RISON - Presiding over her final regular monthly meeting of the Cleveland County Quorum Court, County Judge Spears recognized members of the county road department during the Dec. 5 meeting.
Spears will be completing the unfinished term of her husband, the late Gary Spears, on Dec. 31. State law prohibits anyone appointed to a position within county government from running for that same position in the next election.
Spears, however, will remain active in county government as she will officially become the District 2 justice of the peace on Jan. 1. Spears ran unopposed this year after the sitting justice, Donald Triplett, decided no to seek re-election. District 2 includes the New Edinburg area.
It was also decided during the Dec. 5 quorum court meeting, that a mass swearing-in ceremony for newly elected officials will be h eld at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1, in the courtroom of the Cleveland County Courthouse in Rison.
Several members of the road department were in attendance at the Dec. 5 meeting, and Spears introduced each one individually, describing their years of service to the county.
Road department workers include Jimmy Adair, five years of service in March; Robert Adair, 14 years; Sonny Bowen, five years; Jason Coleman, two years; Ronnie Coleman, eight years; Marty Erwin, 25 years; Corey Gray, nine years; Ronnie McManus, 15 years; Tim Roberts, 20 years; Roer Reed, eight years; Jared Spears, 14 years; Ricky Hoke, 24 years; Veodis Wainwright, 20 years; and Wayne White, 27 years.
Other Business
In other business at the Dec. 5 quorum court meeting: The quorum court voted to move its January 2023 meeting to 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, at the Hall-Morgan Veterans Building. Spears pointed out that the regular meeting date for January fell on Jan. 2, which is being recognized as a the New Year's Day holiday by state and county governments.
During the discussion of the January meeting date, Justice Rodgers suggested that the all quorum court meetings be moved to the Hall-Morgan V…