Stories from Wednesday, April 20, 2005

The new Little League field at the Jeremy McDaniel Memorial Sports Complex in Rector saw lots of action this past weekend, as 10 teams participated in a pre-season tournament held at the site. Two teams from Paragould, the Bullets and the Travelers, played the first game on the new field at 6 p.m. Friday...

There will be something new and exciting for Marmaduke's 17th annual Mayfest. Hometown Luau 2005 will top off the day Saturday, May 7, with music and food at the Marmaduke City Park. Catered by Strawberry's Barbecue of Holcomb, Mo., dinner will be served from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Music will be provided by Alan Wooldridge and Band...

A Rector woman was treated at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center and released after an accident at 7:25 a.m. Saturday, April 12, on Highway 49 in Halliday. A Paragould woman and child also were injured in the accident. According to the accident report, Kathy Coleman, 43, of Rector, was northbound on Highway 49 in her 2001 Chevy Tahoe when she saw a southbound 1997 Ford Explorer begin to come across the center line. ...

Wade Williams is the new principal at Rector High School. The School Board held a special meeting Friday afternoon and offered the position to Williams, who has been serving as high school football coach and athletic director. Williams, 43, has been in the Rector district for the past five years. He previously worked at Piggott, Cross County and Delta C-7 in Missouri...

An accident at the intersection of State Highway 90 and County Road 435 at 2:15 p.m. Monday resulted in a semi-truck running off the road, turning on its side and spilling its load of grain. Kim Brown, 38, of 709 Lesser Street in Success, was operating a state Highway Department roadway sweeper and doing shoulder maintenance on Highway 90 at the intersection when the sweeper was struck on its left front by a grain truck traveling eastbound...

Two area men have been charged with multiple counts of felony theft after allegedly stealing cattle and selling them at various livestock auctions. Wesley Poole, 23, of Piggott, and Dustin Causey, 20, of Pollard, were arrested by the Clay County Sheriff's Department after an investigation which began after Julie Mobley of Rector reported 24 head of cattle missing from a pasture west of Rector on March 2, the day of her husband's funeral...

An application for a Homeland Security grant may hold some of the answers for the Security Committee set up last month by the Clay County Quorum Court. The issue was discussed at Monday's monthly meeting at the courthouse in Corning. The grant in question, which totals nearly $130,000, is being considered to provide the funds required for metal detectors and bullet-proof glass. ...

Patsy Ann "Pat" McClung Greenway, 63, of Rector, died Wednesday, April 13, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born May 7, 1941, in Greene County to the late Earl James "E.J." McClung and Sally Marie (Eddington) McClung...

Graveside services for 86-year-old Genevieve Maxine Lovelady of Fenton, Mich., formerly of Rector, will be at 11 a.m. today (Wednesday, April 20) at Woodland Heights Cemetery in Rector with Rev. Larry Martineau officiating. Irby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

Gerald Dwight McDowell, 78, of Marmaduke died Friday, April 15, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. He was born Aug. 8, 1926, to the late Archie and Lucinda (Gibbs) McDowell in Greene County. He was a retired farmer and a member of Ramer's Chapel Methodist Church...

Graveside services for 84-year-old Doilie Vera Wagster of Rector, who died Friday, April 15, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center, were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Woodland Heights Cemetery with Kirk Benson officiating. Mrs. Wagster was born Feb. 16, 1921, to the late John and Elva (Read) Gibbs...

A dominating pitching performance by Jay Beacham proved decisive as the Rector Cougars shocked the Buffalo Island Central Mustangs, 3-2, in a conference baseball game played here Monday afternoon. It was the first conference loss for the Mustangs, who finished second in the state last season in Class AA...

The Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds were finally able to shrug off the shackles of the elements this past week, playing two games after a lengthy delay due to weather conditions. In action this past Friday, Marmaduke played host to the Corning Lady Bobcats. A tough sixth inning hurt the home team, as Corning put up four unearned runs off of four errors, en route to winning, 8-2...

The rainy weather of the past weeks has been a thorn in the batting helmets of the Marmaduke Greyhounds. After a 10-day layoff, the Hounds have been trying to recover their rhythm on the field. On Monday, the Hounds played Buffalo Island Central in a makeup game at Rector. Marmaduke fell 5-3 in the contest, despite a strong showing by Nathan Haynes on the mound. Haynes worked a complete game, allowing three earned runs on two hits while walking four and striking out six...

The Rector Lady Cougars dominated the Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds in doubleheader softball action here Monday, winning 12-0 and 12-1. Tara Shepherd continued her outstanding efforts on the mound, winning both contests. Rector remains undefeated in league play and stands 13-3 overall, now being ranked as one of the top teams in the state in Class AA...

The Sugar Creek Country Club will host its annual two-man scramble May 7 and 8. The field is limited to the first 66 paid teams. Entry fee is $100 per team. Piggott State Bank will once again sponsor $10,000 for a hole-in-one on hole number 11 on Sunday. Several local businesses are sponsoring different hole prizes on Saturday...

The Mohawk Booster Club will be sponsoring an Off-Season Weight-A-Thon to raise money for scholarships for Mohawk athletes, as well as other needs that come up during the school year. "The athletes have been working hard in the off-season weight program and this is a good cause the hard work can benefit," coach Ken Shumate said. Those participating will be in the eighth through the e11th grades...

