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.
Saturday, Jan. 8
Pilgrim food pantry opens
Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, 2507 Hill St., will open its Raven’s Nest Food Pantry Saturday from 8-9:30 a.m. or until all the food has been given away. Food will be handed out on a first come, first-served basis. Participants must bring a picture identification. This program is a U.S. Department of Agriculture distribution site and equal opportunity provider, according to a news release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Comprehensive Care sets covid-19 vaccine clinic
Jefferson Comprehensive Care System Inc. (JCCSI), 1101 Tennessee St., will offer a free covid-19 vaccination clinic from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 8. The clinic is targeted for children ages 5 to 11, but vaccinations will be available for teenagers and adults as well. All versions of the vaccine and boosters will be available, according to a news release. Appointments aren’t necessary, but participants who need rides to the vaccine clinic may call (870) 543-2380 to make an appointment. JCCSI has a medical team to provide the community with the covid-19 vaccine.
ASC hosts FunDay
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., plans the Second Saturday Family FunDay, from 1-3 p.m. Jan. 8. Participants can weave pliable materials into colorful trinket baskets. This event is free, according to a news release. ASC’s Second Saturday Family FunDay program offers monthly hands-on arts and science activities.
Little Mermaid Jr. auditions set
The Southeast Arkansas Concert Association will hold auditions for the Little Mermaid Jr. starting at 9 a.m. Saturday at the fine arts center of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. The musical will be held March 7-12, according to a news release. The association is looking forward to seeing all its patrons after a year of limitations, a spokesman said. Details: www.searkconcert.org or (870) 460-1888.
Reception, Coon Supper set at Gillett
The 10th annual “Berry Pre-Coon Supper Reception” will be held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Berry Farm Shop at Gillett followed by the 78th Gillett Coon Supper at the Gillett School Gymnasium at 6:30 p.m., according to a news release. Both events benefit non-profits. The pre-supper reception tickets are $40 each. Sponsorships are available to be a Berry Good Host for $1,000 and a Berry Good Friend for $500. The coon supper tickets are $30 and may be purchased by contacting Larry Bauer at (870) 830-4002. All tickets will be available for purchase at the door. Details: Becky Barnes Campbell at (501) 912-7560, Gabe Holmstrom at (479) 409-3329 or Facebook.
Underway
White Hall Library seeks art submissions
The White Hall Library is seeking submissions for its Tiny Art Show. Artists 12 and older can register to pick up a tiny art kit while supplies last, according to a news release. The kit includes a 3-inch-by-3-inch canvas and easel, acrylic paint, and brushes. Participants must return their work to the library by Jan. 28 to be part of the show which runs through February. All art will be returned to the artist, according to a news release. Details: Ellen Bauer, White Hall Library branch manager, (870) 247-5064.
Arsenal to conduct
prescribed burns
The Arkansas Forestry Division will be conducting multiple prescribed and controlled burns at the Pine Bluff Arsenal now until the end of February, depending on the weather. The local community should not be alarmed if they see large plumes of smoke coming from the Arsenal, according to a news release. All controlled burns will be conducted by specially-trained and equipped crews skilled at fire management operations, according to the release.
Sunday, Jan. 9
Art league slates tour,
meeting
From 2-4 p.m. Sunday, the Pine Bluff Art League will meet and tour the ARTSpace on Main and ART WORKS facilities located at 623 S. Main St. and 627 S. Main St., according to a news release. Members should arrive by 2:10 p.m. The league will conduct a brief meeting then the tour will begin. Masks are required. Current and prospective art league members are encouraged to come and see what amenities the new spaces offer.
Beginning Sunday, Jan. 9
One Pine Bluff Praying
services set
One Pine Bluff Praying Together services are held at area churches in the months with five Sundays, according to a city spokesman. The community is invited to attend services from 6-7 p.m. Sundays on the following dates: Jan. 9 – Grace and Mercy Missionary Baptist Church, 5103 W. Malcomb St.; Jan. 16 – Family Church, Pine Bluff campus, 2309 S. Poplar St.; Jan. 23 – Grace Evangelical Church, 4210 E. Ohio St.; and Jan. 30 – Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church – 2008 Vaugine St. For details or to host a service, contact Mary Liddell at (870) 643-2383 or Marylddll@yahoo.com.
Monday, Jan. 10
Watson Chapel School Board to meet
Watson Chapel School Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the district office, 4100 Camden Road. The agenda includes the financial statement, recognition of students and employees, public relations campaign and consideration of extending the superintendent’s contract, according to a news release. Details: (870) 879-0220.
