New Publication Launching in Northwest Arkansas

Northwest Arkansas families will get some help Oct. 1 when a new monthly resource guide will publish its first issue.

Northwest Arkansas Family, a full-color glossy magazine, will feature a detailed calendar of local activities, events and classes geared for families. Columns related to topics such as health care, education, summer camps, after-school activities and other parenting issues will be included along with feature articles and parent profiles.

Northwest Arkansas Family will be a publication of the Northwest Arkansas Division of Arkansas Business Publishing Group. The division also publishes the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, Northwest Arkansas Book of Lists, Northwest Arkansas Newcomers Guide and the Northwest Arkansas Guest Guide.

ABPG has been a diversified niche publishing company in Little Rock for 20 years.

Darin Gray, president and publisher of the company’s Northwest Arkansas Division, said the new magazine will be similar to Little Rock Family, a national award-winning magazine published by ABPG for the last decade. Gray and his wife, Tami, live in Springdale and have a son who’s 6.

“We are pleased to be offering a quality family product such as this,” Gray said. “What better place in America would there be for a family publication than Northwest Arkansas?”

National award-winning journalist Lori Harrison-Stone is the editor of the publication. She and her husband, Andy Stone, have two daughters, ages 14 and 18.

“Families in Washington and Benton counties will soon be counting on our new magazine to keep them informed on what’s going on in the community,” Harrison-Stone said. “They should be able to find something fun to do with their family every week through this fabulous resource.”

This won’t be a magazine with recipes and parenting tips that can be found in national parenting or family oriented magazines. Instead, Harrison-Stone said, Northwest Arkansas Family will be very focused on local family issues.

“I’m really excited about the subject of our first issue,” she added. “As a mother who was raised in Fayetteville, I’ve been surprised to learn about some of the resources out there locally for families on this issue. I can’t wait to share this information in a comprehensive, easy-to-use list.”

The group of people working to produce the new magazine are all parents, members of the community and lead family oriented lives, she added.

Harrison-Stone said she’s particularly thrilled that Ronie Sparkman of Fayetteville will bring her creative talent to the design of the new publication. The two are vigorously collaborating on editorial and design elements for the premiere issue.

Sparkman is editorial art director for the Northwest Arkansas Division of ABPG. She and her husband, Worth, have a five-month-old daughter.

And Sparkman’s talent will be matched on the advertising side by Susan Idlet of Prairie Grove. Idlet is advertising art director and mother of a 13-year-old boy.

Emily Rogers of Centerton recently joined the ABPG’s Northwest Arkansas Division as advertising account executive for the new Family magazine. She and her husband, Sam, have a daughter who’s 3.

The Northwest Arkansas Family team also includes Jeff Clifton, associate publisher. He and his wife, Missy, live in Fayetteville and have a daughter who’s 2.

Robin Thomas is the advertising coordinator/circulation director. She and her husband, Derrick, have three children, ages 16, 15 and 8.

The new publication will be distributed throughout Benton and Washington counties.

Information to be submitted for the Northwest Arkansas Family calendar should be sent to [email protected]. Photographs and graphics should be sent to [email protected]. Information may also be faxed to Lori Harrison-Stone at (479) 582-0173, or mailed to Northwest Arkansas Family, 121 North School Ave., Fayetteville, 72701.

For more information, contact Harrison-Stone at (479) 582-9477.