Vote! Early voting underway
Maumelle’s Reynolds works for ESPN; Chamber Casino Night is Thursday; Plus more education news and notes, headlines and sports
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MEETINGS: A regular meeting of the North Little Rock School Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday at the district’s administration building. The North Little Rock City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall. Both meetings will be livestreamed on YouTube and the public is welcome at both. There’s several upcoming meetings for the sales tax extension in Maumelle and for more, keep scrolling.
EVENTS: Today is Ash Wednesday and since we’ve got some churching to do tonight, you’re getting a very special early edition. Monday was Presidents Day, so trash and recycling are running one-day delayed this week. There’s much more coming up, so, as always, keep scrolling.
Vote!
Early voting started on Tuesday, and will continue through March 2. Election Day is Tuesday, March 3.
While there’s some races of interest for North of the River, the thing catching the most buzz is the proposed extension of the 1/2 cent sales tax in Maumelle.
There will be a total of seven questions on the ballot for Maumelle voters to choose from covering six different projects as well as the retirement of the current bond debt.
The next Town Hall is this coming Tuesday at Maumelle Charter Middle School. and it should be a lively meeting as the proposed indoor pool at the Center on the Lake will be discussed.
Proposed bond issue
Total: $34.26 million
Question 1: Refunding 2018 bonds - $3.05M
Question 2: Street improvements - $3.86M
Question 3: Center on the Lake/Indoor pool - $5.39M
Question 4: Public Safety Training facility - $5.19M
Question 5: Fire station improvements - $8.45M
Question 6: Lake Valencia improvements - $3.22M
Question 7: Field turf for Parks & Rec - $5.1M
How much money?
The city’s ½ cent sales tax brings in approximately $1.8 million annually and if the all seven questions were to pass, it would take about 20 years to pay off.
Upcoming meetings
Tuesday, Feb. 24: 6 p.m. at Maumelle Charter Middle School | Public Meeting to discuss Bond Questions 1, 2 and 3
Civic Group discussions are also planned for the Maumelle Rotary Club, Maumelle Industrial Roundtable, Maumelle Fraternal Order of Police, Maumelle Fire Fighters Association, Maumelle Community Partners and the Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce Board
Election Calendar
Early Voting Dates: Now through March 2
Early Voting Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday – Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m to -5 p.m. on Monday March 2.
March 3: Preferential Primary Election/Annual School Election/Nonpartisan Judicial General Election
If a runoff is needed in the primary, it will be March 31
Early Voting Locations
Pulaski County Regional Building, 501 West Markham, Little Rock
Sue Cowan Williams Library, 1800 S. Chester St.
Dee Brown Library, 6325 Baseline Road, Little Rock
Thompson Library, 38 Rahling Circle, Little Rock
William F Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St., NorthLittle Rock
Jacksonville Community Center, 5 Municipal Drive, Jacksonville
Jess Odom Community Center, 1100 Edgewood Drive, Maumelle
First Christian Church of Sherwood, 2803 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood
McMath Library, 2100 John Barrow Road, Little Rock
Hillary Clinton Children’s Library, 4800 W. 10th St., Little Rock
John Gould Fletcher Library, 823 N. Buchanan St., Little Rock
Terry Library, 2015 Napa Valley Drive, Little Rock
Casino Night is Thursday night
The Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce’s Casino Night has been rescheduled and will now be thisThursday, Feb. 19, and will start at 6 p.m. It will still be at the Maumelle Event Center and to register click here. Also check out the flyer below for more information.
State of the City
The Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce and the city of Maumelle will be having an event at the Maumelle Country Club on Monday, Feb. 23 and the State of the City will be delivered by Mayor Caleb Norris.
The event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and last until 7 p.m.
Presenting sponsors are: Alessi Keyes Construction, First Service Bank, Holloway Engineering, Surveying & Civil Design, Maumelle Country Club, MidArk Insurance Group- Waylon Biggs Agency and The City of Maumelle.
For more, click the flyer below or here to register.
