Stories from Wednesday, March 12, 2003

TRUMANN - The Northeast Arkansas Duck Blind Committee met with area hunters on Friday, March 7, here to discuss the work they had been doing to help hunters keep their duck blinds in the St. Francis Water Management Area. "Gov. (Mike) Huckabee asked this committee to be formed (to write up) clear and concise statements for maintaining duck blinds on WMAs in Northeast Arkansas," said Trumann sportsman Barry Wood at the meeting. ...

TRUMANN - The Trumann Wildcats return five starters from a team that went to the semifinals of state last season. Those five are: Revis Kemper at shortstop and pitcher, Alex Henry as catcher, Zach Wilson in the infield, outfield and on the mound, Brent Maurizi as pitcher and on first base and Blake Wright in the outfield...

TRUMANN - The Trumann Lady Wildcats softball team will lose four seniors after this season. The team will lose first baseman Chelsea Barnhill, second baseman and catcher Janet Haner, pitcher Sarabeth Wray and Nicole Neeker, who has played many positions in her career...

Floyd Robert Bloodworth, Sr., 49, of Jonesboro, died March 3, 2003, at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro of natural causes. He was born in Watson and had lived in Jonesboro for the past two and a half years. He had lived most of his lifetime in Trumann and was formerly of Cabot. He was a truck driver and of the Assembly of God faith. He was preceded in death by two brothers and his parents, Ray Richard and Mary Jane Coots Bloodworth...

James "Red" Freeman I, 51, of Trumann, died March 4, 2003, at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro of natural causes. He was born in Dallas, Texas and had lived there most of his life before moving to Trumann 13 years ago. He was a self-employed painter and a Protestant. He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Jo Gill Long, and by one brother, Hershell Gill...

Marcella Higginbotham, 62, died Dec. 24, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Medical Center in Meridian. She was born in Alabama and lived most of her life in Trumann. She had made her home in Philadelphia for about seven years. She was of the Pentecostal faith. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Lee Green, in 1993 and her parents, Henry and Vera Estellee Gibbs...

Steve Roberts, the head football coach at Arkansas State University, spoke to the Trumann Rotary Club on Thursday. Two words that sum up ASU's football program now are "I will," Roberts said. "Everybody wants to be successful," Roberts said. "(But) being successful is much more of a decision than a desire."...

The Bay High School gym was the meeting place, Saturday, March 8, for a Save our School rally to oppose Gov. Mike Huckabee's plan for school consolidation. Bay civics teacher Barry Watkins and Student Council President Kenny Fields set up the rally...

HARRISBURG - In its first order of business here, on Monday, March 10, the Poinsett County Quorum Court passed Resolution No. 2003-01. The resolution which concerned consolidation in the county was sponsored by Justice of the Peace Carmack Sanders. The resolution addressed Gov. ...

Phil Roberts, a duck call maker and specialist, spoke at the second annual Wild Game Fest hosted by the Trumann First Baptist Church on Saturday, March 8. Roberts, dubbed the Duck Commander, began his sermon with a demonstration of duck calling techniques...

BAY - Compared to the 10 players that filled the roster last season, Bay has considerably more depth this season with 21 players on the roster. "Baseball in Northeast Arkansas is very good," said Bay baseball coach Mark Manchester. "In our region we've got six teams that could be state contenders. (There is) not an easy day. Everybody is so good. It will be hard to win every day. We expect to have a good season."...