Stories from Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Liberty Bank of Arkansas helped purchased two safety vests for the police department of Ash Flat. Pictured are Michelle Taylor, Dan Fry and Joey Cooper.

An open house will be held for Wayne and Gena Hill to celebrate their 65th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, March 25, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the afternoon at their home at 71 Wanda Circle, in Highland. All of their friends and acquaintances are invited to stop by and congratulate them...

Looking for some insight on the upcoming turkey season? Hunters can find answers to their questions during a free turkey season outlook at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in Little Rock. The program will be 6 p.m.-7 p.m., March 27. Seating for the program is limited, so call the nature center office at 501-907-0636 to register...

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the sheepnose and the spectaclecase, two freshwater mussels found in river systems in the eastern half of the United States, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Sheepnose are currently found in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin...

Izard County volleyball standout, Taylor Booth, signed a national letter of intent to play volleyball for Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge. Booth becomes the first Lady Cougar volleyball player to sign a letter of intent, since the school began volleyball three years ago. ...

While she was out of town when it ran, Areawide Media Editor Niki De Soto wrote an editorial page column for our Feb. 29 papers ­-- and I was a little worried. The County Extension Service had scheduled a Feb. 22 meeting to see if residents were interested in helping start a Fulton County Farmer's Market. Niki's column offered her support for the farmer's market idea and, being an optimist, she even promised to be one of the first customers when the market began operation...

A large crowd of residents who have formed a group to oppose Cherokee Village's proposal to annex areas into the city to gain highway frontage for future retail expansion, once again showed up in full force at the March 15 Cherokee Village City Council meeting...

The 1A-2 North Conference recently handed out its post-season awards, with the following athletes being honored as All-Conference players: Senior boys First team Austin Gardner, Viola; Garrett Wooldridge, Mammoth Spring; Trenton Hatman, Izard County; Preston Harmon, Izard County; Houston Cooper, Mammoth Spring; Colman Evans, Hillcrest...

The 1A-2 North Conference recently handed out its post-season awards, with the following athletes being honored as All-Conference players: Junior boys First team Bryan Parnell, Calico Rock; Collin Powell, Mammoth Spring; Cameron Durham, Hillcrest; Travis Lewis, Norfork; Coby Jones, Izard County...

Former Thayer High School standout Whitney Mills committed to play basketball for the Lady Eagles of Williams Baptist College March 6. Mills signed her commitment in front of family and coaches in WBC's Southerland-Mabee Center in Walnut Ridge. Mills graduated from Thayer High School in 2010 and attended Three Rivers Community College. She has received numerous honors, awards and achievements from high school through her stint at the junior college...

Kalon Honeycutt, a junior at Alton High School, was named All-District in Division 3A basketball by the coach's association. This is the second year that he has received this honor. Kalon is the son of Jeff and Terri Honeycutt of Alton.

Missouri's elk herd is growing on two fronts, and conservation officials express optimism that the second year of restoration work will benefit from experience gained in 2011. Efforts to bring elk back to Missouri after a 150-year absence began in October 2010, when the Missouri Conservation Commission approved a restoration plan. The plan called for obtaining up to 150 wild elk from other states with established wild populations...

Second deputy awaiting trial in unrelated crime

Alexander Scott Coble David and Amanda Coble, Williford, are the parents of baby boy, Alexander Scott Coble, born on March 3 at St. Bernard's Hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces. His siblings are Samantha (18) and Dalton (11). Grandparents are Angalina Cossey and Bill Cossey, Williford; Ray Coble, Las Vegas, Nev.; and Betty Coble, Jonesboro. Great-grandparents are Shirley Bodkins and Ruell Ruben Bodkins of Brinkley...

Eva Veneta Davis Rains, 93, of Gassville, Arkansas, died on March 17, 2011, at Gassville Nursing Home. Barker Funeral Home in Salem, Arkansas, in charge of arrangements. Dianna Louise Watson, 47, of Southaven, Miss., died on Tuesday, March 13, 2012. Arrangements by Heath Funeral Home of Highland. Online guest book: www.heathfuneralhome.net...

The Viola Longhorns opened 1A-2 West play with an 11-0 rout of the Shirley Blue Devils March 13 at Viola City Park. Blane Sanders jacked a homer, one of his three hits, and drove in four runs in Viola's five-inning win. Austin Gardner had a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Skylar Robbins drove in a pair, as did Dolan Johnston...

Molly Taylor struck out 10 batters in four innings, helping the Izard County Lady Cougars to a 7-1 win over visiting Mountain View March 13 in non-conference softball action. Taylor gave up three hits in the contest, as Izard County improved to 3-0 on the season...

Izard County standout to play volleyball for Williams Baptist next fall

Izard County held the lead until Viola used a fourth-inning rally to eventually knock off the Cougars 14-9 in baseball action March 12 in Brockwell. The Cougars were on top 6-1 before the Longhorns scored six runs in the fourth inning. Izard County responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, moving back in front 9-7...

On March 20, Fulton County Hospital received a check for $1,615,000 -- most of the proceeds of the $1,700,000 sale of its home healthcare license. By the end of the week, $835,000 in debts were to be paid off, giving the hospital breathing room after months of living on the brink...

The Salem Greyhounds opened 2-2A play with an 8-5 victory over Cedar Ridge March 13 at Newark. Jesse James had three hits, including a double for the Hounds. Cody Barnett racked up a double as one of his two hits. John Turney was the winning pitcher for Salem, allowing just three hits to the T-Wolves...