Text The Times.

Text The Times.

Would like to take this time to pray for the Patterson family from Parkin, Ark on the death of Mayor Willie Patterson on Saturday. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. And pray for the town of Parkin as well. Coach Patterson will be dearly missed by all. [ Editor’s Note: Sorry to hear it. I know Parkin has fallen on some hard times in recent years, with the loss of the school and the Police Department… something many small towns have run into over the past decade or two in the Mississippi Delta ( and well, plenty of other places, too), so any time a longtime member of one of those communities passes away, it’s more than just a death, it’s another piece chipped away from the legacy of a small town that doesn’t have many chips left to give.

So, while I didn’t know Mr. Patterson personally, I can offer my condolences to his family and the members of the community that did. I’m sure he will be missed]

*** So, a little girl just walked off campus at Richland yesterday. Thankfully she was found safe a short time later but I would just still like to know how she got away from the school though but I’m sure someone will have an explanation. Parents warn your children never wonder off school property no matter what alone, or while school is in session. [ Editor’s Note: According to the West Memphis Police Department’s Facebook page, the girl, who is 8 years old, “ ran away” from the school. That’s around lunch/ recess time, so if you were going to make a run for it, that would be the time to do it. It wouldn’t be that hard to simply slip away, so I’m not sure it’s necessarily to go all “ Oh my God, they’re not watching the kids!!!” or anything, and she was apparently found less than two hours later. Kids do weird things sometimes. I’m sure someone took the initiative to ask “ Why did you run away?” So, if there is something more sinister afoot than meets the eye, hopefully that will be uncovered. Until then, let’s just assume she didn’t want to take her Math test and be glad she was found safe]

*** Just wanted to offer a public thank you to Spencer, the young man who boosted my car off in the COLD weather after it wouldn’t start in the Kroger parking lot yesterday. Several people walked past without even seeing me (yea right) but he was kind enough to help me. He even let me sit in the car while he did all the work… and he wouldn’t even take anything for it, a nice young man [ Editor’s Note: Another act of kindness in Text the Times! That’s like three in the past week or so. Having been on both the giving and receiving end of the jumper- cables plenty of times, I can tell you it’s both a massive relief when someone is there to offer you a boost, and it’s also an easy feel-good moment when you can be there to offer some fairly lowmaintenance, but very appreciated assistance. It’s also worth mentioning, if you have teenage drivers under your roof, how to properly jump a car off is a quick but valuable lesson to teach them now that it’s cold. And if you’re looking for a last- minute addition to put under the Christmas tree, there are plenty of relativeley inexpensive “ road hazard” kits that include jumper cables, tire patches, flares, and other gizmos that make a practical gift idea]

*** Good picture and article on Century Farms. Might have been good to include some history of Fogleman farm instead of just press release. [ Editor’s Note: I especially appreciated the sheer size of the Fogleman family. Having grown up here, I have heard the Fogleman name my whole life. They are truly one of the pillars of this community. To farm the same tract of land that long is impressive. Do they have a “ Two Centuries Farm” category, because it’s really not that far off for this great Marion family]

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