Pump station work gets panel's OK
Members of the Little Rock Water Reclamation Commission during a meeting on Wednesday authorized paying for design services tied to planned upgrades to the Adams Field Water Reclamation Facility's influent pump station.
The pump station was constructed in 1958 and underwent a partial renovation in 2005, Les Price, the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority's director of engineering services, told commissioners.
It pumps incoming wastewater into the water reclamation facility for processing and has a peak capacity of 94 million gallons per day, according to Price.
In addition to other planned improvements, four of the six pumps have reached the end of their service life and will be replaced, Price said.
Commissioners authorized a contract amendment for design services with Crist Engineers, Inc. for just over $1 million. The same firm previously handled the study phase of the project.
Officials are expected to return to the commission to seek authorization for pre-construction and construction services.
Male tiger moved to zoo in Kansas
A male Malayan tiger at the Little Rock Zoo has been transferred to a zoo in Manhattan, Kan., per the recommendation of a species survival program, according to a recent zoo news release.
The tiger, Jaya, began the move to the Sunset Zoo on Jan. 7, the news release said. The tiger had lived at the Little Rock Zoo since 2022 after being transferred from the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
He fathered a trio of cubs in August 2022 with female Malayan tiger Asmara, who was transferred from Little Rock to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in November.
"Jaya is very laid-back and is a mellow cat," Debbie Thompson, the zoo's carnivore curator, said in a statement included with the news release. "Male tigers can be high strung, but he was always inquisitive and not easily bothered."
Board OKs land sale to Entergy
Members of the Little Rock Port Authority's board of directors during a meeting on Wednesday authorized the executive director to sell approximately 10 acres to Entergy Arkansas for the utility company to build a new substation.
Port Authority Executive Director Bryan Day told board members that the resolution allows Entergy to move toward a potential acquisition, but does not guarantee that the utility company will buy the land.
Officials expect the new substation could go online in 2025, Day said.
Clinton Center offers fellowships
A new research fellowship from the Clinton Presidential Library and the Clinton Foundation will support four recipients per year as they pursue research using the Clinton presidential archives, according to a news release issued on Friday.
The Clinton Presidential Research Fellowship will provide current graduate students or Ph.D. recipients who graduated within the past eight years between $1,250 and $5,000. Applicants must be students or graduates of institutions in the U.S.
"Many scholars make use of the extensive archival collection housed at the Clinton Library on an ongoing basis," Jay Barth, the director of the library, said in a statement. "We are pleased to announce the Clinton Presidential Research Fellowship program to make our collection accessible to even more scholars working on projects that touch upon this important and fascinating period in our history."
Clinton Foundation Executive Director Stephanie Streett said in a statement, "The Clinton Presidential Research Fellowship will support graduate students and academics researching American history and presidential legacies. We hope the fellowships will help researchers apply learning and insights from the Clinton administration to solve the challenges of today."
Applications are due by March 15. More information is available at the Clinton Foundation's website.