Stories from Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Mayor Gerald Morris presented news of positive developments related to the L.A. Darling Company and a proposed assisted living facility coming to town to the Piggott City Council during its meeting Monday evening at city hall. Aldermen Tommy Risinger, Carl Birmingham and Mike Patterson, city attorney John Lingle and city clerk Judy Parker were present. Alderman Jim Poole was absent...

Peewee football signups will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 22, and Saturday, July 29, at the Piggott Community Center. For more information, persons may contact Jerry Don Johnson at 598-3046 or 870-565-2477 (cell).

The first annual Mohawk Alumni Baseball Game will be held at the Piggott fields at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 22. The game will pit former players from odd-numbered graduating years against those from even-numbered years. For instance, players whom graduated in 1989 will face players from 2000, and so on. Students currently playing senior high baseball are also welcome to participate...

The Jeremy McDaniel Memorial Sports Complex in Rector was alive with the sounds of America's pasttime this weekend, as the site played host to three state tournaments. Fans of the diamond were in for a treat, as games were being played simultaneously on three of the park's field nearly the entirety of the weekend...

It was a tough afternoon on the diamond at the Jeremy McDaniel Memorial Sports Complex in Rector for the 13-14 Tri-County All-Stars in the state tournament this past Sunday, as the team fell to Trumann 12-1 in the championship game. Neither team managed a run in the first inning, but Trumann exploded in the second, plating five runs...

Delora Grace Bunch, 70, died on Tuesday, July 11, 2006, at her home in Piedmont, Mo. She was born Dec. 20, 1935, in Leachville, the daughter of the late Albert and Modine Fowler Davison. She was united in marriage to J.R. Bunch on Dec. 31, 1955, in Hernando, Miss. They had three children...

Melba Jean Cummins, 74, of St. Peters, Mo., died on Thursday, July 13, 2006, at NHC Healthcare Center of St. Charles, Mo. She was born Thursday, Sept. 3, 1931, in Pollard, the daughter of the late Ernest and Irene Janes. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles D. Cummins; and one brother, Phillip Jones...

Illyana Gracelyn Rose Boyster, the infant daughter of Jason Daemon and Crystal Gail (Bryant) Boyster, died on Thursday, July 6, 2006, at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. She was preceded in death by her maternal great-grandparents, Charles and Margaret Bryant...

The County General budget, which at one point had a negative balance in excess of $211,000, now stands at $30,000 in the red, according to information provided at Monday night's Quorum Court meeting in Piggott. The improvement comes less than a month after the Court gave approval to proposals put into place by county officials in an attempt to cut spending without eliminating county positions...

A big sendoff for area soldiers leaving Saturday, July 22, for Iraq is being organized by family members and friends, who hope Northeast Arkansas residents will respond with banners, flags and ribbons. An effort already has begun along Highway 49 in Paragould, and organizers hope those in other communities will follow suit...

Hot on the heels of news that Pinnacle Frames and Accents is closing their factory, another area firm is moving into one of the buildings Pinnacle vacated. Print City, a sister company of Aerial Bouquets, has moved into the Woodhall Building. The business will offer custom printing for t-shirts, embroidery on caps and apparel and custom work on little stuffed bears...

The Jeremy McDaniel Memorial Sports Complex in Rector was alive with the sounds of America's pasttime this weekend, as the site played host to three state tournaments. Fans of the diamond were in for a treat, as games were being played simultaneously on three of the park's field nearly the entirety of the weekend...

It was a tough afternoon on the diamond at the Jeremy McDaniel Memorial Sports Complex in Rector for the 13-14 Tri-County All-Stars in the state tournament this past Sunday, as the team fell to Trumann 12-1 in the championship game. Neither team managed a run in the first inning, but Trumann exploded in the second, plating five runs...

Clovis Wayne Reddick, 56, of Paragould, died Wednesday, July 12, 2006, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. He was born Oct. 17, 1949, in Marmaduke to Clovis Wilburn Reddick and the late Vernetta Bivens Reddick. He worked in personnel management and was a deacon at Finch Baptist Church...

Eunice Agnes Nolte, 91, of Paragould died Saturday, July 15, 2006, at Paragould Nursing Center. Born Sept. 8, 1914, at Boydsville, she was a homemaker and member of Paragould First Baptist Church. Survivors include one sister-in-law, Jane Holifield of Rector; four nieces, Shirley Morton of Collinsville, Ill., Phyllis Misee' of Conway, Jean Miles of Little Rock and Glenda Long of Beebe; seven nephews, Jerry Hamilton of Oxford, Miss., Kenneth Hamilton, Jack Hamilton and Jim Hamilton, all of Paragould, Larry Holifield of Little Rock, Danny Holifield of Rector and Cecil Holifield of Blytheville.. ...

David Louis Johnson, 31, of Arlington, Tenn., died Wednesday, July 5, 2006, at his home. Born April 9, 1975, in Omaha, Neb., to Gerald A. Johnson and Yoshiko E. Shibata Johnson, both of White Hall, he graduated from White Hall High School in 1993 and from Henderson State University in 1997 with a Bachelor's degree. He earned his Master's degree in 1999. He was a financial analyst for Wright Medical Technology at Arlington and was a member of White Hall United Methodist Church...

Rector's downtown is in good shape and ripe for revitalization, according to Beth Wiedower, field representative for the Arkansas Delta Rural Heritage Development Initiative (RHDI), who visited last week with Rector Area Chamber of Commerce members and other interested merchants...

A big sendoff for area soldiers leaving Saturday, July 22, for Iraq is being organized by family members and friends, who hope Northeast Arkansas residents will respond with banners, flags and ribbons. An effort already has begun along Highway 49 in Paragould, and organizers hope those in other communities will follow suit...

Seven firemen were treated for heat exhaustion, but there were no serious injuries following a huge blaze and explosion late Friday night which destroyed Watson Construction Company offices at 101 East Fourth Street in Rector. Rector firefighters requested help from Piggott, Kennett, Marmaduke, Northeast, Greenway and McDougal fire departments in battling the blaze after a passerby reported smoke coming from the building at 10:51 p.m. ...

The Family Care Clinic of Rector plans to reopen again soon in the community, according to James Magee, administrator of Piggott Community Hospital, which operates the facility. Clinic patients currently are being served at the specialty clinic in Piggott following a recent fire which heavily damaged the facility located on Highway 49 in Rector...

The annual Piggott-Rector Lions Club benefit golf tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 2, at Sugar Creek Country Club in Piggott. The event is a major fund-raiser for both clubs with proceeds going to sight conservation projects and other local charitable efforts...

The Rector Cougars recently competed in a 7-on-7 football event at Des Arc in preparation for the upcoming season. Coach B.J. Applegate was pleased with the effort as his team played five games against area competition. "I thought we played well," the second-year coach said. "We started out slow but we ended up beating Batesville Southside and were just two passes away from beating McCrory."...