Stories from Thursday, September 16, 2004

Despite discouraging reports in state and area newspapers, the superintendents of both East Poinsett County and Marked Tree are excited about the accomplishments their schools have made in improving benchmark test scores. Both schools raised their scores substantially. ...

Eugene Wright, 90, of Lepanto died Saturday, Sept. 11, at Three Rivers Nursing Center at Marked Tree. He was a member of Revival Center Pentecostal Church of Lepanto. Survivors include three half sisters: Frankie Mathis and Madline Flippo, both of Corinth, Miss., and Johnnie Lou Peters of Kansas City, Mo.; three grandchildren: Kevin Wright, Dana Brown and Tarra Holt, all of Lepanto; and four great-grandchildren...

BY MICHAEL WILKEY Tribune Sports Staff The East Poinsett County senior high football team kicked off its 2004 season and district play, with a 36-0 victory over Earle last Friday night. In the game, played at Earle, both teams came into the game with expectations of playing good football. ...

After running rough-shod over the rest of the 3AA Conference the last several years, the Marked Tree Indians came back to the pack a little bit last season, giving up their crown after five consecutive championship campaigns and missing the state playoffs for the first time since 1997...

In a junior high football game that saw both teams combine for 70 points and move up and down the field, picking up a combined 634 total yards, it was the play of Cross County running back Craig Walker that provided the momentum in a 40-30 Cross County victory over EPC in junior high football action last Thursday night...

Two touchdowns from Earle quarterback Steve Meredith within a two-minute period in the fourth quarter provided the difference last Thursday as the Earle Jr. Bulldogs defeated the Marked Tree Jr. Indians 26-24 in junior high football action. In the game, played at Earle, Earle overcame a strong first half by Marked Tree, by scoring three times over a eight-minute period to capture the win. ...

Tribune Sports Staff While we are one week away from the 2004 Ryder Cup that pits the United States team versus a team from Europe, golfers from the two main golf clubs in Poinsett County battled last weekend for the 2004 Poinsett County Cup. A strong second day provided the difference as the team from the Trumann Country Club defeated the team from Three Rivers Country Club 17 ½ to 10 ½ to retain the cup...

Two avid golfers at Three Rivers Country Club have had a recent stroke of luck. Dr. D.L. Broadway and Dr. V.B. Smith, both of Marked Tree, have recently been successful in hitting a hole-in-one. Dr. Smith made a hole-in-one on June 11, just one day before his 79th birthday. ...

After wins over Marked Tree and Trumann in the past week, the East Poinsett County tennis team traveled to Jonesboro last week to face two of the top tennis teams in Northeast Arkansas, Class A Ridgefield Christian and Class AAA team Valley View. And EPC marked a check in the win column by defeating both Ridgefield Christian and Valley View last week...

Pauline Shempert, 83, of Booneville, Miss., formerly of Lepanto, died Friday, Sept. 10, at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. A homemaker, she was a Sunday School teacher at Little Brown Missionary Baptist Church in Booneville. Survivors include two sons: Dale Shempert of Batesville and Mike Shempert of Tyronza; six daughters: Bobbie Taylor of Cleveland, Texas, Shirley Reece and Suzy Brandon, both of Marietta, Miss., Mary Shempert of Memphis, Brenda Buerkle of Marked Tree, Pam Kirby of Tyronza; one sister: Nellie Vickers of Steele, Mo.; two brothers: Burdette Rollins of Kansas City, Mo., and Bill Rollins of Marcella; 12 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.. ...

Dennis Wayne Brannon, 55, of Lepanto died Monday, Sept. 6, at Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis. He was a farmer and a car salesman who received a Chrysler Gold Award for salesmanship. He was a Baptist. Survivors include a son, Scott Jones of Etowah; three daughters, Reanna Yarbrough of Trumann and Alicia Taylor and Tiffany Ann Brannon, both of Keiser; his mother, Geneva Brannon of Mountain View; a brother, Clint Brannon of Lepanto; and three grandchildren...

Children at Marked Tree Elementary School will be selling Classic Cookie Dough from Monday, Sept. 13 through Monday, Sept. 27. The cookie sales proceeds benefit a new awning on the school's bus loop or other school improvements. See an elementary school student to place your order...

There is good news for the youth of Marked Tree, particularly those who have participated in 4-H or are interested in learning more about the organization. According to Debbie DeRossitte, county extension agent of family and consumer sciences, a new 4-H community club is organizing in Marked Tree this month...

