Stories from Wednesday, February 11, 2004

The Riverside Rebels built up what seemed to be an insurmountable 15-point lead, 64-49, with only 1:35 to play Friday night at Marmaduke. But then the Rebels committed three straight turnovers and had to fight off a furious final minute rally from the Greyhounds to hang on and grab a 68-62 win in the final 3AA-North Conference regular season game of the year for both teams...

The final regular-season game of the season for the Rector Lady Cougars, against the visiting Corning Lady Bobcats on Monday night, was a strange one. Falling well behind early, and then by as much as 31 points in the third quarter, the Lady Cougars rallied to within four late in the game...

The Riverside Lady Rebels began the week with an opportunity to sew up an automatic spot in this year's regional basketball tournament with one victory, but they knew going in that it would be a tough task. First, the Lady Rebels traveled to Maynard and dropped a 69-55 decision as Tonya Bazzell poured in 22 points to lead five Lady Tigers in double figures. ...

A disastrous second quarter was the difference for the Rector Junior Cougars as they lost to Crowley's Ridge Academy, 44-30, in the first round of the District 3AA-North Tournament on Monday night at Walnut Ridge. The Junior Cougars hung tough against the second-seeded Junior Falcons, trailing only 10-9 after the first frame...

The laying of a cornerstone was how Lieutenant Governor Win Rockefeller characterized the first annual Clay County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday, Feb. 6, at the Rector Community Center. Allen Deringer welcomed the crowd to the event. Eight counties were represented by the Republicans in attendance. Counties represented were Baxter, Clay, Craighead, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Poinsett and Stone...

It's over. That clearly is a relief to members of the Arkansas General Assembly, who spent two months dealing with a ruling by the Arkansas Supreme Court that the state's educational system is not equitable. State Rep. Travis Boyd said there were four clear areas of concern facing the legislators:...

The City of Rector received notice this week of the award of a $25,000 grant from the Arkansas Dept. of Parks and Tourism. It is the third such grant received by the city in the past several years for development of Memorial Park and the adjacent baseball-softball complex...

Legislative updates were again a topic of debate when the Rector School Board met Monday night. Superintendent Rob Louder presented to the board a list of acts that were passed in the 2003 Extraordinary Session of the Arkansas General Assembly. Louder drew board members' attention to several acts in particular. Rector schools are in compliance with Act 35, he said, which establishes a system of testing all grades of Arkansas students...

The chess team at Rector Schools participated in the CAAS regional junior high individual/team chess championship tournament played Saturday, Jan. 10, at Hoxie. The tournament was administered by officials from the Chess Association for Arkansas Schools (CAAS)...

Dorris Edward Cox, co-founder of Cox Planing Mill and Lumber Company, died Feb. 10, 2004 in the Piggott Community Hospital. He and three brothers formed a partnership to begin the lumber company in 1948, with Dorris managing the planing mill. After the death of his brother Doyle Cox, he became president until he retired...

D. Glenn Bennett, 61, of Springfield, Mo., a native of Boydsville, died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004, at his home. He was born Sept. 9, 1942 in Boydsville, the son of Willie G. and Ruth E. Bennett. He lived in Boydsville until the age of five, then moved to Bunker Hill, Ind. He graduated brom Bunker Hill High School in 1960...

Bobby Wayland Romine, 66, of Piggott died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born March 9, 1937, in Crockett, to the late Rudy Eugene and Sadie Cochran Romine and was married Feb. 21, 1962, in Pocahontas to Donna Jones Romine, who survives...

Prentice Osbin "P.O." Weller, 74, of Piggott died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2004, in the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott. He was born Sept. 16, 1929, in Crockett, the son of the late George Riley and Verlie Mae Grissom Weller. He was united in marriage to Gladys Fern Woods on Dec. 7, 1949. To this union four children were born...

A strong second half helped the Bay Yellowjackets to pull away and defeat the Rector Cougars 86-64 here last Friday night in a homecoming game. The Cougars really played well in the early going against this strong bunch of Yellowjackets. With Nathan Wyatt scoring nine points in the first quarter, the Cougars were behind only 14-12 when the quarter ended...

Last Thursday evening the Rector Lady Cougars fell to the Lady Yellowjackets of Bay, 70-49. Bay led 17-8 after one quarter and stretched their lead to 32-17 by halftime. The Lady Cougars came on strong in the third quarter as they scored 21 points. Unfortunately, Bay scored 23 points in the frame to stymie any chance of a Lady Cougar comeback as they led 55-38 going into the final quarter...

The Piggott Lady Mohawks were in action on Tuesday night, as they played their last home game against Campbell. The Mohawks would play a dominating game with Lauren Hickson finishing the night with 29 points and 16 rebounds as Piggott won, 63-32. Joining her in double figures was Kelsey Stephens at 17. Others scoring were Heather Bricker 6, Briana Lucie 5 and Jennifer Wallace 5...

Jason Dalton played on the offensive line for the Mohawks. "I liked being with my friends and playing on Friday nights while in football," said Jason. "I will miss the games and hearing the crowd yell for me and my teammates." His most memorable game is beating EPC because that victory enabled Piggott to go to the playoffs. ...

BY CHLOE POLLARD Times Sports Staff As the season winds down, the Piggott boys basketball teams are concentrating on tournament play. The seniors will compete in the district tourney next week at Pocahontas, while the juniors are now in action at Highland, where they won their first game and advanced to the semifinals...

Carole Peterson Nuttall, 68, of Piggott died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, in St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Jan. 14, 1936, the daughter of the late William Arthur "Otto" and Rutha Elnora Coyle Peterson. She was united in marriage to Robert Nuttall in June of 1967...

