Players compete in a tabletop miniature game during NEA Game Fest. The four-day convention brings together gaming enthusiasts for tournaments, open play, and charity fundraising in support of the Friends of the Library. Photo courtesy of Rachel Simpson, NEA Game Fest Organizers.
JONESBORO, Ark. – The Northeast Arkansas Game Fest 2025 is set to return to Jonesboro on July 17. The game fest will bring four days of tabletop games and events to the Red Wolf Convention Center.
From July 17 to July 20, NEA Game Fest is a gaming convention run by the NEA Gamers Guild to raise money for charity. The game fest has been running since 2017 and is growing steadily as it gains popularity in the Arkansas area. This year’s charity being supported is the Friends of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library.
The game fest will feature many different types of board games. NEA Game Fest includes four days of open gaming, game demos, board games, role-playing games, card games, miniature games, tournaments and more.
Badges are sold online, and there are multiple types of badges you can purchase to get into the event. For ages 16 and up, an adult badge costs $50 online. These badges grant access to the play-and-win library, prizes, giveaways, a silent auction and most events at no additional cost. Adult badges will cost $60 at the door.
“The money raised will assist with funding library programming, resources and materials. NEA Game Fest 2024’s fundraising total was more than $11,000 for the Friends of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library, so we hope to meet or exceed this total for NEA Game Fest 2025,” said Rachel Simpson, NEA Game Fest coordinator.
Simpson said they are expecting around 250 attendees. Many people are returning to the event to enjoy the various board games and tabletop games available to play. Simpson also said that this year the event is in a new venue, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Jonesboro Red Wolf Convention Center, to fit more people.
Attendees play board and card games at NEA Game Fest. The annual event draws hundreds of gamers of all ages to support local charities through a weekend of gaming and community activities. Photo courtesy of Rachel Simpson, NEA Game Fest Organizers.
“From the humble beginnings at the Hoxie Community Center to our largest NEA Game Fest yet, it’s evident that tabletop gamers in the Mid-South and our sponsors are passionate about the hobby while supporting local charities — it’s infectious,” Simpson said.
“I’m coming back to NEA Game Fest as a yearly event, which I personally adore because it’s three whole days of games, companionship and rest. Tabletop games are a spectacular way to relax and make good friends. It’s something my fiancée and I, whom I actually met through the hobby of tabletop RPGs, love to do,” said Matthew Randle, an NEA Game Fest attendee.
Randle has attended the last two years of the game fest, with this year being his third. He said he is thrilled to see new games and role-playing games featured at this year’s event. Randle also said the festival is important for Jonesboro as a whole, giving families who are less inclined toward sports a chance to get out and have fun while supporting the public library.
“I feel like events in Jonesboro are important, but don’t foster that sense of community that something like NEA Game Fest does. That, and certain events in town really only pertain to people of certain age groups, while I feel like Game Fest caters to multiple age groups at once,” said Sebastian Stokes, an NEA Game Fest attendee.
Stokes said they have met many new people at the game fest, as well as discovered new games to play. Some of Stokes’ favorite games featured at NEA Game Fest are Blood on the Clocktower and Weird Frontiers. Stokes also said the game fest is a safe place for people of all backgrounds, and even if you can’t pay to get in, there are free board games for people to enjoy.
With four days of games, tournaments and fellowship, NEA Game Fest 2025 promises to bring players of all ages together for fun and charity. Organizers say they hope the growing event will continue to strengthen northeast Arkansas’s gaming community while supporting local causes one roll of the dice at a time.
PIGGOTT – The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott is announcing its 2025 writer-in-residence position.
The residency will be for June 1-30, 2025, and includes lodging at a loft apartment over the City Market coffee shop on the downtown square in Piggott.
The writer-in-residence will be able to work in the studio where Ernest Hemingway worked on “A Farewell to Arms” during an extended stay with his wife’s family in 1928. The residency includes a $1,000 stipend to help cover food and transportation.
“The writer-in-residence will be expected to serve as a mentor for a week-long retreat for writers at the educational center,” stated Dr. Adam Long, executive director of the A-State heritage sites.
This retreat will be open to eight to 10 writers from the region. The recipient may be asked to hold one or two readings of his/her work. The remainder of the month will be free to the writer-in-residence to work on his/her work.
Candidates with a Master of Arts or Master of Fine Arts in a relevant field are preferred.
Applicants should send a cover letter, curriculum vitae (CV), and writing sample of roughly 20 pages, in any genre, to Long at adamlong@AState.edu by Feb. 28, 2025.
Questions about the program can be directed to Long. For more information about the museum or lodging (the Inn at Piggott), one may visit Hemingway.AState.edu.
Incomplete applications cannot be accepted. Due to the expected high volume of applications, confirmation of receipt of applications cannot be guaranteed.
The writer-in-residence program is made possible through underwriting sponsorship by Piggott State Bank.
The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center, an Arkansas State University Heritage Site, contributes to the understanding of the regional, national and global history of the 1920s and 1930s eras by focusing on the internationally connected Pfeiffer family of Piggott and their son-in-law and regular guest Ernest Hemingway.
