May 12, 2005 | News
Phillip N. Baldwin, President and CEO of Southern Bancorp (Southern), announced today an award of $50,000 to the City of Helena’s Property Standards Board for the demolition of abandoned and deteriorating buildings and the elimination of debris within the city. Funds will be used for the further implementation of housing and redevelopment goals as set out in the Phillips County Strategic Plan. The product of a 10-month planning process that involved hundreds of hours of input from over 300 Phillips County residents, the strategic plan was completed in December, 2004 and unanimously adopted in January, 2005.
May 5, 2005 | News
First Bank, N.A.’s student advisory board, along with all of the students in Phillips County, recently granted a wish for Madelyn, a six-year-old first grader from Stutgart, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Mar 29, 2005 | News
Martin Chaffin, executive director of the Philips County Port Authority, told members at their meeting Monday night that he had advertised for bids for insurance to cover the crane and equipment being erected at the slack water harbor.
Dan Robinson, of Dan Robinson and Associates Inc., who are planning the marketing strategy for the harbor were guests at the meeting and presented a purchase agreement between the Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. and the Port Authority, which they signed.
Mar 28, 2005 | News
What began as a small partnership between Southeast Arkansas College at Pine Bluff and the Southern Good Fatih Fund may soon spread throughout the state of Arkansas, according to Dr. Phil Shirley, president of SEARK College.
Mar 24, 2005 | News
One of the Delta Bridge Project’s plans is to tear down abandoned residential properties to help Helena’s beautification program. So far, 31 properties have been torn down, which exceeded the initial goal of 25, according to Southern Development Bancorp Community Development representative Michael Boone.
Mar 18, 2005 | News
Phillips County native Paula Oliver is the new Main Street Helena director. She took over the post on Feb. 21. Oliver previously served as tourism coordinator for the Delta Rivers Regional Tourism Council.
Mar 11, 2005 | News
By Donna Hilton
Southern Bancorp of Arkadelphia was chosen Arkansas’ Business of the Year Thursday evening by Arkansas Business magazine.
The business won in category 3 of the competition, which is for businesses with 75 to 300 employees, Bill Wright, president of Elk Horn Bank and Trust, an affiliate of Southern Bancorp, said.
“People from every major business in Arkansas were there,” Wright said. “Over 900 business executives from all over the state attended.”
Mar 4, 2005 | News
By Steve Fellers
Dr. Maya Angelou, considered one of the great voices of contemporary literature, shared her wit and wisdom with a capacity crowd Thursday at Henderson State University’s Arkansas Hall.
“I’m happy to be in Arkansas,” Angelou said. “You can never leave home. I found my great rainbows in the sky in Arkansas.”
Angelou often mentioned “rainbows in the clouds,” referring to the positive influences in her life.
Mar 3, 2005 | News
By JOSH TROY
The people have spoken. History was made just before 10 p.m. Tuesday when the final results came in. On January 1, 2006, the cities of Helena and West Helena will become one.
Approximately 3,500 voters turned out and voted in favor of consolidation, making the unified community the 25th largest city in Arkansas with a population of approximately 15,000. The merged city’s name will be Helena-West Helena.
Mar 3, 2005 | News
Still riding high after Tuesday’s vote of Helena and West Helena, consolidation supporters say they’re not worried about the next step in the process – redistricting – even through the responsibility falls on the fractious West Helena City Council.
