Council greenlights grant-writer pact
PINE BLUFF -- The City Council adopted an ordinance at its Oct. 7 meeting to waive competitive selection and authorize Mayor Shirley Washington to execute a contract with Custom Grant Solutions for professional grant-writing services.
A resolution accepting the contribution to the city of a building at 120 W. Fifth Ave., which formerly housed a Bank of America branch, was approved 5-3.
The council authorized the mayor to execute an inter-local agreement with Jefferson County for allocation of the 2018 and 2019 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program awards.
A resolution appointing Duncan Bellingrath to the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Port Authority was approved.
Volunteers sought to offer free tax aid
The Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center are asking for volunteers to provide free income-tax assistance.
Volunteers are needed to electronically file federal returns, greet taxpayers and help organize paperwork, handle quality control, and keep computer equipment running. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are needed to complete tax returns for people with low to moderate incomes, senior citizens, disabled individuals and people for whom English is a second language.
Free training is available online with classroom-style instruction generally offered between November and January. The instruction and training materials cover the preparation of individual returns and electronic filing. Volunteer hours are flexible and the free tax help sites are in community centers, libraries, schools and other similar places. Interested people can sign up online at IRS.gov/volunteers or call (870) 730-1131 for more information.
2 composers topic for concert, lecture
The Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas at 701 S. Main St. will host a free concert and presentation by Linda Holzer at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The "Two Creative Voices from Arkansas: Florence Price & William Grant Still" event will include a presentation on the two pioneering composers and a performance of selected works by the composers. This event will pave the way for concerts on Nov. 9-10 at the Robinson Center in Little Rock.
Holzer will perform Price's "Suite for Piano" and "In the Land 'o Cotton," and Still's "Summerland" and "Fantasie Negre."
Holzer is an author and professor of piano at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. A soloist and chamber musician, Holzer has performed in 30 states as well as internationally. Holzer's article relating to composer Price was published in the November/December issue of Clavier Companion magazine.
State of the schools subject of session
The state of the Pine Bluff School District and matters relating to Title 1 will be the subjects of a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 22. The event will be held at Pine Bluff High School's Little Theater at 711 W. 11th Ave.
Health screenings free for children
The Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative at 912 W. Sixth Ave., will host free health screenings from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday for children in the HIPPY/PAT/ABC programs.
Parents also can receive free screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.
Sessions will be held by appointment and parents must provide their children's updated immunization records. Interested people can make appointments or get more information by calling (870) 535-2681.
State Desk on 10/13/2019