Stories from Wednesday, April 22, 2009

1969 Friday, April 25 was the first day to register for the first grade for the coming year..and all students from the Piggott District will register at Central Elementary since it's the only location where first graders will be attending thanks to the new busing plan. ...

For the first time in nearly a decade, Piggott hosted the high school district baseball tournament last week for 3AAA-North. The tournament kicked-off with two games on Thursday afternoon, continued with four games on Friday and wrapped up late Saturday afternoon with the third place and championship games. ...

Piggott's Rob Rice represented PHS Sunday in the Sun Senior Classic all-star basketball game at Jonesboro High School. Rice, a standout basketball and football player for the Tribe, played on the winning white team that was coached by Brad Brannen of the Bay Yellowjackets...

The tight-night family that is Northeast Arkansas volleyball, came together Friday night at one of the Mecca's of that sport in this region for the third annual Queen's of the Hardwood match. The event, a fundraiser for City Youth Ministries of Jonesboro, was held at Westside High School and featured some of the top talent from this year's graduating class...

The Piggott Mohawks ended their baseball season at home Friday afternoon, losing a 1-2 nail-bitter to the Corning Bobcats in the second round of the 3AAA-North district tournament at Independence Park. With the loss the Tribe came up just shy of a trip to this week's regional at Tuckerman, but end the season with a winning record...

While flipping through the TV channels last night, I couldn't help but notice the copycats. Well, I guess we've all been copycats at some time or other. I know in high school the girls did a lot of copycatting, me included. ...

A committee made up of members of the Piggott Cemetery Association board voted recently to end the long standing tradition of giving away a new pickup at the annual Fourth of July Picnic and Celebration. Instead, there will be three winners drawn that night and each will receive a check for $5,000...

The 11th annual Clay County Relay For Life is set for Saturday, April 25, at Heritage Park in Piggott. Monday night the week's activities officially kicked off with the fourth annual Survivor's Dinner at the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Piggott...

Supporters of the Hemingway Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott, along with the other ASU Heritage Sites, got some good news last week as funding for operation of the sites was approved by the Arkansas legislature...

The Cougars met the hosting Buffalo Island Central Mustangs in the first round of the 2A-3 District Tournament at Monette Friday in a classic baseball struggle. The result of the game was a disappointing one for Rector fans, as the Cougars fell 2-1 in the hard-fought contest...

It was a tough finish to a strong season for the Lady Cougar softball team in their first game of the district tournament at Monette on Friday, as the girls fell to rival Marmaduke in a late-game surge, 9-8...

Many times those of us in smaller communities look with longing eyes at some of the advantages enjoyed by our brethren living in larger towns. We see the job opportunities, the wider selection for shopping and just the overall greater commerce and wish we could have a "bigger piece of the pie" ourselves...

While flipping through the TV channels last night, I couldn't help but notice the copycats. Well, I guess we've all been copycats at some time or other. I know in high school the girls did a lot of copycatting, me included. ...

Christeen Arnold, 86, of Rector, died suddenly Tuesday, April 14, in Rector. She was born October 27, 1922, in Clay County to the late Thomas and Ada (Patton) Meredith. In 1939, Christeen married Roy Wilcoxson. To this union three daughters were born, Shirley, Elaine and Peggy, who died at the age of two months...

Henrilee Dale, 97, of Rector died Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at the Evergreen Nursing Home in Rector. She was born June 1, 1911, in Clay County to the late W.O and Delilah (Trantham) Hill. Also preceding her in death was her husband, Carl Dale; one son, Max Dale; one brother, Raymond Hill, and five sisters, Lois Parks, Cleva Robinson, Veda Dale, Freeda Taylor and Quara Todd...

Ollie Mae Dodd, 94, of Lafe died Tuesday, April 14, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. Born Jan. 13, 1915, in Knob to the late Edward and Mary Burns, she was a housewife and of the Baptist faith...

Myrtle Mae Ferguson, 94, of Paragould, formerly of Rector, died Tuesday, April 14, in Paragould. Born May 20, 1914, in El Paso, Arkansas, to the late Charlie and Lula Talley, she was a homemaker and attended the Pentecostal Church. Also preceding her in death were four brothers, Dewey, Bill, Richard and Charles Talley, and five sisters, Pauline, Annie, Charlene, Lottie and Mamie...

Clarence Edward Moore, 86, of Charlotte, Tenn., formerly of Rector, died Wednesday, April 15, at National Health Care Center in Dickson, Tenn. Born Feb. 13, 1923, in Knob to the late Tommy and Tolie Moore, he was retired from Uniroyal, was a WWII Navy Veteran, retired from Emerson Electric in Kennett after working there 17 years and was a member of Boydsville Baptist Church and also attended the Grace Baptist Church in Dickson, Tenn.. ...

Joe Lynn Sanders, 54, of Rector died Friday, April 17, 2009, at his residence. Mr. Sanders was born on June 2, 1954, in Rector, Arkansas. He was a former factory worker. Survivors include one daughter, Summer Sanders of Kennett, Missouri; his mother, Roma Nell Sanders of Rector; one sister, Gwyn Fry of Florrisant, Missouri, and one nephew, Dustin Graves of Mountain Home, Arkansas...

An estimated 150 spectators visited the Boydsville Arena Sunday for the fourth annual Rector FFA Lawnmower Races. The day included numerous races in both open and professional divisions...

Rector High School Helping Hands Foundation president Sherland Hamilton (left) of Rector and board member Gloria Reed (right) of Chicago, chair of the Foundation scholarship committee, congratulate RHS seniors Joabou Mitchell (second from left) and Bethany Sisneros, who each will receive $5,000 college scholarships through the Foundation for 2009-2010. ...

A fire just north of Rector claimed the life of a local man Friday afternoon, April 17. According to a report based on information gathered by the Rector Fire Department, Clay County Sheriff's Department and the county coroner's office, Joe Lynn Sanders, 54, likely died from smoke inhalation at his 9486 Highway 90 residence...

It's been a very active spring for Rector seventh grader Kaylee Hartsfield. The Cougar 4H Club member has been busy competing in a number of shows with her two Red Angus heifers, Harmony and Sunflower, as part of her 4H project...

The Clay County Sheriff's Department currently is seeking grants in order to add a new deputy and help with the cost of purchasing new vehicles. Sheriff Gerald McClung told the Clay County Quorum Court during Monday night's meeting at the courthouse in Corning the main reason he has not yet made arrangements to purchase new vehicles to replace those currently operating with high mileage is due to the possible availability of grants which will cover 45 percent of the cost for new patrol cars. ...

The creation of an exciting new veterans memorial park in Rector is a step closer to reality following a committee meeting on the project held Friday at city hall. The project is off to a tremendous start with major contributions from committee co-chairman George Barker and committee member Melvin Bridges...

I wrote two poems this week, dealing with the emotions associated with life and death. The first one displays the stages that describe the grief we all feel at the loss of a loved one. (The writer's beloved wife of 32 years died suddenly just under three months ago.) A major part of dealing with such a tremendous loss is recognizing these emotions to let one prevent the deterioration of unresolved grieving as a way of everyday living.. ...