CALENDAR
Editor’s Note: At press time, the following events and meetings were known to be still scheduled. Organizers or appropriate officials are encouraged to contact Sandra Hope at shope@pbcommercial.com to make additions or changes.
Thursday, Feb. 18
Mayor postpones annual address
The State of the City address, previously scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, will be postponed until a later date. A new date will be announced soon. The public is advised to avoid unnecessary travel due to road conditions during the wintry weather, according to a news release.
Black Hall of Fame presents lecture
The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame will present its 10th discussion in the Distinguished Laureate Lecture Series from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, during a free Zoom webinar. Former Judge Olly Neal Jr. will share his experiences in civil rights advocacy as he moved through judicial ranks. The theme is “Outspoken: A Legacy of Speaking Truth to Power,” according to a news release from Stuff in the Bluff website. Neal is a former Arkansas appellate and circuit court judge. To register for the Zoom conference, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/distinguished-laureate-lecture-series-x-tickets-139727908937.
Saturday, Feb. 20
7 trailblazers to be honored at virtual Black History program
The Pine Bluff Wellness and Health Equity Coalition will honor seven Pine Bluff legends and trailblazers at its first virtual Black History program. This free event will take place via Zoom from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, according to a news release from Stuff in the Bluff website. Honorees will include former Pine Bluff Mayor Carl Redus, Ryan Watley, Mattie P. Collins, Classie Green, City Council Member Joni Alexander, Jimmy Cunningham and the late Saint Dewitt Hill. The keynote speaker will be Sterling Fulton, evaluation director for the Center for Black Health & Equity at Durham, North Carolina. The virtual event is free and open to the general public, however registration is required. To register in advance, participants should visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fr2CC3efRoeFnQZ6MwsTsg.
CrEATe Lab set
The Arts & Science Center’s nutritious cooking program for youth, CrEATe Lab with Faith Anaya, will be held from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. The program is open to ages 10-17, with a maximum of seven students. The cost is $35. Partial scholarships are available. ASC has partnered with Anaya and her Kids Cook! team for the series. To register for the cooking program, visit asc701.org/create-lab or call ASC at (870) 536-3375.
Sunday, Feb. 21
St. John hosts virtual Friends and Family Pew Rally
St. John AME Church, at 1117 W. Pullen St., will host its 30th annual Friends and Family Pew Rally virtually at 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 21. The featured speaker will be the Rev. Phillip Pointer Sr., senior pastor of Saint Mark Baptist Church at Little Rock. Participants may connect to the virtual service at www.stjohnamepinebluff.org, FACEBOOK LIVE @ https://www.facebook.com/rev.cwilliams, ZOOM @ ID# 4322086226 and Password: 1117, AUDIO @ 1-312-626-6799 with Access Code: 1117#
Monday, Feb. 22
A&P finance panel to meet
The Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission Finance Committee will meet at noon Monday, Feb. 22, by a conference call. Members will discuss financial reports, according to the agenda. Details: Betty Brown, commission administrative assistant, bbrown@explorepinebluff.com or (870) 534-2121.
Wednesday, Feb. 24
Jefferson Regional to give 2nd vaccine dose
Jefferson Regional Medical Center’s second dose Covid vaccine clinic will be held Wednesday, Feb. 24, at First Baptist Church, 6501 S. Hazel St. All scheduled patients will come at their originally scheduled time. The clinic was rescheduled from Feb 17 because of inclement weather, according to a news release.
Pine Bluff Commercial sets church news deadline
Church news is printed in The Commercial on Friday. The deadine to submit church announcements is noon Wednesday. Announcements can be for in-person services or online services as well as other ministry events. Articles may be submitted by email to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing a religion column may submit articles for consideration by email. Please include your phone number, the name and location of your ministry or city where you reside, and your photo. Photos may also accompany church news by email.
Thursday, Feb.25
Chamber to host drive-thru annual dinner
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce will host its annual dinner as a drive-thru event from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Pine Bluff Country Club. Tickets are $50 each, according to the Chamber newsletter. The event will feature two pasta dinner options, Chamber swag bags and the chance to briefly meet new Chamber staff members. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Details: Jennifer Kline, events and marketing manager at the Chamber, (870) 535-0110.
Russ NAACP branch sets virtual Black History event
The Carnell Russ branch of the NAACP of Star City will host its first virtual Black History Program Feb. 25. The keynote speaker will be Tamika Silverman Edwards, a lawyer. The theme will be “Continuing the Journey to Justice for All,” according to a news release. To attend, interested participants should email leeleaglenns@sbcglobal.net to receive zoom link.
Saturday, Feb. 27
Black heritage celebration set
Author Jason Irby, a Jefferson County native, will present the sixth annual Arkansas Heritage Celebration of Black History Month on Feb. 27. Due to the coronavirus and protocols of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the program isn’t open to the public. Interviews will be conducted with honorees and broadcast later, according to the Stuff in the Bluff website. Two individuals will be honored with a Legend Among Us award: Otis Kirkland, a well known photographer and philanthropist and native of Jefferson County, and Crystal Young-Haskins, the first African American female in the Little Rock Police Department to hold the rank of assistant chief of police, according to the release.
