A&P panel to meet
The Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission will hold its regular meeting at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the commission office, 623 S. Main St. Details: Betty Brown, A&P administrative assistant, (870) 534-2121.
UCA names honors scholars
The University of Central Arkansas at Conway named the local honors scholars for fall 2024. The Norbert O. Schedler Honors College selected 80 incoming first-year students as Schedler Honors College Scholars and 40 students for its Schedler Honors Program. The classes of 2024 have an average high school grade point average above 4.1 and ranked among the top 6% of their graduating class, according to a news release.
The following students was selected from the area:
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Joanna Loretz of Sheridan was selected for the Schedler Honors Program.
Natalie Szeflinski of Sheridan was selected for the Schedler Honors College.
Laney Wallingsford of Sheridan was selected for the Schedler Honors College.
Area Agency sets menu
Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas is serving lunches from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays at the senior centers. Next week’s menu includes:
Monday — BBQ on bun, baked beans, cole slaw, hot apple sauce, and milk.
Tuesday — Baked chicken, corn salad, broccoli, cake with glaze, and milk.
Wednesday — Baked ham, holiday sweet potatoes, green beans, wheat roll, fruited Jell-o, and milk.
Thursday — Swiss steak with gravy, cubed potatoes, peas and carrots, bread, fruit, and milk.
Friday — Tuna salad sandwich, broccoli slaw, tomato wedges, lite lemon cheese cake, and milk. Details: Strachota Senior Center, (870) 543-6323.
Entergy offers Bill Toolkit site
After experiencing record breaking heat indexes in 2023, Entergy Arkansas is providing tips on how to prepare homes for the high-heat and manage bills with the newly launched Bill Toolkit site.
Entergy’s Bill Toolkit site helps customers find ways to manage energy usage and save money through energy efficiency programs including Entergy Arkansas’ Entergy Solutions, according to a news release.
Examples of products and services, available at little to no cost, include AC tune-ups, LED bulbs, smart thermostats, duct sealing and insulation. An A/C tune-up is a great way to evaluate your equipment’s energy performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure that your system is running as efficiently as possible. A/C tune-ups provide a comprehensive diagnostic check of your system to ensure that it’s running smoothly and identify any potential issues.
Customers can schedule an A/C tune-up today by contacting one of Entergy’s trade allies. Visit entergytradeally.com to learn more. Tune-ups are available to qualifying Entergy Arkansas customers at no additional cost. To learn more about energy-saving programs, visit the Entergy Solutions website at entergysolutionsar.com.
Additionally, this program offers home assessments that yield energy efficiency recommendations. A Home Performance Assessment with ENERGY STAR reduces the up-front cost of installing energy efficiency upgrades.
Customers also can save money with these quick and easy energy efficiency tips:
Change air filters. Air filters on some air conditioning units require monthly cleaning or replacing.
Set your thermostat to the highest comfortable temperature. The smaller the difference between the inside and outside temperatures, the lower your energy usage and bill will be.
Buy a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat can help manage costs, is controllable, and can help monitor usage.
Use fans to cool off. Ceiling fans, box fans and oscillating fans use very little electricity to circulate the air. Make sure ceiling fans are rotating in the right direction — counter-clockwise during summer — to push cooler air down into the room. Be sure to turn all fans off in unused rooms.
Close blinds, shades and curtains to keep the sun out and the cool air in. Also, close air conditioning vents in rooms that are not in use.
Seal cracks and holes around doors, windows and ductwork. Weather stripping and caulk will help keep the cold air in and the hot air out.
Use the myAdvisor tool on myentergy.com. The usage and cost tool can compare usage history by month, day and hour.
For customers needing help with their bill, Entergy’s Bill Toolkit provides an overview of payment options, such as level billing and pick-a-date, and customer assistance programs. Entergy partners with third party agencies that provide utility bill assistance for seniors, disabled individuals and programs that are income-based. Through Entergy’s The Power to Care program, local nonprofit agencies provide emergency bill payment assistance to seniors and disabled individuals. You also may be eligible to receive federal payment assistance through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP.
Details: BillToolkit.entergy.com.