Tuesday, Jan. 11
TOPPS sets food giveaway
TOPPS, 1000 Townsend Drive, will give away food at 10 a.m. Tuesday on a first come, first served basis in a drive-thru method. Participants are asked to remain in their vehicles to receive food, according to a news release. Details: Annette Dove, TOPPS executive director, (870) 850-6011.
Simmons slates ground breaking at White Hall
Simmons Bank will host a ground-breaking ceremony for a new branch at White Hall at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at 1308 Robin Road. Participants will include Daniel Robinson, Simmons regional community president, and Chad Pittillo Pine Bluff community president. The construction on the new branch will begin this month with the opening projected for this fall, according to a news release.
Cancer center open house postponed
Due to the surge in covid-19 cases, the ribbon cutting and open house has been postponed at the Jefferson Regional Jones-Dunklin Cancer Center. The gathering had been scheduled for Tuesday. The event will be rescheduled as soon as possible, according to a news release.
Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 11
Ivy Center announces plans
The Ivy Center for Education Inc. will host the following events: Jan. 11 – 6-7 p.m. — Future Engineers – Math Cash App Challenges are held during each workshop. Seventh through 12th graders interested in careers in engineering are invited to attend the workshop virtually on Zoom. Jan. 18 – 6-7 p.m. – The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Quiz Bowl Competition will be held virtually on Zoom. Prizes will be awarded to winners. Seventh through 12th graders are invited to participate. A study guide will be emailed upon request. Jan. 25 – 10 a.m. – Ivy Center Board Members and the UAMS South Central representative will speak to Pine Bluff High School students about “Let’s Talk About Excellence!” (Covid rules will be in place at this in-person presentation.) For more information including the Zoom link information, go the Ivy Center for Education’s Facebook page or send an email to mattie1908@gmail.com.
2022 Beginning Farmer Classes set
The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food (CAFF) will present a new round of Beginning Farmer Classes virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 11 to March 1. Class times are 6-8:30 p.m. except the first session, “Farming as a Profession,” which will be 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 11. Each course costs $10 and will be presented via Zoom. The classes were redesigned to highlight the practices of successful farmers and offer learning activities with information from local service providers and regional farmers, according to a news release. CAFF is a center of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. To register, visit https://farmandfoodsystem.uada.edu/classes/.
The Links to host virtual sessions
The Pine Bluff Chapter of The Links Inc. invites the community to its Preparing Our Community for Success virtual series, according to a news release. Sessions will include 7 p.m. Jan. 11: Financial Literacy: Getting Our Finances in Order, featuring Lester Matlock, chief executive officer and owner of Natural State Private Wealth Group; and Jan. 27: Preparing for the Business World. The Zoom link is https://zoom.us/j/94423877911?pwd=Q0ExQ2N5WTRDeHNLTlFkWDh6OW9GUT09 with meeting ID: 944 2387 7911 and passcode: 692876. To call, dial by location to +1 646 558 8656 US (New York.)
Wednesday, Jan. 12
Neighbor to Neighbor sets covid shot clinic
Neighbor to Neighbor, 1419 S. Pine St., will hold a vaccination clinic from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12. Anyone needing the first, second, or booster shot is welcome to attend, according to a news release. Those who already began their vaccinations should bring their vaccination cards with them. Jefferson Regional Medical Center staff will be administering the Pfizer vaccine. Gift cards will be given out to anyone who gets vaccinated. Details: Neighbor to Neighbor, (870) 534-2883.
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, Jan. 13
Art league hosts exhibit,
reception for DeMint works
Linda DeMint, a Pine Bluff Art League member and White Hall resident, will have a solo exhibition reception featuring a selection of painted landscapes and botanicals from 5-7 p.m. Jan. 13. The art league will hold the exhibition at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave. The community is invited to see the display, according to a news release.
Pine Bluff NAACP to meet virtually
The Pine Bluff NAACP Branch will hold its regular monthly membership meeting via Zoom at 6 p.m. Thursday. Participants must have the Zoom link to join the meeting. Individuals wishing to attend may email pbnaacp@yahoo.com for the link, according to a news release.
