Turkey tomfoolery this Thanksgiving
Planning Commission to meet tonight; Maumelle sets budget meetings; Holiday events abound; High school football season over plus sports and headlines
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MEETINGS: The Maumelle Planning Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight. For more, keep scrolling. The North Little Rock School Board meets at 5:30 p.m. tonight and the North Little Rock City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall.
EVENTS: Thanksgiving is next Thursday and the various government offices will be closed for the holiday and most will be closed on Friday as well. So call ahead before deciding to do some business. As is customary, trash and recycling picks will be delayed a day due to the holiday.
Maumelle sets budget meetings
The City of Maumelle has scheduled a series of budget meetings to discuss and plan for the 2026 General Budget. These meetings are open to the public and will be livestreamed on the city’s YouTube page.
All budget meetings will start at 6 p,m. And be held in the Blue Room at City Hall.
For more information, call City Hall at 501-851-2500.
Budget timeline
• Monday, Dec. 1: Budget Distributed to Council
• Tuesday, Dec. 2: Budget Meeting No. 1
• Thursday, Dec. 4: Budget Meeting No. 2
• Thursday, Dec. 11: Budget Meeting No. 3
• Sunday, Dec.14: If necessary, Budget Meeting No. 4
• Monday, Dec. 15: City Council approval at Regular City Council Meeting
Maumelle Planning Commission meets tonight
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday next week, the Maumelle Planning Commission is having its regular, monthly meeting tonight at City Hall.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. and will be livestreamed on the city’s YouTube page.
Next month’s meeting has been moved up a week to Thursday, Dec. 18th for the Christmas holiday.
The meeting’s agenda, which can be viewed by clicking here, looks large at first glance with eight items of old and new business but a closer read shows that two were withdrawn by staff, one pushed to December and a fourth is for discussion only with no action to be taken.
That leaves just four action items with one being an update to city code in regards to landscaping along Maumelle Boulevard.
The other three are:
A property grading plan at the 9900 block of White Oak Crossing
A curb cut approval for Sonic at 111 Commons Drive
A development at the 1100 block of Millwood Circle that would be a 55-lot townhome subdivision with a development plan and a proposed preliminary plat.
The discussion only item relates to the development above and would cover, “what is allowed upon approval of a preliminary plat or development plan.” The goal would be to clarify the city’s language on “public improvements, etc.”
Tonight’s meeting is open to the public.
2026 meeting schedule Jan. 22, Feb. 26, March 26, April 23, May 28, June 25, July 23, Aug. 27, Sept. 24, Oct. 22, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.
Christmas North of the River
North Little Rock held its annual tree lighting on Tuesday night to a full house at the city’s Argenta Plaza.
Other upcoming North Little Rock holiday events include:
The Piccolo Zoppé Winter Circus now through Nov. 22 at the Argenta Green Park at 100 Bishop Lindsey Ave.,
The 10th Anniversary of the North Little Rock Northern Lights Holiday Festival on Saturday, Nov. 22,, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Argenta Plaza at 510 Main St. in North Little Rock North Little Rock’s Northern Lights event is a magical winter celebration that transforms the Argenta Arts District into a festive wonderland. Held annually, this holiday event features stunning light displays, live entertainment, holiday markets, and family-friendly activities. Visitors can enjoy the dazzling lights, listen to carolers, take photos with Santa, and savor seasonal treats from local vendors. The event aims to bring the community together in the spirit of the holidays, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere that enchants residents and visitors alike. A free holiday event for all ages, Northern Lights will have a holiday market, photos with Santa, live music by the band Bad Habit, and North Little Rock’s 38-foot Christmas tree. Food trucks, as well as Flyway Brewing, will have food and drinks available for purchase. For mixed drinks or more food options, restaurants and bars within the Argenta Outdoor Dining District allow patrons to order to-go beverages to consume within the dining district boundaries, which include Argenta Plaza.
The Ice Skating Rink at Lakewood from Nov. 29 through Jan. 4 at 4500 Lakeshore Drive
On Saturday, Dec. 6, Simmons Bank Arena will host the Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team when they face Fresno State at 3 p.m. Tickets are still available through TicketMaster among other ticket brokers.
The North Little Rock Christmas Parade is Sunday, Dec. 14 and will start at 2:30 p.m.
