Maumelle Police Department announces promotions
Maumelle Police Department announces promotions
Maumelle’s Hatfield a grand champion truck driver; Maumelle Charter hires Gull, Posey as coaches; Education news and notes plus headlines and sports
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The total number of reported dead Arkansans remains at 13,175 or the state’s 32nd largest city.
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The Headlines
Meetings: The North Little Rock School Board will have a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. tonight, in addition to a planned Board workshop. The meeting’s agenda is here and it includes a closed, executive session for personnel issues. If you want to watch, it will be livestreamed here. The North Little Rock City Council will meet next Monday night.
Events: Hamburger Week starts Sunday. For more, keep scrolling. Also, don’t forget, because of the holiday on Tuesday, trash and recycling routes will run one-day delayed for the rest of he week.
ICYMI: An anniversary night out
Maumelle Police Department announces promotions
Maumelle police Sgt. Derrick Jackson has been promoted to lieutenant, becoming the first Black to achieve that, said the city’s Police Chief Cory Pickard.
Jackson started his law enforcement career in 2003 as a cadet with the Little Rock Police Department and has held various positions with the Alexander Police Department, Shannon Hills Police Department, and the Mayflower Police Department before joining the Maumelle Police Department in 2016.
He is currently working in criminal and special investigations for the department. He earned an associate and bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Remington College.
Pickard also announced that Kaleb Hawkins has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Hawkins began his law enforcement career with the department in 2019. He started working in the dispatch center, before becoming a certified police officer. Hawkins serves on the Special Response Team and is currently assigned to the patrol division.
Abby Lewis has also been promoted to the rank of Sergeant with the department. Lewis
began her law enforcement career in 2014 with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s office. She joined the Maumelle Police Department in 2022 where she is currently assigned to the patrol division.
A promotion ceremony was held at the Maumelle Police Department earlier today.
Due to space limitations, the promotion ceremony was limited to invited guests only.
Maumelle’s Hatfield a grand champion truck driver
Maumelle’s Loren Hatfield was among the three professional truck drivers from central Arkansas who have qualified to compete for national titles after taking top prizes at the 2023 Arkansas Trucking Championship.
The three are:
Hatfield of ABF Freight, Grand Champion and 4 Axle Class Winner:
Chaunce Umfleet, Lonoke of FedEx Express, 3 Axle:
Jessie King, Little Rock of FedEx Freight, Straight Truck:
Hatfield, below, claimed the Grand Champion title after finishing first in the 4-axle division at the 2023 Arkansas Truck Driving Championship competition held June 23-24 at the Rogers Convention Center.
The event is hosted by the Arkansas Trucking Association.
Hatfield was among 152 drivers to compete in three tests of skill: pre-trip inspection, written examination and driving skills. He also garnered the highest pre-trip inspection score.
He’s no stranger to the Arkansas Trucking Championship winner’s circle. This was his 17th time competing and ninth time to qualify for the national competition. It was his second Arkansas Grand Champion win, having previously garnered the title in 2013 when he competed in the tank division.
Over his 30-year career as a professional truck driver, he has accrued more than two million safe-driving miles with ABF Freight. He lives in Maumelle with his wife, Tammy. In his free time, Hatfield enjoys boating and riding ATVs.
Hatfield will be one of nine truck drivers representing Arkansas at the National Truck Driving Championships, Aug. 16-19 in Columbus, Ohio. Hosted by the American Trucking Associations, the national competition showcases the safest and most professional truck drivers who work every day on our nation’s highways.
“Collectively, the drivers at the 2023 Arkansas Trucking Championship accounted for more than 241 million safe-driving miles,” said Shannon Newton, president, Arkansas Trucking Association. “Every single man and woman who qualified to compete should be congratulated for their commitment to safety, professionalism and serving our communities.”
Hamburger week is nearly here
Hamburgers and cheeseburgers will be devoured in droves during Rock City Burger Week in central Arkansas starting on Sunday, July 9 and continuing through Sunday, July 16.
Participating restaurants will offer a special $9 beef burger for the week-long event. Some restaurants are creating unique mouth-watering burgers for the week, and others will feature their most-loved burgers.
As an incentive to dine often, each patron can upload their receipts showing the purchase of the featured burger to the Rock City Burger Week website for a chance to win a PKGo Tailgating Grill package and a gift card to purchase beef at a local meat market. Visits to at least four different participating restaurants will be required.
