Wesley completes Community Development Institute
Back to School; Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame to honor women in construction; ASPSF accepting fall scholarship applications plus sports and headlines
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MEETINGS: The North Little Rock School Board will have a special call meeting at 5:30 p.m. tonight at the administration building. For the agenda, click here. The North Little Rock City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall.
EVENTS: The North Little Rock CARES Youth Coalition will be hosting their annual “Family Fun Day” this Saturday, Aug. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sherman Park Community Center (624 Beech St.This event is open to the public. For more details, check out the flyer below.
Back to School
School is not quite back for most but that’s not true for the Academics Plus Charter system as classes began on Monday.
The other North of the River schools start next week.
The schedule follows:
Academics Plus
First Day: The bell has rung, school’s back.
Schools include Maumelle Charter elementary, middle and high schools and Scott Charter
For more, click here to see the school’s website.
PCSSD
First Day: Monday, Aug. 11
Schools include the Maumelle feeders of Crystal Hill Elementary, Oak Grove Elementary, Pine Forest Elementary, Maumelle Middle School and Maumelle High School
For more, click here to see the school’s website.
NLRSD
First Day: Monday, Aug. 11
Schools include Amboy Elementary, North Little Rock Middle School and North Little Rock High School
For more, click here to see the school’s website.
Back to School guide: Click here for the district’s guide.
Central Arkansas Christian
First Day: Tuesday,Aug. 12
Schools include North Little Rock Elementary, Pleasant Valley Elementary, Mustang Mountain Elementary and CAC
For more, click here to see the school’s website.
Wesley completes Community Development Institute
LaJarlyn “LJ” Wesley, a member of the Maumelle City Council and pictured above, recently completed the Year 1 Class of the 39th annual Community Development Institute (CDI) at the University of Central Arkansas on Aug. 1.
CDI trains community leaders and economic development professionals on how to strengthen their local economies and build communities. This is achieved by developing the ability of participants to identify community assets, set goals, encourage collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders, and bring communities, organizations, and businesses together to respond to a broad range of economic and quality of life issues.
The complete institute experience is a three-year program, with one week of training per year. Participants move through the program curriculum in cohorts and are exposed to a comprehensive, applied approach to the field of community and economic development.
UCA is the birthplace for the Community Development Institute, which started in 1987 in partnership with Entergy, Southwestern Bell, and ARKLIA. Since that time, CDIs have been established in Texas, Idaho, Alabama, Illinois, and Delaware, and a national governing and certification body, the Community Development Council, has been created.
More information about CDI can be found at www.uca.edu/cdi.
Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame to honor women in construction at Induction Ceremony
The Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame is proud to announce a new addition to its 2025 Induction Ceremony: a special recognition honoring the growing impact of women in historically underrepresented professions. This year, the Hall will spotlight the Construction industry as a field making significant strides in the employment and advancement of women.
“While women have long been underrepresented in certain sectors, we are thrilled to celebrate those industries where considerable progress has been achieved,” said Stacy Hurst, Board Chair of the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame. “The Construction field has shown notable growth in opportunities for women, and we want to shine a light on that accomplishment.”
As part of this initiative, companies and agencies in the construction industry are invited to show their support by purchasing tickets for team members to attend the 2025 Induction Ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 21 at the Statehouse Convention Center-Wally Allen Ballroom. These participating organizations will be recognized during the event, with company and agency names featured as part of the Women in Construction tribute.
The Induction Ceremony honors the achievements of women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the state. This new feature aims to not only celebrate individual achievements but also to spotlight broader industry shifts that are creating more inclusive opportunities.
Tables and tickets to the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony can be purchased at ARWomensHallofFame.com. Visitors to the site will find more information about the event and the hall’s inductees. Find out more on the ceremony at http://www.arwomenshalloffame.com/inductionceremony/.
Education news
ASPSF accepting fall scholarship applications
Single parents enrolling in school for the Fall 2025 semester can apply for a scholarship from nonprofit Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) beginning Aug. 1.