This includes drawing on Hemingway’s influence as a noted American author to foster interest in literature and the arts and promote excellence in both.
JONESBORO, Ark. – Cold weather bearing 30-degree temperatures were no match for the itching ears of a crowd wanting to hear the words of Poet Carlos Andrés Gómez on Thursday, January 25th at Arkansas State University.
The event, which was free to the public, was slated to be held in the Drama Theatre with a seating capacity of 344, but was changed to Riceland Hall, a 970-seat auditorium in the Fowler Center, due to social distancing guidelines for COVID-19.
Gómez, a Colombian American poet, actor, and educator from New York City, stars in HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam” and has acted in films such as Spike Lee’s award-winning movie, “Inside Man”, with Denzel Washington.
Gómez was invited to campus by the A-State Department of Theatre and its Office of Diversity and Community Engagement.
“The faculty met with the theatre students last year and one of the things that we talked about was diversity issues,” said Associate Professor of Theatre Jeff Mclaughlin.
Mclaughlin said, “It became clear in that conversation that our students were interested in having more tools in their tool kit to deal with microaggression and social injustices that they didn’t really know how to deal with.”
According to Mclaughlin, the department spent time this summer looking for someone they could bring in to discuss those issues. He said Gomez was recommended by another group they had contacted during the search. The group was told they should “bring in Carlos.”
Gómez has conducted workshops in the past that cover “Antiracism as Action”, “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”, “Healthy Masculinity and Gender Equity”, and “Tools for Self-Care: Mental Wellness & Emotional Resilience.” He covers some of the topics in his poems during his performance.
Sharon Lee, director of the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement really liked the idea of bringing in Gomez.
“We thought it was great,” Lee said. “We wanted to be a part of it too.”
Although colleges and universities are part of Gomez’s circuit, this was his first time performing at A-State and visiting Jonesboro.
“I mean, I think for me, the thing that I love most about visiting colleges and universities is, I feel like it’s a rare time that you encounter a human being when they are in this moment of tremendous change instead of flux and figuring out who they are,” he said.
Gomez said that he was very honored and humbled to have been invited to perform. “The city has been great and I’m really excited to be here,” he said.
Gomez’s poems included such titles as, “Above The Speed Limit”, “Gifted”, and “Where Are You Really From?”
Although the event was attended by people within the community, the venue was packed with students.
Madison Stewart, a senior from Trumann appreciated Gomez’s attempt to connect with the audience during his performance.
“I think that Carlos was such a kind and genuine person. Having a conversation with his audience and turning us into a part of the performance was very important to him, and you could tell throughout,” Stewart said.
“I think that Carlos was such a kind and genuine person. Having a conversation with his audience and turning us into a part of the performance was very important to him, and you could tell throughout”.
Madison Stewart, A-State theatre major
“In between all of his poems, he took the time to talk to the audience about their personal life experiences and was genuinely interested in what we all had to say. I have never seen a poet as engaging as him, ”she explained.
Gómez said that human moments is what inspired him to write. “I don’t know if you have ever experienced a moment that feels really profound, but you’re the only person that seems to either see it, or appreciate it? So, I think creating snapshots of really profound moments of being a human being, and also bringing some of those things that we don’t talk about to the surface, so we can deal with them,” he said.
“I don’t know of another moment, and definitely another moment in adulthood, when I think people are as open and receptive to considering perspective so different from their own,” he elaborated.
Gómez said that he really relishes going into places and often being in spaces with people who may come from a different life experience, or have different ideas about the world.
Freshman Norah Wilborn of Jonesboro attended the event. Wilburn said she often encounters situations where her ethnicity and her behavior don’t match other’s expectations.
“I’m constantly told that I sound ‘white’….I’m not exactly sure what that means,” Wilborn said. She said that Gomez’s poems helped her to understand about stereotypes people often encounter.
Juanita Acosta, Community Navigator with El Centro Hispano, a community-based nonprofit organization serving the Latino community within the city also attended the event.
“I think it was a really good opportunity to see that not everyone is there to judge you for who you are,” Acosta said. “It was also special because he is of Colombian decent, and I am actually from Colombia as well.”
Acosta attended the event with friends and family members. “There were a few of us that went because we saw that he was going to be there. We were happy about that. It was nice because you don’t normally see that in such a small town in Arkansas, especially for such a famous poet like himself,” she said.
After his performance, Goméz mentioned on Instagram, “Last night in Jonesboro, Arkansas at A-State was one of the most generous and vulnerable audience I’ve ever had. The electricity of that experience was beyond words.”
Gomez met with attendees while signing several copies of his award-winning book, “Fractures” after his performance. Gomez was treated with an afterparty by event organizers before continuing on his tour to share.
One of the oldest forms of expression, art comes in many different forms and can be found in just about any corner of the world.
Many artists in the United States work independently, with one-third being self-employed according to a study done by National Endowment for the Arts; half work with private companies and studios.
Jonesboro-based artist Jacquelyn Nicole Young said art can be vital in the development of a community.
“It brings people together,” Young said. “People who would never speak to each other or give more than a moment’s glance suddenly have something big in common.”
