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Fleeing Northeast Arkansas

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Delta Digital News Service

By Cameron Bandy | Contributor

JONESBORO, Ark.- College graduating seniors are fleeing Northeast Arkansas in droves with the lack of job opportunities, engagement and quality of life. Students are headed to larger cities like Fayetteville, St. Louis, Houston, Dallas and Nashville to find jobs.

Quality of Life

   Dylan Tedder, assistant director for employer relations, hints that quality of life hinders Northeast Arkansas to keep students here. Career services work with students, employers and alumni to serve as a bridge for employers to connect with students and for students to connect with employers or graduate schools if they choose.

   College seniors are leaving Northeast Arkansas for larger cities for better opportunities and quality of life.

   Tedder said, “I think a lot of it has to do with quality of life. I think that there could be people looking at all the things they have going on in Northwest Arkansas or in Nashville and it is viewed as a cool place and naturally, it is easier, while the jobs may be comparable in a lot of cases they are, or they may even be better here, but the quality-of-life piece makes the difference.”

   There are some industries that aren’t present in northeast Arkansas that Arkansas State have majors for but there isn’t as much opportunity in Jonesboro compared to a bigger market like Nashville.

   Tedder said, “I think that there are opportunities in every field here in some compacity, but I do think that when the level of opportunity obviously there’s going to be a difference between a market like Nashville or St. Louis compared to any city in Arkansas with the exception of Little Rock.”

   A-State, as a regional institution, should play a role to connect students to opportunities, but employers should put the effort into the community and being on campus to engage with students. Businesses should engage with potential hires to make the brand recognizable when students start filling out applications. Having a recognizable brand for a business can only help to keep talent in Northeast Arkansas.

   The city government should also prioritize keeping younger generations here to keep Jonesboro and this region thriving through quality-of-life initiatives.

   Tedder said, “I think it comes back to quality-of-life initiatives and until we get to a point where we, as community, start to prioritize that, then it’s going to be a struggle. It is pretty obvious what Fayetteville has done with the biking green line just as an example and they have invested money in that. Until we can make a commitment like that as a community, then that is where the difference is. I don’t think there’s a gap in jobs as much as a gap in the willingness and the ability to invest in quality of life.”

Financial Aid

   Sharon James, associate professor of management, claims financial aid is the reason for losing college graduates especially at the start of their college career.

   James said, “I remember when they hired a new enrollment management person, that person has since left, but I don’t think the philosophy has changed. They seem to think they can get good students without giving so much financial aid.

   James continued, “When I was department chair of managing and marketing, I was talking to prospective students who had offers from the University of Arkansas and they were not top students and they had decent financial aid packages way before we offered them anything. They told me they hadn’t heard from our financial aid people, and I think that’s the problem.”

   James’ home state of South Carolina proactively targets students to keep them in the state. She praised the work Admissions is doing at A-State and in the Spring of 2021, she gave an exceptional high school junior a tour of the college of business. Admissions were in touch with him, but Financial Aid wasn’t. A-State has untapped potential and a competitive advantage for first-generation students and have a mechanism for anyone wanting to work hard.

   James said, “We are not exploiting that advantage fully, and it’s not that people are trying to, but maybe it’s too fragmented in terms of how we approach. In 2014, 2015, 2016, I thought we were doing that pretty well, but we have fallen off a cliff. I don’t know as conjecture but perhaps because we’ve sliced up the responsibility too much that we don’t have an efficient communication across lines.”

   James is sensitive to people not wanting to leave home to gain experience because it is restraining.

   Long Gone

   Lexi Sitton, from Melbourne and a recent graduate at A-State, now lives in Dallas, working as a legal assistant at The Clinesmith Firm. Sitton always wanted to live in a bigger city. Dallas had more to offer than northeast Arkansas like opportunities and open-mindedness.

   Sitton said, “I think a good way to encourage college grads to stay there is by offering them more opportunities to grow instead of just being stagnant and only being able to work to a certain point.”

   Sitton would consider moving back to Arkansas but not anytime soon.  

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Investors see gold and silver security as stock markets become turbulent

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Delta Digital News Service

By Cameron Bandy | Contributor

JONESBORO, Ark – Gold and silver are valuable investments to fall back on if the dollar depreciates, a catastrophic event occurs or the economy collapses.

   Gold and silver give the buyer a tangible item used for trades or sold for needed products.

   Northeast Arkansas Coin Company, managed by Ryan Poole, sells rare coins, paper money and artifacts. Poole helps people invest and educate potential buyers about gold and silver and their value.

   Poole said, “Buying gold and silver is the safest investment you can have. It’s tangible. Stocks can crash at any minute; the dollar could debunk at any minute and if your dollar debunks then we will have a new currency that will take the dollar’s place.”

10 Year Gold Price

   Gold provides an alternative to the dollar, a tangible asset and your best bet against the dollar.

   Poole said, “Yes you can make money, break even, or lose money but the risk is not there. You will never lose 100% of your money.”

