Chamber dinner to feature PBSD chief
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce will present its 2024 Annual Dinner event at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Pine Bluff Country Club. The keynote speaker is Pine Bluff School District Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree.
Barbaree will give an update to the business community on what’s happening within the district. It will also be a time for the business community to learn more about opportunities to help support the district to make it stronger as it continues educating the future workforce, according to the Chamber newsletter.
Tickets are $60 each and tables for eight people are $750. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for this event.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
For details, contact Chamber Director Jennifer Kline at (870) 535-0110 or email jennifer@jeffersoncountyalliance.com. Sponsorship details are available at https://files.constantcontact.com/91329166001/5c07ba08-471a-4fb5-8a0e-d7f3d0d12fea.pdf?rdr=true.
Holiday closings set
Several agencies announced their holiday closings for Christmas.
Pine Bluff City Hall and related offices will be closed Dec. 22-26.
Jefferson County Courthouse will be closed Dec. 22-26.
Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas will be closed Dec. 25-26. Southeast Arkansas Transportation (SEAT) will still take clients to cancer and dialysis treatments.
State offices will be closed Dec. 25-26. The Capitol building continues to be open to the public for extended hours during the holiday season for those who wish to view the Christmas decorations. However, the Capitol will be closed on Christmas Day.
Food desert elimination grants available
The Arkansas Department of Health – Arkansas Minority Health Commission announces its request for application availability for food desert elimination efforts around the state.
The commission will award a maximum of four grants of up to $10,000 each to community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and non-profits focused on food desert elimination, according to a news release.
“Arkansas is now ranked #1 in food insecurity and every county in the state now has at least 1 food desert, so providing these funds to organizations doing this targeted work will certainly be impactful,” said Kenya Eddings, Arkansas Minority Health Commission director.
Grant funds can be used for a variety of purposes including community needs assessments, focus groups, and technical assistance.
Applications can be obtained at healthy.arkansas.gov and typing ‘Bid Opportunities’ in the search bar. The deadline to apply is Jan. 4 at 3 p.m.
Changes to financial aid
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, per information from the U. S. Department of Education, announced that the redesigned Free Application for Student Federal Aid (FAFSA®) for the 2024-25 academic year is slated to be available by Dec. 31.
While the FASFA has historically opened to applicants Oct. 1, the exact opening date of the streamlined application for the upcoming academic year has yet to be finalized by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid, according to a news release.
The 2024-2025 FAFSA aims to broaden financial eligibility and streamline the application process. Students and families must remain aware of updates to this process to ensure the timely completion of aid applications for the upcoming academic year. Failure to complete the FAFSA on time could render students and their families ineligible for financial assistance. Also important is that students and families know that depending on their circumstances, the streamlined application could reduce the number of questions from 26 to just 18, according to the release.
“The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff urges prospective and currently enrolled students and their families to be aware of the new FAFSA opening and to promptly complete the streamlined FAFSA for the 2024-2025 academic year once the application opens,” said Moses V. Goldmon, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Success.
“The importance of completing the application on time is a crucial step to a student’s pathway to admission and success at UAPB, as the new FAFSA is designed to broaden financial aid eligibility for applicants. Financial aid impacts an overwhelming majority of our student body. Over 90% of our students and their families receive some form of federal financial assistance. Additionally, 33% of the current semester’s total enrollment are first-generation students whose parents didn’t graduate from either a college or university. This makes it even more important that we keep families aware of these updates,” according to the release.
New and transfer students on their “Path to the Pride” must first apply for admission to UAPB, submit the required documents to the Office of Admissions, and then complete the FAFSA along with scholarship applications. A completed FAFSA will then be reviewed by the Office of Student Financial Services. Student Financial Services will contact applicants via email if they need additional information. Returning students must start by completing the new FAFSA.
New, transfer and returning students can visit https://www.uapb.edu/admissions/path_to_the_pride.aspx for additional information about the FAFSA, the UAPB admissions process, or scholarships.
People may also call the Office of Admissions at (870) 575-8492, the Office of Recruitment at (870) 575-8960, or the Office of Student Financial Services at (870) 575-8302. Details: www.uapb.edu.
Details are also available from the federal Education Department at https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/learn/fafsa/updates.jsp.