Companies like Hobby Lobby sell ready-made art available in large quantities, so people who want to enjoy art at a low cost are able to do so. David Green, store manager of Hobby Lobby in Jonesboro, as well as the corporate office, had no comment on this.
The industrialization of art, beginning in the 1800s, led to wider, easier access to art for anyone to have in their homes. Because prints can be duplicated quickly at little cost, more people are able to obtain art in the 21st century than any other time in history, according to a paper done by J.N. Nielsen, an author that studies the politics of art.
On the flip side, though, the mass production and growing industry mean a decline in employment and commission opportunities for local and independent artists.
Jonesboro brought art back to the roots of the city, though, with businesses making efforts to present and display the works, sounds and creations of local artists.
The Edge Coffee House, located near the Arkansas State University campus in Jonesboro, rotates art done by local artists regularly. Sculptures, paintings, prints and much more can be found within the coffee shop.
The Edge buys art from the community of artists to display in the coffee shop as well as to display for sale. They plan to expand their art scene and allow artists to post their work for commissions once renovations are complete.
“Local art gives culture, plain and simple,” Brian Nobles, co-owner and operator for The Edge, said.
Artists who choose to sell their work through galleries and displays create the piece first. Then, if a person wants to purchase that piece, both the artist and the business may get a cut of the profit. Commission-based jobs allow artists to work with clients to create something new and original.
“Local art stimulates the economy and defines a community more than corporate,” Nobles said.
Many businesses in Jonesboro support the local art scene by showcasing undiscovered artists – not just for fine arts, but also for musicians, singers and bands.
Creegan’s Irish Pub, a bar in downtown Jonesboro, hosts live, local bands.
“Almost every night of the week we have live music here, that’s what we shoot for,” Danny Nanney, a bartender for Creegan’s, said. “It was $2 bottles and tacos when I started here — now people come in every night expecting good music, and we deliver.”
Arkansas-based bands and artists can perform live for the community and get their name out, Nanney said.
“A lot of folks here consider us the music capital of Northeast Arkansas,” he said. “But there’s a difference between supporting local music and shitty music, so you have to be good to play here.”
The bar has hosted a number of locally-famous bands, including Shugar Pills and Bera Bera, as well as individual singers, guitarists and performers. Nanney also said the crowd turnout goes up when local bands play live at the bar, especially on the weekends.
Nathan Smith, a vocalist and bassist, performs with Conway-based band Bera Bera. He began playing music at 6 years old, and he said local music pulls communities together.
“When a local band is touring the area, there’s a really big turnout for those businesses,” Smith said. “People come out to see their friends, support local art and have a good time.”
Bera Bera has performed at Creegan’s as well as White Water Tavern in Little Rock, Backspace in Fayetteville and Bearden in Conway, as well as other venues around Arkansas.
“It feels like we’re all together in this,” Smith said.
Another local musician, Jo Fore of Harrisburg, said local art flourishing shows signs of a community doing “something right.” Fore has performed covers of many genres, from rock to jazz, all around the state, including at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.
“Local artists showcase their unique talents cultivated by their hometown and bring a sense of elevated culture as well as revenue to the table,” she said. “As long as art has been around, it has been used to inspire and bring people together.”
Because art comes in many sounds, shapes, colors and feelings, strangers can find a common ground on which to stand and communicate. According to Young, no two artists see the world in the same light, which offers more perspectives in a community.
“Art brings people to a bigger picture – seeing something as a whole instead of just one perspective,” Young said. “I think that can really help sculpt a community.”
JONESBORO – Zachary Stephen Williams, commonly known as Zack Williams, treated fans to songs from his latest album ‘Rescue Story‘ at the First National Bank Arena, Jonesboro on Oct. 24.
Excited fans started flocking the venue as early as 5 p.m. Fans stood in the isles to get a glimpse of the rock star in the pact arena.
One of the event organizers, Mitchell Cole of By His Grace Entertainment, said his job was to bring the locals and the lost community to attend the concert.
“We are 80 tickets short of selling out there were 2,300 available, so, over 2,000 sold. We want to bring the community together to know there is a personal Savior out there and he could be even here tonight,” Cole said.
Micah, who is a strong fan of Williams’ music said she bought her ticket a month earlier and was just waiting for the day of the concert. She said she started listening to Williams songs a year ago and the songs have a positive influence in her life.
“I haven’t heard any of William’s music that I don’t like. My favorite right now is ‘Rescue story’; it’s on repeat all the time,” she said.
Micah said she was excited to watch Williams perform the ‘Rescue Story’ live. Her mother and daughter accompanied her to the concert.
Williams’ branded merchandise, which included T-shirts and all his albums saw a large volume in sales at the merchandise tables near the entrance as fans flooded each table trying to buy something.
While fans settled in the concert hall, Chef Paul Fields prepared food for the rock star and his team of 50 VIPs. Fields travels with the Zack William’s crew wherever the crew goes. The menu consisted of smoked pork ribs, barbecue beef, grilled chicken, potatoes, vegetables and salad. Fields said there are always four shows a week; every night in a different city.
“Williams likes to nibble on the ribs,” he said. Fields specializes in smoked ribs.
The concert hall burst into cheers when Williams hit the stage. Williams is an Arkansas Native, grew up in Bono although he now lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and children.
