Historian, newsman selected as prayer breakfast speaker

Local residents are invited for a morning of faith, fellowship and food on April 12 as LeRoy Benton hosts the annual Fulton Mayor's Prayer Breakfast at the Callaway Senior Center.

The guest speaker for this year's event is Bob Priddy, news director of Missourinet, and a longtime friend of Benton.

"I went to school with him years ago and know him as a man of faith, and also as a man interested in the inner workings of government," Benton said. "The prayer breakfast is a celebration of community and faith, and he'll address that."

Priddy, who noted that "LeRoy and I go back a long ways from our days playing basketball together on the church-league teams," said he has followed Benton's career in public service over the years.

"Since I spend my life covering the legislature I have an appreciation for those who put themselves forward as a representative of the people," Priddy said.

He said he is not yet certain what he will speak about, but said he is looking forward to the breakfast.

"I think (events like this) are important because they remind all of us there is always something greater than ourselves," Priddy said. "We need to keep in touch with the fact that almost every religion calls on people to be more than themselves and ... that service should be part of our nature."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.