• Subscribe
    • Franklin Living Magazine
    • Services
      • About Us
      • Subscribe
      • Policies
      • Terms of use
      • Submit a news tip
      • Submit a photo
      • Birth announcement
      • Birthday announcement
      • Engagement announcement
      • Wedding announcement
      • Submit a Classified Ad
      • Letter to the Editor
    • Classifieds
    • E-editions
    • Public Notices
      • Public Notices
      • Alabama Public Notices
    • Subscribe
    • Franklin Living Magazine
    • Services
      • About Us
      • Subscribe
      • Policies
      • Terms of use
      • Submit a news tip
      • Submit a photo
      • Birth announcement
      • Birthday announcement
      • Engagement announcement
      • Wedding announcement
      • Submit a Classified Ad
      • Letter to the Editor
    • Classifieds
    • E-editions
    • Public Notices
      • Public Notices
      • Alabama Public Notices

June 2, 2025

Franklin County Times
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyles
  • Obituaries
  • Records
  • Subscribe
  • Services
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Policies
  • Terms of use
  • Submit a news tip
  • Submit a photo
  • Birth Announcement
  • Birthday announcement
  • Engagement announcement
  • Wedding announcement
  • Submit a Classified Ad
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Classifieds
  • Public Notices
    Franklin County Times
      • Site logo
      • Home
      • News
        • Russellville
        • Red Bay
        • Phil Campbell
        • Franklin County
        • Photo Galleries
        • Sponsored Content
      • Sports
        • Belgreen Bulldogs
        • Phil Campbell Bobcats
        • Red Bay Tigers
        • Russellville Golden Tigers
        • Tharptown Wildcats
        • Vina Red Devils
        • College Sports
        • Sports Columnists
      • Opinion
        • Letters to the Editor
        • Columnists
        • Editorials
      • Lifestyles
        • Birthdays
        • Births
        • Couples
        • Food
        • Features
      • Obituaries
      • Records
        • Sheriff’s Report
        • Marriages
        • Land Transactions
        • Police Reports
      • Special Sections
      • Site logo
      • Home
      • News
        • Russellville
        • Red Bay
        • Phil Campbell
        • Franklin County
        • Photo Galleries
        • Sponsored Content
      • Sports
        • Belgreen Bulldogs
        • Phil Campbell Bobcats
        • Red Bay Tigers
        • Russellville Golden Tigers
        • Tharptown Wildcats
        • Vina Red Devils
        • College Sports
        • Sports Columnists
      • Opinion
        • Letters to the Editor
        • Columnists
        • Editorials
      • Lifestyles
        • Birthdays
        • Births
        • Couples
        • Food
        • Features
      • Obituaries
      • Records
        • Sheriff’s Report
        • Marriages
        • Land Transactions
        • Police Reports
      • Special Sections
    Franklin County, News, Phil Campbell
     By  Staff Reports Published 
    8:49 am Wednesday, March 30, 2016

    PC Elite perseveres, rises to challenge

    Jonathan Grimes holds PC Elite's award in one hand and the crushed rocket in the other while recapping the weekend's events to his Rocket and Robotics class at PCHS.

    Jonathan Grimes holds PC Elite’s award in one hand and the crushed rocket in the other while recapping the weekend’s events to his Rocket and Robotics class at PCHS.

    By Nicole Burns

    For the FCT

    Sometimes the best lesson someone can teach children is to not give up – even when the project they’ve worked on so hard on goes down in flames. That was pretty much the situation for PC Elite, Phil Campbell High School’s rocketry team.

    Last weekend, the team didn’t fare too well in the UNA Rocketry Challenge because the team showed up without a rocket. “We could do our TARC qualification, but we weren’t prepared,” said PC Elite sponsor Jonathan Grimes. “We had crashed our rocket the day before.”

    “We went to the field for a practice fly,” said PCHS 8th grader Ben Williams. “The ejection charge was not fixed the way it should have been, so it went up, but the parachute never popped out, and so it came down and blew up when it hit the ground.”

    The students said they walked into the competition feeling embarrassed because they didn’t have a rocket to show, but in an uplifting turn of events, they found help from an unlikely source. “Members of the Russellville team helped us build a rocket at the competition that day,” said Grimes.

    Russellville’s Andrew Heath stepped in to help PCHS team members build and launch a rocket during the competition. “He taught us a lot,” said Williams. “It was fun getting to know Andrew and learning some new things. He taught us a lot about getting the fins on right and how to make the body tubes right. It was so helpful.”

    “That’s why we got the award – because we didn’t have a rocket, but we showed up that day. We made sure that we launched that day,” said Grimes. The PC Elite might not have placed, but they came home with the Apollo 13 award for their perseverance through such hardship to get a rocket off the ground.

    The rocketry season is far from over for the PC Elite. “We’ve got to get our TARC qualifying runs in by the end of this weekend,” said Williams. “We need to build a rocket this week, get it right, and qualify.”

    Grimes said there’s a bigger lesson in this than just getting the rocket qualified. “Giving up is not an option for us,” said Grimes. “We’re going to get it one way or another. We’re not giving up on nationals either.”

