Stories from Wednesday, September 11, 2002

"If days were things, we own our past, we rent the present day, and I have never seen any tomorrow for sale." Adam Staples remembers this thought often, something that came to him during a daily run. It is one that has helped him deal with a life-altering event also felt by everyone else throughout the world...

Saturday morning the Piggott peewee football team invaded Rector for a doubleheader with the Rector peewee football team. The fifth grade game started at 10 a.m. and when the dust settled Piggott had rode a stout defense with touchdown runs by Garrett Rice and Alek Samples to a 16-0 win over Rector. The little Rector team just missed a touchdown as they were on the Piggott one-yard when the final buzzer sounded...

The Piggott junior high Mohawks lost their season opener last Thursday night with a 16-8 loss to cross-county rivals, the Corning Bobcats. "This was a game of two halves," Piggott coach Scott Morgan said. "The first half we were physically beaten up. We made some adjustments at halftime and after that, it was a whole different ballgame."...

Scott Morgan's debut outing as head coach of the Piggott Mohawks didn't notch a mark in the win column, but that didn't keep a smile off of his face in his office after a 18-7 loss Friday night to the Highland Rebels. "Despite the loss I really hate to lose," coach Morgan said, "but I feel really good about this team. ...

Ray J. Poteet, 59, of Biggers, died Friday, Sept. 6, 2002. He was born Dec. 30, 1942, the son of Anna Jane Poteet and the late Ray E. Poteet. He was of the Church of Christ belief. He worked at Baltz Equipment Company for several years. He served his country in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War era...

Loretta Speer, 66, of Piggott, died Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2002, in Rector Health Care in Rector. She was born Feb. 18, 1936, in Detroit, the daughter of the late Beauford and Leeata Zimmerman Keating. She was united in marriage to Neville "Sonny" Pool, who preceded her in death. She married Jimmie Franklin Speer and he also preceded her in death...

Patsy Levell Smart Millikan died Aug. 20, 2002. She was born Sept. 5, 1929, in Crockett, the daughter of the late Dan and Thonia Smart. She was preceded in death by three brothers, Sonny Smart, Homer Smart and Hub Smart; and one sister, Marcelline Vaught...

John Paul McLeskey, 94, of Piggott, died Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002, in the Piggott Community Hospital. He was born Feb. 27, 1908, in Piggott, the son of the late Frank and Katie Hutchison McLeskey. He was united in marriage to Pansy McLemore on Feb. 25, 1933. To this union four children were born...

Sevenda Pentecost, 79, of Bernie, died Sept. 8, 2002, in the Oak Park Care Center in St. Louis. She was born Aug. 22, 1923, in Rector, the daughter of the late Robert Carl and Dora Lee Turner Boone. She was united in marriage to Ralph Hardin and then married Burl Devon Pentecost on Oct. 27, 1945; he preceded her in death in 1984...

William Ernest Hanna, 94, of St. Francis, died Monday, Sept. 9, 2002, in the Piggott Community Hospital. He was born Nov. 27, 1907, in Alma, Ill., the son of Dave Henry and Maggie Elizabeth Hoyt Hanna. He was united in marriage to Ruth E. Hardy on Sept. 1, 1934. To this union two sons were born...

The Piggott City Council voted to amend a proposed excessive dog barking ordinance during Monday night's regular meeting. Alderman Jim Poole was absent. During discussion Alderman Mike Patterson made a motion to amend the ordinance to include the stipulation that there must be two complaints reported before any action can be taken with a warning issued on the first offense followed by fines on additional violations. Tommy Risinger seconded the motion, and all members approved it...

The Piggott District School Board met in the annual open public meeting Monday night in the high school cafeteria and heard updates on Title I, Title IIA, Title V and the Gifted and Talented Program. New Gifted and Talented instructor, Candy Williams, told the board she was very pleased with the cooperation she has received from elementary principal, Joan Gossett, and high school principal, Barry DeHart...

Filing for municipal offices in the November General Election closed at noon Friday, Sept. 6. Candidates filing for city offices included (denotes incumbent): Piggott Mayor Garland "Bud" Holcomb, Gerald Morris. City attorney John R. Lingle, Lisa D. Guite...

Bobby Robinson, 58, of Rector died Thursday, Sept. 5, 2002, at his home. Born Oct. 8, 1943, in Trumann to the late Charles C. Robinson and Elodia Lee Bearden Robinson, he was a lifelong resident of this community. He was an Army veteran, a member of the Church of Christ and was disabled from Emerson Electric...

Berniece Robins Baker, 90, of Rector died Monday, Sept. 9, 2002, at Twin Rivers Medical Center in Kennett. She was born May 16, 1912, in Ash Flat, Ark., the daughter of the late R.A. and Alma Ritchie Robins. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Harold Baker...

Jearl Wheat announces this week his candidacy for Rector alderman, East Ward, Position 1. Wheat was born and raised in the Rector area and, after living away for several years, returned to Rector seven years ago. "My maternal great-grandfather was born near Boydsville 155 years ago and helped to settle this area," he said...

A plane owned and piloted by Allen Earls crashed around 10:40 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7. The plane, a single engine 1967 Mooney F Model, crashed approximately one mile north of the runway at the Rector Municipal Airport. Shortly after takeoff from the Kennett airport, where the plane was housed in a hangar, Earls experienced a loss of power. ...

A Wise Co. official confirmed the company signed Tuesday a one-year lease agreement with Kennett as its Rector operation is relocated. Executive vice president Mike Yon said Tuesday afternoon the Rector branch, which was destroyed by fire Friday morning, will move to the former UARCO building in Kennett...

City and state officials will draft a proposal to present to the Wise Co. on Monday in an attempt to keep the factory in Rector on a permanent basis. The boatseat manufacturing plant, which has been in the city for almost 12 years, was destroyed by fire Friday morning...

No injuries were reported in a massive fire that destroyed the Wise Co., Rector's largest employer, on Friday morning. The plant, which contained approximately 120,000 square feet, manufactured boat seats. Rector officials said firemen were able to save the office portion of the factory...

CORNING Friday night the Rector Cougars traveled westward into Bobcat Country tp play their first football game of the year. Despite a strong effort by the Cougars, the Bobcats proved just too strong as they won the game, 22-0. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bobcats began to exert themselves in the second period. ...

The junior Rector Cougars played their first game of the season on the road Thursday, Sep. 5 and were stung by Cross County 26-0. Rector Jr. High Coach Nathan Henderson said, "It could have been worse. They were fast and tough. They had big kids on the line and strong runners in the backfield. Really, except for a couple of running plays they broke against us, we didn't do that bad in the first half. Once they broke a 30-yard run against us and they were up 16-0 at the half...