First Day Hikes nearly here
North of the River basketball, Maumelle Planning Commission has vacancy plus sports and headlines
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!
The Headlines
MEETINGS: The school board for the Pulaski County Special School District will have two special meetings in the coming week with the first being Thursday and then another next Tuesday. Both meetings will start at 6:30 p.m. at the administration building. The Maumelle City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall.
EVENTS: Today is New Year’s Eve with the holiday being tomorrow. Trash and recycling will run one-day delayed after the holiday with the various government offices will be closed that day with some offices having limited hours on the following Thursday and Friday.
Swearing-in ceremonies
North Little Rock will swear in its newly elected and returning public officials on Friday, Jan. 3, at a ceremony at City Hall. It will start at 10 a.m. The ceremony for Maumelle’s elected officials will be held before the Council meeting on Monday.
PUBLIC NOTICE: PLANNING COMMISSION VACANCY
The Maumelle City Council is accepting resumes from residents interested in serving on the Maumelle Planning Commission. The Council will make an appointment to Position 1 for a four year term ending Jan. 31, 2029. Resumes should be submitted to Tina Timmons, City Clerk/Treasurer, and 550 Edgewood Drive, Maumelle, Arkansas 72113 no later than 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. Resumes can be emailed to cityclerk@maumelle.org. All applicants will be interviewed by the City Council at the next scheduled Council meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 at 6 p.m. The City Council will appoint immediately following the interviews. For additional information please call Scott Grummer at 501-851-2500.
First Day Hikes are nearly here
Arkansas State Parks will be having its annual First Day Hikes on Wednesday, Jan. 1, at parks across the state.
The tradition of the First Day Hikes began in 2014 and 36 parks across the state will be having a total of 46 ranger-led, guided hikes.
“We are thrilled that the First Day Hikes event has grown into such a special tradition for so many people,” said Kelly Farrell, chief of interpretation and program services for the Division of Arkansas State Parks in a press release. “This year, we are excited to continue with this national event taking place in 50 state park systems. We hope you enjoy starting 2025 outdoors, kicking off the new year with a healthy, invigorating activity and fun memories. Whether you go a quarter mile or a dozen, you are part of the First Day Hikes movement and part of something huge and exciting.”
There’s also the option of self-guided hikes at any of the parks across the state.
Woolly Hollow State Park: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Petit Jean State Park: 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., 10 a.m. to noon 11:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Pinnacle Mountain State Park: 6:15 a.m. - 8:15 a.m., 10 a.m. to noon, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Recycle that Christmas tree
If you want to get all Christmas-y about it, you're supposed to keep your tree up through the first week of January.
The whole 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany and all that but not everyone does that and now might be the time you’re trying to figure out what to do with that beautiful tree you bought at Junior Deputy.
There’s an environmentally friendly, good for nature option that the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission offers annually in dropping off that tree to be used as a fish habitat in one of the state’s many bodies of water.
This offer only applies to live Christmas trees, the fake ones need not apply..
There’s other options, of course. You could put your Christmas tree out on the curb ““on your yard waste day” if you live in Maumelle or North Little Rock and for more information in Maumelle, call 501-851-2888, while those in North Little Rock can call 371-8430.
You should, under no circumstances, burn the tree in your fireplace as it is a really good way to set your house on fire.
But, if so inclined, you can sink the tree yourself. Any Arkansas stream or river or lake will do.
Game and Fish said, “the small spaces and dense cover offered by fresh Christmas trees make excellent nursery habitat for small fish as well as great places to fish.”
If sinking it yourself, weigh it down with either cinder blocks or sandbags, so the tree will stay sunk and then remember where you put it.
What’s also really great is while Game and Fish will take care of the trees come February, you can also take trees from the pile for yourself to sink.
They note, “trees are relatively short-term habitat because they don’t have much thick woody material, but they can be gathered in clusters easily and sunk in large groups” and “the main stems will last longer than the wispy branches and continue to draw fish throughout the year.”
Trees can be dropped off at any of the following locations until the end of January:
Trees can be dropped off at any of the following central Arkansas locations until the end of January:
Arkansas River – Riverview Park Access in North Little Rock
Lake Barnett – Reed Access
Harris Brake Lake – Chittman Hill Access
Lake Pickthorne – Holland Bottoms Access
Lake Overcup – Lake Overcup Landing
Cox Creek Lake – Cox Creek Lake Public Access
Lake Hamilton – Andrew Hulsey State Fish Hatchery Access Area
For more locations around the state, click here.