Public Hearing Notice
The Maumelle Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m.. at City Hall to consider the rezoning from C-1, R-1 and R-2 to PRD and PCD, and to consider a land use change from COMM, SFD & MFD to SUC & SUR, for property located at East of Odom Boulevard, West of Naylor Dr. and Millwood Cir, and South of Ridgeview Trail. This hearing will precede the monthly Planning Commission meeting. An agenda for that meeting has not yet been released. For more, call 501-851-2500.
Nominations open for Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame
The Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for the 2026 Induction Class.
The Hall was created to honor, in perpetuity, women whose contributions have influenced the direction of Arkansas in their community or the state.
Nominees are not limited to a certain field or accomplishment and can include pioneers, philanthropists, educators, entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, business leaders and political figures.
Nominations must be submitted by Friday, March 6, 2026. Criteria and nomination forms can be found on the website at www.ARWomensHallofFame.com. The 2026 Induction Ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 27 at the North Little Rock Event Center in the Centennial Bank Ballroom. Visitors to the website will find more information about the event and the hall’s past inductees.
Education news
Maumelle’s Reynolds works for ESPN
Colin Reynolds, who attends the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and is of Maumelle, was one of more than a dozen students who helped with the Division III school’s game broadcasts on ESPN.
Reynolds, above, who graduated from LISA Academy West in 2022 and also interned with KARK-TV and the Arkansas Travelers last summer, worked the production for ESPN’s halftime show during the D-III football playoffs, seen below.
Wisconsin-Whitewater is a public school and has an enrollment of around 11,000 students. It also operates UWW-TV, which broadcasts around 60 games and other events on campus during the school year. They also assist ESPN when the network broadcasts a game there as part of the ESPN+ streaming service.
For more information on UWW-TV, visit uwwtv.org.
Telcoe Federal Credit Union to have event at Maumelle High School
Telcoe Federal Credit Union, in partnership with Pulaski County Special School District, is hosting a Financial Reality Fair at Maumelle High School this week.
The event will be Friday, Feb. 20, and is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. It will be held in the high school’s auxiliary gym.
The reality fairs provide students with hands-on experience at making real-life financial decisions, equipping them with essential money management skills as they prepare for adulthood.
Another Reality Fair will be held at Robinson High School in March while an event at Sylvan Hills was postponed due to the wintry weather and will now be held in March, with that date still to be determined.
During the fair, students receive an entry-level salary for a career of interest then navigate through a series of interactive booths. Booths will feature realistic pricing options, allowing students to determine how much they were willing to allocate for each expense, reinforcing the importance of budgeting and financial planning.
Participants will face decisions such as choosing between renting an apartment or buying a home, selecting a vehicle, and estimating costs for utilities and insurance. They will also explore options for entertainment, discretionary spending, and investments, encouraging them to think critically about their financial priorities.
Each booth will be staffed by volunteers from various businesses throughout central Arkansas.
Visit www.telcoe.com to learn more.
Charter school space gets a little more crowded
The Arkansas Outdoor Academy recently announced that it will be launching as a tuition-free public charter school in Little Rock and will open this fall, serving grades 6 through 9 with additional grades being added until 2030, when the school will serve the high school class years of Sophomore through Senior,.
The school will be located in Little Rock’s Riverdale neighborhood and is described as a blend of “rigorous, state aligned academics with hands-on instruction designed to engage students through movement, exploration, and real-world application.”
The school said, “core subjects are intentionally taught both indoors and outdoors, with approximately half of instruction planned in real-world environments.”
“Students learn best when learning feels connected and meaningful,” said Christopher Horton, co-founder of Arkansas Outdoor Academy, in a release. “This school was created for students whose strengths are not always visible in traditional classroom settings. When learning is active and grounded in real environments, students gain confidence and engagement increases.”
Other co-founders include Teal Lovelady, and Sharon Bennett. All have extensive experience in education.
Applications are now open for students entering grades 6 through 9 for the Fall 2026 school year. Families can learn more and apply at https://www.arkansasoutdooracademy.org.
UCA names December 2025 graduates
The University of Central Arkansas held December commencement ceremonies on Dec. 11-12, in the Farris Center on campus, conferring approximately 700 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; College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; and the Graduate School.
