Maumelle Charter debuts Bookworm
Vending machine for books a hit with elementary school students; All-State basketball players named; Arts News; Business News and Education News and Notes 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 death toll drops
The total number of dead Arkansans this past week was 17.
Last week, it was 35, and the week before that it was 23.
The total number of dead Arkansans is now at 13,032. The Covid-19 death toll is now the state’s 33rd largest city, passing Mountain Home’s 12,722 and nearly to Harrison’s 13,081.
This week marks the third year of the ongoing pandemic and the beginning of year four. I turned 50 at the start and 53 is this weekend, so the math is pretty easy to keep track of.
There’s no planet where I would have believed it would keep going this long, or, for that matter, with no end in sight. And, yes, it is more manageable and, yes, vaccines are available but as I prepare for a weekend flight, I’m packing an N95 to wear on the plane and another in my bag, just in case I lose the first one. They’re sort of like the ever-present readers where I keep one on my head and another handy, just in case.
It is dumb but, so far, I haven’t tested positive unlike many Arkansans where there’s been more then a million cases in the state. There’s more numbers and none of them are good.
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
The Headlines
Upcoming meetings: The North Little Rock School Board meets at 5:30 p.m. tonight and click here to view the agenda. The PCSSD School Board meeting that was scheduled for this week was postponed and a makeup date has not yet been set. The Maumelle City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall.
Upcoming events: St. Patrick’s Day is Friday. Wear green and plan accordingly. Also of note, Spring Break is next week for most high schools, colleges and universities.
Bookworm Vending Machine now at Maumelle Charter Elementary
Maumelle Charter Elementary School announced that it recently purchased a Bookworm Vending Machine. The school purchased the book vending machine using rewards money that they received through the Arkansas School Recognition Program.
Students in kindergarten through third grade will now have the opportunity to receive a new book in exchange for a gold token.
Students can earn gold tokens and redeem them for a book of their choice from the vending machine. The tokens can be earned by several criteria including:
Super Falcon
Perfect Attendance
Academic Growth
Citizenship
Perseverance
Jennifer Hyde, principal of the school said that the machine is a dream that she and assistant principal, Anna Wingfield have shared for a while.
“We are excited to celebrate student successes and our students are working hard to earn tokens,” Hyde said. “The goal of the vending machine is to get books in the hands of students to develop and grow their love of reading,” said Wingfield.
Art notes
Chicago in Little Rock this weekend
Chicago makes a two-day, three-show stop at Robinson Center in Little Rock this week.
The shows are this Friday and Saturday.
The Friday show starts at 7:30 p.m. while the Saturday shows are a 2 p.m. matinee and then an evening show at 7:30 p.m.
To buy tickets online, click here.
They can also be purchased by calling 501-244-8800 or going to box office at 426 W. Markham.
Clue
North Little Rock High School is staging Clue: On Stage (High School Edition). First show this week and additional shows have been added for April.
Buy tickets in advance by clicking here.
Education news and notes
Maumelle’s Townsend serves as business student ambassador
Lamar Townsend, of Maumelle, is part of a group of UA Little Rock students who are stepping up as leaders and supporters for their fellow students in the School of Business by serving as student ambassadors.
The School of Business Student Ambassador Program is led by Dr. Robert Mitchell, director of the School of Business, and Shannon Gwinn, director of career services. The student ambassadors are nominated by faculty members and selected by the School of Business leadership team.
"The student ambassadors in the School of Business play a very important role within the business community," Mitchell said. Throughout the academic year, our ambassadors have access to network with business and community representatives through special events. This interaction benefits our stakeholders by giving them an opportunity to interact with our students and in some cases, employ them."
The 2022-23 business student ambassadors, above, include Sean Cooper, Kenya Daniels, Bryan Hernandez, Amber Keomany, Aniruddha Koppar, Nandita Monika, Guillermo Soto, and Lamar Townsend.
"I really enjoy being a student business ambassador," said Kenya Daniels, a senior financial services major from McAlmont. "Being a student ambassador allows me to speak for the students because of the opportunity to further get to know and work with our faculty. It is extremely rewarding to be one."
