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Phillips County, Arkansas

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About Phillips, AR

Local News
Complete local news coverage for Phillips County, Arkansas. Stay updated on local government, community events, business developments, and civic matters affecting residents of Helena-West Helena, Marvell, Elaine, Lake View, and surrounding Arkansas Delta communities.
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Helena-West Helena, Marvell, Elaine, Lake View and 695 square miles in eastern arkansas

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Newsroom monitoring local Phillips, AR developments. Next update cycle in 38 minutes.

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Helena-West Helena welcome center reopens after temporary closure

Helena-West Helena welcome center reopens after temporary closure

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Helena native returns for Independence Day book signing at Delta Cultural Center

Helena native returns for Independence Day book signing at Delta Cultural Center

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Westbound Highway 1 Closed at US 49 After Injury Crash in Phillips County

Westbound Highway 1 Closed at US 49 After Injury Crash in Phillips County

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Phillips County Quorum Court honors Barton state champs, discusses sewer issues

Phillips County Quorum Court honors Barton state champs, discusses sewer issues

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Lexa student earns two-year Helena Industries scholarship at PCCUA

Lexa student earns two-year Helena Industries scholarship at PCCUA

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More Local News

Phillips County newspaper archives preserve daily life across local towns
Community

Phillips County newspaper archives preserve daily life across local towns

One afternoon in the Phillips County newspaper microfilm can surface obituaries, school honors, church notices and business ads that official records missed.

Sarah Chen4m read
Investigators probe West Helena Exxon shooting that injures two men
Community

Investigators probe West Helena Exxon shooting that injures two men

Two 21-year-olds were shot at the Exxon on Sebastian Street, turning a routine stop in West Helena into a state-police case.

Lisa Park2m read
Helena Harbor earns national REDI Sites designation for business growth
Business

Helena Harbor earns national REDI Sites designation for business growth

Helena Harbor has joined a national site-readiness program that could help land industrial users, but the real test is whether it brings jobs and tax revenue to Phillips County.

Sarah Chen2m read
Helena Depot anchors Delta Cultural Center and Phillips County rail history
Community

Helena Depot anchors Delta Cultural Center and Phillips County rail history

The Helena Depot is more than a preserved station: since 1990 it has anchored the Delta Cultural Center, linking Phillips County’s rail past to downtown Helena’s museum campus.

Sarah Chen4m read
Phillips County Library expands hours to boost access for residents
Community

Phillips County Library expands hours to boost access for residents

Phillips County Library will stay open Tuesday until 6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., giving Helena families more time for computers, ebooks and homework help.

Lisa Park2m read
Phillips County approves 2026 budget after courtroom request debate
Government

Phillips County approves 2026 budget after courtroom request debate

Amendments locked in Phillips County’s 2026 budget, but a rejected $400,000 courtroom bid and an AWIN fight still hang over court access and emergency radio service.

Marcus Williams2m read
Phillips County Health Systems warns of scheduled technical maintenance July 14
Healthcare

Phillips County Health Systems warns of scheduled technical maintenance July 14

Phillips County Health Systems warned that July 14 maintenance could briefly disrupt its portal, bill pay and other digital contact points. The system posted the notice on Facebook and Instagram.

Evie Marsh2m read
Phillips Community College campus strengthens Phillips County workforce pipeline
Education

Phillips Community College campus strengthens Phillips County workforce pipeline

Phillips Community College is Phillips County’s closest pipeline into welding, HVAC, manufacturing, and second-chance education, all from its Helena-West Helena campus on the Mississippi River.

Lisa Park5m read
Turner Historic District tells Cypert’s rural Delta family business story
Business

Turner Historic District tells Cypert’s rural Delta family business story

Cypert’s Turner Historic District turns a family store-and-house complex into a rural Delta asset, linking Phillips County’s farm economy to tourism potential.

Sarah Chen6m read
West Helena shooting kills man, state police seek leads
Community

West Helena shooting kills man, state police seek leads

A man was shot dead near Mooney and Hawkins streets in West Helena, and Arkansas State Police joined local officers in searching for witnesses and leads.

Marcus Williams2m read
Maple Hill Cemetery reveals Helena's layered history and segregation
Community

Maple Hill Cemetery reveals Helena's layered history and segregation

Maple Hill Cemetery is Helena’s landscape of segregation and memory, where a fenced burial ground records race, land control, and the city’s growth.

Marcus Williams3m read
Judge orders Helena-West Helena Airport Commission to release records again
Government

Judge orders Helena-West Helena Airport Commission to release records again

A Pulaski County judge ordered the Helena-West Helena Airport Commission to turn over records again, keeping alive a fight over control of one of Phillips County's public assets.

Marcus Williams1m read
Helena-West Helena city calendar puts meetings and records online
Government

Helena-West Helena city calendar puts meetings and records online

Helena-West Helena’s city calendar puts council meetings, agendas, minutes, and video archives in one public place. For Phillips County, that means earlier warning on spending, services, and other city decisions.

