Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Jonesboro will be Arkansas’ Capital for a Day, followed by Paragould, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced.
The “Capital for a Day” program aims to highlight cities and communities across the state, inviting state government officials to meet with local representatives and explore the community.
Jonesboro will serve as the seat of Arkansas government on Aug. 11 and will be the 20th “Capital for a Day” under Sanders’ administration. Paragould will be the 21st and will be the Capital for a Day on Aug. 12.
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Jonesboro is the county seat for the Western District of Craighead County (Lake City is the seat for the Eastern District). It was established in 1859 and was incorporated in 1883. It is named after Sen. William Jones.
It is the home of St. Bernards Medical Center, founded in 1900 and now one of the city’s largest employers. Riceland Foods, Frito-Lay, Nestlé, ConAgra Foods, and more, own and operate plants in the city. It is also the location of the state’s second largest university, Arkansas State University.
Paragould is the seat of Greene County and was founded where the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad and the Texas and St. Louis Railroad intersected. Called “The Friendly City,” is where Baptist Memorial Hospital-Paragould, Crowley’s Ridge College, and Black River Technical College make their home.
Correction: A previous version of this article referred to Jonesboro as the only county seat of Craighead County. Jonesboro is the county seat of Craighead’s Western District, while Lake City is the seat of the Eastern District.
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