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Local/Regional News

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• Man Escapes SFC Jail
• A prisoner escaped from the St. Francis County Jail Thursday morning.   County Sheriff Chief Deputy Major Stanley Barnes stated that 21-year old Christopher Davenport of Forrest City escaped from the jail through an adjoining door to the circuit court building that was inadvertently left open during court proceedings.
  
  Davenport was being held on charges of criminal attempted first degree murder, 1st degree battery, terroristic threatening, and firearm possession. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.
  
  Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Christopher Davenport is asked to call the St. Francis County Sheriff’s Office at 633-2611.
  
  
• Hit And Run Victim Airlifted To The Med
• A Forrest City woman was airlifted to a Memphis hospital last night (Thursday) after being struck by a car.
  
  Police were dispatched to St. Andrews and South Rosser around 8:30 last night where they found the victim, 32-year old Tina Tobar, lying in the middle of St. Andrews Street.  Witnesses told police that 30-year old Jerome Brown of Forrest City hit Tobar with his car and then drove away.
  
  Brown was found a short time later inside a nearby residence and taken into custody on a felony charge of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and driving on a suspended license.
  
  Tobar was airlifted from the Grant Street parking lot to the Med in Memphis where she was treated and released.
  
  
• Three Sentenced To ADC
• Three men were sentenced to time in the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) during criminal court proceedings in St. Francis County over the past two days.
  
  --Thirty-four year old Markie Randle was sentenced Wednesday to two five-year terms in the ADC on drug-related charges. The terms will run concurrently.
  
  --Twenty-nine year old Jody Wooten of Parkin was sentenced Thursday to two three-years terms in the ADC on theft charges. The terms will run concurrently. Wooten was charged in connection with the theft of around $12,000 worth of copper from an irrigation system on the Dusty Trail Farm back in September 2007.
  
  --Twenty-nine year old Bryan Alvin Like of Wynne was sentenced Thursday to two five-year terms in the ACD after pleading guilty to drug-related charges. His sentences will also run concurrently.
  
  
• No Decision From New FC Superintendent
• There is still no final decision from Dr. Jerry Woods regarding the superintendent’s job at Forrest City Schools.  Woods, of Jackson, Tennessee, was offered the position this past Wednesday night.  He asked for time to review the proposed contract, and originally indicated his decision could come as soon as today (Friday).
  
  Woods notified school board members today (Friday) that there were still some points to work out in the contract.  The school board has called a special meeting for Monday (5/19) evening at 5:00pm to consider possible changes in new superintendent’s contract.
  
  
• P-W Festival Saturday
• The annual Palestine-Wheatley Middle School and Community Festival is coming up tomorrow in Wheatley. Middle School Principal Bobbie Fingers has more details:
  
  (mp3 audio)
  
  Ms. Fingers says proceeds from this year’s event will go toward the Glenda Roberts Scholarship Fund:
  
  (mp3 audio)
  
  The festival will be tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the middle school campus in Wheatley.
  
  
• Fair And Tobacco Walk Saturday
• The 3rd annual Community Fair and Tobacco Walk will be held tomorrow (Saturday) in Marianna.  Arlene Freeman from the Lee County Family Resource Center says the Tobacco Walk will begin at 9 a.m. in the parking lot of Counseling Services of Eastern Arkansas:
  
  (mp3 audio)
  
  The event is being sponsored by the Lee County Family Resource Center, Counseling Services of Eastern Arkansas, Marianna Hometown Health, Action for Kids and the Ameri-Corp/Delta Service Corp Volunteers.
  
  
• Weather Nice For Several Days
• Our weather should be nice for several days in a row with mostly sunny conditions and only a slight chance of rain.   It will be cool today with north winds.  We’ll reach only the lower 70s this afternoon.
  
  Southwest winds will begin late tonight, so Saturday temperatures will be some ten degrees warmer.   A weak cold front will move through the region early Sunday.  Upper level support and instability will be weak, so little if any rain is expected.  We will see mostly cloudy skies for most of Sunday. Skies will clear and temperatures will warm even more beginning Monday.  We should be in the mid 80s for most of next week.
  
  A couple of more systems will push through the region, the first Tuesday night.  Once again, there will be very little rain support, so the forecast is dry for now.  The second system may bring us a little rain for Thursday into Friday, but at this point, widespread heavy rain is not expected.
  
  
• Funeral Notices
• Funeral services For Patrick Eugene "Pat" East, age 38 of Holly Grove, are Saturday (5/17) at 10:30am at First Baptist Church in Holly Grove with burial in the Hayes Cemetery.  Branscumb Johnson & Gilchrest Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Visitation is Friday from 7:30-8:30pm at the funeral home.
  
  Funeral services for Essie May Coleman, age 75 of Marianna, are Saturday (5/17) at 11:00am at the New Bethel M.B. Church with burial in Mount Zion Cemetery.  Marianna Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Visitation is Friday from 1-5pm at the funeral home.
  
  Funeral services for Mattie Bracey, age 98 of Chicago and formerly of Marianna, are Saturday (5/17) at 11:00am at Antioch M.B. Church in Aubrey with burial in the Second Spring Lake Cemetery.  Marianna Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Visitation is Friday from 2-5pm at the funeral home.
  
  Funeral services for Leania Holmes-Pryor, age 56 of Searcy and formerly of Cotton Plant, are Saturday (5/17) at 2:00pm at the Morning Star M.B. Church in Cotton Plant with burial in Morning Star Cemetery.  Branscumb Johnson & Gilchrest Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Visitation is Friday from 6-8pm at the funeral home.
  
  Funeral services for Mildred Peoples, age 84 of Forrest City, are Saturday (5/17) at 2:00pm at the United Christian Missionary Baptist Church with burial in Forrest City Cemetery.  Clay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Visitation is Friday from 1-5pm at the funeral home.
  
  Funeral services for Michael Dale Poe, age 26 of Forrest City, are Sunday (5/18) at 2:00pm at First Baptist Church in Forrest City with burial in the Bell Cemetery in Palestine.  Stevens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Visitation is Saturday from 6-pm at the funeral home.
  
  Funeral services for Drucilla Hardy, age 63 of Marianna, are Wednesday (5/21) at 1:00pm at God's House of Prayer with burial in Mount City Cemetery.  Marianna Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Visitation is Tuesday from 1-5pm at the funeral home.

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