Editor’s Note: At press time, the following events and meetings were known to be still scheduled. Organizers or appropriate officials are encouraged to contact Sandra Hope at shope@pbcommercial.com to make additions or changes.
Friday, Feb. 4
Sheriff’s administrative
offices closed
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Due to the winter weather the administrative offices of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will remain closed today, according to a news release. A spokesman announced the office was closed Thursday because of the weather. The sheriff’s office’s Uniformed Patrol Division will be on duty but may be taking non-emergency reports by telephone. If there is an emergency, people should call 911 or the non-emergency communications center, MECA (Metropolitan Emergency Communication Association), at (870) 541-5300.
Courthouse closed
The Jefferson County Courthouse and county offices will be closed today. Emergency services will not be interrupted, according to a spokesman.
Schools closed
Area school officials announced closings. Pine Bluff School District will be closed today due to inclement weather. The district will use an AMI day and continue to follow its Remote Learning Schedule, according to the district’s Facebook page. Watson Chapel School District campuses will be closed today. The district will be using AMI day 2. Students should proceed with virtual learning, a spokesman said. White Hall School District will be closed today and pivot to an AMI day, a spokesman said.
Be Pro Be Proud to visit SEARK
Southeast Arkansas College will host the Be Pro Be Proud Mobile Workshop Feb. 4. The program brings to campus a 73-foot semi-truck-and-trailer that showcases numerous technical professions through gamified simulators. Details: beprobeproud.org. Details: beprobeproud.org.
Saturday, Feb. 5
ASC hosts Valentine
Lampworking Workshop
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas will host Olivia Valentine in a Valentine’s Day-themed lampworking workshop from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 5 at the ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St. Patrons are invited to attend and learn how to melt and bend glass rods using a torch to create small sculptures. No experience is necessary to participate. Ages 18 and older may attend. The cost is $100 for ASC members and $125 for nonmembers. Space is limited. For details or to inquire about ASC Flex pay, contact ASC Public Programs Coordinator Rhodes Daigle at rdaigle@asc701.org or call (870) 395-7059. To register, visit asc701.org/adult-classes.
Beginning Saturday, Feb. 5
ASC to host CrEATe Lab cooking series
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., to host its CrEATe Lab nutritious cooking series. Students ages 10-17 will learn with Faith Anaya, owner of Little Rock cooking school Kids Cook! Class runs from 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26, March 5, 12. The cost is $35 for all eight sessions. CrEATe Lab includes hands-on cooking, gardening and shopping. For more information, contact ASC Education Programs Manager Shakeelah Rahmaan at srahmaan@asc701.org or call 870-536-3375. To register visit, asc701.org/create-lab. This event is sponsored by the Arkansas Out of School Network.
Underway
The Commercial accepts candidate announcements
The Commercial is accepting free candidate announcements until Feb. 21, the day before the filing period begins. Those who have already announced won’t be able to make another free announcement. Announcements may be emailed to pbcnews@pbcommercial.com, shope@adgnewsroom.com or shope@pbcommercial.com. After the filing period starts, candidates may purchase space in the advertising department to run their announcements. For election dates, visit the Secretary of State’s website.
ASC to exhibit PAUSE.
People, Places and Scenes
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., will feature Carl E. Moore’s PAUSE. People, Places and Scenes exhibition at ASC’s main building, Feb. 3 through April 30. Moore’s paintings comment on a culture fraught with anti-Black rhetoric and sentiment, where the physical and psychological ramifications of racism seep into the private lives of the community he depicts, according to a news release. ASC will host a joint reception featuring artists Moore and Meikel Church from 5-7 p.m. March 3.
Arkansas Century Farm
applications available
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2022 Arkansas Century Farm program. The deadline is May 31, according to a news release. To qualify, the same family must have owned the farm for 100 years by Dec. 31. The line of ownership from the original settler or buyer may be through children, grandchildren, siblings, and nephews or nieces, including through marriage or adoption. The farm must be at least 10 acres of the original land acquisition and make financial contribution to the over all farm income, according to the release. Applications are available at agriculture.arkansas.gov/arkansas-department-of-agriculture-services/arkansas-century-farm-program/. Applications must be received via email or postmarked on or before May 31. There is no cost to apply for the program. Details: Beth Moore, (501) 539-4027 or beth.moore@agriculture.arkansas.gov.
