Stories from Sunday, May 8, 2011

TRUMANN -- Mr. Charles Andrew Fortson, 78, of Trumann died Saturday, April 30, 2011, at the family residence. He was born in Harrisburg, Ark., and had lived most of his lifetime in He was a retired factory worker and member of the Trumann Revival Center. Mr. Fortson was preceded in death by one step-daughter, Sharon Britton, and his parents, Floyd Edward and Ruby Costner Fortson. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Loreda Ford Fortson of the home; two daughters, Jean Cooper of Jonesboro and Tammy Whitaker of Russellville; two step-daughters, Paulette Tacker of Harrisburg and Barbara Junyor of Caraway; one son, Wayne Fortson of Paragould; one step-son, Kelly Britton of Lake City; two sisters, Emma Moore of Trumann and Louise Henshaw of Jonesboro; two brothers, Edward Fortson and Eschol Fortson, both of Trumann; 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Graveside services were Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. at Bolivar Cemetery near Harrisburg, Ark., with Bro Frank Hardwick officiating. Burial was under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home in Trumann. Pallbearers were Michael Whitaker, Jeff Carlton, Wally Bradsher Bill Wilson, Frank Davidson and Steve Cooper. Visitation was Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Thompson Funeral Home in Trumann. An online register book can be signed at www.thompsonfuneralhome.net.

TRUMANN -- Mr. Bryce Milton "Butch" Long, Sr., 67, of Trumann died Saturday, April 30, 2011, at the family residence in Trumann, Ark. He was born in Jonesboro, Ark., and had lived most of his lifetime in Trumann. Mr. Long was a business owner and a member of The Church of God on Balcom Lane. He was preceded in death by one sister, Judy Parnell; his parents, Bryce Jerome and Eldora Lorene Gullet Long, and his grandmother, Beede Gullett. Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Betty Jo Long of the home; one daughter, Marilyn Jo Saddler and husband Joel of Trumann; two sons, Bryce Milton Long, Jr., and wife Sherry of Trumann and James Keith Long of Trumann; two sisters, Cheryl Hall and Janice Page of Trumann; 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Funeral service was Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at The Church of God on Balcom Ave., with Bro. Michael Jernigan and Bro. Gary Barker officiating. Burial followed in Jonesboro Memorial Park Cemetery in Jonesboro, Ark., under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home in Trumann. Active pallbearers were Tony Cox, Larry Long, Chad Long, Adam Farmer, Russell Page Jr., Jason Cook, Darek Gartman and Michael Hall. Honorary pallbearers were Frankie Hall, Chris Cox, Richard Hammons, Danny Gartman, Dale Walton, James Wallace, Russell Page, Allen Campbell James Vest and Bobby Davis. Visitation was Monday evening from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at The Church of God, 911 Balcom Lane, Trumann, Ark., 72472 Online guest book can be signed at www.thompsonfuneralhome.net

Herman Eugene Simmons, 73, of Lepanto, died Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at the Phil and Flo Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. He was of the Baptist belief and was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Ethel Simmons; his wife, Shirley Simmons; sisters, Virginia Meeks, Ada Lou Hammond, and brothers, Derverl and Robert Ray Simmons. Survivors include daughter, Regina Simmons Fortenberry of Lepanto; brother, James (Jimmy) Simmons of Marked Tree, and two grandsons, Christopher and Brandon (Bobo) Fortenberry. Funeral services were April 30, 2011, at the Murphy Funeral Home with Rick Kimery officiating and burial in Potter Memorial Cemetery. Pallbearers were Dude Armstong, Kevin Saddler, Earnie Hill, Jared Wyatt, Bradley Nelson, and Brian Oakes. Honorary pallbearers were Riverside Ambulance Service and Riverside Home Health of Marked Tree.

