Stories from Thursday, October 10, 2002

The Piggott Area Chamber of Commerce's annual fall banquet is just around the corner. The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Piggott Community Center. Tickets are $12.50 per person and may be purchased in advance at Piggott State Bank, local merchants, at the door, or from any chamber member...

OSCEOLA The Osceola Seminoles started their 2002 campaign in their inaugural season in the 3-AAA conference with a shaky start, losing their first three contests to larger AAAAA schools, Blytheville, West Memphis and Forrest City, but the Clinton Gore-led team came back to life in week four, winning their first conference game last week against Harrisburg, 34-0. ...

James "J.D." Duckworth, 78, of Jonesboro, formerly of Greenway, died Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002, in Jonesboro. He was born Oct. 28, 1923, in Rector, the son of the late David and Elizabeth Adams Duckworth. He was united in marriage to Edith Speakes on Oct. 28, 1942. To this union two children were born...

Earl Leslie Coomer, 88 of Hollywood Florida, died Oct. 3, 2002, at home. He was born Feb. 9, 1914, at Greenway, Arkansas to Jesse James and Martha Alma Dycus Coomer. He graduated from Piggott High School in 1933 and married Stella Call on Oct. 1, 1935. They were married 67 years and had one son and two daughters...

Dollie Delorse Lewis, 80, of Piggott, died Sunday, Oct. 6, 2002, in the Piggott Community Hospital. She was born Oct. 9, 1921, in Kennett, the daughter of the late Charles Franklin and Alma Dell Nations Diggs. She was united in marriage to Dud C. Lewis on Oct. 29, 1937. To this union two sons were born...

Betty Rouse Carter, 67, of Jonesboro, formerly of Piggott, died Monday, Sept. 9, 2002, in the Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould. She was born Feb. 11, 1935, in Kieser, Ark., the daughter of the late James Arthur and Dora Kent Walker. She was united in marriage to Hurley Carter in October 1993...

The tourist information center has opened on West Main in Piggott. Volunteer coordinators Shirley Shoettlin, Jim Richardson and Mary Binkley said the office will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and will be staffed by volunteers. The goal is to eventually have the center open on weekends also...

In observance of Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 6-12, the Pollard Fire Department and Auxiliary invites everyone to a " Fun Festival" at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Pollard Picnic grounds. The purpose of the festival is to promote fire safety and as a fund-raiser to build a new fire station. ...

It was a race against Mother Nature last week as Clay County farmers attempted to beat the predicted storms spawned by Hurricane Lily. County Extension agent/staff chairman Andy Vangilder said the area caught the edge of Isadore, and Lily only produced a reported one-quarter to six-tenths of an inch of rainfall...

TURRELL -- The Rector Cougars won their first game of the year 69-56 on the road against the Turrell Rockets in an offensive showcase that will be talked about for years to come. Both team's offense hammered and harried each other's defense so effectively that they collectively scored 18 touchdowns and accumulated over 950 yards...

James "J.D." Duckworth, 78, of Jonesboro, formerly of Greenway, died Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002, in Jonesboro. He was born Oct. 28, 1923, in Rector, the son of the late David and Elizabeth Adams Duckworth. He was united in marriage to Edith Speakes on Oct. 28, 1942. To this union two children were born...

Clifford Leo Jones, 47, of Rector died Sept. 30, 2002, at Baptist Health Hospital in Little Rock. He was born July 2, 1955, in Gideon to Clifford Eugene Jones of Perryville, Mo., and Pearline Marscell Prince Irby of Rector. He was a polisher and buffer for Darling Store Fixtures and was a member of Purcell General Baptist Church...

It was a race against Mother Nature last week as Clay County farmers attempted to beat the predicted storms caused by Hurricane Lili. County Extension agent/staff chairman Andy Vangilder said the area caught the edge of Isadore, and Lily only produced a reported one-quarter to six-tenths of an inch of rainfall...

The Rector City Council agreed Monday evening to allow the Rector School to begin "Paint the Town Blue" on Fifth and Greenville. Alderman Glenn Leach was acting mayor in the absence of Mayor Ron Kemp, who was out of town Monday. Teacher Barbi Terry and boys basketball coach Adam Simmons said two projects are proposed. One is painting blue paws on Fifth and Greenville, and the other is canvas banners on the utility poles along Main and Highway 49...

The Rector citywide yard sale will be held Saturday Oct. 19, starting at 8 a.m. Organizers said there have been some misunderstanding on the specifics. The Parks and Recreation Commission, sponsor for the event, is urging participants to setup at either of the city parks, preferably the Downtown Park, but anyone is welcome to have their yard sale at their home...

The junior Marked Tree Indians football overcame the junior Rector Cougars 42-6 in a game played at Marked Tree last Thursday evening. The junior Cougars made a strong bid to go out in front the first time they had the ball. Coach Nathan Henderson said, "We moved the ball down to their 20 yard line. If we could have punched it in right then who knows what might have happened, but a couple of false start penalties pushed us back and we lost our momentum."...