Raven’s Nest pantry to open Oct. 12
Raven’s Nest Food Pantry at Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, 2507 Hill St., will open Oct. 12, from 8-9:30 a.m. or until all the food has been given away. Food will be given away on a first come, first-served basis. Participants must bring a picture identification. The pantry is a U.S. Department of Agriculture distribution site and equal opportunity provider, according to a news release.
Simmons opens Kansas City office
Simmons Bank is celebrating the grand opening of the new regional corporate office and financial center in Kansas City, Mo. Simmons operates more than 50 full-service branches throughout Missouri and Kansas, according to a news release.
“With the addition of this new regional office, Simmons Bank is continuing to deepen our commitment to the Kansas City area with an emphasis on delivering a full suite of services to commercial, business and individual clients in the region with best-in-class talent,” said Mark Nuss, regional executive for Simmons Bank.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The 16,500-square-foot financial center features a full-service branch and a walk-up ATM with quick-deposit capabilities. Associates onsite will serve customers financial needs including personal and commercial lending, as well as wealth management services.
Rural economic development topic
An upcoming conference, co-hosted by the Cooperative Extension Service, will offer participants the chance to learn how to access state, federal and private funding resources for rural development projects.
“Investing in Rural Prosperity: A Forum on Blending and Braiding Federal and Private Funds” will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 16 in person and virtually, according to a news release.
The event is free to the public. The conference is a project of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Arkansas Community and Economic Development Alliance.
The in-person event will take place at the Cooperative Extension Service’s state headquarters, 2301 S. University Ave., in Little Rock.
The Cooperative Extension Service is the outreach and education arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Brandon L. Mathews, economic development program associate for the Division of Agriculture, said attendees can expect to hear directly from representatives of several state and federal agencies involved in rural development programs.
“We’ll also get to hear from several communities across Arkansas that are leveraging these resources and others to really promote economic development in their communities,” Mathews said. “We’re really focusing on non-metropolitan areas of the state — not just Little Rock or Northwest Arkansas.”
The deadline for registration is Oct. 10, and registration is available online. Individuals who plan to attend virtually must also email communitydevelopment@stls.frb.org in order to obtain the Zoom link.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis will provide lunch for attendees. An agenda is available at https://events.stlouisfed.org/event/ed1e6801-5892-47aa-9616-079d5c6b09f1/summary.
Mathews said the conference is intended for rural chambers of commerce, economic developers and other community-based organizations and individuals.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’s participation in this cosponsored activity does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or approval by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity, according to the news release.