NAACP sets meeting
The Pine Bluff Branch of the NAACP will hold its monthly meeting March 12 at 5:30 p.m. at Pine Hill Missionary Baptist Church in the fellowship hall. The primary business of the meeting will be the election of delegates to the National NAACP Convention. The public and all members are encouraged to attend, according to a news release.
Superintendents’ scholarships available
The Anthony, Gathen, Rainey, and Tolbert Scholarship is now open for applications. This scholarship was established by retired former school district superintendents: Frank Anthony from Pine Bluff, Thomas Gathen from Dollarway, David Rainey from Dumas, and Andrew Tolbert from Warren.
Interested students can obtain applications from their high school counselors. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is April 15.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Each school district will award a $1,000 scholarship to support students from low-income families in pursuing higher education, according to a news release.
Eligibility criteria:
The applicant must be a graduating senior from the Class of 2026 at one of the participating school districts.
A minimum grade point average of 2.50 is required.
Applicants must submit a letter explaining why they deserve the scholarship and outline their chosen career or educational path.
Arkansas250 panel to dedicate marker
The Arkansas 250 Commission will unveil one of 11 historical markers that will be placed across the state over the next year. A marker will be placed at Arkansas Post Museum State Park in Gillett at noon Friday, according to a news release.
Another market was placed at Gilbert on Monday to commemorate the Buffalo River as the first national river in the United States.
Each marker will commemorate events that occurred at that location which the commission has voted as the most significant to occur in the state over the past 250 years of American independence. Details are at this website.
UAPB to host Spring Career Summit
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Office of Career Services will conduct the 2026 Spring Career Summit from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Kenneth L. Johnson Sr. Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Complex.
The career fair is open to all currently enrolled UAPB students and alumni. Participants are asked to bring multiple copies of a well-prepared résumé. Professional dress is preferred, but not required. Do not wear jeans, sweatpants, or mini-skirts.
More than 50 organizations representing business and industry, government agencies, graduate and professional schools, and school districts have registered to participate, according to a news release. The following have registered to participate with more expected to join:
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
Acxiom, AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, Allied Universal, Apptegy, Arkansas Hospice, Arvest Bank, ATG USA, Baldwin & Shell, Baptist Health, Central Arkansas Planning & Development, Consolidated Electrical Distributors Inc., Dassault Falcon Jet, Enterprise Mobility, Highland Solutions LLC, Jefferson Regional Medical Center, Lennox Industries, PT Arkansas, Relyance Bank, Saracen Casino Resort, Simmons Bank, Southwest Power Pool, Suzano Packaging Pulp & Paper America Inc., Turner Construction, Tyson Foods Inc., United Rentals, USAble Life.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, City of North Little Rock, Fort Smith Police Department, North Little Rock Police Department, Pine Bluff Arsenal, Tulsa Police Department.
GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS
Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, UAPB Advanced Degree Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, College of Engineering, University of Arkansas Department of Finance, University of Arkansas Global Campus, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Services.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Arkansas: Arkansas Teachers Corps, Dumas, El Dorado, Jonesboro, Lee County, Marion, Palestine-Wheatley, Warren Youth Villages. Missouri: Kansas City; Lee’s Summit.
For additional information, contact the Office of Career Services at (870) 575-8461.
PCCUA, UAM plan degrees
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA) will partner with the University of Arkansas at Monticello and offer two degrees.
On March 11, the two institutions will officially announce a new collaborative program that will allow students to complete select bachelors’ degrees through UAM while remaining on PCCUA campuses, according to a news release.
The announcement will take place at 1:30 p.m. March 11 at the Hendrix Fine Arts Center on the PCCUA Helena-West Helena campus. The event is open to the public, and leaders from both universities are scheduled to share details about the partnership.
Through this partnership, PCCUA students will have the chance to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in K-6 elementary education degree beginning in May and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree starting in August. Both degree programs are pending approval from the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Higher Learning Commission.
This initiative is designed to increase access, strengthen workforce development and provide a seamless transition for students who are ready to continue their education close to home. By combining resources and expertise, PCCUA and UAM aim to improve degree completion rates while offering some of the most affordable tuition rates in the state.