Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce, ArkansasNewsroom.com to sponsor candidate forum on Monday
Fall leaves are out there; Maumelle Charter High School recognizes students, teachers; Thursday & Friday Night Lights plus headlines and sports
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The Headlines
Meetings: The school board for the North Little Rock School District will have a special board meeting at 5:30 p.m. today at the administration building. The North Little Rock City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall for its first meeting of the month.
Events: Think Pink. It will be another busy Saturday as UNITY PINK Breast Cancer Awareness Walk will be in downtown North Little Rock. For more details, keep scrolling.
Tickets for sale: Tickets are now for sale for this fall’s Simmons Bank Championship presented by Stephens at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock. To buy tickets, click here. Daily tickets start at $30.
Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce, ArkansasNewsroom.com to sponsor candidate forum on Monday
The Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce and ArkansasNewsroom.com, a news website devoted to Maumelle and North Little Rock news, will sponsor a candidates’ forum this Monday, Oct. 14 at the Maumelle Country Club.
The forum is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. and will be moderated by Neal Moore, a columnist for the site and Jeremy Peppas, who is the site's editor.
The forum will feature three races of interest to Maumelle and Pulaski County. The candidates are:
Maumelle City Council- Ward 1 - Position 1: Barry Brown, Michael Chastain and LJ Wesley
Maumelle City Council - Ward 2, Pos. 1 - Wes Booker (Running unopposed)
State Representative, District 71: Brandon Achor (R) and Cassandra Green (D)
State Representative, District 69: David Ray (R) and Kwami Abdul-Bey (D)
"We are excited to host this candidate forum as an opportunity for community members to hear directly from the candidates running for office. This event is a vital part of our mission to foster informed civic engagement and promote open dialogue on the issues that matter most to the future of our community."
Those attending are asked to not bring candidate signs, literature or imprinted clothing.
“We are thankful for Kellie Wall and the Chamber as well as Maumelle Country for opening its doors to host," Peppas said. "We feel that the forum will be well attended as these races are of local interest.”
Have a question?
Have a question for the upcoming candidate forum? There’s still time to submit and post it as a comment in the thread here or you can replay back to this email.
If you can’t attend the Forum this Monday, Oct. 14, it will be streamed on YouTube here, youtube.com/@arkansasnewsroom, and the video will also be later uploaded to Facebook.
Upcoming community events
UNITY PINK Breast Cancer Awareness Walk is Saturday.
Maumelle food truck festival is Nov. 2
Peepers Unite: Fall leaves are out there
The temperatures are starting to drop, finally, and the smell of Pumpkin Spice Lattes are in the air.
It can mean only one thing, Fall is finally here. Or maybe it is just Fake Fall but it does appear there’s some color and it isn’t a random showing of the Northern Lights.
With that, it also means that Fall Foliage will be returning, sooner or later, here and elsewhere around the country.
Maybe leaf peeping isn’t your thing, but, promise, it is quite the deal for some folks and they plan trips around it.
David Angotti, the founder at SmokyMountains.com, said his site has a “predictive fall map” that allows users to gauge when and where leaves will be at peak fall color.
"Similar to a weekend weather forecast, the timing of our map update is important,” Angotti said. “The backbone of the map is meteorology - temperature, moisture, sunlight and precipitation. While meteorology is most accurate immediately before an event, a forecast is more useful to travelers and end users when made in advance. With our unique blend of historical and forecast data, we are able to make a highly accurate prediction by the end of August. The drastic year-to-year changes dictate that we create a new map from scratch with new data each year. Our end goal is to produce a map that's useful and fun."
The map, seen below, is extremely cool and interactive by clicking here.
His forecast is that northwest Arkansas would begin to see color by Oct. 7 and hitting peak around Halloween. Central Arkansas will see a bit of color around Oct. 14 with peak color coming around a month later by Nov. 11.
Arkansas has roughly 19 million acres of forest, or about 56 percent of the state, according to the Arkansas Farm Bureau and roughly 11.8 billion trees.
Of those trees, 42 percent are oak or hickory, and the leaves of deciduous trees are where the color comes in. Hickory goes yellow, while oak can be a bright red, with some copper or yellow.
What Arkansas doesn’t have are many maple trees and the brilliant bright red leaves they produce.
