Elizabeth Rone, 8, accompanied her uncle, Andrew Thornton, to The Panolian on July 1 to bring the first reported cotton bloom in Panola County. Thornton grows 410 acres of cotton in the Courtland area. The field that produced this bloom is at the corner of Herron and Benson Roads. Thornton holds the unofficial record of producing the first cotton bloom two years in a row. This year’s bloom was a week ahead of last year’s, which was brought in on July 8. The Panolian photo by Rita Howell