Arkansas Tourism Henry Awards
Arkansas Tourism names finalists for Henry Awards
Awards recognize excellence in tourism across the state
The winners of the Excellence in Arkansas Tourism Henry Awards will be revealed at the 46th Annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism to be held in Fort Smith March 1-3, 2020. The Henry Awards ceremony will take place the evening of Tuesday, March 3. The awards honor Henri de Tonti, the man historians consider to be among the first “Arkansas Travelers.”
Among the awards to be presented is The Bootstrap Award, which is presented annually to an individual, organization, or community that has achieved significant success “on a shoestring” budget. Finalists include:
– Spring River Innovation Hub, Inc., for work on the Arkansas Pie Festival
– Sevier County Tourism Committee
– Marvell Civic Club for work on the Levon Helm Project
During the Henry Awards ceremony, the Tourism Person of the Year Award will also be announced. Selected by former honorees, the Tourism Person of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual who has been actively involved in tourism and who has made a substantial contribution, within the past year, to the betterment of the tourism industry as a whole.
The Tourism Hall of Fame Award is presented the previous day of the conference, recognizing individuals who have been actively involved for many years in tourism and have made substantial contributions to the betterment of the industry.
For more information on the 46th Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism, contact Arkansas Tourism at 501-682-1926. For specific information on the Henry Awards, contact Leigha Jones at 501-682-1676.
Heavy Rainfall Expected Friday and Friday Night
National Weather Service predicting heavy rain over the next couple of days.
Nashville Chamber of Commerce Banquet is February 24th
The Nashville Chamber of Commerce banquet will be Monday, February 24th held at the "Occasions" building, formerly Brookshire's, with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. The ticket cost is $20.00. Chamber board members will have the tickets for sale soon. There will be seating at tables of 8 and 10. This year "PATAcakes" catering service will provide the meal of sliced pork, baked beans, twice baked potatoes, salad, dessert, and water, coffee, or tea. The theme this year is: "Bloom Where You Are Planted".
There will be numerous awards given to those who have served our town far above and beyond. Tickets will be on sale soon, so make plans for your industry, business, relatives, fellow workers, or your family. This is the time when your Nashville Chamber of Commerce shines the spotlight on our citizens.....make plans to purchase your ticket now.
Congratulations to Howard Memorial Hospital
Arkansas Business Health Care Heroes Awards
Arkansas Business is thrilled to recognize thirty-seven individuals, companies and organizations that are making a significant impact on the quality of health care in Arkansas. Their acts of heroism represent a display of dedication to excellence in the area of expertise beyond the scope of their
jobs. Through their commitment to their profession and their community, these individuals will be recognized at a luncheon awards ceremony. The Lifetime Achievement Award winner and a finalist in each category were selected by an outside panel of judges and will be celebrated at an awards ceremony, presented by CompleteCare, Inc., April 2, 2020 at the Embassy, Little Rock; 11:30-1:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at ArkansasBusiness.com/HealthCare.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Mary Salassi-Scotter, Arkansas Children's
The Finalists in each category are:
Health Care Administrator
Adam Head, CARTI
Ann Kruger, Arkansas Children's
John Montgomery, The Green House Cottages of Poplar Grove
Brian Thomas, Jefferson Regional Medical Center
Large Hospital of the Year (100 beds or more)
CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs
Jefferson Regional
St. Bernards Medical Center
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Small Rural Hospitals (Less than 100 beds)
Arkansas Children's Northwest
Howard Memorial Hospital
Ouachita County Medical Center
Arkansas Business
Presented by: Arkansas Business presents Health Care Heroes awards program to honor individuals, companies and organizations that are making a significant impact on the quality of health care in Arkansas. Their acts of heroism represent a display of dedication to excellence in the area of expertise beyond the scope of their jobs.
Death to Lawn Stickers!
Winter is the best time to kill spurweed, a.k.a. "stickers" in your yard with a broadleaf herbicide containing 2, 4-D. The window for a post-emergent treatment is from December to February during your grass's dormant period, while the winter annual weed is green and growing but hasn't had a chance to bloom and set seed. In late spring, spurweed seeds become the stickers that are painful for you, your children and pets. Once the seeds are set, herbicides are not effective for control. Your only other option for control is to rake them up or get the grass to grow enough to buffer the stickers. If spurweed in the lawn goes untreated and seed are set each year, the weed will continue to spread and exacerbate the sticker problem.
