Warming center opens
The city of Pine Bluff opened a warming center Monday at the Opportunity House, (old First Ward School), 1305 E. Sixth Ave. The center will remain open from 3 p.m. to 7 a.m. today through Saturday. The effort is in partnership with DePaul USA.
This initiative underscores the city’s dedication to protecting vulnerable populations during extreme weather conditions, according to a news release.
The warming center will offer:
A heated, secure indoor space;
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Sleeping accommodations available on a first-come, first-serve basis;
Essential amenities.
The city will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide updates on any adjustments to this plan.
The city is seeking support from community organizations and volunteers. Contributions such as blankets, warm clothing, and non-perishable food items are urgently needed and can be delivered to the Opportunity House.
For details, call Opportunity House at (870) 569-3130 or email the mayor’s office at mproctor@cityofpinebluff-ar.gov.
PBHS students to display businesses
In observance of National Career and Technical Education Month (CTE), Pine Bluff High School will showcase their students who already have established businesses.
They will be showcased in a Student Entrepreneur Fair from 9-11:15 a.m. Friday in the gymnasium. Parents and stakeholders are encouraged to attend, according to a news release.
Retired teachers to meet
The Jefferson County Retired Teachers Association will meet for lunch at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Donald W. Reynolds Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave. Lindsey Collins, assistant director of the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, will speak to the group.
Reservations are required for the $12 luncheon catered by Ms. Dee’s Diner. Members are asked to bring canned soup with pull tabs to be donated to Neighbor to Neighbor for local families in need, according to a news release.
For more information on JCRTA and to make luncheon reservations, call Lura Campbell at (870) 543-0127.
Locals among 75Strong cohort
Conductor and Startup Junkie, in partnership with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, announced the first cohort for 75Strong, a program designed to equip community leaders, chamber executives and economic developers with the tools to foster entrepreneurship and innovation across Arkansas.
Participants hail from all regions of the state. Their mission is to build stronger local ecosystems and champion small business growth through innovative strategies and hands-on collaboration, according to a news release.
Area participants accepted into the first 75Strong cohort include:
Robert Evans – Chicot-Desha Metropolitan Port Authority, McGehee;
Yukiko Bivens – Edward Jones, Monticello;
Marcus Len Francis Davis – The Generator, Pine Bluff;
Angelisa Henry – University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Business Support Incubator, Pine Bluff;
Sarah Price – City of Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff.
Over the next two years, the cohort will participate in a comprehensive entrepreneurial development curriculum, designed to strengthen their ability to support small businesses and entrepreneurs in their communities. A key element of the program is the pursuit of the Entrepreneurial Development Professional (EDP) certification from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). This credential will position participants as leaders in building entrepreneurial ecosystems and fostering small business success.
Participants will also:
Develop strategic plans for their communities or regions to foster entrepreneurship and economic growth.
Recruit more than 100 small businesses statewide to participate in a business-building curriculum focused on growth and job creation.
Collaborate with fellow participants to create entrepreneurial coalitions and networks that sustain long-term development efforts.
Details: 75strongarkansas.com.
Soil fertility training in Marianna
Whether you’re new to soil science or been at it for years, there’s never a bad time to review the basics, and that’s what the Soil Fertility Training workshop at Marianna is all about, according to a news release.
The event will begin with on-site check-in at 8 a.m. March 11 at the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station in Marianna.
The workshop will be facilitated by Trent Roberts, professor of soil fertility, soil testing; Bronc Finch, assistant professor and extension soil fertility specialist; and Chandler Arel, extension crop, soils and environmental sciences, all of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Lunch will be provided to participants who register by March 4. Participants may register online.
“This is the first soil fertility workshop that we have hosted in several years,” Roberts said. “We are going to get back to basics and cover some introductory topics so that we can build on them going forward.”
Finch called the workshop “an opportunity to refresh or gain new knowledge about some of the basics principles of soil fertility.”
“We hope that this workshop will lay the groundwork for future educational activities,” Roberts said.
Additionally, the workshop will include a tour of the Division of Agriculture’s Soil Testing and Research Lab, located at the cotton station. Since it opened in 1976, the lab has tested an estimated 5.7 million soil samples. In 2023 alone, the lab tested a record 220,032 soil samples.
The workshop is being presented by the Division of Agriculture, the Arkansas Plant Food Association and the Arkansas Soil Testing Board. Details: uaex.uada.edu.