Community Services

Transportation
Counties in the North Central Arkansas Regional Economic Development area are centrally located in the USA, making travel to all points in the country practical and convenient, whether by corporate jet or over-the-road freight carrier.

Counties of the North Central Arkansas Regional Economic Development area offer convenient cargo transportation because of their proximate access to major north-south U.S. Highways 65 and 67; east-west U.S. Highway 62/412. Nearby Interstate highways are: I-40 in Arkansas (130 miles) and I-44 in Missouri (150 miles). Also heavily traveled by local residents and retirees is Interstate I-55 to Chicago, approximately 225 miles east of Baxter County.

• US 412. Marion, Baxter and Fulton Counties are directly linked to a busy east-west highway from western Oklahoma to mid-Tennessee where the highway joins I-40.
• US 65. A busy central US north-south route from Louisiana to northern Iowa is the main highway of Searcy County and brings visitors to the Buffalo National River Park as well as those going on to Branson, Missouri.

Airports
There are ten airports open to the public in the North Central Arkansas Regional Economic Development six-county area.

Baxter County Regional Airport, four miles northwest of Mountain Home has enjoyed scheduled airline service to St. Louis and Dallas for many years and supports it with an outstanding boarding record. At the present time, however, scheduled service is not available due to federal funding programs. Baxter County Regional Airport has a 5001 x 75 foot asphalt surfaced runway and a 6800 square-foot terminal which houses a restaurant. Airport services include: Charter service through Mountain Air and Pro Aviation, fuel, parking, hangars, aircraft maintenance, catering, pilot supplies, public telephone, pilot lounge/snooze room, restrooms; through Pro Aviation, additional services are flight school/flight training, aircraft rentals, sightseeing tours/rides, charters, pilot supplies, and other business.

Additional airports serving the residents and businesses of the area are:

• Calico Rock-Izard County Airport, three miles northwest of Calico Rock, Arkansas, with a runway of 3000 feet.
  (870) 297-4311, (870) 297-3773
• Gaston's Airport one mile south of Lakeview, Arkansas, has a 3200 foot turf runway offering airport management, fuel, parking, courtesy transportation, public telephone, restrooms, restaurant, lodging, and resort.
  (870) 431-5202
• Horseshoe Bend Airport, within city limits one mile northeast of Horseshoe Bend, AR, has a 4350 foot paved runway and offers airport management, and fuel. It is operated by the City of Horseshoe Bend.
  (870) 670-5141, (870) 670-5113
• Marion County Regional Airport, one mile north of Flippin, with a 5000 foot asphalt runway. Services include airport management, fuel, parking, passenger terminal and lounge, aircraft maintenance, avionics services, aircraft parts, car rentals, courtesy transportation, public telephone, pilot lounger/snooze room, flight instruction, aircraft rental and sales.
  (870) 453-2241, (870) 427-5343
• Melbourne Municipal - John E. Miller Field is located three miles east of Melbourne, Arkansas. It has a 4000 foot asphalt runway and offers fuel and public telephone services.
  (870) 368-7329
  
• Mountain View Wilcox Memorial Field is two miles east of Mountain View, Arkansas. Its runway is 4502 feet. The airport offers fuel sales 24 hours a day with credit card, hangars and tie down, air ambulance, charter flights, flight instruction, aircraft rental, aircraft sales, aircraft maintenance, modifications and parts.
  (870) 269-3142
  
• Salem Airport, one mile south of Salem, Arkansas, has a 3500 foot asphalt runway. Services offered include airport management, fuel, and flight instruction.
  (870) 895-4144, (870) 895-5140
• Searcy County Airport, one mile southwest of Marshall, has a 4000 foot paved runway with a lighted approach. Unattended airport. Fuel service available on call.
  (870) 448-5809

Commercial Airports
Major commercial airports nearby are: Springfield/Branson, Missouri., and Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee. Harrison has scheduled flights via Big Sky to Dallas/Fort Worth and Hot Springs, Arkansas daily.

Airline Information Telephone Numbers:
AirTran Air: 800-247-8726
American: 800-433-7300
Continental: 800-525-0280
Delta: 800-354-9822
Northwest: 800-225-2525
Southwest: 800-435-9792
US Airways: 800-438-4322
United: 800-241-6522

Private Airport
A private airport serving property owners and their guests is Valley Airport at Cotter. Valley Airport is located 2.5 miles north of US Hwy. 62 on Denton Ferry Road. The airport has a 2,800 foot hard surface and grass runway. Write: Valley Airport, 385 Valley Airport Drive, Cotter, AR 72626.

Rail
Rail shipping can be arranged on the Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad with depots in Cotter and Batesville, Arkansas. For more information, call the M&NA at 800-228-3580.

