Shelby Smithson
Reporter
Lexington, Ky.
:no_upscale()/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/gray/8e64436f-168a-4d92-96f4-ac3a165043db.png)
Shelby Smithson is happy to be back in her home state telling stories that matter to you.
Originally from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, she joined WKYT in August 2019, after working as a multimedia journalist for nearly two years at KAIT in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Shelby found her love for journalism while in college at Murray State University, where she majored in T.V. Production with a minor in Journalism.
Her favorite part about reporting is being out in the community and meeting so many new people every day.
When she’s not working, you can find Shelby at the dog park playing with her pup, Blue.
If you have a story idea for Shelby, email her at shelby.smithson@gray.tv.
Updated: Jul. 20, 2019 at 1:12 PM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
The good news is another transport is set for next Tuesday, July 23, when seven dogs will be headed north.
Updated: Jun. 14, 2019 at 3:57 AM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
A local shelter that focuses on saving animals about to be euthanized is full and reaching out to the community for support.
Updated: May. 26, 2019 at 5:44 PM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
A Dollar General store came in and covered most of the community's needs, but it left people traveling for miles to find fresh produce.
Updated: May. 24, 2019 at 7:55 PM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
Now, community leaders have plans and funding options in place.
Updated: May. 22, 2019 at 11:02 PM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
Some of the upgrades could include additional tennis courts and walking trails.
Updated: May. 22, 2019 at 10:59 PM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
And if they don't find the money needed to expand, it may start affecting your wallet.
Updated: Apr. 12, 2019 at 9:01 PM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
According to JPD's 2018 Annual Report, applications across the board are up 88%.
Updated: Apr. 12, 2019 at 9:00 PM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
A theft at a local food truck hot spot has the owner beefing up security and warning others.
Updated: Apr. 12, 2019 at 7:25 PM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
It's called the Victim's Advocate Program.
Updated: Mar. 30, 2019 at 10:15 AM CDT
|By Shelby Smithson
Most of those send her around the world, but her latest mission brought her back home to Jonesboro.
Updated: Mar. 19, 2019 at 10:39 PM CDT
|By Region 8 Newsdesk and Shelby Smithson
Greene Co. held a meeting Tuesday evening to discuss property taxes.
Updated: Feb. 1, 2019 at 12:47 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
But the way neighbors are looking out for each other is moving from keeping an eye out to catching crimes on camera.
Updated: Jan. 8, 2019 at 10:18 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
The search is on for a new chief of police in Harrisburg.
Updated: Jan. 7, 2019 at 10:16 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
"Find it Downtown" is the writing on a building that has been dubbed the gateway to downtown Paragould.
Updated: Jan. 7, 2019 at 6:53 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A troublesome intersection in Brookland has been the topic of concern for months.
Updated: Jan. 5, 2019 at 5:35 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Concerns are growing about two bridges on Highway 140 near Osceola.
Updated: Jan. 4, 2019 at 8:29 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Community members tell Region 8 News it has been dubbed "dead man's tree."
Updated: Jan. 3, 2019 at 9:48 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Running for awareness is what one Region 8 man was doing for nearly three days.
Updated: Dec. 31, 2018 at 5:56 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
When the ball drops at midnight, there will also be a switch in dispatch services in Greene County.
Updated: Dec. 22, 2018 at 9:29 AM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
For the second year in a row, they gave out gift cards to people instead of tickets after pulling them over.
Updated: Dec. 20, 2018 at 9:10 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
The holidays are a tough time of the year for a local grocery store owner. But his new tradition of giving back helps him get more in the Christmas spirit.
Updated: Dec. 20, 2018 at 5:24 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Officials got a little closer to the public seeing that first traffic cone placed for construction work.
Updated: Dec. 19, 2018 at 9:46 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
K9 officer Gabo's road to recovery blew up on social media.
Updated: Dec. 18, 2018 at 10:36 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
The 2019 budget passed unanimously at city council Tuesday night.
Updated: Dec. 18, 2018 at 5:44 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
The Greene County quorum court voted to raise the county general millage.
Updated: Dec. 18, 2018 at 1:33 AM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
But within the first five minutes, four ordinances for raises were postponed indefinitely.
Updated: Dec. 16, 2018 at 7:45 AM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A tradition in Paragould is about far more than buying toys.
