Stories from Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Emma Graddy blasted a homerun and Jealynn Cates added an RBI double to help Buffalo Island Central get past Armorel 6-2 in high school softball action Tuesday at Monette. The Mustangs held a 2-0 lead after three innings before the Lady Tigers got RBI singles from Kayla Cluck and Ally Jewell to tie the game 2-2. BIC answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning and tacked on two more in the sixth to seal the win...

Manila senior Lion Michael Jorgensen signed to play baseball at Lyon College in Batesville. A reception was held last Monday at MHS with family members and teammates following the signing ceremony. Michael is the son of Dan and Kelly Jorgensen and has attended MHS for two years...

Manila improved to 12-1 on the season with victories over Walnut Ridge and Hoxie last week. The Lions outlasted Hoxie 6-2 Monday on the road before shutting out Walnut Ridge 8-0 Friday at home. Michael Parker pitched four and a third innings of shutout relief to gain the win over Hoxie. Parker allowed just two hits while striking out one batter. Starting pitcher Brock Birmingham went two and two-thirds innings, giving up two earned runs on only one hit while fanning five...

Manila Lady Lions built an 8-1 lead before holding off a late Marked Tree rally to post an 8-6 victory over the Lady Indians Thursday on the road. Manila finished the week by hammering out a 12-0 shutout win Friday against Armorel. Manila scored two runs in the first inning against Marked Tree before tacking on three more in the third and fourth innings to build an 8-1 advantage. ...

Riverside capped off a rainy week on the baseball field with a 5-1 victory over East Poinsett County Friday afternoon at Lake City. Senior righthander Izzy Garcia picked up the win, working five innings, allowing one earned run while striking out four hitters. Charlie McClure finished the game, pitching two shutout innings while compiling three strikeouts...

Dennis Lee Davis, 60, of Steele, Missouri, passed away Sunday, April 1, 2018 at his home. Dennis was born in Blytheville to Robert Earl and Gail (Rhodes) Davis. He was a farmer and a member of First Baptist Church in Blytheville. Dennis enjoyed hunting and was a member of Big Head Hunt Club. He loved spending time at the lake with his family and friends...

Riverside suffered three losses on the softball diamond last week, including a pair of heartbreaking one-run decisions. The Lady Rebels began the week dropping an 8-3 contest Monday at Hoxie. Riverside watched Gosnell score the game winning run in the fifth inning to pull out an 8-7 victory over the Lady Rebels Tuesday on the road. Marked Tree scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to rally past Riverside 5-4 Friday...

James I. Williams, 66, passed away Friday, March 30, 2018 at his home in Blytheville. James was born in Columbus, OH and raised in Ringgold, LA to Lewis and Marilyn Miller Williams. Better known as Jungle Jim, he was recently retired from Systems Contracting of Blytheville. ...

Nabholz Construction Senior Project Manager Adam Seiter reported to the Buffalo Island Central School Board, Thursday, March 25, that the company hopes to complete the new high school building before the original completion date of Oct. 17. “We follow and review our schedule milestones weekly,” Seiter said. ...

Mary Ellen Patterson, 69, of Osceola, passed away March 29, 2018 at Conway Regional Hospital in Conway. She was born May 21, 1948 in Osceola to Major Patterson and Virginia Sanders. Miss Patterson was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her parents Major Patterson and Virginia Jones, four brothers Alex Patterson, Jake Patterson, Terry Patterson and Roger Patterson, two sisters Jerri Patterson and Betty Pearl Zoll. ...

The first Manila Fire Department Blazin’ BBQ Festival free to the public is set for Saturday, April 21, in downtown Manila, located at South Baltimore Street beginning at 9 a.m. and going until the evening hours with live music. Just 40 minutes from Jonesboro and 25 minutes from Blytheville, Manila is a quaint town of about 3,300 in population, ready to show you a good time. ...

The Melody Theater, a landmark in Leachville, has undergone renovations due to a fire and will be opening later in the month. Leachville Mayor Rodney Robertson said he is happy to see the theater about to open. The theater is owned by the city of Leachville...

Monette city officials addressed concerns over Craighead County jail fee report during their meeting Monday, March 26. Police Chief Brian Carmichael held up a copy of the March 26 Jonesboro Sun with front page headline stating “Cities, county try to settle fee dispute.” The article listed outstanding jail fees for municipal prisoners housed in the Craighead County Detention Center...

Before the March 19 Manila City Council meeting was called to order, Mississippi County Judge candidate Ken Kennemore introduced himself. Kennemore is an Osceola resident. He said he wants the county to grow and all areas of the county to do well. Mayor Wayne Wagner introduced Robert Tate with Tate Apartments who presented plans for building a triplex apartment complex on the west side of Parker and south side of Dewey Street...

Sammy Flagg, 74 of Sikeston, Mo., died March 29, 2018, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was born April 13, 1943, in Manila to the late George and Louise (Bumbalough) Flagg. He had been in the Army Reserve, graduated from Arkansas State University with a degree in agricultural engineering in 1966, and worked as a farm loan officer for Equitable before retiring. On June 18, 1967 in Jonesboro, he married Mignonne (Wilson) Flagg. She survives of the home in Sikeston...

Reba Valjean McDonald was born January 25, 1954 at Poplar Bluff. She was the daughter and sixth child of Ruben and Zomer Ellison McDonald. Reba was their only daughter and their last child. She departed her earthly life for her Heavenly home Thursday, March 29, 2018 at the Manor Nursing Facility in Poplar Bluff...

Alberta Black of Blytheville was born November 24, 1922 in Dubbs, Miss. to the late Willie Bills and the late Emmer James McBride. She was a homemaker and of the Baptist Faith. Ms. Black passed away on March 27, 2018 at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville at the age of 95. ...

The following are reports from the Blytheville Police Department. — Police investigated a battery report in the 1100 block of Willow. — Police took an unauthorized use of a vehicle report in the 700 block of Northeast Parkway. — Officers took a criminal mischief report in the 800 block of Clark. The offender shattered the back glass of the victim’s Dodge Nitro...

BATESVILLE— The Armorel Tigers traveled to Batesville over the weekend where they were defeated by the Westside Warriors, 15-7, Friday and then lost to West Memphis Blue Devils, 5-3, and 8-3 to the Beebe Badgers on Saturday. Tiger senior Brett Alan Harris hit his third homer of the season against the Blue Devils Saturday morning...

GOSNELL— The Gosnell Pirates were behind early after the West Memphis Blue Devils scored four runs in the top of the first inning and then added another run in the top of the second inning. The Pirates, however, cut the Blue Devils’ five-run lead to two with three runs in the bottom of the second inning...

The Blytheville Fire Department is urging citizens to be safe as severe weather season has arrived. The United States receives more than 1,200 tornadoes annually and they are most common in spring and least common in winter. In general thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes usually form when the temperature is at its highest, typically from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m...

Frances Slayton Jackson, 82, of Blytheville, passed away Monday, April 2, 2018 at her home. Frances was born in Manila to Burley and Viola (Shedd) Slayton. In 1957, she joined First United Methodist Church and was a member for over 61 years. Frances was the Organist Emerita for the church for 45 years before retiring. She also worked at the New York Store. Frances enjoyed music and playing the organ and piano, playing with her grandchildren and shopping with her caretakers, Lavonda and Shekena...