Stories from Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Funnel spotted in storm Monday (06/17/09)
Rector and the surrounding areas were drenched by torrential rains Monday, as a storm with the potential to produce tornados came through the area. In fact, spotters from the Rector Fire Department witnessed a funnel cloud form near the city limits...

Heartfelt friends (06/17/09)
Rector's Tom Wagster celebrated the 25th anniversary of his 1984 heart transplant Saturday, appropriately wearing a t-shirt which read, "The beat goes on." Joining in the big celebration was longtime friend Ceann McGowan of Springfield, Mo., who will mark 25 years with a new heart in November. ...

Simmons shared love of learning during RHS teaching career (06/17/09)
The role of teacher is among the most vital and influential in a community. A talented teacher not only imparts knowledge of a subject to students, but also creates a desire to do one's best in every situation throughout the entirety of life...

Rumors swirl, but nothing concrete in mayor's exit (06/17/09)
While a whirlwind of rumors continue to swirl around the recent resignation of former Marmaduke mayor Byron Phillips, there is little in the way of new, concrete information. An article last week in the Paragould Daily Press said Phillips was told by the Arkansas State Police the first week of June that he was under investigation...

Deadline nears for Kids College (06/17/09)
These are a few spaces left for Rector's first Kids College, to be held Monday through Thursday, June 29 through July 2, at the Northeast Arkansas Innovative Training Center (NEAITC) on Main Street in Rector...

Celebration returns to Marmaduke (06/17/09)
Organizers hope the Marmaduke Picnic makes its return in grand fashion. This year marks the first the event has been held since the small town was hit hard by a devastating tornado in 2006...

875th alerted to possible new deployment (06/17/09)
Local soldiers may once again be called on to perform duties overseas. Members of the 875th Engineer Battalion were told Saturday during the first day of their regularly scheduled annual training at the Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center near Fort Smith to prepare for the possibility of being called to support overseas operations. ...

City receives major grant for local training center (06/17/09)
The City of Rector has received notification of the receipt of a major grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission for the continued development of the community's new educational training center...

Downtown named to National Register (06/17/09)
The Rector Commercial Historic District has been named to the National Register of Historic Places, according to an announcement this week from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage...

McIntosh pleads guilty (06/17/09)
Former Marmaduke school superintendent Jerry Don McIntosh pled guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court at Little Rock to a single felony count of wire fraud conspiracy relating to an attempt to defraud the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS)...

Just call me Maxine (06/17/09)
No longer can I say that I'm getting older. For several years I've used that phase, often as an excuse for some faux pas, but now I'm not getting older. I have arrived. I knew it when the waitress called me honey and sweetie, in a condescending way, "thanks, sweetie," she said when I paid my bill. She didn't call me that when I was in my mid forties. She waited until I grew old...

June's Moons and Gershwin Tunes (06/17/09)
June comes softly and gently, bringing a sense of style and grace, as if she would like to be your fair lady. She reigns over her domain from a high-sky sun at its zenith come solstice. Her short nights are brought to an abrupt end by raucous dawns welcoming the day sounds to us participants in the celebration of summer at last. Her rains are gentle...

Is regulation a dirty word? (06/17/09)
Most of us immediately think negative when the word "regulation" is mentioned, particularly as it applies to the government. We envision "red tape" or "paper work" or similar unpleasant images...

Tony Wayne Jones (06/17/09)
Tony Wayne Jones was born September 2, 1943, to the late Euvene and Zeffie (Marsh) Jones. He departed this life on June 3, 2009, at the age of sixty-five years, nine months and one day. Mr. Jones had served in the Navy and was a member of Smith's Chapel...