Panda Express gets closer
Coffee with the Mayor; Public Meeting set on road widening; Maumelle, North Little Rock squads advance in basketball state tournaments plus headlines and more sports
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MEETINGS: The North Little Rock City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall.
EVENTS: National Slam the Scam Day is Thursday and is organized by the Social Security Administration to help people avoid both scams and scammers. Visit www.ssa.gov/scam for more information or click Scam Alert for a fact sheet. Today is also Ash Wednesday and some of us have church tonight which is why this is coming a day early. The time changes at 2 a.m. this Sunday, so Spring Forward and enjoy the extra hour of sunlight in the evening.
Coffee with the Mayor
Maumelle Mayor Caleb Norris is debuting a Coffee with the Mayor this Friday at the Maumelle Center on the Lake.
The event is described as an opportunity to chat with Morris one-on-one about concerns or to pose questions about the state of the city.
The event is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. and last for 90 minutes. There will be coffee and, reportedly, muffins.
Public Meeting set
The Arkansas Department of Transportation will be hosting a public meeting on Tuesday, March 11 on a proposed widening of Hwy. 365 from Interstate 40 to Marche Road.
The drop-in meeting will start at 4:30 p.m. and is scheduled to last for two hours. It will be held at the Cedar Heights Baptist Church, 14510 Cedar Heights Road in North Little Rock.
There’s also information at www.ardot.gov/publcimeetings and you can also comment on the project.
State Tournament report
Maumelle boys and North Little Rock boys and girls teams were all in action on Tuesday in the first round of the various state tournaments.
The good news is all three teams won an advance to the state quarterfinals.
In 5A boys at Greene County Tech in Paragould, Maumelle rolled past Russellville, 97-67, in the last game of the night on Tuesday. Maumelle will now face the winner of Hot Springs-Valley View at 2:30 p.m. on Friday with the semis being at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The state championship game would be the following week at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. Maumelle is now 25-6 overall
For the bracket, click here.
In 6A goys, North Little Rock defeated former league foe Fort Smith Northside, 68-53, on Tuesday night at Springdale. With the win, North Little Rock is now 15-9 and will face Springdale Har-Ber at 8:30 p.m. Thursday night. North Little Rock hasn’t played Har-Ber this season. The winner would face the winner of Bryant-Bentonville in the semifinals with the state championship next week.
For the bracket, click here.
In 6A girls, North Little Rock defeated Rogers, 81-35,and will face Springdale Har-Ber at 7 p.m. on Thursday night as both North Little Rock squads will play Har-Ber. The two teams have played each other once this season, with Har-Ber having won the first game, 70-69, back on Dec. 12. The bracket can be viewed by clicking here.
State finals on Arkansas PBS
Arkansas PBS will again be broadcasting this year’s state championships when they start next week at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs.
The games will air live and also be available on streaming.
The schedule is as follows:
2A girls – Thursday, March 13, at noon.
2A boys – Thursday, March 13, at 1:45 p.m.
3A girls – Thursday, March 13, at 6 p.m.
3A boys – Thursday, March 13, at 7:45 p.m.
4A girls – Friday, March 14, at noon.
4A boys – Friday, March 14, at 1:45 p.m.
5A girls – Friday, March 14, at 6 p.m.
5A boys – Friday, March 14, at 7:45 p.m.
6A girls – Saturday, March 15, at noon.
6A boys – Saturday, March 15, at 1:45 p.m.
1A girls – Saturday, March 15, at 6 p.m.
1A boys – Saturday, March 15, at 7:45 p.m.
Diamond Hogs to play in North Little Rock
Tickets are on sale now for the Arkansas baseball game at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. The Hogs are scheduled to face Grambling on Tuesday, April 1 with first pitch at 6 p.m.
Tickets, starting at $15, can be purchased by clicking here.
Panda Express gets closer
One of the things you learn when you write about the news is you have absolutely no idea what will get traction and what won’t.
You think, as an ink-stained wretch, that deeply reported, investigative piece you spent weeks working on will resonate deeply with the readership and sometimes it does but more often than not, the quick throwaway on something new coming to town will go viral, then stay that way.
