Stories from Wednesday, June 27, 2001

Jody Petty has signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Arkansas State University this fall. Petty, a left-handed pitcher from Bryant, played the last two years at Westark Community College in Fort Smith. Westark finished as the Region 2 runner-up in 2000...

Marmaduke will celebrate the nation's birthday Saturday, June 30, with an Independence Day picnic schedule packed with fun and entertainment sure to please everyone. The event will again feature a fantastic carnival, set to open at 6 p.m. Friday night, June 29, to give everyone a chance to start celebrating early. Star Amusements, which also provides Piggott's Fourth of July carnival, will furnish several carnival rides and booths at Marmaduke's Legion Park...

It wasn't real, and the dazed, bruised and bleeding people who emerged from Rector Healthcare were not really injured, but area medical and emergency personnel who participated Thursday morning, June 21, in the city's first disaster drill made the mock event seem very real as they moved methodically through the steps of response...

The weather was perfect for Rector's first June Fest celebration, and Rector Memorial Park buzzed with activities all day which provided fun for the whole family. There was lots of good food, and a variety of items were available in booths operated by local churches and organizations...

The Arkansas Boll Weevil Eradication Program's Rector office is now fully staffed and has begun the lengthy process of mapping all cotton fields in Clay County and Greene County. Michael Wilson, district supervisor for Rector, explained how the project will affect the area...

The City of Rector recently received a $15,000 Arkansas Rural Community Grant for renovation of the Rector Community Room, which is a part of Rector City Hall. The grant will pay for plumbing, heat and air, floor work, doors and windows. City administrative assistant Betty Benson received the grant check from Gov. Mike Huckabee in an awards ceremony at the Arkansas Rural Development Conference in Hot Springs...

Mary Catherine Vowell, 81, of Rector, died Sunday, June 24, 2001, at her home. She was born Oct. 20, 1919 to the late Herbert Ray Martin and Leolia Ann Stone Martin and was married Nov. 1, 1941 to the late Lloyd Gerayne Vowell. She had lived most of her life in the community. She was a homemaker and a member of the Rector First General Baptist Church and the Rector Eastern Star...

Mary Bratcher Lindsey, 80, of Rector died Sunday, June 24, 2001, at her home. She was born Nov. 29, 1920, in Nimmons, the daughter of Kirby and Mary Borden Bratcher. She married Jessie Lindsey on Aug. 16, 1940, in Piggott. He preceded her in death. She was a housewife and was of the Church of Christ faith...

Beatrice Gilbee, 74, of Marmaduke died Friday, June 22, 2001, at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould. She was born July 11, 1926, in Piggott to the late George S. and Lillie Eleanor Taylor Bradshaw and was married April 19, 1947, in Piggott to Melbourne Gilbee. She had lived most of her life in the community. She was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith...

Violet LaNell Preslar Shanklin, 79, of Piggott, formerly of Dyer, Tenn., died Monday, June 25, 2001, at Piggott Community Hospital. Survivors include one son, Robert Wade "Bobby" Shanklin of Piggott; one sister, Jean Moore of Dyer; two brothers, A.G. Preslar of Dyer and William Preslar of Munford, Tenn.; one granddaughter, Allison McBride of Memphis; and two great-grandsons...

After a weekend full of exciting little league post-season baseball action, the Rector-hosted District 4 World Series came to a close late Monday night with Newport coming from behind to upset then-undefeated Corning in two games to win the title. "It was a great weekend with a lot of talented teams," little league area district director Jeff Smallmon said after the tournament...

With the regular season schedule now completed, area little league all-star teams are being formed. Rector's 11 and 12 year old all-stars are, Dalton Shaw, Jackie Graham and Tony Loveless of Sportswear; Josef Burns and Alex Roofe of Now and Then; Drew Boyd, Tyler Small, Joseph Parrish and Michael Gossett of Glen Sains and Trevor Shelton and Nick Cavaness of Underwoods...

Tray Rigdon, a Piggott Mohawk, and his cousin Matt Rigdon, a Corning Bobcat, came together this summer to play baseball. Their team, Corning Implement, coached by Joe Jett, Ralph Morrow, and Billy Hogard, ended the season with a 12-3 record for first place in the league...

