Stories from Wednesday, April 30, 2003

The Buffalo Island Central (BIC) Mustangs broke a scoreless tie by scoring five runs in the bottom of the third inning and went on to defeat the Rector Cougars 6-2 in a semifinal game at the Class AA Region 4 High School Baseball Tournament Monday in Monette...

It was another outstanding year for the Clay County Relay For Life, raising over $53,000 for American Cancer Society research. The fifth annual event was held Saturday at Heritage Park in Piggott. WRECK (Walking Rectorites Encouraging Cancer Knowledge) was the second highest fundraising team for the year. The top fundraiser was L.A. Darling...

The Marmaduke High School Class of 2003 will graduate at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at the high school gymnasium. This year's valedictorian is Kyle Richey, son of Gary and Vicky Richey, and salutatorian is Brooke Grigsby, daughter of Trayce Rose and Charles Grisgby...

Delbert Foster, 79, of Rector died Sunday April 27, 2003, at the V.A. Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was born Sept. 27, 1923, in Clay County, the son of the late Marvin Foster and Ruth Edwards Foster Pruett. He was a lifelong member of the community and was a farmer. He was a veteran of the Army and the Marines and was a member of Blue Cane General Baptist Church...

Mary Frances Williams, 86, of Heritage Nursing Center in Kennett died Tuesday, April 22, 2003, in Kennett. She was born Sept. 17, 1916, in Clay County, the daughter of the late John Glaub and Sally Maria Brown. She was a retired schoolteacher, a member of the National Education Association, Arkansas Assoc. AEA, and was of the Catholic faith...

Charles Lewallen, 69, of Marmaduke died Friday April 25, 2003, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born July 20, 1933, in Cave City, the son of the late B.M. and Roena Lewallen He was a veteran of the Korean War and was retired from Darling Manufacturing. He was employed with Mitchell Funeral Home of Rector, was an avid hunter and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Marmaduke...

Dewayne Stanley Forrest, 54, of Queen Creek, Ariz, died Friday, April 11, 2003, at his residence. He was born April 18, 1948, in Qulin, Mo., the son of the late Robert and Marie Forrest. He was a U.S. Army veteran, having served in Vietnam, and was a heavy equipment mechanic...

Clyde H. Bolton, 96, of Puxico, Mo., formerly of Rector, died Thursday, April 24, 2003, at his home. He was born March 20, 1907, in Rector, the son of the John and Ella Bolton. Mr. Bolton was a mechanic at Glen Sain Motors and attended the First Church of God in Piggott...

Mary Ellen Johnson, 62, of Marmaduke died Tuesday, April 29, 2003, in Paragould. She was born June 17, 1940, in the White Oak Community in Greene County, the daughter of the late Clarence William and Earlene Jones. She was also preceded in death by a sister, Stella Louise Smotherman...

The Lady Cougars took a measure of revenge from the team that defeated them in last year's district finals as they knocked off Bay 11-8 in this year's district championship last Wednesday at Rector. The Lady Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning by playing footsie. With one out Lindsay Fowler walked. Hailey Harmon then singled up the middle as her hit glanced off the Bay pitcher's foot...

The Lady Cougars season came to an end Saturday as they fell 11-6 to Hazen in first round of the Class AA Region 4 Fast-Pitch Tournament at Walnut Ridge. Sara Parmenter was one for five with two RBIs. Jessica Hill had three walks and two runs scored. Kocaina Lyles was two for three with an RBI. Tara Shepard went two for four with one RBI and Kay Hall was one for three...

Derek Carter pitched his game of the year and possibly the game of his life Saturday night as he shutout a hard-hitting Marked Tree Indian team 4-0 at the Class AA Region 4 High School Baseball Tournament at Monette. Carter completely mastered the Indians as he fanned 15 batters, gave up two hits and allowed one walk...

The fourth inning of the Marmaduke Greyhounds opening round Region 4 Tournament baseball game against Bay at Monette on Saturday turned into a nightmare. Leading 7-3 and apparently well in control, with Bruce Wallace on the mound, everything suddenly went wrong for the Hounds as Bay exploded for 15 runs to win the game 18-7...

The sun is shining brighter in Rector as city, county and state officials officially broke ground Monday morning for the new Wise Co. industrial building on Highway 49. Foundation base work has already begun on the 100,000 square foot city-owned facility and was the backdrop for the special ceremony...

