Archive - 2012
March 7th
Bryant firefighters are now better equipped to meet the needs of residents thanks to three Bullard Eclipse thermal imaging cameras that were recently donated to the fire department by the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.
The devices, worth nearly $19,000, detect body heat and hot spots in burning buildings, allowing firefighters to reach victims in half the time and extinguish potentially deadly fires.
“When you can’t even see your hand in front of your face, these cameras guide us to the heat source and people who may be inside the structure,” Capt. Rusty Long said.
A new chief executive officer has been named for Saline Memorial Hospital.
The SMH Board of Directors has selected Bob Trautman to fill the CEO position.
Trautman comes to SMH with more than 35 years of executive-level health-care experience working in a diverse group of healthcare facilities from Mississippi to California, according to Rebecca Jones, director of marketing and community relations.
"He brings extensive experience leading a 239-bed acute care hospital in Palmdale, Calif.," Jones said.
Patricia C. McDonald, 76, of Benton passed away March 3. She was the daughter of Sadie and George McDonald Sr.
Patricia was born Jan.18, 1936, in Gladewater, Texas. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Benton and graduated from Benton High School.Â
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, George McDonald Jr.Â
She is survived by her son, Paul A. Martin of Benton, daughters, Terri J. Barr and Lori Ward –Herod of Benton, grandchildren, Thomas Calabrese III, Cristen Langley,Tiffany Dunn and Joseph Eason, all of Benton, two great grandchildren.Â
Dwight Caldwell Sr., 66, of Dickson, Tenn., passed away Saturday, March 3, at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. He was a native of Bradford, and was preceded in death by his mother, Wilma Bryant Caldwell.Â
Dwight was a member of the Benton Masonic Lodge, a former minister of music for the Forest Hills Missionary Baptist Church in Benton, a retired certified property manager, and a and a member of First Baptist Church in Dickson, Tenn.
Cyril E. Shipp, 93, of Bryant passed away March 5. He was born Dec. 14, 1918, in Bauxite to the late Audie and Myrtle Wise Shipp.Â
Cyril was an Army veteran, serving during World War I. He received a Purple Heart. He was a member of the First Southern Baptist Church of Bryant, a Mason with Scottish Rite, Order of the Eastern Star, a member of Knights Templar and C.M.A.
Cyril retired from Reynolds Metals after working in the maintenance department for many years. He was an avid Razorback fan and loved his motorcycle riding adventures with his wife.
Fannie Dorian, 76, of Benton, passed away peacefully Monday, March 5, at Saline Memorial Hospice House in Bryant.
She was born March 19, 1935, to the late Warren B. and Marie Redden in Little Rock.
Mrs. Dorian was a retired 26-year employee of Saline Memorial Hospital's X-ray department. She was a graduate at Bauxite, known as “Shaw University.”  Mrs. Dorian was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Benton.Â
Charles Lester Isom, 71 of Mabelvale passed away on March 5, 2012. He was born March 19, 1940, to the late Albert and Myrtle Isom in Carlisle.
Charles retired from AFCO Steel after 20 years of employment; he and his wife also managed King Motel for more than 20 years. He loved to ride motorcycles, fishing, water skiing and spending time with his family.
Charles was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers, David, James, Albert, Clarence and Cecil Isom; and two sisters, Margreat and Willie Mae.
LITTLE ROCK – It’s not every day that a first-ballot baseball Hall-of Famer visits your state to talk about old times, but that’s what happened this past Friday evening at the Clinton Library in Little Rock. St. Louis Cardinals great and National League all-time stolen base leader Lou Brock opened the Clinton Library’s St. Louis Cardinals exhibit which officially opened on Saturday. The exhibit is called Play Ball! The St. Louis Cardinals and features the 2006 and 2011 World Series trophies among a variety of other vintage Cardinals’ memorabilia, and runs through Sept. 16.
March 6th
Carolyn Ann (Knight) Wilbanks went to be with the Lord on March 5, 2012.Â
Carolyn was a long-term resident of Benton where she raised an extended family. She was born in Sunflower, Miss. on Jan. 10, 1941 to Jewell and Burton Knight. Carolyn was the sister of Mary Jane Keller of Starkville, Miss., Marilyn Rogers of Becker, Miss., Bruce Knight and Ronnie Knight of Pontotoc, Miss., and Douglas “Shorty” Knight of Tupelo, Miss.Â
She is preceded in death by her parents and brother Burton “Burt T” Knight.
Frances Ellen “Fritzy” Sledge, 81, resident of Alexander, passed away Sunday, March 4.
She was born June 28, 1930 in Vimy Ridge to the late Ernest Spann and Bobbie Mae Mann Spann.Â
Mrs. Sledge was valedictorian of her high school class at the old Vimy Ridge School. She was a member of the Vimy Ridge Missionary Baptist Church.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by two sons, Robert Gene Sledge and Tony Sledge; four sisters; and two grandchildren.