    Also on Franklin County Times
    Russellville Class of 2025
    Galleries
    Russellville Class of 2025
    May 29, 2025
    {"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Tharptown High Class of 2025
    Galleries
    Tharptown High Class of 2025
    May 29, 2025
    {"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Vina High Class of 2025
    Galleries
    Vina High Class of 2025
    May 29, 2025
    {"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Belgreen Class of 2025
    Galleries
    Belgreen Class of 2025
    May 29, 2025
    {"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Phil Campbell Class of 2025
    Galleries
    Phil Campbell Class of 2025
    May 29, 2025
    {"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    Red Bay Class of 2025
    Galleries
    Red Bay Class of 2025
    May 29, 2025
    {"newsletter":"Newsletter"}
    4 honored duringRHS Performing Arts Signing Day
    Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
    4 honored duringRHS Performing Arts Signing Day
    By Maria Camp camp@frankllncountytimes.com 
    May 28, 2025
    RUSSELLVILLE - Four Russellville High School graduates were honored during the annual Performing Arts Signing Day. Just as student-athletes commit to ...
    {"epopulate_editorials_prism":"epopulate_editorials_prism"}
    West Elementary gets new assistant principal, adds math coach
    Main, News, Russellville, ...
    West Elementary gets new assistant principal, adds math coach
    María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
    May 28, 2025
    RUSSELLVILLE Gayla Mills has been named the new assistant principal for West Elementary School. She has been employed at West Elementary for 29 years ...
    {"epopulate_editorials_prism":"epopulate_editorials_prism"}
    ❮❯

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Latest Local News
    West Elementary gets new assistant principal, adds math coach
    West Elementary gets new assistant principal, adds math coach
    RUSSELLVILLE Gayla Mills has been named the new assistant principal for West Elementary School. She has been employed at West Elementary for 29 years ...
    May 28, 2025
    There’s still time to get your STAR ID
    RUSSELVILLE — Franklin County residents who don’t have the STAR ID added to their driver’s license could experience delays in airline travel until the...
    May 28, 2025
    Grand jury charges 5 with drug trafficking
    RUSSELLVILLE — A Franklin County grand jury has charged five people with various drugrelated charges, including drug trafficking, according to court r...
    May 28, 2025
    Father-son honored for heroic fire rescue
    Father-son honored for heroic fire rescue
    LITTLEVILLE – Without firefighting gear but armed with experience and courage, a father and son saved two strangers from a burning home – an act that ...
    May 28, 2025
    Vina School Class of 2025
    Vina School Class of 2025
    May 28, 2025

    More Local News

    Latest Stories
    Delta Kappa Gamma welcomes new members
    Delta Kappa Gamma welcomes new members
    The Delta Kappa Gamma Alpha Upsilon Chapter recently held a banquet at North Highlands Church of Christ. Hostesses were Emily Rush, Cheri McCain, Leah...
    May 28, 2025
    Obituaries
    Roy Lee Gober May 20, 2025 Roy Lee Gober, 80, of Russellville, passed away May 20. Visitation was held May 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Spry Memorial Chapel...
    May 28, 2025
    Congratulations, Class of 2025,now go forth and conquer
    THE ISSUE: Graduations are more than formal ceremonies, they are a symbol of completion and progress. It’s a time to celebrate all you’ve been through...
    May 28, 2025
    Birthdays
    May 28 Mikaila Fuller Brad James Madi Willis Shawn Hines Jr. Brandy Bullock May 29 Amy Vandiver Chris Montgomery Chloe Erin Brown Jennifer Fugate Jani...
    May 28, 2025
    There’s still time to get your STAR ID
    RUSSELVILLE — Franklin County residents who don’t have the STAR ID added to their driver’s license could experience delays in airline travel until the...
    May 28, 2025
    Latest Sports
    4 honored duringRHS Performing Arts Signing Day
    4 honored duringRHS Performing Arts Signing Day
    RUSSELLVILLE - Four Russellville High School graduates were honored during the annual Performing Arts Signing Day. Just as student-athletes commit to ...
    May 28, 2025
    Longtime Russellville coach Tim Townley retires
    Longtime Russellville coach Tim Townley retires
    RUSSELLVILLE -- VILLE - Tim Townley is getting ready to start a new chapter of life. After 38 years in the Russellville City School system as a coachf...
    May 28, 2025
    Belgreen hopes state playoff run ‘builds confidence’ for future
    Belgreen hopes state playoff run ‘builds confidence’ for future
    OXFORD — The tears started when Belgreen gathered for the handshake line. They continued when the Bulldogs gathered their things and exited the dugout...
    May 21, 2025
    Bulldogs’ inspired run comes to end against Pisgah
    Bulldogs’ inspired run comes to end against Pisgah
    The Belgreen Bulldogs’ inspired run through the Class 2A state softball tournament came to an end in the Final Four last week, marking the culmination...
    May 21, 2025
    RHS tennis player selected for All Star match
    RHS tennis player selected for All Star match
    Russellville High School tennis player Lily Cate Pace has been selected to play in the North-South Tennis All Star Match, which will take place July 2...
    May 21, 2025

    More Sports Stories

    x

    Sections

    • Home
    • News
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Lifestyles
    • Obits
    • Special Sections
    • Sponsored Content
      • Home
      • News
      • Sports
      • Opinion
      • Lifestyles
      • Obits
      • Special Sections
      • Sponsored Content

    Services

    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise With Us
    • Policies
    • Terms of use
    • Submit a news tip
    • Submit a photo
    • Birth announcement
    • Birthday announcement
    • Engagement announcement
    • Wedding announcement
    • Submit a Classified Ad
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Sign Up For Our Free Newsletter
      • About Us
      • Subscribe
      • Advertise With Us
      • Policies
      • Terms of use
      • Submit a news tip
      • Submit a photo
      • Birth announcement
      • Birthday announcement
      • Engagement announcement
      • Wedding announcement
      • Submit a Classified Ad
      • Letter to the Editor
      • Sign Up For Our Free Newsletter

    Follow Us

    Copyright

    © 2025, Franklin County Times