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Arkansas County
Izard County, Arkansas
Calico Rock's White River bluffs and Ozark highland isolation - from Calico Rock's dramatic White River bluffs (Calico Rock sits on a bend of the White River beneath towering bluffs of varicolored limestone - the colorful rock patterns gave the community its name, and the river scenery, trout fishing, and small-town arts community have made it a destination for Ozark heritage tourism) to Izard County's position in the remote Arkansas Ozark highlands where the White River cuts through the limestone plateau.
County SeatMelbourne
Population13,577
Founded1825
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Office: Izard County Office of Emergency Management
Address: 1 Courthouse Circle, Melbourne, AR 72556
Phone: (870) 368-4316
Alert System: AR Alert; CodeRed; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Contact county OEM; Melbourne community facilities
FEMA Region: Region 6
Notes: North-central Arkansas Ozark county; Melbourne is county seat; Sylamore Creek and White River tributary drainage; tornado corridor; flash flooding in Ozark terrain; very rural; one of Arkansas’s smallest population counties; mountain terrain; Missouri border area accessible
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Izard County Road Department – (870) 368-4316
Public Transit: None; completely auto-dependent; very rural Ozark county
Road Conditions: ARDOT – idrivearkansas.com
Notes: US-62 and AR-56 are main corridors; Melbourne is very small county seat; extremely rural; Mountain Home (Baxter County) and Batesville (Independence County) are nearest significant centers; Ozark mountain terrain
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Izard County – (870) 368-4316
Services: Very basic building permits; Melbourne, Calico Rock, Ash Flat, Oxford, Horseshoe Bend separate
Notes: Rural mountain county; limited development; cabin and rural residential construction in Ozark terrain; Horseshoe Bend area has lake retirement community development (Crown Lake area)
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Izard County Veterans Service Office – (870) 368-4316
VA Medical: Fayetteville VAMC; Mountain Home VA clinic (Baxter County) – closer
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment
Notes: Mountain Home VA clinic is most accessible; very rural remote county
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Izard County Library – (870) 368-4757
Address: Melbourne area; Horseshoe Bend Branch; Calico Rock Branch
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs
Notes: Multi-branch small library system; Horseshoe Bend branch serves the lake retirement community; important internet access points in very rural county
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Sylamore District of the Ozark National Forest (some of Arkansas’s finest Ozark forest hiking and trails; Leatherwood Wilderness); White River (below Norfork Dam – excellent trout fishing in this stretch); Calico Rock (beautiful White River town with bluffs; historic District); Crown Lake (Horseshoe Bend area – private lake retirement community); Blanchard Springs Caverns (adjacent Stone County – nearby; one of the most spectacular caves in the US)
Notes: The Ozark National Forest Sylamore District offers outstanding hiking in some of the most rugged Ozark terrain; the White River through Izard County provides excellent trout fishing (cold tailwater from Norfork Dam); Calico Rock is a charming White River town with beautiful river bluffs; Blanchard Springs Caverns (just over the Stone County line) is one of the finest show caves in the US – its living cave with formations still growing is extraordinary; Horseshoe Bend’s Crown Lake retirement community attracts retirees to this remote Ozark setting
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Very limited; Arkansas GIS – gis.arkansas.gov
Notes: Small rural county; state GIS primary; Ozark National Forest mapping through USFS; White River flood mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Izard County Animal Control – (870) 368-4316
Services: Very basic animal control; Horseshoe Bend area humane efforts
Notes: Very limited resources; retirement community in Horseshoe Bend supports some humane programs
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Izard County – (870) 368-4316
Environmental: Arkansas DEQ; Ozark National Forest (USFS); White River watershed; Sylamore Creek water quality
Notes: Ozark National Forest management dominates the environmental context in Izard County; Sylamore Creek is an excellent trout stream whose quality depends on forest watershed health; White River water quality below Norfork Dam is important for the trout fishery; very limited industrial environmental concerns; rural poverty can create illegal dumping issues in remote areas; the county’s remote Ozark setting is both its greatest asset and its greatest challenge
About Izard County
Izard County is north-central Arkansas’s White River bluffs and Ozark highland county – Calico Rock’s colorful limestone cliffs above the White River and the surrounding Ozark National Forest define a remote community of exceptional natural beauty.
Calico Rock (population ~900) on the White River sits beneath bluffs of varicolored limestone that gave it one of Arkansas’s most distinctive place names. The community’s small arts scene, river access, and scenic position attract visitors seeking authentic Ozark character.
Melbourne (the county seat, population ~1,700) serves the county’s governmental needs in the highland interior.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Local DHS office: Melbourne or Horseshoe Bend (confirm)
Recommended
Search Izard County public records for Melbourne, Calico Rock, and Izard County residents.
Courts & Legal
Izard County Circuit Clerk at 1 Courthouse Square, Melbourne, AR 72556, phone 870-368-4328, handles probate.
Senior Services
Area Agency on Aging: North Central Arkansas Area Agency on Aging — serves Izard County
Meals on Wheels, transportation, senior centers
Note: Horseshoe Bend is a planned retirement community — significant senior population
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
104 Main St., Melbourne, AR 72556
(870) 368-4316
CIRCUIT CLERK (Deeds, Court Records)
104 Main St., Melbourne, AR 72556
(870) 368-4316
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Izard County Circuit Clerk (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Izard County Historical Society, c/o Izard County Historian, P.O. Box 84, Dolph, AR 72528
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
Izard County Circuit Clerk – Probate Division 80 E. Main Street, Melbourne, AR 72556 (870) 368-4316 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
Melbourne, AR 72556
(870) 368-4308
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Unit
(870) 368-4358
DHS / SNAP / Medicaid
(800) 482-8988
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Izard County Health Unit – (870) 368-4208
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records
Hospital: Izard County Medical Center (Calico Rock) – (870) 297-3726; very small critical access hospital; White River Regional Medical (Batesville) for higher-level care
Notes: Very small critical access hospital; extremely rural healthcare challenges; Mountain Home and Batesville hospitals are important referral centers
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