Stories from Wednesday, May 20, 2009

RHS grads celebrate step to future
Scholarships make transition easier for many (05/20/09)
The challenges of tomorrow were deftly entwined with those already overcome when the Rector High School Class of 2009 gathered Friday night in the school gymnasium to usher in the journey to adulthood...

Dortch retiring from RES after teaching 14 years (05/20/09)
For the last 14 years, Rita Dortch has been a fixture at Rector Elementary. Now, after having helped form and challenge hundreds of young minds, Dortch is retiring from RES. Dortch made the decision to become a teacher at the age of 46. ...

Governor congratulates Layer (05/20/09)
Amanda Layer (center), valedictorian of the Rector High School Class of 2009, receives congratulations from Gov. and Mrs. Mike Beebe at a reception for graduating high school honor seniors held May 2 at the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock. Also present were her parents, Cam Cate (far left) and Sherry Cate (second from right) and sister, Madison Cate....

Fast Break Game Room offering fun for all ages (05/20/09)
Rector residents looking for a fun alternative to a quiet evening at home now have another option for their free time. Alan Deringer has recently opened the Fast Break Game Room in the former Western Auto building...

Tickets going fast for Helping Hands benefit concert (05/20/09)
Early ticket sales for the Rector High School Helping Hands Foundation's second benefit concert Tuesday, Aug. 4, strongly indicate this show will be a sellout. Two hundred fifty premium seats at $50 each already are completely gone, and sales of general admission seats at $20 each are going quickly...

GT team takes third in state (05/20/09)
Four Rector High School gifted and talented students recently won third place in the state in the Arkansas Personal Finance Challenge 2009 held on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas at Conway...

Pageant will be highlight of Mayfest event May 30 (05/20/09)
The annual Rector Mayfest Pageant will be one of the highlights of the community festival set for Saturday, May 30, at Rector Downtown Park. Sponsored by the Rector Area Chamber of Commerce, the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m...

Annual Memorial Day service set (05/20/09)
Rector's annual Memorial Day service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 24, at Woodland Heights Cemetery. The event, which honors veterans, will feature speakers Tommy Huggins, commander of Rector Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 10480, and Chuck Hayden from the Poplar Bluff VFW post. Pastor Marston Carpenter will lead a special prayer during the service...

Court provides additional funds for needs of sheriff's department (05/20/09)
The Clay County Sheriff's Department will be receiving additional funding to help in its operation. The Clay County Quorum Court voted Monday night to augment the department's budget by $20,000 to assist in the purchase of a second new patrol car and help in drug investigations...

Glen Houston Stewart (05/20/09)
Glen Houston Stewart, 83, of Rector passed away at the Arkansas Methodist Hospital on May 13, 2009. He was born October 8, 1925, to the late W.F. "Fannie" and Floy Belle (Light) Stewart in Walcott, Arkansas. Glen served as a paratrooper in World War II and he drove a truck for many years...