Civic panel to meet
The Civic Auditorium Complex Commission’s in-person meeting will be held on Tuesday at noon. For those who want to attend via phone conference, dial (978) 990-5002 with access code: 7020010, according to a news release.
Details: Pine Bluff Convention Center, (870) 536-7600.
Meeting to address food deserts
The Jefferson County Alliance Meeting will feature discussions on food deserts and food insecurity, according to Ward 1 Council Member LaTisha Brunson.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The community is invited to attend the meeting at 10:30 a.m. May 29 in the Kevin Collins Training Center at the Pine Bluff Civic Complex, 200 E. Eighth Ave.
Panelists will be Tomekia Moore, executive director of Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association; Tiffany Curengton, store director of Super 1 Foods; and Josh Harris, executive director and founder of Well Fed, according to a flier.
“Pine Bluff, let’s talk about it. Food deserts and food insecurity is a real thing and Arkansas is not exempt with over half of the state experiencing this crisis. The work will get done. Join this conversation on Thursday, May 29th,” Brunson said.
UAPB sets free fiber optic training
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is offering a tuition free fiber optic technician program from July 11 to Aug. 9 on weekend evenings in the UAPB Rust Technology Building.
This course ensures participants are ready to install, maintain, and troubleshoot fiber broadband for homes and businesses. This free program provides hands-on knowledge and skills to equip participants with the skills employers seek when hiring fiber optic technicians, according to a news release.
Before taking the fiber optics program at UAPB, applicants must have a valid CPR/AED/First Aid certification. UAPB will offer that course on June 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the UAPB health, physical education and recreation (HPER) building. The cost is $75 per person. For more information about registering for the CRP/AED/First Aid certification, email fernandezd@uapb.edu.
The fiber options program is offered free thanks to the Office of Skills Development and the UA Workforce Center through Arkansas Economic Development Institute funds.
The program is offered in partnership with the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana.
To register, visit https://www.uaht.edu/community/community-education-registration-form.php.
Congressional staff to share insights
Two prominent congressional staffers will offer updates on federal actions impacting agriculture at upcoming conferences.
Fitzhugh Elder IV, Republican staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Clark Ogilvie, special counsel for the Democratic staff of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, will lead the “Update from the Potomac” panels at the 12th annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference and the 3rd annual Western Water, Agricultural, and Environmental Law Conference.
The Mid-South event will be held June 5-6 at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.
The Western will be held June 19-20 at the Peppermill Reno Resort Spa Casino in Reno, Nev.
The two conferences are hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation. Both programs offer continuing legal education credit, including ethics, as well as continuing education from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
Both Elder and Ogilvie are returning conference speakers, according to a news release.
“Fitzhugh and Clark are in the room for many important federal discussions that shape agriculture and the environment,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “Their insights will help Mid-South and Western attendees better understand and anticipate policy shifts that affect their operations, legal practices and businesses. We’re honored for them to return to these programs and share their perspectives.”
The session titles vary slightly by location to reflect each conference’s regional focus:
Mid-South: “Update from the Potomac: Farm Bill, Ag Trade, EPA, and Related Federal Issues;”
Western: “Update from the Potomac: Farm Bill, Public Lands, and Related Issues.”
Registration for both conference programs can be found on the NALC website at nationalaglawcenter.org/legaleducation.
Details: nationalaglawcenter.org.