If your yard is primarily Bermuda and it is TOTALLY dormant, a light spray of Round-up will work. Round-up is only recommended for dormant Bermuda. Don’t miss this window of opportunity to treat spurweed in your yard! For more information, call the Howard County Extension Office at 870-845-7517.
Arkansas Farmer’s Industrial Hemp Conference Slated for February in North Little Rock
The Arkansas Farmer’s Industrial Hemp Conference, a two day meeting designed to give farmers the pros and cons of adding industrial hemp to their crop rotation will take place Feb. 14 and 15 at the Wyndham Hotel in downtown North Little Rock.
Speakers will include Arkansas farmers who grew industrial hemp this last season, soil scientists, seedsmen, processors, marketers and regulators. The Arkansas farmers will pass on lessons learned regarding varieties, controlling THC levels, pests and the marketing and sale of their crops.
The conference is presented by Green Remedies which operates Indigenous Seeds, Hawgs Hemp Farm and Hawgs Hemp Refinery. Green Remedies co-founder Brad Fausett leads the industrial hemp program at the Northwestern Oklahoma State University and will be speaking about the most common mistakes made by new hemp farmers and best practices for growing hemp.
Shawn Peebles, owner of Peebles Farm, a 1200 acre organic sweet potato operation in Woodruff County grew five acres of industrial hemp this season and will speak at the conference.
“ First, hemp is way over-hyped”, said Peebles.” You are not going to get rich quick, however it can be a very profitable addition to your crop rotation. You have to pay attention in advance as to where you are going to sell it. It is not like selling a commodity crop.”
There will be a session devoted entirely to the business side of hemp production which differs significantly from business models associated with row crops. Jason Martin, CEO of Tree of Life Seeds will lead a session on creating a sound business model for industrial hemp farming.
Currently about 90 percent of industrial hemp grown in Arkansas is processed into CBD oil and products. That may change over the next several years according to John Workman, an England, AR based row crop farmer and president of the Arkansas Hemp Association who will be speaking. “Hemp is now being processed economically into construction materials such as ‘hemp wood’ and insulation. A manufacturing facility has opened up in Kentucky to make hemp wood. That market will require different varieties and different planting methods than what we currently do. It’s a few years off probably.” Workman plans to bring a hemp board to his session.
The conference kicks off at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb 14 and continues on until 5 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $99 which includes a cocktail reception with the speakers Friday night and a box lunch on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at CentralArkansasTickets.com. The conference is hosted by the Arkansas Times Magazine.
Central Arkansas Tickets
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Richard Pearce Guest Speaker at Tuesday's Lions Club in De Queen
Lion Kevin Williamson introduced today’s speaker at De Queen Lions Club noon meeting. Richard Pearce is the Live Operations Manager for Tyson Foods in this area.
National Weather Service Watching A Possible Significant Weather Event For Arkansas Friday and Saturday
An active pattern is expected later this week, especially Friday and Saturday. A storm system will arrive from the southern Plains, and will likely trigger areas of heavy to excessive rain and severe storms.
As of this morning, it appears two to more than five inches of rain could fall across Arkansas. The heaviest rain is expected from west central through central into northeast sections of the state (from Mena through Clinton and Little Rock and on toward Jonesboro and Corning). Severe weather (tornadoes, damaging winds, and hail) is favored over southwest sections of the state.
The storm track will be very important, and will determine where the heaviest rain falls, and how much severe weather materializes. A more northerly track will skew the heaviest rain to the north, with more of the state affected by severe storms. A track to the south will move the heaviest rain to the south, will mean less severe weather, and could result in light wintry precipitation in northern and western Arkansas as colder air arrives Saturday.
It will also be windy surrounding the system. Breezy southerly winds will kick up on Thursday and Friday, and will shift to the northwest and remain gusty on Saturday.
This is looking more and more like a significant event. Now is the time to prepare.
The Midnight Crew
National Weather Service
Little Rock, Arkansas
Legacy Initiatives Announces Trail Building School
In 2018 Legacy Initiatives was one of 3 organizations nationwide to receive the inaugural Trail Accelerator Grant (TAG) through the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). This was a matching grant made possible by local businesses and private donors. The grant's purpose was to help design and accelerate the process of trail building. The initial phase of the design process has taken place and Legacy is now applying for grants to help fund the trail building, which can be very expensive.