Williams said he was terrified when he first signed his first record label because of fear from a constant reminder of his past.
He said he had this idea of the song he wanted to sing, a song that would put a face on fear and that’s how his hit song; ‘Fear is a liar’ was born.
His other hits included ‘Chain Breaker‘ and ‘Rescue Story‘, which he launched this year and is on tour to promote.
“I was the kind of guy you would shut your stores when you saw coming,” Williams said.
He struggled with alcohol and drug addiction. He said he is now a changed man.
Several policemen at every corner of the arena offered tight security during the concert.
Jim Brown, the director of the First National Bank Arena said, “We take security very serious for all our events and this is one of those events.”
They did not allow bags of any kind into the concert hall.
He said the University employs different security techniques for different shows depending on what’s going on with the elements of the show.
“I think we will be fine,” Brown said. “We have several events coming; the women’s basketball is still on, the Globetrotters are coming in February, we just announced a Broadway play for kids called the ’12th Night’ is coming, and Acoustic Rock Show is coming in February 4 as well.”
“Tonight, we could have a senior in high school come to the concert and say, ‘I like what Arkansas State has to offer; I want to make that the university I go to.'”
Williams closed the show but not without singing his hit song ‘Chain Breaker’ as the crowd applauded and sang along.
“The concert was fabulous,” David Specking, a fan at the concert said. “I could not wait; I bought the tickets the first time I heard Williams was coming to Jonesboro. I wanted to hear him sing the ‘Chain Breaker’ live.” His wife Ginger helped him ride his wheelchair as they leave the concert venue.
Williams said he never imagined playing music at the Convocation Center. He said it was good to come home and see the faces he hasn’t seen in many years. He has an extensive tour schedule to promote his new album “Rescue Story”. His next stop to perform was Austin, Texas.
BROOKLAND – Autumn in the Delta brought a business opportunity to many small family farmers.
Many farms in the area set up pumpkin patches and corn mazes as a family fall attraction to make a little extra cash after harvest. These farms draw in everyone from families to groups of college students. Jerry Whitten, who owns WF Mootown Corn Maze in Brookland, runs his business as a way to stay in the agriculture industry after retirement.
“I grew up on a farm, had cattle, my parents farmed, and I worked in the agriculture industry. So when I got a chance to retire from that job, this was something I thought I could do,” Whitten said.
Mootown offers a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, corn maze, bonfires, hayrides and a program for school children. Whitten credited great weather for the high turnout so far this year.
Matt and Anna Beth Presley visited Mootown to complete the corn maze and choose pumpkins to carve.
“She’s a nurse and I’m a cop, so our schedules are kind of busy. So this is date night,” Matt said.
The couple said they came to enjoy the fall festivity and the cool weather.
Whitten’s school program, “Spookley the Square Pumpkin,” tackles problems of bullying among young children and promotes agriculture.
Whitten said, “We have a trail set up in the woods, and it’s basically the book on boards that they read as they go through the woods, and they do a challenge at the end.”
When children visit the farm, they learn the process of growing pumpkins as well. Whitten talks to them about production and how to plant the seeds. Many teachers also prepare their students for the visit by actually growing a pumpkin in class.
Farmers who run these fall farms must start planning early in order to pull it off by the beginning of the season. Pumpkins can be especially difficult to grow. The Farmer’s Almanac suggests farmers wait until all threat of a frost is gone and water and fertilize often throughout the growing season.
“My analogy is they’re like a goat. They’re born looking for a reason to die,” Whitten said, “But they’re a lot of fun to watch because you always think there’s none there until the leaves start dropping, and you think, ‘wow there’s a lot of pumpkins out there.’”
The corn maze also draws people to the farm. Arkansas State University’s Catholic Newman Center brings a group of students to Mootown each fall. Zachary Ridgeway serves as the president of the CNC student organization.
“We do it to get all the new students to get to know each other better and have fun at the same time,” he said. “We’re doing the corn maze, which some of us have already successfully completed. We’re going to carve some pumpkins, and later we’re going to have a bonfire and hot dogs.”
Planning the corn maze also takes some time for Whitten to complete. In Arkansas, farmers plant corn in April or May and harvested in September. In order to keep it green throughout maze season, Whitten does not plant his corn until after the Fourth of July. Then, the maze must be cut out of the corn
“For years I did it the old-style way. Basically, the design is on graph paper, and every row of corn corresponds to a row on the graph paper. You just take marking paint and a lawn mower and start counting rows,” Whitten said.
Nowadays, professional corn maze cutters do the work for the farmer. They use GPS systems to mark the design in the field and cut it using a tractor and a tiller.
While a lot of hard work goes into it, Whitten said he enjoys the work he does.
He said, “I like raising it, but to me, watching the kids and the families come enjoy it and make memories. We’ve had several who have been with us every year, and it’s kind of a family tradition. That’s a lot of fun.”
Many farms like Mootown close for the season soon. Visit for family fun as well as to support local agriculture.
Editor’s Note: Feature photo and video by Tristan Bennettt.
