Ledbetter to lead Maumelle First UMC
North Little Rock hires Clint Reed, Anton Beard as coaches; UALR names spring graduates 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 remain at ‘zero’
The state Department of Health, on its Covid dashboard, showed that in the past week, there were no new deaths reported. The numbers were updated Tuesday, July 11.
The total number of reported dead Arkansans remains at 13,175 or the state’s 32nd largest city.
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The Headlines
Meetings: The Maumelle City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall. On Tuesday, July 18, the North Little Rock A&P Commission will have its quarterly meeting at 3:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the boardroom at 600 Main St.
Events: The annual Boots & Badges blood drive will be this Friday in the community room at the North Little Rock Justice Center, 1 Justice Center Drive and will start at 8 a.m. It is scheduled to last until 5 p.m. Each donor will get a ticket to Magic Springs along with a t-shirt. The North Little Rock Police Department will also have giveaways. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are suggested. To make one, click here or click on the flyer below.
Ledbetter to lead Maumelle First UMC
Justin Ledbetter was recently named the Senior Pastor at Maumelle First United Methodist Church.
The appointment was made July 1 and Ledbetter was previously the senior pastor at Salem UMC in Saline County.
Ledbetter is married to Susan Ledbetter, who is also a United Methodist minister and is now the Senior Pastor at Asbury UMC in west Little Rock. The couple has a teenaged daughter, Sadie. They’re pictured above.
What follows is a transcript of a Q&A with Justin Ledbetter. It has been lightly edited and formatted for publication.
>> How long have you been a UMC minister and what other congregations have you served in Arkansas, or other states?
I have been serving the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church full time since 2001.
>> What roles have you held in those congregations and by that I mean senior, associate, youth, etc.?
In my years of service, I have ministered in a variety of congregations and communities. My roles have included being a youth minister, new church planter, associate pastor, campus minister and senior pastor. My areas of focus include leadership development, community engagement and missional outreach.
>> Have you given any thought on where you might live?
We currently live in Saline County where our daughter is a student at Bryant High School. We are not sure of the next steps as we are just beginning our service to new congregations and communities in Pulaski County.
>> Was either of your parents a UMC minister and where did you attend high school, college and seminary?
No, our parents were not vocational ministers, but all of them are lifelong followers of Jesus and active, committed members of their churches. My father is an attorney in Fort Smith and my mother was a school teacher. My wife Susan is a native of Colorado Springs and her father worked in banking and her mother was a nurse. Susan graduated from high school and college in Colorado and first attended the theological seminary at Drew University in New Jersey where we met before she completed her masters degree at Phillips Theological in Tulsa following our marriage. I am a graduate of Fort Smith Southside, Hendrix College in Conway and Drew University.
>> Maumelle UMC has had a fairly strong children’s ministry and how do you plan to keep that going? Absolutely. We have a wonderful family ministry at Maumelle and will continue to share Christ with children, youth and adults of all ages.
>> Anything else you’d like to add?
We would like to invite you to First United Methodist Church of Maumelle! FUMC of Maumelle is on a mission to change the lives of not only our members, but those in our community, as well. We help build & strengthen relationships with God through our fellowship inside & outside of our campus walls. We offer worship, bible study, youth & adult ministries, along with vital service to our community. We are thrilled you are here. If you would like more information or to be kept in the loop of all the amazing things we have to offer, please visit our website, fumcmaumelle.org or email us at churchoffice@fumcmaumelle.org.
North Little Rock hires Reed, Beard as coaches
The North Little Rock School District hired Clint Reed to be the high school’s next head football coach last week at the regularly scheduled school board meeting.
Then, at a special call meeting on Tuesday night, the board hired Anton Beard, above, as a basketball and track coach.
Reed, who was previously the high school’s Dean of Students, will continue in that role, as well as serving as the head football coach. A position he had been named to as interim after Randy Sandefur departed to be the city of North Little Rock’s Parks & Rec director.
A Freedom of Information Act request is pending for Reed’s contract details as the district said his employment agreement has not yet been drawn up.
