Archive
May 21st, 2011
Billy Ray “Bill†Hogue, 72, of Heber Springs, formally of Benton, passed away May 17, 2011. He was born June 3, 1938, in Altheimer to the late Earcle and Edythe Hogue. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and wife, Joann Hogue.Â
For the second straight year, the Bryant Lady Hornets are coming home with a 7A State Championship trophy.
Bryant beat North Little Rock 11-1 Saturday in Fayetteville behind an outstanding pitching performance from Peyton Jenkins, who was named Most Valuable Player — also for the second year in a row.
Jenkins didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning. She ended the day with 10 strikeouts, giving up one unearned run on three hits.
May 20th
Like their softball counterparts, today the Bryant Hornets look to accomplish a rare feat in high school sports: back-to-back championships.
Bryant (23-6, 10-4 7A Central) takes on its conference foe, the Conway Wampus Cats, in the 7A State Finals at 5:30 p.m. at the University of Central Arkansas.
Anyone who has ever played the “telephone game†knows how easily the simplest of information can get distorted as it travels from one person to the next in the span of just 10 minutes.
Now, add about 30 years and you will end up with what one Benton coach calls “distorted history.â€
Benton track and field coach Lewis Pryor has become something of a legend at Benton High School, where his accolades include a state championship in football and a runner-up finish at a national championship with Henderson College.
This weekend is what the Lady Hornets have been waiting for all season: the 7A State Tournament Championship.
And in order for the defending champs to be successful Saturday against its 7A Central foe North Little Rock, the Lady Hornets will need big games from their pitcher-catcher combo, juniors Peyton Jenkins and Jessie Taylor.
The 17-year-old “beats,†as head coach Debbie Clark affectionately calls them, have led the team in the field and at the plate.
May 19th
It takes a monumental event to wake me up early on a Saturday morning.
If there’s no hunting season on and you see me roaming around before the sun’s above the horizon, run for the hills because the apocalypse might be at hand.
So when I heard the old wooden seats at Ray Winder Field were being given away, I did the unthinkable: set my alarm.
And I wasn’t alone. Last Saturday hundreds of us descended upon the old home of the Arkansas Travelers, eager for an opportunity to take home a piece of team history.
May 18th
Charles Thomas Alexander, 71, of Little Rock, passed away May 16, 2011. He was born in Little Rock to Oran Randle and Beatrice Weaver Alexander and was a member of Pleasant Valley Church of Christ. Charles was a real estate broker, a member of the Arkansas Air National Guard and a past member of the Toastmasters and the Lions Club. He retired from the Post Office as a Postmaster. He was also a very clever poet.
Bonnie LeNore Weatherford, 58, of Traskwood, passed away Saturday, May 14, 2011, in Benton. She was born March 22, 1953, in Rochester, N.Y. She was the daughter of William Mose Barnard and Mary ‘Covell’ Barnard. Bonnie was an LPN, who was a devoted wife and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She loved nursing and taking care of all of her patients. She also had a great love for her cats and wildlife in her backyard, where she enjoyed spending a lot of her time. Bonnie also enjoyed fishing and cooking.
Janet L. Renfro, 53, of Benton, died Monday, May 16, 2011. She was born on March 11, 1958, in Sacramento, Cali. to the late Wayne Alverson and Sally Birdie Phillips.Â
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Drew Allan Renfro, and one brother, Danny Alverson.Â
She is survived by two daughters, Haley Blankenship and husband, Scott, and Brandee Gray, all of Benton; one sister, Terri Nicholson of Wichita, Kan.; one brother, Garry Alverson of Humphrey; one aunt, Nona Alverson of Heber Springs, seven grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and many friends.
By
Special to the Courier
At the 54th annual Meet of Champions held Saturday at Lake Hamilton High School, Bryant sophomore Alexis Royal won the triple-jump title.
With wind speeds up to 25 mph buffeting the competitors, Royal jumped 36 feet, 11 inches on her second attempt to secure her victory.
Royal’s margin of victory was a full 10 inches farther than the other competitors. Jasmine Marks of Camden Fairview was second with a jump of 36’1.
