Lucha Libre this Thursday
Methodist Foundation for Arkansas gives grant; Pops on the River to return; Maumelle Community Partners host Back to School Bash on July 24 plus sports and headlines
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MEETINGS: The North Little Rock School Board will have its regular monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday night at the school district’s administration building. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed on the district’s YouTube page. The Maumelle Planning Commission isn’t meeting this month, and there’s no City Council meetings next Monday as it is the fifth Monday of the month. So meeting junkies won’t get much of a fix.
EVENTS: Thursday is my wedding anniversary and we’ll be traveling. Hence the early arrival of this and my plan is to eat my body weight in burnt ends as we do a tour de barbecue in and around Kansas City. It isn’t quite the original 10th wedding anniversary trip of my dreams but, alas, Rome and cruising around the mediterranean wasn’t in the cards. Replacing the house’s air conditioner isn’t cheap after all and the drought really impacted this year’s money tree harvest. Anyway, fun fact, the 10 year anniversary gift is tin and tin anniversary gifts are shockingly hard to track down. But I managed to find something after all
Maumelle Community Partners host Back to School Bash on July 24
Students, teachers, and families from across the Maumelle area are invited to attend the 2026 Maumelle Back to School Bash on Friday, July 24, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Lake Willastein Park.
Hosted through a partnership between the Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Maumelle, Maumelle Parks & Recreation, Maumelle Police Department, Maumelle Fire Department and Maumelle Community Partners, the event is designed to help local students and educators prepare for a successful school year while connecting families with valuable community resources.
“The Back to School Bash is one of our favorite community events because it brings together local organizations, businesses, volunteers, and families to ensure students and teachers have the resources they need to start the school year strong,” said Kellie Wall, President & CEO of the Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce in a release. “This event truly showcases the spirit of collaboration and generosity that makes Maumelle such a special place to live, work, and play.”
The Back to School Bash will feature the distribution of free backpacks and school supplies for students and free classroom supplies for teachers, while supplies last. Students must be present to receive supplies, and teachers are asked to bring a valid school ID.
In addition to school supplies, attendees can enjoy a variety of free activities and attractions, including:
Free haircuts provided by local barbers
Bouncy houses and kids’ activities
Maumelle Library craft station
Temporary tattoo station
Photo booth
Community resource booths
Free new and pre-owned school spirit shirts
Adoptable pets from Maumelle Animal Services
“One of the things that makes Maumelle special is how our community rallies around families,” said Courtney Dunn, Community Engagement Director for the City of Maumelle. “The Back to School Bash is more than a supply giveaway, it’s an opportunity to connect families with resources, celebrate our students, and ensure they start the school year with the tools they need to succeed. We look forward to welcoming hundreds of students, teachers, and community members to Lake Willastein Park on July 24.”
Organizers are currently seeking sponsors, donors, and community partners to help support the event and expand the number of students and teachers served.
For sponsorship opportunities, donations, or additional information, please visit the event donation page www.maumellechamber.com
Methodist Foundation for Arkansas gives grant to the Gertrude Remmel Butler Child Development Center
The Gertrude Remmel Butler Child Development Center (CDC) recently received a $10,000 grant from the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas to support its 2026 Vacation Sensation summer program, expanding access to nutritious meals and empowering students to help shape the program’s menu.
Historically, children participating in CDC’s summer school-age program brought lunches from home. Recently, the center learned it would be required to provide meals for all children enrolled in the program, regardless of income or eligibility for free and reduced-price lunches.
Rather than viewing the change as a challenge, CDC leaders saw an opportunity to better support families, introduce healthy food choices and engage students in hands-on learning about nutrition.
Funding from the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas enabled the center to provide daily lunches featuring fresh fruits, vegetables and student-selected menu items. The grant also helped purchase additional food storage equipment, including a new refrigerator for the program space.
“At CDC, we consider food medicine for brain growth and lifelong healthy habits,” said Rebecca Dwyer-Coop, executive director of CDC. “The grant from MFA allowed us to expand beyond providing just enough food to incorporating an entire student-led menu into our lesson planning and summer programming.”
Dwyer-Coop said students played a significant role in planning meals and selecting foods they wanted to try.
“The kids are really excited about what they will eat and had a big voice when it came to planning and programming,” she said. “We now offer local and fresh foods, and spinach salad is now a favorite. We were also able to expand our limited storage to include a refrigerator upstairs.”
The enhanced menu has included healthy favorites as well as fun themed offerings such as “Wing Wednesday,” creating excitement around mealtime while encouraging children to explore new foods.
CDC leaders expressed gratitude for the partnership with the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas and its investment in the well-being of local children and families.
