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Arkansas County
Cleburne County, Arkansas
Greers Ferry Lake and Kennedy's Little Rock connection - from Greers Ferry Lake (the 31,000-acre Army Corps reservoir on the Little Red River - dedicated by President John F. Kennedy on October 3, 1963, just 50 days before his assassination, in one of his final public appearances - Greers Ferry is one of Arkansas's premier recreation lakes, known for exceptional water clarity and a world-record brown trout fishery in the Little Red River below the dam) to Heber Springs' emergence as one of Arkansas's most popular retirement and lake recreation communities.
County SeatHeber Springs
Population24,711
Founded1883
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Office: Cleburne County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 320 W Main St, Heber Springs, AR 72543
Phone: (501) 362-8141
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Heber Springs community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: North-central Arkansas Ozark lake county; Heber Springs is county seat on Greers Ferry Lake; tornado corridor; flash flooding (Little Red River below Greers Ferry Dam – major tailwater trout fishery); winter weather at Ozark elevation; significant lake retirement community
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Cleburne County Road Department – (501) 362-8141
Public Transit: Very limited; demand-response; rural Ozark lake county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-25 and AR-110 are main corridors; Heber Springs and Greers Ferry Lake create a regional recreation hub; mountain terrain; 60 miles north of Little Rock – accessible weekend destination
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Cleburne County – (501) 362-8141
Services: Building permits; Heber Springs, Greers Ferry, Quitman separate
Notes: Greers Ferry Lake waterfront development significant; retirement community construction; second-home and vacation rental development
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Cleburne County Veterans Service Office – (501) 362-8141
VA Medical: Central Arkansas VA (Little Rock) – approximately 1 hour south on US-25
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Little Rock VA is relatively accessible from Heber Springs; lake retirement community includes significant veteran population
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Cleburne County Library – (501) 362-2477
Address: 1800 W Main St, Heber Springs, AR 72543
Services: Books, e-books, public computers, Wi-Fi, Arkansas collection, children’s programs
Notes: Well-supported library reflecting educated retirement population; lake community readers generate strong library usage
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Greers Ferry Lake (40,000 acres – Army Corps of Engineers; one of Arkansas’s finest recreational lakes; crystal clear water; Heber Springs known as “The Natural Dam Town” and “Home of Greers Ferry Lake”); Little Red River (world-class tailwater trout fishery below Greers Ferry Dam; Arkansas state record brown trout caught here); Sandy Beach Recreation Area; Sugarloaf Mountain trail; Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery (interpretive facility – trout stocking); John F. Kennedy Dam (dedication 1963 – one of JFK’s last public appearances before his assassination)
Notes: Greers Ferry Lake’s clarity (spring-fed by a dam on the Little Red River) makes it one of Arkansas’s most beautiful lakes; the Little Red River trout fishery is world-famous – it has produced the world-record German brown trout (40 lbs 4 oz caught in 1992); JFK dedicated Greers Ferry Dam just weeks before his assassination in November 1963; the dam and park include a commemorative marker; Sugarloaf Mountain trail over the Greers Ferry Lake causeway is an outstanding hike
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Cleburne County GIS; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: County GIS; Army Corps Greers Ferry Lake mapping; Little Red River trout management mapping through AGFC and US Fish & Wildlife
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Cleburne County Animal Shelter – (501) 362-8141; Heber Springs Humane Society
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, animal control
Notes: Active humane society supported by retirement community; lake community seasonal pet issues
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Cleburne County – (501) 362-8141; Heber Springs city sanitation
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Army Corps of Engineers (Greers Ferry Lake); Little Red River water quality critical for the world-class trout fishery; Greers Ferry Lake water quality monitoring
Notes: Greers Ferry Lake water quality is the primary environmental concern – the lake’s exceptionally clear, cold water is what makes it both beautiful and capable of supporting the trout fishery below the dam; nutrient loading from lakefront development is monitored; the Little Red River trout fishery below the dam requires consistently cold water (maintained by releases from the bottom of Greers Ferry Dam) and clean water quality; any deterioration in water quality would devastate the trout fishery and the local economy that depends on it
About Cleburne County
Cleburne County is north-central Arkansas’s Greers Ferry Lake county – the 31,000-acre reservoir dedicated by JFK 50 days before his assassination and the world-record brown trout fishery below its dam make it one of Arkansas’s premier recreation destinations.
