Stories from Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Sunday, Sept. 8 is Grandparents Day. I have been a grandparent for a long time. I have five grandchildren (four girls and one boy). Their ages range from 13 to 23 and each one is special. I know all grandparents feel the same about their grandchildren...

The Gosnell Pirates (0-1) will go on the road Friday night to take on the Kennett Indians (1-0), hoping to grab their first victory on the season and first win under first-year head coach Lewis Earnest. The Pirates had very little problem scoring Friday night as they scored 32 points, however, the Pirates allowed the Nettleton Raiders to score 69 points...

Friday night, two Mississippi County rivals will face off in hopes of capturing their first victory on the year as the Blytheville Chickasaws travel 20 miles south on Interstate 55 to face the Osceola Seminoles. The Chickasaws led early as they jumped out to a 14-point lead against the Marion Patriots but fell apart after halftime and were defeated 44-14...

Manila head coach Jake Hill will make his head coaching debut at Manila Friday night when the Lions entertain the EPC Warriors. Hill has worked all summer to change the culture at Manila, hoping to raise the bar for the Lions. He took over at the end of the previous school year and the Lions worked hard over the summer to improve...

On Saturday, the New Jerusalem youth and Project Launch of Mid-South Health Systems hosted an event called “Blacks are Blue too”, a mental wellness expo that focused on a discussion of how African Americans deal with mental illnesses. The event included workshop sessions that were all free and consisted of speakers that discussed mental health and incorporating faith, and family. There was also free food, health screenings, bouncy houses and other games...

The 35th annual Leachville Harvest Festival kicked off on Friday night with a Draggin' Main event followed by a night of entertainment as the Band Trippp took the stage. The Stafford triplets put on a great show for the crowd. Chairman for the 2019 event was Brannah Bibbs. She and committee members worked hard to put together a festival for all ages...

Gosnell superintendent Bonard Mace confirmed that Gosnell School District is investigating a report that a teacher made inappropriate comments to a foreign student. On Tuesday, Mace declined to name to the teacher, student or any specifics. He issued the following statement: “The Gosnell School District promotes positive conversation between all students, teachers, parents, and community. ...

An early morning fire claimed the life of a man and a small dog Wednesday in the 100 block of East Roosevelt in Blytheville. The victim has not been identified, and the blaze at 125 East Roosevelt has been deemed suspicious, according to Blytheville Fire Chief Mike Carney...

Billy Ray McClelland, 79, of Turrell, passed away Sept. 2, 2019, at Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a retired painter and a member of Turrell Baptist Church. Mr. McClelland was born Oct. 18, 1939, in Gilmore to Morris and Doris McFarland McClelland...

A crew from Goolsby General Contractors, Inc. began demolition of a burnt out building at Sixth and Hudson streets in Blytheville on Wednesday. The old Sanders Supply building, which was vacant at the time, caught fire in January. “Our code enforcement was in touch with the insurance company and the property owners and let them understand the need for them to clean it up,” Blytheville Mayor James Sanders said on Wednesday, adding Goolsby is performing the work...