Early voting set in runoff
The primary runoff election will be held March 31 at the Jefferson County Courthouse. Early voting begins March 24 during regular office hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will end March 30 at 5 p.m., according to the Jefferson County clerk’s office.
Runoffs include, on the Democratic ticket:
County judge candidates — Efrem B. Neely Sr. and Judge Gerald Robinson.
Justice of the peace District 1 candidates — Jackie Tillmon and incumbent Alfred Carroll.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
In the Republican primary, a runoff in the secretary of state’s race will be held between Sen. Kim Hammer and Bryan Norris.
The runoff for prosecuting attorney in the 11th West Judicial Circuit will be held during the Nov. 3 general election. Candidates are Karres Manning-Center and Evelyn Moorehead.
OTHER ELECTION-RELATED DATES
On March 23, sample ballots will be available on the Voter View website.
March 27 is the deadline to receive in-person absentee applications and for a bearer or administrator to personally deliver ballots.
On election day, March 31, polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The deadline for delivery of absentee ballots to the county clerk by an authorized agent is 1:30 p.m. The deadline to receive ballots by mail is 7:30 p.m.
Election commission meets Friday
The Jefferson County Board of Election Commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. Friday at the Election Center, 123 S. Main St., according to Chairman Michael Adam.
The agenda includes public comments on new business with two minutes per speaker.
New business includes a hearing for anyone who appears in response to letter notifying them their ballot was not counted in the March 3 election and certifying results of the election.
Black Family Wellness Expo set
The Pine Bluff Chapter of The Links Inc. will hold the fourth annual Black Family Wellness Expo from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 21 at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
The expo will be in the Kenneth L. Johnson Sr. Health Physical Education and Recreation Complex arena, 1542 L.A. “Prexy” Davis Drive.
The project is held in an effort to reduce health and economic disparities and to save and improve lives in the Black community. The expo is free and open to everyone.
The UAPB Health Services Department partnered with the The Links on this event.
This effort is aimed at addressing access to preventive screenings, promoting adolescent mental health awareness, addressing challenges affecting seniors and caregivers, and confronting other health disparities that impact the health and quality of life for many in this community, according to a news release.
The local event is a part of The Links’ nationwide Black Family Wellness Expos held across the country March 21.
Some of the issues the expo will address include mental health awareness, kidney disease, heart health, organ donation, cancer prevention and screening, entrepreneurship, aging, suicide signs and prevention, substance abuse, tax preparation, home ownership, voter registration and information and estate planning.
Kelly D. Bryant is the current president of the Pine Bluff Chapter of The Links. Trammell Howell is Black Family Wellness Expo chair, and Eula Liddell and Jacqueline Pryor are co-chairs.
Details: The Links’ website or the chapter’s Facebook page.
Mayor plans State of City Address
The city of Pine Bluff invites the community to attend Mayor Vivian L. Flowers’ 2026 State of the City Address at 6 p.m. March 30 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
The mayor will reflect on the progress made over the past year and share her vision for the continued growth and advancement of Pine Bluff, according to a news release.
Flowers will highlight key accomplishments across the city, including economic development initiatives, infrastructure improvements, public safety efforts and ongoing investments that are helping position Pine Bluff as the City of Progress, according to the release.
“Pine Bluff is a city rich with resilience, innovation, and opportunity,” said Flowers.
“As we reflect on how far we’ve come, we also look ahead with determination and optimism as we continue building a stronger future for our community.”
Details: Mayor’s Office at (870) 730-2000 or www.cityofpinebluff-ar.gov.
UAPB sets Procurement Month
March is National Procurement Month. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Office of Procurement is hosting events to highlight the expertise in sourcing, supplier management and securing resources to meet community needs.
The Annual Business Expo with a Twist will take place March 18 from 9 a.m. to noon in the STEM Building Conference Center at UAPB.
Vendors will be given an opportunity to engage with campus departments and demonstrate how their products and services can support departmental needs and positively impact students, according to a news release.
“The twist is that UAPB departments will set up tables representing their departments, and the vendor will come to them to talk about their business and how it can benefit the university,” said Patricia Cole, fiscal support manager in UAPB’s Office of Procurement.
The month kicked off with a procurement training for UAPB faculty and staff March 5 at the S.J. Parker 1890 Extension Simon A. Haley Auditorium.
The guest speaker was Leaundra Sanders, director of development at the ACLU of Arkansas.
Department Connection was set for March 10. Procurement personnel planned to visit various departments to address challenges related to requisitions, purchase orders, purchase order notifications and more, according to the release. Vendors interested in participating in Business Expo with a Twist may contact Patricia Cole at (870) 575-8736 or colep@uapb.edu.