Johnson County, AR Real Estate, Homes For Sale, School & Area Information

It's official! The Johnson County Imagination Library is now open. These books are provided through a partnership with The Dollywood Foundation, The University of the Ozarks, River Valley United Way, along with other Johnson County Organizations. Free books for children under the age of five. Visit the website or Facebook page (Johnson County Imagination Library) to learn about registration. What a great new thing for our children.

I can't believe it is the first day of summer! Time sure flies. There are a lot of great things about Johnson County to fall in love with. We don't have the "extreme's" in most seasons, however, the humidity feels really high as we step into the summer season. The great thing is you'll find a lot of ways to cool off. Take a canoe trip down the Mulberry River or hit any of the local swimming holes scattered throughout the county. Lake Ludwig, Piney Bay, and Horsehead Lake are just a few spots to cool off. If you're more of a fan of "chlorinated" swimming then you should try the city pool or the Clarksville Aquatic Park. There is an outdoor pool with a lazy river and outdoor kids aquatic park. Inside you'll find an Olympic size pool. Just a few ways to enjoy the Johnson County heat!

As we're moving from spring into the summer season you'll see the Johnson County Community buzzing with activities. You can keep up to date by visiting the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce website to keep up with all of the local events. There is a lot going on in our community.

The 6th Annual Run for the Fallen is kicking off this week. This 146 mile journey, beginning in Ozark and ending at the steps of the Capital Building in Little Rock, is in honor of those fallen soldiers who have died while serving since Sept 11, 2001. The runners will stop at each marker and place a card and have a remembrance of each fallen soldier. I plan to attend the one across from Hedgeway Church on Hwy 64. Contact your local leaders for more information.

It is that giving time of the year again, according to the Wal-Mart Local Community Grants Foundation. If your organization is in need of some grant money, now is the time to fill out your applications. According to the letter sent to the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce members, the Clarksville AR Wal-Mart DC will be giving away $32,500 in grant money in 2017! If you are wanting to consider submitting an application, or unsure if your organization meets the grant guidelines, go to http://giving.walmart.com/foundation to review the guidelines and complete the application. We are so blessed to have the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Clarksville. It not only provides hundreds of jobs and revenue to our local community, but it continues to give by way of grants to our local charities and organizations.

Living in the Arkansas River Valley, we rarely see large amounts of snowfall. But when we do, it is a beautiful scene throughout the mountains. We just experienced our first snowfall of 2017. Love living here!

Wow! The temperature was right at 99 degrees' today at the Peach Festival. There's the typical Terrapin Derby, Frog Jump, Peach Pit Spitting Contest, and Diaper Derby's that are always a crowd attraction. Not a true Iron Chef Cook Off, but there is the Peach Cobbler Cook Off that is sure to be as pleasing to the taste buds. The Johnson County Idol is also up for grabs! If you like to sing, come join in the fun. I can sing, not well, but I can sure pretend to. I should probably just watch that from the seats.

I think a great event would be to see who can bake cookies on the pavement the fastest or who can get the fluffiest concrete scrambled eggs! With the heat, you may as well get creative. If you get a chance this week and weekend, join in the Festivities of the Johnson County Peach Festival.

If you love nature, you'll appreciate what the River Valley has to offer. When clients are relocating to this area, the mountains and hiking trails are typically a topic of conversation. Here are just a few to mark off your list of sites to visit:

1. White Rock Mountain features canoeing, fishing, campgrounds, hiking, and the most spectacular views. Not to mention areas of national forest for the hunters.

2. Turner Bend features kayaking, rafting, and canoeing on the Mulberry River. There is also an annual music fest that attracts people from all over the U.S. You may find four wheel trails, fishing, hunting, and more. Great area to visit.

3. Glory Hole Falls is just a hike up the trail to see glorious rock formations with waterfalls and rays of sunshine beaming through the holes in the rocks. Be sure to put this on your list of sites to see.

4. The Ozark National Forest will leave you in "awe" as you experience the hiking trails, rock formations, waterfalls, creeks, and more. Acres and acres of campsites, rafting, hunting, fishing, cabins, trails, and more.

5. Hurricane Creek Wilderness boast one of the best hiking trails around. The 16.7 mi trail will navigate around some of the most scenic views around.

6. Haws Creek Falls is one of the most scenic water falls around. I'm sure while you're there you'll run into a photographer or two...great place to sit back and enjoy nature.

