Election chair calls meeting
Mike Adam, chairman of the Jefferson County Election Commission, called a meeting of the election board for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Election Commission Office, 123 S. Main St., according to a news release.
The agenda includes relocation of a poll site from Tucker Volunteer Fire Station and new business: approve the budget request for 2026, and approve ballot proofs for the March 3, 2026, Preferential Primary Election, Nonpartisan General Election, annual Pine Bluff School Election, annual Watson Chapel School Election and the annual White Hall School Election. Public comments on new business items will be two minutes per speaker.
KingFest marade/parade set
Applications are open for the 42nd PBICVR Original KingFest MLK Marade/Parade, which honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through community service and interracial cooperation.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The marade/parade will take place at 2 p.m. Jan. 19 in downtown Pine Bluff. The lineup begins at 1 p.m. at Third Avenue and Walnut Street. Participants will go east on Third Avenue to the overpass, south on Convention Center drive to the north steps of the Civic Center complex, according to a news release.
The event’s theme is “Remembering Their Names Matters.” Families of homicide victims over the years are encouraged to participate in the marade/parade as special guests, according to a news release.
The community is also asked to create a poster that shows how people in Pine Bluff can come together through peace, respect, and nonviolence. The design should communicate unity, hope and positive change without using violence or aggression.
The KingFest Poster Contest Theme is “Uniting Our City the Nonviolent Way.”
The poster may include:
People from different backgrounds, ages and neighborhoods standing or working together;
Symbols of peace such as doves, hearts, lights, hands or pathways coming together;
Images of your city or community landmarks to show local pride;
Colors and designs that represent harmony, strength and togetherness.
The artwork should:
Clearly reflect the theme;
Show peaceful solutions, cooperation and understanding;
Be original, creative and meaningful;
Avoid images of violence, weapons or harmful actions.
Awards will be given for the best banner/poster that aligns with the theme, and the Lorenzo Smith Trophies will be awarded to the best band during the Battle of the Band.
The organizers invite churches, church vans, clergy members, social clubs, civic organizations, youth, neighborhood groups, sororities, fraternities, schools in Pine Bluff and Southeast Arkansas, daycare centers, businesses, and elected officials to participate in the marade/parade.
Applications can be picked up until Jan. 15 at the PBICVR office in the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave., Suite 109, or requested via email at pbicvr@aol.com. There is no charge to participate in the PBICVR KingFest marade. Details: (870) 730-1131.
Growing groceries event set
The Cooperative Extension Service’s online Grow Your Own Groceries Series has been so popular that organizers will host the first in-person Grow Your Own Groceries Conference in 2026.
Like the monthly webinars, the conference will provide expertise on growing and preparing food.
The conference will be Feb. 10 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Conway Expo and Events Center in Conway. Online registration is open until Jan. 31. The cost is $75 and includes access to sessions and demonstrations on various topics with lunch included.
“We’re excited to take the virtual Grow Your Own Groceries program to the next level with this in-person conference,” Faulkner County extension agent Krista Quinn said in a news release from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“We’ve been planning the conference for a little over a year now, and we’re delighted to offer presentations from some of Arkansas’ most knowledgeable experts on a variety of gardening and food preparation topics that have been suggested by our virtual viewers. It will be a great opportunity to share information and experiences with each other and help us all to be more successful producing our own food.”
The Grow Your Own series started in 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic as a way for extension experts to share research-based information with home gardeners on how to grow and prepare fresh produce. Quinn and Faulkner County Family and Consumer Science Agent Mary Beth Groce originally planned to host four sessions that year, but viewers wanted more.
In the five years since, they’ve hosted 77 presentations that have reached more than 28,000 people in 57 Arkansas counties, 31 states and seven countries. More than 30 extension staff have presented during the series.
Former Arkansas Master Gardener program coordinator and gardening guru Janet Carson and Randy Forst, the current Master Gardener program coordinator, will give a luncheon keynote presentation titled “Pick and Plant,” inspired by the classic humor and charm of the long-running radio show, “Car Talk” with Click and Clack.
Carson and Forst will “diagnose” garden woes, swap stories from the soil, and share expert tips for getting the most out of your backyard bounty. They’ll share some of their favorite crops to plant, care for and eat.
The conference will also feature educational exhibits where attendees can talk with experts. For details or to register, visit https://uada.formstack.com/forms/grow_groceries.
To find upcoming webinars in the Grow Your Own Groceries series program, visit https://uaex.uada.edu/grow-groceries.