Stories from Friday, January 19, 2018

Blytheville police are investigating an armed robbery at Gary’s Food Mart on West Moultrie, Thursday night. According to the police report, two males entered the store as a customer was leaving. One of the males had a gun and demanded that they put their hands up, as the other suspect jumped over the counter and took money from the register...

Mrs. Bonnie Jean Long, 90, wife of the late Paul Long, Sr., of Blytheville, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 17 at the Flo and Phil Hospice House in Jonesboro. In addition to her husband, she was also preceded in death by her parents, Anna Lee Clark and James William Clark and also 12 siblings...

Mr. Vaughn Michael Lukasavage, 73, of Blytheville, Arkansas, passed from this life peacefully Sunday, January 7, 2018 at home surrounded by his family. He was born to Stanley and Mary Lukasavage in Blytheville on July 25, 1944. He was a resident of Blytheville until serving in the National Guard in Kentucky from 1965 to 1971. ...

Two females arrested in Lake City on robbery are suspected of robbing two Blytheville businesses. According to Lt. John Frazier, at approximately 1 a.m. Monday, officers of the Blytheville Police Department responded to 1305 East Main St. (Flash Market) in reference to an armed robbery. The suspects were described as two females. A short time later, at approximately 1:40 a.m. officers responded to 3701 S. Division (Exxon) for another armed robbery, Frazier said...

A devasting fire erupted downtown, Wednesday night, destroying 10 apartments and an old thrift store. There were no injuries when the apartments and building caught fire around 6 p.m. Wednesday in the 100 block of East Main. According to Fire Chief Mike Carney, the Red Cross is assisting the 12 victims who lived in the apartments, which are now rubble...

A groundbreaking was held on the location for new gym amidst the snowy ground on Thursday. Blytheville Public Schools employees were in attendance, as well as representatives from Baldwin and Shell. Four of the eight board members and Superintendent Richard Atwill were among those present. Blytheville Mayor James Sanders was also in attendance...

The Blytheville Chickasaws (10-9, 6-5) bounced back from Wednesday’s 71-37 loss on the road to the reigning 6A state champion Jonesboro Hurricanes with a 56-48 victory over another Jonesboro team, the Valley View Blazers, Friday night at Chickasaw Gymnasium...

Ms. Dotsene B. Poff VanSickle, 80, of Blytheville, passed away Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Piggott. Dotsene was born in Wilson to Loyd and Bertha (Forshee) Poff. She was a retired monitor technician at Chickasawba Hospital and a member of Gosnell Baptist Church. Dotsene loved going to church and singing gospel music. Dotsene was a great mother to her children and she loved her dog Jupiter that she had for 14 years. She was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers, Ansel, Cecil, Frankie, Rodney and Glenn Poff; and sister, Bonita Garner. Dotsene leaves two sons, Billy Harris, Jr. of West Point, Mississippi and Steven VanSickle of Senath, Missouri; two sisters, Betty Sanford of Kalamazoo, Michigan and Jomae Doran of New York, New York; and a grandson, Jeremy Harris. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 22 in the Cobb Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Tim Cross officiating. Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. until service time at Cobb Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.cobbfuneralhome.com.