Tag Archives: Jonesboro

Cottage house ordinance tabled by jonesboro city council

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Maddison Smith
Delta Digital News Service

If passed, the ordinance, will allow cottage housing in Jonesboro. According to the city’s website , “The cottage house development is an alternative type of detached housing providing small residences for households of typically one to two individuals without undergoing the subdivision process.” 

Before the floor was open to discussion from the council members, Mayor Harold Copenhaver made a statement in regards to the ordinance.

“I would like to thank the West End community to allow our staff to attend the West End neighborhood meeting on Sunday where they listed a few concerns regarding this ordinance,” Copenhaver said. “As a result of that meeting, Mr. Smith has some amendments he would like to propose to help address the questions he received.”

Director of Planning and Zoning Derrel Smith then spoke about the amendments in the ordinance.

The amendments include: 

  • Only two houses can have the same design or layout.
  • The character of the cottage homes must blend in with the rest of the neighborhood.
  • All houses will be up to code in every aspect.

“The ordinance was first introduced in May 2020 after talking with realtors and developers in Jonesboro,” Smith said. 

Council member representing Ward 2, position 1, Dr. Charles Coleman then motioned to postpone the ordinance temporarily to the first city council meeting in April. “So that some of these items can be addressed to the community because they still are not satisfied with the information,” Coleman said. 

The council will need to vote on the amendments and then vote on the amended ordinance. The motion to postpone the ordinance was a 7-3 vote.

During the mayor’s report, Copenhaver spoke on the recent death of Sanitation Department Director Donny Gibson. 

“Donny died in a tragic accident Feb. 17. He had people that really adored him and loved him in the city and in the staff. We continued to keep him and his family in our prayers … We will miss Donny,” Copenhaver said.

Copenhaver announced there will be a “mass vaccination” held at the Arkansas State University in the First National Bank arena from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. Copenhaver said, “I want to thank all of our healthcare partners, our hospitals, NYIT, health department, Arkansas State University and others.”

Other items on the agenda include: 

  • Resolution to construct the Veterans’ Village community center; passed
  • Resolution to distribute funding through the Coronavirus aid, relief and economic security (CARES); carries to the next meeting 
  • Ordinance to place various traffic signs at designated locations as determined by the traffic control committee; passed 
  • Ordinance for the transfer of location of a private club permit for North Hills Social Club; passed

Jonesboro City Council Holds First Online Meeting Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

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By Chase Gage
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Amid a global pandemic and the aftermath of a natural disaster, the city of Jonesboro had somewhat of a return to normalcy with a remote city council meeting Tuesday night.

The meeting was the first held since the state of Arkansas declared a national emergency regarding COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. It was also the first meeting held since an EF3 tornado tore through Jonesboro on March 28.

“Before we get started, I’d like to take a moment to praise the people of Jonesboro and the workers for the City of Jonesboro. We’ve been through a lot as a citizenry and a government,” Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin said in his opening statement. “The citizens of Jonesboro have been strong and come to each other’s rescue. We are a loving people.”

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The Jonesboro City Council held their meeting virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The new format led to a unique viewer experience, though. it had its faults as well. Screenshot by Chase Gage.

It was far from a typical city council meeting, though, as the members were forced to meet online via video chat in response to social distancing policies in effect across the state and nation. The meeting was then broadcast on local television and Facebook Live so citizens could attend and participate from home.

Residents had several communication options for the meeting, including a special phone line and email address to contact as well as live comments on Facebook during the meeting.

The shift came with a handful of downfalls, as technical difficulties plagued some segments of the meeting. Resident participation was also relatively limited compared to in-person participation, but the council seemingly did the best they could with their available options.

“The coronavirus and tornado have created a new landscape, and our duty is to adjust. I ask for patience as we do so. This is not a new future, it is simply a temporary fix,” Perrin said on the shift to online meetings. “It isn’t going to be perfect. Any change this drastic is going to have glitches, so please be kind and patient.”

Councilman Gene Vance said several improvements needed to be made for the council to continue to hold online meetings, adding that he struggled to hear other members even with his volume cranked up.

