Stories from Wednesday, March 20, 2002

Four basketball players from Williams Baptist College have been named All-Conference by coaches of the American Midwest Conference. Brooke Benson and Amy Dixon-Pratt were named to the All-AMC first team, while Whitney Rooks and Ashley Hardin were given honorable mention...

Playing college basketball is a lot different than playing at the high school level. Just ask former Rector High School standout, Matt Mills. Mills has just finished his freshman year at Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge after a stellar career for the Rector Cougars and recently spoke about the differences...

Rev. Franklin O. Rogers, 77, of Paragould, died Thursday, March 14, 2002, at Chesterfield Mo. Mr. Rogers was born Dec. 31, 1924, in Clay County to the late William Rogers and Cordie Thrasher Rogers. He was a minister, a veteran and a member of Grace United General Baptist Church in Paragould. He was married Aug. 10, 1943, to Gloria Dickinson Rogers, who survives...

Filing for political office in the May 21 Democratic and Republican party primary opened at noon Tuesday, March 19, and will close at noon Tuesday, April 2. All candidates must file candidacy through the Clay County clerk's office. For more information about filing procedures, persons may call the county clerk's office in Piggott at 598-2813 or in Corning at 857-3480...

The Clay County Quorum Court will consider installing a computer network that would directly link the Piggott and Corning offices of the assessor, county clerk, collector and treasurer. At Monday night's meeting in Piggott, Assessor Jerry Williams requested the quorum court consider the network. He said funds may not currently be available, but he said the quorum court should still think about implementing the network at some point in the future...

Richard Davies, executive director of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, will be the speaker for the annual Rector Area Chamber of Commerce banquet set for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at the Rector Community Center. Chamber president Ron Benson said tickets now are available at $12.50 each at Union Planters Bank, the Shelia Dale Agency, the Rector Water Department or from any Chamber member. The ticket price includes a catered meal and entertainment...

A Knob area farmer died from injuries sustained when his tractor overturned. He was found Sunday afternoon. Deputy Stephen Speer of the Clay County Sheriff's Department said Walter Wyss, 77, was unrolling round bales of hay to feed cattle in a pasture at his home at 544 County Road 413 near Knob...

"I believe it's the oldest building in Rector," said Doyne Simpson of the sale barn he has owned for over 37 years. "It was built in 1853, and I can't think of an older building in town." Simpson could not recall who the original owners were, but said the building first was sold to the Hickory Handle Company in 1908, and then to W.E. Akins in 1927...

Sign-ups for Piggott T-ball, Pee-wee, Little League and Jr. Babe Ruth will be held from 6-8 p.m. March 25 at the Piggott Community Center. There will also be a sign-up Saturday, March 30 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Community Center. The last sign-up will be Monday, April 1 from 6-8 p.m...

James Fry scattered seven hits in four innings last Thursday afternoon and picked up the win as Piggott defeated Highland in boys baseball, 8-5. Joe Blascoe picked up the save for the Mohawks. Fry led off the second inning with a solo home run. Jonathan Bricker picked up a double and had two RBIs in the win...

The Piggott Mohawk tennis teams, who finished as district runnersup last year, had their first match of the season last Wednesday losing to Paragould in both the boys and girls divisions. The Paragould Lady Rams, AAAA district champions last year, defeated the Lady Mohawks 6-5...

Mandy Cale of Piggott, Marcus Monk of East Poinsett County, Mark Hawkins of Buffalo Island Central and Beth Grigsby of Marmaduke were all named to the 2002 All-State Basketball Tournament teams. In addition to Cale, other members of the Class AAA girls team are Kayla Barr of Cave City, Jennie Baumberger of Dover, Jessica Berry of Pulaski Academy, Telica Brown of Rivercrest, Amy Carey of Lamar, Adrienne Davie of Central Arkansas Christian, Kristy Domineck of Warren, Myranda Evans of Highland, Boonie Fox of Gentry, Shimere Maddox of Star City, Sarah Pfeifer of Ozark, Latrice Rone of Lakeside, Sarah Sisemore of Huntsville, Cacey Smith of Fordyce, Andrea Sublett of Highland and Amy Swint of Booneville. ...

Pearl Ward, 95, of Piggott died Thursday, March 14, 2002, in Lansing, Mich. She was born Oct. 17, 1906, in Clay County, the daughter of the late Noah and Ora Ellis Fulks. She married Lincoln Lee Ward on Oct. 13, 1929, in Clay County. He preceded her in death on May 20, 1981...

