Stories from Tuesday, January 13, 2004

CAMP JOSPEH T. ROBINSON, Ark. - Nearly 40 citizen-soldiers from the Arkansas Army National Guard's 935th Support Battalion were honored last Monday in homecoming ceremonies held at Fort Chaffee and Camp Robinson. More than 130 soldiers from the 935th Support Battalion along with five other Army National Guard units were alerted December 27, 2002 and mobilized January 30, 2003 for Operation Noble Eagle/Armored Falcon to support the security mission at 12 Air Force installations in Arkansas, East Texas and Louisiana.. ...

Maxie Junior Layne, 80, of Blytheville died January 4. Layne was a retired electrician who was a Baptist and a WW II veteran. Layne was preceded in death by his wife, Lenora Kelling, and his daughter, Edna Saliba. Survivors include one son, Jerry Miller Layne of Blytheville; one daughter, Deloris Roberts of Blytheville; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren...

Climey Celess Kennedy, 82, of Marked Tree, died Monday, December 29, 2003, at Methodist Hospital Central in Memphis. She was a homemaker and a member of the Church of God in Marked Tree. Survivors include a stepson, Leon Kennedy of Kenosha, Wis.; and two stepdaughters, Nell Meyers of Silvis, Ill., and Helen Vanderford of Woodville, Fla...

Peggy Lou Christian, 53, of Luxora died Wednesday, December 31, 2003 at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis. She was a certified nursing assistant and of the Baptist belief. Survivors include one daughter, Peggy Cross of Luxora; two sisters, Sandy Daniels of Orlando, Fla., and Sarah Higginbottom of Wauchula, Fla.; one brother, Carl Daniels of Wauchula; and three grandchildren...

Betty Jane Davis, 68, of Marion died Friday, December 26, 2003, at Crittenden Memorial Hospital. She was a homemaker and was of the Baptist belief. Survivors include one daughter, Brenda York of Marion; one son, Eddie Davis of Rivervale; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren...

She was a homemaker who resided in Lepanto with her son and daughter-in-law, Kurron and Sue Turner. Mrs. Turner was the youngest of five children born to George F. and Maggie Lee Eubanks and a member of Red Oak Baptist Church. Survivors include one son, James Kurton Turner of Lepanto; one daughter, Pearl Dollar McGowan of Lepanto; one step-daughter, Katie Ruth Sprouse of Water Valley, Miss; 54 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren...

Jewell Turner, 75, of Dyess, died Friday, Jan. 3, at the Decatur General Hospital in Decatur, Ala. She was a homemaker of the Pentecostal faith. She was preceded in death by her husband George Turner. Survivors include one brother, Vernon Rogers of Portersville, Cal.; one son, Glenn Turner of Lepanto; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren...

Area officials, along with a railroad company were busy on New Year's Day, working to repair a railroad line damaged as three train cars, carrying coal overturned in Marked Tree. According to Joe Faust, a spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe, a series of train cars overturned in the Thayer south subdivision, two miles south of Marked Tree. ...

The following is a list of the events that shaped our area for the months of April, May and June of 2003: In April, Marked Tree mayor Lawrence W. Ashlock announced a plan to cut city expenses in an attempt to cut costs and streamline government. The Poinsett County Sheriff's Department announced the results of an internal and external survey to measure opinions of residents in Poinsett County and use those opinions to help improve law enforcement in the county...

In a surprise announcement at the annual Crowley's Ridge Development Council board of directors meeting, Bill and Carolyn Craft of Marked Tree were honored with the announcement that the head start center in Harrisburg will be renamed in their honor...

NEA Tournament at ASU Monday, Dec. 29 AAA-AAAA-AAAAA Boys EPC 51, Jonesboro 34 Nettleton 58, Blytheville 55 A-AA Boys BIC 81, Crawfordsville 55 Weiner 59, Riverside 50 AAA-AAAA-AAAAA Girls Pocahontas 50, Valley View 45 Rivercrest 56, Highland 43 A-AA Girls...

Boys 3A-4A-5A Team: Marcus Monk, EPC; P.J. Lacy, EPC; Daniel Collins, EPC; Justin McGarity, Nettleton; Tim Lamb, Nettleton; Ryan Williams, Jonesboro; Ronnie Tagge, Jonesboro; John Fowler, Blytheville; David Williams, Blytheville; Andrew Newsom, Brookland; Matt Noble, Manila; Jordan Wise, Manila; Jeremy Parnell, Gosnell...

Both the Marked Tree senior boys and girls basketball teams returned to action last Friday night, as they both traveled to Crawfordsville to face the Tigers in an important conference game. However, both the boys and girls teams were on opposite sides of victory and defeat as the senior girls defeated Crawfordsville 48-47, while the senior boys lost to Crawfordsville 65-56...

Tribune Sports Staff The East Poinsett County senior boys basketball team entered the recent Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament as the number two seed in the Class AAA-AAAA-AAAAA boys tournament, only behind the top seed Blytheville Chickasaws. However, a loss by Blytheville in the semifinals to number five seed Nettleton created an interesting match-up in the finals of the tournament, played at the ASU Convocation Center...

