Stories from Thursday, March 27, 2008

TOP: Savannah Swink and Madisyn Griffin show off their colorful hats.

Tribune Sports Staff For Marked Tree, the Xtra Innings tournament started out great as they took on Westside Greers Ferry at Valley View last Friday night. At least it went well for the first five innings as the Indians built a 3-0 lead on some very solid play. But then the six inning happened...

Tribune Sports Staff Hailey Shankle walked her first batter in the Lady Warriors' third game of the year against Piggott Monday at Lepanto. But of the next 21 who came to the plate in five innings, she fanned 15 of them to secure EPC's first win of the season, 3-2. The win was somewhat in question late, though, as Cara Pilgrim had to break a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth to gain the victory and put the Lady Warriors at 1-2 on the season...

Babbie Irene Vermillion, 47, of Mayflower died Friday, March 14, 2008, at Conway Regional Medical Center. She was born May 25, 1960 in West Memphis the daughter of the late Edward Lee Moore, Sr. and Shirley Mae Sanders Stubbs. She was a member of Bible Baptist Church in Conway and was a former employee of Amtran and Kimberly-Clark in Conway...

Sylvester "Buck" Cato, 67, of Tulot died Wednesday, March 19 at his home. He was born Jan. 30, 1941 in Dyess, the son of Noah Cato and Delphi Brown Cato. He was a retired backhoe operator and mechanic and of the Pentecostal Faith. He married Delcie Randleas on Dec. 23, 1979 and they enjoyed 28 years together...

Stephen Glenn Cook Wages, 56, of Trumann died Monday, March 17, 2008 at the family residence. He was born in Forrest City and had lived most of his lifetime in Trumann. He was a renowned musician and southern legend, member of the Steve Wages and the Bad Habit Band and attended the Revival Center Church in Lepanto...

Velma Baker Snell, a resident of Harrisburg, died March 20, 2008, at St. Vincent Medical Center in Little Rock at the age of 68. She was born April 7, 1939 at Calico Rock, the daughter of Kirby Henry Ball and Ella Mae Brown Hogan. She married Thomas Snell on June 27, 1980...

Frances M. Gallagher of Searcy, formerly of Harrisburg and Lepanto, departed this life on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at White County Medical Center at Searcy at the age of 62. She was born June 15, 1945, in Elizabeth City, N.C., the daughter of Francis Marion "F.M." May and Billy May Cady May, former teachers at Lepanto High School...

Iris Jean Cox, 65, of Marianna, died Saturday, March 22, 2008. She was born June 29, 2942, to Stanley Patton Gibbs and Dorothy Mae Crouch Gibbs of Memphis, Tenn. She worked as the manager of Ronnie's Dollar Store. She is survived by daughters Tammie Martin of Trumann and Diane Bowman of Marianna; sons Danny Thompson of Trumann and William Harrell Thompson of Greers Ferry; brothers Lawrence Gibbs of Tyronza and Archie Gibbs of Lepanto; sisters Marvene Ann Yarbrough of Jonesboro and Marie Marshall of Marked Tree; nine grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.. ...

Mr. and Mrs. Terry L. Malone of Marked Tree are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Holly Sheree Malone, to Thomas Edward Concannon. Thomas is the son of D'wayne and Cindy Fries of Marked Tree. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Junior Skipper of Tyronza and the late Doc and Ruby Malone of Black Oak. She is also the granddaughter of Johnny and Ruby Hunt of Harrisburg...

The City of Marked Tree began their own garbage pick up program in January in order to better serve the citizens of Marked Tree. However, the city needs the help of its residents to help the process move as smoothly as possible. The city asks residents to do the following:...

Democrat New Staff The Marked Tree School Board heard a report from sophomore student Dustin Hood about his recent trip to a seminar held at the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia. MTHS student Hood was one of 30 students chosen from across the United States to attend the seminar. The seminar is sponsored in honor of the late newsman Peter Jennnings and teaches high school students what the U.S. Constitution means to citizens today...

Tribune News Staff The Lepanto City Council discussed an ordinance to abandon an alley in the city at its meeting last Tuesday. The alley in question is located between Greenwood and Alexander Street, next to the Lepanto Post Office. A public meeting was held just prior to the council's meeting to discuss abandoning the alley. The alley, which the city does not have a deed for, runs adjacent to the Pit Stop property...

The Marked Tree Chamber of Commerce will be holding their annual banquet at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 17 at the First United Methodist Church in Marked Tree. During the Banquet they will be honoring individuals and businesses based on nominations from the community...

Tribune Sports Staff EPC finished 2-1 in the annual Xtra Innings Classic Friday and Saturday, defeating McCrory and Woodlawn in their first and last games, but dropping their middle game to Forrest City. Due to the rains, the Warriors didn't take the field until Friday. The did, however, have the advantage of playing both the Jaguars and Mustangs in Trumann rather than in Paragould as originally scheduled...