Long-Time Dist. 6 JP Owen Rushing Passes

RISON - District 6 Justice of the Peace Owen Rushing, 84, of the Calmer community, passed away last Friday, Dec. 26, at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff.In addition to serving on the Cleveland County Quorum Court for the past 19 years, Rushing was also the long-time fire chief for the Woodlawn Volunteer Fire Department, serving the organization for more than 40 years. Under his leadership, the Woodlawn Fire Department developed one of the lowest ISO ratings of any fire service area in Cleveland County. (See Rushing's full obituary). Rushing was in the middle of his 10th consecutive two-year term on the Cleveland County Quorum Court at the time of his death. He started his tenure on the nine-member body in 2007, and was in attendance for the quorum court's most recent regular monthly meeting on Dec. 1.Jamie Thompson, administrative assistant in the county judge's office, said a resolution declaring a vacancy for the District 6 seat has been drafted for Monday night's quorum court meeting. She said County Judge Jimmy Dale Adair was out of the office ill on Monday and unavailable for comment.Once a vacancy is officially declared, that information will be sent to Gov. Sarah Sanders' office and she will then appoint someone to complete the remainder of Rushing’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2026. The appointee will have to be a resident of JP District 6. That district includes roughly the Woodlawn area east of Big Creek between Brushy Creek Road to the north and Hwy. 114 to the south. It also includes the northeast corner of Cleveland County east of Hudgins Creek and north of Hwy. 114 .As for a long-term replacement, state law requires voters to decide on a new justice of the peace in the next general election, which is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. State law prohibits the person appointed to the vacancy from running for that office.Ru...