Wagarville Store Opens After Tragedy

Wagarville Harris Grocery reopened this week. Longtime owner Ray Wheat was shot to death during a robbery in December 2008.

by Chad Petri

Published: Thu, September 03, 2009 - 2:14 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, September 03, 2009 - 2:56 pm CST

Mike McCully rings up a customer at the just reopened Harris Grocery. It’s a sound that hasn’t been heard around the store on Highway 43 for several months.

“Everyone around here knows it everyone wants it back open, all the people in the community have missed it,” says co-owner McCully. The store had been closed since December. Longtime owner Ray Wheat was killed in a robbery. Customers say they've needed this place back.

“Oh thank God the store is finally open again,” said customer Hubertha Powell as she walked through the door this morning. Shoppers say, with out this store, they'd have to drive nearly 15 miles to Jackson to get much needed tools and daily necessities.

“We're going to work together as a community to help keep it open and watch out for one another,” says Powell. The new owners say it'll be tough to get this store up and running in a recession but it's something the previous owner, Ray Wheat, would have wanted.

“His uncle had run it for most of his life and Ray ran it until his death,” says Mike McCully. As the new owners slide into place, the McCully's admit they have big shoes to fill. Ray was known as a man that would help anyone get what they needed.

“I hope we can do just like they did be as helpful to the people as they were,” says Mike’s wife and the other co-owner Joyce McCully. Mike McCully, who grew up with ray, says their prime location near the highway should help bring business back. The store was just reopened yesterday, 9/2/2009. The store was originally named "Harris Cash Grocery." The new owners have shortened that to "Harris Grocery." The store has a long history in Wagarville. Locals say it's been in business for more than 50 years.

Corey Wimbley and Juan Crayton face capital murder charges in the death of ray wheat. They will be arraigned in October. They’re being held in Washington County Jail.

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