Her schedule includes visiting UAM’s Entrepreneurship and International Business classes, speaking at the Rotary Club meeting at noon, and stopping by the MEDC.

The U.S. Small Business Administration was established in 1953 to aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interest of small business concerns. SBA assistance includes loan guarantees, microloans, business counseling, and programs to encourage government contracting.

Here is the EncyclopediaOfArkansas.net’s link to the Trail of Tears page on their website.

According to Chancellor Jack Lassiter, 740 of UAM’s fall students received Arkansas Lottery Scholarships. Lassiter stated during the regular MEDC meeting that there was no way to tell how many of those students may have enrolled in UAM without the scholarships, but it was a benefit to them to “help line their pockets.”

Lassiter added that UAM residence halls were at full capacity, and the state lottery funds were likely used by many for off-campus housing.

Arkansas Lottery Scholarships can be granted for up to $5,000 per year, meaning a student could receive as much as $20,000 by the time they earn their bachelor’s degree

When complete, I-69 will span over 2,700 miles from the Canadian border in Michigan to the Mexican border in Texas running through southeastern Arkansas.  

Ross joined dozens of public officials and business leaders on Wednesday in Drew County to break ground on the Arkansas portion of Interstate 69. Once complete, I-69 is expected to become America’s top freight and passenger corridor, serving over 23 million people, reducing travel time, reducing fuel consumption costs, creating thousands of new jobs and boosting economic development for communities along the project.

“Today, we are a step closer to finishing one of the nation’s newest and most promising interstates,” Ross said at the event. “There has been such unified support for I-69 in Arkansas because the benefits to our state are clear. Construction will create many much-needed jobs and, once it’s built, it will boost commerce to the region and usher in new economic opportunities for many of our towns and businesses. Much like I-40 and I-30 have helped communities all along its corridors grow and prosper, I-69 will help do the same in southeastern Arkansas.”

The Arkansas segment of I-69 is expected to connect Memphis to Shreveport, traversing down east of the Mississippi River, crossing the river in Desha County and then passing through Drew, Bradley, Calhoun, Ouachita, Union and Columbia counties before crossing into Louisiana. Portions of I-69 have already been completed from Michigan to Indiana. Until today’s event, construction had not started on any portion of the interstate in Arkansas.

Ross, who helped secure millions in federal support for the interstate project, said he has fought hard in Congress to support I-69 and led congressional efforts to ensure the interstate was selected as a U.S. Department of Transportation “Corridor of the Future” giving it priority status. Ross also added that it was the unified support from public officials, community leaders, economic developers and private businesses in Arkansas that ultimately led to the groundbreaking and start of construction on the Arkansas portion of the interstate.

“They announced I-69 five years before I was born. To break ground on this project now, with funds I helped secure, is one of the highlights of my time representing Arkansas in Congress,” said Ross. “But, this groundbreaking is the result of a strong coalition working to push Arkansas forward and preparing our state to grow. I’m proud to stand alongside public officials and industry leaders across this state, particularly those here in south Arkansas, that worked together to make this groundbreaking happen and to dedicate this new interstate to our future and the futures of all those who call southern Arkansas home.”

Once complete, I-69 will become a major national freight corridor linking manufacturing and agricultural centers throughout the country. In fact, it will be the only direct national link between two of the nation’s major trading partners – Canada and Mexico – and will connect two of the nation’s busiest border crossings, which account for about half of all U.S. trade with both countries. Fifteen of the nation’s top 25 cargo airports will be easily accessible to I-69, 96 rail terminals will be within 150 miles of the I-69 corridor and the interstate will directly connect 17 of the nation’s top 25 seaports. 

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I-69 Groundbreaking Ceremony Scheduled for Wednesday, Moved to Fairgrounds
Nov. 9, 2011

The ground breaking for the first official I-69 project in Arkansas is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9 at 11:00 am in Monticello.

The event will take place at the Drew County Fairgrounds due to last night’s rain. 

The agenda is expected to include comments from AHTD Director Scott Bennett, AR Highway Commission Chairman Madison Murphy and Congressman Mike Ross.

On July 20, MLive ran an article, where sources predicted that Secretary of State Mark Martin’s recommended map would be “deemed largely irrelevant” by the Governor and Attorney General’s votes, 2 Democrats on a board of 3 votes.

