Category: Editor's Welcome

In the spirit of spring cleaning, we’ve been doing a bit of sprucing up here at Arkansas Living. Well, at least on the actual magazine itself — our offices, not so much!

Our Graphic Designer Dixie Rogers has been working her magic — and working overtime — to give us some updating and upgrading.

For example, in March, we tweaked our regular features like Reader Recipes, Let’s Eat and Gardening with Janet. Speaking of gardening, we did some pruning, and cultivated a whole fresh, user-friendly look. Even our Around Arkansas calendar got a makeover to include more events.

For April, we focused our attention on updating the heart of the magazine — your local cooperative pages that begin on page 22. (Although, some cooperatives may be updating at a later time.) These pages, referred to as “the center pages” are not only the center of the magazine, but they are also the center of our mission.

After 76 years, Arkansas Living — formerly Arkansas REA News, Rural Arkansas and briefly Rural Arkansas Living — continues to be published by the state’s electric cooperatives to keep members informed. While we might subtly change our presentation here and there, we’ll never change our purpose!

Sent to more than 400,000 homes and businesses (and growing) each month, Arkansas Living not only has the largest circulation of any publication in the state, it has 17 editions, customized for each of our cooperatives.

Arkansas Living’s small yet skilled staff could not possibly do this on our own. In addition to our excellent regular contributors (Vernon “Buddy” Hasten, Rob Roedel, Janet Carson, Juliana Goodwin, Marcia and Jack Schnedler, Kat Robinson, Victor Fleming and former Arkansas Living Editor Sheila Yount), we are blessed to collaborate with a fantastic statewide team of co-op editors. Contributing to the magazine is just a fraction of the challenging jobs that these professionals do. They don’t usually get bylines, but we absolutely could not get by without them!

So, we’d like to acknowledge them here. Many thanks to:

Barbara Jenkins, Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative

Rodney Chapman and Lisa Jacks, Ashley-Chicot Electric Cooperative

Karen Rauls and Mike Berry, C & L Electric Cooperative

Claudia Harp and Cory Smith, Carroll Electric Cooperative

Molly Jett, Clay County Electric Cooperative

Jon David Carmack and Marti Hook, Craighead Electric Cooperative

Brynn Bowen, Farmers Electric Cooperative

Zach Roberson, First Electric Cooperative

Brad Harrison and Angie Hamm, Mississippi County Electric Cooperative

Tori Moss, North Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Leslie Holloway and Kari Strickland, Ouachita Electric Cooperative

Erin Rogers and Bridgette Caples, Ozarks Electric Cooperative

Tonia Robbins, Petit Jean Electric Cooperative

Chris Parker, Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative

Sandy Manning, South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Rhonda Morrow, Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Anna Howton, Woodruff Electric Cooperative

Have an amazing April!