Stories from Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Effects of January ice storm still felt (02/11/09)
"These last two weeks have just been overwhelming," Piggott Mayor Gerald Morris reflected Monday morning. The city of Piggott, like the remainder of Northeast Arkansas and portions of Southeast Missouri, is still recoving from the effects of a devastating ice storm that pounded the region in late January. ...

Howell updates county clean-up progress (02/11/09)
Conditions are progressing in Clay County, following a total effort by officials, employees and volunteers. Though many rural residences remain without power, most in the larger towns of Rector and Piggott, as well as several homes in Corning, have had electricity restored...

School back in session thanks to generators (02/11/09)
After an 11-day ice storm vacation, students of the Piggott school district were scheduled to return to classes today (Wednesday) thanks to generators provided by the Arkansas Air Guard. According to Superintendent Ed Winberry, classes will resume as usual and it will be up to the state how many of the missed days will have to be made up...

Shelter expected to close soon (02/11/09)
The local shelter at the Piggott Community Center is expected to be closed by the coming weekend since power has been restored to most homes in the city. Jamie Cluck, center coordinator, indicated around 25 people slept at the shelter over the weekend and that the center had been feeding nearly 200 people twice a day through Sunday...

OEM seeks documentation (02/11/09)
Over the course of the last two weeks, hundreds of volunteer man-hours have been logged in Clay County, as everyone pulled together to weather the ice storm. Now the Clay County Office of Emergency Management is attempting to document that work for FEMA...

Restoration nears completion for Entergy customers (02/11/09)
Entergy's power restoration efforts could soon be complete for many in northeast Arkansas. According to Entergy representative David Burnett, the company has restored electricity to most of its customers in the area. Burnett said the construction on the damaged poles and lines has been completed...

Minnesota trucker has heart for helping others (02/11/09)
The people of Rector, embattled with difficult conditions due to extended power outages following the recent ice storm, received a helping hand from a thoughtful individual most in the area have never had the opportunity to meet...

Birthday gift leads to flower shop (02/11/09)
A trip to the flower shop for a birthday gift led to much more for Allen and Melanie Haywood. When Allen went into Rector Flowers to purchase flowers and a balloon for wife Melanie's birthday, more than just a bouquet and card was delivered. Former owner Pamela Sain asked the thoughtful husband if he would be interested in buying the shop...

Lady Cougars notch two wins in return to conference play (02/11/09)
The Lady Cougars mounted a spirited comeback Monday night in 2A-3 conference play, but fell just short of a win, losing to Riverside 59-57 in Caraway. Riverside jumped out to an 18-7 first quarter advantage, but Rector clawed their way to trail by a mere four points, 28-24, going into the half. The Lady Cougars were behind 45-38 going into the fourth...

Tough league streak slows Cougar effort (02/11/09)
It was a tough night for the Cougars at home Friday, as they were downed by their guest Turrell, 64-47. Rector trailed throughout: 16-12; 30-19 and 45-31. Coty Banning had a big night for the Cougars, scoring 20 points and tearing down 13 rebounds. ...

It happened here, years ago (02/11/09)
1969 It was reported 40 years ago this week that Earl James Glover, 62, who served as sexton of the Piggott Cemetery for nearly 18 years, had died on Feb. 6. Also in the news, Norman Morrisett, 48, of Pollard was killed Feb. 11 at Clovis Moore's Service Station in McDougal when an air tank exploded...

Ice storm revisited (02/11/09)
It's Sunday night, February 1. I sit here in the darkness writing this column. A flashlight and a candle light the page. A kerosene lamp glows from the old sideboard in the dining room. A battery operated radio softly plays country music, sometimes interrupted with announcements of school closings. There are many closings in Northeast Arkansas and surrounding Missouri towns...

Twyla Baker (02/11/09)
Twyla Baker, 84, of Piggott died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009, at Piggott Community Hospital. She was born April 11, 1924, and was the daughter of the late Claude and Vera (Braden) Montgomery. She was married to Joel Taylor Baker July 5, 1946, and the couple had four children...

Robert Earl Neeley (02/11/09)
Robert Earl Neeley, 83, of McDougal died Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, at Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. He was born June 8, 1925, the son of the late Grover and Lula (Harris) Neeley. He was married to Virginia Ethridge Jan. 6, 1945, and the couple had four children...

Mattie Lela Bare (02/11/09)
Mattie Lela Bare, 96, of Piggott died Friday, Feb. 6, 2009, at Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. She was born Aug. 31, 1912. in Pollard, and was the daughter of the late Samuel and Mattie (Pollard) Forrest...

Henry Edd Donner (02/11/09)
Henry Edd Donner, 98, of Piggott died Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell, Mo. He was born May 15, 1910, in Valemeyre, Ill., and was the son of the late Albert and Caroline (Burgett) Donner...

Charles Donald Smart (02/11/09)
Charles Donald Smart, 76, of Piggott died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett, Mo. He was born April 10, 1932, in Clay County and was the son of the late Richard Ezra and Hattie Mae (Rickman) Smart...

Obit Berniece A. Stewart (02/11/09)
Berniece A. Stewart, 87, of Piggott died Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009, at Piggott Community Hospital. She was born Sept. 9, 1921, in Piggott to the late Claude E. and Gladys (Parrish) Wiley. She was married to Paul Seal in July 1942 and the couple had three children. In April 1971 she married Denver Stewart. Both preceded her in death...

Claude Fielder (02/11/09)
Longtime Rector fire chief Claude Fielder, 91, of Rector died Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009, at Craighead Nursing Center in Jonesboro. Fielder served as Rector fire chief from 1942 to 1964 and was the owner of Brewer Lumber Company in Rector from 1971 to 1977, when he retired...

Norma Faye Whitaker (02/11/09)
Norma Faye Whitaker, 90, of Rector died Friday, Feb. 6, at the Evergreen Health and Rehabilitation in Rector. She was born July 28, 1918, in Leonard to the late Norman and Calva (Randleman) Whitaker...

Reginald "Reggie" Holman (02/11/09)
Funeral services for Reginald "Reggie" Holman of Rector, who died Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro, will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, at the Irby Funeral Home chapel in Rector...

Larry Earl Carter (02/11/09)
Larry Earl Carter, 64, of Gibson, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009, at John J. Pershing V.A. Hospital in Poplar Bluff. He was born June 8, 1944, in Arkansas to the late Eugene and Opal Ward. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a retired truck driver...

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