Stories from Wednesday, February 4, 2004

Helped greatly by another strong performance by Lauren Wright, the Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds overcame the Buffalo Island Central Lady Mustangs 63-50 at Marmaduke Monday night. The Lady Mustangs took a short-lived lead at 7:22 when a Holly Cagle pass resulted in a three-pointer by Jae Ashbranner made it 3-0...

Cole Thomas, the 12-year-old son of Mark and Michelle Thomas of Rector, hopes to be a country/gospel musician someday. Thomas has been playing the guitar for three years. His teacher is Patrick Schultz of Paragould. "My parents got me a guitar when I was five years old, and I always wanted to learn to play it," he said. His first guitar was an acoustic one. He received his first electric guitar about a month ago for his birthday...

Thinking ahead and making good health decisions is important to one's well-being and also is a sign of consideration for one's loved ones. That was the message to the Rector Lions Club in a program Tuesday, Jan. 20, by Dr. Richard Lochner, who practices at the Family Health Clinic here...

Bill Hopper, 70, of Hardy, a native of Rector, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2004, at his home. An Air Force veteran, he was born Jan. 22, 1934, in Rector to Eula Lee (Beal) Hopper and the late Carson Bishop Hopper. He was married March 30, 1958, to the former Sally Long of Rector. They formerly owned and operated the Sears Store in Rector...

Martha Oneda "Sweet" Hampton, 84, of Rector died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. A retired beautician, she was born July 26, 1919, in Rector to the late Sylvester and Adelia Hampton. She also was preceded in death by three brothers, Gaylon, Lewis and Doyle Hampton, and one sister, Pauline Smart...

Wilma Johnson, 88, of Marmaduke died Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. A homemaker and lifelong resident of this area, she was born March 30, 1915, in Rector to the late Lee and Lydia Benson. She was married to Gilbert Johnson, who died in March 1992...

Harold Broadway, 77, of Piggott died Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004, in the Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. He was born Nov. 18, 1926, in Nimmons, to the late James Henry and Laura Elizabeth Howell Broadway and was married Dec. 13, 1947, to Lawanda Virginia Turner, who preceded him in death in 2002...

Oran "Buddy" Johnson, 76, of Rector, formerly of Manila, died Monday, Jan. 19, 2004, at his home. Born at Manila, he was the son of the late Oran and Ethel Davis Johnson and a U.S. Army Veteran of World War II. He was a retired carpenter and had been a longtime resident of the Rector Community...

In a grueling game that was exciting right to the end, the Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds edged the Rector Lady Cougars, 61-57, at Rector last Thursday evening. Playing without senior point guard Heather Johnson, who turned an ankle in practice, the Lady Hounds got off to a good start as they had an 11-point lead at one point in the first quarter and were ahead 21-12 when the quarter ended...

In a continuation of their long-standing rivalry, the Marmaduke Greyhounds defeated the Rector Cougars, 73-40, at Rector this past Thursday night. Earlier this season at Marmaduke, the Greyhounds beat the Cougars in a game that was closely contested. This time around the Hounds would have a much easier time vanquishing their inter-county rivals...

The Rector seventh grade boys were in action in their own invitational tournament last Saturday. The Cougars would have a tough challenge against Riverside. Rector played a tough first quarter and were tied, 3-3. In the second quarter the Cougars would have trouble getting their shots to fall in as they would trail, 9-3 going into the half...

The Marmaduke seventh grade boys opened action at Saturday's tournament in Rector against the Manila Lions. The Greyhounds came out playing strong as they led the first quarter, 8-4. The second quarter would be a defensive one for Marmaduke as they allowed the Lions to score only two points, as they led going to the half, 19-6...

Last Tuesday night at home the Marmaduke Greyhounds beat the Walnut Ridge Bobcats 58-53 in a game marked by ebbs and flows. Things flowed well indeed for the Hounds in the first quarter. The Bobcats couldn't find the basket and, with four Hounds scoring at least four points apiece, the Hounds amassed a 19-6 lead at the quarter's end...

