District stakeholders to meet
The Pine Bluff School District Unified Stakeholders will meet at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Generator, 435 S. Main St., at Pine Bluff, according to a news release.
PBHS 1960 class to meet
The Pine Bluff High School Class of 1960 will meet at noon today at Wright’s Ranch House restaurant, 6224 Dollarway Road. All 1960 classmates and class members of other years are welcomed to attend, according to a news release. Those attending the December meeting were Robert and Lenora Porter, Jerry and Ruby Wessels Poteet, Norma Ridgway Ray, and Barbara Rogers Langrell. Questions or updates on classmates may be made to Norma Ray at (870) 535-0303 or nlrharper@hotmail.com.
Red Cross responds to weather issues
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas is in its second day of disaster assessments after Monday night’s strong storms, high winds, flooding, and tornadoes. The damage is primarily in Garland, Arkansas, Ashley, Lincoln, and Clay counties.
If anyone needs assistance, because of the storm damage, they should call 1-800-Red-Cross, according to a news release.
Red Cross disaster responders are distributing emergency supplies in the affected areas. Teams will be driving throughout the area to provide these supplies. Red Cross teams will continue throughout the affected areas surveying land and property and talking with those impacted to gather as much detail as possible to make assessments necessary to assist.
Financial donations enable the Red Cross to help people recover from disasters. Details: redcross.org or call 1-800 RED CROSS.
Simmons changes executive roles
Simmons First National Corp. and Simmons Bank recently announced changes to certain executive management roles effective Jan. 1.
George Makris, Jr., Simmons’ chairman and chief executive officer, will assume the role of full-time executive chairman of Simmons.
Robert “Bob” Fehlman, Simmons’ president and chief operating officer, will assume the role of chief executive officer of Simmons, according to the news release.
Makris has been a director of the company since 1997 and had been its chief executive officer since 2014. In his new role, Makris will continue to lead Simmons’ boards of directors as their chairman and will work directly with Simmons’ chief executive officer, as well as the other members of executive management, on strategic initiatives and a smooth leadership transition.
Fehlman has worked for either the company or its affiliates since 1988. Following the transition, Fehlman will lead the development of Simmons’ “better bank” initiatives and will manage the day-to-day responsibilities commensurate with the duties of the chief executive officer, according to the release.
James “Jay” Brogdon, Simmons’ executive vice president and chief financial officer, will assume the role of president and chief financial officer of Simmons. Brogdon joined Simmons in 2021 after holding positions at Stephens Inc. and Deloitte. In addition to his current responsibilities, in his new role, Brogdon will also assume oversight of all revenue production for the company and the bank.
Blue & You awards grants
The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas will award 47 grants in 2023 to public schools, universities and nonprofit groups in Arkansas totaling $3.38 million. The grants include recipients in southeast Arkansas, according to a news release.
Area 2023 grant recipients include:
Ivy Center for Education, Pine Bluff ($66,867.73) – to fund education, mentorship, and study supplies for students who wish to enter the medical field.
Jefferson Regional Medical Center Foundation, Pine Bluff ($150,000) – to provide cancer screenings and education to residents in Southeast Arkansas.
Neighbor to Neighbor, Pine Bluff ($25,000) – to provide food assistance, specifically protein, to underserved communities in Jefferson County.
Arkansas Rural Health Partnership, Lake Village ($150,000) – to provide mental health first aid training to Arkansas first responders and other healthcare workers, enabling them to provide additional resources to children and adults in the state.
McGehee Hospital Inc., McGehee ($112,250) – to expand its Chronic Care Management program to assure holistic healthcare for individuals in Desha, Arkansas, Chicot, Drew and Lincoln counties – adding telemedicine, social work, and therapy services for patients with chronic conditions.
BLUE & YOU
The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas is a charitable organization established and funded by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield to promote better health in the Natural State, according to a news release.
“These grants will fund dozens of projects touching Arkansans all over the state — from supporting the Arkansas Suicide Prevention Hotline to providing recreational therapy to youth aging out of foster care, the 2023 grants will impact Arkansans in a powerful way.” said Rebecca Pittillo, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation. “The organizations that we have funded are focused on improving the lives of people in our communities, which is also our goal at the Blue & You Foundation.”
Last year, the foundation funded 41 initiatives in Arkansas through its annual grants totaling $3,360,327. Additional funds will be awarded in 2023 through the foundation’s mini grant program.
Applications for mini grants, up to $2,000 each, opened Jan. 1. Mini grant applications should be submitted by Feb. 15. Details: blueandyoufoundationarkansas.org.