McGehee board to meet
The McGehee School Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the high school library. The agenda includes financial reports, School Choice petition for transfer, District Literacy Support Plan, ACT Aspire student academic data, and administrative reports, according to a news release.
Business development event set
The 2023 South Arkansas Rural Business Development Conference will be held Sept. 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. via Zoom and in person at the Pine Bluff Library, 600 S. Main St. The in-person event is limited to 50 people. The conference is funded by the USDA Rural Development, and Arkansas Human Development Corp. A rountable breakfast will also be held at 8:30 a.m. The event is free.
The roundtable will be facilitated by Christian Pennington, lender relations specialist of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Rev. Cory Anderson, chief innovation officer, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, will be the luncheon speaker.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Topics will include building effective partnerships, securing capital, selling goods and services to the government, social media and how to access the services offered by the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center and grow one’s business, according to a news release.
Providing small and emerging business owners with the skills, tools, and contacts needed to create and grow their enterprises and better engage in job creation activities are the goals of the event.
The theme is “Breaking Barriers: Engaging Minds, Empowering Success.” The event will bring together approximately 20 organizations to provide conference participants with needed resources to grow their existing business or develop new business endeavors.
Invited partners include Arkansas Capital Corp., Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, ASBTDC, Arkansas APEX Accelerator, Small Business Administration, Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Participants are invited to attend the “Breakfast with the Lenders Roundtable” at 8:30 a.m. to network with lenders including FORGE, Relyance Bank, Simmons Bank, USDA Rural Development-Business and Cooperative Programs.
The conference is free but registration is requested by calling Arkansas Human Development Corp. at (800) 482-7641, emailing dharrison@arhdc.org or online at https://t.ly/kaiVM.
Thornton to host festival, BBQ cookoff
The city of Thornton and Thornton Step-By-Step, Inc. will jointly sponsor its third Fall Festival and second Hot Lips BBQ Cookoff on Sept. 16. This is an annual event designed to promote the legacy and rich heritage of the city along with capitalizing on future growth and expansion. The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Roy Yarbrough City Park. The BBQ cookoff will take place across the street from the park near the fire substation and extending over onto the campus of the Greater St. Mark AME Church, according to a news release.
Everyone is invited to attend. The theme is, “Thornton Fall Fest: Turning Over a New Leaf and Promoting Unity in Our Community.” The setting will include live music by “William Young and Friends,” along with other activities. There will be a variety of booths as well.
Step-By-Step, Inc., working with the city of Thornton, is an organization that focuses on community improvement and improving the quality of life for its citizens.
Attendance is free, but people are asked to bring lawn chairs. Levenis Penix and Sharon Scott are co-chairs of Step-By-Step.