James Franklin Sparks, 60, of Harrisburg died Friday, January 2, 2004 in Bay Village. He was born at Grubbs and was a self-employed truck driver. He was a member of the Arbanna Baptist Church in Mountain View and an Army veteran. Survivors include two daughters, Sheila Annette Lapiar of Piedmont, Ala., and Michele Rogers of Pearl City, Fla., and three stepdaughters, Regina Lanfair of Twist, Jessica Herring of Jonesboro and Cheryl Hernandez of Brandon, Fla.; three stepsons, Eugene Lanfair and Randy Lanfair, both of Payneway and Allen Lanfair of Mountain View; three half sisters, Barbara Lynn Cantwell of Marked Tree, Debra Clayton of Harrisburg and Rheatha Sparks of Marked Tree; one stepsister, Nancy Smith of Harrisburg; one brother, Jimmy Sparks of Bay Village; one half brother, Bobby Sparks of Marked Tree; 27 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.. ...

J.C. Patterson, 65, of Chicago died Tuesday, December 23, 2003, at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Ill. He was a mechanic and of the Baptist belief. Survivors include his son, Jesse Patterson of Lafayette, Ind.; one daughter, Marilyn Johns of Chicago; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren...

Elizabeth Aline Oliver, 34, of Osceola died Saturday, December 27, 2003, near Osceola. She was a factory worker and a member of Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church. Survivors include her parents, Dorothy Hosley of Osceola and Fred Hosley Jr. of North Little Rock; one son, Artez Oliver of Osceola; two daughters, Kaleshia Oliver and Quintella Oliver, both of Osceola; two brothers, Issac Hosley of Little Rock and Phillip Yankaway of Las Vegas; four sisters, Annette Yankaway, Lucy Shelby and Stephanie Buford, all of Osceola, and Catrisa Hosley of Missouri; and one grandchild.. ...

The Bay Yellowjackets improved to 13-5 over the weekend by defeating Maynard, 91-75, in the opening round of the Kell Classic Saturday at Swifton, following a win over Walnut Ridge on Friday night at Bay, 63-58, in 3AA-North Conference action. Bay placed four players in double-digit scoring against Maynard. ...

Willa Louise Presley, 76, of Trumann died Sunday, Jan. 11, at Skill Care Nursing Center in Jonesboro. Born at Dennis, Miss., she lived most of her life in Trumann. She retired as a factory worker for American Greetings at Harrisburg and was a member of First General Baptist Church near Trumann...

Graveside services for James Franklin Sparks, 60, of Harrisburg, who died Friday, Jan. 2, were Monday, Jan. 5, 2004 St. James Cemetery at Mountain View. The Rev. Jim Chandler officiated, and Jackson's Harrisburg Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements...

She was a retired cafeteria worker for Lepanto High School and was a member of Corner Chapel Baptist Church and the Order of Eastern Star. Survivors include her husband, Alvin Terrell of the home; two sons, Alvin B. Terrell Jr. of Rockford, Ill., and Ronnie Shempert of the home; one daughter, Teresa Shempert of Jonesboro; and one granddaughter...

Mabel "LouElla" Meredith, 78, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Plantation Homes Retirement Center. Born at Athens, Ala., she was a homemaker and was a member of North Main Baptist Church. She had lived in Jonesboro since 1960. Survivors include one son, Keith Meredith of Jonesboro; two daughters, Lou Cudd and Cheryl Jowers, both of Jonesboro; one sister, Francis Upton of Trumann; five grandchildren, Steven Cudd, Winn Meredith and Jessica Jowers, all of Jonesboro, Tim Cudd of St. ...

Glenda Jean Daniel, 68, of Trumann died Tuesday, Jan. 6, at St. Bernard's Medical Center. Born at Trumann, she was a lifelong resident of Trumann. She was retired from the Singer Co. and was of the Baptist belief. Survivors include her husband, J.D. ...

Clarence "Gene" Moore, 87, of Bay died Thursday, Jan. 8, at Regional Medical Center of NEA. Born in what was then the Nettleton community, he was a Baptist and a retired custodian for the Nettleton School District. He was a World War II Army veteran...

BY CARIN MCCLUNG, Democrat News Staff The Trumann Wal-Mart Super Center is finally underway. After months of waiting, ground has been broken on the building. Keith Morris, a representative of Wal-Mart, said that the center is projected to be finished this summer. After completion of the building, it will take four to six weeks to stock the merchandise inside. It could possibly be late summer before the doors open for customers...

BY CARIN MCCLUNG, Democrat News Staff The Trumann School District unveiled its new tornado safe shelter on Monday, Jan. 12, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at the shelter. The $570,000 building was 75 percent funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 12.5 percent funded by Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and 12.5 percent funded by Trumann School District...

BY CARIN MCCLUNG, Democrat News Staff Many local children will soon have to hit the books in order to hit the road on their scooters. According to Arkansas law, riders of the motorized scooters must have a motorized bicycles certificate. "No child under ten years of age can possess a motorized bicycle operator certificate," said Major J.R. ...

Dr. Derrick Wood is a man who has a big heart to help others. Woods owns and operates Poinsett County Chiropractic Clinic in Trumann. His patients love him, and it does not take long to understand why. Wood, 32, is originally from Pine Bluff. After graduating from Watson Chapel High School in Pine Bluff, Wood obtained a bachelor's degree in microbiology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. In 1997, he received his master's degree from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas...

The Trumann senior girls basketball team tried unsuccessfully to fight off the invading Gosnell Pirates on Monday, Jan. 12. The Cats were off to a good start leading the first quarter, 10-9. Gosnell turned up the heat in the second leaving the hometown girls down by four, 27-23, at the half...