Little River News

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Aliyah Anderson at the FBLA National Leadership Conference

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2019 Ashdown High School Graduate Aliyah Anderson recently competed in Public Speaking at the FBLA National Leadership Conference held in San Antonio, Texas June 29th - July 2nd.

Aliyah Anderson

Aliyah Anderson

The mission of Future Business Leaders of America is to inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership Experience. Future Business Leaders is the oldest and largest student organization in the world. As part of this program, students participate in academic competitions. They practice and demonstrate their skills and knowledge, including leadership, business areas, public speaking and more.

Aliyah qualified for her second National FBLA Leadership Conference competition by winning in the Public Speaking Competition at the District Level with 14 counties in Arkansas included. She went on to place 2nd overall in State in Public Speaking in April to qualify her to compete in National Competition with the top Students in America. This is Aliyah’s 2nd year to qualify for Nationals as she finished first in State in Electronic Career Portfolio in 2018 and advanced to Nationals in Baltimore, MD. Over 14,000 students were in attendance but overall less than 4% of total FBLA members in the world have the opportunity to compete in the FBLA National Leadership Conference.

Aliyah also had the opportunity to participate in leadership workshops and hear Keynote Speakers such as Sherry Winn, a 2 time Olympian, and National Championship Basketball coach. Coach Winn is a 2 time Amazon Best Seller and has written 5 books on leadership, effective communication, and success strategies.

Aliyah served the Ashdown High School Chapter as President and District IV as Secretary for the 2018-2019 school year. Aliyah says FBLA has given her many opportunities not only to hone her leadership and speaking skills but has also allowed her to make friends and network with students in Arkansas and all over the nation. Aliyah will be attending Arkansas Tech in the Fall and plans to major in Marketing.

AHS Sponsor Shauna Tipton & Aliyah Anderson

AHS Sponsor Shauna Tipton & Aliyah Anderson

Students in FBLA will have the opportunity to prepare for competition this coming school year by taking Organizational Leadership where they will not only learn about Organizational structure and leadership skills, but they will be able to work on FBLA projects for competition. According to Mrs. Tipton, this is the toughest issue we face—finding the time outside of school to work with students to prepare for competition and giving them assistance. Having a classroom is the perfect solution. Aliyah is truly one of the most motivated students I have ever taught. Once she was given advice, she would run with it. Some students, however, especially, when they are new to FBLA, need more guidance and the classroom will provide that time. This should make our chapter much more competitive.

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Rural Economic Development Program Interviewing Business Owners

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SPECIAL NEWS RELEASE
Jean A. Ince
County Extension Agent-
Staff Chair
July 8, 2019

RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM INTERVIEWING BUSINESS OWNERS

Create Bridges, a pilot program focusing on rural economic development in Howard, Little River and Sevier Counties (3C’s) has moved into its second phase: interviewing business owners involved in retail, entertainment, accommodations and tourism.
The goal of Create Bridges is to help strengthen the retail, tourism, hospitality, and entertainment sectors, which provide jobs and business opportunities that frequently boost rural economies. The program is being organized by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Department of Community and Economic Development. It is being coordinated locally through the local Extension Offices. 
Earlier this year, Create Bridges held a series of forums in each of the three counties to gather information about community assets in the retail, tourism, entertainment and accommodations industries.
Now organizers hope to build on that foundation through local interviews which are being conducted this week. The interview process will focus on the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of operating a business in rural Arkansas. Although some of the businesses have been identified, other business owners are welcome to reach out and participate.
Results of the confidential interviews will be used to develop regional economic development strategies that will be implemented next year. The interviews focus on workforce, community engagement, customer base, and potential expansion plans.
Create Bridges – which is stands for “Celebrating Retail, Accommodations, Tourism, and Entertainment by Building Rural Innovations and Developing Growth Economies” – has already held community forums and a retail academy for regional leaders. The next steps include an employee engagement survey and an emphasis on identifying opportunities for workforce training for the incumbent workforce.
For more information about Create Bridges and its involvement in our area, contact the Howard County Extension Office at 870-845-7517.

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Kaylee Silva and Bradee McKean at the 2019 SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference

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Ashdown High School 2019 Graduates Kaylee Silva and Bradee McKean represented Ashdown High School at the 2019 SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference held in Louisville, KY. According to Ashdown SkillsUSA Sponsor, Amy Silva, “There were over 20,000 in attendance from across the United States this year at the competitions in Louisville.”

Kaylee qualified to compete after placing first in Health Occupations Professional Portfolio at the 2019 SkillsUSA Arkansas State Competition in April. She placed fourth in the nation in Health Occupations Professional Portfolio. The purpose of this competition is to recognize students for their successful development of a professional portfolio and to evaluate the ability of the individual to present himself or herself to an employer using effective communication skills.

Kaylee graduated from Ashdown High School in May. She will be attending Harding University in the fall and is majoring in Communication Sciences & Disorders. She is the daughter of Brent and Amy Silva.

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Bradee also placed first in her competition at the state conference and placed fourteenth in the nation in Medical Math. The purpose of this competition is to evaluate the students’ ability to understand and solve mathematical problems commonly used in the various health care settings. Bradee graduated as Salutatorian from AHS and will attend UCA in the fall and major in Health Sciences. She is the daughter of Michael and Molly Corbell.

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Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

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Arkansas had one of the most productive, if not most productive, legislative sessions in the country with regard to addressing occupational regulations. Occupational regulations are licensures, certifications, or registrations required for workers in certain occupations. A few examples of licensed occupations include real estate agents, cosmetologists, and veterinarians.

