May to lead Kingfest parade
J. Thomas “Tommy” May, the Simmons First Foundation chairman and CEO, will be the grand marshal for the 42nd annual Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Original KingFest MLK Marade/Parade. This event honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through community service and interracial cooperation.
The Marade/parade will begin at 2 p.m. Jan. 19 (the King holiday) in downtown Pine Bluff. The line up begins at 1 p.m. at Third Avenue and Walnut Street, according to StuffinTheBluff.com.
May, retired chairman and chief executive officer of Simmons First National Corp., serves on the University of Arkansas Campaign Arkansas Steering Committee, University of Arkansas Walton College of Business Dean’s Executive Advisory Board, Arkansas Research Alliance Board and the Arkansas Executive Forum. May previously served as chairman of the Arkansas Bankers Association and served on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees for 10 years, including as chairman of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustee from 2002-2003, according to a biography from ALS.org.
May’s honors include the James E. Harris Nonprofit Leadership Award, Sidney M. Brooks Fellow Award, Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch Children’s Award, Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Chancellor’s Award, University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business Lifetime Achievement Award and the University of Arkansas Chancellor’s Medal.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The theme for the KingFest Celebration is “Remembering Their Names Matters.” Families of homicide victims are encouraged to participate in the parade, according to the Rev. Jesse Turner, executive director of PBICVR.
Awards will be given for the best banner that aligns with the theme, and the Lorenzo Smith Trophies will be awarded to the best band during the Battle of the Bands. This will take place at the north steps of the Pine Bluff Civic Center Complex.
There is no charge to participate in the PBICVR KingFest Marade/Parade.
Area groups are invited to participate. Marade/parade applications can be picked up now through Thursday at the PBICVR office located in the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave., Suite 109, or requested via email at pbicvr@aol.com.
Details: (870) 730-1131.
Chamber sets luncheon
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly luncheon Feb. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Business Support Incubator, 615 S. Main St. The speaker will be Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, according to the Chamber’s newsletter.
Lunch is $15 per person and will be catered by Bullsden Grill & BBQ.
Lunch must be paid for in advance by contacting the Chamber at (870) 535-0110.
Women to Watch names artists
Artists K. Nelson Harper, of Fort Smith, Acadia Kandora, of Fayetteville, and Rebecca Resinski, of Conway, were selected for the Arkansas Women to Watch 2026: Words Become Matter exhibition.
The tour of the exhibit will include Pine Bluff. The exhibit will be open July 9 through Aug. 15 at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, according to a news release. For a list of other locations, visit nmwa.org.
The display is the latest in the Women to Watch exhibition series organized by the Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts for the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
ARTISTS
K. Nelson Harper specializes in combining traditional letterpress technology with new digital techniques, often adding humor. Under the name Ars Brevis Press, she has produced many artists’ books and broadsides. She is an Emeritus Professor of Graphics at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
Acadia Kandora is a print maker who favors zines to explore the natural landscape and her relationship to it, as well as the intersection between the imaginary and the concrete. She teaches at the University of Arkansas, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree.
Mail artist Rebecca Resinski is a classics professor at Hendrix College in Conway. She publishes her intricate and delicate chapbooks and pamphlets under her imprint Cuckoo Gray. She also is a co-founder of Heron Tree, an online poetry journal.
Accelerator to help businesses
After a successful 2025 program year helping more than 500 businesses navigate government contracting, Arkansas APEX Accelerator program director Melanie Berman said the organization “looks forward to building momentum in 2026.”
The accelerator will offer two information sessions in January. Both are free to attend, but registration is required.
The first session will focus on business cybersecurity fundamentals, designed specifically for small and mid-sized businesses. The event will be held Jan. 14 from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Monticello Economic Development Commission. Register on the APEX Accelerator events calendar.
The second session will be an introduction to government contracting, hosted by the city of Little Rock Jan. 29 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center.
To register for this event, contact Kiana Ward at kjward@littlerock.gov, call (501) 553-6909 or register online.
The accelerator is part of the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
APEX Accelerator is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense.