Cleburne County Sheriff Richard Swain has died, less than a month after taking office. The county's Quorum Court quickly named Sgt. Bryon Rushing acting sheriff.
Swain, who lived just outside Heber Springs, died in a Little Rock hospital Sunday after becoming ill. He was 68.
The county will take applications and appoint a successor to complete Swain's term at its next regular meeting Feb. 12, County Judge Jerry Holmes said Monday. The appointee cannot succeed himself under Arkansas law, Holmes noted.
Swain won a four-way race for the Republican Party's nomination in the sheriff's race after a primary and runoff primary last year. He won the general election in November and took office Jan. 1.
Holmes said Swain had suffered from cancer but had "hopes it was in remission when he ran for sheriff." He said he thought Swain had been suffering "some complications with [the] cancer.
"He performed his duties right up until the time he had to go into the hospital," Holmes said.
"Our prayers go out to the family and to the sheriff's department during this time," the county judge added.
Swain retired as an inspector for the Shelby County, Tenn., sheriff's office in 2002. Afterward, he and his wife, Pat, made Cleburne County their home, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
Swain kept working in law enforcement after retirement because he loved it so much, Joy Coleman, a lifelong friend of the Swains, said Monday.
"That's exactly why he wanted [this job] so bad, and he wanted to do some good things," she said. "His race was already run, I guess."
For the past seven years, Swain served as jail administrator for the Cleburne County sheriff's office, where he was a captain. Coleman said she; her husband, Roy; and the Swains had worked together in Memphis with the Shelby County sheriff's office for years.
The Colemans also moved to Heber Springs about 10 years ago.
The Swains "had a place over here in Heber Springs for probably 25 years," Joy Coleman said. "They'd come over here to go on [Greers Ferry Lake]," and he liked to fish on the Little Red River. "They liked to go boating up on the lake."
Survivors include Swain's wife; a son, Rick; a daughter, Dana Howeth; and three grandchildren, Coleman said.
A memorial service is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Heber Springs.
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge also mourned Swain's death in a statement Monday.
"For the second time in less than a week, Arkansas has lost another dedicated member of our local law enforcement leadership," she said.
Last week, Rogers Police Chief James Allen died at age 60 after a long struggle with cancer.
Rutledge said she was saddened by the death of Swain "who passed away ... after a much-too brief tenure as sheriff."
State Desk on 01/27/2015