Virtually all members of the council were adamant in praising the emergency response of both city employees and the public in the aftermath of the tornado that struck just over a week before the meeting. Miraculously, there were only 22 injuries and no deaths due to the storm.

“The citizens of Jonesboro have been strong and come to each other’s rescue. We are a loving people.”

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin

Perhaps the most impactful topic of the night dealt with the mayor’s power to enact a city-wide curfew in times of declared state emergencies. Previously, a curfew could only be enacted for 48 before the city council had to meet to approve any extension.

However, the members voted unanimously to overturn that precedent, allowing the mayor to enact a curfew for up to 120 days — or until the next scheduled meeting — the maximum number of days allowed under state law.

As a direct result of the motion passing, Perrin will meet with city officials including Chief of Police Rick Elliot and Jonesboro Chief of Staff Mike Downing on Wednesday to iron out the details of a forthcoming curfew. Perrin said a curfew is “coming soon,” and that citizens should be prepared to follow it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I want everyone to wear a mask. Protect yourselves and your loved ones. This is no time to worry about appearances. You look better with a mask. Please help your city by being responsible,” Perrin said.

Ironically, the first order of business was to pass a motion allowing the online meeting to happen, overturning an in-person requirement in times of a state emergency. Of course, the motion passed unanimously.

Several other issues brought up were related to re-zoning, but most were postponed to be discussed at a later date. Councilman David McClain insisted suspending a vote on ORD-20:010 until citizens could participate in person to discuss the details.

Unlike typical meetings, resident interactions were very few throughout the evening. There was one call-in and only a handful of emails and Facebook comments.

The viewer count peaked around 100, but dipped as low as 50 viewers toward the end of the meeting, likely much lower than in-person attendance would have been under normal circumstances.

A decent number of comments related to how well the city has handled not one, but two emergency situations in the past month.

“I appreciate that the city is continuing to operate in this fashion. Different and dark times require creative solutions,” Jonesboro resident Scott McDaniel commented on the live stream. “Keep it up.”

Watch the full meeting here.

Housing development delayed by city council

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By Crystal Carter Harrell
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – The Jonesboro City Council motioned to postpone a zoning request at 1130 Greensboro Rd. on April 7 and left an African-American entrepreneur waiting another 60 days for his project to get the “green light.”

The rezoning request, made by Jackson’s Construction CEO and licensed realtor Rickey Jackson, managed to garner 86 signatures on a petition causing the delay according to Councilman Charles Coleman.

Coleman said the citizens on the petition do not have any problem with the request, but they want to appear in person to voice public opinions on the matter.

“When it comes to things like that, I would rather people be in front of me to voice their opinion. If I was in that area, I would feel the same way,” Coleman said. “I’m very impressed by Mr. Jackson trying to do something with the area. I understand, but I’m only going to vote with my conscience.”

Councilman Chris Moore said he had also received considerable objections to the request. He moved to second the motion of postponement for 60 days. Restrictions because of the COVID-19 virus pandemic prevented the public from attending the meeting in-person at the time.

The council received a zoning ordinance map amendment application for the 8.84 acres of land in December. Before the application, the property sat vacant for 10 years.

Jackson has worked as a licensed residential and commercial contractor since 2006, building duplexes for private owners and investors for years. He currently holds contracts with the highway department and has plans to develop a new roundabout connecting Harrisburg and Caraway Roads.

The first property solely owned and developed by Jackson, at 1130 Greensboro Rd., is five minutes away from Arkansas State University.

“Instead of apartments, I want to build stand-alone homes that serve single individuals or small families. I only want to place 41 homes in the area. I could go up to 53, but I do not want to congest the area. I’m only asking to build variant home sizes. I only want to help the area, not hurt the area,” Jackson said.

Each all electric unit in the 41-unit housing complex will range from 1,000 to 1,300 square feet. Some of the units will have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a garage. Fencing will be put up for privacy in backyards.

The rental cost with utilities could be between $800 and $1,000, but nothing has been set in stone. Jackson plans to break ground as soon as rezoning is approved at the third reading by city council.

