Turnout was light for the 2022 preferential primary election held Tuesday, May 24 with only 2,457 of the 7,629 registered voters casting ballots. A total of 2,296 ballots were cast in the Republican Primary, another 138 in the Democratic and 23 Nonpartisan.
The Piggott School Board met in special session at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 26, in the district board room with board member Jim Threatt absent. Board minutes and financial statements were waived until the next regularly scheduled board meeting and new business was addressed.
On display for Memorial Day weekend along Hwy. 90 and Hwy. 49, Main Street and 9th Street in Rector, are new American and Arkansas flags, the result of a project sponsored by Rector Area Chamber of Commerce. Funds to purchase the flags were donated from businesses and residents from Rector and surrounding communities.
Piggott’s Memorial Garden Cemetery hosted services for Memorial Day Sunday afternoon, as the traditional ceremony was held along with the usual business meeting. On Thursday, Mohawk athletes and coaches from all sports gathered along the rolling hills of the cemetery, and placed over 871 American flags on the graves of the veterans.
Rector civic leader and businessman Russell Ray Gamblin, 77, died Monday, May 30, 2022. Russ was a founding member of the Rector Men’s Organization. He spent many years volunteering as a softball coach and referee. He was a 21-year member of the Chain Gang for the Rector Football teams which he loved so much. Russ served on the Rector Volunteer Fire Department for over 30 years, the Rector City Council, Parks Committee, Lions Club and was a member of Dannelly Lodge #300 since 1981. He served faithfully at the Rector Labor Day Picnic for many years. He oversaw a picnic stand for over 20 years, donated labor from his business on projects in the park, including installing benches that still remain today. Russ wore many hats over the years including owning a long running tool and die business, NATCO, from which he semi-retired in 2011.
The Clay County Times- Democrat new website will launch Wednesday, June 1 (today). The e-edition paywall is currently down as part of the transition, but once it is re-established, current digital subscribers will need to sign in again and reset their passwords as the Clay County Times- Democrat has transitioned from former owner Rust Communications to new owner CherryRoad Media. As a reminder, the former Clay County Times-Democrat app didn’t move over and is no longer being updated. Digital readers should go directly to www.cctimesdemocrat.com and view the e-edition on the new digital viewer.