North of the River graduates include:
William McDonald of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Writing/Rhetoric/Information Design.
Kynia Jackson of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing.
Frederick Sharkey of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Kaylee Munnerlyn of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education K-6.
Camryn Joyner of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.
Tanner Wenger of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design.
Chacall Charles of Maumelle graduated with a Master of Science in Health Promotion.
Megan Heaton of Maumelle graduated with a Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia.
Zoe McMillen of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Ennsleigh Levengood of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Scott McFarland of Maumelle graduated with a Master of Business Administration in Business Administration.
Henry Lea of Maumelle graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History.
Taylor Sherrill of Sherwood graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching in Teaching.
Hayley Turner of North Little Rock graduated with a Master of Science in Library Media/Information Technology.
Dalonia Jenkins of North Little Rock graduated with a Master of Science in School Leadership Management & Administration.
Madyson Bowman of Sherwood graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences.
Emma Rhodes of Sherwood graduated with a Master of Business Administration in Business Administration.
Elizabeth Colburn of Sherwood graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art.
Savannah Crow of Sherwood graduated with a Certificate of Proficiency in Historic Preservation.
Arriana Teem of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics.
Carlos Campanur of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education in Music Education.
Regina Flud of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Addiction Studies.
Kennedi Carroll of Sherwood graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Peyton Davis of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Insurance & Risk Management.
Zach Rushin of Sherwood graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
Brooklynn Parker of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Science.
Deneka White of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Science.
Jiya Adams of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Management.
Taylor McFelson of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education in Middle Level Education.
Olivia Cooksey of Sherwood graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching in Teaching.
Sarah Crouch of North Little Rock graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
Lauren Darr of North Little Rock graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education.
Paul McCowan of North Little Rock graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Change Leadership.
Abby Moore of North Little Rock graduated with a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling.
Diana Pontalti Giordani of North Little Rock graduated with a Master of Business Administration in Business Administration.
Kathryn Ferguson of Sherwood graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science.
McKenzie Hubbard of Little Rock graduated with an Associate of Arts in General Studies.
Jalin Smith of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science.
Dasha Young of North Little Rock graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.
University of Central Arkansas Fall 2025 Dean’s List
The University of Central Arkansas congratulates more than 1,600 students who were named to the fall 2025 Dean’s List.
North of the River students include:
William McDonald of Maumelle.
James Joyner of Maumelle.
Kynia Jackson of Maumelle.
Emma Williams of Maumelle.
Malingo Matute of Maumelle.
Reilly McCann of Maumelle.
Noah Johnson of Maumelle.
Anya Willis of Maumelle.
Morgan Harrison of Maumelle.
Samuel Schimmel of Maumelle.
Canyon Fosburgh of Maumelle.
Jadan Moore of Maumelle.
Hannah Dickinson of Maumelle.
Elizabeth Roy of Maumelle.
Neela Vint of Maumelle.
Andrew Carrington of Maumelle.
Zoe McMillen of Maumelle.
Natalie Wood-Carden of Maumelle.
Mitchell Davis of Maumelle.
Emery Kelley of Maumelle.
Jancey Turner of Maumelle.
Olivia Jackson of Maumelle.
Cambria Tedrow of Maumelle.
Ennsleigh Levengood of Maumelle.
Ayda Lovett of Maumelle.
Richard Vong of Maumelle.
Ashton Whittington of North Little Rock.
Jacob Barham of Sherwood.
Savannah Crow of Sherwood.
Grayce Nelson of North Little Rock.
Julian Strain of North Little Rock.
Piper Chun of North Little Rock.
Hailey Richardson of North Little Rock.
Mary Coleman of Sherwood.
Madeline Koger of Prescott.
Abbie Killingsworth of North Little Rock.
Faith Maynard of Sherwood.
Emily Phifer of North Little Rock.
Azriel Woolfolk of Sherwood.
William Brown of North Little Rock.
Desean Williams of North Little Rock.
Eleanor Blakely of Sherwood.
