Year: 2026

HOPE – On Monday, August 3rd, 2026, at 5:20pm, officers with the Hope Police Department arrested Brandon Jones, 35 of Hope, AR in the 500 block of Hickory Street. Mr. Jones was charged with Terroristic […]

HOPE – Continuing the legacy of one of the Watermelon Festival’s most treasured events, the Seed Spitting Competition was held at 2:00 pm on the Hope Public Schools stage on Saturday. Contestants use all of […]

HOPE – A Watermelon Festival classic unfolded on the final day of the festival as the annual Watermelon Eating Contest for All Ages was held on the Hope Public Schools stage. Contestants had their opportunity […]

HOPE – Providing fun and laughs on the last day of the Watermelon Festival was the Politically Correct Watermelon Eating Contest. Even though neither the Governor of Arkansas nor a U.S. Senator showed up for the […]

HOPE – The 45+ year old tradition of the Watermelon 5k Race, sponsored locally by the Melonvine Striders, commenced once again on Saturday, August 8th at the Hope Watermelon Festival. The race drew a huge […]

HOPE – The Erwins will be in concert this evening, Sunday, August 9th at Grace Baptist Church in Hope. The church is located at 4100 East Third in Hope. The Grammy-nominated group will sing at […]

This week, several legislative committees met at the State Capitol to continue studying issues that could shape policy during the 2027 Regular Session. The House and Senate Education Committees continued their ongoing adequacy study, with […]

HOPE – Friday evening was the official beginning of the Hope Watermelon Festival softball tournament. Today, girls teams from various towns competed against each other on Ladycat Yard and Harry Hawthorne Field. An impressive crowd […]

Pictured: First round winner Mox Moseley HOPE – For the third year in a row, Melon Mayhem Wrestling shook the crowd at the Hope Watermelon Festival. Hosting the showdown was Hype & Glory Wrestling of […]

HOPE – The highlight of the Friday Watermelon Festival schedule was the annual Lions Club Fish Fry. This is the second largest yearly fundraiser for the club, second only to the Christmas Auction. Proceeds from […]