Chancellor: Stay focused
Chancellor Anthony Graham of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff stressed the importance of avoiding distractions and staying focused. He was the keynote speaker Dec. 4 during the 119th Founders’ Day Celebration of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Delta Sigma Lambda and Gamma Delta Chapters.
The event took place at Barraque Street Missionary Baptist Church in Pine Bluff.
A member of the Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, he presented a talk titled, “Seeing Through the Sleight of Hand; Let’s Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing.”
Members of the audience laughed and applauded throughout segments of his message, which resonated with his fraternity brothers, members of the Divine 9 and the general audience, according to a news release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“To my brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha and all members of the Divine 9, I remind you that Founders’ Day is not nostalgia; it’s about accountability,” Graham said.
“For my brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha, our seven founders did not give us a brand; they gave us a burden, a responsibility, a mission. So tonight, as we honor the mission of our founders, let us remember they didn’t just start a fraternity, they started a movement — a movement of intellectual service, of courage, and of love for all mankind.
“And now that movement is in our hands because when people attempt to distract us with sleight of hand, we will lift our people with the strength of heart. And when history looks back at this generation, may it say that we were the ones who saw clearly, who acted boldly, and who left something that could never be erased.”
He reiterated the importance of being focused.
“Let us commit to ensuring that the main thing is indeed the main thing. Let’s make certain that the sleight of hand is not playing us and that we are focused — sharpening our focus, strategizing and executing a plan for impact, not for activity,” Graham said.
UAM to announce football coach
The University of Arkansas at Monticello will introduce its 26th head football coach at 10 a.m. Thursday at the university’s Student Success Center, 350 University Drive.
The news conference will include Chancellor Peggy Doss, Athletic Director and former head coach Hud Jackson, and the new head coach.
The event will be streamed on the UAM Sports YouTube page.
“Media, supporters, alumni and members of the UAM community are invited to attend,” according to a news release.
Woodson Center awards PBICVR $10k
The Woodson Center, a nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C., awarded a $10,000 grant to the Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Inc. (PBICVR).
The center donated a Legacy Member Grant to PBICV, which has been a Legacy Member in the Community Affiliate Network since 2006, according to the Rev. Jesse C. Turner, PBICVR’s executive director.
“The generous backing from the Woodson Center empowers PBICVR in Pine Bluff to continue offering a variety of community programs,” Turner said in a news release. “These initiatives have had a significant positive impact, improving the well-being of residents, strengthening family connections, enhancing students’ academic performance in local schools, encouraging youth to resist gang influences, and reducing anti-social behavior. Ultimately, these resources help knit a stronger sense of community, foster school bonding, inspire civic engagement, and nurture a spirit of civic responsibility among scholars and families.”
Details: (870) 730-1131 or www.pbicvrpenorpencil.com.
Soybean Forum set at Dumas
Experts from Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi will share information about issues facing soybean producers in the South at the 69th annual Tri-State Soybean Forum on Jan. 9.
The event begins at 8 a.m. at the Dumas Community Center in Dumas.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Mississippi State University Extension Service jointly plan the conference, according to the Division of Agriculture news release.
“Arkansas is proud to host this year,” said Tri-State Soybean Forum chair Grant Beckwith, who is also the Arkansas County agriculture extension agent for the Division of Agriculture. “We know these are tough times for soybean producers, and this year’s forum will focus on issues affecting them as we head into 2026.”
SCHEDULE
8-8:30 a.m. — Registration
8:30-9:15 a.m.– H-2A Pointers and Pitfalls, William L. Mencer, attorney
9:15-10 a.m. — Ag Law & Policy Update, Rusty Rumley, senior staff attorney, National Ag Law Center
10:15-10:45 a.m. — Weather Drivers for the Lower Mississippi Valley, Jay Grymes, Louisiana State climatologist
10:45-11:15 a.m. — Soybean Market Outlook, Will Maples, associate professor-ag economics, Mississippi State
11:15-11:45 a.m. Dicamba Update, Susie Nichols, pesticide section manager, Arkansas Department of Agriculture
11:45 a.m.-noon — Equipment Care & Maintenance Strategies for Soybean Production — Brittney Schrick, associate professor and family life specialist, U of A System Division of Agriculture
12–12:15 p.m. — Updates from State Soybean Agronomists – Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi
12:15–12:30 p.m. — Arkansas Soybean Board Update, Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board
12:30 p.m. — Lunch, sponsored by Farm Bureau Federation.
Details: www.uaex.uada.edu/soybean-forum or Grant Beckwith, Tri-State Soybean Forum chair, at gbeckwith@uada.edu.