Stories from Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Khyle Desmedt will be facing trial next week for charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault. The charges stem from an incident last November when the 16 year old allegedly shot William Lytle, 22, of Trumann. The incident occurred on Elm Street where officers said Lytle was shot in the groin with a rifle. According to police reports, Desmedt also threatened two other individuals with the rifle before discharging the weapon and shooting the victim...

The Miracles, a choir of musically gifted adults with intellectual disabilities, will perform at 7 p.m. March 12 at the East Side Baptist Church. The choir is made up of 26 men and women who live at the Baddour Center, a community for adults with intellectual disabilities located in Senatobia, Miss. ...

March 10 -- 14 Monday -- spaghetti, toss salad, corn, garlic bread, pudding, fruit and milk. Tuesday -- chicken or baked ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, wheat bread, diced peaches and milk. Wednesday -- mini corn dogs, macaroni and cheese, buttered carrots, cookies, fruit and milk...

I am a person of faith, but I also consider myself to be a pretty logically based person as well. I'm not quick to be given to fanciful stories of the supernatural type. And those that I do encounter I am always careful to weigh against the Bible. If the experience described in contrary to what scripture says, then well, I just don't put any stock in it...

Each year, Arkansans improve the environmental quality of life across the state by volunteering in the national Keep America Beautiful® Great American Cleanup in Arkansas. This year's spring cleanup campaign, which is coordinated and promoted by Keep Arkansas Beautiful (KAB), a Keep America Beautiful state affiliate, will begin March 4 with a national kickoff event in Sacramento, Calif., and run through May 31...

Free scrapbooking classes will be taught at Trumann High School beginning Tuesday, March 4. Classes will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., March 4, 6, 11, 13, and 17 in the THS library. Area seventh -- 12th grade students and adults are invited to attend. Each participant will be provided free scrapbooks, decorative scrapbooking papers, glue, embellishments, stickers, borders, etc...

Taiera M. Barnes, of 11814 Combs LN in Trumann was arrested by Officer Brad Felkins of the Poinsett County Sheriff's Office, on Feb. 22, 2008. Officer Brad Felkins arrived at 11814 Lane to conduct a probation search. This was the residence of Johnny and Taiera Barnes. Felkins informed Barnes that he was going to conduct a probation search. Also present at the residence was John Holms and Leslie Corter, in addition to Barnes' seven small children...

I am not a morning person. Anyone who knows me can attest to that fact. In my younger days, I attempted to get five children off to school every morning without having to talk to them. It's a little hard to do. We went to church with a family that was almost perfect. ...

I've seen several tillers in the backs of trucks this past week. This is a sign that gardening plans are on the horizon. If we can get a few days without rain, and weather like we had this past weekend the garden spots will begin to rapidly take shape...

The 1998 graduating class of Trumann High School is meeting on Saturday, March 15 to discuss plans for their upcoming reunion. All members of the class are invited to attend the noon meeting at Couch's BBQ in Trumann. Those who are members of the class of 1998, or have contact information for a member, are asked to please contact Autumn McDaniel at 926-5789...

A city wide clean up is set for the week of March 24. The city is encouraging citizens to clean up storm debris and other item miscellaneous items around their homes and in their yards during this week. To have the city crew pick up the items, residents should place them by the curb and contact the mayor's office at 483-5355 for information on when the pick up day will be for each city ward...

The Holy Trinity Church of God, 119 Poplar, is Trumann's newest church. The church would like to invite the public to come join a service with them. Church pastor is David Adams. Service times are at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday and at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Those needing more information may call the church at 870-563-3661...

Rev. Elvie Garland Smith, 90, died Tuesday, Feb.26, 2008, at the family residence in Fort Smith. He was born on Sunday, Nov. 11, 1917, son of the late George Lee and Eliza Jane Thompson Smith in Alton, Mo. He had lived in Fort Smith for the past nine years and was formerly of Trumann where he lived most of his lifetime. ...

Jessie Griffith, 96, a lifelong resident of Bay, died Monday, Feb. 25, 2008, at Trumann. She was a member of Bay Church of Christ and survived by a stepson, Lacy Griffith, and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services were Feb. 28 at Emerson Memorial Chapel with Tim Wilkes officiating and burial to follow at Oaklawn Cemetery with Emerson Funeral Home in charge of arrangements...

March 1 to April 1 is a good time to plant Irish potatoes in this area. It is best to get them in the ground by the first of April so they will have time to mature before hot weather arrives. The seeds for this spring harvest are either small whole potatoes or larger potatoes cut to include at least one eye. Planting seeds should come from certified seed potatoes...

