Archive - News Article
February 14th, 2012
The Wally Hall Tournament of Champions, already one of the biggest baseball and softball tournaments in the state, is expected to be bigger and stronger than ever before in its 30th year with an addition of a Triple Crown.
But with the loss of the funding from the Benton Advertising and Promotion Commission, due to Benton residents voting in favor of the plan to build a large-scale events center, the tournament needs sponsors.
Bryant Early Education — BEE — coalition members gathered Thursday, Feb. 9, at The Center at Bishop Park to celebrate one year of successfully enriching the lives of preschoolers in Bryant.
According to BEE Coalition Founder and Coordinator Pam Toler, the goal of the coalition is to work together to provide the highest quality preschool education, so Bryant's "little bees" will be ready to become Bryant Hornets.
A permanent superintendent for the Benton School District still has not been named.
Benton School Board members interviewed the four finalists for the positions on Monday, but "a couple of the members aren't quite ready to vote yet," said Jeff Morrow, board president.
Morrow said he expects to call a meeting within the next two days to take an official vote on the board's choice.
"A couple of the members wanted a night to sleep on it before voting," Morrow added.
February 13th
A service awards recognition ceremony will be included at the Benton City Council meeting tonight.
Slated to receive awards during the meeting are city employees Mollie Wright, Larry Lewis, Lester Griffin and Chuck Jackson.
Another award to be presented during the meeting will be the Youth of the Month honor that recognizes Bekah Davis of Benton High School for December.
The youth honor is determined by a vote of the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council.
In other matters, Mayor David Mattingly plans to introduce a proclamation related to the Benton Athletic Memorial Museum Wall of Fame Week.
Funeral is scheduled Tuesday for a longtime Benton physician who died Friday.
The service for Dr. John D. Wright will take place at 2 p.m. at Benton's First Baptist Church, where Dr. Wright was an active member.
He was a deacon of the congregation and taught Sunday School there for 56 years.
Dr. Wright practiced medicine for 50 years and was on the active medical staff of Saline Memorial Hospital during that period.
Tonya Shelnutt, fourth-floor nurse manager at SMH, who worked closely with Dr. Wright, remembered him fondly today.
February 10th
Lifetime Benton resident and community leader
Gwendolynne Louise “Pud” Troutt Webb died Wednesday. She was 81.
Mrs. Webb, the daughter of the late George L. and Lucille Cox Troutt, came from a prominent Benton family. Her father served as mayor of Benton during the 1950s.
Among the family's residences was the two-story maroon brick structure at the corner of North Main and Cross streets, which for many years served as offices for the Benton Courier.
February 9th
The leadership Benton Mayor David Mattingly displayed in his first year in office earned him a coveted honor Tuesday night: 2011 Citizen of the Year.
The award was presented at the annual Benton Area Chamber of Commerce Banquet.
Other top honors announced at the event included:
•Volunteer of the Year, Ray Baggett.
•Ambassador of the Year, J.J. Bruton.
•Top Recruiter of the Year, Kim Minnix.
•Business Student of the Year, Myra Cloud.
Gary James, executive director of the chamber, announced all of the winners.
February 8th
The four finalists for superintendent of the Benton School District are scheduled for interviews with the school board Monday, Feb. 13.
If the board can meet its optimum goal, a decision on the district's chief administrator could be made Monday night, according to Jeff Morrow, board president.
Morrow said the interviews are to be held in the recently renovated high school library facility that now is serving as a district professional development center.
The interviews will begin at 2 p.m. and will take place every two hours, Morrow said.
The order for the interviews will be:
February 7th
Matt Burks
It was a cold, rainy night on Jan. 24 when a 21-year-old man parked his vehicle on top of Crystal Lake Road, headlights off and engine revving. About 9 p.m., the young man made a decision that would affect more people than he could have known at that moment.
The speed was unknown, the reasons are still today unknown, and unknown to him at that moment was that an angel of mercy was about to bestow upon what he believed would be the last moments of life. He pushed down the accelerator, raced down hill, turned the wheel and ramped the vehicle into Crystal Lake.
Officials have spruced up the inside of the Saline County Courthouse with a new television monitor that will help aide visitors to specific courtrooms.
