Stories from Friday, January 4, 2019

Carla Jean Ferguson, 71, of Little Rock and formerly of Blytheville, passed away Wednesday, January 2, 2019 at St. Vincent’s Hospital under the care of Arkansas Hospice in Little Rock. Carla was born in Blytheville to Carl G. and Opal Bumbalough Blackard. ...

Joel Page Carmichiel, 69, of John Day, OR formerly of Dyess, died December 8, 2018 at his home in John Day, OR. He was a retired electrician, a US Army Veteran that served 18 months in Vietnam and 12 months in Ethiopia. He was a lifetime resident of Mississippi County until he moved to Oregon 11 years ago. ...

Bonnie Jean Hood-Anthony of Miami, Fla., was born May 27, 1960 in Dunklin County, Mo., to the late Elmer Leonard Hood and Ruth Thomas of Burdette, Ark. On Monday, Dec. 24, 2018, Bonnie departed this life. She worked as a mental health professional for New Horizons Community Mental Health Center for 15 years. Bonnie was a very humorous person that would tell it like it is. She loved her family dearly...

Odell Mabins, 83, of Osceola died Friday, December 28, 2018 at his home. In his early childhood he attended Gospel Temple Baptist Church in Luxora. During his early twenties under the leadership of Pator Godfrey Holman, Church of God in Christ in Erie,PA, he professed Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Deacon Odell Mabins served as president and teacher of YPWW and was co-founder of Lighthouse Prayer Temple Church of God in Christ in Luxora...

Owen “Buddy” Weston Harrison passed away Tuesday, January 1, 2019, at his home. There will be no formal service. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. He was born in Jonesboro, the middle son of the late Elizabeth Gann Harrison and William Owen Harrison. He graduated from Blytheville High School, where he played football and was active in student government. Owen proudly served in the U.S. Air Force from 1950 to 1953 on assignment to Headquarters 12th Air Force Division Europe...

Al Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame will be the guest speaker at the ESA/Mid-South Bayou Club’s Hunt for the Cure — a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — on Friday, Jan. 18 at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center in Blytheville...

The Armorel School District reconvened Thursday following a two- week break for the Christmas holidays. Armorel Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree said that the first day back went wonderful and that everything is off to a great start. “Wonderfully, we seem to have everybody here. ...

— Police arrested Anthony Coleman on possession of a defaced firearm during a traffic stop on North Second. — Police took a report of a counterfeit $100 bill in the 600 block of Parkway. — Officers investigated a shooting in the 1200 block of Thompson. ...

OSCEOLA — The Gosnell Pirates fell to the Osceola Seminoles 78-65, Friday night, in 3A-3 Conference action. The Pirates (8-6, 5-3 3A-3) were down 21-12 at the end of the first quarter and trailed 43-29 at half, after making just 4 of 14 free throws in the first two periods...

ARMOREL — The Armorel Tigers were defeated Friday night by 1A-3 Conference opponent the Mammoth Spring Bears 59-28. The Bears led 39 -14 at the half as they cruised to victory. The Tigers were led by junior forward Michael Peterson with 10 points and three rebounds. CJ Simmons added five-points. The Tigers will travel to play the Hayti Indians Monday night...

DYERSBURG — Riverside closed out 2018 with a sluggish 29-19 victory over Union City, Tenn., Saturday afternoon in Dyersburg. Union City held a slim 2-0 edge after the first quarter as both teams had trouble finding the bucket. The Lady Rebels bounced back in the second period, outscoring the Golden Tornadoes 13-3 to grab a 13-5 halftime advantage. Riverside took a 21-11 lead into the final frame...

GOSNELL— The Gosnell Lady Pirates were up by as much as 12 points throughout the game and even had a six-point lead with nearly a minute left but with five seconds remaining on the clock former Lady Pirate and now Osceola Lady Seminole guard LaKiya Turner’s floater connected with the bottom of the net to give the Lady Noles a one-point lead...

Manila and Tuckerman entered Friday’s Division II boys final looking for their first ever NEA Tournament championship. Behind the one-two scoring punch of Bo Roberson and Ben Keton, the Bulldogs came away with the elusive trophy, defeating the Lions 62-55 at First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro on Friday, Dec. 21...

Riverside claimed its second NEA Invitational Tournament Championship in the past three seasons, mercy ruling rival Marmaduke 52-27 in the Division II Championship game Friday afternoon at First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro. The Lady Rebels, who lost in last year’s finals in heartbreaking fashion to Bay, made sure this title bout would not come down to any last second magic...

The Blytheville Chickasaws (9-4, 4-3) played the fourth quarter with the mercy clock running as they routed the Batesville Pioneers 66-38 at Chickasaw Gymnasium on Chickasaws head coach McKenzie Pierce’s 29th birthday. “It’s always good to be in the gym with all the guys and having a birthday coaching basketball. I couldn’t draw it up any better,” Pierce said. “So, it was a good day, good atmosphere and most importantly came out and got a win.”...