Little River News

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Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

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From guided hikes to kayak outings, there are over 50,000 family friendly programs available at our Arkansas State Parks. If you are still looking for a summer getaway, consider the options in our own backyard.

In 1996, Arkansas voters passed a constitutionally dedicated conservation sales tax benefitting Arkansas State Parks and three sister conservation agencies. We now have 52 state parks on 54,400 acres with 1,800 campsites, 208 cabins, and 5 lodges serving 8 million visitors annually.

Arkansas has more than 9,700 miles of rivers and streams, and a good deal of it is perfect for floating—be it by canoe, raft or kayak.Experience a lake tour at DeGray Lake Resort, or view the sunset from your kayak on the Bull Shoals-White River. Park interpreters will guide you through the waters as they inform you about your surroundings.

Our state parks also offer lessons in how to cook in historic southern traditions. Learn about the flavors of various herbs at the Ozark Folk Center or how to prepare pizza in an earthen oven at Davidsonville.

Or get away from the harsh city lights and attend a star party. Arkansas’s state parks welcome visitors to look for constellations and learn about astronomy this spring and summer. Guided tours are offered at several parks including Village Creek and Pinnacle Mountain.

And speaking of stars, don’t forget about the opportunities at our national parks. The International Dark-Sky Association just recently designated the Buffalo National River Park as a Dark Sky Park. It is the first such designation for Arkansas and now becomes one of only 19 national parks to be officially recognized as a Dark Sky Park.

There will be a variety of ranger-led night sky programs offered at Buffalo Point this summer.

The Arkansas River flooding is impacting only a few park services. We encourage you to call the park ahead of time to ensure your planned activities are still on schedule.

Check out all Arkansas parks has to offer atwww.arkansasstateparks.com . You can find information on our national parks atwww.nps.gov.

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Ashdown High School Alumni Association Banquet on Saturday, September 14

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The thirteenth annual Ashdown High School Alumni Association Banquet will be on Saturday, September 14 and held in the Ashdown High School cafeteria.

The 1965 AHS Co-Valedictorian Dr. Tom Fomby will the honored guest. After graduating from AHS, Dr. Fomby received his B.A. in Mathematics from Hendrix College and his MA and Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is currently Professor of Economics at Southern Methodist University and has been since 1975.

At Ashdown High School, he was involved in the National Honor Society, an Arkansas High School All-Star basketball player, First Chair Trumpet in the All-State Band, and one of 25 Arkansas and Texas students selected for a National Science Foundation sponsored workshop on Mathematics at Southern State College during the summer of 1964.

While at Hendrix College he played varsity basketball and was a member of Blue Key Honor Society.

He is a Senior Co-editor of Advances in Econometrics. Advances in Econometrics is a research annual specializing in recent developments in econometric techniques as applied to problems in economics, finance, marketing, and forecasting. His area of specialization is in the application of statistical methods to economic and business problems. Of particular interest to Professor Fomby is the new field in Economics called Predictive Analytics which involves using statistical techniques to uncover business and economic insights as mined from the masses of data that business and governments are collecting digitally. He has won numerous research, teaching, and service awards at SMU. In addition, he holds Outstanding Alumni Awards at Hendrix College and the University of Missouri-Columbia where he received his Ph.D. in Economics in 1975. His research affiliations include the Research Department of the Federal Bank of Dallas and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He has consulted with the World Bank and the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, DC, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and various corporations including Mary Kay, Inc., Texas Instruments, KPMG, Zale Corporation, and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company.

Alumni dinner tickets will be on sale from August 1 - September 1. For more information about the dinner call 903-277-9359. For ticket information call 903-826-7918.

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Hartley Family Bluegrass Gospel Group in Winthrop June 30th

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The Hartley Family Bluegrass Gospel Group will have the evening worship service on Sunday, June 30th, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the First Southern Crossroads Baptist Church, just north of Crossroads at 1610 N Hwy 41 in Winthrop. Everyone is invited …

The Hartley Family Bluegrass Gospel Group will have the evening worship service on Sunday, June 30th, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the First Southern Crossroads Baptist Church, just north of Crossroads at 1610 N Hwy 41 in Winthrop. Everyone is invited and asked to please bring finger foods for a fellowship following the service.

