Moore joins Connectivity corps
Tomekia Moore, executive director of Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association, was selected as a member of the inaugural Connectivity Policy Corps, an affiliate initiative of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.
Moore, from Pine Bluff, will help represent Arkansas at the national level, working alongside leaders from across the country to advocate for policies and funding that expand digital opportunity and ensure access to broadband and technology resources, according to a news release.
The Connectivity Policy Corps brings together practitioners and policy advocates committed to advancing digital opportunity and ensuring that communities — particularly rural and underserved areas — have access to the tools necessary to fully participate in today’s digital economy.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
As a member of the corps, she will work to rally support for policies and funding streams that help ensure Arkansas communities can benefit from critical federal digital opportunity resources.
“This opportunity allows us to elevate the voices and needs of Arkansas communities in national discussions about digital access,” said Moore.
“For many of the families served through Community Action, reliable internet access is no longer optional — it is essential for employment, education, healthcare, and economic mobility.”
Moore’s appointment is connected to her leadership within the Community Action Network, a national network dedicated to addressing the root causes and conditions of poverty.
There are 15 local Community Action Agencies across Arkansas, which serve residents in all 75 counties.
These agencies provide a wide range of services that help families move toward stability and self-sufficiency, including energy assistance, workforce development, housing support and family development services.
Expanding digital opportunity has become an increasingly important component of this work.
Many Community Action programs now rely on digital connectivity to help families access services, apply for jobs, attend telehealth appointments and support children’s education.
Sheraton Park residents to meet
Sheraton Park Neighborhood Watch and Taylor Association Meeting will meet at 6 p.m. March 19 at Grace Episcopal Church, 4101 S. Hazel St., in Brown’s Building in the back of the complex.
The guest speaker will be Tiger Dockett with the Pine Bluff Street Department. Everyone is welcome to attend and learn more about this operation, according to a news release.
Meeting for caregivers set
Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas will hold its Caregivers Alzheimer’s Support Group Meeting virtually March 16 from 11 a.m to noon.
The presenters will be Jill Thompson, program director with the Alzheimer’s Association Arkansas Chapter.
The topic will be New Alzheimer’s Treatment, according to a news release.
Join the Microsoft Teams meeting here. Use Meeting ID: 210 219 876 957 49, Passcode: iD3Fj6TX . Dial in by phone using +1 312-625-2266,,651405264# and phone conference ID: 651 405 264# . Details: Carolyn Ferguson at Area Agency, (870) 543-6309.
Webinars set on poultry management
Six webinars will be available this spring for poultry owners to learn more about diseases, parasites and other issues that can affect flocks.
Dustan Clark, extension poultry health veterinarian for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and associate director of the university’s Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, is coordinating the free series.
The sessions will be taught by extension specialists and faculty with the Division of Agriculture, and Barry Whitworth, senior extension specialist with Oklahoma State University, according to a news release.
“We still have increasing problems with the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and other diseases,” Clark said. “All of the webinar topics relate to poultry management and biosecurity to help owners better protect flocks.”
Two of the six webinars will focus on poultry diseases.
Both backyard flock owners and commercial operators can benefit from the series, Clark said.
The webinars are also a good source of information for the estimated 2,000 members of Arkansas 4-H and FFA who will receive flocks of day-old chicks in April as part of the 4-H Poultry Chain project.
All webinars will be offered online via Zoom from 6-7 p.m. Sessions are free, and online registration is required.
WEBINAR SCHEDULES
March 24 — Update of Poultry Disease Concerns in Commercial and Hobby/Backyard Flocks, Dustan Clark, extension poultry veterinarian, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
March 31 — Common External Parasites of Poultry, Barry Whitworth, senior extension specialist, Oklahoma State University Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
April 2 — Common Internal Parasites of Poultry, Dustan Clark, UADA
April 7 — Poultry Coccidiosis, Aaron Forga and Taylor Schubauer, University of Arkansas Poultry Science Department
April 21 — The Science of Happy Flocks: Welfare for Chicken Tenders, Shawna Weimer, assistant professor, University of Arkansas Poultry Science Department
April 30 — Breeding and Hatching Principles in Hobby and Backyard Poultry Flocks, Sara Orlowski-Workman, extension specialist and associate professor, University of Arkansas Poultry Science Department
Find details about poultry and register for webinars on the extension’s Avian Influenza and Arkansas Poultry webpage.