In a unanimous vote Monday evening, the Rector City Council voted to close a brush dump site north of town. Closure of the site became effective at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3. City superintendent Todd Watson recommended the closure, saying the site is difficult for the city to control at its present location. He recommended designating a new site for brush on the south side of town...

The Clay County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner will be at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6, at the Rector Community Center in Rector. Guest speaker will be Governor Win Rockefeller. A prime rib dinner will be served by Cavaness Family Restaurant. Tickets are $20 and are available by contacting any committee member or by calling 870-595-1020, 870-595-3139, or 870-598-2183...

Approximately $5,000 was raised by the Rector High School FFA for its scholarship fund during the first annual fish fry/chicken strip dinner and live auction last Friday evening. The event was held at the Rector Community Center at 6 p.m. An overwhelming crowd turned out to support the Future Farmers of America. ...

In a series of meeting during January, the St. Francis City Council has hired a new water and sewer bookkeeper. At the first meeting on Jan. 1, the council discussed the salary schedule for 2004. Mayor Midge Conley recommended that alderman salaries be raised five percent and the mayor and recorder salaries be raised one percent. After some discussion the motion passed unanimously...

The fisheries division of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is seeking funding for the next fiscal year (beginning July 1, 2004), for the construction of a handicap accessible fishing pier at Heritage Park, Sam Barkley, District Fisheries Biologist said...

National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), will be celebrated Feb. 2-6, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact that counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career...

Misti and Brent Sanders have other loves in their lives. Their other loves include their personal and individual collectibles they truly have a passion for. Misti shared her collection of "Dreamsicles" which she has been collecting since she and Brent began dating in 1992...

Harold Broadway, 77, of Piggott died Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004, in the Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. He was born Nov. 18, 1926, in Nimmons, the son of the late James Henry and Laura Elizabeth Howell Broadway. He was united in marriage to Lawanda Virginia Turner on Dec. 13, 1947, to this union four children were born...

Willa Dee Brandon, 79, of Piggott died Feb. 2, 2004, in the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott. She was born Jan. 19, 1925, in Illinois. She moved to Piggott as a child with her parents, the late Emery and Clarice Gross Peters. She was united in marriage to Ray Brandon on June 28, 1946. They were the parents of one daughter, Carolyn Alford...

Zelma Smith Jeffrey died Jan. 19, 2004, in Port Charlotte, Fla. She was born Jan. 30, 1916, in Walcott, Ark., the daughter of Virgil and Nora Smith of Piggott. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Drucilla Burnett, Tressie Harrell and Beatrice Hutchison, all of Piggott; and two children, Bud Jeffrey and Patricia Bormus...

Larry Williams, 59, of St. Louis died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004, at his home in St. Louis. He was born Nov. 25, 1944, in Kennett, the son of the late Louis Franklin and Martha Sue Harmon Williams. He was united in marriage to Margaret Stewart on July 31, 1965. To this union four sons were born...

The Piggott seventh grade boys remained undefeated on the year with an exciting march to the title in the Rector invitational tournament played Saturday. Teams from throughout the area were battling for the crown. Piggott's first round of action was against Riverside, where the Mohawks took control of the first quarter leading, 11-3. ...

The Piggott girls teams split four games during the past week, falling twice against tough Pocahontas squads and then rolling past Westside in both games. The senior girls were in action at Pocahontas on Thursday. They went out in the first quarter and couldn't get their shots to fall, as they were down, 11-2. The Mohawks would fight hard in the second quarter and catch the Redskins, but would trail by three, 27-24...

The Piggott senior boys were in action at home against Highland on Tuesday. The first quarter was played hard by the Mohawks, but their shots would not fall and they would be down, 22-9. Piggott would come out in the second quarter and gain some ground on the Rebels but would go into the second half down, 32-18. The third quarter score was 42-26, with a final of 60-40...

The 2004 Relay for Life Kick-off event was held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2, at Outdoor/Indoor. Relay Co-chair Jim Seal welcomed everyone to the event, which started the festivities for the sixth annual Relay for Life in Piggott. Mayor Gerald Morris expressed his support for the community efforts exhibited in Relay and encouraged the volunteers to keep up the good work...