To apply, single parents must go to aspsf.org/apply and fill out an online form with supporting documentation. Both new students and current ASPSF recipients can apply for a scholarship up to $1,600. The deadline is Sept. 1.
If awarded, single parents directly receive the financial aid and can use it to meet their real-life needs, such as rent, child care, gas, or groceries, while they go to school. Along with the scholarship, ASPSF staff and volunteers provide mentoring, career coaching, and workshops to help recipients balance school, work, and parenting.
“I decided to go back to school now that my kids are almost grown,” said ASPSF Spring 2025 Liza Raible of Pulaski County. “I wanted to do something for me and that my kids would be proud of. I was able to use my check to pay my rent and a few other bills. Also, ASPSF has helped me with having workshops that were very helpful.”
Applicants must have a GED or high school diploma but have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree. ASPSF awards scholarships to single moms and dads working toward skilled-trade certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees that lead to professional careers with family-supporting wages.
Recipients must be enrolled in at least one three-hour class online or in-person. They must also have a 2.0 GPA, earn medium to low income, and participate fully in the ASPSF scholarship program by attending workshops and communicating with their local program manager.
A full list of ASPSF’s eligibility guidelines is available at aspsf.org/eligibility.
For more information, visit aspsf.org or contact Jen Lawrence at jlawrence@aspsf.org or 501-550-6304.
University of Arkansas celebrates Spring graduates
The University of Arkansas honored its most recent graduating class with a series of spring commencement ceremonies at Bud Walton Arena and Barnhill Arena, and the School of Law's ceremony at the Fayetteville Town Center.
North of the River students joined more than 5,500 graduates earning a degree and their names on Senior Walk, including:
Patric Bearden of Maumelle, Master of Education
Evelyn Bercher of Maumelle, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Rebecca Blair of Maumelle, MS in Operations Management
Clayton Boothe of Maumelle, Bachelor of Science
Connor Breshears of Maumelle, BS in Electrical Engineering
Eva Casto of Maumelle, BS in Computer Science
Jaslynn Dorsey of Maumelle, Bachelor of Arts
Zachary Fry of Maumelle, BS in Business Administration
Andres Galvan Londono of Maumelle, Bachelor of Science
William Gaston of Maumelle, BS in Agricultural, Food & LS
Daniel Gunderman of Maumelle, Master of Prof Accounting
Lillian Hamlin of Maumelle, Bachelor of Arts
Lucas Harrison of Maumelle, BS in Business Administration
Harper Haynes of Maumelle, Bachelor of Science
Mark Jones of Maumelle, Bachelor of Arts
Morgan Liles of Maumelle, BS in Business Administration
Parker May of Maumelle, BS in Mechanical Engineering
Lauren Mayden of Maumelle, Bachelor of Science
Matthew Polk of Maumelle, BS in Computer Science
Benjamin Pullen of Maumelle, BS Chemical Engineering
Miles Spencer of Maumelle, Bachelor of Science
Tori Stevens of Maumelle, Bachelor of Science
Jillian Thomas of Maumelle, BS in Mechanical Engineering
Grant Werner of Maumelle, Bachelor of Science
Brandon Wilcox of Maumelle, BS in Civil Engineering
Brock Williams of Maumelle, BS in Business Administration
Kylie Williams of Maumelle, Bachelor of Arts
Dustin Willis of Maumelle, BS in Mechanical Engineering
Allison Wood of Maumelle, Bachelor of Arts
Joseph Young of Maumelle, Master of Business Admin
David Atkinson of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Alyssa Baker of North Little Rock, Bachelor Interior Arch/Dsgn
Kenneth Brazil of North Little Rock, BS in Civil Engineering
Ryan Cheng of North Little Rock, BS Computer Engineering
William Cochran of North Little Rock, BS in Agricultural, Food & LS
Sydney Conway of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Marshall Donn of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Science
Lauren Foster of North Little Rock, Master of Fine Arts
Nikolai Gordeev of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Science
