Stories from Friday, February 5, 2016

TYRONZA - Merlene Smith, 88, of Tyronza died Monday, Jan. 25, 2016. Merlene was a bookkeeper for many years and was a lifelong member of the Tyronza Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Ottie Smith; her parents George W. Fisher and Fielda Jane Austin Fisher; as well as four brothers Wilburn Fisher, Loyal Fisher, Hershel Fisher and Eugene Fisher...

Tay Smith hit a base line jumper right before the buzzer for Trumann to send the Junior Lady Wildcats to a 34-33 win over Cave City this past Thursday night in junior high girls' basketball action. Caroline Morgan gave Trumann an early 3-0 with a three-pointer from the left corner only to see Cave City score the next six points to go up 6-3. ...

Trumann (8-13, 3-8 4A-3) took the lead for only the second time in the game but couldn't keep that lead as Cave City took a 47-43 win this past Thursday night at Wildcat Gym. Kelcie Roland put the Lady Wildcats on he board first with a basket inside making it 2-0 only to see Cave City drill a three-pointer to make it 3-2 Lady Cavewomen. ...

Kevonte Andrews and Kelon Booker proved to be a tough one-two punch for Cave City to handle as they combined for 43 points in leading Trumann to a 66-61 4A-3 conference win over the Cavemen this past Friday at Wildcat Gym. Andrews opened the scoring with a stick back basket only to see Cave City answer with a stick back to make it 2-2. ...

Marked Tree's Blake Daniels made it official this past Friday as he signed his letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Crowder College in front of family, friends and coaches. Daniels was all smiles after the signing. "It feels really good. ...

Harrisburg fell behind early and could never recover as they fell to Westside 60-11 in junior high basketball this past Saturday at Harrisburg Gym. The Junior Warriors jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Caleb Neal hit a three-pointer for Harrisburg with 1:15 left in the opening quarter to make the score 7-3 Westside. The Junior Warriors added five more points before the quarter ended to go up 12-3 after one...

Harrisburg hung with Westside for a quarter and half before the visiting Warriors used a 9-0 run to go up by 12 on their way to a 72-61 win over the Hornets in conference basketball action this past Friday night at Harrisburg Gym. Gavin Casebier gave Harrisburg their first lead of the game with a fast break basket four seconds into the game to make it 2-0. ...

Trumann held Harrisburg scoreless the first quarter. Harrisburg returned the favor holding Trumann scoreless in the second quarter. The Junior Lady Wildcats then used a 12-3 third quarter to pull away before going on to post a 29-13 win over the Junior Lady Hornets this past Monday night at Wildcat Gym...

Harrisburg went on the road to Trumann this past Monday night and were looking for payback from the loss they suffered at home earlier in the season to the Lady Wildcats. The Lady Hornets led by one after the first quarter and extended that lead after each quarter on their way to a 52-40 conference win over the Lady Wildcats...

Bay lost 60-59 to Rivercrest this past Thursday night in a non-conference contest at Wilson. Jonathan Crain led Bay with 18 points as Tyler Pritchett added 17 points and Dustin Utley tossed in 10 points. The Junior Yellowjackets won the junior high game 47-34...

Poinsett County had three football players picked to the annual edition of the Best Under The Sun football team. Trumann's Cade Gartman, Harrisburg's Walker Hammond and Marked Tree's D'Angelo Griffin were all selected. Gartman, a sophomore, was a work horse in the backfield for the Trumann Wildcats this past season. ...

Scott Ellington, District Prosecuting Attorney for the Second Judicial District of Arkansas, announced that he will seek the death penalty against a Bay man accused of abducting and killing an elderly Bay woman last July. Ellington filed amended capital murder charges last Thursday in Craighead County Circuit Court against Richard Jordon Tarver, 30, of Bay. ...

Trumann School District Superintendent Myra Graham and Facilities Director Jason Grubbs spoke to the Trumann Lions Club last week about the progress of the new elementary school. Graham said concrete is being poured now for the kindergarten and first grade wings of the school. The shell of a safe room--each hall will have one--has been built for one of those wings. "It it going to be so nice for each grade wing to have it's own safe room for when it's needed," Graham said...