7. Long Pool Recreation has nearby campsites, ATV trails, hiking, and great swimming holes. Some "Cliff Divers" like to go there to jump into the deep swimming holes.

8. Horsehead Lake Recreation offers a swimming area, boating, fishing, and wooded campsites.

9. Upper Buffalo Wilderness boast the beautiful Whitaker Point Trail. This will be at the head waters of the beautiful Buffalo River. A short hike to see some of the most beautiful mountains and waterfalls.

These are just a few trails and recreation areas within nearby Clarksville and Russellville area or within an hour or so drive of the area. Hope you can enjoy a few of these.

I can't believe that the end of the 2015-16 school year is almost here. I'm happy to see all of the graduates having a great time as they hustle and bustle to get ready for their big moment. It's so exciting to start new ventures whether it's going off to college, working that full time job, military, or some are ready to start a family. Congratulations to all of our Seniors from the Johnson County area...Clarksville, Lamar, Westside, and Oark. Way to go!

Grab your change, debit card, or check and head out to the First Security Bank Conference Room on Thursday, April 7 , from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and make your donation to " Arkansas Gives." Your reward may not only be the good feeling you get with joyfully giving, but it could win extra bonus money to the charities and rewards for you from the Arkansas Community Foundation and First Security.

Watch live as the "Arkansas Gives" Meter rises to to help fund the following Non Profits:

Community Service Youth Foundation
Epilepsy Advocacy of Arkansas
Forrester-Davis Development Center
Friendship Community Care
Johnson County Historical Society Inc
Johnson County Public Library
Johnson County Single Parent Scholarship Fund
Junior Auxiliary of Clarksville, Arkansas Inc
Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation
Pregnancy Help Clinic

Come and show your support for Johnson County!

Contact Arkansas Gives for more information

Are you aware of the Royal Family Kids Camp? If not, it is something of interest to this area. The 5th Judicial District is comprised of Pope, Johnson, and Franklin Counties. Pope County has been hosting the Royal Family Kids Camp for many years. Johnson County began last year and the 2nd season is approaching quickly.

The camp will host children that are currently, or have been, in the foster care system in the 5th Judicial District. These children have been abused and neglected and faced horrible situations that children should not have to experience. These children may be in foster homes, shelters, or behavioral facilities. The camp staff consists of a Chaplain, Coordinators, Team Leaders, Teens in Training, Nurses, Therapist, and volunteer "grandma's, grandpa's, aunts, and uncles" that are there to give lots of hugs, boost confidence, and there to help the children deal with their situations.

The camp is Christian based and is funded by area churches, grants, and organizations. Hedgeway Church in Clarksville, is the sponsoring church for the Johnson County Camp. Last year, there were about 12 other churches that sent money, volunteers, prayer partners, and staffing for the camp. The camp is held the Johnson County area. It was such a wonderful experience for all!

There were 12 boys and 12 girls that attended last year. I had the pleasure of participating. The Clarksville Junior Auxiliary sponsored a birthday party for each child with their own special cake. It was so exciting to watch children that had never been given a birthday party or a birthday cake be honored with the surprise. I saw some children that dug right in, hands and all, and some that were hesitant because the emotion was so overwhelming to have a birthday cake. They did not know how to react.

At the camp, each day was fun filled with arts and crafts, rodeo's, tea parties, and learning about God's grace. So many different organizations assisted the staff by sponsoring each event. The Bikers Against Child Abuse sponsored the Girl's Tea Party and each girl was escorted in her formal wear down the aisle with either a police officer or a soldier in uniform. So much laughter and tears with girls in heels and tiaras being treated like royalty. Other area churches, The Call, local high school sports teams, and so many other volunteers helped to make this a special event.

If you live in, or plan to relocate to, the 5th District and want to put your volunteer efforts or donations to good use, then consider the Royal Family Kids Camp. The camp will be the this summer and the goal is to host 36 children, ages 6-12. If you do not live in this area, it is a national camp and they are located throughout various regions. Just find one in your area to learn more details.

So many great things in my community that I'm proud to be a part of!

There is a transportation service offered now in our area Monday thru Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. This service is for "all" residents who need rides in Pope, Johnson, and Franklin County areas and more. Transportation can include rides for shopping, personal needs, nutrition centers and more. One way fares are about $3 and round trip is $6. Each additional stop is $1.
Call 479-424-2098 or 1-855-642-0060 for more information. Minors have to be accompanied by adults.

