Stories from Wednesday, November 27, 2002

In a game reminiscent of former times, the Marmaduke Greyhounds defeated the Rector Cougars 62-37 at Rector Friday night. Both sides of the gym were packed, giving the game overtones of the keen rivalry years when the Marmaduke-Rector game was the biggest game of the year...

A Rector businessman was injured Wednesday, Nov. 20, in a tractor accident north of Rector. According to a report by the Clay County Sheriff's Department, Chief Deputy James Lindsey responded to the call of a "tractor running over a man on Highway 90 and CR 475" at approximately 3:30 p.m...

The third annual free Thanksgiving dinner will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, Nov. 28, at the Rector Community Center. The meal is for anyone in the Rector and Marmaduke school districts. "Anyone who wants to come and eat with us is welcome," said co-organizer Neda Sain...

Small school districts, such as Rector and Marmaduke, could be significantly impacted by last week's Arkansas Supreme Court ruling concerning the state's educational funding system. The Supreme Court said the state's distribution of $1.7 billion is unfair to the 310 school districts in Arkansas, shortchanging the estimated 450,000 students...

LITTLE ROCK (AP) The state Supreme Court has declared Arkansas' school funding formula unconstitutional for the second time since 1983. The decision Thursday, which was unanimous on the key issues, affirmed a 2001 lower court decision that the state failed to distribute $1.7 billion in education funding equitably among 310 school districts...

James Leonard Allison, 83, son of the lute Luther and Vinelu Wilson Allison, was born Jan. 1, 1919, in Senath, Mo., and died Nov. 8, 2002, at the Piggott Community Hospital. He had lived in the Blooming Grove Community and most recently was a resident of the Piggott Nursing Home...

Bobby James Burdin, 48, of Kennett died Nov. 21, 2002. He was born Jan. 15, 1954, in Rector, the son of Frances Mitchell Wilcoxson and the late James Edward Burdin. He was married to Jeannie Burton, who preceded him in death on Feb. 28, 1998. He later married Myrtleen Burton...

Trecie Ann Prince, 91, of Rector died Thursday Nov. 21, 2002, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born Sept. 19, 1911, in Pemiscot County, Mo., to the late Henry Alexander and Flossie Johnson Alexander. She was a homemaker, a member of the Purcell General Baptist Church, a lifelong member of the community...

This past summer a sextet of Rector residents experienced a vacation that seemed to be a combination of Disneyworld and Never-Never Land. Quenten Shavalia, his sons Erik Shavalia and Kyle Souder, Steve Carpenter and his son Ryan Carpenter and Lance Mabry all journeyed to Cooperstown, New York to witness the induction of longtime St. Louis Cardinal shortstop Ozzie Smith into the Baseball Hall of Fame...

Piggott's junior girls defeated Marmaduke, 45-32, Saturday afternoon in the Clay County Tournament held in Piggott. Kortney Toombs led Piggott with 20 points followed by Ty Hahn with 10, Lauren Hickson 7, Ashley Coleman 6 and Jordan Coomer 2. Marmaduke was led by Amber Nailling with 14. Also scoring were Brooke Smith 11, Jade Brinkley 3 and Shelly White and Autumn Hyten with 2 apiece...

J.L. Parks, 70, of Campbell died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2002, at Three Rivers Healthcare - North Campus in Poplar Bluff. He was born April 30, 1932, in Campbell, the son of the late Ralph Burtis and Opal Mae Cluck Parks. He married Janice Thacker on May 14, 1951, in Piggott...

An electric system rate study conducted by Barnes, Henry, Meisenheimer and Gende indicates a rate increase may be necessary to keep Piggott's light department operational and to maintain cash reserves. At Monday night's utilities meeting, the council heard from firm representative Dean Park that Piggott has "just about squeezed all the efficiency you can" from the electric department and recommended a "fairly steep" rate increase...

The Pollard Fire Department has been conducting fundraisers to help with construction of a new fire station. Presently, the department is using a building on Highway 62 and a portion of the building next to the town's city hall. Mayor Marty Conley, who also serves as fireman, said it is estimated it will take $25,000 to $30,000 to build a metal building with four bays and a meeting area...

LITTLE ROCK (AP) The state Supreme Court has declared Arkansas' school funding formula unconstitutional for the second time since 1983. The decision Thursday, which was unanimous on the key issues, affirmed a 2001 lower court decision that the state failed to distribute $1.7 billion in education funding equitably among 310 school districts...

Last week's Arkansas Supreme Court ruling over the current school funding system being unconstitutional could have a significant impact on smaller school districts, such as Piggott. "I guess we'll do whatever the Supreme Court tells us to do," Supt. Barry Scott said...

Ella Lack, 98, of Piggott, died Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2002 in the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. She was born in Malden, the daughter of the late Dan and Rhoda Bess George. She was united in marriage to B.F. Lack on Jan. 23, 1924. To this union two children were born...

Ronald Scott Smith, 32, of Piggott died Nov. 20, 2002, at Piggott Community Hospital. He was born July 6, 1970, in Kennett, the son of Billy Ray and Brenda Fay Jordan Smith. He was of Baptist faith and was baptized at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Piggott...

Eva Dean Beamer, 73, of McDougal died Nov. 23, 2002, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born Nov. 19, 1929, in Boydsville, the daughter of the late Daniel Edward and Pearl Birchett Phillips. Two brothers, Edward and Norman Phillips, preceded her in death...

Arnold Franklin Hogard, 79, of Piggott died Nov. 24, 2002, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born Jan. 17, 1923, the son of the late Alvin and Luvena "Ben" Baker Hogard.He was united in marriage to Anita Hunter on March 6, 1953...

The Piggott City Council voted to limit the mayor's spending power at Monday night's utilities meeting. Alderman Mike Patterson made a motion, seconded by Alderman Tommy Risinger, to have no expenditures made by Mayor Bud Holcomb except salaries, monthly benefits, monthly utilities, previously authorized expenses or anything approved by a majority of the council...