News

LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education announced Thursday that Arkansas State University System campuses in Jonesboro, Beebe, Newport, West Memphis and Malvern will receive nearly $9 million combined for four training grants to support statewide workforce development efforts...

A 26-year-old Osceola man who has been missing since Sunday is the victim of an apparent homicide. Aaron Hopewell’s body was discovered by a bystander around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday in the 300 block of East Elizabeth Street in his hometown. According to Captain Wels Skaggs with the Osceola Police Department, Hopewell was found laying in the backyard of the residence...

Wednesday afternoon, a body was located behind a house on Elizabeth Street in Osceola. The Osceola Police Department and Emergency Services personnel are on the scene at this time. The identity of the deceased has yet to be released. The Osceola Times will have more details on this situation as they become available...

LITTLE ROCK – Murry and Dee Henderson of Keiser have been named as the 2024 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has helped to recognize outstanding farm families throughout the state since 1947. The Hendersons have been farming in Mississippi County for 23 years...

Christmas is one week away and 6-month-old Madilyn Reign Foster of Osceola is ready for her first visit from Santa Claus. She loves looking at the lights on the Christmas Tree and watching the mountain of presents grow. She is the daughter of Cristin and Dillon Foster of Osceola. See Madilyn and many of Santa’s friends inside today’s Santa edition of the Osceola Times...

By STEVE KNOX Times Staff The passage of an ordinance allowing chickens within the city limits of Osceola highlighted Monday’s meeting of the Osceola City Council. The ordinance allows residents of single family homes to possess six chickens at one time, however roosters are not allowed. The slaughtering of these birds is not allowed and all chickens must be housed in a self-contained coup, within a fenced yard, with the coup being at least 25 feet from neighboring properties...

By STEVE KNOX - Times Staff The Osceola School District Board of Directors held a special called meeting Monday evening with a single item on the agenda. The Board met, discussed and approved a $500 in-centive for all ABC employees in the district. The in-centive amount is commiserate with incentives given employees in the past...

By REVIS BLAYLOCK NEA Town Courier The Mississippi County finance committee discussed training funding at the Monday afternoon meeting. Justice Michael White, chair, opened the meeting welcoming Clif Chitwood, county economic developer. Chitwood and committee members discussed the importance and success of the career training in both north and south ANC campuses...

By STEVE KNOX Times Staff The Osceola School Board of Directors held its monthly meeting Monday night at the Junior High Multi-Purpose room. The Board was given the district financial report and was told the district is in solid financial condition with more than $10 million in the bank. ...

Dec. 9. agents with the Second Judicial Drug Task Force were patrolling the area of South Division in Blytheville near I-55 when they observed a car trailer transporting four vehicles, a Lamborghini Urus, a Porsche Panorama, and two 2025 GMC Pick-ups...

Peggy and Jerry Sellars were Grand Marshals of the annual Keiser Christmas Parade held Dec. 5. The couple are longtime residents of Keiser having served in the city government and volunteering with youth sports programs. Their Goldendoodle Ollie accompanied them on the ride.  See Page A16. (Photo By David Pierce)...

The American Red Cross of Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas needs local disaster response volunteers and will be hosting a training for anyone interested to attend. The Disaster Action Team (DAT) serves as the first, on-the-scene, Red Cross contact at the site of a disaster. ...

By COSMO COSSEY Sports Connection Team Riley Parker scored 17 points to help lead BIC (4-5) to a 56-35 win over Mammoth Spring last Monday (Nov. 25) at the MAC in Monette. The Lady Bears jumped out a 4-0 lead before Jaylyn Cagle scored in the paint and Chandler Gathright converted an old-school three-point play to make the score 5-4 BIC. ...

By SANDRA BRAND Times Editor A true southern gentleman, one of the country’s few remaining World War II veterans is celebrating his 99th birthday and he is a lifelong resident of South Mississippi County. Born in Joiner in 1925, James Brownlee is the son of LeeRoy and Lottie Brownlee. His father farmed 86 acres near Joiner, and later ran the Bassett and Joiner rural mail routes for the U.S. Postal Service...

Osceola Main Street presented the annual Christmas Parade Monday evening ushering in the holiday season. Tuesday, they announced the parade winners. In the Best Civic/Church Float category, First Baptist Church in Osceola won first place. Rivercrest High School Band received Best School Organization/Marching Unit...

By STEVE KNOX Times Staff A 34-year old Osceola man has been arrested twice on a variety of charges which include drug possession, possible residential burglary and kidnapping. Regal Eugene Johnson, of Osceola, was arrested Nov. 11, 2024 at the Osceola Walmart...

The Osceola City Council held a special meeting Tuesday evening where they approved a resolution to adopt the 2025 city budget and to adopt the 2025 Utility Department Budget. The council also adopted an ordinance giving elected officials an increase in salary. The ordinance may be read on page A9 of today’s paper...

