Stories from Wednesday, January 2, 2008

BY CARIN MCCLUNG, Democrat News Staff Trumann has a new police officer of the year. Chief Larry Blagg recently presented Sgt. Anthony Dale Parker with a plaque pronouncing him Trumann Police Department's officer of the year. Sgt. Parker joined TPD in January of 2003...

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Hooker of Trumann are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Tara Elizabeth to Anthony "Tony" Story, son of Mr. and Mrs. Rick Story of Jonesboro. The bride elect is a graduate of Trumann High School and Arkansas State University, where she received a bachelor of science degree in journalism. ...

A new website has been established to aid in the preservation of information of our ancestors, Arkansas Gravestones, http://arkansasgravestones.org. There is no charge for use of the website and users may submit photographs to be included on the site...

Crowley's Ridge Development Council (CRDC) Inc. will begin accepting applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Applications will be taken at 402 Market Street from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., being closed for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays...

Bobby Ray Smith, 60, of Trumann died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007 at the family residence in Trumann. Mr. Smith was born in Trumann and was a lifetime member of the Trumann area. He was a factory worker. He was preceded in death by one sister, Melba Stevens; two brothers, James Lee Smith and Lucion Leonard Smith and his parents, Mack H. and Omer Edna Willcockson Smith...

Paul Edward Allred, 56, died Monday, Dec, 17, 2007, at the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott. He was born on Thursday, May 17, 1951, son of the late Robert Holston and Gracie Earlene Baine Allred. He was born in Harrisburg and had lived most of his lifetime in Trumann. He was disabled, a veteran of the U.S. Army and of the Church of God belief...

Neva LaVerne Hickman, 86, was born on Thursday, Nov. 10, 1921, daughter of the late Logan and Neva Workman Coker. She died Sunday, Nov. 16, 2007 at NEA Baptist Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born in Harrisburg and had lived most of her lifetime in the Central Community near Harrisburg before moving to Jonesboro in 2004. She was a homemaker and a member of the County Line Church of Christ...

Bryon Landis Long, 41, of Harrisburg, died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007 at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro. Mr. Long was born in Trumann and had lived his lifetime in the Trumann and Harrisburg area. Mr. Long was self employed as a Acoustical Ceiling Tile installer and of the Church of Christ faith...

Carl Dewayne Stevens, 60, died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007, at his residence. He was born Dec. 23, 1947, at Jonesboro. He worked as a piano assembly worker. He was a Vietnam veteran, serving in the United States Army. He liked the outdoors, hunting, fishing and camping...

David Creekmore died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007, at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born in Parkin and had lived in Trumann for the past 30 years. He was a retired farmer and of the Assembly of God faith. Mr. Creekmore was preceded in death by one granddaughter and his parents, M.H. and Dovie Mae Martin Creekmore...

Todd Maness, 46, of Lepanto died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007. He was of the Baptist belief and a retired construction worker. Survivors include his wife, Evylen Maness; two daughters: April Maness and Angela Maness; his parents, A. J. Maness and Bonnie Adams; and one brother, Tony Maness...

Autumn and Wes Osment of Trumann are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Dalaney Renea Osment. She was born at 1:57 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2007 at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She has one big brother, Drew. Her grandparents are Bill and Peggy Biggers, Gaylon and Kim Muse, Lynn Osment and Freddie and Jan Osment. Her great-grandparents are Glen and Imogene Muse, Maxine Osment and Orval Parnell...

Don and Ann Marie Karaki are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Madelyn Bennett Fumi Karaki. Madalyn was born at 5:53 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. She weighed seven pounds and seven ounces and was 19 and ˝ inches long...

April 4 - The Trumann community mourned the death of former Mayor Jack Edwin Coggins. Coggins, a former pharmacist and Trumann businessman, served two terms as mayor and also served on the Poinsett County Quorum Court. Preceded in death by a son, Jerry Edward Coggins, he is survived by his wife of 56 years, Erin Coggins, and two sons, Jack Jr. of Batesville and John of Cabot. He was 77...

Brenda Shinall hopes that one day donating blood for the American Red Cross will be a chain-wide activity for the Movie Gallery chain. But, for now, she's proud that the Movie Gallery in Trumann has just completed its second annual Red Cross Blood Drive...

County Clerk Fonda Condra recently announced that petitions are available at the clerk's office for filing for the Nonpartisan Judicial office of District Court Judge. For candidates filing by petition, the filing periods begins at noon Jan. 17 and ends at noon Jan. 31...

More than 11 million Americans receive home-delivered healthcare from home health providers. In their honor, Crittenden Regional Hospital Home Care and Hospice recently joined the National Association for Home Care & Hospice in recognizing those that work in the home healthcare and hospice profession...

I enjoy getting an extra day or so off a week during the Christmas and New Year's holidays, but it throws me way off. I never seem to know what day it is. My regular normal life is so regimented on certain days of the week, that when I shift and do things on a different day I am all off kilter...

The Poinsett County Sheriff's Office is hosting a part time II Auxiliary Officer Certification Course. The course will begin at 6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 4 and be each Tuesday and Thursday night thereafter. Each class will range in length from two to four hours...

Shawn Michael Marrs, 735 Hurd Street, was arrested on Dec. 20 by Det. Sgt. Jonathan Skaggs. He was charged with possession of controlled substance (meth), possession of drug paraphernalia, DWI drugs, driving without a license and careless and prohibited driving...

Week of Jan. 7 -- 11 Monday -- Chili dog, chips, Mexican corn, pudding, tropical fruit and milk. Tuesday -- spaghetti, toss salad, baby carrots, garlic bread, diced peaches and milk. Wednesday -- chicken nuggets, potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls, pineapple and milk...

It's officially 2008! I know people get agitated when a 26 year old mentions feeling old, but I do feel old! 2008 sounds like something out of a science fiction movie to me. However, the funny sounding year does mark a few milestones for me. The start of 2008 marks the beginning of my fifth year working at the newspaper. ...

Whether you like it or not sometimes there are slip-ups or mistakes or problems that you did not plan for… Friday became one of those days when my editor, Samantha, called after four o'clock. I'd just gotten home from the office and was in the backyard playing with the dogs...

Sammie Charlene Shelton, 80, of Marked Tree, died Monday evening at Craighead County Nursing Center where she had resided briefly. Born in Risco, Mo., Mrs. Shelton moved to McCormick in 1958 and then to Marked Tree in 1963. She was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church in Marked Tree...