Stories from Wednesday, July 5, 2006

The Lady Cougar basketball team is having a busy summer. In preparation for this season's new-look 3AA conference, the squad has been hard at work readying themselves during the summer break. The team took part in mini-camps at Marmaduke on Thursday nights during the month of June. This allowed coach Matt Rabjohn and his team the opportunity to continue rivalries with local opponents Marmaduke and Piggott, both of whom are moving to 3AAA play this year...

A talented group of young ballplayers will be representing Rector at the 10 and under state softball tournament in Sherwood this weekend. As fans of the diamond are already aware, the Arctic Cats are a very strong team. This year, the girls have accomplished an outstanding 37-4 overall record in the Paragould league. At one point this season, the Cats were winners of 29 straight games...

Louise Virginia Politte-Vaught, 80, of Zalma, Mo., formerly of the Rector area, died Saturday, July 1, 2006, at Lucy Lee Hospital in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Daughter of the late Adolph Vollu DeWess and Rebecca Virginia (Skyrme) DeWess, she was born Jan. 5, 1926, in Newport. She was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith...

Geneva (Box) McCarty, 75, of Rector died Thursday, June 29, 2006, in Paragould. She was born Sept. 8, 1930, in Walnut Ridge to the late Joe and Lula Brooks Box. She enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her great-grandchildren, and she truly enjoyed shopping...

Rector members of the United Methodist Youth learned a little something about healing after disaster strikes when their group became only the third youth group to volunteer at the United Methodist Committee On Relief rebuilding site in Slidell, La. Slidell was struck by Katrina, the same hurricane that left New Orleans a sodden ghost town just over one year ago. ...

It was an unusual night last Thursday for the Rector Fire Department with two major blazes, another minor fire incident and a case of someone rifling through the fire station before fleeing upon being discovered. The first outbreak was a fire which essentially destroyed the Family Care Clinic at 715 East Ninth (Highway 49). The department received the call at 10:35 p.m. and arrived to find a fire in full force...

It took five finance committee meetings, one regular Quorum Court meeting and a special meeting of the court, but in the end, Justices of the Peace James Jeffress, David Cagle and Dennis Haynes finally found several viable options to assist Clay County in cutting the expenditures of the County General budget...

The capital murder conviction and life-without-parole sentence of John Patrick Dickinson of Marmaduke was unanimously upheld Thursday by the Arkansas Supreme Court. Dickinson was convicted in May 2005 in Craighead County in the May 12, 2004, shooting death of Jewel Cavaness of Rector. He received an additional 20 years in prison for the attempted first degree murder of Brad Hester of Rector, who also was shot and critically wounded but able to identify Dickinson as the shooter...

Times Sports Staff The Mohawks senior boys basketball team has been active this summer, participating in a number of team camps. The squad took part in the Williams Baptist College camp in Walnut Ridge on June 12-14. While there, Piggott finished with a 3-2-1 record. The Mohawks earned wins over Hillcrest, Highland and East Poinsett County. The team tied Marmaduke and fell to Corning and Cedar Ridge...

Dewey W. "Red" Griffith, 83, of South Bend, Ind., and Kenansville, Fla., died Monday, June 19, 2006, in Memorial Hospital of South Bend. He was born on Jan. 3, 1923, in Shirley, the son of Fred and May (Ragsdale) Griffith. He retired from Murphy Motor Freight as a driver in 1984...

Chlodean Louise Mayo, 77, of Piggott died Saturday, July 1, 2006, at Piggott Community Hospital. She was born Feb. 25, 1929, in Piggott, the daughter of the late Elias and Mary (Long) Eskew. She was united in marriage to Bill Mayo on Aug. 30, 1947. They had two daughters...

Saundra Audean Cooper Brown, 61, of McDougal, died Friday, June 30, 2006, at her home in McDougal. She was born June 21, 1945, in Ann Arbor, Mich., the daughter of Elmer and Goldie Conyers Cooper. She was united in marriage to Jimmy Brown on Nov. 20, 1990...

Beverly L. (Hall) Perkins, 80, of Piggott, formerly of Flint, Mich., died Thursday, June 29, 2006, in Arkansas. She was born January 24, 1926, in Piggott. She had resided in Arkansas the past 22 years, coming from Flint. She was a member of the Church of Christ. Perkins enjoyed needlework, baking, canning and spending time with her family...

It took five finance committee meetings, one regular Quorum Court meeting and a special meeting of the court, but in the end, Justices of the Peace James Jeffress, David Cagle and Dennis Haynes finally found several viable options to assist Clay County in cutting the expenditures of the County General budget...

A good time was had by all who attended the Challenge of the Bulls event on Friday and Saturday at the Clay county Fairgrounds in Piggott. Justin Heskett and the Out Grown Band opened the show with songs including "The Thunder Rolls", "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", "Simple Man" and "Free Bird". Heskett is from nearby Campbell...

The 75th annual Pollard Picnic will be held on Saturday, July 8. Sound will be provided by J.R. Rogers Band. The schedule of events is: -- 9:30 a.m. - National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, comments and time for special speakers. -- 10 a.m. - Baby Pollard Pageant for boys and girls ages birth through 12 months. ...

A large number of area residents received word Wednesday that they will be out of job when fall arrives as Pinnacle Frames and Accents Inc. (formerly known as Magee) closes its production facility in Piggott, which is located at 1355 South Garfield Street...