Stories from Wednesday, February 26, 2003

The Harlem Entertainers fundraising event Friday night at the Piggott High School gym was an outstanding success. Approximately 1,000 spectators turned out, according to the Piggott Area Chamber of Commerce, the event's sponsor. Proceeds over $4,400 from ticket sales, program ad sales and half-court contest will go to the Piggott Community Center. Proceeds from the concession stand went to the Piggott Basketball Booster Club...

The annual Clay County Spelling Bee was held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in the Piggott Elementary School library. Nine students participated in the competition. Three students represented each of the schools in the county. Kelsey Cole, Kaylee Haywood and Heather O'Dell represented the Piggott school. All three girls are in the seventh grade...

The Piggott City Council approved a resolution Monday night that will strengthen the Piggott Electric Department's policy on non-payment of monthly power bills. Under the policy, the electric department is directed to disconnect any customer, who is 21 days deliquent in payment of the account...

(Editor's Note: Information for this article was provided by the Associated Press.) A Piggott man will get a new trial on a first degree murder conviction that has had him incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Correction since 1990. David Reagan, 46, was sentenced on a murder charge in the death of his girlfriend's two-year-old daughter, Sarah Binkard. ...

Helen Lorene Cummings was born on a farm south of Greenway on July 27, 1909. She departed this life on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2003, at the age of 93 in the Piggott Community Hospital. Mrs. Cummings parents were William Henry Smart and Catherine Elizabeth Turner Smart who preceded her in death. Her siblings: Willie, Charles, Ray, Lena and Kathleen also preceded her...

Donald Ray Brown, 70, of Paragould died Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2003, at Regional Medical Center of NEA in Jonesboro after a prolonged illness. He was born August 3, 1932, the son of Jesse Thomas Brown and Hazel Parker Brown in Clay County, Ark. Mr. Brown worked for and retired from General Dynamics in Ft. Worth, Tx. and returned to the Paragould area in 1985. He was a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict...

Leroy Thrasher, 81, of Rector died on Friday, Feb. 21, 2003, in the Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould. He was born June 16, 1921, in White Oak, Ark., the son of the late Lafe and Willie Dowdy Thrasher. He was united in marriage to Dora Mae McDaniel on April 27, 1946. To this union one daughter was born...

Piggott's Mandy Cale poured in 26 points for the Lady Mohawks last Monday night in the first round of the 3AAA-North senior district tournament at Highland. Cale's 26 paced Piggott to a 56-53 win over Brookland. Kelsey Stephens added 10 points in the win for Piggott...

With the district tournaments now complete throughout Northeast Arkansas, local teams now turn their attention to their respective regional tournaments being played this week. In the Class AAA Region 2 Tournament, played at Newport High School, teams from the 2AAA, 3AAA-North and 3AAA-South begin their chase for a spot in the state tournament next week at Prescott. Early round games started Monday, with four games on the schedule...

Ben Arthur Rogers, 48, of Roseville, Ill., son of Rue Porter Rogers of Piggott and the late Ruby Olive McReynolds Rogers, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2002, at the Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Ill. Born May 5, 1954, near Piggott, he was a graduate of Crowley's Ridge College and Logan Chiropratic. He briefly attended Harding University...

Riverside's Rebels battled to a 24-4 first quarter lead and never looked back in handing Rector a 66-46 loss in the opening round of the 3AA North District Tournament Monday night at Bay. The Rebels, who advanced to a second round match-up with Maynard, led 34-18 at the half and stretched the advantage to 58-30 by the end of the third quarter...

With the district tournaments now complete throughout Northeast Arkansas, local teams now turn their attention to their respective regional tournaments being played this week. In the Class AAA Region 2 Tournament, played at Newport High School, teams from the 2AAA, 3AAA-North and 3AAA-South begin their chase for a spot in the state tournament next week at Prescott. Early round games started Monday, with four games on the schedule...

Ben Arthur Rogers, 48, of Roseville, Ill., son of Rue Porter Rogers of Piggott and the late Ruby Olive McReynolds Rogers, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2002, at the Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Ill. Born May 5, 1954, near Piggott, he was a graduate of Crowley's Ridge College and Logan Chiropratic. He briefly attended Harding University...

Marie Horton, 82, of Stillman Valley, Mich., formerly of Rector, died Feb. 18, 2003, at her home. She was born April 12, 1920, in Hornersville, Mo., the daughter of the late Darcy Orton and Inez McIntosh Faries. She was united in marriage to Hershel Horton, who preceded her in death on May 18, 1995...

Herschel Lee Rogers, 82, of Rector died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003, at his home. Born Oct. 6, 1920, in Greene County, he was the son of the late William Jackson Rogers and Cordie Jane (Thrasher) Rogers. A lifelong resident of this community, he was a World War II Army veteran, a farmer and a member of Cappadocia General Baptist Church, where he was an honorary deacon...

Leroy Thrasher, 81, of Rector died Friday, Feb. 21, 2003, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. He was born June 16, 1921, in White Oak, Ark., the son of the late Lafe and Willie Dowdy Thrasher. He was united in marriage to Dora Mae McDaniel on April 27, 1946. To this union one daughter was born...

Carl Avery "Bill" Cowgill, 80, of Kennett, a native of Rector, died Sunday, Feb. 23, 2003, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. A World War II Army veteran, he was born Oct. 14, 1922, in Rector to the late Leroy and Celesty Violena (Nelson) Cowgill...

A Rector woman loved a photo she took of a rural Clay County road so much, she shared it with an artist friend. That friend, in turn, turned it into her own special work of art. Carolyn Jenks of Rector has traveled the road near Greenway several times and enjoys taking photos of beautiful scenes. She captured the essence of an old barn in the bright summer sunlight one day and sent a copy of the photo to her friend, D. Anne Jones...

LITTLE ROCK Like father, like son. Nowhere is that more apparent than with State Senator Jerry Bookout and his son, State Rep. Paul Bookout, of Jonesboro. Not only are they both Arkansas legislators, they are funeral directors at Langford Funeral Home in Jonesboro, which was opened by Jerry's grandfather, William B. Langford, around 100 years ago...

In a special meeting Monday night, the Rector School Board unanimously voted to hire RHS principal Rob Louder as the new superintendent of the Rector School District. The position is currently held by Kelly Scobey, who will retire later this year. Attending the meeting were board members Gregg Sain, Allen Earls, Dale Vangilder, Jim Speer and James Turner...

The Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds won their fourth straight district tournament title Friday night at Bay as they defeated the Bay Lady Yellowjackets 62-57 in overtime in the tournament finals. During the course of this season's conference race the Lady Greyhounds habitually handled their 3AA North opponents with relative ease. This game would be much different as the Lady Yellowjackets, manifestly playing with increased cocfidence, would severely test the Lady Hounds...