Stories from Wednesday, May 23, 2001

"I strongly urge all veterans to keep check on all their VA entitlements and benefits." Those are the words of Pharis Edwards, Clay County's Veterans Services Officer. Edwards, who has held that position for nearly seven years, says there have been many changes in veterans' entitlements and health care benefits over the past several years...

For the third year in row, Heritage Park and the Piggott courtsquare reverted back to the times of drive-in movies, roller skates, music of doo-wop bands on the AM radio, bobby socks and the popular pastime of hot rods and cruising. This past weekend marked the third annual Rod Run and SuperCruise sponsored by Piggott's P.R.O.G.R.E.S. Council...

Piggott and Rector Babe Ruth teams will face off in a contest this Saturday afternoon in Piggott. The 13-year old squads will play their game at 3 p.m. with the 14-15-year old game following at approximately 4:30.

Courtney Carrens of Piggott was one of ten Arkansas high school seniors that were selected to receive a $500 college scholarship from the State Farm Insurance-Arkansas Activities Association Scholar-Athlete Program. This is the sixth year for the scholarship program. 215 students from 99 schools in that state submitted appliactions for the ten scholarships this season...

Daniel Steen, a 14-tear old eighth grade student at Piggott High School, recently received the classification of First Degree Black Belt in taekwondo from the ATA Black Belt Academy in Kennett. Steen has been training in taekwondo for the past three years...

Elizabeth Bratcher, 71, of Marmaduke died Wednesday, May 9,2001, at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould. She ws born Jan. 13, 1930, in Greene county. She was a homemaker and of the Church of Christ faith. She was also a member of Marmaduke Housing...

The Clay County Road Department continues to make improvements to local roads and bridges. An ongoing road improvement project is the widening of County Road 478, off Highway 49, near Greenway according to County Judge Gary Howell. With permission of nearby landowners, Howell said trees are being removed during the widening process, and ditches are being dug for drainage...

Piggott High School teacher Sue Smith will be locking up her classroom one last time when school recesses for the summer on Thursday. Smith, who has taught for 31 years 30 of those in Piggott is retiring. She and her husband, Frank, who is also retiring as a science teacher at Rector High School, plan to move to Batesville, where Mrs. Smith's father lives, and build a home...

The Clay County Quorum Court heard a presentation on employee health insurance Monday evening in Piggott as part of its study to lower premium costs. Greg Greenwalt and Christy Cole of Nationwide Companies in New Madrid, Mo., said allotted discounts are accomplished "through group buying power." (The company is not affiliated with Nationwide Insurance Company, he said.)...

Eutice Pruett Bullock, 84, of Rector, died Saturday, May 19, 2001, at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould. Born May 23, 1916, she retired from the Brown Shoe Factory in Paragould and was of the Methodist faith. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leon Bullock...

Lola Belle Huggins, 88, of St. Ann, Mo., formerly of Rector, died Saturday, May 19, 2001, at Depaul Health Center in St. Louis. She was born July 12, 1912, in Rector to the late Leslie Brannon and Maud Simpson Brannon. She was a hairdresser and had lived in the community for 50 years...

Roberta Cynthia Bennett, 81, of Beech Grove, died Saturday, May 19, 2001. She was born Nov. 24, 1919, in Greene County to the late Charley and Bessie O. Crowley Amorine. She was a homemaker and worked side by side with her husband on the farm. She was a member of Stanford Methodist Church most of her life, but recently attended Warren's Chapel Methodist Church...

Jerry Haynes, 60, of Paragould, died Thursday, May 17, 2001, at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould. Born July 22, 1940, he was a retired security guard. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn Haynes of Paragould; two sons, Kim Dickens and Kevin Dickens of Paragould; four daughters, including Lynda Cook of Dallas, Tonya and Tommie; six grandchildren, Misty, Timmy, William, Mark, Scott and Raelynn, and two great-grandchildren, Caitlyn and Drianna...

