Other Days: November 25, 2025

10  YEARS  AGODECEMBER  1,  2015The Rison City Council heard an updated transition plan for the police department, approved the 2016 city budget, and got an update on the city's problem with stray dogs during its monthly meeting Tuesday night. Alderman Rodney Reed expressed concerns about the police department getting down to just one officer next spring with the retirement of chief Jeff Prescott and Sgt. Greg Herron. The question comes after the council decided in October to continue to operate its own police department rather than enter into a contract with the county sheriff's department for law enforcement services. Kingsland made that move earlier this year. Mayor Vernon Dollar said a plan is in place to use sheriff's deputies to be on call whenever the remaining officer is off work. Dollar said there would be no charge to the city since Sheriff Jack Rodgers told the mayor the deputies would be on duty anyhow. In other business, the council approved the 2016 city budget, with $963,800 in budgeted expenses for the coming year.Christmas events are beginning this week around Cleveland County, including a parade in Rison on December 12.Replacing the roof on the old mercantile building was moved to the top of the "priority list" for the Pioneer Village Commission during a meeting here Monday night. The decision came after the seven-person commission toured the Pioneer Village to assess the physical condition of the buildings and grounds of the property located at the corner of Mockingbird Lane and Yaney Drive in Rison. The old mercantile building is one of several structures at the Village that are more than a century old.The Rison Wildcats capitalized on four Hector turnovers to defeat the Wildcats, 45-36, in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A state football playoffs here last Friday night. The Wildcats were led by running back Bryson Marks, who racked up 259 yards rushing with ...