Stories from Thursday, November 10, 2011

The first annual Rice Bowl contest between the Piggott Mohawks and rival Corning Bobcats Thursday night at Corning was a tale of two halves. The Mohawks would fall to the Bobcats 44-26, but were able to battle back in the second half to make the game competitive down the stretch...

Several months ago, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis called local minister Don Morris and asked if his church would be willing to host a fundraiser for the hospital. The youth of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church overwhelmingly agreed to take on the challenge and volunteered to host a fundraiser to benefit those children who receive lifesaving treatments at St. Jude...

The Lady Cougars went down to the wire in their home opener with Manila in basketball action Monday night in Rector. The girls in blue hung on to claim a 58-56 win over the Lady Lions. Jessica Scott preserved the win with two clutch free throws with just 1.8 seconds remaining in the contest. ...

Longtime Piggott businessman and community supporter Robert "Bob" Fry passed away Tuesday, Nov. 8, at NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro from complications following a recent surgery. Fry owned and operated Fry Equipment Company in Piggott for 42 years. He founded the business alongside partner James Morris on Aug. 4, 1969, when the two took over the existing International Harvester dealership. In the mid 1970s, Fry bought out Morris' interest and the company became known as Fry International...

As the benefits offered to American veterans change and the requirements to qualify are updated almost constantly, the task of applying for benefits can be a daunting one for many men and women who have served their country. Fortunately for the veterans of Clay County, help is available...

Rector FFA members Zac Gilbee, Matthew Blount and Jake Scott, along with their hog show animals and agriculture teacher Craig Dewey, are participating this week in the world's largest purebred livestock exposition in Louisville, Ky. "This is a step up from the recent State Fair Livestock Show, and I wanted some of my students to have the opportunity to attend and show livestock in this national show," Dewey said last week. ...

Students at Piggott Elementary have been able to take a unique approach to learning through the school's outdoor classroom. Funded through assistance from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Act 799, which allocates fines and fees collected within the county for use in education, as well as assistance from area sponsors, the outside addition has already caught on with students...

I blame the Baptists. I've put on three pounds and it's from all the eatin'. Baptists will throw a fellowship meal at the drop of a hat. If an evangelist comes to speak at the church, the ladies cook a churchwide meal for him. Everyone is invited to partake...

Harold Gene "Moose" Wagner, age 61, of Paragould, formerly of Rector, died Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. He was born Aug. 18, 1950, in Rector to Raymond and Gladys Wagner. Mr. Wagner retired from Wonder Bread and he was of the Baptist faith...

Jeanie Myers, 56, of Piggott, Ark., passed away Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011, at the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott, Ark. She was born on Feb. 5, 1955, in Kennett, Mo., and was the daughter of the late Delbert and Bertha Mae Neely Cox. She was a graduate of Piggott High School, class of 1973, and received multiple other technical degrees...

Jimmy Ray Howell, 69, of Piggott, Ark., passed away Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011, at the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott, Ark. Jimmy was born on Oct. 25, 1942, in Nimmons, Ark., and was the son of the late Roy and Lorene Broadway Howell. He began driving a truck at the age of 15 under the instruction of Jack Schrader and continued to drive a truck for 32 years for North American VanLines. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Piggott...

Lillian K. Chumbley went to her eternal rest on Monday, Nov. 8, 2011. She is survived by two sisters, Maxine Hudson of Piggott and Paulette Dahn of St. Louis. She was the beloved wife of the late Donald R. Chumbley and mother to Donna Abbasi and husband Tony, Ronald Chumbley and wife Jackie, James Chumbley and wife Loretta and the late Lori Ann Collier. ...

Robert "Bob" Fry, 83, of Piggott, Ark., passed away Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011, at NEA Baptist Medical Center in Jonesboro, Ark. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, in the Hoggard & Sons Chapel with Herman Green, Jr. officiating. Burial will be in Gravel Hill Cemetery in St. Francis, Ark...

Betty Jean Watson, 81, of Piggott, Ark., passed away Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011, at the St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro, Ark. She was born on Sept. 6, 1930, in Sheboygan, Wisc., and was the daughter of the late John Frederick and Edna Eisold Wiroll. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Frederick Wiroll...

Mary Lee Shourd, 82, of Corning passed away Nov. 6, 2011, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. She was born Thursday, Nov. 8, 1928, in Tipperary, Ark., to the late Emery and Rosie Boyd Highfill. Mary was a retired store manager for Dollar General and attended Calvary Baptist Church in Corning...