By RAY BENTON  Leader sports editor The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils dropped to 3-4 on the season with a pair of losses at the West Memphis Classic earlier this week. The Lady Devils fell 53-40 to the host team on Monday, then dropped a 43-34 decision to Greene County Tech on Tuesday. Jacksonville held third-quarter leads in both games, but […]

By RAY BENTON  Leader sports editor The Cabot Lady Panthers pulled off an upset on Tuesday, going on the road and defeating defending Class 7A state champion Conway 72-66. The Lady Wampus Cats have everyone back from a year ago, with one player yet to play so far this season for undisclosed reasons. Despite the experience, the home team struggled […]

By RAY BENTON  Leader sports editor WYNNE – The underdog Beebe Badgers made one great run into the semifinals of the Class 5A football playoffs, but the run came to an end on Friday. The Badgers gave heavily favored Wynne all it could handle, but the Yellowjackets prevailed 35-28 to advance to the state championship game next Saturday against Pulaski […]

Jacksonville City Attorney Robert Bamburg has demanded the resignation of three civil service commissioners because they participated in the recent mayoral election. Bamburg says the statute that is being used to relieve these three commissioners — two supporters of former Police Chief Gary Sipes and one a supporter of Mayor Gary Fletcher — clearly states that civil service commissioners should […]

Bethlehem United Methodist Church’s Christmas-story display, called Road to Bethlehem, will open Monday and remain up through New Year’s Day. “The story of Christ’s birth is told through approximately 30 scenes and scriptures that are placed on properties along Bethlehem Road, off Hwy. 31 North just outside Lonoke,” according to a news release from the church’s Pastor Carolyn Staley. The […]

By SARAH CAMPBELL Leader staff writer Third time was the charm for 37-year-old Anthony Montius Magee of Jacksonville when he became the first man from the United States to be crowned Karaoke World Champion. The competition, held in Sweden earlier this month, debuted in 2003. It was held in Finland that year. “This is really surreal. I can’t believe it […]

By SARAH CAMPBELL Leader staff writer The Sherwood City Council this week heard one reading of a proposal to spend about $14,000 on a property near the historic Roundtop filling station to build a parking lot for visitors. Two more readings — three total — are required before the council can vote to adopt an ordinance. The 1936 station is […]