EL DORADO, AR — Representatives from Paradox Data LLC opened the doors of their Industrial Road facility to Union County residents on Thursday, July 9, 2026, hosting an informational tour and community Q&A session. The event was organized to directly address public questions following the viral spread of a recent regulatory filing involving the local digital infrastructure company.

Jeffrey Harris, founder and Chief Technology Officer of Paradox Data, who was also recently appointed Global CTO of the publicly traded computing firm Z Squared Inc. (NASDAQ: ZSQR), led the presentation. Harris sought to clarify local rumors regarding the scope, timeline, and utility demands of the data center’s planned operations.

Clarifying the Z Squared “Letter of Intent” and Timelines

Addressing a widespread rumor that a massive tech campus would be built in 30 days, Harris emphasized that state and utility regulations make such a timeline legally and logistically impossible. Under current protocols enforced by state authorities and utility provider Entergy Arkansas, a minimum of 18 months must elapse before any physical groundbreaking (“shovel in the ground”) can begin on a new phase.

Furthermore, Harris clarified the current status of the corporate relationship between Paradox Data and Z Squared. Because Z Squared is a publicly traded company, it is legally required to disclose public filings, which led to the publication of a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire a majority interest in Paradox. While the transaction has not officially closed, the companies are actively partnering, and Harris has assumed his overarching dual-CTO role to guide future engineering strategy.

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Management explicitly noted that the facility is not a “hyperscale” data center, the gigawatt-scale infrastructures typically operated by companies like Amazon, nor is it a Large Language Model (LLM) training facility. Instead, the intended path involves an upscaled version of Paradox’s current local footprint, prioritizing organic growth within Union County’s existing industrial sector.

The Waterless Technology: 100% Immersion Fluid

A major focus of the presentation detailed the facility’s specialized cooling system. Unlike standard data centers that require millions of gallons of water or heavy exterior air conditioning units, Paradox is “internally cooled” using a 100% liquid immersion technique.

Facility mechanics and environmental footprints outlined during the tour include:

• Zero Water Usage: The facility utilizes no water for equipment cooling on the grounds. To maintain a strict zero-water footprint, the campus relies on self-contained temporary sanitation (portapotties) rather than connecting to standard municipal water lines.
• Biodegradable Fluid: The immersion cooling liquid used is a specialized medical-grade discovery that is non-toxic to touch or ingest. It features a 20-year shelf life, leaves no chemical waste, and naturally degrades or evaporates rather than being dumped.
• Structural Containment: To serve as a secondary safety measure, the facility’s interior is lined with Phenicon HS, a high-performance industrial epoxy phenolic novolac coating engineered specifically for heavy-duty chemical and fluid containment. This paint is commonly used on NASA spacecraft. 
• Energy and Noise Reduction: Liquid immersion naturally absorbs and drowns out computer processor noise. Exterior decibel levels are actively monitored to ensure they do not exceed the sound of a few standard household air conditioning units. Because it avoids traditional air-chilling hardware, the design operates with 40% less energy than comparable facilities of its size.

Company organizers noted that while an air- or water-cooled setup would have been significantly cheaper and faster to construct, they deliberately invested in the immersion-cooled layout to proactively protect the surrounding community from noise and heavy resource depletion.

Grid Integration, Emergency Cut-offs, and Safety Controls

Data centers often face scrutiny over their strain on the electrical grid. To address this, Harris mapped out the strict legal and corporate boundaries dictating their energy usage:

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Arkansas State Law Requirements: Under state mandates, Paradox is legally required to fully fund any and all infrastructure or grid upgrades required to support their operations. No costs are passed on to the public grid or local taxpayers.

• Entergy Curtailment Authority: Entergy Arkansas retains the absolute authority to throttle or completely cut off power to the data center during periods of peak grid stress or emergency weather.
• Community Power Offsets: To put the facility’s power scale in context, an average local hospital operates on roughly 15 to 30 kilowatt-hours (kWh). In the event that Entergy curtails the data center’s power supply during an emergency, the diverted electricity is large enough to power a significant portion of the surrounding municipal grid.
• Backup Generator Caps: Should the facility need to rely on backup generators, Arkansas law strictly caps their operation at a maximum of 100 hours per calendar year.
• 30-Second Kill Switch: The facility features hardwired safety overrides, enabling operators to completely shut down 100% of the data center’s operations within 30 seconds during an emergency.

