Filing Day begins quietly
New Principal, Assistant Principal named at Maumelle Charter Middle School; Caverns & Forests an Argenta destination plus headlines, sports and Travs in town
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The Headlines
Meetings: The school board for the North Little Rock School District will meet at 5:30 p.m. tonight at the district’s administration building in a special call meeting. The Maumelle City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall.
Events: Sales tax free weekend, the state’s now annual tradition is this weekend and deals can be had for things needed for back-to-school. Everything from clothes to computers are included. Some retailer’s are also having additional sales this weekend as well. Please enjoy the coupon to Dick’s Sporting Goods in North Little Rock, if you are so inclined.
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Survey time: The Central Arkansas Library System is currently conducting a survey of interested patrons on a strategic plan going forward. The Maumelle library is among the CALS branches. Click on the survey here.
Tickets for sale: Tickets are now for sale for this fall’s Simmons Bank Championship presented by Stephens at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock. To buy tickets, click here. Daily tickets start at $30. Packages will eventually be available as well but not yet.
Ribbon-cutting: PCSSD will have a ribbon-cutting for its new Mainline Health Center that will be at the Mills Middle School campus – 205 E. Dixon Road, Little Rock. The event will start at 10:30 a.m. this Friday, Aug. 2. Assorted elected officials will be on hand and the health center will serve the entire district.
Upcoming events for the end of summer
The North Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department will host end-of-summer and back-to-school events at the community centers over the coming weeks. These events are free to the public and will have games, activities, school supplies, door prizes, and more.
Saturday, Aug. 3: noon to 3 p.m. Rose City Community Center will host an End-of-Summer Celebration at their park at 400 Rose Lane. Call 501-945-8036.
Saturday, Aug. 10: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sherman Park Community Center will host the Family Fun Fest in the center and at their pool at 624 Beech Street. Call 501-340-5373.
Thursday, Aug. 15: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Glenview Community Center will host a Back-to-School Splash Bash at their splash pad at 4800 E 19th Street. Call 501-945-2921.
Let’s get (a) physical: It’s almost time to head back to school and many children are required to have a school or sports pre-participation physical. Baptist Health Urgent Care can provide these physicals to get your child ready to take on their new adventure. There are 20 Baptist Health Urgent Care centers located throughout Arkansas. All are open late and on weekends to help busy families. No appointments are needed and walk-ins are always welcome. For more information, visit BaptistHealthUrgentCare.net.
Filing Day begins quietly
It wasn’t quite a hustle and bustle scene at the Pulaski County Clerk’s office in Little Rock as filing day began at noon on Wednesday.
Candidates have until noon next Wednesday, Aug. 7 to officially declare their intentions to run for office in Pulaski County. All municipal candidates, besides Little Rock city offices, have to file with the county and as the first day closed, no Maumelle candidates put their names into the hat.
Four City Council seats will be on the ballot this fall with Election Day being Tuesday, Nov. 5, which is, improbably, roughly 90 days away.
Maumelle and North Little Rock filings follow. This story will be updated periodically through this week and next before publication of the final list next Thursday.
Maumelle
No filings
North Little Rock
North Little Mayor Terry Hartwick
North Little Rock City Clerk Diane Whitbey
City Council
Ward 4: Position 1: Scott Fowler
Thursday filings
TBA
Friday filings
TBA
Monday filings
TBA
Tuesday filings
TBA
Wednesday Filings and last day to file
TBA
New Principal, Assistant Principal named at Maumelle Charter Middle School
Academics Plus Charter Schools announced a new principal and assistant principal at Maumelle Charter Middle School according to Rob McGill, executive director.
Dakota Weatherly, above, has been named principal at MCMS and was previously the assistant principal for the past two years. He is a graduate of Arkansas State University with an undergraduate degree in Social Studies Education and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Before joining MCMS, he was a coach and teacher at Marion High School, Paragould High School and Lonoke High School. He replaces Paula Newton who recently retired.
Tiffany Kent, above, has been named assistant principal at MCMS. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Arkansas Tech University and a master’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas. She was most recently a Secondary Building Learning Specialist with Bryant Middle School.
Academics Plus Charter Schools has campuses in Maumelle and Scott.
Caverns & Forests brings games, and much more, to downtown North Little Rock
By Gwen Green / ASBTDC
A new business is always a roll of the dice. With a unique concept, the owners of Caverns & Forests board game café in North Little Rock believe they have hit on a winning strategy.
Friends and co-owners Radiance Beltz and Matt Quin call their cafe the first of its kind in Arkansas.
“Basically, someone was going to do it, and we wanted to be the first in the area,” said Beltz.
“What makes Caverns & Forests valuable is that it’s constructed around what everyone needs more of: real connection with other people. I can’t tell you how happy our clientele is and how great it is to work in a space where everyone is always laughing and smiling,” she said.
Nestled in the city’s downtown Argenta district, the café opened in December 2023.
For a $5 per person fee for ages 8 and up, customers can play as many games as they like until closing time. Caverns & Forests also offers memberships for a month and longer. Members don’t have to pay the cover charge.
The walls are lined with more than 600 board games, with seating at long tables and benches plus smaller tables with folding chairs.
What you won’t see? Screens.
