OBITUARIES >> 5-28-14

LOMELIA FYELomelia (Tootsie) Dean Fye, 93, of Little Rock passed away peacefully from natural causes on May 23. Willie Lomelia Dean, the middle of three girls, was born July 5, 1920, in El Paso to the late John Hollie Dean and Ann Blassin-game Dean. Her family moved to Beebe, where she proudly graduated from Beebe High School in 1939. Tootsie […]

TOP STORY >> Chief set to run against mayor in Jacksonville

By GARRICK FELDMAN Leader publisher It’s not often that a department head runs against his boss, but Jacksonville Police Chief Gary Sipes on Monday filed as a candidate to challenge Mayor Gary Fletcher in November. Sipes, who says he will retire soon, promises to bring a different style of leadership to the city. Fletcher refused to say Tuesday if he’ll […]

TOP STORY >> Staley, Lemons are winners in GOP’s primary Lonoke County Clerk Clarke loses; assessor faces runoff

By RICK KRON Leader staff writer More than 6,000 Republicans turned out for Lonoke County’s primary elections Tuesday that saw Sheriff John Staley keep his badge by solidly beating former Sheriff Jim Roberson and former deputy Steve Finch by about 3,000 votes. Staley received 4,270 votes to Roberson’s 1,211 and Finch’s 951. Lonoke County Clerk Larry Clarke, a Republican, lost […]

EDITORIAL >> Salute a vet this weekend

President Abraham Lincoln said, “A nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.” To that end, there are two major military ceremonies in the area this week and an opportunity to salute those who have died defending the country by placing flowers on veterans’ graves. First, all schools, church groups, individuals and others are invited to meet […]

EDITORIAL >> Chief wants to be mayor

When Gary Sipes was hired as Jacksonville’s police chief in 2008 he promised to keep his “private life unsullied as an example to all.” And he’s done that, but he has sure thrown a curveball into the mayor’s race. Sipes, 57, has every right to run, but it creates a conundrum for both the chief and his opponent, Mayor Gary […]

SPORTS STORY >> Red Devil bats go quiet in state upset

By RAY BENTON Leader sports editor Jacksonville’s baseball season came to a disappointing end Monday in the semifinals of the class 5A state baseball tournament. The Red Devils could not find the answer to the pitcher they were facing, committed a string of early errors and otherwise endured a lot of bad luck in a 7-0 loss to Pulaski Academy, […]

SPORTS STORY >> Tech defeats Lady Bears in quarterfinals

By GRAHAM POWELL  Leader sportswriter Saturday’s class 5A state softball tournament quarterfinal round between Sylvan Hills and Greene County Tech was a pitchers’ duel throughout, but the Lady Eagles got a timely RBI hit from cleanup hitter Elizabeth Gatlin in the top of the seventh to beat the Lady Bears 1-0 at Jacksonville’s Dupree Park. Sylvan Hills’ senior ace Michelle […]

SPORTS STORY >> Cabot ousted in semifinals

By GRAHAM POWELL Leader sportswriter The Cabot Panthers got past the quarterfinal round of the class 7A state baseball tournament at North Little Rock’s Burns Park with a 2-0 win over Little Rock Catholic on Saturday, but came up short against defending state champion Fayetteville in Monday’s semifinal round, losing 5-0 to the Bulldogs. On Saturday, Dylan Bowers scored the […]

SPORTS STORY >> Lady Panther jumps 14’

By RAY BENTON Leader sports editor Another meet and another state record gone to the wayside as Cabot’s Lexi Weeks shattered her own record in the pole vault that she set just last week at the class 7A state meet. Competing Saturday in the Meet of Champions at Heber Springs, Weeks, a junior, became just the second high school girl […]