VA sets virtual claims clinic
The Little Rock VA Regional Office will hold a virtual claims clinic for Arkansas veterans from 4-6 p.m. July 24. To reserve a time slot, veterans should call (501) 370-3829 before 4 p.m. July 23, according to a news release.
Veterans may speak one-on-one to staff of the Little Rock VA Regional Office regarding their claims for VA benefits. Staff will answer questions about existing VA benefits claims and assist with filing new claims.
Details: http://benefits.va.gov/benefits/ or call 800-827-1000.
St. Andrew sets community day
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church, 5810 Malcomb St., invites everyone to its Community, Family and Friends Day on July 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be free hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, drinks, snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy, games, cake walk, a bouncy house and other activities, according to a news release. The Rev. Richard Hart is the pastor of St. Andrew church.
Historical Society to meet
The Jefferson County Historical Society will meet at 2 p.m. July 13 at the Lakeside United Methodist Church Center at 15th Avenue and Laurel Street.
The speaker for the meeting will be Kathleen Majewska, who will discuss the historic Saenger Theatre. Majewska is the founder of the Pine Bluff Film Festival, and for 14 years, she brought a variety of entertainers here. She was recently hired as the director and consultant of the Saenger Theatre restoration project and is a knowledgeable historian of the old theatre.
Also during the meeting, an election will be held to fill two board member positions. The public is invited to attend, according to a news release.
UCA names scholars
The Norbert O. Schedler Honors College at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway selected students for its honors program.
Local honorees include Rayna Anthony of Redfield, Aubrey Cody of White Hall and William Allen of Prattsville.
The entering Schedler Honors College and Schedler Honors Program classes of 2025 have an average high school grade point average above 4.1.
Preserve Arkansas seeks nominees
Preserve Arkansas is accepting nominations for the 2025 Arkansas Preservation Awards. Winners will be honored in January 2026.
The awards recognize outstanding preservation achievements, people who make a difference in their communities, and projects that inspire others to protect Arkansas’s special historic places, according to a news release.
The public is invited to submit nominations for eligible projects in these categories:
Outstanding Service in Neighborhood Preservation.
Outstanding Work by a Craftsperson.
Excellence in Preservation through Rehabilitation.
Excellence in Preservation through Restoration.
Outstanding Achievement in Adaptive Reuse.
Excellence in Personal Preservation Projects.
Outstanding Achievement in Preservation Advocacy.
Outstanding New Construction in a Historic Setting.
Outstanding Preservation Reporting in the Media.
Ned Shank Award for Outstanding Preservation Publication.
Outstanding Achievement in Preservation Education.
W. L. Cook Award for Excellence in Heritage Preservation.
Parker Westbrook Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Visit PreserveArkansas.org to obtain a nomination form or nominate online, or request a nomination form by calling (501) 372-4757 or emailing info@preservearkansas.org. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 31.
Enhance rice pest skills at training
Sharpen rice disease and insect management skills from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 14 at a training session hosted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, 2890 Highway 130 E. in Stuttgart.
Attendees can register online, and there is no cost to attend. Organizers request that attendees RSVP by July 11 if possible to ensure lunch head count, according to a news release.
Camila Nicolli, extension rice pathologist for the Division of Agriculture, said, that following the welcome, “there will be hands-on training for rice disease identification, followed by interactive case studies focused on effective disease management strategies.”
“We’ll also cover common seed and seedling problems, including how to identify and address them in the field,” she said. “In the afternoon, the focus will shift to insect identification and management, with additional hands-on activities designed to strengthen field diagnostics and pest control approaches.
“We’re at that point in the growing season when rice growers to be at their sharpest when it comes to their insect and disease ID and management skills,” Nicolli said. “Early detection gives growers a chance to prepare their pest battle plan and get the best outcome for their crops.”
The agenda includes:
9:30 a.m. — Rice disease ID — Camila Nicolli, extension plant pathologist for the Division of Agriculture.
10:30 a.m. — Rice disease management — Felipe Dalla Lana da Silva, rice pathologist, Louisiana State University.
11:30 a.m. — Seed treatment — Terry Spurlock, extension plant pathologist for the Division of Agriculture.
Noon — Lunch.
12:30 p.m. — Industry updates from sponsors BASF and Nichino.
1 p.m. — Insect ID — Nick Bateman, extension entomologist for the Division of Agriculture.
2 p.m. — Insect management — Bateman.
Details: www.uaex.uada.edu.