"She lit up a room," Katie Rhine, pre-kindergarten director at Pea Ridge Schools said sadly, remembering Chevelle Rust whose absence in school Monday elicited many questions from her former classmates.
Chevelle, 5, and her father, James Rust, 30, died in a house fire Sunday morning. Her mother, Sybil Rust, and two siblings survived, as did the family pets, two dogs.
The residence at 16999 Green Ridge Rd., Garfield, was destroyed.
"She was always smiling, always had a little giggle," Rhine said, adding that she and fellow teachers had a "family" meeting Monday morning with students to share the news and comfort the students. "There were lots of hugs and kisses today. They helped us as much as we helped them."
"The Pea Ridge School community is deeply heartbroken and mourning the loss of one of our pre-k students, Chevelle Rust, and her father, Jimmy Rust," according to a press release by Pea Ridge School District officials. "We hold our students and their families in the highest regard, and our hearts and prayers go out to the Rust family.
"In times such as these we come together as a community in support. The district will be adding additional counseling resources to help meet the needs of the Rust Family, our students, staff, and community as we deal with the grief surrounding this tragic incident. Please keep the Rust Family in your thoughts and prayers."
Firefighters from Pea Ridge, Northeast Benton County and Avoca Volunteer Fire Departments were dispatched about 7 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, after receiving a call from a resident of the house.
Assistant Benton County fire marshal Eric Smith said on the scene he had not yet determined the cause of of the fire but said he was sure it was not a space heater.
A drizzling rain had begun to fall by 10:30 a.m. Sunday when Benton County Coroner Daniel Oxford and his staff arrived on the scene.
The Benton County Sheriff's Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the incident.
General News on 01/10/2018