FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Press Release City of Osceola 9/17/2024
Educational Task Force
The City of Osceola is announcing the creation of the Osceola Educational Improvement Task Force (OEITF). The OEITF will be led by the mayor and members of his staff, in partnership with local stakeholders from industry, education, and community development, to see what can be done to improve educational outcomes for Osceola students and parents and ultimately improving the quality of life in Osceola.
On August 27th, 2024 the City of Osceola hosted The Rural Pathways to the Global Marketplace Summit. At this summit industry leaders from around the nation and around the state spoke on the available options to attract international industry and customers to rural cities like Osceola. The City of Osceola has had great success over the last decade in attracting industry to this area. With that influx of industry have come companies and customers from around the world. But what became unavoidable were questions about our lack of community growth, and the most common opinion was that fixing educational opportunities should be the priority.
Two years ago, when this administration took office, a three-part plan was put in place to continue to grow the town:
1. Secure funding for planned infrastructure upgrades.
2. Create a quality-of-life improvement plan and secure funding to implement it.
3. Improve local educational outcomes.
With the first two parts of the plan proceeding on schedule, we are now putting a renewed focus on improving educational outcomes.
Following on the heels of The Rural Pathways to the Global Marketplace Summit, the administration has decided to launch the taskforce, consisting of community stakeholders and state leaders, to improve the educational opportunities in the City of Osceola. The Educational Taskforce will focus on these key areas1
1. Exploring all available options of school choice (Charter, private, etc.).
2. Focusing on STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).
3. Providing educational paths for all students (College or trade).
4. Preschool Options.
5. Day Care capacity.
We only have a limited amount of time in which to make our town a Community of Choice. A ‘Community of Choice’ is the term often used to describe a place where people want to locate, even when they have other options. We cannot continue to think about Osceola only as a place where we have chosen to live, but we also need to build it up to be a place where others desire to buy homes and bring their families. We are losing the Community of Choice battle to surrounding communities, who are becoming home to our workers. While industries are growing, there is a window of opportunity for attracting new people and new families to the area. If that window closes, then we will be known as “that small town with those big industries” for decades to come. This administration is willing to explore all means necessary to achieve the goal of making Osceola a Community of Choice, and the ideal place to live, work and play.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
There will be a meeting on Thursday May 30th at 10am at Osceola City Hall to discuss the design build for the Aquatic Park.
OSCEOLA CITY HALL
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Oct. 29th, 2024
Osceola, Ark.
Osceola Begins Work on Aquatic Center
After months of preliminary planning the City of Osceola is pleased to release the following graphics and plan designs for the Osceola Aquatic Center, which is slated to begin construction in early 2025.
The final designs for the Osceola Aquatic Center are aimed at creating a state-of-the-art facility that will promote the profile of the city that is in line with its thriving industrial growth. The idea of a water park was generated by open surveys of the community opinion and cross-reference with feasibility surveys and case studies from other municipalities.
Based upon on-site surveys of multiple existing water parks in the state and extensive analysis of what was and was not going well for those projects, The City of Osceola has settled on a durable and appealing modern design that will be visible from the highway and is situated along Keiser Avenue for public access. Many considerations went into the design including year-round use, durability, ease of maintenance, utility efficiency, safety, visual appeal, and multi-generational usability.
When completed, the Osceola Aquatic Center will feature a diverse array of amenities so that there’s something for everyone.
The outdoor section will contain a lazy river, kids play area, a climbing wall, a splash pad, a shallow end pool, a deep end pool complete with diving board, and the main attraction - two large winding slides like those featured at commercial water parks.
Operating all year round, the indoor section will house a large indoor pool, a hot therapy pool, a kids play area pool, and two-party rooms. The large pool will be available all year for exercise swimming and water aerobics.
The Aquatic Center is the centerpiece of Osceola’s broad quality-of-life improvements that are being made to promote Osceola as a community of choice. These investments are being funded by a sales tax that was passed by an overwhelming percentage of the citizens of Osceola.
The quality-of-life projects are based on the recognition that although Osceola has experienced tremendous industrial growth, there has not been a corresponding growth in resident population. Much of this is based on the perception that Osceola does not have the amenities that are offered by other places where people can choose to live, while still working in Osceola. For this reason, the City of Osceola, under the leadership of Mayor Joe Harris and his administration, have been keen to promote Osceola’s brand as the ideal place to live, work, and play. This has led the administration to take the lead in city renewal by renovating the city parks, significantly upgrading the Golf Course, Rosenwald and Dickie Kennemore Community Center facilities, and constructing the Osceola Aquatic Center.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Official Statement From Mayor Joe Harris, Jr
Re: Denso Announcement
February 22, 2024 | 2:25 pm CDT
Osceola, Arkansas
“We hate to hear the news of any business leaving our city whether they be a Mom and Pop establishment or a large employer. Denso has been a part of the Osceola community since 2003, and they have been great corporate partners. For over 20 years they have employed Osceola families and been involved in our community. Denso arrived in our community when unemployment was high, and the community really needed the infusion of the what is now 650 or so jobs that they created. We thank them for their time in our great city”.
“My administration will be working with Cliff Chitwood’s office, the state Department of Economic Development, and the many other partners that we constantly work with on a day in and day out basis to fill any void that may be left. With the announcement of Hybar coming to our city, along with other prospects that are in the works, I have no doubt that our city will continue the growth and job creation trajectory that we are currently on”.
Mayor Joe Harris, Jr
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OFFICE OF COUNTY JUDGE
MISSISSIPPI COUNTY
ARKANSAS
March 22, 2023
TO: All County Mayors
RE: SPRING CLEAN UP
Dear Mayor:
This letter is just a "note of information" for you and your community.
The Spring County-Wide Clean Up will be Saturday April, the 22nd.
This is a time where each city/town that would like to participate can rally together and encourage residents to do some "Spring clean-up"! The "how's" are left up to each municipality.
The County Landfill is FREE that day to INDIVIDUALS. Any municipality will receive a 50% discount. Landfill hours will be 7:00 a.m. to Noon on that Saturday.
I hope your community will take advantage of this special drive to help make a difference in every city/town in our great County.
Respectfully,
John Alan Nelson
County Judge
Post Office Box 629
Blytheville, AR 72316
www.mississippicountyar.org
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| 16 Dec 2024 05:00PM - City Council Meetings |
