Jarrod Allen Stroud for Craighead JP District 8

06/14/2026

I tried to sit on my porch today and enjoy a little fresh air. It didn’t last long. After just a short time, the mosquitoes drove me right back inside.
It may seem like a small thing, but it’s really about quality of life. Families should be able to enjoy their backyards. Kids should be able to play outside. Seniors should be able to sit on their porches and visit with neighbors without being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
The frustrating part is that mosquito control isn’t some unsolvable problem. Counties across Arkansas invest in mosquito abatement programs because they understand that public health and quality of life matter. We have the ability to do something about it here in Craighead County, but year after year, we choose not to.
Good government isn’t just about roads and budgets. It’s about making our community a place where people want to live, work, and raise their families. Sometimes that starts with something as simple as being able to enjoy a summer evening on your own porch.
What do you think? Is mosquito control something Craighead County should take more seriously?

04/15/2026

Walking and cycling trails aren’t luxuries—they’re infrastructure. They are preventative healthcare in concrete form. Every mile of trail we build is an investment in lower healthcare costs, better heart health, reduced obesity, and stronger mental well-being. That’s not theory—that’s backed by decades of public health data.

And let’s talk about the environment. Every trip that shifts from a car to a bike or a walk is one less emission, one less contribution to the air quality issues we pretend aren’t creeping into our smaller communities. Trails connect people to their city without adding congestion. They make growth sustainable instead of suffocating.

Then there’s public safety—because right now, we’re asking pedestrians and cyclists to share space with vehicles moving at speeds that were never designed to coexist safely. Dedicated trails reduce accidents. They create predictable, protected spaces. That’s not just good planning—that’s responsible governance.

So the question isn’t “can we afford to build trails?” The question is: how much longer can we afford not to?

Because a city that invests in safe, connected, and accessible trails is a city that’s choosing health, choosing sustainability, and choosing to protect its people—not just talk about it.

I’m glad to see the City of Jonesboro take these steps to improve our quality of life. I look forward to seeing if this project goes through and then looking at what we can do next not just for Jonesboro, but for all of Craighead County

The city of Jonesboro is applying for a $1.7 million federal grant to build a trail connecting dozens of homes to Craighead Forest Park. https://www.kait8.com/2026/04/15/jonesboro-seeks-grant-build-trail-connecting-homes-craighead-forest-park/

04/11/2026

As we watch the conclusion to the historic Artemis II mission, it’s hard not to feel inspired by what it represents. For the first time in over 50 years, we traveled around the Moon—not just to revisit the past, but to push forward into a future full of possibility.

Programs like NASA’s Artemis missions remind us that progress doesn’t happen by standing still. It takes vision, courage, and a willingness to try—even when the path is uncertain.

That same spirit applies right here at home. Whether it’s in our communities, our workplaces, or our families, we should always be striving to do better, reach higher, and create more opportunities for the next generation.

Let’s take a lesson from Artemis II: keep exploring, keep innovating, and never stop working toward something greater than ourselves. 🚀

03/26/2026

As you are getting your property tax bill in the mail this week, take a moment to remember exactly what that piece of paper represents.

It represents your work. Your investment. Your commitment to this community.

And yet, somehow, when it comes time to decide where that money goes, the people who actually paid it aren’t the ones being heard. Instead, decisions get concentrated at the top, filtered through a system that feels a little too comfortable telling taxpayers what’s best for them instead of asking.

That’s not how this is supposed to work.

We throw around words like “accountability” and “local control,” but those ideas fall flat if the voices of the people writing the checks aren’t part of the conversation. If it’s your money leaving your bank account, then your voice ought to matter just as much as anyone sitting behind a desk making decisions about it.

And let’s be clear—this is exactly why it matters who you elect as your justice of the peace. These positions aren’t meant to be ceremonial, and they’re certainly not meant to serve as a rubber stamp for the county judge. They’re supposed to be a direct line between the people and the decisions being made. We need justices who are willing to ask questions, to listen, and yes, to push back when necessary—because representing constituents means more than nodding along, it means standing up.

This isn’t about personalities—it’s about principle. It’s about restoring a system where the people closest to the impact of those dollars actually have a say in how they’re spent.

