Summit to offer practical AI strategies
ReMix Ideas, in partnership with the Pine Bluff Black Chamber of Commerce, will present the inaugural Pine Bluff AI Summit, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 15 at the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St.
This free event will provide business owners and entrepreneurs with real-world strategies for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations, marketing and growth planning, according to a news release.
“Artificial intelligence is already transforming the way businesses operate — and the revolution is well underway,” said Benito Lubazibwa, CEO of ReMix Ideas. “Small businesses cannot afford to be left behind. Entrepreneurs who leverage AI will lead the future; those who ignore it will be left in the past.”
Featured speakers include: David Hailey, CEO and founder of Countifi Inc.; Don Ward, CEO and founder of Laundris Corp.; Karen Kilroy, founder of NYX NoCode; Jakob Michaelis, founder of Auxigen; Chris Thompson, CEO of Sober Sidekick; Oginga Carr, CEO of Epiphany Consulting; and Audrey P. Willis, chief innovation and program officer of CodeCrew.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“The AI summit brings real tools to real people,” said Joni Robinson, president of the Pine Bluff Black Chamber. “In the Delta, innovation must be inclusive. This event ensures our businesses don’t just catch up, but move ahead.”
Attendees will hear directly from experts using AI to drive business results. The event will feature discussions, a keynote speech and networking opportunities.
Sponsors include the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, U.S. Bank, DART (Data Analytics that are Robust and Trusted), the Arkansas NSF EPSCoR, SURGE, Epicenter Memphis and Southern Bancorp. Free registration is available at www.pbtechsummit.com.
OES offers scholarships
The Royal Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, PHA, is awarding five $700 scholarships for the 2025 school year. The scholarships are one-time awards and are nonrenewable, according to a news release.
Two scholarships will be awarded to high school or GED graduates, and three scholarships will be awarded to students currently enrolled in a vocational program or two-year or four-year institution of higher learning.
Applicants don’t have to be members of the Order of the Eastern Star nor have relatives that are members, but must be graduates of public schools in Arkansas.
Applicants must have a grade point average of at least 2.5 and/or 19 on the ACT or GED coursework completion. Official high school or GED transcripts are required.
The application deadline is June 30. For an application, text your email address to (870) 413-9481 and a coordinator will forward you the application, according to the news release.
Transportation grant available
The next application cycle for the Transportation-Related Research and Workforce Development Grant Program (TRRWDGP) is now open.
The funds available through this program can only be used for certain types of projects and cannot be used for improvements to highways. Act 705 of 2017 and Act 884 of 2021 authorized the TRRWDGP, according to a news release.
The purpose of this program is to accomplish one or both of the following:
Support the study of materials and sources to provide resilient and sustainable logistics, processes, materials, and methods to ensure cost-effectiveness and the furtherance of education and economic development in transportation; and support industry training, apprenticeships and educational programs for transportation-related personnel development.
The TRRWDGP is funded up to $500,000 by interest income received under Arkansas Code Section 27-70-204 (2017) each year from the State Highway and Transportation Department Fund.
Project applications can be obtained online at www.ardot.gov/trrwdgp/ or by email at Research@ardot.gov.
Applications must be received by July 2 at 4:30 p.m. to be considered for funding. Details: (501) -569-4922.
UAM’s NCAA baseball selection hopes alive
Despite missing out on the Great American Conference championship series, the University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team may still be selected for the NCAA Division II tournament this weekend.
The selection show is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Central Sunday on NCAA.com.
UAM (32-21) is ranked sixth in the latest Central Region rankings after reaching the semifinal round of the GAC tournament last week. The Boll Weevils, who were the No. 3 seed, lost their first and last games to Henderson State by 1-run decisions, but defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Arkansas in the losers’ bracket.
Southern Arkansas, the No. 7-ranked team in the region, was the No. 2 seed in the GAC behind Arkansas Tech, the No. 4-ranked team regionally. Henderson State and Harding, ranked eighth and 10th regionally, will begin their best-of-three GAC championship series Friday in Searcy.
The Central Region includes the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association and GAC. The champion in each conference receives an automatic bid to an NCAA regional tournament, with eight teams from the region making up two four-team regionals. The winner of each regional will play in a best-of-three Super Regional for one of eight berths in the national finals in Cary, N.C.
UAM won a Central Regional and lost to Central Missouri in two games of their Super Regional as a No. 6 seed in 2024. It is the farthest a Boll Weevil team has gone in the NCAA Division II tournament.