Angotti notes that his map is a prediction, and, like the weather, it doesn’t always work out exactly.
He also noted using the map is fun and “it's kind of addictive,” which is very true.
To help improve the map and its predictions, Angotti said, readers could submit their observations by clicking here. The online form is three questions and takes just a couple of minutes to submit.
Arkansas’s best spots
Devil’s Den State Park, near Winslow
With its amazing cliffs, caverns, and waterfalls, Devil’s Den State Park serves as an excellent place to enjoy autumn beauty. Even the historic cabins look incredible framed by all the yellow, orange, and red trees covering the landscape. The trails through the park are perfect for mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding. Many people find this park is best enjoyed while tent camping or staying in the cabins through the weekend or longer. Whether you visit for a few hours or spend days in the park, you’ll want to hit up Chinnabee Silent Trail to swim in the falls while enjoying the view.
Mount Magazine State Park, south of Paris
When you want to view the fall colors for as far as the eye can see, you cannot go wrong with a trip over to Mount Magazine State Park. The peak of Mount Magazine hits 2,753 feet above sea level, giving you stunning views of all the autumn beauties located across the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. You can view all the beautiful landscapes by hiking through the 14 miles of trails or go at a faster clip on horseback, an ATV, or mountain bike. You’re even welcome to drive up the mountain and take in the views from the seven parking areas in the loop on Cameron Bluff Overlook Drive.
Talimena National Scenic Byway, near Mena
As reflected by its name, the Talimena National Scenic Byway stretches from Mena, all the way to Talihina, Oklahoma. On this winding road, you’ll get to cruise through the Ouachita National Forest along Winding Stair Mountain and Rich Mountain. All along the way, you’ll see maple, blackgum, sweetgum and dogwood trees change from green to red, lighting up the forest in a rainbow of color. Closer to the ground, you’ll find the dwarf burning bush turning its iconic blazing red tones, while the sweet olive trees offset it all with their deep green hues. For a wide-open view of it all, stop at the many overlooks, including Rich Mountain Tower.
All three spots are easy drives from central Arkansas.
Destinations around the country
Tennessee: Tennessee is expected to peak in late-October from Oct. 21- 25 with the lower elevations in mid November.
Washington: In Washington State, you can expect to see the leaves begin changing around mid to late-October between Oct. 21-25. The end of peak is around the end of October.
Maryland: In mid to late-October of this year, Maryland begins to change into its stunning yellow colors, with the ultimate peak being around Oct. 21 until the 25th. It goes past its peak in early November.
North Carolina: The leaves begin changing in North Carolina around mid-October, but you can expect peak color in most of the state between Oct. 28 until around Nov. 1.
Oregon: The leaves start to minimally peak around October 7th, with the full displays of color around mid to late-October like Oct. 21-Nov 1.
Colorado: The vast majority of Colorado will reach peak or near peak around mid to late-October around Oct. 14-25.
Michigan: Michigan’s stunning fall foliage colors will reach its peak in early October and last until mid to late-October.
Indiana: Indiana’s northern area will begin to peak around mid to late-October, with the lower portion of the state reaching past its peak around the beginning of November.
Virginia: The leaves in Virginia will reach near peak around Oct. 21, with the ultimate peak taking place at the end of October around the 28-Nov. 1.
Maumelle Charter High School recognizes students and teachers for performances on Advanced Placement Exams
84 Students and 12 teachers at Maumelle Charter High School earned incentive pay totaling $32,100 for Advanced Placement (AP) passing exam scores. This is the highest incentive amount the school has ever paid.
AP exams are scored on a scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest score. Since 2012 Maumelle Charter High School has incentivized AP students by rewarding $100 when making a 3 on the AP test, $150 for a 4 and $200 for a 5. Students earning a 3 or higher also receive college credit for the corresponding course at most colleges and universities saving the students and parents tuition costs.
Teachers earn the same amount of money for each of the students in their classes who score a 3, 4 or 5.
The student checks ranged from $100 to the maximum payout of $650. The top recipients were Joel Jefferson and Ashlynn Pecanty ($400), Christian McGill ($450), Dain Poff and Leila Scroggins ($550) and Ethan Chin ($650).
