Stories from Friday, August 29, 2003

What Bud Bingham began as a 400 acre farm in the floodways between Marked Tree and Payneway, just 25 years ago, has grown to a farming operation with 2,200 irrigated acres. Bud Bingham and his son, Paul, farm 1,085 acres of rice, 1,143 acres of soybeans and 400 acres of wheat...

The lawsuit of Kirk's Aviation, Inc. vs. the City of Marked Tree and Lawrence Ashlock, Jr. was settled early Tuesday morning in Helena, Ark. in the amount of $85,000 for the loss of a contract with the Arkansas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation. Plaintiff Ben Kirk was the only witness to take the stand on Monday, said one observer...

At a special called meeting of the Marked Tree Board of Education on Tuesday evening, Board members voted to table appointing a board member to fill the position recently vacated by R.J. Pitts. Pitts resigned from the Board on Friday afternoon, citing personal reasons as his reason for leaving the board. Pitts' zone covers all of the district south of Hwy. 63, including the Black Oak community and Hwy. 75...

The Tyronza City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss emergency measures for trash pickup and finalize a grant proposal for a fun park. The city's garbage truck has not been operational for a full day since the council meeting held on Aug. ...

The statewide, Association of Arkansas Counties Convention, was held August 12 through August 15, in Springdale, Arkansas. Poinsett County Officials who attended the meeting were Poinsett County Judge Doyle Hillis, Poinsett County Assessor Johnny Rye, Jr., Association of Arkansas Counties Board of Directors, Poinsett County Treasurer Lonene Edwards, Poinsett County Clerk Fonda Condra and Quorum Court Member Harold Blackwood...

A commodity distribution for Poinsett County residents is scheduled for Thursday, September 4, 2003. Distribution for the commodity foods will begin at 9 a.m. at three locations (3) Marked Tree Fire Station 1 Elm Marked Tree, AR, Harrisburg Senior Activity Center 110 E Street Harrisburg, AR and Weiner City Hall, Weiner, AR. All foods for this distribution are non-perishable...

The Community Christmas Committee is in the process of collecting information for the 2004 Community Birthday Calendar. The calendar will not only have birthdays, anniversaries and memorial listings, but also EPC sports dates, EPC school calendar, water bill due dates, Lions Club, Fire Department, City Council, Library News, EPC School board, business listings and holidays...

Cora Lee Mott, 97, of Marked Tree, formerly of Tyronza died last Wednesday at Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis. Mott, a member of the Tyronza Church of Christ is survived by her son, Earl Mott of Tyronza; one sister, Edna Spite of Meshawake, Ind.; seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren...

Louise Lizer Jones, 73, of Osceola died Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Osceola. She had lived in Mississippi County for more than 50 years and was a member of Green Acres Church of Christ in Osceola. Survivors include a son, Clifford Miller Sr. ...

Eddie Joe Coleman, 50, of Ocean Spring, Miss. died on Saturday, Aug. 16 at his residence. He was of the Baptist faith and a member of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Dart Association. Coleman was preceded in death by his parents, Ed Coleman and Virginia Townson...

Jimmie Williams Teague, 85, of Gilmore died on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2003 at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. A homemaker, Teague attended the Tyronza First United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her husbands Thomas C. Williams and Nolan Teague...

While many Northeast Arkansas football fans know about the playing careers of area players like Maurice Carthon and Elbert Shelley in the NFL, very few fans know that an area resident works the sidelines of the National Football League on a weekly basis...

With only four seniors and an undefeated district season last year, the East Poinsett County tennis team has prepared for the 2003 season ever since the 2002 season ended. Due to a recent change in the months that sports like softball and tennis being played from spring to fall in the state of Arkansas, three players on the team, Chris Cato, Daniel Collins and P.J. ...

The Marked Tree Youth Sports organization announced last week that they will start the 2003 soccer season on Sept. 6, with games in Marked Tree. The league, in its seventh year is divided into two divisions, Division 1 and Division 2. Division 1 is made up of players, ages 5-7, while Division 2 is made up of players, ages 8-12. ...