Stories from Friday, April 21, 2017

The Osceola School District honored the late Scotty Webb Thursday when the district held a graduation service at the South Mississippi County Regional Medical Center.  Webb, who had put up a brave fight against cancer, was bed ridden and had hoped to make it until his son Chance’s May graduation...

Mr. Douglas Neal Gilliam, 56, of Blytheville, passed away peacefully, on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 sitting in his favorite chair at home. He was born in Blytheville on July 22, 1960 to Clyde Arnold Gilliam and Eula Jane Defer Gilliam. He was a graduate of Dell High School. Neal worked for Thompson Services, a contractor for Nucor-Yamato Steel. He was a hard worker, and work was a priority with him...

Agents of the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force arrested Jerome Colley on drug and weapons related charges as a result of their having served a "narcotics search warrant" at the residence located at 419 Dougan Street in Blytheville Friday morning...

On Friday afternoon, the Arkansas Department of Labor gave the city of Blytheville 48 hours to vacate the dispatch/patrol and lobby area of the Blytheville Police Department building and six months to completely evacuate the structure because “there was imminent danger” to personnel, according to Mayor James Sanders...

Winners have been announced in the Arkansas Associated Press Media Editors 2016 newspaper contest, with the newspaper as a whole and five current staff members of Blytheville Courier News receiving a total of 12 honors, including five first place finishes, five second place finishes and two third place finishes...

Gosnell Lady Pirates head coach Keelan Newsom watched on Wednesday afternoon as his senior captain, Kourtney Riggs, signed a letter of intent to play for the Crowley Ridge College (CRC) Pioneers. “They’re getting a lot out of (Riggs), a great score, shooter,” Newsom said. “She was my captain this year, I put a lot of leadership on her and she did well and stepped up and guided the younger ones and made sure they stayed on task and did what they were supposed to do in games.”...

After jumping out to an early, 2-0, lead on the Marion Patriots on Tuesday, the Patriots went on to defeat the Chickasaws, 17-3. The Chicks would score again at the bottom of the fifth but the damage from the Patriots had already been done by a six-run second inning, a lone run in the top of the third, three runs in the top of the fourth and two more in the top of the fifth to lead, 12-3. Then the Patriots would score five more runs in the top of the sixth...