The teacher checks ranged from $350 to the highest payout of $5,150.
Funding for this incentive program is provided by the Maumelle Foundation for Education, the Maumelle Charter PTO and Academics Plus Charter Schools.
Downtown North Little Rock to get conference center
North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick and the City Council recently unveiled the North Little Rock Conference Center that will be built next year with a projected finish date in early 2026.
The 31,000-square-foot conference center will be constructed at 120 Main St., the site of the former North Little Rock City Services Building.
A rendering of the project is seen below.
There’s been many, so many, proposed buildings and hotels and event centers for downtown North Little Rock, that ius hard to keep track of them all but this one is for real.
It will seat up to 1,000 for a meal and 1,500 for an event.
For years, I have turned people away to other cities that wanted a venue of this size,” Hartwick said in a release. “We are excited to welcome vendors, exhibits, and various types of shows to our city.”
Fidelity Communications now accepting applications for charitable giving
Fidelity Communications has begun accepting fall 2024 applications on October 1 for the company’s Charitable Giving Fund, which annually awards $250,000 in grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Applications will be accepted through October 31, 2024.
Charitable Giving Fund grants will be made available across communities served by Fidelity and the other Cable One family of brands (Sparklight, Hargray and ValuNet Fiber) and will concentrate support in the following priority areas:
Education and Digital Literacy
Hunger Relief and Food Insecurity
Community Development
For more information about the Fidelity Charitable Giving Fund, visit www.fidelitycommunications.com/charitablegiving.
Thursday & Friday Night Lights: Maumelle hosts Watson Chapel in Thursday night special
Maumelle 21, Pine Bluff 18
Last week: Maumelle got back on the winning side of things last Friday by beating Pine Bluff, 21-18, in a game that saw the Zebras rally late to make the final score respectable. Maumelle had 309 yards of total offense in the win as Pine Bluff was held to 210. Sophomore quarterback Levi Warrior passed for two touchdowns with 158 yards on nine of 15 nights. Marhsaun Wiley led the rushing attack with 62 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
This week: The Hornets host Watson Chapel in a Thursday night special. It will be televised on KARZ. A conference matchup, the game will be key in Maumelle’s playoff hopes. Maumelle climbed to No. 16 in the Class 5A poll from hootens.com while Watson Chapel is unranked.
Records: Maumelle 3-2, 1-1; Watson Chapel - 1-4, 0-2
Maumelle schedule
Aug. 31`: ... Maumelle 36, Sylvan Hills 0
Sept. 6 … Parkview 51, Maumelle 6
Sept. 13 … Maumelle 32, Vilonia 21
Sept. 20 … Bye week
Sept. 27 ... Beebe 22, Maumelle 0
Oct. 4 ...Maumelle 21, Pine Bluff 18
Thursday, Oct 10 … vs. Watson Chapel
Friday, Oct. 18 ... at Jacksonville
Friday, Oct. 25 … vs. White Hall
Friday, Nov. 1 ... at Searcy
Thursday, Nov. 7 … vs. Robinson
Friday, Nov. 15 … First round of playoffs
For the online roster, click here.
Conway 63, North Little Rock 7
Last week: North Little Rock hit for its average last week in a 63-7 loss to Conway. The ‘Cats had been averaging 7.5 points and scored exactly a touchdown in a blowout loss to highly-ranked Wampus Cats, led by former CAC quarterback Grayson Wilson, who has committed to Arkansas.
This week: Despite being 0-5, the ‘Cats are still in contention for the Class 7A playoffs but they have to beat a winless Little Rock Southwest team this Friday at North Little Rock. Neither team is particularly good this season but in its brief history, Southwest – an amalgamation of the previous McClellan and J.A. Fair high schools – has yet to beat North Little Rock. The win in this game last season is what got the ‘Cats on the playoff track.
