Stories from Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Carolyn Kay Gillespie, Manila, was born March 21, 1948, in Dyess to Cecil and Helen Easterling Garner. She was a retired factory worker and of the Baptist faith. Mrs. Gillespie passed away Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018, at Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro at the age of 69...

Buffalo Island Central and Earle faced off against each other twice in both boys and girls basketball action last week, with the Bulldogs coming away with a sweep. In boys play, Earle outlasted BIC 63-51 Monday night at the Mustang Athletic Complex before coming away with a 51-42 victory Friday night at Earle...

Osceola slipped past Manila 54-49 in senior girls basketball action Thursday night at Lion Gym. Rondaishia McNeal led the Lady Seminoles with 13 points. Madison Bibbs scored a game high 14 to pace the Lady Lions while Meg Gifford also netted double digits, scoring 10. Andi Baker knocked down three treys and finished with nine points while Jill Helton scored six. Sydney Adcock tallied four, Presley Pierce netted three, Jasmine Lozano contributed two while Brailey Hampton chipped in one point...

Manila traveled to Osceola for a 3A conference showdown Friday night against the Seminoles, but it was the host team who prevailed, coming away with a 66-57 victory over the Lions. Osceola held a 19-16 edge after the first period but opened up a 40-29 lead at intermission. The Seminoles carried a 53-42 margin into the final frame...

Riverside came up short in a pair of senior high basketball matchups last week, losing 70-29 Thursday night against Manila before dropping a 62-46 decision Friday at Gosnell. In Thursday night’s game, Manila raced to a 25-13 lead after the first break. The Lions increased their margin to 43-19 at the half and pulled away for a 65-28 advantage after three periods of play...

Riverside rolled to their 24th victory of the season, sinking the Gosnell Lady Pirates 63-40 Thursday night at Lake City. The Lady Rebels jumped to a 19-4 advantage after the first break and led 33-16 at intermission. Riverside took a commanding 59-30 lead into the final frame...

Mr. Travis S. Deen, 87, of Blytheville, passed away Friday, January 19, 2018 at Heritage Square Nursing Center in Blytheville. Born in Yarbro to Hershel and Clara (Parker) Deen, Travis was retired from Dr. Pepper Bottling Company in Blytheville as a manager. He was a member of 13th and Main Street Church of Christ and was a lifelong resident of Blytheville. Travis was a former member of the Optimist Club, liked to travel and to play golf...

Ms. Beatrice Weeden Shannon known as “Doll” was born on June 25, 1949 in Blytheville to Gilliam Weeden, Sr. and Valley Sumerall Weeden. Beatrice departed this life on Wednesday January 17, 2018 at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville at the age of 68...

Mrs. Carolyn Kay Gillespie, of Manila, was born March 21, 1948 in Dyess to Cecil and Helen Easterling Garner. She was a retired factory worker and of the Baptist faith. Mrs. Gillespie passed away Sunday, January 21, 2018 at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro at the age of 69...

The Buffalo Island Central School Board met Thursday, Jan. 11, to receive a presentation from Carly Bird, BIC Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) student. While the board did not have a quorum at the time of the presentation, Bird presented a 3D rendering of the new high school campus in a program called ARCHICAD. The model was a top down view of the school with detailed layouts for classrooms. Bird said the project would be entered into the National EAST Competition...

Terry Carr of Manila announced plans to run for Position 1 on the Manila School Board. Carr was elected to Position 1 in September of 2016 and served until October of 2017. “It was an honor to serve our community and be involved with the board for a year,” Carr said. ...

David Wildy met with the Manila School Board at the Jan. 15 meeting regarding farm contracts. Wildy and his family have farmed some of the district's land for almost 40 years. A proposal to combine the district's newly acquired acreage with other land Wildy farms was the topic of discussion...

Riverside High School Principal Matt Ziegler said the District utilized the Alternate Method of Instruction (AMI) during the first snow days of the year. Superintendents had the option to apply to the Department of Education for AMI days. Riverside was approved for five days. Districts can reapply for additional days if it becomes necessary...

