City hall to host blood drive
The Pine Bluff Boots & Badges Blood Drive will be held at Pine Bluff City Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday. “Look for the bloodmobile,” according to the flier.
Donors will receive a Boots & Badges T-shirt while supplies last. Details: Our Blood Institute, 877-340-8777 or obi.org.
Third Ward meeting set
The Third Ward Community Watch will meet at 6 p.m. July 15 at Destiny Worship Center, 4700 W. 28th Ave. Area residents are asked to come out and be a part of this group. Evelyn Bass is the president, according to a news release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Career fair set in White Hall
The Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County will host a Manufacturing Made Easy Career Fair.
The career fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 24 at the White Hall Community Center, 9801 Dollarway Road.
Admission is free for job seekers. Participating companies include Arkansas Mill Supply, Central Moloney Inc., Suzano and The Strong Co. Inc., according to a flier.
Organizers are still accepting registrations from companies. Details: Felicia Wall, (870) 535-0110 or www.jeffersoncountyalliance.com.
Taste of PB, business pitch event set
The 1899 Project will present the Taste of Pine Bluff and $10,000 Pitch Competition from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 6 at the ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St.
“Get ready for an unforgettable night of flavor, innovation and community unity,” according to a news release on Stuff in The Bluff.com.
Highlights include:
Unlimited Signature Bites – Sample dishes from Pine Bluff’s food vendors;
$10,000 Pitch Competition – Watch Pine Bluff entrepreneurs pitch for a chance to win funding;
Networking Opportunities – Connect with friends, fellow entrepreneurs and community leaders;
mMusic – Entertainment, food, fellowship.
“Let’s Reimagine, Rebuild and Reinvent Pine Bluff–together,” a spokesman said.
Taste of Pine Bluff and $10K Pitch Competition is free and open to the general public. To attend, see details on Eventbrite.
Sponsors include U.S. Bank, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and the Pine Bluff Black Chamber of Commerce.
Spend FEMA funds as intended
As eligible residents affected by the March and April storms begin receiving funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the agency reminds people that funds should be used as stated in their award letter and only for disaster-related expenses.
The FEMA decision letter will spell out the proper use of the funds. Also, residents should be assured that federal disaster assistance funds are tax free, according to a news release.
The major presidential disaster declaration unlocked funding for Greene, Hot Spring, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp and Stone counties for the March 14-15 storms and tornadoes. A separate declaration was approved for the April 2-22 storms, tornadoes and flooding in Clark, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Desha, Fulton, Greene, Hot Spring, Jackson, Miller, Ouachita, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, Saline, Sharp and White counties.
There is still time to apply for federal disaster assistance. Go to DisasterAssistance.gov; download the FEMA App for mobile devices; or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The deadline to apply for aid from the March storms is July 14. The last day to apply for the April storms is July 22. Details: fema.gov/disaster/4865 or fema.gov/disaster/4873.
Water webinar to highlight methods
Water markets are transforming how Western states manage one of their most vital — and limited — resources, and a webinar will examine the legal and policy framework behind these systems.
The webinar, “Western Water Markets: Overview of Legal and Policy Considerations,” will be held July 16 at 11 a.m. Registration is available free at the National Agricultural Law Center’s website: nationalaglawcenter.org/webinars/western-water-markets.
The presenters will be Brett Bovee, intermountain regional director at WestWater Research, an economic firm offering solutions for water supply and market challenges, and Brian Hamilton, water rights attorney at California-based Downey Brand LLP.
Water markets allow water rights to be bought, sold or leased, giving farmers, cities and other users flexibility to respond to drought, population growth and shifting demand. These systems serve as a tool to manage scarce water supply while preserving water rights.
The webinar is the latest installment in the NALC’s “Western Water” Webinar Series, which highlights pressing water law issues in the Western United States.
Hamilton said that for water markets to succeed, they must be built on a foundation of clear legal rules.
“Sound legal frameworks — especially through adjudications — are critical to creating the transparency and certainty needed for water markets to function effectively,” Hamilton said. “When structured well, these markets can be an effective tool for balancing sustainability, efficiency, and equity in water use.”
NALC Director Harrison Pittman said the “Western Water” Webinar Series plays an important role in sharing legal insight on water law across the country.
Recordings of previous installments in the “Western Water” Webinar Series are available on the NALC’s webinar archive online.
Created by Congress in 1987, the National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.