Maumelle Planning Commission to meet
Education News and Notes; March Madness Report; plus headlines and sports
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MEETINGS: The Maumelle Planning Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall. For more keep scrolling. Next Monday, March 31, is the fifth Monday of the month and that means no City Council meetings. Enjoy the night off alderpeople.
EVENTS: An unexpected delight is Arkansas making the Sweet 16 and will face Texas Tech at 9:10 p.m. tonight on TBS. The winner of that game will face the winner of Maryland-Florida in the Elite 8 with the opportunity to play in the following weekend’s Final Four. So make plans to watch some basketball, it is that time of year. But, if hoops aren’t your thing. Happy Opening Day to all who celebrate as baseball’s back today and, yes, we know about the thing in Tokyo and it doesn’t count.
Maumelle Planning Commission to meet
The Maumelle Planning Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall. For more keep scrolling.
The meeting's agenda can be viewed by clicking here.
There's a total of four new items of business and all will have a noticeable impact on the city.
First up are proposed distribution lines for Entergy from a new electric substation. The substation will be in the 900 black of Carnahan Drive.
Next up are ambulances, as in a proposed substation for MEMS at 501 Millwood Circle. The area is currently zoned PCD and requires a conditional use permit before MEMS can move.
In a letter requesting the permit, MEMS said it had added another ambulance crew to the city and its current location wasn't large enough for the personnel and vehicles.
Since ambulance crews need space to sleep, hence the need for the conditional use permit.
City staff issued a Do Pass recommendation.
The final items of business are related to the proposed Devoe Bend Lake Estates development, above, across from White Oak Bayou.
The lot is 62.265 acres and would contain a total of 21 lots.The property was annexed into the city in 2002 and has been undeveloped since.
The average lot size would be 1.34 acres and would also include green space buffers between the homes, as well as an additional buffer to the bayou.
Both proposals received Do Pass recommendations.
The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed on the city's YouTube channel.
Education News
PCSSD’s Jamaya McCoy named a 2025 Arkansas Diamond Student
Success Learning Academy (SLA), PCSSD’s Alternative Learning Environment, is excited to announce that Jamaya McCoy, below, was selected as a 2025 Arkansas Diamond Student. This is the first time a PCSSD has received this honor.
McCoy’s teacher, Tonya Dixon, nominated her for the Diamond Award based on her strong display of diligence, perseverance, sensitivity and resiliency.
“Finding the words to describe the greatness of Jamaya is hard,” said Dixon. “She is truly going to go beyond her expectations and do absolutely great things! I cannot think of anyone more deserving of the Diamond Award.”
Brady Bratcher, administrator at the SLA, shared similar sentiments about Jamaya’s dedication. “She is a great young lady who is motivated to complete her assignments and be successful. We are very proud of Jamaya and excited that such a deserving student is being recognized," Bratcher said.
Her nomination was carefully vetted by a selection committee made up of board members from the Arkansas Association of Alternative Educators and members of the Arkansas Department of Education Alternative Education Unit. When asked how she felt about receiving this award, Jamaya said she was determined to work hard and stay focused. “It is better to lead than to follow. Your own path is the best path,” she added.
McCoy was honored during ALE Leadership Day at The Capitol on March 18, a celebration and recognition of students and educators in Alternative Education. The Arkansas Diamond honorees also had the opportunity to experience the Arkansas Legislature in action and go inside the state vault at the Treasury.
UA Little Rock TRIO students explore Nashville
Students in the TRIO Student Support Services Program at UA Little Rock enjoyed a memorable trip to Nashville, Tennessee, blending cultural exploration with graduate school preparation.
North of the River students who attended the trip include:
Sierra Flowers of North Little Rock
Danielle Roundtree of Sherwood
The free trip aimed to inspire the dozen participants to consider graduate school opportunities by exposing them to the cultural and academic opportunities that the city has to offer.
The students who attended the trip include Anaiah Banks, Jakymbriea Burns, Spencer Davis, Flowers, Angelica Hurtado, Korey Isbell, Maria Lambdin, Mercy Macjones, Nikayla Murphy, Roundtree, Skylar Sherlock, and Raevyn Walker.
