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Duties Would Include Zoning, Annexation; City Considers Buying Shop. KINGSLAND - The City of Kingsland could soon see the formation of a new Planning and Zoning Commission after five people volunteered to serve on such a committee during the Kingsland City Council meeting last Thursday.Meanwhile, Mayor Sharon Crosby told the city council, that after speaking with City Office Manager Wendy James, the city may have enough money to possibly buy the former bus maintenance shop at the Kingsland School campus.When the city council was discussing annexing the new Dollar General store into the city limits during its May meeting, City Attorney Thomas Burns suggested that rather than looking solely annexing the Dollar General, the city create a planning and zoning commission  to consider future development of the city and possible areas for annexation.Typically, a zoning commission designates zones or areas within a city for commercial/retail, industrial and/or residential development. It can also consider areas just outside the city limit for future annexation. Burns suggested during the May meeting that the commission look beyond simply trying to annex the Dollar General, but instead consider future retail/commercial development along Hwy. 79 inside and outside the city limits. After reviewin state law, Burns said the city could form a five-member planning commission that could consist of up to two city councils members and  three members from the community. He noted that state law does allow residents from within a couple of miles of the city limits to sit on such commissions since future annexation could impact them.Crosby said the formation of a planning commission was recently discussed at a Kickstart Kingsland community development meeting, and she brought it up during last Thursday’s regular monthly meeting of the Kingsland City Council.She said during last week’s meeting that three people had agreed to serve on a planning commission, including Kelly Taylor and Linda Burns as community representatives and city…

Maycee Johnson, an 8th grader at Rison Middle School was named September Student of the Month for the 7th-9th grades. Maycee is the daughter of Jodie and Steve Johnson. She is a member of the Junior Beta Club, Fellowship of Christian Students, Future Business Leaders of America, EAST, and was elected as the 8th grade treasurer. Congratulations, Maycee! Harley Rowland, a senior at Rison High School, was named Student of the Month for 10th-12th grades. Harley is the daughter of Greg and Rikki Rowland. Harley is on the basketball team and cross country teams and is a member of the Senior Beta Club, Future Business Leaders of America, and Future Farmers of America. Congratulations, Harley!

RISON - Cleveland County native Johnny Cash become the first musician to ever be honored in National Statuary Hall with the unveiling of his statue in the U.S. Capitol complex in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.Several of Cash’s relatives as well as some local elected officials from Cleveland County were among those to witness the ceremony held inside Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor's Center.The National Statuary Hall consists of two statues from each state representing notable figures from that state. The Arkansas legislature voted in 2019 to change the two statues representing Arkansas. Civil rights leader Daisy Lee Gatson Bates replaced attorney Uriah Rose earlier this year while Johnny Cash’s statue replaced that of former Senator James P. Clarke.Johnny “J.R.” Cash was born Feb. 26, 1932, to Ray and Carrie Rivers Cash in the Crossroads community a little more than three miles north of Kingsland. He and his family left Cleveland County about three years after his birth to become part of a federal Depress-era farming program at the Dyess Colony in northeast Arkansas.House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) emceed Tuesday’s ceremony.“Johnny Cash is the perfect person (to be the first musician in Statuary Hall) because he was a man who embodied the American spirit in a way that you could,” Johnson told the large crowd gathered for the ceremony.“He was an everyday man. He loved to fish, and he suffered the pain of loss. He was the son of southern farmers, and of the Great Depression. Americans related to Johnny Cash,” he added.Johnson pointed out during his opening remarks that more than 100 of Cash’s relatives were on hand for the unveiling, including Mark Rivers of Kingsland and Wayne Cash of the Woodlawn area.House Speaker Johnson also revealed that he was among those relatives of Johnny Cash.“And I want to tell you something that I’m excited about. I recently learned, as fate would have it, I count myself among the Cash family. This is not a joke,” he said.“My…

(The following items were compiled by Stan Sadler from files of past issues of the Cleveland County Herald. For questions or comments, contact Stan Sadler, P.O. Box 325, Rison, AR 71665, phone (870) 830-2056 or 870-325-6412; or email at sadler.stan@yahoo.com) 10  YEARS  AGOSEPTEMBER  24,  2014After receiving a tip from the...

