Winter storm warning forecast
Maumelle's Imbiber Beads having a global impact; Guess returns as McNulty resigns as PCSSD superintendent; Quitting Day nearly here plus sports and headlines
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The Headlines
MEETINGS: The North Little Rock City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall. The quarterly meeting of the North Little Rock A&P Commission will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
Snow Day (s)! For more on the forecast, keep scrolling.
PUBLIC NOTICE: MAUMELLE PLANNING COMMISSION VACANCY
The Maumelle City Council is accepting resumes from residents interested in serving on the Maumelle Planning Commission. The Council will make an appointment to Position 1 for a four year term ending Jan. 31, 2029. Resumes should be submitted to Tina Timmons, City Clerk/Treasurer, and 550 Edgewood Drive, Maumelle, Arkansas 72113 no later than 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. Resumes can be emailed to cityclerk@maumelle.org. All applicants will be interviewed by the City Council at the next scheduled Council meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 at 6 p.m. The City Council will appoint immediately following the interviews. For additional information please call Scott Grummer at 501-851-2500.
Winter storm warning forecast
The National Weather Service office in North Little Rock has issued a Winter Storm Warning for today and Friday across most of the state of Arkansas.
The warning is set to end at 6 p.m. on Friday.
All North of the River schools have cancelled classes for today and Friday as there’s as much as eight inches of snow expected to fall between tonight and Friday.
That means all athletic events scheduled at those schools will be postponed and the various government offices will either be closed or see limited hours. Call ahead if you have any business to attend to.
The city of North Little Rock opened a warming center at the city’s Community Center at 2700 N. Willow St., earlier this week and it will be open to at least Friday but those hours are likely to be extended given the forecast.
Those needing to use the center are encouraged to bring their own snacks, drinks and games for their own entertainment.
The warming center will open at 6 p.m. each night.
If you or your organization or church would like to donate meals, please call 501-975-8780.
Eye on the sky
Today: A chance of snow and sleet between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m, then a chance of snow after 4 p.m., with a high near 33. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tonight: Snow. Low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches is possible.
Friday: Snow, mainly before noon. High near 33. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 35 and a low around 20.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40, with a low around 24.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 40 and a low around 21.
TuesdaySunny, with a high near 41 and a low around 25.
For road conditions around the state, click here.
Imbiber Beads are made in Maumelle and having a global impact
Editor’s note: An open house was scheduled for Friday at Imbibitive Manufacturing in Maumelle but has been postponed due to the Winter Storm Warning issued for Arkansas by the National Weather Service. The open house will be rescheduled but that date is still to be determined.
It feels a little like science fiction or some sort of Tony Stark-invented technology for Iron Man but Imbiber Beads are real and quite spectacular.
Made by Maumelle’s Imbibitive Manufacturing since 1994 the polymer beads are quite ingenious as they form an extra layer around a tank holding fluid.
As seen in this Nova segment, above, if you shoot a gas tank on a military vehicle you get an entry and exit point with any fluid in the tank spilling out. If that fuel tank has a Battle Jacket, an idea developed by Oregon’s High Impact Technologies or HIT, it is covered in a layer of Imbiber Beads, and when a bullet enters the resulting hole is immediately filled by the beads. It happens so fast, it can’t be observed by the naked eye. It happens so fast, that is barely noticeable to a camera shooting thousands of frames per second.
John Brinkman serves as president and CEO. He was kind enough to answer some questions about his company. The Q&A has been lightly edited and formatted for publication.
>> How long has the business been in operation in Maumelle?
Imbibitive Manufacturing, Inc. O/A IMBICOR was incorporated in Arkansas in July 1994.
>> Is High Impact Technologies, or HIT, your only client or do you have other partners?
HIT is a strategic partner in that they purchase Imbiber Beads® in volume from IMBICOR for the Battle Jacket® application. We are a Tier 1 supplier for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which is one of the two main Federal procurement organizations within the US Government, and we are presently supplying on-board water filtration products for the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke Class destroyers. The list of companies and government agencies we are planning on conducting business with continues to grow, with several significant projects pending. I am more than happy to go into details during a further discussion.
>> How many total employees do you have in Maumelle?
