Achors doing the work
Maumelle sets task force meeting, State basketball tournaments in full swing, One line, Methodist Family Health to have job fairs, Pulaski County election filings are in plus headlines
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Last week was a miserable week for lots of people in Arkansas but also at home.
Thursday night and as it rolled into Friday morning was a sleepless affair as things got a little sketchy. Dizzy. Disorientated. Head in a fog. Praying to the porcelain god, which is a euphemism for vomiting, multiple times.
Friday was much of the same but minus the bathroom trips, not much need for that when you don’t have anything to eat or drink for a day.
The burning question was, could I have Covid?
Working from home, in an ice storm that kept people locked down and my last trip out was the previous Sunday morning for church.
It seemed unlikely but thanks to the free Covid tests provided by the Biden White House, that were here and I took one.
Jamming a q-tip up both sides of your nose is decidedly unpleasant and then the wait. Two lines means you’re sick. One line means, you might be sick from something else, but it isn’t Covid.
It was one line. Thankfully.
Not everyone has been so lucky, as of today, the number of Arkansans who have died during the ongoing pandemic stands at 10,611.
That’s up from last week’s 10,341 as the pace of death has picked up and as expected with Covid fatalities being known as a lagging indicator. In essence, that means it takes four to six weeks for deaths to begin appearing. Covid isn’t like the flu in HBO’s Station 11, where you get sick that morning, and die that night, it takes time. So, sadly, the fatalities are going to keep ticking up.
That’s why, if you look at the forecast numbers from the Centers for Disease Control, they continue to be bleak, as seen below.
Top line forecasts still call for more than 12,000 deaths in Arkansas, which is where it was last week, and the week before that and the week before that and the week before that.
There’s a general sense of things are going back to normal and there’s certainly a reluctance by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to be truthful but the reality is things aren’t over. It is still an ongoing pandemic and people should continue to take reasonable precautions.
If you don’t want to get sick and die, there’s some things you can do:
Get vaccinated
Get boosted
Wear a mask
Avoid crowdsThe Headlines
Maumelle sets task force meeting, again
An elected officials salary task force meeting that had been previously postponed due to weather is back on and has been set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 10.
City Clerk Tina Timmons said in an email that, “Maumelle City Code § 2-564 requires that a committee be established in the month of January of every even-numbered year to consider the compensation of elected officials. The Elected Official Compensation Committee is charged with analyzing the compensation of all elected officials and making recommendations to the City Council concerning the same. The Code requires that those recommendations be presented in the form of ordinances sponsored by the Mayor no later than the first regular city council meeting in May.”
The committee has a total of seven members, five residents of Maumelle and two members of the City Council. They are:
Jeff Van Patten, Chairman
Michelle Strange Elliot
Eric Jones
Justin Simpson
Patti Robinson
Council Member RJ Mazzoni
Council Member Doug Shinn
The clock is ticking as the committee’s recommendations must be presented at or before the first regular meeting in May, which falls on Monday, May 2.
Sheriff's office makes arrest in corrections officer killing
Covid still threatens millions, why are we so eager to move on?
Upcoming meetings: The North Little Rock School Board will meet tonight. To view the agenda, click here.
Need a Covid test?
Click here to order a free one, you never know when you might need it.
Sports
Seeds set, Maumelle Charter, CAC, Maumelle and North Little Rock ready to play
Maumelle
The Hornets are the No. 2 from the 5A-Central with Parkview as the No. 1 seed and Maumelle will open its state tournament run in Sheridan with a game against Vilonia at 2:30 p.m. today. The winner will face the winner of Pine Bluff and Greene County Tech at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, with the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. On the Maumelle side of the bracket is Jonesboro, the defending state champ and the team that beat the Hornets in last year's championship game.
The state tournament bracket can be viewed by clicking here and will be having daily updates catching up on all the state tournament action.
Maumelle Charter
While the third time was the charm, the fourth time wasn’t as Maumelle Charter lost to Conway St. Joseph, 60-44 in the regional championship game on Tuesday night.
It was the fourth time the conference rivals have played this season.
The loss makes Maumelle Charter (22-10) the No. 2 seed from the region and they will face Magnet Cove (25-8) at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in the Class 2A state tournament at Junction City.
That winner would face the winner of Eureka Springs and Rector at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday in the quarterfinals with the semifinals at 7 p.m. on Monday night.
The state tournament bracket can be viewed by clicking here.
» NOTE: All state tournament games will be streamed. Click below for details.
North Little Rock
Both North Little Rock teams earned byes into this week's Class 6A state tournament at Little Rock Southwest.
Johnny Rice's squad, as the No. 1 seed, will face Cabot in a game that will be played at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
The state tournament bracket can be viewed by clicking here.
Daryl Fimple's team is the No. 2 seed from the 6A-Central and will face Cabot at 7 p.m., tonight.
The state tournament bracket can be viewed by clicking here.
CAC teams head to state: Central Arkansas Christian’s basketball teams are headed to the Class 3A State Tournament at Harrison this week, by Donna Lampkin Stephens
The girls state tournament bracket can be viewed by clicking here.
