Dreams are what life is made of and the students at KIPP have seen one of them come true with the completion of the gymnasium. Several hundred friends and supporters of KIPP turned out Saturday afternoon for the ribbon cutting ceremony inside the spacious gymnasium that still has that freshly completed lacquer finish and glossy appearance.

Housing Arkansas, a coalition of affordable housing advocates in the private, government and nonprofit sectors, held a news conference today to highlight legislation that would create a statewide housing trust fund for Arkansas. The trust fund would allow access to quality housing for a broad range of Arkansans.

The Small Towns, Big Ideas project began in mid-2006, when the UNC School of Government partnered with the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center to identify and document fifty small towns that were implementing successful or innovative approaches to community economic development.

Southern Bancorp was nationally recognized today at the American Bankers Association National Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

Southern received the national bank award for its efforts in revitalizing rural communities.

Elected leaders and concerned citizens from across St. Francis County filled the Chancery Courtroom at the St. Francis County Courthouse Tuesday night for the second public meeting with officials from Southern Bancorp. The group received early reports on economic development efforts as well as a countywide clean-up effort.

The School of Government, in collaboration with the North Carolina Rural Center, has released Small Towns, Big Ideas: Case Studies in Small Town Community Economic Development. The publication is the result of a yearlong study by Will Lambe, associate director of the Community and Economic Development Program at the School of Government. The collection features real stories, from real places that are successfully confronting real challenges similar to those facing small communities everywhere, such as globalization, geographic isolation, urban sprawl, aging populations, and natural disasters.

How can Phillips County take advantage of its Civil War history?

Joe and Maria Brent, public history specialists whose firm Mudpuppy & Waterdog Inc. are working on an interpretive plan to be unveiled to the public in April, have several ideas. They presented some to the Helena-West Helena Rotary Club Wednesday.

Southern Bancorp was selected for the award for its actions to “promote the development of Arkadelphia,” with characteristics including the ability to lead others, having a desire to enhance the quality of life in the city and having the ability to work on housing needs, job creation and recreational opportunities.

The Southern Good Faith Fund (SGFF) Business Development Center (BDC) is excited to offer another in a series of “Networking Breakfast” events on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Three times in the past citizens in Phillips County has tried to get a CHC but were unsuccessful. Now, the Association of Community Health Centers, the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources Services Administration, Bureau of Primary Health Care have partnered with a local group to end the red tape nightmare. They have agreed to help with all the rules and regulations that need to be met before funds are given to the area.