Stories from Wednesday, September 12, 2001

The team of Knauts/Downing/Dirk fired a blistering 118 at the Sugar Creek County Club to take first place in the Championship Flight of the annual Three-Man Scramble. The team shot a 60 on Saturday and a 58 on Sunday for the title. Gossett/Williams/Sale placed second with a score of 119. Placing third was Jones/Crittenden/Hoggard with a tally of 120. Also with a score of 120 was the fourth place team of DeHart/Fullerton/Hunter...

Racing cars is a family tradition for Scott Tracer of Rector. Although he has been racing for 16 years, his racing history goes back much further. When he was a little boy, his mother, Dotty, worked at the track and his father, Harold, raced cars, so he spent his nights at the racetrack. "He and one of his little buddies would get down there in the dirt in front of the stands and play cars," his mother said. "Of course, I had to work, so he got all dirty, but he had fun."...

The Rector School Board voted Monday night to allow Jack Trumper, vice president of Stephens, Inc., to refinance the school's three bond issues. Because the interest rates have dropped, Stevens said that he could save the school district over $140,000 over the term of the bonds by recalling the bonds and putting them out for bids. The bonds are scheduled to be paid off in 2015...

With no new issues on the ballot, voting is expected to be light for the Rector School District's annual school election Tuesday, Sept. 18. Polling will be from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Rector Community Center. Dale Vangilder is unopposed for a new five-year term on the Rector School Board. Vangilder has served on the board for 12 years, much of that time as board president...

In a brief meeting Monday night the Rector City Council decided to hold a public meeting allowing citizens to voice opinions about the city's nuisance ordinance. Because the council has received complaints about the enforcement of the ordinance, aldermen are inviting those in favor of and opposed to the ordinance to meet. The meeting will be held at the beginning of the next council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1...

"Good family entertainment where friends can get together and share a love of horses," is how Melissa Gibson describes the Rector Saddle Club. Named for a fun show of rodeo skills, the "showdeo" is the Saddle Club's monthly warm-weather gathering...

Dwight Jenkins, 69, formerly of Rector and Marmaduke, died Friday, Sept. 7, 2001, at Southgate, Mich., after a long battle with cancer and other illnesses. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Nell (Whitaker) Jenkins, and two sons and daughters-in-law, David and Sue Jenkins of Brighton, Mich., and Dennis and Alice Jenkins of Glennie, Mich...

LaWanda Lucille Fox, 83, of Chester, Ill., died Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2001, at St. Ann's Healthcare Center in Chester. She was born Dec. 12, 1916, in Clay County to the late Charles C. and Dora Fife Clements. She was a housewife, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary in Red Bud, Ill., and was of the Methodist faith...

Darius Parrish, 68, of Corning died Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001, at his home. He was born Oct. 28, 1932, the son of the late Porter Street and Ruth Mae Watson Parrish. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Kathy Lynn Parrish; four brothers, Donald K. Parrish, Doyle Milton (Bill) Parrish, Roger Dudley Parrish and Wallace Dale Parrish...

RECTOR It was all Piggott last Thursday night in Rector as the Rector Junior High Cougars fell to the Piggott Junior High Mohawks by a score of 32-6. The Junior Mohawks led at the end of the first half, 32-0. "Piggott was just simply too strong for us," coach Jason Lance said after the loss. "We didn't execute well. We had a couple of turnovers and a breakdown in our secondary. That doesn't take anything away from Piggott, they have a very good ball club."...

The Rector Cougars resume their 2001 football campaign Friday night as they hit the road and travel to Thayer, Mo. Coach Wade Williams said his team is packing their bags and going up there expecting to win. "Thayer is a very good team," coach Williams said. "We're going up there expecting to win and do nothing but win."...

What ever happened to street ball and pick-up games? Remember those? The lazy summer afternoons when you were bored and went down the street to a friend's house and just made up a game to play? Grab your mitt, a ball and your favorite bat and head to your buddy's house. Knock on the door and his Mom would always answer...

Duck season will open this fall on Saturday, Nov. 17, in Arkansas and will cover 60 days in two segments, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission decided recently at its regular monthly meeting. The duck hunting dates are Nov. 17 through Dec. 20 and Dec. ...

The team of Knauts/Downing/Dirk fired a blistering 118 at the Sugar Creek County Club to take first place in the Championship Flight of the annual Three-Man Scramble. The team shot a 60 on Saturday and a 58 on Sunday for the title. Gossett/Williams/Sale placed second with a score of 119. Placing third was Jones/Crittenden/Hoggard with a tally of 120. Also with a score of 120 was the fourth place team of DeHart/Fullerton/Hunter...

