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Local gymnasts win team title, three all-around championships
A Stars & Stripes Gymnastics team won a team title and three of the Batesville gymnasts won all-around championships recently in the Arkansas Pepsi Challenge meet in Hot Springs.
Caroline Booker, Miracle Sentell and Mary Claire McNabb were the individual champs for the Level 4 team title holder.
Booker, competing in the Children B division, won the vault, balance beam and floor exercise, and finished fifth on the uneven bars to accumulate her winning all-around score. -
Arkansas State’s ‘bigs’ make it tough on Scots
JONESBORO — Malcoln Kirkland, a 6-foot-8, 265-pound senior, is just one of the big guys who roughed up the Lyon College Scots here Monday night.
“Number 33 (Kirkland) and number 15 (Brandon Peterson, 6-7, 215) provided 43 of their points,” Lyon Coach Kevin Jenkins said after the NCAA Division I Arkansas State Red Wolves mashed the Scots 108-61 in an exhibition basketball game. -
Thomas Tilley Jr.
Thomas Warren Tilley Jr., 40, of Batesville died Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, in Batesville.
Born April 17, 1971, in Helena, he was the son of Thomas Warren Tilley Sr. and Joan Elizabeth Godfrey Edgin. He was of the Christian faith. He had 699 hours of law enforcement training and had held several positions, from patrol officer to criminal investigator. He had completed courses in all areas of law enforcement, from firearms to racial profilers, hostage negotiations, legal matters, drug enforcement, youth gangs and chemical testing from Camden to Quantico, Va. -
Sue Blizard
CHEROKEE VILLAGE — Sue Carol Blizard, 75, of Cherokee Village died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, at her home.
Born Nov. 27, 1936, at Freemont, Kan., she was the daughter of William and Bertha Ross. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Don Blizard; a son, Jerry Blizard of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; three daughters, Deborah Wheaton, Kathy Spoon and Vicki Majors, all of Winfield, Kan.; a brother, Bill Ross of Pineville, Mo.; nine grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and several nephews and nieces. -
Cleat Roberson
PLEASANT PLAINS — Cleo “Cleat” Roberson, 82, of Pleasant Plains died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, in Batesville.
The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Pleasant Plains Baptist Church with Paul Jackson officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Plains Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Jack Dean, Randy Allender, Danny Roberson, Bobby Roetzel, Trey Hites and Randall Martin.
Honorary pallbearer is Russell Chandler.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 tonight at Roller-Crouch Funeral Home in Batesville.
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www.rollerfuneralhomes.com -
Ullman Harris
CALICO ROCK — Ullman Otho Harris, 88, of Calico Rock died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, in Calico Rock.
Born Dec. 10, 1923, in Gorby, he was the son of Austin D. and Myrtle Blankenship Harris. He was united in marriage to Johnnie Garner in February 1946. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II on the USS Ormsby, ascending to the rank of electrician’s mate third class. He received an honorable discharge in 1946. -
Martial arts teaches discipline
JUDSONIA (AP) — A martial arts school in Judsonia that specializes in aiding “at risk” children is seeking to become a non-profit organization.
The goal of The School of Hard Knocks Martial Arts Academy is to teach honor, respect, confidence, control and power to its students through the a blend of traditional and modern martial arts. Students learn aspects of Hapkido, Taekwondo, Kenjukido, Kenpo and Jujitsu, among other styles. -
Drivers avoid injury in crashes
Two drivers, a Cave City woman and a Drasco man, escaped injury in separate accidents recently, according to Arkansas State Police Trooper Jeremy Page.
Lyda Jones (47) told Page she was traveling west on Highway 69 around 2 p.m. and as she approached the intersection with Highway 122 she was struck by another vehicle, causing her to lose control of her car and hit highway marker signs.
“She said the other vehicle left the scene after striking her,” Page said. -
Children taken by DHS
WALNUT RIDGE — A couple arrested on drug charges in Walnut Ridge Saturday had two young children taken away from their residence by the Department of Human Services, said Lawrence County Sheriff Jody Dotson.
The sheriff said officers from his department with assistance from the Walnut Ridge Police Department arrested James Gray, 38, and Aleisha Cunningham, who turned 26 the day after her arrest, for delivery of controlled substances (Hydrocodone and marijuana), possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. -
County offices closed
All county offices will be closed both Friday and Monday.
Independence County trash and recycling pickup will not run Monday due to the Christmas holiday. The trash will be picked up the following Monday. This covers the northwest corner part of the county everything west of Highway 167 and north of the White River.
Friday recycling will be picked up on Thursday of this week.
Normal operations will resume on Tuesday. -
Forgery charges filed
A Thida woman accused of writing unauthorized checks on her parent’s account is facing six counts of second degree forgery, according to a court affidavit filed by Detective Jeff Sims with the Independence County Sheriff’s Office.
Sims said that on Dec. 1, Anthony Wagner reported that his stepdaughter, Mary Beth Oldham, 48, had gotten his and his wife’s checkbook and forged several checks in the area. -
Library to close
The Independence County Library will be closed Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday and will re-open Dec. 27 at 9:00 a.m.
The library also will be closed Dec. 31-Jan. 2 and re-open Jan. 3. For more information, call the library at (870) 793-8814.