“I’ll abide by what the city council decides and take it from there. It is setting me back, but I am an entrepreneur.”

Editor’s Note: Feature photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash

Suddenlink Reps Miss Connection with Disgruntled Customers

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By Chase Gage
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — The City of Jonesboro held a joint meeting with Suddenlink Thursday night to address numerous complaints by citizens. The St. Bernards Auditorium was at capacity; in fact, it was standing-room-only for disgruntled residents.

Hundreds of Jonesboro residents showed up to voice their complaints to media giant Suddenlink. Complaints ranged from wrongful charges to lack of competent service and were never in short supply.

“Our company has not delivered as it should. I want to apologize that it’s come to this. The crowd is evidence of how serious it is,” Brad Ayers — senior director of governmental affairs for Altice USA, the company that owns Suddenlink — said.

Hundreds filled the St. Bernard’s Auditorium for the meeting. Photo by Chase Gage.

Representatives from both Jonesboro and Suddenlink were available from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to answer questions and complaints submitted by customers. Ayers “promised” the company would address every complaint “within a week” of the meeting. Jonesboro’s communications director Bill Campbell read several of the complaints to the crowd.

The majority of the meeting consisted of Suddenlink representatives attempting to answer specific questions by residents, though they often received “corporate” answers instead of legitimate solutions. The crowd tried their best not to let the company off the hook.

Perhaps the loudest reaction of the night came when the company reluctantly revealed one of their call centers was located in South Africa; multiple complaints included call center employees not speaking fluent English.

“I can never get a real person on the phone, and when I do, they’re foreign and I can’t understand them,” Campbell read from a submitted complaint.

Further unrest ensued when a customer proclaimed “if you’re billing for services that aren’t provided, that’s a problem.” The statement was met with applause and a very audible “amen” from the back of the room.

“I’ve gotten your calls and emails. This (crowd) is evidence of what’s going on.” – Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin

State Senator John Cooper was in attendance as well to address his constituents and their frustrations.

“It looks to me like you’re trying to handle this with management. Personally, I would like to see highly trained people here to take care of this. It’s probably a little bigger than what you have here at this meeting tonight,” Cooper said to the Suddenlink representatives.

Cooper suggested a “task force” approach to solving the problems Jonesboro residents are facing.

“You’re welcome to contact me at any time over these issues. I will work with this company to improve the service,” Cooper said. Cooper can be contacted by phone at 870-761-0130 or by email at john.cooper@senate.ar.gov.

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An upset customer voiced their opinion on Suddenlink during the meeting Thursday night. Photo by Chase Gage.

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin arranged the town-hall-style meeting after a Nov. 7 meeting with Suddenlink representatives. Prior to the initial meeting, Perrin receiving numerous calls and emails complaining about the company and “immediately” got on the phone to fix them. Perrin assured citizens that their voices were being heard and their issues would be addressed.

Perrin also made sure to point out Suddenlink does not have a franchise with the City of Jonesboro and that any claims otherwise are misinformation. Instead, Suddenlink has a franchise with the state of Arkansas. There are multiple cable and internet providers in the city, though Suddenlink serves the majority of the area.

“Send any unanswered questions to my office. This is a serious issue we need to resolve,” Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin said to open the meeting. “I’ve gotten your calls and emails. This (crowd) is evidence of what’s going on.”

The Jonesboro Mayor’s Office is located at 300 S. Church St. and can be contacted by phone at 870-932-1052 and via email at hperrin@jonesboro.org.

In the end, the meeting did little to resolve any issues despite the best efforts of the Suddenlink representatives. However, if their promise is fulfilled, the residents of Jonesboro will be taken care of in the near future.

“We’ve heard you loud and clear,” Ayers said in his closing statement. Whether or not they listened, though, is yet to be determined.

Corporate vs local – a never-ending battle

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By Maddison Smith
Delta Digital News Service

   According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 99.3% of business in Arkansas are small businesses and 47.8% of employees are employed by small businesses, as well. 

   Chandler’s Salon and Spa owner Angelia Austin said she feels secure and does not feel jeopardized by larger corporations. 

