Stories from Wednesday, January 29, 2003

Global Furniture, Inc. of Mooresville, NC and Guangming Group of Yichun, China announced during a press conference held at the Singer Building, a merger between the two companies involving Trumann. Global Furniture, which is headquartered in Mooresville, NC specialize's in implementing and distribution solid wood furniture. Last year they compiled $750 million of the $12 billion annual total for furniture distributors...

TRUMANN - Alex Henry led the senior Trumann Wildcats here Friday night with 23 points as the Cats clawed past the Harrisburg Hornets 52-48. The game got off to a slow start, with the first points of the game being scored by Trumann's Jerome Thigpen about two minutes into the ballgame. Thigpen racked up 16 points by the game's finish...

Georgia Ellen Tackett, 86, died at Stuttgart Regional Medical Center. She was born in Strawberry. She was a retired schoolteacher and had worked at Van Heusen Shirt Company. She was a member of the Brinkley Baptist Church where she was a past Sunday school Teacher. She had been a resident of Brinkley for the past 50 years...

Mrs. Fern A. Lang of Trumann, died January 25, 2003, at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro, Ark., of natural causes. She was 75 years old. Mrs. Lang was born in Louisiana and had lived in Trumann for the past 11 months and was formerly of Little Rock. She was a retired executive assistant for the Pulaski County Council and of the Baptist faith. She was preceded in death by her parents, Looney and Bertha Heath Adcock, two sisters and two brothers...

Mrs. Dovie A. Hand of Harrisburg passed away Jan. 20, 2003. She was 97 years old. Mrs. Hand was a homemaker and a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Trumann. Survivors include Mrs. Hand's four daughters, Monica Crow of Sullivan, Mo., Dorothy Helton of Trumann, Gail McIntare of Mountain View, Ark., and Amanda Muse of Harrisburg; one brother, Verdie Parker of Tupelo, Miss.; 23 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren...

Mr. Burl James Gillis of Payneway, died Jan. 24, 2003, at his residence. He was 76 years old. Mr. Gillis was a deacon and member of Corner's Chapel Baptist Church. He was also a WWII veteran of the Navy. Mr. Gillis was preceded in death by his parents, Tillman and Ruth Gillis, one brother, Elvis Gillis, and one grandchild, Dekoe Carrol...

Mrs. Roxie Marie England of Trumann passed away January 24, 2003, at Regional Medical Center of NEA in Jonesboro, Ark., of natural causes. He was 91 years old. Mrs. England was born in Lunsford, Ark. on December 31, 1911, and had lived most of her lifetime in Trumann. She was a housewife and of the Pentecostal faith. Mrs. England was preceded in death by her husband, Marley Lawrence "M.L." England in 1983; one sister, six brothers and was the daughter of the late Ed and Ethel Cartt Richardson...

There will be a reunion planning meeting for the Class of '93 on Feb. 3, at the home of Christie Helton Dunman at 6:30 p.m. For more information call 483-5831.

The Trumann Chamber of Commerce recently held its annual banquet. At the banquet several awards were presented to area residents. Paul McAnally presented the Excellence in Agriculture award to Lee Ballard. Ballard, 37, is a Trumann native. He graduated from Trumann High School in 1985...

Makenzi Benton, the daughter of Vickie and Steve Benton of Trumann, won a contest held by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart was having a contest for kids to design a Hot Wheels car. The Trumann Wal-Mart sent all the entries to the headquarters in Bentonville for winner selection. Each Wal-Mart had a local winner that received a 2002 Collectors Edition set of Hot Wheels. The set contains 114 models many that are no longer in production...

A Town Meeting took place on Jan. 12 at the Old Community House in Trumann to inform the citizens of Trumann about an Active Living by Design Program. "Active living" is a way of life that integrates physical activity into a daily routine. The goal of this program is to accumulate at least 30 minutes of activity each day by walking, bicycling, playing, doing yard work or using recreational facilities...

On Jan. 13, Gosnell's senior girls defeated Trumann 38-28. Breah McCarty led Trumann with 15 points. Sarabeth Wray and Talia Payne added nine and five points, respectively. Manila defeated Trumann's seniors 53-34 on Jan. 20. McCarty led Trumann with 13 points...

The Bay senior boys defeated Swifton 91-77 on Jan. 14. Robby Bollinger led Bay with 20 points. Derek McMasters and Ryan Prince added 18 and 15 points, respectively. Marmaduke defeated Bay 73-58 on Jan. 15. McMasters led Bay with 22 points. Buffalo Island Central defeated Bay 75-65 on Jan. 21...

The Bay Lady Yellowjackets defeated Delaplaine 80-45 on Jan. 14. Jessica Moreno led Bay with 32 points. Jessica McMasters added 17 points. Lindsey Stewart and Amber McMasters chipped in 13 and 11, respectively. Valley View defeated Bay 69-53 on Jan. 17...

The St. Francis Lake Association held a meeting in December. That meeting concerned duck hunting on the St. Francis River. "It's not about duck blinds, about people but what the law says," then St. Francis Lake Association President Bobby Benson told a large group of gatherers. The concerned citizens had ventured out on a stormy night, with tornadoes being reported in the area, to discuss the issue...