Loading...|Loading...
MARKETS
Loading market data...

Prism Local News

Phillips County, Arkansas

"Your Local News, Powered by AI Journalism"

Stay Connected

Get the latest Phillips, AR news delivered directly to your inbox.

Free weekly newsletter · Unsubscribe anytime

By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy

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.
Covering
Helena-West Helena, Marvell, Elaine, Lake View and 695 square miles in eastern arkansas

Local Updates

Active

Newsroom monitoring local Phillips, AR developments. Next update cycle in 25 minutes.

Share

Watch

Watch: Phillips, AR

3 videos · Swipe to explore

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

Read the full article
Phillips County Quorum Court honors Barton state champs, discusses sewer issues

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

Read the full article
Lexa student earns two-year Helena Industries scholarship at PCCUA

Lexa student earns two-year Helena Industries scholarship at PCCUA

Read the full article

More Local News

Helena-West Helena council tables budget-related bidding waivers amid financial strain
Government

Helena-West Helena council tables budget-related bidding waivers amid financial strain

Budget pressure again stalled Helena-West Helena bidding waivers, delaying water, street and sanitation work as the council fell short of the vote needed to move them.

James Thompson2m read
Central High School to host Accuplacer prep for college credits
Education

Central High School to host Accuplacer prep for college credits

At Central High School, an Accuplacer prep session gave Phillips County students a local path to college credits and a faster start on training.

Marcus Williams2m read
Barton board rejects Guthrie resignation, leaving school leadership uncertain
Education

Barton board rejects Guthrie resignation, leaving school leadership uncertain

Dr. Bruce Guthrie tried to step down before June 30, but the Barton School Board tabled the resignation, keeping the district's leadership and summer planning unsettled.

Marcus Williams2m read
D.K. Harrell blues show set for downtown Helena on June 5
Community

D.K. Harrell blues show set for downtown Helena on June 5

D.K. Harrell brought a three-hour blues set to Gist Music Company, testing 307 Cherry Street as an after-hours draw for downtown Helena.

Sarah Chen2m read
Phillips County homicide rate far above state average, social media post says
Community

Phillips County homicide rate far above state average, social media post says

A viral post says Phillips County’s homicide rate is 11 times West Virginia’s, as the county’s population fell to 14,255.

Sarah Chen2m read
11 Phillips County seniors earn $12,500 through Delta Magic program
Education

11 Phillips County seniors earn $12,500 through Delta Magic program

Eleven Phillips County seniors split $12,500 in Delta Magic scholarships, with financial-literacy training aimed at lowering the cost of the next step.

Sarah Chen2m read
Helena-West Helena approves $112,000 landfill bulldozer purchase
Government

Helena-West Helena approves $112,000 landfill bulldozer purchase

Helena-West Helena turned expected contaminated-soil revenue into a $112,000 landfill bulldozer, approving the purchase 6-0 without bidding.

Marcus Williams2m read
PCCUA medical laboratory technician program earns 10-year accreditation renewal
Education

PCCUA medical laboratory technician program earns 10-year accreditation renewal

PCCUA’s lab tech program kept its national stamp for 10 more years, strengthening Phillips County’s pipeline for hospital and clinic jobs.

Lisa Park2m read
Public meeting set in Helena-West Helena on Highway 49 bridge rehab
Government

Public meeting set in Helena-West Helena on Highway 49 bridge rehab

ARDOT brought its Highway 49 bridge rehab plan to Helena-West Helena, where commuters and businesses pressed for details on traffic, timing and access.

James Thompson2m read
Delta Dirt Distillery turns local crops into downtown success in Helena-West Helena
Business

Delta Dirt Distillery turns local crops into downtown success in Helena-West Helena

Sweet potatoes from a family farm now end up as vodka, gin and cordials downtown, giving Helena-West Helena a rare sign of private investment.

Sarah Chen2m read
West Helena man booked on arson, terroristic-threat charges in Phillips County
Government

West Helena man booked on arson, terroristic-threat charges in Phillips County

West Helena’s Darius Hairl was booked at 10:38 a.m. May 28 on arson and terrorist-threat charges, but the jail record does not say what property was involved.

Marcus Williams2m read
Marvell church to host 5th Sunday gospel sing, invites instruments
Community

Marvell church to host 5th Sunday gospel sing, invites instruments

Marvell’s 5th Sunday Singing brought gospel music to Trenton Missionary Baptist Church, where neighbors were invited to bring instruments and join the service.

Lisa Park2m read
Phillips County fishing rodeo set for June 6 at Storm Creek
Community

Phillips County fishing rodeo set for June 6 at Storm Creek

Families will pack Storm Creek on June 6 for a youth fishing rodeo where registration starts at 7 a.m., poles only are allowed and every child gets a prize.

Sarah Chen2m read
Phillips County Library to host free Revolutionary Transcribe-a-Thon in Helena
Community

Phillips County Library to host free Revolutionary Transcribe-a-Thon in Helena

Phillips County residents can help transcribe Revolutionary-era records at a free June 27 event in Helena, with library computers available and no experience required.

