EL DORADO, Ark. — The El Dorado City Council opened its latest meeting with a special presentation honoring Sen. Matt Stone, then moved through a slate of agenda items that included board appointments, public-safety updates, utility information for residents, and multiple funding requests tied to local sales tax revenue.

Distinguished Legislator Award presented

Council members began with a recognition from Jack Critcher of the Arkansas Municipal League, who honored Stone for his service and presented him with the Distinguished Legislator Award.

Historic District Commission appointment approved

Mayor Paul Choate nominated Justin Howard, representing the South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society, to serve on the Historic District Commission. The council approved the nomination.

Retta Brown traffic proposal deferred for more input

Councilwoman Jill Weinischke introduced a proposal to make the road along Retta Brown one-way during key school traffic windows — 7:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m.

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The council chose to delay action after El Dorado School District Superintendent Jim Tucker said he had not yet been briefed on the proposal and wanted more information before a decision is made. Weinischke and Councilman David Hurst said they plan to meet with Tucker and review options before bringing the item back to the council.

Entergy shares outage and streetlight reporting tools

Residents also heard from Quan Moore of Entergy, who spoke about the Entergy app and how community members can use it to report street lights that are out.

Fire department agreement approved

Fire Chief Chad Mosby addressed the council regarding the ARAAGEMT affiliation agreement. The council approved the agreement in support of the fire department.

WINS/WORKS funding requests reviewed

During the meeting, El Dorado WINS Board Chairman Greg Downum provided an update on tax collections, stating roughly $2.4 million has been collected over four months, with revenues continuing at about $500,000 to $600,000 per month.

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Council members reviewed six funding requests connected to WINS and WORKS categories, including parks and recreation, construction/maintenance, and airport-related items:

1. El Dorado Festivals & Events, Inc. (Playscape)
   Request: $200,000.00
   Funding: WINS — Parks and Recreation
2. City of El Dorado (Conference Center)
   Request: $125,094.72
   Funding: WORKS — Construction/Maintenance/Non-Designated
3. El Dorado Airport Commission (AEAS Grant)
   Request: $875,000.00
   Funding: WORKS — Construction/Maintenance/Non-Designated
4. El Dorado Airport Commission (Airport Terminal)
   Request: $138,422.02 (reallocation)
   Funding: WORKS — Construction/Maintenance/Non-Designated
5. City of El Dorado (Parks Phase I — Design Services)
   Request: $199,584.00
   Funding: WINS — Parks and Recreation
6. City of El Dorado (South Arkansas Expo)
   Request: $4,600,000.00 (incremental)
   Funding: WORKS — Construction/Maintenance/Non-Designated

The South Arkansas Expo request passed after extended discussion.

Mayor’s State of the City Address

Mayor Paul Choate also shared a State of the City update during the meeting, highlighting recent city projects, public-safety improvements, economic development activity, and financial challenges and responses. The full address is included below, as provided by the mayor:

“State of the City
To understand the state of the city we need to look back before we look at today and into the future.

The year 2025 overall was a very good year for El Dorado. We completed a two-year improvement program to our city streets, upgrading and resurfacing over 10% of our streets which equates to over 20 miles. We have also started the overhaul of the wastewater treatment plants. This work should be complete Q4 this year, and the financing was structured as to where we will not be asking for a rate increase for sewer.

Everyone knows that our airport has been going through remodeling preparing for the upgraded air service next week, jet service to Dallas will be up and flying. We will have TSA in place; you check in and will be able to connect to any destination you choose.

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There have been a few additions on Northwest Avenue. We now have Starbucks, 7 Brew and Chic Fil A. When a community attracts companies of this quality, we should realize that our city is doing well or they would not have chose us.

We are seeing improvement when it comes to public safety. When it comes to our fire department, I hear only compliments and our ambulance service has provided a level of quality service that would rival a major city.

Our police department has seen a change in leadership. Chief Roberts is the old-new Police Chief. When he filed his year end report it revealed an 11% drop in overall crime from 2024 numbers.

Now for a bit of not so good news. When it comes to city finance, in late 2024 we received notice about a local industry that had been reporting sales tax to the Ark. Dept of Finance and Administration. After a state level audit, we at the city received the bad news that over a period of time, we received $1.8 million dollars that had to be returned. Not only did this affect the city, the county had similar news dropped on them. So, for the sake of full disclosure the city did have to dip into reserves to the tune of approximately $1 million to balance the 2025 budget.

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On a more positive note, when it comes to our city’s finance, we completed our project to change the bank we use, and we have started receiving interest on all accounts that we legally can. We are seeing interest income go from $30,000 annually to over $50,000 monthly.

The citizens of our city were presented with the opportunity to continue taxing themselves with the WINS tax, so for the third time in 20 years the people voted to continue improving their community. This tax goes from infrastructure to public safety and 25% is dedicated to Quality of Life, Parks, and Playgrounds. These dollars are actually going to make life better for all of us who call El Dorado home

Now is the time to recognize the progress we are making and the future will be brightest if we all come together to move our community forward.”

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EL DORADO — ProMed Ambulance has reached a final agreement to purchase Ouachita County EMS from Ouachita County Medical Center, a move officials say will help ensure continued emergency medical service coverage for residents and visitors in Ouachita County.

