Judge lifts burn ban
By order of County Judge Gerald Robinson, the burn ban for Jefferson County has been lifted effective immediately, according to a news release.
GOP to host Cotton, Westerman
The Jefferson County Republican Committee will hold the 2025 Top Of The Ticket Dinner at 6 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
Headliners will be U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton along with U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman, with comments from elected officials, candidates and others, according to a news release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“This will be an evening to remember. We are very proud to be bringing this event to the convention center here in Pine Bluff,” said Jefferson County Republican Committee Chairman David Singer.
Tickets are available for $60. Tables of 10 can be reserved for $600 and tables of eight can be reserved for $480, according to the release. For tickets, contact Singer at (908) 883-2032, Mandi Martin, (870) 510-4183 or Susan Over (870) 692-1804.
St. John to give away food
St. John AME Church, 1117 W. Pullen St., will give away food boxes to those in need Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. until all food has been distributed.
State IDs are required to receive one box per family. Pickup will be in front of the church on Cherry Street. For safety reasons, recipients are asked to stay in their vehicles and open their trunks.
The food is provided by the church’s Soul Food for the Mind, Body, and Spirit Feeding Ministry along with community partners, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, according to a news release.
Interested people are asked to support this project by partnering with the Feeding Ministry through volunteerism or financial support. You can mail your financial support to: St. John AME Church’s Feeding Ministry, 1117 W. Pullen St., Pine Bluff, Ark., 71601, or electronically through Givelify St John AME Pine Bluff. You may contact Pearl Matlock at pearl1948@sbcglobal.net to volunteer.
St. John also welcomes everyone to its worship service at 9:45 a.m. each Sunday followed by Church School. The pastor is the Rev. Charlene N. Boone.
Trail of Tears group holds program
“Drops That Filled the River: Blood, Sweat and the Trail of Tears” was officially unveiled during the Arkansas Chapter Trail of Tears Association’s (ARTOTA) Annual Meeting Aug. 16 at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock.
The unveiling commemorates more than one year of coordination on this project between ARTOTA, the National Park Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of Arkansas, cities of Dardanelle, North Little Rock, Little Rock, Pine Bluff and the Sequoyah National Research Center.
Funded in part by the National Park Foundation, the project’s goal is to amplify awareness of and enhance visitor experiences at significant sites along the Water Route, according to Stuff in The Bluff.com.
Jefferson County native Jason Irby was elected president of ARTOTA during the meeting. Recently, he finished the term of the organization’s past president.
Irby revealed that the grant project is based on a poem that he wrote.
“This is my 10th year anniversary with the Trail of Tears Association and I am honored to have ‘Drops That Filled the River’ as a major project,” Irby said. “The collaboration, support, and effort among various individuals, federal, state, county and municipal departments have been incredible. The cooperation among the Arkansas Chapter and the tribes who suffered and endured Indian Removal (1830’s Indian Removal Act) has been a powerful relationship. The Arkansas Chapter of the Trail of Tears is committed to sharing the stories and educational opportunities to preserve the history surrounding this era in U S history.”
“Drops That Filled the River: Blood, Sweat and the Trail of Tears” features custom artwork, wayside exhibits, rack cards and digital content interpreting the Water Route of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail through Arkansas. The route covered a distance of more than 400 miles from Arkansas Post National Memorial to Fort Smith National Historic Site.
A copy of the program that features Irby’s poem is available. Details: Jason Irby at artota1995@gmail.com or Historian and Project Lead Carolyn Kent at carolke5@aol.com.