Arkansas Times | October 2025

THE IMPORT BUSINESS

HOW ARKANSAS PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES MAKE MONEY ON OUT-OF-STATE KIDS

BY LARA FARRAR

OF NATURE TRIUMPH THE

ART NOUVEAU FROM THE CHRYSLER MUSEUM OF ART

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS.

LOSE YOURSELF IN THE DETAILS OF ART NOUVEAU WITH AN EXHIBITION OF OVER 100 OBJECTS.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 TO JANUARY 12, 2025

The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art is presented by Terri and Chuck Erwin.

The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art is organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C.

ABOVE: Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory, Waterlily Vase, 1900, Blown and cameo glass, Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., Image courtesy of the Chrysler Museum of Art, Photograph by Edward Pollard, © Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory.

THE HOTEL HOT SPRINGS

Start your day with our Complimentary Shuttle Service to the film venues, and then visit our perfect place for dinner, the Inside Track Grill & Sports Lounge, or to just relax after your film veiwings. The Hotel Hot Springs is the ideal choice for a memorable stay during the Documentary Film Festival.

The code for Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival is HSDF24 – enter this code anytime during the dates of October 18-25, 2024 – www.hotelhotsprings.org for a discounted rate of $119/night.

OCTOBER 2024

FEATURES

24 STATE OF DURESS

How some of Arkansas’s psychiatric residential treatment facilities capitalize on troubled children from other states. By Lara Farrar

33 TOAST OF THE TOWN

Raise a glass to the state’s best pale ales, martinis and dive bars. Catch up on craft delights at Moody Brews, wine flights at Bread Cheese Wine, dive delicacies at Four Quarter and the best bloody mary in town at El Sur.

34

MASTER MIXOLOGIST

Abi Rogne of Rock Town Distillery dishes on Little Rock nightlife and how to make the best dirty martini. By Milo Strain

36

BARK CRAWL

Southern Tail Brewing aims to be the destination in Hanger Hill for wellbehaved dogs and their owners. By Rhett Brinkley

40 PERFECTLY

AGED

It’s hip to be in the Fayetteville Square, away from the buckwild students on Dickson Street.

By Brian Sorensen

44 THE WINNERS

Votes are in, and these are your favorite bartenders, breweries and cocktail spots.

9 THE FRONT

From the Vault: Charles Portis maps the source of the mighty Ouachita.

Q&A: Oark native and author Alice Driver takes the fight to Tyson.  Big Pic: The cutest sales clerks in town.

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THE TO-DO LIST

Pride on parade in Argenta, Indigo Girls at UCA, José González at The Hall, cemetery preservation class right in time for Halloween, and more tricked-out ways to treat yourself in October.

MIX

AND MINGLE:

Fave bartender Abi Rogne at Rocktown Distillery is happy to chat.

81 SAVVY KIDS

Talking politics with children as Election Day approaches. By

Tricia Larson

84

CULTURE

A treasure trove of Native American archives at UALR clarify history. By Tara

Escolin

94

CANNABIZ

Marijuana advocates are fired up to expand access for Arkansans. By Griffin Coop

98

THE OBSERVER

Hot Springs Village through a youngster’s eyes.

ON THE COVER: Katie James traveled from Montana to Arkansas seeking help for her child at one of the state’s psychiatric residential treatment facilities. She did not find it. Photo by Thom Bridge.

PULASKI COUNTY TAXES!

PUBLISHER Alan Leveritt

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Austin Gelder

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mandy Keener

MANAGING EDITOR Benjamin Hardy

PRINT EDITOR Dan Marsh

FOOD EDITOR Rhett Brinkley

CANNABIZ EDITOR Griffin Coop

DAILY EDITOR Lara Farrar

CULTURE EDITOR Daniel Grear

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER Matt Campbell

AGRI AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTER Phillip Powell REPORTER Milo Strain

VIBE CHECKER Stephanie Smittle

EDITOR EMERITUS Max Brantley

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Mara Leveritt

PHOTOGRAPHER Brian Chilson

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Madeline Chosich

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Wythe Walker

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Mike Spain

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Katie Hassell

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING/ SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS PUBLISHER Brooke Wallace

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Terrell Jacob, Kaitlyn Looney, Evan Ethridge and Mechelle Winslow

ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER Roland R. Gladden

SPECIAL SECTION MANAGING EDITOR Caleb Patton EVENTS DIRECTOR Donavan Suitt

DIRECTOR OF CANNABIS SALES AND MARKETING Lee Major IT DIRECTOR Robert Curfman

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jackson Gladden

CONTROLLER Weldon Wilson

BILLING/COLLECTIONS Charlotte Key

CHAIR MAN Lindsey Millar

PRODUCTION MANAGER Ira Hocut (1954-2009)

ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each month by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, 201 EAST MARKHAM STREET, SUITE 200, Little Rock, AR, 72201. Subscription prices are $60 for one year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current single-copy price is $5, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $5.00 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially. ©2024 ARKANSAS TIMES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

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Before casting your ballot this fall, get to know the candidates and their stances on important issues.

Ten candidates in four races will participate in “Election 2024: Arkansas PBS Debates” Oct. 7-10. Each debate will feature questions from a panel of journalists with moderator Steve Barnes.

How to Watch

Broadcast: Live Oct. 7-10, rebroadcast each evening and again Nov. 3

Livestream: myarpbs.org/election2024, press conferences will immediately follow each debate

On-demand: myarpbs.org/debates

The Arkansas PBS debates series has been a trusted source for voters for more than 30 years.

Major funding for “Election 2024: Arkansas PBS Debates” is provided by Civic Arkansas: a Winthrop Rockefeller Insitute program.

Additional support provided by Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.

Learn More at myarpbs.org/elections

Monday, Oct. 7

U.S. House of Representatives - District 2

Live at 2 p.m., reairs at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 8

U.S. House of Representatives - District 1 Live at 11 a.m., reairs at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 8

U.S. House of Representatives - District 3 Live at 1 p.m., reairs Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 10

U.S. House of Representatives - District 4 Live at 2 p.m., reairs at 7 p.m.

Marcus Jones French Hill

Rodney Govens

Rick Crawford

Steve Parsons

Steve Womack

Caitlin Draper

Bobby Wilson

Bruce Westerman

Risie Howard

ORIGIN STORY

THE AUTHOR OF ‘TRUE GRIT’ GOES IN SEARCH OF LOCAL RIVER LORE.

The Arkansas Times turns 50 in 2024. To celebrate our golden anniversary, we’re looking back at the history of the publication, along with periodic excerpts from some of our favorite stories over the past half-century. In “The Forgotten River,” a 1991 piece inspired by fellow writer Dee Brown, luminary Charles Portis set out to find the first trickle of the Ouachita.

The forest rangers at Mena were all very nice but they could tell me only approximately where the Ouachita River began. It rose somewhere out there in the woods, they said, above the little bridge at Eagleton, where I would find the first Ouachita River road sign. I wanted to see the very origin and so I floundered about between Rich Mountain and Black Fork Mountain with further inquiries.

Through that forested valley runs Highway 270, as well as the Kansas City Southern Railway, and the headwaters of the Ouachita, at an elevation of 1,600 feet above sea level. The two mountains rise another thousand feet or so from the valley floor. A sign warns hikers about the presence of black bears.

Nearby, right on the Oklahoma line, there

is a log cabin beer joint, which might have once served the Dalton Brothers: Bill, Grat, Emmett and Bob. It was dark inside, like a cave, with a very low ceiling. The girl behind the bar knew nothing, which was all right. You don’t expect young people to know river lore.

Then a young man sitting far back in the gloom — the only customer — told me just how I should go. I was to enter the woods at the start of the Black Fork Mountain hiking trail. When I reached the river, here a small watercourse — “so narrow you can straddle it” — I walk upstream for about a mile, and there I would find three or four trickling threads of water coming together to form the Ouachita River.

This would have to do, though I had hoped for a spring, a well-defined source. Proba-

bly I didn’t walk the full mile. I followed the diminishing rivulet up to the point where it was no wider than my three fingers, and declared victory. After all, it was much the same as spring water, cold and clear. I drank some of it. From here it flows 610 miles, generally southeast, to Jonesville, Louisiana, where it joins other streams to form the Black River. I grew up in South Arkansas and thought of the Ouachita only in local terms, certainly not as an outlet to the sea. It was a place to swim and fish. I knew you could take a boat down it from the Highway 82 bridge near Crossett to Monroe, Louisiana, because I had done it once with a friend, Johnny Titus. It was shady a good bit of the way and we had the river pretty much to ourselves. The keeper at the old Felsenthal lock was annoyed at having to

RIVER’S EDGE: A shot of the Ouachita River, snapped in the summer of 1991.

TRAVELING LIGHT: Dee Brown displays a picture of the steamboat he rode up the Ouachita from New Orleans.

“HIS TIMING WAS GOOD, WHICH KEPT EXPENSES DOWN. HE PAID A DOLLAR FOR A NIGHT’S LODGING AT A BOARDING HOUSE NEAR THE FRENCH QUARTER. THE TRIP BACK WAS A DELIGHT, AS MR. BROWN REMEMBERS, A LEISURELY VOYAGE OF FIVE OR SIX DAYS.”

get up from his dinner table to lock through two boys in a small outboard rig.

But I knew no river lore, less than the Oklahoma barmaid, and it came as a great surprise to me later when I learned that there was regular steamboat service on this modest green river, as late as the 1930s, and as far up as Camden. I am not speaking of modern replicas or party barges, rented out for brief excursions, but of genuine working steamboats, with big paddle wheels at the rear, carrying bales of cotton down to New Orleans and bringing bananas and sacks of sugar back upstream, along with paying passengers.

There were two vessels, the Ouachita and the City of Camden, and they ran on about a two-week cycle — New Orleans-Camden-New Orleans, with stops along the way. The roundtrip fare, including a bed and all meals, was $50. Traditional steamboat decorum was imposed, with the men required to wear coats in

the dining room. At night, after supper was cleared, the waiters doubled as musicians for a dance.

It was Dee Brown of Little Rock, the author of “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” who told me about this, and how as a teen-aged boy in the late 1920s he took the Ouachita from New Orleans to Camden. He had a summer job at a filling station between Stephens and Camden, and had often watched the steamer tie up and unload. “‘I’ve got to ride that boat,’ I kept telling myself.” He saved up a bit more than $50 for the adventure — “an enormous sum in those days” — but then thought better of this extravagance. He would keep half of it back. “So I made a reservation for the other end and hitch-hiked down to New Orleans. Hitch-hiking was easy and safe then, and faster than the boat.”

His timing was good, which kept expenses down. He paid a dollar for a night’s lodging

at a boarding house near the French Quarter. The trip back was a delight, as Mr. Brown remembers, a leisurely voyage of five or six days. He got full value for his $25. The big splashing wheel pushed the steamer up the Mississippi, the Red, the Black, and at last into the Ouachita at Jonesville, with the two walls of the forest closing in a bit more day by day.

There were fine breakfasts of ham and eggs, when ham was real ham, with grits and hot biscuits. At lunch one day he found a split avocado on his plate, or “alligator pear,” as it was called on the menu. “I had never seen one before. I wouldn’t eat it.” Young Mr. Brown was traveling light and so had to borrow a coat from a waiter at each meal before he could be seated. He had a tiny sleeping cabin to himself with a bunk bed and a single hook on the wall for his wardrobe.

He enjoyed the nightly dances, though he had to sit them out as a wallflower because he didn’t know how to dance. Townsfolk along the way came on board just for the dance, and among them were young Delta sports sneaking drinks of corn whiskey and ginger jake. These were Prohibition days. A young girl from New Orleans, traveling with her family, offered to teach Dee Brown how to dance. “I wanted to dance with her, too, sure, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.” This family, he recalls, who had never seen any high ground, marveled over the puny hillocks of the upper river. He remembers an Arkansas woman vowing never again to eat sugar, after seeing the deckhands, dripping with sweat, taking naps on the deck-loaded sacks of sugar.

Dee Brown, then, got me interested, and so in late May and early June I drove down the Ouachita valley to take a look at things.

The Ouachita National Forest, where the river rises, is still a dark green wilderness, if not quite the forest primeval that DeSoto saw when he came crashing through these woods 450 years ago, with some 600 soldiers, 223 horses, a herd of hogs and a pack of bloodhounds. He was looking for another Peru, out of which he had taken a fortune in gold, more than enough to pay, from his own pocket, for this very costly expedition. As it turned out, there was no gold or silver here in “Florida.” What he found was catfish.

“There was a fish which they [the Indians] called Bagres: the third part of it was head, and it had on both sides the gilles, and along the sides great pricks like very sharp aules [awls]; those of this kind that were in the lakes were as big as pikes: and in the River, there were some of an hundred, and of an hundred and fiftie pounds weight, and many of them were taken with the hooke …”

This comes from a report written by one of DeSoto’s Portuguese officers, who identifies himself only as “A Gentleman of Elvas” (the town of Elvas, in Portugal). The Portuguese

version was published in 1557, and was rendered into this King James English by Richard Hakluyt, and published in London in 1609, under the misleading title of “Virginia Richly Valued.” Hakluyt was promoting English exploration and settlement in the New World, and any news at all from that quarter was grist for his mill. There is not one word about Virginia in the text, and a more accurate title would be “Florida Poorly Valued.” By Spanish reckoning, the continent belonged to Spain, being a gift from Pope Alexander VI, himself a Spaniard, and all that country lying east and north of New Spain (Mexico) was regarded more or less as Florida.

Elvas tells of seeing “... many Beares, and Lyons, Wolves, Deere, Dogges, Cattes, Marterns [minks] and Conies [rabbits]. There be many wild Hennes as big as Turkies, Partridges small like those of Africa, Cranee, Duckes, Pigeons, Thrushes and Sparrows … There are Gosse Hawks, Falcons … and all Fowles of pretty that are in Spaine …”

He spoke too of “small chestnuts” [chinquapins] and of “many Walnut trees bearing soft shelled Walnuts in fashion like bullets,” which could only have been pecans. Some of his “Plummes and Prunes” were very likely muscadines and persimmons. There is no mention in his bestiary of buffalo, or bison, then roaming the country from coast to coast. DeSoto’s men knew about these “hunchbacked cattle,” as they had traded with the Indians for their hides, which made good bedding, but they had no luck in hunting them and there is some question whether they ever saw one on the hoof. There is only one passing, inconclusive mention of a hunt. It is a wonder, perhaps, that they saw any wild creatures, who must have heard this band approaching from some distance away, clanking, snorting, grunting, barking.

The forest has changed; it is no longer a virgin stand of timber with a high canopy and an uncluttered, parklike floor, on which horses could move about. The Beares and Deere still thrive, but the Lyons are gone, or so believes Larry Hedrick, of the National Forest’s Game and Wildlife Division. “We do get occasional ‘sightings,’ but there is just no good evidence of free-living, free-ranging cougars out there. Of course, they are reclusive, like bobcats. We’re overrun with bobcats, but you don’t see them.” As for the native red wolves, they have mated with intruding, wily, trickster coyotes to form a curious hybrid pack. The chinquapin, sweetest of nuts, has disappeared too, in my lifetime, or it is almost gone, a victim of the chestnut blight.

Yet even with change the forest remains an impressive tract of mountain greenery, bigger, at 2,500 square miles, than the state of Delaware, and the river that flows out of it is

one of the prettiest in the country.

Early trappers and market hunters paddled their canoes up it, far past Camden, the present head of navigation, past the bluff where the Caddo enters at Arkadelphia, past “the hot springs,” and on to the hills not far from the present town of Mena. This upper stretch is still navigable by canoe, in season, in the familiar pattern of a fast-flowing stream: shoal water followed by a pool followed by a shoal. For some reason, however, it has not caught on well with recreational floaters, slaves of fashion that they are. On a warm day in late spring, with plenty of water running, when there must have been war parties of canoes colliding at every bend of the Buffalo River, I saw not a single floater on the

“THE NEW ATTENTION TO LAWN CARE CAN BE ATTRIBUTED, I THINK, TO THE INVENTION AND SPREAD OF THE RIDING MOWER.”

and Oden, nor a bank

The parks and campgrounds were spruced up for the summer season. The state roadways were clean, too. Where was all the litter that people complain about in letters to newspapers? Also, where was the old rural shabbiness?

The farmhouses on Highway 270 and 88 were well-kept, in fine trim, the mobile homes neatly skirted. Around them were shade trees, ornamental shrubs, flower beds and well-tended lawns. Not what we used to call landscaping in the Arkansas countryside, when the custom was to level every

living thing around your house for about a 50-yard radius. We were the original clearcutters, and this dead-zone tradition lives on in East Arkansas, where you can see a new brick house plopped down in the middle of a muddy soybean field without so much as a crabapple tree or a petunia out front — as though people who farm in a big way couldn’t be bothered with mere horticulture.

The new attention to lawn care can be attributed, I think, to the invention and spread of the riding mower. Cutting the grass is no longer seen as a chore, as men don’t outgrow their boyhood love for dodging about in midget cars with tiny steering wheels. I believe this also accounts for the popularity of golf. Take away the little motorized carts and the links would be largely deserted.

It may be that outlanders have brought in new ideas about some of these things, along with their comfortable retirement incomes. You hear a lot of non-Arkansas voices these days in the Ouachitas. At Lum and Abner’s Jot-em-Down Store in Pine Ridge, I was greeted by a nice lady from some northern clime who never in her life said, “Well, I swan!” much less, “Ay grannies!” At another store, in neighboring Polk County, there were flat white wicks for sale, for kerosene lamps, but I found no country store so humble or remote that it didn’t offer a selection of video cassettes. In the towns there are signs of a modest prosperity, such as new police cars (big Chevrolet Caprices, mostly) and new Masonic halls, Moose lodges and American Legion huts. All these brotherhoods seem to have hired the same architect, a grim man, who likes to build on defensive, bunker principles. His signature is the blank wall. The new clubhouses, with few exceptions, are long, low buff-brick structures with no windows.

There is no longer much agriculture in this country, in the strict sense of field crops. The old straggling hillside corn patches are now pastures where polled Hereford and Angus cattle graze. A lot of fat healthy saddle horses are running about, too. The long metal chicken sheds appear to be mostly abandoned, or in use for storage of those big cylindrical rolls of hay. The vegetable gardens are still deadly serious, with rows of pole beans and squash 90 feet long.

Mount Ida is where the hexagonal quartz crystals are found, with their radiant powers. Just north of town the mountain stream loses its “rolling impetuosity,” as Dunbar would put it, and begins to spread and go still and blue as it is penned up by the hand of man. Here, for some 50 miles, the river loses its identity in a chain of dams and lakes — Ouachita, with a shoreline of almost a thousand miles, and the older and smaller Hamilton and Catherine. All are associated with Hot Springs, though the city itself is not on the river.

Ouachita between Ink

fisherman nor a swimmer.

‘A GOOD SOUTHERN STORY’

A Q&A WITH ALICE DRIVER.

Journalist Alice Driver grew up in the unincorporated community of Oark in the Ozark Mountains, in a house built by her potter father and her weaver mother. Her book “Life and Death of the American Worker: The Immigrants Taking on America’s Largest Meatpacking Company” captures the story of how immigrant meatpacking workers in Northwest Arkansas found the strength and courage to take on corporate giant Tyson Foods. A fluent Spanish speaker and award-winning writer, Driver says her work is her way of seeking justice and equality in a world where those things are in short supply.

What is “Life and Death of the American Worker” about? How did you get interested in this story?

It’s a good Southern story. It’s about a small group of committed individuals, in this case Tyson workers, who are working to achieve justice. In the book, justice is both safer working conditions and justice for workers who died or are on disability due to conditions at Tyson. It’s a story about American culture and our food system.

DESCRIBE GROWING UP IN OARK IN ONE PHRASE: Swimming with the water moccasins.

WHAT IS YOUR HIDDEN TALENT: I feel most calm in the water and am a good diver.

I wanted to capture the immigrant story. The meatpacking workforce, the largest percentage overall of workers are immigrants and refugees. I wanted to capture those stories of people who left poverty, violence, and traveled across Central America or, in the case of Karen, Myanmar. They are refugees who came to the United States for a better life. So, to capture those stories of their families, their children. One of the main workers in my book, Angelina, is illiterate. She has never been to school, not even to kindergarten, and I think that is something a lot of us can’t imagine. So she is working, doing the hardest job in the United States, which is meatpacking, and hoping for a better life for her children.

WHAT IS THE BEST BOOK YOU HAVE READ RECENTLY: “How to Say Babylon” by Safiya Sinclair.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE BAND OR ARTIST: Grace Lynne Haynes, a visual artist who I met at Yaddo artist retreat.

to be a writer, I loved languages. I studied Spanish and became fluent in Spanish and have always worked as a journalist in Spanish. So I do interviews in Spanish and then translate them into English when I am publishing. For this book, it’s an idea I’ve had for a long time. I grew up here and realized that I don’t know anything about the lives of meatpacking workers. Why is that? I got funding in 2020 to write one article, it was never going to be a book. And with the pandemic and the whole nation rethinking the meaning of work, I think there was a lot of interest in labor and labor conditions. Eventually, I had book editors asking me for a proposal.

Here we are, 100 years after Upton Sinclair wrote “The Jungle” to expose terrible labor conditions in the meatpacking industry. How can the industry do better? What I want people to take away from the book is that this industry can be changed. There are four or five companies that run the industry. What does that mean? It means they collude to increase prices for consumers, and they are in trouble for that right now. They keep wages down for workers. The system doesn’t serve consumers and it doesn’t serve workers. We need to change the system and that will require confronting lobbying and big money because both political parties have let the meatpacking industry run free with almost no oversight for the past two decades.

Can you tell me more about the workers’ rights group Venceremos?

How did you get the idea for this book? And what was the reporting process like?

I’m from the Ozark Mountains, from Oark. For those of you from Arkansas, I bet many people haven’t been there. It’s a town of less than 200 people. The Ozark Mountains are the home of Tyson Foods, which is the largest meatpacking company in the United States and the second largest globally. I always wanted

What Venceremos is doing is incredible. Arkansas is a very anti-labor state. Venceremos was founded in 2019 by 16 women who are poultry workers and Magaly Licolli, who is the director of the organization. I wanted to highlight the role of women in organizing because women are so often at the forefront of social and labor rights movements. And I wanted to highlight immigrant women who are doing this work and organizing for themselves to say, “We are workers, we know these conditions and this is what we need.” Recently they’ve been protesting over child labor, which is a big issue in Arkansas. I know what they are doing is difficult but it’s incredible to watch. —Phillip Powell

WHO LET THE DOGS IN?

CANINE

COMPANIONS GREET GUESTS IN STORES AROUND THE

METRO.

BY MATT CAMPBELL

Dogs have a way of making everything better. They make us happy when we’re sad, give us companionship when we’re lonely and calm us when we’re stressed out. They love unconditionally and without limit; if you want to spend the entire day scratching a dog’s belly and telling him what a perfect angel baby he is, there aren’t many pups out there who would say no.

Maybe that is why seeing a dog in a store is such a treat. It functions not only as a sign that the business is run by people who appreciate dogs (a green flag if ever there was one), but also that this is a dog who is used to people and will probably let you pet him or her. What’s better than that?

We set out to document some of the shop dogs in Little Rock and North Little Rock. For the sake of representation, we even included a cat. While we couldn’t get to all of the business puppers — or even most of them, unfortunately — the dogs below, like the stores they help run, come highly recommended.

It is scientifically impossible to look at the three dachshunds at Little Rock Violin Shop without making a sound that is somewhere between a squeal and pure baby gibberish. And that’s OK! Omobono and Francesco (named for Antonio Stradivari’s youngest and eldest sons, respectively) certainly won’t judge you. Dolly Barkin’ might hide, but that’s just because she’s new to the greeter game and still figuring things out, and she’ll come around once she sees her brothers being petted. Keep your eyes peeled for Omo and Francesco next time you’re at Pinnacle Mountain, too; when they aren’t repairing violins or brightening customers’ days, these two badger hounds are avid hikers.

There are two things you need to know about Mashed Potato and Moose at Box Turtle in Little Rock. First, Moose (pictured) is a BIG boy who loves laying directly in front of a fan, so you’re going to have to give him a reason — ear scritches or treats work well — to stand up and give you attention. Second, Moose hates cameras, which makes it more or less impossible to get a good picture of his face. Put the camera away, however, and Moose might just be your sidekick throughout the store.

BRIAN CHILSON

LITTLE ROCK VIOLIN SHOP

Riley and his twin sister, Kellie, are all over Angry Dave’s Bicycles in North Little Rock. Their sweet, tri-color mugs adorn windows, socks, stickers and mountain biking jerseys. When he’s not posing for pictures or becoming more famous, Riley is an absolute lovebug, offering a paw for you to shake while looking at you with eyes that say, “You’re going to love on me the entire time you’re in my store.” (He’s right.)

Reuben had big shoes to fill when he arrived at Moxy Modern Mercantile in Little Rock. The store’s previous sweet little corgi boy, Fergus, died in May 2023. Reuben has been up to the challenge. He’s already an A+ greeter, hurrying toward customers as fast as his short legs can get him there, and a total ham when he gets any attention. And what kind of monster wouldn’t want to give him attention with that face?

“Get ready to meet your new best dog friend.” That’s how Brandy Thomason McNair, owner of Bella Vita Jewelry in Little Rock, responded to my email about taking some pictures of Chester. I can’t admit she was right — my two hounds at home would never forgive me — but I can’t say she was wrong, either. Chester, who McNair calls a “workaholic,” loves to be at the shop so he can greet every person who enters, and he’ll let you love on him to your heart’s content. Then he’ll look at you and suggest maybe you meant to do it a bit more?

Nyx is Moxy’s resident shop cat. He’s also Reuben’s nemesis, as Nyx gets plenty of attention from customers. This annoys Reuben, who firmly believes all the focus in the store should go to him. Regardless, Nyx is an impossibly soft gray tabby who you should make time to pet, preferably away from Reuben’s judgmental gaze. Nyx is also the store’s resident DemoCat, in case you want to discuss Kamala Harris with him.

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LET THE FEAST BEGIN!

CENTRAL ARKANSAS PRIDE FEST AND PARADE

SATURDAY 10/19. ARGENTA ARTS DISTRICT, NORTH LITTLE ROCK. 11 A.M. FREE; DONATIONS ACCEPTED.

When queer pop icon Chappell Roan rolled into town back in June, she invited three local drag queens to be her openers, providing the sardine-packed house with an introduction to Kitty Kouture, a Little Rock performer with such a full-bodied command of the audience that she nearly upstaged Roan herself. Needless to say, her cartwheels were flawless. Kouture is just one of Central Arkansas Pride’s headlining acts, which also include pop singer Dylan Dugger and drag artists Athena Sinclair and Silky Nutmeg Ganache, who tied for third place in season 11 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” If you find yourself wondering whether whoever decided that June should be Pride Month had ever experienced an Arkansas summer, Central Arkansas Pride’s seemingly odd placement on the calendar — held in October since its founding in 2013 — might make a little more sense. In other words, if you decide to show some skin, it’ll be your decision rather than a meteorological necessity. The fest runs all day from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., with a parade at noon and a dance party kicking off at 6 p.m. Get VIP tickets, which come with drinks and a closer view of the entertainment, for $50 at arpride.org. DG

BY DANIEL GREAR, STEPHANIE SMITTLE, SEAN GRIGSBY, OMAYA JONES AND JENNIFER LENO

BRIAN CHILSON

INDIGO GIRLS

SUNDAY 10/13. UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS, REYNOLDS PERFORMANCE HALL, CONWAY. 7 P.M. $27-$40.