Cydney Davis of North Little Rock.
Jayce Horton of Sherwood.
Hannah Hughes of North Little Rock.
Madison Hurst of North Little Rock.
Zaria Montgomery of Sherwood.
Micah Smith of Sherwood.
David Hussey of North Little Rock.
Addison Pettit of Sherwood.
Lillian Roberts of North Little Rock.
Brenae Allen of North Little Rock.
Madison Bailey of Sherwood.
Courtney Baker of North Little Rock.
Alana Clark of Sherwood.
Marlie Dedmon of Sherwood.
Rylee Ellis of Sherwood.
Olivia Jones of North Little Rock.
Brooklynn Parker of North Little Rock.
Jacob Silva of North Little Rock.
Braum Smith of Sherwood.
Caleb Stafford of Sherwood.
Deneka White of North Little Rock.
Katelynn Lee of North Little Rock.
Myron Nix of North Little Rock.
Jaydon Nobles of North Little Rock.
Hudson Phillips of Sherwood.
Traven Spencer of North Little Rock.
Keziah Stinyard of Sherwood.
Hanah Whitener of North Little Rock.
Jace Wooten of North Little Rock.
Macayla Chandler of Sherwood.
Briana Chatman of Sherwood.
Sharlotte Kim Lua of Sherwood.
Jet Van Cleve of Sherwood.
Alexis Weeks of Sherwood.
Brasen Winchell of North Little Rock.
Mikhyla Hart of North Little Rock.
Murphy Smith of North Little Rock.
Vanasia Perry of Sherwood.
Beatrice Baker of North Little Rock.
Sara Jones of Sherwood.
Jack Runsick of North Little Rock.
Joevon Banister of North Little Rock.
Emma Eaton of North Little Rock.
Addelynn Rose of North Little Rock.
Abby Lee of North Little Rock.
Graham Melton of North Little Rock.
Yuvraj Singh of Sherwood.
Love Quenga of North Little Rock.
Mary Leonard of Sherwood.
Julus Norris of North Little Rock.
Alexa Okpala of Sherwood.
Kaley Jordan of Sherwood.
Joanna Price of North Little Rock.
Kiley Reyes of North Little Rock.
Elizabeth Hankins of Sherwood.
Da’Mya Batemon of Sherwood.
Nia Bell of Sherwood.
Avery Bilon of Sherwood.
Landon Carter of Sherwood.
Braden Traylor of Sherwood.
Bailey Verdell of Sherwood.
Faith Young of Sherwood.
Kohlin Billings of Sherwood.
Adrianna Rodgers of North Little Rock.
Grant Baker of North Little Rock.
Eligibility on the Dean’s List requires at least a 3.5 GPA with a minimum course load of 12 credit hours.
President’s List Fall 2025: The University of Central Arkansas congratulates more than 1,200 students who were named as Presidential Scholars.
North of the River students include:
Asia DeLoach of Maumelle.
Kaylee Munnerlyn of Maumelle.
Karter Pawelczak of Maumelle.
Jewell Callahan of Maumelle.
Maggie Green of Maumelle.
Collin Womack of Maumelle.
Eric Frank of Maumelle.
Ryan Brekeen of Maumelle.
Jacob Laney of Maumelle.
Hannah Matheny of Maumelle.
Kerrigan Quast of Maumelle.
Blakely Rochelle of Maumelle.
Alexis Meeks of Maumelle.
Olivia Oury of Maumelle.
Patrick Shultz of Maumelle.
Marley Page of Maumelle.
Daniel Franklin of Maumelle.
Lennon Tusieseina of Maumelle.
Benjamin Ferguson of Maumelle.
Camryn Ford of Maumelle.
Kayla Hill of North Little Rock.
Peyton Gober of Maumelle.
Calleigh Kemp of Maumelle.
Scarlett Cash of Maumelle.
Zoey Taylor of Maumelle.
Rachel Blair of Maumelle.
Hannah Williams of Maumelle.
Elizabeth Colburn of Sherwood.
Allison Dennis of Sherwood.
Collin Joseph of North Little Rock.
