Stories from Wednesday, February 12, 2003

During the week of Feb. 3, each morning Allie Nixon pulled around a large bucket in a red wagon collecting donations. Students were asked to bring in their change to make a donation. Make A Wish Foundation grants wished to children suffering from different illnesses. The wishes have been anything from meeting a celebrity to going to Disney World. Each wish granted to a child costs approximately $5,000. A child must be nominated by a family member to have a wish granted...

The Lady Wildcats downed Harrisburg's Lady Hornets 43-34 on Feb. 3. Sarabeth Wray led the Lady Cats with 15 points. She hit three treys. On Feb. 7, Gosnell defeated Trumann 56-35. Talia Payne led Trumann with 14 points and Breah McCarty added 10 points...

BAY - Bay's junior and senior boys' teams swept Rector here Friday night in what was homecoming games for Bay. The Bay Yellowjackets defeated the Rector Cougars 60-50. The Yellowjackets came out strong and held the Cougars 19-7 after the first quarter of play. The Cougars struggled getting the ball down the floor against the Jackets' full-court defense...

Trumann's senior boys defeated Rivercrest 71-52 on Feb. 4. Alex Henry led the Wildcats with 28 points. Jerome Thigpen and Arron Bentley added 16 and 14 points, respectively. For Rivercrest, Aaron Smith put 18 points on the scoreboard and Willie Davis added 12 points...

Robert Willis Coin, 75, of Alton, Mo. died Feb. 6, 2003, at the Baxter County Hospital in Mountain Home. Coin and his wife, Shirley, owned and operated a dairy farm for many years. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather, who loved the lord. He very much enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert J. and Ola Willis-Coin; one sister, Eugenia Owen and one brother, Carl Coin...

Pauline Nearns, 71, of Trumann, died Feb. 6, 2003, at the Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro of natural causes. She was born in Moro and had lived in West Memphis before moving to Trumann five years ago. She was a retired seamstress and member of the Christian Worship Center in Trumann. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne "Buddy" Boyd in 1999 and her parents, Clenny and Mattie King Camp...

Jane Eudora Stewart, 60, died Feb. 7, 2003, at the Regional Medical Center of Arkansas in Jonesboro of natural causes. She was born in Bassett and had lived in Trumann for the past six months and was formerly of Marion. She worked as an operator for Coca Cola and was of the Pentecostal faith. She was preceded in death by two sisters, one brother and her father, Lonnie Reeves...

Mr. Willie Alvin Thompson of Lake City, Ark., passed away February 4, 2003 at St. Bernards Medical Center. He was 63 years old. Mr. Thompson lived in Lake City all his life. He was a supervisor at Singer in Trumann. Mr. Thompson was a member and Deacon of Refuge General Baptist Church in Lake City and served as treasurer of the church building fund. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge in Lake City. His father, Harvey Alvin Thompson, preceded him in death...

The Crowley's Ridge Development Council (CRDC) Board of Directors will meet in regular session at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 20, at the CRDC Head Start Complex, 213 N. Fisher St. in Jonesboro. Board members from the eight-county CRDC service area will gather at that time to act on matters affecting the numerous community service programs supported by the agency...

Effie Dungan, the president of the Trumann Alumni Association, spoke to the Trumann Rotary Club on Thursday. Dungan, who has taught school for 32 years, said the organization formed in 1996. The organization currently has 268 members with some members now living in California, Indiana and Michigan...

The Bay School Board tabled review on bids on new seating in the high school gymnasium indefinitely at the Feb. 10 meeting. "I just think we need to table it right now," board member Bobby Southard said. "I just think the money we spend needs to go to something necessary like the elementary roof."...

TRUMANN - Arron Bentley signed a national letter of intent to play football for the University of Memphis Tigers at the Trumann High School Library on Wednesday, Feb. 5. "I look forward to playing there," Bentley said. "They were the only school that stuck with me through the whole recruiting process," Bentley said, explaining his reason for choosing the University of Memphis. Its location was also a key factor, Bentley said...