Local on Wichita’s Dean’s List
Paul D. Peacock of Pine Bluff was named to the Dean’s Honor Roll for spring 2025 at Wichita State University of Wichita, Kan. Peacock was among 3,710 honorees. To be included on the Dean’s Honor Roll, a student must be enrolled full time (at least 12 credit hours) and earn at least a 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale, according to a news release.
Top teacher finalists named
The Arkansas Department of Education announced the educators named 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year Top 15 Finalists, including southeast Arkansas residents. These educators will be recognized July 28 at an event at the governor’s mansion, according to a news release. Finalists will receive a certificate and a $1,000 prize provided by the Walton Family Foundation.
Southeast Arkansas finalists:
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Tarji Russell-Chaffin: Biomedical Science – Grades 9-12; Dumas High School; Dumas School District
Kevin Sherman: Instrumental Music – Grades 7-12; Stuttgart High School; Stuttgart School District
Other finalists:
Alana Ashworth: Prairie Grove School District
Brad Beatty: Russellville School District
Chenel Dale: Fayetteville School District
Heidi Faught-Strong: Hot Springs School District
Susan Ford: Cabot School District
Gretchen Freyaldenhoven: Greenbrier School District
Victoria Golden: Little Rock School District
Danny Hobson: Alma School District
Kaitlin Smith: Conway School District
Misty Smith: Arkadelphia School District
Jessie Walls: Springdale School District
Elaina Weaver: Bryant School District
Stephanie Williams: Benton School District
Details: visit dese.link/ATOY.
Small business webinars set
The Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs, which funds the Arkansas APEX Accelerator program, will host a summer webinar series about DoD programs designed to help small businesses navigate government contracting, with the first webinar on July 14.
Melanie Berman, program director of the Arkansas APEX Accelerator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said attending these webinars is a great way for businesses to learn about the programs the DoD oversees.
“Each webinar will help small business owners, acquisition professionals and other stakeholders engaged in government contracting deepen their understanding of essential DoD programs and initiatives,” Berman said. “These programs are designed to support business growth, and we encourage Arkansas small business owners to take advantage of these opportunities.”
The scheduled webinars include:
Department of Defense Mentor-Protégé Program: July 14 at 10 a.m. Register at ly/mppjuly14
APEX Accelerators: July 31 at 10 a.m. Register at ly/apexjuly31
Project Spectrum: Aug. 18 at 10:30 a.m. Register at ly/psaug18
Registration is required for each webinar.
For more details and to view the full series, visit business.defense.gov/Resources/Training-Materials/.
The first webinar will focus on the Mentor-Protégé Program, or MPP, which Berman said is one of the Department of Defense’s “oldest continually operating mentor-protégé programs.”
“Originally established in the midst of the first Gulf War, the MPP helps eligible small businesses expand their footprint in the defense industrial base,” she said. “Under the MPP, small businesses are partnered with larger companies. In the past five years, the MPP has successfully helped more than 190 small businesses fill unique niches and become part of the military’s supply chain.
“Many mentors have made the MPP an integral part of their sourcing plans,” Berman said. “Protégés have used their involvement in MPP to develop technical capabilities. Successful mentor-protégé agreements provide a winning relationship for the protégé, the mentor and the DoD.”
For more information about the Mentor-Protégé program, visit business.defense.gov/Programs/Mentor-Protege-Program/.