Dr. Jason Lofton, who has been the lead on this project for Legacy Initiatives, has been in talks with IMBA representatives to bring an exciting opportunity for our local residents. "In efforts to speed up the trail building process, we are going to host a mini Trail Building School January 23-25. This will involve a 3-4 hour classroom session with two days in the field at the lake actually breaking ground on the proposed trail. Those involved in the Trail Building School will serve as team leads on the future trail project.” Legacy Initiatives is seeking area residents who are interested in being a part of this exciting opportunity and laying the foundation for a vast variety of outdoor recreation opportunities in our area.
The plan is for there to be multi-use trails designed specifically for mountain biking but which can also be enjoyed by walkers, runners and hikers. The vision is to have trails surrounding the entire lake connecting all the campgrounds. This will create a vast recreation opportunity for local residents as well as a new tourism destination for mountain bikers. The popularity of cycling has grown significantly over the past decade with the cycling industry contributing approximately $6.2 billion to the US economy. There are an estimated 47.5 billion cyclists in the US and that number is growing every year.
Dr Lofton hopes the trails will encourage local residents to get out and enjoy our vast natural resources and that over time we can grow into a cycling community. “I want to see our part of the state get healthier and one way to do this is through cycling”. With our proximity to the Dallas Ft. Worth metroplex and Hochatown, Dr. Lofton believes there is a place for cycling tourism here in Southwest Arkansas. “Arkansas is quickly becoming a cycling tourism state thanks to what the Walton Foundation is doing in Northwest Arkansas. Our vision with Legacy Initiatives is to help improve the lives of the people in Sevier County and Southwest Arkansas. We believe by helping be a catalyst for outdoor recreation through these trails this can help stimulate our local economy, overall health and quality of life in our area”.
If you are interested in being a part of the Trail Building School please contact Jason Lofton at jason.lofton@legacymail.org or call his office at 870-642-4000.
De Queen Rotary Club Boulevard of Flags
Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught
One of the new laws which took effect this week may reduce the number of uninsured motorists on Arkansas roads.
Nationwide, it is estimated that 1 in 8 drivers do not have insurance. In Arkansas, the uninsured motorist rate has been higher than the national average in recent years. The latest numbers show close to 16% of drivers on our roads may be uninsured. Arkansas State Police write more than 10,000 citations a year for failing to provide proof of insurance.
Legislators along with law enforcement and insurance companies worked for two years to implement a system to address this problem.
The result is the implementation of a real-time insurance verification program. It was created by Act 1016 of 2017. The fees and dates of implementation were created by Act 869 of 2019. It went into effect on January 1, 2020.
The system allows law enforcement real-time data when they run a license plate. It will tell officers if the car is currently insured or if a policy has lapsed. In addition, it will also result in letters being issued to any Arkansan (with a registered vehicle) if they allow any lapse in insurance coverage. As soon as the system is alerted to the lapse, the owner will be issued a $100 fine for the lapse in coverage along with a letter notifying them of this. If the fine and proof of insurance are not provided within a certain time frame (normally 30 days), the vehicle’s registration will be permanently suspended until the fine is paid and coverage confirmed.
When a similar system was implemented in Alabama, the rates of uninsured motorists on the road dropped from more than 20% to 13%.
This is just one of several laws which took effect this week. You can find a list of other laws on our website www.arkansashouse.org.
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Your Input is Invited for Sevier County Hospital
The Sevier County Hospital Board of Directors wants your input! Since the beginning of our journey together in building a new state-of-the-art hospital for Sevier County, we have promised transparency in the entire process. That is why we are asking for Sevier County residents to comment on our new hospital floor plan! Since 84% of Sevier County voters approved the sales tax to support the hospital, we felt it was our obligation to seek your helpful comments.
Please look at this floor plan and before January 17th, feel free to email any comments that you feel will be helpful in the overall design of the layout of the hospital. We are looking for helpful and thoughtful comments regarding the layout of the hospital.
Please provide comments by emailing: myhospitalcomments@gmail.com
In the subject line, please enter: COMMENTS
Please include your name and address in the body of the email. Only verified comments will be accepted.