   “In a small business, we can be more loyal to our customers, with more detail,” Austin said “I have clients that will call me and say ‘hey, can you pray for me’ when times are tough. I can bring my own product in and do my own thing but, having the funds to bring is new stuff and have what you need is the hardest part,” Austin said.

   Drake Hill, a customer of Chandler’s Salon, reflected back to his first time with Austin.

   He said he went to several corporate owned salons because he did not have much money.

   “I always got my hair cut poorly and I am big on appearance,” Hill said, “It made me feel like they did not care about me. A small business cares about the customer and they thrive on repeat business.”

Hill also said he kept going back to Chandler’s because of the customer service.

   Chandler’s Salon uses only Jon Amico products and is designed for all hair types.

   “Our mission is to fight diversion and to fight against the big box retailer, supply houses and dry stores,” Austin said “As a Jon Amico member, I only use Jon Amico and you can only get this product in salons, not corporate salons.” 

   Chandler’s Salon and Spa has many good reviews on Facebook.

   “Angelia was fabulous! Took more time than planned to make sure my cut was exactly what I was wanting. Not to mention, how supportive she was knowing I was so nervous,” customer Jennifer Lyn Roach said.

Another satisfied customer reviewed Chandler’s Salon and Spa.

   Customer Karla Blackford said, “Love, love, love my haircut and highlights! Angelia is so friendly, listens to what you want and is able to give you honest feedback. Very comforting atmosphere!”

   Austin said she feels like she is making a difference in the community. Austin said, “Owning a small business shows my son and his friends that you can do anything you set your mind to do.” 

    Austin relies on Chandler’s to help support her and her family and has built her life around her brand.

   “I don’t know what I would do if I lost my business,” Austin said, “It’s like getting to see my grandmother every week and that’s how I feel about my clients. It would be devastating.” 

   Austin said giving her employees good benefits is hard in a small business. “I don’t feel that I can give them good health benefits because the deductible is so high vs if you were in a large corporation, the deductible would be much cheaper,” Austin said.

   Austin said she cannot give her employees paid vacation whereas a large corporation can, which is a problem.

   Austin said, “What I can give my employees is me, my time, my love and my person.” 

   According to the official Sport Clips website, Sport Clips has 1,500 stores in the United States and Canada. 

   Sport Clips assistant manager Jessi James said she feels secure in her job, but like every job, there are several disadvantages and advantages. 

   “We have corporate come in every three months to check and see if we are doing well and sometimes it’s a little robotic what they want you to do,” James said “I can also move anywhere in the United States and still have a job because we are everywhere. You get what you pay for every time, its consistent and it’s a professional environment. We do extensive training and classes for our employees and all of our products are professional.” 

  Each employee is equal, even though there are managers and assistant manager, James said. 

In a CNBC special report, Sport Clips Haircuts franchisees was featured among the “Top Franchisees in America,” according to Sport Clips press release.

   While Sport Clips is the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and provides haircuts through “haircuts with heart.”

   Facebook reviews show some of Sport Clips customers are not satisfied with their work. 

   “Uneven sides and sideburns and choppy. Back uneven. Kept pulling his head/hair. Terrible job,” customer Lindsey Cullen Burgess said. 

   Customer Christie Selfors left a review on Facebook as well, she said, “Thanks for ruining my fiancé’s hair today, by advising him that the hair cut he wanted ‘wouldn’t look good on him’ and then continue to buzz his hair off.”

 

Small businesses gear up for the holidays

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By Maddison Smith
Delta Digital News Service 

JONESBORO – Small Business Saturday is a big deal for some, for others – not so much. 

   Small Business Saturday was first observed in the U.S. on November 27, 2010 and was trademarked by American Express. 

   Refinery Store Manager Amy Willhite said their company will be participating in Small Business Saturday, along with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

   “We want people to shop local and to keep business here in town,” Willhite said, “We want them to come into the store.” 

   On the contrary, Smoothie King Owner Linda Bradley said she did not know about Small Business Saturday and if she did, she would have participated. 