Monticello and 2/3 of Drew County will be in District 9.  Click here to see the District 9 map.

Wilmar, as well as south of Wilmar, and west of Wilmar will be in District 8.  The “dividing line” will be approximately halfway between the Monticello and WIlmar city limits.

HWY 35 West will be included in District 10, along with land north of that highway.

Drew County’s representative, Sheilla Lampkin, who now represents District 10 will be moved into District 9, which now included Hamburg, and by a strange turn of the crayon, Crossett.

Lampkin shared her thoughts on the new changes with MonticelloLive. Her comments are posted in the letter posted below this article.

I have to say I am saddened to lose the honor of serving all my new friends in Cleveland, Lincoln and Jefferson counties. I have met so many honest, straightforward and “real” people and I hate to “lose” them.

However, I look forward to serving more of my home county and all the new wonderful people I’ll get to know and serve in Ashley County. I already know many special people there and look forward to meeting all of the others. 

Ashley and Drew have multitudes of common interests, especially their timber industries and their goals for economic development. I intend to start visiting the Ashley County AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and we will have some great opportunities together. I will serve the needs of both counties to the best of my abilities.

Meanwhile I still will be the official representative of the present District 10 until 2013 and we have much to do! I’m going to be a busy lady representing all of my constituents and future constituents. Thank you for the opportunity.

State Rep. Sheilla Lampkin

The Arkansas Board of Apportionment has created the final proposals for new Arkansas State House and State Senate districts redrawn to equalize population after the 2010 census.

The board is composed of three elected officials; Gov. Mike Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, both Democrats, and Secretary of State Mark Martin, a Republican. They will vote on the proposals on Friday, July 29. Aug. 1 is the deadline by which final maps must be filed with the Secretary of State.

Proposals divide Arkansas into 100 House seats and 35 Senate seats of roughly equal population, and are generally designed to protect the seats of incumbent legislators.

The likelihood is that plans proposed by Beebe or McDaniel, or some combination of the two, will be adopted.

Knowledgable sources told MonticelloLive that dividing Drew County will greatly reduce strength that is often provided by having a county and/or area with common interests, as well as social and econimic similarities.

To express your opinions to the re-apportionment board, you may contact the re-districting office  501-683-2080.

The board member’s offices may be contacted, also:
Gov. Mike Beebe,  501-682-2345, www.governor.arkansas.gov
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel,  501-682-2007,   www.ag.arkansas.gov/
Sec. of State Mark Martin,   501-682-1010, arsos@arkansas.gov

Both Beebe’s plan and McDaniel’s plan for the House will split Drew County into two separate House districts. 

Sources say Martin’s plans are deemed largely irrelevant because the freshman Republican secretary of state is outvoted on the Board of Apportionment by Beebe and McDaniel.

The senate maps leave Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, and Drew Counties together as a group.  Beebe’s and McDaniel’s Senate plan separates a section of Desha County away for the 5 county 10 judicial district, while Martin’s divides Bradley County vertically.

Links to graphics and general info provided by MagnoliaReporter.com

Lt. Gov. Darr made time for a brief interview with MonticelloLive, where he mentioned the benefits he sees that lignite exploration could bring to this section of the state, where he sees it bringing jobs back ot our area, along with "$ 1/4 billion impact, if we can get it off of the ground.”

The maps may be obtained, at no charge, at any of the Highway Department’s District Headquarters and at all Arkansas Welcome Centers. They are also available at the AHTD Central Office at 10324 Interstate 30 in Little Rock, by phone at 501-569-2444 or online at www.arkansashighways.com. To request one by mail, the address is AHTD, Map Sales Section, P.O. Box 2261, Little Rock, AR 72203.

The cover of the 2011 highway map features Highway 27 in Pope County. The map also includes messages from Governor Mike Beebe and the Arkansas State Highway Commission welcoming visitors to the state. The map incorporates 23 insets of Arkansas cities, a chart showing mileage between cities and a directory of Public Recreation Areas featuring State Parks and Historic Memorials, National Park Sites, National Forest Recreation Areas and Corps of Engineers Parks. It also includes information on the *55 program of the Arkansas State Police and the 24-hour litter hotline.

More than one million maps are expected to be distributed free of charge to the public.