Come out to the Johnson Regional Medical Center on Wednesday March 16 From 3:00-6:00 pm to see the Easter Bunny! The hospital will host the event in the Registration Building for the community to come to enjoy fellowship and refreshments. Don't forget to get your picture made with the Easter Bunny. We appreciate our local hospital and the continued community involvement it has. We are blessed to have such a great hospital.

Don't miss the Public Meeting Friday Feb 19, 2016 at 11:30 a.m.at the Johnson County Courthouse. The purpose is to discuss needs of the Johnson County Community. Mark your calendars to attend and help prioritize the needs of our Johnson County Residents.

A good friend of mine that works at the Johnson County Coop shared some information today about a new product coming to their shelves.

The very hot "Monk" sauce will be sold at the Coop. It is produced in Subiaco by Fr. Richard from the plants he grows. Fr. Richard, Br. Reginald, and Fr. Bruno work hard to grow the crops to produce this Monk Sauce. I'm not sure if I can handle the spice, but I'm willing to try it once! Head out to the Johnson County Coop to grab a bottle today.

Johnson Regional Medical Center is located in Clarksville. It is a progressive and innovative hospital that has private patient rooms, updated technology, state of the art MRI and CT technology, sleep lab, Geri-Psych unit, surgery, outpatient clinics and more. For a small town, JRMC offers services to help keep your treatments local!

Yesterday was a busy day at the Johnson County Courthouse! I serve as a CASA volunteer with the 5th Judicial Court. The goal of CASA is to have a volunteer assigned to each Dependant/Neglect case that The Dept of Human Services has. The volunteer is tasked with following the case and watching out for the best interest of the child in foster care and attending their hearings to report to the Judge on the child's status. It was wonderful to see that almost every case that I sat through had a CASA Volunteer. This community has really pulled together to look out for the best interest of these children! If you're looking for a way to volunteer for the Johnson, Pope, or Franklin County area, visit the CASA website of the 5th Judicial District. You'll be glad you did.

The Clarksville Chamber of Commerce is full of business owners and entrepreneurs that contribute to the great leadership in Johnson County. Today, at the quarterly meeting, there was a special guest speaker discussing " The Innovative Hub". It certainly peaked interest of the many Chamber of Commerce members, including myself. These "Makerspace" launch pads consist of do-it-yourself spaces where a community of creative people can gather to create, invent, and learn! Their concept is, " If you can dream it, you can build it."

This could be a very innovative concept to our community to help our students, teachers, entrepreneurs, business owners and more! Our community coming together for the greater good. That's what I love about living in the Clarksville area. If you're interested in learning more about this program, contact the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce.

Great News for Johnson County Traveler's! The Palmer Road Expansion is now complete. This was a long process, but well worth the wait. Traveler's can take a quick turn off Hwy 64 to save a few minutes to reach their destination. There is vacant land on either side of the street that could potentially be developed into prime commercial property. What a potential economic boost to Clarksville!

The Johnson County Community Foundation is a wonderful organization that awards grants to our Johnson County community. If your nonprofit, school, or charitable organization is in need of financial assistance, please contact the Johnson County Community Foundation. Many grants are awarded annually to make a positive impact on our community! What a wonderful asset this is to Johnson County.

Contact Person:

Jackie Ott, Executive Director
1010 W. Main, Suite 1
Clarksville, AR 72830
479-754-5842 (o) • 479-754-4948 (f)
johnsoncounty@arcf.org

The Clarksville Housing Authority, located on Lucas St in Clarksville, will host the Johnson County Republican Committee Meeting on January 7, 2016. Meeting will be from 6:00-7:00 pm. With the elections just a few months away, be sure an attend this meeting. Make your vote count!

Don't forget to go by today and see the new rehab wing at Johnson Regional Medical Center. Open house today from 2:00-3:00 pm. Also this week, Ammo Can Man will be having a Chamber of Commerce Business after hours from 5:00-6:30 pm.

The Johnson County Fair 2015 is in full swing! Go by and see all of the exhibits and rides! There was a talent show last night and more to come this weekend. Today is the final day of the fair, hope you have lots of fun!

Wow! This summer is going by so fast. The temperature is hot! There are several things going on in the area. We've got the Johnson County Peach Festival, The Johnson County Fair, and Tax Free Weekend is coming up soon to help with all of those back to school purchases.

Remember to shop local. There are so many great merchants in the Clarksville area so you should be able to get all of those back to school supplies. The Junior Auxillary is finishing up fundraising for the Backpack program to provide Johnson County students with all of the backpacks and back to school supplies. We have a great community!