Forrest City Times-Herald

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

Don’t forget about the Nourish Mobile and FC Health and Wellness Expo is happening today at the FC Sports Complex and Larry S Bryant Wellness Center

08/05/2026

Municipal filings 2026

Five races for mayor of cities in St. Francis County developed as the one-week municipal filing period ended at noon today.
Several races for city council seats will also be on this year’s general election ballot.
Four people seeking the mayor’s position in Forrest City include Lowry Astin, D’Mari Curne, Cedric Williams and Kendall Pettus.
Forrest City City Clerk/Treasurer Derene Cochran is not seeking reelection. Myralita Isom-Byers filed for that position and is unopposed.
Astin filing as a candidate for Forrest City mayor left the Ward 4, Pos. 1 council seat open. Rodney Franklin, Ron Sayles and Andrew Justin Abbott are candidates for that seat.
The other three FC Council positions that were up this year included those currently held by Jim Bailey, Cornescha Wright and Justin Reeves, who are all unopposed in their reelection bids.
Four people also filed to become mayor of Madison including incumbent Roy Winfrey along with Jay Quincy Malone, Tarzan Lee and Ronald Kirkwood.
Caldwell, Hughes and Widener will also have mayoral races.
Denise Williams and Gary L. Hughes are seeking the mayor’s seat in Caldwell, Shelby Pulliam and Deon Lee filed to become mayor of Hughes, and Carl Stewart is challenging Johnathon Rolfe for mayor of Widener.
Palestine will have a new mayor after Derrick Boileau filed to replace retiring mayor Billy Shafer and is unopposed.
There will be several contested races for city council positions in Palestine.
Patrice Michelle Lawson is being challenged by Heather Head for the Ward 1, Pos. 1 seat. Shafter is challenging Cindy Smallwood for the Ward 1, Pos. 2 seat. Ward 2, Pos. 1 incumbent Dena Poteat is facing a challenge from Eric Boileau.
Michelle Garner filed unopposed for the Ward 2, Pos. 2 seat as did Tammy Matthews Lawson Jackson for the Ward 3, Pos. 1 seat. No one filed for the Ward 3, Pos. 2 seat in Palestine.
C**t Mayor Tyler Mullins and Wheatley Mayor Larry Nash are unopposed in their bids for reelection.
A complete list of the municipal filings will be published in next week’s edition of the Times-Herald.

Send a message to learn more

08/05/2026

A Forrest City teenager is charged with manslaughter in the May shooting death of a man in Grobmyer Circle.
The 16-year-old was arrested Monday on charges of manslaughter and minor in possession of a weapon. He is being held in the Craighead County Juvenile Detention Center.
The shooting occurred on Saturday, May 30, while a birthday party was being held at the public housing complex.
About 10 p.m., the city’s ShotSpotter system notified the police department it had detected 38 rounds of gunfire at the complex. Officers recovered nearly 50 shell casings from the scene.
Upon arrival, police found Sean Brady, 47, suffering from a gunshot wound to his left leg. He later died at the local hospital.
FC Police Chief Ronald Broussard said the department began receiving information in regards to the shooting soon after it occurred. He said that after the murder was published in the Times-Herald, he was contacted by a concerned citizen who provided enough information to obtain a warrant for the teenager’s arrest.
Broussard said police are also looking to arrest a second person involved in the shooting.

08/05/2026

The Times-Herald is proud to announce that we will be hosting two Community Political Forums leading up to the November election, giving voters the opportunity to hear directly from local candidates and ask the questions that matter most.

📅 County Candidates Forum (Sheriff and County Clerk positions)
Thursday, Aug. 27
⏰ 6-8 p.m.

📅 City Candidates Forum (Candidates for Mayor of FC)
Thursday, Sept. 3
⏰ 6-8 p.m.

📍 Forrest City Civic Center

This is your chance to learn where candidates stand on the issues and hear their priorities for our community
The forums are FREE and open to the public. We encourage everyone to attend.
Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with your family and friends!

08/03/2026

Happy August! Get out your calendars and start saving dates!

07/31/2026

As summer break comes to a close, we're taking a look back at some of the moments that made it so special across Forrest City and St. Francis County. ☀️📸

This album is filled with some of our favorite photos, many that never made it into the newspaper, but each one tells the story of a community that continues to grow, serve and celebrate together.

From summer youth programs hosted by the City of Forrest City, Forrest City Public Library and UA-East Arkansas Community College, to charity golf tournaments, grand openings, business relocations and expansions, festivals, community events, dedicated volunteers, engaged city leaders and neighbors working to make our hometown even better, Summer 2026 was one to remember.

These photos highlight what makes our area truly great, not just the events, but the people behind them. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, organized, participated, supported local businesses and invested in our community throughout the summer.

We hope you enjoy looking back on these memories as much as we enjoyed capturing them. Here's to another season of celebrating the people and places that make Forrest City and St. Francis County home. ❤️

📷 Take a look through the album, tag your friends and family and share your favorite Summer 2026 memories with us!
— Times-Herald

07/31/2026