The most recent example of the latter was a quick story last year about Panda Express planning to open a franchise in North Little Rock on Maumelle Boulevard.
It took, maybe, 20 minutes to throw together and it is the second most popular story on the site, ever.
Wild and when it will open remains a fairly consistent question and, luckily, Rachel Johnson had some answers.
Johnson is an account director for Approach Marketing, a firm that handles public relations for the corporate parent of Panda Express.
“I should have more to share in the next month,” Johnson wrote in an email and said while an official opening date hasn’t been set, the company is hoping for “the first half of the year.”
The location will employ 50 and be located at 12311 Maumelle Boulevard.
The opening, while murky, will sooner than later as job openings, including store manager, are posted here. You can also apply if so inclined.
This will be the first Panda Express in Pulaski County with other central Arkansas locations being in Benton, Conway and Hot Springs.
More might be coming as there, “are three locations in Arkansas scheduled to open by end of the year. However, this is always subject to change.”
Panda Express is American Chinese, so if you’re looking for a Cantonese spicy noodle, it won’t be the place for you but the Orange Chicken is pretty good and the super greens side is super tasty.
Also, if you’re who happens to be counting your macros, or very concerned about how many grams of protein you’re eating. Panda Express is for you with their balanced protein plates. One has 76 grams! No stir-in creatine for your iced tea though. [FREE IDEA!]
“The Panda Express team is excited to become a bigger part of the community and look forward to welcoming all guests into their doors to try their American Chinese favorites and discover their own,” Johnson helpfully added.
We’ll keep you posted.
Dollar General opens distribution center in North Little Rock
Dollar General recently opened its North Little Rock distribution center with employees, their families, and local and state elected officials.
“We are excited to celebrate the grand opening of our first Arkansas distribution center in North Little Rock, together with our team and their families,” said Rod West, Dollar General’s executive vice president of global supply chain, in a press release. “This facility looks to better support our store teams and customers by combining the functionalities of our traditional, DG Fresh and Private Fleet distribution channels.”
In addition to the typical Dollar General stock, the distribution center will also provide perishable goods like fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy and meat in the DG Fresh network.
The building is 1 million square feet and cost around $180 million to construct. At full staffing capacity, it will employ 300 people.
Dollar General opened its first store in Arkansas in 1975 and currently employs more than 5,700 in its stores and distribution centers in Arkansas.
They’re also hiring and job opening are online at www.dollargeneral.com/careers.
North Little Rock Animal Shelter to have ribbon-cutting
The opening and ribbon cutting for the new North Little Rock Animal Shelter will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 6.
It was originally scheduled for Tuesday but moved due to the inclement weather that day.
The shelter is at 1 Championship Drive in Burns Park and originally built in 1961, then expanded in the mid 1980s. The facility was 1,200 square feet but the addition added 930 square feet with additional entry doors and a private room for animal adoptions. New kennels were also added as well as a “meet and greet” park outdoor area.
The Architect for the project was Clements & Associates and Austin Construction was the contractor.
The shelter is open six days a week with hours being from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday with Saturday hours being from noon to 4 p.m.
Please call 501-791-8577 for more information.
North Little Rock School District plans another millage vote
The School Board for the North Little Rock School District set a special election on May 13 for a proposed millage increase.
A proposed millage increase was resoundingly rejected in November and why the board thinks this one will be successful is a bit of a mystery but the objectives remain the same:
A new middle school campus
Renovation of the Ole Main Building
Construction of an indoor sports complex
Maybe the board thinks hiring Brad Bolding back as head football coach will be the key to success this time, at least in regards to the indoor sports complex, but it will be a hard hill to climb given the district’s current leadership.
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 Sun., Apr. 26, 2025.
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
The journey
After a weather-related delay, things got back on the right, downhill, track. More to report next week.
Part 9 of a 12-part series.
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 despite it being March and nearing the fifth anniversary of the start of the pandemic. The virus has now killed 14,162 Arkansans since the pandemic began in 2020. 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