Marcus Williams4m read
Elaine police dispatch dispute raises public safety concerns
Government

Elaine police dispatch dispute raises public safety concerns

Phillips County’s decision to cut Elaine police off from county dispatch could slow emergency calls, with the city warning that public safety is now at risk.

James Thompson2m read
Severe storm warning issued for Phillips County, with hail and lightning
Community

Severe storm warning issued for Phillips County, with hail and lightning

Phillips County stayed under a strong storm warning through 7:45 p.m., with wind, hail and lightning threatening Helena-West Helena and the rest of the Delta.

Lisa Park1m read
Phillips County services centered at Cherry Street government hub
Government

Phillips County services centered at Cherry Street government hub

Cherry Street is Phillips County’s practical front door: taxes, land records, court filings, and clerk services all run through the downtown government cluster.

James Thompson5m read
Helena-West Helena schools announce 2026 registration for next year
Education

Helena-West Helena schools announce 2026 registration for next year

Helena-West Helena Schools opened 2026 registration July 13, and late paperwork can delay bus planning and classroom placement for the 2026-27 year.

Sarah Chen1m read
Sylvanus Phillips helped shape Arkansas Territory and inspired Phillips County's name
Community

Sylvanus Phillips helped shape Arkansas Territory and inspired Phillips County's name

Phillips County's name still points back to Sylvanus Phillips, whose land claims, town-building and Helena roots shaped the county’s first public memory.

Lisa Park5m read
Fort Curtis anchored Union defenses that repelled Confederate attack in Helena
Community

Fort Curtis anchored Union defenses that repelled Confederate attack in Helena

Fort Curtis still marks the high ground that saved Helena, and the surviving batteries and downtown sites make Phillips County’s Civil War ground a year-round classroom and tourism asset.

Marcus Williams4m read
Helena Museum links Phillips County history to Arkansas's oldest purpose-built museum
Community

Helena Museum links Phillips County history to Arkansas's oldest purpose-built museum

The Helena Museum of Phillips County turns a 1891 library into a civic asset, with Arkansas’s oldest purpose-built museum drawing heritage tourists to downtown Helena.

Sarah Chen4m read
Phillips County native builds nursing career from Marvell roots
Healthcare

Phillips County native builds nursing career from Marvell roots

From Turner to Marvell and into nursing, Catlett’s path shows why Phillips County needs homegrown health talent and the training pipeline to keep it.

Evie Marsh4m read
Phillips County 2026 elections page tracks filing dates and local races
Government

Phillips County 2026 elections page tracks filing dates and local races

Phillips County’s elections page is a practical map of who shapes taxes, schools, policing and county services, with filing windows opening before the March 3 ballot.

Marcus Williams4m read
Phillips County municipal candidate filing opens July 29
Government

Phillips County municipal candidate filing opens July 29

Phillips County's municipal filing window opens July 29, starting a one-week race for city offices that steer streets, water, policing and local taxes.

Marcus Williams2m read
Helena-West Helena district news page keeps families informed
Education

Helena-West Helena district news page keeps families informed

The district’s news page gives Phillips County families one place to track school announcements, student opportunities, and campus updates without chasing flyers or social posts.

Marcus Williams3m read
Phillips County's Martin Rawls named to Delta State Under 40 class
Community

Phillips County's Martin Rawls named to Delta State Under 40 class

Martin Rawls of Phillips County was named to Delta State’s Under 40 class of 2026, a 35-member group that spotlights young alumni with local roots and public service records.

Lisa Park2m read
Phillips County moms face longer drives as delivery care shrinks
Healthcare

Phillips County moms face longer drives as delivery care shrinks

Phillips County’s median trip for delivery was six minutes in 2019. Now that Helena’s birthing unit is closed, mothers face longer drives, more costs and more risk.

Evie Marsh1m read
Helena-West Helena gets $4.5 million grant to upgrade water system
Government

Helena-West Helena gets $4.5 million grant to upgrade water system

A new $4.5 million federal grant will help Helena-West Helena tackle water losses, leaks and pressure failures, but officials say the system still faces a repair bill that tops $100 million.

Marcus Williams2m read
Phillips County Chamber website connects businesses, events and visitors
Business

Phillips County Chamber website connects businesses, events and visitors

The chamber site is built to send customers to Phillips County businesses, events and attractions. Its directory, calendar and visitor pages turn local culture into foot traffic and inquiries.

Sarah Chen4m read
West Helena fairgrounds became World War II prisoner camp
Community

West Helena fairgrounds became World War II prisoner camp

Phillips County farmers got 885 POWs after the fairgrounds camp opened, and the labor kept rice, cotton and livestock work moving across the Delta.

Marcus Williams1m read