Stories from Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Following a win over Bay last week, the Lady Cougars found themselves facing host Marked Tree in the semifinals of the 2A-3 district tournament on Monday. Despite facing a powerful home team, the Lady Cougars fought valiantly, ultimately falling 6-4...

The effects of a hard freeze are causing problems for growers in Clay County, as unseasonably low temperatures earlier this month have damaged corn and wheat crops. Although the effects are still being determined, it appears early corn was hit the hardest...

by Ryan Rogers, Democrat News Staff The search is underway for the next Marmaduke School District superintendent. Current superintendent Debbie Smith recently announced her decision to resign effective June 30. In response, the Marmaduke school board held a special meeting Thursday, April 19, to review 10 of 15 applications for the position...

Karson Weitkamp is an adorable five-month-old boy with chubby cheeks and sparkling eyes which dance when he smiles. Looking at his sweet face, there is no hint of the serious condition which has threatened his life since his birth. But the deep scar on his chest tells part of the story...

The Woman's Club of Rector held an afternoon reception at the Rector Community Center Sunday to pay tribute to its Honored Lady of 2007, Mrs. Barbara Hamilton. Club president, Virginia Reid, gave the opening address to a packed room which included many close friends of Mrs. Hamilton from Rector and from out of town...

Juanita Horner, 89, of Mabelvale, formerly of Rector, died Friday, April 6, 2007. Born Sept. 10, 1917, in Arbyrd, Mo., to the late Joe Oldrham and Dora Hyde Oldrham, she was a homemaker and a member of Cappadocia General Baptist Church. She was married Oct. 7, 1933, to Marvin Horner, who preceded her in death in January 1994...

Longtime Rector Fire Department chief Henry Ford Kennedy died Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at his home at age 85. Born Oct. 16, 1921, in Macon, Ga., to the late Enoch Boyd and Vesta Ann Boyd (Jackson), he also was retired as a journeyman electrician with Entergy Corp. He was married March 3, 1943, to Arena Charlene Kennedy, who preceded him in death...

Mary Oneda Whitaker Vangilder, 92, of Rector died Tuesday, April 17, 2007, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. A life-long resident of this community, she was born Aug. 25, 1914, in Clay County to the late Norman and Calva (Randleman) Whitaker. She was married Jan. 18, 1937, to Loyd Myrl Vangilder, who preceded her in death Sept. 11, 1986...

Eloise Parks, 91, of Atoka, Tenn., died Tuesday, April 24, 2007, at Millington Health Care. She retired from National Bank of Commerce as a bookkeeper and was a member of Pleasant Union Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Order of the Eastern Star (OES)...

The Cougars looked to have things well in-hand going into the top of the seventh inning during Friday's district tournament meeting with the Cross County Thunderbirds, leading 3-2 with only three outs separating them from a win and a ticket to the regional tourney...

What had turned out to be a long season for the Piggott Mohawks baseball squad came to an end Friday afternoon, as the Tribe fell to Manila 4-0 in district tournament play at Hoxie. For the team, and coaches Brock Swann and Shawn Hearn, it was an emotional end to an era as Swann has been picked as the new assistant principal at PHS and leaves the team after 18 seasons...

Last Thursday the Piggott Lady Mohawks hosted the Westside Lady Warriors and former Piggott coach Tiffany Sands in a tune-up game at Independence Park. With a number three seeding secured at the district tournament, there was little on the line in the non-conference game and the Tribe dropped a lackluster 9-3 decision...

Saturday afternoon Lady Mohawk multi-sport star Erica Rickman ended her high school sports career at PHS as the Tribe fell to Brookland at the district softball tournament. Sunday afternoon "Rick" led the white team in scoring at the Jonesboro Sun Senior Classic basketball game at Jonesboro High School...

