Stories from Thursday, March 18, 2004

Clay County Circuit Clerk Janet Luff is seeking a second term re-election in the Democratic primary on May 18. Luff is a life-long resident of Clay County and currently resides in St. Francis. She has one daughter and son-in-law, Heather and Brad Tullos. She has one granddaughter, Presley...

The future appears bright for Lady Mohawks basketball as the sixth grade team finished their season this past week by winning the Marmaduke Pee-Wee Tournament. Victories over rivals Oak Grove and Marmaduke in the tournament ran the girls' record to an astounding 24 wins and only two losses for the year...

The Piggott Mohawk softball team has struggled during their first three games of the season, losing to Westside, Valley View and most recently Hoxie. "We're still a young team," coach Tiffany Sands said. "We are improving each game in hitting and in fielding."...

The Piggott Mohawks were a busy baseball team last week as they played four games, losing three, to fall 2-5 for the year. Last Thursday, on a chilly day at Marmaduke, the Mohawks were defeated 10-7 by the Greyhounds. Piggott used three pitchers in this game. ...

Gladys L. Leslie, 90, of Greenway died Monday, March 1, 2004, in the Rector Healthcare Facility in Rector. She was born March 20, 1913, in Rinard, Ill., the daughter of the late Nelson and Myrtle Black Shaw. She was united in marriage to Edgar Raymond Bradford on Dec. 4, 1929. He preceded her in death. She married Earnest Leslie on Aug. 27, 1971. He also preceded her in death...

Ervin Ward Garner, 72, of Bowling Green died March 10 at his home. The Clay County native was a retired employee of General Motors and a member of Shadyland Church of Christ and previous member of Lehman Avenue Church of Christ. He was a son of the late Lester A. Garner and Hallie Downing Garner and the husband of the late Mary Catherine Adams Garner. He was also preceded in death by a daughter. Monica Holmes and a great-grandson, Seth Michael Garner...

Virgil Buffington, 78, of Silver City, N. Mex., died at his home on Wednesday, March 10, 2004, after an extended illness. Mr. Buffington was born Sept. 7, 1925, in Success, Ark., the son of Benjamin Floyd and Maud Jane Daniels Buffington. He grew up in the community of Palatka, Ark...

Accountability is a big word. The word, which has been kicked around as Arkansas' legislators have worked to reform the public education system in the state and what big business is demanding, is leading to more testing for Arkansas students. Springtime brings the usual Benchmark and End-of-Course and End-of-Level exams to the Piggott Public Schools. A new test will be added to the regimen this year due to current educational reform...

Approximately 90 parents, grandparents and students gathered in the Piggott Elementary School Library to sit in silence and read. Piggott Elementary School held its second Family Reading Night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2, in conjunction with the Read Across America celebration...

An unusual trio walked through Piggott on March 2-3. Joni Balog, Lyn Hanush and Cassie Balog (a German shepard dog) passed through Pollard, where the group wrote a prayer on a rock and prayed at the John Howell memorial and then passed through Piggott and St. Francis on their way to Florida...

The Clay County Sheriff's Department made several drug related arrests last week. On Sunday, March 7, a traffic stop was made at the edge of Pollard. During the stop, the subject was determined to have been under observation for drug activity, and was also on parole for drugs. Consent was given to search his residence in McDougal. After the search, Jimmy Honeycutt, 32, and Veronica Howe, 28, were arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia...

County Coroner Paul Hoggard asked the Quorum Court Monday night for approximately $3,500 for the purchase of a cooler to store bodies that have to be sent to the state medical examiner's office for autopsies. "The state medical examiner's office is doing five-six autopsies per day and is running low on funding," Hoggard said. "They are running two-three days behind on picking up bodies. We need a cooler to store the bodies at 40 degrees."...

Piggott Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring Ag Expo 2004. This is the first Ag Expo in Clay County. It is being held in conjunction with the 30th Annual FFA Farm Sale beginning at 9 a.m., Saturday, April 3 at the Clay County Fairgrounds. Booths are for rent for $200 each. Booths will be set up in the Commercial Exhibit building. Businesses will be displaying their merchandise and services inside and outside of the building...