During the Oct. 25-27 trip, the students toured Fisk University and met with university officials to learn about graduate school opportunities at the university. Additionally, they took a backstage tour and had line dancing lessons at Grand Ole Opry and visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
On the lighter side, the students also visited Centennial Park, attended a Nashville Predators vs Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game, experienced the thrills of a televised game show during the Great Big Game Show, and ate at the Aquarium Restaurant.
"We stayed in a beautiful hotel, learned some line dancing, and enjoyed dinner at Paula Deen's restaurant," said Danielle Roundtree of Little Rock. "Visiting a college and standing on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, where so many incredible performances have happened, was unforgettable. We even played a lively trivia game in a Family Feud-style setup and had a unique dining experience at the Aquarium Restaurant. It was a great mix of good times and great company."
The trip was especially impactful for Raevyn Walker, a sophomore accounting major, because she already plans to move to Nashville after graduation.
"The Nashville trip was such an amazing experience!" Walker said. "I wasn't familiar with the city, so this trip was the perfect opportunity and introduction for me! My favorite stops were the aquarium, hockey game, and HBCU college visit. They were all new and something I had never experienced or seen before. The dean who spoke to us was very inspirational and motivated me to continue striving for a career in finance, especially since it's scarce to see females in the mathematics field."
Course brings tech tutoring to UA Little Rock
Willard Moore of North Little Rock is one of two students involved in a first-year experience course for computer science majors who collaborated with the Learning Commons to bring technology tutors to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Brandon Sollars, director of the Learning Commons, had been looking for a way to recruit tech tutors that could assist students when he saw an email looking for service-learning projects for computer science students.
"It seemed serendipitous to me, and it has been smooth sailing ever since Ahmet Yaman and Will Moore reached out to me about working in the Learning Commons for their project," Sollars said.
Yaman, a double major in computer science and cybersecurity from Turkey, and Moore, a web design and development major from North Little Rock, are both freshmen who took the first-year experience (FYE) course for students in the Department of Computer Science during the fall semester. Students in the course complete a service-learning project at UA Little Rock.
"I work as a part-time tutor teaching reading and math at Gideon Math and Reading Center, so when my FYE wanted me to prepare a project, my first thought was finding ways to tutor computer technology," Yaman said. "I saw the Learning Commons on the list of project sponsors, and I immediately thought that would be the best place to tutor people."
Yaman and Moore hosted technology tutoring hours on Mondays and Wednesdays during the fall semester as well as worked with the Disability Resource Center to host a technology workshop in October in honor of Disability Awareness Month.
During the Basics of Technology: Accessibility Edition Workshop, Moore and Yaman introduced and demonstrated Texthelp, an accessibility tool that is offered through the Disability Resource Center. Texthelp tools provide literacy and translation support.
"I have gained so much from this experience," Moore said. "I had gotten familiar with Texthelp earlier in the semester, and I particularly like the narration feature where it reads text to you so you can listen to text on the go. We got to help so many people this semester, from students who weren't familiar with Blackboard to students in web design class to those that just needed general technology tutoring sessions."
"I enjoyed everything about the service-learning project," Yaman agreed. "I loved working on the workshop with Will and working with the Communications Skills Center to practice our presentation. It was a collaborative experience that I enjoyed. As a tutor, I got to help many students, including a lot of my friends, with any computer question they had. It was generally a very fun experience."
The Learning Commons has continued the project with tech tutoring hours and Basics of Technology workshops during the spring semester. The tech tutors assist students with basic computer skills, internet and web browsing, email use, mobile device assistance, digital communication tools like videoconferencing and message apps, basic file management, and basic troubleshooting.
"Will Moore has come on board as our primary tech tutor and will take other tutors and students from the FYE course under his wing," Sollars said. "We'd like to keep this momentum going by continuing to collaborate with on-campus partners like the Department of Computer Science and continue to have technology workshops in collaboration with partners like the Disability Resource Center."
Students graduate from Harding University
More than 300 students received diplomas and were recognized as Harding University graduates for Fall 2024 during a commencement ceremony on Dec. 14, 2024.
Graduates include students from the College of Allied Health, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Bible and Ministry, Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration, Cannon-Clary College of Education, Carr College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and Honors College.
Lyndsey Dillard of Maumelle graduates from Harding University with a Master of Science in physician assistant studies.