Rector Cougar pitching ace Kyle Pruett signed a national letter of intent last Thursday to attend and play baseball for the Shawnee Community College Saints in Ullin, Ill. Shawnee is a two-year college in southern Illinois where Pruett will study automotive technology and pursue his future in baseball...

Corning's Clay County Electric little league team won the overall championship Saturday in the One-Pitch tournament held in Rector. Clay County Electric defeated Rector's Glen Sain squad in the championship finals. Eight teams participated in the tournament which began at 9 a.m. Teams from Marmaduke, McCrory, Augusta and Corning battled local teams Sportswear, Subway, Underwood's and Glen Sain for the title...

A men's softball tournament will be held May 25, 26, and 27 at the Rector softball field. Entry fee is $75 plus two blue dot softballs. The tournament is a double elimination with a 14-team roster. Trophies will be given for first and second place, and first place winners also will receive t-shirts. All proceeds will go to the Rector Junior and Senior Babe Ruth League...

Loma C. Hawk, 75, of Rector died Friday, May 18, 2001, at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould. She was born March 6, 1926, in Independence County. She was a homemaker and a member of the Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents, Birdle and Simon George; one son, Christopher Hawk, and several brothers...

Charles Samuel Waldron, 85, of Rector, died Thursday, May 17, 2001, at Rector Healthcare. Born Dec. 20, 1915, he was the son of the late John Henry and Lillie Matilda Wells Waldron. A resident of Rector for 21 years, he was a machinist for Whirlpool and a member of the 82nd Airborne division of the Army during World War II. He was a member of the Church of Christ...

Marvin "Pete" Mills, 80, of Rector died Friday, May 18, 2001, at his home in Rector. He was born March 30. 1921, in Malden, Mo., to the late William A. and Ida Mills. He was an Army veteran of World War II, a retired farmer, and was retired from Emerson Electric in Paragould...

Millie Elmore, 90, of Rector, died Thursday, May 17, 2001, at Piggott Community Hospital. Born March 25, 1911, in Van Buren County, she was the daughter of the late Joe and Rosa Cates Dillard. A lifelong Rector resident, she was a homemaker and a member of the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church...

Cecily Dawn Fortenberry, age 5 years and 8 months, died Tuesday, May 15, 2001, in an automobile accident near Rector. She was born Sept. 15, 1995, in Paragould. She was a kindergarten student at Marmaduke Elementary School. Survivors include her parents, Donald Fortenberry and Theresa Louise St. ...

The Clay County Quorum Court heard a presentation on employee health insurance Monday evening in Piggott as part of its study to lower premium costs. Greg Greenwalt and Christy Cole of Nationwide Companies in New Madrid, Mo., said allotted discounts are accomplished "through group buying power." (The company is not affiliated with Nationwide Insurance Company, he said.)...

Growing up on a farm in the Simmons Chapel community outside of Rector, Doyne Hayes never expected the brutal reality of war to be a part of his life. After graduating from Rector High School, Hayes attended Arkansas State University for a few years and then his whole life changed...

The Clay County Road Department continues to make improvements to local roads and bridges. An ongoing road improvement project is the widening of County Road 478, off Highway 49, near Greenway according to County Judge Gary Howell. With permission of nearby landowners, Howell said trees are being removed during the widening process, and ditches are being dug for drainage...

Arkansas Speaker of the House Shane Broadway will be the featured speaker at Rector's annual Memorial Day service set for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 27, at Woodland Heights Cemetery. U.S. Rep. Marion Berry also is expected to attend and make comments. The event is sponsored each year by Rector Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 10480 and Auxiliary. ...

A curve on Highway 90 northeast of Rector, which was the site last week of a fatality involving a five-year-old Rector girl, will be improved by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department as part of a bridge replacement project now underway in that area...

Piggott and Rector Babe Ruth teams will face off in a contest this Saturday afternoon in Piggott. The 13-year old squads will play their game at 3 p.m. with the 14-15-year old game following at approximately 4:30.