ARDOT seeks public comment
The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) announced its proposed Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goal of 8.82% for federally assisted highway projects for Federal Fiscal Years 2026 through 2028 (Oct. 1, 2025 – Sept. 30, 2028).
The intent of ARDOT’s DBE Program is to comply with federal laws, regulations and guidance, and to provide reasonable opportunities for DBEs to compete for and perform on contracts financed in whole or part with federal financial assistance, in an effort to achieve the level of DBE participation that would be achieved absent discrimination. The authority for this program is Title 49 United States Code, according to a news release.
The report will be available for public review until Sept. 15 at www.ARDOT.gov/civil-rights/dbe/, in-person at the ARDOT Central Office, or copies may be requested by contacting Joanna P. McFadden at (501) 569-2298.
All interested parties should make written comments by email to Rex Vines at Rex.Vines@ardot.gov or mail to: Rex Vines, Chief Engineer-Operations / DBE Liaison Officer, Arkansas Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 2261, Little Rock, AR 72203.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Details: ARDOT’s Civil Rights Division at (501) 569-2297.
Ivy plans health workshop
The Ivy Center for Education’s Future Medical Professionals Club Scrub Workshop will be held Sept. 2 from 6-7 p.m. at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences South Central Campus, 1601 W. 40th Ave.
Students in seventh-12th grades interested in medical careers are encouraged to attend and parents are also welcome. Everyone is encouraged to arrive by 5:45 p.m. and enter at the rear of the building. Participants who cannot attend in person may join on Zoom, according to a news release.
The theme is “What is Healthcare?” The presenter will be Susie Marks, executive director of the Arkansas Nurses Association. She will discuss the importance of access to quality healthcare in rural and underrepresented communities.
The facilitator will be Danielle Harris, UAMS South Central’s education coordinator and Ivy Center’s Club Scrub project director.
“At the end of the workshop, scholars will recognize the wide range of careers in healthcare (clinical vs. nonclinical); gain awareness of health disparities and the unique need of rural and underserved communities,” Harris said.
To attend via Zoom, use Meeting ID: 856 8296 4187 and Passcode: 351061. Details: Ivy Center President Mattie Collins at mattie1908@gmail.com.
Area Agency tells menu
Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas offers lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays at the senior centers. The agency and senior centers will be closed for Labor Day on Sept. 1, however Southeast Arkansas Transportation will still be running for dialysis and cancer patients.
Next week’s menu includes:
Sept, 1 — Closed for Labor Day.
Sept. 2 — Red beans and rice, polish sausage, mixed vegetables, hot baked apple dessert and milk.
Sept. 3, — Taco salad with chopped lettuce, tomato, and onion, refried beans, fruit and milk.
Sept. 4 — Chicken pot pie with vegetables, green beans, spiced peaches and milk.
Sept. 5 — Hamburger, lettuce, tomato, onion, seasoned potato wedges, baked beans, fruit and milk.
AI in agri symposium set
The inaugural AI in Agriculture Symposium, hosted by the Center for Agricultural Data Analytics within the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, will highlight the latest in AI research and real-world applications for agriculture.
The free event will be held Sept. 15 online and in-person at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville. The symposium begins at 8:30 a.m. with a light breakfast and opening remarks from Jean-François Meullenet, senior associate vice president for agriculture-research and director of the experiment station.
Sessions start at 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided at noon and the event concludes at 5 p.m., followed by a reception and poster session until 7 p.m.
The symposium will feature artificial intelligence and automation experts from academia and industry, according to a news release from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“AI is present in every field, and we would like to make sure our ag students and researchers have the opportunity to interact with people at the forefront of this field to foster collaborations and awareness of the potential of AI in agriculture,” said Samuel B. Fernandes, organizer of the event and an assistant professor of agricultural statistics and quantitative genetics with the experiment station.
The deadline to register for in-person attendance at the AI in Agriculture Symposium is Sept. 7. There is no deadline to register for online attendance.
AI IN AG HACKATHON
Also, the AI in Ag Hackathon takes place Sept. 13-14 in the Mullins Library at the UA. The hackathon gives graduate students from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff a chance to address real-world scenarios commonly faced in the ag industry.
“Most importantly, the top three teams will be given 5 minutes to present their solution at the Arkansas AI in Ag Symposium,” he said.
Interested graduate students can find more details on the AI in Agriculture Symposium event page. The registration deadline for the AI in Ag Hackathon is Sept. 10.
Details: Samuel B. Fernandes at samuelbf@uark.edu or (479) 575-5677.