Reed, a former player at Arkansas Tech, is a graduate of Nashville High School and has been an assistant at the school under three previous head coaches.
Beard, the former Arkansas Razorback basketball player, will coach at North Little Rock Middle School as well as be an assistant on the high school team.
A North Little Rock native, Beard grew up in the Glenview neighborhood, and was a state championship winning point guard for the ‘Cats and then head coach Johnny Rice in 2014..
He then went to the Hogs, where he spent four seasons and was a starter his junior and senior years. He then played professionally overseas.
This is his first year as a teacher and coach.
As for the opening in the athletics department – athletics director – there’s been no movement on that front, but there’s a regularly scheduled School Board at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 20.
Education notes
UA Little Rock names Spring graduates
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock recently announced its spring 2023 graduates.
North of the River students who graduated include:
Megan Alexander of Maumelle, graduated with a Master of Science in Criminal Justice.
Bailey Bishop of Maumelle, graduated with a Associate of Arts in General Studies.
Linda Calloway of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History.
Ryan Cabico of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History.
Desirae Holloway of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.
Stacey Johnson of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Professional and Technical Writing.
Braden Li of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology-Mechanical
Shana Loring of Maumelle, graduated with a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration.
Erin Maxwell of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Communication Studies.
Nyah Peyton of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing.
Katye Prater of Maumelle, graduated with a Associate of Applied Science in Nursing.
Christopher Price of Maumelle, graduated with a Associate of Applied Science in Nursing.
Alexis Strickland of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Information Systems.
Amber Swopes of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management.
Kiersin Webb-Carrington of Maumelle, graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art.
To see the complete list of graduates, click here.
More than 1,100 degrees were awarded for the spring 2023 semester with the commencement ceremony taking places May 13 at the UA Little Rock Jack Stephens Center.
Multiple degree receivers
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock congratulates its spring 2023 graduates with multiple degrees.
North of the River students who received multiple degrees include:
Rickeisha Babbs of North Little Rock, graduated with a Associate of Science in Law Enforcement as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice.
Terry Clark of North Little Rock, graduated with a Graduate Certificate in Online Writing Instruction as well as a Master of Arts in Professional and Technical Writing.
Chase Encalade of North Little Rock, graduated with a Graduate Certificate in Program Planning and Evaluation for Social Change as well as a Master of Public Service.
Joshua Franke of North Little Rock, graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.
Hannah Lang of North Little Rock, graduated with a Graduate Certificate in Program Planning and Evaluation for Social Change as well as a Master of Public Service.
Daniel Brown of Sherwood, graduated with a Associate of Science in Law Enforcement as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice.
Art notes
Rent starts this month at Argenta Community Theater
The first Rent show at Argenta Community Theater will start July 26 and the run will come to an end on Aug. 5.
There’s a total of 10 shows scheduled so far, with evening performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinee will be at 2 p.m.
Tickets start at $28 and can be purchased online at www.ArgentaCommunityTheater.org.
Brandon Box-Higdem will serve as director.
The production contains adult themes and references and is not recommended for younger audiences.
Sports
Baseball at Dickey-Stephens this week
All-Star break ends today
Three-game homestand against Corpus Christi
Friday, 7:05 p.m.
Fireworks
Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
Logan Gilbert Bobblehead Giveaway: Presented By Dr Pepper | First 1,000 Fans (one item per person)
Kids Run the Bases: Presented By Museum of Discovery
Morrilton Community Night
Sunday, 1:35 p.m.
Kids Day Bash: Travs fans ages 12 & under can enjoy $2 Reserved tickets, $2 ice cream, and $2 passes to Otey's Splash Pad
Kids Baseball Clinic: Kids 13 and under are invited to join Travs players on field for a baseball clinic starting at noon! | Presented By Hog Wash
Kids Run the Bases: Presented By Museum of Discovery
Operation: Military Appreciation: Service Members get $3 off General Admission and Field Reserved tickets by presenting a Military ID (only available at the 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.
Team Card Set Giveaway: Presented By Jacksonville Parks & Recreation | First 1,000 Kids (age 12 & under, one item per person)
July 18 - 23 at Springfield
