100 years ago
July 1, 1918
NEWPORT -- The engine and boiler rooms of the Hocking stave mill burned Friday night was a loss of $5,000. The company had $2,000 insurance on the building and machinery. The fire started when the storm blew the smokestack down, which scattered sparks all over the building. The prompt work of the Fire Department saved several thousand dollars worth of staves from burning.
50 years ago
July 1, 1968
• Former state Senator James R. Snoddy of Alma, an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1956, issued a statement Sunday endorsing the candidacy of Clyde E. Byrd of Little Rock for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Snoddy, who received 43,480 votes of the 311,227 cast when he ran for governor, said Byrd was "the only candidate" in the six-man gubernatorial race who could defeat Governor Rockefeller.
25 years ago
July 1, 1993
JONESBORO -- A self-proclaimed witch in Jonesboro says he is being forced to move from the building where he runs a witchcraft shop because of complaints by churchgoers. Terry Riley, 38, who says he is a witch, operates "The Magick Moon," a novelty shop that sells books on witchcraft, tarot cards, bags of "potions" and related jewelry. Riley said local churches pressured the owner of the building, Ruben Griffin, to shut the business down by not renewing the store's lease. Steve Griffin, landlord and son of the owner, acknowledged that "religion" as well as business judgment was a factor in the decision not to renew the month-to-month lease.
10 years ago
July 1, 2008
MALVERN -- A Hot Spring County teenager told authorities he soaked a makeshift cross in lighter fluid, stuck it outside the home where a white woman and her three biracial children lived and set it ablaze, an arrest report released Monday said. Jacob A. Wingo, 19, was arrested last week on felony charges of terroristic threatening and aggravated assault in connection with the June 21 burning in rural Donaldson, about 12 miles from Malvern. A fire destroyed the home where the cross was burned less than a week later. Authorities are investigating whether the two are connected. The FBI has been called in to determine if a federal law has been violated.
Metro on 07/01/2018