Emily Saliers and Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls don’t license their music for television commercials. I, for one, am grateful. How easy it would have been for “Galileo” to have become the hallmark of some luxury car brand, its rhythm guitar riffs inextricably tied in collective memory to the image of some high-performance off-roader ascending a craggy Colorado mountainside? Or for “Watershed” to be playing softly in the background as an impeccably lit thirtysomething reaches into her fridge for a single gutnurturing serving of probiotic yogurt? Instead, Indigo Girls fans got to watch Saliers’ “Closer to Fine” become licensed as the hallmark of subversion and enlightenment in Greta Gerwig’s blockbusting “Barbie,” reaching audiences well beyond the Indigo Girls’ post-Lilith demographic and affirming everything the song had made us feel for decades. Yearning. Questioning. Seeking. A sudden need to find out more about this Rasputin guy. (The anthem also happens to be fabulously suited for belting at the top of your lungs a la Robbie and Gosling, which is a near-certainty for the audience at this theater concert on the campus of University of Central Arkansas.) Get tickets, if there are any left by the time you’re reading this, at uca.edu/publicappearances. SS

JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ

TUESDAY 10/15. THE HALL. 8 P.M. $35.

Swedish singer-songwriter José González’s name has always been mentioned in the company of other indie artists I love, but up until recently I’d never given him a proper go. In preparing to write about his October visit to Little Rock, I dug into his discography — four solid full-length albums worth of material, the most recent of which is 2021’s “Local Valley” — for the first time, only to realize that I already knew several of his songs. He’s not forgettable; it’s just that his subtle stylings don’t draw a lot of attention to themselves. If achingly sincere and gently delivered melodies sung over delicate fingerstyle classical guitar is your jam, González is your man. His music sounds like it’s been patiently waiting for you. Get tickets at littlerockhall.com. DG

HANNELE FERNSTRÖM

‘SLAVERY AND FREEDOM: JOURNEYS ACROSS TIME AND SPACE’

THROUGH THURSDAY

10/31. UA LITTLE ROCK DOWNTOWN. FREE.

“Slavery and Freedom: Journeys Across Time and Space” juxtaposes the stories of two enslaved people who successfully sued for their freedom in the 19th century — one in a French colony in the Indian Ocean and the other in a small community in Southeast Arkansas. Although separated by dozens of years and thousands of miles, both of their lives were caught up in the global institution of slavery, the arbitrary racial ideologies that justified it, and the legal systems that formalized and regulated it. Abby Guy was born into slavery in 1811 but lived as a free woman in Ashley County for nearly a decade before she was captured by her owner in 1854. After a legal battle that spanned six years and included multiple jury trials and Arkansas Supreme Court cases, Guy ultimately won freedom for herself and her children, in part by arguing that she was white. In this way, the very notion of race was on trial as much as her legal status as a free person or slave. The exhibit also traces the life of Furcy Madeleine, a man born into slavery in 1786 on the island of Bourbon (known today as Réunion) whose 27-year-long struggle for freedom took him from imprisonment to exile to the Royal Court of Paris. The exhibit is a collaboration between UA Little Rock Downtown and the Museum of Villèle in Réunion, France. Walk-in hours are 1-4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Individual or group visits can be scheduled by emailing downtown@ualr.edu. JL

CANDRICE JONES

WEDNESDAY 10/2. HENDRIX COLLEGE, REVES RECITAL HALL, CONWAY. 7:30 P.M. FREE.

When Dermott native playwright Candrice Jones’ “Flex” made its New York debut at Lincoln Center last summer, The New York Times labeled the play a “slam dunk … [that] excels equally in sly, sitcom humor and in the swift-tongued rhythms of teenage and athletic talk.” The spirit of that “slam dunk” accolade is twofold in light of the fact that Jones’ show is all about basketball players in the ’90s, albeit a group of them that rarely gets the spotlight — Black high school girls from rural Arkansas, one of whom is pregnant. Jones’ other plays include “Crackbaby” and “A Medusa Thread.” Now New York-based, she taught English in Little Rock at Mills University Studies High School and Central High School for several years. She’ll speak in Conway as a guest of the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation. No tickets necessary. DG

ARKANSAS TIMES FILM SERIES: ‘CANDYMAN’

TUESDAY 10/15. RIVERDALE 10 VIP CINEMA. 7 P.M. $12-$14. Perhaps the central statement of “Candyman” (1992) comes in the opening credits, as Philip Glass’ eerie score plays over a helicopter shot of the city of Chicago, tracking the freeway below. “They don’t give a damn what happens down here,” a disembodied voice says, seemingly out of nowhere. The film revolves around Helen (Virginia Madsen), a semiotics graduate student who’s working on a project with her classmate Bernadette (Kassi Lemons). They’re collecting oral histories of urban legends when they hit on the story of the Candyman (Tony Todd), a spirit said to be terrorizing the citizens of Cabrini-Green, a Chicago housing project overwhelmingly populated by Black people and besieged by drugs, gang activity, unsolved murders and a lack of investment from the city government. Writer and director Bernard Rose adapted “Candyman” from the short story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker (“Hellraiser”) and transposed the location from a gentrified Liverpool, giving him the opportunity to layer in commentary about the history of racial violence in America that is the foundation on which our cities are built. Get tickets at riverdale10.com. OJ

CARMEN MARIA MACHADO

WEDNESDAY 10/23. HENDRIX COLLEGE, REVES RECITAL HALL, CONWAY. 7:30 P.M. FREE. Few writers embody the Halloween spirit as well as the frequently strange and always gutpunching Carmen Maria Machado, who’s coming to Conway courtesy of the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation. The New York Times referred to “Her Body and Other Parties” — her National Book Award-nominated debut short story collection — as “a wild thing … covered in sequins and scales, blazing with the influence of fabulists from Angela Carter to Kelly Link and Helen Oyeyemi, and borrowing from science fiction, queer theory and horror.” “The Husband Stitch,” the book’s opening story, offers an unflinchingly feminist retelling of a familiar folktale, one about a woman who resists her lover’s requests that she remove the ribbon that stays fixed around her neck. Eventually she succumbs, causing her head to fall off. Machado’s second book, a genre-bending memoir called “In the Dream House,” draws on the reallife terror of a queer relationship teeming with emotional and physical cruelty. Mimicking “the grey areas of abuse” itself, the book “ensnares and unsettles, tantalises and wrongfoots,” in the words of The Guardian. No tickets are necessary, but you might want to arrive early. DG

CHRIS MAXWELL

SATURDAY 10/26. WHITE

WATER TAVERN. 8 P.M. $15.

Best known to the wider world as one half of the musical duo Elegant Too — responsible for soundtracking “Bob’s Burgers,” among other TV shows — Arkansas native singer-songwriter Chris Maxwell’s solo work is just as worthy of writing home about (he also fronted the ’80s Little Rock alt-rock band Gunbunnies, who almost made it to the big leagues). Following the release of “Arkansas Summer” (2016) and “New Store No. 2” (2020), Maxwell’s latest record and the raison d’être for this White Water show is “Nothingland,” which came out on Sept. 27 via Central Arkansas label Max Recordings. With the help of world-class musicians like Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, lap steel aficionado Cindy Cashdollar and keyboard player Marco Benevento, “Nothingland” showcases Maxwell at his most musically adventurous. For the uninitiated, throw on “Unbroken,” a track Paste Magazine heralded for its “squishy basslines and hypnotic, swirling synths.” I implore you to send me an angry email if the sawtoothed solo at 2:18 doesn’t restore your faith in the electric guitar. Get tickets at whitewatertavern.com. DG

MAMMOTH CARAVAN

FRIDAY 10/4. FOUR QUARTER BAR. 8:30

P.M. $10.

A cosmic-themed opus inspired by bands like Dillinger Escape Plan, Zao and Mastodon? That’s how we’d describe the new album from Little Rock outfit Mammoth Caravan. Building on their signature blend of doom, sludge and stoner metal, “Frostbitten Galaxy” delves into the narrative of a mammoth king’s conquest across the galaxy, promising an intense live experience filled with crushing riffs and atmospheric soundscapes. The record’s release show at Four Quarter Bar, featuring local heavy hitters Direwolf and Stressor, will see Mammoth Caravan performing the album in its entirety, from front to back. Tickets will be available at the door. SG

CEMETERY PRESERVATION WORKSHOP

SATURDAY 10/5. HUNTSVILLE CEMETERY, HUNTSVILLE. 9 A.M.-4 P.M. FREE.

Maybe you grew up assuming that cemeteries in America are highly protected lands, stewarded by invisible hands. Employees of some governmental agency, surely, are paid to pop in and spruce up stones and squelch encroaching weeds and dispose of empty beer cans left behind by teenage troublemakers, right? You wouldn’t be alone in that assumption. And you wouldn’t be alone if you’d only discovered in adulthood that, in fact, cemetery preservation (and ownership) is quite a tenuous thing, held together by a network of property laws whose complexities were explored in an award-winning 2023 report from Arkansas Times contributor Brooke Nelson Alexander titled “Grief, twice: One family’s struggle to keep access to the burial plots of their ancestors.” Whether your interest in the preservation of cemetery monuments is personal or historical, take note of this workshop from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program at Huntsville Cemetery in Madison County. Aiming to “educate and empower the community in the vital practice of cemetery preservation, fostering the retention of local history for generations to come,” the workshop allows attendees to learn about basic cemetery preservation from expert Jonathan Appell, founder of a Connecticut-based company called Atlas Preservation, which specializes in caring for older or fragile gravestones. Lunch is provided by AHPP on the cemetery grounds, and reservations are required. Contact Holly Hope at holly.hope@arkansas.gov or 501-324-9148 to register. SS

FROM ARKANSAS:

BACK

Katie James sits on her daughter’s bed in their home in Anaconda, Montana.

HOW TREATMENT FACILITIES FOR TROUBLED KIDS FROM OUT OF STATE BECAME BIG BUSINESS IN ARKANSAS.

BY LARA FARRAR

Editor’s note: This story is the first in a series on psychiatric residential treatment facilities for juveniles in Arkansas. Lara Farrar’s reporting for this series was undertaken as a University of Southern California Annenberg Center for Health Journalism Data Fellowship grantee.

INthe spring of 2022, Katie James, a schoolteacher in the rural mountain town of Anaconda, Montana, faced an agonizing choice.

Her 11-year-old daughter was hospitalized at Shodair Children’s Hospital in the Montana capital, Helena, for depression, anxiety, threats of suicide and trouble regulating her emotions. After six weeks of intensive inpatient treatment at the hospital’s acute mental health unit — far longer than the usual oneor two-week patient stay — the hospital said James’ daughter needed to go elsewhere. But because she was so young at the time, the family could not find a psychiatric residential treatment facility in Montana that would admit her for more prolonged care.

Doctors advised James to search for programs in other states and provided the family with a list of residential treatment facilities in Utah, Idaho, Georgia and Arkansas. Only two said they could admit the girl immediately.

One was Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks, a 32-bed facility in Springdale, more than a thousand miles from Anaconda.

“I was very nervous as a parent to send my child that far away,” James said. But she felt her daughter, who had a history of violence and self-harm, needed much more support before she was ready to come home.

“I asked [her], ‘How do you feel about it?’” James said. “She said, ‘Mom, I need help. I want to get better.’”

The day after James’ daughter was discharged from the hospital, the two boarded a plane at Helena Regional Airport and headed to Arkansas. It marked the start of a harrowing two-month stay for the child that ended with James racing back to Springdale after a riot inside Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks left two children hospitalized and five more arrested.

Perimeter Healthcare, a company based in Georgia, runs three of Arkansas’s 13 psychiatric residential treatment facilities, or PRTFs. The facilities offer long-term treatment programs for children with sometimes severe psychiatric, behavioral or emotional disorders, like reactive attachment disorder, major depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Some offer specialized programs for children who have experienced extreme abuse or trauma, such as human trafficking or sexual violence. Many children end up in residential treatment facilities after entering foster care or the juvenile justice system. Others are placed there by parents or guardians, like James, who are desperate to find help.

A surprising feature of Arkansas’s psychiatric residential treatment facilities is how many of their residents are not from Arkansas. On any given day, about half of their occupied beds are filled by children from other states — some from as far away as Alaska. Records from the Arkansas Department of Human Services, which has regulatory oversight of the facilities, document children from dozens of states, including Wisconsin, South Dakota, Illinois and Ohio. Until recently, Arkansas’s Medicaid reimbursement rates for psychiatric residential treatment facilities were lower than rates in many states, according to those familiar with the industry and Arkansas Times requests for Medicaid data from other states, including North Carolina, Ohio and Alaska. The higher rates paid for patients from other states have incentivized facilities to fill their beds with kids from elsewhere. Some operators say they would not be able to stay open without the additional income.

And unlike James’ daughter, many of these out-of-state children have no one to advocate for them or check on their care. Often, they are shipped to Arkansas by another state’s

child welfare agency or juvenile court system. Though they are housed in Arkansas facilities that are regulated by Arkansas DHS, they typically do not become part of Arkansas’s foster care system; instead, they usually remain the legal responsibility of caseworkers and child welfare agencies in their home states, often hundreds of miles away.

Experts said it is hard to know how closely anyone from another state monitors these children.

“The majority of these kids in these facilities are in foster care who don’t really have anywhere else to go,” said Joonu Coste, a former attorney with the advocacy group Disability Rights North Carolina and an expert on children shipped across the U.S. for psychiatric care. (Coste is now an assistant attorney general for the North Carolina Department of Justice.) “No one is really looking out for them to begin with, so they can just fly under the radar, and as long as they are housed out of sight, no one is really going to ask a lot of questions.”

‘TAXPAYER-FUNDED CHILD ABUSE’

Psychiatric residential treatment facilities are under increasing national scrutiny after numerous documented cases of abuse, neglect, even deaths, behind their locked doors.

In November 2023, a teenager died in Youth Villages, a Tennessee facility near Memphis, after being violently restrained by staff. Cornelius Frederick died two days after brutal physical restraints on April 29, 2020, after the 16-year-old threw a sandwich at another child at the Lakeside Academy facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Last summer, Utah officials closed a facility called Diamond Ranch Academy after a 17-year-old Native American girl died from sepsis there in 2022.

This June, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing on youth residential treatment facilities during which national experts delivered scathing testimony about staff physically or sexually abusing minors, high rates of peer violence and inadequate treatment plans. One of the speakers was Reagan Stanford, an attorney with Disability Rights Arkansas. The nonprofit is part of a national network of protection and advocacy agencies federally authorized to investigate issues in institutions that serve disabled people, giving advocates unique access to psychiatric residential treatment facilities and their records.

“Across Arkansas, facilities are rife with countless examples of abuse, violence and neglect,” Stanford told senators. “The child is often seen as the failure, not the treatment facility. And because they are viewed as the failure, all too often the child gets cycled back into a residential placement.”

A five-year investigation by Disability Rights Arkansas turned up reports of staff members hitting children in the face and

showing them pornographic images and videos. The organization keeps a database of incident reports that show fights among patients, self-harm and escape attempts.

Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat and chairman of the committee, vowed to introduce legislation holding these facilities accountable. “The system is failing, except the providers running these treatment facilities, who have figured out exactly how to turn a profit off taxpayer-funded child abuse,” Wyden said. “Overwhelmingly, it’s clear that the operating model for these facilities is to warehouse as many kids as possible while keeping costs low in order to maximize profits.”

It’s difficult to know just how much money Arkansas’s psychiatric residential treatment facilities are making, but their revenue is substantial. Data from Arkansas DHS shows that the agency’s Division of Children and Family Services, which manages foster care placements, paid about $3.8 million to 10 Arkansas facilities in the 2023 fiscal year. For the week of Sept. 9, there were 57 Arkansas foster children in Arkansas facilities.

In many cases, Medicaid foots the bill for a child’s stay, though the rates can vary dramatically from state to state. Montana, which sent almost 200 children to psychiatric residential treatment facilities in other states between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, pays an average of about $500 per day, according to state records. (That number includes children on Medicaid, in foster care and in the juvenile justice system.) The average stay for a Montana child in an out-of-state psychiatric facility during that time period was 146 days, and the average total cost was $75,760 per child.

Some PRTFs are operated by nonprofits, but others are run by publicly traded corporations like Acadia Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest operators of psychiatric facilities. Acadia recorded revenue of $796 million in the second quarter of 2024, an 8.8% increase over the fourth quarter of 2023. Its stock price is up 143% over the past five years. Acadia’s three psychiatric residential treatment facilities in Arkansas include Millcreek Behavioral Health in Fordyce, a 162-bed facility with a long history of instances of abuse and neglect. (In September, The New York Times published an investigation into Acadia’s hospitals that found the company had “lured patients into its facilities and held them against their will, even when detaining them was not medically necessary.”)

In 2014, Arkansas cut off Medicaid payments to Trinity Behavioral Health, a company that operated a psychiatric residential treatment facility in northeast Arkansas that accepted large numbers of out-of-state children. Previously known as The Lord’s Ranch, the facility was shuttered after its owner was caught bribing a state DHS official. The own-

er, Ted Suhl, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, but he served less than half that time — then-President Donald Trump commuted his sentence in 2019 at the request of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a friend of Suhl’s. Over 50 former residents of The Lord’s Ranch in the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s have since sued Suhl and his businesses, alleging widespread sexual and physical abuse by senior staffers.

Perimeter Healthcare, which operates the Springdale facility that housed Katie James’ daughter in 2022, is another for-profit operator.

James said red flags first emerged for her when she had difficulty reaching her daughter by phone. When they did speak, her daughter said she was not receiving individual therapy and spent most of the day watching television.

James repeatedly requested a treatment plan for the child, to no avail. She also learned that her daughter was being heavily medicated and sleeping for long stretches at a time, with staff providing a constant supply of sedating drugs.

“They just handed out her [medication] like candy,” James said.

But the final straw was what she learned from her daughter one day in early June 2022, during one of their rare calls. The girl told her about an incident inside Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks that sounded reminiscent of a prison riot.

“Big stuff went down,” James said her daughter told her. “The fire department came, police came, girls started running and tried to escape. One made it all the way to the fence. Some were escorted off in handcuffs.”

The chaos began when a resident broke the sprinkler system, setting off a fire alarm. What followed was a confusing string of events involving one child stabbing herself in a stitched wound with a piece of metal. Another child “obtained a shank from another resident and used it to injure two RNs [registered nurses],” according to reports reviewed by the Arkansas Times that described the June 2, 2022, incident.

Another child assaulted police officers. At least five were arrested. Two ended up in the hospital.

“I knew at that moment my daughter’s safety was worth anything,” James said. “At what point is her being there more damaging than helpful?”

In what James said was a “split-second decision,” she booked another plane ticket and returned to Springdale to bring her daughter back home.

“We have had to do additional work to undo all of the harm done by Perimeter of the Ozarks,” James said. “She still cries when she hears fire alarms.”

Perimeter did not respond to repeated re-

SCENES FROM SPRINGDALE: On the campus of Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks, the 32-bed psychiatric residential treatment facility where Katie James’ daughter was sent for two months in 2022.

Date of Incident:8/18/2022

Date Received by DCCECE: 8/18/2022

Facility Name: Perimeter of the Ozarks

Facility Number: 237

Facility Type: Residential

Incident Type: Dual Report Description: Peer disclosed to MHT Lead Blair P. that resident () told peer that she ) had sex with staff member ) last night. Camera footage reviewed. Footage showed staff and resident went into the cafeteria and off camera on 3 separate occasions. The longest time off camera was 7 minutes. Resident spoke with Program Director, Patient Advocate, and Clinical Director and stated she had sex with on 2 separate occasions with last night being the last time.

Date of Incident:8/24/2022

INCIDENT REPORTS: Snapshots of Arkansas DHS reports documenting serious incidents at Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks.

Notice of Serious Incident

Interim Action Narrative: . Staff member sent home on suspension pending investigation. His key fob disabled. Resident's clothes from previous night were placed in a bag. She will be interviewed and evaluated by the Children's Safety Center on 8/1 Outcome:

Date Received by DCCECE: 8/24/2022

Facility Name: Perimeter of the Ozarks

Facility Number: 237

Facility Type: Residential

Incident Type: Dual

Report Description: Resident reported that (AO) knew she had sexual impulse issues and allowed her to do stuff. stated that allowed her to touch her knee, thigh, and vagina over the clothes. reported the incident happened all the time and would occur at the staff's table in the dayroom. reported that allowed her to do that. is no longer employed at Perimeter.

We Care. We Act. We Change Lives. humanservices.arkansas.gov

Date of Incident: 6/2/2022

Notice of Incident

Interim Action Narrative: Staff was terminated on 6/15/2022.

Date Reported to DCCECE: 6/4/2022

Agency Name: Perimeter of the Ozarks

Agency Number: 237

Founded

Type of Facility: PRTF Facility License Type: Regular

Type of Incident: Arrest

Incident Description: Resident was aggressive with staff and assaulted a RN. The resident then obtained a shank from another resident and used it to injure two RNs.

Agency’s Interim Corrective Action: Staff attempted to redirect and restrain resident.

Outcome:

Licensing Narrative: Licensing Specialist received this complaint on 8/24/2022. Investigator Uselton informed specialist that disclosed of another staff member being involved in sexual misconduct. Investigator Uselton reported that the facility would not cooperate with identifying the staff member. Specialist reached out to the facility and was informed that was employed from 3/7/2022 to 6/15/2022. She was

Licensing Specialist Assigned: C. Vardell Licensing Supervisor Assigned: 6/2/2022

quests for comment from the Arkansas Times

We Care. We Act. We Change Lives. humanservices.arkansas.gov

Child Abuse Hotline (Only applies to maltreatment incidents)

‘SENDING’

STATES AND

done away with PRTFs, but that does not mean they do not put children in PRTFs,” Keesa Smith, a former Arkansas DHS deputy director who is now the executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families, said. “We do think it is a significant problem, especially when we have children who are child-welfare involved from other states and because of the frequency of whether or not a child is being seen by that other state.”

Kids from out of state can fall through the cracks. DHS officials confirmed there have been instances in which children from other states were abandoned by their families at Arkansas facilities. State Rep. Fran Cavenaugh (R-Walnut Ridge), who sponsored legislation on psychiatric residential treatment facilities during the last legislative session, said Arkansas facilities have taken in children covered by private insurance, and “when the private pay ran out, the parents, on several occasions, would not come and pick up the child, so then the child became a ward of the state of Arkansas.”

Foster kids from out of state can sometimes languish for months, even aging out of the system. That “could also create issues, particularly since other states are not required to care for these youths any longer once they turn 18,” Gavin Lesnick, a spokesman for DHS, said in an email.

Outcome: N/A

‘RECEIVING’ STATES

Was the Hotline Called: No Was it accepted? N/A

Assigned Investigator: N/A

Out of the 13 psychiatric residential treatment facilities in Arkansas, 10 accept out-ofstate children. They include Perimeter’s three facilities in Springdale, Forrest City and West Memphis and the three owned by Acadia Healthcare. One of the Acadia facilities, Little Creek Behavioral Health in Conway, only takes children from other states.

Date of DCCECE’s Follow-up: 6/3/2022 Type of Follow-up: In person

Details from Follow-up: 6/3/22-Program Coordinator reviewed the camera footage of the incident. Staff were attempting to de-escalate the resident then attempted to restrain Resident was not cooperative so was taken into police custody and placed in the Juvenile Detention Center.

In mid-September, DHS data showed 587 occupied beds in psychiatric residential treatment facilities across the state, of which 289 were filled by out-of-state children. (The number is likely slightly higher than that. Centers for Youth and Families, which has residential treatment facilities in Little Rock and Monticello, only submits numbers to DHS for children occupying beds that are designated for children on Arkansas Medicaid, an executive told the Arkansas Times.)

The number of out-of-state children placed in Arkansas facilities has alarmed regulators and advocates alike.

“It is a system of child trafficking,” said Coste, the North Carolina attorney and expert

on the interstate system of child psychiatric care. “There are sending states and receiving states. There are states that take pride in having no PRTFs, but when you look closer you find out they are sending their kids to other states.” Advocates consider Arkansas and Utah, among others, to be “receiving” states.

As these facilities have come under increased scrutiny, some states have tried to phase out residential treatment for children in favor of early interventions and more community-based mental health solutions. But progress is slow, partly because such interventions are expensive, but also because institutionalization has become the norm.

Even as states have reduced residential settings for children, they have made little progress in implementing alternative treatment options, resulting in those states sending kids across state lines to facilities elsewhere.

A 2020 investigation by ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune found the number of children sent outside of Illinois increased even as the state tried to limit the number of children living in institutions. Many ended up in Arkansas at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Fordyce.

“There are a number of states that have

Meredith Parekh, an attorney for Disability Rights Texas, said there is typically “very minimal oversight” from a foster child’s state of origin. “There is a particular kind of terror when a client is placed out of state and knowing there are terrible things that can happen. I can only imagine the terror and abandonment the kids feel when they are sent out of state,” she said.

Communication between authorities in other states and Arkansas appears to be sporadic at best. In 2021, reporters with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported on the use of restraints that resulted in children with broken bones at Centers for Youth and Families’ Little Rock location, which accepted children from Idaho and other states. Arkansas officials issued a rare letter of reprimand to The Centers and required the facility to adopt a corrective action plan. When Democrat-Gazette reporters contacted authorities in Idaho, they were unaware of the letter or the action plan, which had been issued months earlier.

James said she was kept similarly in the dark about the violence at Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks in June 2022. “I had to hear about it from my daughter,” she said. “Not one single staff member told me about it.”

Taking kids from elsewhere in the country sight unseen can also strain resources in Arkansas facilities. Peggy Kelly, the chief clinical officer and interim CEO at Youth Home, a psychiatric residential treatment facility on

the outskirts of Little Rock, said her facility previously accepted children from child welfare agencies in other states, but no longer.

Those seeking placements in Arkansas were not always transparent about the seriousness of the child’s therapeutic needs, Kelly said. Some of the incoming children were struggling with severe mental health issues that Youth Home was not equipped to deal with, requiring treatment in acute hospital settings. “But we could not find an acute facility that would take them because they were from [another state] and the [acute hospital] was not sure it would get paid, so we would have to manage an acute kid in a PRTF, which is not safe,” she said. Some kids were violent, placing other children and staff members at risk of being hurt, Kelly said.

She described one child who injured two employees. Youth Home had to have the child arrested and placed in juvenile detention, Kelly said.

“It was two days of hell,” she said.