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Scholarships Available For Upcoming Fall and Spring Semesters

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Scholarships | University of Arkansas Cossatot Community College

Little River Cattlemen's Scholarship - August 16, 2019 Deadline Board of Visitor's GED - August 2016, Deadline Cawood-Wright Scholarship - August 16, 2019 Deadline Frachiseur-Pulliam Associate of Applied Science-Business Scholarship - August 16, 2019 Deadline Bill & Christa Kolb Scholarship - August 16, 2019 Deadline Disabled American Veteran Scholarship - August 16, 2019 Deadline 50/50 Scholarship - Available until filled Domtar Forestry Wood Hauler Scholarship - Available until filled

Need money for college? We have some open scholarships for the upcoming fall and spring semesters. Here is a link to the applications: https://www.cccua.edu/pay-for-college/scholarships
The deadline is August 16.

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July Summer Classes are Still Open at UA Cossatot

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It is not too late to sign up for summer classes at UA Cossatot. The college has four courses that will be available for students to take starting on July 1. These classes are flex courses and will last for four weeks. The last day to sign up for one or more of these classes is June 28.
The July Flex classes that are still open include Success Strategies, Arkansas History, Abnormal Psychology, and Anatomy and Physiology II. Anatomy and Physiology II, also known as A&P II, will be held at the Nashville Campus from 9:00 AM to 1:50 PM on Mondays and Tuesdays. Success Strategies, Arkansas History, and Abnormal Psychology will be offered online.
These flex classes at UA Cossatot are designed to help students take courses they need in a short amount of time. They also provide students with an opportunity to take possible required classes or electives at a faster rate for anyone wanting to take and finish a class before August. 
UA Cossatot student, Lauren Wishard said, “I am taking Arkansas History online this summer during the month of July. Since I work during the day, this is a great option for me. Being able to start and finish this class in one month, and do it completely online makes school more convenient.”
To sign up for a class or to learn more information, please call Student Services at 870-584-4471

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Weekly Update From State Representative DeAnn Vaught

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There are now more than 460,000 students enrolled in Arkansas public schools. And an additional 18,000 attend an open enrollment charter school.

School districts range in size from less than 300 students to nearly 22,000 students. Charter schools range from about 60 students to more than 3,000.

How we fund education in our ever growing schools and provide for changing needs is through a process that begins in Education Committee meetings.

The House and Senate Education Committee met this week to begin that process for the next biennium.

Arkansas schools received many different types of funding totaling nearly 5.9 billion in 2017-18. Generally speaking, about half of school district/charter school operating revenue comes from state sources, about 40% is generated locally and about 10% comes from the federal government.

Foundation Funding primarily consists of local property tax revenues and the state aid portion of foundation funding. To determine the amount of foundation funding, Arkansas uses a specific formula, known as the matrix. The matrix calculates the per-student funding based on the cost of personnel and other resources needed to operate a prototypical school of 500 students.

Legislators involved in the biennial Adequacy Study determine the resources included in each line of the matrix and the dollar amount needed to fund it.

In the most recent legislative session, we increased the per-student funding from $6,713 to $6,899 per student for the 2019-2020 school year. It increases funding to $7,018 per student the following school year.

The committee was also presented with information on student outcome measures. In 2016, the state began administering the ACT Aspire assessment. The 2018 ACT Aspire scores show a decrease in 4th grade students scoring ready or above in math and an increase in the 8th grade math scores.

Arkansas’s high school graduation rate has increased since 2011 to 88% of high school students. While the overall increase mirrors the national trend, Arkansas has consistently achieved higher 4-year graduation rates than the national rates.

The committee is scheduled to meet again on August 19. You can watch all Joint Education Committee meetings online atwww.arkleg.state.ar.us.

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2019 Southwest Arkansas Rural Business Development Conference

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2019 Southwest Arkansas Rural Business Development Conference Registration

When: Thursday, July 11th, 2019, 8:30 am - 2 pm Where: Skilled Trades Building, UA Cossatot, 183 College Drive, De Queen, AR 71832 Contact us at (501) 747-2968 or tlmays16@gmail.com

“Retooling Rural Arkansas: Getting Rural Arkansas Back into the Game”

Providing rural residents with the skills and tools needed to create and expand small businesses and engage in job creation activities are the goals of an upcoming regional business conference to be held in De Queen, Arkansas. Funded by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services (ADWS), Arkansas Human Development Corporation (AHDC), and the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development (USDA, RD), the 2019 Southwest Arkansas Rural Business Development Conference, with a theme of “Retooling Rural Arkansas: Getting Rural Arkansas Back into the Game” will bring together approximately 20 private, state, federal and nonprofit organizations with a singular mission of equipping small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and resources to start and expand their businesses.