Thank you!
Sevier County Hospital Board of Directors
Howard County 4-H BBQ, Reserve Today!!
The Howard County 4-H Foundation will be conducting “4-H’s Barbecue Bowl” fundraiser on Saturday, February 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or until they are sold out. “4-H’s Barbecue Bowl” will be held beside the Southwest Arkansas Radio Station Nashville. They will have full slabs of ribs for $25 and Cornish hens $5 each. If you would like to place an order for pickup, call the Howard County Extension Office at 845-7517. The barbecue will also be available to purchase that day. The money raised will support 4-H educational programs in Howard County.
Sevier County Hospital Board Meeting Thursday 01/02/19 at Sevier County Courthouse
UA Cossatot Classes begin January 13th
Everything you need to know about Spring 2020:
Classes begin January 13th.
You can ENROLL IN CLASSES through January 14th.
• First time students need to contact Student Services at 800-844-4471.
• Returning students need to reach out to their advisor as listed on Campus Connect.
• See our SPRING CLASS SCHEDULE here: cccua.edu/apply-enroll/class-schedules
• Still need to APPLY FOR ADMISSION? Go here: cccua.edu/apply-enroll
BOOK RENTALS can be picked up at the ERC on each campus starting on January 7th. See more textbook information here: youseemore.com/cccua/contentpages.asp?loc=49
There are still a few SCHOLARSHIPS available for the semester. More information here: cccua.edu/scholarships
The ARFUTURE GRANT is open for applications until January 1, and it will cover tuition for many degrees. More information here: http://www.cccua.edu/…/scholarshi…/state-scholarships-grants
Apply for PELL GRANTS by completing your FAFSA. More information here: cccua.edu/pay-for-college/financial-aid
You can CHECK YOUR FINANCIAL AID through Campus Connect or contact the Financial Aid office at 870-584-1161.
• Check your email account listed on the FAFSA for lacking document notices and more.
You can also CHECK YOUR BILL on Campus Connect. Information about setting up payment plans can be found here:
cccua.edu/pay-for-college/payments
Campus Connect, Student Email, and Blackboard can be accessed at the top left corner of our website www.cccua.edu
Any other questions? Ask them in the comments below!
Territorial Arkansas: The Wild Western Frontier
A traveling exhibit that tells the story of Arkansas Territory will be displayed at Historic Washington State Park, on December 17, 2019—January 6, 2020, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The traveling exhibit consists of 15 panels that explore the history of Arkansas Territory though the collections of the Arkansas State Archives and their branch archives, the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives in Powhatan and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives in Washington.
Historic Washington State Park
An important stop on the Southwest Trail, James Bowie, Sam Houston, and Davy Crockett famously traveled through here. James Black, a local blacksmith, actually forged the legendary Bowie knife. From 1863-1865, it served as the Confederate capital of Arkansas. The 1874 Courthouse serves as the park visitor center.
Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught
As many of you are reflecting on 2019 and setting goals for 2020, we want to remind you of what is ahead for the Arkansas House in the New Year.
In less than 10 weeks, Arkansans will be heading to the polls to cast ballots in the March 3 primary.
This year, the General Assembly passed Act 545 whichprovides for a March preferential primary election in the years in which the office of President of the United States is voted on and a May preferential primary election in the years in which the office of Governor is voted on.
Fiscal sessions have been held on the second Monday in February on even-numbered years. However, Act 545 states that on years in which the preferential primary is held in March, the General Assembly will instead meet for a fiscal session on the second Wednesday of April.
This means we will begin pre-fiscal session budget hearings the day after the primary election, March 4.
The hearings are expected to continue through March 12.
Members can begin filing bills for the session on March 9. We will convene on April 8.
In 2008, Arkansans approved Amendment 86 which created fiscal sessions. Only budget bills are to be considered during a fiscal session. If any member wishes to file a bill other an appropriation bill during a fiscal session, then 2/3 of both chambers must first vote on a resolution to allow such a bill to be filed. Amendment 86 is also very clear about keeping these sessions brief. Fiscal Sessions can only be 30 days long. They can be extended one time for 15 days only if ¾ of both chambers agree.
We head into this New Year with an optimistic financial outlook. State revenue reports continue to exceed economic forecasts. And the unemployment level is at 3.6%.