Because at the end of the day, it shouldn’t be a debate about power—it should be a commitment to listening.

And that starts with electing justices of the peace who want to hear from their constituents about where their tax money goes.

02/17/2026

You know, we talk a lot about democracy like it’s this big, immovable monument. Marble columns. History books. Something carved in stone by people who wore better hats than we do.

But democracy isn’t a monument. It’s a conversation. And voting is how you get a seat at the table.

The right to vote is the most ordinary, extraordinary thing we do. It doesn’t ask you to be rich. It doesn’t require a title. You don’t need permission from anyone who thinks they know better. It simply asks you to show up, mark a ballot, and say, “I’m here too. My voice counts too.”

And here’s the thing, when people don’t vote, decisions still get made. Schools still get funded or not funded. Roads still get built or ignored. Laws still shape our lives. The only question is whether those decisions reflect all of us, or just the few who bothered to participate.

Voting is not about winning every argument. It’s about agreeing that we solve our arguments together. Peacefully. Fairly. With the radical idea that every citizen matters equally.

There were generations of Americans who marched, struggled, and sometimes sacrificed everything just to secure this right. Not so we could admire it. So we could use it.

So when Election Day comes around, don’t think of it as a chore. Think of it as your turn. Your moment in that long American story to step forward and help write the next line.

Because democracy doesn’t work without you.

And it was never supposed to.

Early voting starts today here in Arkansas, make your voice heard!

01/24/2026

I decided in high school that I was going to go into public service. Not because I thought it would make me rich—it won’t—or famous—it rarely does—but because I believed then, and I believe now, that government at its best is one of the most powerful tools we have to improve people’s lives.

Nobody wakes up one morning and says, “You know what I’d really like to do? I’d like to work long hours, take criticism from every direction, and explain complicated decisions to people who may never agree with me,” unless they care deeply about the place they live. Public service isn’t about the paycheck. It’s about the promise. The promise that if you show up, do the work, and act in good faith, you can make your community a little fairer, a little stronger, and a little more just than you found it.

As a graduate student at Arkansas State studying public administration, you learn something pretty quickly: there are two sides to almost every argument. And here’s the part they don’t always tell you—sometimes both sides are right. Sometimes both arguments have merit. The job of good government isn’t to pretend that complexity doesn’t exist. The job is to wrestle with it honestly.

Public service teaches you humility. It teaches you that certainty is easy, but wisdom takes work. It teaches you to ask questions before you give answers, and to listen before you decide. And it teaches you that process matters just as much as outcome—because how we govern says a lot about who we are.

That brings us to where we are right now in Craighead County.

We’re in the middle of a conversation about combining two elected positions into one. And let me say this clearly: looking for ways to improve government, to make it more efficient, to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars—that is not just reasonable, it’s necessary. Any government that refuses to examine itself is a government that’s already started to fail.

But efficiency, standing alone, is not a virtue. Efficiency without accountability is just speed. Efficiency without transparency is just convenience. And efficiency without careful consideration can end up costing us far more than it saves.

When we talk about changing the structure of local government—especially when it involves elected offices—we have an obligation to ask hard questions. What problem are we solving? What are the unintended consequences? How does this affect checks and balances? How does it affect public trust? And perhaps most importantly: who benefits, and who might be left behind?

The questions that have been raised by myself and others are not political gamesmanship. They are not attempts to stall progress. They are the questions that public servants are supposed to ask. And as of today, those questions have not yet been fully answered by the current county government.

I hope they will be. I hope that if this ordinance passes and is placed before the voters in November, those answers come with it—clearly, transparently, and in plain language. Because the people don’t just deserve a vote; they deserve the information that makes that vote meaningful.

Public service isn’t about winning arguments. It’s about earning trust. And trust is built when leaders show their work, explain their reasoning, and respect the intelligence of the people they serve.

That’s why I chose this path. That’s why so many of us choose this path. We believe that government can be better—not perfect, but better—if it’s guided by integrity, curiosity, and a willingness to ask the uncomfortable questions.