Participating restaurants include Bennett’s, Rosie’s Pot & Kettle, Town Pump, Loca Luna, Red Door, Skinny J’s, The Croissanterie, Gadwall’s Grill, Corky’s, Smashed & Stacked, Mama’s Gyros Grill, Mockingbird Bar & Tacos, Brave New Restaurant, Count Porkula, Four Quarter Bar and The Root Café.
For more information or to check for additional restaurants, visit www.RockCityBurgerWeek.com.
Rock City Burger Week is a week-long event sponsored by the Arkansas Beef Council.
Education notes
Gull to lead volleyball program at Maumelle Charter
Rebekkah Gull, below, was recently named the new head coach for Maumelle Charter High School’s junior varsity and varsity volleyball teams.
She is a Maryland native and a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas where she earned an undergraduate degree in health sciences and a master’s degree in secondary education with a focus on English.
She played high school volleyball for Oakdale High School in Ijamsville, Maryland, which won the Maryland State Championship. She also played for the Metro American Volleyball Club based in Washington, D.C.
She has coached for the Conway Juniors Volleyball Club for their 15 regional-plus and beach teams.
Posey to coach basketball at Maumelle Charter
Tyler Posey, below, was recently named the new head senior high boys basketball coach at Maumelle Charter High School.
Posey was most recently the assistant high school boys basketball coach at Bryant High School and the head freshmen boys basketball coach.
He is a native of Sparkman and a graduate of Sparkman High School. He is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University and earned a degree in mathematics and secondary education. He also played basketball for the Tigers. He completed his master’s degree in education leadership at Arkansas State University.
He is married and has two children.
UCA names spring graduates
The University of Central Arkansas held spring commencement on Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6 in the Farris Center on campus.
The university conferred approximately 1,226 undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Business; College of Education; College of Health and Behavioral Sciences; and College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Those North of the River students who earned degrees, certificates and honors are listed below:
Peter Cook of Maumelle graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Nursing.
Emily Daniel of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Nursing.
Kristopher Horne of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science.
Nelson Hunt of Maumelle graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing.
Brian Jackson of Maumelle graduated with a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nursing Practice.
Byron Jackson of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
James Joyner of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Megan McCollum of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in General Business.
Megan McMoran of Maumelle graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Nursing.
Lincoln Moses of Maumelle graduated with a Master of Accountancy in Accounting.
Tamika Ratliff-Kimble of Maumelle graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching in Teaching.
April Scribner of Maumelle graduated with a Master of Science in Health Promotion.
Emma Scribner of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Film.
Shannon Varner of Maumelle graduated Magna Cum Laude Undergraduate Scholar with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Daniel Wheeler of Maumelle graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting.
Miguel Whitmore of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science.
For North Little Rock and Sherwood graduates, click here
Volunteers honored by PCSSD
Volunteers donated nearly 17,000 hours of services at schools within the Pulaski County Special School District in the 2022-2023 school year.
Volunteers include parents, grandparents and retirees among others.
The district gave out seven awards for their service to volunteers and the elementary, middle and high schools. Six of those seven went to either Robinson volunteers or schools in the Robinson feeder.
Individual Elementary School Volunteer - Victoria Hemphill, Robinson Elementary with 748.5 hours volunteered
Overall Elementary School - Robinson Elementary with 2,644.5 total hours volunteered
Individual Middle School Volunteer - Jennifer Tait, Robinson Middle with 207 hours volunteered
Overall Middle School - Robinson Middle with total 1,833.75 hours volunteered
Individual High School Volunteer - Allison Clinton with 507.5 hours volunteered
Overall High School - Robinson High School with 574 total hours volunteered.
The Susie Roberts Award was given to the late Faustine Smith, who volunteered at Mills for several years including over 200 hours this past school year. She passed away on May 5.
Art notes
Rent starts this month at Argenta Community Theater
The first Rent show at Argenta Community Theater will start July 26 and the run will come to an end on Aug. 5.
There’s a total of 10 shows scheduled so far, with evening performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinee will be at 2 p.m.
Tickets start at $28 and can be purchased online at www.ArgentaCommunityTheater.org.
Brandon Box-Higdem will serve as director.
The production contains adult themes and references and is not recommended for younger audiences.
Audition workshop set
Rebekah Bruce will be teaching a workshop on how to audition next Tuesday, July 11.
The workshop will be held at the Argenta Community Theater and will begin at 5 p.m. Cost is $35 and for those 13 and over.
To register, email: bdavis@argentacommunitytheater.org.
Sports
No baseball at Dickey-Stephens this week
Now through Sunday: Road trip to Northwest Arkansas
All-Star break starts on Monday and continues through Thursday, July 13