Bessie Hodge, 89, of Morley, Mo. formerly of Pollard, died Thursday, April 19, 2007 in Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. She was born Dec. 5, 1917 in Pollard, the daughter of the late Luther Edgar and Tinna Elizebeth Pollard Evans. She was united in marriage to Jessie Leeman Hodge on July 3, 1933. To this union four children were born...

At a special meeting of the Piggott school board last Thursday night, the body continued to show their preference for "homegrown" talent in filling key administrative positions. Recently PHS grad Ed Winberry was chosen as the district's new superintendent, last week two more former Piggott students were tabbed for top positions...

As the Relay for Life event on May 5 approaches, i's are being dotted and t's are being crossed as the teams and organizers prepare for the day's festivities. In addition to the continued fundraising efforts by teams, a Survivor's Dinner was held on April 23...

Tom Sneed is Piggott born and bred. He is also a cancer survivor. This year, he is one of the Honorary Co-Chairs for the Ninth Annual Relay for Life festivities to be held on May 5. Sneed is a PHS graduate of 1953. He graduated from Arkansas State University in 1962, and then promptly received a commission in the U.S. Army. He spent the next 20 years serving the U.S. in various locations around the world, including three years in Germany, three in Hawaii and two one-year tours in Viet Nam...

The Piggott RC (Radio Control) Club joined forces with the Brookland RC Club this past weekend in hosting a fly-in, with participants from five states joining in the fun. The event was held at the Piggott RC Park, which is located on the southeast edge of the city...

I'm a big computer nut. I've had one since around 1982 when I first got a Commodore 64. I was never able to afford the newer 128 (really, what I mean is that I could never talk Mom and Dad into getting one for me). I had the C64 when I was a senior in high school and actually did some of my first writing on that machine. Granted, I probably logged more hours playing games on the machine than writing, but the games of the time were very limited...

1967 This week in '67 brought with it news that the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner was set for April 27, and would be held at the high school cafeteria. The Men's Monday Night Bowling League standings were: Lamp's TV, Irby Ford Sales, and Piggott Banner, followed by A&W Root Beer. High games for this week were; Clyde Lamp with a 221, Guy Derby with a 193, while Junior Harris and Max Crow both rolled 191...

Mary Oneda Whitaker Vangilder, 92, of Rector died Tuesday, April 17, 2007, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. A life-long resident of this community, she was born Aug. 25, 1914, in Clay County to the late Norman and Calva (Randleman) Whitaker. She was married Jan. 18, 1937, to Loyd Myrl Vangilder, who preceded her in death Sept. 11, 1986...

Elmer Henry Brawner, 86, of Springdale, died March 30, 2007, in Springdale. He was born Aug. 28, 1920, in Pollard to John Henry and Florence Crocker Brawner. He was retired from General Motors where he was a production worker for more than thirty years. He also drove a school bus for the Springdale School System for fourteen years. He was a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, served in the Navy and enjoyed all sports and walking...

George R. Myers, 93, of Palm Harbor, Fla. died Saturday, April 14, at Bon Secours-Maria Manor, St. Petersburg, Fla. Myers was born in Covington, Tenn., and moved to the Palm Harbor area in Sept. 2000, from Corning Ark. He was a Methodist, a past mason, and worked as a grocer...

Maye Ann Thrasher Hatch, 70, of Hot Springs, died Wednesday April 18, 2007. Born Feb. 10, 1937, in Piggott, she was a Methodist. She was predeceased by her parents. John Greene and Lora Roslyn Jackson Thrasher; her husband Harley Ray Hatch; one grandson, Kale Michael McCormack; two sisters John Nell Cullum and Lora Wagster; and one brother William Bruce Thrasher...

The Piggott Fire department responded to a fire on Wednesday, April 18, and for the second time in two weeks the structure was destroyed. Firefighters responded to the call at around 4 p.m. to find the home located at 641 E. Poplar fully ablaze. Officials from the fire department reported that the origin of the fire is undetermined, but that it might have started in the kitchen to the back porch area...