Third-party transport services sometimes do the work of hauling children across state lines, a practice that can be inhumane and traumatizing. Kelly described child transport services that pick up patients in a van in the middle of the night, outfit them with physical restraints, and drive them to treatment facilities hundreds of miles away. “It happens, and it is horrific,” Kelly said. “We would never participate in anything like that.” Employees at other Arkansas facilities, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing their jobs, confirmed this practice, describing children who had been flown to Arkansas in shackles.

While Arkansas’s psychiatric residential treatment facilities house hundreds of out-ofstate kids at any given time, they sometimes do not have room for Arkansas children. Kids can wait for weeks for a bed to open up. Cavenaugh, the state representative, said she first became aware of such problems when she learned of a 12-year-old boy in her district who urgently needed help.

“We had nowhere to put that child,” Cavenaugh said. “He could not go back home. It was a nightmare. A judge eventually intervened and found a placement, but the experience made her realize the state doesn’t have enough available beds, she said.

PATCHWORK FUNDING, REGULATORY LOOPHOLES

Money — or the lack of it — has been one of the main drivers behind the practice of shipping children to Arkansas.

The families of some children pay out-ofpocket or via private insurance plans, but most children who need residential treatment are on Medicaid. Because Medicaid is a joint state-federal program, reimbursement rates can vary significantly from state to state. For

OUT OF 589 CHILDREN IN ARKANSAS PSYCHIATRIC RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITIES IN MIDSEPTEMBER, 289

WERE FROM OTHER STATES, OR ABOUT 49%.

(SOURCE: ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES)

years, Arkansas Medicaid paid facilities $350 per day to provide residential treatment for one child. In comparison, Montana’s daily rate was $500. Alaska paid a daily rate of up to $550, according to records obtained from that state’s health department.

The rates paid by other states can be opaque themselves, with agencies negotiating payment on a case-by-case basis, depending on the type of treatment a child needs. In an email, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said its average Medicaid rate is about $420 per day, but the agency said it couldn’t provide a standard daily rate. “Each facility is paid individually and at different rates,” a spokesperson said.

Andy Altom is chairman of the state Child Welfare Agency Review Board, one of several entities that licenses and regulates psychiatric residential treatment facilities. He is also president and CEO of Methodist Family Health, which operates residential treatment facilities in Little Rock and Bono. Methodist’s facilities are among the few in Arkansas that do not accept out-of-state kids, but that comes at a cost, he said.

“We are losing money,” Altom said in a 2022 interview. “Because of the level of staffing you have to use with those very difficult kids, that daily [Medicaid] rate does not support it. So we can understand why other people are taking out-of-state kids.

“It is probably to survive. To keep their doors open.”

Kelly, the Youth Home chief clinical officer, said her facility “would not be able to operate safely and therapeutically if we only accepted Arkansas Medicaid.” Although Youth Home no longer accepts clients from other states’ child welfare systems, it still takes out-of-state kids from other sources. They include military families covered by Tricare, which pays about $1,000 per day for residential treatment.

Those higher rates make a huge difference to Youth Home’s bottom line. “We have a lower staff-to-patient ratio than is required and pay our direct care staff a living wage,” Kelly said.

State lawmakers and DHS have been trying to address the issue. In 2023, DHS set a new Medicaid “comparison rate” of $500 for managed care entities that handle payments for most Arkansas children placed in psychiatric residential treatment facilities.

“We gave them a significant raise,” Rep. Cavenaugh said, acknowledging that the state’s Medicaid rates have been too low in the past. “For these places to stay in business, they were having to take out-of-state kids and private pay kids to help make up what was not being paid through the state of Arkansas.”

The state Legislature also passed a law in 2023, sponsored by Cavenaugh, that gave Ar-

kansas DHS the authority to monitor the care of children sent here from other states. It also allows DHS to impose civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation when facilities fail to follow the rules, conceal information from the agency or demonstrate “gross negligence.”

“Unless there is a specific agreement, the state of Arkansas had no obligation to monitor anything for out-of-state [children],” Cavenaugh said. “But they do now with the passage of this law.”

But Stanford, the Disability Rights Arkansas attorney, told the Arkansas Times she is not optimistic. “I have no reason to believe that DHS has any interest in or intention of connecting with other states to alert them to identified issues with individual residents,” she said, given that Arkansas and other states have failed to share basic information with one another in the past about placements of kids across state lines.

“Unfortunately, based on the history of enforcement in the state, there is little reason to believe that this legislation will dramatically impact the quality of the facilities,” she said. “I hope I am wrong.”

(An earlier version of the bill went further: It would have required each PRTF to “allocate a minimum of 70% of its licensed bed capacity to Arkansas residents or the children of Arkansas residents” at any given time. That provision was struck from the final legislation.)

To comply with the new law, DHS is contracting with Arkansas Foundation for Medicaid Care, a nonprofit that works with state Medicaid programs and health care providers, to make sure children are being treated appropriately, “whether they are an in-state or out-of-state placement,” DHS said in an email. That contract will go into effect Jan. 1.

It’s not always clear what state agency is responsible for overseeing what. The regulatory confusion sometimes allows the facilities to operate with a surprising degree of independence.

For example, in 2008, the Arkansas Department of Health placed a moratorium on any additional psychiatric residential treatment beds licensed for children on Arkansas Medicaid, apparently due to concern over the industry’s growth. The cap was put in place “to stem the increase in existing areas that were over-bedded,” Danyelle McNeill, a health department spokeswoman, said via email. The agency has approved a total of 520 beds for Arkansas Medicaid children.

Despite the moratorium, though, the Child Welfare Agency Review Board allowed Arkansas facilities to keep adding more beds over the following decade. Those beds can’t be used for Arkansas Medicaid recipients — but they can be used for out-of-state children. According to numbers provided by DHS in March, the 13 psychiatric residential treatment facilities in Arkansas include a total

KELLY,

THE YOUTH HOME CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER,

SAID HER FACILITY

‘WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OPERATE SAFELY AND THERAPEUTICALLY

IF WE ONLY ACCEPTED ARKANSAS MEDICAID.’

of 685 licensed PRTF beds, 165 of which are effectively out-of-state-only beds that were never approved by the Arkansas Department of Health.

Acadia, the national behavioral health care provider, used this loophole to open Little Creek, the Conway facility that only takes children from out of state. None of its 64 beds are authorized for Arkansas Medicaid placements. The Child Welfare Agency Review Board approved Little Creek in January 2020.

The Arkansas Legislature passed a law in 2021 that closed the loophole, seemingly preventing the Child Welfare Agency Review Board from granting more beds to a facility without it also receiving health department approval. “I had been concerned because we have a facility in Conway that is one of the very few in the whole nation that is set up especially for deaf kids,” said Rep. Charlene Fite (R-Van Buren), a sponsor of the 2021 law, referencing Little Creek’s specialized programs for deaf and hearing-impaired children. “They could not take deaf kids from Arkansas but had deaf kids from all over the nation.”

But the law did not change the status of the out-of-state-only beds that were previously approved by the board. Over the years, the facilities have grown to accommodate large numbers of kids from other states, and they continue to do so. A DHS headcount from August showed 592 total occupied beds, with 310 kids from Arkansas and 282 from out of state.

Most weeks, Millcreek Behavioral Health, Acadia’s 162-bed facility in Fordyce, has more than 100 children who are not from Arkansas, DHS data shows. Little Creek continues to serve only out-of-state children; it is almost always at capacity. Acadia’s Piney Ridge Treatment Center in Fayetteville typically has almost half of its 102 beds filled with non-Arkansas residents.

And despite the change in law, Acadia hopes to find a way to add still more beds. All three of Acadia’s psychiatric residential treatment facilities in Arkansas are undergoing “construction/expansion projects,” according to emails to DHS from Acadia executives reviewed by the Arkansas Times. A planned expansion of Little Creek includes 24 beds, while Millcreek is adding a 12-bed building. Justin Hoover, the chief executive of Piney Ridge, appeared before the Child Welfare Agency Review Board in June to discuss the request of 12 additional beds for out-of-state children.

Hoover said Acadia has “been trying for six months” to get approval for the additional beds “but there is not a process in order to do it that is identified.”

Altom, the board chair and Methodist Family Health CEO, told Hoover the 2021 legislation now prevents the Child Welfare Agency Review Board from granting additional beds.

“If we could, I would not be opposed to it, but I don’t think we can do it,” Altom said. “I honestly think you are going to have to change the law to do it, and trust me, we know the feeling. We know your pain because some of us providers, when that law was written, it killed a bunch of our licenses. We felt the same way you do.”

In an email to the Arkansas Times, an Acadia spokesperson confirmed the company’s intentions to grow: “Working with the state, we expect to expand access to care at each of our Arkansas facilities for patients both within the state and across the nation.”

“Our licensure allows Acadia to serve local and national patient populations, and we work closely with state regulatory officials to maintain the highest levels of care for our patients ensuring that upon discharge all requirements and expectations are met for patients and their families,” the spokesman said, adding that children from other states in Acadia’s Arkansas facilities “are heavily monitored” by those states.

‘A TICKING TIME BOMB’

On Nov. 1, 2022, emergency dispatchers in Northwest Arkansas received a 911 call from a child inside Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks, the Springdale facility where Katie James had sent her 11-year-old daughter. Six months after the June incident that prompted James to withdraw her child, the facility was in chaos again.

“There is a riot. We need you,” the caller said to the 911 operator. “I need you to send everyone you can.” Screaming can be heard in the background.

The operator responded: “Are there any weapons involved? Is anyone injured?”

“Yes, people are injured,” the child said.

“Are they needing ambulances?” the operator asked.

“Most likely,” the child said. “I need you to hurry.”

Stanford, the Disability Rights Arkansas attorney, emailed a recording of the 911 call to the Child Welfare Agency Review Board before its January 2023 meeting. At that meeting, some board members expressed concern about the pervasive problems at Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks.

“This is a ticking time bomb,” board member Sanford Tollette said. “It is just a matter of time before something serious is going to happen to a kid. This is dangerous.”

The board discussed whether an emergency closure of the facility might be necessary, an almost unheard of sanction. (The only Arkansas PRTF to be shut down in recent memory is The Lord’s Ranch, and that closure was due to misuse of Medicaid funds rather than concerns over the welfare of children.)

If Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks were to be closed, though, it wasn’t clear what

ARKANSAS KIDS ONLY: Children sit in a classroom at Methodist Family Health’s psychicatric residential treatment facility in Little Rock — one of the few such facilities in the state that does not accept out-of-state kids.

would happen to the facility’s out-of-state kids. “There would not be an issue finding placements for the Arkansas children or the DCFS [Division of Children and Family Services] children,” Michelle Bridges Bell, a DHS attorney, told the board. “We would run into an issue with where to place the out-of-state kids. That would not be a quick process.”

The board placed Perimeter on a probationary license instead. The probationary license had originally been set to go into effect in 2022, but the board and DHS had failed to offer Perimeter a “pre-deprivation hearing” as required by regulations, so the length of the sanction was shortened by several months.

“The pre-deprivation hearing is something we were unfamiliar with,” one board member said at the January 2023 meeting. “It slipped through the cracks.”

Regulators’ unfamiliarity with the protocol for sanctioning a PRTF indicates how rarely it is done. State laws and regulations remain confusing, and oversight of the facilities rests with a maze of state agencies, boards, third-party contractors and other entities.

“The regulations are so lax here, I think that is why we are a haven for so many [PRTFs],” Kris Stewart, an investigator with Disability Rights Arkansas, said. “Other states have been like, ‘We are not going to get in that business.’ … Here you can get away with almost anything.”

Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks’ probationary status expired in October 2023, but its issues haven’t gone away. Records obtained

by the Arkansas Times show that between April 4 and Aug. 1 of this year, DHS received 19 serious incident reports from the Springdale facility. The Springdale Police Department is frequently called there, police reports show. (Because psychiatric residential treatment facilities largely self-report incidents, there could be even more that were not documented — a concern raised by watchdogs like Disability Rights Arkansas.)

During an Aug. 28 Child Welfare Agency Review Board meeting, a DHS employee reported the agency had received 11 complaints against Perimeter Behavioral of the Ozarks within the last 90 days, including six peer-onpeer sexual abuse allegations, three allegations of abuse of a resident by a staff member, one for failing to provide therapy services and one for unnecessary use of physical and chemical restraints. The facility was cited eight times by DHS for issues including “behavior management and restraint documentation,” and four times for failing to report incidents to the state’s child abuse hotline.

James, the mother from Montana, was able to find better treatment options for her daughter once they returned from Arkansas. The child was placed in an intensive therapeutic program enabling her to receive treatment at home with her family, instead of a residential facility over 1,000 miles away.

“It’s been far better than sending her to Arkansas,” James said. “My heart hurts for the kids there who don’t have family looking out for them and advocating for them.”

HEATHER COLLINS

WE CELEBRATE THE BEST OF BARS AND BOOZE IN OUR ANNUAL TOAST OF THE TOWN POLL.

Ina great feat of irony, it is Kentucky — the proud home of Jim Beam and Knob Creek and Maker’s Mark and Woodford Reserve — that holds the title for the second-highest number of dry counties within its state lines. Leave it to Arkansas to rank first in that list. Thirty-four of our 75 counties still cling to a Carrie Nation gospel of temperance that, perplexingly, requires that folks wanting to get their hands on some booze do so by getting behind the wheels of their cars, turning the ignition and driving the hulking thing a few dozen miles down the highway and back. But for a state so stubbornly nostalgic for the trappings of Prohibition, we (and our bone-dry

neighbors to the near northeast) sure do know how to drink. Here, we raise a glass to Arkansas Times readers’ favorite beers, bars and booze in our annual Toast of the Town poll, with top dogs of the taproom, conquistadors of the cocktail and prizes for pilsners.

Arkansas Times Food Editor Rhett Brinkley heads to Hanger Hill to sit at the “dogfather” table in the new canine-inspired brewery on Ninth Street, Southern Tail. Beer enthusiast Brian Sorensen crafts a roadmap for a night out in Fayetteville that dabbles in the best drinking spots near the town square — the Guisinger, Pinpoint, Vault, Maxine’s and more — yet deftly avoids Dickson Street’s throngs of under-

grads mere hours away from experiencing their first-ever multiday hangovers. Reporter Milo Strain quizzes Abi Rogne of Rock Town Distillery — who scored Best Bartender in this year’s poll — on dirty martinis, South Main staples and how to build a great rock collection. Brinkley and Stephanie Smittle offer a paean to Pettaway newcomer Moody Brews, and Smittle dips into the working-class delights of Four Quarter Bar, the fancies of a sommelier-curated wine flight at Bread Cheese Wine, the undersung depth of El Sur’s house margarita and the charms of Eureka Springs’ Gotahold Brewing — all winners in this year’s poll. Read on for these stories, plus the list of winners and finalists in our sudsy survey.

Mover and Shaker

LITTLE ROCK’S

DISHES

BEST BARTENDER

ON LATE-NIGHT SPOTS, THE BEST GATEWAY BOURBON AND HOW TO MAKE A PROPER

DIRTY MARTINI.

BY MILO STRAIN

Pop into Rock Town Distillery any night and you stand a good chance of being served by bartender extraordinaire Abi Rogne, who won best bartender in the Arkansas Times’ Toast of the Town poll.

Originally from Fort Smith, Rogne moved to Little Rock in 2013 and studied geology at UA Little Rock before becoming a bartender at The Fold, a taqueria in the Riverdale area. Now a veteran of the Little Rock food scene, Rogne said the scientific side of distilling alcohol piqued her interest and inspired her to take the job at Rock Town, where she’s been for the last five years.

I sat down with Rogne, who’s 29, for an interview that touched on everything from the secrets of being a great bartender to cultivating a great rock collection.

Best place for a drink after work?

If I am getting off a little bit late, I have been known to go directly to Four Quarter [Bar]. They have the best food of any late-night bar. Honestly, I’ve been there in the middle of the day, too. I love Four Quarter. I think they’re awesome. Every bartender there is just killer.

If it’s earlier, and El Sur [Street Food Co.] is open, I’m gonna go to El Sur 100% of the time. It’s right there. They have the best food. The owners are some of my really close friends, I love them. No matter what time I go, somebody I know is over there.

I like BCW [Bread Cheese Wine], too. Raduno is good. Anywhere on [South Main Street], you can’t really miss.

Qualities of a good bartender that the average person might not notice?

Being able to talk to anyone. The thing about people is you can find something in common with anybody you’re talking to, you just have to talk to them for long enough. And if you want to be a good bartender, it’s finding those commonalities, finding something you can joke about. You put “Jeopardy” on and you both get the answer right, or something.

MASTER MIXOLOGIST: Abi Rogne whips up quirky quaffs at Rock Town Distillery.

SARA REEVES

It can be kind of hard; I was very shy before I started bartending. I wouldn’t even order my own food at places. I was scared, but I got tossed into it and learned pretty quick, like, people want to be spoken to.

Being able to work with a team is really important, too.

Sometimes there’s five of us behind the bar, and it’ll be busy. There can be two people to each well making cocktails comfortably, and that other person is going to be looking at what glass you have. They can pretty much figure out, based on what you pour, what you’re making. They’ll get your garnish, they’ll scoop your ice — crush your ice, if it’s a crushed-ice drink.

Be a team player. Enjoy talking to people. That’s how I see it, at least.

What whiskey do you recommend people who don’t like whiskey try?

I’ve got two favorites. Because I didn’t start out loving whiskey, I gravitate toward the ones that are gonna have a sweeter note, a sweeter finish. My very, very favorite, overall, is our 12th Anniversary. It’s a single-malt, finished in a cherry cask, and it reminds me of fruitcake. It’s not, like, fruity, obviously. It’s a whiskey. But it does have notes of raisin, maybe some stone fruit — definitely a chocolate note to it. It’s 100 proof; it drinks like 80. It’s crazy.

The Golden Promise is my very favorite bourbon. So, favorite whiskey overall: 12th Anniversary. Favorite bourbon: Golden Promise. It’s just so much honey. And I love that.

I love the Four Grain Sour Mash, too. That was the first one I actually taught myself to like. It has layers of flavor. You sip it and it’s like, “OK, I’m tasting four different things separately.” It’s pretty cool.

Most memorable interaction with a customer?

I have a lot. I’ve got, like, three sets of regulars who call me their child. I see them a lot and I just love hanging out with them.

Two weeks ago, I had this older couple come in and they told me they hadn’t seen me in a year. I was like, “Oh, welcome back!” They had taken my tour a year ago and remembered me and came back to see me and to ask about our new whiskeys. Stuff like that always warms my heart.

You had a signature cocktail in September called Hot Stuff, which the menu describes as “cerebral.” (The Hot Stuff consists of 2 oz. Rock Town Golden Promise, 1 oz. raspberry green peppercorn syrup and 1 oz. jasmine tea extract. It’s garnished with a raspberry and a lemon twist.) How did you come up with the recipe and what makes it cerebral?

So, we got a review one time that was, “The

drinks are good. The bartenders are cool. I just wish the drinks were more cerebral.” And then, when we were doing our menu meeting — we always do a menu meeting where we taste each other’s cocktails — that’s how the whole staff decided to describe mine: spicy and cerebral.

Which it is, because, you know, I thought about the bourbon. The Golden Promise that’s in it is my favorite bourbon that we sell here. It pulls honey, very strong, and then little notes of cherry and vanilla. It’s a perfect summertime sipping bourbon.

I wanted to make a summertime old-fashioned with it and I’d never worked with green peppercorn before. It’s so dumb, but I was like, “Green and red are opposites on the col-

“Be a team player. Enjoy talking to people.“

or wheel. I know about that from art.”

Everybody does strawberry in the summer, everybody does watermelon. Neither of those sounded good with an old-fashioned. So I was like, raspberry would be nice; we can do a raspberry-green peppercorn syrup. I always love a little bit of spice.

If I’m having a cocktail, typically I’m just going to get a vodka soda or a pour of whiskey. But if I want an actual cocktail, I’m ninetimes-out-of-10 going to get the spicy one on the list.

I just wanted something that was going to slowly build a little bit of heat, still be pretty spirit-forward, but with that nice, fresh fruitiness of summertime. It’s my favorite cocktail I ever created. I’m really sad to see it go.

(She can probably still make a Hot Stuff if you ask nicely, though.)

Favorite drink to make?

A dirty martini. I never drink them but lots of times I’ve made them, people are like, “This is the best dirty martini!” I think it’s because I play 20 questions with them.

“Vodka or gin?” Typically vodka. “Do you want a rinse of Vermouth in the glass?” Some people do. You can usually tell by their age

if they do or not, but I’m gonna ask anyway. Then it’s “How dirty do you want it?” And they’re gonna give me a vague term. Some people say Lindsay Lohan and I’m like, “That’s a little much.” One lady says, “I want it to be like swamp water,” and I’m like, “I got you.”

Then you just shake the absolute hell out of it for as long as you can. And that’s gonna make a dirty martini. That’s what makes a martini good: how long you shake it.

What’s the trendiest cocktail in Little Rock right now?

I don’t know if the espresso martini still has a chokehold on people like it did last year. The French 75 has been kind of coming up, but I think it probably is still the espresso martini. They just won’t let it go. That’s OK. It’s delicious.

Favorite place to find rocks?

As often as I can, I like to go to any kind of river and just find some rocks. I rock tumble, which is really fun. I’ve got some mossy agate that’s almost done.

[I] mostly [go to] the Saline River. It’s like 10 minutes from my house. But I have several regulars who, anytime they go on a trip, they’ll bring me back rocks and shells and stuff. I have this whole table in my house that is pretty much full of rocks from regulars. Rocks from the sea, sand, mountains; I have them all organized.

Do people still treat bartenders like therapists?

Sometimes when I’m not even bartending. I’ll be selling somebody a bottle and they’ll tell me a crazy story that just happened to them, and I’m like, “I’m really sorry. That’ll be $16.18.” I don’t mind talking to people about what’s going on in their lives, especially if they’ve been coming in here.

People tell me about happy events, sad events, or if they’re going through something. Sometimes I get to do it back, which is nice.

What’s kept you at Rock Town for the last five years?

Definitely my co-workers, my boss. Phil [Brandon, head distiller and owner,] is a really easy person to work for. He cares about us. When [COVID-19] hit, he took care of us. We weren’t like, “Oh God, we have to go on unemployment.” He had us working retail here while the bar was closed. He had us help make hand sanitizer and bottle that up. That just showed me he’s a really loyal person. I love my customers. I love the area. All the people I work with are friends. They’re people that I would on-purpose hang out with outside of here, which is pretty rare.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

So fetch

PET-INSPIRED TAPROOM SOUTHERN TAIL BREWING OPENS IN HANGER HILL.

BY RHETT BRINKLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

By the time this issue hits stands in October, Southern Tail Brewing will have celebrated its grand opening, becoming the third brewery operating in the downtown area east of Interstate 30. The 11,000-square-foot brewery and taproom at 900 E. Ninth St. in Little Rock’s Hanger Hill neighborhood is new construction, drawing attention from passersby for its lofty design and elegant chandeliers, flashy by most taproom standards.

Co-owner Tracy Cryder said they could’ve easily thrown up a basic metal building like so many breweries that popped up in industrial areas in recent years. But the Southern Tail owners envisioned an interesting piece of architecture for the neighborhood — and a multifaceted one. Part A-frame, part flatroofed brick, part prefabricated, the three

buildings let visitors choose their own adventure when it comes to the drinking vibe.

The space that’s likely beckoning Ninth Street commuters, though, is the tasting room on the east side. Surrounded by walls of pine with 30-foot ceilings, large antique chandeliers dangle under the building’s A-frame roof. It feels like the kind of room you might stumble into on a ski trip, especially given the double-sided fireplace that acts as a divider between the tasting room and the taproom/bar area.

Tracy and her husband, Brent, with whom she co-owns Southern Tail, are “from the north,” she said, acknowledging that a fireplace won’t often be a necessity in Arkansas’s warm climate, but that “the feelings of home and cozy and comfort were important to us.” Also important to dog lovers Tracy and Brent:

room for both you and your pup to hang out.

The dining room on the west side, for one, features a 4-foot-by-10-foot “dogfather” table decorated with pithy needlepoint canine art, and can be utilized as a reserved private room or a place to gather with co-workers for happy hour.

Elsewhere, a barrel room featuring reclaimed bourbon and scotch barrel accent walls will double as an event space. At the time of this writing in September, the brewery already had eight events booked. Cryder said she expects to host concerts at the brewery about once a month and hopes to use her new vintage scoreboard for baggo tournaments.

HEADS, TAILS: Southern Tail Brewing’s tasting room features walls of pine, chandeliers and 30-foot ceilings. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the patio.

For those who want to take their beers outside or play a game of cornhole, there’s ample seating and a large lawn area that stretches all the way down to Byrd Street. In keeping with the theme, well-behaved dogs on leashes will be allowed on the patio. Tracy Cryder said they’ll be able to accommodate 300 guests — about 150 inside and another 150 outside. The goal, she said, was to make the brewery a “third place” destination suitable for a bridal shower, a date, group trivia or a Mother’s Day lunch. The Cryders look for ward to seeing what guests gravitate toward. “They’re going to inform this,” she said. “It’ll be intuitive.”

Even before plans for the brewery were announced in March 2023, the Cryders were dreaming up ways to impact local animal-fo cused organizations. Southern Tail will host adoption events, and promotions will be of fered on certain items at the brewery, a por tion of proceeds benefiting local animal res cues and shelters. Additionally, the Cryders founded their own nonprofit, Craft with a Cause, specifically designed to support pet owners faced with tough financial choices re garding their pets’ care.

The Cryders — who met on an airplane while both living in Chicago — adopted Dol ly, a Cairn terrier who they nurtured back to health after she was surrendered to a vet.

“She’s had two knee replacements and couldn’t stand on her back legs when we first got her,” Tracy Cryder said. Now healthy, Dol ly likes to race around and play with their three-legged cat, Vinny, who “thinks he’s a dog.” They also have a Boston Terrier named Ivy, whose brother Wrigley died in 2018 — and is one of the reasons the Cryders decided to launch Craft with a Cause.

“It was one of those situations where we were having to make hard decisions,” Tracy Cryder said. “We did everything we could to save him both financially and emotionally. That’s not a decision we want people to have to make. We want pets to get the best care possible.”

The couple shares a background in consulting for large corporations. Tracy Cryder has consulted for Coca-Cola and Jim Beam. She’s also worked in catering. Brent Cryder, a self-proclaimed “yeast head,” has spent his free time over the years competing on the barbecue circuit and in home brewing competitions. He’s also been refining his palate as a WSET level 3 sommelier with a French Wine Scholar certification.

“If you talk to Brent for 5 seconds you know he’s the biggest nerd ever,” Tracy Cryder said. Whether it’s beer or wine or hop profiles, he takes a scientific, culinary approach. The

brewery’s one-barrel pilot system will afford him and longtime brewing partner Seth Borin the freedom to test and tweak new brews before they’re scaled up for production.

“One of the things I’m absolutely precious about is innovation, constantly tweaking things,” Brent Cryder said. “This pilot system allows us to make some small gambles.”

Once the brews are ready for prime time, Southern Tail will be utilizing a 15-barrel system. In addition to craft beer, they will also make craft soda (the Icy Arnold Palmer features frozen tea cubes in their house-made lemon fizz soda), plus seltzers, nitro-brewed coffee and mocktails. Wine will also be available.

