Stories from Wednesday, December 13, 2006

The Cougars had a rough time in the semifinals of the Pre-Holiday Tournament in Rector on Thursday, as the hosts were downed by the Brookland Bearcats, 65-50. The home team trailed throughout: 15-8; 33-21 and 50-35. Rector had a hard time containing Brookland's Corey Cope, as he went off for a game-high 27 points, including the Bearcats' first 10 points of the fourth quarter...

Democrat News Staff A blaze in the early morning hours Sunday, Dec. 10, destroyed a house at 716 Park Street in Rector and all its contents. Residents Shawn and Amy Southard and their five children were not home. A local relative confirmed they were spending the night with a family member in Paragould...

Democrat News Staff Synergy Gas in Rector has been acquired by MFA Oil Company, headquartered at Columbia, Mo., and the office here possibly will close soon. Longtime employees here now are searching for other work. The Rector operation is one of 12 propane facilities formerly owned by Titan Propane LLC acquired by MFA on Monday, Dec. 4. MFA said it will merge most of the business into its current network of operations in Missouri and Arkansas and will establish one new plant at Grove, Okla...

The Rector First United Methodist Church recently welcomed to the area new pastor Rev. Roger Armstrong and his wife Linda. The Armstrongs arrived in town Nov. 15 after former pastor Larry Martineau and his wife, Linda, moved to DeWitt. "I had heard about Rector from other pastors," Rev. Armstrong said. "We had heard nothing but good things about Rector. We had known Larry and Linda Martineau for a long time. We had served together. We were stationed at Hot Springs together."...

Thomas Roy Bozarth, 59, of Littleton, Colo., a 1965 graduate of Rector High School, died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006. Born Nov. 26, 1947, he was a Vietnam veteran. He was proceded in death by his father, Gene Bozarth. Survivors include his life partner, Bill Montoya of Littleton; his mother, Aleen Bozarth of Lakewood, Colo., and three sisters, Jean Vance of Denver, Betty Jones of Beebe and Carolyn Gulzow of Lakewood...

June Ella Gibson, 63, of Paragould died Saturday, Dec. 9, 2006, at NEA Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born Oct. 3, 1943, in Highland Park, Mich., she was a part-time worker in the Kroger deli and was of the Methodist faith. Preceding her in death were her parents, Hobert and Etta Dortch; one son, James Clay Gibson III, and two brothers, her twin, Jerry Lee Dortch, and Billy Dortch...

Sandra Kay Moon, 59, of Somerset, Pa., sister of Wanda Hamm of Rector, died Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006, at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh. Born April 28, 1947, in Light, Ark., she was the daughter of the late Ivan Addison and Wanda Lee (Kemp) Lenderman...

The Junior Cougars battled their way into the finals of the Pre-Holiday Tournament at Rector on Saturday night, posting victories over Trumann and Harrisburg on their way to earning the right to meet the Westside Junior Warriors in the championship game...

The Lady Cougars were in Paragould last week, taking part in the McDonald's Shootout. The event offered Rector the opportunity to square off against top-tier talent. In three days of play, the Lady Cougars matched up against Guy-Perkins, Poplar Bluff and Jonesboro...

Prior to the regular season Piggott coach Paul Seegraves said he liked his team's chances of finishing second in the tough 3A-3 conference behind Hughes. Friday night the Blue Devils lived up to their previous billing and handed the Mohawks their worst loss of the year, and their first loss in conference, by a final of 66-31...

The Piggott Lady Mohawks went on to the road to Harrisburg last Thursday night, with the junior and senior girls in action, and swept both games. In the senior high contest the Lady Mohawks came out of the gate fast and led 16-7 at the end of the first quarter. Harrisburg battled back in the second and pulled to within three, as the score stood 19-16 at the halftime break...

The Piggott Mohawks returned to the friendly confines of the PHS gym last Tuesday evening as they hosted the Hoxie Mustangs in 3A-3 conference action. On the night the Tribe dropped their seventh grade and junior high contests, but the senior boys notched their seventh win of the season in the nightcap...

Roger Steven Lewis, 51, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Nimmons, died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Dec. 10, 1954, in Highland Park, Mich., the son of William and Nelda "Russell" Lewis. He is survived by his parents; two sisters, Teresa Book and Gail Wolfram; and a host of other relatives and friends...

A Piggott teen was hospitalized following a single-vehicle accident Saturday afternoon east of Pollard. The Arkansas State Police report that Colby Pike, 16, was injured when the car she was driving ran off U.S. highway 62, struck an embankment, and overturned in a field. She was transported from the scene to Piggott Community Hospital, and was later transferred to the Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett...

My how time flies. Gay Johnson has served as librarian and Library Director at the Piggott Public Library for 25 years. And she did her best not to tell anyone. "She didn't say a word," said Sherry Baber, Assistant Director. "Her anniversary date was in October, and it wasn't until two weeks later that I heard her telling someone she'd been here for 25 years."...

Fingers were poked, arms were prodded, blood was drawn, shots were given, memory was tested, and a successful time was had by all at the Piggott Community Health Fair on Dec. 5 at the Piggott Community center. "The goal is to try to get information out about stroke prevention and awareness," said Robyn Stallings, RN with Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Jonesboro. Stallings, along with Melanie Wilcoxson, also with Healthsouth, worked together to make the Health Fair happen...

Several Piggott High School students recently received honors, according to an announcement made by Superintendent Bruce Evans at Monday's meeting of the Piggott School District Board of Education. Evans explained that twelve members of the junior high band had been selected to the all-region honors band. Evans also informed the board of the selection of football player T.J. Harris to the all-state team...

Miztaks are humen. I doughnot like to make them. No one does. I'v lernt over time that many people eggspect, publishers, including newspapers to be purfect. The truth of the madder is that the newspaper is porduced by human beans. As humen beans, we will make misteaks just like ne one else...

Forrest C. Jones, 87, the son of the late James C. and Sarah "Perkins" Jones of Durand, MI., formerly of Piggott, died Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006, at Argentine Care Center in Michigan. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and was awarded a Purple Heart serving in World War II. ...

Clyde Edward Cronover "Swede" was born July 19, 1926 in South Haven, Mich. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on Nov. 24, 2006 in Greenway. Clyde retired from Pontiac Motors in 1974 and loved playing drums with several groups, specializing in big band music. He will be remembered most for his love of music, his big heart, his great sense of humor, his faith, and his true love of life. He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him...

Mrs. Mary Oliver, 84, died on Nov. 17, 2006, of natural causes at the Ewing Wing of John C. Fremont Hospital in Mariposa, Calif. She had lived in Catheys Valley for the past thirty-five years. Mrs. Oliver was born Nov. 14, 1922 in Pollard, Mary Josephine Johnson. ...

Diana Kay Qualls, 44, of Owensboro, Ky., died Dec. 3, 2006, at West Park Nursing Home in Evansville, Ind. She was born June 16, 1962, in Daviess County, Ky. She was a bus driver for Owensboro School System and was a member of St. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church...

Doyne Hardin, 82, of Pollard, died Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006, in the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. He was born Dec. 21, 1923, in Crockett, the son of the late Robert Henry and Minnie Florence Carpenter Hardin. He was united in marriage to Roberta Ayres on June 26, 1949...

The city of Piggott once again had a Christmas parade to usher Santa into town. The annual Christmas Fest picked up immediately following the parade. Despite the cold temperatures--the gauge at Piggott State Bank read 40 degrees at 11:30, and that did not include the biting wind--hundreds crowded the streets for the day's festivities...