Stories from Friday, April 9, 2004

Sunny, warm weather and a better-than-average fall harvest brought local farmers and the general public to the 30th annual FFA farm sale on Saturday. "The sale was a big success," Ramona Magee of Magee Auction said. "It was better than last year, bringing in over $300,000 in consignment sales. We expect the FFA to make around $10,000 in commission. We should have the totals on everything next week."...

The senior high Mohawk track season is now underway and the team traveled to Kennett for their first meet of the season on Thursday, April 1. Piggott was not a factor in the overall team competition since they did not have a entry in every event due to small numbers. However, Piggott left their first meet with their heads held high as they competed very well...

The Tiny Trotters were in town Friday to square off against the Wise Company's Dream Team, to raise money for Relay for Life. The Dream Team had many exciting moments against the pint-sized players in front of a large home crowd. Mike Book was the recipient of a pie in the face, Sheriff Ronnie Cole received a bucket of water in the face and many team members were sprayed with silly string and whipped cream from the miniature marauders...

Piggott traveled to Maynard March 26 to test their skills and came away knowing how well they can play as a team. The Mohawk baseball team is improving their skills each time they go out onto the field, they are improving their fielding, base running skills and their mental mistakes...

William E. Bell, 89, of Decatur, Ind., died Sunday, April 4, 2004, at Bluffton Regional Medial Center. He was born Dec. 10, 1914, in Piggott, the son of Clarence Bell and Lennie Underwood. He married Letha Bell on Oct. 14, 1939. He is survived by one son, Gerald Harmon of Enterprise, Okla.; two daughters, Linda Shaw of Liberty Center, Ind., and Shirley Davis of Piggott; one brother, Earnest Bell of Piggott; one sister, Martha Blalack of Paragould; 10 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.. ...

Marty Edward Hoggard, 41, of Piggott died Thursday, April 1, 2004, at the Baptist Hospital in Memphis. He was born July 22, 1962, in Piggott, the son of Cornelious "Punk" and Joyce Gatlin Hoggard. He was united in marriage to Laura Speer on December 14, 1996, to this union two sons were born...

Almeda Nettles Woodard, 85, of Campbell died Tuesday, March 30, 2004, in the National Health Care in Franklin, Tenn. She was born March 3, 1919, the daughter of the late Harvey and Grace Warren Gower. She married Bynum Borden Nettles on June 18, 1938. He preceded her in death in 1978. She married Orlie Woodard on March 5, 1988. He preceded her in death in 1996...

Arthur Louis Baggett Jr., 27, of Campbell died Tuesday, March 30, 2004. He was born Jan. 20, 1977, in Poplar Bluff, the son of Arthur Louis Baggett Sr. and Brenda Lee Paul Baggett of Campbell. He married Lisa Christine Innes on Oct. 1, 2002, in Piggott...

Clifford "Pa" Hoyt Barnhart, 91, of Marmaduke, died Sunday April 4, 2004, at Greene Acres Nursing Home in Paragould. He was born Aug. 26, 1912, in Greene County to the late Lilburn Barnhart and Lena (Smith) Barnhart. He was retired from the Greene County Road Department after 31 years of service, was a newspaper deliverer in Marmaduke for the Paragould Daily Press and a Marmaduke city employee. He was a lifelong member of the community and a member of Marmaduke General Baptist Church...

Democratic candidates met with the Clay County Central Democratic committee Tuesday, April 6, at the Sugar Creek Country Club to draw for positions on the May Primary ballot. Democratic nominees from the May Primary will face Republican and independent candidates in the November General Election...

On November 10, 2003, Anthony and Malinda Foster received an official invitation to the Homestead-Miami Speedway sponsored by the Marlboro Racing School 2004 Invitation in Miami Florida, March 15 through 19. The local couple does not know how the school received their names, but since Anthony's birthday is in November, it came as a wonderful birthday surprise...

Preventing Arkansans from unnecessary disease and death is the goal of the public health system. Employees at the Clay County Health Unit are celebrating Public Health Week April 5-9. Public health addresses several issues within our community, including family health, the safety of food and water, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, communicable disease control, health care access, injury prevention and outreach, referral and special services for high risk and vulnerable populations...

On Wednesday, March 31, 20 children from Mrs. Laura French's kindergarten class visited Piggott Taxidermy. The field trip was class member Nathan Gookin's choice for show and tell. Taxidermist Barry Johnson displayed several animals for the class as well as animal skins. He taught the class the basic steps of the taxidermy process...

Rev. Leonard Bunch, 74, of Black Oak, died Sunday, April 4, 2004, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Memphis. He was born in Black Oak, but lived in Jonesboro most of his life. He also lived in Piggott before moving back to Black Oak four years ago...

Pleas Henderson Akers, 81, of Piggott died at the VA Nursing Home in Poplar Bluff on Monday, April 5, 2004. He was born in Kennett on July 6, 1922, son of Pleas A. and Florence Henderson Akers. He married Nelldean Smith on Nov. 1, 1941. He was a veteran of World War II where he served in the Old Hickory Division. He was wounded in action and taken as a prisoner of war during the Battle of the Bulge...

Ralph Earl Crain Sr., 61, of Jonesboro died Monday, April 5, 2004, in his home. He was born Jan. 6, 1941 in Ravenden Springs, son of Cletus and Mary Crain. A U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, he was a tool and die maker with World Color until retirement...

