Other Days: July 19, 2023

10 YEARS AGO JULY 17, 2013 New Woodlawn School Superintendent Dudley Hume familiarized himself with the Woodlawn School Board and Arkansas law during his first school board meeting Monday night. Hume started his new job July 1 after serving as superintendent of the Webbers Falls School District in Oklahoma, as he succeeds Billy Williams, who took the job of school head at nearby Drew Central in Monticello. Citing differences on social issues, Rison city councilman Jimmy Bowlin announced this week that he will be switching his political party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. Bowlin was one of five Democrats on the six-member Rison City Council. Until Bowlin's move to switch parties, Scott Morrison was the lone Republican on the council. The other four aldermen on the council - Michael Barnett, Curtis Hopper, Cleve Reed and Rodney Reed - as well as Mayor Vernon Dollar, are all registered as Democrats. The board of the Cleveland County School District decided to put a house the school district owns next to Kingsland Elementary School back on the market after the lone bid received for the property was much lower than what Superintendent Johnnie Johnson wanted to accept. Johnson said he received just one bid for $500 for the house. The house formerly served as the superintendent's office for the Kingsland School District. After the Kingsland and Rison districts merged, the office was converted back into a house. The district has been renting the house since the merger. The grand opening last Thursday night of the new Rison Farmers Market and new FBT Bank & Mortgage Community Park ('pocket park') on Main Street in downtown Rison attracted nearly 200 people. A boys high school cross country program was approved by the Woodlawn School Board. The school already has a girls cross country program. An investigation into a breakin last Thursday at a residence along Highway 212 in northern Cleveland County re...