The Good News and the People Making it Happen

February is when I feel like the new year is here. January is such a long month but not long enough to tie up all the loose ends from the previous year. Then we get to February and see March on the calendar and realize the first quarter is already set.

I always say Premiere makes the year go by fast with only twelve deadlines compared to working in daily newspapers and having so many deadlines. This edition of Premiere has several “past” references and the nostalgia of it all has made me a bit melancholy. Adding my Paragould Podcast appearance to the month really has me looking back at my journey.

When I worked in newspapers, our Progress Edition featured articles on achievements by local municipalities, Economic Development Commissions, and non-profits. Most of those were tangible infrastructure improvements you could easily see but as I reflect, I see that what we didn’t realize was that “Progress” is also in all the tiny things that contribute to how our communities make you feel, how they make you want to be a part of something that is progressive.

Bringing back the Loose Caboose Festival has also contributed to my realizations. Our downtown is very different now than it was as the last Loose Caboose ended. I have been surprised by the comments from the target demographic of what our revitalization goals have been. Several twenty to thirty somethings have said they look back fondly on their memories of Loose Caboose and look forward to starting new memories with their families.

That is the goal of a vibrant downtown, to get the next generation to want to be active in keeping our towns successful. So, we hope you enjoy our “Progress” articles on subjects such as art and fun trolleys and some of the aspects of progress you might not think of, but ones that truly add to a progressive Northeast Arkansas.

-Dina Mason, General Manager & Publisher

As 2025 already begins to slip away, I wanted to take a moment to note how excited I am to be part of my first Premiere Awards!

Currently voting is under way for the Jonesboro Premiere Awards (closing on February 14th), and shortly after that we will open voting for the Paragould Premiere Awards in March and April.

This is your chance to vote for your favorites in a variety of categories with the winners in the Jonesboro contest featured in our May magazine and the winners in the Paragould contest featured in July. (Full page ads in the magazine direct you to the ballot, or you can click here.)

One of the things I love about Premiere is the interaction with our readers, whether it be through the news tips we receive, contests on our Facebook page, photo submissions like the amazing snow pics we have in this month’s edition, or our annual Premiere Awards. That interaction is just another part of fulfilling our mission to share the Good News of Northeast Arkansas and the People Making It Happen!

-Gretchen Hunt, Content Manager & Graphic Designer