Sunday, Feb. 6
Art League announces
February meeting
The Pine Bluff Art League will host an art auction from 2-4 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Donald W. Reynolds Service Center. Featured is a selection of paintings by the late Barbara Owen. The league will also collect membership dues of $40. On March 15, dues increase to $45. Checks for dues can be sent to Pine Bluff Art League, Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Building, 211 W. Third Ave., Box 8, Pine Bluff, AR 71601. The league invites the community to attend the meeting. Due to the rise of covid-19 cases, the organization will host a physical and virtual attendance. For more information on virtual attendance, contact President Lyn Monk at mediapinebluffartleague@gmail.com or call (870) 510-4920. Visitors must wear masks at the in-person session.
Businesswoman to give braid supplies to youth
Pine Bluff businesswoman Dominique Akins will give away 50 hair braiding starter kits to young women in the community Sunday, Feb. 6. A Pine Bluff native, Akins is a licensed cosmetologist and currently a student instructor at Paul Mitchell The School-Little Rock, according to a news release. To receive a kit, participants should send an email telling their first name and first initial of their last name to scl.dominique@gmail.com. Details: Facebook page of Peaky Braids and Natural Hair Care.
Monday, Feb. 7
Mayor to give state of city address
Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley M. Washington will deliver the annual State of the City after the Pine Bluff City Council meeting on March 7 which starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. The public is invited to attend to learn about the city’s accomplishments in 2021 and its goals for 2022. Covid-19 safeguards will be implemented, according to a news release.
Tuesday, Feb. 8
TOPPS to give away food, supplies
TOPPS (Targeting Our People’s Priorities with Service), 1000 Townsend Drive, will give away food boxes at 10 a.m. Feb. 8 in a drive-thru method. The distribution will also include mental health information and covid-19 supplies such as masks, disinfectant sprays, and hand sanitizers, according to a spokesman. Food and supplies will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis. Details: (870) 850-6011.
UAPB to hold Landowner Outreach Meeting
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Small Farm Program will host a virtual landowner outreach meeting from 9-11:30 a.m. Feb. 8 via Zoom. The meeting will cover the ins and outs of estate planning and is intended for small and socially disadvantaged farmers, forest landowners and rural homeowners, according to a news release. The meeting’s Zoom link is https://uapb-edu.zoom.us/j/87629929170. People can also contact Karen Lee, UAPB Extension assistant, at leek@uapb.edu or (870) 575-7225 to have the link sent to their email address.
Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 8
Ivy Center announces Zoom meetings
The Ivy Center for Education will hold online workshops. According to a news release, seventh-12th graders and their parents may attend these sessions via Zoom: Tuesday, Feb. 8 — 6-7 p.m. Future Engineers Workshop with Sederick Rice, a professor at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Feb. 10 — 6-8 p.m. ACT Boot Camp with Charity Smith Allen, educator. Feb. 15 — 6-7 p.m. Black History Program with Michaela Howard, educator. Feb. 22 — 6-7:30 p.m. Black History Quiz Bowl Competition; prizes will be awarded to winners. For more information and the Zoom link, send an email to mattie1908@gmail.com or visit the Ivy Center for Education’s Facebook page, Instagram page or website.
Wednesday, Feb. 9
SEARK board to meet
The Southeast Arkansas College Board of Trustees meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 9 at Training Rooms 1-2. Also, a small reception will be held after the meeting to recognize outgoing Trustee Paul Bennett, according to a news release. The agenda includes personnel actions, finance reports, mask mandate, president’s report and enrollment update.
Covid-19 vaccines available at UAPB
Pfizer covid-19 vaccines will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 9 at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The free shots will be given at the Stem Building, 1530 L.A. Davis Drive, according to a news release. Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) and the Arkansas Department of Health are partnering to provide the vaccine. Those who are 12 years and older are eligible. Ages 12-17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, according to the release.
Pine Bluff Commercial sets church news deadline
Church news is printed in The Commercial on Friday. The deadline to submit church announcements is noon Wednesday. Pastors, ministers or others interested in writing for the Devotional Page may also submit columns for consideration. Column writers should have connections to Southeast Arkansas. Articles should be submitted by email to shope@pbcommercial.com. Details: (870) 534-3400, ext. 5.
