Phillips 66 employees recognized

SILOAM SPRINGS — Three convenience store employees were recognized at Tuesday’s city board meeting for safeguarding children during the Jan. 10 storms.

Twila Kirby, Gerri McClendon and Tamra Younger, employees of the Phillips 66 gas station at the corner of Cheri Whitlock Drive and North Mount Olive Street, received certificates of recognition from Mayor John Mark Turner.

The city was notified of the employees’ acts by

Austin Tyler, a firefighter at Northwest Arkansas National Airport, who came to pick up his daughter from the convenience store and saw the employees in action, Turner said. Tyler wrote a letter to the city detailing the actions of the employees.

On the day of the storms, Tyler was on his way to pick up his daughter from the Phillips 66 after school when he heard the tornado sirens sound, the letter states. When Tyler arrived, he was greeted by an employee at the front door who was watching outside for children walking down the street. Tyler also noticed another employee in the back who was watching over about 20 children who had just gotten off school, the letter states.

Tyler said he felt touched the employees went to so much trouble to protect the children. Kirby, the manager of the Phillips 66, said this is one of the operating procedures she has in place to help safeguard the young customers who routinely shop her store.

“It is our people that make Siloam Springs great and this is just one example of that,” Turner said.