Other Days: November 29, 2023

10 YEARS AGO NOVEMBER 26, 2013 A recent decision by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to put a mussel that lives in the Saline River on the federal Endangered Species List could have an adverse affect on the timber and poultry industry in Cleveland County as well as the way private landowners can use their land, County Judge Gary Spears and others are warning. The area designated as critical habitat for the Rabbitsfoot mussel in Cleveland County includes the entire Saline River watershed, which encompasses nearly all of the county, except for a strip along the western/southwestern edge of the county and a very small area in the extreme far northeast corner. Saying 'it could be a major deal,' Spears publicly expressed concerns about the critical habitat designation at a recent meeting of the county Quorum Court. While customers at The Bank of Rison may not have noticed much change since the bank changed ownership in October, Ken Duke, the new bank president, said changes are on the way to modernize services at the institution. Sigma Holdings, Inc., of Little Rock announced in May that it had filed an agreement with the state and federal banking regulators to buy all the outstanding stock of The Bank of Rison. That deal was eventually approved and Sigma officially took over on October 1. Nearly 250 people were on hand last Wednesday night to help Kingsland native Derrick Sims launch the Arkansas premier of his new movie, 'Come Morning,' at the Hollywood Cinema in Monticello. Sims wrote and directed the drama that follows the story of a grandfather and his 10-year-old grandson after they are involved in a tragic hunting accident. It was filmed in October, 2011, at various locations around Kingsland and New Edinburg. Down 7-6 at the half and 14-12 midway of the third quarter, the Rison Wildcats used a strong second half to rally past the Magnet Cove Panthers, 36-14, in the second round of the Class 2A state football playoffs at...