A “workable and visionary plan” is what’s needed for Arkadelphia and Clark County to grow, said Dr. Charles Dunn, president of Henderson State University.

That’s how the entrance signs to the city have read for more than 30 years. Why doesn’t Arkadelphia grow? That was the question I posed to students as a class project this spring for the Advanced Reporting class.

Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series on the strengths and needs of the Arkadelphia area and suggested solutions to these needs. This report was compiled, researched and written by students in the Advanced Reporting class at Ouachita Baptist University.

In a town revered for its blues music but pitied for its economic blight, nonprofits work to change the tune one business at a time.

On the banks of the Mississippi River in eastern Arkansas’ Phillips County lies Helena — technically Helena-West Helena after the cities’ merger in January — a rural town about a half-century removed from its economic high-water mark.

Large banks across the country are selling or closing branches in small communities, but in Arkansas rural branches are flourishing.

After hearing people complain about the lack of jobs in Clark County or the need for activities in Arkadelphia, Dr. Wesley Kluck decided to take action. ” For the past several months there has been discussion in our community about what’s wrong with Arkadelphia and why are we not growing.”

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences along with state and local leaders will gather here today for the official grand opening of the Delta Area Health Education Center and Vasudevan Wellness Center. The Event is scheduled to begin with a tour of the facility beginning at 3:30. The ceremonies will begin at 5 p.m.

East Arkansas farmers who want to diversity in an area where soybeans, cotton and race have long been the primary crops may look forward to a sweet-potato storage and distribution facility that is planned for Phillips County.

Southern Financial Partners of Arkadelphia will receive $750,000 in loan funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Intermediary Relending Program.

The money is part of nearly $5.7 million in revolving loan funds that the USDA is investing in nine business development organizations across the United States.

A $950,000 pilot program that would aid eligible grandparents in four Delta and Ozark counties who are the sole caretakers of at least one grandchild passed in a state legislative subcommittee Wednesday.