Stories from Friday, March 11, 2011

As basketball season has come to an end for all of our local teams, there's one last basketball story I'd like to share. Last night I came across a sports story on the internet that really touched my heart and is a perfect example of what's good about the student athlete...

The dog that mauled 8-year-old Ashlynn Vandergriff in October has bitten another victim -- but not the one it was apparently wanting. "He was ignoring me and going after my little girl," said Tony Farrar. According to Farrar, he and his daughter, 3-year-old Jasmine, were taking a walk down Oak Street on March 3, where Tony's grandfather lives, when they stopped to look at some kittens playing in a neighbor's yard...

Gregory Gaines, 44, of Belfast died Tuesday at his home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Gallant-Riverview Funeral Home in Fayetteville. Burial will follow at Melson Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. Saturday.

A man who was scheduled to stand trial on for kidnapping and assault this week was released with the charges dismissed after the alleged victim could not be located. But prosecutors say that the charges could be refiled if the woman reappears to testify...

City manager Michael Dill's resignation came close to becoming an immediate one after a divided city council attempted to oust him from office Thursday night. Instead, Mayor Wallace Cartwright broke a tie vote to keep Dill in office until a replacement can be found...