Stories from Thursday, August 9, 2007

For the past 77 years, people from, and with ties to, the town of Greenway have gathered on the first Saturday in August for the annual Greenway Picnic. With the ultimate goal of raising the necessary funds for the Mitchell Cemetery, the day-long event combines not only a pleasant homecoming, but also furthers a worthy cause...

1967 Forty years ago this week rain halted activities at the annual Greenway Picnic, forcing organizers to re-schedule the annual Beauty Revue to the following Friday night. At the Piggott School Board meeting it was learned that the old lunch room at Pollard had been closed, as the facility was moved into the newer building. The old structure was slated for demolition...

We've often heard it said that there is nothing certain in life but death and taxes. I've always thought that was kinda morbid. It's a saying that Americans are fond of…and it may be true, but it's a bit morbid. To Christians--and really, to people of many faiths, "death" isn't really death in the sense that it's the end of the line. When we think of death we think of it as the end of the line--the final stop. Yet m...

He first thought he was going to be a chef, now Jonathan Hiles, the new associate pastor of youth and education at First Baptist Church in Piggott, is cooking up plans for the youth in the community. "After graduating from Bowling Green (Mo.) High School in 1996," said Hiles, "I went to study culinary arts at St. Louis Community College Forrest Park. I was there one semester and then got an internship at Adams Mark Hotel, right behind the famous St. Louis arch."...

It takes bread dough an hour and a half to two hours to rise. It took The Bread of Life Christian Bookstore two years. "I felt two years ago that God wanted me to do this," said Bread of Life Owner Dena Johnson on the opening of her new store. Husband Tony, who Johnson described as incredibly talented, playing both the mandolin and the guitar, wasn't as convinced...

Times News Staff A Piggott woman died from injuries sustained in a freak accident Saturday morning in Hardy Camper Park in Hardy. Heather Marie Bowles, 32, was camped with family members and sleeping in a tent when a large branch fell from about 50-60 feet high, striking the family's tent and crushing Bowles. ...

The Piggott Chamber of Commerce, with the aid of Van Winton and Alan Morris of the Economic Development Committee, have successfully lobbied for, and procured a spot on the D.A.R.E. to ride Biker Classic, '07 charity bike run on August 18. "This is going to generate a lot of traffic in Piggott," said Alan Morris, who is also President of Spoke-n-word, the local Christian Motorcyclists chapter. "There will be a lot of motorcycles in Piggott that day."...

The Tri-County Little League Senior All-Stars hosted the Southwest Regional tournament in Blytheville this past weekend, and were eliminated in three straight games. The team, which includes players from Piggott, Rector, Marmaduke and Corning, had advanced to regional play after finishing second at their state tournament last month...

The Piggott Summer Tennis league held their annual tournament night, last Tuesday, July 31, as players prepped for the upcoming high school season. The team has been keeping sharp throughout the summer, under the guidance of PHS Head Tennis Coach Paul Seegraves, playing sets July 10, 17 and 24 prior to the year-ending tournament...

Each summer the Arkansas Activities Association sends out a packet of goodies to all us media folks with all the pertinent information on high school sports. Among the items in this treasure trove of statistics is the Arkansas High School Sports Record Book for 2007, the official list of state sport records...

Twenty-six hearty young men were on hand for the first practice of the upcoming football season last week, as the Piggott Mohawks look to improve on 6-4 season that left them just short of playoff contention. The Tribe is led by second-year Head Coach David Hendrix, along with assistants Shawn Hearn and Michael Harrell. ...

If you didn't know all the details, one might think it was unreasonable for the Piggott Lady Mohawk Volleyball team to be disappointed with last year's finish. The Tribe beat Paris, and then Green Forrest, in the first two rounds of the state tournament at Harrison, then fell to Lavaca 20-25, 25-20, 25-20 25-19 in the semi-finals. ...

Christine Gibbs Fields, 85, a native of Rector, died Wednesday, July 18, 2007. She grew up in Rector, the youngest daughter of Linn and Charlie Gibbs. They were active members of the First Baptist Church. In 1940, she went to New Orleans to study nursing, receiving her RN degree from Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in 1943...

Blanche Kemper Russell, 83, of Piggott, died Wednesday, August 1, 2007, at the White River Medical Center in Batesville. She was born Sept. 17, 1923, in McDougal, and was the daughter of the late George and Era Mae Crews Kemper. She was a member of the Piney Fork Church of Christ in Evening Shade, Arkansas. Her favorite pastimes were fishing and quilting and at one time she was a member of the Quilting Club in Pollard...

Perry Allen Haywood, 70, of Cedar Hill, Texas, died July 26, 2007 at the Methodist Hospital in Dallas. Born June 10, 1937, in Holcomb, he was the son of the late Hershel and Berty Perry Haywood. He was raised by his grandmother Netty and E.W. "Boss" Brown after the death of his mother during childbirth...

Mr. Allen Leon Hatcher, 69, of Astor, Fla., died Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007. Born in Clay County, he moved to Astor from Port Orange, Fla., in 1981. He was a truck driver. He was a member of the Moose Lodge of Astor and was a well known country music entertainer. He was Baptist...

