Stories from Thursday, August 12, 2004

A public hearing was held Monday at 6 p.m. at city hall to discuss the proposed closing of the Lincoln Street railroad crossing. Mayor Gerald Morris introduced Bill Ryan of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department and asked him to provide some information prior to the start of discussion...

The annual Lions Club Golf Tournament, held last Wednesday at Sugar Creek County Club in Piggott, once again proved to be successful, with about $4,000 raised for charity. The tournament is sponsored jointly by the Piggott Lions Club and the Rector Lions Club. Proceeds go primarily to sight conservation projects of the two clubs...

The Piggott High School tennis team held a summer league at the Piggott public courts for the young women on the team during the month of July. Paul Seegraves is the coach for both boys and girls teams for the school. The summer league was open for all girls in the seventh through 12th grades...

The volleyball teams for Piggott High School officially began their preseason practice on Monday, Aug. 2. Each team is practicing two hours per day, averaging four days per week. The junior high roster for the 2004 season includes Natalie Branscum, Kaylee Haywood, Alicia Garcia, Kristen McCluskey, Natalie Brown, Heather Odell, Colbie Pike, Chelsey Grimes, Amber Moore, Kenna Dennis, Kasey Beck, Nicole Foster, Katlin Morgan, Kelsey Nagy, Taylor Coomer, and Penny McCluskey...

Stephen Douglas Pollock, 57, died June 15 after an 18-month struggle with cancer. He was the grandson of the late James W. and Sylvania Throgmarton and the late Thomas Kyle and Ardelia Mayo Pollock, who will be remembered by older Piggott residents...

The floors are waxed, the desks are set and the textbooks are awaiting use. School resumes at the Piggott Public Schools next Thursday, Aug. 19. Teachers resumed their duties on Wednesday, Aug. 11, if they still needed in-service hours, otherwise they will report on Wednesday, Aug. 18...

After the lengthy discussion at the public hearing, the Piggott City Council decided to table the issue of closing the Lincoln Street Crossing until the utilities meeting on Aug. 23. Sandy Scheffler filled in for City Clerk Judy Parker who was absent...

A reprieve from the hot desert sun and time to spend with his family were recently given to Major Jody Henderson of the 39th Brigade Combat Team when he won a lottery to come home for 15 days. Henderson, the son of Joe and Gail Henderson of Piggott, has been in the service just over 21 years. Although he hasn't served in Iraq before, he has served in Kuwait in 1999...

The City of Rector will be one of 18 municipalities in Arkansas receiving an award Wednesday (today) in Little Rock for a new walking trail through the Trails for Life program. Gov. Mike Huckabee will award $750,000 in outdoor recreation grants for the development of the local health and fitness trails...

John Patrick Dickinson, 38, of Marmaduke appeared for a pre-trial hearing on Aug. 2 at the Clay County Courthouse in Piggott. He is charged with capital murder and attempted capital murder. Dickinson appeared before the court with attorneys Bill Stanley and Dustin McDaniel. He is charged with the murder of Rector resident Jewel Cavaness and shooting Brad Hester...

Delwin S. Mouser Jr, 57, of 515 West Third Street in Rector, appeared in the Clay County Circuit Court on Aug. 2 for a pre-trial hearings. The case against Mouser, who is charged with two Class C felonies involving child pornography, was continued until Oct. 25. He will appear before the court in Clay County on that date...

Students in the Marmaduke School District will start off the 2004-2005 school year at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19. Teachers started preparing their rooms last week. Marmaduke High School students will meet in the auditorium for orientation at 8 a.m. on Monday. Marmaduke Elementary School students will report to their homeroom classrooms...

As the days of summer wane, children are going through aisles of pencils and notebooks with their parents preparing for the start of school next week. Students in the Rector Public Schools will return to class on Thursday, Aug. 19. Rector Elementary School teachers will report for the Open House on Tuesday, Aug. 17, and on Wednesday, Aug. 18...

J.W. Bookout, 80, of Rector died Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2004, at his home. Born in Rector, he was a funeral director and was retired as the manager of Irby Funeral Home. He later worked part-time for Mitchell Funeral Home. He was a member and former trustee of the Rector First United Methodist Church. In his early years, he was a volunteer fireman. He was the Grand Marshal for the Rector Labor Day Picnic Parade in 1994 and received a Community Service Award...

Numbers often have been a problem for the Rector High School football team, but perhaps seldom more than this year. Head coach Wade Williams said there has been real concern as to whether the Cougars will field a senior high team this season. At this point in the pre-season, he has only 14, possibly 15, players lined up for the team. In addition to some normal attrition, there have been several key players with academic problems...

New Rector girls basketball coach Matt Rabjohn and his team have had a busy summer. Rabjohn took the Lady Cougars to three camps -- Valley View, Southeast Missouri State at Cape Girardeau and Williams Baptist at Walnut Ridge. His team went 3-3 at the Valley View camp and played fairly well despite some shooting problems. "That is going to be one of our concerns this year," the first-year coach said...

The annual Lions Club Golf Tournament, held last Wednesday at Sugar Creek County Club in Piggott, once again proved to be successful, with about $4,000 raised for charity. The tournament is sponsored jointly by the Piggott Lions Club and the Rector Lions Club. Proceeds go primarily to sight conservation projects of the two clubs...