About Us

I wish I could claim that the process of creating a magazine was not difficult or exhausting. I cannot make that claim but filling these pages has been one of the happiest times of my life.  The goal is to share the amazing community I see through my eyes on a page. Each article, photo, and advertisement are a testament to the love in this community. I cannot begin to thank all of the people who listened to endless conversations about the magazine through each step of the process. This magazine is new and unlike publications of the past. Don’t we as a community deserve to move forward?

I grew up in Newport, Jackson County. Unlike many others, when furthering my education had come to an end and the time to start a family emerged, Newport is where I wanted to be. Jackson County has changed over the last 150 years, for better and worse. The ease of traveling to Little Rock, Memphis, or St. Louis makes Jackson County a great place to live. At the start of 2025, I began the daunting task of going through my insurmountable number of collected photos. I feel sure I did not need a thousand photos of our first pet. After almost 30 years of marriage, a dozen dogs, two rough and tumble sons, and numerous friends, there are tons of photos. Not to mention the ones our parents send to us because they are taking up space in their homes. During this purge, I revisited a letter written to me by my stepmother shortly after my father’s untimely death at 49 years of age.
 

She wrote of him not being materialistic. He taught the importance of honesty, taking
care of the people you love, your family, your friends, and the land. In addition, he thought
everyone should share with others and not worry about being repaid and enjoy life and its
simplicities. Love is a responsibility, and we need to accept people for who they are and not what they have. Loyalty, tradition and respect.”
 

Love for others, enjoying life, remaining simplistic, holding on to tradition while
embracing change, and respecting others are the foundation of this new county culture. Those qualities are what set us apart. Finding the right people who share these ideals turned out to be a blessing. A rural county in northeast Arkansas with a vision is unstoppable. I pray the pages of this magazine make you smile and fill you with pride for what we have accomplished in Jackson County together.