By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
2025 will be a year remembered for a significant change in local ambulance services, and one marked by extreme weather.
Clark County also saw one longtime manufacturer make an exit, and another give promise to breathe new life into a former manufacturing warehouse. Meanwhile, school district landmarks were demolished, and voters gave their nod to a millage increase to build a new high school.
We’re looking back at our coverage of the previous year with an editor’s pick of local stories that defined 2025.
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Here’s a recap of this year’s news, with links provided for further reading:
The first quarter of the year brought extreme weather, from snow and flooding to dangerously dry conditions. January brought several inches of snowfall, and by March at numerous wildfires were recorded locally as high winds and dry conditions fueled an early wildfire season. Less than a month later, the county saw nearly historic flooding. No area in Clark County was spared from widespread flooding caused to torrential downpours April 4-5. With some 10 inches of rainfall over the course of a weekend, the Ouachita River at Arkadelphia crested just 2 feet shy of the 1945 record of 30.3 feet. It was also a year for tornadoes, with twisters confirmed near Joan, Gum Springs and DeGray Lake.
In May, Arkadelphia Public Schools razed Perritt Primary School, along with the Outlaw Gym and Tech Annex at the old Goza Middle School campus.
With hopes of “building momentum” for the Southwest Arkansas Mega Site, the Economic Development Corp. of Clark County celebrated a $1 million grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to begin work on site development at the Gum Springs acreage.
In mid-July, a longtime sawmill owner pulled up roots when Ritchie Shields announced the closure of his namesake Shields Wood Products. Citing a downturn in economic conditions for the forestry industry, Shields halted production of the Arkadelphia sawmill after a quarter-century in the business. The closure affected more than three dozen workers at the pallet lumber/industrial shipping products manufacturer.
Caddo Valley welcomed a new business, American Made General Store, during the summer months. The Interstate 30 location marks the Arkansas-based company’s fifth store.
Arkadelphians rallied on Labor Day to locate a 5-year-old boy who reportedly wandered from a 14th Street home. After hours of combing the streets and with the assistance of first responders and the Arkansas State Police, the youth was found safe in a wooded area near the home of Nick and Rhonda Stover.
Perhaps the most controversial issue of 2025 was the quorum court’s decision of which of two ambulance providers would serve Clark County. The shake-up saw a transition from Baptist Health to a competitive bidding process between Pafford Emergency Services and Valor EMS. After much social media commentary and public debate, justices ultimately awarded the contract to Valor — the smaller, local company — in a unanimous vote during a meeting held in September.
The day after the ambulance service saga was resolved, county Judge Troy Tucker announced that he would not seek re-election as the county’s top executive. Tucker’s term as judge ends Dec. 31, 2026. In the meantime, three candidates are vying for the seat, with two Republicans — Ron Addington and Bill Rogers — facing off for the March primary election. The victor of that race will then face Democrat Michael Ankton in the general election in November.
In October we broke news that textiles maker F3 Custom had plans to set up shop in the former Alumacraft warehouse on North 10th Street in Arkadelphia. The California company hopes to employ 50 people within three years.
In the days before Arkadelphia’s two collegiate football programs faced off for the 98th Battle of the Ravine, community leaders and university officials had high hopes for national coverage of the unique rivalry from ESPN GameDay. Though ESPN passed on the opportunity, the hype gave way to a sort of temporary “cease fire” between the two colleges as their athletics programs and alumni peacefully assembled along either side of North 10th Street for photo and video opportunities showcasing the unique proximity of the rivaling Reddies and Tigers. Hopes for national coverage could return for the 100th Battle of the Ravine.
Wrapping up the news that helped shape 2025 is the Arkadelphia Public School District’s successful effort to sway voters to support a millage increase to build a new $62 million high school to replace the aging facilities. Construction on the new campus will begin in summer 2026, with an estimated completion ahead of the 2028-29 school year. The millage increase was given support from 74% of the district’s registered voters who cast a ballot in the special election in November, and the additional 3 mills are set to sunset in 32 years.