Thursday, Feb. 10
Neighbor to Neighbor sets soup fundraiser
Neighbor to Neighbor is having its annual SOUPer Bowl fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 10 at First United Methodist Church, 200 W. Sixth Ave. There will be many soups, chowders, and chilis available, according to a news release. Regular soups are $12 a quart and specialty seafood, gumbos and chowders are $18 a quart. This is a covid-safe event and people are asked to wear masks to enter the church. Details: Neighbor to Neighbor’s Facebook page at N2NJeffCo.
Veterans Legal Clinic set
The Pine Bluff Veterans Legal Clinic will be open from 9-11 a.m. Feb. 10 at the new Sgt. Elga Lee Roberts Veterans Center, 114 S. State St. Walk-ins are welcome, according to a news release. Representatives from the Center for Arkansas Legal Services, the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs and the Little Rock VA Medical Center’s Justice Outreach Program will be available to consult with veterans. Veterans will also be able to receive free consultations on a variety of civil legal issues, including family law, consumer protection law, landlord tenant, public benefits, and criminal record sealing. Veterans may also contact the Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS) Help Line at 1-800-950-5817. A mask or face covering is required at the clinic. Social distancing guidelines are followed. Details: Pine Bluff Mayor’s Office, (870) 730-2000, ext. 7.
City to hold talks on parks
The Pine Bluff Parks and Recreation Department will host a listening forum at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. The community is invited to share their ideas for improving city parks, facilities, and recreational programs, including youth programs to help reduce crime. Covid-19 safeguards will be implemented, according to a news release.
Through Thursday, Feb. 10
NAACP seeks students for academic contests
The Pine Bluff Branch NAACP will hold its ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics) competitions in March. ACT-SO is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and achievement among African American high school students. The application deadline is Feb. 10, according to a news release. The categories for competition are: STEM, Performing Arts, Humanities, Visual Arts, and Business. Contact Maryann Lee at (870) 718-5330 to receive an application or pick up an application at Indigo Blue Coffeehouse, at 212 W. Barraque St., in downtown Pine Bluff.
Friday, Feb. 11
ART WORKS presents UAPB music students,
concert
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas rescheduled ART WORKS Presents: Sound of the Pride for 6-8 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Adam B. Robinson Jr. Black Box Theater at ART WORKS, 627 S. Main St. The event is open to ages 16 and older. Admission is $5 for ASC members and $10 for nonmembers. Students from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Studio will perform a “tiny desk” style concert with instructor Damen Tolbert as host. The event is a preview of their fundraiser series benefitting UAPB’s Sound Recording and Technology Department. Community members are invited to show off their vocal skills in an open-mic setting.
Jefferson County cotton meeting set
The Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service will conduct the cotton production meeting beginning at 8:45 a.m. Feb. 11 at the Delta Rivers Nature Center in Regional Park. The speakers will be Bill Robertson, Extension cotton agronomist; Nick Bateman, Extension entomologist; and Tom Barber, Extension weed scientist, according to a news release. A meal will be provided following the last speaker. Details: Kurt Beaty, county extension agent, (870) 534-1033.
Saturday, Feb. 12
St. John to give away food
St. John AME Church, 1117 W. Pullen St., will give away food boxes to those in need from 9-11 a.m. Feb. 12 in a drive-through setting. State ID’s are required to receive one box per family, according to a news release. Food will be picked up in front of the church on Cherry Street. For safety reasons, recipients are asked to stay in their vehicles and pop their trunks. The event is sponsored by the church’s Soul Food for the Mind, Body, and Spirit Feeding Ministry. To help support this ministry, people may mail their financial donations to: St. John AME Church-Feeding Ministry, 1117 W. Pullen St., Pine Bluff, Ark., 71601, or send donations electronically through Givelify St John AME Pine Bluff. People may also contact Pearl Matlock by email at pearl1948@sbcglobal.net to volunteer. The Rev. Cecil L. Williams Jr. is the pastor.
ASC hosts Papier Mâché event on FunDay
Participants can sculpt and paint unique bowls using paper, glue and water through papier mâché during Second Saturday Family FunDay from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas. This event is free. Details: www.asc701.org.