Free meals coming to some PCSSD schools
Grease is the word; Maumelle's Lamar Townsend part of winning team at UALR; Education notes plus sports and headlines
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The Headlines
Meetings: The North Little Rock School Board will have a special call meeting and workshop at 5:30 p.m. tonight at the administration building. The Maumelle City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall.
Something to stream: As part of its Arkansas Live initiative, Arkansas PBS will livestream Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s “Van Cliburn Concert: Kenny Broberg and Maria Ioudenitch” Friday, July 26, at 7 p.m. at myarpbs.org/arkansasliveplaylist.
Events: The Amboy Neighborhood Association will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 15. The meeting will be held at the Burns Park Hospitality House and hot dogs, along with all the trimmings, will be served. A drive to collect school supplies for Amboy Elementary also starts on Monday. The list of needed supplies is below.
Candidate filings to begin this month
Wednesday, July 31 is the first day candidates for local office can make it official by filing with the Pulaski County Clerk.
The filing period begins at noon and will conclude at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
For more information on the process, click here for the Pulaski County Clerk.
Running for office? Let us know by replying back or emailing jeremyarkansasnews@gmail.com.
Maumelle Middle, Pine Forest among PCSSD schools to get free meals
Maumelle Middle School and Pine Forest are among the 19 schools in the Pulaski County Special School District that will be part of the Provision 2 program though the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
The program provides free school lunches and breakfasts to all students in the qualifying schools for four consecutive years.
Other Maumelle feeder schools in Provision 2 are Oak Grove Elementary and Crystal Hill Elementary. Maumelle High School is not a Provision 2 school.
The other qualifying schools include:
Cato Elementary
College Station Elementary
Daisy Bates Elementary
Harris Elementary
Joe T. Robinson Elementary
Landmark Elementary
Lawson Elementary
Oakbrooke Elementary
Sherwood Elementary
Sylvan Hills Elementary
William Jefferson Clinton Elementary
Mills Middle
Sylvan Hills Middle
Sylvan Hills Junior High
Mills University Studies High
Students at those schools will receive free meals regardless of eligibility but the district will need to collect free and reduced lunch applications from each school for the first year, but not for the following three years.
The program can be extended for additional four-year blocks, if certain conditions are met, the district said.
Applications began on July 1 and for more information, email nutrition@pcssd.org.
Grease is the word: Performances start July 24
Grease the Musical is coming to Argenta Contemporary Theatre in downtown North Little Rock with shows starting Wednesday, July 24.
Grease is directed by ACT Producing Artistic Director Vincent Insalaco with Sheridan Posey as assistant director and music direction by Tanner Oglesby. The show features Miles Tillemans as Danny Zuko, Sascha Bass as Sandy Dumbrowski and a cast of 20 other teen actors representing high schools and colleges across Arkansas. The role of Mrs. Lynch is played by Valerisse Bell-Ovwlomoriemu.
Shows will run through Aug. 3 with evening shows starting at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinees will be at 2 p.m.
Tickets start at $28 and available online at argentacontemporarytheatre.org.
The show’s sponsors include: Karla & Will Feland, The City of North Little Rock, The Tenenbaum Foundation, Legacy Termite & Pest Control, The Arkansas Arts Council, North Little Rock Tourism and The Insalaco Family. The VIP Balcony is sponsored by Gwatney Chevrolet & Colonial Wine & Spirits.
UALR students finish second in national competition
Lamar Townsend, of Maumelle was part of a team of UA Little Rock students who came in second place during a challenging national real estate competition where they battled 16 teams from universities across the country.
UA Little Rock came in second during the Undergraduate Division of the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation's Annual Real Estate Challenge, which matches teams from selected universities in a competition that normally focuses on a high-profile development/redevelopment project in the Chicago Metropolitan area.
The award-winning students were led by Elizabeth Small, director of business networks and instructor of real estate development. The team included Osman Bagandov, a recent finance graduate, Adison Cummings, a junior architectural and civil engineering major, Ashlin Graveline, a recent finance-real estate graduate, and Lamar Townsend, who just graduated with bachelor's degrees in political science and finance-real estate.
