Civic commission to meet
The Civic Auditorium Complex Commission meeting will be held at noon Aug. 26. For those who want to attend by conference call, the number is (978) 990-5002 with access code 7020010.
Education panel to meet
The House and Senate Education committees will be meeting jointly at 10 a.m. Sept. 3 at the Pine Bluff Public Library, 600 S. Main St. The meeting agenda and exhibits will be posted to the website closer to the meeting date, according to a news release. Details: https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
ASC to host Art League exhibition
The ARTx3 Campus will host an opening reception for the “2025 Pine Bluff Art League Annual Exhibition” from 5-7 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St. (The event location was changed.)
Monica “Mokasso” McGee is this year’s juror. Pieces from the exhibition will be available for purchase. The exhibition will be on view in the William H. Kennedy Jr. Gallery through Nov. 22. The exhibition is sponsored by Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Co. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
Gallery admission is always free, according to a new release.
For more information, contact Shakeelah Rahmaan, interim curator and programs director, at srahmaan@artx3.org or call (870) 536-3375 or visit artx3.org/exhibitions/2025-pine-bluff-art-league-exhibition
Divine Dancers offer scholarship
Divine Dancers of the Delta is offering a $500 scholarship. Applicants must be currently enrolled, full-time students at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a grade point average of at least 2.5. The application deadline is Sept. 8. The scholarship will be awarded to one student Sept. 29, according to a news release.
This scholarship reflects Beverly Blunt’s passion for helping students succeed and her commitment to supporting their academic goals through financial assistance.
A Pine Bluff native, Blunt is a UAPB graduate and founder of Divine Dancers of the Delta, a nonprofit organization.
“She created 3-D as a beginner-friendly line dance class with the inspiring motto: ‘Reaching Hearts and Souls, through Hearts and Soles.’ Her mission focuses on promoting wellness, connection, and awareness through movement and community,” according to the release.
For an application or details, send an email to divinedancersofthedelta@gmail.com.
UAM-CTM seeks nursing students
The Allied Health department at the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-McGehee is accepting applications to its practical nursing program for 2026.
Applications, due on Oct. 6, are available to students who meet the minimum requirements for entry into the program. The program is 12 months, with a new cohort of students starting every January and graduating in December. The program accepts 20 students each year, according to a news release.
The program has been recognized as the number one practical nursing program in Arkansas since 2021 by PracticalNursing.org, the nation’s leading licensed practical nursing advancement and ranking agency. For two consecutive years, all program graduates have achieved a 100% NCLEX pass rate on the first attempt, and recent graduates have also secured a 100% job placement rate.
Details: Paisley Owyoung, director of Allied Health at UAM-CTM, at owyoungp@uamont.edu or (870) 460-2124.
Ivy Center plans ACT seminar
The Ivy Center for Education will host two free virtual ACT boot camps for students in seventh through 12th grades.
On Aug. 28 from 6-8 p.m., students will review English and reading. On Sept. 4 from 6-8 p.m. students will review math and science. The boot camp’s Zoom ID is 856 8296 4187 and passcode is 351061.
The workshop presentations will be led by Charity Smith-Allen, principal associate for education at Fetterman & Associates, according to a news release.
The ACT test will be administered Sept. 6. Students should check with their guidance counselors for testing times and locations.
Students studying for the ACT can receive additional training and support to help them score well on the test by joining ACT preparation workshops and boot camps offered by the Ivy Center. The camps are supported by a grant from the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation.
The Ivy Center has been offering ACT prep workshops since 2012 and has seen great success in scheduling face-to-face and virtual workshops.
“Good ACT scores means a better chance of getting great scholarships for college! Scholars from across the state, who have a desire to improve their ACT Scores, are encouraged to attend,” Mattie Collins, Ivy Center president, said.
Interested students may sign up to receive workshop documents by Aug. 27 by sending an email to Mattie Collins at mattie1908@gmail.com.