JONESBORO – In a fully packed Wesley Hall at the First United Methodist Church in Jonesboro, Dare To Be ministry held its first conference in Jonesboro on Oct. 3. Multi-Dove and Grammy Award winner Natalie Grant and author and Pastor Charlotte Gambil founded the ministry which seeks to empower women of all ages.
Shirts are displayed while on sale during the Dare To Be ministry concert.
Grant performed at the sold-out event and it was the first time for Gambil, who lives and pastors the Life Church in England, United Kingdom, to visit this part of the United States of America.
Gambil, together with Grant, started the ministry to empower women and to help them reach their potential and be whom God has called them to be. They do so through the ministry of music and preaching. “In the eye of the storm, there is calmness,” Gambil said.
Compassion International, a humanitarian organization helping needy children from developing countries, organized the concert. The theme of the event was “Speak to the Storm”.
Gambil gave a story of Eliezer, a 4-year-old Rwandese boy now a grown man in his 20s and a member of her church in England, whose parents and grandparents were slain by rebels during the Rwandan genocide at his watch.
Profile packets of children seeking sponsors are on display during the Dare To Be ministry concert.
Eliezer’s mother asked him to climb a tree and keep silent should the rebels come to attack his family. When rebels finally did, Eliezer climbed the tree and observed as both his parents and grandparents were hacked to death by machetes. He did not say a word and hid on the tree for two days. When he finally came down, he walked to the street; someone saw he was a child walking alone and took him to Compassion International, where Eliezer was adopted.
That story inspired Gambil. Gambil said she saw in her storm; she was able to help someone else in their storm. Gambil’s storm was lack of a child. She struggled with infertility. When she realized the possibility of adopting a child through Compassion, she saw a way to saw a seed for a miracle she was asking God for, so she became a sponsor.
Grant implored the audience during the concert to support Compassion International by contributing $38 a month to sponsor a child. Profiles of children from several countries laid out in a packet on a table at the entrance, which she asked the volunteers to distribute to those who raised their hands.
“If you take a packet, this is a no-pressure deal. We just want to make you aware and invite you to be a part of it, but we don’t want to strong-arm you into it or anything,” Grant said. “So, if you take a packet and you are like, ‘you know what, I just don’t think I can do this right now,’ we just need the packet back. This is why, every packet represents a real-life, so if you accidentally take it home or slip it in your bag and it gets lost, it takes months for that child on the packet to go through the system and get back on the packet, to have an opportunity to get sponsored again,” Grant said.
Volunteers passed packets; some people in the audience wrote checks.
The lead organizer from Compassion International at the Jonesboro Concert, Rachel Knoop 25-years-old, from Minnesota, said, her organization is in partnership with the Dare To Be ministry to help reach out and support less fortunate children in the developing countries.
Rachel said Compassion International was founded in 1952 by Everette Swanson, a preacher who traveled to South Korea to preach the gospel to the Army troops during the war. In his travels, Swanson encountered children orphaned by war and started the organization to raise funds to help the children with a little money every month to survive on.
Rachel said she has worked for the organization for some time.
“We are in 25 countries; recently, I was in Tanzania, Africa. I have also been to the Dominican Republic,” she said.
She said the organization is taking a holistic approach to eradicating poverty, providing clean water, nutrition for kids and their families, education and catering for the health costs.
“Compassion International is releasing children from poverty in Jesus’s name,” she said.
Rachel said the organization works with the local churches to recruit children to the program. Before, they used to hire a local staff member to do the recruiting. She said the local staff knew which children are most vulnerable. Now, it’s open and children can apply directly at compasion.com. She said they must meet critical poverty guideline, which is living on a $1.25 or less per day.
Rachel said they take in children from birth and the sponsors stay with them until they graduate out of the program at ages 18 to 22.
Once a child gets connected to a sponsor, they write each other letters back and forth. They get to know each other.
Sheila Hinson, a volunteer at the organization, handling a table where an array of profiles of children were spread out, said she has sponsored a child for the past 12 years.
Hinson started sponsoring Martha Wanjiru from Kenya when Wanjiru was only 6-years-old. She said when she picked Wanjiru’s packet, she was the only child left on the waiting list who had not found a sponsor. She said every month she spends $38 on Wanjiru and has done so for the past 12 years.
She said Wanjiru talks a lot about education. She said she hopes she can help make her dream come true and is in a place where she hears about Jesus.
Wanjiru is now 18 years old and pursuing a career in nursing. Smiling broadly, Sheila said she was also in the medical field for a long time. She sends her birthday cards and Wanjiru writes to her at least four to five times a year.
Erick Bush, 52, from Memphis, another Compassion International volunteer at the event. Bush said the organization sponsors children from South and Central America, Asia and Africa. He said to sponsor a child you pick out a packet, on the package are a photo of the child, information about the child, the child’s specific needs, their birth date and the community from where the child originates. There is a place for the sponsor to include their name and their credit card numbers. He says anyone interested can go online on Compassion.com, fill out their information and become a sponsor.
Bush is sponsoring two children from Ecuador. This is his eighth year since he started sponsoring them and plans to continue until they are out of the program. Bush sponsors the children providing food, shelter and medical services. He said he is sponsoring the children as an overflow of gratitude to Jesus Christ for the grace. When he is not volunteering for compassion International, he runs a restaurant in Memphis.