"The students were dynamic, exciting, and well prepared," Small said. "They had a lot of confidence going into the competition, which was refreshing and reassuring. I am so proud of this team for all their hard work, research, and innovation."
This is the first year that the competition focused on a non-Chicago project, instead choosing a development project from St. Louis. This twist provided an interesting dynamic for the students, who had the opportunity to travel to St. Louis to view the site before the competition. In previous years, the team had to rely on photos and virtual tours and weren't able to visit the site in person before traveling to Chicago for the competition.
The team made their presentation to the Eisenberg Foundation on April 14, with the four students sporting matching business outfits provided by Paul Rainwater, owner of Q Clothier in the Promenade at Chenal. He donated his time and skills to create the custom outfits so the team would be dressed for success as they defended their title. UA Little Rock took first place in the competition in 2023 and won a $5,000 scholarship for their efforts.
"In the judges' comments, one judge even stated that we were the best dressed team at the competition," Small said.
UA Little Rock faced some tough teams in the high-profile competition, including Auburn University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Ohio State, Michigan State, Rutgers, University of Notre Dame, Marquette University, Purdue, and Tulane.
There were so many teams competing this year that Eisenberg split the Undergraduate Division into two different tracks, and the winners of the two tracks competed head on to determine the winner. UA Little Rock won their track, but eventually lost to Tulane University in the final round, who took home the title and a $7,500 scholarship.
Each team was assigned the same case site and provided the essential information assumptions about a 21-acre property in St. Louis along the Mississippi River.
"Our goal was to use the information given to come up with a full redevelopment plan, a revitalization plan for a 21-acre site in St. Louis that is about a mile away from the Arch and a mile away from downtown St. Louis," said Townsend, who served as the team leader. "This site was supposed to be the location for the new stadium for the Rams before they moved to Los Angeles. We created a mixed-use development to enhance the area and also create a new place where people can live and work."
The UA Little Rock team came up with a plan that included renovating four of the five historical buildings. The redevelopment plan included three apartment buildings with first-floor retail shops, an underground parking lot, storage facilities, a Japanese-themed brewery, an event hall, a river walk along the Mississippi River, and an amphitheater with plenty of green space for residents.
Graveline even created an app for the planned development that would have served as an online community for the residents as well as a way to connect with all the businesses.
"Our plan was to create an app that would connect people with all of the businesses so that they wouldn't have to go to multiple websites or apps to make a reservation, learn about the business, or find out when an event was happening," Graveline said. "The app also gave a description of the history of each building because it's a historically rich area. We wanted to create a community where people didn't have to leave the area to find what they needed."
One of the biggest challenges of the competition was the financial aspect. The students' development plan had to contain a comprehensive analysis and conclusion of how to maximize the potential of the property from both a financial and feasibility standpoint.
The project also had to be self-sustainable and generate a certain amount of profit. This led to a lot of changes throughout the plans, including nixing a hotel and marina, switching from townhouses to apartment buildings, and adding first-floor retail space. Overall, the team members were very satisfied with the final product.
"The idea was to bring everybody back to the river," Cummings said. "We wanted people to get close to the river as well as preserve the historical and architectural details of the property."
Education notes
North of the River students named to the Dean’s List at Arkansas
A total of 43 North of the Rivers students were named to the Spring 2024 Dean's List in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas.
To qualify for the Dean's List, the following local students achieved at least a 3.75 grade-point average for the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours.
Grace Abbott of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Clayton Boothe of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Benjamin Conklin of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Reece Couch of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Caroline Culpepper of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Christian Cummings of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Jaslynn Dorsey of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Lillian Hamlin of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Harper Haynes of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Cindy Liu of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Devan Mishra of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Gabrielle Norris of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Sarah Reaves of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Kylie Williams of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Riley Wilson of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Eli Young of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List
Anna Bolding of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Sydney Conway of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Allyssa DeZaldivar of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Marshall Donn of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Phillip Drake of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Ana Garciarossi of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Jamie Harris of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Jackson Hastings of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Jessica Haynie of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Leigha Heard of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Willow Holt of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Isaac Hubberd of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Morgan Ison of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Joshua Johnson of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Gavin Kyer of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Jordan Lee of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Samantha Montgomery of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Katelynn Nicholas of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Madison Nichols of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Allison Parham of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Carleigh Petlak of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Tonya Sims of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Mateeia Thompson of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Alexis Trezza of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
Kyle Young of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
McKenzie Young of Sherwood was named to the Dean's List
Josie Zakrzewski of North Little Rock was named to the Dean's List
"We are delighted to honor our outstanding students who have achieved placement on the Dean's List this semester," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College at The University of Arkansas. "Their academic excellence and dedication to our mission of advancing peace through education are truly commendable."