The mission of the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas is to establish and manage charitable funds that strengthen and expand Methodist ministries across Arkansas. Through financial resources and stewardship, the foundation empowers Arkansas Methodist churches, individuals and organizations to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Pops on the River to return July 4
The Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum in North Little Rock will be hosting the annual Pops on the River fireworks fundraiser watch party on July 4.
Tickets are $15 per person, and parking passes are $10 per vehicle (to park inside the seawall).
Tickets can be purchased online at https://shorturl.at/10dyU (make an account before selecting the number of tickets) or in person during business hours. The museum is located at 120 Riverfront Park Drive in North Little Rock. There’s limited seating this year to watch the show from the most patriotic place in Arkansas, the deck of the USS Razorback Submarine. We will have hamburgers/hot dogs, chips, and drinks for sale. We will also offer beer and wine through our donation bar. No outside food or beverages will be permitted.
Gates open at 7 p.m, and the fireworks show will begin around 9:30 p.m. The parking lot will open late afternoon.
Please email info@aimmuseum.org or call (501) 371-8320 with questions.
Sports
Upcoming Travs games
Six-game homestand against the San Antonio Missions
Today, 6:35 p.m.
Dog Day: Human fans can get $3 Berm tickets by bringing their dog to the game (only available at a WinChoice Box Office Window). NOTE: Dogs are only allowed in the Berm areas | Presented By Hollywood Feed
Wing Wednesday: Get $1 OFF Flyway Bluewing (19.2 fl oz cans) at any Grab & Go stand. Plus, Chicken Wings are available at Doubleday’s Depot! | Presented By Flyway Brewing
Thursday, 6:35 p.m.
Post-Game Wrestling: Time for the Main Event! Stick around after the game for post-game matches with the stars of Memphis Wrestling and featuring WWE Superstar Gran Metalik.
Fiesta de Diamantes: The Travs will take the field as the Diamantes de Arkansas in salute of Hispanic Heritage!
$3 Thursday: Enjoy an amazing value for the whole family and the best patio in Central Arkansas! Get $3 General Admission or Beer Garden tickets at a WinChoice Box Office Window. Plus, feed the whole crew for less with select concession items for $3 each!
Friday, 7:05 p.m.
Fireworks Friday - Música Latina | Presented By Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Fiesta de Diamantes: The Travs will take the field as the Diamantes de Arkansas in salute of Hispanic Heritage!
Saturday, 6:05 p.m.
Fiesta de Diamantes: The Travs will take the field as the Diamantes de Arkansas in salute of Hispanic Heritage!
Post-Game Fireworks
Promotion: Diamantes Soccer Jersey Giveaway | First 1,000 Fans (one item per person) | Select sizes available while supplies last
Sunday, 1:35 p.m.
Kids Run the Bases: Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game! | Presented By First Community Bank
Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game! | Baseball BINGO: Presented By Arkansas Brighter Future 529 | Presented By Arkansas Brighter Future 529
Operation: Military Appreciation: Service Members get $3 off tickets by presenting a Military ID (only available at a WinChoice Box Office Window) | Presented By Mid-South Ford Dealers
Family Sunday Deal : Get $3 General Admission tickets by presenting a physical or digital church bulletin (only available at a WinChoice Box Office Window)
Six-game roadtrip at Springfield, Tuesday,June 30 through Sunday, July y 5
Six-game roadtrip at Amarillo, Tuesday, July y 7 through Sunday, July y 12
Four-day, All-Star Break, Monday, July 13 through Thursday, July y 16.
Three-game homestand against Wichita
Friday, July 17, 7:05 p.m.
Fireworks Friday - Salute to Sci-Fi | Presented By Arkansas State University
Saturday, July 18, 6:05 p.m.
Star Wars Night: A short time from now in a ballpark really, really nearby...
Kids Run the Bases: Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game! | Presented By First Community Bank
Sunday, July 19, 1:35 p.m.
Kids Run the Bases: Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game! | Presented By First Community Bank
Baseball BINGO: Presented By Arkansas Brighter Future 529 | Presented By Arkansas Brighter Future 529
Operation: Military Appreciation: Service Members get $3 off tickets by presenting a Military ID (only available at a WinChoice Box Office Window) | Presented By Mid-South Ford Dealers
Family Sunday Deal : Get $3 General Admission tickets by presenting a physical or digital church bulletin (only available at a WinChoice Box Office Window)
Health
Pandemic deaths unknown
The state Department of Health didn’t update the state’s dashboard this week, again, and deaths still total 532 for the past year. There’s no tab created for 2025 either and the virus has now killed 14,162 Arkansans since the pandemic began then. 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