The city of Harrisburg has partnered with CodeRED Weather Warning service. CodeRED Weather Warning is an opt-in only weather warning product that taps into the National Weather Service's Storm Based Warnings. CodeRED Weather Warning automatically alerts affected citizens by phone in the path of severe weather just moments after a warning has been issued. Those that are signed up for this service will get a call when a Thunderstorm Warning, Tornado Warning or Flash Flood Warning is issued for our area. Message recipients' Caller ID will read either Emergency Communications Network or the number 800-566-9780. If residents miss the warning call they can simply dial the number displayed on their Caller ID to hear the last message delivered. This will offer residents an immediate replay of the message. Mayor Randy Mills said, "Since Harrisburg does not have sirens, we have been searching for a solution. "This is a product that will benefit even those outside the city limits who would never hear a siren," said Mills. "We are excited to offer this service at no charge to the citizens. We think this is a valuable and necessary service for our community." To sign up for this service, simply visit the Harrisburg Area Chamber of Commerce website at www.harrisburgchamber.com and follow the link to the "CodeRED Weather Warning" page. It is recommended that all businesses register, as well as all individuals. Those without Internet access may stop by City Hall or call the Chamber office at 870-578-4104 Monday through Friday, (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) to supply their information. Emergency Communications Network provides affordable high-speed notification solutions capable of reaching millions of citizens in minutes. ECN's sophisticated network supports a web-based product suite featuring CodeRED which enables local government officials to communicate time-sensitive, personalized messages via voice, email and text messaging; CodeRED Weather Warning which provides automated alerts to citizens in the path of severe weather just moments after a warning has been issued by the National Weather Service; CheckUp Call for scheduling calls to check on at-risk individuals, including the elderly, infirm and latchkey kids; and CodeED for use by school systems to improve communications with their communities. For more information about Emergency Communications Network, visit emergencycommunications.net. CodeRED Weather Warning is a high-speed telephone communication service designed to deliver weather warnings directly to cell or landline phones. Some key features about CodeRED include: * CodeRED offers the ability to warn subscribers of immediate threats of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, Flash Flood Warnings and Tornado Warnings within moments of being issued by the National Weather Service. It can also deliver emergency notifications and information considered to be important to our community. * Residents will know the call is from CodeRED Weather Warning when they see the number 800-566-9780. If the call is missed and a resident would like to hear the message, simply dial the number back. * All contact information remains private. It will only be used for severe weather alerts and for community notifications. * This service is provided by the City of Harrisburg and is provided free to all subscribers.

There will be a PXW wrestling benefit show for Trumann police officer Jonathan Schmidt's family May 14. Schmidt was tragically killed in the line of duty and leaves behind a wife and children. All of the proceeds for the night will go the Schmidt family. The benefit will take place at the Trumann Sports Complex and advanced tickets will be sold between 2 and 4 p.m. until May 13 at the Walmart in Trumann. Bell time is 7:30 p.m. Saturday night. Advanced adult tickets will be $5, advanced student tickets will be $2, door adult tickets will be $6, door student ticket will be $3 and children under the age of six will get into the event free. Wrestling stars that will be attending include: Trumann's own Lethal and Lucky the Leprechauns, Big Al, Mike Tucker and Lance Boudreaux. Other legends include Phil Hanson, Cadillac Bros, Big Daddy Fleet Wood, Sweet Joe, El Dorado, Chief Light Foot and Trumann's own Freezer Thompson. For more information or purchase advanced tickets, persons may call 870-275-2871 or 870-316-3531.

Jerry Lard was charged with capital murder in the death of Trumann police officer Jonathan Schmidt and arraigned last week in a Poinsett County Court. Lard, 37, of 12320 Renshaw Lane in Trumann, was charged with capital murder, attempted capital murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). The charges were filed by Poinsett County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Martin. During the arraignment on Friday, Lard's attorneys, Teri Chambers and Jackie Robbins, entered a plea of not guilty on Lard's behalf before Circuit Judge Barbara Halsey. Motions were also filed which will require Lard to provide DNA samples and whole handprints. Lard is due back in court on July 22 with a tentatively scheduled trial for Aug. 15-19. Lard also faces a felony rape warrant for an incident that occurred on Oct. 31, 2010. Lard is accused of shooting Schmidt during a traffic stop on Pine Street that occurred on April 12 when Schmidt pulled over a 2002 Hyundai driven by Brian Keith Elumbaugh of Trumann for not being covered by liability insurance. A back-up officer, Corey Overstreet, arrived within minutes of the stop. According to police, when Schmidt opened the rear right passenger door, Lard opened fire with a handgun. An exchange of gunfire between Lard and the officers followed. Schmidt was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Lard was taken to a Jonesboro hospital, where he remained for a week before being escorted by state troopers to the Poinsett County Detention Center. Overstreet, whose injuries were not serious, was treated and returned home. Lard is being held without bond at the Poinsett County Detention Center.

Neal Vickers discussed the Trumann waterway and ditch system at this month's Chamber of Commerce meeting. The meeting took place at noon, Tuesday, May 3, at Couch's BBQ. With recent flooding in the area, it has been a concern to farmers and residents that the over saturation could lead to a poor crop yield or property damage. The city of Trumann has expanded some of the ditches in the area, including ditches along the highways and in neighborhoods. "The flooding system is working well," Vickers said. "It hasn't stopped flowing or backed up on us yet." Vickers went out with Corps of Engineers personnel on Monday, May 2, to look at some of the flooding systems in Trumann, as well as the levees near the St. Francis River. "In our area, everything is still flowing south," he said. "Mayor Shelia Walter went out to look at our levees too. Our system has been holding up well." Vickers did mention that there has been some damage to boathouses along the river and that there had been an evacuation of some of the residents in the area along the bank, near the old levees. This area is not in a close enough vicinity to affect the Trumann area, even if the levees were breached. "They've put in a pump system to pump water away from the houses," Vickers said. "Right now it's about a foot away from the top of the levee."