The food menu includes beer cheese and pretzel appetizers along with Arkansas “Rice-otto” balls, a meat and cheese board, fried green tomatoes, beer can chicken, a pastrami bacon burger and a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. The STB craft burger looks promising, featuring two signature patties with “rescue” sauce in addition to Southern Tail’s secret sauce. You can also get your burger “off leash” and create it yourself. Tracy Cryder said the downtown area east of I-30 has always been the location they envisioned for their brewery.

“A lot of the brewing industry was born in industrial areas,” she said.

The craft beer boom in the downtown area east of I-30 — the city’s first industrial district — began when Yellow Rocket Concepts’ Lost Forty Brewing opened off East Sixth Street in 2014 in the neighborhood now known as East Village. Lost Forty is now Arkansas’s largest craft beer producer. In 2016, Rebel Kettle Brewing Co. opened down the street at 822 E. Sixth St. The company briefly rebranded as East Sixth Brewing Co. and closed permanently in 2020. Lost Forty’s sister small batch brewery/restaurant, Camp Taco, took over the space in 2021.

Southern Tail Brewing’s location on East Ninth wasn’t the first place they tried, Tracy Cryder said, adding that the first two buildings they considered weren’t meant to be.

“But it was always going to be within sort of a mile of here,” she said.

Tracy Cryder said both she and Brent have lived all over the place, including several years spent outside of the U.S., but they never felt like they wanted to stay in one place until they moved to Little Rock. Similarly, one of the brewery’s main objectives, she said, is to offer a place where people come for an hour and end up wanting to stay the whole day.

SIT, STAY: Clockwise: Southern Tail’s 15-barrel system, owners Brent and Tracy Cryder, a Southern Tail beer flight, man’s best friend.

`Hot Mama,’ Honduras Style

EL SUR STREET FOOD CO.’S COCKTAILS RIVAL ITS BALEADAS.

Before Taco Bell was appropriating everything holy about the street taco with a whitewashed cantina chicken menu, restaurateur Luis Vasquez, a native of Honduras, and his husband, Darren Strayhorn, were selling arepas and yuca

Overflow traffic

FAYETTEVILLE’S DOWNTOWN SQUARE A REFUGE FROM ROWDY STUDENTS.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SORENSEN

The University of Arkansas holds a commanding presence over Fayetteville. With a constant pipeline of students and faculty coming to campus each year, the demand for entertainment and nightlife is high. Fayetteville is full of bars, ranging from rowdy college dives to blue-collar hideaways that cater to the locals. There are definitely fewer live bands and more DJs in the clubs compared to the old days, but the booze flows faster than ever.

Granted, a night out on Dickson Street — the main drag in the entertainment district — should probably come with hazard pay. The university has swelled to more than 33,000 students, and many of the bars on Dickson cater to the just-turned-21 set. It can be quite chaotic with all those drunk undergrads wandering around.

Fortunately, many students never discover life beyond Dickson. That leaves room in other parts of town for those who prefer a slower pace but still want to meet up with friends for drinks. Fayetteville’s historic downtown square offers a good mix of bars, restaurants and shops for age-appropriate entertainment. Here are a few drinks-oriented establishments on or near the square to consider when you want to avoid Dickson Street. All are in close proximity to each other, making multiple stops on a night out doable.

GUISINGER

1 E. Mountain St.

One of the newer additions to the square is Guisinger, a throwback bar in the historic Guisinger Music House building. Built in 1886, it has been well-loved through the years and maintains the charm of a past era. It was recently home to the headquarters of the Roots Festival, the acclaimed Fayetteville music fest that is currently on hiatus.

The interior’s dark hues create a relaxed environment while providing stark contrast to the brightly-lit bar. When the evening rush arrives, a squadron of bartenders shake their cocktail shakers in unison as they keep pace with orders. They are the undisputed stars of the show at Guisinger, and they’re good at what they do.

Classic cocktails such as martinis and Manhattans are complemented with a creative seasonal menu. The beer list is small but well thought out. Order a fancy Belgian beer and watch it be poured into a glass bearing its name (as a Belgian beer should be served). Every small detail has been considered.

In addition to drinks, Guisinger offers small plates from the kitchen. Booths and tables provide open seating on the ground floor, with several small, semi-private spaces perfect for discreet conversation. Stairs lead to another quiet sitting area on the second

floor. Introverted extroverts will find plenty of space to be alone in a crowd.

Guisinger’s patrons skew older and better dressed than those you’ll find at bars closer to the university, yet the place still comes across as relaxed and nonjudgmental. In many ways it feels like an expensive pair of sweatpants: somewhat upscale but comfortable nonetheless.

MAXINE’S TAP ROOM

107 N. Block Ave.

Maxine’s Tap Room is one of the oldest taverns in Fayetteville, established in 1950 by the late Maxine Miller. Before her death in 2006, it was typical to hear Miller yell, “Get the hell out!” shortly after announcing last call each night. It might sound abrasive to those who didn’t know her, but it’s an example of the unique charm that led so many people to adore her.

Maxine’s was remodeled a few years after its namesake died, shifting from a blue-collar aura to a more modern look and feel. The layout remains basically the same, with a tight path from the entrance to the back of the building on busy nights. Some might need to suck in their midsections as they turn sideways to slip through when there’s a crowd. The customers are better heeled than they were before the facelift. And they’re more in-

BAR CRAWL: Basement pinball at Pinpoint, Guisinger lead bartender Trey Fincher, let the sign guide you to Vault.

terested in craft cocktails than cheap booze. But Maxine’s is a classic Fayetteville bar, so a vintage drink like an old-fashioned would be a good choice.

Or hell, order a PBR and a shot of your favorite whiskey. Then imagine Maxine sitting on her barstool, drinking coffee and counting the minutes before she could kick your ass out to the curb.

PINPOINT

23 N. Block Ave.

Pinpoint is a basement-based bar located in the space that once served as a legendary live music venue.

JR’s Lightbulb Club opened in 1989 and hosted raucous rock shows for more than a decade. It was the Fayetteville equivalent to Little Rock’s Vino’s Brew Pub in terms of reputation and grit. The deafening soundscape downstairs was made more tolerable with buckets of beer and cheap well drinks.

The dark, dank space that smelled of stale beer (and sometimes vomit) received a facelift and now features vintage pinball machines and a glitzy bar that slings high-end beverages. Pinpoint bills itself as “a place for adults to play” and keeps a list of machines currently in rotation on its website. Serious pinball players (yes, there is such a thing) can participate in tournaments scheduled throughout the year.

Pinpoint dresses itself up for special occasions, regularly hosting holiday pop-ups and other seasonal celebrations. Halloween and Christmas are especially popular times to visit. It’s one of the most festive places in town when the holiday season is in full swing.

VAULT

112 W. Center St., Suite B001

Be warned: This next bar is hard to find if you’ve never been there before. It’s tucked into the northwest corner of the E.J. Ball Building, behind the square and facing a parking lot. Fortunately, there’s a small sign announcing “BOURBON” to point the way.

And that sign is appropriate. Bourbon is the signature liquor at Vault. In fact, the bar has made several lists of best bourbon bars in America in recent years. Most locals weren’t used to shelling top dollar for fine bourbons when the place opened in 2018, but a patient staff and 25% discount on all whiskeys in inventory on Wednesdays won people over.

Vault has a sleek, polished look but doesn’t hold many bodies. There might be enough room for 15-20 people inside, with about the same number fitting on the sheltered outdoor

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patio. Because of its small size, Vault probably isn’t a place to linger long. But it is a wonderful place to start your night with a drink or end it with a nightcap. Preferably a high-end bourbon.

WEST MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

21 W. Mountain St.

West Mountain Brewing Co. makes this list because of its history as a beermaker, even though some know it as a restaurant.

The brewery is an offshoot of the adjoining Tiny Tim’s Pizza, and it has been producing ales at its small street-facing brewhouse since 2011. A steady stream of brewers have kept the fermenters full, including future brewery owners Andy Coates (Ozark Beer Co., Rogers), Jesse Gagnon (Orthodox Farmhouse Brewery, Goshen) and Casey Letellier (Ivory Bill Brewing Co., Siloam Springs).

Despite the turnover at the top, West Mountain continues to put out consistently good beer. The most popular are the IPA and the Blood Orange IPA, the latter a delightful variation that gives strong vibes of Sunkist orange soda. The pizza’s pretty good, too, if you like layered cracker-like crust.

There is quite a cast of characters at the bar each afternoon for happy hour. A mix of blue-collar workers, university students and professors, and various townsfolk banter with each other across a myriad of topics. It seems nobody is a stranger in the place, espe-

cially when sharing a pint of West Mountain beer.

Extend southward beyond the square and a few more options emerge.

Feed and Folly (110 S. College Ave.) is owned and operated by the same folks behind Guisinger. It’s mostly a restaurant, but the rooftop patio with dedicated bar service is reason to add it to this list. And Feed and Folly has a great drinks menu, too. Sipping a cocktail while looking at the sweeping view of the Boston Mountains to the south is a fine way to spend a couple of hours.

Prairie St. Bar & Tap (495 W. Prairie St.) is a classic dive bar that takes on the personality of its south Fayetteville clientele. The south side is a bootstrap part of town, and the people there don’t take bullshit from anyone. Dogs are welcome and the drinks start pourin’ early in the day (2 p.m. on weekdays, 11 a.m. on weekends).

The taproom at Crisis Brewing Co. (210 S. Nelson Hackett Blvd.) is ultra-small but super-popular. An enclosed patio to the rear of the building provides additional seating space, and several outdoor seating circles are sought after during warm weather. Many people think Crisis makes the best beer in town. Beer preferences are subjective, of course; but it’s hard to find someone in town who has something negative to say about the place.

If, as legend has it, it was Dionysus who invented wine, surely he’d approve of the digs at BCW, a whimsical spot in Little Rock’s SoMa District that our readers voted tops this year in several categories: Best New Bar, Best Wine Bar and Best Wine List. Like the tableaus on the Grecian urns in your high school world history textbooks, the plush jade-colored cushions at Bread Cheese Wine hint at leisure and opulence, beckoning Main Street pedestrians with airy architecture and abstract art. Fortunately for Little Rockers, though, the prices on the menu don’t require a Dionysian splurge from your wallet, the highest-end item on offer being the “Big Board,” a charcuterie spread meant to be shared family-style. And whatever Erin Saunders is doing as sommelier, she’s doing it right. On top of an expansive and diligently researched bottle and by-the-glass program, BCW’s wine flights ($29 and absolutely shareable) are a novice’s dream, letting you sample four curated and themed mini-glasses of vino, rather than succumb to the mysteries of committing to an entire bottle. Our pitch-perfect rec for enduring the Arkansas humidity: the Summer Sippers flight, with feather-light and delicate tastes of a South African rosé, a California grenache blanc, an “unoaked” Chardonnay and an Italian moscato. —Stephanie Smittle

OLD FASHIONED: Maxine’s Tap Room was established in 1950 by the late Maxine Miller.

RAISE A GLASS TO THIS YEAR’S TOAST OF THE TOWN WINNERS.

BARS

BEST BAR

Winner: Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock)

Finalists: The Hillcrest Fountain, White Water Tavern, Petit & Keet, Rock Town Distillery

BEST NEW BAR

Winner: Bread Cheese Wine (BCW)

Finalists: Flashback Pizza & Milkshakes (Rogers), Flyway Brewing (Fayetteville), Moody Brews, Southern Tail Brewing

BEST BARTENDER

Winner: Abigail Rogne (Rock Town Distillery)

Finalists: Rob Armstrong (Cypress Social, North Little Rock), David Timberlake (The Pantry), Hollee Russo (Four Quarter Bar, North Little Rock), Sarah Andrey (Flyway Brewing, North Little Rock)

BEST BAR FOR NONDRINKERS TO TAG ALONG

Winner: Hill Station

Finalists: Brood & Barley (North Little Rock), Cypress Social (North Little Rock), Gotahold Brewing (Eureka Springs), Rock Town Distillery

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

Winner: Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock)

Finalists: Brood & Barley (North Little Rock), Ciao Baci, Hill Station, Pizza D’Action

BEST BAR TO BRING YOUR KIDS

Winner: Hill Station

Finalists: Brood & Barley (North Little Rock), Flashback Pizza & Milkshakes (Rogers), Flyway Brewing (North Little Rock), Gotahold Brewing (Eureka Springs)

BEST DRINKING BRUNCH

Winner: Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom

Finalists: Big Bad Breakfast, Bread Cheese Wine (BCW), El Sur Street Food Co., Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock)

BEST PATIO OR DECK FOR DRINKING

Winner: Cypress Social (North Little Rock)

Finalists: Brave New Restaurant, Ciao Baci, Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock), Hill Station

BEST HOTEL BAR

Winner: Capital Bar & Grill

Finalists: AC Hotel & Lounge, Agasi 7 Rooftop Bar & Kitchen, The Lobby Bar at the Arlington (Hot Springs), Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort (Hot Springs)

BEST THEATER BAR

Winner: The Joint (North Little Rock)

Finalists: Foster’s at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, Robinson Center, The Studio Theatre and Lobby Bar

BEST BAR FOR POOL, DARTS OR SHUFFLEBOARD

Winner: Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock)

Finalists: The Hillcrest Fountain, Midtown Billiards, Pizza D’Action, White Water Tavern

BEST DIVE BAR

Winner: Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock)

Finalists: Midtown Billiards, Pizza D’Action, The Hillcrest Fountain, White Water Tavern

BEST PICKUP BAR

Winner: Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock)

Finalists: Bread Cheese Wine (BCW), Petit & Keet, The Hillcrest Fountain, Town Pump

BEST BAR FOR LIVE MUSIC

Winner: White Water Tavern

Finalists: Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock), Gotahold Brewing (Eureka Springs), Stickyz Rock‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, The Hall

BEST GAY BAR

Winner: Discovery

Finalists: 610 Center, Club Sway

BEST WINE BAR

Winner: Bread Cheese Wine (BCW)

Finalists: Ciao Baci, Crush Wine Bar, Petit & Keet, Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom

Dive Bar Delicacies

FOUR QUARTER’S FOOD IS BETTER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE, BUT THE DRINKS ARE STILL THE DRAW.

Commercial real estate is a mercurial thing, and what a disappointment it would have been for the historic former brothel at 415 Main St. in Argenta to have landed in the hands of far-flung developers, surely fated to become some frilly soap franchise or “Friends”-themed AirBnB. Instead, thanks in part to Midtown Billiards’ matriarch — the late Maggie Hinson — it’s now the beloved Four Quarter Bar, a real-deal, working class bar under the purview of longtime local bartender Colin Robinson. It’s the kind of place where regulars start saying, “Well, I gotta get goin’ ” roughly 90 minutes before actual departure, and where newcomers are shocked when they discover not only a chalkboard schedule of top-notch rowdy live music, but a killer gouda mac and cheese special on the menu, topped with house-smoked pork belly and sold for under $16. Like its auntie Midtown, 4Q is also where everyone heads after the other bars in town close; it’s open until 2 a.m., a familiar spot for both Uber drivers and for hospitality industry employees working the late shift. The Argenta bar’s crowd isn’t confined to witching hours, though. When we wandered in at 3:06 p.m. (six minutes after opening time) on a Thursday afternoon, five of eight barstools were occupied as an episode of “Bob’s Burgers” played on mute on the flat screen above the beer coolers, little Louise Belcher’s machinations perceptible only through subtitles as Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” blasted over the bar’s speakers. The joint isn’t even a decade old, and yet it already feels like quintessential (North) Little Rock. Our readers agree; Four Quarter secured a litany of awards in this year’s Toast of the Town poll: Best Bar; Best Bar for Food; Best Bar for Pool, Darts or Shuffleboard; Best Dive Bar; Best Neighborhood Bar; Coldest Beer; and (though we cringe to think we’ve kept this poll category alive), Best Pickup Bar.

—Stephanie Smittle

BEST BAR FOR FOOD

Winner: Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock)

Finalists: Bread Cheese Wine (BCW), Brood & Barley (North Little Rock), Cypress Social (North Little Rock), Flyway Brewing (North Little Rock)

BEST HAPPY HOUR

Winner: Brood & Barley (North Little Rock)

Finalists: Cypress Social (North Little Rock), Flyway Brewing (North Little Rock), Petit & Keet, The Hillcrest Fountain

BEST SPORTS BAR

Winner: Brewski’s Pub & Grub

Finalists: Mainline Sports Bar at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort (Hot Springs), The Hillcrest Fountain, Twin Peaks, Waldo’s Chicken & Beer (North Little Rock)

BEST BAR TO TAKE YOUR DOG

Winner: Bark Bar

Finalists: Flyway Brewing (North Little Rock), Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock), Gotahold Brewing (Eureka Springs), Hill Station

BEERS

BEST ARKANSAS BEER

Winner: Flyway Brewing Bluewing

Finalists: Gotahold Brewing Downhill Ride, Lost Forty Brewing Trash Panda IPA, Lost Forty Brewing 2nd Rodeo

BEST ARKANSAS PALE ALE

Winner: Flying Brewing Peregrine Pale Ale

Finalists: Superior Bathhouse Brewery Candy Mountain Pale Ale, Gotahold Brewing Love One Another, Ozark Beer Co. Hardwork Pale Ale, Diamond Bear Brewing Victory Pale Ale

BEST ARKANSAS SELTZER

Winner: Lost Forty Brewing Punchy

Finalists: Black Apple Hard Cider, Core Brewing Scarlet Letter

BEST ARKANSAS PILSNER

Winner: Gotahold Brewing Devil Put Aside Finalists: Lost Forty Brewing Bare Bones, Flyway Brewing Light, Ozark Beer Co. Pilsner, Bubba Brews Sandbar Pilsner

BEST ARKANSAS IPA

Winner: Gotahold Brewing

Downhill Ride IPA

Finalists: Southern Star Brewing Co.

Buried Hatchet, Flyway Brewing Early Bird IPA, Lost Forty Brewing Rockhound IPA, Lost Forty Brewing Trash Panda IPA

BEST ARKANSAS LAGER

Winner: Lost Forty Brewing 2nd Rodeo

Finalists: Gotahold Brewing Benison Country Lager, Ozark Beer Co. Lager, Flyway Brewing Quetzal Mexican Lager

BEST ARKANSAS SEASONAL BEER

Winner: Gotahold Brewing Oktoberfest

Finalists: Flyway Brewing Lord God, Flyway Brewing Oktoberfest, Flyway Brewing

Quetzal Mexican Lager

BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES

BEST ARKANSAS BREWERY

Winner: Flyway Brewing (North Little Rock)

Finalists: Gotahold Brewing (Eureka Springs), Moody Brews, Origami Sake (Hot Springs), Southern Tail Brewing

BEST NEW ARKANSAS BREWERY

Winner (TIE): Moody Brews, Flyway Brewing (Fayetteville)

Finalists: Gotahold Brewing (Eureka Springs), Orthodox Farmhouse Brewery (Goshen), Southern Tail Brewing

BEST NATIONAL BREWERY

Winner: Lagunitas Brewing Company

Finalists: Black Apple Hard Cider, Left Hand Brewing, Samuel Adams, Yuengling

BEST ARKANSAS DISTILLERY

Winner: Rock Town Distillery

Finalists: Butler Creek Distilling (Eureka Springs), Delta Dirt Distillery (Helena-West Helena)

BEST NATIONAL DISTILLERY

Winner: Buffalo Trace

Finalists: Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, Tito’s

BEST BREWPUB

Winner: Gotahold Brewing (Eureka Springs)

Finalists: Brood & Barley (North Little Rock), Flyway Brewing (North Little Rock), Lost Forty Brewing, Vino’s Brew Pub

DRINKS

BEST MARTINI

Winner: Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom

Finalists: Brood & Barley (North Little Rock), Ciao Baci, The Pantry, The Pantry Crest

BEST MARGARITA

Winner: El Sur Street Food Co.

Finalists: Baja Grill (Benton), Heights Taco & Tamale, The Grumpy Rabbit (Lonoke), The Fold Botanas & Bar, Waldo’s Chicken & Beer

BEST COCKTAIL

Winner: Rock Town Distillery

Finalists: Brood & Barley (North Little Rock), Cypress Social (North Little Rock), Petit & Keet, The Pantry

BEST MOCKTAIL

Winner: El Sur Street Food Co.

Finalists: Bread Cheese Wine (BCW), Brood & Barley (North Little Rock), Cypress Social (North Little Rock), Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom

COLDEST BEER

Winner: Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock)

Finalists: Fassler Hall, The Hillcrest Fountain, Flyway Brewing (North Little Rock), Twin Peaks

Year of the Raven

HOW EUREKA SPRINGS’ GOTAHOLD BREWING CHANNELS ITS MASCOT.

Here’s a list of things to love about Eureka Springs-based Gotahold Brewing, in case it wasn’t enough that they won the titles for Best Arkansas IPA, Best Arkansas Pilsner, Best Arkansas Seasonal Beer and Best Brewpub in our 2024 Toast of the Town poll: They list among their taproom team members the raven, a “protective totem” that figures prominently in the brewery’s logo, honored for being “intelligent, playful, intuitive, problem-solving birds who aren’t afraid of the shadows.” They hang locally made art on the walls and, unlike many venues, don’t charge a commission to the artist for works sold. They have an actual “beer forest” on site — a tri-level acre of land that boasts a stage, a fire pit, seating, a food truck and a 90-plus-yearold post oak tree they’ve named “Scout.” They keep a farmhouse, grisete or saison on a designated tap and donate 1% of sales from that tap to Carroll County’s chapter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and a poverty relief nonprofit called People Helping People.

—Stephanie Smittle

BEST BLOODY MARY

Winner: El Sur Street Food Co.

Finalists: Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock), The Grumpy Rabbit (Lonoke), Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom, The Fold Botanas & Bar

RESTAURANTS, LIQUOR STORES AND GROCERY STORES

BEST BEER SELECTION (LIQUOR STORE)

Winner (TIE): Colonial Wines & Spirits, Lake Liquor (Maumelle)

Finalists: Liquor World (Fayetteville), Sullivant’s Liquor, Warehouse Liquor Market

BEST WINE SELECTION (LIQUOR STORE)

Winner: Colonial Wines & Spirits

Finalists: JFK Liquor (Sherwood), Lake Liquor (Maumelle), Legacy Wine and Spirits, O’Looney’s Wine & Liquor

BEST WINE LIST (BAR OR RESTAURANT)

Winner: Bread Cheese Wine (BCW)

Finalists: Ciao Baci, Crush Wine Bar (North Little Rock), Petit & Keet, Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom

BEST BEER SELECTION (GROCERY STORE)

Winner: Kroger

Finalists: Dollar General, Edwards Food Giant, Fresh Market, Whole Foods

BEST WINE SELECTION (LIQUOR STORE)

Winner: Colonial Wines & Spirits

Finalists: JFK Liquor (Sherwood), Lake Liquor (Maumelle), Legacy Wine and Spirits, O’Looney’s Wine & Liquor

BEST LIQUOR STORE DELIVERY

Winner: Colonial Wines & Spirits

Finalists: 107 Liquor (Sherwood), Legacy Wine and Spirits, O’Looney’s Wine & Liquor, Stratton’s Market

WINE AND SPIRITS

BEST LIQUOR STORE

Winner: Colonial Wines & Spirits

Finalists: 107 Liquor (Sherwood), Legacy Wine and Spirits, O’Looney’s Wine & Liquor

BEST BEER SELECTION (BAR OR RESTAURANT)

Winner: Flying Saucer

Finalists: Cypress Social (North Little Rock), Flyway Brewing (North Little Rock), Four Quarter Bar (North Little Rock), Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom, Waldo’s Chicken and Beer

BEST NA OR ZERO PROOF BEER

Winner: Free Wave Hazy IPA, Athletic Brewing

Finalists: Black Butte Porter, Deschutes; Clausthaler; Golden Light, Bravus Brewing

Prizewinner in Pettaway

MOODY BREWS SCORES BIG WITH OUR READERS IN ITS FIRST YEAR.

BY RHETT BRINKLEY AND STEPHANIE SMITTLE

Back in February, longtime Little Rock brewer Josiah Moody took a victory lap around town, blasting music by the band Mt. Joy because he’d finally secured a brewing permit for his Pettaway microbrewery, Moody Brews.

It had been a long time coming. In October 2022, Moody Brews was the first business to plant its flag in the then-blossoming Pettaway Square small business district, which has become home to Pettaway Coffee, Paper Hearts Bookstore and the Smashed N’ Stacked food truck. Red tape is tough on breweries, though, and Moody’s business jumped through myriad hoops throughout 2023, failing to open its doors in what Moody called “a dark and frustrating year.”

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to get a brewing permit because it involves all three levels of government,” Moody told us. “But where I thought the federal and state agencies were going to be the most difficult, I was surprised and frankly disappointed to find that just getting a certificate of occupancy for my building was, by far, the most difficult hurdle. I’m grateful for other city leaders who advocated on my behalf, and I’m extremely excited to turn the page on that year and get to making beverages that Little Rock can be proud of.”

The wait paid off. Moody — who shares the 2024 Toast of the Town Best New Brewery award with Fayetteville’s new Flyway Brewing location — has a knack for creating delicious craft brews that take up residence in your mind long after you’ve left the brewery. This is how writer Stephanie Smittle described her near-obsession with a particular beer Moody created about 10 years ago and named after his daughter:

“Before the business opened in March, I’m pretty sure it had been about a decade since I had Moody’s Aria Bier, and it was still something I thought about all the time. In my memory, the farmhouse saison broadcasted its hibiscus leanings before you ever take a sip, emanating a rosy glow from within the pint glass and rewarding the nose with the faint perfume of orange oil. It fills my dreams. To put it in TikTok terms, it’s my Roman Empire.”

Give it a try when it’s on tap; we haven’t been disappointed with any of the beers offered in Pettaway. The Cuban Pull, the Pettaway Pils, the Kiwi Slushy Sour — they all slap. And the brewery has a true neighborhood feel. The modest two-level building is about 500 square feet on each floor, both with balconies overlooking the courtyard. It’s a delightful experience to have a few beers with co-workers during happy hour and then notice one of your colleagues has disappeared, only to return moments later with a captivating burger and fries from Smashed N’ Stacked that might convince you to cancel your dinner plans.

Moody has built his career as a brewer at Vino’s Brew Pub, Bike Rack Brewing, Damgoode Pies and Choc Brewery in Oklahoma, but, as he told us in 2022, “there is no shortcut to this. If you want to make your brand, and if you want to own the product, you’ve got to own the brewery and you’ve got to have the license.” Cheers to that.

BRIAN CHILSON

2024 THE CRITICAL ROLE OF NURSING EDUCATION NURSES GUIDE

From a mission that matters, competitive pay, development opportunities, and meaningful benefits, a career at Arkansas Children’s is filled with purpose and fulfillment. Our Total Rewards program includes benefits that go above and beyond to take care of team members at work and at home!

Arkansas Children’s achieved Magnet Status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), for nursing excellence and patient outcomes. We are nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report for 7 pediatric specialties and were recently named one of the best-in-state employers in Arkansas by Forbes.