The ambassadors serve an integral role by representing the School of Business during important events, supporting their fellow business students, and engaging with the business industry to let them know about the academic, research, and industry partnership opportunities in the School of Business.
"Ambassadors are encouraged to assist with the Alumni Luncheon and Golf Tournament - a great opportunity for them to network with members of the business community," Gwinn said. "They also attend School of Business Advisory Board meetings and are given opportunities to engage with those businesses as well. Special meetings for ambassadors only are held throughout the academic year to introduce them to different industries within their major."
Students present research at Arkansas College Art History Symposium
Five University of Arkansas at Little Rock students presented their research at the 33rd annual Arkansas College Art History Symposium March 10 at the University of Central Arkansas.
Established in 1991 by Gayle Seymour, associate dean of the UCA College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and Dr. Floyd Martin, professor emeritus of art at UA Little Rock, the Arkansas College Art History Symposium seeks to encourage and recognize student achievement in art history in the state.
Aneesha Saeed of Maumelle, gave the presentation, "Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes: Inside the Baroque Painting and Her Legacy as a Woman Living in 17th Century Rome."
William Whitledge of North Little Rock, gave the presentation, "Beyond the Image: How Korean Art Progressed and Evolved in North and South Korea between 1953 and 1988."
Sports
All-State basketball players named
With basketball season complete, now come the post-season honors and nine North of the River players were named All-State.
Central Arkansas Christian had a total of three players while Maumelle had two and North Little Rock rounded it with a total of four players.
For CAC, fresh off one of its most impressive basketball runs, the Mustangs had Sam Maddox and Grayson Wilson named 3A All-State. Both players will be back next season as Maddox is a junior, and Wilson, who is also a football standout and had Division I offers to play quarterback at Arkansas among others, is a sophomore.
CAC’s Riley Bryant, a senior, was named All-State for the Lady Mustangs. Bryant has signed to play at Washington and Lee next season.
Maumelle’s Markalon Rachell and Jacob Lanier were both named 5A All-State. They’re both 6-foot-5 wings and underclassmen. Rachell is a sophomore, while Lanier is just a freshman.
North Little Rock’s Ja’Kory Withers and Tyler Frederick were also named All-State. Frederick, a senior, has signed with Arkansas-Fort Smith, while Withers is a junior.
For the 6A State runners-up, April Edwards and Jocelyn Tate were both named 6A All-State. Edwards, a senior, has committed to Pittsburg State in Kansas, while Tate is a junior
To see the All-State teams for all classifications, click here.
All state tournament teams
The all state tournament teams were also announced and there’s some familiar names as North Little Rock’s Edwards and Tate and CAC’s Wilson were all honored.
Joining them were Jaden Jones of the North Little Rock boys team in 6A and Addison Shelton of Maumelle in 5A.
For the complete teams, click here.
Basketball State Championships
Scores and Game MVPs
1A Girls: Mammoth Spring 45 Norfork 36; Brynn Washam
1A Boys: County Line 46 Marked Tree 44; Aundrae Milum
2A Girls: Mt. Vernon-Enola 55 Conway Christian 45; Dessie McCarty
2A Boys: Bigelow 59 Marshall 44; Bennett Wilson
3A Girls: Salem 56 Lamar 36; Marleigh Sellars
3A Boys: Manila 61 Bergman 57 (OT); Brayden Nunnally
4A Girls: Farmington 64, Nashville 61; Jenna Lawrence
4A Boys: LR Christian 65, Blytheville 45; Landren Blocker
5A Girls: Greenwood 58, Vilonia 35; Mady Cartwright
5A Boys: Pine Bluff 67, Lake Hamilton 51; Courtney Crutchfield
6A Girls: Conway 62 North Little Rock 52; Chloe Clardy
6A Boys: Jonesboro 48, Springdale 43; Deion Buford
Notes: Jonesboro’s win made it a three-peat as the Hurricane won the previous two season in 5A before moving up to 6A this season. … Conway and North Little Rock played for the third time this season with the Wampus Cats winning all three. … County Line won the 1A boys championship to cap 45-0 season. … The only state championship game sellout was in 5A boys with Pine Bluff and Lake Hamilton drawing a capacity crowd at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs.
