Stories from Wednesday, November 28, 2001

Hundreds of area residents received delicious hot meals on Thanksgiving Day due to the hard work of many who joined in this year's second annual "Feed Your Neighbors" effort. Organizers Neda Sain, Roger Gregory, Nila Holman, James Gregory and Pam Foster said about 130 shared a delicious meal at the Rector Community Center dining room, and another 218 meals were delivered to area homes...

For the best part of three quarters, the Rector Cougars were neck and neck with the Gosnell Pirates in the finals of the annual Clay County Tournament in Corning, but in the end, it was the Pirates' athleticism that propelled them to a 48-39 win last Tuesday night...

Hot off of the Clay County Tournament, The Rector Cougars and Lady Cougars are hitting the tournament scene again this week, this time at the Crowley's Ridge Academy Dr. Pepper-Sonic Classic at Paragould. The round robin tournament which began Monday night will continue Thursday and Friday and will conclude on Saturday evening...

Alma Joyce Rowland, 49, formerly of Rector, died Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001, at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett. Survivors include a daughter, Lerin Rowland of Kennett; her longtime companion, Charles Lasswell of Kennett; her mother, Thelma (Settlemire) Bridwell of Imboden; her father, Norman Galloway of Calico Rock; four half-brothers, Gene Galloway of Kennett, Wayne, Glenn and Eugene Galloway, all of Calico Rock; two half-sisters, Darlene and Debbie Galloway of Calico Rock, and many relatives and friends.. ...

John F. King, 63, of Houston, Texas, husband of Rector native Karen (Calvin) King, died unexpectedly Sunday, Nov. 18. Mr. King was born Aug. 19, 1938, in Johnson City, Tenn. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi, and served in the U.S. Army. He and his family moved in 1980 from Paragould to Houston, where he took the position of human resources director at Toshiba International. He continued there until he retired in 1995...

Jessie Myra Eason, 73, of 484 CR 511 Road, Rector, died Monday, Nov. 26, 2001, at her home. Mrs. Eason was born April 6, 1928, in Sikeston, Mo., to the late Granville and Nannie Blackwell Poynor and was married Oct. 26, 1943, to Sam Eason, who preceded her in death May 10, 1992...

Lalia M. Brown, 89, of McDougal died Monday, Nov. 26, 2001, at Clay Healthcare in Corning. She was born April 4, 1912, in Sitka, Ark., the daughter of the late Luther and Amy Dotson Holt. She married Marion "Jim" Brown on Sept. 22, 1935. He preceded her in death on June 16, 1981...

Ruth Bookout Blackshare, 94, of McKinney, Texas, formerly of Rector, died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2001, at the Homestead Nursing Home in McKinney. She was born Sept. 22, 1907, in Rector to the late Simon and Finer Bookout. She was a housewife and a schoolteacher and was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Rector...

Rector police officer Rockie D. Weber graduated Friday, Nov. 16, at the top of his class from Basic Police Training course 2001-B at the Black River Technical College Law Enforcement Training Academy in Pocahontas. Graduation ceremonies were held Friday morning at the Randolph County Development Center on the BRTC campus...

For the last two years, Brian Linam has been a volunteer firefighter for the Rector Fire Department. Doing this has meant risking injury and possibly worse, harsh working conditions, and only getting paid $10 per call. But to Linam, it doesn't matter...

With the recent outbreak of whooping cough in Arkansas, many Arkansans want to learn more about the highly contagious disease. Rhena Liebhaber, interim administrator for the Clay County Health Department, said only one case of whooping cough has been reported in Clay County...

Hollis fired after Thursday loss Arkansas State head football coach and athletic director, Joe Hollis, was terminated last Thursday afternoon after Arkansas State's loss to Nicholls State. Hollis was notified of his termination via an ASU press release given to him on the field immediately following the Indians' 28-22 loss...