See What’s Waiting for You. Search for openings and apply at archildrens.org/careers

LITTLE ROCK | SPRINGDALE | JONESBORO | PINE BLUFF | ROGERS

Dental Assisting, Emergency Medical Sciences, Health Information Technology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Pre-Health Care Studies, Radiography, Respiratory Therapy, Surgical Technology

FROM EXPECTED

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2024 NURSES GUIDE

PUBLISHER OF SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS

Brooke Wallace

NURSES GUIDE

MANAGING EDITOR

Becca Bona

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Mandy Keener

ART DIRECTOR

Katie Hassell

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Caleb Patton

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER

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DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

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PUBLISHER Alan Leveritt

Nursing stands at the core of healthcare, a profession driven by compassion, expertise and a deep sense of duty to help others. For those who choose this path, the rewards go far beyond a paycheck. As one of the most trusted professions in the world, nursing isn’t just a job — it’s a calling.

A CAREER THAT GIVES BACK

Nursing is more than administering medicine or checking vital signs. It’s about fostering connections with patients and meeting their physical, emotional and mental needs. Whether comforting a child before surgery or guiding an elderly patient through the complexities of chronic illness, nurses serve as the human touchpoint of health care.

Recent studies have shown that nurses often rank among the most trusted professionals in the U.S., with 81% of Americans reporting in a 2022 Gallup poll that nurses have “very high” or “high” ethical standards. This trust is built on nurses’ abilities to provide care and offer empathy and emotional support during life’s most challenging moments.

Choosing a career in nursing means stepping into a role that gives back to the community every day.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES

Nurses are often the linchpins of health care teams, coordinating between doctors, patients and families. This crucial role has lasting effects, with studies indicating that positive nursing interventions can reduce hospital stays and improve patient outcomes.

GROWING OPPORTUNITIES IN AN AGING POPULATION

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in nursing will grow by 6% from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. Much of this growth is driven by an aging population, with more baby boomers entering retirement age and requiring long-term care and chronic disease management.

In particular, specialized fields such as geriatric nursing, hospice care and home health services are expanding rapidly. The aging population presents a growing demand for nurses who can provide skilled, compassionate care to older adults. In fact, the number of people aged 65 and older is projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060, creating unprecedented opportunities for nurses to step into critical roles.

“MY ADVICE TO ANYONE CONSIDERING NURSING IS TO KNOW WHERE YOU HEART IS. KNOW YOUR WHY. THAT REALLY KEPT ME THROUGHOUT MY CAREER. I KNOW WHY – I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE. THIS IS MY PASSION.”

—SHYENNE GRAVES, BSN, RN, CARDIAC ICU CHI ST. VINCENT

WHY NURSING

THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

Moreover, with the health care industry facing ongoing shortages of nurses due to retirements and the increasing demand for health care services, nursing professionals entering the field today are well-positioned to secure stable, fulfilling jobs with long-term growth potential upon their graduations.

FLEXIBILITY AND DIVERSE LIFESTYLES

One of the most appealing aspects of a nursing career is its flexibility. Nurses have the unique opportunity to tailor their careers to suit a variety of lifestyles. With diverse shifts — ranging from traditional 9-to-5 jobs to 12-hour shifts that allow for extended time off — nursing offers a work-life balance that can be difficult to find in other professions. This makes it an attractive option for those seeking to manage personal and professional commitments.

Beyond the hospital, nursing careers offer various settings, from schools to corporate environments, cruise ships to research labs. For those who prefer autonomy, travel nursing provides the chance to explore different cities or even countries while earning a competitive salary. Nurses can work in specialty areas such as trauma, pediatrics, public health or administration, allowing them to pursue passions that align with their personal interests.

NURSING IS MORE THAN A CAREER

Nursing is more than a career; it allows individuals to make a profound difference in people’s lives while securing a stable, growing profession in an evolving health care landscape. Ready to dive into the world of nursing? This guide offers those first steps toward a bright future. Whether at the start of your nursing journey or looking to take your career to new heights, the following pages include an insider’s look into the profession that touches lives every day.

RURAL HEALTH IN ARKANSAS

THE STATEWIDE EFFORT TO ADDRESSING CRITICAL NEEDS

T

he health care system in Arkansas faces significant challenges, particularly in rural areas where access to specialized care is scarce and hospitals struggle to keep their doors open. One of the most pressing issues is the ongoing nursing shortage, disproportionately affecting rural communities. As the backbone of health care in these regions, nurses are essential to providing a wide range of services, from emergency care to chronic disease management. In these settings, their role often extends beyond clinical care to encompass public health, promoting wellness and managing community health programs.

OF

Shalyn Calaway, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) at UAMS, emphasizes the gravity of the situation: “Rural area hospitals are suffering because of the lack of health care providers, leaving patients with the inability to find care without a long wait or a far drive. Of course, this holds true for women’s health and obstetrical care twofold. Women’s health is a lifetime of care – from infancy, puberty, reproductive years, to perimenopausal years and everywhere in between. There is a large need for women’s health care providers.”

This shortage of health care professionals, particularly in women’s health, has left many patients with limited options. The strain is palpable in rural hospitals, where staff shortages not only affect patient care, but also the sustainability of these vital institutions. Nurses are often required to perform multiple roles to cover the gaps, and without sufficient support many health care facilities struggle to maintain operations.

ARKANSAS COUNTIES ARE DESIGNATED AS MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED, EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.

(Source: Arkansas Department of Health)

Efforts are being made to address this crisis, and the Arkansas Rural Health Academy is at the forefront of this battle. Developed by the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP), the academy is a beacon of hope, strengthening the health care workforce in rural areas. Through innovative training programs, mobile workforce units and telehealth services, the academy provides flexible learning opportunities to ensure rural communities have access to well-trained health care professionals. This is crucial in mitigating the long-standing shortages that affect rural regions disproportionately.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ announcement of over $9 million in funding to improve the financial stability of rural hospitals further supports these health care initiatives. This funding will help rural hospitals sustain their operations, ensuring that patients in remote areas continue to receive essential care.

Rural health care providers serve nearly 40% of Arkansas’s population, yet they remain in critical shortage in many areas, further highlighting the importance of rural health initiatives.

(Source: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement)

NURSING HERO SHEURIKA

MCKEEVER

Director of Nursing Baptist Health College Little Rock

As the Director of Nursing at Baptist Health Extended Care Hospital (BHECH), a Long-Term Acute Care Specialty Hospital (LTACH), I can witness patients progress from a critically acute condition to a point where they can confidently transition to the next stage of their care.

What inspired your career in nursing?

Before accepting the Director of Nursing position at BHECH, I worked as a Nurse Residency Coordinator. It was this position that allowed me to meet new graduate nurses, facilitate onboarding, and gain insight into their stresses, fears, concerns, and needs. I felt a continuous spiritual calling to be closer to those dedicating their lives to healing others amid a pandemic. It was this experience that helped my transition to Director become the best decision I have made in my nursing career. It has allowed me to combine my passion for mentorship with my commitment to providing exceptional patient care.

What is LTACH?

LTACH often remains a “clinical mystery.” Many mistakenly associate the term with a nursing home setting, which may not appeal to nurses seeking an acute care environment. However, LTACH is a critical care recovery hospital demanding a high level of skill and expertise. LTACH offers nurses a unique and fulfilling professional experience that fosters continuous growth and development of essential skills; all within a manageable and sustainable pace. Nurses gain hands-on, bedside experience with advanced procedures typically performed in specialized units, such as tracheostomies, ventilators, bronchoscopy, PEG tubes, chest tubes, and more. The extended length of patient stays allows nurses to witness the remarkable progress of their patients, from critical conditions to recovery. This opportunity to build meaningful relationships and observe tangible outcomes creates an exceptionally rewarding and fulfilling work environment.

What advice would you give to nurses?

If I could offer any advice to fellow nurses, it would be this: nursing is undeniably challenging; yet, amidst the difficulties, remember you have the privilege of going home at the end of your shift. Your patients may not be so fortunate. Often, patients are grappling with loneliness, anxiety, and daunting diagnoses. Extend them grace and compassion. Treat them as you would want your loved ones, or even yourself, to be treated. Again, caring for God's people is an Honor and Privilege, not a job!

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A STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE

Driving Better Outcomes Through Nursing Leadership

AMagnet hospital represents the gold standard of nursing excellence, patient care and staff engagement. Established by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Magnet Recognition Program identifies health care organizations that excel in nursing leadership, professional development and exceptional patient outcomes.

Achieving Magnet status requires hospitals to meet rigorous criteria set by the ANCC, focusing on clinical care, nurse involvement and leadership. The process can take years as hospitals work to align their goals and practices with the highest standards of nursing. Magnet hospitals prioritize nurse empowerment, giving clinical staff a strong voice in shaping policies that directly impact patient care. According to Rebekah Thacker, MNSc, RNC-NIC, nursing director for the Center for Nursing Excellence at UAMS Medical Center, “Magnet hospitals demonstrate that they value the integral position that clinical nurses have in changing health care, improving patient outcomes and advancing nursing practice.”

Magnet hospitals foster environments where nurses actively contribute to decision-making, which leads to lower turnover rates and higher job satisfaction. These hospitals are committed to professional development, supporting nurses in obtaining certifications, pursuing advanced degrees and taking on leadership roles. “Magnet hospitals are required to demonstrate evidence that nurses are supported in their professional development and have avenues to make sure their voices are heard and they feel empowered,” Thacker said.

Patients who choose Magnet hospitals can expect care rooted in evidence-based practices. Nurses are involved in quality improvement initiatives that drive advancements in patient care. As a result, these hospitals report better patient outcomes, including lower rates of hospital-acquired infections and complications like falls and pressure ulcers. “Magnet hospitals experience high-quality patient outcomes like decreased length of stay, decreased mortality and fewer hospital-associated infections,” Thacker said. However, maintaining Magnet status requires a continuous pursuit of excellence. Hospitals must foster a culture of innovation and invest in staff development. Nurses are expected to engage in quality improvement processes and professional development, which can be challenging but also deeply rewarding. Thacker notes, “Nurses in Magnet hospitals are highly engaged in quality and evidence-based practice, improving not only patient outcomes, but the nursing practice environment.”

There are over 600 Magnet hospitals worldwide, including several in Arkansas. These hospitals have earned recognition for their commitment to nursing excellence and quality patient care:

• Arkansas Children's Hospital

• Baxter Health

• CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs

• Conway Regional Medical Center

The Magnet designation signals a commitment to quality, innovation and continuous improvement for both nurses and patients. Nurses benefit from a supportive environment that encourages their professional growth, while patients receive top-tier care from highly engaged and motivated health care teams.

NURSING HERO

AMANDA

IRBY MHA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, CEN Conway Regional

With 25 years in nursing, including 23 at Conway Regional, I’ve had the opportunity to work in various roles, such as ER Director and Trauma Program founder. I’ve been involved in developing critical care units and served as Interim CNO before taking on the role.

As CNO, I manage all nursing divisions, including overseeing directors and managers. My role involves handling financial matters, improving quality outcomes, enhancing patient care, engaging with the community, supporting staff morale, and contributing to strategic growth.

What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing?

I was drawn to nursing by my interest in ER and trauma. Working in high-pressure situations has always been fulfilling for me.

Can you describe some of the most challenging aspects of managing hard-to-fill positions and how you address these challenges?

I address hard-to-fill positions by making the roles as appealing as possible and highlighting their importance in patient care. This includes offering shadowing opportunities during interviews, keeping nurse-topatient ratios manageable, and ensuring support from other departments. None of this is possible without nurse directors and managers. The foundation of any successful initiative is a strong team.

What strategies do you have in place to prevent and manage burnout among nursing staff, especially in demanding roles?

To help manage burnout among nursing staff, we focus on limiting weekly shifts, promoting the Employee Assistance Program, recognizing recruitment and retention efforts, and supporting team-building activities.

In what ways do you see empathy playing a role in the effectiveness and satisfaction of nurses in their positions?

I believe empathy is vital in nursing, both for providing compassionate care to patients and for fostering a supportive work environment. Nurses need to receive empathy from their colleagues and leaders to stay effective and satisfied in their roles.

How does your team ensure that nurses working in specialized or high-pressure roles receive the support they need to thrive?

We ensure support for nurses in specialized or high-pressure roles by fostering a culture of regular check-ins, peer support, leadership oversight, and stress-debriefing sessions. Professional development and ongoing communication are key to helping staff thrive.

Brian Chilson

1. Baptist Health College Little Rock

Benefits of earning a nursing degree at BHCLR:

• Only 3 semesters to become an RN with prerequisites

• Hands-on instruction - highest number of clinical hours in the state, multiple hospital instruction

• Large pool of nursing instructors, mentors & advisors within the program with Masters & Doctorate education

• Christian compassion & loving environment

2. New RN Grads Hired at Any Baptist Health Hospitals

• Senior Assistance Bonus

• 12 Month Residency Program

• Tuition Reimbursement

• Comprehensive Benefits and 401K

• 12 month Fellowship in ER, W&C, and PeriOp

3. Advance your career with Baptist Health

Experienced

Master’s Prepared

NURSING SPECIALTIES IN DEMAND

Top Jobs and Growing Opportunities

For those entering the field or looking to advance, understanding which specialties are in demand can guide career decisions and provide pathways to higher earnings and job stability.

NURSE PRACTITIONERS

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who provide primary and specialized patient care. With the autonomy to diagnose, prescribe and treat, NPs are essential in various health care settings, including family practice, mental health and women’s health. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for practitioners is expected to grow by 40% between 2021 and 2031. This increase is largely due to the rising need for accessible health care services, particularly in rural or underserved areas where practitioners may serve as primary care providers. Nurse practitioners also enjoy some of the highest salaries, with the median pay hovering around $120,000 annually, depending on the area of specialization. Specialties like psychiatric-mental health and neonatal care are in demand, offering challenging work and strong compensation.

CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETISTS

CRNAs represent the highest-paid nursing role, with annual salaries often exceeding $200,000. CRNAs are responsible for administering anesthesia during surgeries and other medical procedures, a critical task that requires extensive training and certification.

CRNAs play a vital role in surgical and emergency care settings, working alongside surgeons and anesthesiologists to ensure patient safety. As health care facilities look for cost-effective solutions, the demand for CRNAs continues to grow. Additionally, the increasing complexity of surgeries and medical treatments boosts the need for this highly specialized nursing profession.

INFORMATICS NURSES

As health care technology advances, informatics nurses are increasingly in demand to manage and optimize the use of electronic health records and other digital systems. These nurses bridge the gap between

HIGHEST RANKING NURSING JOBS

CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST (CRNA)

$203,090

Administers anesthesia and manages patient care during surgical procedures.

NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (NICU) NURSE

$128,211

Sources: Nurse.org and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

clinical care and IT, ensuring that health data is efficiently recorded, stored and accessed. With the rise of telehealth, mobile health applications and electronic record-keeping, informatics nurses help improve the quality and efficiency of patient care.

Informatics nursing also offers strong salaries, with median earnings typically ranging $80,000$100,000. The role is ideal for those who have a passion for both health care and technology and want to shape the future of digital health.

GERIATRIC NURSES

As the U.S. population ages, the demand for geriatric nurses is rapidly growing. These nurses specialize in the care of elderly patients, often managing chronic illnesses and providing long-term care. Geriatric nurses work in hospitals, long-term care facilities and home health care settings, ensuring that older adults receive the specialized attention they need.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, the need for senior care will continue to rise significantly in the coming years, making it one of the most stable and essential fields within nursing. Salaries for senior nurses average around $75,000 annually, but there is ample room for growth, particularly in leadership and management roles within elder care facilities.

While these specialties are the highest in demand, others are suggested as additional pathways nurses could traverse. Experts at the University of Arkansas Pulaski Tech specifically call out home health care as an underrated specialty. They say it allows nurses to build long-term relationships with patients and their families, as well as offer a more personalized care experience.

Provides care for premature and critically ill newborns in neonatal intensive care units.

CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST (CNS)

$124,374

Works as an expert in clinical practice, improving patient care and health care systems.

PAIN MANAGEMENT NURSE

$121,916

Helps patients manage acute and chronic pain through various treatment plans.

PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH NURSE PRACTITIONER (PMHNP)

$119,801

Specializes in mental health care, diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders.

HEALTH POLICY NURSE

$117,469

Focuses on health care policy, advocacy and system improvements at a broader level.

NURSE ADMINISTRATOR

$110,680

Manages nursing departments, overseeing budgets, staffing and operations.

REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANT (RNFA)

$108,267

Assists surgeons during operations, performing critical roles in surgical procedures.

ADULT-GERONTOLOGY NURSE PRACTITIONER (AGNP)

$107,530

Specializes in providing care for aging adults and addressing complex health issues.

FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER (FNP)

$103,803

Provides primary care services, working similarly to a family physician.

NURSING NEWS

UA LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL OF NURSING

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s School of Nursing recently was awarded a $969,200 grant from the Arkansas Labor Market Improvement Grant program to address the state’s critical nursing shortage.

The grant aims to bolster the university’s School of Nursing by increasing enrollment, enhancing training and supporting the retention of nursing students. One key focus of the funding is to improve clinical education through the integration of advanced simulation technology, providing students with hands-on, real-world learning experiences that better prepare them for the demands of the health care workforce.

This initiative is crucial, as Arkansas, like many other states, faces a growing need for health care professionals, particularly registered nurses. The ALIGN grant is designed to help UA Little Rock expand its capacity to produce well-trained nursing graduates who can seamlessly transition into health care roles across the state. By doing so, the program aims to fill a critical gap in the health care system and ensure better patient care statewide.

UA Little Rock’s School of Nursing already has established a strong reputation, with consistently high National Council Licensure Examination pass rates and robust partnerships with regional health care providers. The grant will allow the school to build on these strengths, further cementing its role as a leading institution in nursing education in Arkansas.

ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S

Arkansas Children’s has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals for several years, earning distinctions in such pediatric specialties as cardiology, neonatology and pulmonology. In 2023-24, the hospital was ranked in four specialties: cardiology and heart surgery, neonatology, pulmonology and urology. Based on patient outcomes, safety and resources, this recognition highlights the hospital’s ongoing commitment to providing world-class care for children across Arkansas and beyond. This distinction solidifies Arkansas Children’s place as a leader in pediatric health care.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Arkansas Tech University (ATU) offers a robust and flexible nursing program designed to meet the growing demand for health care professionals. Students can choose from a variety of licensure pathways, including a licensed practical nurse or associate degree in nursing through ATU Ozark, and a traditional bachelor of science in nursing at the Russellville campus.

ATU also offers hybrid and online options, such as LPN to BSN and ADN to BSN programs, allowing working professionals more flexibility. ATU launched a new hybrid LPN to BSN program this fall, providing online coursework and local clinical training for LPNs. In addition to affordable tuition rates, ATU nursing students have achieved a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX for the past three semesters. ATU also offers an Accelerated BSN to master of science in nursing, focusing on nursing administration and emergency management.

These diverse options and expert faculty ensure students are well-prepared for a successful nursing career. With strong partnerships in the health care industry and a commitment to hands-on learning, ATU nursing graduates are equipped for job placement immediately following licensure. Prospective students can tour the simulation rooms and meet the dedicated faculty.

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK

Baptist Health College Little Rock (BHCLR) announced its participation in the Arkansas Future (ArFuture) Grant program, which began in May 2024. This grant provides financial support for students pursuing careers in high-demand fields like health care, covering tuition and fees for those who qualify. Designed to address workforce shortages, the program encourages students to enroll in critical fields like nursing, radiography and surgical technology. In return, recipients must commit to working in Arkansas for at least three years post-graduation. Students are also expected to maintain academic progress and participate in community service during their studies. This initiative reinforces BHCLR's dedication to providing affordable, high-quality education and ensuring the state’s health care system is adequately staffed. Prospective students can visit BHCLR’s website for further details on the grant and how to apply.

NURSING HERO

SABRINA ENOCH

BSN, RN, CNMT, NMTCB (CT) E7 - Oncology Transplant/ Clinical Faculty UAMS Medical Center

Why would a nurse choose to be a nurse educator?

I decided to pursue my MSN in nursing education because I have a passion for teaching, building mentorships, and continuously learning new things. May it be teaching a student how to take manual blood pressure or instructing a patient on how to give themselves or their family member an insulin shot for the first time. These actions which may seem minor can make a difference between life and death in someone’s life.

Opportunities and work duties as a nurse educator?

As a nurse educator, there are several opportunities to teach in various types of settings. I can work in a hospital teaching patients and staff about diverse topics. Topics can include diabetic education, wound dressing changes, or about new medications. When working in an academic setting like a community college or university, I can do various roles. I can lecture in the classroom, be a clinical instructor with the students at different sites and be involved in simulations where students learn skills in a “real life” scenario setting.

Any additional education requirements or the difference between a BSN versus a Master’s?

When I became a BSN nurse, the requirements included a 2.75 undergraduate grade point average or above in prerequisites in various class subjects. When I decided to pursue my Master’s degree in Nursing Education, I had to first have a BSN degree, attain two thousand documented working hours as a nurse, and have a 3.0 grade point average in my previous 60 hours of nursing coursework to apply.

Challenges and rewards of working as a nurse educator?

With any career, there are days filled with challenges and rewards. As a nurse educator, these challenges include finding new ways to teach material so it can be fun and engaging to who you are teaching. Also, having a good work-life balance can be hard. You have to make sure that when you leave work, you leave the work. The number one reward of this profession for me is watching someone’s eyes light up and say, “Hey, I did it!” and understand the “why behind it.” It brings me immense joy and admiration to know I helped foster that knowledge and made a difference.

YOUR PATHWAY TO NURSING

The Quick Route From Class to Clinic

To become a nurse, you must complete a nursing program, pass the required licensing exam, and you're ready to work.

The good news? Arkansas offers a wide range of nursing degrees and designations, providing students with multiple pathways to enter the nursing profession and advance their careers. Each level of education and certification is designed to meet specific needs within health care sectors, allowing aspiring nurses to choose a path that aligns with their professional goals.

1. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

The CNA certification is often the first step for individuals interested in the nursing field. CNAs assist patients with such daily activities as bathing, dressing and eating, and they report changes in a patient's condition to nurses. This role requires a high school diploma or equivalent and completion of a CNA training program, typically lasting 4-12 weeks. Many programs, like those at UA Pulaski Tech, provide the necessary training. After completing the program, students must pass a competency exam to become certified.

2. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Licensed practical nurses provide basic nursing care under the supervision of registered nurses (RNs) and doctors. LPNs work in long-term care facilities, hospitals and clinics. In Arkansas, aspiring LPNs must complete an accredited practical nursing program, which usually takes about a year to complete. Such schools as Arkansas Tech University and UAMS College of Nursing offer LPN programs that combine classroom instruction and clinical experience. Graduates must pass the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nurse) to obtain licensure.

3. Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

The ADN is a popular option for those looking to become registered nurses (RNs). This two-year program is offered at many community colleges and universities, including UA Little Rock and UA Pulaski Tech. The curriculum combines coursework in nursing theory, anatomy and pharmacology with clinical experience in hospitals and health care settings. After completing the program, graduates must pass the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse) to become licensed RNs. ADN programs are often shorter and more affordable than bachelor’s programs, making them an attractive entry point into the profession.

4. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

A BSN is a four-year degree that provides a more comprehensive education than the ADN, preparing nurses for leadership roles and specialized positions in areas like public health, critical care and pediatrics. Institutions like UCA and UA Little Rock offer BSN programs that include both classroom instruction and clinical practice. A BSN is often required for advanced nursing roles and is recommended for nurses looking to further their education with a master’s or doctoral degree. Hospitals seeking Magnet status, such as Arkansas Children’s Hospital, often prefer hiring nurses with BSNs because of their comprehensive training.

5. RN to BSN Programs

For nurses who have already earned an ADN, Arkansas offers several RN to BSN programs. These are typically online or hybrid programs designed to accommodate working professionals who wish to advance their careers. UAMS and Baptist Health provide flexible RN to BSN pathways that allow RNs to complete their bachelor’s degree while continuing to work. Completing a BSN opens the door to higher-paying roles and leadership positions.

6. Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

An MSN is designed for nurses seeking advanced practice roles or leadership positions within health care. Common specialties include nurse practitioner (NP), clinical nurse leader (CNL) and nurse educator. UAMS and UCA offer MSN programs with various specialties. MSN-prepared nurses take on higher-level responsibilities, including diagnosing and treating patients, prescribing medication and managing teams of nurses.

For those looking to take their education even further, DNP is the highest level of nursing education available in Arkansas. UCA offers a comprehensive DNP program, preparing nurses for leadership roles in clinical practice, health care administration and policy-making. UAMS also offers a DNP program with tracks for both BSN- and MSN-prepared nurses. DNP graduates work as nurse practitioners, health care executives and educators, playing key roles in shaping health care practice and policy across the state.

7. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

To find the most up-to-date Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) programs, Scan the QR code links below! PRACTICAL NURSING PROGRAMS

REGISTERED NURSING ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

REGISTERED NURSING BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

POST-BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

LEARNING TO CARE

The Critical Role of Nursing Education

Nursing education is essential in shaping the next generation of health care professionals. A good nursing program develops technical expertise and instills critical thinking, compassion and leadership — crucial qualities in today’s complex health care environment. As patients’ needs evolve and health care systems advance, the importance of high-quality nursing education cannot be overstated.

For Casey Polk, MSN, MPH, CRNA and clinical instructor at UAMS College of Nursing, teaching nursing is both a personal passion and a professional necessity.

“Nursing has changed immensely over the last few decades, and I think teaching methods need to evolve as well,” she said. Polk emphasizes the need for innovation in nursing education, particularly when engaging students with the heavy and dense content that often accompanies it. Her focus on integrating active learning methods has been key to her teaching approach.

“Teaching reminds me of why I entered the profession in the first place. Students bring an enthusiasm that is contagious, and they make me a better practitioner,” she said. “Continual learning is so important in health care. Being around students really brings that to the forefront.”

Carol Brizzolara, a clinical instructor at UAMS College of Nursing, shares a similar perspective on the necessity of bridging the gap between theory and practice. “It is such an honor to help students take what they have learned about nursing theory and transition all that head knowledge to helping them provide hands-on patient care,” she explained.

Brizzolara believes in breaking down complex concepts step-by-step so students not only learn what to do, but also understand why they are doing

it. “Nurse educators need to explain tasks, assessments, nursing concepts and physiology so students aren’t just doing things by rote, but instead understand what’s going on with the patients,” she said, adding that this deeper understanding of nursing practices enables safer, more effective care.

Candice Palmer, a faculty member at Baptist Health College in Little Rock, underscores the profound impact of teaching on both the educator and the student. “I was first drawn to nursing education through my deep-seated passion for both nursing and teaching. During my early years as a nurse, I naturally gravitated toward mentoring new nurses. I realized that by educating future nurses, I could make an even greater impact — one that extends far beyond the bedside,” Palmer shared.

However, while many find it deeply rewarding, nursing education faces several challenges. A shortage of nurse educators is a major concern. As Polk noted, the imbalance between the number of students and instructors makes it difficult for educators to give each student the attention they need. “When I have eight students on the floor helping patients, I’m running all day to make sure each one gets the attention they need,” she said.

