Stories from Tuesday, June 20, 2006

The Carver Center Gym was again at the front of everyone's minds as the Marked Tree City Council met in regular session Monday, June 12. Larry Crockett, former caretaker of the facility, addressed the council about the residents' concerns about the recent closure of the gym's parking lot...

"We'll be back in a couple of weeks," Cheryl Laden, co-owner of Lepanto Auctions said yesterday about the damage done to the business in what was consider by most to be a tornado Saturday afternoon. "It got us worse than anyplace else, but we'll be back."...

Devin Howington, a Lepanto native and senior at Hendrix College in Conway, recently got the chance to find out what's on the minds of college students in China during a two-week cultural tour over summer break. Howington, daughter of Harvey Howington and Jerri Bonds of Lepanto, was among a group of eight Hendrix students and two professors who traveled through China May 23 to June 6...

John L. "Buck" Franks, Jr., 72, of Pine Bluff and former resident of Rivervale, died Sunday, June 11 at his home. He was born December 20, 1933, in Lepanto to John L. Franks, Sr. and Bessie Crutchfield Franks. He was reared and received his early education in Lepanto...

Ronald "Soapy" Thompson, 54, of Marked Tree died June 17 at his residence. He was preceded in death by his parents Cread and Pauline Thompson. He is survived by his son Ron Thompson of Marked Tree; onE daughter, Andrea Howard of Trumann; two brothers: Tommy Thompson of Burdette and Jim Thompson of Marked Tree; two sisters: Gloria Cox of Fulton, Ky. and Donna Green of Marked Tree...

Tribune Sports Staff Athletes from around the state will be converging on Fayetteville this week for the Arkansas High School Coaches Association 51st All-Star Games. Teams from the eastern half of the state will be competing with teams from the west for bragging rights and for a last shot at impressing college scouts, since the game is for graduating seniors only...

Tribune Sports Staff On July 20-26, Trumann will be joining the likes of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla,; Jakarta, Indonesia; Paderborn, Germany and Brossard, Quebec as they host the Southwest Regional Little League Tournament. The winner of this tournament will go on to compete in the Big League Word Series to be held July 29 to August 5 in Easley, S. Car...