Ministry plans youth fest
The youth ministry at International House of Praise, 4511 Faucett Road, will host its Praise, Worship & Fire Youth Fest.
Thursday and Friday sessions will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, the dance workshop, flag and liturgical session will begin at 11 a.m. followed by lunch at 1 p.m. and worship at 3 p.m., according to a flier.
The worship leader will be Kayla Knight, a minister. Psalmists will be Gekisha Shaw on Thursday and Zetoria Curry on Friday.
Participants will also include New Bethel Praise Dance Team, Dedra Henderson & Anointed Vessels of Praise Dance Ministry, Kingdom Warriors Praise Dance Ministry, as well as IHOP Lil’ Angels, TNT and Lakeem Douglas.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Black farmers set field day
The 2025 National Black Growers Council will hold the Model Farm Field Day on Friday in Pine Bluff, hosted by Philip “P.J.” Haynie, fifth generation farmer of Haynie Farms, 202 Grider Field Ladd Road.
Registration will be held 7-7:30 a.m. Friday. Lunch will follow at the UAPB STEM Building, 1530 LA Prexy Davis Drive. The focus crop will be rice, according to the Arkansas Rice newsletter.
“We are multigenerational producers who advocate for the best interests of Black farmers locally, statewide, and nationally,” according to the Black Growers council website. “We promote agriculture in the United States and abroad. Our board of directors consists of 12 farmers who operate farms in 11 southern states from Virginia to Texas. Collectively, our board farms nearly 60,000 acres of row crops.”
To register online for the field day, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BL7KGZY. Details: (870) 510-6350 or https://nationalblackgrowerscouncil.com/about/.
Health on The Menu event topic
The community is invited to attend the Health on the Menu Information Session at 6 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave.
The Center for Research, Health, and Society, in partnership with ReMix Ideas, is offering a free 15-week program for entrepreneurs committed to improving health and promoting food fairness in counties where there’s a significant challenge in accessing adequate and nutritious food. All classes will take place in Pine Bluff, according to Stuff in The Bluff.com.
“Have a food-related business or idea? From meal prep and catering to juicing, delivery, or something entirely new, this program will equip you with the tools and knowledge to create a business with lasting, meaningful impact,” according to the release.
For registration information or details, visit https://remixideas.com/health-on-the-menu/.
Land office sets tax auction
Commissioner of State Lands Tommy Land announced an auction will be held on tax-delinquent parcels of land in Jefferson County on Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Registration begins at 9 a.m., according to a news release.
Prospective bidders can find the Public Auction Catalog at www.cosl.org. The catalog includes auction date, time and locations and a complete listing of parcels offered. Bidders should review the buyer’s guide and statutes governing sales before coming to auctions.
The website also includes a video demonstrating how to research information about each parcel available for sale.
“We are also reminding property owners that since 2023, the redemption period for tax-delinquent parcels has ended at 4 p.m. on the last business day before the sale date,” Land said. “We must receive the petition to redeem and the payment by that time.”
Parcels sold at auction cannot be redeemed. “Auction sales are final,” he said.
Bidders must register for the auction before placing a bid and must have a federal or state ID from within the United States. Purchases must be paid in full at the auction site; bidders may pay with a business or personal check, or a credit or debit card. Cash is not accepted for purchase of tax-delinquent parcels.
Bidding begins at the amount of taxes, penalties and interest owed on a parcel. The 2024 taxes are not included in the bid, since they are not yet delinquent. The winning bidder must pay those taxes to the county tax collector by Oct. 15.
Properties that do not sell at auction will appear on the COSL’s post-auction sales list 30 days after the auction date. From there, they can be purchased through an online auction system. Another instructional video on the COSL website demonstrates that process to bidders.
Owners of delinquent parcels may redeem those delinquent taxes online at www.cosl.org using a credit or debit card. Those who prefer to pay by check or money order can print a Petition to Redeem from the website or call the office at (501) 324-9422 to request the petition, which must accompany their payment.
Owners seeking to redeem a delinquent parcel within 30 days before an auction must use certified funds or may redeem with cash in the land commissioner’s office at 7003 Valley Ranch Drive, off Highway 10 in west Little Rock. Cash is only accepted for redemption, and only for in-person payments at 7003 Valley Ranch Drive.