Sports
North of the River basketball
Maumelle Charter boys
Conference: 3A-6
Record so far: 6-16 and 0-3 in league play
Notable wins and losses: Maumelle Charter started strong with two consecutive wins but victories haven’t come easy for the Falcons with just one win in December and the team is riding a seven-game losing streak.
What’s ahead: Friday, the Falcons travel to Guy to face Guy-Perkins, then a trip across the river to face Episcopal Collegiate on Tuesday.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Friday, Jan. . 3: At Guy-Perkins ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. . 7: At Episcopal ... 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10: Vs. Lisa Academy North ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Rose Bud ... 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: At Riverview ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Bald Knob ... 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Pangburn ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Harding Academy ... 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Episcopal ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: At Lisa Academy North ... 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: At Rose Bud ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11: At St. Joseph ... 8:30 p.m.
Maumelle Charter girls
Conference: 3A-6
Record so far: 9-13 and 0-4 in league play
Notable wins and losses: Maumelle Charter defeated CAC and Maumelle in November, but it wasn’t a December to remember as the Falcons are riding a six-game losing streak.
What’s ahead:Two road trips ahead, first to Guy-Perkins on Friday, then to Little Rock on Tuesday to face Episcopal.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score -
Friday, Jan. . 3: At Guy-Perkins ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. . 7: At Episcopal ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Rose Bud ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: At Riverview ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Bald Knob ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Pangburn ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Harding Academy ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Episcopal ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: At Rose Bud ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11: At St. Joseph ... 7 p.m.
Maumelle boys
Conference: 5A-Central
Record so far: 12-5 and 2-0 in conference play
Notable wins and losses: Maumelle’s four losses were to 6A schools but the Hornets have beaten North Little Rock, Conway, Bryant among a number of other larger schools. Maumelle most recently defeated Kentucky’s McCracken County in the consolation game of a post-Christmas tournament.
What’s ahead: The Hornets return to action next Tuesday with a trip to Jacksonville.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. . 7: At Jacksonville ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Sylvan Hills ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: Vs. Greenbrier ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Little Rock Christian ... 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Vilonia ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Catholic ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: At Beebe ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: Vs. Parkview ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: Vs. Jacksonville ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: At Sylvan Hills ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18: At Greenbrier ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 21: Vs. Little Rock Christian ... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 25: At Vilonia ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 28: At Catholic ... 7 p.m.
Maumelle girls
Conference: 5A-Central
Record so far: 5-10 and 0-2 in conference play
Notable wins and losses: Maumelle won its last two games in December at the Drew Central Holiday Invitational to end the year strong.
What’s ahead: January starts off next Tuesday with a trip to Jacksonville.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. . 7: At Jacksonville... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Sylvan Hills... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: Vs. Greenbrier... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Little Rock Christian ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Vilonia... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Mount St. Mary ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: At Beebe ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: Vs. Parkview ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: Vs. Jacksonville ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: At Sylvan Hills ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18: At Greenbrier... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 21: At Little Rock Christian ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 25: At Vilonia ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 28: At Mount St. Mary ... 7 p.m.
Central Arkansas Christian boys
Conference: 4A-5
Record so far: 3-7
Notable wins and losses: Defeated Maumelle Charter early and scored a big win against long-time rival Lonoke in December.
What’s ahead: The Mustangs are at Lisa Academy North, the one in Sherwood, this Friday and then at Lisa Academy West in Little Rock next Tuesday.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Friday, Jan. . 3: At Lisa Academy North... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. . 7: At Lisa Academy West ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Pulaski Academy ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: Vs. Morrilton ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Robinson ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Clinton ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Heber Springs ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Lisa Academy West ... 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: At Pulaski Academy ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11: Vs. Morrilton ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: Vs. Robinson ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18: At Clinton ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 21: At Heber Springs ... 7 p.m.
Central Arkansas Christian girls
Conference: 2A-5
Record so far: 1-14 and o-4 in conference action.
Notable wins and losses CAC defeated Pulaski County Homeschool (yes, that’s a thing) in November for its lone victory this season.
What’s ahead: Mt. Vernon-Enola, a traditional small school powerhouse, visits Mustang Mountain on Monday, with a trip to Bee Brtanch to face South Side Bee Branch next Thursday. With CAC playing in split classifications, many of the girls games will be Monday and Thursday while the boys will play on the more traditional Tuesday and Friday nights.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Monday, Jan. . 6: Vs. Mt. Vernon-Enola ... 5 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. . 9: At South Side... 6 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 13: At Mt. Vernon-Enola... 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 16: Vs. St. Joseph … 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Robinson ... 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23: At Jacksonville Lighthouse... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. White County Central ... 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Quitman ... 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 30: Vs. South Side ... 6 p.m.