Bevan Sober of North Little Rock.
Jamie Jewell of North Little Rock.
Skylar Nelsen of North Little Rock.
Gabrielle Stokes of North Little Rock.
Jackson Ray of North Little Rock.
Carlos Campanur of North Little Rock.
Kylie Higgins of Sherwood.
Kailyn Jeffries of North Little Rock.
Thanh Mai of North Little Rock.
Arden Schaap of North Little Rock.
Seth Dawson of North Little Rock.
Chance Phillips of North Little Rock.
Olivia Rankin of Sherwood.
Ryan Cromer of Sherwood.
Campbell Weeks of Sherwood.
Kennedy Besancon of North Little Rock.
Meredith Lipsey of Sherwood.
Clara Principe of North Little Rock.
Anneke Cranor of Sherwood.
Claire Taylor of North Little Rock.
Caleb Young of Sherwood.
Erica Gourley of North Little Rock.
Jackson Houser of North Little Rock.
Caroline Cullum of North Little Rock.
Victoria Strawn of North Little Rock.
Kalinda Loomis of North Little Rock.
Arianna Dobson of Sherwood.
Brian Harden of Sherwood.
Dennissa Harris of Sherwood.
Brittney Huynh of Sherwood.
Jonathan Wetherington of North Little Rock.
Lilly Wittenburg of North Little Rock.
Samantha White of North Little Rock.
Sophia Brown of Sherwood.
Susan LePage of Sherwood.
Kolten Shook of North Little Rock.
Amirah Watkins of Sherwood.
Jamaya Williams of North Little Rock.
Alexis Jones of North Little Rock.
Hallie Singleton of North Little Rock.
Kylie Sartain of North Little Rock.
Hannah Orillion of Sherwood.
Ashley Tipton of Sherwood.
Gavin Melton of North Little Rock.
Naomi Patillo of North Little Rock.
Zoe Gronwald of North Little Rock.
Students must achieve a 4.0 GPA with a minimum course load of 12 credit hours to qualify as a Presidential Scholar.
NOTE: More, so much more, education news will be published next week and the week after and probably the week after. There’s a bunch and even infinite space has some constraints.
Sparklight to award $30,000 for STEM education
Sparklight®, a leading fiber-fueled internet provider, is launching its 2026 “Dream Bigger” contest, awarding $30,000 to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for K–12 students. Twelve winning schools or organizations will receive $2,500 each.
Through the annual contest, Sparklight aims to help educators bring hands-on STEM experiences into classrooms and learning environments, equipping K–12 students with skills that spark curiosity, problem-solving and new ideas.
Entries for the 2026 contest will be accepted fnowthrough March 10 at sparklight.com/contest. Finalists will be selected by Sparklight, and the 12 winners will be chosen through public voting from March 12 through March 18 at sparklight.com/contest.
Smart Driver class set
An AARP Smart Driver Class will be held at Maumelle Center on the Lake on March 10 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
It is open to AARP members & non-member, $20 for members, $25 for non-members, cash or check only. Some insurance companies will give a discount with completion of the class – check with your insurance agent. To register, call or text Ellie Wilson 501-247-5935.
Sports
Basketball schedules
Maumelle Charter
Boys
District tournament
Girls
District tournament
Maumelle
Boys
Friday, Feb. 20 ... at ... Little Rock Christian Academy ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 24 ... vs ... Vilonia ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 27 ... vs ... Catholic ... 7 p.m.
Girls
Friday, Feb. 20 ... at ... Little Rock Christian Academy ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 24 ... vs ... Vilonia ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 27 ... vs ... Mount St. Mary Academy ... 6 p.m.
CAC
Boys
Friday, Feb. 20 ... vs ... Heber Springs ... 7 p.m.
District tournament
Girls
District tournament
North Little Rock
Boys
Tuesday, Feb. 24 ... vs ... Bryant ... 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 26 ... vs ... Cabot ... 7 p.m.
Girls
Tuesday, Feb. 24 ... vs ... Bryant ... 6 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 26 ... vs ... Cabot ... 6 p.m.
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