Knoop said a graduate of the program, Jonathan Almonte, ran for a political office in the Dominican Republic. Almonte is also a founder of a ministry that provides leadership training to local churches in the Dominican Republic.
Faith Benson from Nashville, Tennessee, the merchandise manager for “Dare To Be” oversaw the sales team selling branded T-shirts, jackets that read, ‘Peace is Power,’ necklaces that read, ‘Faith over Fear’ and devotional books authored by Gambil and Grant.
Benson said every night in the course of the tour, they have an honoree moment, where women at the previous event give offerings which they use to bless a woman at the next concert. Volunteers passed baskets around in the concert hall and people made their offerings.
The Jonesboro event honored Tiffney Turner, a breast cancer survivor who has recovered from drug problems and is helping men and women who have drug problems beat the addiction through her ‘Breaking Bonds’ Ministry, was the Honoree. She received flowers, a black handbag made by women fighting addiction, and a two-day paid vacation at a hotel so she could celebrate her wedding anniversary, which fell on that same day and a 15-seater van to help transport the men and women in her ministry.
Gambil closed the event with a call on the audience to come forward and receive Christ Jesus, as Grant led the audience in a chorus of the song: ‘Whom you say I am,’ by Hillsong Worship.
The duo, together with their crew, headed to Dallas, Texas, for their “Dare To Be” performance the following day and after that to San Antonio, Texas.
JONESBORO — Google has introduced a video game streaming service that only requires a controller.
The difference between the new game system called Google Stadia, and the Microsoft Xbox or Sony Playstation is that it is streamed and does not have a bulky console that uses discs. It relies on a Wi-Fi signal to stream games, much like Netflix does with movies and TV shows.
Google Stadia is convenient because you can play games on any device— smartphone, laptop, tablet or television.
In regards to specific age appeal, Matt Shimasaki of Game X Change said, “I guess it wouldn’t be a success for like my generation and older generations.” Shimasaki said he could see this product being sold at places like Game Stop and Walmart because Game X Change doesn’t sell new products because they are a buy, sell and trade business.
Shimasaki said that he would not invest his money into the Google Stadia because he has always been an Xbox fan and nothing will change that.
James Mcquay, an Xbox owner, said he prefers Xbox because, “I would rather have a physical disc and have it on hand.” When something is being streamed over the internet, there is a chance the server could crash and the game could lag. That is another reason why people feel more comfortable having a physical disc inside a game console.
Mcquay also said that he believes Google Stadia will take away sales from businesses like Game X Change because there won’t be a need for trading game discs anymore when all the games are available on a digital streaming service.
Kieron Sims at Greenback Games said he could see the Google Stadia being a success because, “it will catch on to the trend of digital media.”
Sims also said he would invest in the Google Stadia because he thinks it has good potential. He also said that Greenback Games doesn’t sell new products just like Game X Change.
Sims said he doesn’t think it would affect his business because they primarily sell retro games and he doesn’t think Google Stadia will make that big of an impact in the video game world because big companies will run them out.
Google Stadia is set to be released this November.
In addition to getting luxury recliner seats and a new grill, select auditoriums are upgrading their sound to Dolby Atmos.
Seasonal employee Zachary Ridgeway said movie watchers will be able to tell it apart from standard sound systems because the bass is much more defined. With surround speakers, it should provide the best movie experience.
Crystal Richard from Best Buy called Dolby Atmos one of the top brands for sound because it features a new audio format for playing back multichannel soundtracks.
“Dolby Atmos uses three-dimensional effect for sound, which allows surround sound to your device,” she said.
Dolby is used in much more than just movie theaters. Many brands like Pioneer, Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, Definitive Technology, Onkyo, MartinLogan, Samsung and Sony use Dolby sound in their products.
Richard said the Dolby products that aren’t used in movie theaters are typically sound bars and subwoofers.
According to the Dolby website, Dolby Atmos redefines moves sound all around, adds an overhead dimension, produces breathtaking sound quality and creates a moving entertainment experience.
The renovation at Malco Hollywood Cinema in Jonesboro will be completed by this summer.
SHERWOOD — If your first love for something doesn’t work out, keep going until you find what works.
Marcus Tyler Williams always loved music but didn’t realize how much until his junior year of college.
“When I stopped playing basketball at Lyon College, I knew I wanted to be great in something else,” Williams said. “I used to freestyle all the time with my friends in high school but never realized how far I could go with it.”
Williams took his talent, his bachelor degree in mathematics and minor in economics to another level, and started his own art business called Urban Art Enterprise LLC.
“With this business, I host events to give exposure to local artists,” Williams said. “It ranges from music performances, listening and previewing parties for new music and also community events in which people get to know different artists on a personal level.”
More than just a business owner, Williams acts as manager, artist, producer and engineer.
His latest single project, called “F.A.I.T.H.,” will release this year. The personal project aims to motivate people.
“The ‘F.A.I.T.H.’ project was created to motivate and to reassure me that I’m on the right path,” Williams said. “Also, it was designed to make me focus and invest in a process that required me to trust wholeheartedly.”
