Stories from Thursday, January 6, 2005

The courtroom of the Clay County Courthouse in Piggott was filled with elected officials Saturday morning as they were sworn in to their respective offices in a ceremony at 10 a.m. District Judge Rick Rodery conducted the swearing in ceremony for County Clerk Sharon Williams. Williams then conducted the ceremony for Rodery. She also conducted the swearing in ceremonies for other county and city officials...

Despite having four players in double digits, the Piggott Lady Mohawks were outscored by the host Bay Lady Yellowjackets on Monday, Jan. 3, with a final of 80-66. The Lady Mohawks held the Lady Yellowjackets to a slim four-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 21-17, but the Lady Yellowjackets put the pressure on throughout the rest of the game...

"This game showed what hard work is all about," coach Jeff Priest said of the Junior Lady Mohawks' win against the Junior Lady Yellowjackets of Bay on Monday, Jan. 3, with a final score of 48-45. In a game played at Bay, the Junior Mohawks were down by 13 points to the Junior Yellowjackets, but came back to win the game by three points...

It was a difficult night on the court for the Lady Mohawks as they squared off against the Cavewomen of Cave City in the championship game of the 2004 A-AA NEA Tournament at the Convocation Center at Jonesboro on Thursday, Dec. 30. Sixth-seeded Piggott was defeated by top-seeded Cave City, 52-38. The Cavewomen led the entire way -- 23-8, 29-15 and 44-23. Piggott earned second place in what is easily one of the largest tournaments in the area...

Phyllis Quarah Book, 74, of Piggott died Thursday, Dec. 28, 2004, at the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was a member of the General Baptist Church and worked for many years as a sales associate for K-Mart. She was preceded in death by one son, James Byron Book; and her parents, George Monroe Kelley and Lola Pearl Miller...

Raymond Lee Featherston, 82, of Piggott died Friday, Dec. 31, 2004, in the St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born June 20, 1922, in Senath, the son of the late Vernal Doug and Nora Williams Featherston. He was united in marriage to Evalean Gilbert on Sept. 23, 1944. They had three children...

Looking back at the year 2004 continues with months July through December. July -- The 77th annual Fourth of July picnic is held with Jim Richardson serving as grand marshal. N.O. Gray of Corinth, Miss., wins the truck given away by the Piggott Cemetery Association...

An unthinkable tragedy claimed approximately over 150,000 lives as a massive 9.0 earthquake rocked the Indian Ocean off of Sumatra and spawned a massive tsunami that devastated several countries including Indonesia, India, Thailand and Sri Lanka on Dec. 26, 2004. One local resident offered a bit of insight into the tragedy as a result of having lived in Sumatra, which is part of Indonesia, for 20 years...

The Lady Cougars easily defeated the visiting Lady Bobcats from Walnut Ridge on Monday, night, winning 52-19. Rector was in command of the game the entire way, leading 15-4, 31-10 and 46-14 through the first three quarters. Walnut Ridge was helpless against the Lady Cougar defense, scoring no more than six points in any quarter. Rector disintegrated the Lady Bobcat offense with relentless full-court pressure...

The second-seeded East Poinsett County Warriors scored 12 unanswered points to start the fourth quarter against the third-seeded Greyhounds of Marmaduke in the quarterfinals of the A-AA boys NEA Tournament at the Convocation Center at Jonesboro on Wednesday, Dec. 29...

Alice Faught Skillingstad, 79, of Chiloquin, Ore., died Nov. 27, 2004. She was born Sept. 26, 1925, in Carryville to the late Charles H. Faught and Cora Douglas Faught. She also was preceded in death by one son, Wesley Wayne Skillingstad Sr.; two grandsons, Wesley Wayne Skillingstad Jr. and Melvin Lee Skillingstad, and one sister, Violet Victory...

Mike Okawa, 78, of Rector Healthcare died Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born March 12, 1926, in El Centro, Calif., to the late Sakuzo Okawa and Tomi Iba Okawa. He was a construction worker and an Army veteran...

Charlene Talley Long, 65, of Paragould died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004, at Regional Medical Center of NEA in Jonesboro. She was born June 8, 1939, in Opal, Ark., to the late Charlie and Emma Talley. She was a former cashier at Western Sizzlin Steak House and a member of the Assembly of God Church...

Mary C. Jordan, 96, of Marmaduke died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2005, at the Paragould Nursing Home. She was born Oct. 8, 1908, in St. Francis to the late Dee Polsgrove and Fannie (McGee) Polsgrove. She was a homemaker and a member of Marmaduke First United Methodist Church...

Lucy Gertrude Essman, 90, of Rector died Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She had been a resident of Rector Healthcare the last four years. She was born Jan. 9, 1914, in Marmaduke to the late Henry Henderson Huckabay and Mary Emma Boone Huckabay and was married March 24, 1934, to Jasper William Essman, who preceded her in death June 6, 1995, after 61 years of marriage...

Phyllis Quarah Book, 74, of Piggott died Thursday, Dec. 28, 2004, at the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was a member of the General Baptist Church and worked for many years as a sales associate for K-Mart. She was preceded in death by one son, James Byron Book; and her parents, George Monroe Kelley and Lola Pearl Miller...

March Rector Head Start celebrates the 100th birthday of Dr. Suess...Rector Elementary School students Sydney Simmons, Kristie Hardin and Cole Thomas have stories made into plays by the Regional Story Store in Walnut Ridge...Harmony and Haven Cagle of Rector win numerous honors at the Star Systems Talent Competition and Nexstar Talent Competition at Memphis...Sarah Robinson recieves multiple awards at the Star Systems Talent Competition at Memphis...Rector Firemen's Wives Auxiliary Club hosts second annual Fireman's Ball fundraiser...Clay County Eastern district farmers and local businesses honor Clay County Extension agent Andy Vangilder with a fish fry and four wheeler...Rector First Baptist Church opens its Family Life Center building...Rector High School Drama Troupe 4089 wins several group and individual awards at the Arkansas State Thespians Festival...Rector Woman's Club names Barbara Vangilder as its Honored Lady of the Year...1968 Rector High School graduate Jackie (Fish) Wicecarver is promoted to program director of the information technology management division at the Department of Defense Inspector General's office in Washington, D.C.. ...

Dep. Pros. Atty. Carla Powell said a motion to dismiss charges against Delwin Mouser of Rector in Clay County Circuit Court on Monday in Piggott was denied by Judge David Goodson as being inappropriate. Atty. C.W. Knauts of Piggott made the surprise request, Powell said, on the behalf of his client, who has been charged with pandering or possessing print medium depicting sexually-explicit conduct involving a child and distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually-explicit conduct involving a child. ...

Three sealed bids for the purchase of a new fire truck were opened by the Rector City Council during its first meeting of the year Monday evening at city hall. Present for the meeting were mayor Ron Kemp, aldermen Glenn Leach, Mac Manchester and David Freeman, recorder-treasurer Kenneth Burns and city attorney Carla Powell. Alderman Cam Cate was absent...

The Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds played host to the Paragould Lady Rams on Monday, Jan. 3. Marmaduke fell to their larger opponent, 55-38. Paragould led after each quarter -- 11-6, 25-18 and 40-24. Paragould took advantage of a 15-6 scoring differential in the third quarter to help pick up the victory...