Veterans legal clinic set next week
The Pine Bluff Veterans Legal Clinic will be open from 9-11 a.m. April 8 at the Pine Bluff First Assembly Life Center-West Campus, 3206 S. Hazel St. Walk-ins are welcome, according to a news release.
Veterans will be able to receive free consultations on civil legal issues, including family law, consumer protection law, landlord tenant, public benefits, and criminal record sealing. Arkansas veterans who need help will have the opportunity to speak with a lawyer.
The Center for Arkansas Legal Services (CALS), the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs and the Little Rock VA Medical Center’s Justice Outreach Program will have representatives available to consult with veterans. Veterans may also contact the CALS Help Line at 1-800-950-5817.
A face covering is required at the legal clinic. Social distancing guidelines are followed. Details: Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington’s Office, 870-730-2000, ext. 7.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Festivities in works for Juneteenth
The City of Pine Bluff will host its 2021 Juneteenth Celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 19 in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse on Main Street.
The event will feature live musical and dance performances, dramatizations, free food, and activities for children and teens. From 3-9 p.m., a block party will be hosted by Wil Jenkins at the same site, according to a news release.
Attendance is free to community members, however, the registration fee is $25 for vendors and $75 for food trucks. Registration is available by contacting the mayor’s office at 870-730-2000, ext. 7, or sending an email to mayor@cityofpinebluff-ar.gov. The registration deadline is June 11.
“Each year, Juneteenth is a special occasion celebrated by communities around the nation, marking the emancipation of enslaved people in 1865, who were not freed until several years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The city is proud to join in this celebration of freedom,” according to the news release.
For details or to sign up to perform, contact Mary Liddell at marylddll@yahoo.com or 870-643-2383.
Congressman to visit pandemic heroes
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) will kick off a tour of the Fourth District centered on the those who served their communities in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic.
The tour includes Monday events:
At Southeast Arkansas College at Pine Bluff — 9:30 a.m. – Meet Betty Cook, who delivered meals to children in need when schools were closed; 11 a.m. – Meet Melrita Johnson, who mentors young social workers and collects food, toiletry, and infant necessities; 11 a.m. – meet Lynette Bloomberg, who used her sewing machine to make hundreds of masks for her fellow residents.
10 a.m. – Meet Lisa Grove, who uses social media to spotlight local businesses, Sheridan; 1:30 p.m. – Visit Rison Pharmacy, whose owners and employees organized charitable drives and educated the public on the covid-19 vaccine, Rison; 2:45 p.m. – Meet Nathan Greeley, Bearden police chief, who bought essentials for the homebound with his own money, delivered medications, and conducted wellness checks on ill residents, Rison.
The congressman also has plans to visit other sites Wednesday and Thursday in the district.
Render Sisters plan song release today
Pop-country duo the Render Sisters from Pine Bluff will release their harmonious new upbeat single “Black Roses,” across all major digital music platforms (linktr.ee/rendersisters) today.
Stella and Mary-Keaton Render co-wrote the song with Nashville songwriter Britton Cameron who’s been writing with and developing the sister duo since their emergence in 2020, according to a news release.
The Render Sisters also have a brand new video for “Black Roses” which they’ll premiere soon. Shot in and around Nashville, the video was directed by country music icon Pam Tillis, who has been mentoring and working with the girls since last year.
The Render Sisters were also recently announced as performers for the Arkansas Country Music Awards on June 7 at the Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas at Conway.