Click here to sign-up or for more information. For more information on all the exciting things happening in North Little Rock this holiday season, visit: https://northlittlerock.org/holidays/
Spreading Christmas Joy
The annual Christmas at Methodist Family Health is underway and for more information click the logo above or here.
The site will give you a child’s wish list, along with the ability to purchase individual items as well as donate to the “Share the Light” Christmas campaign.
The collection season for Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse has begun as nearly 5,000 drop-off locations open across the country. Individuals, families and groups across Arkansas have the opportunity to pack a shoebox gift filled with fun toys, school supplies, and personal care items for children in need and drop them off now during National Collection Week, now through Monday, Nov. 24. Participants can find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts. It is searchable by city or ZIP code and signs at each location will identify the drop off.
North Little Rock dropoff locations are:
Christ Church of Central Arkansas, 9732 Maumelle Boulevard
Today: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 21: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 22: 10 a.m. - Noon
Nov. 23: Noon - 2 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 24: 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Park Hill Baptist Church, 201 E C Avenue North Little Rock
Today: 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Nov. 21: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Nov. 22: Noon - 2 p.m.
Nov. 23: Noon - 2 p.m.
Monday Nov. 24: 10 a.m. - Noon
A Very Merry Maumelle (Key dates)
Monday, Dec. 1
The Whimsical Trail opens at Lake Willastein Park and features a lighted trail around the lake starting at dark:30 daily.
A Very Merry Maumelle holiday display competition will also start that day and open to all non-grinches. If your first name is Clark, and you have an elaborate Christmas display at your home, I will personally give you a cash prize. If there’s multiple Clarks, it will be a random draw. Let’s not get crazy here, this place isn’t made of money.
The city will also start a holiday stock the pantries drive.
Friday, Dec. 5
Christmas in the Park at Lake Willastein will feature the city’s tree lighting and the event is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. with the tree lighting near the scheduled conclusion at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 6
The Maumelle Lions Club will again stage Breakfast with Santa at the Jess Odom Community Center. It is scheduled to start at 8 a.m.
The city’s annual Christmas parade is that evening starting at 5 p.m. The theme this year is “Reindeer Games” and to sign up for the parade, click here.
Aloft Hotel coming to downtown North Little Rock
In a Wednesday morning groundbreaking, Nabholz Properties announced a 90-room Aloft Hotel, along with a 7,000 square foot event center and space for Willy D’s Dueling Pianos and restaurants in a $25 million development.
The area will be dubbed “the Arena District” and will be next to Simmons Bank Arena and the 2nd Street Promenade.
The building could be open as soon as next summer and North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick said the city would extend the Argenta Entertainment District to the Arena District for an all-in-one experience.
John Daly’s Perky’s Pizza will also operate inside the hotel.
Thanksgiving costs up, down, and all around
It really depends on who you ask, and how you frame the question on food costs for next week’s Thanksgiving holiday.
Walmart says prices are down. Which they are from last year but only if you eliminate about 40 percent of what was served last year, along with substituting name brand products for Walmart’s Great Values house brand.
Walmart, in a press release, said its Thanksgiving basket would serve 10 people for less than $40, with turkey checking in at .97 cents a pound, a price the Bentonville-based retailer said was the lowest since 2019 with 15 total food items.
Aldi, in another press release, said you can get a full Thanksgiving meal for $40 plus a refundable quarter to use the shopping cart.
Aldi says its meal will also serve 10 and includes 21 total food items.
The Arkansas Farm Bureau also released its annual Thanksgiving meal cost and the survey said costs were down nearly 20 percent from last year.
That seems a bit confusing to anyone who has actually done grocery store shopping in these high inflation times.
Farm Bureau said the average cost for a Thanksgiving meal, serving 10, was $56.77 with last year’s cost at $71.29. Farm Bureau said this year’s cost was the lowest since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020.
Those costs are gathered by secret shoppers from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee who reported the “best in-store price” for 15 items, taking advantage of advertised specials while excluding discount coupons and purchase requirements.
The survey was done from Nov. 1 through Nov. 7 at select counties across the state. Pulaski County, the state’s largest, was not surveyed. The largest county surveyed was Garland County, home of Hot Springs, and it was also the most expensive with an average cost of $68.36 for the 15 items purchased. The least expensive county was Boone, home of Harrison, where the meal cost $50.89.
