Let out a cheer
District honors Maumelle teacher, Chad Gardner and the Maumelle City Council report, Early voting starts next week on bond restructuring for PCSSD improvements plus more news and sports headlines
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Early voting starts Tuesday for PCSSD improvements
Early voting on planned improvements in the Pulaski County Special School District will start next Tuesday, Oct. 26.
Voters in the boundary of the county school district will be able to cast ballots on a measure that would restructure bonds, that would in turn fund a total of 10 projects to expand and improve campuses along with new facilities.
Election Day will be Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Early voting locations
Pulaski County Regional Building, 501 W. Markham St., Little Rock. Tuesday, Oct. 26 and ends Monday, Nov. 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week. There’s no Saturday voting. The other sites are:
Jess Odom Community Ctr, 1100 Edgewood Drive, Maumelle
Dee Brown Library, 6325 Baseline Road, Little Rock
Roosevelt Thompson Library, 38 Rahling Circle, Little Rock
First Christian Church of Sherwood, 2803 Kiehl Ave, Sherwood
At those locations, early voting will be from Tuesday, to Friday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. No Saturday voting as well.
To read more, click Early voting starts Tuesday for PCSSD improvements
Sports headlines
MAUMELLE: With Maumelle’s 42-14 loss to Pulaski Academy last Friday in the rearview mirror, the Hornets are still well-positioned to make the playoffs with two games remaining in the regular season. This Friday is a trip to White Hall, in Jefferson County, and the week after Watson Chapel comes to Maumelle. Read more by clicking Playoff seed on the line as Hornets hit the home stretch
NORTH LITTLE ROCK: As expected, North Little Rock took care of business and beat winless Little Rock Catholic, 42-7, last Friday, but the competition gets better this week as Fort Smith Northside rolls into town for a key 7A-Central matchup. Read more by clicking 'Cats host Fort Smith Northside this Friday
CAC: Central Arkansas Christian will try to break a four-game conference losing streak Friday when the Mustangs travel to Lonoke. The Mustangs lost to Southside Batesville last week, 59-19, giving up 480 yards on the ground. By Donna Lampkin Stephens and read more by clicking Mustangs face tough task at Lonoke
Moore on Maumelle: My Take
Neal Moore is taking the week off.
Maumelle City Council report
This week’s meeting moved along quickly, so I’ll do the same and be brief with my report.
The Council approved an ordinance that will make R-3 (multi-family housing) a conditional use in Commercial 2 zoning. Currently, if a property is zoned C-2, multi-family housing is automatically allowed. Going forward, it can still be allowed, but will have to go through an additional review process and pass through the city council.
Three items were all on second reading this week and will be voted on at the Nov. 1 meeting.
An ordinance to approve a franchise agreement with Unite Private Networks so they can offer data and internet service in Maumelle.
An ordinance adding newly annexed land in Maumelle into Ward 4.
An ordinance that will allow architectural metal to be used in commercial building design in Maumelle.
The Council unanimously approved the rezoning of property to the north and east of Commercial Park Drive to Commercial 2. This land was formerly zoned C-3 and the C-2 zoning will fit better since a residential neighborhood for seniors is being built across the street. C-3 is a heavier type of commercial zoning and the C-2 classification will provide for better commercial opportunities in close proximity to residential.
An ordinance updating our city rights-of-way standards was back on the agenda after being tabled earlier this Summer. Once again, this ordinance was tabled for an additional three months while we continue to monitor progress on the Public Service Commission case between Entergy and Maumelle.
Under new business, the Council discussed an upcoming workshop that will be held Monday, Oct. 25 in regard to our need to redistrict our wards.
Due to growth in Maumelle, we need to redraw the city’s ward map and evenly balance 25 percent of the population into each ward. Wards 1 and 2 have grown much more than the other two wards in our city. As such, wards 1 and 2 will need to shrink and some of this territory will need to be added into wards 3 and 4 in order to balance our population.
Another report on the workshop will come out next week.
Public workshop to be held Monday
Maumelle City Clerk and Treasurer Tina Timmons announced on Wednesday that a public workshop will be held for the City Council on Monday.
The workshop will start at 6 p.m. and be held at Maumelle City Hall.
Timmons explained, "The purpose of the workshop is to discuss how to redistrict city wards to include the recently annexed locations."
Members of the public are invited but there will not be a public hearing with the workshop.
Maumelle's city wards will need to be reconfigured due to population growth from the 2020 Census.
For more information, contact Timmons by calling 501-851-2500.
Let out a cheer: Maumelle High teacher Katrina Jones honored by district
Jones, above, teaches biology and anatomy/physiology. She is also the varsity and freshman cheer coach for the Hornets.
She was selected from 25 nominees.
“Jones is truly an inspirational teacher, leader, and friend,” said Jessica Wilson, who also teaches at Maumelle High School. “She builds professional relationships with her students and is highly involved within the school. She works incredibly long hours making sure the groups she is involved with have what they need and that they feel supported to succeed.”
Jones has been a teacher for 25 years.
“Seeing the way she leads her students is incredible, and I feel inspired as a younger teacher when I see the work she does,” Wilson said,
The School Board created the Inspiration in Education award to honor certified and support staff members who are inspirational to their students or colleagues at the District.
Tracy Childers, another Maumelle High teacher, submitted the second nomination for Jones.
“She goes above and beyond to make certain all needs are met. She is not only a great teacher, but a great mentor for our students,” Childers said. “She earned the name ‘Momma Jones’ [because] students know that she is available to them to offer guidance or just a nonjudgmental ear to listen.”
The next Inspiration in Education award will be presented in December, then followed in February and May.