Lisa Park2m read
West Helena event to raise lupus awareness at Kingdom Believers Church
Community

West Helena event to raise lupus awareness at Kingdom Believers Church

West Helena’s Purple Praise Party turned Kingdom Believers Church into a lupus awareness gathering, linking families to support, education and a broader health equity fight.

Lisa Park2m read
West Helena summer feeding program offers free meals for children
Community

West Helena summer feeding program offers free meals for children

West Helena families can pick up free meals for children 18 and under June 4 at Busy Beez Daycare, with an evening window built for working parents.

Marcus Williams2m read
Helena-West Helena chase ends in arrest after wrong-way driving, foot pursuit
Community

Helena-West Helena chase ends in arrest after wrong-way driving, foot pursuit

Wrong-way driving turned a Helena-West Helena traffic stop into a chase, ending with Antonio Jermaine Walker arrested behind a Dollar General and charged with felony fleeing.

Marcus Williams2m read
Highway 49 closed near Helena after commercial vehicle crash, injuries reported
Community

Highway 49 closed near Helena after commercial vehicle crash, injuries reported

A commercial-vehicle crash shut Highway 49 near State Highway 185, snarling Helena traffic and cutting a key route for trucks and commuters.

Sarah Chen2m read
Helena-West Helena website showcases business-ready economic development tools
Business

Helena-West Helena website showcases business-ready economic development tools

Helena-West Helena’s economic page acts like a pitch deck, tying river-port access, industrial land and local contacts to the city’s growth story.

Sarah Chen6m read
Walton grant boosts college and career paths for Helena-West Helena students
Education

Walton grant boosts college and career paths for Helena-West Helena students

A $494,000 Walton grant will expand college and career support in Helena-West Helena, building on a Delta effort that once helped Central High reach 100% college acceptance.

Lisa Park2m read
Barton board tables superintendent resignation amid leadership transition
Education

Barton board tables superintendent resignation amid leadership transition

Barton’s board put Dr. Bruce Guthrie’s resignation on hold, leaving summer hiring and back-to-school planning in limbo as his Lonoke move is set to begin July 1.

Sarah Chen2m read
Elaine updates city hall hours, payment options and trash pickup info
Government

Elaine updates city hall hours, payment options and trash pickup info

Elaine’s website now puts hours, bill pay, trash schedules and meeting notices in one place, cutting down on wasted trips to city hall.

Marcus Williams6m read
Marvell grew from railroad land sales, early commerce and library roots
Community

Marvell grew from railroad land sales, early commerce and library roots

Marvell’s railroad-era lot sales still explain its compact footprint, while its schools, library and fairground events keep shaping Phillips County life.

Sarah Chen4m read
KIPP Delta alumni selected for national leadership accelerator
Education

KIPP Delta alumni selected for national leadership accelerator

KIPP Delta alumni from Helena-West Helena have entered a selective national fellowship, widening Phillips County’s pipeline from local classrooms to national leadership.

Marcus Williams2m read
Elaine 1919 Massacre: Phillips County Reckons with Red Summer Violence
Community

Elaine 1919 Massacre: Phillips County Reckons with Red Summer Violence

Large-scale killings, arrests and detentions followed a meeting of Black sharecroppers in Elaine in 1919, a violent episode that shaped Phillips County's social and economic landscape.

Sarah Chen2m read
Walton Family Foundation backs early literacy push in Phillips County
Education

Walton Family Foundation backs early literacy push in Phillips County

A two-year literacy push could reach 80% of eligible children ages 0 to 5 in Phillips and Jefferson counties by May 2028.

Lisa Park2m read
State Scrutiny of Marvell-Elaine Schools Raises Community Equity Concerns
Education

State Scrutiny of Marvell-Elaine Schools Raises Community Equity Concerns

The small Marvell-Elaine School District, which serves PreK–12 students in Marvell and Elaine, has drawn state attention for low enrollment and academic performance, a status that could trigger interventions under Arkansas’s LEARNS Act. Any state action or restructuring could reshape access to school-based health services, nutrition programs, and community gathering spaces that are vital to Phillips County’s social and economic fabric.

Lisa Park2m read
Elaine mayor says county dispatch cutoff puts public safety at risk
Government

Elaine mayor says county dispatch cutoff puts public safety at risk

Phillips County cut Elaine police off from county dispatch, and Mayor Lisa Hicks Gilbert says residents could be left guessing who answers the next emergency call. The county says it will still take 911 calls.

James Thompson2m read
Gov. Sanders Names Helena-West Helena Distillery Owner as March Face of Arkansas
Business

Gov. Sanders Names Helena-West Helena Distillery Owner as March Face of Arkansas

Helena-West Helena operations manager Donavan Williams is Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ March “Face of Arkansas,” with his portrait to hang in the State Capitol and Delta Dirt’s farm-to-bottle story center stage.

Sarah Chen3m read