Local Economic and Tax Breakdown

Project developers confirmed they are not requesting any specialized tax exemptions, municipal incentives, or subsidies from local governments. Based on current capacity and future scaling milestones, the direct tax projections provided to the county include:

Moving forward, Paradox organizers stated they are adopting an “open-book” policy to maintain public transparency. The company has committed to openly sharing ongoing real-time power consumption metrics as well as the exact chemical composition of their proprietary immersion fluid with both local regulators and the general public. As part of this ongoing transparency effort, Harris has agreed to sit down for an upcoming video interview with South Arkansas Now to personally answer questions directly from the community. 

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EL DORADO, AR – The El Dorado City Council convened on July 9, 2026, for a session defined by its focus on community recognition, strategic infrastructure investment, and proactive engagement with the city’s emerging industrial partners.

Celebrating Local Excellence

The evening began by honoring the achievements of El Dorado’s youth, showcasing the talent and civic engagement present in the community:

• Civic Leadership: Mayor Paul Choate presented a key to the city to Jai Durvasula, the first-place winner of the State Civic Bee. Durvasula is set to represent Arkansas at the national level this October.
• Athletic Achievement: Councilwoman Jill Weinischke recognized Colby Michael and Nash Turner for their impressive sixth-place finish in the state high school fishing tournament. The duo will move on to compete at Nationals at Kentucky Lake in Paris, Texas, from July 30th through August 1st.

Municipal Updates and Governance

The council addressed several key administrative and fiscal items:

• Hospital Tax Oversight: A robust discussion took place regarding the formation of a board to oversee hospital tax allocations. Don Miller proposed adopting a model similar to the existing WINS Tax Board. While Council members Willie McGee and Andre Rucks emphasized the importance of vetting candidates for specific skill sets and ensuring rigorous legal and fiduciary stewardship, the council also debated the inclusion of non-city residents to expand the pool of qualified board members. Danna Taylor, President and CEO of the hospital, clarified that these tax funds are strictly restricted to equipment and building maintenance.
• Regulatory Updates: The council conducted the first reading of an amendment to City Ordinance 1892 regarding food truck regulations. The second reading is scheduled for the council’s August session.
• City Hall Infrastructure: Michael Rogers, lead architect for M&R Design, followed up on a previously presented project for City Hall exterior masonry and maintenance. The $199,000 project is supported by a two-thirds matching grant, significantly reducing the city’s financial obligation to approximately $66,297. The project received a formal recommendation for approval from Greg Downum of the WINS Tax Board.
• Main Street Momentum: Terry Moore, representing the Main Street Board, highlighted a successful season of downtown revitalization. Efforts have included $30,000 in placemaking improvements, the planting of 40 trees, and the coordination of 16 community events. Mayor Choate commended the board for their dedication, acknowledging the complexity of the role. Additionally, officials reviewed data from the recent downtown drone show, noting an attendance of over 6,000 people with an average visit duration of 90 minutes.

Addressing the Industrial Road Data Center

Jeff Harris of Paradox Data LLC addressed the council to provide clarity regarding the data center currently operating on Industrial Road.

In an effort to promote transparency and ease community concerns, Harris underscored that the facility is the only immersion-cooled data center in Arkansas and highlighted the company’s commitment to the Union County workforce, noting that the entire team is locally hired. Paradox Data LLC intends to open its campus to the community in the near future to showcase its operations and environmental stewardship. Councilman Andre Rucks commended the presentation, noting that his own visit to the facility had been instrumental in addressing his prior concerns.

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EL DORADO, AR – Most of us can picture the scene from an old movie or television show. A group of older businessmen sit in a dimly lit room, cigar smoke hanging in the air, glasses of Scotch in hand. These self-appointed “City Fathers” quietly decide who succeeds, who fails, and what happens in their town.

It’s a compelling storyline. It creates a mysterious, unseen force pulling the strings behind every major decision.

But in reality, that’s rarely how communities work.

More often than not, the people with influence have earned it by investing years of hard work, countless hours, and significant financial resources into their hometowns. With so much at stake, their focus is usually on protecting what they’ve built and creating opportunities for future generations, not holding others back.

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That isn’t to say every community escapes the pitfalls of entrenched leadership. Some small towns do struggle under that weight and don’t begin to change until a generation passes. But far more often, a town’s future rises or falls on a much simpler question:

Are young people coming home?