The survey noted that turkey, the most expensive item at any Thanksgiving meal, had an average price of $14.10 or .88 cents a pound, while last year’s cost was $15.13 or .94 cents a pound for a 16-pound tom turkey.
You may note that Walmart said its average price for a turkey was .97 cents a pound, which was a historic low for them, but Farm Bureau says you can get it for a dime cheaper.
Farm Bureau also noted that what they did wasn’t a scientific survey, and their costs were also a little bit deceiving.
As they noted in the press release, “some of the apparent savings may be offset by what economists refer to as ‘shrinkflation.’ This occurs when product package sizes are reduced without a proportional drop in price. Several items in this year’s survey, such as frozen green peas, frozen green beans and cube stuffing, are now sold in smaller packages, some as small as 12 ounces instead of the traditional 16-ounce size.”
Basically, sure, but paying less for less isn’t really saving money. You’re just getting less.
Don’t care what it costs?
Petit & Keet and Cypress Social are both offering up take home Thanksgiving meals that are enough food to feed an army but, curiously, the costs are slightly different at the Jim Keet-owned restaurants with Cypress Social coming in at $190 while Petit & Keet is $195.
Order deadline is 4 p.m. this Saturday for both with pickup times at both as:
Wednesday, Nov. 26, noon to 4 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 27, 9 a.m. to noon.
Individual sides can also be purchased in addition to the meals.
For more, click here for Cypress Social and here for Petit & Keet. You can also call 501-916-2670 for the former and 501-319-7675 for the latter.
Need some help?
North Little Rock Senior Citizens Outreach and Kangaroo Cleaning Services are teaming up with At The House catering for the fifth annual Thanksgiving meal giveaway this year.
More than 500 meals will be prepared and given away. To request a meal, click here.
If you like to volunteer, make food or financial donations, call or text 501-313-7203 or 501-502-5203. Donations are tax deductible.
Last year, more than 800 meals were prepared.
“Teaming up with this group of public servants for the FIFTH year in a row only makes sense for At The House,” said Katie Williams, co-owner of At The House catering. “They’re fully aligned with our own values and we get to serve so many of our Pulaski County neighbors each year. It’s not our job to question the validity of someone’s situation when they are hungry and have the courage to ask for help. It’s our job to feed them, help them, and offer a glimmer of hope in humanity, especially on holidays like Thanksgiving, especially in times like these”
Sports
Parkview ends Maumelle’s season
By Collin Scott
LITTLE ROCK — The 5A playoff matchup at War Memorial Stadium for Parkview and Maumelle was filled with a lot of hype going into the game, but would come to an end for the Hornets Friday night as the Patriots got a convincing 28-7 win.
Parkview gained a lot of momentum early in the game and never let the Hornets get a chance to get back into the game.
Player of the Game
The entire defense from the Patriots is what helped set the tone for the entire game, helping the offense get a lot of possessions to score. Their ability to keep the offensive drives going and to score on most of the drives is what kept Maumelle from being able to catch a break.
Team Records
This loss ends the season for the Hornets with a final record of 6-5, while Parkview improves their record to 8-3 and moves on to the second round of the 5A playoffs.
Play of the Game
During the first half of the game, Parkview put together back-to-back touchdown drives, making a close opening half into a 14-0 advantage over the Hornets. Maumelle faced a tall task to try and keep up with the scoring and mostly getting past the defense of the Patriots the entire game.
What’s Next
As Maumelle’s season comes to an end, the focus is to now focus on development and improvement for the players during the offseason on both offense and defense. Parkview now advances to the 5A quarterfinals, where they will play against Harrison, with a chance to advance to the semifinals.
What it Means
For Maumelle, this loss hurts because the goal to win the 5A championship wasn’t accomplished, but it paints a clear picture of what separates them from the good teams to the more complete teams when the playoffs arrive. The Hornets showed signs of a good team throughout the season, but this matchup highlighted the needed improvements of consistency, defense, and being able to finish offensive drives. For Parkview, this win comes at a time when the team has gone on a late-season winning streak, with a defense and offense that is capable of taking control of any game.
