Stories from Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Mrs. Wilton Inez McDonald, age 98, of St. Louis, formerly of the Rector area, went to be with her Lord on June 6, 2010, at her residence in St. Louis. She was born Dec. 27, 1911, to the late James David and Pearl McCluney in Rector. She was united in marriage on May 19, 1928, to Ernest Airhart McDonald, who preceded her in death on May 27, 1970...

Graveside memorial services for 55-year-old Vickie Jo (Lyles) Rollings of Rector, who passed from this life on Sunday, June 6, 2010 in the Phil and Flo Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro, will be Friday at 10 a.m. in the Woodland Heights Cemetery in Rector...

Who says you have to go out of Rector to get great food and entertainment on the weekends? Those who might say that did not show up for the Clay County Arts Council's annual Celebration of the Arts held Saturday night at the Rector Community Center...

Several of the top gospel performers of today will lend their talents when Rector hosts its third annual concert benefiting the Rector High School Helping Hands Foundation on Thursday, Aug. 5. Gaither artist Charlotte Ritchie is one of the amazing artists set to take part in the show at the new air-conditioned RHS gymnasium. She will join Gaither artists Mark Lowry, 2010 Grammy winner Jason Crabb and Gene McDonald, as well as America' top bluegrass group Dailey & Vincent...

And the winner is... Judy Hargrave of Rector says she is still finding it hard to believe after being crowned over the weekend as Ms. Senior Arkansas 2010. Hargrave, 63, competed against 20 other ladies in the event, held in Alma. "It was very exciting," Hargrave said. "I think it's still setting in. I didn't expect to win. Throughout the competition, I felt calm because I didn't think I would win."...

From what we can ascertain concerning the present political environment, there are three steps a candidate must take to have a chance of being elected to any major office: When one examines this major requirement for mounting a serious campaign, we wonder why anyone would even be interested in going down such an unseemly path. The fact is that lots of qualified candidates refuse to get involved in such a system -- and many good public officials get out because they are sick of the process...

Gold Star Wives of America. Is that organization unknown to you? The purpose of the military group is to honor the memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of our country. I belong to the organization and so do thousands of widows...

We have been a benign and peaceful people down the scores of years since we were British subjects who helped the mother country fight the French-and-Indian wars on this continent. Despite our wishes and struggles to prosper as an independent nation, we have repeatedly engaged in wars, skirmishes and rumors of wars all the way down the course of our history, up to and including this Memorial Day. ...

The Cougars and Junior Cougars hosted area teams for a series of scrimmage-style games this week in Rector. On Monday, the senior boys fell by six points to Hoxie in one half of play. "We really didn't play well," coach Matt Mills said. "That's the only game we've played this summer where it just really didn't come together for us."...