Courier- Index

03/11/2026

Helena World Chronicle buys Courier-Index from JMGroup
The Courier-Index, owned by Johnson Media Group, has
been sold to Helena World Chronicle, LLC, Publisher Tamara Johnson announced today.
Johnson Media Group also publishes the Times-Herald in Forrest City. “We are excited for the new owners to take over this
publication and continue providing news that is important
to residents of Marianna and all of Lee County,” said Johnson.
Instead of being distributed on Wednesday, the newspaper will now be distributed on Thursday, according to Andrew Bagley, co-owner and publisher for the Helena World Chronicle. Bagley said he and his business partner, Chuck Davis, are excited about the
purchase of the Lee County newspaper. “Chuck and I are strong
believers in the importance of community newspapers to rural communities. We look forward to getting involved in Marianna and the rest of Lee County to make sure that the news, sports and information important to the community continues to be covered in a way that only community newspapers can,” said Bagley.
“I also want to thank Ashley Wimberley at the Arkansas Press Association for her hard work facilitating this deal,” he continued. “I also want to thank my friends, Rob and Tamara Johnson, for their efforts to preserve the Courier-Index and entrusting its future to
our company so that future generations will continue to get the first rough draft of the history of Marianna and Lee County from the Courier Index, which had been delivering the news since 1873.”
“We have enjoyed serving Marianna and Lee County
throughout the years,” said Johnson. “We wish the new owners well in this endeavor.
and hope for their success
with this publication.”

02/02/2026

01/27/2026

There is a tank of NON-POTABLE (not for consumption) water at the Marianna Fire Department from 7am-7pm for Lee County residents. Bring your own containers. Thanks to the Phillips County OEM Russell Hall for helping get this taken care of with Lee County Judge Terry Sandefer.

Red Cross is working on a donation of bottled water, logistics still in process. Will update when we have more info.

As far as the water leak, repairs are still being completed. When the issues are repaired, it will still take several hours for the tanks to fill and regulate pressure.

Please continue to be patient and understanding during this time. We assure the citizens of Lee County that there are many moving parts to emergencies such as this.

01/27/2026

01/25/2026

Current school closings for Monday, Jan. 26. Visit thnews.com for a list of delays and closures as we continue to deal with winter weather in Eastern Arkansas.

Last updated: 6:30 p.m. Sunday

01/24/2026

❄️ Snow Day Smiles! ❄️
Did you snap a photo of today’s snowfall? We want to see it! 📸☃️
Share your snow day pictures in the comments below and help us capture winter around our community.
👉 Please be sure to include:
• The names of the people (or pets!) in the photo
• The city or area where the photo was taken
Your photo could be featured in an upcoming edition of the paper. Thanks for sharing the snow-day fun! ❄️✨