Banquet to support Sickle Cell group
The Mutual Sickle Cell Support Group Inc. will host the 2025 Sickle Cell Anemia Banquet at 6 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Guaranteed Rates Building, 2402 E. Harding Ave.
The theme is “The Fight Continues with Us.” Tickets are $25 each and proceeds will support the group’s initiatives, according to a news release.
During the event, Classie Green, a retired nurse and community leader, will be honored for her contributions.
From 1968 to 1978, Green was chair of the Drew County Sickle Cell Anemia Chapter in Monticello and served on the Arkansas State Board of Sickle Cell Anemia under the leadership of Dr. Roosevelt Brown, founder of the Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation of Arkansas.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Green also served as a delegate to the National Sickle Cell Convention.
Green became personally invested in the advocacy for sickle cell anemia because, as a nurse, she witnessed how it affected African Americans and the pain families battling sickle cell had to endure.
“If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living will not be in vain,” she said.
Mutual Sickle Cell Support Group Inc. is a nonprofit, community-based organization dedicated to serving sickle cell patients and their families in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County and surrounding regions.
Its goal is to enhance the quality of life for individuals with sickle cell disease and to educate people about this condition.
The organization was established in collaboration with the Jefferson Regional “Sickle Cell Care Pathway” project, initiated by Dr. Simmie Armstrong Jr.
Sickle cell disease affects approximately 80,000 Americans, with a significant impact on people of Black descent.
“We actively participate in workshops and health fairs, invite specialists to speak at our monthly meetings, and provide resources to community, civic, and private groups upon request,” according to the release.
To purchase tickets to the banquet or make a donation, contact Barbara Marbley at (870) 209-7514 or Rosie Sanders at (870) 643-0712.
Quorum Court plans community chat
The public is invited to attend a Jefferson County Quorum Court Community Chat at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Business Support Incubator, 615 S. Main St.
Kim Jones Sneed, founder and publisher of Stuff In The Bluff, will be the moderator.
Hosted by members of the Quorum Court, this event is being held for public information purposes, according to the website.
Simmons announces dividend
Simmons First National Corp. announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on Simmons’ Class A common stock of $0.2125 per share, which is payable on Oct. 1 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 15.
The cash dividend rate represents an increase of 1% from the dividend paid for the same time period last year, according to a news release.
The indicated annualized cash dividend rate of $0.85 for 2025 represents a 10-year compound annual growth rate of 6% and marks the 116th consecutive year that Simmons has paid cash dividends.
Area Agency tells menu
Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas offers lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays at the senior centers. Next week’s menu includes:
Sept. 8 — Tuna salad on wheat bread or crackers, slaw, fresh orange and milk.
Sept. 9 — Open face roast beef with gravy on wheat bread, mashed potatoes, green beans, fruit and milk.
Sept. 10 — Smothered pork chop, diced potatoes, Brussels sprouts, bread, pineapples and milk.
Sept. 11 — BBQ on a bun, baked beans, potato salad, fruit and milk.
Sept. 12 — Marinated chicken breast, pea and cheese salad, marinated tomato and cucumber, pie and milk.
TOPPS to give away food
TOPPS (Targeting Our People’s Priorities with Service), 1000 Townsend Drive, will hold its monthly food giveaway Sept. 9 starting at 10 a.m.
This event will operate on a first-come, first-served basis using a drive-through method.
Each household is limited to one box and proof of address is required to receive the box.
Participants must be present to collect the food, according to a news release.
Sponsors for this event include Super 1 Foods (Dollarway Road), Dollar General Store (University Drive), Canaan Christian Center, Calvary Baptist Church (Little Rock), MP3 Project and private donors.
Future Engineers to meet
The Ivy Center for Education will present a Future Engineers Workshop from 6-7 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Generator, 435 S. Main St. Students in seventh-12th grade interested in the field of engineering are encouraged to attend.
The session is in partnership with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Industrial Technology, Management and Applied Engineering and the UAPB STEM Academy, according to a news release.
“Engineers use their knowledge, skills, and creativity to design, build, and maintain systems, structures, and technologies that improve our quality of life,” according to the release.
“From providing clean water and electricity to developing life-saving medical devices, engineering makes a tangible impact on the world around us.”
Parents are also encouraged to join the workshop. Charles R. Colen Jr. is the chairman of the ITMAE Department and principal investigator for the STEM Academy. Snacks will be available.
Participants who cannot attend in person may join on Zoom using meeting ID: 856 8296 4187 and passcode: 351061.
Details: Mattie Collins at mattie1908@gmail.com or Charles Colen at colenc@uapb.edu.