Stories from Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Around 8 p.m. Tuesday, Janar Jordan was shot at Clearlake Apartments, according to Capt. Scott Adams of the Blytheville Police Department.

James William Clark, 82, of Leachville, passed from this life Saturday, June 20, 2015, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. Born in Burdette, he was the son of the late A.C. and Lorene Smith Clark and was raised in the Burdette and Luxora areas...

Lake City Council members were approached with a proposal to form a Summer Youth Association at the Monday, June 15, meeting. Josh Ridge was introduced by Mayor Jon Milligan. Ridge addressed the council asking them to consider starting a Summer Youth Association which would use the city ballpark and facilities. He said the association would have fundraisers to support its needs. The proposed youth association would consist of a board of five individuals and include the mayor. There is more paperwork to be done including by-laws, tax papers, etc. The council agreed when more information is available Mr. Ridge will meet with the council again. A motion was made by Alderman Danny Dunigan and seconded by Alderman Harold Barker to close and transfer CD#1106, City of Lake City, in the amount of $141,718.60, maturity date June, 1, 2015, from Southern Bancorp to First Community Bank of Jonesboro, to be divided into two CDs, City of Lake City Retirement Fund, CD# 233780, $70,859.30, 11 month, rate .070%, and CD#233781, $70,859.30, 11 month, rate 0.70%. These are to be designated as a retirement plan for retirement payments of elected officials. Motion was approved unanimously. Council members present included Dunigan Barker, Jeffery Wisham, Tommy Eakins, Linda Stone and Brenda Hutcheson. A motion was made by Alderman Dunigan and seconded by Alderman Wisham to approve the Memorandum of Agreement between Eddie Dunigan, Mayor of the Town of Black Oak, Arkansas, representing its Water and Sewer Department, Lake City Jon Milligan, representing its Water and Sewer Department, and Cameron Tate, the supervisor of the City of Lake City Water and Sewer Department, that from time to time assists the Town of Black Oak in resolving problems, corrections, or issues to do with the department. Motion was approved unanimously. Mayor Milligan told the Council the non-working fire hydrants are being replaced, and all hydrants have been painted. Those painted red are active, while those painted black are non-active. There will now be a maintenance schedule kept by the Water Department on the water hydrants. In other business the council: *approved construction of ordinance on basketball goals on the side of city streets. *gave Mayor Milligan permission to seek bids for paving new cemetery roads. Plans are being made to have Cotton Festival on Sept. 12. Next council meeting will be 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 20, at city hall.

Gene Gathright was recognized for his 60 years of service at the Monette Masonic Lodge on Tuesday, June 16. Worshipful Master David McCoy presented Gathright with a commemorative plaque in honor of his outstanding service. Jackie Bibb presented Norma Sue Gathright with a large bouquet of flowers...

Manila City Council discussed swimming pool, swimming lessons, senior citizen building and park lights during the short meeting held Monday, June 15. Manila Mayor Wayne Wagner said city officials would try to meet with the engineers while in Little Rock and see what they will do about the pool...

The 14th annual Buffalo Island Relay for Life was held Friday, June 12, at the Leachville City Park. Teams from all communities gathered to honor cancer survivors and remember those who have lost their battle to cancer. This year's Buffalo Island Relay for Life was held in memory of a steering committee member, Sherry Hetler. Ms. Hetler, a long time member of the BI Relay for Life Steering Committee, died in January...

Doctor Tommy Wagner was installed president elect of the Arkansas Chapter, American Academy of Family Physicians on June 12 in Little Rock during the Academy's 68th Annual Scientific Assembly for the coming year. The AAFP is the state's largest medical specialty organization with over 1400 members and is the state chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians...

The Lake City Pilot Project at the Eastern District Courthouse has been a "win win" situation for Craighead County. In addition to replacing outdated lighting in and around the municipal building with the new retrofitted LED lighting, the county received an incentive check in the amount of $2,841.73...

Father and son, Henry Dean and Jeff Finch, have worked side by side for almost 30 years as partners building their farming operation to the present 100 percent irrigated 3,400 acres. Jeff's son, Ty, 14, is following in the family farming tradition and is learning from his father and grandfather as he spends a lot of his summer vacation helping on the farm...

The Buffalo Island Central School Board in its regular meeting Monday, June 15, voted unanimously to ask voters to approve a millage increase on Jan. 12 but instead of 9 mills they are proposing a 7 mill increase...

Manila's Brock Birmingham fired a five inning, two-hit shutout, propelling the Lions to a 10-0 whitewash over Buffalo Island Central to claim the 2015 Northeast Arkansas Junior High Baseball Championship...

Blytheville police are investigating a second homicide Monday, one that occurred less than 11 hours after the first one. According to Capt. Scott Adams of the Blytheville Police Department, 22-year-old Vincent Stone was shot at Williams Park around 8:30 Monday night and later perished from the gunshot wounds, after being flown to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis...

The Blytheville area will be sending three representatives to compete in the Miss Arkansas Pageant: Miss Lights of the Delta, Miss River Delta and Miss Northeast Arkansas. Miss Lights of the Delta is Reagan Wheelis of Melbourne, Miss River Delta is Emma Jumper of Paragould, and Miss Northeast Arkansas is Claudia Raffo of Jonesboro...

Josh Lammers of Dell and Ty Minton of Manila have each received a $1000.00 scholarship for the 2015-16 school year from the Mississippi County Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation. Pictured from left to right: Jeff Lammers, Josh Lammers, Ty Minton and John Tipton...

Bob Tarter, with the Natural History Education Company of the Midsouth, entertained kids and adults at the Blytheville Public Library Tuesday, June 23 with his amazing animal show. Tarter presented "Amazing Aviators," a program featuring some of nature's superhero flyers. ...

Nineteen residents from Westminster Villagers travelled by train to New Orleans in June. We toured the city of New Orleans and had a very special day with Frank Anderson, a World War II veteran, at the World War II Museum. Frank Anderson is pictured with a group of Army soldiers at the World War II Museum...

The following are reports from the Blytheville Police Department. Monday, June 22 -- Police took a criminal mischief report in the 800 block of Chickasawba. The victim's back glass was broken out of his vehicle. -- Police took a fraudulent use of a debit card report. Twenty nine transactions were made totaling $379...

Blytheville Courier News Blytheville police are investigating an armed robbery Monday night in the 800 block of East Melody Lane. The victim said she came to Blytheville to meet someone and, after she picked him up at Chickasaw Courts, he asked her to stop at 16th Street to pick up his friend...

Mississippi County Sheriff's Department Intake - 6/15 thru 6/21 Britney Adamson, 25, Leachville - commitment; Cody Allen Adamson, 23, Manila - residential burglary, methamphetamine, marijuana; Donald Ray Adamson, 47, Blytheville - failure to appear;...

There have been six homicides in Blytheville, year-to-date, and numerous shootings. The high rates of crime and violence have led many to begin carrying concealed handguns. Recently, an increased number of people are debating the virtue of even openly carrying weapons without state licensure. Typical of political climate changes, Arkansas politicians are also beginning to interpret statutes differently...