SEARK plans ribbon cutting
Southeast Arkansas College will conduct a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Reef Student Housing complex, 6811 S. Hazel St., at 11 a.m. Feb. 9. A reception will follow the ceremony.
The community is invited to join the college as it reveals SEARK’s student housing construction and renovation project, according to a flyer. Details: Barbara Dunn at bdunn@seark.edu or www.searksharks.com.
Sissy’s sets Business After Hours
Sissy’s Log Cabin, 2319 S. Camden Road, will host Business After Hours at 5 p.m. Feb. 6. The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce will present the event, according to the Chamber newsletter.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
PB school board to meet
Pine Bluff School Board will hold a special called board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in the boardroom of the Jordan-Chanay building, 1215 W. Pullen St., according to a news release.
TOPPS to give away food
TOPPS, 1000 Townsend Drive, will hold its monthly food distribution at 10 a.m. Feb. 13. Only one box per household will be issued until all boxes are given away. Participants must be present and show proof of address to receive a food box, according to a news release.
Targeting Our People’s Priorities with Service (TOPPS) is a non-profit community-based organization. The event sponsors include Canaan Christian Center, Pine Bluff Community Foundation, Arkansas Food Bank, Zion Church Northwest Arkansas, Calvary Baptist Church Little Rock, Pine Bluff Police Department, TOPPS and private donors. Details: TOPPS, (870) 850-6011. Annette Dove is the founder and director.
Chamber sets eclipse crawfish boil
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold a “Shells & Shadows” Solar Crawfish Boil before the historic solar eclipse that will leave many parts of Arkansas in complete darkness.
The crawfish boil will be held from 3-6 p.m. April 7 at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas/ARTx3, 701 S. Main St., in the alleyway and parking lot. Tickets are $50 per person.
“While Pine Bluff will not be in complete darkness, we will be close at 98% totality, and we anticipate an influx of visitors to lodge and dine in our city,” according to the Chamber newsletter.
There will be crawfish, music and beverages. For tickets or details, call the Chamber at (870) 535-0110 or email Jennifer Kline at jennifer@jeffersoncountyalliance.com.
Retired teachers group to meet
The Jefferson County Retired Teachers Association will meet at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 15 in the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave. The guest speaker will be Brian Rodgers, adult education specialist at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock.
Rodgers will present a program on Black History as it relates to Mosaic Templars in Arkansas, founded in Little Rock in 1883, and the recent $3.5 million update of the current 15-year-old facility, according to a news release.
Member reservations are required for the luncheon to be provided by Rice First Class Catering at $12 per person. Members are asked to bring a can of corn to be donated to the Salvation Army to assist families in need. For details and to make luncheon reservations, call (870) 543-0127.
Harding names locals to Dean’s List
Harding University at Searcy named students to its Dean’s List for grades achieved during the fall 2023 semester. Southeast Arkansas students include:
Davis Wilson of Rison, a junior studying accounting;
Ty Browning of Pine Bluff, a sophomore studying biochemistry and molecular biology and Spanish;
Naomi Parks of Stuttgart, a senior studying elementary education;
Lindsey Tilley of Rison, a senior studying family and consumer sciences;
Hannah Jones of Monticello, a senior studying marketing.
To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must be carrying 12 or more hours with a 3.65 or higher grade-point average.
Small Works to open at OBU
The 2024 Small Works on Paper, an annual touring visual arts exhibition that showcases the work of Arkansas artists, will open at 9 a.m. Feb. 5 at the Rosemary Gossett Adams Department of Art & Design in Moses-Provine Hall at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia.
Southeast Arkansas artists include Matthew Howard and Kimiara Johnson, both of Pine Bluff, and Crystal Jennings of Rison.
The artwork will be on view through Feb. 23. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, according to a news release.
Small Works on Paper is a juried visual art exhibition that showcases artwork no larger than 18- by-24 inches. Now in its 37th year, the exhibition spotlights Arkansas artists who are members of the Arkansas Artist Registry, an online gallery maintained by the Arkansas Arts Council. Most works will be available for sale with all proceeds benefiting the artists.