Stories from Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Concert smashing success
More than 1,500 attend for benefit of Rector Helping Hands Foundation (08/12/09)
"Wow, what a show." "WOW, WHAT A SHOW! Everyone who attended the Rector High School Helping Hands Foundation's second annual benefit concert Tuesday night, Aug. 4, seemed to have the same reaction to a night of music by internationally-known artists Dailey & Vincent, The Isaacs and Guy Penrod...

Gatewood celebrates 20 years after life-threatening tumor (08/12/09)
For the last 20 years, Jeremy Gatewood has shown that no matter how difficult the challenge, a determined person can overcome nearly any obstacle. On Aug. 9, 1989, Jeremy noticed the symptoms of what turned out to be a large brain tumor. Only 15 at the time, the young man and his family endured two months of rigorous testing and treatment...

Morse has become more than just a fan (08/12/09)
Over the last 11 years, Dorothy Morse of West Branch, Mich., has become like family to former Gaither singer Guy Penrod and his family. A faithful Gaither fan, she has attended every Gaither concert in Michigan in the last 10 years and regularly travels to the Gaither Praise Gathering, held each year in Indianapolis, and Family Fest, held annually in Gatlinburg, Tenn.. ...

Declining enrollment major concern for Rector School District (08/12/09)
Declining numbers are a major concern for the Rector School District. In a School Board meeting Monday night, superintendent Rob Louder gave board members a form showing the district's total number of students over the last eight years...

Committee approves contract for development of veterans statue (08/12/09)
A contract for the development of the centerpiece bronze statue was approved Tuesday of last week by the Veterans Memorial Park Committee. The committee authorized chairman George Barker to enter into the contract with a Colorado sculptor to produce a statue of a World War II combat soldier for the park. ...

Organizational meeting held to discuss upcoming picnic (08/12/09)
The annual Labor Day Picnic is just around the corner and an organizational meeting was held Thursday at Rector City Hall to focus on details. The picnic is under the jurisdiction of the Woodland Heights Cemetery Commission and all members were present at the meeting -- Don Robinson, Teresa Roofe, Richard Simmons, Ethel Cox and Betty Essman. ...

Board approves new in-school suspension program for PHS (08/12/09)
Members of the Piggott school board voted in a meeting Monday night to allow the development of an in-school suspension system for students at the high school. The new system, once implemented, will give administrators another method of disciplining students and will be discretionary...

Fry Equipment marks milestone (08/12/09)
Fry Equipment Company in Piggott marked a milestone last week, as the business celebrated 40 years of serving the region. To mark the occasion, owner Bob Fry and the staff hosted a fish fry that attracted several hundred customers, friends and local civic leaders...

Downtown historic district nominated (08/12/09)
The State Review Board of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program nominated 22 properties in 15 Arkansas counties, including the Piggott Commercial Historic District, to the National Register of Historic Places at its meeting Aug. 5...

Mohawk football practice underway (08/12/09)
The Piggott Mohawk football teams began pre-season drills last week, and this week both the senior and junior squads are continuing to tune-up for the regular season. For the senior Mohawks the 2009 season will be a bit of a re-building effort, as the squad graduated many of their starters. ...

Clay County fairgrounds hosts demolition derby (08/12/09)
30 years ago this month the Clay County Fair Association sponsored their first demolition derby at the fairgrounds in Piggott. According to archive issues of The Piggott Times, the first derby was held the evening of Thursday, Aug. ...

Helping hands abound (08/12/09)
It's getting rough out there. This down economy is taking its toll on the common man. With factory shutdowns and layoffs, even here in Northeast Arkansas, times are hard. As country singer Steve Azar sings, "There's too much month at the end of the money."...

Here's an idea: look at the issues (08/12/09)
A key to the success of a democracy is educated and reasoned positions by the electorate on important issues. Judging by the reaction and, especially the tone, of recent "town hall meetings" on health care reform, one cannot be optimistic about the direction in which we are heading...

It happened, years ago (08/12/09)
1969 Superintendent J.B. Swift reports that Piggott School will open Tuesday, Sept. 2 with first through fourth grades attending Central Elementary, fifth graders attending classes at St. Francis and the sixth graders attending at Pollard. Buses would pick up those students at Central Elementary and the old gym each morning, and drop them off there in the afternoons...

Diane Evelyn Francis (08/12/09)
Diane Evelyn Francis, age 55, of Marmaduke passed from this life on August 10, 2009, at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. Diane was born September 24, 1953, at Artesia, California, and moved...

Dana Jeanne Busby (08/12/09)
Dana Jeanne Busby, 53, of Tuscan, Arizona, originally from Rector, died on August 5, 2009. She was preceded in death by her mother, Jeanne Pratt; stepfather, Tom Pratt, and father, Daryl Busby. She is survived by her spouse, Ralph Horner; three brothers, Christopher, Randy and Michael, and cousins, nieces and nephews...

Vivian Throgmorton (08/12/09)
Vivian (Helton) Throgmorton, 83, of Piggott, went to be with the Lord on Monday, August 3, 2009, surrounded by family and friends, at the home of Mike and Jan Throgmorton in West Fork, Ark. She was born September 29, 1925, in Pollard, and was the daughter of the late Edd Allen and Dovie Adell (Brady) Helton...

Anna Christine Stokes (08/12/09)
Anna Christine Stokes, 87, of Piggott died Sunday, August 9, 2009 at the Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. She was the daughter of the late Thurman Lafette and Julia (Molencupp) Riney...

Carter gives praise to Rector (08/12/09)
To the Editor: I am so proud to have been born and raised in Rector, Ark. The benefit show the other night was an overwhelming success with a sold out crowd, and who do I thank -- absolutely everyone who played a role. No matter how small a part, the event would not have been such a success without them...

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