   Bradley does support shopping local. “Your helping those local businesses to stay in business,” Bradley said, “It gives a more ‘hometown’ feel. Instead of spending your money on cooperate businesses, you should shop local to help our community.” 

   Shop local supporter Jessica Blevins said she shops local because it supports the community and those who live there.

   Blevins said, “It’s about being able to communicate about small businesses and being able to put a spotlight on a few of those locations on Small Business Saturday.” 

   “Black Friday absolutely helps us, and Small Business Saturday is just an extension of that,” Willhite said, “People are still wanting to shop local, but they are also wanting a deal.” 

   Bradley said, “We can’t offer that much of a deal on Black Friday, but if there was a small shop festival, where we could get our products into consumer’s hands, that would benefit us more.” 

Willhite said that consumers should shop local because they have good customer service, people that wait on you and want to talk to you.

   Willhite said, “You’re going to get a one-on-one experience and you’re going to talk to someone who has knowledge about the products in store.” 

   American Express also holds what is called “Neighborhood Champions,” which are towns or cities who have pledged to put small businesses first. 

   Conway, Paragould, Little Rock and West Memphis, to name a few, are part of Neighborhood Champions. Jonesboro is not included in this list. 

Editor’s Note: Feature Photo taken by Maddison Smith

Grocery store offers all-natural foods

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By Melissa A. Palumbo
Delta Digital News Service

MOUNTAIN HOME – Local grocery store Truck Patch offers bulk foods and spices, all-natural beauty products and plant-based meals. 

Named after small farmers’ markets from the 1800s, the Truck Patch grocery store opened May 23, 2010 in Mountain Home. From there, the store added a larger Jonesboro location.

“We don’t currently have plans for another location, but we’re always open to expand,” said Mountain Home Manager Virginia Embry. 

Truck Patch sells ingredients by bulk, allowing customers to bring their own reusable jars, bags and containers with which to shop. 

Tori Forkum, assistant manager at the Truck Patch Jonesboro, said they tare the container before the customer shops. 

“You can bring your own jar and we weigh it,” she said. “Then we take the weight of the container off the final price.”

Many ingredients cost less to to buy in bulk than in individually packaged portions, such as spices and grains.

Olivia Simpson, an employee who works in the kitchen at the Jonesboro location, suggests reusable glass bottles and jars to cut back on waste.

“Buy bulk and ditch plastic,” she said. “Use glass whenever you can.”

The store carries plastic-free, plant-based and biodegradable household products. Products made from plants have a lower environmental impact than hard plastics made from oil, and paper packaging decomposes much faster than plastic wrapping. 

They also sell pet products, like biodegradable doggie bags, organic treats and food.

Truck Patch focuses not only on reducing plastic packaging, but also increasing healthy eating. Employees at Truck Patch help customers find ingredients to suit any diet, from vegan to paleo. They also help those with allergies, diabetes and other health needs find appropriate meals.

“Our staff is well versed in different diets, and we are more than happy to help,” Embry said.

Camron Collins began working at Truck Patch as a cashier about four months ago. He said he was drawn to his job because of his interest in health-conscious eating and reducing environmental impact.
“When we started damaging our environment, it was fast,” he said. “We’re starting to revert that now. It took a lifetime to realize it, but we’re a force.”

Truck Patch strives for zero-waste within the business and community, according to Embry. Because of the large population of farmers in the area, the Mountain Home location established a composting system. 

“We are considerably smaller than the Jonesboro location, but we do pack a big punch,” Embry said. 

The Truck Patch Jonesboro plans to carry composting supplies in the future.

When the Jonesboro location opened in 2015, the Stem and Spoon Cafe was added within the store. The cafe offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, sides and drinks. All the ingredients Truck Patch uses stay organic and hormone-free.

“We use ingredients from the store,” Forkum said. “The kitchen workers will ‘grocery shop’ for the cafe.”

To avoid waste, fruits and vegetables that aren’t as pretty as the rest are turned into smoothies. Food that doesn’t sell is often given to employees.

“We don’t throw anything away,” Embry said. 

Editor’s Note: Photos by Melissa Palumbo.

