Salvation Army holiday event set
The Salvation Army Festival of Tables will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 13 at First Methodist Church of Pine Bluff. Festival of Tables will feature Santa, and a bakery and a gift shop, according to an auxiliary news release.
Chamber event to host Port City Blues
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce will host the Port City Blues Players as the featured entertainment at the 72nd Annual Farmers Appreciation Fish Fry. The event will be held Oct. 24 from 5-7 p.m. at Hestand Stadium.
“We will be serving delicious King Kat catfish and chicken dinners with all the trimmings,” according to the chamber newsletter.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Tickets are $20 for chamber members and $25 for nonmembers. Sponsorships are $400 and include five meal tickets, the ability to place their company banner inside the arena, and their company name listed on all sponsorship marketing materials.
If you are interested in serving as a fish fry volunteer or sponsor, call the chamber at (870) 535-0110.
2025 Leadership Pine Bluff class open
Now is the time to nominate outstanding individuals or apply for the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Leadership Pine Bluff class, according to the chamber newsletter.
Leadership Pine Bluff is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders by offering participants a unique opportunity to network with community leaders and peers; learn about key sectors, including education, healthcare, law enforcement, tourism and industry; connect with top executives from local businesses and organizations; and gain insights into the economic development and future growth of the region. The deadline to apply is Dec. 3. Details: the chamber at (870) 535-0110.
No campaign signs on highway
It is unlawful to place campaign signs on highway right-of-ways in Arkansas, said the Arkansas Department of Transportation. State laws permit only official directional, informational and regulatory highway signs on state-owned highway property.
ARDOT personnel will remove any “yard” signs placed on the right of way and will contact owners of large “billboard” signs to remove them. Owners can pick up the signs during normal business hours at the nearest ARDOT Area Maintenance Office.
SARE grants available for farmers
Farmers and ranchers throughout the South can now apply for grants available through the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, said Henry English, director of the Small Farm Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
“SARE’s Producer Grants allow producers and ranchers to conduct sustainable research projects that solve agricultural production challenges,” English said. “The idea is to develop information on what works and what doesn’t so that other farmers and ranchers facing those same challenges can benefit from the results of the funded project. The grants take some of the financial risk away from trying out a solution to an agricultural production issue.”
The proposal submission deadline is 11 a.m. Nov. 8. Grant announcements will take place in February. The maximum amount for a Producer Grant is $20,000 for individual farmers/ranchers and $25,000 for farmer/rancher organizations.
The amount will be paid to a grantee as a reimbursement once invoices and receipts are submitted for allowable project expenses, according to the release.
“Producers and ranchers must make sure to carefully follow the information in the call for proposals when submitting their proposals,” English said. “Failure to follow the submission guidelines will result in your proposal being rejected.” Details: http://www.southern.sare.org.
Free dental care set for veterans Nov. 1
Free dental care is available for Arkansas veterans on Nov. 1 at seven dental clinics during the third annual Operation Stand Down. Dental care will be given by appointments only.
In Pine Bluff, free veterans’ dental service will be provided at Taylor and Carter Family Dentistry, 3801 S. Olive St. on Nov. 1.
Locations also include Arkadelphia, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, Little Rock and Mountain View, according to a news release.
To schedule an appointment, veterans must contact their county’s Veterans Service Office or Gina Chandler at the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs by emailing gina.chandler@arkansas.gov. Proof of discharge papers, a DD214, will be required for verification purposes.
Veterans will be assigned an appointment time at the clinic nearest to their location. Appointments will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis. Priority will be given to acute or urgent treatments. No walk-ins will be accepted on Nov. 1.
Dentists at seven dental clinics across the state will volunteer their time and expertise to provide acute/urgent pain relief, oral exams, X-rays, extractions, routine maintenance and more.
Operation Stand Down is hosted by Region 12 of the International College of Dentists in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation serves as the project’s major financial sponsor with a grant for dental supplies to be shared among the participating dental practices. Additional sponsors include Patterson Dental Little Rock and ArcBest of Fort Smith.