Helena-West Helena, Arkansas
Encyclopedia : H : HE : HEL : Helena-West Helena, Arkansas
The city of Helena-West Helena represents a consolidation, effective on January 1, 2006, of the separate Arkansas cities of Helena and West Helena. Consolidation of the cities was agreed to after much discussion in a March 2005 vote among citizens of both cities, with some proposals extending back at least to 2002. The combined city is located in Phillips County, typically one of the poorest of Arkansas' counties. Proponents of the consolidation had stated that combining the cities would strengthen the bargaining power for its surrounding region in competing for projects to improve the overall economy and standard of living.
One potential advance, as reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on June 15, 2006, is an ethanol fuel refinery to be built by Las Vegas-based E-Fuels. Whether the consolidation had any bearing on the decision is not certain. The addition is expected to bring a significant increase in traffic to the region's port on the Mississippi River as well as several new jobs.
Following consolidation, Helena-West Helena inherits designation as the county seat of Phillips County, a designation formerly given to Helena.
Based on U.S. Census reports for both cities prior to the merger, the 2000 population of the area comprising Helena-West Helena was 15,012.
See also
External links
- [Consolidation archive] from the Helena-West Helena Daily World
- [HelenaHarbor.com], the official site of the Phillips County Port Authority, with general Helena-West Helena community information
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