Restaurants in Jonesboro affected by new restaurants coming to town

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JONESBORO – New restaurants provide employment opportunities for job seekers however, many current restaurant employees are bracing for a negative impact often caused when new businesses within the same industry come to town.

New florist offers more than a beard

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JONESBORO – Brides-to-be searching for the perfect bouquet can expect a different take on wedding bouquets from Bearded Bouquet owner Zach Jones.

Revenue Gains Spur Projects

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By Chloe Short
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — The Craighead County seat will see changes due to recent economic gains and plans for incoming jobs.

Sales tax revenues for Jonesboro have started strong in 2019 and could potentially pass the record-breaking 2018 totals. The increase in money means many new proposals for the city and the continuation of projects and population inflation. It also opens conversation for further development of the city.

“What we can see is that people spent money in 2019 in the city of Jonesboro, which is always a good thing,” said Craig Rickert, the director of communications for Jonesboro Unlimited, a company that works to bring new businesses to the Jonesboro area. “People are shopping, they’re going to restaurants … they’re buying cars and that money goes to a general fund and helps the city pay for the services for its citizens.”

Mark Young, president and CEO at Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, said these repairs and services would likely not be limited to police and fire protection, parks and recreation and road improvements. One service that is coming to Jonesboro is a new bike trail.

“I think It would benefit the community positively because it would provide more opportunities for people to get out and be active,” said Jordan Nash, a current Jonesboro resident.

Jonesboro Unlimited’s five-year plan focuses on attracting businesses and talent, business expansions, workforce development and community enhancement. Chris Barber, chairman for Jonesboro Unlimited, said they’re targeting jobs and businesses in health care, agriculture, manufacturing, logistics and professional services.  

“We’re not at liberty to say what businesses are coming due to confidentiality agreements that the companies have signed,” Barber said.  

The plan is two years ahead of schedule and the projected outcome is expected to bring 5,153 new jobs.

“Jonesboro is doing very well,” Barber said. “We are seeing a steady community, employment and population increase.”

Solar Panels Energize Brookland

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By Miranda Reynolds
Delta Digital News Service

BROOKLAND, Ark. – With the progression of modern technology and increasing use of electricity, Craighead Electric Cooperative spread its initiatives in solar panels to help power part of Craighead County.

The ongoing project located off Highway 230 involves a total of 3,888 panels. From these panels, the power will supply 135 homes with electricity. The area chosen by Craighead Electric Cooperative did not happen by chance. Craighead Electric Cooperative predominately supplies Brookland’s electricity and met the criteria for the placement. Jon Carmack, communications coordinator with Craighead Electric Cooperative, gives the company’s outlook on the project.

“The goal is to provide a cheaper source of electricity for our members and to kind of get into this idea of community solar,” Carmack said.

In the near future, the company plans on leasing or renting solar panels out to specific homes in the area. This will allow for that panel’s electricity generated to go directly to the home owner’s electricity bill. A unique aspect of rented or leased solar panels resides in the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment. Craighead Electric will be solely responsible for the panels, meaning residents can rest assured with the rental.

For those interested in at-home panels, the company also has net metering to be installed on the side a house. This meter measures electricity used and the solar electricity a household is using in excess. Some homes in Craighead County run entirely from solar panels, Carmack said.

Steven Evans owns VanGuard Mechanical in Jonesboro, a company that installs solar panels for at-home use. An issue for solar panels revolves around supply and demand. Evans sees potential in the solar panels, but there must be demand from the public for it to become what he works on regularly.

“If enough people get behind and push this, yes, I see it’s coming and I know we have to make the change,” Evans said.

Tommy Sims, a 40-year resident of Brookland, said he appreciates Craighead Electric Cooperative’s efforts to reduce the town’s electricity use.

“I think it could be good for it if it works. They’ve got to do something to keep up with all of the technology nowadays. This world is so high-tech, they have to move forward,” Sims said.

Nonprofit Fights Teenage Substance Abuse

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by Kayce Wilson
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Active in this community since 2008, the Craighead Out of The Dark Coalition plans to jump-start the organization.

