Stories from Tuesday, January 18, 2011

In addition to the lithotripsy machine purchased several months ago, Great River Medical Center now has a plasma vaporization button electrode, which is used to treat enlarged prostate glads in a minimally invasive procedure.

Alice Alberta "Birdie" Barker, 88, of the Milligan Ridge Community, near Caraway, passed from this life Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, at Monette Manor Nursing Center. Born at Kennett, Mo., she was the daughter of the late John A. ...

Juanita Evelyn Patton Lee, 87, of Manila passed from this life on Monday, Dec. 27, 2010, at St. Bernards Medical Center. She was born Aug. 17, 1923, in Paragould to the late Fred and May Minetree Patton. She was a member of the Blackwater Church of God. She enjoyed going to church and being with her church family, reading her Bible, doing puzzles and watching "The Price is Right"...

Riverside outscored archrival Buffalo Island Central 18-10 in the third quarter to break a 35-35 halftime tie and went on to defeat the Mustangs 73-65 Tuesday night at the Mustang Athletic Complex in Monette...

Buffalo Island Central's Brittany Fowler scored 18 of her game high 25 points in the second half to lead the Lady Mustangs to a hard fought 51-37 victory over archrival Riverside in 2A-3 conference action Tuesday night at the Mustang Athletic Complex...

Manila ran its 3A-3 conference record to a perfect 10-0 on the season with a pair of league victories last week. The Lions, 15-5 overall, and the number four ranked team in the state in Class 3A, defeated Tuckerman 90-61 Tuesday night before ending the week with a convincing 68-35 thrashing of Piggott...

The Riverside Athletic Department would like to recognize and honor some of the past players and cheerleaders to help commemorate the last game to be played in the Riverside Sr. High gym (The Pit) on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011 at 6:00...

The Caraway City Council reviewed progress made by the city in 2010 and completed plans for 2011 city improvements and department budgets when the council met Tuesday, Jan. 11, for the regular council meeting...

Leachville City Treasurer Ruth Ann Keith gave the year end financial report, which reflected a balance in the General Fund of $42,568.62, at the regular city council meeting held Monday, Jan. 10. Mayor Sheila Spurlock and council members complimented Keith on her thorough transaction printout. A check register for department expense reports was requested for future printing editions...

Buffalo Island Central boasts four state basketball championships, but for the first time in school history, the Mustangs will play host to a state basketball tournament. BIC was awarded the bid to host the 2011 Class 2A State Basketball Tournament which will be held Feb. 28-March 5 at the Mustang Athletic Complex in Monette. The MAC holds a seating capacity of 1800, not including standing room...

Buffalo Island Central Senior Homecoming theme for 2010-11 school year was "A Sweet Escape." Homecoming was held Friday, Jan. 14. Senior class representatives and their escorts are Taylor Owens, senior maid, and escort, Weslan Colbert; Queen Jenny Walker and escort Ben Cole; and Jenna Pike, senior maid, and escort, Drey Crabtree...

Dale Baker and Joe McQueen will be working in the Manila and Leachville area as part of the Mississippi County Homeless Coalition. The two Manila men serve on the board of the Mississippi County Coalition for Hope established in April of last year. ...

Ron Nunnally, Lake City retiring postmaster, was honored Saturday with a retirement reception held at the Lake City Senior Citizens center. The senior citizen's building is the former Lake City Post Office where Nunnally started working when he came to Lake City in 1996. The post office was moved into the present facility in 2000...

Monette Masonic Lodge #558 held installation of 2011 officers Jan. 4. Officers include Master of Lodge Tommy Carroll, Senior Warden Bear Harrell, Junior Warden Billy Hetler, Treasurer John Ashley, Secretary Larry Bibb, Senior Deacon Tommy Dunigan, Junior Deacon Randy Imler, Chaplain Gene Gathright, Tyler Clyde Watson, and Masters of Ceremony Eddie Dunigan and Jim Frazier...

Ms. Willean Valley, 77, of Blytheville, died Monday, Jan. 17, 2011, at Gosnell Health Care.

Kareem "Aliboo" Tride, 33, of Blytheville, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, in Blytheville.

Jerry L. Carter, 56, of Blytheville, died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Gabrielle Nicole Brown, of Osceola, died Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011, in West Memphis.

Mrs. Louellen Carpenter Adams, 99, of Keiser, died Satuday, Jan. 15, 2011, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro.

Much has been written, including in this space, about the basketball apathy besetting Arkansas since the Razorbacks' long descent into basketball decline.

It's Bruce Ellington, not Duke Ellington, but he engineers South Carolina's A-train nonetheless.

Blytheville travels to Paragould tonight, looking to keep its 5A-East record unblemished.

The Gosnell Lady Pirates played two home games over the three day holiday weekend. Saturday saw the Lady Pirates drop a 3-4A game to Valley View, 61-38, but Gosnell bounced back with a critical, 56-31, conference win over Highland on Monday night.

Friends and co-workers of Blytheville Police Department Officer Cody Gentry gathered at a candlelight prayer vigil at Gosnell High School Saturday night.

Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have become all the rage for most people, but information that you post on those sites could help people looking to steal your identity or hack your information.

Regional transportation planners are studying a possible new bridge over the Mississippi River proposed for somewhere in the Memphis metropolitan area.

Plans are under way for the upcoming, "A Chocolate Fantasy" event to be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13 in the Governors Ballroom at Arkansas Northeastern College.

The Master Gardener Program training will be held during five consecutive Saturdays (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day), starting Saturday, Jan. 29.

Next Wednesday will be one of the most exciting days for this newspaper in the 11 years that I have been here. That's when the Courier News will launch its "new and improved" website.