Business news and notes
North Little Rock’s Stuckey an Ag Promise Certified Agent
North Little Rock’s Scott Stuckey, below, of Farm Bureau Insurance in Pulaski County has successfully become an Ag Promise Certified Agent with Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas, Inc.
An agent must complete both educational and experience requirements to become Ag Promise certified. By doing so, an agent becomes more knowledgeable about agricultural risks and can better provide risk management services that address the needs of farmers.
The Ag Promise Certified Agent program is designed to help farmers and ranchers identify agents that understand the complexity of the risks our agricultural customers face. Continuing education is required to maintain the certification.
ASBTDC's partners with Conexion de Negocios Latinos to support state's Latino entrepreneurs
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is proud to announce a new partnership with Conexion de Negocios Latinos, a Springdale-based non-profit organization that focuses on supporting Latino businesses in Arkansas.
Through this partnership, ASBTDC’s Arkansas Business Navigator program will work alongside Conexion de Negocios Latinos to provide no-cost specialized services and resources for Arkansas' Latino entrepreneurs.
"We are thrilled to partner with ASBTDC's Arkansas Business Navigator program to support Latino-owned small businesses in Arkansas," said Irma Chavez, founder and CEO of Conexion de Negocios Latinos. "We know that Latino entrepreneurs face unique challenges and barriers, and this partnership will help us provide the resources and support they need to succeed."
Latino-owned small businesses are one of the fastest growing segments of the Arkansas economy, but they often face significant challenges, including limited access to capital, language barriers, and cultural differences. The partnership between CNL and ASBTDC's Arkansas Business Navigator will help to address these challenges and provide a pathway for Latino business owners to achieve success.
“ASBTDC is committed to supporting Latino entrepreneurs across the state of Arkansas, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Conexion de Negocios Latinos,” said Michael Singleton, ASBTDC associate state director. “Through this partnership, we hope to connect more Latino entrepreneurs with the resources and networks they need to start and grow successful businesses in Arkansas.”
Conexion de Negocios Latinos is the 7th partner organization – and only one exclusively serving the Latino community – to join the Arkansas Business Navigator project. The program unites trusted community partners that reach into specific sectors of the state’s entrepreneurial community. As the “hub,” ASBTDC provides centralized support and structure for the partners.
The partnership with CNL is a significant step forward in serving Latino-owned small businesses. Together, the two organizations provide much-needed resources and support to help the state's Latino entrepreneurs thrive:
Access to bilingual business advisors who can provide one-on-one assistance in Spanish and English at no charge.
Specialized training and workshops focused on the unique needs and challenges of Latino entrepreneurs.
Assistance with accessing financing options and other critical business resources.
Access to a network of Latino business owners and entrepreneurs across Arkansas.
For more information on the Arkansas Business Navigator program, please visit arbusinessnavigator.com.
For more information on Conexion de Negocios Latinos, please visit conexiondenegocioslatinos.com.
Smart Growth Accelerator applications open
Arkansas companies looking to move from the startup phase into scale-up mode are invited to apply for the 2023 Smart Growth Accelerator.
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will offer the month-long, fully virtual program beginning June 7.
Smart Growth is open to businesses that meet these criteria:
Located in Arkansas
Open at least a year but fewer than five years
Has at least one employee other than the owner/CEO
Organized as a for-profit small business
Over the four weeks, the accelerator will cover business growth planning, marketing, financial management, and financing for growth/expansion. A cohort of participating companies will attend weekly online workshops and receive individualized guidance with creating and implementing their own customized Strategic Growth Plan.
“We are eager to support CEOs through the challenges of scaling their businesses. The Smart Growth Accelerator will help them uncover opportunities and reduce risks in this important phase of growth, as they gain insights from the ASBTDC team, guest experts and peers,” said ASBTDC’s state director, Laura Fine.
To provide the best learning experience, the Smart Growth cohort is limited to 15 companies. If selected, companies will pay an $80 registration fee to accept a place in the accelerator.
The application period for the 2023 cohort closes May 1. To apply, visit asbtdc.org/smart-growth.
For more information, contact the center’s Whitney Horton at wahorton@ualr.edu or 501- 916-6712.
Publisher’s note: ArkansasNewsroom.com is an ASBTDC client.