Families and survivors of 21 of the most publicized previous mass shootings across the United States, united through VictimsFirst, have issued an appeal for donations to support the victims of the tragic Fordyce Mad Butcher shooting. The incident, which took place on June 21, 2024, left four people dead and...

WOODLAWN - What little hope the Guy-Perkins Thunderbirds had of perhaps putting up a good fight against the Woodlawn Bears in their first season of football lasted about 13 seconds this past Friday night at the Carl Jones Sports Complex.That’s about how long it took for Ethan Oliver to return the opening kickoff 67 yards for a touchdown, and after Garrett Weatherford ran in the two-point conversion, the Bears were out to quick 8-0 lead they would quickly extend.Woodlawn ended up scoring nearly every time a Bears  touched the ball, and after Matthew Green returned Guy-Perkins’ fifth interception 44 yards for a score with 7:48 left in the second quarter, the Thunderbirds had enough and decided to end the game after a player was shaken up on Beau Watson’s conversion run to make it 58-0.Guy-Perkins, a longtime small school basketball power in Arkansas, simply did not have the size or speed to match up with the larger and faster Bears.Woodlawn ran the ball just seven times with four of those going for touchdowns. Weatherford went the distance on all three of his rushing attempts, scoring on runs of 49, 64 and 45 yards to finished with 158 overall. Oliver’s only carry from scrimmage went for a 28-yard score.The only three runs that did not go for touchdowns for the Bears went for 13 and seven-yard gains, and a fumble.Woodlawn also had two pick six’s in the game with Weatherford returning one 68 yards on Guy-Perkins’ first drive, and Green’s 44-yard return that ended the game. Green nearly had another interception return for a touchdown but lost the ball at the Thunderbird 3 after picking it off at the Guy-Perkins 48. Three plays later, Woodlawn’s Owen Brown forced T-Bird quarterback Garrett Fisher out of the back of the end zone for a safety.The Thunderbirds did put one promising drive together about midway through the first quarter.Down 24-0, Guy-Perkins quarterback Garrett Fisher and receiver Hunter Stepp hooked up for three consecutive receptions: the first…

RISON - During this week’s episode of the Free Range Conversations podcast, Rissi Palmer recalls her first performance in Arkansas as she prepares to head to Rison as one of the featured performers at the Rison in the Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 12. The podcast is available to stream...

UAM (4-7, 0-1 Great American) has lost 4 matches in a row, all at home, but won at least a set in each match. The Blossoms have come within 5 points or less in 7 of the 12 set losses during the span. UAM is also 1-1 in 5-set matches,...

MONTICELLO, Ark. - Arkansas-Monticellos Head Men's Basketball Coach Chad Tapp announced hiring University of North Texas alum Aidan Dawson as the newest member of the Weevils coaching staff. Dawson will join the Weevils this Fall after spending two years as the Scouting, Video, and Analytics Assistant Coordinator for the University...

The Crossett Eagles will challenge the Star City Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Crossett, yet to win a game, are hoping to taste some of the success that has characterized Star City's (thus far) undefeated season. Two weeks ago, Crossett was beaten by Oak Grove 57-18. Meanwhile, Star City...

The Monticello Billies travelled to Dumas on Friday night for their final non conference contest of the season against the Dumas Bobcats. The Billies would win the opening coin toss and would defer to the second half of play. Dumas would advance the ball into Monticello territory on their first...

It is not every season that football fans in Monticello, Arkansas get to see the defending Division II National Champions take the field. It is not every season that the defending National Champions step on the field to face the UAM Boll Weevils. That is what took place on Thursday,...