News

National Hospital Week is an opportunity to highlight hospitals and healthcare workers and the ways they are supporting and connected to their community and how the community supports the hospital. Caregivers have taken on unimaginable challenges and have risen to the occasion repeatedly and it is essential that others see the pandemic from their perspective...

For the 23rd time, Heritage Park will come alive this weekend with the annual Piggott Heritage Car Show and Cruise. Entrants from several states each year has picked Piggott as the must-attend event for lovers of custom and classic cars and trucks, street rods, rat rods and motorcycles of all genres. For 2022 the show will be held Friday through Sunday, May 20 through May 22 with the majority of activities at Heritage Park...

PIGGOTT The Piggott High School Class of 2022 took part in commencement exercises Sunday afternoon. With a packed house of family, friends and fellow students 56 members of the class were presented with diplomas along with scholarships and awards. Several special presentations were also held as the classmates turned the page and started a new chapter of their lives...

Piggott School Board met in regular session at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10 with all board members present. The board approved the minutes and financials from the previous meetings and then proceeded to old business. First on the old business agenda was the baseball field. ...

Clay County Quorum Court met at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 16 at the courthouse in Piggott with all justices present. Following the roll call and reading of the previous minutes, the court started with new business. First was consideration for passage of Ordinance 2022-14, an ordinance appropriating additional county funds and amending 2022-12 budgets for clean-up. After reading title only this was approved, along with the emergency clause...

Piggott School District has three teachers retiring the end of this school year. Faith Conley, Vickie Brown and Genia Brewer are looking forward to retirement. Conley has taught 28 years with 27 being in Piggott High School. She has taught secondary math beginning with Applied Math, Algebra I, Algebra II, Transition to College Math, Advanced Topics but has taught Geometry every year. ...

Ervin Hill appeared before Judge Chris Thyer in court for his trial date on Monday, April 25 with his attorney J.L. Wilson. Hill is accused in the Feb. 2, 2021 vehicle death of a Rector youth, along with being charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor...

Readers of all ages will explore all things about oceans this summer as the Piggott Public Library presents “Oceans of Possibilities” during their summer reading program. Activities may include music, crafts, games, books and special guests. The programs are at 11 a.m. ...

The Rector School District is once-again taking part in the USDA Summer Feeding Program this year. Under the program, lunch and breakfast will be served at the Rector School cafeteria to anyone free of charge 18 years and younger. Rector will be offering the meals starting June 1, and running through July 29. No meals will be served the week of July 4 through 8...

RECTOR - Thursday, May 7, Arkansas Delta Byways President Marcel Hanzlik and special officer Paula Miles visited Rector Community Museum to present an Innovation Award to the RCM for its mini-concert series during 2021-2022. Arkansas Delta Byways is the official tourism promotion association for the fifteen counties in Eastern Arkansas. True to heritage, cultures, and people, the Delta perseverance shone through Rector Community Museum’s innovation...

RECTOR - Rector High School will host graduation ceremonies for the class of 2022 at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 15. A total of 40 seniors are scheduled to take part in commencement, as they are slated to begin the next chapter of life. The candidates will enter the gym in their traditional Cougar blue caps and gowns to the familiar sound of Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance,” performed by the RHS Concert Band. This year the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem will be added...

Special Olympics Arkansas started its torch run on Monday, May 9. Activities kicked off with the Law Enforcement Torch Run June 14. Officers from all over the state will carry the Flame of Hope in their cities from which the iconic flame will make its way to Little Rock...

Highlighting the Rector School Board meeting at the Administration Building on Monday, May 9, were the academic reports from both building level principals, Nate Henderson and Mark Manchester. High School Principal Henderson spoke to the full two-point overall improvement on the ACT Aspire testing, with seventeen students scoring 21 or above composite. ...

From the Boydsville community comes a collection of paintings donated by Glenda Faught Fields to the Rector Community Museum. She’s the daughter of the late Charles, Sr. and Cora Faught, and attended Boydsville School, graduating from Rector High School. She draws inspiration from “those old cotton fields back home,” being glad she is not working in those fields now, she commented...

Early voting got underway Monday for the 2022 May Preferential Primary. The Clay County Clerk’s office reports at the end of Monday some 142 citizens had voted early. Piggott had 97 early voters with Corning having 45 early voters. The early voting period will continue until 5 p.m. on Monday, May 23, with the polls open throughout the day on Tuesday, May 24. Early voting is at the Piggott Community Center and the M.B. Ainley Community Center in Corning...

In response to crowd requests in the ongoing Third Thursday Concert Series at the Ford Room at the Rector Community Museum, TRIPPP will perform at 7 p.m. on May 19 with ticket sales going strong. TRIPPP is a trio of 21-year-old triplet brothers Treyson, JD, and Chaz Stafford from Jonesboro. Their unique country sound includes a touch of Memphis blues, Kentucky bluegrass, and Southern rock combined with killer family harmony...

