Changes coming at Main St & Central Ave.
As construction of the new Main Street bridge progresses, Central Ave. will be closed starting as early as this week.
Central Ave. will be reduced to two lanes of traffic (one lane each direction), and traffic will be shifted to the north side of Central to allow the southern half of Central to be closed.
During these closures, the traffic signals will be removed and a stop sign installed on Main St. The two lanes on Central Ave. will not have stop signs and will be free-flowing traffic. This also affects the signs for pedestrians. They will not be working.
Traffic turning onto Central Ave. from Main St. will be required to stop or yield to traffic on Central Ave. These changes will remain in place until the bridge construction is completed.
While we recognize that this may cause traffic delays, it is necessary for the safety of construction crews and the traveling public.
The Splash Pad is now open! The Splash Pad hours are 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The Park's Public Bathroom hours are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Mayor Jackson (right) and Mike Nabors, president of the HHBA, enjoy broccoli cheese soup and a Cuban bowl at Nenos Place in downtown Harrison. Nabors and some members of the Downtown Strategy Committee will travel to Little Rock to make a presentation to the Main Street organization to present the case for Harrison becoming a Main Street Community. This status would bring many benefits to Downtown Harrison.
The Historic District Commissioners will meet on May 5 at 1 p.m.
This meeting will be conducted in the administrative conference room at City Hall at 1 p.m. (the meeting is still open to the public).
Creekside members continue to grow
At the City Council meeting, Thursday, April 24, the Department Heads presented reports to the council members.
Parks and Rec Director Chuck Eddington said membership at Creekside was up to 3,990 members. He reported 41 baseball teams and 117 basketball teams were in town April 12-13. “Hotels were full. We are hoping to break records.”
The pickleball courts should be surfaced next week, and they take four days to cure. So, we should be able to open in May.
May will also be a big month for Parks, with baseball and softball, soccer and regional and state tournaments.
Then we want to invite you to Libby Salmon’s Retirement celebration at 11:30 on Friday, April 25. We hate to see her go, but she’s worked hard for 30 years, and we are excited to see what she gets to do next. She’s built a lot of relationships in our community and is going to be missed.
Councilman Magness said, “You had giants in the form of Jerry Farmer and Libby Salmon who have retired this year.”
Magness said he asked several guests in the community about their time here, and he was very impressed by their opinions. “They were amazed by Harrison, and one lady from Jonesboro said she was embarrassed that their community didn’t have anything like Creekside. Every comment was positive, except for the fact that they said Harrison doesn’t have enough lodging. The tournaments maxed out the hotels, and we are definitely getting our money back on our investment into our facilities.”
Thursday, May 1, is National Day of Prayer. Bible Reading Marathon will continue throughout the day on the Courthouse Square. The day will start with a Prayer Breakfast at 7 a.m. at Quality Inn.
Phillips updates on city projects
At the City Council meeting, Thursday, April 24, the Department Heads presented reports to the council members.
COO/City Engineer Wade Phillips addressed some of the legislative action in Little Rock. “One thing that might affect this council is that council members will not be allowed to join council meetings via Zoom.”
He also said the Camp Jack remodeling is going well, and they hope to be back in the building in mid to late May or June.
The Nance family donated 120 saplings to the downtown area. We appreciate their donation to honor two outstanding citizens, Bill Stirtz and Joe Miller. The Public Works staff members planted forty dogwood, forty redbud, and forty cherry trees.
The steel should be going up on the Creekside stage very soon.
"We are working on the traffic signal at Hwy. 43 and Cottonwood. One of the council members asked who would pay for that, and Phillips said it would be filed to the truck driver’s insurance company," he said.
Phillips also mentioned the Street Department will go out to bid for a street resurfacing contract to overlay several streets this summer. “It’s looking like it could cost $215,000 to $230,000 per mile of roadway paved on average. Streets being selected for overlays are being prioritized based on a citywide paving assessment completed last year. And the Goblin Drive project will be advertised for bids this weekend. (April 26)
Under new business, ordinances 1538 and 1539 authorizing eminent domain were tabled in good faith, indicating that the owner had indicated that they thought they would be able to accept the offer for easement acquisition.
