Dozen apply for North Little Rock football job
Dozen apply for North Little Rock football job
Disaster Relief Center to close; Youth construction camp to be held June 27; Maumelle’s Miller among historians honored with Gingles Award; Education News and Notes, plus headlines and sports
Note to subscribers: An annual or monthly subscription is billed to your debit or credit card as ARKANSAS.SUBSTACK.COM and if you have questions, please email arkansas@substack.com. Thanks for reading and subscribing!Pandemic deaths continue
The state Department of Health, on its Covid dashboard, showed that in the past week, there’s been a total of two deaths reported. The numbers were updated Tuesday, June 20.
One death was added to this year’s totals, while the other was attributed to 2022.
The total number of reported dead Arkansans is now 13,175 or the state’s 32nd largest city.
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There’s now a one-stop shop to learn about vaccination sites and other Covid related information. Click here to learn more.
If you don’t want to get sick and die, there’s some things you can do:
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The Headlines
Meetings: The North Little Rock City Council will meet next Monday night. To view the agenda, click here. The Maumelle Planning Commission meeting scheduled for tonight has been cancelled.
Events: The Disaster Relief Center in North Little Rock will close on Wednesday. For more details, keep scrolling.
Watching: The NBA Draft will be held tonight and broadcast on ABC and ESPN. North Little Rock grad Nick Smith Jr., a former Arkansas Razorback, is among those expected to go in the first round. College teammate Anthony Black is also expected to be picked in the first round. Coverage begins at 7 p.m.
Personal note: Happy wedding anniversary to me and Gwen.
ICYMI: The Crystal Hill Saga
Disaster Relief Center to close
The Disaster Relief Center in North Little Rock is scheduled to close on Wednesday, June 28.
The center is located at 2700 Willow St.
It will have been open for roughly 90 days after the EF3 tornado hit Little Rock and North Little Rock on March 31. The tornado carved a path through central Arkansas starting roughly in west Little Rock near the Target and continued through before crossing the Arkansas River and coming back down in Burns Park before continuing north into the Amby neighborhood.
The storm’s damage is estimated in the billions.
If you still need assistance, go online to www.disasterassistance.gov and apply there.
Youth construction camp to be held June 27
NAWIC & Associated Builders and Contractors of Arkansas are teaming up to host a Youth Construction Camp for ages 12 – 16 next Tuesday, June 27. It is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and will be held at 6 Collins Industrial Place in North L:ittle Rock.
A co-ed camp. It is for students from 12 to 16 and will be an introduction to construction trades. The camp will also feature a team carpentry project that will then be donated to Habitat for Humanity and is hosted in conjunction with ABC and the National Association of Women in Construction.
Lunch will be provided by Koontz Electric, that will be cooked onsite in their chuck wagon.
For more information, or to register for the camp, call 501-812-0828.
Fireworks watch party fundraiser set
The Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum in North Little will be hosting its annual Pops on the River fireworks fundraiser watch party on July 4,. Tickets are $15 per person and parking passes are $10, per vehicle to park inside the sea wall.
Tickets can be purchased online at https://tinyurl.com/p6r3ff5v (make an account before selecting the number of tickets) or in person during business hours. The museum is located at 120 Riverfront Park Drive in North Little Rock.
Gates will open at 7 p.m. and the fireworks are scheduled to start around 9:30 p.m. The museum will be selling a limited selection of food and drinks and no outside food and beverages will be allowed.
For more information, call 501-371-8320.
North Little Rock: Coaching search gets 12 applicants
There’s a Kelley in the mix but not that one as a dozen have applied for the football head coaching job at North Little Rock High School.
The Kelley who applied is Mark Kelley, the offensive coordinator at Conway High School, and not Kevin Kelley, the former head coach at Presbyterian College in North Carolina but, more famously, the multiple state championship winning coach at Pulaski Academy.
The job listing closed on Friday, June 16, and the list of applicants was provided after a Freedom of Information Act request.