Jason Green of North Little Rock, Master of Education
Max Green of North Little Rock, BS in Biomedical Engineering
Robert Hanan of North Little Rock, BS in Business Administration
Jamie Harris of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Jessica Haynie of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Science
Maezie Heard of North Little Rock, Bachelor Interior Arch/Dsgn
Brian Hobby of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
William Hogan of North Little Rock, BS in Agricultural, Food & LS
Anna Grace Howard of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Steven Ingels of North Little Rock, Master of Science
Anna Johnston of North Little Rock, BS in Business Administration
Ethan Kaufman of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Cody Kyzer of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Emma McCuin of North Little Rock, BS in Business Administration
Erika McMahan of North Little Rock, Doctor of Education
Katelynn Nicholas of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Emma Obert of North Little Rock, Master of Arts in Teaching
Mary Partridge of North Little Rock, Master of Arts in Teaching
Bradley Pree of North Little Rock, BS in Business Administration
Reilly Principe of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Laine Rainbolt of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Jose Reyes Castillo of North Little Rock, BS in Civil Engineering
Skyye Robinson of North Little Rock, Master of Social Work
Karah Rogers of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Jake Sheehy of North Little Rock, BS in Business Administration
Anna Spence of North Little Rock, BS in Business Administration
Laney Stoll of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Ahmed Tolba of North Little Rock, BS in Biomedical Engineering
Gabriel Young of North Little Rock, BS in Computer Science
Courtney Batts of North Little Rock, BS Chemical Engineering
Warryn Dean of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
Nadine Filat of North Little Rock, BS in Computer Science
Emily Gillette of North Little Rock, BS in Human Environmental Sci
Connor Lindstrand of North Little Rock, Bachelor of Arts
London Stanger of North Little Rock, BS in Business Administration
Amber Watson of North Little Rock, Juris Doctor
Sophie Buckley of Sherwood, Master of Arts
Michael Hammonds of Sherwood, Juris Doctor
Jackson McCauley of Sherwood, Master of Science Comp Engr
Cindy Nguyen of Sherwood, BS in Computer Science
Madison Nichols of Sherwood, Master of Social Work
Madison Shaw of Sherwood, BS in Business Administration
Natalie Shaw of Sherwood, Bachelor of Science
Jackson Smith of Sherwood, Bachelor of Arts
Madison Smith of Sherwood, BS in Civil Engineering
Jaden Turner of Sherwood, BS in Computer Science
William Walker of Sherwood, Bachelor of Arts
Lauren Westfall of Sherwood, BS in Mechanical Engineering
Ashley Williford of Sherwood, Bachelor of Arts
Kyle Young of Sherwood, Bachelor of Arts
Recordings of all ceremonies are available on the U of A YouTube channel, and printed program books are available online. For more information for families and guests, please visit commencement.uark.edu.
Sports
Hot Springs to host Babe Ruth World Series
The schedule has been finalized for the 2025 Babe Ruth League World Series for 14-year-olds, which will be played in Hot Springs, Friday, Aug. 8 through Aug. 16.
Teams from across the globe will compete for the championship on Babe Ruth Field at Hot Springs’ Majestic Park baseball complex and at the baseball fields at Lakeside High School, 2889 Malvern Avenue.
Participating teams include Skagit Valley, Wash., from the Pacific Northwest Region; Westfield, N.J., the Mid Atlantic Region; Vincennes, Ind., from the Ohio Valley Region; Tallahassee, Fla., from the Southeast Region; Eagle Pass, Texas, from the Southwest Region; Mickey Owen Baseball School from Missouri from the Midwest Plains Region; Camas Washougal, Wash., from the Pacific Northwest Region; Hilo Braddas, Hawaii, from the Pacific Southwest Region; Hot Springs, the host team; Arkadelphia, the invited team; Nigeria; Puerto Rico; New Zealand; Philippines, and Mexico.