Morgan Gill of North Little Rock graduates from Harding University with a Master of Education in educational leadership.
Josie Hall of Sherwood graduates from Harding University with a Bachelor of Arts in early childhood/special education integrated.
Eldwana Mason of North Little Rock graduates from Harding University with a Master of Arts in Teaching in special education k-12.
Haley Massey of Maumelle graduates from Harding University with a Master of Arts in Teaching in elementary education.
Jennifer Noel of North Little Rock graduates from Harding University with a Bachelor of Science in child development.
Ashanti Poindexter of Sherwood graduates from Harding University with a Master of Science in information systems.
Harding is the largest private university in the state and in Searcy.
Kristal Wilkins of North Little Rock named to UWA's Fall 2024 Dean's List
North Little Rock’s Kristal Wilkins has been named to the University of West Alabama's Fall 2024 Dean's List for outstanding academic achievement.
A Psychology major from North Little Rock, Wilkins is a member of the class of 2025.
Fall 2024 academic honors recipients represent 62 out of 67 Alabama counties and 68 counties from 19 other states.
The Dean's List gives recognition to those undergraduate students those with grade-point averages between 3.25 and 3.79, completing at least twelve semester credit hours, with no grade lower than a "C."
Delta State University celebrates students accepted into professional schools
Delta State University proudly announces that four students from the Division of Mathematics and Sciences have been accepted into prestigious professional schools, marking a significant milestone in their academic journeys.
Dr. Chris Jurgenson, Associate Professor of Biochemistry, expressed his pride in the students' achievements. "I am very proud of all our hardworking students who are continuing their education in professional school," he said. "I've had every one of them in at least one of my classes, and the work ethic and determination they have shown at DSU will serve them well in their future careers."
Among those accepted is Carson Traylor, of Sherwood, abovem who will attend the University of Tennessee Health Science Center School of Dentistry. in Memphis Traylor credits his success to the academic rigor and mentorship he received at Delta State. "The study habits I had to develop at DSU helped me succeed beyond the city limits of Cleveland," he said. "This was not a solo journey-I am grateful for the investment and guidance from professors like Drs. Jurgenson, Bentley, Smithhart, and the former dean of the honors school, Dr. Gerald."
Traylor, who attended Little Rock Central, where he swam for now Sherwood Mayor Mayor Jo Heye, attended Delta State on a swimming scholarship and was also the head lifeguard for Sherwood Parks & Recreation.
Other Delta State students accepted into graduate schools include:
Johnathan McCaskill of Lexington, Mississippi will pursue his studies at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.
Aubrey Claire Norris of Senatobia, Mississippi has been accepted into the UMMC Rural Physicians program.
Taylor Klosterman of Niceville, Florida will attend the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Camp Healing Hearts offers free grief camp
Losing a loved one is difficult for everyone, and grieving a loss is essential to accepting painful feelings and creating an opportunity for growth and a new sense of normal.
Camp Healing Hearts is for Arkansas children ages five to 18 and their families who are grieving the death of a loved one. Part of Kaleidoscope Grief Center, a program of Methodist Family Health, Camp Healing Hearts is a FREE overnight event that will begin at 5 p.m. at Camp Aldersgate in Little Rock on Friday, May 9 and end at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10. Registration deadline is Sunday, April 26.
Utilizing both therapy and recreation, our camp offers children and families an opportunity to discover their own inner strength. An adult caregiver is required to accompany the grieving child or children attending camp. Activities include heart-to-heart time, fishing, crafts, games, campfires, s'mores and much more. It is best for children and families who have experienced a loss of 3-to-6 months or more. Only 100 spaces are available.
You can apply online at https://form.jotform.com/scox/CAMP_HEALING_HEARTS or download the application and mail it to:
Dao Ward
Kaleidoscope Grief Center
1600 Aldersgate Rd., Suite 100B
Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
Application deadline is Sunday, April 26.
Kaleidoscope Grief Center serves grieving children, teens and their families throughout Arkansas. Grief can be an isolating experience for children. The program helps those dealing with loss and bereavement through education, therapeutic and recreational services, grief support programs, counseling and Camp Healing Hearts.
To register for Camp Healing Hearts, learn more about Kaleidoscope Grief Center or find out how Methodist Family Health can assist your family, visit MethodistFamily.org.
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