Stories from Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Oregon County Ambulance District has a new Executive Director at the wheel who plans to make some positive changes to improve the local ambulance system. Kenneth McKenzie, who became Executive Director in November, has been involved in EMS for a little over 30 years with experience in rural and...

For those looking for ways to cut household costs and save money, Extreme Couponing is on the way. On Tuesday, Jan. 29, the Oregon County Extension Office will present "Coupon College -- Extreme Couponing in the Real World!" Extension Office Secretary Barb Simpson set up the class on couponing. It...

The Christos House domestic violence shelter will host its 10th annual Chocolate Festival on Saturday, Feb. 9. In addition to the chance to taste a variety of chocolate treats, auction items will be up for bid. The organization serves Howell, Oregon and surrounding counties and the event is being held at the National Guard Armory in West Plains, beginning at noon...

The 2013 Thayer Courtwarming will be held on Friday, Jan. 25. The Bobcats will be hosting the Bakersfield Lions for J.V. and Varsity boys games at 6 p.m. The coronation will take place between games. Pictured are (from left) Freshman attendant, Jana Tucker escorted by Ayden Henry. Sophomore attendant, Haley Earls escorted by Peyton Risner. Senior candidates: Ashton Rees, escorted by Richard Newman and Jacob Alford. Jordan Rhoades, escorted by Alec Smith and Zach Steed...

Six Fulton County students, two from Salem, two from Viola and two from Mammoth Spring, faced off on Thursday, Jan. 7, at Salem Elementary School in a spell-down to determine the county spelling bee champion. The students had advanced after winning spelling bees at their schools...

A man's body, found in a submerged pickup truck in Lake Norfork on Saturday, Jan. 12, has been identified as 27 year old Charles B. Csiszer of Flippin, Ark. According to the State Medical Examiner's Office, Csiszer died of a gunshot wound to his head, in an apparent suicide...

This summer more than five years of work and waiting should finally pay off, as a $2.2 million dollar sewer expansion project finally gets underway in Horseshoe Bend. "We had one of these public hearings almost five years to the day in regards to this same project," Mayor Bob Barnes said as a hearing began at City Hall on Thursday, Jan. 17, to outline the project that is finally taking shape...

A quiet Sunday afternoon went downhill fast for Dorothy and Fred Permenter on Sunday, Jan. 13, when a rabid skunk showed up at their Camp home. "I heard the dog barking out front and looked outside and yelled to my husband, 'There's a skunk after the dog,' Dorothy Permenter said...

An Izard County man accused in the shooting death of his nephew on Thursday, Jan. 10 claims he opened fire because he feared his nephew was going to shoot him. Harvey Loosey, 49, of Calico Rock and his girlfriend, Patricia Sutterfield, 43, were taken into custody after the 10 p.m. shooting on Iuka Road, off Highway 5, north of Calico Rock...

Funeral services for Helen "Faye" Warren, 88, Alton, Mo., were held on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, in the Rose Chapel at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home. Mrs. Warren died at 8:35 a.m., Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, at Ozarks Medical Center. She was born on May 31, 1924, at Peace Valley, Mo., to John B. ...

Beatrice Elizabeth (Humphrey) Nicholson was born the daughter of Buford B. Humphrey and Iva (Tharp) Humphrey on May 15, 1922, in Mammoth Spring, Ark. and departed this life Jan. 18, 2013, at the home of her daughter, in Koshkonong, Mo., at the age of 90 years...

Berneice Emma Murphy, 92, of Williford, Ark., was born Saturday, Jan. 1, 1921 in Fort Wayne, Ind., the daughter of Allen Topscott and Emma (Hausman) Tapscott. She died on Jan. 17, 2013, at the Ash Flat Healthcare and Rehab Center. Berneice was united in marriage to Arthur Frantz Murphy on Aug. 31, 1940 in Indianapolis, Ind.. She and her husband moved from Iowa to Ozark Acres after retiring in 1976. They were members of the Spring River Presbyterian Church in Hardy, Ark...

Delmar C. Lawyer, 85, of Dixon, Ill., died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, at Dixon Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. He was born May 20, 1927, in Salem Ark., the son of Carl and JoEllen (Rogers) Lawyer. He was a Control Room Operator for Medusa Cement Company in Dixon for 40 years prior to his retirement in 1982...

Funeral services for Larry DeWayne Kerley, 64, of West Plains, Mo., were held on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, in the Rose Chapel at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home. Mr. Kerley died at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at Brooke Haven Health Care. He was born March 27, 1948, at Elizabeth, Ark., to Oral George and Adah Mae Silvertooth Kerley. ...

Frances Dailey of Batesville, Ark.,. died Jan. 11, 2013, at White River Medical Center in Batesville, at the age of 92 years and 10 months. She was born March 11, 1920 in Herrell, Calhoun County, Ark. to Walter Benjamin Williams and Merdie Mae Robertson Williams...

This year's Thayer Winter Classic girl's basketball tournament pitted a very competitive list of local teams for the 39th annual tournament, held Jan. 14-18, at the Thayer gymnasium. Morgan Stone led the number one seated, Thayer Lady Bobcats in scoring, with 12 points, to kick off the Lady Bobcats' 78-35 win over the (8) Eminence Lady Redwings, in the first round game...

It was a busy basketball week, with area boys basketball teams competing in the 42nd annual Liberty Eagles Invitational Tournament at Mountain View-Birch Tree High School. The eight-team bracket pitted (1) Alton vs. (8) Summersville in Monday's first round game, with the Alton Comets moving on in the "A" bracket...

Four classes and seven local teams are involved in the Izard County Invitational Tournament being held at Melbourne High School this week. The Cave City Cavemen do not have first-round opponents in three of the four brackets. The Cavemen get a first round bye in the senior boys and girls brackets, as well as the junior high boys bracket...

Two games, two victories. That is what the Viola Longhorns accomplished by knocking off Izard County 47-40 on Jan. 18. Senior guard Brandyn Batterton started a dominant first quarter for the Horns on the first possession of the game with a three pointer. Senior guard Alvin Baltzell was next for the Horns to hit a three...

M.T. SpaRKS Sports Writer So close. The Highland Lady Rebels were so close to picking up their first victory of the season, but a bad fourth quarter kept them from it. Highland was tied with Jonesboro-Westside late in the third quarter, only to fall, 59-49, at Gosnell on Monday, Jan. 14...