Parole board to meet
The Arkansas Post-Prison Transfer Board will meet at 9 a.m. Aug. 8 and Aug. 22 in the Richard Lee Richardson Auditorium, at 1302 Pike Ave., in North Little Rock, according to a news release. Details: https://portal.arkansas.gov/state_agencies/department-of-corrections-1/the-parole-board/.
UAMS sets free screenings in McGehee
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will offer free HIV screenings, glucose readings, mental health assessments and blood pressure checks Aug. 3 at the McGehee Men’s Club Community Center in McGehee.
Called Party With a Purpose, it will begin with a resource fair and backpack drive from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 3, according to a news release.
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A free lunch will be provided. A talent show with special guest performances will follow from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with admission free for anyone who received an HIV screening.
The event is aimed at residents of Desha, Chicot, Drew, Jefferson and Pulaski counties, but all Arkansans are welcome to attend, according to a news release.
Sponsored by the Research and Evaluation Division of the UAMS Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, the event is designed to provide health resources and screenings for rural Arkansans and to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and other health concerns.
Free health screenings and rapid testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases are also available at the UAMS Gap Services office in McGehee.
Fish advisory issued near Smackover
Anglers fishing Holmes Creek and Smackover Creek should temporarily refrain from keeping or eating fish caught from portions of these Union-County waters due to the recent oil spill in the area.
The Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment’s Division of Environmental Quality have jointly issued a temporary catch-and-release fish advisory for Holmes Creek downstream from the release site north of the intersection of Gas Plant Road and All Gulf Road to downstream of Smackover Creek below the Welsco Bridge, according to a news release.
The precautionary advisory comes after an oil pipeline released an estimated 2,500 barrels of crude oil into portions of Holmes and Smackover Creek in June. It does not apply to areas upstream from the release site or downstream from the confluence of Smackover Creek with the Ouachita River. Fish caught in these areas are still considered safe for consumption.
Contaminants from the spill may include contaminants suspected to be carcinogenic. These contaminants could accumulate over time in fish, causing issues with consumption. As a precautionary measure, ADH, AGFC and E&E recommend this temporary catch-and-release fish advisory. This advisory will be lifted once the clean-up of the oil spill is completed and more sampling is conducted.
Details: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/fish-advisories.