Rev. Leonard Bunch, 74, of Black Oak, died Sunday, April 4, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Memphis. He was born in Black Oak, but lived in Jonesboro most of his life. He also lived in Piggott before moving back to Black Oak four years ago...

Bertha Lee Wilder, 72, of McDougal died Tuesday morning March 30, 2004, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born in Gunterville, Ala., and moved to McDougal two months ago. She was a retired sectionizer with Ben Hill Griffin and was of the Baptist faith...

Last Thursday at Rector, in a masterful pitcher's duel that was a delight to watch, the Buffalo Island Central (BIC) Mustangs beat the Rector Cougars 2-1. The April Fool's Day weather that was so chilly that it was uncomfortable didn't faze the two starting pitchers, Jay Beacham for Rector and Derek Roland for BIC. Both pitchers went the distance...

Tara Shepard pitched her first no-hitter ever and her teammates had their hitting shoes on as the Lady Cougars easily beat Crowley's Ridge Academy (CRA) 17-0 last Thursday at Paragould. Coach Shane Robinson said, "This was her first no-hitter. She also had good control, she only walked two batters. We supported her pretty well, we played one of our better defensive games and we did a good job at the plate."...

The Lady Greyhounds beat Crowley's Ridge Academy (CRA) 10-9 Monday afternoon at Marmaduke to push their record to 3-3. Danielle Bateman was the winning pitcher. Katie Christin had a 3-for-4 game with three RBIs. Sarah Rogers also went 3-for-4 and had two RBIs. Brooke Smith was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Bateman went 1-for-3 with a RBI. Johnson was 1-for-4 and Terri Graham was hitless but had two RBIs...

Bruce Wallace continues to impress. On Friday the senior right-hander beat Piggott 5-4 on the road to jump his record to 4-1. In seven innings Wallace allowed five hits, four walks, four runs of which two were earned, and struck out seven. He also had a two-run single in the third inning that gave the Hounds a 2-1 lead and in the fourth inning he hit a two-run home run to increase the Marmaduke advantage...

Clifford "Pa" Hoyt Barnhart, 91, of Marmaduke, died Sunday April 4, 2004, at Greene Acres Nursing Home in Paragould. He was born Aug. 26, 1912, in Greene County to the late Lilburn Barnhart and Lena (Smith) Barnhart. He was retired from the Greene County Road Department after 31 years of service, was a newspaper deliverer in Marmaduke for the Paragould Daily Press and a Marmaduke city employee. He was a lifelong member of the community and a member of Marmaduke General Baptist Church...

Bettie Jane Dudley, 71, of Piggott died March 29, 2004, at her residence surrounded by her loving family. She was born June 21, 1932, in Leonard, the daughter of Onnie and Mary Hill Cooper. She worked as a bookkeeper at Piggott Mortuary-Irby Funeral Home and a lifelong member of the community...

Willie Ray James, 84, of Gosnell died Thursday, March 18, 2004, at his home. He was born Nov. 18, 1919, in Kennett, to the late Aaron Moses and Marganie Limbaugh James. He was married to Seena James, who preceded him in death, and later married Patsy Ann James...

Senator Tim Wooldridge will be the special guest speaker at the Rector High School Academy Choice Awards on Friday, April 16. Senator Wooldridge currently serves in the Arkansas Senate representing District 11 in Northeast Arkansas. He is Chair of the Revenue and Taxation Committee and serves on the Agriculture, Economic and Industrial Development Committee, the Joint Committee on Energy, the Joint Budget Committee and the Efficiency Committee...

Preventing Arkansans from unnecessary disease and death is the goal of the public health system. Employees at the Clay County Health Unit are celebrating Public Health Week April 5-9. Public health addresses several issues within our community, including family health, the safety of food and water, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, communicable disease control, health care access, injury prevention and outreach, referral and special services for high risk and vulnerable populations...

The Rector Area Chamber of Commerce annual banquet is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 8, at the Rector Community Center. Tickets are on sale for $15, which includes a catered dinner. Speaker will be Arkansas State University head football coach Steve Roberts. Entertainment will be provided by Rector's own Diane Freeman...

A wide variety of food, games and fun will await the crowd at the sixth annual Clay County Relay for Life. The Relay will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, at Heritage Park in Piggott. In case of rain, the event will move to the Piggott Community Center...

The Rector City Council approved the purchase of a thermal imaging camera with Federal Emergency Management Agency grant funds during its meeting on Monday night. Chief Huston Bowden only received one bid for the camera system, which will provide significant fire fighting an safety improvements. The bid was from Delta Uniform and Fire Supply in Marks, Miss., in the amount of $11,650. Alderman Cam Cate opened the bid...

Rector voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, April 13, to decide whether or not the one-cent sales tax established in 1995 should be extended. Balloting will be at the Rector Community Center with the polls open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The city council sponsored a special public meeting last week to enable residents to make comments and ask questions about the tax. Support for the proposal was strong at that meeting...

The Rector Cougars broke a 4-4 tie by scoring four runs in the top of the eighth inning Monday afternoon as they defeated the Piggott Mohawks 8-5 at Piggott. Phillip Forbes drove in the tie-breaking run with a one-out single. With two men out a run scoring single by Jay Beacham and a two-run double by Derek Parrish added to the lead. Piggott scored one run in the bottom of the inning...