Days Transit Time to:
Chicago	2 days	Dallas	1 day
Kansas City	1 day	Los Angeles	4 days
Houston	2 days	Memphis	1 day
New York	4 days

Freight Carriers
A few of the freight carriers that serve the area are: United Parcel Service (1-800-PICK-UPS); Federal Express (1-800-Go-FEDEX); Fed-Ex Freight of Harrison (870-741-9000)); US Xpress (423-510-3000) and others.

Overnight Parcel
United Parcel Service (1-800-PICK-UPS) has a distribution center in the Baxter County Industrial Park and serves the area with overnight parcel service and hundred-weight service for businesses and manufacturers. Airborne, Federal Express (1-800-Go-FEDEX) and UPS make worldwide parcel transportation available with daily pick-up and delivery service in Baxter County.

Waterways
Nearest shallow draft port facilities: Port of Little Rock
Distance to port: About 150 miles (501) 522-2551

Nearest deep water facilities: Port of New Orleans
Distance to port: About 600 miles (504) 522-2551

White River is navigable at Newport and points south.

Bus
Regularly scheduled bus service is available in select areas of the six-county region through Greyhound (1-800-229-9424) and local carriers.

Weekly scheduled bus service to St. Louis and Chicago is offered by Mountain Home Bus Agency. For reservations, call Scott Lumbert at (870) 492-5331.

Parts of Marion and Baxter Counties are served by North Arkansas Transportation Service. For current schedule information, call (870) 425-6989.

Telecommunications
Local phone service in the six counties of the North Central Arkansas Regional Economic Development area is provided by one of six companies, depending on location:

• CenturyTel provides local service to much of Baxter County, including Mountain Home, Izard County, including Calico Rock and Melbourne, and Fulton County, including Salem. Century Tel also sells Internet services and can be reached at 800-225-2594.
• NATCO serves a northern Arkansas territory including portions of Marion County, including Flippin and Bull Shoals, and Boone Counties, and can be reached at 800-775-6682. NATCO Technologies also sells Internet services and can also be reached at 800-775-6682.
• Yelcot serves towns in both Baxter and Marion Counties: Gassville, Cotter, Yellville and Summit, and can be reached at 870-449-4211.
• Mountain View Telephone Company serves Stone County, plus the southern tip of Baxter County and a northwest portion of Cleburne County and can be reached at 870-269-3232.
• Tri-County provides local, long distance and Internet services through Ritter Internet to the north and western parts of Searcy County and can be reached at 870-429-5211.
• Alltel provides local phone service and Internet to Marshall, Leslie, and surrounding areas of Searcy County and can be reached at 888-255-8351.

Long distance service is offered in the area by many companies. Some of them are:

• AT&T 800-222-0400
• CenturyTel 800-225-2594
• MCI WorldCom 800-444-3333
• Northern Arkansas Telephone Company 800-775-6682
• Qwest 800-860-2255
• Sprint 800-877-2000
• Yelcot 870-449-4211
  

Cellular Phone Service and Equipment

• American Cellular 870-425-0866
• Alltel Communications 800-255-8351
• Cellular Mobility 870-425-6726
• Russell Cellular 870-425-0866
• Telephone Connection, Southwestern Bell 870-425-7800
  

Internet Service
Much of the North Central Arkansas Regional Economic Development area has several choices in high-speed Internet access.

• CenturyTel offers DSL
• Cox Communications offers cable access
• NATCO Technologies offers DSL and ISDN in parts of Boone, Marion, and Baxter counties.
• Cebridge Connections offers cable access in parts of Searcy County.
  

Dialup Internet service is provided by several Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

• CenturyTel 800-667-8451, serving primarily Baxter, Fulton, Izard Counties
• InfoDash 870-425-4474, serving primarily Baxter County
• Mountain View Internet Service 870-269-3232, serving primarily Stone County
• NATCO Technologies - a division of Northern Arkansas Telephone Company - 870-453-8811, serving primarily Marion, Baxter, Boone Counties. Service is also available through a partner in Mountain Home (Brooks-Jeffrey Marketing, 870-425-8064).
• Alltel serving east and south Searcy County 888-255-8351.
• Ritter Internet serving north and west Searcy County 870-429-5211.
• OzComm serves Searcy and Stone Counties with Internet dialup and wireless services 870-447-3123.