Updated: Dec. 16, 2018 at 3:43 AM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Kids across the country are flocking to malls to get their picture taken with Saint Nick. But with so much activity and crowds of people, it can be too much for some kids to handle.
Updated: Dec. 13, 2018 at 9:23 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
And now BlueStreak K9 is trying to protect the entire Jonesboro Police Department K9 Unit by pushing the community to donate for bulletproof vests.
Updated: Dec. 12, 2018 at 9:00 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A daughter is reaching out for financial help this holiday season. It's not for Christmas presents but for funeral arrangements.
Updated: Dec. 10, 2018 at 5:46 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
In the last year, the city of Jonesboro has invested heavily in its parks, and now it’s focusing on the return from that investment.
Updated: Dec. 7, 2018 at 8:03 AM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A new event happening this holiday season is something some hope becomes a Christmas tradition.
Updated: Dec. 5, 2018 at 9:49 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
If you’ve tried to go pecan picking this holiday season, you might have noticed, there aren’t any.
Updated: Dec. 5, 2018 at 8:30 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Parents say you can't put a price on their babies, but a baby A-State is getting soon costs a whopping $89,000.
Updated: Dec. 4, 2018 at 10:55 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Harrisburg will have a new mayor come Jan. 1.
Updated: Dec. 3, 2018 at 10:34 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Students at NYITCOM on A-State's Campus are learning about kidney function, but not from a book or a lecture.
Updated: Dec. 3, 2018 at 10:33 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Power outages can create chaos of all kinds, not the least of which are traffic problems.
Updated: Dec. 2, 2018 at 5:32 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
It's the season of giving, and that is exactly the spirit behind this year's Holiday Concert at Arkansas State University.
Updated: Nov. 29, 2018 at 5:47 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A grant outfitted a local sheriff's department with over $40,000 worth of tasers.
Updated: Nov. 27, 2018 at 9:35 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
The hot topic on city officials' minds right now is money.More specifically, how they're going to spend it and new ways to make it.
Updated: Nov. 24, 2018 at 9:25 AM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
As shoppers took stock of their deals and Black Friday drew to a close, several businesses in Region 8 reflected on what worked, what's new, and how they handled the busy day.
Updated: Nov. 22, 2018 at 8:54 AM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Several new businesses are creating a boom in Downtown Jonesboro.
Updated: Nov. 20, 2018 at 9:21 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A packed city council agenda in Jonesboro brought several updates to stories we've been tracking.
Updated: Nov. 19, 2018 at 9:10 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A walking and bike trail that has been years in the making is moving on to phases three and four.
Updated: Nov. 19, 2018 at 9:08 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A little piece of winter wonderland opened up right here in Jonesboro.
Updated: Nov. 17, 2018 at 10:24 AM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A local high school that has put a focus on improving graduation rates is projecting its highest rate in years.
Updated: Nov. 15, 2018 at 7:49 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
The snow has all but melted away now, but even at its worst Wednesday night, most of the roads remained passable, especially state highways.
Updated: Nov. 13, 2018 at 9:30 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
A hand-crafted clay bowl meant so much more than a grade in art class.
Updated: Nov. 13, 2018 at 5:01 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
The Arkansas Department of Transportation is wasting no time in preparation for Wednesday night's snowfall.
Updated: Nov. 12, 2018 at 9:10 PM CST
|By Shelby Smithson
Issue 5, the state minimum wage hike, has a local school district discussing how they will implement the change come Jan. 1.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/O4VMPKPQOVDYRKFZSRT2BY25CQ.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/S4ICFIJKMFCPRIS2KP77LLHK2Y.PNG)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/SFKAV7ATF5E4TOQ26SBQCTJ4TU.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ENW2H2PIGREEJAPGHIJTOWMKXM.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/5D5V5TEKGBBGBL6IPMUSNBKB6E.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/25EJJW6A5ZF3RKEW3HXBKFPFCU.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/J55CN2W7QJEJJJ4RVFEAA7RP2A.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/FKIT5UCUOJB3HCL5M5I6JWZ25Y.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/VOC67F4OGRCUNHP4RDS55AGCMU.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ISL6DPYV2ZBJPG4NTZS2I7OKAM.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/WHBC7PGOIBH3PPNVPNL4T2YRLI.bmp)