Records: North Little Rock - 0-5, 0-2; Southwest - 0-5, 0-2
North Little Rock schedule
Aug. 31... Rogers 43, North Little Rock 0
Sept. 6 … Bye
Sept. 13 ... Benton 42, North Little Rock 13
Sept. 20 ... Catholic 27, North Little Rock 17
Sept. 27 ... Pulaski Academy 47, North Little Rock 0
Oct. 4 ... Conway 63, North Little Rock 7
Friday, Oct. 11 ... vs. Little Rock Southwest
Friday, Oct. 18 ... at Little Rock Christian Academy
Friday, Oct. 25 ...at Little Rock Central
Friday, Nov. 1 ... vs. Bryant
Friday, Nov. 8 ... vs. Cabot
Friday, Nov. 15 … First round of playoffs
For the online North Little Rock roster, click here.
CAC 42, Riverview 14
Last week: The Mustangs got the first win of the season in a 42-14 shellacking of Riverview. Key to the win was freshman quarterback Jackson Plumlee, son of coach JD Plumlee, who passed for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
This week: With five teams making the playoffs from the 4A-2, the Mustangs would be in good position to make the postseason with a win at Hall, in a game that would be played at nearby Scott Field.
Records: CAC - 1-4, 1-1; Hall 2-3, 1-1
CAC schedule
Aug. 31 … DeWitt 31, CAC 7
Sept. 6… Stuttgart 41, CAC 7
Sept. 13 ... vs. Harding Academy 53, CAC 20
Sept. 20 … Bye
Sept. 27 ... Heber Springs 31, CAC 29
Oct. 4 ... CAC 42, Riverview 14
Friday, Oct. 11 ... at Hall
Friday, Oct. 18 ... at Lonoke
Friday, Oct. 25 ... at Bald Knob
Friday, Nov. 1 ... vs. Mills
Friday, Nov. 8 ... at Forrest City
Friday, Nov. 15 … First round of playoffs
All games kickoff at 7 p.m. unless noted
Rankings from hootens.com
Sports
Football, Volleyball brackets posted
With an eye toward the postseason, the postseason brackets for volleyball and football are now live on High School on SI, formerly SBLive.
This is the first season that regional tournaments will be included in the volleyball postseason. Those nine tournament brackets are also listed and will begin play on Oct. 22 with the state tournaments being held the following week, on Oct. 29. The volleyball state finals return inside the Hot Springs Convention Center on Nov. 2.
The football playoffs begin on Nov. 15. Below the state finals schedule for both football and volleyball as well as links to both sets of brackets.
Volleyball State Finals Schedule
Nov. 2, 11 a.m. - 5A state championship
Nov. 2, 1 p.m. - 6A state championship
Nov. 2, 3 p.m. - 2A state championship
Nov. 2, 5 p.m. - 3A state championship
Nov. 2, 7 p.m. - 4A state championship
Football State Finals Schedule
Dec. 5, 7 p.m. - 8-man state championship
Dec. 6, noon - 2A state championship
Dec. 6, 6:30 p.m. - 5A state championship
Dec. 7, noon- 6A state championship
Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m. - 7A state championship
Dec. 14, noon - 4A state championship
Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m. - 3A state championship
Volleyball postseason brackets
Saturday's SEC schedule
South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC) at Alabama (4-1, 1-1 SEC): 11 a.m. • ABC, SiriusXM: 374 - 82
Missouri (4-1, 1-1 SEC) at UMass (1-5): 11 a.m. • ESPN2, SiriusXM: 139/190
Texas (5-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1 SEC): 2:30 p.m. • ESPN, SiriusXM: 139/191 - 137/190
Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2 SEC) at Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC): 3:15 p.m. • SEC Network, SiriusXM: 374 - 160/192
Florida (3-2, 1-1 SEC) at Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC): 6 p.m. • ESPN, SiriusXM: 390 - 139/191
Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1 SEC) at LSU (4-1, 1-0 SEC): 6:30 p.m. • ABC, SiriusXM: 137/190 – 82
Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1 SEC) at Kentucky (3-2, 1-2 SEC): 6:45 p.m. • SEC Network, SiriusXM: 374 - 160/192
Open: Arkansas (4-2, 2-1 SEC); Auburn (2-4, 0-3 SEC); Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC).
Pandemic deaths at zero
The state Department of Health updated the state’s dashboard this week, but showed no deaths since the last update that had 387 for the year. The virus has now killed 14.031 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
NOTE: The new Novavax vaccine is available at Costco in west Little Rock. Your insurance should cover the cost but there might be out-of-pocket expense as the federal program that previously paid for vaccinations has been discontinued.