Beginning Thursday, Jan. 13
Parole Board meetings set
The Arkansas Parole Board will meet at 9 a.m. Jan. 13 and Jan. 27 in the Richard Lee Richardson Auditorium, 1302 Pike Ave., Suite B149, at North Little Rock. The full calendar of hearings and meetings can be found on the board’s website under Meeting Information and Hearings & Board Schedule. Details: https://doc.arkansas.gov/parole-board/meeting-information/hearings-board-schedule/ or (501) 682-3850.
Friday, Jan. 14
UAPB students perform in ASC concert
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., will host ART WORKS Presents: Sound of the Pride, featuring students from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14. The concert program will be in the Adam B. Robinson Jr. Black Box Theater at ART WORKS, 627 S. Main St. It is open to ages 16 and older. UAPB Studio students will perform a “tiny desk”-style concert as part of their fundraiser series with instructor Damon Tolbert as host. The campaign benefits UAPB’s Sound Recording and Technology Department. Community members are invited to sing in an open-mic setting. ASC will raffle door prizes including art by glassmith James Hayes and a CD featuring work by Tolbert. Entry into the event is $5 for ASC members and $10 for nonmembers.
Saturday, Jan. 15
Center to give away winter clothes
Lula Mae’s Day Center Inc. will give away winter coats and clothes at the Family Community Development Corp., 1001 Palm St., on Jan. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon or until supplies are gone. The purpose is to help keep the community warm, according to a news release. Shaneka Hamilton is Lula Mae’s executive director. Details: (870) 345-9596.
ASC plans Pinch Pot
Pottery Workshop
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., will present a Pinch Pot Pottery Workshop with instructor Troy DeBill, a fine arts teacher and EAST Initiative facilitator for White Hall Middle School. She will host the workshop from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at The ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St. Participants will learn pinch pot techniques to create unique vessels. The workshop is for ages 13 and older. No experience is necessary. The cost is $55 for ASC members, $65 for nonmembers, and $40 for ASC Flex Pay. For more information, contact ASC Programs Coordinator Rhodes Daigle at rdaigle@asc701.org or call 870-395-7059. To register, visit asc701.org/adult-classes.
Beginning Saturday, Jan. 15
ASC hosts auditions for Robin Hood production
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., will host auditions for “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood” on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 15-16, at the Catherine M. Bellamy Theater at ASC, 701 S. Main St. Auditions are by appointment only. ASC invites community members ages 10 and older to sign up. For more information and to register for auditions, visit asc701.org/auditions. Performance dates are scheduled for Friday through Sunday, March 11-13. “This frantically funny, Monty Python-esque retelling of the classic ‘Robin Hood’ tale, written by Mary Lynn Dobson, is a jaunt through Sherwood Forest you won’t soon forget,” according to a news release. Script selections will be available during the audition. To request a selection earlier, contact Theater Programs Manager Lindsey Collins at lcollins@asc701.org.
Sunday, Jan. 16
Jefferson County Historical Society to meet
The Jefferson County Historical Society will meet at 2 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Historical Museum, 201 E. Fourth Ave., according to a news release. Timothy G. Nutt, director of the Historical Research Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences at Little Rock, will be the guest speaker. His talk will be on the history of Jefferson County’s Catholic churches. The public is invited to attend the meeting. Masks and other covid-19 precautions will be required at the meeting. Details: Jefferson County Historical Society, (870) 541-5402.
Through Monday, Jan. 17
UAPB accepts youth entrants for snack recipe contest
Pine Bluff youth, ages 5-18, are invited to submit original snack recipes for the 2022 Snack Recipe Contest. Entries must be received by Jan. 17. The event is sponsored by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Extension Family and Consumer Sciences and 4-H Programs, according to a news release. Recipe judging will be based on originality, creativity and nutritional value. The first-place prize is a $100 gift card, the second-place prize is a $75 gift card, and the third-place prize is a $50 gift card. Each entrant is required to fill out an entry form and must submit the original recipe and a photo by email to Teresa Henson, Extension specialist-nutrition outreach coordinator, at hensont@uapb.edu or to Teki Hunt, Extension specialist-director of 4-H Youth Development Programs, at huntjimenezt@uapb.edu. For entry forms or details, contact Henson or Hunt.
Thursday, Jan. 20
Free health screenings set
A free community-wide health screening event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center. The Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation in partnership with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas Minority Health Commission, the city of Pine Bluff, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will participate in the event, according to a news release. The minority health commission will provide various screenings including those for blood pressure, glucose, A1C, cholesterol, BMI (Body mass index), oxygen/pulse and HIV. The prostate cancer foundation will provide a non-invasive blood test for the prostate specific antigen (PSA).