RECTOR It was all Piggott last Thursday night in Rector as the Piggott Junior High Mohawks rolled over the Rector Junior High Cougars by a score of 32-6. The Junior Mohawks led at the end of the first half, 32-0. "We have really stepped up our play," coach Jason Burkman said. "Our aggressiveness level has really improved and they went out there and played a great game on both sides of the ball."...

After struggling in their first outing of the year against Walnut Ridge, the Piggott Lady Mohawks have regrouped, regained their composure and have already brought home their first tournament trophy of the year. Over the past weekend, the Lady Mohawks won the first place trophy in the bronze division of the River City Classic Tournament in Bartlett, Tenn...

Piggott district superintendent Barry Scott opened Monday night's open forum regarding next week's proposed 2.9 millage increase with a power point presentation detailing the needs for an increase and explaining what the funds will be used for. The district is asking for a 2.9 mill increase in property taxes. If the proposal passes, the money will be divided up in three ways:...

Piggott School District voters will decide the fate of a proposed 2.9 mill increase when they go to the polls Tuesday, Sept. 18. If approved, the millage increase will be a continuing debt service tax until the retirement of proposed school improvement bonds...

The open house at the Piggott Fire Station was a tremendous success Saturday. Residents of all ages and officials from throughout the area attended to get a glimpse of the new facility, which is located at the corner of Highway 62 West and North Fourth...

The Piggott City Council approved an ordinance Monday night to waive competitive bidding in the purchase of a new pumper truck for the fire department. The truck is a 2001 Kenworth Pierce Contender series demonstrator with a Kenworth two-door chassis, top-mount type with a Cummins 315 horsepower engine, 1,000 gallon tank and 1,250 gallons per minute water pump...

Carl. S. Duckworth, 70, of Walnut Ridge died Monday, Sept. 3, 2001, at the Regional Medical in Jonesboro following a sudden illness. He was born Jan. 6, 1931, in Pollard, the son of the late Doc Duckworth and Zelma Grider Duckworth Mayo. He married Helen Marie Fish on July 31, 1953...

LeRoy Schnabel, 67, of Pollard died Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001, at his home. He was born Oct. 30, 1933, in Eola, Ill., the son of the late Herman and Clara Elizabeth Poss Schnabel. He married Evalene Steward on May 30, 1972. She preceded him in death on Feb. 3, 1996...

Richard Chester Cooksey, 72, of Pollard died Sunday, Sept. 9, 2001, at his home. He was born May 8, 1929, in Tilton, Ark., the son of the late Chester and Edna Parl Fore Cooksey. He was preceded in death by a step-son, Ronald Gibson; two brothers, Oris and Lawrence; and one sister, Chessie...

J.J. "Jim" Brown, 85, of Campbell died Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2001, at Three Rivers Healthcare-South Campus in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was born Dec. 7, 1915, in Jonesboro, Ill., the son of the late John Franklin and Levy L. Lyerly Brown. He married Freda Leota Pleasant in September 1936 in Campbell. She preceded him in death on March 19, 1992...

Troy Lee Moffitt, 69 of Fagus, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 9, 2001, at his home. He was born Feb. 14, 1932, in Pollard, the son of the late John Oscar and Mabel E. Teachnor Moffitt. He married Betty Lou Hartwell on July 14, 1951. To this union three children were born...

LaWanda Lucille Fox, 83, of Chester, Ill., died Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2001, at St. Ann's Heathcare Center in Chester. She was born Dec. 28, 1917, in Clay County, the daughter of the late Charles C. and Dora Fife Clements. She married Barney T. Fox on Nov. 27, 1936, in Clay County. He preceded her in death...

Darius Parrish, 68, of Corning died Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001, at his home. He was born Oct. 28, 1932, the son of the late Porter Street and Ruth Mae Watson Parrish. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Kathy Lynn Parrish; four brothers, Donald K. Parrish, Doyle Milton (Bill) Parrish, Roger Dudley Parrish and Wallace Dale Parrish...

EARLE After last week's "not so pretty" opening week win over the Rector Cougars, Piggott head coach Jason Burkman said his team was going to get back to "real Piggott Mohawk football" in week two. The Mohawks went back to their "smashmouth" football play, using their size and strength to run right at the quicker and speedier Bulldogs and came away with a 31-20 win...

EARLE -- Piggott Mohawk senior placekicker and part-time linebacker, Danny Wilson, will miss the remainder of his high school football career after suffering a compound fracture in Friday night's game against Earle. Wilson was struck in the right foreleg by an Earle defender's helmet after booting an extra point late in the first quarter...

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Tuesday's horrific tragedies in New York and Washington, as well as with their families and the courageous emergency workers who risked or gave their lives to save others. We also ask that everyone pray for former Piggott residents who live and work in both cities...