The other in-state applicants are:
Robert Shelton, a graduate of El Dorado High School and currently a coach at Marianna
Eric Redmon, a graduate of North Little Rock Northeast and currently a coach in the Little Rock School District
Jeffery Ridgle, a teacher and coach in the North Little Rock School District
Silas Nellums, an assistant football coach at North Little Rock and former assistant at Maumelle High School
Clint Reed, the Dean of Students and an assistant football coach at North Little Rock
Blake Pizan, the offensive coordinator at Sylvan Hills and a former North Little Rock coach
Jamie Washington, a graduate of Brinkley High School and a coach in the Little Rock School District
The out-of-state applicants are:
Daryl LA Steward, a teacher and coach in the East Baton Rouge Schools
Jeffery Schaum, a teacher and coach at Thomas County (Georgia) Central Schools and previously coached collegiately at Warner University
Welson Braxton, a native of Russellville, a college coach who was most recently at Arkansas Tech
Daniel Drennon, a native of Barton, who is the Athletics Director and head football coach at Grand Saline in Texas.
Also included in the packet released by the district was a resume from Jarius Wright, the former NFL and Arkansas receiver, but not included was a formal application from him.
Whomever is hired, will serve as “Dean of Studentsr/Head Football Coach.” and no salary range was listed for the job.
They’ll be replacing Randy Sandefur, who left the district after 40 years, to become the Parks & Rec director for the city of North Little Rock.
The district is also looking to replace Gary Davis, the school’s athletic director and that position closes Thursday, June 22. The listed salary range is $81,881 to $116,108 and is described as a “newly reorganized role is responsible for enhancing all aspects of student-athlete development in the classroom, on the practice and event field, and in the community for all student interscholastic activities as outlined by the Arkansas Athletic Association (AAA).”
UCA names incoming honors students
The University of Central Arkansas Honors College has selected 75 incoming first-year students as its newest class of Norbert O. Schedler Honors College Scholars and 39 incoming first-year students for its University Scholars Program.
Chosen from more than 450 applicants, the entering Schedler Honors College Scholars and University Scholars classes of 2023 have an average high school GPA above 4.0 and an average ACT score of 30. The Honors College class includes 107 students from Arkansas and seven out-of-state students.
The North of the River members of the incoming fall class for the Schedler Honors College and University Scholars programs are listed below:
Benjamin Page of Maumelle: University Scholars Program
Matthew Ashley of Sherwood: Schedler Honors College
Alexandra Flores-Hernandez of North Little Rock: Schedler Honors College
Faith Henderson of North Little Rock: Schedler Honors College
Sarah Jacques of North Little Rock: Schedler Honors College
Kailyn Jeffries of North Little Rock: Schedler Honors College
Abbie Killingsworth of North Little Rock: Schedler Honors College
Faith Maynard of Sherwood: Schedler Honors College
Lily Teng of Sherwood: Schedler Honors College
Prabhjot Kaur of North Little Rock: University Scholars Program
Thanh Mai of North Little Rock: University Scholars Program
Emily Phifer of North Little Rock : University Scholars Program
Maumelle’s Miller among historians honored with Gingles Award
A group of historians from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have won the Gingles Award from the Arkansas Historical Association for their exploration of the criminal case of two African American Arkansans who were executed for the alleged rape of a white woman in the 1930s.
Dr. John Kirk, George W. Donaghey Distinguished Professor of History, co-wrote the paper with his students in the fall 2022 Seminar in Public History class, a capstone course that focuses on collaborative research for students who are earning a Master of Arts in public history at UA Little Rock.
The authors received their award, which includes a $500 prize and a framed certificate, at the annual meeting of the Arkansas Historical Association on April 14. The Gingles Award is presented to the authors of the best manuscript article on any Arkansas history topic.
North of the River students who received the award include Kristen Miller of Maumelle and Dora Bradley and Kellie Solomon of North Little Rock
The article, "From Lynching to Legal Lynching, Mob Justice to Courtroom Justice: The Arkansas 'Scottsboro' Cases of James X. Caruthers and Clear 'Bubbles' Clayton, 1935-1939," will be published in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly.