The Piggott boys golf team placed third in the district tournament this past week at Corning. Jeremy Lemmons, Chase Akins and Johnathan Johnson each shot a 77. Lemmons was co-medalist in the regional tournament with an 84. Lemmons and Jones each qualified for the state tournament which will be held at Valley View Country Club in Ozark. Girls districts are May 8 at Corning...

In celebration of the Paris wedding of Ernest Hemingway and Pauline Pfeiffer, the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center will present the second annual Luncheon on the Lawn, Paris Style, at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 10. The French menu will be served by Piggott junior and senior high school students serving as waiters. The honored couple and members of the Pfeiffer family, portrayed by volunteers, will be present...

A Civil War re-enactment will commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Chalk Bluff at Chalk Bluff Park near St. Francis. The event will be conducted by reenactors from surrounding states and will be held Friday, May 2, through Sunday, May 4. Union and Confederate soldiers will be portrayed...

The Piggott City Council voted at Monday night's utility meeting to support efforts by the Airport Commission to secure grant funds to purchase additional land for proposed improvements. Commission chairman Mike Yon and secretary Chad Taylor attended Monday night's utility meeting, and Yon spoke briefly about improvements the group is considering...

Vernice Lamp Jones, 82, of Piggott died April 28, 2003 in the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. She was born Aug. 7, 1920, in Carryville the daughter of the late Samuel and Lena Myers Lamp. She was united in marriage to Victor Lee Jones July 11, 1955...

"Barney" Billy Frank Gidcomb, age 72, of Roscommon, Mich., died Monday, April 21, 2003. Mr. Gidcomb was born in Leachville to Bryan and Geneva Hurst Gidcomb. He graduated from Piggott High School in 1947 and later moved to Waterford, Mich., where he met Susan A. Hadley. They married on June 5, 1980...

Sarah Dee Washburn, 27, of Greenbrier died Thursday, April 24, 2003, at Conway Regional Medical Center. She was born Sept. 9, 1975, in Rockford, Ill. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Joe Washburn; and an uncle, Joe Wayne Washburn. Ms. Washburn loved hunting and fishing and was an organ donor...

Clyde H. Bolton, 96, of Puxico, formerly of Rector, died Thursday, April 24, 2003, at his home in Puxico. He was born March 20, 1907 in Rector to John and Ella Bolton. Mr. Bolton was a mechanic at Glen Sain Motors and attended the First Church of God in Piggott...

Piggott's first annual benefit Weight-A-Thon proved to be a huge success this past Saturday at the old high school gym. "Even with the Relay for Life event going on we had great community support," said head football coach Scott Morgan. A 25 cent gate admission raised over $50 for cancer research amounted to over 200 people attending the event...

In a game that saw everything from a 45-minute rain delay to an early lead by the Piggott Mohawks, it was the play in later innings that was the difference Friday, as the Newport Lady Greyhounds defeated the Piggott Lady Mohawks 12-10 in the first round of the Class AAA Region 2 softball tournament...

The Piggott Mohawk baseball team saw their season come to end last Monday night with an 8-6 loss to Jonesboro Westside in the semifinal round of the the 3AAA-North district tournament at Pocahontas. The Mohawks led, 5-2, until the fourth inning when the Warriors erupted for five runs overtaking the lead...

Angie Beck, a standout player in volleyball and softball for four years at Williams Baptist College, is returning to WBC to coach those sports. The Piggott, Ark., native will coach the Lady Eagles starting this fall. "I'm excited. I enjoyed all four years I was at Williams, and the school means a lot to me," Beck said. "I want to be a positive influence on both teams and the players."...

Both the senior high and junior high Piggott track teams competed in district meets this past week with six athletes earning berths in the state tournament next week at Heber Springs. On Thursday, the senior high team competed at Osceola against East Poinsett County, Rivercrest, Gosnell, Jonesboro Westside, Harrisburg and Valley View. Jennifer Wallace and Kristen Wallace qualified for the state tournament after placing first and second, respectively, in both the 1600M and 800M runs...

It was another outstanding year for the Clay County Relay For Life, raising over $53,000 for American Cancer Society research. The fifth annual event was held Saturday at Heritage Park in Piggott. L.A. Darling was the overall top fundraising team, following by WRECK (Walking Rectorites Encouraging Cancer Knowledge)...