Stories from Wednesday, May 2, 2001

Arkansas Little League District Four is sponsoring a free "one-pitch" tournament to be held at Rector's Holt Field on May 19-20. Teams with children ages 12 and under are invited to participate. The "one-pitch" tournament format is an extreme test of a pitchers ability to throw strikes and a batters knowledge of the strike zone...

The third annual Relay for Life raised a total of $55,811.94 for cancer research. Right in the forefront of the effort was the WRECK (Walking Rectorites Encouraging Cancer Knowledge) team, which was the top fund-raising group for the day with a total of $9,017.50...

The City of Rector has received two separate $15,000 grants within the past few weeks. Mayor Ron Kemp traveled to Little Rock recently to receive an Arkansas Energy Office grant from Gov. Mike Huckabee. The presentation was made at the State Capitol...

A salute to Rector businesses and industries and the growth and development the city has been experiencing were the theme of the 13th annual banquet of the Rector Area Chamber of Commerce held Thursday night, April 26, at the Rector Community Center...

Although the Arkansas General Assembly is in official recess, legislators may still be called back to Little Rock to tie up loose ends before May 14. "I think we had some major accomplishments during the session," said State Rep. Travis Boyd of Piggott...

"I think we will reflect on it as a positive session," said State Senator Tim Wooldridge of Paragould in discussing the 83rd Arkansas General Assembly. The legislature was dominated by the issues of teacher payraises, CHART tobacco settlement distribution, and keeping nursing homes afloat in light of severe federal Medicaid cuts...

BY ELIZABETH BAKER Democrat News Staff Among the greatest honors teachers can receive are the love, admiration and respect of their students. Rector Elementary School fifth grade teacher Barbara Robertson and second grade teacher Heidi Robinson have achieved those honors and more...

J.R. Lyles, 70, of 508 East Fourth Street, Rector, died Friday, April 27, 2001, at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould. Mr. Lyles was born Sept. 28, 1930, in Greenway to the late James Robert Lyles and Iler Lyles. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Roy Lyles, and a brother, Jimmy Lyles...

Doyne Dowell "Tony" Green, 65, of Piggott died Saturday, April 28, 2001, at his home. Mr. Green was born June 2, 1935, in Clay County to the late Byron and Eulah (Speer) Green. He was married Aug. 15, 1977, to the former Barbara A. Smith. He worked as a mechanic for John Deere and was a Methodist...

Fred Henry Johnson, 74, of Piggott, formerly of Rector, died Saturday, April 28, 2001, at Piggott Nursing Center. Mr. Johnson was born July 4, 1926, in Clay County to the late Robert and Nanny Watson Johnson. A Navy veteran of World War II, he was a cook in the Navy and in various restaurants. He was a member of Center Hill Baptist Church in Paragould and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Foreign Legion...

The Rector Cougars are headed to the Class AA state tournament with two distinct titles, District Champions and Regional Champions. The Cougars won the regional title Tuesday afternoon in a matchup with Walnut Ridge that mirrored the district championship of last Wednesday...

The young Rector Lady Cougars scored a whopping 21 runs in the district tournament against Bay to make it to the regional tournament. The Rector girls were defeated by McCrory, 7-4, in the first round of the Class AA regionals. "I'm proud of the way we played," head coach Shane Robinson said. "We held close to them throughout the game and never gave up. We finished the season on a strong note and that's a good way to head into next season."...

The Marmaduke Greyhounds saw their season come to a close Saturday morning at Jeremy McDaniel Field in Rector. The Marmaduke boys fell to the Marked Tree Indians during first round action of the Class AA regional tournament, 14-11. The season-ending loss puts the Greyhounds at 13-11 on the year...

The Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds ended their 2001 softball campaign with a loss to McCrory in the semifinals of the Class AA regionals in Augusta. The Lady Hounds (16-4) fell to McCrory, 7-5. Tiffany Wallace led Marmaduke with three hits. Brooke Grigsby had two hits and one RBI; Beth Grigsby, Shelly Priest, Lindsay Bell, Kendra Gerdes and Sarah Rogers all had one hit and one RBI apiece. Lauren Wright, Erica Smith, Alana Brannon and DaRae Howe all connected for singles...

Michael Hoggard fired a 79 last week at River Oaks golf course in Searcy to finish tied for 18th place overall at the state high school golf tournament. Joel Coomer carded an 81. Piggott as a team placed sixth in the state. Pulaski Academy took the overall state championship...

The Piggott Mohawk baseball season came to a close this past week with a 7-6 loss to the Westside Warriors in the district tournament in Pocahontas. Piggott tied the game up in the seventh frame and sent the contest into extra innings. Both teams scored one run the eighth. Westside led off their half of the ninth with a leadoff double by J.D. Mitchell who scored the winning run after a RBI single by J. Ishmael...