CODC’s executive board attended the Arkansas Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Summit in Hot Springs. CODC received a $175,000 Drug-Free Communities grant to apply to its goals. Efforts to receive the grant started five years ago.

“I started out as a community volunteer and was contacted by the board because they had heard that I was running another youth state program,” President Noelle Richardson said. “Last spring we wrote for the DFC grant through Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and we found out in the last week of September that we were awarded the grant.”

The DFC grant will provide CODC with full-time and part-time staff. The grant assists communities in connecting with 12 different sectors, from government to education.

Meeting the Community

Noelle’s husband and CODC chair Kevin Richardson thanked attendees of the November meeting at the NEA Food Bank for their support.

“Even though you haven’t heard a lot from us, a lot has been going on,” he said.

CODC challenged Craighead County fourth-graders to create drug-free posters. The top contestants attended the meeting and displayed their posters; Cason Kifer of Buffalo Island Central West Elementary won the competition. His poster can be seen on billboards throughout the city.

The Prevention Squad held its Christmas party at Lost Pizza Co. (back row, l. to r.) Melissa Ayers, Noelle Richardson, Zavier Roberts, Mia Goodrich, Lauren Lewis; (front row, l. to r.) Jackie Sosa, Rylie Fanning, Abigail Pausch. Photo by Kevin Richardson.

The Prevention Squad, made up of six high school students from the area, gave a rundown of the events held within the last year. The Prevention Squad hosted a Back 2 School Bash and the “Leave Your Mark” rally in October. It also participated in the Mud Ball Tournament, which benefits the St. Bernards’ NICU.

The CODC’s chapters curently include the Bay, Brookland, Buffalo Island Central, Nettleton, Riverside, Valley View and Westside school districts. Seventeen school chapters exist across Craighead County alone, as well as more than 250 students who attended a five-hour leadership training course put on by CODC. Noelle Richardson said she believes they will have a chapter in every school within the next year.

“People should be on the lookout for Out of The Dark,” Noelle Richardson said.

Benton police department Cpt. Kevin Russell from the Coalition for Safer Arkansas Communities showed a video created by a Colorado-based group, Smart Colorado that provided information on the negative effects of marijuana in Colorado since they legalized recreational marijuana use.

Russell said youths need to be taught the importance of the word “yes.”

“They not only need to say ‘no’ to drugs but ‘yes’ to life, which is a life free of drugs,” Russell said.

CODC also participated in the Arkansas Rx Drug Take Back, which collected over 60 pounds of old prescriptions during the four-hour period.

Public Transit Provides Cheapest Option

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by Kayce Wilson
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – With transportation apps like Uber and Lyft bringing services to the Delta, pre-existing businesses may feel the need to change their operations.

Jonesboro Economical Transit System transportation supervisor Keith Michael said the company does not feel threatened by the new services.

“The difference that JET has from other transportation options is that we are able to set our fares at lower rates than other services because we are federally funded,” Michael said. “It will cost you $10 and higher to ride a local cab, UBER or Lyft one way, in comparison to $1.25 one way for JET.”

JET of Jonesboro began operating in 2006. JET’s routes reach across the Central, East, North and West regions of Jonesboro, with a hub at 713 S. Caraway Road.

Since the city runs the public transit, its maintenance department and JET employees provide maintenance. The amount of riders per day varies. Many people use this service to get to work, the grocery store and various appointments.

“I don’t believe the newer forms of transportation will affect our JET ridership. Because we can offer lower fares, this alone will keep our ridership numbers steadily growing,” Michael said.

Craighead County Cab Company was unable to comment at this time.

Edward Harthorn, a graduate assistant in history at Arkansas State, said it is important for people to know about all of the forms of Jonesboro transportation.

“While there’s a lot that I don’t know about Uber or Lyft, I am optimistic that they will quickly play an important role in local transportation,” Harthorn said. “Single-car families, international students and many other constituencies may find that ride-sharing provides a convenient alternative when running errands, traveling across town or waiting for a vehicle to be serviced. It will be interesting to see how these companies and Jonesboro’s public transit co-exist.”

(Photo courtesy of A-State Media Relations)

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