The boys state tournament bracket can be viewed by clicking here.
Achors doing the work for patients, students as hometown pharmacists
By Benjamin Waldrum
Pharmacy has truly been a labor of love for UAMS College of Pharmacy alumni Brandon Achor, who graduated on 2015 and 2017 for Kaley Scott Achor.
After all, how many couples can claim a community pharmacy as the place they got engaged?
The two met as co-workers at Argenta Drug Co. in North Little Rock, when he was about to start pharmacy school at UAMS. After he graduated and Kaley was still a student at UAMS, Brandon proposed — right outside Argenta Drug. They married in 2016. In 2020, they welcomed their first child, Savannah James Achor.
“You could say pharmacy has been a constant pillar of our relationship since day one,” she said. “We were such good friends at the time that we knew once we decided to start dating, we would be together forever.”
As UAMS students, both of them were heavily involved with events and student organizations, including the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). Kaley Achor counts her two years on the APhA-ASP executive committee as her favorite memories as a student. The UAMS student chapter won Chapter of the Year both years at the APhA-ASP national meeting.
“We both have a very special place in our hearts for the UAMS College of Pharmacy,” she said. “It shaped us into who we are today, not just career-wise but personally and professionally.”
Since graduating, the Achors have become well-known pharmacists in their own right. They co-own 13 pharmacies across the state, including their “home store” of Achor Family Pharmacy in Maumelle. Opening the Maumelle location was special for them.
“When the opportunity arose in 2019 for us to start a pharmacy together in Maumelle, we knew that it was God calling us to our next step,” Kaley Achor said. “Our family motto is ‘Always Show Up,’ and we really want our patients to feel that we are always there for them as a whole, not just to provide them medications.”
They balance each other out as pharmacists: Brandon is the business-minded one while Kaley focuses more on patient services. “I throw out a million ideas, and he reels me into reality,” she said.
The Achors have shown up for their patients during the pandemic, opening a vaccination center to triage and allow for extended monitoring and counseling on the vaccine and disease. Though it was exhausting for the staff, it was a reminder of how unique and rewarding pharmacy can be.
Now things have come full circle, with the couple creating a scholarship at the college last year. It’s a way for them to give back to the place that has had a central role in their lives. They hope students who receive the scholarship will pursue a career in community pharmacy, as they have.
“We were both awarded scholarships during our time at the college,” Kaley Achor said. “We felt very fortunate to receive that financial aid and learn about the people who generously donated. We always knew we wanted to give back to the college, and with all God has blessed us with, we felt now was the perfect time to fund a scholarship.”
With all that pharmacy has given them, the couple continues to encourage others to follow the same path to a fulfilling career.
“To someone considering a career in pharmacy, I would say do it,” she said. “If you really love connecting with people and want to be able to use your knowledge and skills to meet the needs of others, pharmacy is a great career choice.”
Benjamin Waldrum writes for UAMS
Methodist Family Health to have job fairs in Maumelle, Little Rock
Methodist Family Health will be having job fairs this month in Little Rock and Maumelle.
The Little Rock event will be Wednesday, March 9 at the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center, 2002 S. Fillmore St.
The Maumelle event will be Wednesday, March 16 in the cafeteria at the Methodist Behavioral Hospital in Maumelle, 1600 Murphy Drive
For both events, drop-in interviews start at 4 p.m. and interviews by appointment will begin at 9 a.m. Both are scheduled to end at 7 p.m.
To make an appointment for either job fair, email HumanResources@MethodistFamily.org.
There are immediate openings for entry-level through leadership positions for professionals and hiring managers will be onsite to discuss opportunities for full-time, part-time and contract career opportunities.
Available positions include:
Nurses: Nurse managers, nurse supervisors, RNs, LPNs and pool
Therapists: School-based therapists, outpatient therapists, acute clinical therapists, residential treatment center therapist, recreational therapist, day treatment therapist and program coordinators
Direct Care: Lead teaching parents, alternate teaching parents, behavioral instructors, supervised independent living residential assistant, qualified behavioral health providers, program consultants and case managers
Program Support: Cooks, housekeepers and maintenance
Methodist Family Health offers these benefits and incentives:
Medical - PPO or HDHP
Telemedicine
Flexible spending account for PPO
Health savings account for HDHP
Dependent care account
Dental and vision coverage
Life insurance - 100 percent of premium cost paid by Methodist Family Health
Voluntary term life insurance (optional)
Short-term and long-term disability (optional)
Cancer, accident and critical illness plans (optional)
Employee assistance program (EAP)
Full-time, part-time and contract positions available
Competitive wages
Sign-on, retention and Christmas bonuses for applicable positions
Excellent opportunities for advancement
Tuition assistance
Public service loan forgiveness (PSLF)
401(k) with employer match – once eligibility is met, the employer match is 100 percent of the first one percent deferred and 50 percent of the next five percent deferred by employee
Generous personal time off (PTO)
Wellness program – grand prize is paid, employee-only medical insurance premium for a limited time
Discount on joining 10 Fitness
Tickets at Work program
Appreciation events for employees throughout the year
Discounted cafeteria meals for employees at inpatient programs
Full benefits for employees working 30 hours or more as well as weekend-only direct care positions
Locations in Bono, Fayetteville, Helena-West Helena, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Magnolia and Maumelle
Housing provided for some residential positions
Virtual interviews via ZOOM also are available and can be scheduled by contacting Denise Mahurin or Nancy Miller at 501-661-0720, or DMahurin@methodistfamily.org or NMiller@MethodistFamily.org. For more information about available positions, click here or e-mail HumanResources@MethodistFamily.org.
