After two successful summer musicals, BIG and Little Women, Ouachita

Mena Downtown Partners will be providing financial incentives for

During a recent city of Mena planning commission meeting, there was discussion in regard to the number of lodging facilities located within the city limits that have not obtained their Conditional Use Permit, as required by Ordinance No. 930 signed on August 6, 1991.

An estimated 600-700 guests were served during the First Annual Ouachita Nights event held this past weekend in the Martin Avenue Entertainment District located between The Ouachitas and Sanctified Designs. The historic event was Mena’s first temporary entertainment district with more to fol…

The 68th Annual 2021 Polk County Rodeo will be held at the Andy Risenhoover Arena at the Polk County Fairgrounds on August 13th and 14th. The Rodeo will begin at 8:30 each night and with Mutton Bustin’ and Junior Barrels each evening. The Rodeo is produced by Wing Rodeo Co. out of Bogota, Te…

Moving into the next phase of development, the historic Mena High School project continues to move forward. Given its prime location within the Ouachita’s, Mena’s natural beauty has become a boon for business from Arkansans, bordering states and beyond. Due to the influx of tourists, visiona…

The hiring of a full-time sheriff’s deputy was approved during the

Lisa Standridge has announced she will run for the Polk County Clerk

Rehearsals have been underway for Ouachita Little Theatre’s musical version of Little Women. Under the direction of Alexa Night and musical direction of Judy Kropp, this is sure to be one of the top shows of the new OLT season. The talented and experienced cast is ready to enchant local audi…

[MENA, Ark.] In a tradition that dates back to the mid-1880’s, UA Rich Mountain held its pinning ceremony for the college’s LPN Class of 2019 on Thursday, July 1 in the Ouachita Center on campus. The time-honored pinning ceremony signifies membership in a proud and loyal society of nurses. N…

The United States Geological Survey reported a magnitude 3.4 quake in the United States near Mena, Polk County, Arkansas. The earthquake hit early morning on Thursday 22 July 2021 at 4:08 am local time at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake mi…

The Ouachitas will be hosting their 1st Annual Ouachita Nights this Friday and Saturday on Martin Avenue due to the passage of an ordinance by the Mena City Council in the creation of a temporary Entertainment District.

Train collision claims life of Polk County man

Editor’s Note:

OLT’s Wednesday Night at the Lyric is this week, showcasing “West Side Story” on July 14 at 6:30 PM. Admission is free and concessions are available for purchase.

Mena Police Department reports for the week of July 4th through July 10rd, 2021:

Polk County Circuit Court – Criminal Division

After many years of service, our time and temperature display stopped working here at the Cooperative in Mena. We have acquired a new sign, and with the new sign many of you have been asking about the mascot being displayed. So, we wanted to take the opportunity to let you

On Saturday, May 15, 2021, a Deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office stopped a white Jeep driven by Samuel Leon Bissell, age 40, of Mena. During the stop and a subsequent search of the vehicle, Deputies found approx. 113 grams of Methamphetamines, loaded syringes, scales, pills, approx.…

Law enforcement professionals from local police forces to sheriff’s departments, state police and federal law enforcement agencies leave home each day not knowing what challenges they will experience, but ready to face danger head on in order to make the communities they serve safer.

The Arkansas legislature enacted several new pro-life laws during the 2021 regular session.

When an officer is killed, it is not only a loss to the agency, it’s a loss to our entire state.

From when you can drive in the left lane to regulating autonomous cars, the 93rd General Assembly made several changes to laws regarding our roadways. This week, we want to update you on these upcoming changes. Act 1090 states a vehicle shall not be driven upon the left lane of a multilane h…

Congratulations to Abby McIntyre, recipient of the Rachel Norman Memorial Choir Scholarship. Abby is a senior at Cossatot River High School and plans to attend Henderson State University in the fall and major in vocal music education. She is a 6 year member of the Cossatot River Choirs and a…

$3,000 Grant Will Help the Library Work with Proprietors to Promote

Fiscal issues took center stage during the final week of the legislative session.

A major key in keeping our community fire safe is awareness and education! With this thought in mind, the Mena Fire Department is working with National Fire safety Council, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, to provide fire prevention materials for our community through their Annual F…

Spring-like weather is back, and so is the Master Gardners’ annual Plant Sale!

City of Mena Mayor Seth Smith signed a proclamation on Friday, April 16, declaring April 26th through April 30th, 2021 as Reentry Awareness Week for the City of Mena. On March 23, 2021, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a state proclamation representing the support given by state offic…

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge encourages Arkansans to clean out their medicine cabinets and bring any unused or expired medications to one of more than 250 Prescription Drug Take Back Day drop-off locations. This year’s Drug Take Back Day in Polk County is scheduled for April 24 from 9 a.…

Nidec Plant Manager Jim Stroope and his leadership team provided Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge a detailed tour of the facility last Thursday during her visit to Mena.

Last week, the Rich Mountain Bucks softball and baseball teams were in action. On Thursday, Bucks Softball hosted 11th ranked Seminole State.

April 9, 2021

"Many things and many people contribute to making Mena a special place. In 2021 Southwest Artists will celebrate its 76th year of contribution to making this part of Arkansas unique. It began in 1945 when Artists and Artisans living in Southwest Arkansas began getting together to paint and b…

The Easter Bunny visited downtown Mena on Saturday to the delight of the numerous boys and girls who visited him at Suzie Q’s. Parents had a good time with this impromptu photo opp. Goodies were given to children and a bunny rabbit stuffed toy with basket was given away. This was part of the…

Despite a national pandemic and directives placed on Arkansans and other states, the real estate market has remained strong in Polk County. Since last spring of 2020, Polk County has been trending more towards a seller’s market according to local brokers and agencies. “We are most definitely…

Polk County Clerk, Terri Harrison has announced that she will not be seeking re-election in 2022. “After great thought and consideration and much prayer, I have decided that I will retire and not seek re-election at the end of this term,” shared Harrison. “I do believe that for everything th…

The Mena City Council met last week in a special meeting and voted to accept a $6.6 million dollar loan from the USDA with an interest rate of 1.25 percent for forty years. According to Mayor Seth Smith, the urgency in signing the agreement was to secure the interest rate, which may increase…

LITTLE ROCK – The legislature has approved a broad reform of the laws governing water providers, a measure that sponsors have been working on for the past four years.

Close to 500 bills have been signed into law so far during the 2021 Regular Session.

Mena Water, Acorn Water, and Freedom Water customers will soon receive notices of an Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) violation regarding the treatment of the water shared Charles Pittman, General Manager of Mena Water utilities.

We are very lucky to get a doctor and orthopedist of Dr. Bean’s caliber to our system,” MRHS CEO Jay Quebedeaux told the group in his introduction. “He has had very successful practices his whole career.”