Are they returning to buy family businesses? Are they launching companies from scratch? Are they taking the skills they learned elsewhere and investing them back into the place that first invested in them?

Those are the stories that shape the future of South Arkansas.

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That’s why South Arkansas Now is launching NEW HANDS, STRONG ROOTS, a series dedicated to introducing our community to the next generation of business owners and entrepreneurs.

We’ll explore questions like:

• What happened after they graduated high school?
• Did they leave South Arkansas before deciding to come home?
• Did they spend years learning from someone else before opening their own business?
• What drew them back?
• What convinced them to bet on themselves in a world where success isn’t guaranteed?
• Did they inherit capital, catch a lucky break, or simply sign their name on a loan and take the leap?

Every entrepreneur has a story. We want to tell it.

We Need Your Help

While we’ve already begun compiling a list of business owners to feature, we know there are many more deserving stories waiting to be told.

We’re intentionally not putting an age limit on what qualifies as “young.” This series isn’t about birthdays. It’s about people who are helping write the next chapter of South Arkansas through entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment in their communities.

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If you know someone whose story deserves to be shared, send us a message through our Facebook page with their name and business.

We’ll review your nominations and, when they’re a good fit, sit down with those owners to share their journey with our audience of more than 60,000 readers and viewers.

Because the future of South Arkansas isn’t built in smoke-filled back rooms.

It’s being built every day by people willing to put their name, their savings, and their future on the line to create something worth leaving behind.

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EL DORADO – The El Dorado School District is pleased to welcome Amy Sanchez as its new Director of Special Programs and School Improvement.

Sanchez brings nearly 30 years of experience in public education, having served Arkansas schools as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, district administrator, superintendent, adjunct professor, leadership mentor, and Teacher Center Coordinator. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to helping students succeed, supporting educators, and strengthening schools through collaboration, professional learning, and effective leadership.

Sanchez earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Central Arkansas, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Supervision from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and an Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Henderson State University. She also holds an Arkansas District-Level Administrator License and is a 2026 TESS/LEADS Credentialed Evaluator.

Her administrative career began at Lucilia Wood Elementary School in Elaine, Arkansas. She later spent 16 years at Camden Fairview Intermediate School, serving as both assistant principal and principal.

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Sanchez has also served as Director of Student Services and School Improvement for the Siloam Springs School District, Superintendent of the Strong-Huttig School District, and Teacher Center Coordinator for the South Central Service Cooperative.

In these roles, she partnered with school districts across the region to strengthen instructional leadership, develop professional learning opportunities, and support school improvement efforts. Her experience also includes coaching principals, assisting with district and school improvement plans, coordinating assessment and accountability efforts, and supporting the implementation of Arkansas’ Teacher Excellence and Support System and Leader Excellence and Development System.

Sanchez has also helped prepare the next generation of educators through her work as an adjunct professor and leadership mentor at Southern Arkansas University.

Her educational philosophy is founded upon meaningful relationships, servant leadership, and intentional collaboration. She is passionate about empowering educators, developing effective school leaders, and creating environments where students and staff can flourish.

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Outside of her professional work, Sanchez enjoys spending time with her family. She and her husband, Chendo, have been married for 22 years. Together, they enjoy renovation projects, yardwork, and watching movies.

They have three children. Their oldest daughter, Mercedes, is pursuing graduate studies; their younger daughter, Analee, is beginning her freshman year at South Arkansas Community College; and their son, CJ, is entering sixth grade at Washington Middle School.

The El Dorado School District is excited to welcome Sanchez and looks forward to the knowledge, compassion, and leadership she will bring to students, staff members, and families throughout the district.

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EL DORADO – The City Council will meet Thursday, July 9, with a relatively light agenda that includes updates on local boards, a discussion involving the Hospital Tax Board, and a report on a proposed loading zone on Main Street.

The meeting begins at 5:15 p.m. following the prayer and pledge at 5:10 p.m. Council members will begin with routine business, including approval of previous meeting minutes, public comments and any unfinished business.

Under unfinished business, council members are scheduled to discuss matters related to the Hospital Tax Board.

New business includes updates from Greg Downum on the WINS Board and Terry Moore, who will present the latest MSE report.

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Department head reports will include a presentation from Robert Edmonds regarding a proposed loading zone on Main Street.

The agenda also includes an opportunity for council members to address any other business before adjourning.

The council’s next regularly scheduled meeting is set for Thursday, Aug. 13, at 5:15 p.m.

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