The paper examines the criminal cases of James X. Caruthers and Clear "Bubbles" Clayton, two African American farm laborers who were convicted of the rape of a white woman, Virgie Terry, and executed in 1939.
The case drew national attention and became widely known as the Arkansas "Scottsboro" Case for its similarities to an Alabama case that resulted in rape convictions of nine Black teenagers. The Alabama convictions were twice reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court because prosecutors hurried the case to trial without giving the defendants adequate time to prepare a defense and for excluding African Americans from juries. It's a legal move that might have made all the difference in the Arkansas case.
"The case took place in the shadow of the Scottsboro case," Kirk said. "The defense attorney in the Arkansas case, Arthur Adams, never objected to the all-white juries used to convict Caruthers and Clayton, which might have saved their lives. It gives us an interesting look at the criminal justice system in Arkansas during the age of segregation."
Kirk had read about the case in an Encyclopedia of Arkansas article written by Stephen Smith, a professor emeritus of communication at the University of Arkansas. A full journal article has never been written about the case, so Smith provided the class with his sources and encouraged them to pursue the details further.
Kirk and the students found the details of the criminal case to be complicated and at times dumbfounding. The two men were originally arrested on suspicion of armed robberies of couples in parked cars and an incident in which Sheriff Clarence Wilson was injured in an attempted robbery near the Blytheville Country Club, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
While they were never tried for robbery, Caruthers and Clayton were later convicted of raping Virgie Terry. She was allegedly assaulted by masked men on Dec. 21, 1934, while out with her boyfriend, Wiley Bryant.
During their research, the students found that articles in the local newspapers were highly inflammatory against Caruthers and Clayton.
"The newspaper pinned names on them, called them bandits, killers, and rapists," said Bradley, who is an adjunct professor of history at University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical Institute. "Each of these articles would taint the minds of the jurors before they were selected as jurors. A lot of the stories were copied and spread across the nation."
"The media tried to drive the narrative of these men's guilt even before they had been charged," Edmonds agreed. "Most of the articles in the Blytheville Courier News were largely slanted toward the prosecution. It almost seemed like the publisher was in an alliance with the prosecutor, who was extremely politically ambitious."
Although their conviction was appealed on multiple grounds for four years, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear their case. Caruthers' and Clayton's last chance would have been clemency granted by then-Gov. Carl Bailey.
"The entire case on appeal would end up in the political realm," Edmonds said. "The governor had promised to hold a commutation hearing for the two men, but he was out of state attending the world's fair. The lieutenant governor, Bob Bailey, refused to convene the hearing that the governor had promised."
UCA names President's and Dean's lists
The University of Central Arkansas named more than 1,130 students as Presidential Scholars.
The Presidential Scholars from Maumelleare listed below.
Madison Allen of Maumelle
Adley Barham of Maumelle
Alex Blair of Maumelle
Peter Cook of Maumelle
Savannah Fabian of Maumelle
Franchelsa Francisco of Maumelle
Eleanor Harrison of Maumelle
Ashley Hooper of Maumelle
Kristopher Horne of Maumelle
Rachel Huey of Maumelle
Jessica Jones of Maumelle
Kaitlyn Kronberg of Maumelle
Hana Lovett of Maumelle
Malingo Matute of Maumelle
Faith Mott of Maumelle
Kaylee Munnerlyn of Maumelle
Eva Palmer of Maumelle
Vinit Patel of Maumelle
Karter Pawelczak of Maumelle
Madeline Sims of Maumelle
Caleb Solberg of Maumelle
Kaylee Walsh of Maumelle
Jenna Wheeler of Maumelle
Daniel Wheeler of Maumelle
Miguel Whitmore of Maumelle
To see the rest of the North of the River students honored, click here.