Sunday I witnessed something that was so awesome, it made me puke. Last summer a wild cat adopted me and my husband, James. She just showed up on our porch one day and pretty much has stayed there ever since. She may have sought out a home, because she was pregnant and our porch looked nice...

East Arkansas Planning and Development District (EAPDD) announced Friday the availability of $250,000 in funds to be awarded as grants to nonprofit organizations serving communities in the twelve counties served by the District. These funds are General Improvement Funds appropriated to EAPDD in the 2007 legislative session...

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 9. This is the second year that the United States has had a longer DST period as mandated in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The act extended Daylight Saving Time by one month. Now running from the second Sunday in March through the first Sunday of November, Daylight Saving Time is not a new concept. Benjamin Franklin was one of the first to suggest it. It was a controversial idea even in colonial times...

Mark Davis, 37, of Harrisburg said this week that he would seek a third term as Poinsett County Coroner in the May 20 Democratic Primary. Davis, a native of Harrisburg, is an Emergency Medical Technician with Medic One Ambulance Service. Prior to joining Medic One, Davis operated his owned his own ambulance service and sold his business to Medic One in 2007. He has been an EMT now for 12 years...

Free boater's education classes will be taught at Trumann High School beginning Monday, March 10. Classes will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. nightly March 10-14 and again on March 17 in the ROTC classroom. Attending these classes will allow participants to gain certification to operate a boat from Arkansas Game and Fish. ...

An open discussion workshop about agritourism will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27 at the Marked Tree Delta Area Museum, Representatives from the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, National Agricultural Law Center, Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism and UA Division of Agriculture will be on-hand to provide information on legal/liability issues, marketing/advertising issues and hospitality tips for agritourism enterprises as well as other issues they face on a daily basis.. ...

The novel, The Whiskey Killing, by H.R. Williams of Trumann, delves straight into the story with the murder of Edwin Mayhew. The more the reader progresses into the book, the more the life of Mayhew unfolds. Readers find out he is much more than a quite liquor store owner. He actually has his finger in many illegal pots all over the Arkansas town of Medford...

By RUTH ANN ESTES, Democrat News Staff Fifty years ago, the seniors at Trumann High School were looking forward to graduation. They were planning where to attend college, applying for summer jobs at the Singer Company and looking forward to being viewed as adults...

JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) - Two Poinsett County men have pleaded guilty to shooting a man to death in 2003, then stuffing his body into a 55-gallon drum and throwing it into the St. Francis River. Police still have not recovered the body of Ron Arnold, killed in a Needham shop building on September 29, 2003...

"There has been an 80 percent reduction in the production of meth," reported Poinsett County Sheriff Larry Mills to the Trumann Lions Club. He attributes this reduction to the limits put on the sale of over the counter medicines containing pseudo ephedrine. He acknowledges the fact that when the production of the substance is down in the country, this means more is being brought into the county that was made in other places...

The Trumann First Baptist Church hosted their annual Wild Game Dinner, Saturday, March 1. The featured speaker was internationally known wildlife photographer Stephen Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick, along with his wife and author Marlo Kirkpatrick, shared an audio-visual presentation tilted, "Romancing the Rain: Peru's Amazonia."...

At the recent Chamber of Commerce banquet no one was more surprised to hear their name called as an honoree as Jane Tims. She was selected educator of the year, but tricked into attending the event. It is always a challenge to get honorees to the annual event without them knowing they are being honored. ...

Tax season brings many more questions than answers to many. It can be especially difficult and confusing for seniors to figure out what they need to do. H&R Block in Trumann is trying to help clear up confusing information this tax season. They are working with the Trumann Senior Life Center in Trumann to answer questions and help seniors fill out their paperwork. ...

Mark Rice, Jr., Holden's Inn Apt. #4, was arrested on Feb. 24 by Ptl. Kevin Holt and charged with terroristic threatening. According to reports, Rice was arrested for an outstanding warrant by Ptl. Holt after Rice's girlfriend filed an affidavit reporting he had called her and made threats to her...

The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame will induct five whose leadership and service have brought distinction to Arkansas agriculture, the state's largest industry. The group will be honored at the 20th annual induction luncheon at 11:30 a.m., March 14 in the Ambassador Ballroom of Little Rock's Embassy Suites Hotel...

Reba Dean Greenlee, 88, of Trumann died Friday, March 1, 2008, at Primacy Healthcare at Memphis. She was a retired baker and a member of Anderson Tully Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lucius Ned Greenlee; her parents, Neal and Gertrude Dean; one brother; and three sisters...