POCAHONTAS, Ark. — The Randolph County Quorum Court met Thursday night to consider the potential arrival of a data center, with members agreeing that further research and deliberation are necessary before moving forward.

County Judge Ben Wicker provided initial details, explaining that a prospective buyer recently inquired about property for a possible data center in Randolph County. The same buyer is reportedly evaluating similar projects in surrounding areas. While no formal proposals have been made, the topic was brought to the court and shared publicly as a discussion item.

Opinions among residents revealed both optimism and hesitation. Michael McIntire, a barber who has worked on the Pocahontas Square for five years, highlighted the role of technology in modern life but raised concerns about resource demands.

“A lot of data centers, they use a lot of water,” McIntire noted. “So I can imagine water bills are going to go up, and they also use a lot of consumption of energy, so where is that energy going to come from?” He referenced this year’s drought and low river levels as points of apprehension and expressed skepticism about the project’s benefits: “If I had a vote or a choice, I would say no to the data centers.”

Other residents voiced different concerns. Don McGuirt, who lives in Pocahontas, worried that any jobs created by the center might not benefit local workers. “That’s not going to really help Randolph County if they bring in specialists from other places. We already got a problem with that,” he said.

In anticipation of such possibilities, Randolph County previously enacted Ordinance 2023-16, which limits noise levels from data centers to 65 decibels during daytime hours and 55 decibels at night—roughly equivalent to the sound level of a busy restaurant. Violations could lead to fines or operational shutdowns.

Judge Wicker underscored the importance of balancing development with protecting the county’s natural appeal. “This is the only county in the United States that I know of that has five rivers that run through it,” he said. “It’s a beautiful county, and I want to keep it that way if I can at all.” Wicker added that he hopes his children remember the county as it is today.

No timeline for the buyer’s decision or county action has been set. Discussions are expected to continue as officials gather more information.