Stories from Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wilma (Rodgers) White is one of the smiling faces currently residing at Rector Nursing Home. The upbeat 76-year-old currently is undergoing rehabilitation at the facility in order to return full-time to her home at Knob...

It's been 100 years since the Boy Scouts of America program starting instilling in members values such as trustworthiness, good citizenship and outdoor skills, and members of Rector Cub Scout Pack 38, celebrating 85 years of the Cub program, demonstrated in a Blue and Gold banquet Tuesday night, March 16, that those values are still very much alive and well...

Rector Nursing and Rehab Center residents enjoyed a visit Saturday, March 20, from some furry friends and members of the Northeast Arkansas Dog Training Club. Club members brought some of their dogs to visit the residents and "strut their stuff" in a little show that demonstrated how well they could mind and behave...

Velma Gail Gilkison, 57, of Piggott, passed away Sunday, March 21, 2010, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Sept. 26, 1952, in Stonewall, Ark., and was the daughter of the late Melvin and Velma (Henley) Jones...

Vonna Lou Spinks of Rector passed away Monday, March 22, 2010, at the age of 80 in the Piggott Community Hospital. She was born October 17, 1929, to the late Eric and Maybell (Hardy) Hancock in Rector. Vonna served as a teacher for 37 years, 25 of them in the Piggott...

Debbie Davidson, 60, formerly of Rector, Ark., passed away March 17, 2010, at her residence in Horn Lake, Miss. A graveside service was held on Saturday, March 20, at 12 p.m. at Flag Lake Cemetery. She is survived by her husband, Ronnie Davidson of Horn Lake, Miss.; her sons, Troy Davidson of Strayhorn, Miss., Kerry Davidson of Horn Lake, Miss., and Brady Davidson of Independence, Miss.; her step-father, Frank Green of Piggott, Ark.; her sisters, Jeanie Box of Batesville, Ark., Kathy Gardner of Jonesboro, Ark., Tina Rogers of Biggers, Ark., and Terri Monette of Canton, Ill.; her brothers, Sonny Reeves and Larky Reeves, both of Arkadelphia, Ark., Randy Reeves of St. ...

Kyle Bynum, 27, of Paragould died Wednesday, March 17, 2010, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. He was born Dec. 14, 1982, in Newport. He was the owner of Bynum's Lawn Service and a member of Marmaduke First Baptist Church. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman...

It really is remarkable some of the coincidences one encounters in our world today -- a world in which our modes of travel and communication are so much more advanced. We were camping last weekend at a beautiful state park in Kentucky on a high bluff above the Mississippi River. It was a remarkably peaceful scene on a literally perfect weekend weather-wise...

St. Patrick's Day has come and gone. I didn't find a pot of gold, but then I'm not a leprechaun. What would I do with a pot of gold? I'm not talking about the lottery, but a pot of gold. How much would that be? Five hundred dollars? Five thousand? More?...

The Cougars fell to 2-3 overall with a 9-4 loss to Walnut Ridge Thursday in Rector. The visitors scored three runs in the top of the third, moving ahead 4-0, and appeared to be on the verge of running away with the game...

The Lady Cougars improved to 4-2 overall with a strong showing on the road Friday, blasting host Brookland 13-2 in a mercy-ruled, five-inning game. "That was the best we've looked all year," Rector skipper Bob Alberson said. "Our pitching's been there, but now our hitting and fielding have caught up and we're playing pretty well right now."...

The purchase of a new fire truck for the Piggott Fire Department was given the green light at Monday night's meeting of the city council. Aldermen voted to allow the department to seek a loan for the funds needed for the purchase after hearing that the majority is already on hand. ...

The annual Clay County Relay For Life will be held Saturday, April 24, at Heritage Park in Piggott. The annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society will get underway at 9 a.m. with registration, followed at 10 a.m. with the opening ceremony and Survivors Walk...

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Education Center hosted 21 eager Piggott-area students on four Wednesdays during February and March for this year's spring young authors retreat. During the sessions the students indulged in their passion for creative writing while working with Deanna Dismukes, education coordinator for HPMEC. ...

Shirley Glass, 52, of Piggott, passed away Saturday, March 13, 2010, at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. She was born Sept. 8, 1957, in East St. Louis, Ill. She accepted Christ at a young age and attended the New Hope Baptist Church in Pollard...

Larry Richard Karnes, 71, of Anderson, S.C., passed away Friday, March 19, 2010, at the AnMed Health Medical Center in Anderson. Born in Nashville, Tenn., July 13, 1938, he was the son of the late Daniel and Ruby (Langley) Karnes. ...

Joseph E. Downham, 91, of Piggott passed away Saturday, March 20, 2010, at the VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was born Nov. 16, 1918, in Piggott and was the son of the late Byran W. and Ethel (Brandon) Downham...

Velma Gail Gilkison, 57, of Piggott, passed away Sunday, March 21, 2010, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Sept. 26, 1952, in Stonewall, Ark., and was the daughter of the late Melvin and Velma (Henley) Jones...

Charles R. Wright, 67, of Piggott, passed away Thursday, March 18, 2010, in the Piggott Community Hospital. He was born Sept. 19, 1942, in Piggott, and was the son of the late Raymond Andrew and Sylvia Virginia (Hughes) Wright...

Vonna Lou Spinks of Rector passed away Monday, March 22, 2010, at the age of 80 in the Piggott Community Hospital. She was born October 17, 1929, to the late Eric and Maybell (Hardy) Hancock in Rector. Vonna served as a teacher for 37 years, 25 of them in the Piggott...

St. Patrick's Day has come and gone. I didn't find a pot of gold, but then I'm not a leprechaun. What would I do with a pot of gold? I'm not talking about the lottery, but a pot of gold. How much would that be? Five hundred dollars? Five thousand? More?...

1970 The Piggott Jaycees have begun a project to have at park built at the Civil War battle site at Chalk Bluff. Landowner Cecil Dalton is reportedly interested in selling the 40 acres adjacent to the site along the St. Francis River. In a related note, the annual Jaycees Easter egg hunt will be held March 29 at the fairgrounds...

The Piggott Mohawks have stayed busy in the past week, losing a nail-biter to 5A Blytheville Tuesday, holding on for a home conference win over Hoxie Thursday, taking a pounding in another non-conference contest at Paragould Friday and falling on the road at Tuckerman on Monday. Tuesday the Tribe was scheduled to host the Harrisburg Hornets in conference play at Independence Park...

The Piggott Lady Mohawks took advantage of the good weather to get in several conference games last week, although they are still looking for their first win of the young season. Tuesday, March 16 they visited the potent Lady Lions of Manila and dropped a pair of shut-outs in a conference double header. ...