Stories from Thursday, June 18, 2009

I had no idea what I was going to write about this week for my column. But when I went home for lunch Monday and checked my mailbox, I noticed an oversized envelope awaiting my attention with a return address of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave...

This week on facebook, the facebook scare story was circulating again. You know, the one about the undercover police officer "stalking" the 13 year old softball player that was home alone every afternoon until 6:30. The child played softball on Thursdays for the Canton Cats, jersey #7. She posted her entire life on the web page facebook...

Healthcare reform is the topic of the hour on most political talk shows these days. With a Democratic congress in place, President Obama is gearing up to make good on some of those campaign promises he made about providing insurance for every American...

By DAN BRAWNER Tribune News Staff "We can not sit down and wait to act when, and if, an alert is actually published," Maj. Gen. Bill Wofford, Arkansas National Guard adjutant general said in a written statement concerning the possible deployment of the 875th Engineering Battalion to Afghanistan. "Since we are facing a potential short-fused alert, we are proactively taking steps to prepare the battalion so they will be ready when the time comes."...

The Jonesboro Northside Sports Complex is hosting the "Northeast Arkansas Youth Baseball Championship Tournament" from Friday, June 19 through Monday, June 22. The tournament format calls for pool play to seed a single elimination tournament which will give each team at least three games...

The National Football League will be coming to Trumann this fall. Sort of. Trumann Parks and Recreation is taking sign-ups for a new NFL flag football league which will be played at the Trumann Sports Complex beginning Aug. 28...

Former EPC Warrior, Arkansas Razorback and Carolina Panther Marcus Monk will be hosting his second annual back to school supplies benefit basketball game Saturday, June 20. The game will be played at the EPC-Lepanto gym with doors opening at 6 p.m. with the game scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $3 per person...

The Trumann 14's will be playing in the World Series games scheduled for July 15 to 20 in Liberty, Mo. To help with the expenses of the trip, they have several fund raisers going including a tournament this weekend at Fleming Field in Trumann. The team will also be selling Boston Butts from Whole Hog for $25, Trumann Wildcat T-shirts for $12 and will have a car wash at Wal-Mart on Saturday, June 27...

Albert Olan Smallwood, 74, of Bay, died Monday, June 8, 2009, at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. Mr. Smallwood was born in Joiner, had lived in Bay for six years and was formerly of St. Louis. He was a retired auto mechanic, car dealer and drag racer who loved to fix cars and sell them...

A proposal to rename a section of West Main Street in honor of the late police chief Larry Blagg was voted down by the Trumann City Council at its monthly meeting Tuesday, June 9. The council deadlocked 4-4 against the honorary name change with one member abstaining...

Poinsett County is one of 42 counties in Arkansas who have completed a Continuity of Operations Plan for Court Security and Emergency Preparedness and have qualified to each receive a grant of $2,380.95 for use towards improvements in court security and emergency preparedness in local court facilities. ...

Brian Winningham moved to Trumann because the city of 95,000 he had been living in at the time had become too dirty for him. Unfortunately, he said he's seeing the same thing happening to Trumann. "I've been a resident of this town for 10 years and I have slowly watched this town go downhill," Winningham said...

Ken Swan thought he had died and gone to Heaven when he saw a dozen beautiful sorority girls from Arkansas State University hanging around his 1922 Model-T Ford one day after class in 1958. The girls, who were from Phi Mu, were having a 1920's themed dance and wanted to know if they could borrow his car to use as a prop at the dance...

This week on facebook, the facebook scare story was circulating again. You know, the one about the undercover police officer "stalking" the 13 year old softball player that was home alone every afternoon until 6:30. The child played softball on Thursdays for the Canton Cats, jersey #7. She posted her entire life on the web page facebook...

Healthcare reform is the topic of the hour on most political talk shows these days. With a Democratic congress in place, President Obama is gearing up to make good on some of those campaign promises he made about providing insurance for every American...

The Jonesboro Northside Sports Complex is hosting the "Northeast Arkansas Youth Baseball Championship Tournament" from Friday, June 19 through Monday, June 22. The tournament format calls for pool play to seed a single elimination tournament which will give each team at least three games...

Poinsett County is one of 42 counties in Arkansas who have completed a Continuity of Operations Plan for Court Security and Emergency Preparedness and have qualified to each receive a grant of $2,380.95 for use towards improvements in court security and emergency preparedness in local court facilities. ...

Ken Swan thought he had died and gone to Heaven when he saw a dozen beautiful sorority girls from Arkansas State University hanging around his 1922 Model-T Ford one day after class in 1958. The girls, who were from Phi Mu, were having a 1920's themed dance and wanted to know if they could borrow his car to use as a prop at the dance...

The National Football League will be coming to Trumann this fall. Sort of. Trumann Parks and Recreation is taking sign-ups for a new NFL flag football league which will be played at the Trumann Sports Complex beginning Aug. 28...

Former EPC Warrior, Arkansas Razorback and Carolina Panther Marcus Monk will be hosting his second annual back to school supplies benefit basketball game Saturday, June 20. The game will be played at the EPC-Lepanto gym with doors opening at 6 p.m. with the game scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $3 per person...

A few weeks ago the Department of Homeland Security released a report saying we could be facing terrorism threats from right wing extremists. Conservatives in print and on FOX News completely ignored the word "extremist" and used the report to claim the Obama Administration was accusing all conservatives of being terrorists. ...

Thomas Gordon Hogan, 56, of Marked Tree died Tuesday, June 9, 2009, at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Lovis Gordon. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Hogan of Marked Tree; daughter Kara Gibbs of Marked Tree; brother Ronnie Hogan of Trumann; sister Amy Ward of Pocahontas and two grandchildren...

Brenda Gail Willis, 50, of Marmaduke died June 14, 2009 at her residence. Born in St. Louis on Nov. 29, 1958, she was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith. Survivors include her parents, James and Elsie Willis of Marked Tree; one son, Harold Parks of Marmaduke; one sister, Carolyn Lairson of Trumann; three brothers, David Willis of Harrisburg, Bobby Willis of Oil Trough and Johnny Willis of Batesville; and one grandchild, Don Parks of Marmaduke.. ...

"We can not sit down and wait to act when, and if, an alert is actually published," Maj. Gen. Bill Wofford, Arkansas National Guard adjutant general said in a written statement concerning the possible deployment of the 875th Engineering Battalion to Afghanistan. "Since we are facing a potential short-fused alert, we are proactively taking steps to prepare the battalion so they will be ready when the time comes."...

Operation Trumann Clean-UP has selected the following homes as the June Yard of the Month. Winners were picked in each ward by chairman Brian Winningham. Ward 1: 420 Mildred Kevin Lairson Ward 2: 238 Ada Dick Lewallen Ward 3: 518 Patsy Philip Wilcoxson...