Arsenal plans testing
Personnel from the Pine Bluff Arsenal’s Directorate of Engineering and Technology will be doing testing Monday and Tuesday. Residents living close to the Arsenal should not be alarmed if they hear noise and/or see smoke coming from the installation those days, according to a news release.
NAACP recruits for academic contest
The Pine Bluff Branch NAACP is recruiting youth for its 2022-23 Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO.) Contestants will compete for scholarships and monetary prizes, according to a news release.
Students at Pine Bluff, Watson Chapel, Dollarway, and White Hall high schools are eligible to participate. Parents and teachers are urged to register their students as soon as possible to take advantage of scholarship opportunities offered by the National NAACP in essay writing, art, and engineering.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
ACT-SO is an enrichment program of the NAACP that honors the academic achievements of high school students, similar to the recognition of entertainers and athletes, according to the release.
From visual arts and business to performing and culinary arts, participants work with community-based volunteers for a year to develop projects and performances. The experience culminates in local and national events where students compete for scholarships and other rewards.
Students can win monetary prizes if they place first, second, or third place in a competition. Local first place winners will have the opportunity to compete in the national competition in July 2023 at Boston, Mass. Students must be of African descent and an amateur in their competition, according to the release.
“We are proud to announce our second program year with ACT-SO,” Wanda V. Neal, president of the Pine Bluff Branch NAACP, said. “In 2022, we accomplished two goals: firstly, we held our first local competitions in March and April and secondly, we were able to take one contestant to the national competitions in July to Atlantic City.”
Registration ends in December. To get an ACT-SO registration packet, to volunteer, or for more information, contact Maryann Lee at (870) 718-5330.
Simmons honors veterans
To commemorate Veterans Day, Simmons Bank hosted a series of events designed to recognize veterans’ service and sacrifice to protect the nation’s freedom.
In addition to this year’s events, year-round the bank works with community partners to actively recruit veterans to join the Simmons Bank team, while offering an array of military benefits including supplemental pay during military leave and paid military family leave, according to a news release.
The bank’s Veterans Business Resource Group provided a display area and commemorative ribbons for associates to wear based on their relationship with a veteran. Associates also honored veterans by sharing their military experience and gratitude with a special video thanking veterans for their service.
Simmons also reminds the community that Nov. 10 marked the one year since the grand opening of the Sergeant Elga Lee Roberts Veterans Center at Pine Bluff. The center provides Jefferson County’s more than 3800 veterans greater access to inpatient and outpatient care through the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system. Simmons donated $1 million to support the constriction of the center and the Dr. Josetta Wilkins Jefferson County Health Unit, according to the release.