A2 • Thursday, March 3, 2011 • THE LEADER
www.covingtonleader.com
COMMUNITY
Prayer service organized for Lucy Krull Community rallies around five-year-old undergoing cancer treatment By ECHO DAY eday@covingtonleader.com A community prayer service has been organized in support of Lucy Krull, a five-year-old recently diagnosed with medulloblastoma. On Friday, Feb. 25, Lucy underwent surgery to remove tumors from her brain and spine and has been hospitalized in Memphis while she recovers and undergoes treatment. Since her diagnosis, the community has come together to offer their support through prayers and dozens of hot pink and purple bows. Friends of Lucy’s parents - Erik and Kate Krull of Covington have come together to organize a community prayer service which will be held on Friday, March 4 at Cobb-Parr Park. “The community is really burdened and heartbroken about
this,” said Zach Cook. “It’s going to just be a simple time where we can meet together and just pray for them.” Cook and friends, in addition to members of the community, will gather at 5:30 p.m. Friday and pray specifically for her treatment and healing as well as strength for the family. “We just felt led to do it,” Cook said. In addition to the prayer service, to help raise funds for the Krull family and Lucy’s medical expenses, Hometown Flowers and Gifts has been selling Lucy Bows, large hot pink and purple bows for mailboxes and doors that show support for Lucy. Each bow is $10 and proceeds will directly benefit the Krull family. Hometown Flowers and Gifts is located at 1055 South Main in Covington.
An I-69 design meeting will be held on March 8 for the residents affected by the segment planned for north of Hwy. 59 to Leighs Chapel Road. For more information, please see the legal ad on page A18.
This graphic, created by Emily Peyton Cook, has been circulating around Facebook and the websites of local bloggers in support of Lucy Krull.
Atoka
EDUCATION
Thibado selected as Presidential scholar By TYLER LINDSEY tlindsey@covingtonleader.com Drew Thibado, of Covington, has been selected as a candidate in the United States Presidential Scholars Program of 2011. Of the nearly 3.2 million high school seniors graduating this year, Thibado is one of approximately 3,000 students to receive this invitation. He’s a member of Mu Alpha Theta and will graduate from Memphis University School on May 15, 2011 in the top ten of his class. Thibado has also been selected as a National Merit Commended Scholar and will be inducted to the Cum Laude Society which is the highest honor students can receive in secondary school. If selected, as a 2011 U. S. Presidential Scholar, he will receive the Presidential Scholars medallion in a ceremony
Drew Thibado of Covington has been selected as a presidential scholar as well as a National Merit Commended Scholar.
sponsored by the White House during National Recognition Weekend in Washington, D. C. on June 18-21. The United States Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by Executive Order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Each year, up to 141 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the
nation’s highest honors for high school students. The Scholars represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people. Each year some 3,000 candidates are identified for the academic component of the program, based on having scored exceptionally well on the SAT or the ACT. Application is by invitation only; students do not apply individually to the program, nor do their schools nominate them. To confirm their interest and assist in the selection process, all academic and arts candidates complete and submit candidacy materials for review, including essays, self-assessments, secondary school reports and transcripts. A review committee of qualified individuals experienced in secondary and post-secondary education assess the submissions and extend invitations.
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Continued from A1 best friend. She was the one I called in the middle of the night when I had a problem; we were the best of friends.” Both sisters say they were out of town when they heard the news Paula – and co-worker Judy Spray of Ripley – had been killed; Nicole was on vacation in East Tennessee, Tina was at work in Nashville. “We were on our way home from Gatlinburg,” said Nicole. “That was the worst five-hour drive of my life. I cried, I screamed, I couldn’t believe it.” The sisters said the last four months have been difficult, full of grief described as unbearable at times. “It’s been hell. I can’t sleep, lost over 30 pounds just between now and then, not eating, not being able to sleep, crying all the time, just being depressed,” Nicole said. “There was a time I even asked myself why am I still here, because I was hurting that much. I didn’t want to be here.” “Out of everyone, the kids really are doing the best,” Tina added. “They say they have to check on us.” And besides the grief, there are also many questions. They biggest question, said Nicole, is why. They question the motives of the father-and-son duo suspected in the murder – Chastain Montgomery Sr. and the now deceased Chastain Montgomery Jr. – that fateful day in October. “Whatever they were looking for, my sister would have gave it to them, no question about it,” she said. “Why? Why? What was the reason? I know she wouldn’t have harmed them. I just want to know why they took their lives so tragi-
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cally; you don’t even shoot a dog like that … just … cold blood. They murdered two innocent women for no reason.” For months following the murders, Robinson and Spray’s families pleaded with the public to help find the persons responsible. On Feb. 14, those prayers and pleas were seemingly answered. Following a carjacking in Nashville – one block away from Tina’s workplace – the younger Montgomery, 18, was involved in a pursuit from Brownsville and into Mason, where he was killed during a shoot-out with police. The elder Montgomery, 47, was on the scene of his son’s shooting minutes later and allegedly tried to enter the vehicle his son stole from Nashville earlier that morning. He was arrested and charged with tampering with evidence and resisting arrest among other charges. And while being questioned during the investigation into the shooting, Montgomery confessed he and his son were responsible for the post office robbery and murders of Paula Robinson and Judy Spray. Last week, Montgomery was indicted in federal court on charges related to the deaths of Robinson and Spray. Officials said he faces life in prison or the death penalty. For the families, the arrest brings a sense of relief and a little closure, but still leaves unanswered questions. “My soul is overjoyed; they took somebody very dear to us, there’s really a void in our lives,” Tina said. “Now that Chastain has confessed there’s some closure, but still questions … but for
right now, we’re happy and Paula’s happy that her killer has come forward.” The sisters believe divine intervention played a part in capturing the persons investigators believe are responsible for Paula and Judy’s murders. “The street I work off of, he had carjacked this guy at 6 a.m. right off Elm Hill Pike,” Tina said. “That’s where it all started, right where Paula’s little sister works, one of her killers was right there in the area.” “You sit back and wonder if those circumstances wouldn’t have happened, would we be here today?” Nicole said. “What goes around comes around. God works in mysterious ways.” Nicole and Tina say the family – including Paula’s parents, seven siblings, husband Michael, eight-year-old daughter and 12-yearold son – is using faith as a comfort in their grief. And they are working toward forgiveness. “We, as Christians, try to forgive, so we’re trying to forgive, we’re working on that part, but it’s gonna be hard because the way they were killed,” Nicole said. “Only someone that’s evil would do something like that … they didn’t have to die.” Montgomery was arraigned in federal court on Tuesday, March 1 on two counts of unlawfully killing an employee of the United States, two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon and two counts of unlawfully causing the deaths of Paula Robinson and Judy Spray through the use of a firearm. A detention hearing has been set for March 14.
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3/2/11 7:03:23 PM