Hosted by the AHDC, Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center (APTAC), Henderson State University-Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC), De Queen Chamber of Commerce, Sevier County, UA Cossatot and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the conference will be held Thursday, July 11, 2019 from 8:30 am – 2:00 pm at the Skilled Trades Building, which is located on the campus of UA Cossatot, 183 College Drive, De Queen, AR 71832. Topics will include but are not limited to, building effective business relationships, securing the right kind of capital, how to sell goods and services to the government, and how to use the many services of the ASBTDC to develop and/or expand your business.

Join us at 8:30 am for a “Breakfast with the Lenders Roundtable,” where participants will network with local, regional and statewide lenders. Lenders invited to participate include Arkansas Capital Corporation Group, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Arvest, BancorpSouth, Communities Unlimited, Diamond, First State, Farm Credit of Western Arkansas, Horatio State and Bank of Lockesburg, along with USDA, Rural Development. A breakout session devoted to SBA regulations will be led by SBA Region 6 Advocate Mr. Rhett Davis and Mr. Joe Knilans SBA Rural Affairs Advocate.

Current business owners and those just getting started, youth entrepreneurs, business and technical school students, apprentices, veterans, faith-based leaders and community and economic development professionals, are invited to attend. You will engage with other business owners, receive help with research and business planning, learn how to increase your networking results and learn to do more business with government and private industry. Mr. Edward Haddock, District Director for the Arkansas office of the SBA, will deliver the luncheon address. He will discuss the strategic focus and programs administered by the SBA as well as partnerships with other federal and private agencies.

Don’t miss the opportunity to help your community create needed JOBS by learning valuable tools to help your small business GROW! And, INNOVATE!

AN INVESTMENT OF TIME IS THE COST TO ATTEND BUT REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED.

You may register by calling Arkansas Human Development Corporation toll free at (800) 482-7641

or (501) 374-1103, ext. 10 or online at https://bit.ly/2I2iFs7

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Keisha McKinney with Sevier County Tourism about Arkansas Archaeology

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Keisha Pittman McKinney of the Sevier County Tourism Committee visited Friday on the Morning Show to talk about the many archeologists who are digging around Sevier County this month.Arkansas Archeological Survey Arkansas Archeological Soc…

Keisha Pittman McKinney of the Sevier County Tourism Committee visited Friday on the Morning Show to talk about the many archeologists who are digging around Sevier County this month.Arkansas Archeological Survey Arkansas Archeological Society Lisa Taylor, Sevier County - AR - Economic Development Director

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Ashdown High Pom Squad Qualifies for Nationals

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Front row (l-r): MaKayla Dixon, Aniya Polite and Vonjoy Thomas Back row (l-r): Quincya Faulks, Andria Ricks, Samya Williams, and Traniya Ross

Front row (l-r): MaKayla Dixon, Aniya Polite and Vonjoy Thomas
Back row (l-r): Quincya Faulks, Andria Ricks, Samya Williams, and Traniya Ross

Makayla Dixon, Aniya Polite and Vonjoy Thomas

Makayla Dixon, Aniya Polite and Vonjoy Thomas

Makayla Dixon and Vonjoy Thomas

Makayla Dixon and Vonjoy Thomas

On June 9th, the Ashdown High School Pom Squad attended camp at Panama City Beach, Florida and received numerous awards.

They received the Spirit Award, Most Improved Team Camp Award, 12 blue ribbons and 2 red ribbons. MaKayla Dixon and Vonjoy Thomas received All American Awards, while three Pom Squad Seniors will be awarded a trip to Disney World. They are MaKayla Dixon, Aniya Polite, and Vonjoy Thomas.

The squad also received a Superior Trophy which will allow them to attend Nationals in Orlando, Florida in January 2020. Angie Cook is squad sponsor. Cook said, “This was truly our best camp yet. The girls have been working hard to accomplish the Superior Award.”