His first released project was “L.O.O.K.,” composed with Jaquan Terry in a group called “90z Made.” Each acronym holds a deeper meaning: “F.A.I.T.H.” stands for Focus and Invest the Heart and “L.O.O.K.” stands for Last of Our Kind.
“This project was created to establish that ’90z Made’ is two of the last true emcees in our generation. Our concept was to produce a contemporary piece of work that could resonate with all ages,” Terry said.
Williams’ cousin, Ken Seward, said, “I remember listening to Marcus play around with instruments at a young age and he was really good. Now, he has his business going and I can see him making a major impact.”
JONESBORO – The opening of a small restaurant in the downtown area uses family recipes to bring new customers in.
Cynthia Jones, owner of Addie’s Soul Food and Grill, named her restaurant after her mother Willie Addie, who died about 10 years ago. She learned everything she knows from her mother and wants to share her recipes with others.
“I always cooked for my family. I come from a family of 10, but I never knew people enjoyed my cooking until I actually started cooking for the church and that’s when I thought ‘Maybe I should venture out and do it,'” Jones said.
Many family members work with Jones in the restaurant. A sister, nephew, cousins and friends help out when needed. Lacretia Ray, assistant director of Addie’s Soul Food and Grill and sister to Jones, said family remains important to her.
“Cynthia is a very family-oriented person. They push her to keep going. They know she likes to cook and her kids do, too. Her family steps in and helps when they can, so her family, they do a lot. They encourage her a lot,” Ray said.
Not only did Jones learn a few recipes from her mother, but so did Ray.
“When my siblings eat my food, they say, ‘This reminds me of Mom.’ She left a big impact, so every time they eat they always think of her because they say it tastes just like hers,” Ray said.
Among some favorite recipes, Jones remembers her mother’s favorites.
“Her favorite recipe, maybe her turnip and mustard greens, and her dressing was probably her favorite,” Jones said.
One of the restaurant’s employees working under Jones, Amber Hunter, says the atmosphere reminds her of family.
“The sense of family, like it feels like family even though I’m not a part of her family, I feel like I am in a way,” Hunter said.
Jones hopes many people come out and try the new restaurant in the community.
“My goal is for everyone to come out, enjoy and just try it to see if they enjoy it. Just share some of the recipes and stuff, and if they really enjoy it or not, and tell me what I can do to make it better. It’s just for the community. I enjoy to give to people,” Jones said.
Hunter said she plans on working at the restaurant for Jones in the future.
“Working for someone like Cynthia is amazing. You’ll see me here for a while,” Hunter said.
While the restaurant’s soul food cooks, it can be smelled from blocks around in the downtown area.
EL DORADO, Ark. — A piece of East Atlanta visited South Arkansas this fall when rapper Gucci Mane brought life to a quintessential small town.
While the El Dorado Music Festival usually attracts country lovers and listeners, patrons gathered at the festival for a different reason this year. Two of Atlanta’s biggest rappers — 2 Chainz and Gucci Mane — headlined the show.
The artists brought a mixed crowd of concert-goers: the young, the older and a myriad of races jammed to the tunes of Gucci Mane during Saturday’s late night show.
Prior to Gucci’s performance, the crowd patiently waited to the sound of the rapper’s disc jockey, DJ Champ.
When the performer finally came to the stage, he provided the epitome of glitz and glamour. Donned in a Prada suit, Gucci shoes and a plethora of diamond jewelry, he definitely stuck out among the others in the music hall.
Perfectly contrasting with the lively, anticipatory behavior of the crowd, the rapper’s calm demeanor is his go-to way to perform.
MAD ABOUT EL DORADO
Terry Stewart, CEO of the El Dorado Music Festival in the Murphy Arts District, formerly worked as president at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now he works with the team in El Dorado to turn the city into a destination spot. (Photo by Justin Bryles)
Many were surprised to hear such a huge performer was set to hit the stage in El Dorado. The little town is not what many would consider to be a “destination spot” but leaders in the city are working to change that.
Terry Stewart, CEO of the Murphy Arts District in downtown El Dorado, wants to help the town become a hub for arts and entertainment. Stewart is able to take knowledge from some of his former roles, most notably president of Marvel Comics and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“I’m sort of the bigger picture guy. I got here when we were still trying to figure out what this was going to be,” Stewart said. “People wanted all kinds of entertainment, they wanted all genres of music, they wanted comedy, they wanted really good food, they wanted good service and — something we hadn’t really thought about — they wanted things for kids to do. That’s why we built a children’s playscape.”
Stewart said after conducting a feasibility study to determine what the residents wanted, bringing an artist like Gucci Mane seemed like the perfect move. Bringing such mainstream acts to the district will help turn the small town into a place that people want to visit.
EXCITED PATRONS
Rapper Gucci Mane headlined the El Dorado Music Festival. Concert-goers and citizens of El Dorado said they feel as though the rappers performance bring a different crowd to the area, a crowd that may have otherwise never visited the city. (Photo by Destini Lattimore)
During his performance, Gucci Mane performed some of his top hits and features, including “Black Beatles,” “Lemonade” and his latest release, “Wake Up in the Sky” featuring Bruno Mars.