“This is going to be some world-class baseball among the best young players on Earth,” Majestic Park General Manager Derek Phillips said. “We’re looking for Arkansas residents to turn out and join these teams’ families and fans for a once-in-a-lifetime sports experience.”
Tickets for the World Series are available now at www.majesticpark.org. Tournament passes are $50 for adults and $30 for kids 7-17. Daily admission tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for kids 7-17.
First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. this Friday when Hot Springs faces off against a team from Nigeria at Majestic Park. It will be the only game of the night. The Babe Ruth World Series will conclude on Saturday, Aug. 19 with games at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The opening ceremony will be at noon on Friday at Magic Springs.
The Hot Springs Baseball Weekend will also take place on Friday and Saturday and former Major League players expected to attend include: Johnny Bench, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Fergie Jenkins, Bret Saberhagen, Steve Garvey and Al Hrabosky.
Tickets on sale for Simmons Bank Championship presented by Stephens
Tickets for the Simmons Bank Championship presented by Stephens – a PGA TOUR Champions playoff event – are now on sale to the public. For a complete listing of ticket options or to purchase tickets, please visit the tournament website at simmonsbankchampionship.com.
The Simmons Bank Championship presented by Stephens will be held at Pleasant Valley Country Club , Little Rock, Arkansas with activities throughout the week of Oct. 20-26. Tournament play will take place Friday, Oct. 24 through Sunday, Oct. 26. The tournament will serve as the second round of the PGA TOUR Champions' annual Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. The field will consist of the top 54 players in the standings competing for $2.3 million in prize money and a chance to earn their spot among the top 36 in the final event of the season.
"There's so much momentum heading into this year's Simmons Bank Championship presented by Stephens," said Freddie Black, Tournament Chair of Simmons Bank Championship. "Being selected for the PGA Tour Champion's Player Award last year – a recognition voted on by the players themselves – speaks volumes about the experience we're building here. We can't wait to welcome fans back this fall for another incredible week of golf."
General admission ticket options include daily Friday, Saturday or Sunday tickets for $30, Good Any One Day tickets for $35 or $85 weekend tickets for all three days of competition rounds. Children ages 15 and under will receive free general admission access with a ticketed adult. An upgraded 15th green shared hospitality ticket is also available to purchase for $300 per day or $850 for the weekend and provides access to an open-air venue with ballpark style food, beer, wine and seltzers. Liquor is available for purchase.
Active, reserve, and retired military will receive two (2) complimentary Good Any Day tickets (single use ticket good for one of Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) with an option to purchase up to four (4) discounted Good Any Day tickets. In order to checkout, military status will be verified through GovX. Complimentary military tickets are limited and only available while supplies last.
For more information, visit the simmonsbankchampionship.com or contact sales@simmonsbankchampionship.com.
For more information about the Simmons Bank Championship presented by Stephens, to purchase tickets and to stay up to date on tournament news, visit the tournament website, simmonsbankchampionship.com.
Upcoming Travs games
Six-game homestand against the Frisco RoughRiders
Thursday, 6:35 p.m.
Operation: Military Appreciation: $3 Thursday: Enjoy $3 Beer Garden Tickets and select Concessions deals!
Friday, 7:05 p.m.
Fireworks Friday - Kids' TV Music: End your week at DSP with a BANG! | Presented By Garver
Saturday, 6:05 p.m.
Meet Bluey & Bingo: Wackadoo! Bluey and Bingo are coming -- for real life
.
Kids Run the Bases: Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game! | Presented By First Community Bank
Sunday, 1:35 p.m.
Operation: Military Appreciation: Service Members get $3 off General Admission and Field Reserved tickets by presenting a Military ID (only available at DSP Box Office) | Presented By Mid-South Ford Dealers
Kids Run the Bases: Kids 13 and under are invited to run the same basepaths the Travs run after the game! | Presented By First Community Bank
At Northwest Arkansas, Aug. 12-17
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