Editor’s Note: At press time, the following events and meetings were known to be still scheduled. Organizers or appropriate officials are encouraged to contact Sandra Hope at shope@pbcommercial.com or use our newsroom email pbcnews@adgnewsroom.com to make additions or changes.
Tuesday, Jan. 13
Ivy to host UAPB industrial tech chief
The Ivy Center for Education’s Future Engineers will present a Fireside Chat with Charles Colen, Jr., chairman of the Department of Industrial Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ITMAE) at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The chat will be held from 6-7 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Generator, 435 S. Main St., according to a news release. Seventh through 12th grader and parents are encouraged to attend. Those who cannot attend in person may join on Zoom. Use Zoom Meeting ID: 856 8296 4187 and Passcode: 351061. Details: Mattie Collins at mattie1908@gmail.com.
TOPPS to give away food
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
TOPPS, 1000 Townsend Drive, will hold its monthly food distribution at 10 a.m. Jan. 13. This event is on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants should bring proof of ID and address. Only one food box will be provided per household. You must be present to receive a box. Please remain in your vehicle during the distribution, according to a news release. TOPPS (Targeting Our People’s Priorities with Service) Inc., is a nonprofit organization. Annette Howard Dove is thefounder/director of TOPPS.
Elks to host candidate forum
The community is invited to attend a candidate forum at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the William Townsend Elks Lodge, 2315 University Drive. The forum will include county judge candidates, sheriff candidates, and federal senate Democratic Primary candidates, according to a post on Facebook.
WH Chamber luncheon set
White Hall Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly luncheon at noon Jan. 13 at the White Hall Community Center. The featured speaker will be White Hall Mayor Noel Foster. The lunch will be catered by Sylvia’s, according to https://www.facebook.com/WhiteHallChamber/
Wednesday, Jan. 14
Town Hall luncheon set
A Pine Bluff Town Hall Luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Pine Bluff Library, 600 S. Main St. The event is sponsored by United WE, according to a news release. “Join us for an impactful gathering of local leaders and residents in Pine Bluff, Ark., to discuss strengthening women’s workforce participation,” according to a flyer. “United WE is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan think-and-do tank driving systemic change by focusing on women’s labor force participation to strengthen the overall economy,” according to its website. For details and to register for the event, visit https://www.united-we.org/
Church news deadline set
Church news is printed in The Commercial on Fridays. The deadline to submit church announcements is noon Wednesdays. Pastors, ministers or others interested in writing for the Devotional Page may also submit columns for consideration. Column writers should have connections to Southeast Arkansas. Articles are accepted by email to Sandra Hope at shope@adgnewsroom.com. Details: (870) 534-3400, ext. 5.
Through Wednesday, Jan. 14
UAM displays sculpture exhibit
The Journey, a collaborative sculptural and mixed-media exhibition featuring work by artists Cindy Blair, Heather Gill and Tom Richard, professor of art at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, can be viewed in the Glassblock Gallery in the Fred J. Taylor Library and Technology Center at UAM through Jan. 14. The Journey showcases an assemblage sculpture by Blair, Gill and Richard in the downstairs gallery. The upstairs gallery features Blair’s illuminated polymer clay sculptures, which explore the interplay of light, color and form, as well as Gill’s collage works depicting birds of western North America, created during her residency in Arizona, according to a news release. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The gallery’s hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 15
Sports Hall of Fame to name new inductees
The Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee invites the community to the announcement of the second annual Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame Class honoring 30 new inductees. The event will be held at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 15 at the Pine Bluff Main Library, 600 S. Main St., according to a news release. Visitors will get an exclusive sneak peek to the newest additions to the Bill Carr Museum/Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame: Bill Carr track shoes, Don Hutson football cleats, and the 1939 Pine Bluff High School National Football Championship trophy. Attendees are asked to arrive early.
Ballot measures coalitions to visit PB
The Protect AR Rights and For AR Kids coalitions will kick off the Arkansas Ballot Measures Town Hall Tour in Pine Bluff at 6 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Pine Bluff Library, 600 S. Main St., in the community room. Arkansas Public Policy Panel and Citizens First Congress are joining Protect AR Rights and For AR Kids coalition partners to share insight and answer questions about the two ballot measure campaigns the coalitions are supporting, according to a news release.