By DAVID PIERCE Times Staff Describing the 2025 Mississippi County budget “friendly and usable”, Justice Michael White presented the financials to the quorum court Tuesday and it passed unanimously. The county projects $37 million in revenue next year and that coupled with a carryover of $33 million easily eclipses the estimated $47 million in expenses...

The City of Keiser recently announced the receipt of a $3,264,947 grant and a $1,088,316 loan from the Arkansas Natural Resource Commission (ANRC) to address one of the community's pressing infrastructure needs—its aging sewer system. According to Mayor Rick Creecy, this funding represents a major milestone for Keiser, providing the resources necessary to overhaul and modernize the system, ensuring it meets the needs of our residents today and for decades to come...

By DAVID PIERCE Times Staff The Osceola City Council will reconsider an ordinance disallowing fowl in the city limits following an appearance before the board by Bill Fountain Monday. Fountain, who has eight chickens on his residential property, explained to the five council members(Sandra Brand was not present) and Mayor Joe Harris that he recently received documentation from city’s animal control that he was in violation of the ordinance...

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently announced that Arkansas will continue its participation in the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program into 2025. Last year, the state served 260,000 children through the program. “Childhood hunger is a crisis – across America and especially in Arkansas. ...

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) has been awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration Program. ARDOT will use this grant funding to purchase additional Lane Blade devices – vehicle attachments that aid in safe and efficient debris removal from the roadway...

Arkansas Northeastern College held its annual Harvest Party at its new facility in Wilson this past week. President Chris Heigle made a special presentation of Gaylon Lawrence and his wife for the donation of the Wilson Manson and former Delta School to ANC...

By SANDRA BRAND Times Editor There has been a new face in downtown Osceola for the past couple of months. Catherine Norvell of Jonesboro has been hired as the new executive director of Main Street Osceola. The daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Norvell was born in Pea Ridge and raised in Jonesboro. A 1995 graduate of the Hurricanes, she earned a bachelor of fine arts with an emphasis in art history from Arkansas State University and a master of history from the University of Memphis...

Votes cast in the 2024 General Election in Mississippi County were officially certified Thursday evening. The commission spent five hours Wednesday and seven hours on Thursday recounting early, election day and absentee votes as well as counting the provisional ballots...

BLYTHEVILLE - The Mississippi County Election Commission has certified the results of the Nov. 5 General Election. After two days of recounting the ballots cast during early voting, election day and adding in absentee and provisional ballots, commissioners announced the final results...

By Joseph Fondren The Osceola Times Contributor WILSON — On Wednesday afternoon, 13 members of the 16-member Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) traveled to Wilson for their fourth quarter business meeting on Thursday; however, they toured the Big River 2 facilities in Osceola and congregated at the Tin House in Wilson before meeting at the Wilson Manor on the campus of the former Delta School in Wilson...

By Joseph Fondren The Osceola Times Contributor BLYTHEVILLE— City of Osceola Fire Chief Peter Hill recently informed the Mississippi County Police, Fire and Safety Committee about the dangerous fires occurring at the county landfill, which is in the city of Osceola’s fire district, and the need for a pumper tanker. ...

Brand/Dunegan retain Osceola seats Unofficial voting results of the votes cast in Mississippi County are: U.S. President, Vice President: Kamala D. Harris/Tim Walz (D)............................3,538 Donald J. Trump/JD Vance (R)..............................6,935...

PIGGOTT - The planned coverage of the game between the Seminoles and Mohawks Friday did not come off as planned when the Livestream on Seminole Nation was unable to be streamed due to a lack of signal in Piggott. Therefore this abbrevated story will recap the scoring as it occurred. More particulars about the game will be available on line later in the week...

On Oct. 24 the MissCo Soccer Academy had two teams win their division in the Jonesboro City Stars soccer league. After a 1-0 first half the U12 Girls, sponsored by Las Brisas Mexican Restaurant and coached by Victoria Hatley and Laura Weiss, went on to win comfortably 4-0 with two goals by Wendolyn Lara and one each by Kayleigh Trejo and Evelynn Chino...

Willis Earl Beckett III, 33, of Freeport, TX, passed away on Oct. 29, 2024, at the Jeannie Sealy Hospital in Galveston, TX. Born on Oct. 2, 1991 in Covington, TN, he is the son of Willis Earl Beckett Jr. and Michele Emerson. Willis is survived by his parents, Willis Earl Beckett Jr of Covington, TN, and Michele Emerson of Freeport, TX...

Osceola resident and city councilman Joe Guy, an avid golfer, achieved one of the rarest of accomplishments when he recently scored a double eagle two on a par 5 hole. Guy did so on hole number five at Osceola Municipal Golf Course. Guy hit a 302 yard drive leaving himself about 155 yards to the hole. Guy’s second shot, from that distance with an 8-iron landed on the green and went into the cup. Guy’s achievement was witnessed by playing partner Luther Whitfield and Phil Beall...

