Stories from Wednesday, May 15, 2002

Hot rods and cruisers from several states will roll into Piggott this weekend for the fourth annual Heritage Park Rod Run and SuperCruise. The event is sponsored by the P.R.O.G.R.E.S. Council and will again be covered by Southern Rodder magazine for the second consecutive year. Several prizes provided by local merchants will be given away throughout the event to registered participants. Participants will also receive "merchant money" to use at Piggott businesses...

Piggott's Lee Whittley placed second in the state in the heavyweight division of the recent Arkansas High School Weightlifting Championships held in Benton. Whittley benched 340 lbs. and lifted 290 lbs. in the clean and jerk for a total of 630 lbs. Luke Woodard and Brandon Collins, both of Benton, each also lifted a combined 630 lbs...

In a specially held Piggott school board meeting last Tuesday evening, board members voted for the hiring of two coaches to fill coaching vacancies in the district. Scott Morgan was hired as the new Piggott football head coach and Jeff Priest was hired as the head girls vasketball coach. Morgan and Priest both are filling vacancies left by Jason Burkman and Laura Ort who have taken over the football and volleyball head coaching duties, repectively, at Scott City High School in Misssouri...

The duo of Daniel Gossett and Wade Williams won the Championship Flight of last weekend's Two-Man Scramble event at Sugar Creek Country Club in Piggott. Gossett/Williams took first place firing a combined 124. Kevin Jones/Keith Crittenden placed second with a 127. Taking third place with a 127 was Brad Montgomery/Barry DeHart. Scott Sale/Terry Crawford placed fourth with a 128...

John Riley McIntosh, Jr., 78, of Pollard died Saturday, May 11, 2002, at his home. He was born May 14, 1923, in Des Arc, Ark., the son of the late John Riley Sr. and Minnie Parker McIntosh. He married Mary Krueger on Feb. 20, 1954. To this union two children were born...

Clara Burris, 89, of Piggott died Thursday, May 9, 2002, at the Piggott Nursing Center. She was born April 6, 1913, in Crockett, the daughter of the late Rolla and Jane Elizabeth Brandon Throgmorton. She married William Kurn "W.K." Burris on Dec. 23, 1928. To this union four children were born...

Several scholarships and honors were awarded to the Piggott High School Class of 2002 during commencement exercises Friday evening in the high school gym. Valedictorians were Megan Dunlap, Lori Russell, Brooke Cole, Meagan Swann, Morgan Tanner and Lindsey Sutfin. All had a 4.0 grade point average...

Local governmental officials met with National Guard personnel at Monday night's Piggott City Council meeting to discuss rumors of the possible closures of the Piggott and Rector armories. Mayor Bud Holcomb said he received word several weeks ago that both facilities were part of a statewide evaluation for closure...

Voters will go to the polls for the May Preferential Primary on Tuesday, May 21. Polls open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Early voting is now underway and will continue until Monday, May 20. Residents may cast early ballots during regular office hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the county clerk's office at the courthouse in Piggott and Corning...

The P.R.O.G.R.E.S. Council, City of Piggott and Piggott Area Chamber of Commerce will host the grand opening of the new tourist information center on West Main from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 18. A ribbon cutting will be held with Mrs. Mildred Smith, 104, and her sister, Mrs. Josephine King, 99, having the honors.The event will coincide with the fourth annual Heritage Park Rod Run and SuperCruise...

RECTOR "Tonight we are here for the kids to honor them and give them the recognition they deserve. These kids define hard work and for that I applaud them all." Those were the words spoken by Rector High School's athletic director Tony Davis at the opening of Thursday night's 2001-2002 Athletic Banquet...

William Edward "Bill" Hillman, 64, of Panama City, Fla., formerly of Rector, died Monday, May 6, 2002, at his home. Born Nov. 29, 1937, in Fordyce, he retired after 40 years as a chemical engineer for Arizona Chemical Company. He was a member and deacon of the First Baptist Church of Panama City...

Wesslie David "Dempsy" Hatcher, 83, of 129 North Ballard, Rector, died Friday, May 10, 2002, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. A retired farmer, he was born Feb. 15, 1919, in Greenway to the late Ode and Martha (Davis) Hatcher. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Marmaduke and was an Army veteran of World War II...

Lavada Pauline Clayton, 77, of Rector died Tuesday, May 7, 2002, at Rector Healthcare. A homemaker, she was born Oct. 10, 1924, in Clay County and had lived in this area all of her life. She was a member of Smith's Chapel General Baptist Church. She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, E.J. ...

Olive Beal, 94, of Conway, a native of Rector, died Saturday, May 11, at Conway Regional Hospital. She was born Aug. 8, 1907, in Rector to James Wesley and Mary Hinkle Pruett. She was married to Claud Raymond Beal April 25, 1925. He died in 1970. She also was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Opha Pruett Huffstutler and Orba Pruett Forrest; one brother, Albert Pruett, and one grandson, Rev. Roger Beal...

Rector Elementary School's DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program concluded Tuesday, May 7, with a graduation ceremony in the school's multi-purpose room. Conducted by Clay County Deputy Sheriff Jonathan Moody, the event recognized the school's sixth graders, who recently completed the semester-long DARE curriculum...

Voters will go to the polls for the May Preferential Primary on Tuesday, May 21. Polls open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Early voting is now underway and will continue until Monday, May 20. Residents may cast early ballots during regular office hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the county clerk's office at the courthouse in Piggott and Corning...

Plans are underway for this year's annual June Fest and Toy Show, which promise to be a lot of fun for the entire family. The June Fest will be held Saturday, June 22, at Rector Memorial Park. The Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Toy Show will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day at the Rector Community Center, located at the east edge of the park...

There were tears and cheers when the Rector High School Class of 2002 received diplomas in graduation ceremonies Friday night, May 10, at the school gymnasium. Graduates entered to a processional by the RHS concert band. Following the invocation by graduate Don Ward, honor student Nichole Sears sang "Go Light Your World."...

Danielle Rose, Fallon Robins and Jessica Hill each won individual events to help pace the Rector Lady Cougars to a district track title in West Memphis. The junior high Lady Cougars also won their district title. Abbe' McCarroll led the junior girls as she was the overall points winner with 35 points. The Rector boys senior and junior high teams finished as district runners-up...