WCSB to hold special meeting
Watson Chapel School Board will hold a special at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the district office, 4100 Camden Road. Details: 870-879-0220.
GOP meets June 27
The Jefferson County Republican Committee will meet at 6 p.m. June 27 at Larry’s Pizza in White Hall, according to a news release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Locals on Alabama honors’ lists
The University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa named students to its spring 2024 Dean’s List with a grade point average of 3.5 (or above) or the President’s list with a GPA of 4.0 (all A’s.) The list includes area students, according to a news release.
Austin Miller of Pine Bluff was named to the President’s List.
Madison Murry of Stuttgart was named to the Dean’s List.
Sidney Lenard Becher of Stuttgart was named to the Deans List.
The UA dean’s and president’s lists recognize full-time undergraduate students.
Retired federal employees to meet
Chapter 287 of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees will meet at 11:30 a.m. June 24 at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave., according to a news release.
The guest speaker will be Mary Ann Kizer, the Jefferson County Family & Consumer Services agent. She will discuss Distribution of Non-Titled Property and Wills. Waymond Meins is the chapter president.
Simmons on U.S. News & World Report
Simmons Bank was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, as one of the 2024-2025 Best Companies to Work For in the South.
“This recognition from U.S. News & World Report, including our top ranking in stability and professional development, is a testament to Simmons’ commitment to creating a high-performing workplace where our associates can achieve both personal and professional success,” Jena Compton, chief people officer at Simmons, said in a news release.
The U.S. News Best Companies Ratings are calculated through how well companies support their employees with metrics including quality of pay and benefits, work-life balance, professional development, job and company stability, and physical and psychological comfort. This year, the rankings consisted of 549 companies across the overall best company list, 24 industry lists and four regional lists.
“Choosing a company to establish yourself or take the next steps in your career is a critical decision for anyone,” said U.S. News Vice President, Careers, Carly Chase. “The 2024-2025 list includes companies that received high scores on multiple metrics that make up a positive work environment and everyday employee experience.”
Rural Business Development event set
The 2024 Southwest Arkansas Rural Business Development Conference will be held June 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Camden and via Zoom. In-person participation will be limited to 75. The conference is free, according to a news release.
Participants are invited to the 8:30 a.m. “Breakfast with the Lenders Roundtable,” where they will network with local, regional and statewide lenders. The roundtable will be facilitated by Christian Pennington, lender relations specialist at the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Esperanza Massana-Crane, director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development at Arkansas Economic Development Commission, will be the luncheon speaker.
The conference theme is “Reimagining Rural Arkansas: Pathways to Growth and Success.” Topics will include building strategic partnerships, evaluating and securing capital, obtaining technical assistance for small businesses, and selling goods and services to the government and corporate sector.
Funded by the Arkansas Human Development Corp. and U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, with support from the SBA, the event will bring together approximately 20 organizations to provide participants with needed resources to grow their existing businesses and support their local communities.
Registration is available by calling Arkansas Human Development Corp. at (800) 482-7641, extension 0, or online at https://t.ly/TalWS.