Teresa Cavaness, 47, of Greenway, died Friday, Aug. 3, 2007, at her home in Greenway. She was born Oct. 5, 1959, in Rector, and was the daughter of Bill and June Bradford Cavaness. Her father, Bill Cavaness, preceded her in death. She is survived by two sons: Adam Morris and wife Rachel of Greenbrier, Ark., and Aaron Morris and wife Katie of Rector; one grandson, Cody Morris; one stepson, Brandon Dalton and one step-granddaughter, Delayna Dalton both of Kennett; mother, June Cavaness of Greenway; grandmother, Esta Cavaness of Piggott; step-mother, Kathy Cavaness of Kennett; three sisters: Cindy McComb and husband Gary of Piggott, Donna Oliver and husband Kendall of Rector, and Kimberly Cavaness and fiancée Danny Miller of Rogers; two brothers: Todd Cavaness and wife Carmen of Greenway, and Tim Cavaness and fiancée Miranda Dalton of Greenway; and many other relatives and friends.. ...

Last weekend's Greenway Picnic was a prime example of family and friends gathering together. Perhaps no union more perfectly symbolized this than town native Jennifer (Hill) Zawodniak and her fiancé Randy Gladish taking the opportunity to spend time with her parents, Mike and Sandy Hill...

The Tri-County Junior All-Star baseball team, based in Paragould, competed in the Little League Junior Southwest Regional Tournament this past weekend in Grand Junction Colo. The squad, which includes several players from the Piggott-area, were swept in three games and failed to qualify for the playoff round...

The Tri-County Little League Senior All-Stars hosted the Southwest Regional tournament in Blytheville this past weekend, and were eliminated in three straight games. The team, which includes players from Rector, Piggott, Marmaduke and Corning, had advanced to regional play after finishing second at their state tournament last month...

John Randolph Owens, 82, of Rector died Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007, at Piggott Community Hospital. He was born Oct. 22, 1924, in Boydsville to the late Jessie Richard and Thelma Glass Owens. He was a Baptist and worked in landscaping and as a florist. Survivors include one son, Ransom D. Owens of Warren, Mich.; one daughter, Linda Ocholik of Shelby Township, Mich.; one brother, Sterlin Owens of Baker, Ore., one sister, Anna May Ratcliff, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren...

Christine Gibbs Fields, 85, a native of Rector, died Wednesday, July 18, 2007. She grew up in Rector, the youngest daughter of Linn and Charlie Gibbs. They were active members of the First Baptist Church. In 1940, she went to New Orleans to study nursing, receiving her RN degree from Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in 1943...

Teresa Cavaness, 47, of Greenway, died Friday, Aug. 3, 2007, at her home in Greenway. She was born Oct. 5, 1959, in Rector, and was the daughter of Bill and June Bradford Cavaness. Her father, Bill Cavaness, preceded her in death. She is survived by two sons: Adam Morris and wife Rachel of Greenbrier, Ark., and Aaron Morris and wife Katie of Rector; one grandson, Cody Morris; one stepson, Brandon Dalton and one step-granddaughter, Delayna Dalton both of Kennett; mother, June Cavaness of Greenway; grandmother, Esta Cavaness of Piggott; step-mother, Kathy Cavaness of Kennett; three sisters: Cindy McComb and husband Gary of Piggott, Donna Oliver and husband Kendall of Rector, and Kimberly Cavaness and fiancée Danny Miller of Rogers; two brothers: Todd Cavaness and wife Carmen of Greenway, and Tim Cavaness and fiancée Miranda Dalton of Greenway; and many other relatives and friends.. ...

Over 150 screaming fans enjoyed a fantastic wrestling card Friday night, Aug. 3, at the LAW Athletic Center in Rector. This Friday night, Aug. 10, the stars of Lethal Attitude Wrestling will take to the ring once again, this time for a very special cause -- to raise money for Rector's own Emilea "Emmy" Vangilder...

Last weekend's Greenway Picnic was a prime example of family and friends gathering together. Perhaps no union more perfectly symbolized this than town native Jennifer (Hill) Zawodniak and her fiancé Randy Gladish taking the opportunity to spend time with her parents, Mike and Sandy Hill...

For the last 77 years, people from, and with ties to, the town of Greenway have gathered on the first Saturday in August for the annual Greenway Picnic. With the ultimate goal of raising the necessary funds for the Mitchell Cemetery, the day-long event combines not only a pleasant homecoming, but also furthers a worthy cause...

A Mississippi man is likely thanking his guardian angels in the aftermath of a considerable detour last week which concluded with an unscheduled stop at the Rector First General Baptist Church and then the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center (AMMC) in Paragould...

Numerous complaints concerning the service and support from cable, Internet and telephone provider New Wave Communications was much of the focus of Monday night's Rector city Council meeting. Regional general manager Ed Gargas was a special guest at the meeting...

Rector's annual homecoming event, the Labor Day Picnic, has been chosen as the site for a special advance screening of The Gospel Music of Johnny Cash, produced by Gaither Television Productions. Rector native Bill Carter serves as one of the executive producers. The screening of the 90-minute music documentary is a benefit for the Rector Helping Hands Foundation and will...

The Tri-County Junior All-Star baseball team, based in Paragould, competed in the Little League Junior Southwest Regional Tournament this past weekend in Grand Junction Colo. The squad, which includes several players from the area, were swept in three games and failed to qualify for the playoff round...