“We’re a screen-free third space. We don’t have televisions or other electronics in the cafe. We do have free wifi, since lots of folks like to watch how-to-play videos instead of reading rule books,” said Beltz.
Along with games, the cafe serves up a menu of Italian-style paninis, salads, homemade desserts, and beer, wine, and coffee. Caverns & Forest uses many local suppliers and ingredients, including bread from Boulevard Bread Co., where the owners used to work together.
Quin has been general manager of several restaurants in central Arkansas, including Boulevard Bread and ZAZA. He is also a board gaming enthusiast.
Beltz began working with Quin on Caverns & Forests in October 2022. Initially, they held pop-up game nights at different local restaurants and bars.
A pivotal pop-up
At one of the pop-ups, Maumelle’s Nicolas Mayerhoeffer, a business consultant at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, introduced himself. The friends told him of their goal of opening the café, and he told them about the no-cost services available through the center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
“Nicolas was exceptionally helpful. We never would have found out about ASBTDC without him taking the initiative at that pop-up,” said Radiance. “He helped us get the funds to make it happen.”
Mayerhoeffer, above, helped them put together a budget and funding proposal, which they used to get a small bank loan. He also became a sounding board, “someone we felt we could just ask stupid questions,” she said.
“You know, never having done this before, and neither of us having a business background, it was really essential to have someone to build our confidence and give us an outline of what we needed.”
He challenged the prospective owners to be certain of their concept and consider whether customers would embrace it. “Answering questions like that did give me a boost of confidence as well, because it became pretty clear that this area is in desperate need of spaces like ours,” Beltz said.
Customer response has confirmed Beltz’s belief.
“Business has been great!” she said.
Visit the cafe’s website, cavernsandforests.com, for business hours and more.
Auditions set for A Christmas Story the Musical
The Argenta Contemporary will be having a holiday production A Christmas Story the Musical, Anna Kimmell, directing.
Auditions for the show will be this Monday, Aug. 5 and callbacks along dance call will be on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Auditions will be held at 405 Main St. in downtown North Little Rock.
Some roles have already been cast, but not for Ralphie, and to make an audition appointment, email casting@argentacontemporarytheatre.org. Walk-ins will also be accepted.
The show will start on Dec. 4 and continue through Dec. 22.
In addition to Kimmell, the Vocal/Music Director is Leann Jones while Allison Stodola Wilson will serve as choreographer.
It is important no actual tongues will be frozen during the production but you could shoot your eye out with a BB gun if you aren’t careful.
Sports
Upcoming Travs games
Opponent - Midland
Today, 6:35 p.m.
$3 Thursday: Enjoy $3 Beer Garden Tickets and Concessions deals, including Hot Dogs, Soft Drinks, Cotton Candy, and a Select Canned Beer & Seltzer!
Friday, 7:05 p.m.
Fireworks Friday - 90s Music
Clear Fanny Pack Giveaway night
Saturday, 6:05 p.m.
Bluey at the Ballpark: Wackadoo! Bluey is heading to Dickey-Stephens Park -- For real life. (NOTE: Game ticket does not guarantee access to meet & greet.) | Presented By Arkansas Family Dental
Kids Run the Bases: Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game!
Sunday, 1:35 p.m.
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 (only available at DSP Box Office)
Bluey at the Ballpark: Wackadoo! Bluey is heading to Dickey-Stephens Park -- For real life. (NOTE: Game ticket does not guarantee access to meet & greet.) | Presented By Arkansas Family Dental
Kids Run the Bases: Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game!
Opponent - Tulsa
Tuesday, Aug 6, 6:35 p.m.
CALS Night
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 6:35 p.m.
No promotions scheduled
Thursday, Aug. 8, 6:35 p.m.
$3 Thursday: Enjoy $3 Beer Garden Tickets and Concessions deals, including Hot Dogs, Soft Drinks, Cotton Candy, and a Select Canned Beer & Seltzer!
Friday, Aug. 9, 7:05 p.m.
Post-Game Drone Show: Join us at Dickey-Stephens Park for the first ever sanctioned drone shows in Central Arkansas! | Presented By CHI St. Vincent
Marvel's Defenders of the Diamond Night & Jersey Auction
Saturday, Aug. 10, 6:05 p.m.
George Kirby Bobblehead Giveaway: Presented By Dr Pepper | First 1,000 Fans (one item per person)
Post-Game Drone Show: Join us at Dickey-Stephens Park for the second ever sanctioned drone show in Central Arkansas! | Presented By CHI St. Vincent
Sunday, Aug. 11, 1:35 p.m.
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 (only available at DSP Box Office)
Kids Run the Bases: Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game!
At Wichita, Tuesday, Aug. 13 through Sunday, Aug. 18.
Pandemic deaths unknown
The state Department of Health again didn’t have a Covid report available for this week and numbers for the year haven’t been updated since last week. The state’s dashboard says there’s been 294 Covid-related deaths in 2024. The virus has now killed 13,938 Arkansans since the pandemic began four years ago. That would mean the pandemic death toll has now passed Marion’s 13,635 people, the state’s 29th largest city.
Covid toolkit
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:
Get vaccinated
Get boosted
Wear a mask
Avoid crowds