Other Days: January 15, 2025

10 YEARS AGO JANUARY 21, 2015 Union Pacific Railroad officials are still looking into what may have caused a freight train to derail at the Oak Street crossing near the downtown area in Rison at about 5:15 Saturday evening. The train was carrying 'ballast,' which is a heavy gravel/stone material used to form the bed of a railroad track or road. A total of 22 cars derailed. There were no injuries and the train was not carrying any hazardous materials. The train consisted of 74 gravel cars in all, with all of them filled with material. The locomotive pulling the train came to stop on the other side of the overpass in town, more than a quarter-mile south of the derailment. While the track itself is now open, the Oak Street crossing remained closed this week until repairs can be made to that section. The crossing was the scene of a major derailment in September, 1989, that drew national attention when a fire broke out among rail cars hauling hazardous materials and an evacuation of residents was carried out in parts of the town. Bruce Grubb resigned his position on the board of the Cleveland County School District. Grubb, serving from Zone 1 on the board, cited 'personal reasons' for stepping down. Grubb was currently serving as board president. William King was named to serve as board president for the remainder of the 2015 board year.John Lewis, the senior forecaster at the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock, conducted an official 'storm spotter' class in Rison last Thursday night to help train people on what to look for - and more importantly, what to report - when severe weather breaks out across the state. More than a dozen people showed up for the nearly two-hour class.Charles 'Chaise' Womack, 21, of New Edinburg, was reported to have died of injuries suffered Monday morning of last week in a head-on collision along Hwy. 167 near the Ivan community in Dallas County.Cam Reeves' 21 points led the Rison Wildc...