The Piggott High School track team participated in the Greene County Tech Eagle Relays on Tuesday, April 12. There were approximately 12-14 other teams participating in the event from the Northeast Arkansas area. The top six in each event were the only ones placing...

Despite the rain, the Lady Mohawks were able to squeeze in one game on Tuesday, April 12, when the team traveled to Marked Tree to take on the Lady Indians. The Lady Mohawks outscored the Lady Indians with a final of 7-1. "Chelsey Grimes played awesome today," coach Tiffeny Sands said of her pitcher. ...

Raymond Andrew Wright, 88, of Piggott, died Tuesday, April 12, 2005, in the Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. He was born Nov. 27, 1916, near St. Louis, the only son of the late James Monroe and Lottie Cantrell Wright. He was married to Sylvia Virginia Hughes on Jan. 27, 1937. They had seven children...

Helen Crain, 81, of Piggott, died Tuesday, April 12, 2005, at the Green Acres Nursing Home in Paragould. She was born Aug. 28, 1923, in Crockett, the daughter of the late Austin and Ruby Hardin Dalton. She was married to Andrew Crain on May 21, 1945. They had six children...

Bobby Ellis, 69, of Piggott, died Wednesday, April 13, 2005, in Jonesboro Health Care in Jonesboro, Ill. He was born on Sept. 14, 1935, to the late Julaish H. and Hattie Knuckles Ellis. He was preceded in death by an infant sister; and two brothers, J.R. Ellis and Randall Ellis...

Frederick "Fred" W. Allen, 67, died on Monday, March 28, 2005, at his home in St. Peters, Mo. He was born Jan. 7, 1938, in Pollard, the son of Rosa Leoma (Conley) Allen and the late Denver R. Allen. He was married to Margaret "Margie" Wiggi in 1956 and to this union four children were born...

Norman Harriss Grider, 68, a native of St. Louis, and a long-time resident of Mobile, Ala., died at his home in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2005. After graduating Sidney Lanier High School and Oklahoma University, he served in the U. S. Army...

Ray Edward Underwood Sr., 79, of Cahokia, Ill., died on Tuesday, March 29, 2005, in Cahokia. He was born March 9, 1926, in Ullin, Ill., the son of the late Earnest and Vera Underwood. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one child...

Carmen Harris (Shaver) Templeton died on Saturday, April 9, 2005, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Walnut Ridge. She was born Oct. 9, 1922, in Ingram Township of Arkansas, the daughter of Carter and Myrtle (Harris) Shaver. She was married on Oct. 25, 1941, to Cecil Keel Templeton. They had five children, Carmen Beatrice, Walter Cecil, Guy Calvin, Cecilia Sue and Mary Carol...

Joel Gilbert Muse, 71, of Clarksville, Tenn., died Friday, April 8, 2005, at Gateway Medical Center. He was born on Dec. 2, 1933, in Clarkton, Mo., the son of the late Edward Gilbert Muse and Emma Morrisett Muse. Mr. Muse was a retired major in the U.S. Air Force, a veteran of the Vietnam War and a Baptist...

Despite their best efforts, the Pretty in Pink intramural team of Piggott High School was outscored by the faculty team in the championship game held Wednesday, April 13, at the school gymnasium. For the past couple of months, intramural games were held at the school in an effort to raise money for the Relay for Life. ...

"I was very honored. I did not expect this - I hope I can be worthy of it," Judy Parker said in response to being selected as the 2005 Relay for Life Honorary Survivor Chairperson. "At first I said there are so many others that I feel are more worthy of this. Cancer has affected so many in this area, but I really am honored."...

The possibility of extending an alderman's term to four years from the current two was explored by the Piggott City Council during its regular meeting on Monday night. Currently, there is a chance, that during a regular election all of the aldermen and the mayor could be removed from their respective offices simultaneously. ...

An application for a Homeland Security grant may hold some of the answers for the Security Committee set up last month by the Clay County Quorum Court. The issue was discussed at Monday's monthly meeting at the courthouse in Corning. The grant in question, which totals nearly $130,000, is being considered to provide the funds required for metal detectors and bullet-proof glass. ...

Members of the Piggott City Council, School Board, Planning and Zoning Board and Board of Adjustments met at 6:45 Monday evening at city hall to discuss the proposed local school construction project. Piggott School Board president David Moody asked what the status was for abandoning the alley, which was requested by the School Board earlier in the year. ...

Fifth and sixth grade students at Piggott Elementary recently had an opportunity to demonstrate their writing skills and gain a valuable personal and academic experience. The kids took part in a creative writing contest sponsored by Modern Woodmen of America, a national provider of fraternal financial services and programs...

Spring is in the air! In most towns across the country, it is evident by the avalanche of color on trees and flowers. The same is true in Piggott, but we also have the rainbow of colors on street rods as they descend on Piggott for the annual SuperCruise. The seventh annual Heritage Park SuperCruise and Rod Run is only four weeks away...

Two area men have been charged with multiple counts of felony theft after allegedly stealing cattle and selling them at various livestock auctions. Wesley Poole, 23, of Piggott, and Dustin Causey, 20, of Pollard, were arrested by the Clay County Sheriff's Department after an investigation which began after Julie Mobley of Rector reported 24 head of cattle missing from a pasture west of Rector on March 2, the day of her husband's funeral...