Searcy County, AR (March 2023) Searcy County Judge Tony Horton had the privilege of traveling to Little Rock on March 3, 2023 to accept a $100,000.00 FUN Park Grant from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism to construct a walking trail in the Welcome Home Community.

The grant will also provide funding to build a pavilion, install playground equipment, and construct accessible parking to the trail. All project components will be located on approximately three acres of land owned by the Welcome Home Volunteer Fire Department who have agreed to lease the property to Searcy County for this public use. 

The grant application process began in the Spring of 2022 and was initiated by a group of citizens in the Welcome Home Community. 

The project is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2023. The Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District (NWAEDD) was pleased to assist Searcy County with the grant application and will continue to work with the county and community stakeholders to administer the grant.

 Municipalities in Arkansas with populations of 2,500 or less and unincorporated communities that are sponsored by a county are eligible to apply for FUN Park Grants.