Election day is Tuesday, November 6, with polls open from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

One raffle will be for free deer processing from C&C Packing, a deer shoulder mount by Wild Morgan Taxidermy, and a 50 pound bag of deer corn from Magnolia Feed. The drawing will be held November 2.

The second raffle will be for two tickets to the Delta Waterfowl Banquet from Ty Jean, a duck mount by Wild Morgan Taxidermy, and a Double Reed Mallard DR-85 duck call. This drawing will be held October 20.

Tickets for both raffles are $5. To purchase tickets, make donations, or for additional information, please contact Tracy Sinor at (870) 234-6707 or Leah Smith at (870) 234-5777.

David Watkins speaks to the crowd gathered Friday at Central Baptist College in Conway for the open house of the school's new academic building named in honor of Watkins. (Photograph courtesy of Roger Dunlap)

The naming of the building came as a result of a lead contribution to the Vision 2020: A Miracle in the Making campaign made by Max and Debbie Story, long time members of First Baptist and close friends of Bro. Watkins. Vision 2020 is a plan to complete ten major construction projects in ten years to accommodate a student enrolment of 2,020. A ten year master plan completed by Sowell Architects of Conway is guiding the projected expansion. The new building is the first major project in the plan.

“He has done so much for the Association (BMAA – Baptist Missionary Association of America) and for First Baptist Church of Magnolia and I want to honor him in this way,” Max Story said.

Prior to going to First Baptist in 1988, Watkins pastored churches in Texarkana, Ruston, La., and Crossett. Watkins has held numerous denominational offices on the state and national level, including serving as president of the Baptist Missionary Association of America from 2006-2008 and as chairman of the Coordinating Council of the BMA of America from 2009-2010. David served on the CBC Board of Trustees from 2002 – 2006 and also filled a one-year unexpired term in 2008. He has also been an active member of the Magnolia Rotary Club for the past 23 years serving on the board and has been recognized by the club as a Paul Harris Fellow, an award named after the founder of Rotary International.

“It’s a fitting tribute to a humble servant and great man of God,” said CBC President Terry Kimbrow. “Not only is he a past CBC board member, he is a trusted friend. I have turned to him frequently for encouragement. He almost always ends our phone conversations by praying with me.”

David and his wife of 44 years, Sheryl, are the parents of three adult daughters. Krista Roberts and husband Dale make their home in Cleveland, Miss.; Katie May and husband Rodney live in Magnolia; and Kara Way and her husband, John, live in Little Rock. The Watkins also have four grandchildren: Maggi, Hallie Kate, Heidi, and Dustin.

The ground floor houses offices that directly serve the students in addition to administrative office. The Bible and Missions departments are located on the second floor along with a 100+ seat lecture hall, conference rooms, and classrooms. The third floor is dedicated exclusively to classrooms.

David and Julie Eisenhower visit with Dr. Robert Terry before the start of the 2012 Farmers Bank and Trust Distinguished Speaker Series.

We will have the complete story and more photographs later on our blog and in tomorrow’s edition of the Banner-News.

Music & Memory

The Columbia County Fair Queen Contest, sponsored by Quota International of Magnolia, will be Sept. 17.

This competition is for ages 17 through 21 (formerly 16-21). Contestants must never have been married nor have had a child. Contestants must be a Columbia County resident for six months, or a second-year full-time student.

Winner of the fair queen contest will receive $500 cash, a crown and silver tray. Quota International and BancorpSouth each provide a cash donation of $250. Silver trays are donated by Farmers Bank and Trust, and the crown is donated by Murphy’s Jewelers. Other prizes include a stylized picture of the queen, a three-month membership and training package at Physiques, two Mystic Tan spa treatments, a one-month unlimited tanning at Serenity Day Spa, and a $25 gift certificate to Simply Beautiful II.

First runner-up will receive $175 and a silver tray. Second runner-up will receive $100 and a silver tray. Miss Congeniality will receive a silver tray, and winner of the interview award will receive $75 donated by Kathy’s Dance Arts Studio.

The Teen Miss Pageant is for girls ages 13-16.

Entry forms are available at Simply Beautiful II, located on the Square.

Contestants will compete in formal evening dress and sportswear (nice jeans, dressy blouse and high heel shoes).

For more information, contact Jo Ann Whitehead at (870) 234-2617, Betty Eddy or Marilyn Fannin at (870) 234-0095. For more information on the Teen Miss Pageant, contact Tara Kuykendall at (870) 904-1822.

This movement is expected to continue today, taking the storm on a path for southwest Arkansas by late tonight/early tomorrow.

Tropical storm force winds currently extend up to 175 miles from the center of the storm, but are expected to diminish as the day continues, with the system becoming a tropical depression by tonight.

The biggest threat to the Columbia County area will be rain—between six to eight inches of precipitation are expected to fall, with isolated amounts being even higher. Isolated tornadoes are also possible. Rain from the storm system is currently beginning to fall in portions of southern Arkansas and will continue to increase through the morning.

At approximately 9:15 a.m., emergency crews were dispatched to the scene. Paramedics could be seen on the roof administering CPR to an unidentified man. Ladders and ropes were used to raise a long spine board and oxygen for emergency workers to administer.

The fire department’s Snorkel truck was maneuvered between Warnock’s Furniture and the former Cameo Theater and used to lower the man to the ground. CPR was continued on the man continuously throughout the incident.

The victim was transported by ambulance to Magnolia Regional Medical Center. His condition is not being released at this time.

The new program will last a month longer than last year’s and will include more items than the toys and electronics featured last year.

The world’s largest retailer says its mostly lower-income shoppers are still having a hard time stretching their dollars to the next paycheck. A little more than three years into the economic recovery, shoppers, particularly in the low-income bracket, remain particularly hard hit by unemployment and other financial worries.

The return of layaway is also occurring after the discounter, based in Bentonville, Ark., saw its sales momentum slow at its namesake U.S. business according to its latest quarterly results, though business has rebounded from a more than two-year slump.

The announcement, made Monday, also presages what’s expected to be another intensely competitive holiday shopping season where merchants will do whatever it takes to lure shoppers into stores.

“Last year, millions of Americans replied on layaway at Wal-Mart to provide a great Christmas for their families,” said Duncan MacNaughton, chief merchandising and marketing officer for Wal-Mart’s U.S. store division, in a statement. “Because of their feedback, we’re offering the service again this year and making it better than ever.”

Wal-Mart says its layaway program, which will begin Sept. 16 and end Dec. 14, will give shoppers an extra month to spread their payments. The list of items that will be available for layaway has broadened too and goes beyond last year’s toys and electronics. Shoppers will be able to set aside small home appliances and select sporting goods such as trampolines and large exercise equipment.

Wal-Mart is still requiring that each item is priced at $15 or more, and the total layaway purchase must be at least $50.

A down payment of 10 percent or $10, whichever is greater, is required and will be applied to the purchase, the same terms as last year. There’s also a $15 fee to open an account. If the order is cancelled or not paid in full, the $15 is not refunded, but no additional cancellation fee will be charged. Shoppers who make their final layaway payment get a full refund of the $15 fee in a form of a Wal-Mart gift card.

In comparison, last year, the open fee was $5, but shoppers had to pay a cancellation fee of $10.

Layaway became popular during the Great Depression. Before the most recent recession, easy credit had made it largely a thing of the past. But when credit dried up and the job market soured, Sears, Toys R Us and other merchants added back or expanded the service.

Citing increased costs and lower customer demand, Wal-Mart phased out its layaway in September 2006 — roughly a year before the recession began — with the exception of jewelry. But the discounter faced criticism because it built its reputation on helping the low-income shoppers.