Chamber: Fish fry orders due
The 73rd Annual Farmers Appreciation Fish Fry will be held Oct. 23 from 5-7 p.m. at Hestand Stadium. The deadline for ticket orders is 5 p.m. Friday, according the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are $20 for Chamber members and $25 for non-members. The fish fry will feature King Kat catfish and chicken plates with all the trimmings. To purchase tickets, call the Chamber at (870) 535-0110 or email vera@jeffersoncountyalliance.com.
Housing board to meet
The board of commissioners of the Housing Authority of the city of Pine Bluff will meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at Leon’s Catfish and Shrimp, #18 in Chapel Village, 3801 Camden Road, according to a news release. Details: (870) 541-0706.
Locals among UALR honor students
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is welcoming 25 new students to the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program for the 2025-26 academic year and two are from Jefferson County.
Honorees and majors include:
Nathan Alam of White Hall, biology.
Justin Nicholson of Pine Bluff, electrical and computer engineering.
The new cohort of Donaghey Scholars represent the best and brightest students at UA Little Rock, according to a news release. Members receive a financial package that covers full tuition and fees, a stipend, financial assistance for a study abroad program, a housing subsidy and a new laptop. The program features an interdisciplinary core curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, writing, discussion and project-based learning that engages with the city of Little Rock.
Dumas hospital earns Governor’s award
The Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence honored 12 organizations at the 31st Annual Governor’s Quality Award Celebration, held at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. Among the Challenge Awards recipients was Delta Memorial Hospital of Dumas.
The awards, presented by Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge, celebrate organizations across industries that are raising the bar for quality and performance excellence in the state, according to a news release from the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.
UAMS sets Dumas town hall
The public is invited to a community town hall meeting on cancer prevention and screening at noon Oct. 22 at DePaul Community Health Center in Dumas. The free event is hosted by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Community Outreach and Engagement team. The session will offer area residents information on current cancer screening guidelines and available screening options as well as foster dialogue about barriers residents may face in getting screened. Attendees will also learn about statewide cancer patient navigation services, cancer research initiatives and clinical trials available through UAMS. Lunch will be provided for the first 25 attendees. No pre-registration is required, according to a news release.
“Our mission is to meet people where they are, listen to their experiences and provide them with resources that can truly make a difference in their health,” said Dan Dixon, Ph.D., associate director of Community Outreach and Engagement for the Cancer Institute. “Events like this town hall allow us to partner directly with communities to improve cancer prevention, early detection and access to care across Arkansas.”
Sheep, goat workshops set
The Arkansas Extension Small Ruminant team, led by extension specialist Dan Quadros, is filling gaps in the sheep and goat supply chain in Arkansas with two October workshops covering cooking techniques and proper meat processing methods. The speaker for both events will be Anderson Rocha, an internationally renowned animal scientist and chef with 25 years of experience, according to a news release from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. A Sheep and Goat Carcass Fabrication Workshop will be held Oct. 22-23 at the Arkansas State University Meat Lab in Jonesboro.
A Sheep and Goat Culinary Course, aimed at chefs, culinary students and educators, will be held Oct. 28-29 at the Arkansas Food Innovation Center at the Market Center of the Ozarks in Springdale. “Arkansas sheep and goat producers face many challenges, and we are hoping these workshops will tackle two of the biggest: lack of markets and supply chain issues,” Quadros said. “We are very fortunate to have Anderson Rocha lead these workshops and unveil his new cookbook, featuring lamb and goat recipes.”
One major hurdle Arkansas sheep and goat producers face is that the meats are just not very popular in the state. However, by encouraging Arkansas chefs to include lamb and goat meat in their dishes, Quadros hopes to expand the market for and consumption of lamb and goat in Arkansas. Find registration fees, forms and more information on the Arkansas Extension Small Ruminants blog: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/animals-forages/sheep-goats/small-ruminants-blog/posts/carcass-fabrication-workshop.aspx. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.