Blytheville community prepares for solar eclipse travelers

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Just three days away from history, a total eclipse of the sun is set to take place on Monday, April 8.

The event promises to have a major economic impact on several states in the path of totality – one of them is Arkansas.

“We’re expecting visitors here in Blytheville and we want the city to look good. It takes teamwork to make the dream work,” said Yvette Guyton, Blytheville, Arkansas clean-up volunteer.

More than seventy Blytheville city employees gathered together on Friday morning volunteering to clean up.

“Our job today was to simply prepare for the coming, if you will, to prepare for the coming and we’re excited to do it,” said Melissa Logan, Mayor of Blytheville. “For us, it means an inflow of traffic, an inflow of tourism and so we should have a very lucrative weekend.”

With Mississippi County positioned to be a prime area for eclipse watching, Blytheville is anticipating a major economic boost.

“A lot of people have never been to Arkansas or to the South and this is our chance to make a great impression so they come back soon and often,” said Abby Houseworth, Houseworth Hotels and Restaurants Manager.

Houseworth manages four hotels and two restaurants, all situated close to Interstate 55 where a stream of eclipse viewers is expected to start arriving Saturday.

“We expect a full house. Everything is booked. We have just a couple of rooms left, we’ve even got Moon Pies that we’re giving out to our guests,” Houseworth said. “We’re really excited. We’ve got our glasses, we’ve got t-shirts and we’re ready.”

“As a kid, you’d use a hole in a piece of paper to see a partial eclipse, but never seen a full eclipse before,” said Doug Maxson of Jacksonville, Florida.

If you are planning to drive to see the eclipse, you should allow plenty of time as highways are expected to be packed. Make sure you have protective eyewear and don’t pull over to the side of the road to watch the eclipse.

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