Mary Lois (Warren) Rogers was born on September 9, 1939 in Crockett, Ark. (Clay County), to the late Frances Marie (Wiley) and James Jack Warren. Mary loved her family and her church. She was a huge fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and Jeopardy. She was preceded in death by her parents: her loving husband: Donald Rogers: sisters: Nettie King, Frances Grissom, Dolores Collier, Hazel Randolph, Birdie Kobbe and one brother Marion Lee Warren...

As guest speaker Arkansas Democrat-Gazette favorite columnist and senior editor Rex Nelson concluded his remarks at the Rector Area Chamber of Commerce banquet Thursday night he said, “My remarks are intended to encourage people. Tonight, however, you have encouraged me. This crowd of people who make things happen in Rector has infused me with all those things that make me optimistic about small towns in Arkansas, and Arkansas as a whole.”...

Rex Nelson, senior editor and a favorite columnist with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, provided a capsule history of Arkansas in decades of troubling times with a bright look to the future. He is a much-acclaimed speaker and promoter for Arkansas and is tied to just about every section of the state because he makes friends everywhere he visits. Hailing from Arkadelphia, “he’s been everywhere, man.”...

Jacob Richardson is a candidate for a five year term on the Piggott School’s Board of Education subject to the upcoming May 24 election. Richardson was raised in Piggott and attended Piggott School from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Richardson and his wife Ashley have one child and are expecting their second child in August. He is self-employed doing handyman and remodel work and is also the associate pastor of Family Ministries at Hitts Chapel...

Piggott School Board met in special session on Thursday, April 28 to discuss resignations and new hires. All board members were present and waived the reading of the minutes of the regular meeting held April 12, until the next regularly scheduled meeting...

Clay County Arts Council, a local non-profit corporation having as part of its mission to award young people who are proponents of the arts with scholarships, announces three members of the 2022 class. CCAC has been raising funds for years through memberships and celebrations, comedy and fanciful stage shows. Each year, CCAC makes these awards to stellar young people...

At the regular City Council meeting held at 7 p.m. at the Rector Community Center on Monday May 2, Rector City Council approved Ordinance 570 which states that District Court will be held at the Clay County Eastern District Courthouse for judicial district 17 at a time to be determined by the local judge. ...

Piggott Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored a lunch and learn learn on Wednesday, April 27 featuring Steve Dixon, Jeremy Wooldridge and Teresa Roofe who are running for State Representative for District 1. District 1 serves Clay, Greene and Randolph counties. This seat is vacated by Rep. Joe Jett who is not running for re-election. Roofe is running as a Democrat while Dixon and Wooldridge are on the Republican ticket...

Early voting is set to begin Monday, May 9 for the upcoming May 24 preferential primary election to be held in Clay County. Running for Sheriff on the Republican ticket are Russ Latimer and Ronnie Cole. Meanwhile, the remaining county officials are running unopposed. They include County Clerk Tyler Wyss, Circuit Clerk Angela Self, County Treasurer Brande Boyd, Assessor Tracy Gurley, Coroner Jerrod Lowe and County Judge Mike Patterson...

Marmaduke High School will host graduation ceremonies for the class of 2022 beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 7. Forty-eight seniors are scheduled to take part in commencement, and begin a new chapter in life. The program will begin with the processional, as the Marmaduke School Band under the direction of Amy Dennis performs Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance. ...

The blue ribbon awarded during her kindergarten year at the Clay County Fair Art Show excited young Madison Cate. Her mother, Sherry Cate, had been so taken with Madison’s drawing of “Dog in Doghouse” that she entered the piece in the show. The blue ribbon affirmed excellent fine motor skills, creative senses, and the budding of an artist, at the least in her own back yard. ...

The public testing, and logic and accuracy test, for the upcoming May 24, Preferential Primary will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 20. The testing will be conducted at the Corning election warehouse, located at 435 Southwest Second Street in Corning. The testing is open to the public. Those wanting additional information may contact Clay County Election Coordinator Karen Cagle at 870 240-3295...

Two Clay County Extension Agents were recognized with several statewide awards at the annual ACAAA (Arkansas County Agricultural Agents Association) meeting in Jonesboro on March 31. The state winning applications are to be judged at the regional and national levels. This year the National County Agents Association meeting in July will be held in West Palm Beach, Fla...

The Piggott Area Chamber of Commerce hosted “Lunch and Learn” at noon on Wednesday, April 20 featuring the two Republican candidates vying for the senator position for the district. The attendees heard from incumbent Senator Blake Johnson and challenger Curtis Hitt, who each gave a talk on their goals if elected...

Clay County Sheriff candidate Ronnie Cole believes that experience counts when it comes to electing a sheriff. Cole served as the sheriff of Clay County from 1999 to 2008. At that time the biggest issue that he saw in the county was methamphetamine labs. ...

Clay County Chief Deputy Russ Latimer chose his career path early in life. “I started working at the Sheriff's Department in the jail when I was 19 years old. When I graduated high school, I knew exactly where I wanted to be and that's where I've been.” It’s that knowledge that one day he wants to be the Sheriff of Clay County that has encouraged Latimer to run for the office. ...

