Yesteryears

WRHS senior Hunter Flippo signed a letter of intent and athletic scholarship agreement to play baseball at Williams Baptist College.

Seven Hoxie students have been named as members or alternates to the Junior High All-Region bands. Those named included: David Wilson, first band, seventh chair, trombone; Sid Davis, first band, eighth chair, trumpet; Alexis Baldwin, first band, 11th chair, clarinet; Austen Blocker, second band, first chair, trombone; Ethan Moore, second band, fifth chair, trombone; Nancy Waltmon, first alternate, clarinet; and Logan Allen, third alternate, trumpet. Instructors overseeing the HHS Instrumental Music Department are Corey Emerson, Jason Payne and Joseph Curtis.

Walnut Ridge fifth and sixth grade students recently competed in a chess tournament. Brighton Brand was named winner of the tournament. Other finalists included Cade Burris, Slade Dalton, Nash Gill, Isaac Biggers and Zackary Osburn.

Randal and Shawnta Whited, who live on Southwest Third Street, were the winners of the residential division of Downtown Walnut Ridge’s Deck the Ridge with Songs of Christmas holiday decorating competition. Sonic was the winner in the business division.

Smithville native Scott Smith was promoted to the rank of major in the U.S. Army on Nov. 24 at the Smithville Community Center by his wife, Lieutenant Colonel Elizabeth Smith, U.S. Army, retired. The ceremony was attended by several family members including his parents Judy and Octavius Smith. Smith is a graduate of Sloan-Hendrix High School and Williams Baptist College.

20 Years Ago

At a special meeting on Dec. 16, the River Valley School Board voted to list the 13-acre Poughkeepsie School property with Century 21 in Ash Flat for six months. The board made the decision last spring to permanently close the school due to declining enrollment. Poughkeepsie School consolidated with the Strawberry School District 11 years ago, forming the River Valley School District. The Poughkeepsie property is located approximately 20 miles from the River Valley campus.

Sedgwick native Dr. Mildred Vance has announced her retirement from Arkansas State University after 54 years of service. She joined the faculty at ASU in 1948 when Harry Truman was president of the United States and enrollment of Arkansas State College was 1,093 students.

Charles Davidson and Molly McNeal were named Walnut Ridge High School Winter Ball king and queen on Dec. 14.

Jonathan Wichman, a Walnut Ridge Highs School sophomore, was recently selected as the school’s delegate to the Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership seminar to be held in the spring.

On behalf of Lawrence County Farm Bureau, Cap Phillips, president, was awarded a seven-star plaque during the Gold Star awards program at the 68th annual Arkansas Farm Bureau convention Dec. 11-13 in Hot Springs. The award recognizes Farm Bureaus’ excellence in service-to-member programs during the past year.

30 Years Ago

Matthew Rose, Blair Stowers and Matthew Noblin received the Arrow of Light award Thursday night at the Cub Scout Pack #39 Christmas party. This is the highest award given to a Cub Scout and is the only badge that can be carried over to the Boy Scout uniform.

The Walnut Ridge Choral Department/Fire Department float, Snoopy’s Christmas, was named second place winner in the Hoxie Parade and third place in the Walnut Ridge Parade.

Dwight Brannon and Tytti Kervinen have been named Mr. and Miss Lynn High School.

40 Years Ago

At a candlelight ceremony performed at 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon, Dec. 18, in the First Baptist Church, Sara Anne Shell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Shell of Clinton, became the bride of Jeffery Franklin Teague, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Teague of Dumas. The couple will reside in Walnut Ridge.

Several students from Walnut Ridge Elementary and Middle Schools recently participated in a tree decorating party at Citizens National Bank. Fifth graders decorating their tree included: Nicole Allen, Michael Osburn, Kim Huff, Mark Yates, Tony Willfond, Shane McGhehey, Janee Jones and Cathy Cline.

A disaster center was set up at the Community Center Friday and Saturday to provide help for flood victims. The Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinated similar disaster centers throughout the flood damaged areas of Northeast Arkansas.

50 Years Ago

The two-story Hoxie Middle School, which housed the 6th, 7th and 8th grades, was destroyed by fire last Thursday night with damage estimated at more than $200,000 by Hoxie Fire Chief Jack Rottger. Formerly used as the Senior-Junior High building, the structure was 30 years old. It was occupied in the 1942-43 school year, and it replaced a high school building which burned 31 years ago.

Work has begun on a project at Sexton Field at WRHS which will result in the football field being moved about 20 yards to the south – or farther away from the gymnasium. Supt. Van Ellis said the move is being undertaken in order to permit construction of a regulation track and because of a possible future addition to the Sharum Gymnasium on the south side.

Mayor O’Neal Kellim of Walnut Ridge, Mayor Jerry Flippo of Hoxie, Ed Dust and Dick Bobrowski were in Little Rock Monday and Tuesday conferring with officials of the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission and the Arkansas Municipal League.

Tom Moore of Walnut Ridge has been named assistant managing editor of The Herald, campus newspaper at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro for the spring semester.

The Bank of Imboden has received final approval of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. At a meeting of the Board of Directors, the following officers were elected: Amos David of Caraway, president and board chairman; J.R. David Jr., executive vice president; and Steve Jones, vice president and cashier.

60 Years Ago

Susie Wilcoxson has been elected song leader of the Pi Beta Phi sorority at the University of Arkansas.

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wayland are the parents of their first child, a son, Keith, born Monday.

Felix Goodson of Harrison has been named assistant to President H.E. Williams of Southern Baptist College for promotion and development.

70 Years Ago

The Alicia Theatre and adjoining Gibbs Cafe were completely destroyed by fire early yesterday morning. The theatre was operated by Carl Polston and Ben R. Bush.

Leonard Austin was elected Worshipful Master of the Hoxie Masonic Lodge at the annual meeting. He will serve during 1953.

Major Nita B. Warner, daughter of Mrs. Louis R. Warner of Walnut Ridge, appeared on a recent broadcast of the television program, Art Baker’s “You Asked For It,” where she led a trick foot-drill team composed of women from the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, Santa Anna, Calif.

Sgt. Laddie Allen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Allen of Alicia, was one of the 22 returning Korean veterans to land in Seattle Tuesday.

80 Years Ago

Adrian Rogers, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Rogers of Alicia, is now a corporal in the medical corps somewhere in India.

Delmar Leroy Schultz has been promoted to the rank of corporal within two months after induction into Battery G, 607th coast artillery, Camp Hulen, Texas. Corporal Schultz, familiarly known as “Cotton” to his friends, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Noah Schultz of Walnut Ridge.