Pine Bluff school board to meet
Pine Bluff School District will hold a regular school board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 27. The meeting will be held in the boardroom of the Jordan-Chanay Administrative Center, 1215 W. Pullen Ave., according to a news release.
McGehee School Board meets
The McGehee School Board will meet at 5 p.m. today at the high school library. The agenda includes an award presentation, financial statement, and proposed budget for 2024-25, according to a news release.
NARFE to meet Feb. 27
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Chapter 287 of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees will meet at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 27 at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Building, 211 W. Third Ave. Sharon Wiess, a Blue Cross Blue Shield representative, will be presenting information on Alzheimer’s and Dementia, according to a news release. Waymond Meins is NARFE Local 287 president.
Youth Sneaker Ball set
New St. Hurricane Missionary Baptist Church will present a Sneaker Ball for youth from 6-9 p.m. Saturday at the Hurricane HYPE Center, 3319 S. Ohio St. Youths in the third through fifth grades will be in the center’s multipurpose room and must be accompanied by an adult. Youths in middle through high school will be in the gym.
The Sneaker Ball is free and open to any youth. It’s a semi-formal dance where people wear sneakers instead of dress shoes. It is meant to be a kick-off event for New St. Hurricane’s Youth and Young Adult Weekend celebration.
The weekend will climax Sunday at 11 a.m. with a youth themed worship service. Sean Jarrett, a pastor from New Jerusalem Church at Tulsa, Okla., will be the guest preacher, according to a news release.
Small craft advisory lifted
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is lifting the small craft advisory for the Arkansas River. Small craft advisories are issued when flows reach 70,000 cubic feet per second. While flows have receded, USACE officials urge boaters to always exercise caution when on the river. Daily river information can be obtained at www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil, according to a news release.
EAST Initiative honors students, schools
Five EAST programs from Arkansas and one from Oklahoma are this year’s Founder’s and Cornerstone Award winners, including southeast Arkansas honorees.
The schools will be honored during the EAST Initiative’s annual conference March 14-16 at the Hot Springs Convention Center, according to a news release.
The six programs to be recognized are: Warren High School — Warren; Sonora Middle School — Springdale; Douglas MacArthur Junior High School — Jonesboro; Westwood Elementary School — Springdale; International Studies Magnet School — Jonesboro; and Northeast Tech – Claremore, Okla.
The Warren High School project included creating a mobile application for all students in the Warren School District that makes mental health and counseling services more accessible and in the wake of a fire that damaged Warren High School last spring. EAST students created an app that provides all students access to a virtual school library.
EAST provides students in 257 programs across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Pennsylvania the opportunities to think critically and innovate change in their communities.
On Feb. 13-14, EAST hosted 59 students for a Leadership Retreat at the 4-H Center at Little Rock with the goal of training these students to take on key roles at the annual conference.
This year’s student Leadership Team members included area students: Cain Wilkins, Woodlawn High School; Raven Harris, Warren High School; Brooklyn Powell, White Hall High School; Victoria O’Neill, Warren High School; and Chloe-Belle Grantham, DeWitt High School. Details: www.eastinitiative.org.
Purple Martins return to Arkansas
In a sure sign that spring is not far behind, the first Purple Martins of the year have been seen in Arkansas. The birds were seen Feb. 10 at Warren by a Purple Martin enthusiast, according to a news release.
The bird watcher is one of many throughout the eastern and central United States who track and report on the birds’ annual migration on behalf of the Purple Martin Conservation Association.
The migration of these unique birds can be reported and tracked through a community science project called the Scout-Arrival Study.
North America’s largest species of swallow, Purple Martins winter in the rainforests of Brazil before making up to a 7,000-mile migration north into the eastern United States and Canada. Details: www.purplemartin.org.
Christian Women slate luncheon
The Christian Women’s Connection will host its luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 16 at the Pine Bluff Country Club.
The speaker will be Juanita Buckmaster of Pine Bluff. There will also be a presentation by Ricky Williams, director of the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Library System, according to a news release.
The luncheon is $21, which includes meal, tax and gratuity. Everyone is invited to attend. For reservations or cancellations, call Jennifer Keahey at (870) 540-9302. All reservations must be made three days in advance. Participants will be a charged for reservations not kept, according to the release.