Church sets Soul Food Sunday
Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1801 S. Indiana St., will observe Soul Food Sunday at 10 a.m. Sunday. Sunday School begins at 9 a.m. Members and visitors are encouraged to wear African attire on Soul Food Sunday, according to StuffinTheBluff.com. The Rev. Dennis W. Wilson is the pastor.
Ivy College Tour Group to meet
The Ivy Center for Education’s 2026 College Tour Group will meet from 6-6:30 p.m. Tuesday on Zoom only. Parents, students and chaperones are encouraged to attend, according to a news release. Use Meeting ID: 856 8296 4187 and Passcode: 351061. Details: mattie1908@gmail.com.
Lenten Fish dinners to start
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Knights of Columbus Annual Lenten Fish Fry will be held from 5-7 p.m. Fridays from Feb. 20 through March at St. Joseph Catholic Church, West Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street. People can dine in for the all-you-can-eat dinner or get carry out plates. Dinners for adults are $16 and children $10 each, according to a news release.
Early voting starts Tuesday
The Arkansas Secretary of State’s Office reminds voters that early voting for Preferential Primary Election races and Nonpartisan General Election races will begin on Tuesday, rather than Monday, due to Presidents Day, also known as George Washington’s Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day.
The election is March 3. Voters can find information about early voting and sample ballots by visiting the Arkansas Secretary of State’s website or contacting their local county clerk’s office, according to a news release.
In accordance with state law, state offices and county courthouses will be closed in observance of the state holiday, so early voting locations will open to voters on Tuesday at their regularly scheduled times and will last through March 2.
Purple Martins return to Arkansas
In a sure sign that spring is not far behind, the first Purple Martins of the year have been spotted in Arkansas, according to the Purple Martin Conservation Association.
The birds were seen on Feb. 12 in Austin by a Purple Martin enthusiast – one of many throughout the eastern and central United States who track and report on the birds’ annual migration on behalf of the Purple Martin Conservation Association. The migration of these unique birds can be reported and tracked through a community science project called the Scout-Arrival Study, according to the news release.
“The first Purple Martin arrivals of the season are always an exciting event,” said Joe Siegrist, president of the Purple Martin Conservation Association. “Tracking the migration is not only fun, it also provides us with valuable information that helps inform our research and strengthen our efforts to make sure we’re doing everything possible to sustain the population of these amazing birds.”
North America’s largest species of swallow, Purple Martins winter in the rainforests of Brazil before making up to a 7,000-mile migration north into the eastern United States and Canada.
Internships available with AGFC
Arkansas college students looking to get their feet wet in conservation have the opportunity to work alongside Arkansas Game and Fish Commission experts and get paid for the experience. The AGFC summer internship application window is open until March 15 at www.agfc.com/internships.
The internships, funded by sales of the AGFC’s Conservation License Plates, not only give students the opportunity to build their resumes, but also enable them to see firsthand what their future career may look like, according to a news release.
“You won’t just be spending a summer stuffing envelopes or cutting the grass,” Becky Bloomfield, internship and scholarship program coordinator for the AGFC, said. “Our interns work right alongside the people in the field, and their supervisors send them out with a variety of AGFC staff to give them a well-rounded experience of what working for conservation is all about.”
Internships are available across the state in conservation education, wildlife management, fisheries management, information technology and geographic information systems, conservation research, environmental policy and wildlife law enforcement.
Applicants must include the following in their application packet: a current resume, a copy of your transcript (official transcripts must be sent by the college before the start date of your employment), and a one-page cover letter including your background, goals and how an internship will help you reach those goals.
Visit www.agfc.com/internships for details and a list of openings for 2026.