Through Sunday, Feb. 28
Museum sets free virtual tours at site honoring Ebony founder
Friends of John H. Johnson Museum will offer free virtual tours of the historic John H. Johnson Museum and Educational Center at Arkansas City in observance of Black History Month. Johnson is the late founder of Johnson Publishing Co. which publications included Ebony and Jet magazines. During February, the virtual tours will guide visitors through the museum named for the Arkansas City native, according to a news release. For details on the tour, visitors can send an email to info@johnhjohnsonmuseum.org and they will provide a direct link. Details: www.johnhjohnsonmuseum.org.
Friday, March 5
The Generator sets deadline for business sessions
The Generator, an innovation hub powered by Go Forward Pine Bluff, is hosting Gentrepreneurship: Creating a Business Program. The deadline to apply is March 5 at 11:59 p.m. The series will be held for 12 weeks and is gearded toward those seriously considering starting a business or those who have already started a business but are searching for clarity and a fuller understanding of running a successful business after 1-3 years, according to a news release. Details: visit https://goforwardpinebluff.org/the-generator/ or email Mildred Franco, executive director, at francomildred@goforwardpb.org.
Through Monday, March 15
Foundation accepting scholarship applications
Pine Bluff and Jefferson County students can apply for scholarships from the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation. The deadline to apply is March 15. Each scholarship has its own eligibility criteria. In general, the community foundation scholarships are for area students pursuing higher education at two- or fouryear colleges or universities, vocational schools or technical training programs, according to a news release. Students can begin their application by visiting www.arcf.org/apply/scholarships/
Through Monday, March 22
AKA, First Sisters seek scholarship applicants
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Delta Omega Omega Chapter, and First Sisters Outreach Inc. are accepting scholarship applications from graduating female high school seniors who will be attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. March 22, according to a news release. Applications and eligibility requirements are available online at akadeltaomegaomega.com/scholarship.html or by emailing Ka’Lisa Stanfield at akadooscholar@gmail.com.
Through Thursday, March 25
AgDiscovery teen program applications set at UAPB
Applications are being accepted for AgDiscovery, a residential career and science exploration program for teens. March 25 is the application deadline, said Willie Columbus, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff educational outreach coordinator and AgDiscovery program director. UAPB will host AgDiscovery June 12-25 on campus. UAPB is among 21 institutions to host the event. A complete list of host universities, brochures, information and application forms and instructions are available online at www.aphis.usda.gov/ agdiscovery. Details: Willie Columbus at UAPB at (870) 575-7145 or columbusw@uapb.edu or the UAPB AgDiscovery Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/uapbagdiscovery/.
Through Friday, March 26
Homegrown By Heroes Scholarship forms available
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture and Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas are partnering to provide two $1,000 Homegrown by Heroes academic scholarships to military veterans and active military personnel, their spouses, and children who are pursuing degrees in agriculture. Funding for the scholarships is provided by Farm Credit. Applications are due March 26 and are available at agriculture.arkansas.gov/arkansas-department-of-agriculture-programs/. Details: arkansasgrown.org/homegrown-by-heroes/.
Thursday, April 1
Deadline set for Korean War vet stories in yearbook
April 1 is the deadline to submit entries for the 2021 Arkansas Korean War Veterans Yearbook. The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs is participating in the project honoring Arkansas veterans. To be included, a veteran must have served in Korea or its territorial waters between June 25, 1950, and July 27, 1953. Veterans or relatives may submit photographs and biographies, which will be accepted on a first-come, first-accepted basis. The submission form is available at https://forms. gle/DfzvkGyN3TNAFrsC9. Submissions also may be sent by email with the veteran’s first, middle, and last name in the subject line to Koreayearbook2021@gmail.com.
Through Saturday, April 10
ASC slates new exhibits
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas announces two new exhibits. “New Territory: Paintings by Michelle Fair” will be open at ASC through April 3. The display conceptualizes figures interacting with their environment autonomously, giving the subjects of the paintings a home, yet allows the subjects and spaces to disconnect, reflecting a new stage in Fair’s life, according to a news release. The exhibition, “Feeling Through: Examine Emotion in the Midst of Unrest,” by photographer Catherine Elizabeth Patton will be open through April 10. The display is a self-reflection of the artist’s emotions and her attempt to examine and understand them during covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. Details: asc701.org.
Through Friday, April 30
First Electric accepting scholarship applications
First Electric Cooperative is accepting scholarship applications. High school seniors whose parents or guardians are First Electric members may apply for one of nine $2,000 scholarships available each year, according to a news release. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 gradepoint average and after graduation, they must attend an accredited institute of higher learning in Arkansas on a full-time basis. The deadline to apply is April 30. For an application and details, visit online at www.firstelectric.coop/scholarship or contact any First Electric office.
Monday, May 31
Century Farm applications due
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2021 Arkansas Century Farm program. This program recognizes Arkansas families who have owned and farmed the same land for at least 100 years. To apply, the same family must have owned the farm for 100 years by Dec. 31, 2021. The line of ownership from the original settler or buyer may be through children, grandchildren, siblings, nephews or nieces, including through marriage and adoption. The farm must be at least 10 acres of the original land acquisition and make a financial contribution to the overall farm income. There is no cost to apply. Online applications are available at: www.agriculture.arkansas.gov/arkansas-department-of-agriculture-services/arkansas-century-farm-program/. Details: Beth Moore, (501) 539-4027 or beth.moore@agriculture.arkansas.gov.