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State: Arkansas
County (Census Tracts): Mississippi (0101, 0103, 0107, 0109, 0110, 0112, 0113)
Community Population: 28,855
Community Area: 672 square miles
Poverty Rate: 34.57%
Children Living in Poverty:35.5% of all children under the age of 18
Unemployment Rate:11.4%
Education: Almost 40% of residents lack a high school diploma; over 15% of youth between the ages of 16-19 have dropped out of school
Overview
The Mississippi County Enterprise Community is located within one county in the northeast area Arkansas, along the Mississippi River. The nominated area includes thirteen municipalities, including the town of Blytheville. The local economy has relied historically on agriculture and Eaker Air Force Base. Changes in agriculture have decreased employment opportunities and the closing of Eaker Air Force Base has resulted in serious economic and social problems for local residents.
The application, submitted by the Mississippi County Arkansas Economic Opportunity Commission (MCEC), is based on a comprehensive needs assessment survey of local residents and an assessment undertaken by the US Air Force in preparing for the closing of Eaker Air Force Base.
The County was fortunate to have begun the strategic planning process prior to the announcement of the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community Program and built upon their previous work. Mississippi County is part of an initiative by The Foundation for the Mid-South known as the "Workforce Alliance." The project is designed to revitalize education and training systems and to create a competitive labor force by bringing together people across community and racial divisions.
As a result of this community involvement and identification of its needs, the applicant developed three guiding principles: unity of community emerging in place of the regional and racial divisions that kept the community apart; a diversified economy emerging replacing the dependence on agriculture and an air force base; and a community commitment to education and preparation of residents for high-skill jobs.
Key Activities
Economic Opportunity:
A Community Development Corporation will be created to help businesses with technical needs and to gain additional industries for the local business incubator. A Business Access Fund and a Small Business Development Center will be created to provide loans and investments for business expansion in distressed communities. The Mississippi County Housing Alliance, with six nonprofit and public agencies and four private for-profit businesses, will focus on low and moderate income housing and on first home buyers.
Community Building:
The MCEC will improve linkages between school, youth service agencies, health departments, community-based organizations and families. A parent and child resource center will be established to improve parenting, strengthen families and to detect behavior problems in children at an early stage, and a parent-church-school connection will be developed to increase parental and citizen involvement in schools and to focus on child development and educational needs. To stem decline of small towns and provide a vehicle for technical assistance and information sharing, the Mississippi County Small Town and Neighborhood Resource Center will be established.
Sustainable Economic and Community Development:
MCEC and the Workforce Alliance will implement plans for upgrading the current work force literacy and skill training tailored to the needs of businesses and industries. Pre-employment and basic skills programs for unemployed and underemployed adults will be provided. All children will have an opportunity to participate in a coordinated system that facilitates school-to-work transitions. Additionally, a county-wide alternative school for low-income and at-risk students will be established to provide intensive multi-disciplinary services with the goal of strengthening the workforce.
Major Public Sector Commitments
State Government Resources:
The State of Arkansas has implemented a ten-year strategy supporting the Federal Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community Initiative. State agency resources and program will be made available to designated communities. Targeted programs include infrastructure, community building, economic development/job creation, housing, family support and child development (five year total of approximately $9 million for health initiatives), education (five year total of approximately $3 million for supplemental programs including connecting schools to Internet), and environmental programs.
Major Private Sector Commitments
Arkansas Human Development Corporation will generate at least $1,300,000 in the first two years for housing and for creating employment by assisting in the creation of a skilled work force. The Foundation for the Mid-South is currently implementing the Workforce Alliance, a program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts in Mississippi County.
Contact:
Name: Sam Scruggs Address: 205 S. 2nd St., Former Eaker Airforce Base Blytheville, AR 72316 Phone: 870-532-2348 Fax: 870-532-2625 Email: sameoc@arkansas.net
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