Stories from Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Tribune News Staff In a short meeting Monday night, the Lepanto City Council voted to approve the appointment of two Lepanto residents to a local board and discussed the possibility of instituting a half-cent sales tax in the community to pay for dispatchers at the police department...

It was a busy week for the Marked Tree baseball team, as they won four games and tied for one last week. After an 8-2 loss to Rivercrest last Monday, Marked Tree battled back last Tuesday, with a road game against the Brookland Bearcats. The Indians had an offensive explosion on the way to a 10-1 victory over the 3AAA-North team. ...

Tribune Sports Staff With its win last Saturday over Osceola, the East Poinsett County senior boys basketball team won the Class AAA state title, but the win also intensified a debate in Northeast Arkansas and the state of Arkansas. Is EPC the number one overall team in the state?...

Tribune Sports Staff The East Poinsett County senior boys basketball team ended a spectacular season last Saturday, by capturing the Class AAA State Basketball Championship with a resounding 77-45 victory over the Osceola Seminoles. In the game, played before 8,954 basketball fans at Alltel Arena in North...

Tommy Smith, 72, of Joiner died March 8, 2004 of cancer at Methodist Central Hospital in Memphis. Smith, born July 16, 1931, was a retired factory worker and a Baptist. Smith was survived by his wife Adeline Smith; two daughters: Brenda Delaney of Marion and Selena Smith of Houston, Tex.; two sons: Jerry Smith of Luxora and Tommy Smith III of Houston, Tex.; one sister: Bernice Harris of Chicago, Ill; two brothers: J.C. ...

Maggie Bell Hulett, 104, of Osceola died March 12, 2004 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Osceola. Hulett, a retired storeowner was born Feb. 1, 1900 in Kent, Miss. Hulett, a member of St. Mark AME Church in Osceola is survived by two nieces, Mozetta and Della Whitfield of Osceola and three nephews, Luther Whitfield of Osceola, Alonzo McDonald of St. Louis and Frisco McDonald of Pine Bluff. Hulett was also survived by one brother, John Cargo of Washington, DC...

Mack Daniel Johnson II, 79, of Marked Tree died Thursday, March 11, at Johnson-Hobson Nursing Home at Marion. He was a member of Central Baptist Church and Masonic Lodge No. 766. Survivors include three sons, Mack Daniel "Danny" Johnson III of Marked Tree, Donnie Johnson of Warner Robbins, Ga., and Ricky Johnson of Marion; two daughters, Faye Andrews of West Memphis and Ruby Steen of Marion; one sister, Carrie Freymeyer of Hughes; one brother, Donald Rhinehart of Marked Tree; 10 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.. ...

Leroy Lynch, Sr., 86, of Osceola died last Saturday at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis. Lynch, a resident of Osceola Health Care was born on Dec. 17, 1913 in Louisville, Ms. He was a retired factory worker and was a Baptist. Lynch is survived by one son, Leroy Lynch, Jr. of Gahanna, Ohio, one cousin, Jamie Jefferson of Osceola and one grandchild...

Eddie "Peabody" Caldwell, Jr., 57, of Osceola died last Sunday at the Methodist Hospital in Memphis. Caldwell, a yard worker and member of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church was born March 14, 1947 at Wilson, Arkansas. Caldwell is survived by his wife, Georgia Mae Caldwell of Sacramento, Ca.; three daughters, Annie Caldwell of St. ...

Tribune News Staff In its meeting last Tuesday night, the Tyronza City Council had an open discussion over the use and work of the city's Fire Department ambulance. In the meeting, held at the Tyronza City Hall, council members heard from Mayor Marion Bearden about the situation with the ambulance. ...

The Marked Tree Police Department announced this week the arrest of six area individuals on drug-related charges, stemming from the discovery of a methamphetamine lab inside the city limits. Det. Mark Robinson of the Marked Tree Police Department told the Tri-City Tribune that the MTPD received information last Monday night that a person, being sought on felony charges stemming from a March 1 incident in Marked Tree was hiding at a nearby motel...

Tribune News Staff It only takes a few moments for one to realize Mary's Smith's focus in life. She is about family. From being one of six children to having four children of her own, it is no wonder that Smith loves being part of a close family. Smith was born in 1938 in Tyronza and graduated from Marked Tree High School in 1965. ...

Tribune News Staff The Tyronza Police Department recently received word that they are the recipient of a grant from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to purchase equipment for the department. The grant, worth $1,196 was awarded to the department through the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program, which assists local and county law enforcement agencies in the United States with needs in their respective departments...

With the sounds of whistles and fans gone from basketball season, a leading Arkansas baseball publication states that area teams have a chance to battle for their respective district titles. According to Xtra Innings: Arkansas Baseball, the state's leading authority on high school baseball, the Bay Yellowjackets, Marked Tree Indians and Trumann Wildcats are picked near the top of both the 3AAA-South and 3AA-South...

Monday, March 8 Baseball Bay 14, Armorel 2 BIC 6, Westside 1 Manila 7, Rector 1 Rivercrest 8, Marked Tree 2 Trumann 5, Cross County 3 Valley View 4, Brookland 3 Softball EPC 11, Armorel 10 Hoxie 22, Walnut Ridge 3 Trumann 18, GCT 0 (First Game) Trumann 14, GCT 2 (Second Game)...