Currently IMBICOR employs four full time workers and two part-time workers. The pending contract for Battle Jacket® will require initially another 4-6 employees, with the distinct possibility of further employment, as the contract(s) are projected to extend anywhere from 3-5 years, or more. It is for this reason that we have been in discussions with Little Rock Correctional Services, in order to locate, recruit and train future full-time workers. Dwight Pridgeon, of Correctional Services is to be a featured Guest Speaker at the Open House, and will be discussing the great work they are doing to rehabilitate offenders.
>> Besides Battlejacket, what are some other applications of the beads?
The list of applications is almost endless but we are focused upon four primary markets; spill response applications, pollution prevention applications, water filtration applications and specialty applications.
>> Could you describe a bead in layman's terms of size, diameter and how that compares? So, for example, each bead would be 1mm, roughly a needle's pin or whatever
Imbiber Beads® vary in size between 150-400 microns (0.15mm – 0.4mm), or roughly the size of a salt or sugar granule.
>> I'd guess the number of beads in that protective layer varies based on the size of the tank but how many would be in say a square foot of space?
Russ Monk, President of HIT is another of the Guest Speakers, and will be providing an overview of the projects underway and upcoming. Come to the open house and ask him directly!
>> What is the bead made out of?
A special blend of herbs and spices! Obviously the formula is proprietary but styrenics-based.
Recycle that Christmas tree
If you want to get all Christmas-y about it, you're supposed to keep your tree up through the first week of January.
The whole 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany and all that but not everyone does that and now might be the time you’re trying to figure out what to do with that beautiful tree you bought at Junior Deputy.
There’s an environmentally friendly, good for nature option that the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission offers annually in dropping off that tree to be used as a fish habitat in one of the state’s many bodies of water.
This offer only applies to live Christmas trees, the fake ones need not apply..
There’s other options, of course. You could put your Christmas tree out on the curb ““on your yard waste day” if you live in Maumelle or North Little Rock and for more information in Maumelle, call 501-851-2888, while those in North Little Rock can call 371-8430.
You should, under no circumstances, burn the tree in your fireplace as it is a really good way to set your house on fire.
But, if so inclined, you can sink the tree yourself. Any Arkansas stream or river or lake will do.
Game and Fish said, “the small spaces and dense cover offered by fresh Christmas trees make excellent nursery habitat for small fish as well as great places to fish.”
If sinking it yourself, weigh it down with either cinder blocks or sandbags, so the tree will stay sunk and then remember where you put it.
What’s also really great is while Game and Fish will take care of the trees come February, you can also take trees from the pile for yourself to sink.
They note, “trees are relatively short-term habitat because they don’t have much thick woody material, but they can be gathered in clusters easily and sunk in large groups” and “the main stems will last longer than the wispy branches and continue to draw fish throughout the year.”
Trees can be dropped off at any of the following locations until the end of January:
Trees can be dropped off at any of the following central Arkansas locations until the end of January:
Arkansas River – Riverview Park Access in North Little Rock
Lake Barnett – Reed Access
Harris Brake Lake – Chittman Hill Access
Lake Pickthorne – Holland Bottoms Access
Lake Overcup – Lake Overcup Landing
Cox Creek Lake – Cox Creek Lake Public Access
Lake Hamilton – Andrew Hulsey State Fish Hatchery Access Area
For more locations around the state, click here.
Guess returns as McNulty resigns as PCSSD superintendent
During a special board meeting on Jan. 2, the Pulaski County Special School District Board of Education and superintendent Dr. Charles McNulty, below, officially decided to part ways.
Former superintendent Jerry Guess will serve as interim and at a meeting on Tuesday his contract, along with the contract for a search firm were approved as the board is on the hunt for a replacement for McNulty, who started in 2017.
McNulty’s resignation was effective when it was submitted,
Guess served as superintendent from 2011 to 2017.
“I’m excited to be back in PCSSD,” said Guess, who was previously in education at the public schools in Camden.. “I look forward to working with the staff to bridge the gap over the next six months to finish the school year on a strong note.”
Sports
North of the River basketball
Friday’s games have all been postponed with school being closed due to the Winter Storm Warning forecast.
Maumelle Charter boys
Conference: 3A-6
Record so far: 7-17 and 0-4 in league play
Last week: Maumelle Charter won at Guy-Perkins last Friday but lost to Episcopal Collegiate on Tuesday.