Tribune News Staff Members of a Marked Tree church, along with area elected officials gathered in Marked Tree last Sunday to formally dedicate a new church playground for children in Marked Tree. At the event, held on the grounds of the Marked Tree Church of God last Sunday, Rev. ...

Obesity has been a hot topic lately thanks to Governor Huckabee's launch of the Healthy Arkansas program in May. Citizens across the state are being challenged to take a look at their eating and exercise habits and how their lifestyle is affecting their health and their future...

Tribune News Staff Elected officials and area residents gathered in Marked Tree last Saturday morning to mark a sad chapter in this nation's history, with the dedication of a new flag pole at Marked Tree Cemetery. The flag pole, with a United States flag adorning the pole was donated by the Modern Woodsmen of America, a non-profit insurance company that is known for its support of veterans and the United States military. ...

Anticipation is building in Marked Tree as the annual Delta Cotton Pickin' Jubilee draws nearer. The event will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Cypress Park. The Jubilee will feature a variety of arts and crafts booths as well as food booths. There will be a horseshoe tournament and stick pony races for the children. A carnival will run for the length of the event and will include a rock climbing wall...

Tribune News Staff The controversial issue of test scores was the issue of choice Monday night at the monthly meeting of the East Poinsett County School Board. In the meeting, held on the Tyronza campus, the board heard from Supt. Mickey Pierce and administrators at the EPC-Lepanto Elementary, EPC High School and EPC-Tyronza Elementary, who broke down the numbers for board members. ...

Youth sports was a main topic of discussion at the Marked Tree City Council's regular meeting Monday night. The council heard from Wayne Dunn of Marked Tree who spoke about the program's needs. Dunn asked the council for help in establishing a committee that could develop a plan for building new fields and facilities...

School board elections for Marked Tree and EPC school districts are set for Tuesday, Sept. 21. Polls will open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Marked Tree school board has one contested race. Roger Dale Smith is running for the zone four position against write-in candidate Vickie Green. Ira Lee Whitfield, Sr. is running uncontested for the zone two seat...

Trumann Police Department detective, Lt. Jerry Foster is warning local business against cashing certain payroll checks due to a check scam. He said payroll checks proclaiming to be from the Cracker Barrel company have been attempted to be cashed at a local bank and business by a Hispanic male...

This year's Wild Duck Festival dates have been moved back a week. The festival has traditionally been the first full weekend of October. This year the festival will be on Friday, Oct. 8 and Saturday, Oct. 9. Activities will be centered at the Trumann Recreation Center on Pecan Grove Rd. in Trumann...

Booths and parade entries are still available; booths are $15 without electricity and $20 with. Parade entries are FREE!! For more info on booths, Nancy Robbins can be contacted at 935-8518. Any group or club that would like to be in the parade, can call 781-9490 or by emailing baypht@yahoo.com...

Poinsett Country Circuit Clerk, Claudia Matthews, releases the following names drawn as prospective petit jurors for the September / October session of Poinsett County Circuit Court Criminal Division. Judge Gerald Pearson of Jonesboro and Judge David Burnett of Osceola will be presiding...

The Trumann High School Wildcat Battalion will host a grand opening of the JROTC Confidence Course. The course, designed to build confidence, features a high wall and a rope event. There is a total of sixteen obstacles on the course. The grand opening will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at the course. The course is located next to the girl's softball field behind Cedar Park Elementary...

The Trumann Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the "Miss Mallard" Beauty Pageant at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 in the Trumann High School Auditorium. There will be awards given for beauty, best dressed, stage personality and photogenic. This pageant is open to boy's ages 0- 4 years and girls ages 0 -- 18 years. ...

Lorena Farnum of Trumann celebrated a feat that most of us will never accomplish; she celebrated her 100th birthday last Wednesday, Sept. 8 at the Methodist Church in Trumann. Farnum was born in Poplar Bluff, Mo. After living all over the US including Memphis, and Los Angeles, Calif. She decided to settle in Trumann...

Aug. 2 - Christ Miller of Trumann was charged with speeding. Jerry W. Carter of Trumann was charged with speeding. Joseph D. Adams of Bay was charged with disregard RR signal. Aug. 3 - Michael J. New of Jonesboro was charged with speeding. Krystal G. Briggs of Memphis was charged with speeding...