Arkansas Northeastern College will host a celebration of Thanks and Giving, Thursday, Nov. 14 at the school’s newest location in Wilson. The event will be held on the The Lawrence Family Campus, 5101 U.S. Highway 61, the location of the former Delta School. The event will begin with a recognition ceremony for the Lawrence family at 6 p.m. in front of the mansion. The main event will be a drop-in from 6:30-9 p.m...

LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced the state will receive up to $13,535,086.30 as its share of a $1.37 billion settlement with Kroger over the company’s role in the opiod crisis. Arkansas along with 29 other states sued Kroger...

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a 3.7 magnitude earthquake registered approximately 1.25 miles east of Steele, Missouri on Saturday, Nov. 2. The quake occurred at 10:44 p.m. at a depth of 7.2 miles. The quake was felt in the Missouri towns of Steele (2 miles from the epicenter), Hayti and Caruthersville (both 11 miles from the epicenter). Other Missouri towns which felt the quake include Kennett and Portageville...

The National Cold War Center will present the Cold War Conversation Friday, Nov. 1 at The Ritz Civic Center in Blytheville. The program will begin at 6 p.m. Gary Powers, Jr. will be this year’s guest speaker. Powers is the son of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, author and commentator on Cold War issues. ...

By DAVID PIERCE - Times Staff Repair and renovation of the county courthouse in Osceola took a giant step forward Tuesday as the quorum court earmarked funds from a county land sale to the project. A little more than $1.4 million was generated from the sale of county-owned land on South Division in Blytheville. The justices moved to channel those dollars to upgrade the deteriorating courthouse...

The First Baptist Church in Keiser will hold a trunk-or-treat Thursday, Oct. 31. The trunk-or-treat will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. in the church’s parking lot. First Baptist Church and the First United Methodist Church in Osceola have partnered to host a Community Trunk-or-Treat Thursday, Oct. 31...

A Celebration of Thanks and Giving will be held Thursday, Nov. 14 at Arkansas Northeastern College’s newest location in Wilson. The event will be held at The Lawrence Family Campus, 5101 U.S. Highway 61. A recognition ceremony for the Lawrence family will begin at 6 p.m. in front of the mansion. The main event will be a drop-in from 6:30-9 p.m...

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) produces a Weekly Viral Respiratory Disease Report for clinician. The report provides information on Influenza, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity in the state. The report show for week 41 Arkansas has reported “minimal” or one out of 13 for the influenza-like-illness (ILI) activity. Hospital Emergency Department visits reported through Syndromic Surveillance were at 1.59% for ILI, 1.36% for COVID-like-illness (CLI), and 0.08% for RSV...

By STEVE KNOX Times Staff OSCEOLA - When Dave Stickler was a young man, he loved to fish. “I grew up fishing in streams, ponds, rivers and lakes where we lived,” Stickler recalled. “I really loved to fish and the reason I loved it was my Dad taught me. It was something we shared and it was special.”...

By DAVID PIERCE - Times Staff Monday, the Osceola City Council passed a resolution adopting updated police and city jail policies. The measure stems from a civil lawsuit filed by Pete Edwards who claimed the city was liable for the actions of a former police officer who shot him in 2019. The shooting left Edwards paralyzed and the city agreed to settle Edwards’ claim for $3.75 million...

On Thursday, Oct. 17, Special Agents with the Arkansas State Police (ASP) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a residential search warrant in Leachville after receiving a National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) cyber tip...

OSCEOLA, AR / ACCESSWIRE / October 16, 2024 / Envirotech Vehicles (NASDAQ:EVTV), a leading innovator in the electric commercial vehicle industry, has announced the addition of Jason Maddox and Elgin Tracy, high profile leaders with decades of experience building and running multi-billion dollar businesses, as President and Chief Operating Officer, respectively...

MISSISSIPPI COUNTY — Public officials and economic development leaders throughout Mississippi County gathered Tuesday with representatives from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) for a mayor’s summit focused on future growth in the region...

The American Red Cross, through its Community Adaptation Program, partnered with The Help Center in Joiner, to officially open its new facility to expand the center’s food pantry. The ribbon-cutting event was held Thursday, Oct. 10 at The Help Center at First Baptist Frenchman, 7301 S. Highway 61, Joiner. The new building will offer the center more than 2,100 square feet of space to better serve the community with healthy and nutritious food...

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) produces a Weekly Viral Respiratory Diseases Report for clinicians. The report provides information on influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity in the state. In week 40, Arkansas has reported “minimal” or one out of 13 for the influenza-like-illness (ILI) activity level indicator determined by data report to ILINet...