In the end, public service is an act of faith. Faith that our communities are worth fighting for. Faith that democracy works best when everyone is informed. And faith that if we do this the right way—thoughtfully, transparently, and together—we can leave Craighead County stronger than we found it.

That’s the virtue of public service. Not the title. Not the paycheck. But the responsibility—and the privilege—of helping shape the future of the place we call home.

01/21/2026

I want to take a moment to recognize Crystal Bell, who ran for Justice of the Peace District 8 two years ago. Crystal showed that it is possible to win this seat, and her campaign helped open the door for important conversations about the future of our county.

As a current candidate for Justice of the Peace District 8, I share the same core belief that motivated her run: county government should be transparent, efficient, and truly serve the people. This role isn’t about politics for politics’ sake—it’s about improving the quality of life for all our citizens, regardless of age, background, or political affiliation.

Progress happens when people are willing to step up, ask hard questions, and work for something better. That’s what this campaign is about, and that’s what District 8 deserves.

In 2024, Crystal Bell contested JP District 8 for the first time in recent history and showed us how competitive it could be. This year, Jarrod Allen Stroud for Craighead JP District 8 is taking that torch and running with it.

01/19/2026

Today I had the honor of marching in the MLK Jr. Parade here in Jonesboro, walking alongside neighbors who believe—really believe—that this country is always capable of becoming something better than it was yesterday.

Dr. King didn’t just talk about the problems we faced; he talked about the possibility on the other side of them. He brought hope and optimism into conversations that were uncomfortable, urgent, and necessary. He reminded us that progress doesn’t come from pretending things are perfect—it comes from having the courage to admit they’re not, and the faith to work anyway.

The theme today was “Where do we go from here?” And the answer, I think, is forward. Together. There is always room for improvement—always another step to take, another bridge to build, another hand to extend. Hope isn’t naïve. Optimism isn’t passive. They are choices, and they’re powerful ones.

If we keep choosing hope, keep believing in one another, and keep showing up—then where we go from here can be somewhere better. And we won’t get there alone.

01/16/2026

Let me be clear, because clarity matters.

Efficiency isn’t a buzzword you throw into a meeting and hope it does the work for you. Efficiency is a result. It’s what happens after you show the math, after you explain the process, after you prove to the taxpayers that fewer safeguards won’t somehow cost them more in the long run.

Right now, the proposal to consolidate the Craighead County Treasurer and Collector is being sold as “efficient,” but the so-called study being cited doesn’t actually tell us what efficiency looks like. It doesn’t lay out a real operational plan. It doesn’t explain how duties will be absorbed without overloading one office. And most importantly, it doesn’t say—clearly, plainly, and in dollars and cents—how much money taxpayers will actually save.

Checks and balances are not bureaucratic fluff. They exist because public money deserves more than a handshake and a promise that everything will work out fine. When you eliminate an independent set of eyes, you don’t automatically gain efficiency—you risk losing accountability. And if the answer to that loss is “we’ll bring in an outside auditor,” then we haven’t saved money at all. We’ve just moved the expense down the road and written it a different name.

Good government doesn’t rush consolidation because it sounds modern or tidy. Good government asks the uncomfortable questions first. Show us the numbers. Show us the workflow. Show us how this protects taxpayers better than the system we already have.

Until that happens, this isn’t a plan. It’s an assumption. And Craighead County deserves decisions based on evidence, not optimism.

Craighead County Quorum Court discusses detention center needs and office consolidation
| READ MORE: https://jonesbororightnow.com/news/268862-craighead-county-quorum-court-january-recap/

01/05/2026

A new year always bring a fresh sense of hope - and here in Craighead County, it brings an opportunity to build something better together.

As we head into this election cycle, I’m asking for your support- not just financially, but in belief. Belief that local government should listen. Belief that good ideas can come from anywhere. Belief that when we invest in our community, we all move forward.

Every contribution helps us to reach more neighbors, share our vision, and keep this campaign focused on what matters most: practical solutions, responsible stewardship, and a county government and works for everyone.

If you’re able to give, thank you. If you’re able to share this message, thank you. And if you’re ready to be part of a hopeful, hard-working future of Craighead County, I’d be honored to earn your support in the year ahead.

Show your support with a contribution.