A commodity distribution for Poinsett County is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, May 18, or until all of the food supplies are gone. The distribution will take place at three locations: Marked Tree Fire Station at 102 Liberty, Trumann Sports Complex at 16179 Pecan Grove Rd, and Weiner City Hall at 123 West Second. Donations of plastic food bags will be accepted at the locations listed. According to Tim C. Ray, program coordinator for the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, persons receiving the USDA food must reside in the county in which the distribution is taking place. Recipients must also meet the income guidelines that have been set for the emergency food assistance program. At the time of the distribution, information cards will be filled out for all recipients. Recipients will need to provide the following information: their name, address, family size and combined monthly income of the household. An appropriate form of identification such as a driver's license, social security card or picture identification card must be shown. Recipients will only be allowed to pick up commodity foods for themselves and one additional household. To pick up food items for a shut-in, elderly person or other qualified household, the person picking up the food must have signed an Authorization Slip with the following information on it from the person he or she is picking up for: name, address, family size and combined monthly income of the household receiving the food. Case workers picking up for large groups must make prior arrangement with the Program Coordinator. Commodity foods are distributed on a first come, first served basis. The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas and the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, handicap, religion or national origin. Bi-lingual translators are not available on site. For more information about the distribution of commodity food or questions concerning eligibility for the program, contact Tim C. Ray at the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas by calling 870-932-3663.

This weekend is the big one for comic book fans. Saturday, May 7, is Free Comic Book Day. This is where participating comic shops give away specially printed copies of free comics to anyone who walks in the door. Free Comic Book Day started years ago as a way to promote the comics industry and as a way to get people into comics again, said Chris Lutterloh, owner of Galaxy Comics and Games in Jonesboro. Not only is it a day for sparking interest in comics through free comic books, it's a also a huge day for comic shop discounts on everything from hard covers and trade paperbacks to comics--new and old--to action figures. "It's kind of like Christmas," Lutterloh said. "Everything in the store is discounted. We have our biggest sales of the year on this day." It's also a day when comic shops around the country will be packed.

The Hair Place, owned by Wanda Holligan, has opened in a new location at 21 Elm Street in Marked Tree. Holligan started her business 30 years ago in the upstairs of the Ritter building at 106 Frisco. Fifteen years later her daughter, Ericka Bell, came to work for her and they moved downstairs at the Ritter location. "This is really a family affair," said Holligan, talking about her family's passion for being hairdressers. "I have two sisters who have their licenses and daughters who have their license too." One of her daughters is Judy, who cuts hair at Shear Bliss in Trumann. "It's a family thing." Holligan has lived in Marked Tree since 1980 and has had her license since 1973. "I always knew I was going to be a hairdresser," said Holligan. "It began when my grandmother used to fix our hair. I would watch her braid her own hair too, then around the age of seven or eight, I began doing everyone's hair. I just found a love for it and I've always known it was my calling in life." The new, modern and polished salon, opened the first week of March. The Hair Place will be open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. "We usually end up staying late on Saturdays, sometimes until 6, whatever it takes to take care of the customers. We work with appointments but will take care of walk-ins also." The Hair Place will also be running a Mother's Day special, with a discount on chemical treatments. For more information on the special, call 870-358-3015 or drop by the store at 21 Elm Street.

Several East Poinsett County High School students proved they had a way with words by winning several awards in a statewide Poets' Roundtable of Arkansas sponsored poetry contest. Three students placed and four received honorable mention in the senior high division of the Sybil Nash Abrams Student Poetry Contest. They include: Hayden Harrson, who won second place and received a $25 cash award for his poem "Misunderstood." Byron Scales, who won third place and received a $15 cash award for his poem "Your Love." Katey Lockamy, who won fourth place and received a $10 cash award for her poem "Grim Reaper." Chandler Horton, won first honorable mention for his poem "Decimated." Paul Pilgrim won second honorable mention for his poem "No Stopping." Cori Young won third honorable mention for her poem "Summer." Kelley Smith won fourth honorable mention for her poem "I Dream." Each student will receive a copy of the booklet containing the winning poems. The students have also been invited to a spring poetry workshop in May in El Dorado. Founded in 1931 by seven women who met in members' homes, Poets' Roundtable of Arkansas is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of poetry. They exist to foster and encourage poets in the art, to promote an appreciation of poetry in the community, and to secure a fuller recognition of the works of contemporary poets in the state of Arkansas. PRA is an affiliate of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies and offers monthly contests and branch critique groups. They also sponsor an annual spring workshop and celebrate National Poetry Day each October.