The Gosnell Lady Pirates ended the Piggott Lady Mohawks' softball season with a 16-9 decision last week at the district tournament in Harrisburg. The Lady Pirates led 5-2 at the end of the first inning. Mandy Cale led Piggott with five hits, including one double, in her five trips to the plate. Brianna Lucie, the designated hitter, was three for four...

Promoting history and visual education are part of the goals of the Civil War living history held by the 10th Missouri Light Artillery this past weekend at Chalk Bluff Park near St. Francis. The group will be participating with several other groups at a reenactment planned for this weekend at Smithland, Ky., near Paducah...

Clay Conservation District chairman Charles Smart was honored for 50 years of service Monday at a drop-in reception at Sugar Creek Country Club in Piggott. Around 100 officials and guests attended the event, which was planned and hosted by the district's staff. Master of ceremonies was district vice chairman Richard Simmons...

Traveling and other projects of interest are in the retirement plans for Rosemary Janes as she said good-bye to her job as educational coordinator at the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center with a special reception Monday afternoon. Janes has served as coordinator for the past two years, beginning in the summer of 1999 when the facility first opened...

Josie Agnes Bess Johnson, 97, died April 25, 2001, at Point Lookout Village Care Center in Hollister, Mo., following a long illness. She was born Nov. 20, 1903, in Stoddard County, Mo., near Bloomfield to Dr. John Harvey Bess and Josie Lettie Crawford Bess...

George C. Hardin, 74, of Marmaduke died Saturday, April 21, in Little Rock. He was born Oct. 5, 1926, in Boydsville to the late Ben Thomas and Pearl (Taylor) Hardin. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Veneda (Bradsher) Hardin, on July 7, 1995...

Karen Jones, 56, of Jonesboro died Sunday, April 29, 2001, at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas. A native of Piggott, she moved to Jonesboro in 1983. She was an RN at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center for 14 years and was also in clinical nursing education...

Betty Brewer, 90, of Corning died Tuesday, April 24, 2001, at Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She was born Sept. 7, 1910, in Ash Hill, Mo., the daughter of the late Harvel and Annie Jackson Ledbetter. She married Ollie Bartley "Bart" Gatewood on Nov. 4, 1925. To this union three sons and one daughter were born. All preceded her in death...

Fred Henry Johnson, 74, of Piggott, formerly of Rector, died Saturday, April 28, 2001, at Piggott Nursing Center. Mr. Johnson was born July 4, 1926, in Clay County to the late Robert and Nanny Watson Johnson. A Navy veteran of World War II, he was a cook in the Navy and in various restaurants. He was a member of Center Hill Baptist Church in Paragould and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Foreign Legion...

Jack Pritchett, 76, of Malden, Mo., died Thursday, April 26, 2001, at Three Rivers Healthcare South in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was born Dec. 11, 1924, in Malden, the son of the late Asa and Julia Anderson Pritchett. He married Peggy Cain Pritchett on Dec. 31, 1954, in St. Louis...

Doyne Dowell "Tony" Green, 65, of Piggott died Saturday, April 28, 2001, at his home. Mr. Green was born June 2, 1935, in Clay County to the late Byron and Eulah (Speer) Green. He was married Aug. 15, 1977, to the former Barbara A. Smith. He worked as a mechanic for John Deere and was a Methodist...

Phillip V. Davis, 51, of Piggott died Tuesday, May 1, 2001, at Piggott Community Hospital. He was born Sept. 10, 1949, in Corcorn, Calif., the son of Vernie and Dorothy Cox Davis. He married Nellie Calhoun in 1969. To this union two children were born...

Courtney Carrens and Meagan Swann survived the first round of the Class AAA state tennis tournament last week in Pine Bluff, but succumbed to the eventual state runner-up duo of Nichole Voss/Kristen King of Fountain Lake in the second round. Carrens/Swann were the number two seed heading into the tourney. They defeated Nikki Dunn/Lacey Wickline of Dumas 6-1, 6-1 in the first day of competition...

The weather was ideal on Wednesday of last week for the annual Piggott Lions Club benefit golf tournament. Proceeds from the event go to the club's various sight conservation projects. A portion of the money raised also will be donated to the Relay for Life project for cancer research...

The third annual Relay for Life raised a total of $55,811.94 for cancer research. The Relay was held Saturday at Heritage Park in Piggott, and the 16 teams scheduled a variety of fundraisers in the weeks preceding the big event. "I think this event provides hope and and encouragement to those who are in this battle," said chairman Donna Seal, herself a cancer survivor...