The letter to the State Board of Education on amending the district's construction proposal was discussed at the Piggott School Board meeting Monday night. Barry Scott, superintendent, presented the amended letter of request to the board. The current project is to build a new high school cafeteria, build two classrooms, hard surface parking areas, roof repairs, renovate the gymnasium and build a commons area and gym lobby...

James Lee Magee, Piggott Community Hospital administrator, and Suzie Countzler, director of radiology, are very proud and excited about the new CT system, added to the radiology department. "The Piggott Community Hospital has joined an impressive group of U.S. healthcare facilities by installing one of the fastest computed tomography (CT) systems available today, the Asteion from Toshiba America Medical Systems," Magee said...

Christopher Todd Moffitt, 25, of Campbell, was fatally injured at Sunday, Feb. 8, in an early morning accident on Highway 62 just outside the Campbell city limits. Moffitt was traveling alone when he lost control of his 1997 Ford Explorer. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol investigators, Trooper N.T. Bratton and Cpl. J.T. Larmore, Moffitt ran off the left side of the road, struck a road sign, became airborne, overturned and then struck a railroad signal box...

The laying of a cornerstone was how Lieutenant Governor Win Rockefeller characterized the first annual Clay County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday, Feb. 6, at the Rector Community Center. Allen Deringer welcomed the crowd to the event. Eight counties were represented by the Republicans in attendance. Counties represented were Baxter, Clay, Craighead, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Poinsett and Stone...

Puzzled looks usually greet the faces of those who say they are going to hear a Christian band called the Ninja Cowboys. The band, comprised of James and Jonathan Cox, who are brothers, and Daniel Parker, was formed about a year ago. James and Jonathan are the sons of Gary and Michelle Cox and Daniel is the son of Allen and Doris Parker...

Dorris Edward Cox, co-founder of Cox Planing Mill and Lumber Company, died Feb. 10, 2004 in the Piggott Community Hospital. He and three brothers formed a partnership to begin the lumber company in 1948, with Dorris managing the planing mill. After the death of his brother Doyle Cox, he became president until he retired...

Bobby Wayland Romine, 66, of Piggott died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born March 9, 1937, in Crockett, the son of the late Rudy Eugene and Sadie Cochran Romine. He was united in marriage to Donna Jones on Feb. 21, 1962, in Pocahontas. To this union four children were born...

Jean Katherine Johnson, 76, of Paducah, Ky., formerly of Piggott, died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2004, in the Magnolia Manor in Metropolis, Ill. She was born Feb. 25, 1928, in Piggott, the daughter of the late Clint and Edna Williams Davis. She was united in marriage to Edmon Johnson and to this union one daughter was born...

Winston Dix Stallings, age 70, of Russellville, died Friday, Feb. 6, 2004, at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center. A son of the late Albert Eugene and Melrose Winston Stallings, he was born July 21, 1933, in Piggott. He was a 1951 graduate of Piggott High School and a 1955 graduate of Arkansas Tech University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. ...

Joseph Alcantara, 73, died Jan. 28, 2004, in Sun City West, Ariz., after a long illness. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp during the Korean Conflict at the Chosin Reservoir and was a member of the Chosin Few Band of Fraternal Brothers. He is survived by two brothers, Frank Alcantara and wife, Laura, of Glendora, Calif., and Robert Alcantara of San Diego, Calif.; three daughters, Vicky Sherman and husband, Anthony, of Rena Lara, Miss., Sharon Lucas and husband, Jim, of Piggott and Gay Kreinbrink and husand, Don, of Jackson, Miss.; eight grandchildren, Dane Moorman of Greenville, Miss., Nicholas Starling of Lubbock, Texas, Jason Simpson and wife, Tiffany, Chris Simpson and Brian Simpson, all of Piggott, Crystal Scott and husband, Craig, of Paragould, Brenee and Amber Kreinbrink of Jackson, Miss.;and six great-grandchildren.. ...

Louise T. Worthington Kneitz died Feb. 6, 2004. She was the beloved wife of the late John A. Holahan, Fred Wilcoxson, Newt Blackwell and Henry Kneitz. She was also preceded in death by three brothers, Edward, John and Arthur Worthington. She is survived by one son, Jack Holahan and wife, Maria; one sister, Kathryn Lodwick; four grandchildren, Kelly Murtaugh, Carmen, Duncan and Ashley Holahan; one special great-grandchild, Dylan Murtaugh; and nieces, nephews and cousins...

Geraldine Davis, 86, of Piggott died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004, in the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. She was born June 27, 1917, in Pollard, the daughter of the late Louis Frank and Kate H. Hutchison McLeskey. She was united in marriage to Earl H. (Scott) Davis on Sept. 16, 1939. To this union three daughters were born...

Todd Moffitt, 25, of Campbell died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004. He was born Nov. 29, 1978, in St. Louis, the son of Stanley L. and Kim K. Smith Moffitt. Mr. Moffitt worked as a truck driver. He was preceded in death by his grandmothers, Betty Smith and Joan Duff...

Prentice Osbin "P.O." Weller, 74, of Piggott died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2004, in the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott. He was born Sept. 16, 1929, in Crockett, the son of the late George Riley and Verlie Mae Grissom Weller. He was united in marriage to Gladys Fern Woods on Dec. 7, 1949. To this union four children were born...

Richard Earl Randolph, 59, of Dexter died on Jan. 1, 2004, at his residence in Dexter. He was born Jan. 30, 1944, in Piggott, the son of Donald Eugene and Lona LaVern Randolph. He was united in marriage to Shirley Lee Rogers on March 19, 1965. To this union two children were born...

Teachers and other local citizens gathered Friday in the Piggott gymnasium to enjoy 90 minutes of an award-winning educator's rules that every teacher should know. Ron Clark has been called America's Educator, and recently was named Disney's American Teacher of the Year...