As much of an oddity as a mainstream rapper in El Dorado might seem, many of the concert-goers and residents of the small town said they felt like the rap performance was just what the city needed.
“I’m excited to see Gucci because he’s a rapper that attracts younger people,” festival volunteer Ta’Nyeah White said. “I’m glad they’re bringing someone to attract the younger generation instead of just the older (generation).”
A major plus to having such names as 2 Chainz and Gucci Mane headline the festival is the type of crowd it attracts to the area.
“It brings people from out of town here,” El Dorado native Jameya Lovette said. “We get to see more people and meet new people.”
The rapper’s performance was aided by the voices of dedicated fans who recited every word to the top hits echoing through the music hall.
While the economic impact is a big plus, the Murphy Arts District is morphing into a area that preserves arts and entertainment and that art stretches across all genres, from Toby Keith to Gucci Mane. The holiday season will feature The Legendary Temptations, Roses and Revolvers, Josh Walker, Eskimo Brothers, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band for New Year’s Eve.
JONESBORO – A changing of the guard will soon occur at KASU, Jonesboro’s public radio station as its current station manager retires after 32 years of service and a decade of leadership.
KASU staff members reflected on their time with Station Manager Michael Doyle positivity. Mark Smith, development director, said Doyle served as his mentor for many years. He said he hopes the community joins him in celebrating Doyle and his work throughout the region.
“He has been a good leader for KASU and his natural charm has endeared him to so many in his public appearances for the station throughout the region,” Smith said.
Michael Doyle (left) shares a laugh with KASU Morning Edition host Brandon Tabor. Doyle recently announced his retirement as KASU station manager. Photo by Kimberely Blackburn
Reflecting back on Doyle’s leadership in community involvement, June Taylor, KASU’s broadcast production specialist, said he understood the importance of connecting with the community. Doyle served the community in taking up the banner of both entertaining and educating the Jonesboro community. Concerts showcasing local acts include “Bluegrass Monday” in Paragould, “Bluesday Tuesday” in Newport and the Johnny Cash Heritage Festival in Dyess.
Helping local acts perform at the Johnny Cash Heritage Festival proved to be a source of pride for the station. Doyle said these acts performed on the concrete slab where the old commissary stood in Dyess. Cash’s childhood home — recently restored by Arkansas State University’s Heritage Sites — served as the backdrop during the concert.
Although local acts did not perform with headliners Rosanne Cash and Kris Kristofferson, Doyle said performing on that stage served as a source of inspiration and pride for these artists. Helping Arkansans find a sense of pride in the state proved to be important to Doyle. When Arkansas native Glen Campbell died, a social media post composed by Doyle noted while others portray Arkansans as ignorant hillbillies, the state’s rich musical heritage should be a source of pride.
Hear Doyle’s entire social media post and his thoughts on Arkansas music
Arkansas Roots
Doyle first considered a classical music program to fill the noon hour. But after brainstorming with KASU staff members, “Arkansas Roots” debuted. Program director Marty Scarbrough said Doyle shares his own personal knowledge of Arkansas musicians, resulting in the program greatly benefitting its listeners. He said those who tune into the program learn of pioneers who inspired not only Arkansans but many others.
“Without people like them, we wouldn’t have people like Bonnie Raitt or Sheryl Crow,” Scarbrough said. “There wouldn’t be a James Brown or a Ray Charles without people like Rosetta Tharpe or Louis Jordan.”
Not only does the show broadcast the state’s extensive musical history, it also plays current acts who make music for the love of making music. Taylor said the program quickly resonated with KASU’s listeners. Because the program focuses on the roots of Arkansas, people discover upcoming musical events and learn about their community. That, she said, fulfills the purpose of public radio.
Legacy
Doyle said he hopes he leaves KASU better because of his influence. He said 10 years ago, the station gave him an opportunity to do something other than teach four classes a day. This opportunity gave him a chance to make a difference.
KASU staff members said that change will be felt. Since Doyle established such a clear vision for KASU leadership, Scarbrough said he doesn’t foresee any large changes. Taylor agreed and said his leadership kept staff on the right track, continuing on to the goal. Smith said he plans to hold Doyle to his promise of continuing on working at the station as a volunteer.
Doyle told a story of a man he met while doing doctorate work at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. After deciding to do something different for lunch one day, Doyle said he stopped in at the Wesleyan Center, a Methodist center for UTK students on campus. He said he found himself drawn to a man wearing a white shirt and tie and engaged him in conversation. After some time, Doyle learned the man served as the director of the center. Before the man’s tenure, very few students attended and the center appeared desolate and run-down.
The man worked to build the center up, performing repairs and engaging students in hopes they would visit. In doing so, the man’s doctorate work — the reason he first came to campus — fell by the wayside. Looking around, the man proclaimed the center became his doctorate. Doyle said he feels similarly about his work at KASU.
“I feel like I’ve left it better than I’ve found it,” he said. “So, this is my doctorate. I’ve never finished it, but I’m glad to have done something worthwhile. And I think this is it and I’m very appreciative of that.”
Kimberely Blackburn interviews Michael Doyle on NEA Expose’
Delta Digital News Service 