Stories from Thursday, July 15, 2004

The airport commission has been granted permission to buy 8.56 acres of land from Kent Coomer to be used for improvements to the facility. A motion was passed unanimously on Monday evening in a regular meeting of the Piggott City Council to allow the purchase...

Ron and Debbie Baker are the newest additions to the Clay County Extension Service. Ron is a Clay County agent for agriculture and his wife, Debbie, is the Family and Consumer Science agent. The Bakers have spent the past 20 years in Sumatra, in Asia, where they ran a farmers' training center as a part of the International Mission Board with the Southern Baptist Church...

Clay County resident Ronnie Hardin, 52, has been reported missing by the Clay County Sheriff's Department. Hardin was last seen on Thursday evening, July 1. Family, friends and the sheriff's department have been searching for him. Anyone with information that could help locate Hardin, or anyone who has any contact or sees Hardin is asked to call Sheriff Ronnie Cole at 870-598-2270...

The annual St. Francis Picnic will be held Saturday, July 17, at the picnic grounds in St. Francis. The welcome address will be conducted at 9:45 a.m. by Randy Dalton, associate pastor of the First General Baptist Church in Rector. At 10 a.m. will be the baby contest for zero to 12 months, followed by the toddler contest for ages 2-4 at 11 a.m...

The American Cancer Society has a new campaign underway to help make the public aware of the many ways cancer patients benefit from the money raised through the Relay for Life. On Thursday, July 8, Sherrie Dupwe Mitchell, Community Program Representative for Northeast Arkansas for the American Cancer Society (ACS), visited Piggott Community Hospital to install a sign in the emergency room/outpatient surgery waiting room at the facility...

Mary Magdalene Hill Carpenter Orr, 85, a resident of the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell died July 12, 2004, at the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott. She was born Feb. 4, 1919, in Boydsville, the daughter of the late James Ephrey and Lois King Hill...

Naomi Faye Reed, 64, of Paragould, died Thursday, July 8, 2004, in the St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Feb. 14, 1940, the daughter of the late Eddie and Minnie Reagan Greene. She was united in marriage to James C. Reed on Feb. 19, 1958, and they had three children...

Les Russell, 93, of Corning died on Tuesday, July 6, 2004, at Clay Healthcare in Corning. He was born March 29, 1911, in Greenway, the son of Thomas Adron and Jennie Belle Latta Russell. He was united in marriage to Anna Raye Blackwood on Jan. 7, 1940, in Poplar Bluff...

Wesley Franklin Beck, 54, of Rector died Sunday, July 4, 2004, in the Baxter County Regional Hospital in Mountain Home, Ark. He was born Nov. 20, 1949, in Piggott, the son of the late Carl F. Beck Sr. and Beatrice Morris Beck. He was united in marriage to Janice Kay Arant on Nov. 4, 1972, they had three children...

Clay County Electric Cooperative conducted its 65th annual meeting in Wynn Park last Friday with an outstanding turnout for the pre-Independence Day session. Louis Ahrent, John Dalton and Reuben Seay were re-elected to three-year terms to the board of directors of Clay County Electric during a short business meeting preceding the give-away at 1:30 p.m...

It's been a busy year for the students in the Rector High School Drama Department. In May of 2003 the students received an invitation to perform at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, this August. The Fringe Festival is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest performing arts festival and last for three weeks. The school's participation will be through the American High School Theatre Festival (AHSTF)...

The American Cancer Society has a new campaign underway to help make the public aware of the many ways cancer patients benefit from the money raised through the Relay for Life. On Thursday, July 8, Sherrie Dupwe Mitchell, Community Program Representative for Northeast Arkansas for the American Cancer Society (ACS), visited Piggott Community Hospital to install a sign in the emergency room/outpatient surgery waiting room at the facility...

Operation "Dad Bag" was a success Monday night as 25 boxes were filled with goods for area soldiers serving overseas. Organized by Ruth Wimberley, the group packaged toiletries, baked goods, dry goods, and entertainment. Shipped Tuesday morning, each box contained a letter signed by all of the volunteers who were a part of the project...

Andy Wyss, parent of two elementary school students, asked the Rector School Board Monday night about the recent letter he received from the state about the body mass index of his son. "My son got a letter saying he was in the overweight category of body mass index, but he's not fat. ...

Although he has only lived here three years, Rector's newest alderman, David Freeman, already is proud to be a part of the community. "I've seen a lot of good community spirit and volunteerism here, especially with the Labor Day activities," he said...

Rector Police Chief Tommy Baker wants to remind drivers and pedestrians of the right-of-way rules and offenses that will be ticketed when school begins next month. Last year a child was hit near the school and that is one thing no one wants to see happen again...

The Rector City Council on Monday night heard presentations from engineer Jerome Alford regarding needed improvements to the city's sewer system and Jack Truemper, vice president of Stephens, Inc., on proposed refinancing of the city's water bonds...

Clay County resident Ronnie Hardin, 52, has been reported missing by the Clay County Sheriff's Department. Hardin was last seen on Thursday evening, July 1. Family, friends and the sheriff's department have been searching for him. Anyone with information that could help locate Hardin, or anyone who has any contact or sees Hardin is asked to call Sheriff Ronnie Cole at 870-598-2270...

Carroll "L.C." Strader, 82, of Missouri, formerly of Rector, died Friday July 2, 2004. He was born July 22, 1921. He operated a grain elevator at Leonard with partner, Pete Boyd, for a number of years before moving to Missouri. He will be remembered by several friends and acquaintances...

Wesley Franklin Beck, 54, of Rector died Sunday, July 4, 2004, in the Baxter County Regional Hospital in Mountain Home, Ark. He was born Nov. 20, 1949, in Piggott, the son of the late Carl F. Beck Sr. and Beatrice Morris Beck. He was united in marriage to Janice Kay Arant on Nov. 4, 1972, they had three children...