Jonesboro, Paragould to hold meetings on connecting cities

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - The cities of Jonesboro and Paragould will hold public meetings for input on multiple projects to connect Northeast Arkansas.

The meeting in Jonesboro will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce, and in Paragould on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. at the Regional Chamber of Commerce.

A memorandum of understanding lists the partnership between the cities of Jonesboro, Paragould, and Brookland, as well as Craighead and Greene County.

The lead applicant is the city of Jonesboro, the city will apply for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, grant. Both Jonesboro and Paragould applied for the grant previously and were denied.

“Mayor Copenhaver reached out and said, ‘Hey, let’s instead of Paragould pulling in one direction and Jonesboro pulling in another, let’s come together and try to make this work for everyone’,” said Paragould Mayor Josh Agee.

If the grant is awarded, each city plans on contributing from its own funds as well.

One project the grant aims to fund is a connection between the Craighead County Gravel Trail to Lake Frierson State Park, and another connection from Lake Frierson to Crowley’s Ridge State Park.

Another project plans to put a connecting bus stop on Highway 49 in Brookland. Mayor Kenneth Jones sees the project as a major step for his city.

“The city of Brookland can’t ask for better neighbors in Jonesboro and Paragould,” he emphasized. “You know, they been our size, they went through the growing pains, and they see things and they help us.”

The proposals on the table are also subject to change, and both Jonesboro and Paragould want the public’s input.

Editor’s Note: Region 8 News initially incorrectly stated the date of the Paragould meeting. We regret the error. It has since been corrected.