Stories from Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Harrisburg Elementary School teacher Susanne Michael lost her battle with COVID-19 on Oct. 2, the Harrisburg School District announced. Michael had been receiving antiviral and convalescent plasma at a local hospital on Sept. 23 and had been placed on a ventilator with some hope she would recover...

During a special meeting Monday night, the Gosnell School Board expelled a student accused of having a gun on campus. A Gosnell Junior High School student was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 23, after authorities found a weapon on campus. "The Gosnell School District takes pride in maintaining a safe learning environment," Gosnell superintendent Bonard Mace told the NEA Town Courier at the time. ...

Mississippi County Office of Emergency Management director Wayne Reynolds anticipates the county will have enough COVID-19 related expenditures to be reimbursed the full $670,000 allocated by the state for CARES Act funding. During Monday’s special Finance Committee meeting, Reynolds told the board he is currently scanning receipts to submit, with the deadline for submittal set for Dec. 15...

Ronald Dewayne Dawson, 49, of Manila, passed away Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020. He was born on May 23, 1971, in Osceola to Donald Ray and Deborah Faye Dawson. He worked in the steel industry the majority of his life. He is survived by his wife, Melissa Baker; sons, Austin Dawson of Bono, Zach Dawson of Bono, and Garrett Baker of Kingwood, Texas; daughters, Makenna Baker of Paragould and Andi Jo Baker of Manila; father, Donald Ray Dawson of Osceola; sister, Laura Nelson of Spring Hill, Tenn.; and niece, Zoe Nelson of Spring Hill, Tenn. ...

Don Earl Turner of Blytheville was born July 1, 1949, in Fort Smith to the late Leonard Turner and the late Beatrice Hamm Turner. He was retired from his job as a truck driver for Sullivan Farms in Burdette and was of the Lutheran faith. Mr. Turner passed away on Oct. 5, 2020, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro at the age of 71. He was preceded in death by his father, Leonard Turner; his mother, Beatrice Hamm Turner; and three brothers, James Turner, Buddy Turner and Phillip Turner...

James Kenneth Ward, Jr., 54, of Osceola died Sept. 28, 2020, at SMC Medical Center in Osceola. He was a construction worker. Mr. Ward was born July 20, 1966, in Osceola to James and Emma Woodson Ward. He was preceded in death by his father, James Ward...

Dorothy Ann Baker, 74, of Osceola, died Oct. 5, 2020, at her home. She was retired from Baptist Hospital, a homemaker, a member of Bethlehem MB Church and Motherboard. Mrs. Baker was born May 19, 1946, in Osceola, to Robert Richard and Sadie Woods Williams. She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother Calvin Williams; four sisters, Jessie Mae Johnson, Elizabeth Williams, Roberta Conners and Linda Mitchell...

Sam Singleton, 72, of Conway, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, with his loving family by his side. He was born Jan. 6, 1948, in Burdette, to the late Charles Thomas and Lora Clark Singleton. Sam was also preceded in death by his grandparents, Samuel Morris and Frankie Singleton and J.W. and Anna Lee Clark...