Stories from Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Riverside clinched the 3A-4A blended conference baseball championship with a 5-4 victory over Westside Tuesday at Lake City. The Rebels scored a run in the first inning on Larry Tilley’s RBI single, scoring Preston Nichols, who led off the game with a base hit. ...

Brett Sweatman celebrated Senior Day by hitting and pitching Manila to a 10-0 victory over West Memphis Friday afternoon at Lion Field. Sweatman was the star at both the plate and on the mound, firing a no-hitter while slamming a homerun. Manila’s lone senior struck out 12 Blue Devils in going the distance to earn the victory. Sweatman led the Lions offensively with a double, a homer, three RBI and two runs scored, all on his birthday...

Riverside played three games in high school softball last week, defeating Marked Tree 8-2 Monday on the road before losing a 16-11 slugfest to Westside Tuesday and closing the week with a 15-0 loss Thursday at Brookland. Riverside held a precarious 3-2 lead over Marked Tree before scoring three times in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh to earn the six-run victory. ...

It took just five innings for the Lady Lions to dispose of Piggott 14-1 Friday afternoon at Manila. The Lady Lions scored four times in both the first two innings and added three runs in the third and fourth frames to blow out the Lady Mohawks. Jordyn Wheeler went the distance, allowing just one run on two hits. The senior righty fanned four and did not issue a walk. Wheeler helped her own cause, going 4-4...

Buffalo Island Central scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, breaking a 3-3 tie, as the Mustangs downed Armorel 7-3 in high school baseball action Thursday afternoon at Monette. Gavin Gathright drilled the go-ahead RBI single, putting the Mustangs up 4-3, before Logan Harrison followed with a bases-clearing double to cap off the four-run game winning rally. Harrison finished 2-4 with four RBI...

Councilwoman Ethel Hetler presided over the April Leachville City Council meeting Monday night since Mayor Ralph Wells was unable to attend. All council members were present, along Ruth Ann Keith, city clerk. Keith gave the financial report with total funds available at $39,994.49...

Alyssa Smith, a junior at Manila High School, recently won The Arkansas Governors Young Artist Competition. Her work will hang in the Governor's Mansion from April 12 until May 13. The newly formed Manila Photography Club will travel to Little Rock on April 25 to view the art on display...

The Buffalo Island Central School District held its regularly scheduled board meeting Thursday evening to discuss agenda items ranging from construction updates, student recognition, selection of cafeteria suppliers, financial report approval and personnel issues...

Members of the Manila School Board accepted the 2015-2016 audit report at the April 20 meeting. Superintendent Pam Castor said she was pleased to report there was no findings. Board President Tracey Reinhart, along with other members, commended Mrs. Castor and her staff for a great job...

Luetta Davis was born November 19, 1925, to the late Clarence Bedford and Mary McGhee, in Matthew, Missouri. Ms. Luetta departed this life on Wednesday April 19, 2017 at her residence in Blytheville at the age of 91. She was preceded in death by her parents...

Mr. Ledell “Skip” Lee, Jr., was born July 31, 1965 to Stella Young and Ledell Lee, Sr. in Osceola, Arkansas. Ledell departed this life on Thursday April 20, 2017 at the age of 51. He leaves to cherish his memories, his mother, Stella Young; his father, Eddie Young, Jr., both of Jacksonville, Arkansas; two daughters, Breanna Lee of Little Rock, Arkansas and Titiana Phillips, of Pine Bluff; three sisters, Sharon Coates of Little Rock, Shantel Tidwell, of Houston, Texas and Patricia Young Butler, of Jacksonville, Arkansas; three brothers, William Smith, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, Kevin Young and Howard Young, both of Killeen, Texas; and host of other family members.. ...

Ms. Effie T. Palmore Rodgers, 89 passed away Friday, April 21, 2017 at the Great River Medical Center in Blytheville. Ms. Rodgers was born October 18, 1929 to Jake Palmer and Annie Bell Thomas Palmer in Cruger, Missouri. She was a retired housekeeper and a nanny by trade. She was a member of New Mt. Olive M.B. Church, Mother Board, Choir, and Eastern Star and Feeding Ministry...

The Gosnell School Board met for their regular monthly meeting Monday evening to address numerous personnel hires and retirements, including the return of a former Gosnell High basketball coach. The board accepted the resignations of Coach James Porter (secondary teacher and senior high boys basketball coach), Maureen Griggs (special education teacher) and Haley Sullivan (elementary teacher)...

The Blytheville Police Department reached compliance in vacating part of its current facility on Saturday night, according to Police Chief Ross Thompson. On Friday, the Arkansas Department of Labor told the city that the BPD had 48 hours to vacate the dispatch/patrol area of the building and six months to leave the facility...

The Arkansas Parole Board made recommendations for pardon (with merit) on April 18. One of the names listed was Antonio Steele of Mississippi County who was convicted for "delivery of cocaine." His name was one of 19 pardon recommendations (with merit) and 11 (without merit)...

The following are reports from the Blytheville Police Department. — Police took a theft report (gold ring) in the 300 block of the North Service Road. — Officers took an unauthorized use of a vehicle report in the 900 block of South Lilly. — Police investigated a domestic battery report in the 1100 block of South Lilly...

In the last month, Blytheville head football coach Ben Fisher has lost two of his assistant football coaches from last year Chickasaws group. After offensive line and strength coach Deerick Smith announced he was leaving to take the head coaching job in Augusta, on Monday, the Gosnell School Board hired former Gosnell Pirates boys basketball coach and Blytheville defensive coach, Kirk Glintborg, who will be the next GHS boys basketball coach. ...

CAVE CITY— The Gosnell Pirates baseball season came to an end on Tuesday after losing, 2-0, in the first round of the 4A-3 district tournament to the Highland Rebels. The stats were unavailable at press time. The Pirates ended the season with a 15-7 record...