Monday, Feb. . 3: Vs. Jacksonville Lighthouse ... 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. . 6: At Bigelow ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: At Conway Christian... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: Vs. Robinson ... 7 p.m.
North Little Rock Boys
Conference: 6A-Central
Record so far: 8-4
Notable wins and losses: North Little Rock’s most recent game was a close loss to Jonesboro in tournament action and will be one of three games against the Hurricane this season, but it feels like it will be four when state tournament action is included. It should be noted Jonesboro is 14-1 this season.
What’s ahead: Conference play begins with a trip to Little Rock Central next Tuesday.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. . 7: At Central … 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10: At Conway ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: At Jonesboro … 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At De Queen ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Bryant ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Cabot ... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: Vs. Central ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: Vs. Conway ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: Vs. Jonesboro ... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 25: At Bryant ... 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 27: At Cabot ... 7:30 p.m.
North Little Rock girls
Conference: 6A-Central
Record so far: 11-6
Notable wins and losses: North Little Rock lost to host Mountain Home in the finals of its annual tournament to break a four-game winning streak.
What’s ahead: The ‘Cats open 6A-Central with a bang with trips to Little Rock Central next Tuesday, followed by a trip to Conway on Friday, Jan. 10.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. . 7: At Central ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10: At Conway ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Little Rock Southwest ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: At Jonesboro... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At De Queen ... 5
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Bryant ... 5
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Cabot ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: Vs. Central ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: Vs. Conway ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11: At Little Rock Southwest ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: Vs. Jonesboro... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 25: At Bryant ... 5
Thursday, Feb. 27: At Cabot... 6 p.m.
SEC bowl games
Today
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, 2 p.m.: #15 South Carolina vs. #20 Illinois. ABC / SiriusXM: 119/191 [ESPN Radio - 81]
Kinder’s Texas Bowl: 2:30 p.m.: LSU vs. Baylor. ESPN / SiriusXM: 374 [ESPN Radio - 138/203]
New Year's Day
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl CFP Quarterfinal, Noon: #3 Texas vs. #12 Arizona State. ESPN/SiriusXM: 82 [ESPN Radio - 80]
Allstate Sugar Bowl CFP Quarterfinal, 7:45 p.m.: #2 Georgia vs. #5 Notre Dame. ESPN/SiriusXM: 84 [ESPN Radio - 80]
Thursday
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, 6:30 p.m.: #14 Ole Miss vs. Duke. ESPN/SiriusXM: 374 [ESPN Radio - 84]
ICYMI: Pittman: ‘Hell yeah’ Arkansas beats Texas Tech
MEMPHIS – Big plays and a surprisingly stout defense were key as Arkansas defeated Texas Tech, 39-26, on Friday night at the 66th annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
With the win, Arkansas went to 7-6 to end the regular season, while Texas Tech ended the year at 8-5.
For more, click here.
Holiday season
Jan. 2-3
North Little Rock Parks & Rec will be having a Winter Break camp for students from Kindergarten through 5th grade.
Cost is $15 for the session.
Stock the Pantries
There’s nine pantries in Maumelle that are participating in the city’s annual food drive that began earlier this month.
The little pantries are collecting non-perishable food items, along with pet food.
The little pantries are located at:
Maumelle Philanthropists, 404 Edgewood Drive
Calvary Chapel Parking Area, Lake Point Place (across from tennis courts)
First United Methodist Church, 1201 Edgewood Drive
First Baptist Church, 100 Valencia Drive
Maumelle Library Food Pantry, 10 Lake Pointe Drive (inside)
St. Nicholas’ Episcopal Church Food Pantry, 2001 Club Manor Drive (parking lot)
Maumelle Police & Fire Station, 2002 Murphy Drive
Klipps Blvd Barbershop, 301 Millwood Circle (inside)
Maumelle Little PET Pantry, #2 Jackie Johnson Cove
Willastein Whimsical Trail
The Whimsical Trail is now open at Maumelle’s Lake Willastein and will be open starting at 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. nightly until Jan. 5.
The lighted trail’s entrance is between the boat ramp and playground at Lake Willastein Park. Admission to the walking trail is free.
Pandemic deaths unknown
The state Department of Health didn’t update the state’s dashboard this week, and still 481 deaths for the year. The virus has now killed 14,125 Arkansans since the pandemic began more than 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