A bid waiver was approved for the repair of the signal at Hwy. 43 and Cottonwood Road. Phillips said that delivery lead times for signal poles and mast arms are typically 20 plus weeks, which is why taking time for a bid process is not desirable. “I’m hoping for two months. But in the meantime, we are looking for a knock-down trailer equipped with signals that can be wired into the signal controller as a temporary solution until the full repair can be completed.
Four arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material
The Harrison City Council met on Thursday, April 24, and heard reports from Department Heads.
Police Chief Chris Graddy said citations and warnings are down, but we are also four positions short. Two officers just graduated from the police academy and are completing their field training program. Two more officers have been hired and are scheduled to start the Police academy on May 5.
“We arrested four subjects on Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) charges, with one of the subjects offending on a child. Three subjects were charged with federal charges and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security for prosecution. The other subject was charged with state charges and was incarcerated in the Boone County Jail with a $75,000 bond.”
“The hailstorm that came on Sunday, March 30, did a lot of damage. We have 31 vehicles with hail damage,” he said.
He also addressed the loud “explosion” of noise heard the night before. “There was no damage, just powder.”
Sales Tax collections still up
At the City Council meeting, Thursday, April 24, the Department Heads presented reports to the council members.
CFO Luke Feighert said his department was getting caught up. Our numbers still look good. “We are still waiting to be reimbursed for the Camp Jack remodel.”
Mayor Jerry Jackson added, “With this grant type, we have to spend it. The government qualifies it and pays us back. It’s a hurry-up and wait mode. We have probably lost about $50,000 in interest waiting for repayment.”
Feighert said sales tax collections are still up over last year. The Mayor pointed out the numbers in reserves to the council members.
“Yes,” Feighert said. “We have a good number in reserves. But we have some big projects coming up that will need this money. The City is paying for the Goblin Drive project, and we are paying a portion of the ARDOT project at Hester Drive.”
Thursday, May 1, is National Day of Prayer.
Bible Reading Marathon will continue throughout the day on the Courthouse Square. The day will start with a Prayer Breakfast at 7 a.m. at Quality Inn.
Creekside Amp tickets go on sale at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, May 1. Ticket prices range from $20 to $40 for lawn seating.
Two juveniles arrested for vehicle break-in spree.
The Harrison Police Department arrested two juvenile males Saturday evening after approximately 50 vehicles were broken into Saturday morning at the Links apartments, Rock Springs apartments, and the Gipson Road area. Officers, after reviewing video and following additional leads, were able to identify the suspects. The juveniles were later located and arrested Saturday evening. The juveniles have been charged with breaking or entering, theft of property, and possession of intoxicating liquor. Officers recovered several items of stolen property and are processing items to be returned to residents. If you had items stolen and wish to file a police report, come by City Hall to file a police report at 118 W. Industrial Park Road between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Assistant Chief John Cagle would like to thank the officers for working quickly to close this case and apprehend the individuals. Cagle strongly urges residents not to leave their vehicles unlocked and to remove valuables.
Don't forget to make arrangements if your water bill is past due!
Harrison Police Officers, Davy Peter (from left), Jacob Tooley, Dalton Davis, and Isaiah Burleson participated in the Torch Run Friday morning in honor of Special Olympics.
Libby Salmon retired on Friday, April 25, 2025, after serving the City for 30 years through the Parks and Recreation Department. The Parks Executive Director said, “Libby has been the director of our pools for 28 years, since the outdoor pool opened, and she has held many other positions. Libby knew how to build relationships. When I started with Parks, she was my friend and mentor. This will be a tough loss, but this is a celebration for her, and I'm excited for her future. Everybody is going to miss her around here. Libby, we are excited. You’re like a sister to me. Thank you for your loyal and dedicated service from 1995-2025.”
Melanie Shearer, the Bergman Middle School counselor, invited Harrison Firefighter Randy Richardson and the City of Harrison’s IT Director, David Wilson, to speak at their Career Day on Friday, April 25.
Here's an update on the Bridge Construction. Be aware that Central will be narrowed to two lanes very soon.
Due to the bridge construction, ARDOT will narrow Central Ave. down to two lanes very soon.
Visit the newest Facebook page for our community -- Creekside Amp! Tickets will be available at this site on May 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. Visit CreeksideAmp.com or Creekside Amp on Facebook for more information.
Harrison Police Detective Sgt. Jason Causey empties the drug drop-off box in the foyer at City Hall in preparation for National Drug Take Back Day scheduled for Saturday, April 26.
