Ann Rountree, born May 5, 2014, at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital. She weighed nine pounds and one ounce, measuring 22 inches...

The Buffalo Island Museum in Monette has many tools that our forefathers used in days gone by. One of these is a Ford Model T car jack, donated by Verlon Darr. It was made in the early 1900s and is a screw jack with an attached handle. It would fit under the front or rear axle...

Lake City Alderman Danny Dunigan made a request to Mayor Jon Milligan that Sylvester Smith with Legacy Consulting present a monthly report to the Council when they met Monday, May 16. He said the report should include projects he is presently working on and what future plans are for the City. The mayor agreed to contact Mr. Smith and also said Smith was to attend to the council meetings quarterly...

Representatives from architect group Little and Associates reviewed with the Buffalo Island Central School Board several design options for the district's proposed preK-12 campus at its regular meeting Monday, May 12...

The annual Tales From the Cemetery was held at the Manila Depot Center Monday, May 12. Each year early settlers are chosen and their life stories are shared with fifth and sixth grade students...

I have become addicted to a series on the History Channel called "Vikings," and the name of one of the characters in the series caught my attention early on.