Scoring Plays
First Quarter
Parkview: Rushing TD (kick good) 7-0
Parkview: Rushing TD (kick good) 14-0
Second Quarter
Parkview: passing TD (kick good) 21-0
Maumelle: Rushing TD (kick good) 21-7
Third Quarter
Parkview: Rushing TD (kick good) 28-7
Friday Night Playoff Lights go dim
It was a rough night for football last week North of the River as Maumelle, Central Arkansas Christian all lost and had their seasons come to an end in their respective classifications.
The best showing was 7A-Central No. 6 North Little Rock as the ‘Cats nearly pulled off the road upset at 7A-West No. 3 seed Bentonville West, who scored in the game’s final minute to secure the win.
Maumelle
Last week: Parkview 28, Maumelle 7
Final record: Maumelle 6-5
For the roster, click here.
Thursday, Aug. 28: Sylvan Hills 55, Maumelle 54
Thursday, Sept. 4 … at Parkview 42, Maumelle 15
Friday, Sept. 12 ... Maumelle 38, Vilonia 24
Friday, Sept. 26 ... Maumelle 27, Beebe 14
Friday, Oct. 3 ... ... Maumelle 21, Pine Bluff 7
Friday, Oct. 10 ... Maumelle 42, Watson Chapel 0
Friday, Oct. 17 ...Maumelle 49, Jacksonville 31
Friday, Oct. 24 ... Maumelle 55, White Hall 20
Friday, Oct. 31 ... Searcy 47, Maumelle 40
Thursday, Nov. 6 ... Robinson 42, Maumelle 0
Friday, Nov. 14 … Parkview 28, Maumelle 7
Season over.
North Little Rock
Last week: Bentonville West 34, North Little Rock 33
Final record: North Little Rock 3-8
For the roster, click here.
Friday, Aug. 29: Rogers 41, North Little Rock 3
Friday, Sept. 12 ... vs. Benton 24, North Little Rock 7
Friday, Sept. 19 ... North Little Rock 42, Little Rock Catholic 13
Thursday, Sept. 25 ... Pulaski Academy 45, North Little Rock 31
Friday, Oct. 3 ... Conway 31, North Little Rock 7
Friday, Oct. 10 ... North Little Rock 41, Little Rock Southwest 0
Friday, Oct. 17 ... Little Rock Christian 37, North Little Rock 36 OT
Friday, Oct. 24 ... North Little Rock 49, Little Rock Central 3
Friday, Oct. 31 ... Bryant 38, North Little Rock 7
Friday, Nov. 7 ... Cabot 41, North Little Rock 24
Friday, Nov. 14 … Bentonville West 34, North Little Rock 33
Season over.
CAC
Last week: Gravette 64, CAC 14
Final record: CAC 4-7
For the roster, click here.
Friday. Aug 29: DeWitt 38, CAC 8
Friday, Sept. 5 ... vs. Stuttgart 48, CAC 14
Friday, Sept. 12 … at Harding Academy 48, CAC 27
Friday, Sept. 26 … Heber Springs 21, CAC 17
Friday, Oct. 3 … CAC 62, Riverview 0
Friday, Oct. 10 ... CAC 50, Little Rock Hall 0
Friday, Oct. 17… Lonoke 50, CAC 14
Friday, Oct. 24 ... CAC 35, Bald Knob 8
Friday, Oct. 31 … Little Rock Mills 47, CAC 21
Friday, Nov. 7 ... CAC 28, Forrest City 26
Friday, Nov. 14 … Gravette 64, CAC 14
Season over.
Sports
SEC Games: Week 13
SATURDAY
Missouri at Oklahoma: 11 a.m., ABC
Samford at Texas A&M: 11 a.m., SEC Network+
Charlotte at Georgia: 11:45 a.m., SEC Network
Eastern Illinois at Alabama: 1 p.m., SEC Network+
Mercer at Auburn: 1 p.m., SEC Network+
Arkansas at Texas: 2:30 p.m., ABC
Kentucky at Vanderbilt: 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Coastal Carolina at South Carolina: 3:15 p.m.. SEC Network
Tennessee at Florida: 6:30 p.m., ABC
Western Kentucky at LSU: 6:45 p.m., SEC Network
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