The Rector First Baptist Church really does shine. It has a special quality all its own and it shows. Rev. Ardell Polk, pastor, also has that special quality that is apparent as soon as he begins to speak. Polk came to Rector in March 1991 and said he has never felt he is supposed to be anywhere else...

County Coroner Paul Hoggard asked the Quorum Court Monday night for approximately $3,500 for the purchase of a cooler to store bodies that have to be sent to the state medical examiner's office for autopsies. "The state medial examiner's office is doing five-six autopsies per day and is running low on funding," Hoggard said. "They are running two-three days behind on picking up bodies. We need a cooler to store the bodies at 40 degrees."...

Continued street maintenance, police and fire protection, improvement to parks and recreation and continued economic development are the uses planned for the extension of the one-cent sales tax that will be the focus of a special election in Rector on April 13...

Farmers in the Clay County Eastern district had a special fish fry at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 11, at Rector Memorial Park in honor of Clay County Extension agent Andy Vangilder. David Cagle of Rector and Mike Morgan of Greenway organized the event with a very special surprise of appreciation for Vangilder. ...

Free medical advice, blood sugar testing, blood pressure checks and eye exams for glaucoma and cataracts were provided by Piggott Community Hospital from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 12, at the Rector Community Center. Dr. Angela Howell, an optometrist from Piggott, and Betty Phillips, of Southern Eye Associates in Jonesboro, were on hand to test for glaucoma and cataracts. Their booth also featured brochures on many diseases of the eye and vision disorders...

A five-run explosion in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Marmaduke Greyhounds the lead over the visiting Piggott Mohawks and they held on to beat the Mohawks, 10-7, last Thursday afternoon. Tony Whitaker led off the decisive inning with a single. Following a Piggott error and a walk, John Clark drew another walk to plate the go-ahead run...

The Rector Cougars proved that even if you don't hit the ball you can still win, as they hung on to beat Piggott, 3-2, at Rector Friday afternoon. The Cougars led 3-1 going into the top of the seventh inning. A couple of Mohawk singles and a walk gave them one run and it looked like they might get more. ...

Stanley Glen Brummet, 52, of Rector died Monday, March 15, 2004, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Little Rock. Born Feb. 4, 1952, in Marmaduke, he was a store keeper and an employee of Monroe Auto Equipment Company in Paragould. He had lived in this area his entire life and was of the General Baptist faith...

Betty Dowd Thomas Moss, 73, of Monette, formerly of the Blue Cane community near Rector, died Tuesday, March 9, 2004, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born July 6, 1930, in St. Louis to the late Everett and Sylvia Dowd. She also was preceded in death by her first husband, Euless Thomas; her second husband, Mr. Moss,and one son, Troy Thomas...

Irene Jeanette (Anderson) Seffers, 72, of Marmaduke, died Friday, March 12, 2004, at her home. She was born June 3, 1931, in Sikeston to the late George William Anderson and Edna Pearl (McNeese) Anderson. She also was preceded in death by one brother, William Anderson...

Gladys L. Leslie, 90, of Greenway died Monday, March 1, 2004, in the Rector Healthcare facility at Rector. She was born March 20, 1913, in Rinard, Ill., to the late Nelson and Myrtle Black Shaw and was married Dec. 4, 1929, to Edgar Raymond Bradford, who preceded her in death. She was married Aug. 27, 1971, to Earnest Leslie, who also preceded her in death...

Lucille Holifield, 90, of Rector died Monday, March 15, 2004, at Piggott Community Hospital. She was born Sept. 8, 1913, in Rector to the late H.T. and Nellie Montgomery. She also was preceded in death by her husband, Monroe Holifield, and two brothers, Wayne Montgomery and Cloyse Montgomery...

Signup for Little League baseball for boys and girls ages 5 to 12 will continue from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 20, at the Rector Community Center. Those who want more information may contact Tabitha White at 566-2233.