Two women and one juvenile have been charged with aggravated robbery in connection with the Monday, Jan. 15, robbery of Lake City Farmers Market. The suspects are Alexis Williams, 18, of Lake City and Kaylee Brown, 20, also of Lake City. A Craighead County judge found probable cause on Tuesday to charge the suspects and set bond for Williams and Brown at $20,000 cash or surety...

JONESBORO – Marvin Day of Jonesboro has announced he is running for Craighead County Judge in the upcoming May 22 Republican primary. Day, a graduate of Jonesboro High School, received a civil engineering degree from the University of Arkansas and is employed as a senior engineer at City Water and Light. He has previously worked in the highway and heavy construction business and was a co-founder of Asphalt Producers, LLC...

Mississippi County 4-H team was honored Friday with a reception recognizing their accomplishments as the first team from the county to place in National competition. Team members, Shelby Simpson with Book Worms 4-H Club, and Elizabeth Anderson, Abigail Anderson and Macie Smith with King Cotton 4-H Club, earned the chance to compete at the Western National Roundup held in Denver, Colo., by winning first place in the food quiz bowl at the Arkansas 4-H O'Rama held in July. ...

Mr. Willie Joe Love was born February 19, 1953 in Blytheville to the late Joe Lee Sharkey, Sr. and Pearlie Mae Williams Sharkey. He was a loving father, a factory worker and of the Baptist faith. He attended Promise Land School and Harrison High. Willie Joe was loved very much by his family and will be missed. The Lord knows what's best...

Mr. Julian Semaj Daniels was born October 8, 1994 in Chicago, Illinois to Marquel Taylor and Luevenia Lynnette Daniels. He was a carpenter and a member of Living Word Cathedral C.O.G.I.C. in Osceola. Julian passed away January 18, 2018 in Jonesboro at the age of 23...

Mr. John Wayne Jackson, 62, of Osceola passed away January 22, 2018. He was born July 18, 1955 in Turrell to John Rueben and Lois Ann Jackson. He was a mechanic and a member of Carrolls Corner Pentecostal Church. Survivors include his loving wife, Nancy Jackson; daughter, Brandi Smith of Osceola; step-daughter, Tonya Stallings of Osceola; step-sons, Billy Beatty of Keiser and Jerrit Beatty of Osceola; and fourteen grandchildren...

Mrs. Leonia Junearick Jones was born May 14, 1951, in Winstonville, Mississippi to the late Oleather Junearick and Richard Johnson. She departed this life on January 17, 2018 at Osceola Therapy Living Center in Osceola at the age of 66. Her parents; three brothers, O.D. Stancle, Jessie Junearick and Earl Junearick; and three sisters, Bertha Lee Junearick, Elizabeth Johnson and Willie Mae Sanders preceded her in death...

ARMOREL— The Armorel Lady Tigers (10-10, 3-2) fell to the defending 1A state champion Bay Lady Yellowjackets (21-4, 3-0), 57-16, Monday in a 1A-3 conference matchup. The Lady Tigers kept things close in the first half as they trailed 21-13, but in the second half, the Lady Yellowjackets outscored the Lady Tigers 36-3...

GOSNELL — The Gosnell Lady Pirates (9-9, 4-7) and Brookland Lady Bearcats (12-5, 9-1) were in a tight contest in the first quarter as they were trading baskets before the Lady Bearcats put a six-point cushion between themselves and the Lady Pirates with under 30 seconds to go in the first...

The Mississippi County 4-H team was honored on Friday with a reception recognizing their accomplishments as the first team from the county to place in the national competition. Team members Shelby Simpson with Book Worms 4-H Club, and Elizabeth Anderson, Abigail Anderson and Macie Smith with King Cotton 4-H Club, earned the chance to compete at the Western National Roundup held in Denver, Colo., by winning first place in the food quiz bowl at the Arkansas 4-H O'Rama held in July. ...