Our Town in town next week
North Little Rock's Argenta Community Theater and ACANSA Arts Festival of the South will present Thornton Wilder's Our Town with shows starting on Wednesday, March 9 and continuing through Saturday, March 19.
The March 9 and 10 shows are preview nights with the official opening night on Friday, March 11.
Show times are 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with curtains opening at 7:30 p.m. for Friday and Saturday night shows.
There's also a Sunday, March 13 matinee that will start at 2 p.m.
Tickets start at $25.
The theater will open one hour before the show starts and food and drinks will be available for purchase. To buy tickets, click here or you can call 501-663-2287.
Our Town was described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written" when it debuted in 1938 and the nearly 84 year old story has proven to be timeless.
Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, the play depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually – in one of the most famous scenes in American theater – die.
Ben Grimes is the director, with Brandon Paul Eells as the Stage Manager, Caleb Allen as George Gibbs, and Finley Daniel as Emily Webb.
It features Laura Grimes as Mrs. Gibbs, Duane Jackson as Dr. Gibbs, Verda Davenport-Booher as Mrs. Webb and Wyatt Hamilton as Mr. Webb. Ben Barham, Perry Bland, Sela Booher, Jamie Boshears, Shawn Brinker, Lucinda Paul Eells, Matthew French, Alex Hurdle, Tracy Hurdle, Steven Jones, Larry Lapaglia and Matthew Maguire make up the ensemble.
On the technical side, the original music composition is by Amos Cochran. Scenic Design is by Danny Grace, Lighting design is by Dena Kimberling with Technical Direction from Sara Cooke. Stage Manager is Kay Knight, Costumes by Shelly Hall, Sound Design by Steven Jones, Prop Design by Lauren Nicholas and Movement Coordination by Casey Dillard.
Masks and proof of vaccination are required to attend all 2022 festival events.
Barry Hyde to stay Pulaski County Judge
North Little Rock’s Barry Hyde will remain Pulaski County Judge as he is running unopposed in November’s election.
The same is true for County Assessor Janet Troutman, County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth and County Treasurer Debra Buckner as all will remain in office for another four years.
Troutman and Buckner also live in North Little Rock as well and all four are members of the Democratic Party.
Sheriff Eric Higgins didn’t draw a Democratic Primary opponent but will face either Calvin Grogan or Paul Keller, who will meet up in the Republican Primary.
In Quorum Court races, North of the River Justices of the Peace J. Luke McCoy, Phil Stowers and Paul Elliott are running unopposed. McCoy lives in North Little Rock, while Stowers and Elliott are both in Maumelle.
District 15 will have an election in November as North Little Rock’s Staci Medlock is running as a Democrat while North Little Rock’s Mark Clinton is running as a Republican.
For the complete list of legislative races from the Secretary of State’s office, click here.
County candidates
County Judge
Barry Hyde, Democratic
County Assessor
Janet Troutman Ward, Democratic
Circuit and County Clerk
Terri Hollingsworth, Democratic
County Treasurer, Democratic
Debra Buckner, Democratic
County Sheriff
Eric S. Higgins, Democratic
Calvin Grogan, Republican
Paul D. “Blue” Keller, Republican
District 1
Sandy Furrer, Democratic
Drew Alan Baker, Republican
Deborah Crow, Republican
Rebekah L. Davis, Republican
District 2
Natalie Capps, Democratic
Summer Campbell, Democratic
Katherine Dudley, Republican
Becky McHughes, Republican
District 3
Lorri Justice, Republican
Reed Martin, Republican
Kathy Lewison, Democratic
District 4
Julie Blackwood, Democratic
District 5
Lillie Ingram McMullen, Democratic
District 6
Donna Massey, Democratic
District 7
Anna Morshedi, Democratic
Dianne Curry, Democratic
District 8
Curtis A. Keith, Democratic
District 9
Judy Green, Democratic
District 10
Kristina “KG” Gulley, Democratic
Barry Jefferson, Democratic
District 11
Aaron Robinson, Republican
District 12
J. Luke McCoy, Republican
District 13
Phil Stowers, Republican
District 14
Paul Elliott, Republican
District 15
Staci Medlock Democratic
Mark Clinton, Republican
County Constable
Big Rock
Mike Graves, Democratic
Walter Harrison Stoermer, Republican
Hill Township
Robert Wells, Democratic
Buster Lackey, Republican
Thomas D. Scruggs, Republican
Wayne Ball, Republican
Chris Powell, Republican
Jacksonville North Pulaski School Board
At-Large – Position 1
Daniel Gray
Zone 2
Ava Coleman
Zone 5
Dena J. Toney