KAIT good neighbor tour visits Piggott

Despite a stray afternoon shower, the city of Piggott put its best foot forward last Tuesday afternoon as the KAIT Good Neighbor Tour visited the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center.

The television station's visit to town was the first of eight stops across the region which are taking place during the month of July. Two days later they visited Hoxie and this past Tuesday were scheduled to make a stop in Marked Tree. Other finalist cities on the tour will include Kennett, Pocahontas, Paragould, Newport and Harrisburg.

Last week's visit to Piggott began with a "meet and greet" session at the museum, and continued at 5 p.m. as anchors Diana Davis and Craig Rickert broadcast the newscast from the sidewalk in front of the Pfeiffer house. Joining in was weatherman Ryan Vaughn, who originated his portion of the newscast from in front of the garage-apartment at the rear of the property.

During the 5 p.m. newscast several features on Piggott were aired, and mayor Gerald Morris was interviewed live by the anchors. The 6 p.m. report also featured stories on Piggott, as the community competes for a variety of awards to be handed out Aug. 8. That will mark the culmination of the Good Neighbor Tour as the station will present several Good Neighbor Awards at a special ceremony in Jonesboro.

Between the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts there was a catered barbecue served on the lawn of the historic home, and local residents had the opportunity to meet the television personalities.

The staff on hand for the event also included a local native and graduate of Piggott High School. Tory (Smith) Shirley is the sales coordinator for KAIT, and served as floor manager for the broadcasts in Piggott. She is the daughter of Terry and the late Tommy Smith of Piggott, and a 1990 graduate of PHS. Also on hand was Rector native, and station manager, Tim Ingram.

Station officials said the tour was designed to honor outstanding service in the region, and to promote, foster and encourage volunteerism and community service. More details about the tour may be found at the station's website at www.kait8.com and a variety of photos from the visit can be found on the Piggott Times website at www.piggotttimes.com