RISON – The 2012 Preferential Primary Election will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, at polling sites across Cleveland County.

Ongoing early voting for the primary election will continue in the County Clerk’s Office on the first floor of the Cleveland County Courthouse in Rison.

Early voting will be available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays through Friday, May 18, and this Saturday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The final day for early voting is this Monday, May 21, from 8 a.m. to  5 p.m.

Nearly all the polling locations across the county except one will remain the same as they were for the last election. The exception is for the Smith Township south of Rison. That polling site has been moved from the McMurtrey residence to the fellowship hall of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church on Hwy. 35 South.

To read the full article, see the May 16, 2012 print or e-Herald edition of The Herald.

LOWERING IT FOR THE LAST TIME - Jim Cummings (left) slowly lowers the U.S. and Arkansas flags for the very last time before the Hall-Morgan American Legion Hut is torn down by the county road department. Pictured are (left to right) Cummings, Jimmy Lockhart, Tommy Butcher, Larry Hall, Rickey Fore and Thomas Hankins.

RISON – A piece of local history came to a end last Wednesday, May 9, when a crew from the Cleveland County Road Department razed the Hall-Morgan American Legion Hut in Rison.

The log cabin structure, commonly referred to as the “Legion Hut” by locals, had fallen into disrepair in recent years and the county decided to tear down the existing structure and replace it with a new one.

Completed in 1936 as a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, the building was was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Time had taken its toll on the logs used in constructing the building. Many of the lower logs and floor joists had suffered severe rot. As a result, many of the logs were separating from one another and the wood floor inside an sunken in several places.

The county did look into what it would cost to restore the building, but when those estimates came back in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range, the county decided it would be best to tear it down.

During its heyday, the Legion Hut was the place to be in Rison.  It was once the scene for some of the biggest social events in Rison, and was used for everything from square dances to proms. It last regular use was for Saturday night dances hosted by the Rison Shine band.

To read the full article, see the May 16, 2012 print or e-Herald edition of The Herald.

Meanwhile, Councilwoman Jennifer Williams said the mayor offered getting into a confrontation with some audience members after last month’s city council meeting, but the council members refused to accept it.

Those were among of the topics that came up during a relatively short regular monthly meeting of the Kingsland City Council Monday night.

McClellan told the council that construction on the new extension to the fire station was to get underway Tuesday.

The city has received a grant to add another 24 feet onto the end of the city hall/fire station complex, plus put a new roof over the entire structure. The mayor said the additional space will be used for a bay and storage area.

Meanwhile, McClellan also announced that he intends to begin the process of developing a new park for the city.

To read the full article, see the May 16, 2012 print or e-Herald edition of The Herald.

The board accepted the following resignations: Food Service Director Mary VanNess, Girls Basketball/Softball Coach Karan Stewart, Boys Basketball Coach Cody Lambert, Band Director Sissy Pierce and Sixth Grade Teacher Linda Rawls.

The board voted to hire Diana Reed at Rison Elementary.

CCSB also approved the hiring of Jeff McKinney for 15-days in June at his already established salary. McKinney was previously hired as principal at Rison Elementary.

The board also accepted Superintendent Johnnie Johnson’s recommendation to renew the district’s student/athlete insurance plan with Health Special Risk, Inc.

The board also adopted a resolution for the school board rezoning, which will be published in the Cleveland County Herald by June 6.

To read the full article, see the May 16, 2012 print or e-Herald edition of The Herald.

In case of rain, the ceremony will be moved inside the gym.

