Stories from Friday, July 11, 2014

Ruby Jewel Cloninger, 67, of Leachville, died Wednesday July 9, 2014, at UAMS in Little Rock. Born at Oak Grove, La., she was the daughter of the late George and Lona Mae Gilliam Hice and had been a Leachville resident the past 37 years. She was a 1965 graduate of Luxora High School, was retired from Bassler Electric in Caraway and was of the Baptist faith...

Thomas Gene "Mutley" Metcalf, 56, of Hornersville, Mo., died Thursday, July 10, 2014, at the family home. A lifelong Hornersville resident, he attended Senath-Hornersville Public Schools and later served in the U.S. Army. He was a diesel mechanic for Bibbs Trucking in Hornersville, and was of the Baptist faith...

David "Duck" Smith, 70, of Tyronza, died of heart failure on Wednesday, July 9, 2014, at his home.

The Hardy Sales and Service Casons dropped their final Zone 2 game, Thursday night, falling to Paragould, 10-9, at the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex. Blytheville finished third in the Zone and opens the Zone 2 Tournament against Jonesboro next week. On Thursday, the Casons (14-9) led most of the game, up 8-1 at one point...

Gosnell Mayor Don Marshall has called a special City Council meeting for Sunday afternoon in a last-ditch effort to pass an ordinance allowing the city to apply for grant funding to complete the walking track.

In July of last year, Steele native Adam "A.J." Jarboe was diagnosed with a grade 3 malignant brain tumor. Now one year later, Jarboe is now well on his way back to his former self. He said it's the support of his friends and family that have kept him "Jarboe Strong".

The Blytheville Baseball Softball Boosters signed the contract Friday afternoon to host the 2015 12-year-old Cal Ripken Baseball Southwest Regional Tournament next July at the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex. Rob Featherston, the assistant Southwest Region commissioner, toured the Sportsplex on Friday, leaving with a signed contract in hand...

Summer Fest 2014 is in full swing at ANC this year. From Manners Matter class to Golf Camp, kids from Blytheville and the surrounding area are having a great time. Some of the other classes being offered are 3-D Gaming, which was a new class this year, Basketball Camp with Whitney Jones, and Art-Tastic for Kids...

I got started in the newspaper business by writing a column for my mom and dad's Steele Enterprise when I was 5 years old.

A reluctant Finance and Purchasing Committee agreed to unfreeze $55,000 of the Parks and Recreation CD, Thursday night, and recommended re-establishing the hiring freeze. Both moves would have to be approved by the Blytheville City Council.

Farmers Bank & Trust President Randy Scott has announced the bank promotions of Margie Arriola and Peggy Sayre.

James Bryant Shaw, Jr., 48, of Blytheville, passed away Thursday, July 10, 2014.