By GRAHAM POWELL Leader sportswriter The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits improved to 3-1 in 4A-2 Conference play last week with Friday’s 53-30 win at Stuttgart. The Lonoke girls (6-3, 3-1) lost to Heber Springs in the first conference game of the season last month, but have since won three straight league games, and they were able togradually pull away from the […]

By RAY BENTON Leader sports editor RUSSELLVILLE – The Sylvan Hills Bears suffered a scoring drought at the most inopportune time, resulting in a 35-30 loss to Lake Hamilton in the championship game of the Cyclone Invitational on Saturday at RHS. In a strangely lethargic atmosphere for a tournament championship, both teams and their sparse fans seemed sluggish throughout. The […]

By RAY BENTON Leader sports editor CONWAY – The Jacksonville Red Devils fell into a hole early Saturday, and could not climb out, losing 62-49 to Fayetteville in the championship game of the Wampus Cat Invitational. The Bulldogs started four players as tall as or taller than Jacksonville’s tallest, but it was from outside that Fayetteville did its damage early. […]

By GRAHAM POWELL Leader sportswriter A pair of Panthers put on one great show in the finale of the Cabot Pre-Holiday Classic, but it was the visiting Panthers from Benton that beat the host Panthers 75-72 in triple overtime Saturday at Panther Arena in Cabot. Cabot jumped out to a four-point lead in the third extra period, but Benton’s Clay […]

By GRAHAM POWELL Leader sportswriter The Cabot girls went a perfect 3-0 in the annual Cabot Pre-Holiday Classic at Panther Arena last week. After beating Vilonia on Thursday, the Lady Panthers beat Nemo Vista on Friday by the final score of 45-32, and on Saturday, the hosts closed the Classic with a 49-28 win over Benton. With Cabot playing without […]

Lonoke District Court Judge Teresa Smith wants a $5,000 raise for 2015, but the city council approved her request only as part of a preliminary budget that could easily be changed. The judge’s $20,000 annual salary is split between the city and the county. Supposedly, the county has locked in its 2015 budget, and the quorum court might be reluctant […]

It seems the new Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District has a few friends in Little Rock. The state Board of Education recognized the new district soon after area residents overwhelmingly voted in favor of leaving the Pulaski County Special School District. State Education Commissioner Tony Wood also supports the hiring of former Pulaski County Special School District Superintendent Bobby Lester of […]

By SARAH CAMPBELL Leader staff writer Two side-by-side newcomers to the Cabot area, the Excel Health clinic and Advanced Physical Therapy at 2251 Bill Foster Hwy., are doing well and already planning for expansion. Both opened on Nov. 21 and treat all ages. Excel Health is considering a second location off Main Street, according to owner Jay Cooper. The clinic […]

By AIRMAN 1ST CLASS HARRY BREXEL 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Airmen from Little Rock Air Force Base helped the Afghan armed forces achieve military independence by helping them organize a modern Afghan Air Force. One local airman has led the way toward reaching that goal. Lt. Col. Christopher Garcia, an airman with the 19th Airlift Wing, was selected to […]

By SARAH CAMPBELL Leader staff writer The Cabot City Council on Monday passed one controversial rezoning ordinance and allowed two others to be delayed after hearing from residents, the developer and the projects’ engineer. The council voted to change a parcel of land on North Rockwood Road from R-1 residential to O-1 office and quiet commercial. An office for David’s […]