Helena Harbor & Phillips County Economic Development

06/04/2026

Helena River Gauge-The Mighty Mississippi is forcast to drop over the coming days. Flood Stage at Helena is 44 feet and we are well below that.

06/04/2026

Thank You Arkansas Rural Water-We all are too aware of the water challenges we face with the municipal system in Helena West Helena. Infrastructure improvement is part
of the solution to our problems. Proper professional training of water workers is also a vital part to solve our problems.

The staff of Arkansas Rural Water recently conducted basic water distribution training at Phillips Community College in Helena and will be returning soon to offer follow up training.

This is a big benefit to our community since local water workers don’t have to travel to receive training. We appreciate Arkansas Rural Water for all of the support and we appreciate the citizens who reports problems a with the system. The people of Helena deserve a great water system. We must not fail in this critical mission.

06/03/2026

Track Inspection Time-Safe tracks are important for railroads and the communities the railroad serves. That’s why we are always glad to see the Arkansas Midland Railroad inspection team inspecting the railroad tracks that are located in and around Helena. Arkansas Midland Railroad operates the Helena Branch and provides local switching services for Phillips County.

05/28/2026

Helena Bridge Public Comment Opportunity-There is still time to drop by today until 630PM at the Hendrix Fine Arts Center at PCCUA on 1000 Campus Drive in Helena to hear about the Helena Bridge Rehabilitation Project. The public is invited to leave comments today or can email to the Arkansas Department of Transportation at [email protected]. Be sure to state your comments are about the Helena Bridge Project.

05/22/2026

As Memorial Day Weekend commences, Americans will observe a period of leisure, savoring moments with loved ones and friends until Monday. This holiday signifies the unofficial start of the summer season.

Observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is a federally recognized holiday honoring the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States. It is essential to distinguish Memorial Day from Veterans Day, which pays tribute to all veterans, both living and deceased.

For those who are able, find a cemetery this weekend to remember our honored dead. Locally in Phillips County, just about every cemetery has the graves of those who served our nation with honor.

Stay safe.

05/21/2026

Help for Helena’s Water Challenges-The water challenges of Helena West Helena are long standing and deeply felt by local citizens.

It will take money and management to fix these presistent problems. Helena Harbor officials over a year ago submitted a Congressionally Directed Spending Request to improve our water system. This request was championed by Senator John Boozman and he was successful in getting 4.5 million dollars directed towards upgrades to the HWH system.

Helena Harbor staff was notified by the US Environmental Protection Agency that it is time to start processing this funding so it can actually be put to work. This is a process that will take some time and we are committed to working with Helena officials to get this funding deployed to fix our infrastructure.

As any citizen of Helena knows,
there are too many leaks in the water lines. Water line replacement will be a critical step to solving our problems. Fixing our water system is a fundamental quality of life issue that is a win for everyone.

We are happy this process has started and we appreciate the support of Senator Boozman in helping us. We must continue to focus on improving water for all. It is critical to the future of our community.

05/19/2026

Some History & An Update On Helena Harbor From John C. Edwards-It has been a little more than 11 years ago that I was given the responsibility by the Board of Directors of Helena Harbor to run the day to day operations of the organization.

To a large degree, the late Jim Frazier of Helena was responsible for me taking on this job. He contacted me in the summer of 2003 to share his frustration at the lack of progress made at the port and wanted to know if I could help. The Army had other plans and I ended up with my National Guard unit in Iraq. It would be another 11 years before I would end up in the position I am in today. And I had a lot to learn.

I learned that a great deal of effort had been put into the harbor in the 1980s and 1990s in the hopes that it would be a place where jobs could be created and tax revenue could be generated. By 2014, is was very clear that had not happened. And it didn’t take me long to figure out the biggest reason why-lack of infrastructure.

In 2014, our rail was in disrepair with trees growing in the track. We had no fiber telecommunications, no sewer, insufficient water, crumbing roads, and a gas pipeline with no gas. The only thing we had that actually worked was our electrical power from Woodruff Electric. Businesses will not
locate in a place without proper infrastructure. I knew I had to fix these issues.

With the support of my Board
of Directors, I have spent the last
10 years finding the funding needed to fix our challenges. We now have good roads, a railroad that works, improved water lines, ATT Fiber Optic Cable, and Summit Natural Gas.

By the end of 2026, we will hopefully be going out for bids on a 500,000 gallon elevated water tower, new rail to Helm Fertilizer and building a functioning port terminal. We are actively seeking funding to start on our own sewer system.

Fixing these issues has taken time and money. It has been years since
Helena Harbor has received any local sales tax money. We have been very successful in gaining grant dollars from private, state and federal entities to support our development.

Helena Harbor is in a great location. We are in a place where well water from shallow wells that are recharged by the Mississippi River can be utilized for process, cooling and fire suppression purposes without burdening the Helena water system. We are within 3 miles from major electrical transmission lines that were built in the 1960s to help take power generated by the old Richie Power Plant on Highway 20. Those lines connect to our industry partner Woodruff Electric. And we have plenty of natural gas available now from Summit Gas.

The next 3 years will be critical in getting things done. It will not be easy, but it must be accomplished. I will post additional observations in the future on topics such as workforce and community development.

05/14/2026

A Welcome Sight-This large stack of crossties, one of several in Phillips County, is a welcome sight. The leadership of Arkansas Midland Railroad is making new investments on their Helena Branch by replacing old crossties on the track with these new ones. This kind of investment promotes safety and efficiency for our community by improving the stability of the track. We appreciate the work of the Arkansas Midland Team and look forward to more success.

05/14/2026

Phillips Community College has so many great programs to help people gain new skills.

Now enrolling for Construction and HVAC programs! Gain hands-on skills, industry training, and prepare for high-demand careers with great earning potential.

Hands-on Training
Career-Focused Programs
In-Demand Skills
Start Your Path Today

Register now and take the first step toward a rewarding career!
https://www.pccua.edu/registration-steps/

05/05/2026

Spring Solo-The crew of Arkansas Midland Railroad 2075 is rolling past Helena, Arkansas on its way to Lexa after delivering railcars on an overcast May morning. It is rare to see this locomotive without any cars behind it. The Arkansas Midland provides local switching services to Phillips County and the Union Pacific is the Class 1 rail line serving Phillips County.