Michael Hoggard, now playing American Legion baseball for the Paragould Dr. Pepper team, led the 2001 Piggott Mohawk baseball team in batting with a .500 batting average. Hoggard was 31 of 62 at the plate for the Mohawks this spring. Hoggard also led the team in RBI's with 24. He also was second on the team in doubles, five, and had one home run in addition to leading the team in stolen bases with 14...

It was a grand finish to two stellar high school volleyball careers for two former Piggott Lady Mohawk seniors this past Friday night at the annual AAA Volleyball All-Star Game in Arkadelphia. Courtney Carrens and Micha Morgan teamed with other state all-star nominees to help guide the blue team to a four match out of five win over the red squad. Lady Mohawk head coach Angie Donner was also part of the win as she was named as one of the three all-star coaches for the blue team...

Violet LaNell Preslar Shanklin, 79, of Piggott, formerly of Dyer, Tenn., died Monday, June 25, 2001, at Piggott Community Hospital. Survivors include one son, Robert Wade "Bobby" Shanklin of Piggott; one sister, Jean Moore of Dyer; two brothers, A.G. Preslar of Dyer and William Preslar of Munford, Tenn.; one granddaughter, Allison McBride of Memphis; and two great-grandsons...

Ruby Henson, 86, of Pollard died Tuesday, June 19, 2001, at the Piggott Nursing Center. She was born April 1, 1915, in Caruthersville, Mo., the daughter of the late Ruben and Mary Alice Kemper Henson. She was preceded in death by a half-brother, Roy Pobst, and a nephew, Kevin Louis Pobst...

Carlton Dale Pleasant, 66, of St. Francis died Tuesday, June 19, 2001, at Piggott Community Hospital. He was born April 18, 1935, in Campbell, the son of the late Vivian E. and Clara Loafman Pleasant. He married Jeanette McCrillis on April 9, 1971, in Campbell...

Valerie V. Dalton, 96, of Piggott died Wednesday, June 20, 2001, at her home. She was born March 29, 1905, in Columbus, Ky., the daughter of the late James Carl and Jerleen Ida Lockridge Vaughn. She married Herschell F. Dalton on Oct. 10, 1925. To this union four children were born...

Florence Irene Brady, 89, of Lapeer Township, Mich., formerly of Sterling Heights and Royal Oak, died June 21, 2001, at St. Luke's South Hospital in Overland Park, Kansas. She was born Sept. 8, 1911, in Bono, Ark., the daughter of the late George Henry Thomas and Dona Lee Cockrum Goforth...

Mary Bratcher Lindsey, 80, of Rector died Sunday, June 24, 2001, at her home. She was born Nov. 29, 1920, in Nimmons, the daughter of Kirby and Mary Borden Bratcher. She married Jessie Lindsey on Aug. 16, 1940, in Piggott. He preceded her in death. She was a housewife and was of the Church of Christ faith...

Sidney House, Jr., 59, of San Antonio, Texas, formerly of St. Francis, died June 18, 2001. He was a veteran of the United States Army, retiring after 23 years and resided in San Antonio. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sidney Allen House and Mattie Shepard House and a brother, Charles House...

What began as a retired teacher's dream to help educate adults and children has come to an end in its official capacity. The Clay County Literacy Council has closed its doors after 10 1/2 years of service to the area. According to the council, approximately 320 adults and 225 students under age 17 received educational tutoring...

The traditional lead vehicles in the annual Piggott Fourth of July Parade have always been the Piggott Police Department patrol cars. This year a "new" vehicle will be added to the fleet. A restored 1960 Chevrolet Impala police car will also be among the entries traveling the parade route along Main Street...

--PHS Class of 1991-- The Piggott High School Class of 1991 will hold its 10-year reunion from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at Pa and Granny's Kitchen in Piggott. --Edwards Family-- The Edwards family reunion will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 1, at the Veterans Memorial Building and picnic grounds in Piggott...

"Last in the state, dead last, and that's a shame." Those were the words of Piggott school district superintendent Barry Scott as he was discussing the district's state ranking in per pupil expenditure. "According to official state statistics, out of 310 school districts in the state, we rank 310th. Dead last. In total millage we rank 302nd and in teacher salaries we are 221st - also the lowest in the county. That is nothing to be proud of," he said...

Plans are well underway for the 74th annual Piggott Fourth of July and Homecoming on Tuesday, July 3, and Wednesday, July 4. Early events scheduled for Tuesday, July 3, are Little Miss Independence at 7 p.m. for girls ages two to four and Little Miss Firecracker at 8 p.m. for girls ages five to seven...