Your Local Newspaper. Your Community. Your Stories.
The Spring River Chronicle is an independently owned weekly newspaper primarily serving Sharp and Fulton counties in Arkansas, with coverage extending into portions of Baxter, Lawrence, Izard, Independence and Randolph counties in Arkansas and Oregon County, Missouri.
As the largest-circulated newspaper in the area and the only locally owned newspaper serving our three-county region, the Chronicle is committed to putting readers, communities and advertisers first.
Our focus is simple: local news that matters, delivered accurately and quickly by people who live here, work here and have a personal stake in the communities we cover.
Locally Owned Since 2017
The Spring River Chronicle was purchased in 2017 by Paul and Tammy Curtis, lifelong residents of Sharp and Fulton counties. Since then, the newspaper has grown into the area’s largest-circulated publication while earning statewide recognition for journalism, advertising, design, and layout.
Since 2017, the Chronicle has earned 181 Arkansas Press Association awards for editorial content, investigative journalism, advertising design, photography and newspaper layout.
The newspaper has also been repeatedly recognized for General Excellence, one of the Arkansas Press Association’s highest honors. As a small weekly, the Chronicle earned General Excellence three times and placed second three times in the six years it entered that division.
In 2022, continued subscription growth moved the Chronicle into the medium-weekly classification. That year, the newspaper earned second place in General Excellence while competing against larger publications with significantly larger staffs. In both 2023 and 2024, the Spring River Chronicle earned first place in General Excellence in its division. In 2025 and 2026 it earned second place. Quite an accomplishment for a paper that is run by two people until April 2026.
Following the untimely death of longtime editor Mack Thompson in April, 2026, the paper is staffed by a single editor, Curtis.
The Chronicle’s commitment to accountability journalism has also been recognized with three investigative journalism awards from the Arkansas Press Association, as well as the prestigious I.F. Stone Award for Investigative Journalism — an honor that, at the time, had never been awarded to a small weekly newspaper in Arkansas.
Local Journalism Still Matters
We believe local community journalism means being present.
It means attending the meetings, asking the difficult questions, celebrating the accomplishments of our neighbors and covering the stories that affect the everyday lives of the people who call Spring River Country home.
We do not shy away from difficult or controversial subjects simply because they may be uncomfortable. We believe the public has a right to know what is happening in its communities and local government. An informed public is better equipped to make its own decisions, become involved and help shape the future of the places we all call home.
People throughout Spring River Country work hard for what they have, and we believe they deserve journalism that works just as hard for them.
Our staff regularly participates in journalism, legal and industry training to stay informed in an ever-changing media environment. While our roots remain firmly planted in print journalism, we have expanded to include an online edition, website and social media platforms for readers who prefer to receive their local news digitally.
National and statewide news is readily available from countless sources. Our job is different. Our job is local.
We provide the in-depth community coverage that cannot be condensed into a one-minute television or radio report — from city councils, courts and law enforcement to schools, businesses, community events and the people whose stories deserve to be told.
Advertising Built Here, for Businesses Here
Our commitment to being local extends to our advertisers.
Advertising purchased through the Spring River Chronicle is designed in-house — not outsourced to an out-of-country advertising company. Your ad is created by someone who understands this market and has a genuine stake in the success of the businesses that support our communities.
Our advertisers receive exposure across print, our website and social media, allowing businesses to reach both traditional newspaper readers and a growing digital audience. Our social media reaches more than 35,000 people daily, with combined social media and website interactions averaging approximately 67,000 per week — and frequently much higher.
Our award-winning advertising design is included as part of our commitment to giving local businesses professional, effective and cost-conscious ways to reach their customers.
To read more about Curtis and The Spring River Chronicle, read this feature posted in the Arkansas Publisher weekly magazine.
Proudly Part of Spring River Country
Paul and Tammy Curtis have called Sharp and Fulton counties home for more than 50 years. This isn’t simply the area we cover. It’s our home, too.
The Spring River Chronicle is also the area’s only full-color newspaper, printed on bright white newsprint to give photographs, advertisements and community stories a vibrant, distinctive appearance.
Every issue reflects our belief that a community newspaper should belong to the community it serves.
Thank you for reading, advertising, subscribing and trusting the Spring River Chronicle to tell the stories of Spring River Country. We never take that trust for granted.
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