The class consists of 51 candidates for graduation. The candidates, in alphabetical order, include Cherrish Faith Allbright, Zachary Douglas    Bolen, Chase Elliot Bradford, Kyle Adron    Brown, James Jerel Cranford, Zachary Reid Dixon, Ashley Marie Ellison, Kately Michelle Gatlin, Caleb Nathan Hall, Quanterio Quantez Heath, Nicholas Garrett Hefley, Darian Vincent Henderson, Crystal Ashley Holt, Keifer Dylan Hooks, Jerry Hunter Howard, William Paul Jacobs II, Cody Ray Johnson, LaJuan Shaquille Jones, Amy Nacole Kelly, Jamie Renee Langford, Carley Diane Lawson, Jeremy David Lawson, Desmond Jamaal Leaks, Kody Allen Leopard, Terricia Leeanna Malone, Jerry Lee Marshall Jr., Kabrina Shantrel Marshall, Christie Inez Mattox, Angelo Lavel Newburn, Vincent Paul Orton, Charlotte Leighann Peddy, Simeon Caleb Prather, Daniel Tyler Raney, Tatiana Nadine Rauls, Madeleine Lynann Rhodes, Jessica Leigh Ringo, Clara Margaret Sadler, Jessica Leann Saunders, Dustin Lance Shikle, Anthony Aundrey Smith Jr., Shannon Meleah Smith,  Whitney Taylor Standridge, Taylor Leigh Tolefree,  Amber Nicole Trammell,  Quanesha Jassrell Wade,  LaShashia Nakea Wainwright, Mercedes Antonique Wainwright, Marquis Dajo Louis Walker,  Tyronnica Laniece Wells, Hunter Mack White, and Christopher Levi Wilson.

Valedictorian Dillon Miller, son of Brian and Youlonda Miller, has a grade point average of 4.15. He has been a member of FBLA for six years, FCA for two years, BETA Club for three years serving as secretary his junior year and treasurer his senior year, Spanish Club for one year, and student council for six years. He played football for one year and baseball for four years. He was named to the all-state tournament team his sophomore year, all conference his sophomore and junior year, and all-state his junior year in baseball. He was selected and played in the annual extra-innings game as a top junior in the state. Dillon was voted as most likely to become president his junior year, and most likely to succeed his senior year. He was also selected as a Boys State Delegate his junior year. Dillon attends Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Herbine. He plans to attend Arkansas Tech University where he plans on majoring in the field of engineering and play baseball.

Salutatorian Tara Walker, daughter of Rich and DeeDee Walker has a grade point average of 4.10.  She has been a member of FBLA for three years and Beta for three years. She has been in Student Council for two years serving as Reporter her junior year and Secretary her senior year. She played softball for three years. She was a Girls State Delegate her junior year. This year she was voted Most Likely To Be Remembered. She is a member of Who’s Who Among American High School Students and was chosen as a member of the Bear Court as well as in the Homecoming Court. Tara attends Center Missionary Baptist Church in Rowell. She plans to attend Arkansas Tech University and major in Nursing.

To read the full article, see the May 16, 2012 print or e-Herald edition of The Herald.

HAPPY COACH, HAPPY BEARS - Woodlawn Coach Tommy Richardson (center, facing camera) shares a laugh with his team’s after getting past the Junction City Dragons, 2-1, Saturday in the Class 2A state semifinals at Taylor Field in Pine Bluff. Richardson said it has been their goal to win the state championship ever since suffering a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to these same Dragons in the last year’s semifinal game at Taylor Field. The Bears will face the Carlise Bison at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Baum Field on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville to determine the 2012 Class 2A State Champion.

PINE BLUFF – History repeated itself Saturday only this time the roles were reversed.

The Woodlawn Bears scored two runs in the top of the first inning and then held on down the stretch for a 2-1 win over the Junction City Dragons in the semifinals of the Class 2A State Tournament held Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field in Pine Bluff.

Woodlawn is scheduled to play the Carlisle Bison for the state championship at 5:30 p.m. this Saturday, May 19, at Baum Stadium on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

This will be the second time this season for the Bears and Bison to lock up. Woodlawn used a two-out single by Daniel Rissinger to drive in Trey Hankins in the bottom of the seventh to give the Bears a 6-5 victory over Carlisle on April 9 at Woodlawn. The Bison led 3-0 at one point in that game.

This will be the Bears’ fifth trip to the state title game over the past six years, having won the championship in 2008 and 2010.

Saturday’s game was a rematch from last year’s Class 2A semifinal when Junction City pulled off a 3-2 win over Woodlawn. It was a crushing loss for the Bears, considering they had beaten Junction City in all three of their previous meetings before the semifinal loss in the 2011 playoffs.

To read the full article, see the May 16, 2012 print or e-Herald edition of The Herald.

Boyd used just 61 pitches in collecting the complete game victory. He allowed just four hits and had six strikeouts.

Woodlawn Coach Tommy Richardson said he could recall only one other time when one of his pitchers had a more efficient game and that was when Kyle Outlaw threw a complete came using just 58 pitches.