Christian Women plan luncheon
The Christian Women’s Connection will conduct its monthly luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Pine Bluff Country Club. The speaker will be Lynae Jacobs, a retired educator from Amarillo, Texas, who will discuss “Tool Box for a Broken Soul.” Also featured will be Melody Grace of Amarillo, a Christian gospel singer, according to a news release. The luncheon is $20 and everyone is invited to attend. All participants are asked to honor their reservations. For reservations and/or cancellations, contact Jennifer Keahey at (870) 540-9302.
Through Thursday, Jan. 15
KingFest parade applications open
Applications are open for the 42nd PBICVR Original KingFest MLK Marade/Parade, which honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 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. The marade/parade will take place at 2 p.m. Jan. 19. The lineup begins at 1 p.m. at Third Avenue and Walnut Street. Details: (870) 730-1131.
Sunday, Jan. 18
Historical Society to meet
The Jefferson County Historical Society will meet at 2 p.m. Jan. 18 at Lakeside United Methodist Church, 1500 S. Olive St., in the center. Entrance to the center is through the Laurel Street door on the west side of the church, according to a news release. The speaker will be Joe Dempsey, the new editor and publisher of the Jefferson County Historical Quarterly. Dempsey is also owner of Joe Dempsey Communications Co. The public is invited the meeting.
Monday, Jan. 19
KingFest marade/parade set
The 42nd PBICVR Original KingFest MLK Marade/Parade, which honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 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. Applications are open for the marade/parade 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. Details: (870) 730-1131.
Thursday, Jan. 22
Chambers hosts annual dinner
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner will be held Jan. 22 at the Pine Bluff Country Club. Cocktails will be served at 6 p.m. and dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. This year’s featured speaker is Bill Jones, CEO of Sissy’s Log Cabin and a member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, according to the Chamber newsletter. Tickets to the dinner are $60 for members and $65 for non-members. Table sponsorships are $600 for eight people. For tickets or sponsorship information, email jennifer@jeffersoncountyalliance.com or call Jennifer Kline, Chamber director, at (870) 535-0110.
Through Thursday, Jan. 22
ASC features 2026 Small Works
The Arkansas Arts Council’s annual touring visual arts exhibition, Small Works on Paper, is on view at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., until Jan. 22. The exhibition will then travel to nine other venues across Arkansas throughout the year. Participating artists in the 2026 exhibition include Shawn Penister of Pine Bluff, according to a news release. Details: Matthew Howard, Arts & Science Center visitor and gallery specialist, at mhoward@artx3.org or (870) 536-3375.
Sunday, Jan. 25
NCC sets Kingdom Builders service
New Community Church, 321 N. Birch St., will host its Kingdom Builders program at 6 p.m. Jan. 25. The featured speaker will be the church’s first lady, Janice Lockett, a missionary. New Community also has prayer at noon Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, as well as regular service at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sundays. The community is invited to attend. The pastor/apostle is Patrick Lockett.
Friday, Feb. 13
Alphas set Scholarship Fundraiser
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. will present the 2026 Valentine’s Scholarship Fundraiser Feb. 13 at 7:06 p.m. at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. The gala is being presented by the Delta Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha in conjunction with the Southeast Arkansas Jewel Foundation. The theme is “All Black Affair with a Touch of Gold.” General admission is $50 per person. Scholarship sponsorship opportunities are also available, according to Stuff in The Bluff.com. Checks or money orders should be mailed no later than Feb. 6 to: Southeast Arkansas Jewel Foundation, Post Office Box 3159, Pine Bluff, AR 71611. Checks should be made to the foundation, which is a 501(c)3 organization. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information about the fundraiser, contact Arzo Knox at (501) 351-7336 or arzo.knox@hotmail.com.
Sunday, Feb. 15
Bobby Rush to perform in concert
Port City Blues Society will host a special concert appearance by three-time Grammy Award winner, Bobby Rush, and his band. This special edition of the Midtown Blues concert series will be held Feb. 15 at RJ’s Grill & Bar, at 128 S. Main St. Rush will perform in two shows. The doors will open for the first show at 5 p.m. and the second show at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $25. Tickets are being sold in advance. Call (870) 510-1910 to purchase tickets. The Port City Blues Players will open the shows followed by Rush and his band. After each show, Rush will greet and visit with concert goers, according to a news release.
Saturday, Feb. 28
Hospital foundation sets gala
Jefferson Regional Foundation will present the Winter Wonderland Ball 2026 on Feb. 28 at the White Hall Community Center. There will be live entertainment, according to a flier. Tickets are $250. For tickets and sponsorship information, contact Laura Beth Shaner at (870) 541-7210.