Editor’s Note: At press time, the following events and meetings were known to be still scheduled. Organizers or appropriate officials are encouraged to contact Sandra Hope at shope@pbcommercial.com to make additions or changes.
Saturday, Feb. 27
Lowe’s, Sheriff’s Office to give away water
The Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office has partnered with Lowe’s to provide bottled water to the community. The donations will be provided Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lowe’s parking lot, 2906A E. Harding Ave., at Pine Bluff.
Pilgrim Church opens pantry Saturday
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, 2507 Hill St., will open its Raven’s Nest Food Pantry on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 8-9:30 a.m. or until all the food has been given away. Food will be handed out on a first come, first-served basis. Participants must bring a picture identification. The program is a U.S. Department of Agriculture distribution site, according to a news release.
Black heritage celebration set
Author Jason Irby, a Jefferson County native, will present the sixth annual Arkansas Heritage Celebration of Black History Month on Feb. 27. Due to the coronavirus and protocols of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the program isn’t open to the public. Interviews will be conducted with honorees and broadcast later, according to the Stuff in the Bluff website. Two individuals will be honored with a Legend Among Us award: Otis Kirkland, a well known photographer and philanthropist and native of Jefferson County, and Crystal Young-Haskins, the first African American female in the Little Rock Police Department to hold the rank of assistant chief of police, according to the release.
Beginning Saturday, Feb. 27
Arts center reschedules youth cooking program
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas rescheduled two youth cooking sessions, according to a news release. The CrEATe Lab with Faith Anaya will be held from 1-3 p.m. Saturday and March 6. The program is open to ages 10-17. The CrEATe Lab is $35 with partial scholarships available. To register, visit asc701.org/create-lab or call ASC at 870-536-3375.
Sunday, Feb. 28
Kings Highway celebrates Black History
Kings Highway Missionary Baptist Church, 2312 Fluker St., will host a Black History program at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, on Kings Highway’s Facebook page. The youth of the church will present “Chucks and Pearls,” according to a news release.
Through Sunday, Feb. 28
UAPB accepts entries to Snack Recipe Contest
Pine Bluff youth, ages 5-18, are invited to submit original snack recipes for the 2021 Snack Recipe Contest. The event is sponsored by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Extension Family and Consumer Sciences and 4-H Programs. The first-place prize is a $100 gift card, the second-place prize is a $75 gift card, and the third-place prize is a $50 gift card. The entry deadline is Feb. 28, according to a news release. Each participant must fill out an entry form and submit the original recipe and a photo by email to Teresa Henson at hensont@uapb.edu or to Teki Hunt at huntjimenezt@uapb.edu.
Museum hosts free virtual tours at site honoring Ebony founder
Friends of John H. Johnson Museum will offer free virtual tours of the historic John H. Johnson Museum and Educational Center at Arkansas City in observance of Black History Month. Johnson is the late founder of Johnson Publishing Co. which publications included Ebony and Jet magazines. During February, the virtual tours will guide visitors through the museum named for the Arkansas City native, according to a news release. For details on the tour, visitors can send an email to info@johnhjohnsonmuseum. org and they will provide a direct link. Details: www.johnhjohnsonmuseum.org.
Monday, March 1
County employees return to work
The Jefferson County Courthouse will return to normal hours on Monday. Pine Bluff City Hall reopened Feb. 26, according to news releases. Offices had been closed after weather and water issues.
Beginning Monday, March 1
Tickets go on sale for Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., will open its box office March 1 for people to purchase tickets for its first 2021 production, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: A Virtual Fractured Fairy Tale.” The production, featuring a full cast of Southeast Arkansas youth ages 21 and younger, will stream at 7 p.m. April 1-4. This production is directed by Kayla Lake and written by Brian D. Taylor. The event is sponsored by Relyance Bank. The play is inspired by classic fairy tales. Tickets are $7 for ASC members and $10 for nonmembers and can be purchased at asc701.org/.
Beginning Tuesday, March 2
Kennel Club to host dog obedience class
The Southeast Arkansas Kennel Club is sponsoring a dog obedience class starting March 2. It will be held at Hestand Stadium each Tuesday from 7-8 p.m. for eight weeks. The cost is $65, according to a news release. Details: (870) 879-3384.
Wednesday, March 3
Pine Bluff Commercial sets church news deadline
Church news is printed in The Commercial on Friday. The deadine to submit church announcements is noon Wednesday. Announcements can be for in-person services or online services as well as other ministry events. Articles may be submitted by email to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing a religion column may submit articles for consideration by email. Please include your phone number, the name and location of your ministry or city where you reside, and your photo. Photos may also accompany church news by email.
Thursday, March 4
Chamber hosts annual dinner
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce rescheduled its drive-thru annual dinner for 4-6 p.m. Thursday at the Pine Bluff Country Club. Tickets are $50 each. Ticketholders will use original tickets to pick up their meals on the new date, according to a news release. The event features two pasta dinner options (as well as a vegetarian option for those who specify in advance), Chamber swag bags and the chance to briefly meet new Chamber staff members. Details: Jennifer Kline, (870) 535-0110.
Beginning Tuesday, March 9
Workshops to address doing business with government
The Generator will host two workshops about doing business with the government. The presenter will be Liz Russell, procurement counselor with the Arkansas Procurement Technical Center. Due to covid-19, seats will be limited, according to a news release. March 9 — from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Introduction to Government Contracting will be held. March 30 – 6-7 p.m. Marketing to the Government will be held. Interested participants may register at https://goforwardpinebluff.org/the-generator/#doingbizwgovt. Details: Mildred Franco, executive director, at francomildred@goforwardpb.org.
Clearing the Air Conference, Cancer Summit set
The 18th Clearing the Air Communities of Color Conference and 22nd Arkansas Cancer Summit will be held virtually from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 9 and from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March
- The Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office (MISRGO) at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the Arkansas Cancer Coalition (ACC) will host the events, according to a news release. The virtual conferences are open to the public. Registration is required and is available through March 4 at http:// www.arcancersummit.org/register. Details: http:// www.arcancersummit.org/agenda-2 or contact Marian S. Lothery, MISRGO coordinator, at evansm@uapb.edu or (870) 575-8923.
Friday, March 12
Highway officials seek public input about U.S. 65 plans
The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) will conduct an online public involvement meeting to gather input on the proposed plans to add 8-foot paved shoulders along U.S. 65 between Interstate 530 and U.S. 425 at Pine Bluff. The public is invited to listen, view meeting materials, and provide written comments. The website will be available for comments until 4:30 p.m. March 12. To access the online public meeting, participants should go to this link: https://vpiph01-job-020716-i530-hwy-425-hwy-65-ardot.hub.arcgis.com/ Those who don’t have internet access can contact Karla Sims at 501-569-2000 or by email at karla.sims@ardot.gov, to ask questions about the proposed project and how to access project information.
Through Monday, March 15
Foundation accepting scholarship applications
Pine Bluff and Jefferson County students can apply for scholarships from the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation. The deadline to apply is March 15. Each scholarship has its own eligibility criteria. In general, the community foundation scholarships are for area students pursuing higher education at two- or four-year colleges or universities, vocational schools or technical training programs, according to a news release. Students can begin their application by visiting www.arcf.org/apply/scholarships/.