The success during the legislative session is partly due to Arkansas participating in the 15-state learning consortium through the U.S. Department of Labor (supported by the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL), National Governors Association for Best Practices (NGA), and The Council of State Governments (CSG)) and further addressing occupational licensure through the Governor’s Red Tape Reduction Working Group.

For the 2019 legislative session, 41 bills were passed into law that were related to occupational licensing, certification, and registration. One of the new laws (Act 250) ensures that an individual does not lose a license due to a defaulted or delinquent student loan. Another law (Act 820) provides automatic licensure for active duty members, veterans and spouses of military members if they were practicing in another state.

Those forty-one acts can be categorized into specific areas of concern that were discussed as part of the Red Tape Reduction Working Group and the related, Occupational Licensing Advisory Group, including:

(1) Removing Barriers to entry and having the least restrictive regulations in place.

(2) Addressing impacted populations; e.g., military spouses/ veterans/ military members, those with criminal records, and immigrants.

(3) Focusing on licensing board composition.

(4) Engaging in reciprocity agreements & multi-state compacts.

(5) Various administrative and organizational improvements.

One of the acts passed was Act 600 which creates annual legislative reviews of occupational authorizations and entities. This will help to ensure that we continue implementing the least restrictive form of authorization while protecting consumers.

In June, the Occupational Licensing Review Subcommittee of Legislative Council met to draft rules and begin establishing a timeline of occupations to be reviewed this year. The occupational authorizations and the occupational entities will be divided into six groups. The committee will review one group each year. The subcommittee will meet again September 19. You can review the materials and watch the proceedings at www.arkleg.state.ar.us.

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Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

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Arkansas is home to more than 600,000 acres of lakes and more than 90,000 miles of rivers, streams, and creeks. As this is a popular time of the year for Arkansans to enjoy the waterways, we wanted to highlight boating safety in the state.

Last year, Arkansas saw a 9% decrease in boating accidents and a 36% decrease in the number of boaters who died from boating accidents. However, there were 60 reported boating accidents in 2018 which resulted in 29 injuries that required medical attention and seven fatalities. Of those seven fatalities, six drowned. According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, three of those six were not wearing a life vest and the other three were either improperly wearing their life vest or their vest was in poor condition and not functioning properly.

In order to ensure your safety, we wanted to remind you of some of the laws passed over the years regarding boating safety so that we can continue to reduce the amount of property damage and to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities associated with boating. Make sure to keep in mind that:

• Anyone born on or after January 1, 1986 must have successfully completed an approved Arkansas Game and Fish Boating Education course and carry proof while operating a motorboat or sailboat on Arkansas water.

• Every boat must have at least one U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket per person on-board. Children 12 and under must be wearing their life jacket at all times. Also, no matter the age, every person aboard a personal watercraft must be wearing an approved life vest

•To operate a personal watercraft, a person must be 16 year or older. Children aged 12-15 must be under the direct supervision of a person of at least 18 years old. Children 12 and under must be under the direct supervision of a person of at least 21 years.

For more information on boating safety please visit the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at www.agfc.com

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18th Annual Mid-Summer Art Show for July 18-20

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The Little River Arts Council announces July 18-20 as the dates for the 18th Annual Mid-Summer Art Show. Registration for artwork in adult (18 or over) and youth (8 thru 17) divisions will be Monday, July 15 between 1-6 p.m. at CCCUA, Hwy 71 N. in Ashdown. The displays will be open free to the public beginning on Thursday, July 18 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and close on Saturday, July 20 at 4 p.m., with a reception beginning at 2:30 and presentation of awards at 3:30.

Adult art categories include Abstract/Contemporary, Animal, Floral, Genre, Still Life, Portrait, Landscape, and 3-Dimensional, with an entry fee of $10 per entry. Awards in the adult categories will be Best of Show =$200, First Place = $125, Second Place = $85, Third Place = $60, and Honorable Mention = $30.

Youth art will be categorized by age groups: 8-9 years, 10-11 years, 12-13 years, 14-15 years, and 16-17 years. Youth entry fee is $1 per entry and awards will be Best of Show = $100, First Place = $40, Second Place = $30, Third Place = $20, and Honorable Mention = $10.

All Adult Show entries must be original, not previously entered in this show, no more than two years old, not larger that 3'x3', securely framed and wired for hanging, and dry (no wet paint). Youth entries must be matted or framed if on paper and wired for hanging if on stretched canvas with no saw tooth hangers or wet paint. No pieces larger than 3'x3' will be accepted.

All artwork must remain hanging until the closing of the show at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 20.

Little River Arts Council is excited to present the free art show to the public audience for the 18th year and encourages artists in the four-states area to participate. For further information, you may call 870-898-5200.

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4-H Teens Recently Attend Teen Leader Conference

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The Arkansas 4-H Teen Leader Conference was held in Little Rock June 11 – 14. From all across the state, teens travel to attend this once a year opportunity. We had five teens representing our Sevier County 4-H clubs this year. Amber Morris, Aubrey Seymour, Kaydee Cowling, Ethan Wolcott, and Alec Frachiseur all attended.
While at the conference, teens learned different ways of becoming a better leader for their community. For instance, this year’s theme was “Be the Spark”. Youth learned how to empower other young potential leaders. One skill that each teen really was impressed with was the 5 C’s to giving a speech. The 5 C’s, Character, Competence, Culture, Chemistry, and Caring, is a skill they can use for the rest of their lives as they continue to grow with their leadership skills.

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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.