Spring 2023 Dean's List
The University of Central Arkansas had more than 1,300 students named to the spring 2023 Dean's List.
Maumelle students who earned the spring 2023 Dean's List designation are listed below:
Taylor Ammons of Maumelle
Hannah Dang of Maumelle
Carl Daughtery of Maumelle
William Dodson of Maumelle
Lauraine Fosburgh of Maumelle
Molly Harrell of Maumelle
Sade' Hendrix of Maumelle
Cameron Heslip of Maumelle
Katie Hindmon of Maumelle
Zechariah Johnson of Maumelle
Kyzer Johnston of Maumelle
James Joyner of Maumelle
Peter Kha of Maumelle
Madalyn Knight of Maumelle
Morgan Krebs of Maumelle
Emma Lea of Maumelle
Kailee Massey of Maumelle
Reilly McCann of Maumelle
Megan McMoran of Maumelle
Morgan Mitchell of Maumelle
Joshua Parkinson of Maumelle
Kendal Peyton of Maumelle
Stephanie Ramos of Maumelle
Sydney Scallion of Maumelle
Emma Scribner of Maumelle
Sydney Siler of Maumelle
Landon Smith of Maumelle
Tanner Wenger of Maumelle
To see the rest of the North of the River students honored, click here.
Education notes
Missouri State University names spring dean’s list
Each semester, students at Missouri State University who attain academic excellence are named to the dean's list.
For undergraduate students, criteria include enrollment in at least 12 credit hours during the spring semester and at least a 3.50 GPA (on a 4.00 scale).
These North of the River students made the list:
O'Shayla Muldrow of North Little Rock
Abigail Smith of Maumelle
Mississippi State names honor lists
Mississippi State University recently named its spring 2023 Deans' List.
Those students achieved a grade-point average between 3.5 and 3.79, based on a 4.0 scale, while completing at least 12 semester hours of course work with no incomplete grades or grades lower than a C.
North of the River students honored are:
Rachel Kerley of Maumelle
Claire Green of North Little Rock
Addie Coleman of Sherwood, was named to the university’s spring 2023 President's List.
Students on the President's List achieved a 3.80 or better grade-point average, based on a 4.0 scale, while completing at least 12 semester hours of course work with no incomplete grades or grades lower than a C.
Sports
No baseball at Dickey-Stephens this week
Road trip: Now through Sunday, June 25 at Wichita
Six game homestand against Springfield
Note: This series starts on Wednesday and concludes on Monday, July 3. There’s three nights of fireworks on Friday, Sunday and Monday
Wednesday, June 28, 6:35 p.m.
Dog Days of Summer: Human fans can get $3 Berm tickets by bringing their dog to the game and only available at the Box Office. NOTE: Dogs are only allowed in the Berm areas | Presented By Moix RV Supercenter
Thursday, June 29, 6:35 p.m.
$3 Thursday: Enjoy $3 Beer Garden Tickets and Concessions deals, including Hot Dogs, Soft Drinks, Red Bull, Cotton Candy, and a Select Canned Beer & Seltzer! | Presented By Red Bull
Friday, June 30, 7:05 p.m.
Fireworks: Presented By The Salvation Army
Noche de Diamantes: Your Travs will take the field as the Diamantes de Arkansas in salute of Hispanic Heritage! | Presented By Modelo Especial
Saturday, July 1, 7:05 p.m.
LR Hat Giveaway: Presented By Snapple | First 1,000 Fans (one item per person)
Kids Run the Bases: Presented By Museum of Discovery
Sunday, July 2, 6:35 p.m.
Fireworks
Operation: Military Appreciation: Service Members get $3 off General Admission and Field Reserved tickets by presenting a Military ID (only available at DSP Box Office) | Presented By Mid-South Ford Dealers
Family Sunday: Get $2 General Admission tickets by presenting a physical or digital church bulletin and only available at the Box Office.
Monday, July 3, 6 p.m.
Fireworks
USA Jerseys & Auction: Presented By Arkansas Urology