Boyd’s performance was extremely valuable to Richardson because it meant he was able to save his top two pitchers – Trey Hankins and Gavin Johnston – for the state semifinal match-up with 7-2A East nemesis Junction City on Saturday.

“To get to have Trey fresh and to get to have Gavin fresh for (Saturday’s semifinal), that’s all on him, and boy he did it,” Richardson said about Boyd’s performance.

Woodlawn, the no. 3 seed from South Regional, played as visitors against Walnut Ridge, the no. 1 seed from the north.
And like the Bears did in the state tournament opener, they scored in their first at-bat to set the tone early.

To read the full article, see the May 16, 2012 print or e-Herald edition of The Herald.

He was born November 4, 1935, at New Edinburg.  Charles was a home builder and a member of Kingsland Missionary Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James Hiram Langford and Pearlie Dee Towery Langford; a son, David Langford; two brothers, Gordon Langford and Gerald Langford; and three sisters, Martha Catherine Smith, Ann Crook and Dorothy McCallister.

Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Jimmy Livesay of Shreveport, Louisiana; three brothers, James Langford of Fordyce, Glynn Langford of Kingsland, and Rayburn Langford and wife Jo Ann of Prairie Grove; one sister, Mary Sue Davenport and husband Al of White Hall; grandchildren, Joshua Langford and wife Shelli, Shelby Langford and wife Amy, Kyle Langford, all of Ft. Morgan, Colorado, Sarah Livesay Roper and husband Casey of Houston, Texas and; great-grandchildren, Cael Langford, Kealy Langford, Henry Langford, Jackson Langford and Charlie Langford.

Funeral services were Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at Kingsland Missionary Baptist Church in Kingsland with Bro. Rick Bolin officiating.  Burial was at Hebron Cemetery.

Arrangements were by Benton Funeral Home in Fordyce.

To sign the online register visit www.bentonfuneralhome.com

Memorials may be made to Kingsland Missionary Baptist Church or your favorite charity.

She was born August 2, 1941, at New Edinburg, a daughter of the late James Ross Lisemby and Ophie Pet Williams Lisemby.

Mrs. Ward was a 1959 graduate of New Edinburg High School, where she was an honor student. She enjoyed spending time with her family, cooking, and especially deer season, where she loved feeding the hunters and enjoyed music.

Mrs. Ward was a retired caregiver and homemaker. She was a member of Kingsland Missionary Baptist Church, where she served as the church pianist, was a member of Just Us Girls Outreach Ministry and the Lunch Bunch.

Mrs. Ward was also preceded in death by two brothers, Thomas Dwight Lisemby and James Travis Lisemby; and a sister, Maxine Lisemby Ivy Scott.

Survivors include her loving husband, Franklin Cecil Ward of New Edinburg, whom she married on December 24, 1960; three sons and daughters-in-law, Bro. Tim and Alice Ward of Lonoke, Larry and Margaret Ward of Kingsland, and Stephen and Beverly Ward of Paragould; one brother, Elton Lisemby of New Edinburg; three sisters and brother-in-law, Betty Taylor, Sarah and Sonny Rowland, all of Kingsland, and Patsy Lisemby of New Edinburg, whom was also her caregiver; 10 grandchildren, Bro. Daniel Ward of Cave City, Ashley Ward, Brittany Ward, Levi Ward, Jackson Ward, all of Lonoke, Colby Ward of Crossett, Dakota Martin of Hamburg, Tristian Ward and Nick Ward, both of Kingsland, and Rena Michelle Ward of Paragould; and one great-grandson, Hayden Ward of Crossett.

Funeral services were Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at Kingsland Missionary Baptist Church with Bro. Rick Bolin, Bro. Mike Taylor and Bro. Tim Ward officiating. Burial was in Cross Roads Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Scott Lisemby, Colby Ward, Terry Rowland, Tristian Ward, Dakota Martin and Glen Brandon.

Honorary pallbearers were Nick Ward, Jackson Ward, Levi Ward, Daniel Ward, Hayden Ward and Brian Lisemby.

Memorials may be made to Cross Roads Cemetery Association, c/o Carol Lane, 5200 Hwy. 189 South, Kingsland, AR 71652.

Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Buie Funeral Home of Rison.

To sign an online guestbook go to  www.buiefuneralhome.com