Other Days: April 30, 2025

10  YEARS  AGOMAY  6,  2015Alderman Jimmy Bowlin, who represents Ward B, Position 2, on the Rison City Council, resigned from his position during the regular monthly meeting of the council Tuesday night. In addition, Rison Fire Chief Murry Freeman retired as fire chief and former assistant Fire Chief Alan Parnell was promoted to fire chief. During the meeting, Mayor Vernon Dollar said he does not believe it would be necessary to set a salary cap on city jobs since those salaries are subject to the availability of finances from year-to-year. The council had been considering salaries for city employees during some recent meetings.Improving high speed internet access and marketing Cleveland County's assets were two major goals that architect Ed Levy of Little Rock laid out last Thursday night during a special meeting of the Kickstart Cleveland County Community Development Initiative. Those suggestions and others came after Levy and another partner with the Breakthrough Solutions Community Development Program toured several points of interest around the county during the day.County Treasurer Jack Hopson reported to the Cleveland County Quorum Court Monday night that the balance in the county general fund continues to be in better shape than it was a year ago.The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has reduced the critical habitat designation for the rabbitsfoot mussel that lives in the Saline River, but Cleveland County Judge Gary Spears as well as both of Arkansas' U.S. senators are concerned the economic impact of the designation is being underestimated. In 2012, Fish & Wildlife listed the Neosho mucket on the endangered species list and the rabbitsfoot mussel on the threatened list. "It's a bigger deal than people think," Spears said, noting that it could impact everything from the way the county road department replaces culverts along county roads to the way timber companies an...