Other Days: Jan. 25, 2023

10 YEARS AGO JANUARY 23, 2013 The owners of the iconic Phoenix Hotel on Main Street in downtown Rison have offered to give the building to the Rison Industrial Development Corporation as a development project, but the group decided last week to hold off on making a decision until it can get a better assessment as to the integrity of the structure. The Phoenix, which is 100 years old this year, has fallen into disrepair over the past few years. While the exterior walls still stand, a large portion of the roof has collapsed onto the second floor, and a large section of the second floor has collapsed onto the ground floor. The Phoenix is the last remaining two-story structure in the three-block downtown area. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Of course, all of the buildings on the east side of Main from Second to the alley were eventually cleared away and today the site is home to Gateway Bank). The Woodlawn School Board will meet Monday evening to decide on a bid to complete two new construction projects at the school - a new music room that will be added to the administration/cafetorium building as well as a new art room and computer lab that will be added to the south end of the high school. Both projects are being funded through a millage increase approved by voters as well as funding through the state's partnership program. 20 YEARS AGO JANUARY 29, 2003 A 10-person Civic Center committee was formed Tuesday night to lead the effort to secure a new community/recreation center in Rison. The Rison School Board reluctantly approved a motion Thursday to hold a special election in April to ask voters for a 4-mill tax increase and a restructuring of existing debt bonds in order to put the district in compliance with a recent ruling from the state Supreme Court. Should voters fail to approve the millage hike and restructuring of bonds, the Cleveland County Quorum Court would then ...