Just as you do with your budget, our job in the weeks ahead will be to prioritize spending. As a reminder all of our budget hearings are live streamed and recorded on our website: www.arkansashouse.org.
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Rosa Brown Receives ASBA Platinum Award
Congratulations to Ashdown School Board Member Rosa Bowman on receiving a Platinum Award for completing 400 hours of in-service training at the annual Arkansas School Board Association (ASBA) Conference in Little Rock. Mrs. Bowman is also President-Elect for the association.
Ashdown Public Schools Recognize Teachers of the Year and District Teacher of the Year
Ashdown District Teacher of the Year Jennifer Simmons and AHS Principal Kay York Wortham
Jennifer Simmons, Lacy Shamsie, Diana Blankenship, Gerina Ritter
On, Monday December 16, Ashdown Public Schools recognized their campus Teachers of the Year and announced the District Teacher of the Year. Teachers from each campus were able to vote for their Teacher of the Year and a special committee with much difficulty chose AHS teacher Jennifer Simmons as the District TOY.
The TOY for Ashdown Elementary is Gerina Ritter; L.F. Henderson - Diana Blankenship; AJHS - Lacy Shamsie; AHS - Jennifer Simmons. Ashdown Superintendent Casey Nichols said, “I am so proud of these amazing teachers! Each and every day they go above and beyond for our students in order to provide them with the best education possible! They love, protect, and help each and every student, they know our students and meet them where they are to give them what is needed in order for them to grow into educated and productive citizens.”
Mrs. Ritter is an Ashdown graduate and is married to her high school sweetheart, Jason Ritter. Together they have 3 children; Blake, Olivia, and Reagan, all of whom attend our schools. She has worked in this district for 19 years, with her experiences including being a second-grade teacher, a physical education teacher and presently, a kindergarten teacher. Additionally, she is co-sponsor for the AJHS cheerleaders and has served in this position for the past 3 years. According to AE Principal Teresa Wake, "We appreciate Mrs. Ritter’s passion for her students. She is caring, knowledgeable, and a hard worker. She communicates well with the parents, community, and our staff.”
Ms. Blankenship graduated from Ashdown High School in 1991. She started working as a paraprofessional in August of 2002 while working her way through college. She graduated from Texas A&M in Texarkana in May of 2015. Ms. Blankenship stated that she thoroughly enjoys teaching for the Ashdown School District. She cherishes being an Ashdown Alumni and feels it is a privilege to work and have her daughter, Gracyn, attend the same district that she graduated from.
Mrs. Shamsie has been a teacher in the Ashdown School District working at AJHS since 2006. She has taught 6th and 8th-grade science during this time. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology in 2005 from Texas A&M at Texarkana and her Master's degree in Educational Diagnostician in 2018. She and her husband, Curtis Shamsie, have two kids Colton and Annabeth Shamsie who attend school in the Ashdown School District.
Mrs. Simmons has been selected by her peers as this year’s Teacher of the Year at Ashdown High School. Jennifer holds a B.A. from the University of Arkansas Medical Science. And is a Licensed Medical Technologist. She has taught 5 years in the Ashdown School District. Prior to teaching, she worked in Medical Laboratories and hospitals for 18 years. Jennifer is presently teaching Biology and has an ASCP license. She is a certified Advanced Placement teacher in which she teachers Advanced Biology. Mrs. Simmons is the high school Quiz Bowl Coach and has provided challenging experiences for many of our brightest students. Mrs. Simmons is 9th grade Class Sponsor and has been the Co- Prom Coordinator for the past three years. AHS Principal Kay York Wortham said, "Mrs. Simmons is always thinking of students. She challenges kids and is always trying new things that will improve our school. She is on the school’s leadership team and spends countless time working beyond the school day to make sure labs and learning are ready for her students. Having a Medical Technologists on our campus positions our high school toward more opportunities for our students working toward medical certifications. Mrs. Simmons, attendance and character along with her strong desire for all students to learn to their highest potential deems her extremely worthy of this honor.” Mrs. Simmons is married to Shawn Simmons, an Ashdown graduate and his two children who graduated from AHS with honors. Student comments when asked about her…..She is always kind… never raises her voice. Listens to us always. Talks and explains things thoroughly. She never gets red in the face and gets mad at us. Very patient and kind. “I like science because of her”.