Claire Green named to Mississippi State University's spring 2024 Deans' List
Claire Green, of North Little Rock was named to the Mississippi State University spring 2024 Deans' List.
Green is among 2,364 students who attained this honor.
To be named to the Deans' List, a student must have 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 coursework with no incomplete grades or grades lower than a C.
Rachel Kerley named to Mississippi State University's spring 2024 President's List
Rachel Kerley, of Maumelle, was named to the Mississippi State University spring 2024 President's List.
Kerley is among 4,137 students who have attained this honor. 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 coursework with no incomplete grades or grades lower than a C.
Ashley Drew among Mississippi State University's spring 2024 graduates: Ashley Drew, of Sherwood is among nearly 3,500 students graduating from Mississippi State University in spring 2024.
Drew received the Bachelor of Science from MSU's College of Education.
University of Mississippi Celebrates May 2024 Graduates
More than 3,100 students graduated from the University of Mississippi in May 2024.
Jenna Villiger, of Sherwood, is one of the graduates. Villiger, who majored in Psychology, received a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Liberal Arts.
Brick Gore, of Maumelle, is one of the graduates. Gore, who majored in Accountancy, received a Bachelor of Accountancy from the Patterson School of Accountancy.
Abby Vest, of North Little Rock, is one of the graduates. Vest, who majored in Finance, received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the School of Business Administration.
Sloan Marak, of Sherwood, is one of the graduates. Marak, who majored in Pharm.D. - Pharm. Prct. Track, received a Doctor of Pharmacy from the School of Pharmacy.
May 2024 graduates were invited to walk across the stage at the University of Mississippi's 171st Commencement exercises, which were held by individual colleges and schools May 8-12. The universitywide morning Convocation took place Saturday, May 11 in the Grove, with Wright Thompson, senior writer for ESPN, giving the keynote address.
Cathal Pippenger named to Western Carolina University's Spring 2024 Dean's List
Congratulations to Cathal Pippenger, of Maumelle, for being named to the Western Carolina University Spring 2024 Dean's List.
Pippenger was among more than 1,000 students to achieve this honor. To qualify for this honor, students must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher while completing a minimum of 12 credit hours.
As the westernmost institution in the University of North Carolina System, WCU attracts students from around the globe for its nationally ranked programs, affordability through NC Promise and exceptional student support.
Kristal Wilkins of North Little Rock named to UWA's Spring 2024 Dean's List
Kristal Wilkins has been named to the University of West Alabama's Spring 2024 Dean's List for outstanding academic achievement.
A Psychology major from North Little Rock, is a member of the class of 2025.
Spring 2024 academic honors recipients represent 62 out of 67 Alabama counties and 83 counties from 19 other states.
The Dean's List gives recognition to those undergraduate students with grade-point averages between 3.25 and 3.79, completing at least twelve semester credit hours, with no grade lower than a "C."
Geneva Millikan named to Baldwin Wallace University Dean's List
Geneva Millikan of Maumelle, majoring in acting (BFA), has been named to the Dean's List for the spring 2024 semester at Baldwin Wallace University, according to Provost Thomas C. Sutton. The Dean's List recognizes students who earn a grade point average of 3.8 or higher while enrolled in 12 or more graded hours during the semester.
Baldwin Wallace University, founded in 1845, was one of the first colleges to admit students without regard to race or gender.
