Stories from Wednesday, April 12, 2006

One of the questions members of the Piggott City Council and workers in the utilities department hear the most is "What is the GPPC?". Another oft heard question is "Why does it seem so much higher than it has been in the past?". Mayor Gerald Morris said the GPPC has several names, but they all mean the same thing...

Del McKie of Kennett grew up a huge fan of professional wrestling. As a child you could usually find him seated in front of the television watching his favorite wrestling stars battle. Today McKie can be found behind the scenes of Lethal Attitude Wrestling (LAW) where he is the senior road agent. He is responsible for all the magic that makes a LAW event spectacular...

The Piggott Mohawks baseball team suffered three conference losses recently, beginning on Tuesday, April 4, when the team hosted the Walnut Ridge Bobcats. The Bobcats outscored the Mohawks 14-5. Craig Dollins pitched three innings for the Mohawks. Dollins allowed three hits and four runs. ...

Entries are now being accepted for the annual Sugar Creek Country Club Two-Man Scramble, which will be held on Saturday, May 13, and Sunday, May 14. The entry fee is $120 per team. Piggott State Bank will sponsor a $10,000 hole-in-one prize. Local businesses and merchants will be sponsoring numerous hole prizes...

Despite the wet ending to the week, the Lady Mohawks softball team was able to boost its overall record to 6-4, with a couple of victories. On Monday, April 3, the Lady Mohawks traveled to Hoxie to face off against the Lady Mustangs. The Lady Mohawks were outscored 5-1...

James B. Stout, 85, formerly of Paragould, died April 4, 2006, in Montrose, Mich. Born Aug. 28, 1920, in the Friendship Township, he retired from Buick in Flint, Mich., and was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He was preceded in death by his wife, Audrey Stout; his parents, Frank and Mattie Stout; three children, and several brothers and sisters...

Tennie Johnson, 96, of Jonesboro died on Thursday, April 6, 2006, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Jan. 13, 1910, in Piggott, the daughter of the late Victor and Nora Toombs Wright. She was united in marriage to Fonzie Johnson. He preceded her in death on Dec. 16, 1974...

Edward Leon Poe, 76, formerly of Piggott died on Friday, April 7, 2006, at the Life Care Center of La Center, Ky. He was born Sept. 22, 1929, the son of the late Manny and Maudie (Youngblood) Poe. He was married to Geneva Pillow on March 29, 1951. He was a loving husband and father, a member of Hitt's Chapel General Baptist Church and worked as a carpenter building church pews...

Hazel Lorene Randolph, 75, of Piggott, died Saturday, April 8, 2006, in St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Sept. 12, 1930, in Piggott, the daughter of the late Jack and Marie Wiley Warren. She was united in marriage to Landon Randolph on July 1, 1952. He preceded her in death on May 23, 1973...

Alma Laverne "Aunt Tootsie" Elkins, 73, of Piggott died on Wednesday, April 5, 2006, in the Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. She was born Oct. 30, 1932, in Campbell, the daughter of the late Oscar Holman and Violet Lee Berry. She was united in marriage to Norman Elkins on Dec. 6, 1948...

The Piggott School Board accepted was addressed by members of the district's Personnel Policy Committee during its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday evening at the Piggott High School Library. Board members Robert Jackson, John Rodery and Neil Morgan, superintendent Bruce Evans and district academic advisor Joan Gossett were present. Board members Cliff Winberry and Shawn Parker were absent...

A long-time resident of Piggott, Josephine Brissenden King, died at the age of 103 on Friday, March 31, 2006, at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. Born on July 14, 1902, the daughter of the late Charles and Hannah (Blessing) Brissenden, Mrs. King moved to Piggott in 1905 when she was three-years-old. Her family lived in a two-story, white house, which was located where Regions Bank now stands...

Hazel Lorene Randolph, 75, of Piggott, died Saturday, April 8, 2006, in St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Sept. 12, 1930, in Piggott, the daughter of the late Jack and Marie Wiley Warren. She was united in marriage to Landon Randolph on July 1, 1952. He preceded her in death on May 23, 1973...

James B. Stout, 85, formerly of Paragould, died April 4, 2006, in Montrose, Mich. Born Aug. 28, 1920, in the Friendship Township, he retired from Buick in Flint, Mich., and was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He was preceded in death by his wife, Audrey Stout; his parents, Frank and Mattie Stout; three children, and several brothers and sisters...

The Cougars had a rough outing at Walnut Ridge on Tuesday, falling 14-4. "We hit the ball well," Rector coach Nate Henderson said. "We just left too many runners stranded." The Cougars were indeed proficient with the bat, despite the one-sided score. Rector had a total of eight hits in the game while Walnut Ridge had nine...

The Marmaduke Greyhounds baseball team returned to action last Thursday in Piggott. The game allowed the players and coaches to take a brief step away from the damage and turmoil currently in their lives following the tornado which tore through the town on April 2...

The Lady Cougars improved to 11-1 overall and 5-0 in conference play with a 5-3 victory over the Piggott Lady Mohawks in Rector on Tuesday. Tara Shepard got the win for the home team, going all seven innings while allowing two earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts...

Francell Madgelene Midkiff, 66, of Rector died Monday, April 3, 2006, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. Born Oct. 22, 1939, in Clay County to the late Orlie Kenneth Shaw and Ruby Em Chapman Shaw, she was a caregiver and a member of Marmaduke General Baptist Church...

Donald Ollie Johnson, 82, of Rector died Saturday, April 8, 2006. Born May 8, 1923, in Rector to the late John Franklin Johnson and Margie Alice (Seegraves) Johnson, he was a truck driver-fleet carrier, a World War II Army veteran, a member of the Blooming Grove Missionary Baptist Church and a lifelong resident of this community...

Funeral services for 90-year-old Wilma Alice McDaniel of Rector will be at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 12) at Mitchell Funeral Home Chapel in Rector with Bro. Sam Book officiating. Burial will follow at Woodland Heights Cemetery in Rector. Mrs. McDaniel died Monday, April 10, at Evergreen Healthcare in Rector. She was born Jan. 30, 1916, in Bee Branch, Ark. She was a homemaker...

The First Baptist Church in Rector has, like so many, offered its assistance to neighbors in Marmaduke during that community's time of need following a tornado Sunday, April 2, which wrecked much of the small community. Church members sent food, kitchen supplies, three chests of ice and two coolers of ice water to the damaged area on the night of the tornado...

More than 30 children have been signed up to begin attending the new Rector preschool when it opens later this month, and more are expected. Preschool director Jamie Simmons introduced school board members to the new preschool's handbook and policy guide at the Monday night Rector School Board meeting. The handbook, as well as the extensive enrollment packet, was contained in an informational folder each member received for perusal...

One of the most successful players in the history of Rector high school basketball has been hired to assist with the program beginning next fall. Matt Mills, 23, was hired Monday night by the Rector School Board to help develop the younger players in both the boys and girls programs. He will be working specifically with seventh and eighth graders and also will assist in the elementary program...

Though the damage sustained to their town is beyond words, Marmaduke leaders are banding together to return the city to the tight-knit community it was before it was ravaged by a tornado Sunday, April 2. Mayor Nileane Drope has created an advisory council to assist the town in rebuilding plans. The council will be comprised of about 30 members, including local business owners, industrial committee members, representatives of each of the community's churches and city officials...

Entries are now being accepted for the annual Sugar Creek Country Club Two-Man Scramble, which will be held on Saturday, May 13, and Sunday, May 14. The entry fee is $120 per team. Piggott State Bank will sponsor a $10,000 hole-in-one prize. Local businesses and merchants will be sponsoring numerous hole prizes...