Palmer echoed these concerns, adding that “the shortage of qualified nursing faculty leads to heavier workloads for existing educators and can limit the number of students admitted to programs.”

Another issue educators face is the salary gap between clinical practice and academia. Polk noted that many nurse anesthetists express a desire to teach but are hesitant to make the move due to the significant salary difference. Despite these challenges, Polk remains dedicated to her role as an educator. “I love bringing others into our great

NURSING HERO

LAURA

GILLIS DPN, RN Nurse educator, University of Central Arkansas

Laura Gillis knew she wanted to be a nurse from a very young age, but it wasn’t until later in her career that she decided to become a professor and educate the next generation of Arkansas nurses.

What inspired you at such a young age?

My mom would always take me with her to visit the little old ladies at church who were shut-ins. At a young age I was comfortable around older adults with health problems. I also enjoyed taking care of sick animals, the dogs in the neighborhood. I just always enjoyed caring for other living things.

How did you get inspired to shift and go into teaching?

Someone approached me and said they thought I would be a good nursing instructor. We were moving to Conway and I contacted Barbara Williams, who at the time was the nursing department chair. I became a parttime clinical instructor and did that for several years, still working part time at the bedside. I decided I wanted to go back to school and be a full-time instructor, so at age 50 I went back and got my master’s and I finished my doctorate at age 58. I’ve been teaching in all the undergraduate and graduate classes since then.

profession. I had amazing instructors who inspired me, and I hope to do the same for my students,” she said.

As health care continues to advance, the role of nursing education will only grow in importance. Nurse educators are not just imparting skills; they are shaping future health care leaders who will carry forward the traditions of patient advocacy, safety and teamwork. Brizzolara emphasizes that exposing students to a wide range of health care professionals helps foster a collaborative approach to patient care. “I bring in experienced nurses from various specialties so they can see beyond basic patient care and understand patient safety and advocacy. I love nursing, and I try to help them love it, too,” she said.

The future of nursing lies in the hands of these educators who inspire and equip their students to navigate the complexities of modern health care with empathy, critical thinking and a dedication to patient well-being. Their role is not just significant; it’s pivotal in shaping the future of health care.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK

I am a St. Vincent Nurse.

Marcella provides care for patients in the Medical-Surgical Unit.

“I learn something new every day taking care of different patients with different disease processes. Our nurses work great together. We’re always there to help each other and lend a helping hand. A lot of the policies in the hospital are nurse driven.”

Join Marcella and become part of our work family. $25k sign on bonus for one+ year bedside experience and $10k for less than a year!

chistvincent.com/nurses

Choose the Best. Choose UAMS.

Whether you’re looking for the right place to further your education or the right place to start your nursing career, UAMS is the best choice for you.

Apply now and start your journey to become a nurse who will make a difference:

 Transform Lives – Make a positive difference in people’s lives every day

 Lead Change – Become a nursing leader and drive innovation in healthcare

 Impact Healthcare – Influence the future through cutting-edge research, policy development and clinical practice

Visit nursing.UAMS.edu for Student Recruitment

Already a nurse and looking for the best place to practice? Say YES to UAMS!

 Statewide opportunities to practice in diverse areas, clinics or our hospital in Little Rock

 Clinical Ladder offers financial incentives for advancement including BSN, MSN, and DNP degrees at the state’s only academic medical center

 50% Tuition Discount (undergraduate only) at UA System colleges for full-time employees

Go to nurses.UAMS.edu for Career Opportunities

Marcella Lenox, RN Medical-Surgical

Hot Springs

HEALTHY MINDS, CARING HEARTS

The Push for Mental Health in Nursing

Nursing is a gratifying career where professionals can profoundly impact their patients’ lives. However, like any profession that involves caring for others, it comes with its share of challenges. Nurses often work long shifts and manage emotionally intense situations, which can affect their mental health. Recently, however, health care systems have begun prioritizing the mental well-being of nurses, acknowledging the importance of addressing emotional and psychological needs.

The growing emphasis on mental health resources for nurses represents a positive shift within the profession. Health care institutions across the country recognize that supporting nurses’ mental health improves their well-being and enhances patient care. Today, many hospitals and health care organizations offer mental health programs such as counseling services, peer support groups and stress management workshops. These initiatives are creating healthier work environments where nurses feel supported and empowered.

Pinal Patel, BSN, RN, from CHI St. Vincent, shared her perspective on the importance of self-care in nursing: “When I first started working as a nurse, I got some great advice — you can’t take care of your patients if you’re not taking care of yourself. A busy unit makes that even more important.”

Mickey Pfrenger, RN, from Conway Regional, described the challenges and rewards of working as a psychiatric nurse. “Being empathetic while having the ability to set firm boundaries are essential qualities in a psychiatric nurse,” she said. “Not all patients will appreciate the efforts you pour into them. Still, it is the ones that tell you what a difference you have made that make it all worthwhile.”

Mental health support is also gaining attention at Baptist Health, where Tanisha Phelps, a behavioral health nurse manager, emphasizes the importance of peer support in handling stress. “I handle stress on the job by talking with my peers. We are very supportive of one another and look out for each other’s mental and emotional well-being,” Phelps said. She believes that work-life boundaries are essential for maintaining mental health, advising nurses to set firm boundaries between their personal and professional lives.

OF NURSES REPORT HIGH STRESS LEVELS, BUT MORE HOSPITALS ARE PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT PROGRAMS. 82%

“It’s important to create clarity between the realms of work and personal life to reduce stress and burnout,” she said.

These efforts to prioritize mental health create a more sustainable, fulfilling career for nurses.

PINAL PATEL

BSN, RN

CHI St. Vincent

What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing?

My late father had a chronic diagnosis of congestive heart failure that led to many other complications and suddenly required his hospitalization in the ICU and CVICU. I watched his nurses providing compassionate care and collaborating with doctors. They made my father and my whole family feel comfortable and involved in his care. These great role models inspired me to become a nurse to help patients with similar diagnoses to my dad.

Kayla Bullard, BSN, RN, also from CHI St. Vincent, emphasized the importance of having a support system. “You always need to have a secondary avenue. Like two or three people to talk to after a rough shift. We have an on-call chaplain we can contact at any time to support us on our worst days,” she said.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital offers its staff a comprehensive range of mental health support services through the Life Connections program. This program provides free and confidential mental health counseling for all team members and their families.

“We know that when the people around us are struggling, it impacts our mental health, too, and we want loved ones to feel supported in their journey as well,” a representative from Arkansas Children’s shared. The hospital also offers free access to tools like Virgin Pulse, which provides stress management resources and life coaching to help nurses maintain balance in their personal and professional lives

Programs like ANA’s Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation and other wellness initiatives are helping nurses maintain a balance between the demands of their work and their personal well-being. “I believe many people miss out on valuable employer-provided mental health resources due to the stigma surrounding mental health challenges,” Phelps said. She hopes more nurses will utilize services like the Employee Assistance Program, which offers counseling, resources and stress management training.

By addressing mental health head-on, the nursing profession is making significant strides in creating a supportive, healthy environment for its practitioners. The future of nursing is about delivering excellent patient care while ensuring that nurses are empowered to take care of themselves.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• ANA’s Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation: Wellness resources for nurses, focusing on both mental and physical health.

• The Nurse Well-being Initiative: A national effort to support mental health for health care workers.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR NURSES

Can you address some of the most challenging aspects of your first year as a nurse have been? It might have to be the imposter syndrome I’ve noticed many of my peers and myself have experienced. For my first year, I always felt like I wasn’t knowledgeable enough to care for my patients and almost felt a sense of guilt asking “stupid” questions. I've had to be reminded by many seasoned nurses throughout this first year “You’re not dumb, you’re just new,” which helped me get through it.

What strategies have you discovered to prevent or manage burnout in your routines?

I’m a huge advocate for therapy especially for people in healthcare. We see so many traumatic things regularly, and we still have to keep pushing. Because even though patient #1 is going through XYZ, we still have to take care of patients #2, #3 and #4. Sometimes the emotions don’t hit until we're leaving the hospital and it all hits at once, so having a therapist to talk to really helps with processing things like patient deaths or seeing a complete flip in patient status.

Resources like Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation and The Nurse Well-being Initiative offer strategies for nurses to stay mentally and physically healthy.

Sources: American Nurses Association, Journal of Nursing Management, American Journal of Nursing, World Health Organization

COLLEGE & HOSPITAL PROFILES

From the bustling hospitals of Little Rock to the community clinics serving rural areas, Arkansas provides diverse opportunities for nurses to practice their craft. The state's growing healthcare sector, coupled with an aging population, creates a strong demand for skilled nursing professionals.

Our accredited nursing programs found within the Nurse’s Guide equip students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to excel in this rewarding field. Whether you're a recent high school graduate or a seasoned healthcare professional looking for a career change, Arkansas offers a welcoming environment for aspiring nurses.

In this guide, you’ll find firsthand accounts from Arkansas nurses on just how impactful their roles have been, news within the nursing industry, and detailed descriptions of each program throughout the state. Join us in making a positive impact on the lives of Arkansans.

ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

For more than a century, Arkansas Children’s has been a beacon of hope for countless families across the state. As the only pediatric healthcare system exclusively dedicated to children in Arkansas, we are committed to providing the highest quality care, from emergency medicine to preventative services. Our unwavering dedication to safety, teamwork, compassion and excellence guides everything we do.

A COMPREHENSIVE CARE NETWORK

At Arkansas Children’s, we understand that every child’s journey is unique. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range of specialized services, including pediatric specialties such as cardiology, oncology, neurology and orthopedics. We also believe in proactive health, providing well-child care services to identify and address potential health issues early on. Additionally, the Dennis Development Center offers specialized care for children with developmental conditions, supporting their growth and learning. Our facilities are located throughout the state, making our services more accessible to families in need. Our flagship hospital in Little Rock is a Level I Trauma Center and one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the United States. It offers a comprehensive range of services, including inpatient care, emergency care, outpatient clinics and surgical services.

Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW) is another state-of-the-art facility that provides specialized pediatric care, including a Level IV Pediatric Trauma Center. Our clinics in Jonesboro, West Little Rock, Southwest Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Rogers offer a variety of services, including well-child care, sick visits, specialty care and diagnostic testing.

A COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH

Beyond clinical care, our dedication to improving children’s health extends to research. The Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) is a leading pediatric research institution focused on addressing a wide range of childhood diseases and conditions. Through groundbreaking research, ACRI is making significant contributions to the field of pediatric medicine. ACRI’s researchers are investigating a variety of topics, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and genetic disorders. The institute is also working to develop new treatments and therapies for children with rare and complex medical conditions.

A REWARDING CAREER

A career at Arkansas Children’s offers nurses the opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of children and their families. With a diverse range of specialties and locations, there’s a perfect fit for every nurse’s career goals. Our commitment to providing a supportive and nurturing work environment ensures our nurses can thrive and excel in their roles.

We offer nurses a variety of opportunities for professional development, including continuing education courses, mentorship programs and leadership training. We also encourage our nurses to participate in research and quality improvement initiatives.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

Arkansas Children’s is more than just a healthcare provider, we are committed to making a positive impact on the communities we serve. Through our outreach and education programs, we strive to promote child health and wellness, prevent childhood diseases and improve access to care for children in need.

Our outreach programs include a variety of initiatives, such as:

• Health fairs and screenings: We host health fairs and screenings in communities across the state to provide children and families with access to preventive health services.

• Educational programs: We offer educational programs for children, parents and healthcare providers on a variety of topics related to child health and wellness.

• Community partnerships: We partner with schools, community organizations and other agencies to address the health needs of children in our communities.

• Medical education: We offer medical education programs for healthcare professionals, including continuing education courses and fellowships.

• Public health education: We offer public health education programs for children, parents and the general public.

• Research education: We offer research education programs for researchers and students. Through our outreach and education programs, Arkansas Children’s is making a difference in the lives of children and families throughout Arkansas. We are committed to creating a healthier future for all children.

JOIN US IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Arkansas Children’s offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, retirement savings plans and paid time off. We are dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment where our employees feel valued and respected. Additionally, we provide a variety of opportunities

for professional growth and advancement through leadership development programs, mentorship programs and continuing education courses. If you’re passionate about pediatric care and want to be part of a team that is dedicated to making a difference, we invite you to consider a career at Arkansas Children’s. Together, we can create a brighter future for children and their families. A career at Arkansas Children’s allows you to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families. We believe Arkansas Children’s is a great place to work, and we invite you to learn more about our career opportunities.

As one of the state’s leading institutions of higher learning in the healthcare space since 1921, Baptist Health College Little Rock proudly serves students and the community alike by offering high-quality instruction and producing graduates that serve the health needs of people statewide.

Offering instruction in nine critical areas of medicine, Baptist Health College Little Rock is a longstanding and well-respected institution, with thousands of graduates at work throughout Arkansas in a wide range of rewarding health careers.

Baptist Health College Little Rock, a part of Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock, shapes the health of Arkansans by educating and mentoring healthcare professionals with excellence and Christian compassion.

EDUCATIONAL FOCUSES

Baptist Health College Little Rock offers ten programs of study in a variety of medical fields. Each program offers excellent opportunities with real-world experience. These include:

• RN Accelerated: Nurses provide and direct others in the provision of nursing care to patients in an acute care setting and a variety of other health care settings. This accelerated track is an option for paramedics and LPB/LPTNs who wish to become a nurse.

• Medical Laboratory Science: Medical technologists perform tests on blood and body fluids to determine the presence or absence of disease, monitor response to treatment and aid in health maintenance.

• Nuclear Medicine Technology: Nuclear medicine technologists use small amounts of radioactive pharmaceuticals for diagnosing and treating various diseases.

• Occupational Therapy Assistant: Occupational therapy assistants help clients of all ages learn or regain the skills required to function as independently as possible in self-care, work, play and leisure activities.

• Patient Care Technician: Patient care technicians work under the supervision of nurses, advanced practice personnel and physicians to provide direct patient care of basic needs, phlebotomy and perform electrocardiograms.

• Practical Nursing: Under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN), a licensed practical nurse provides direct patient bedside care such

BAPTIST HEALTH COLLEGE LITTLE ROCK

as personal hygiene, treatments and medication administration.

• Radiography: Radiographers are licensed medical professionals who perform diagnostic X-ray examinations using ionizing radiation, MRIs, and CT Scans to assist physicians.

• Sleep Technology: Sleep technologists are medical professionals responsible for patient care and outpatient procedures associated with the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders.

• Surgical Technology: Surgical technologists, under the supervision of a surgeon or RN, set up and maintain the sterile field and anticipate the needs of the surgeon.

• Traditional Nursing: Nurses provide and direct others in the provision of nursing care to patients in inpatient, outpatient, clinical and community healthcare settings.

ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Baptist Health College Little Rock assists students wishing to continue their education in the health sciences by maintaining a robust slate of partnerships with other institutions of higher learning in Arkansas. The college is proud to coordinate with these colleges and universities to provide seamless online options for graduates to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Partnering with Baptist Health College Little Rock School of Nursing in this arrangement are Arkansas Tech University, Ouachita Baptist University, the University of Arkansas, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Capella University and the University of

Central Arkansas. These agreements serve current and historical graduates from the Baptist Health College School of Nursing program.

Other transfer partnerships exist between Baptist Health College School of Practical Nursing and Arkansas Baptist College as well as a general education support agreement with Geneva College-Portage Division.

Baptist Health College Little Rock maintains an affiliate network with numerous schools of allied health, including Arkansas State University, and Arkansas Tech. University, Geneva College Portage Division, Henderson State University, Southern Arkansas University, Ouachita Baptist University, Harding University, Louisiana Tech University, Missouri Southern State University, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College and the University of Central Arkansas.

PAYING FOR SCHOOL

To bring higher education within reach of more students, Baptist Health College Little Rock assists students in understanding available financial aid programs. Among these are federal and private student loans and state aid programs, including the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship as well as scholarships awarded by the Baptist Health Foundation.

Through the generosity of its many donors, the Baptist Health Foundation supports a myriad of scholarships for students. For specific financial aid information and application guidelines, contact the school at 501-202-6200.

CONWAY REGIONAL HOSPITAL

Founded in 1921, Conway Regional Health System (Conway Regional) has been steadfast in its commitment to delivering exceptional healthcare services to the community. This dedication to excellence is reflected in its numerous accolades, including being named "Best Hospital" by AY Magazine for five consecutive years and by Best of Faulkner County for nine consecutive years. In September 2020, Conway Regional achieved the prestigious Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a testament to its nursing excellence.

A PATIENT-CENTERED APPROACH

Conway Regional's commitment to excellence is rooted in its patient-centered approach to care. The healthcare system believes every patient deserves the highest quality of care, delivered with compassion and respect. Its team of dedicated healthcare professionals is committed to providing personalized care that meets the unique needs of each patient. Their system strives to make it easy for patients to access the care they need, offering a variety of convenient options such as same-day appointments, online scheduling and after-hours care. This focus on accessibility ensures patients can receive the care they need when they need it.

A CULTURE OF INNOVATION

Conway Regional is a leader in healthcare innovation, constantly seeking new and improved ways to deliver care and committed to investing in the latest technologies and treatments. This focus on innovation ensures patients have access to the most advanced care available.

INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE

Conway Regional believes in investing in its nurses. It offers a variety of programs to support their professional growth and financial well-being, including:

• Tuition Reimbursement: Nurses can take advantage of the generous tuition reimbursement program, which covers up to $5,200 per year for accredited programs. This allows them to further their education without breaking the bank.

• RN to BSN: Conway Regional fully funds its

RN-to-BSN program, providing nurses with the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. A BSN degree can lead to higher salaries and more career opportunities.

• Clinical Advancement Program: The Clinical Advancement Program recognizes and rewards experienced nurses for their clinical expertise and leadership skills.

• Professional Practice Day: Nurses can engage in research and evidence-based practice through the Professional Practice Day. This event provides nurses with the opportunity to present their research findings and learn from other professionals.

JOIN A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY

Conway Regional offers a supportive and collaborative nursing community. Clinical educators provide ongoing support and mentorship, and functional councils foster professional development and research. Nurses can connect with other nurses, share their experiences and learn from each other.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Nurses at Conway Regional also can make a difference in the lives of patients and their families. They work in a variety of settings, including Medical-Surgical, Specialty Care, Nursery, ICU and Emergency Department. This allows them to care for patients from all walks of life and make a real impact on their lives.

DISCOVER OUR SCHOLARSHIPS

The Conway Regional Health Foundation offers several scholarships to support nursing students. These opportunities include:

• Conway Regional Health Foundation Nursing Scholarship Fund.

• Michael Wood, MD, Endowed Scholarship Fund.

• PROMISE Program.

The PROMISE Program is a unique opportunity for nursing students to gain invaluable hands-on experience while earning a competitive wage. This program allows students to work as hourly employees, clocking in approximately 36 hours per week at $20 per hour. Over an eight-week training period from May

to August, participants immerse themselves in diverse clinical settings, such as Medical-Surgical, Emergency Department and Intensive Care across Conway Regional and Dardanelle Regional Campuses. In addition to gaining practical experience, students benefit from a $2,500 scholarship from the Conway Regional Health Foundation, awarded upon program completion, to support their continued academic journey. The program is also open to accelerated BSN students who can commit to full-time work during the summer. The PROMISE Program exemplifies Conway Regional’s commitment to supporting the next generation of nursing professionals with practical training and financial assistance.

JOIN THE CONWAY REGIONAL FAMILY

Conway Regional offers a fulfilling and rewarding nursing career. With its commitment to excellence, support for professional growth and opportunities for advancement, it is a great place to start or continue a nursing career.

ADDITIONAL REASONS TO CHOOSE CONWAY REGIONAL:

• Magnet Recognized Hospital: Conway Regional is a Magnet Recognized Hospital, a prestigious designation awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

• State-of-the-Art Facilities: Their facilities are equipped with the latest technology and staffed by highly skilled professionals as well as the resources you need to provide the best possible care for your patients.

• Collaborative Culture: Their culture is one of collaboration and teamwork, allowing the opportunity to work with a diverse group of professionals who are committed to providing excellent patient care.

• Work-Life Balance: Conway Regional understands the importance of work-life balance and offers a variety of benefits and programs to help nurses maintain a healthy work-life balance. Experience nursing at its best with Conway Regional. Ready to join the team? Reach out to their recruiter at 501-513-5198!

Established in 1927, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock) is a dynamic, metropolitan research university committed to providing accessible, high-quality education. Our flexible learning options and unparalleled internship opportunities empower students to achieve their goals.

With a diverse student body of more than 8,000, including a significant population of part-time and nontraditional learners, UA Little Rock caters to individuals from all walks of life. Situated in the vibrant heart of Little Rock, our campus offers a rich urban environment with endless opportunities for professional growth, cultural exploration and networking.

As a cornerstone of the city and state, UA Little Rock is a driving force in research, technology, economic development and job creation. Our commitment to excellence prepares students for successful careers and positions us as a regional leader in innovation.

A STRONG FOUNDATION IN NURSING

Our rigorous curriculum prepares you for a successful nursing career by equipping you with the knowledge, skills and critical thinking abilities essential for providing high-quality patient care. Our faculty members are experienced professionals who are passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of nurses.

Our Center for Simulation Innovation (CSI) provides a realistic and immersive learning environment where you can practice your skills in a safe and controlled setting. Equipped with high-fidelity manikins, virtual reality technology and advanced simulation equipment, the CSI offers a unique opportunity to develop your clinical judgment and decision-making abilities.

At UA Little Rock, we believe in creating a supportive and engaging learning environment where you can thrive. Our small class sizes allow for personalized attention from faculty members, and our student-centered approach fosters a sense of community and belonging.

MILESTONES AND PARTNERSHIPS

The UA Little Rock School of Nursing has a proud history of excellence, marked by numerous achievements and milestones. Our commitment to academic excellence is evident in the outstanding success of our students. In December 2023, the associate of

applied science degree graduating class achieved a perfect 100 percent NCLEX pass rate, demonstrating the effectiveness of our program and the dedication of our students.

We have invested significantly in our facilities to provide our students with the best possible learning environment. In recent years, we have allocated nearly $100,000 to purchase new hospital beds for our CSI, ensuring our students have access to stateof-the-art equipment.

We have formed strong partnerships with local healthcare facilities, providing students with valuable clinical experiences and job opportunities. Most recently, UA Little Rock received a $970,000 federal grant from the Arkansas Department of Commerce and the Arkansas Linking Industry to Growing Nurses (ALIGN) as well as announced several corporate partnerships including several healthcare facilities. These partnerships contribute to our students’ success and help to meet the healthcare needs of our community.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

We are committed to staying at the forefront of nursing education by investing in the latest technology. The addition of the $96,000 high-fidelity manikin, Apollo, to our CSI, provides students with advanced simulation experiences. We are constantly exploring new and innovative ways to enhance our students' learning experience. JohniBeth Teague's research grant has enabled us to purchase six MetaQuest virtual reality headsets, expanding our virtual simulation offerings.

RECOGNITION AND PHILANTHROPY

Our CSI has been recognized for its excellence by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL), receiving the prestigious Frontline Simulation Champion Excellence Award. Our students have achieved remarkable success, both academically and professionally. Amanda Trickey was named one of the Arkansas Center for Nursing's 40 Nurse Leaders Under 40, highlighting the exceptional leadership and clinical skills of our students.

The generosity of our donors has been instrumental in supporting our programs and students. Dr. McClain's planned gift of $25,000 has established a new scholarship for nursing students, and Bressinck's

planned gift of $10,000 has created the Oswald Endowment. The Bill Stovall Endowed Scholarship, established through a planned gift of $300,000, provides financial assistance to deserving nursing students. The Roy & Christine Sturgis Foundation has generously donated $25,000 for new EchoMask manikin face skins, supporting our efforts to provide realistic simulation experiences.

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS AND PUBLICATIONS

Our faculty members have made significant contributions to the nursing profession through their research, publications and leadership. Joanna Hall, director of simulation, is president-elect of the Arkansas Center for Nursing board of directors and class president of Leadership Saline County. Heba Sadaka, associate professor, was honored with the Honor Society Sigma Theta Tau Gamma XI at Large Practice Award and presented at Sigma's 35th International Nursing Research Congress in Singapore. Our faculty members have also contributed to the nursing literature through their research and publications. Here are some notable examples:

• Dr. Shelia Brooks: "Implementing the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to Identify and Refer Adults with Depression" in the International Journal of Depression and Anxiety.

• Carolyn Hunter-Layne and Dr. Lindsey Baertlein: "Redefining teamwork: Inter-Professional Collaboration" and "Conflict Resolution: The soft skills for nurses" in the Healthcare Journal of Arkansas.

• Jennifer Bridges: "Emerging Technology: Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare."

A NURSING EDUCATION THAT SETS YOU APART

By choosing the UA Little Rock School of Nursing, you are investing in a quality education that will prepare you for a successful and fulfilling career in nursing. Our commitment to excellence, our state-of-theart facilities and our supportive learning environment make us the ideal choice for aspiring nurses.

Join us and discover the difference a UA Little Rock nursing education can make.

Contact us today to learn more about our programs and how to apply.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS - PULASKI TECHNICAL COLLEGE

The University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College (UA-PTC) Nursing Program offers a comprehensive and enriching experience for aspiring nurses. As a leading provider of practical nursing education in Arkansas, UA-PTC is committed to nurturing compassionate and skilled healthcare professionals who make a positive impact on their communities.

The program provides a unique blend of academic excellence, hands-on training, and personalized support. Benefits from this intensive, one-year curriculum designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge needed for success. Learn from dedicated instructors with extensive clinical experience who provide personalized guidance and mentorship. Gain practical experience through a combination of theory courses and clinical rotations at top healthcare facilities in the region. Enhance learning with virtual reality simulations that allow students to practice skills in a safe and interactive environment. UA-PTC’s comprehensive program and dedicated support staff contribute to our impressive success rates on the National Council Licensure Examination.

The dedication to student success is evident in UAPTC’s impressive academic achievements. In 2022 alone, we achieved a 41% graduation rate and a 78.7% NCLEX-PN pass rate. These figures showcase our ability to effectively equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in the nursing profession.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

Recognizing the growing demand for skilled nurses, we have secured significant grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor to expand our program and enhance the learning experience. Increased enrollment by accommodating a larger number of students provides more opportunities for aspiring nurses to pursue their dreams and contribute to the healthcare workforce. Enhancing faculty will allow additional qualified instructors to offer more personalized attention and support to our students, ensuring that students receive the guidance and mentorship they need to succeed.

Dedicated student success coaches and retention specialists provide guidance and resources throughout the program. These professionals offer support in areas such as academic advising, career counseling, and personal development. The introduction of a new clinical and simulation coordinator further enhances our hands-on learning experiences and prepares students for real-world clinical settings. By utilizing advanced simulation technology, students will have the opportunity to practice skills in a safe and controlled environment, gaining confidence and proficiency before entering actual clinical settings.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Understanding that the cost of higher education can be a significant burden is evident at UA-PTC. To help alleviate this financial strain, various financial aid options are offered, including Pell Grants and private scholarships. The commitment to making nursing education accessible to all is reflected in UA-PTC’s efforts to provide support and resources to help students succeed.

