Stories from Thursday, September 4, 2008

While tours, speeches and barbecue continued to be on the menu as it had been in the past 13 years, the highlight of the 14th Annual Judd Hill Cotton Technology Field Day was a $1 million donation made to the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Health Sciences at Arkansas State University by the Judd Hill foundation...

Democrat News Staff Next Tuesday (Sept. 9) is an important day for Trumann residents. It is the day city residents will vote on the one percent citywide sales and use tax proposed by the city council...

Trumann voters will decide next Tuesday (Sept. 9) on the fate of the one percent sales and use tax initiative to provide funds for water and sewer improvements and street improvements. Voting will be held at the Old Community House from 7:30 a.m. until 7 p.m...

Democrat News Staff Bailye Ballard had 41 digs and Morgan McKenzie added 18 assists, but it wasn't enough as the Lady Wildcats lost to Wynne 25-15, 25-18, 20-25, and 25-12 Thursday, Aug. 28 in Trumann...

The Wildkittens were down on themselves a bit after losing 8-6 to Cross County in the opening game of a two-team scrimmage on Tuesday, Aug. 28. But they came back out a little later and held on for a 16-14 win in the second match against Manila to earn a split...

Democrat Sports Staff Head coach Greg White thought execution was good and the intensity was there for the Trumann Wildcats, who put up 70 points in wins over Cross County and Manila during a two-team scrimmage Tuesday, Aug. 26...

Democrat News Staff Ron Hogan has a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner, a 1963 T-Bird, a 1967 GTO and hundreds of other classic cars in his garage at OK Used Cars in Trumann. Well, okay, not exactly. At least not the real ones anyway...

The Lord reached down his hand and brought Jessie C. "Short" Blansett to his heavenly home on Aug. 26, 2008,. Their he joined his wife, Verna Blansett, mother and father, Joe and Cora Blansett, two brothers and four sisters...

Patsy Jane Chaffin Patsy Jane Chaffin, 71, was born on Sunday, April 11, 1937, daughter of the late William Cloise and Ruby Daniels Huston. Chaffin died Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008 at the family residence in Trumann at the age of 71 years, 4 months and 16 days. ...

Mary Evelyn Johnson Mary Evelyn Johnson, 72, of Trumann, died Aug. 29 at St. Bernards Regional Hospital in Jonesboro. Johnson, a homemaker, is survived by husband, William S. Johnson; daughter Doris Ellen Miller of Trumann; sons Stanley Ray Loudermilk of Fairview , Okla. ...

The Annual Marked Tree Indians Alumni reunion has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27 and, again, will be held in conjunction with the Marked Tree Delta Cotton Pickin' Jubilee. A dinner will be held that night consisting of "fish n' fixins" at 7 p.m. at the Elementary cafeteria. The price of the dinner is $15 per person...

The town of Etowah could serve as a model for other small communities which don't generate a lot of revenue. The town of 300-plus is periodically able to make general improvements in the community through grant funding, and recently Etowah was awarded funds which could entail a financial savings for its citizens...

The trial of a Trumann man accused of capital murder has been continued until December. Jonesboro attorney Paul Ford who represents Bruce Wade Pennington, 61, of 1448 East St., was granted a continuance until Dec. 3 by Circuit Judge David Burnett, Poinsett County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ron Hunter's office said...

I guess you could call it procrastination. I like to think of it as not having enough hours in the day to get it all done. However you label it, I awoke Saturday morning with a sense of anxiety and a realization that do or die, it had to be done...

Thank you, John McCain. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You've finally got me thinking that Obama might just beat you. Many pundits agree that choosing a running mate is the first semi-presidential decision a nominee makes. The nominee always claims that they have chosen the one person in America that is ready to become President at any time. Let's see how you did...

In the news, August 2008... Jonesboro AR: Cat mutilation of family pets in Griffen Park; Wynne AR: Kitten set on fire. U.S. Humane Society puts up $2500 reward for information leading to the person responsible, also area residents raise amount to $3500 through donations (note: 16 year old confesses and says he did it as a joke); Hasty AR: puppies stomped to death, cattle prods used and they video taped the whole thing.. ...

I grabbed my stuff and returned to my car livid. "What is it with this young generation?" I vented mentally. After collecting all my goodies, the cashier reluctantly check out my products. After she swiped my debit card she basically hurled the pen at me, yearning for the transaction to conclude. ...

Noah Dabney Armstrong is celebrating his 3rd birthday Sept. 12. He attends ABC Pre-School at the Arkansas State University Campus in Jonesboro. He is the son of Cadet Melissa Elena Dabney of the United States Army ROTC, who missed Noah's 1st birthday while attending boot camp at Fort Jackson,SC; and the son of Private First Class Justin Lee Armstrong, of the United States Marine Corps, who missed Noah's 2nd birthday while serving in the Iraq War last year.. ...

Evan Andrew Kerley was born Aug. 23, 2008 , weighing seven pounds one ounce. Parents are Tommy and Kristy Kerley of Manila. Grandparents are Shirley and Ronald Wright and Tommy Kerley, Sr. of Manila and Gene Blakely of St. Matthews, S.C. Great-grandparents are Shirley Benham and Shirley Hice of Manila...

Haven Jade Privett was born at 6:43 a.m. Aug. 25 at the NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro. She weighed seven pounds and 10 ounces. Proud parents are Jerry and Amy Privett of Tyronza. Grandparents are Patricia Smith of Caraway and Dorothy Sue Greene of Tyronza...

Sam Spencer Gossage Sam Spencer Gossage, 80, of Lepanto, died Aug. 29, 2008 at SMC Regional Medical Center in Osceola. Gossage was born March, 7, 1928 in Cash. He farmed in the Lepanto area most of his life. He was Pa Sam to everyone who knew and loved him. You could see him walking all over town and stopping to visit occasionally with friends. He will truly be missed...

Timothy Green Creekmore, 36, of Marked Tree died Sunday, Aug. 31 at NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro. He is survived by his father, Billy Andrew Creekmore of West Memphis; his mother, Erma Katherine Creekmore of Marked Tree; and two brothers, Bryan Keith Creekmore of Lake City and Billy Michael Creekmore of Marked Tree...

Kathryn Louise Walton, 78 of Trumann, died Saturday at the family residence in Trumann. She was born in Bassett, Ark., and had lived in Trumann for the past 40 years and was formerly of Dyess. ...

Lou Geutirrez had been kicking soccer balls around ever since kindergarten but had never played football before. "I was coming to the games and I liked it," Geutirrez said. "So I decided to play. I asked coach last year if I could kick and they said yes. So I started kicking last year."...