FBT, Chamber honor Randle
FBT Bank celebrates LaTasha Randle, vice president and director of community outreach at its Jefferson County banking team.
She was recently recognized as a Woman in Banking by the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce, according to StuffinTheBluff.com.
“With dedication, leadership and an unwavering commitment to the community, LaTasha embodies the values that drive FBT Bank forward. Congratulations, LaTasha. We’re honored to have you on our team,” a spokesman said in the news release.
Resident joins honor society
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Maranda Pittman of Redfield was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, at University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Pittman is among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated each year into Phi Kappa Phi. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership, according to a news release.
Cattle production topic at lunch
As Arkansas cattle producers battle high input costs and thin profit margins, an upcoming lunch and learn session will cover the latest technology available to help ranchers maximize efficiency.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Arvest Bank are working in partnership to host a series of lunch and learn sessions covering timely topics and production strategies for cattle producers in Arkansas, according to a news release.
This second installment of the “Beyond the Fence” sessions will be held at 11:30 a.m. May 22 at the Arkansas Cooperative Extension State Office in Little Rock. Online streaming via Zoom will begin at noon.
“We’re excited to continue the Beyond the Fence Lunch and Learn sessions, and technology is an important topic for producers,” said Maggie Justice, extension beef cattle specialist for the Division of Agriculture.
“There are many opportunities to implement new tech in production practices that can really save producers time and money,” said Kristen Midkiff, animal health and wellbeing specialist for the Division of Agriculture. “We’ll cover electronic ID tags – better known as EID tags – and other precision tools that can transform herd management.”
The May 22 lunch and learn will feature Midkiff along with Loren Teague from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. The session is free to attend and lunch will be provided. Those interested can register online or email mjustice@uada.edu.
Water banking, leasing topics at event
Water scarcity, drought, regulatory frameworks and more — the Western United States faces multiple challenges when it comes to water management, with states having to adapt and develop solutions to meet ongoing needs.
One such strategy to meet growing water needs is water banking and leasing. Water banking systems allow for stored water to be reallocated, and ownership transferred. This enables water leasing programs, by which the water stored in banks is leased out for a period without a full transfer of ownership. Water is later “paid back” by returning an equivalent amount, or through negotiated terms specified in the lease agreement, according to a news release from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
A session at the third annual Western Water, Agricultural, and Environmental Law Conference will provide details on water banking and leasing, looking at how states such as Utah, California, and Washington have implemented the system and what other states might take away from these developments.
The Western Conference will be held June 19-20 at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno, Nev. The conference is hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation.
“Agriculture in the Western U.S. faces many challenges unique to the region,” said Harrison Pittman, director of the NALC. “Water is one of the issues at the forefront, with persistent drought and other issues at hand. Water banking and leasing have emerged as possible routes for states to take, but with development of such programs comes policy that can be quite complex.”
The session, “Water Banking and Leasing in the West: Practical Pointers and Pitfalls,” will be presented by three Western attorneys with backgrounds in water and environmental law:
Ernest Conant, counsel, Downey Brand LLP;
Alyssa A. Moir, partner, K&L Gates;
Emily E. Lewis, partner, Culp & Kelly LLP.
Registration, which includes a livestream option, and more conference information is available at nationalaglawcenter.org/western2025.