In their debut concert played before a packed Ford Room inside the Rector Community Museum, Nashville Skyline won fans and proved that this venue is a rockin’ place to be on Third Thursdays of every month. Band members Kennon Mock, bass guitar and founding member, Allen Woolridge, lead guitar and vocals, Aaron Hammon, drums and vocals, Keith Morris, keyboard and vocals, and Steve Cook, lead vocalist and founding member, entertained from the first downbeat of a U2 classic ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ to the final strum of the lead guitar with ‘Livin’ on Tulsa Time’ by Don Williams. ...

Piggott School Board met in regular session April 12 with a full quorum. In the Mohawk Moments, Superintendent Freddie Bowen recognized the Piggott Elementary Chess Club winners Cooper Ezell and Peyton Winscott as well as a FBLA members Rosie Garcia, Taylor Peters, Rachel Deegans and Jake Williams who were among those who had won awards in recent state competition and will be headed to nationals in Chicago...

The suspect in the murder of Matthew Hale of Rector was in court Monday, April 18 for a hearing. Thirty-year-old Heath Hunsaker of Dexter entered a plea of not guilty, after allegedly confessing to “shooting and murdering the victim” during an interview at the MOHP headquarters in Butler County at the time of his arrest on March 10...

Lindsey Wingo, a Rector native, was recently appointed by Governor Asa Hutchinson to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission Council. Wingo replaces Jim Andrews on the Council. She is project manager at studioDRIFT, an Arkansas nonprofit focused on connecting and animating rural communities...

Cold wet weather was the order of the day for Easter weekend in Piggott, with a number of seasonal offerings to be enjoyed. Once again this year the Emmanuel Baptist Church, of Piggott, hosted a variety of Easter events-including the traditional egg hunt. Due to weather conditions the egg hunt was held at the Clay County Fairgrounds this year. Other churches across the region hosted special Easter services as well, as the holiday was observed for 2022...

Clay County Quorum Court met Monday, April 11 at the courthouse in Corning with all justices present. After approving the minutes from the previous meeting, the judges went straight to business of adopting several ordinances. First on the agenda was ordinance 2022-07 enacting revisions to the code of ordinances for the county, this was followed by the adoption of ordinance 2022-08 to amend the Clay County personnel policy effective April 4, 2022. ...

Piggott City Council met in special session at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, to discuss and accept bids received for the state-mandated wastewater treatment facility upgrades. In 2019, the project was estimated to have a total construction cost of $465,000. ...

Farmer’s market season has started in Arkansas and the Piggott Farmers Market will have their grand opening on Friday, April 22 and will run until mid-November weather permitting. The market is once again being held at the First National Bank Pavilion on East Main Street. Hours will be from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. each Friday until further notice...

Murder suspect, Parris Hill, returned to court on Monday in the hearing of his capital murder case. According to Prosecuting Attorney Mike Trail there has been approximately 60 motions filed which need to be winnowed down. Defense Attorney William James remarked there are items in which he is entitled to discovery. ...

Ervin Hill appeared Monday, April 18, before Judge Chris Thyer in court on a manslaughter charge in the death of a Rector youth. Hill’s attorney, J. L. Wilson, appeared before the court requesting a list of jurors. Judge Thyer set Hill’s trial date for Monday, April 25...

Once again, the Piggott Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored the “Proudest Kid in Piggott” essay contest. Piggott Elementary School third grade students continued the long-standing tradition, as they composed essays telling why they are the “Proudest Kid in Piggott.”...

According to Clay County Sheriff Terry Miller, on the evening of Friday, April 8, 2022, the Clay County Sheriff's Department was notified of a shooting incident involving a juvenile. Deputies responded to the Piggott Community Hospital where the victim was transported. ...

Rector School Board met at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 11, at the Administration Building hearing from the building principals who lauded their teachers’ and students’ performances during the month since the last board meeting. High School Principal Nate Henderson recognized the Ag program competition that landed a number nine overall performance out of twenty competing programs. ...

Tickets are now on sale for the Rector Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet. Tickets may be purchased from Kim Romine at Rector City Hall, April Lindsey at Glen Sain Motors or Crystal Williams at the Chamber office. Persons also may call Williams at 901-412-4975 and she will deliver your tickets...

Part of the delight in traveling around northeast and north central Arkansas is the view through the windshield. Like proclaimed in the song by the late Del Reeves, “Looking at the World through the Windshield,” I let my imagination run. Gradual elevation from the east side of the Ridge, over the rivers and through the woods to the flat land west, and then the steady rise into the foothills of the Ozarks bring pleasure to a sightseer. ...

The last week of March and first week of April, the Piggott Fire Department held four nights of four-hour training on Tuesday and Thursday. “Every year by Arkansas Law and to meet the requirements of Act 833 we have to have 16 hours of continuing education every year. ...

“A good song is a good song, Period,” says Steve Cook as Nashville Skyline prepares to entertain a soon-to-be-sold-out Ford Room crowd on April 21 in Rector. “Prepare to be entertained,” he continued, saying that the band that was together ten years ago has reunited for a more professional run. “We’re older but we can still bring the high energy and it’s something we don’t take lightly. We’re not a garage band.”...