Simpson, editor at The Courier, builds career, sells first novel

Continued from page 1 newspaper, including the crime beat and several murder trials. Simpson later worked briefly for a digital news outlet in Russellville before being recommended by a journalist friend for the position of editor at The Courier when it came open in June of 2022.

He is enjoying his new role in leading a small staff of four. Simpson said the biggest story in the Russellville area in recent years has been the proposed construction of a state-authorized casino. He believes Legends Resort and Casino is nearing the end of its last legal hurdle for development of a $225 million project to be located just north of Interstate 40.

Simpson said there has been widespread opposition to the casino among Russellville residents but noted “people now seem to be a little more favorable” to the project. He said it would require an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to stop the casino project and opponents are starting to believe their cause is a “wasted effort.”

Simpson also has written articles about two cold cases that occurred in the Coal Hill area in Johnson County.

The first regarded the death of Brandy Dawn Hutchins, 14, who was found murdered in an abandoned house near Coal Hill on Nov. 12, 1988. Simpson’s article notes there were several Satanic symbols in the house, as well as racist tags such as KKK. “It was 1988, the height of the Satanic Panic, and rumors and media headlines took off from there,” Simpson wrote.

As the case moved forward, most law enforcement officials and others familiar with the victim tended to rule out Satanism as a motive. Four prosecutors have been in office since the murder, but there has never been enough evidence collected to charge anyone in the crime.

A second article by Simpson involved the disappearance of Bonnie McFadden of Coal Hill, then 78, in August of 2005. A wealthy woman, she was last seen cashing a check at a bank in Clarksville. His article noted that McFadden had developed a close relationship with one of her tenants, a man in his 20s, and he was the recipient of numerous gifts from her.

McFadden has not been seen or heard from since her visit to the bank. No charges have been filed and no suspects have been identified by authorities.

“I find it to be really interesting to bring back old stories like that,”

Simpson said.

Journalism relates fully to Simpson’s interests and skills. He feels comfortable with the writing, photography, graphics and the aesthetics of page design.

“I just enjoy it from top to bottom. It’s something different every day, you meet a lot of interesting people and it’s great to be a part of the community,” he said.

He is concerned about the future of newspapers and maintains new models must be developed in the digital age, including more multi-media presentations of the news.

“I just don’t think the public values the printed product as much as newspaper people do,” Simpson said. “And the average person doesn’t clearly see the difference between information generated on social media sites and work done by trained and experienced journalists.”

Amidst all his extensive work on the newspaper, Simpson also has maintained his dream as an author. His novel, “Strong Like Me,” was purchased by Flux Books.

Within the genre of young adult fiction, the book involves a troubled high school student athlete in the Ozarks who begins a search for his missing father. Simpson explained the young adult category can best be described as one in which “the age of the protagonist falls into that range (roughly 14 to 22).”

Simpson used his knowledge of sports and crime in developing the novel. The book focuses heavily on the drug scene in rural Arkansas and the way it negatively affects so many lives. “I wanted to show what impoverished Arkansans in the Ozarks often look like,” he said.

The book also tackles the issue of “toxic masculinity,” in which boys are taught it is bad to cry. “As adult men, they then are incapable of dealing with difficult emotions,” he said.

Simpson said the book will be available for sale in the spring of 2024, ending a long series of disappointments and rejections from publishers. It was his 13th manuscript.

Simpson started “really getting serious” about his fiction writing in 2017, rising early in the morning to produce at least 1,000 words a day. Simpson said it requires discipline to do that every day considering all his other commitments to work and family.