What’s ahead: Friday’s game has been postponed with the Falcons returning to action on Tuesday when they host the Ramblers of Rose Bud.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Rose Bud ... 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: At Riverview ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Bald Knob ... 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Pangburn ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Harding Academy ... 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Episcopal ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: At Lisa Academy North ... 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: At Rose Bud ... 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11: At St. Joseph ... 8:30 p.m.
Maumelle Charter girls
Conference: 3A-6
Record so far: 10-14and 0-5 in league play
Last week: Maumelle Charter broke its losing streak and defeated Guy-Perkins but then lost to Episcopal Collegiate to stay winless in league play.
What’s ahead: Maumelle Charter wasn’t scheduled to play this Friday anyway and will host Rose Bud on Tuesday.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score -
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Rose Bud ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: At Riverview ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Bald Knob ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Pangburn ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Harding Academy ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Episcopal ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: At Rose Bud ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11: At St. Joseph ... 7 p.m.
Maumelle boys
Conference: 5A-Central
Record so far: 13-5 and 2-0 in conference play
Last week: The Hornets won at Jacksonville on Tuesday.
What’s ahead: The Hornets host Sylvan Hills on Tuesday.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Sylvan Hills ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: Vs. Greenbrier ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Little Rock Christian ... 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Vilonia ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Catholic ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: At Beebe ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: Vs. Parkview ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: Vs. Jacksonville ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: At Sylvan Hills ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18: At Greenbrier ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 21: Vs. Little Rock Christian ... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 25: At Vilonia ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 28: At Catholic ... 7 p.m.
Maumelle girls
Conference: 5A-Central
Record so far: 5-11 and 0-2 in conference play
Last week: Lost to Jacksonville on Tuesday
What’s ahead: Sylvan Hills comes to town in a winnable game for Maumelle.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Sylvan Hills... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: Vs. Greenbrier... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Little Rock Christian ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Vilonia... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Mount St. Mary ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: At Beebe ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: Vs. Parkview ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: Vs. Jacksonville ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: At Sylvan Hills ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18: At Greenbrier... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 21: At Little Rock Christian ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 25: At Vilonia ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 28: At Mount St. Mary ... 7 p.m.
Central Arkansas Christian boys
Conference: 4A-5
Record so far: 3-9 and 0-1 in league
Notable wins and losses: CAC lost a pair of games to the various Lisas Academy.
What’s ahead: Next Tuesday, the Mustangs host Pulaski Academy.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Pulaski Academy ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: Vs. Morrilton ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Robinson ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. Clinton ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Heber Springs ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Lisa Academy West ... 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: At Pulaski Academy ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11: Vs. Morrilton ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: Vs. Robinson ... 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 18: At Clinton ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 21: At Heber Springs ... 7 p.m.
Central Arkansas Christian girls
Conference: 2A-5
Record so far: 1-15 and 0-5 in conference action.
Last week: CAC lost to Mt. Vernon-Enola on Monday.
What’s ahead: CAC visits Mt. Vernon-Enola this Monday.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Monday, Jan. 13: At Mt. Vernon-Enola... 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 16: Vs. St. Joseph … 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Robinson ... 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23: At Jacksonville Lighthouse... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24: Vs. White County Central ... 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Quitman ... 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 30: Vs. South Side ... 6 p.m.
Monday, Feb. . 3: Vs. Jacksonville Lighthouse ... 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. . 6: At Bigelow ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: At Conway Christian... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: Vs. Robinson ... 7 p.m.
North Little Rock Boys
Conference: 6A-Central
Record so far: 9-4, 1-0 in league play
Last week: North Little Rock handled its business and beat Little Rock Central on Tuesday.
What’s ahead: Friday’s trip to Conway has been postponed due to the weather. The game has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Jan. 21. More immediately, Southwest is next Tuesday.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Little Rock Southwest ... 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: At Jonesboro … 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Conway ... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Bryant ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Cabot ... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: Vs. Central ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: Vs. Conway ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: Vs. Jonesboro ... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 25: At Bryant ... 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 27: At Cabot ... 7:30 p.m.
North Little Rock girls
Conference: 6A-Central
Record so far: 11-7, 0-1 in league
Last week: North Little Rock lost to Little Rock Central for a rare, if ever, 0-1 start in conference play.