The agreement follows a previously announced Letter of Intent and represents a significant step in the transition of EMS operations in the county.

In support of the transition, the Ouachita County Quorum Court approved an exclusive ambulance service agreement with ProMed during its March 10 meeting. The agreement authorizes ProMed Ambulance to serve as the county’s primary emergency medical service provider.

ProMed and Ouachita County Medical Center are currently coordinating efforts to ensure a smooth transition of services. During this period, ProMed has begun assuming primary emergency response roles, with the final closing on the purchase expected within the next several days.

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“Our shared priority is maintaining uninterrupted, high-quality emergency medical care for the community throughout this transition,” said ProMed CEO Ken Kelley. “We are grateful for the trust placed in ProMed by Ouachita County leadership and Ouachita County Medical Center.”

As part of the transition, current Ouachita County Medical Center EMS employees will join the ProMed team, along with additional personnel. Officials say the experience and dedication of these team members will help maintain the level of care residents have come to expect.

ProMed Ambulance has maintained a connection to the area for many years, previously serving as a neighboring backfill EMS provider for Ouachita County for more than three decades. The organization also expanded its presence in the region through licensing and operations in East Camden in 2025.

With the transition nearing completion, ProMed plans to continue developing and expanding emergency medical services in the area while strengthening partnerships with local hospitals, governments and community organizations.

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The company also plans to participate in upcoming community outreach opportunities, allowing team members to connect with residents across Ouachita County and introduce the expanded EMS services.

ProMed Ambulance is a regional emergency medical services provider focused on delivering prehospital care and medical transportation. The organization partners with hospitals, municipalities and counties to provide EMS coverage, advanced clinical care and community-based emergency response services.

EL DORADO, Ark. — The El Dorado School District will celebrate Music in Our Schools Month with a special orchestra concert Thursday evening featuring student musicians from across multiple campuses.

The El Dorado School Orchestras MIOSM Concert will take place Thursday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the El Dorado High School Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public.

The event is part of Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM), a national celebration that highlights the importance of music education and recognizes the work of student musicians and music educators.

Several orchestras from the district will perform during the concert, showcasing students at different stages of their musical development.

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Performances will include the Washington Middle School Beginner Orchestra, Washington Middle School Advanced Orchestra, Barton Junior High String Orchestra, and the El Dorado High School Chamber Orchestra.

School officials say the concert will provide an opportunity for families and community members to support student musicians while experiencing a variety of orchestral music performed by students from across the district.

Music in Our Schools Month is observed each March and encourages schools and communities to celebrate the impact of music education on student creativity, discipline and collaboration.

The concert will be held at the El Dorado High School Auditorium, with doors opening ahead of the 6:30 p.m. performance time.

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EL DORADO, Ark. — Baptist Health has reached a definitive agreement to add South Arkansas Regional Hospital to its health system, with the acquisition expected to be completed June 14 pending customary regulatory approvals.

Once finalized, the El Dorado facility — licensed for 151 beds — will operate as Baptist Health Medical Center–El Dorado, becoming part of the statewide Baptist Health network.

Troy Wells, president and CEO of Baptist Health, said the organization was approached by South Arkansas Regional Hospital about merging into the system.

“It’s an extremely challenging time for community hospitals and many are looking for a healthcare system to partner with them to remain sustainable,” Wells said. “Baptist Health continues to have a proven track record for operating rural hospitals efficiently in much needed areas of the state.”

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Hospital leaders in El Dorado said the move is intended to strengthen long-term stability and expand resources available to patients.

“This step is being taken to strengthen our ability to provide high-quality care and ensure the long-term stability of our hospital in a rapidly changing healthcare environment,” said Danna Taylor, president of South Arkansas Regional Hospital. “By joining Baptist Health, we will gain access to additional clinical resources, technology, operational support, and expertise that will help us continue delivering the care our patients rely on every day.”

The El Dorado hospital is designated as a Level III Trauma Center and offers a range of inpatient and outpatient services including emergency care, obstetrics, cardiology and orthopedics.

Hospital officials said the period between now and the June acquisition will allow time to prepare for the transition and minimize disruptions to hospital operations as the facility integrates into the Baptist Health system.

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EL DORADO, Ark. — The El Dorado City Council will meet Thursday evening with several items scheduled for discussion, including a presentation to a state senator, infrastructure-related matters and a State of the City update.

The meeting is scheduled for March 12, with the evening beginning at 4:55 p.m. with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. The council meeting will officially begin at 5 p.m.

Following the call to order, city leaders will welcome the public and make announcements. The agenda also includes a special presentation to Arkansas State Senator Matt Stone.

Council members will then conduct roll call and consider approval of minutes from previous meetings before opening the floor for public comments.

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Under unfinished business, the council is expected to hear an update related to the Historic District Commission from Justin Howard. Members will also consider a proposal involving Monroe Street that would convert the roadway to a one-way street. The item, presented by Retta Brown, will require a vote from the council.

Several items are listed under new business. Quan Moore will present information related to Entergy, while Police Chief Mosby is scheduled to discuss an ArAAGEMT affiliation agreement. City officials will also provide a State of the City report as part of the meeting.

The agenda includes time for additional matters under other business before the meeting concludes.

The next meeting of the El Dorado City Council is scheduled for April 9 at 5:15 p.m.

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