Knights to host fish fry Fridays
The Knights of Columbus Annual Lenten Fish Fry is being held 5-7 p.m. March 21 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, West Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street. People can eat in for the all-you-can-eat dinner or get carry-out plates, according to a news release. Dinners for adults are $16 and children are $10 each.
PBSD names top teachers
Pine Bluff School District has named its Teacher of the Year winners for 2024-25, according to a flier.
These include:
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Jasmine Thompson of Forrest Park/Greenville Pre-school;
Benjamin Davis of Southwood Elementary School;
Kandace Sanders of Broadmoor Elementary School;
Patricia Burnett of James Matthews Elementary School;
Carol Gardner of 34th Elementary School;
Evette Johnson of Pine Bluff Junior High School;
Martell Huntley of Pine Bluff High School.
Locals among LR arts contest
The third annual Arts Across Arkansas event will kickoff at 11:30 a.m. March 29 at Westwind School for Performing Arts in North Little Rock. This event is free and open to the public. The competition includes exhibitions and performances by high school students statewide.
Categories and area finalists include:
FILM
Hayden Robertson “Star City Beta” – Star City High School.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Gracie Riley “Reflections of a Queen” – Star City High School;
Weston Dial “Reaching Higher” – Star City High School;
Nemo Brown “Rainy Window” – Star City High School.
The is event hosted by the Arkansas Arts Council. More than 40 students selected as finalists for Arts Across Arkansas will compete for prizes.
Arts Across Arkansas is a program designed to encourage, enhance and expand young creatives’ artistic abilities and professional development.
Students were nominated by teachers and selected by independent panels. High school students then worked with an Arts in Education Roster mentor in six categories. They will present their final projects during the state finals, according to a news release.
Leadership event includes local doctor
The Women’s Leadership Collaborative and Women’s Business Leadership Center will host the ninth annual Women’s Leadership Conference April 3 in Centennial Hall of Reng Student Union at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
Breakout session speakers will include Dr. Tochi Amagwula Keeton, board-certified obstretician-gynecologist and obesity medicine physician at Healthwise Wellness in Pine Bluff. Keeton will lead “Sustainable Success: Balancing Health and Career for Women Leaders.”
The keynote speaker, Lenore Trammell, serves as chief administration officer, chief compliance officer and general counsel at Big River Steel.
During this conference, speakers will offer insights into what their professional experiences have been like, according to a news release. To register or for details, visit AStatealumni.org/WLC or contact WBLC@AState.edu.
‘Waters of the U.S.’ conference topic
How do you define “waters of the U.S.”?
It’s a question that has lingered in agricultural law and policy for decades. The legal phrase in question, “waters of the United States” otherwise known as WOTUS, is a key component of the Clean Water Act, meant to improve the country’s water quality by reducing pollution. Since it became law in 1972, the definition of WOTUS has continually evolved. Bodies of water defined under WOTUS receive various legal protections.
Tess Dunham, partner at Kahn, Soares and Conway, will discuss “WOTUS & Water Quality in the West in a Post-Sackett World,” at the third annual Western Water, Agricultural, and Environmental Law Conference. The conference will be held June 19-20 in Reno, Nev., according to a news release.
In 2023, the Supreme Court narrowed the definition of WOTUS with its ruling in Sackett v. EPA. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency then amended its WOTUS rule to conform with the Sackett decision, ultimately removing numerous waters and wetlands from Clean Water Act jurisdiction.
“It was a significant decision from the Supreme Court with lasting ramifications for the country’s agriculture, which will continue into the future,” said Dunham. “With many bodies of water that were protected prior to the Sackett ruling no longer falling under the Clean Water Act, it directly impacts the way activities in those waters are regulated.”
This year, the Western conference is hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center, and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation. It will also feature a livestream option. Details: nationalaglawcenter.org/western2025.