   Gold holds wealth without the government interfering constantly. Gold is a risk-free investment and a hedge against inflation. The smartest investment is gold because at any given time you need money, you can go to any fair marketplace and get it.

   Alex Mitchell, an employee at Memphis Gold and Diamond Buyers in Memphis, Tennessee primarily handles liquidation. Buyers are more comfortable with buying gold online and sending it to their house, so the field is becoming smaller and consolidated.

   Mitchell said, “The main thing about buying gold would be it is still a tier-one asset at any bank and anybody and everywhere will know what an ounce of gold is especially overseas. It is still considered money where cash isn’t a tier-one asset like treasures and gold.”

   Having gold is like a savings account with complete control. Cash is king in many scenarios.

   Mitchell said, “You want to be diversified, and holding cash doesn’t make you any money. Cash is becoming less valuable every day. The truth is, the more you buy gold now, the less money you have to spend in the short term.”

   Having gold benefits the buyer and keeps the government honest. Every country recognizes gold and worries about pricing. Having an ounce of gold can be traded for something useful which could come in handy. When you have gold, then you’re the bank. Every nation recognizes gold in value which makes it a good investment.

    Sam Tuck, a recent buyer, always had an interest in gold since he was little and collected coins as a kid. Gold and silver won’t lose their value over time like a tradable commodity and it’s a good fallback.  

   Tuck said, “Only about 20% of my portfolio has gold and silver in it just to fall back in case the dollar goes into the tank, then I’ll have something to barter or trade with.”

   Gold and silver are safe investments because of the no risk factor. Precious metals are going to hold value. Tuck encourages people to buy gold and silver to trade as a currency.

Essential workers provide much needed care during winter weather

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Preparation and precaution is needed during winter weather

Delta Digital News Service

By Cameron Bandy | Contributor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Business and public services are especially important during winter weather because crime and hunger don’t stop during extreme conditions. People need police, nurses and businesses like grocery stores to help them survive the cold.

   Winter weather pummeled Northeast Arkansas bringing an abundance of snow, sleet and freezing rain which caused multiple power outages and traveling issues. Inclement weather prompted many businesses like Pak Mail, Cracker Barrel, Jets Transit and surrounding schools to close. Police Officers, nurses and grocery stores are necessities in cold weather and must stay open to assist the public. These professions don’t get the choice of staying home.  

   Bill Brown has worked as a police officer 14 years on patrol and is now a detective for the department. Winter weather can be a struggle for police officers and preparation for any type of weather is important.

   Brown said, “When it gets closer to fall, officers will get prepared by getting their cold-weather gear out.  The cold-weather gear is different for different officers.  Mine consists of thermal layers to keep in my vehicle along with gloves, thermal beanie, coat and HotHands hand warmers.  I will also keep a blanket or two just in case I have a call where people are stuck in the weather, till they’re able to get back indoors.”

I will also keep a blanket or two just in case I have a call where people are stuck in the weather, till they’re able to get back indoors.”

– JPD Detective Bill Brown

   Brown expressed the importance that all officers should become acclimated to all weather conditions. At any time of the year, officers have no idea what the next call will be or how long they will be in the elements with the number one goal of providing safety. 

Being prepared for the weather is part of the officers’ responsibility. During winter weather accidents, officers will do what they can to keep the drivers warm and dry. Some calls might be to direct traffic at an accident scene where the temperature is cold while containing many forms or precipitation, or out looking for a lost juvenile or an elderly patient that walked away from the nursing home.

   Hanna Koons is a respiratory therapist at St. Bernards Hospital and has been for about 15 years. Hospitals are essential for those needing medical assistance during car accidents, the current pandemic and with helping other medical emergencies.

   Koons said, “Generally, falls and wrecks are the most reported incidents in snowy weather.”

   During winter weather, the hospital allows all staff to use rooms that are available to sleep if they’re not comfortable driving home during winter weather. Koons expressed the importance of getting to work during winter weather, “With the option of staying at the hospital, there is no excuse not to make it to work, she said.” Medical emergencies don’t stop during winter weather, so doctors and nurses can’t either.

“With the option of staying at the hospital, there is no excuse not to make it to work, she said.”

– Respiratory Therapist Hanna Koons, St. Bernards Hospital

   Danny Phillips has been an asset manager at Walmart on Parker Road for nearly eight years. Grocery stores must stay open because people must be able to get groceries in case of weather-related emergencies like the 2009 ice storm that left many residents without power for weeks. People always rush to grocery stores to pick up the usual milk and bread along with other necessities; so, these stores must be prepared.

   Phillips said, “we try to keep pallets out of customer’s way” to have efficiency as people shop for what they need. Safety is the main concern of grocery stores as they have an influx of people preparing for the storm.

 “The rugs get cleaned during rain and we have a snow-removal contract with a landscape company that helps clear the parking lot for customers,” he said.

   Preparation and efficiency for businesses and public services are vital to helping the public prepare for extreme weather. Without police, nurses and important businesses, people couldn’t survive, especially if an accident, injury or lack of food impacted someone. These professions can’t call into work because of road conditions or weather because they help others survive.