Media
Three daily area newspapers

• The Baxter Bulletin, 870-508-8000
  Mountain Home, circulation 11,200
  (Area: Baxter, Marion, Fulton, Izard counties)
• Harrison Daily Times, 870-741-2325
  Harrison, circulation 9,500 Monday - Friday; 10,500 Sunday
  (Area: Boone, Marion, Searcy counties)
• Batesville Daily Guard, 870-793-2383
  Batesville, circulation 9,800
  (Area: Stone, Izard, Fulton counties)

Eight area weekly newspapers

• The Mountaineer Echo, 870-453-3731
  Flippin, circulation 2,300
  (Area: Marion County)
• The White River Current, 870-297-8300
  Calico Rock, circulation 2,200
  (Area: Izard County)
• The Melbourne Times, 870-368-4421
  Melbourne, circulation 2,620
  (Area: Izard County)
• The News, 870-895-2366
  Salem, circulation 3,000
  (Area: Fulton County)
• Izard/Fulton County Record
  Salem, circulation 5,800
  (Area: Izard, Fulton Counties)
• Marshall Mountain Wave, 870-448-3321
  Marshall, circulation 4,500
  (Area: Searcy County)
• Pacesetting Times
  Horseshoe Bend, circulation 1,400
  (Area: Izard, Fulton, Sharp Counties)
• Stone County Leader, 870-269-3841
  Mountain View, circulation 4,900
  (Area: Stone County)
• Stone County Citizen, 870-269-8626
  Mountain View, circulation 3,000
  (Area: Stone County)

Area radio stations

• KBCN, Country FM - 104.3
  100,000 watts
  Harrison/Marshall, 870-743-1157
• KCGS, Southern Gospel AM - 960
  5,000 watts
  Marshall, 870-448-5567
• KCTT, Oldies FM - 101.7
  6,000 watts
  Mountain Home, 870-425-3101, sales@ktlo.com
• KCMH, Christian Radio FM - 91.5
  Mountain Home, 870-425-2525, kcmh@cox-internet.com
  26,000 watts
• KKTZ, Hits FM - 93.5
  Mountain Home, 870-492-6022, radio@mtnhome.com
  25,000 watts
• KOMT, Music of Your Life FM - 107.5
  Mountain Home, 870-492-6022, radio@mtnhome.com
  100,000 watts
• KPFM, Country FM - 105.5
  Mountain Home, 870-425-6022, radio@mtnhome.com
  50,000 watts
• KTLO, Country AM - 1240
  Mountain Home, 870-425-3101, sales@ktlo.com
  1,000 watts
• KTLO, Easy Listening FM - 97.9
  Mountain Home, 870-425-3101, sales@ktlo.com
  50,000 watts

Cable TV

• Cox Communications, 870-425-3161
  (Area: Baxter, Marion Counties)
• Mountain View Cable, TV 870-269-4350
  (Area: Stone, Izard Counties)
• Melbourne Cable TV, 870-297-4880
  (Area: Izard, Stone Counties)
• Cebridge Connections, 877-423-2743
  (Area: Leslie)
• Buford Communications DBA Alliance Communications 800-842-8160
  (Area: Marshall)

Utilities
Utilities are provided by:

• Arkansas Western Gas (natural gas)
  Contact - Lynn Anderson, Mountain Home local office
  870-425-5445
  (Area: Baxter, Izard, Marion, and Stone Counties)
• Entergy
  Arkansas towns and cities,
  800-368-3749
  (Area: Baxter, Fulton, Izard, Marion, Stone counties)
• North Arkansas Electric Cooperative
  Salem in Fulton County is the corporate headquarters,
  870-895-3221 (Mountain Home office 425-2141)
  (Area: Baxter, Fulton, Izard, Marion, Stone counties)
• Petit Jean Electric Cooperative
  870-448-3477 or 800-786-7618
  (Area: Nine counties including Searcy, Stone, and Marion)
• Liquified Petroleum (bottled gas)
  (Available throughout the region from commercial suppliers)

Water resources include:

• Lake Norfork - source for Mountain Home, Baxter County; Northeast Lakeside Water Association, Lakeview/Midway Water Association
• Bull Shoals Lake - source for Marion County Regional Water (for Bull Shoals, Flippin, Summit, Yellville, part of Marion County)
• White River - source for Mountain View, Stone County
• Hughes Spring Lake - source for Marshall and Leslie in Searcy County
• Wells - source for Izard and Fulton County communities

Tourism and Recreation

Lakes
Since two huge manmade lakes tamed the flooding of White River in the 1950s, northern Arkansas has been a recreation mecca, with water sports at its center. But, the rolling, wooded Ozark Mountain landscapes furnish recreational opportunities off the water, too. Lake Norfork has roughly 500 miles of shoreline. Bull Shoals Lake is double that size with 1,000 miles of shoreline. "A day on the lake is worth a month in town" is a well-advertised slogan here.