Greers Ferry Lake – among Arkansas’s clearest and most beautiful reservoirs – was the site of one of President Kennedy’s final public appearances on October 3, 1963. The Little Red River below Greers Ferry Dam produced a world-record brown trout (40 pounds, 4 ounces in 1992), and the tailwater fishery remains exceptional.
Heber Springs (the county seat, population ~7,000) has grown as a retirement and recreation community drawing lake visitors year-round.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS office: Heber Springs (confirm via dhs.arkansas.gov)
Recommended
Search Cleburne County public records for Heber Springs, Quitman, and Cleburne County residents.
Courts & Legal
Cleburne County Circuit Clerk at 301 W. Main Street, Heber Springs, AR 72543, phone 501-362-8149, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: Area Agency on Aging of North Central Arkansas — confirm (Karen Giles, P.O. Box 543, Heber Springs per ARKCS listing)
Meals on Wheels, transportation, senior centers
Note: Growing retirement population — Greers Ferry Lake area attracts retirees
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
301 W. Main St., Heber Springs, AR 72543
(501) 362-8149
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
301 W. Main St., Heber Springs, AR 72543
(501) 362-8127
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Cleburne County Circuit Clerk (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Cleburne County Historical Society, P.O. Box 794, Heber Springs, AR 72543
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Cleburne County Circuit Clerk – Probate Division 301 West Main Street, Heber Springs, AR 72543 (501) 362-8149 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Arkansas has one of the more generous small-estate thresholds in the country, so check this first.
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where total property value (after debts, excluding the homestead and statutory spousal/minor-child allowances) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after the death. Filed using Form 23 (Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee) under Ark. Code § 28-41-101 – no personal representative is appointed, and no full administration is needed.
Independent Administration – available when the will authorizes it, or when all heirs agree to it. The personal representative acts with minimal court oversight at each step.
Supervised Administration – the traditional, more heavily court-involved track; used for contested estates or when independent administration isn’t available or agreed to.
Administration with Will Annexed – used when a valid will doesn’t name an executor, or the named executor can’t or won’t serve.
If using the small estate affidavit
Wait at least 45 days after the death.
Confirm the estate’s total value (after debts, excluding homestead and statutory allowances) is $100,000 or less and there are no unresolved claims against the estate.
Complete Form 23, the Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate by Distributee, listing the property and heirs.
File it with the Probate Clerk, or present it with a certified death certificate directly to banks or other institutions holding the property.
If filing for independent or supervised administration
Gather the original will (if any), a certified death certificate, a list of assets/debts, and names of heirs.
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative (Form 3, if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Administrator/Administratrix (Form 2, if there isn’t) with the Probate Division. Filing fee is $165.
If there’s a will, the court formally admits it to probate; the court then issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative must file an inventory of estate assets within 2 months of appointment.
Creditor notice must be published in a local newspaper, plus direct notice to known creditors; creditors then have 6 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
If independent administration applies, the personal representative can act on most matters without seeking court approval at each step.
After debts are resolved, the personal representative files a final settlement with the court; once approved, the estate closes.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit: no separate court filing fee (a nominal recording fee may apply depending on what’s being transferred).
Formal probate filing fee: $165 (may vary somewhat by county).
Personal representative and attorney compensation: no fixed statutory rate – courts typically look to roughly 2–5% of the estate’s value as a reasonable baseline, subject to court approval as “just and reasonable.”
No state estate tax or inheritance tax in Arkansas.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
300 W. Main St., Heber Springs, AR 72543
(501) 362-8111
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(501) 362-5106
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Cleburne County Health Unit – (501) 362-2161
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Heber Springs Medical Center – (501) 362-3000
Notes: Small community hospital; retirement community creates elevated healthcare demand; specialty care in Little Rock accessible via US-25
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Heber Springs
Population: 24,711
Area: 554 sq mi
Established: 1883
Tier: 3
Public Records
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