Stories from Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Mark Lowry knows how to have a good time. The popular Christian comedian, singer and songwriter has been entertaining crowds since 1980. While his vocal talent is second to none, Lowry has made a lasting impression with audiences through his renowned wit and view on life...

Growing up in Rector, Martha Molina, the daughter of Neala and the late I.V. "Doc" Stahl, always had an eye on the sky. Now she is serving as a role model to young girls and other women through her involvement in Arkansas TravelAviatrix. Molina is half of a two-woman team which will compete June 22-25 in the Air Race Classic...

The resignation of RHS band director Craig Wadley was accepted during a brief school board meeting Tuesday night. The board did not enter executive session for the decision, as no specifics regarding the action were discussed. Superintendent Rob Louder recommended the hiring of Robert Tucker as the new band director. Tucker has been assistant band director at Blytheville for the past two years...

Betty Sue Manning, age 74, of Rector, passed from this life on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, in the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. Betty was born Dec. 29, 1935, in Rector to the late Sam and Lois Jenkins. She was a member of the Rector First Baptist Church and had been a beautician before retiring...

Larry Gene Young, age 63, of Rector, passed from this life on June 11, 2010, at his residence. Larry was born June 21, 1946, in Rector, to the late Finnis Franklin and Beulah Mae (Howell) Young. He was of the General Baptist faith and had worked at Parker-Hannifin for a number of years...

It seems to be a truism in the modern world that, if a statement is made often enough, it essentially becomes true. Such is the case with all the hoopla over the rise of "socialism" in America -- a supposed drastic shift in the direction of our nation that just happened to coincide with the election of Barack Obama, the latest in the line of illegitimate Democratic presidents (this one is accused of not having been born in America)...

A cat's a cat and that's that. I found that out while cat and dogsitting recently. Two dogs and one cat, that aren't allowed in the same room with each other. For good reason. The dogs are given the run of the house, while the cat stays in one bedroom, secluded, unless the cat is outdoors...

This observer has learned more than he ever needed to know during the past nine weeks about oil and the troubled waters of the Gulf of Mexico. (Several weeks ago in a piece about disasters due to natural causes and effects on this pate, I had remarked that, thus far, no one had ever brought forth catastrophe from an oil rig. With superabundant news coverage and daily portions of doom-cake from the media, I can now add that to my list of events gone woefully astray.)...