Independence County, Arkansas

INDEPENDENCE COUNTY , ARKANSAS Baldwin: “On a different note, substantial downtown revitalization is now occurring in Batesville’s historic downtown area. In fact, Main Street Batesville has just relocated their offices in a former bank building that has been empty for many years. Almost all storefronts in the historic downtown area are active with unique locally owned retail stores, which is unusual for a small town these days. Across the street from the courthouse is a repurposed building that is now the Royal on Main hotel with luxury accommodations. Further down the street, a building is being reinvented for fine dining and other shops.” BVM: What are some of the best attributes of Independence County? Judge Griffin: “The new Aquatic Center has indoor and outdoor aquatic areas. A pool used for competitions, a large community gymnasium with three side-by-side basketball courts that can be converted for different purposes. A nice walking track, several meeting rooms, restaurant quality kitchen. When the new census comes out, I have no doubt we’ll have a population increase. Our demographics are great for employers – we have a median age of 39, so plenty of mature workers. Median income has risen 2 percent in the last year. We have a low crime rate and a safe environment for our children and our grandchildren and we continue to run parallel with the state and national numbers on unemployment at about 3.5. Our economy is a great reflection of those across the country and we’re certainly not lagging behind. In the midst of the bad news with viruses, we have maintained our number one tier ranking for economic development. I am proud our businesses and industries are keeping it coming! Lots of positive news here.” Baldwin: “The White River is a beautiful mountain river that runs across Independence County and through Batesville. There are substantial efforts underway to make the