What’s ahead: The ‘Cats host Little Rock Southwest on Tuesday then travel to Jonesboro on Friday, Jan. 17.
For the roster, click here.
Date ... Opponent ... Score
Tuesday, Jan. . 7: At Central ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Vs. Little Rock Southwest ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17: At Jonesboro... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21: At Conway ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Vs. Bryant ... 5
Friday, Jan. 31: Vs. Cabot ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. . 4: Vs. Central ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. . 7: Vs. Conway ... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11: At Little Rock Southwest ... 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 14: Vs. Jonesboro... 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 25: At Bryant ... 5
Thursday, Feb. 27: At Cabot... 6 p.m.
Health
Quitting Day nearly here
Did you know that some have labeled Friday as Quitting Day?
You probably didn’t get an alert on your phone and it isn’t exactly a holiday, so it didn't make the desk calendar or the planner you carry around but it does happen on the second Friday of the New Year.
It is recognized as the day you quit whatever New Year’s resolution you made.
Ouch!
But, big but, let’s be different this year. Let’s not quit our resolutions and follow through on them but maybe take a hard look at what was wanted and maybe take another path on whatever journey you have chosen for this year.
For most people, myself included, the resolution was to lose some weight in 2025 along with being a little more financially conscious and doing more travel.
Losing weight is the big one. And one that many people choose.
How you lose it matters and, more importantly, maintaining that weight loss is the greatest goal of all.
As that’s a journey I am, follow along if interested or not. It’s fine.
Still here?
OK, here’s some things you’ll need:
A scale
Some way to measure steps/activity ie Fitbit, Apple Watch, etc.
An app that allows you to record what you eat daily or just write it down in a notebook. There’s plenty of apps, some free, some paid, that will do meal tracking. If you have a Fitbit, it is already in the app.
A plan.
The plan part is the hardest and even the best plans need some help. One of the things that happens in weight loss is you get stuck. Nothing you do seems to work. You aren’t losing and it is as if your body is fighting back. It is!
Evolution means your body doesn’t want to lose that weight because our hunter-gatherer forebearers would store that fat as energy for when the hunting and gathering wasn’t successful.
So, your body interprets dieting as a time of scarcity, so it slows everything down to keep you going. This is where some modern science has come in and not a doctor so this is not medical advice but if you can afford it, and you’ve been stuck or worried about it, talk to your healthcare provider about the Ozempic, GLP-1, etc. class of drugs.
They seem to work for some – many – but there’s a pretty big sticker price and it isn’t likely to get your health insurance to cover it, if you don’t already have some pre-existing condition. Remember, though, the worst thing you’ll be told is no, and that’s not the end of the world.
The other thing that’s very helpful is to be realistic about your goals and here’s where some revision is in order.
There’s a bodyweight planner available here that’s easy to use and sets some realistic goals based on where you are now and where you want to be.
First, step on that scale, and note the number. Then do some math and instead of looking at a new number, resolve to lose 5 to 7 percent of that in 12 weeks. If starting in January, 12 weeks would be in the middle of March.
To keep the math simple, if the scale number was 200, then that would be 10 to 14 pounds of weight loss or a pound or less a week. Don’t be concerned so much about the end number but how you feel, how your clothes fit and when people notice your shape changing.
There’s also something incredibly satisfying about getting out your “skinny jeans” and discovering they’re now loose.
To get there, up your daily activity, exercise with weight three or so times a week and don’t eat as much. The body weight planner linked above will lay out daily calories in a manageable fashion, and if you’ve tried before and it didn’t work, make that appointment and see what the doc says. There’s also some online options in sites like Noom that are reputable and worth a look.
The other thing is figure out a way to make yourself accountable for what you’re doing. Get a workout buddy who gets you to the gym when you don’t really want to. Stock your shelves with healthier choices and do some meal planning and prep that works for your goals but also for your spouse and family. But don’t beat yourself up if you find some Trader Joe’s Jingle Jangle in the pantry and Hoover it up.
Tracking workouts along with steps and meals is another way to keep yourself accountable.
You can also write about it.
Part 1 of a 12-part series.
Pandemic deaths climb
The state Department of Health updated the state’s dashboard this week, and shows 510 deaths for the past year. The virus has now killed 14,144 Arkansans since the pandemic began more than four years ago. 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