Upon graduation, UA-PTC Nursing graduates are well-prepared to enter the workforce and secure rewarding careers. Earning a competitive median annual salary of $59,730 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023), nearly all graduates who pass the NCLEX-PN exam find employment within months.

Beyond traditional hospital settings, nursing careers offer a wide range of exciting and growing specialties. From insurance carriers to schools and trade industries, there are numerous opportunities for nurses to make a meaningful impact.

WHY CHOOSE UA-PTC NURSING?

UA-PTC’s comprehensive curriculum equips students with the essential skills and knowledge needed for a successful nursing career. They learn from experienced faculty, gain practical experience through clinical rotations, and benefit from state-of-the-art simulation technology. The program is designed to prepare students for the challenges and rewards of the nursing profession.

UA-PTC Nursing offers a supportive and collaborative learning environment. Students have the opportunity to connect with fellow students and faculty, forming lasting relationships that can benefit their careers. UA-PTC’s dedicated staff is committed to their success and will provide the guidance and support you need to achieve your goals.

EXPERIENCE THE UA-PTC NURSING ADVANTAGE

Students will find at UA-PTC, a comprehensive nursing program that caters to their unique needs and aspirations. The commitment to providing a quality education is reflected in the following:

• Flexible Scheduling: Many students have busy lives outside of the classroom. To accommodate your schedule, UA-PTC offers a flexible program that allows you to balance your education with work, family, and other commitments. The goal is to make it easier for students to achieve your nursing goals without sacrificing your personal life.

• Personalized Attention: Small class sizes create a supportive and intimate learning environment where you can receive personalized attention from your instructors. This allows students to ask questions, seek clarification, and build strong relationships with professors.

• State-of-the-Art Facilities: UA-PTC is proud to offer modern classrooms, labs, and simulation centers with the latest technology. These facilities provide students with the tools and resources to succeed in their nursing studies.

• Community Partnerships: Practical experience is essential for becoming a successful nurse. That's why UA-PTC has forged partnerships with local healthcare organizations to provide students with valuable clinical experiences and networking opportunities. These partnerships allow them to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world settings and build connections with industry professionals. Take the next step towards a fulfilling career in nursing. Contact us today to learn more about our program and how to apply!

The University of Central Arkansas, a four-year institution of higher learning, boasts a rich 115-year tradition of educational excellence. Through innovative and collaborative teaching, UCA ensures each student is immersed in a challenging yet supportive culture.

TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

Founded in 1967, UCA’s School of Nursing is one of the state’s most recognized and distinguished educational institutions. Located within the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, UCA welcomed nearly 400 nursing students in 2022, including 250 bachelor’s degree (BSN) candidates; 30 RN to BSN students; and 100 combined graduate nursing students.

Classes are a healthy mix of traditional and nontraditional students, providing quality instruction to nurses wherever they may be in their personal and professional journey. The School of Nursing also goes to great lengths to make education affordable, boasting 17 named scholarships to help students achieve their dream of earning a nursing degree and serving their communities.

With a 94% graduation rate for BSN students, a 98% NCLEX-RN licensure pass rate and 100% employment rate with 12 to 18 months of graduation, UCA continues to set the bar for innovative and challenging nursing education in Arkansas. Average starting salary for UCA nursing alums ranges from $62,400 to $84,400, depending on medical specialty. Moreover, 90% of UCA nursing students remain in Arkansas following graduation, improving the lives of patients right here at home.

EDUCATION WITH A PURPOSE

Learning is a lifelong endeavor that fosters intellectual and personal growth through critical thinking, active inquiry and creativity. The School of Nursing is committed to educating students at the undergraduate and graduate levels as leaders in the delivery of quality health care and advancement of the nursing profession.

UCA’s program begins with the quality of the faculty and their ongoing commitment to teaching/ learning, student success, scholarship and service to the community. The process of learning involves student-teacher partnerships and cooperation in meeting student and program goals.

Nursing faculty members serve as role models who guide students in developing an understanding of the discipline and in developing leadership, accountability, cultural competence, safe and ethical practice and interdisciplinary collaboration.

COMBINING ART AND SCIENCE

Professional nursing is an art and a science, grounded in general education and derived from the synthesis of empirical knowledge, aesthetics, personal knowledge and ethics. Caring and empathy are also fundamental to nursing, with the characteristics of compassion, sensitivity and the ability to connect with patients with thoughtful attention to the patient’s needs, interests and values.

UCA prepares students to meet the challenges of nursing as a professional discipline concerned with meeting the health needs of a diverse and changing society. Nurses are legally and ethically accountable to society for the integrity and outcomes of its practice, and the School of Nursing helps students meet this standard through scholarly inquiry and study, self-reflection and a variety of clinical and professional experiences.

“Nursing is not a static profession,” said Leslie Blackwell, a faculty member. “Patient situations are constantly changing. It is important that the student knows the standards of the profession, but then they must analyze a particular situation. At UCA we help students develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary to make decisions regarding how to best meet the needs of the patient.”

CHI ST. VINCENT

CHI St. Vincent is a regional health network serving central and southwest Arkansas since 1888. With a history of many firsts, CHI St. Vincent’s networks include primary care, specialty clinics, urgent care, hospitals, home health, rehabilitation and surgery centers.

CHI St. Vincent consistently receives praise and awards for advancements in care. Its growing Medical Group includes providers across almost every medical and surgical specialty. CHI St. Vincent is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people.

The health system offers a wide variety of opportunities at its four hospitals and clinics. Nurses enjoy a challenging, fulfilling career, good work-life balance, the joy of a servant ministry, comprehensive benefits, continued education opportunities, tuition reimbursement, higher starting pay with sign-on bonus for RNs up to $25,000 and much more.

PROFESSIONAL NURSING

The nurses of CHI St. Vincent play an integral role in the organization’s ongoing efforts to provide exceptional care and an excellent place to work.

At CHI St. Vincent, nurses help design the process by which decisions are made. As experts, they are relied upon to help in the continual improvement of the nursing practice environment.

From a nurse’s first shift and throughout their career, CHI St. Vincent provides the opportunity to build a rewarding career supported by caring and professional team members.

JEFFERSON REGIONAL

Over the course of more than 100 years, Jefferson Regional Medical Center has responded dynamically to the challenges of providing excellent health care to people throughout south-central Arkansas, developing programs and services to meet increasingly complex needs. Over the years, the organization has brought cutting-edge technology to the Delta to fulfill its mission, starting with traditional X-ray technology and evolving all the way through state-of-the-art computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) today.

Jefferson Regional School of Nursing was established in 1981 and has a strong history of graduating compassionate nurses who go on to be leaders in their communities. The purpose of the school was, and continues to be, to graduate professional, competent nurses to improve the health of individuals, families and the community. The School of Nursing seeks to offer the highest quality nursing education opportunity for qualified students to meet the demand for professional nurses throughout Arkansas.

MARKET-PROVEN, OUTCOME-BASED

Jefferson Regional Medical Center School of Nursing offers an educational program designed to prepare qualified men and women of all ages to serve the nursing needs of the community and to contribute to the maintenance of high standards of health care delivery.

The Jefferson Regional Medical Center School of Nursing offers a 17-month education program that leads to an associate of applied science in nursing

“As nurses, we have a duty; it is our privilege to care for people in their greatest time of need. When they are at their worst, they choose to come to us so we can lay our healing hands on them,” said Brett Calcagno, RN. “When problems arise, nurses actively bring forth ideas and try to be part of the solution. They are a focal point of strength knowing their patients are depending on them to help give them strength back.

“When you join my team, you have joined a family. We support each other, teach each other and encourage each other. And if one of our family members is hurting, we all are hurting. And like all families, we work through it together.”

A PATHWAY TO YOUR FUTURE

within their track, providing opportunities to learn the organizational culture, meet peers in their specialty and ultimately find the best unit/team for their future career.

With the demand for nurses on the rise, CHI St. Vincent has partnered with schools across the state to offer scholarship opportunities. Nursing students can earn their ADN, RN and BSN degrees with the help of CHI St. Vincent. Scholarships are awarded to qualifying students with after-graduation employment guaranteed for a period of time.

NURSE RESIDENCY PROGRAM

The Nurse Residency Program is designed to allow residents to experience different patient care environments. Residents rotate through shifts and through units

This extensive one-year program features a series of learning and hands-on work experience for new nurse graduates as they transition into their first professional role. Skills learned during the program include caring for patients with increased levels of acuity and complexity, developing leadership skills, improving safety and quality of care, fostering critical thinking skills, and bringing evidence-based practice to the bedside.

New grads are hired in all areas of the hospital, including critical care, ICU, procedural areas, ER, cardiac, behavioral health, med surg and more.

Residency tracks are available in Little Rock, Hot Springs and Sherwood.

degree. The program is approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, certified by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.

A high-quality education from Jefferson Regional School of Nursing is the perfect starting point for a rewarding career in health care. Leveraging the expertise of veteran teachers and combining it with cutting-edge instructional technology, students gain the knowledge they need to thrive in an ever-changing profession.

The numbers tell the story: Jefferson Regional School of Nursing enjoys an 87% retention rate among its students as well as a perfect 100% credentialing participation rate. Its graduates boast an 83% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX credentialing exam and enjoy 95% placement in the health care field.

SEAMLESS CAREER TRANSITION

With 300 available beds, Jefferson Regional serves as the major referral center for an 11-county area of South Arkansas with a patient base of approximately 220,000. A Nursing Residency Program is offered for new graduates with less than one year of experience. The medical center has a medical staff of 150 physicians representing all major specialties and has active teaching programs for medical students and residents as well as students in allied health fields. Outstanding opportunities with clinics and private practices include excellent call coverage and a strong referral base.

COMPETITIVE PAY AND BENEFITS

Jefferson Regional is the perfect setting for nurses seeking a rewarding career. The organization offers pay and benefits on par or better than other hospitals while offering employees a small-town quality of life.

Specific benefits include:

• Sign-on bonus of $8,000 and $12,000 in qualified departments

• Flexible staffing and competitive pay plans

• Additional compensation for BSN, MSN and National Certifications

• Tuition reimbursement

• Employer-Paid CPR, PALS, NALS, ACLS

• Free membership for on-site Wellness Center

• Comprehensive benefits package

Visit jrmc.org for full details.

Since it was founded in 1909, Arkansas Tech University (ATU) has been a place of opportunity for hard-working families seeking to improve their lives through education.

ATU academic offerings at the doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s levels on the Russellville campus are organized under the College of Arts

One of the most advanced and well-recognized names in medical care and education in Arkansas, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is a cornerstone of the state’s health and wellness. The mission of UAMS is to improve the health, healthcare and well-being of Arkansans and of others in the region, nations and the world by:

• Educating current and future health professionals and the public.

• Providing high-quality, innovative, patient- and family-centered health care while providing specialty expertise not routinely available in community settings.

• Advancing knowledge in areas of human health and disease and translating and accelerating discovery into health improvements.

As Arkansas’s only academic health system, UAMS resolves to deliver dramatic and lasting health and healthcare improvements. Aiding in this area are its statewide health system, UAMS Health; a statewide network of campuses for public education and clinical outreach; and expertise in medical specialties, population health, digital health, health informatics and translational research. Based in Little Rock, UAMS enjoys a statewide reach thanks to nine regional campuses and a comprehensive rural hospital program, 11 KIDS FIRST program sites and other facilities.

UAMS earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade this year from The Leapfrog Group, making it the only hospital in the Little Rock area to receive the distinction. U.S. News & World Report also named UAMS a 2024-25 Best Hospital, while the Arkansas Times' readers chose UAMS as the "Best Company to Work For."

NURSING EXCELLENCE

UAMS recognizes the value of our nurses as an integral partner in strategic planning, quality outcomes and patient experiences. UAMS has a culture of excellence exemplified through programs that support nurses’ shared decision-making, professional development, advancement of nursing practice and collaborative interprofessional partnerships.

UAMS and the Center for Nursing Excellence support many programs including but not limited to our Clinical Care Assistant, Clinical Ladder, National Certification, New Graduate Residency (RN and LPN), Nursing Grand Rounds, Professional Nursing Awards, Resource Nurse Program, Social Media Recognition and Tuition Discount for undergraduate degrees. Our programs significantly benefit not only our nurses but also other UAMS employees, our patients and the community.

and Humanities, the College of Business and Economic Development, the College of Education and Health, the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and the Graduate College.

U.S. News and World Report named ATU the No. 1 regional public university in Arkansas for 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. In addition, the publication ranked ATU among the top 35 public universities in the southern United States for 2023-24.

ATU is nationally recognized for its student outcomes. CollegeNET has ranked ATU as the No. 1 institution in the state on its Social Mobility Index for eight of the last 10 years.

In the most recent rankings, ATU was among the top seven percent of all U.S. institutions on the Social Mobility Index, which looks at the economic background of a university’s student body and compares it to the institution’s tuition rate, graduation rate and endowment as well as the early career salary for its young alumni.

As part of its mission of access through affordability, ATU is the only public, four-year institution of higher

education in Arkansas committed to zero increase in tuition, mandatory fees and student housing costs for the 2024-25 academic year. In addition, ATU ranks top two in the state for the lowest tuition and fees cost for in-state graduate students.

ATU is a small school that thinks big. Students enjoy award-winning instruction and a full suite of activities on a cozy campus that feels like home. ATU has two campuses that offer nursing options: the main campus in Russellville and the technical campus in Ozark. ATU Ozark offers LPN and LPN-to-RN programs. The Russellville campus offers BSN and MSN programs. BSN options include an in-person, traditional pre-licensure program and two online options for licensed nurses, a hybrid LPN-to-BSN and a fully online RN-to-BSN program.

These programs allow working LPNs and RNs to continue their education in a flexible format, close to home. The BSN curriculum prepares students to be competent for professional nursing practice, self-directed and able to apply clinical judgment in a variety of healthcare settings. The online Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Administration and Emergency Management (NAEM) program is designed to offer students a specialized program of study to serve the educational needs of professional nurses actively engaged or planning to enter a healthcare profession related to administration, leadership and emergency management.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT BATESVILLE

Batesville | (870) 612-2070 | uaccb.edu/nursing

The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville combines classroom instruction, simulated patient care and clinical experience to prepare graduates for a successful career in nursing. Students can apply for the 11-month Practical Nursing (PN) program or the 18-month Registered Nursing (RN) program. UACCB has an excellent nursing program. The 2023 class of licensed practical nursing students achieved an overall pass rate of 100% on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) as required by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in the State of Arkansas.

UACCB offers a variety of degrees and certifications in the health care sector including LPN, LPN to RN, RN, Certified Nursing Assistant, EMT, Patient Care Technician and Phlebotomy. Both Nursing (RN) and Health Professions are in the Top 5 most in-demand majors by enrollment. Health Professions are the fastest-growing major on campus.

UACCB offers an online degree in Health Professions and an online Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Registered Nurse (RN) degree. There are several UACCB Foundation Scholarships available specifically for students pursuing a career in nursing. Visit uaccb.edu/pages/main/104/scholarships for more information.

Students can earn a degree in health care from UACCB for free through the ADHE Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship. Visit sams.adhe.edu/Scholarship/Details/AWC for more information. Qualifying health care certifications and degrees include Registered Nursing, Health Professions Degree, EMT, Practical Nursing, Medical Office Management, Phlebotomy, Patient Care Technician and Nursing Assistant.

Health care is the number one, top job field in high demand for our graduates. If students want to save money on a bachelor's degree, start at UACCB and transfer to a four-year university. It's a great way to save money on core classes and there are transfer scholarships available. Want to go to the University of Arkansas? Students can keep paying their UACCB tuition rate when they transfer!

UACCB has been named one of the Top 150 community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than a thousand community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.

NURSE RECRUITER PROFILES

Visit a recruiter and start planning your future

BAPTIST HEALTH RECRUITMENT

Our belief at Baptist Health is that we are more than patient care; we are a healing ministry. That is why we are Arkansans’ choice for their health care needs. We have a variety of nursing opportunities for new grads and seasoned nurses. Baptist Health offers quality benefits for employees and assists with continuing education. Please apply online at baptisthealthcareers.com. Baptist Health is here - For You. For Life.

CHI ST. VINCENT

CHI St. Vincent offers a wide variety of nursing opportunities at four hospitals and conveniently located clinics. We’ve served since 1888 with a history of many firsts and numerous awards for patient care. You will enjoy the career you deserve, a good work-life balance, the joy of serving in our ministry, a comprehensive benefits package, continued education opportunities, tuition reimbursement, and much more! NEW higher starting pay + up to $25k sign-on bonus for RNs. chistvincent.com/nurses.

CONWAY REGIONAL

At Conway Regional, Tara Goodrich is the dedicated Professional Recruiter responsible for attracting and hiring top nursing talent. Tara develops and executes recruitment strategies, screens candidates, and oversees the onboarding process to ensure seamless integration into the healthcare team. With a strong focus on building relationships and understanding staffing needs, Tara is crucial in maintaining high-quality patient care through effective staffing solutions.

ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas’s only hospital system dedicated solely to caring for children, Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock is in the elite 6% of hospitals in the world that have achieved Magnet Status, and is regularly ranked by U.S. News & World Report in multiple medical specialties. Arkansas Children’s offers a wide range of opportunities for nurses, from direct patient care to staff education, research, administration, nursing informatics and more. To learn more about a rewarding career serving as a Champion for Children, visit archildrens.org or call (501) 364-1398.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

The University of Central Arkansas School of Nursing is committed to educating students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the delivery of quality health care and the advancement of the nursing profession. UCA offers on-campus and online programs, including BSN, RN to BSN, MSN Nurse Educator, Post Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and BSN to DNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) degrees. Whatever your goals, UCA School of Nursing offers affordable and high-quality nurses education. uca.edu/nursing.

Erin Krebs, Nurse Recruiter

Tara Goodrich, Nurse Recruiter

Gabriel Foreman, MS Undergraduate Education Counselor (L-Z)

Taylor Nardi, MS Education Counselor for Undergraduate Programs

Julie Ingram, MS Graduate/ RN Education Counselor and Recruiter

JEFFERSON REGIONAL

Serving an 11-county area in South Arkansas, Jefferson Regional nurses serve a diverse patient base across a multitude of medical specialties, allowing our staff to experience many opportunities. Jefferson Regional provides competitive pay and benefits, including additional compensation for nurses with advanced degrees, and a six-month nurse residency program for new nurses. Tuition assistance is available for those wanting to further their education. To learn more about nursing careers at Jefferson Regional, contact florygi@jrmc.org.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF NURSING

The only health sciences university in Arkansas, UAMS includes five colleges and a graduate school along with a hospital, statewide network of regional centers, and seven institutes. The UAMS College of Nursing offers several degree programs — Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Nursing Science (MNSc), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) — to more than 800 students. For more information on our programs, contact us at 501-686-5224, by email at conadmissions@uams.edu or visit our website at nursing.uams.edu.

Professor of Nursing, Assistant Head

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL OF NURSING

For more than 50 years, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Nursing has inspired and guided individuals toward the dynamic profession of nursing. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to improving the health care of all Arkansans by educating professional, thoughtful and compassionate nurses. We offer an Associate of Applied Science (AAS), BSN, LPN/Paramedic to RN and online BSN completion programs. Visit ualr.edu/nursing, call (501) 916-3081 or email bknix@ualr.edu.

UAMS HEALTH

Whether you’ve just graduated, are pursuing a second career or are looking for a new work family, at UAMS you will practice in the state’s only academic medical center that supports a culture of nursing excellence through career advancement, professional development and recognition! We offer up to a 50% tuition discount throughout the UA System, competitive salary and benefits, 11 paid holidays, separate sick and vacation accruals, and up to a 10% percent retirement match! Visit nurses.uams.edu and join our FB/IG pages by searching UAMSNurses.

ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Arkansas Tech University offers a variety of options to acquire nursing licensure. Our sister college, ATU Ozark, offers a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or an Associate Degree in Nursing Registered Nurse (ADN). Our Russellville campus offers the traditional prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree-Registered Nurse (BSN), a LPN to BSN traditional and hybrid option, a ADN to BSN online, and a traditional or an Accelerated BSN to Master of Science in Nursing (Nursing Administration and Emergency Management). Our faculty are experts in their fields adding breadth and depth to both your classroom and clinical education. ATU did not increase the cost of tuition this year, making us one of the most affordable universities in the state. Apply today! Call us at 479-968-0383 for more information.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2025 9am – 2pm FREE ADMISSION Jack Stephens Center UALR Campus • Little Rock

The largest gathering of hospitals, allied health care professionals, and schools ever in one place!

Contact Susan Brown at 800.561.4686, ext. 108 or email at sbrown@pcipublishing.com for booth space reservations or questions.

Gigi Flory, Nurse Recruiter

Belinda Kaye Nix, Academic Counselor & Enrollment Coordinator

Susan Erickson, MNSc, RN, BC-NA, CHCR Senior Nurse Recruiting Manager

Teri McKown, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC

Ava Coleman, M.S., Assistant Director of Student Enrollment

WISDOM FROM NURSES WHO KNOW

The midwife team at UAMS is a group of intelligent midwives who strive to provide a safe space for a birthing mother to feel heard, respected and involved in her care. Being a part of this group of midwives has allowed me to grow as an individual provider with the support of my colleagues through our group approach to midwifery practice. I am proud to be a certified nurse-midwife at UAMS and I am so excited to be a part of the continuing growth of this profession within the state of Arkansas.

Shalyn

Calaway, DNP, APRN, CNM, UAMS

Each day before I report to work, it is important that I remind myself about why I am in this field. This job involves people, most of which are suffering with an illness. The most valuable lesson I have realized over the past 17 years is to remember my actions will affect those around me. If I am overworked, overwhelmed or having a bad day, that is not the patients’ burden to bear. My goal is to treat each and every person with the utmost dignity, respect and highest level of skill I possess.

Shannon Smith, nurse retention navigator with Baptist Health

I love teaching, and I hope that my students can see that and it not only makes them better clinical practitioners but also inspires them to teach one day.

Casey Polk, MSN, MPH, CRNA, UAMS

Growing up, I would watch movies and see superheroes portrayed as strong, kind, courageous, selfless people who would sacrifice themselves for the well-being of another. I’ve always wanted to be a superhero! Becoming a nurse, I’ve made my dream come true! Nurses ARE superheroes, just without capes!

Sharona Craft, RN, Conway Regional

Nurses see a lot that can be draining mentally. To preserve mental health, learn to compartmentalize life outside work. CHI St. Vincent has mental health resources, so there are people we can talk to. It’s important to use those tools when needed.

Claudia Diaz, RN, Cardiac Cath Lab Recovery, CHI St. Vincent

Nursing education allows me to contribute to a profession I deeply care about by empowering others to make a difference in patients’ lives. As a nurse educator, I am committed to fostering a learning environment where students feel supported, challenged and motivated to achieve their full potential. It is an honor to contribute to the growth and development of future nurses, knowing lessons we share today will shape the care they provide tomorrow.

Candice Palmer, faculty (MSN) Baptist Health College of Little Rock

UCA NURSING

EMPOWERING THE PROFESSION OF NURSING

UCA Nursing Programs help current and future nurse professionals build a firm foundation of nursing skills to improve patient care and advocate for quality change.

DEGREE PROGRAMS

• Pre-licensure BSN

• RN to BSN (Online)

• Master of Science in Nursing (Online)

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) - BSN to DNP (FNP) - Post Master’s DNP (Online)

All Programs CCNE Accredited

Our BSN to DNP (FNP) and Post Master’s DNP graduate programs have been ranked in the top 5 most affordable in the country (NPSchools.com and OnlineU).

YOUR REASON MATTERS

“Nursing gives me the ability to pursue more information, build deeper relationships, and continue to improve myself for others.”

- Nelson Omolo

Speak with our nursing education counselor (501) 450-3119

POLITICAL FAMILY:

State Rep. Ashley Hudson recommends that families start talking about civics early, keeping discussions ageappropriate.

NAVIGATING POLITICAL CONVERSATIONS WITH KIDS

LOCAL EXPERTS OFFER PRACTICAL ADVICE.

BY TRICIA LARSON

As the November election draws near, political discourse has reached a fever pitch. Heated conversations fill homes, schools and social media, with emotions running high as people grapple with the divisive issues and rhetoric dominating the news. All while many children watch from the sidelines, quietly absorbing it all.

For parents, October offers an opportunity to teach their children valuable lessons about civic engagement, democracy and respectful communication, even when viewpoints clash. Three local leaders — Jay Barth, MaryLee Smith, and state Rep. Ashley Hudson (D-Little Rock) — share their experiences and advice on how to navigate these conversations with children as Election Day approaches.

START THE CONVERSATION EARLY

Barth, director of the Clinton Presidential Library and emeritus professor of American politics at Hendrix College, emphasizes the importance of early exposure to civic responsibility.

“When children learn about their roles in a democratic society, they develop a sense of accountability and pride towards their community and country,” Barth explained. “Learning political systems and different perspectives encourages critical thinking in children, which is valuable in all aspects of

their life and learning.”

Smith, executive director of Renew America Together, founded in 2019 by Gen. Wesley Clark, said many children are not formally exposed to civic education until high school and agrees it is important for parents to provide a foundation. “Conversations about how government processes work, who elected officials are and showing children why voting matters without the specific politics can be a great starting point,” Smith said.

Hudson, a mother of four, takes a straightforward and accessible approach with her children when discussing democracy and civic engagement. “I believe in starting with the basics — literally Schoolhouse Rockstyle,” she said.

Hudson, whose children range from 9 to 16 years old, tailors the conversations to their age level. “There’s a lot of nuance and complexity to political issues that can’t always be translated to conversations with young children,” Hudson said. “I try to keep those conversations bite-sized and pull in examples they can understand.”

MODEL RESPECTFUL DISCOURSE

Even when children grasp the basics of the political process, the often heated political environment can still be confusing.

“It can be hard because the political space is so emotionally charged,” Hudson said.

“The old adage that kids’ minds are sponges is absolutely true — they hear everything.”

To help her children move past the negative aspects of politics, Hudson explains that lawmaking is essentially problem-solving and tells her kids that “sometimes it can look messy or people can disagree,” but it’s part of the process.

Hudson believes one of the biggest issues with modern political discourse is that much of it happens behind screens, without faceto-face engagement. “Teaching kids how to engage in polite and respectful conversation in person is such a vital life skill,” she said.

Smith echod this, emphasizing that avoiding political discussions may contribute to political divisiveness. “Often we hear, ‘Don’t talk about politics,’ but that is potentially feeding into the polarization we face as a society today,” she said. “Ask your children what they are observing and see if they have questions. More than likely, this can open a door to a positive conversation.”

Smith’s organization, Renew America Together, works to reduce partisan divide and gridlock by promoting civics, citizenship and civility. Its signature communications curriculum, SERVE, teaches participants of all ages how to manage difficult conversations constructively.

