Stories from Friday, March 9, 2012

Mr. Harvey J. Rabey, Jr., 74, of Manila, Ark., died Feb. 27, 2012, at the Manila Nursing Center. He was born March 10, 1937, in Heber Springs, Ark., to the late Harvey and Alice Rabey. He was a member of the Westside Baptist Church, enjoyed hunting, fishing, drinking coffee at Roadmart, and loved his grandchildren...

Ms. Tammie Juanita Martin was born Sunday, Sept. 28, 1958, daughter of the late Duane and Iris Jean Gibbs Cox. She died Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro, Ark. She was born in Memphis, Tenn., and had lived in Trumann for the past 18 years. Ms. Martin was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith. She was preceded in death by her parents...

Last weekend, quilts were displayed in four cities for the Sunken Lands Quilt Festival. The quilts shown ranged from those made recently to quilts made from the 1930s and passed down through generations. The Southern Tenant Farmers Museum featured an exhibit of quilts, aprons, gardening coats and toys made by the late Nell Ross...

The Trumann City Council held a meeting Tuesday, March 6 in which council members voted 10-0 to support any disciplinary action made by Trumann Mayor Sheila Walters against officer Erik Willbanks. Willbanks was suspended on Feb. 28 for two weeks without pay in the wake of the investigation into Chief Tony Rusher's drug use. ...

The afternoon of Sunday, March 4, marked the end of over 55 years of dedicated service to the St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Marked Tree as 103-year-old Dr. Grover C. Simpson, Sr. retired. Accompanied by his wife, Ruth, a retired Marked Tree school teacher, Dr. Simpson was honored and revered by a standing-room-only crowd who came to hear expressions of rememberance of Dr. Simpson's service from several speakers...

Youth Outreach Ministries in Marked Tree has been doing great since officially opening in January, board president Bill Craft said. "We had 32 kids one day," Craft said. "Our attendance usually doesn't drop below 20. We're doing really good." YOM offers a faith-based after-school program that provides tutors, recreation, non-denominational devotionals and hot meals to kids. ...

Buffalo Bills strong safety and former Arkansas Razorback standout George Wilson made a stop in Weiner on Monday as a reward for the Weiner School's participation in the NFL Fuel Up to Play 60 Back To School, Back To Football Challenge. Wilson spoke to students in grades K-12 and the faculty in the school gymnasium...