JRMC sets screenings at expo
Jefferson Regional Medical Center will offer services and screenings during the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo.
Business Expo exhibits will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
JRMC services will include cancer screening, stroke awareness, weight and body mass index, tobacco cessation information and checks for blood pressure and glucose, according to a flier.
Clear bag policy set at expo
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold its Business Expo Thursday at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
The convention center is enforcing a clear bag policy for the Business Expo Breakfast and the expo trade show. No personal bags will be allowed into the convention center unless they are clear, according to a flier.
Business Expo Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. followed by a program at 8 a.m. Thursday. The expo exhibits will be open for a Business VIP Hour: 9-10 a.m. and admission to the public is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details: Chamber Director Jennifer Kline at jennifer@jeffersoncountyalliance.com or (870) 535-0110.
Health fair, salad fest May 31
St. John AME Church, 1117 W. Pullen St., has rescheduled the annual Women’s Day Health Fair and Salad Fest for 10 a.m. May 31 (The event had been postponed from May 3).
The health fair “Live Talk” will provide spiritual encouragement, tips on maintenance of heart health, insurance, healthy eating and cooking. Speakers include Dr. Martha A. Flowers and the Rev. Louise Tyler-Tisdale, according to a news release.
There will be a buffet style salad bar, door prizes, games and other activities. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased through Charneise Turner Mills at (870) 267-5696. All previous ticket purchases will be honored.
St. John to give away food
St. John AME Church, 1117 W. Pullen St., will give away food boxes to those in need May 10 from 9 a.m. until all food has been handed out.
State ID’s are required to receive one box per family. Pickup will be in front of the church on Cherry Street. For safety reasons, recipients are asked to stay in their vehicles and open their trunks.
Sponsors are St. John AME Church’s Soul Food for the Mind, Body, and Spirit Feeding Ministry and community partners Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, according to a news release.
To support the feeding ministry, interested partners may mail their financial support to St. John AME Church-Feeding Ministry, 1117 W. Pullen St., Pine Bluff, Ark., 71601, or electronically through Givelify St John AME Pine Bluff. To volunteer, email Pearl Matlock at pearl1948@sbcglobal.net.
St. John welcomes the community to its worship services at 9:45 a.m. Sundays and Church School following church service. The Rev. Charlene N. Boone is the pastor.
DAV plans virtual job fair
Disabled American Veterans and RecruitMilitary will co-host the Military Spouse Virtual Veterans Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 6. The event is free to veterans, their spouses, active duty military personnel and members of the National Guard and Reserve.
More than 35 employers will be on-site. Also, veterans can utilize career counseling and resume assistance, network with fellow veterans and military personnel, and get support with their Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and claims assistance — all free, according to a news release. To register for the career fair and access additional free resources, go to jobs.dav.org.
Extension to host goat certification
Producers of small ruminants can get certified in using the FAMACHA system — a tool for managing parasite control in goats and sheep — at a free training offered by the Cooperative Extension Service. The training will be held 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday at the Sebastian County Fairgrounds in Greenwood.
Attendees will learn about the biology of the main parasites that affect goats, sheep and other animals and learn about integrated parasite management. They’ll become certified in using Faffa Malan Chart (FAMACHA), a diagnostic method for identifying the presence of Barber’s pole worm — Haemonchus contortus.
“As barber pole worm is a bloodsucker parasite, a high parasite load can decrease appetite, affect digestion and cause anemia,” said Dan Quadros, extension small ruminant specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “In severe cases, parasite infections can kill sheep and goats. FAMACHA is an easy, accessible method to check the animals and determine if they need treatment.”
Joan Burke, a research animal scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, will lead the training.
The training is free, but online registration is required at https://www.uaex.uada.edu/famacha25.
Westerman offices open
Fourth District U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., announced casework-specific office hours will be held in May to assist people with addressing Veterans’ Affairs, Social Security, Medicare, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and passports, according to a news release.
For casework specifically related to Veterans’ Affairs, the following dates and locations are available:
Pine Bluff: 211 W. Third Ave. Suite 245, Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 15.
Russellville: 500 W. Main St. Suite 110. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1.
El Dorado: 101 N. Washington Ave. Suite 406. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 22.
Texarkana: Miller County Courthouse: 400 Laurel St. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 29.
For casework specifically related to Social Security, Medicare, IRS, USCIS, and passports, the following dates and locations are available:
Russellville: 500 W. Main St. Suite 110. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 6.
Hot Springs: 101 Reserve St. Suite 200. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 13.
El Dorado: 101 N. Washington Ave. Suite 406. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 20.
Texarkana: Miller County Courthouse: 400 Laurel St. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 27.