Other Days: November 6, 2024

10  YEARS  AGONOVEMBER  5,  2014Republican Jimmy Cummings was elected as the new Cleveland County clerk/circuit clerk and Democrat Joe Rauls was elected as county coroner in the only two county-wide races held during Tuesday's general election. Meanwhile, Democrat Mike Holcomb of Pine Bluff knocked off Republican challenger Patricia Mays of Drew County in both the Cleveland County vote and the district vote to retain his District 10 seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives. As for the federal and statewide elections, it was a Republican rout, as Cleveland County voters reflected the statewide vote by overwhelmingly supporting the GOP candidates. Among those leaders were Tom Cotton for U.S. Senate; Bruce Westerman for U.S. Congress Fourth District; and Asa Hutchinson for governor. County voters also joined the state in turning down Issue 4 which would have made alcohol sales legal statewide and Issue 3 which would extend term limits for state legislators.Voters in the Whiteville township of northeast Cleveland County voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages locally and make their township "dry."The Rison City Council decided to table voting on a resolution supporting a sewer grant project and the city's 2015 budget so the council members could have more time to review the matters first. Mayor Vernon Dollar said the council must pass a resolution in order to move forward with a $145,000 USDA bond issue that is being used in conjunction with a $484,000 federal grant to make sewer improvements within the city. Also at the meeting of the council, city recorder/treasurer Rhonda Thompson said she had cut $97,000 from the budget, thanks mostly in part to the city turning over its solid waste program to the county.The Cleveland County Quorum Court's budget committee can expect a short budget meeting this year after preliminary budget proposals turned ...