Wildlife abounds and the fishing is beyond compare. (See chart) On the lakes, the bass sometimes elude the even well-appointed weekend and visiting sportsmen, but many have landed record-sized specimens.

Both lakes feature marinas, public parks and access points. The Army Corps of Engineers - which oversaw the building of the dams - still manages the lakeside parks and provides campsites, picnic areas, pavilions, restrooms, playgrounds, nature trails and educational programs, as does the Arkansas State Parks Department at Bull Shoals-White River State Park.

Rivers
Fly fishing enthusiasts share White River and its North Fork section with traditional rod and reel fishermen. A special event in any visitor or resident's life is a day-long johnboat trip with shore lunches cooked on a sandbar. Internationally famous, the White River meanders through the Arkansas-Missouri Ozarks. The tailwaters of Bull Shoals Lake are crystal clear and cold - a good habitat for rainbow, brook, and cutthroat trout.

The nation's first official National Scenic River - the Buffalo River - is here - flowing across Searcy County and Marion County. Canoeists and campers, sight-seers and hikers enjoy the river scape and the towering bluffs nearly year-round. The Buffalo River is one of the few remaining unpolluted, free-flowing rivers in the lower 48 states offering both swift-running and placid stretches. Tyler Bend Visitor Center is 11 miles north of Marshall. The Buffalo Point Ranger Station is 17 miles south of Yellville.

Climate
North Central Arkansas has a temperate climate with mild winters, experiencing little snowfall. May normally brings the highest precipitation, at 5.1 inches.

Clubs and Organizations
In Baxter County, over 150 clubs and organizations meet regularly and represent interests from veterans and fraternal organizations to bird watching and gardening. There are clubs devoted to playing bridge, using computers, music, art, poetry, and retirement issues. It is the same in other communities such as Horseshoe Bend. There is a large network of health-based support groups and social support groups. Senior Citizen Centers operate in nearly all towns providing meals and activities in: Mountain Home, Norfork, Melbourne, and Flippin.

Volunteer opportunities are numerous - from hospital auxiliaries to animal welfare to food pantries and church-related projects. Organizations and agencies which help meet human needs can be found on an online directory for Baxter and Marion Counties at www.twinlakescommunity.org. It links area, state, and federal resources.

Families and the physically fit of all ages enjoy sports league including softball, basketball, bowling, and volleyball. Youth soccer is growing in popularity, prompting Mountain Home civic leaders to meet the demand for fields by developing a soccer complex with over ten fields. There are youth soccer leagues operating in Baxter and Marion Counties.

Fitness clubs offer various amenities, such as swimming pools, racquetball courts, tennis, weights and aerobic classes.

Outdoor life is important to most Arkansans, and the city parks are the hub of many summer activities, including in some locations, tennis, basketball, playground equipment, swimming pools, baseball and soccer fields, horseshoe courts. The walking trails in the parks get a lot of foot traffic. At Cooper Park in Mountain Home, walkers will pass by historic pioneer era structures from the Rapp's Barren settlement, which was on the site of modern-day Mountain Home.

Golf
Golfers may sample many scenic and challenging golf courses in North Central Arkansas. One of the newest courses in the area - Big Creek Golf and Country Club - received the highest ranking possible in the May 2004 Best Places to Play book published by Golf Digest. Big Creek is one of 16 courses in the nation to achieve the five-star ranking. Big Creek is also: Rated #1 in USA - Top Courses Averaging 20,000 Rounds/Year or Fewer; Rated #1 in USA - Top Courses Opened Within Past Five Years; and Rated #1 - Public Course in Arkansas (Arkansas Business, March 2004 Readers Survey).

Izard County
Cooper's Hawk Golf Course (18) - Melbourne
(870) 368-3280
Turkey Mountain Golf Course (18) - Horseshoe Bend
(870) 670-5252
Cedar Glade (18) - Horseshoe Bend
(870) 670-4653

Marion County
Rivercliff Golf Course (18) - Bull Shoals
(870) 445-4800

Searcy County
Searcy County Golf Club - Ironhead Course (9) - Marshall
(870) 448-4722
Lost Mine Golf Course (9) - Marshall
(870) 448-3478

Stone County
Pine Hills Golf Course (9) - Mountain View
(870) 269-5777

Retirement
For more than 30 years, retirement-age citizens from throughout the United States have moved to northern Arkansas for the lifestyle they want - a climate with four seasons, a safe environment, fishing and outdoor recreational opportunities, good medical community, and an active lifestyle with those who share similar interests. Popular relocation reference books have named the northern Arkansas area one of the best retirement spots in the United States. At Horseshoe Bend, which began as a retirement resort and grew to a town of 2,500, their town motto is "Wonderful Way of Life."