City cleanup set Saturday
The Pine Bluff Police Department is hosting a city cleanup beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday. Volunteers are asked to join PBPD personnel at the Family Church, 2309 S. Poplar St., for a short briefing before the cleanup begins.
“If you volunteer, please bring trash bags, weed trimmers, rakes, etc.,” said John Worthen, PBPD’s public information coordinator. “We could really use your help.”
Volunteers will have access to free water and snacks throughout the event, which ends at 11:30 a.m., according to the news release.
The cleanup zone stretches from Poplar Street to South Olive Street, running between 17th and 24th avenues.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
It’s part of an ongoing initiative to make the city a safer, cleaner place to live, according to Interim Pine Bluff Police Chief Shirley Warrior.
Previously, officers have canvased this area, knocking on doors and taking note of residents’ concerns as part of the Group Violence Intervention’s G40 Initiative.
“The goal is to take our streets back 40 blocks at a time from gun violence,” said GVI Director Kevin Crumpton. “We want to feel safe. This is our neighborhood and we are taking it back!”
Crumpton added that the event is about changing culture and celebrating good things instead of crime, violence, hatred of the police and refusal to accept personal responsibility.
Residents of this and other areas of the city are urged to follow these suggestions to help keep their neighborhoods safe:
Invite the PBPD and other agencies into the community.
Ask patrol units to be seen with blue lights on in the neighborhoods.
Report suspicious activities.
Report gun shots as they are heard, not days later.
Report street light outages.
Keep yards maintained and adopt abandoned houses on each block.
“Most important of all: If you see something, say something,” Worthen said. “Don’t be quiet any longer. Let the PBPD know so we can take care of it and stop criminal activity.”
Police to present new officers
Twelve new Pine Bluff police officers and four recruits who are in the final stages of their training will be presented to the Pine Bluff City Council at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 4.
This is the largest recruitment class the department has ever seen, according to PBPD Training Lt. David DeFoor.
“This is unprecedented,” DeFoor said in a news release. “The most I ever had before was 12.”
Avery Plummer, one of the recruits who still has some training left before he hits the streets, said he joined the department to make a difference in his hometown.
“I just want to make the city a better place and make my family proud,” Plummer said.
The new recruits come at a time when department numbers have been low.
As of early July, there were 53 officers in the Uniform Patrol Division. When all of the recruits are given the green light to patrol, that number will rise to the mid-60s.
“Anytime we can get more officers on the streets, it’s a good thing,” said PBPD Public Information Specialist John Worthen. “The department has been working hard on recruiting, and it’s paying off.”
Pine Bluff Interim Police Chief Shirley Warrior has repeatedly said that one of her top goals is to bolster the ranks.
Having more well-trained men and women enforcing the law on the city’s streets will make everyone safer, she said.
The public is invited to attend the city council meeting to meet the new officers.
Extension offers tax class
Significant changes in tax laws may affect the tax planning strategies for the coming income tax season.
To help professional tax preparers get ready for tax season, the Cooperative Extension Service will offer four in-person income tax schools — and a virtual option — through its Community, Professional and Economic Development unit.
While the schools are designed for tax professionals, anyone interested in advanced income tax preparation can register, according to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“We’ll have a packed agenda this year for sure, given the extensive changes in tax law,” Tax School Director Kim Magee said. “Attendees will leave with knowledge they need for strategic tax planning.”
Income Tax School attendees will learn about developments affecting individual taxpayers, small businesses, and agriculture and rural investments. Instructors will provide IRS updates and review rulings and cases. Other topics include various specialized trusts; Schedule E; ethics; S corporation formation; related-party issues; and real estate rental activity issues.
In-person training will be offered:
Fayetteville — Nov. 13-14, Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1371 Altheimer Drive
Hope — Nov. 18-19, University of Arkansas-Hope, Hempstead Hall, 2500 S. Main St.
Jonesboro — Nov. 20-21, Arkansas State University, Delta Center for Economic Development, 319 University Loop
Little Rock — Nov. 24-25, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, 2301 S. University Ave.
Virtual sessions will be offered:
Via Zoom — Dec. 4-5 , Books will be mailed; Zoom link emailed.
Registration begins at 8 a.m., and classes run 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on the first day of class and 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. on the second day. A certificate of completion will be emailed to participants.
The cost is $270 before Aug. 22, or $320 after the priority registration deadline. Those interested can register at https://uada.formstack.com/forms/tax.
The Income Tax School is approved by the IRS as a continuing education provider. Participants can earn 16 hours of continuing professional education credit, including two hours of ethics.
Details: Kim Magee at (501) 671-2081 or kmagee@uada.edu, or visit https://uaex.uada.edu/taxschool.