University of Central Arkansas names incoming Honors Scholars for Fall 2024
The Norbert O. Schedler Honors College has selected 80 incoming first-year students as its newest class of Schedler Honors College Scholars and 40 incoming first-year students for its Schedler Honors Program. The entering Schedler Honors College and Schedler Honors Program classes of 2024 have an average high school GPA above 4.1 and an average ACT score of and on average ranked among the top 6% of their graduating class. The Honors College class includes 111 students from Arkansas and 9 students from out-of-state.
The following North of the River students were selected:
Maria Fernandez Calcines of Maumelle was selected for the Schedler Honors College.
Arden Santos of Maumelle was selected for the Schedler Honors College.
Noah Strother of North Little Rock was selected for the Schedler Honors Program.
Kennedy Besancon of North Little Rock was selected for the Schedler Honors College.
Meredith Lipsey of Sherwood was selected for the Schedler Honors College.
Clara Principe of North Little Rock was selected for the Schedler Honors College.
Tyler Strazzinski of Sherwood was selected for the Schedler Honors College.
Dean's, President's Lists students named at Alabama
A total of 13,103 students enrolled during Spring Semester 2024 at The University of Alabama were named to the dean's list with an academic record of 3.5 (or above) or the president's list with an academic record of 4.0 (all A's). These driven students are making waves across UA's more than 70 undergraduate programs.
The UA dean's and president's lists recognize full-time undergraduate students. The lists do not apply to graduate students or undergraduate students who take less than a full course load.
North of the River students include:
Kaitlin Arnold of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List.
Angelina Bearden of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List.
Mary Crow of Maumelle was named to the Dean's List.
Grace Pitts of North Little Rock was named to the President’s List.
Evelyn Moran of North Little Rock was named to the President’s List.
Kimberly Mcclendon of Sherwood was named to the President’s List.
Students named to Abilene Christian University's Spring 2024 Dean's Honor Roll
Two North of the River students were named to the Abilene Christian University Dean's Honor Roll for the Spring 2024 semester. To earn Dean's Honor Roll recognition, students must achieve a 3.6 or higher GPA while enrolled in at least 12 credit hours.
Haylee Newman, a junior Criminal Justice major from North Little Rock
Kiley Frost, a sophomore Biochemistry major from North Little Rock
Abilene Christian University serves a diverse student population of about 6,000 with world-class teaching in a Christ-centered community.
N El Serves as CHASSE Student Ambassador at UA Little Rock
N El, of North Little Rock, is one of six students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who are making an impact for their fellow students by serving as a student ambassador in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education (CHASSE).
CHASSE student ambassadors offer mentorship to prospective, new, and current students within the college. They work with students to address concerns and questions, connect to campus resources, help promote a sense of belonging, and offer guidance about CHASSE majors, careers, and opportunities.
Six students in the college were chosen based on nominations from their department chair or school director. The cohort of student ambassadors included N. Myton El, Riot Goforth, Gwenith (Abba) McElyea, Andrea Perez Benitez, Tristyn Perrin, and Yvonne Rodriguez.
Through funding made possible by Martha and Warren Stephenson of Little Rock, student ambassadors are paid to represent the college at events. Additionally, the cohort meets monthly to learn from leaders across campus and discuss current student issues with the dean of the college.
MTSU congratulates 5,475 undergrad scholars on spring 2024 dean's list
Middle Tennessee State University is congratulating 5,475 students who appear on the dean's list for the spring 2024 semester, including Uvedicus Martin of Sherwood majoring in Aerospace.
To qualify for this distinction, an undergraduate student must maintain a current semester grade-point average of 3.5 or above and earn at least 12 semester hours.
Sports
Upcoming Travs games
At Midland, now through Sunday
All-Star break, Monday, July 15 - Thursday, July 18
Opponent - San Antonio
Friday, July 19, 7:05 p.m.
Fireworks Friday - Holiday Party: Presented By Arkansas Brighter Future 529
Saturday, July 20, 6:05 p.m.
Kids Run the Bases: Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game.
Sunday, July 21, 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 Northwest Arkansas, July 23-28
Pandemic deaths unknown
The state Department of Health again didn’t have a Covid report available for this week. The last report made available to the public was in April. We have continued efforts to get updated numbers but they’ve proven to be fruitless, which, I suppose, is the point. The virus has killed 13,920 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