Billie Mann Bucy, 76, of Henderson, Tenn., formerly of Buchanan, Tenn., died Sunday, March 17, 2002, at West Tennessee Skilled Nursing Center in Jackson, Tenn. She was born Aug. 4, 1925, in Nimmons, the daughter of the late Everett and Artie French Mann...

Filing for political office in the May 21 Democratic and Republican party primary opened at noon Tuesday, March 19, and will close at noon Tuesday, April 2. All candidates must file candidacy through the Clay County clerk's office. For more information about filing procedures, persons may call the county clerk's office in Piggott at 598-2813 or in Corning at 857-3480...

The Clay County Quorum Court will consider installing a computer network that would directly link the Piggott and Corning offices of the assessor, county clerk, collector and treasurer. At Monday night's meeting in Piggott, Assessor Jerry Williams requested the quorum court consider the network. He said funds may not currently be available, but he said the quorum court should still think about implementing the network at some point in the future...

In a rush-about everyday world, it's sometimes difficult to have quality family time. A Piggott mother has found two fun ways for her family to share that precious time even when daily schedules don't always permit it. Teresa May recently had two of her parenting methods published in "Parents Make the Difference," a newsletter provided locally through the Piggott School District...

Viola Bankston, 82, of Piggott died Wednesday, March 13, 2002, at Piggott Community Hospital. She was born Aug. 21, 1919, in Buffalo, W.V., the daughter of the late Arch and Katy Stewart Wears. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Leonard and Owen Wears, and three sisters, Inez Wears, Edith Wears and Florence Workman...

Frances Elinor Parker, 78, of Lincoln Park, Mich., formerly of Piggott, died Thursday, March 14, 2002, at Regency Health Care Center in Lincoln Park. She was born Dec. 21, 1923, the daughter of the late Walter J. and Lillian Throgmorton Parker. She married James Earl Parker on June 21, 1943. He preceded her in death in 1974...

John Emmett Higgins Sr., 69, of West Helena, Ark., died Saturday, March 16, 2002, at Methodist North in Memphis. He was born July 22, 1932, in Coaldale, Ark., the son of the late Dorris and Gladys Blevins Higgins. He married Barbara Joann Crittendon on Feb. 15, 1959, in Malden. She preceded him in death on June 22, 2000...

Leslie Wilson Haley, 64, died Feb. 20, 2002, at St. Francis West in Eva Beach, Hawaii. He served 26 years in the United States Army and retired with the rank of command sergeant major, administrator of hospital, in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Of his 13 medals, he was the proudest of the Silver Star he earned during his 26 years of service for his country. He was employed by Rome Communications Service at the time of his death and was a member of the Barbers Point Saddle Club in Eva Beach...

Madelyn Ethel Benbrook, 91, of Piggott died Monday, March 18, 2002, at the Piggott Nursing Center. She is survived by three sons, Jack, Richard and Eddie Benbrook; one daughter, June Benbrook; one sister, Lucille; and one brother, Dewey Boyd. Visitation will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, March 22, at Hoggard and Sons Funeral Home...

The Reverend Leonard Nash, 68-year-old former pastor of Piggott United Methodist Church, died March 15, 2002 in his home in Savannah, Tennessee. Survivors are his wife, Eva Mae Sandlin Nash; three daughters, Gayle Boles, Brush Creek, Tennessee, Brenda Ivy, Sommerville, Tennessee and Debra Wesson, Chapel Hill, Tennessee; two sons, Dwight Nash, Nashville, Tennessee and Mark Nash, Kingsport, Tennessee; two sisters, Geneva Elrod and Juanita Martin, both of Sparta, Tennessee; one brother, Don Nash, Cookeville, Tennessee; and nine grandchildren.. ...

Betty Joyce Forrest, 69, of DeSoto, Mo., died March 2, 2002, at her home. She was born June 28, 1932, in Greenway, the daughter of the late Laurence and Lennie Sherifield Gray. She was a homemaker and was a member of the Twin City Church of Christ in Festus, Mo...

A Knob area farmer died from injuries sustained when his tractor overturned. He was found Sunday afternoon. Deputy Stephen Speer of the Clay County Sheriff's Department said Walter Wyss, 77, was unrolling round bales of hay to feed cattle in a pasture at his home at 544 County Road 413 near Knob...