Stories from Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Residents gathered in the pleasant but chilly weather Saturday night in Lepanto to participate in the 16th annual Christmas parade. Many area churches and businesses decorated floats to ride in the parade. The "Santa's Workshop" float, decorated by the Revival Center and youth minister Will Pulley, won first place. ...

Both East Poinsett County and Marked Tree picked up the post-season hardware as nine players from EPC received All-District honors and five players from Marked Tree received All-District honors. In addition, two players from EPC received All-State honors and were selected to participate in the Arkansas State High School All-Star Football Game next year in Little Rock...

Tribune Sports Staff A holiday tradition in Northeast Arkansas starts this Saturday, with the start of the 2004 Northeast Arkansas Invitational Basketball Tournament in Jonesboro. Held at the ASU Convocation Center on the campus of Arkansas State University, the tournament is divided into four separate divisions, with two divisions each in boys and girls play. ...

Tribune Sports Staff With the conclusion of the 2004 college football season just two weeks away, former EPC and current University of Arkansas wide receiver Marcus Monk has been honored with several national honors for his work, both on and off the field...

Mon., Dec. 6 Senior Boys BIC 57, GCT 51 Highland 69, Pocahontas 47 Senior Girls Bay 63, Marmaduke 53 BIC 61, Walnut Ridge 23 Piggott 59, Rector 40 Rivercrest 66, Manila 40 Riverside 45, Brookland 37 Trumann 57, Harrisburg 49 Junior Girls Manila 50, Rivercrest 47...

In addition to playing regular season games last week, both the East Poinsett County and Marked Tree boys basketball teams each participated in separate tournaments, held at Cherry Valley and Marked Tree. East Poinsett County traveled to Cross County last week to participate in the 2004 Cross County Invitational Tournament, facing three teams over a six-day period. ...

Tribune Sports Staff It was a clean sweep for East Poinsett County last Tuesday night as the junior boys, senior girls and senior boys all defeated Marked Tree in high school basketball action in Lepanto. At the senior boys game, held at Warrior Gym in Lepanto, EPC overcame a slow start in the first quarter and used a strong run in that quarter to build a lead. ...

William Norman, 82, of Marked Tree died Thursday, Nov. 25, at NEA Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born at Moscow, Tenn., he moved from Memphis to Marked Tree 13 years ago. A World War II veteran, he was a former minister of Industrial Street Church of Christ at Marked Tree...

Shawn Dale Isaacs, 27, of Lepanto died Thursday, Dec. 2, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Osceola. Survivors include his parents, Winford Dale and Beverly Isaacs of Lepanto; a brother, Jayme Ray Isaacs of Lepanto; and his maternal grandmother, Lawanda Towns of Beebe...

Wilburn Carroll, 64, of Tyronza died Thursday, Dec. 9, at Waldenburg. He was the foreman for the road department in Poinsett County and a member of Neiswander Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Carollan Carroll of Tyronza; two sons, Brent Patrick Carroll of Marked Tree and Barry Scott Carroll of Clinton; three stepsons, Michael Ferguson, David Ferguson and Mark Ferguson, all of Tyronza; two sisters, Elaine Smith of Mountain View and Emogene Cotrell of Marked Tree; two brothers, Lawson Carroll and Donnie Carroll, both of Mountain View; seven grandchildren, Dixon Carroll, Weston Carroll, Lauren Ferguson, Lyndsey Ferguson, Conner Ferguson, Brenna Ferguson and Hanna Ferguson.. ...

The recently released facilities study was a major topic of conversation at the Marked Tree School Board meeting held Monday night. Superintendent Gary Masters made a special presentation to the board about the report and its implications for the district...

Tribune News Staff At its monthly meeting Monday night, the East Poinsett County Board of Education heard from an official from Little Rock who gave an overview of the facilities study that was recently released by a panel looking into the issue. At the meeting, held on the Lepanto campus, the board heard from Dave Floyd, who was appointed Monday to serve as the Interim Director for School Facilities by the Arkansas Department of Education. ...

Tribune News Staff Marked Tree Schools Supt. Gary Masters gave an overview of the massive facilities review study released last week at the weekly meeting of the Marked Tree Rotary Club last Wednesday. At the meeting, held at the Marked Tree First United Methodist Church, Masters spoke to the group about work that Marked Tree has done in the past few years in helping to meet standards and control spending at the district...

It is a special privilege to come to work each morning knowing one's job is to help others better themselves. Barry Wells is one such privileged man. Wells, 43, is one of the newest members of the Crowley's Ridge Development Council. He is currently serving as the family services specialist for the Poinsett County Family Services Center located in Marked Tree...

Melvin Crogan Tucker, 69, of Trumann died Friday, Dec. 10, 2004 at NEA Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born in Etowah, he lived most of his life in Trumann. He was a retired farmer, Army veteran of the Korean War and a member of Melton Avenue Church of Christ...

Buford Wilson, 85, passed away on Dec. 11, 2004 at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro of natural causes. He was born in Blytheville and had lived in Trumann for the past 11 years and was formerly of Weona. He was a retired farmer, served in the Marine Corp. in World War II, wounded in battle at Iwo Jima and a member of the Christian Worship Center in Trumann...

Dear editor, Thanks for printing my letters at times in the Democrat. Many had asked me to send letters to the Democrat when I saw something that knew about people or etc. Enclosed is a recipe of my mother's Jam Cake which is a real holiday cake that is real rich and delicious. ...

The TONE (Teens of Northeast) Conference recently took place in Jonesboro. TONE is a teen leadership training that is conducted every December. This nationally acclaimed conference originated from the dreams and ideas of Greene County's Teens Are Concerned (TAC) group. ...

The Trumann Area Chamber of Commerce believes that any community, in order to grow and be a better place to work and live, needs individual citizens who put forth extra effort in serving the community. The Chamber wants to recognize this effort and award an outstanding citizen each year at the annual banquet...

Nellie Muriel Johnson, 87, of Trumann, formerly of Lepanto, died Friday, Dec. 10, 2004 at Trumann Health and Rehabilitation Center in Trumann. Born in Pleasant Plains, she had lived the past 49 years in Trumann. She was a retired factory worker and a member of the Assembly of God in Trumann...