SEARK Reading Council hosted their second zoom meeting of the year on January 25, 2021. SEARK sponsored a writing contest for grades first through twelfth grade. The winners of the Young Writers’ Competition were recognized and read their winning writing pieces to the audience. Students wrote a narrative titled “My Hero”. Parents, relatives and members were on hand to celebrate the students’ accomplishments.  Local winners were submitted to a state writing contest sponsored by the Arkansas Literacy Association. Winners of this event will be announced in April. (more…)

Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services gratefully accepted a grant from the Simmons First Foundation last week for the agency’s Transition Services Program.

Donna Mahurin, Vera Lloyd’s CEO, and Machell Dailey, Education Services Director, accepted the grant. Both the Vera Lloyd and Simmons’ teams are thrilled with the brighter futures sure to be made possible with these funds.

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EHC Scholarship Committee Co-chairs (L to R back) Claudia Horton and Dr Kay Walter with Drew County EHC scholars (L to R front) Bree-Anne Lanthrip, Trenton Eubanks, and Braden Taylor

Drew County Extension Homemakers Clubs is pleased to continue its long tradition of supporting scholarship in our community by helping to fund the education of young achievers at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Three students were selected to receive scholarships from EHC this year. They have been awarded the second half of their funding upon providing records of continued academic success to the local EHC office.

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Seark Concert’s SMArts (Schools Majoring in the Arts) programs will be hosting STEVENS PUPPETS with GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS.

We have booked 16 free school shows. Every school district in our seven county area of southeast Arkansas is offered free shows for every grade.

Happy news for enriching the lives of our students!

SEARK is currently accepting recorded 90 second auditions of music, dance, or live theater.

Submit to searkconcertassociation@gmail.com by Saturday, January 23^rd at 11:59 pm to qualify.

Winners will be filmed on Saturday, January 30^th by arrangement. County winners will compete in a final TALENT SHOWCASE in April.

Audition Fees:  $5 -Solo/ $10-Groups.

First prize is $300, Second prize is $175. And Third prize is $125.

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has awarded an additional $250,000 to the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) to support participating Arkansas hospitals and clinics in improving how they exchange patient information. The health insurer provided an initial grant of $817,000 to ARHP in January 2020. (more…)

Hazelene McCray was named Expanded Food and Nutrition (EFNEP) 2020 Supervisor of the year. The EFNEP Program empowers individuals, families and youth with limited resources to acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes and behavior changes necessary to maintain nutritionally sound diets and increase physical activity. (more…)

Arise Food Bank will be open Saturday,  December 12th  from 8:30-10:30. Drive through only!! Limit of 2 families per car. Strict Covid-19 guidelines will be followed. The address is 468 South Edwards Street.

The Arkansas Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has named Park Tipton as a Centennial Scholar. The APTA Centennial Scholars Program is designed to identify and support a cadre of 100 physical therapists across the nation in developing future leaders in the profession. Dr. Tipton of Monticello and Dr. Philip McKelvy of Little Rock were the two physical therapists in Arkansas named as Centennial Scholars. This 12-month program will run throughout 2021 with a goal of engaging these scholars via live and virtual learning experiences. Additionally, each scholar will work to design and complete a capstone project in collaboration with the state chapter of the APTA that addresses an existing need related to physical therapy.

Tipton is appreciative of and excited about this opportunity, stating “I hope to be able to use my experiences in the Centennial Scholar program to foster growth in young professionals in our chapter as well as contribute to the growth of our state association. I am looking forward to collaborating and learning with other Centennial scholars to move our association forward, working better together.” (more…)

Volunteers Angelia Anderson and Hazelene McCray dedicate a great deal of their time to uplifting their community in any way possible. Whether it’s by providing useful information on agriculture, health, and nutrition or by connecting others to resources, these volunteers do it with their love of people in mind. These ladies know and understand the value of education and continue to spread the word about what ASPSF is doing throughout the area. Whether it’s by serving afterhours, interviewing applicants, or contacting students, they go above and beyond the call of duty. They are invaluable jewels to Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. (more…)

EHC Scholarship Committee Co-chairs pose with 2020 scholarship winners (L to R): Braden Taylor, Bree-Anne Lanthrip, Claudia Horton, Trenton Eubanks, and Dr Kay Walter

In a typical year, Drew County Extension Homemakers Clubs will award either a local graduating senior entering UAM or student currently studying there an academic scholarship, but 2020 has not been a typical year. In late spring when the EHC Scholarship Committee called for applications, local students had already been sent home to learn remotely. They struggled to compile the necessary documents and signatures which EHC requires for the scholarship application, and EHC extended their deadline to encourage students to complete the applications.

In the end, EHC received the strongest group of applications the scholarship committee has ever seen. The number of bright and promising young people in our community presented an exciting challenge. Choosing just one from among them to receive the scholarship seemed an impossible task. The committee could see that the viral pandemic has resulted in ever-growing monetary need among the families of young people seeking an education. (more…)

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The gymnasts of Kim’s Dance Factory performed outside The Woods on Sunday.

Students did gymnastic routines in front of the windows so that residents could see and enjoy!

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Eva Arrington will be leading an Education First Tours parent and student meeting for students interested from any school district and home school students.  The meeting will be November 10 at 5:30 in the Drew Central School auditorium.  Please RSVP to 870-224-6545. Two tours are being offered.   (more…)

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Citizens Bank has completed construction and has opened its new state-of-the-art financial center located at 236 U.S. Highway 425 North in Monticello.  Consolidating its previous branches in Monticello allows the bank’s staff to more efficiently address the financial needs of consumers, professionals and commercial entities in the region.

A grand opening celebration for the facility will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, and will include remarks from bank and local officials, a ribbon-cutting, a reception and informal tours. (more…)