“SERVE teaches participants to reflect, listen, ask and learn from each other,” Smith

ON THE RUNWAY”

explained. “It uses simulated conversations to help people refine and hone these skills in a safe environment, so when faced with reallife disagreements, they can communicate effectively and without harm.”

At home, Smith advises parents to model this approach by creating a safe space for dialogue and leading by example.

that reflect their interests and passions. He said participating in community events and service projects fosters a sense of belonging and community spirit. “Going to civic meetings with my grandparents when I was a kid helped me understand I could make a difference in my community and state,” Barth said.

NAVIGATE THE NOISE

Barth stressed the importance of modeling empathy, practicing active listening and focusing on common values to help children engage in difficult conversations. He said children learn so much by watching how adults navigate conflict and interpersonal relationships.

”Teaching your children to seek out areas of agreement and commonality with others first will help them navigate a disagreement in a calm and respectful way,” he said.

Hudson recalled being encouraged to read the daily newspaper as a child. Today, her children access a wider range of information sources, from newspapers and traditional media to social media and online platforms. “We utilize all of those mediums to talk politics with the kids, but not necessarily all at once,” she explained. “Too much information can be overwhelming.”

Active listening is a skill the experts recommend parents teach their children. A simple exercise, such as summarizing what someone else has said before responding, helps children demonstrate they are truly listening and understanding.

“These techniques are easier said than done, but like many things, practice makes perfect,” Smith said.

Hudson acknowledged that modeling good behavior can be challenging but believes changing the tone of political conversations is essential. “I have a lot of friends who don’t ‘do’ politics,” she said. “They’re not alone — Arkansas has notoriously low voter participation rates.”

Hudson recognizes there are many contributing factors, but a reason she often hears is “the increasingly mean and aggressive tone in the political space and the circus-like sensationalism.”

“By engaging in politics in a positive way, we can help change that tone right now in our community and also help our kids set a better tone for the future. That benefits all of us,” Hudson said.

ENGAGE IN CIVIC ACTIVITIES AS A FAMILY

All experts agree that a strong civic foundation should start in the home. Barth encourages parents to take everyday moments, like car rides, to discuss current events. He suggests involving children when headed to the polls to demystify the voting process.

However, civic engagement extends beyond the voting booth. Barth said parents should involve children in their volunteering and community service projects and then, as they get older, allow them to pursue activities

She stressed the importance of consuming media together as a family, allowing for realtime discussions about challenging topics. “It’s all about open communication,” Hudson said. “I don’t ever want my kids to feel like they can’t come to me with questions because they think I’ll be angry or judgmental about their question or their source.”

Hudson advised parents to stay informed about how their children consume news. “TikTok has emerged as one of the most popular platforms for accessing news for both teens and adults,” she said. “Parents should familiarize themselves with these platforms so they understand how they work and what kinds of information is out there. Misinformation has become a lot sneakier in recent years, so open communication is critical.”

Barth agreed, suggesting that kids must learn to assess the credibility of their information sources. “There’s nothing wrong with seeing something on TikTok or Instagram, then searching for other sources to confirm it,” he said. Barth said children should be taught to evaluate the content and identify bias, no matter the medium.

Arkansas has consistently ranked last in the nation for voter turnout and registration, with only 35% of young Arkansans participating in the 2020 election. This troubling trend highlights a broader sense of political disillusionment and disengagement, especially among youth.

But by modeling respectful discourse, engaging children in civic conversations early and teaching them how to navigate political disagreements with empathy and understanding, parents can foster a new generation of active participants in democracy.

Whether it’s treating a fever or giving an immunization, Arkansas Children’s Primary Care Clinics provide diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care for illnesses or injuries. We are committed to routine and preventative care, including sports/ physical examinations, newborn screens and behavioral/mental health support.

• Assigned provider for personalized well-child and sick visits

• Telehealth options

• Collaboration with hospital specialists

BREAKING MYTHS

THE

NATIVE AMERICAN ARCHIVES AT UALR REVEAL HISTORY’S COMPLEXITIES.

BY TARA ESCOLIN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

Without most locals taking note, international researchers have been flocking for decades to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Sequoyah National Research Center, which holds the largest collection of Native American print culture in the world. With the papers of prominent Native American writers such as Robert J. Conley and Maurice Kenny, over 200 works of art and nearly 3,000 newspapers published by American Indian, Alaska Native and Canadian First Nations institutions, the center takes its name from the inventor of the Cherokee syllabary, a collection of 85 characters representing the sounds of the previously unwritten language. Sequoyah lived in Arkansas in the 1820s, and his documentation of the Cherokee language was instrumental in the founding of the first Native American newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix. Director Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield Jr. and assistant director and archivist Erin Fehr (Yu’Pik) sat down with the Arkansas Times to discuss the ripple effects of the archives, including the omissions and misconceptions within a widely received historical narrative that research at the center is helping to correct.

Dr. Littlefield, you co-founded the Sequoyah National Research Center (then called the American Native Press Archives) in 1983. What inspired you to establish the archives while working as a professor in the English Department at UA Little Rock?

DL: What we think of as the modern, contemporary movement in Native literature was just getting underway in the 1960s — a number of writers were beginning to be recognized — and so I thought I’d like to teach a course. Other people apparently were getting the same idea; articles began to show up in journals by teachers of literature around the country, and they would say things like, “The Native American novel began around

World War I.” I knew better than that, having grown up in Oklahoma, and so I thought, well, there’s no literary history out there, and there needs to be, so that people will be aware that this isn’t just a fluke, but it has a background.

I asked a colleague of mine, Jim Parins, “Would you be interested in creating a bibliography of Native writers?” So we started and came out with a volume that covered writers from 1772 (before this nation was founded) up to 1924 (which was the year of citizenship for all American Indians). We realized that was just a start, so we did a

second volume and then decided that we were the tail wagging the dog and that we needed to start looking at the resources that they were publishing in. That took us into the journalism field, and particularly Native tribal publications.

Can you tell me about your recent effort to identify the approximately 12,000 Native Americans who served during World War I? We know that group includes the first Code Talkers, who used their native language to send encrypted messages on the battlefield.

EXCAVATORS: The Sequoyah National Research Center is run by Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield Jr. (right), the collection’s director and co-founder, and Erin Fehr (left), assistant director and archivist.

EF: Most people associate Code Talkers with World War II, and we wanted to tell the story of those who made the path for that program during World War I [in our 2017 exhibition “Untold Stories: American Indian Code Talkers of World War I”]. We worked with the Choctaw Nation — they have done a fabulous job of preserving that history and telling the story of their Code Talkers — the Comanche Nation and the Osage Nation. The more we researched it, we realized that this is just a small part of the story, while it’s a very important part of the story. There were 12,000 [Native Americans] who served, and no one knows that.

Since 2017, we’ve been working to identify those 12,000 men who served during World War I, which was prior to citizenship for a lot of them. In 2019, the Valor Medals Review was created by Congress [to seek out minority veterans from World War I who may have been unjustly denied valor awards due to racial or religious discrimination]. We’ve been working with them since that time to identify more. To date, we have 6,200 men that we have identified as serving in World War I, and we have identified 24 Native American men who qualify for that review.

The SNRC has worked to expand the recognized routes taken through Arkansas during the Trail of Tears by establishing an online database called the Journey of Survival: Indian Removal Through Arkansas. What misconceptions about American history does this research seek to resolve?

DL: The first misconception that I hope we’re changing is that if you ask the average, ordinary person on the street what tribes were involved in the Trail of Tears, they’ll tell you Cherokee. When the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail was put through the state, there wasn’t any mention of the other tribes. The four major tribes in the Southeast [Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole] came through before the Cherokees did. But the second thing that irked me particularly was that all of those tribes were slaveholding tribes, and there were thousands of people of African descent that came West with the tribes that were not mentioned in those early interpretive signs at all. I did the keynote at the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail conference in 2017, and that was what I talked about. So that’s another thing that we

“Don’t let anyone tell you what you

“THERE’S MORE OF A PRESS TO INCLUDE NATIVE VOICES AND NATIVE PERSPECTIVES, AS OPPOSED TO JUST A WHITE HISTORIAN TALKING ABOUT NATIVE PEOPLE.”

have worked on. We’re making sure that the people of African descent get interpreted in [the narrative of] that removal.

The Sequoyah National Research Center contributed images for the 2023 documentary “Bad Press,” which covers the lack of free press on tribal lands, specifically the repeal of a law protecting a free press within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and efforts by journalists to get a corrective constitutional amendment on the ballot. It’s noted in the film that only five out of 574 federally recognized tribes have a free and protected press. How does this trend play out within the archives?

EF: One of the things that is definitely evident is tribes who have free press tend to go towards harder-hitting news articles — [they’re allowed to cover] things that shouldn’t be happening. There are definitely newspapers that write about those kinds of things that don’t have free press, but there are consequences for that. When you look at some of the tribes’ newspapers, they’re more of a publicity publication to talk about all of the good and positive things that the tribe is doing as opposed to really getting below the surface. We do have two archival collections that definitely [relate]. First of all, we have Mark Trahant, who had a run-in with the Navajo Nation before they had free press. Then we also have Paul DeMain, who is an Oneida journalist. People did not like his take on the American Indian Movement, and he was targeted with death threats for the things

MONUMENTAL: The Sequoyah National Research Center holds the largest collection of Native American print culture in the world, featuring nearly 3,000 newspapers published by American Indian, Alaska Native and Canadian First National institutions.

that he was publishing. We have his personal papers here in the archives, and are expected to get more within the next few months.

DL: Leslie Peacock [who worked at the Arkansas Times] did her thesis using the collection here on free press, and the journalists in the Native American Journalists Association used her thesis as a basic bible for the background on free press issues, and their argument for free press and so on. Tim Giago, when he started his paper in South Dakota, his place was firebombed.

EF: And as a result of that, he started an independent press that was not funded by the tribes, and you will see that often in the newspapers — where the tribal administration came after a particular journalist or editor, and when they were fired because of that, they went off and created their own independent newspaper.

DL: That’s the way Paul DeMain started, too. He was publishing a tribal paper, and then he went to do his own news in Indian country. So that was a common movement. When I think about the future and how people are going to use the collection, if they’re going to be looking at the way people lived on these reservations, particularly in the 21st century, they’re going to be hard put in some of those newspapers to see much human interest. They’re not going to have that in-depth picture of tribal communities.

How is the work here connected to efforts for Indigenous language revitalization?

EF: Well, one of the things that we

do collect are newsletters produced by revitalization programs, and so we do help in the sense that we’re preserving that written record. Additionally, one of our more recent acquisitions was the Timothy Miller collection, and in that collection there are hundreds of audio recordings produced in the ’70s and ’80s that are mostly in the Yu’pik language. They would go out to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region and interview elders, and these recordings have oral history stories. Yu’pik is the most spoken Indigenous language in the state of Alaska — just because there is a larger population that speaks it — but as with any Native language, if the youth aren’t speaking it, you’re going to lose it. And so any effort that we can add to that [revitalization] we gladly do.

How many books have come out of research from the collection here? What shifts in the narrative around Native American history, and American history more broadly, have you noticed over the span of the archives and within the projects sparked by the information held here?

EF: I believe that there have been about 30 books that have been published out of the resources that we have here in the center. I think the big topics that are written about from our resources are Native press and Native journalism. A lot has been written about the Red Power movement that coincides with the American Indian Movement and selfdetermination.

DL: Don’t forget Black Indian history. The research that I did 50 years ago in Black Indian history, all of those resources are here that I retrieved from the National Archives and that’s been one of the most sought collections in the history of the institution. In recent years, there’s been a real movement among the descendants of the slaves of and freedmen of the five tribes to reestablish their members. They were all adopted by the Treaty of 1866 that ended the Civil War. Chickasaws were the only tribe that failed to adopt theirs. The other four did, and the Cherokees are the only ones that have given their descendants full citizenship; the others are in the process of going the same route to get that.

EF: I think that in general, there’s more of a press to include Native voices and Native perspectives, as opposed to just a white historian talking about Native people. It’s more of a push to collaborate with Native people and to include those voices in the narrative.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. The Sequoyah National Research Center is open to the public 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is necessary.

OPENING NIGHT GALA

SPACE COWBOY

Director: Marah Strauch and Bryce Leavitt Friday, October 18 at 7:00 PM Oaklawn Event Center

In this exhilarating and emotional documentary, legendary skydiver and cinematographer Joe Jennings reflects on his life creating art in the air. With dazzling stunts and intimate interviews, Space Cowboy takes audiences on the journey of a lifetime.

Directors Marah Strauch and Bryce Leavitt, along film’s main participant, Joe Jennings, will be in attendance for our Opening Night Gala.

BOX OFFICE INFO

The easiest and best way to purchase tickets for the festival is to visit hsdfi.org and follow the link to our festival Eventive site. Tickets may be purchased on our website up to 15 minutes prior to showtime. Afterwards, tickets must be purchased in-person at the Box Office.

HSDFF BOX OFFICE HOURS & LOCATIONS

October 18

3 - 7:30 PM Oaklawn Event Center

October 19 - 25

10 AM - 8:00 PM The Arlington Resort

October 26 10 AM - 4 PM The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa 2nd floor

October 26

6:30 - 7:30 PM Oaklawn Event Center

CENTERPIECE GALA

LOUDER THAN GUNS

Director: Doug Pray WORLD PREMIERE

Tuesday, October 22 at 7:15 PM

The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa

A 2023 mass shooting at a Nashville school took the lives of six children and adults, devastating the community. In response, Nashville parent Ketch Secor, founding member of the band Old Crow Medicine Show, decided to bring people together to discuss gun violence. Through music and conversation, a new path forward emerged.

Director Doug Pray, producer Ashley York, and film participants Ketch Secor and David Greene will be in attendance for the Centerpiece Gala.

CLOSING NIGHT GALA

LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH

Director: Dawn Porter

Friday, October 26 at 7:00 PM

Oaklawn Event Center

From backing vocalist to Grammy-winning superstar, Luther Vandross was a singular talent who stayed true to himself while navigating media scrutiny and the pressures of public life. In Dawn Porter’s loving and beautifully crafted profile of Vandross and his career, we experience a complete and nuanced portrait of the artist behind such hits as “Never Too Much” and “Dance With My Father”. Featuring legendary live performances and interviews with industry luminaries, including Dionne Warwick and Mariah Carey.

Director Dawn Porter will be in attendance for the Closing Night Gala.

FOR MORE INFO AND TICKETS, VISIT HSDFI.ORG

POLITICS ON FILM DAY

Please join us on Thursday, October 24th for “Politics on Film Day” featuring four extraordinary political documentaries about elections and their repercussions.

The day starts with a riveting portrayal of Brazilian presidential politics by Academy Awardnominated director Petra Costa; continues with a deep dive inside the mind (and marriage) of legendary campaign manager James Carville; followed by a free screening of the cinema verité masterpiece Crisis about the 1963 confrontation between President Kennedy and Governor George Wallace over the integration of the Univeristy of Alabama; the day caps off with Steve Pink’s thoroughly engaging and refreshing portrait of Adam Kinzinger.

Thursday, October 24 - The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa

12:00 PM - Apocalypse in the Tropics – Director: Petra Costa

2:30 PM - Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid – Director: Matt Tyrnauer

5:00 PM - Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment – Executive Producer: Robert Drew*

7:30 PM - The Last Republican – Director: Steve Pink

*Free screening followed by conversation with William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum Director Jay Barth and filmmaker Paul Stekler. Presented with the Clinton Presidential Center.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Opening and Closing Night Galas at Oaklawn Event Center. All other screenings at The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, with the exception of the Village Shorts Program - Sunday, Oct. 20, 2:00 PM at Woodlands Auditorium, Hot Springs Village.

Friday, October 18

6:15 PM Champagne Toast at the Oaklawn Event Center

7:00 PM Opening Night Gala: Space Cowboy at the Oaklawn Event Center

9:00 PM Opening Night Party at the Oaklawn Event Center

Saturday, October 19

10:30 AM Secret Mall Apartment Cinema 2

11:00 AM Agent of Happiness Cinema 1

1:00 PM The World According to Allee Willis Cinema 2

1:30 PM Secret Screening Cinema 1

3:15 PM Mistress Dispeller Cinema 2

5:00 PM Impact Award Presentation followed by Zurawski v Texas Cinema 1

7:00 PM Shorts Program: Our Stories Cinema 2

7:30 PM The Legend of Boggy Creek Cinema 1

9:00 PM Party at ESQ Realty Group

Sunday, October 20

9:00 AM Wellness Series Hike & Meditation Arlington Hotel front steps

10:30 AM The Death Tour Cinema 1

11:00 AM Shari & Lamb Chop Cinema 2

12:30 PM Shorts Program: Portraits of Resilience Cinema 1

2:00 PM HSV Shorts Program Woodlands Auditorium, Hot Springs Village, AR

2:45 PM Dallas, 2019 Cinema 2

3:00 PM Shorts Program: The Natural State Cinema 1

5:00 PM Bring Them Home Cinema 1

7:15 PM 10 Year Reel South Retrospective Cinema 1

7:30 PM The Pryce of Love Cinema 2

9:00 PM Party at Deluca’s Pizzeria

Monday, October 21

11:00 AM Every Little Thing Cinema 2

1:15 PM Shorts Program: Looking to the Past Cinema 2

4:00 PM Homecoming Cinema 1

5:45 PM ESPN 30 for 30 15th Anniversary Panel Cinema 1

7:15 PM American Coup: Wilmington 1898 Cinema 1

9:00 PM Party at Superior Bathhouse Brewery

Tuesday, October 22

9:00 AM Student Screening Bring Them Home Cinema 2

12:00 PM Garland County Historical Society Presents: The Arlington Hotel: Birth and Rebirth 1864 -1924 Cinema 2

2:00 PM The Remarkable Life of Ibelin Cinema 2

4:00 PM Dahomey Cinema 1

5:00 PM Shorts Program: Faces and Places Cinema 2

5:45 PM Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award Presentation Cinema 1

7:15 PM Centerpiece Gala Louder Than Guns Cinema 1

9:00 PM Party at the Rooftop at the Waters Hotel

Wednesday, October 23

9:00 AM Student Screening Cinema 1

11:00 AM Shorts Program: Reframing Reality Cinema 2

11:00 AM Emerging Filmmaker Program Cinema 1

1:30 PM Happy Campers preceded by Lynn’s Fire Cinema 2

2:00 PM Porcelain War Cinema 1

4:00 PM Driver Cinema 2

5:00 PM Documentary Workshop Showcase Cinema 1

6:30 PM American Delivery Cinema 2

7:30 PM Cash/Bates Work in Progress Screening Cinema 1

9:00 PM Party at Ouachita Bar & Grill

Thursday, October 24

11:00 AM Made In Ethiopia Cinema 2

12:00 PM Apocalypse in the Tropics Cinema 1

1:00 PM Blink Cinema 2

2:30 PM Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid Cinema 1

3:00 PM Standing Above the Clouds Cinema 2

5:00 PM Crisis: Behind A Presidential Commitment Cinema 1

7:00 PM 32 Sounds Cinema 1

7:30 PM The Last Republican Cinema 2

9:00 PM Party at Splash Wine Bar

Friday, October 25

11:00 AM Champions of the Golden Valley preceded by Dynasty and Destiny Cinema 1 11:30 AM Shorts Program: Seeking Justice Cinema 2

1:30 PM Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story Cinema 1

2:00 PM No Other Land Cinema 2

3:30 PM Rooted Cinema 1

5:15 PM On the Way Home preceded by Love in a Time of Migration Cinema 2

5:30 PM Reception & Talk: Trees: A Work in Process Arlington Hotel Rooftop

7:00 PM Trees: A Work in Process Cinema 1

7:30 PM Rising Up at Night Cinema 2

9:00 PM Party at Whittington Place

Saturday, October 26

9:00 AM Wellness Series Sound Bath Arlington Hotel Conference Room B

10:30 AM Martha Cinema 1

11:00 AM A King Like Me Cinema 2

1:00 PM The Bones Cinema 1

1:30 PM True Believer Cinema 2

3:30 PM The Battle for Laikipia Cinema 1

3:45 PM Shorts Program: Reel Communities Cinema 2

7:00 PM Closing Night Gala Luther: Never Too Much Oaklawn Event Center

9:00 PM Closing Night Party at Mainline Sports Bar at Oaklawn Racetrack

IT’S ALL REAL: A

SALUTE TO MOCKUMENTARIES, DOCUDRAMAS AND OTHER NOT QUITE DOCUMENTARIES

The Legend of Boggy Creek

Director: Charles B. Pierce

Saturday, October 18 at 7:30 PM

The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa

To launch our salute to mockumentaries and docudramas, we go back to the 1972 cult classic The Legend of Boggy Creek one of the most successful docudramas of all-time. Made right here in Arkansas by indie film legend and Arkansas native Charles B. Pierce, Boggy Creek tells the story of the Fouke monster (akin to the legendary Bigfoot) that terrorized residents in southwestern Arkansas for years. Made for $160, 000, the movie went on to earn a staggering $25 million.

Director Charles Pierce’s daughter Pamula tireless efforts have led to a stunning restoration of the film, will be in attendance for the screening.

James

2024 BRENT RENAUD CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Director of 1994’s Hoop Dreams, considered by many to be the greatest documentary of all-time, acclaimed filmmaker Steve James has created an unparalleled body of work which also includes the Sundance award winner, Stevie; The Interrupters, which won an Emmy®, and Independent Spirit Award; Emmy® winner Life Itself; and Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, which earned James a second Academy Award® nomination. James’ award-winning ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, The Luckiest Guy in the World, was selected by IndieWire as one of the best documentaries of 2023.

Steve James will be in attendance for the awards presentation, clips program of his films and onstage conversation on Tuesday, October 22 at 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM.

2024 IMPACT AWARD

Maisie Crow is a documentary filmmaker and photojournalist based in Texas. Her films have aired on HBO and Showtime. Her current film, Zurawski v Texas, which she directed and produced with Abbie Perrault, premiered at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival. She previously directed and produced the 2021 documentary, At the Ready. In 2018, her documentary, Jackson, received a News and Documentary Emmy award for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary. In 2022, she was part of This American Life’s reporting team on the Peabody-winning episode The Pink House at the Center of the World.

2024

IMPACT AWARD

Abbie Perrault is a documentary filmmaker and journalist based in Chicago, Illinois. Along with Maisie Crown, she is director and producer of the documentary Zurawski v Texas. Previously she produced At The Ready, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2021 and streams on MAX. She associate-produced the documentary shorts An Abortion in Mississippi and Reproductive Rights Road Trip for The Intercept and was the impact producer on the Emmy-award winning documentary “Jackson

Director Abbie Perrault and Amanda Zurawski, one of the film’s main participants, will be in attendance for the Impact Award presentation and screening of Zurawski v. Texas on Saturday, October 19 at 5:00 PM.

Abbie Perrault

Steve

Maisie Crow

33RD ANNUAL HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL OCTOBER 18 - 26, 2024

FOR MORE INFO AND

TICKETS,

VISIT HSDFI.ORG

NATIVE / INDIGENOUS FILM SECTION

In celebration of Native and Indigenous stories and storytellers, we launch the new Native / Indigenous Film Section. Anchoring the section is Bring Them Home on Sunday, October 20 at 5:00 PM about the longstanding goal to bring buffalo back to the Blackfeet Reservation. Director Ivy MacDonald will participate in a post-screening Q&A for Bring Them Home.

Features:

Bring Them Home

Director: Ivan MacDonald, Ivy MacDonald, and Daniel Glick | USA

Sunday, October 20, 5:00 PM

The Death Tour

Director: Stephan Peterson | Canada Sunday, October 20, 10:30 AM

Homecoming

Director: Suvi West and Anssi Kömi | Finland, Norway Monday, October 21, 4:00 PM

Standing Above the Clouds

Director: Jalena Keane-Lee | Kingdom of Hawai’i Thursday, October 24, 3:00 PM

Shorts:

Ma ŋaye ka Masaala a se ka Wɔmɛti (From God To Man)

Director: Lansana Mansaray | Sierra Leone

Screens with The Natural State Shorts

October 20, 3:00 PM

‘Tahnaanooku’

Director: Justin Deegan | USA

Screens with The Natural State Shorts

October 20, 3:00 PM

Tiny

Director: Ritchie Hemphill and Ryan Haché | Canada

Screens with Reframing Reality Shorts

October 23, 11:00 AM

We Ride For Her

Director: Katrina Lillian Sorrentino and Prairie Rose Seminole | USA

Screens with Seeking Justice Shorts

October 25, 11:30 AM

SAM GREEN IN PROCESS: FROM 32 SOUNDS TO TREE

HSDFF is thrilled to present Sam Green In Process, a special, one-time-only event, in which acclaimed documentary filmmaker Sam Green presents material from his latest project, the eponymously named Trees. Currently in the midst of research on the project, Sam is taking time out to join us in our tree-rich community to talk about his artistic process and share some of what he has found so far.

Sam Green is one of documentary filmmaking’s most innovative and captivating artists. Known for his unique “live documentaries”, Sam’s films are often performed with his own live narration and musicians performing the soundtrack. His topics range widely with Sam pulling on multiple threads before ultimately creating an elaborate tapestry of ideas, sounds and images. His films are thoughtprovoking, awe-inspiring, and funny, too.

Sam’s most recent project is 32 Sounds, which screens at HSDFF in a non-live version on Thurs., Oct. 24 at 7:00 PM. Previous works include A Thousand Thoughts with the Kronos Quartet; The Measure of All Things and The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller with Yo La Tengo.

Trees: A Work in Process Friday, October 25, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM – The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa Run of Show:

5:30 PM – 6:45 PM

Reception on the roof on the 8th floor of The Arlington followed by Sam Green in conversation with Hot Springs-based artists Linda Palmer and Gene Sparling about the connection between trees and art.

7:00PM –8:00PM

Cinema 1 (Crystal Ballroom) – A retrospective screening of a short Sam Green live documentary piece followed by a work in progress presentation of Trees.

Please note: HSDFF pass holders and individual ticket buyers receive admission to all of the above events. In case of inclement weather, all events will take place in Cinema 1.

HSDFF FILMMAKER FORUM

Now in its second year, the HSDFF Filmmaker Forum, sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, is a three-day filmmaker/ industry conference and convening to be held Oct. 20 - 22, 2024 during this year’s Festival.

The Forum, a major new annual convening of filmmakers and industry leaders from throughout the South and mid-South regions and from across the U.S., offers dynamic programming focused on the business, art and craft of documentary storytelling with a focus on public media, and a wider lens on the nonfiction ecosystem as a whole. The Forum is an essential professional development opportunity for filmmakers and a unique networking opportunity for filmmakers and industry.

Note: The Forum is intended for filmmakers and documentary industry representatives. Pre-registration is required. See https://hsdfi.org/filmmaker-forum/for details.

Bring Them Home

Sam Green in Process Trees

DON’T MISS THIS!

DRINK IT IN

Raise a glass at the All Arkansas Beer, Wine & Spirits Festival

Calling all connoisseurs of craft beverages! Mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual All Arkansas Beer, Wine & Spirits Festival, presented by BET Saracen, on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 6-9 p.m. This sizzling event takes place at the vibrant Argenta Plaza in the heart of North Little Rock and promises a night of pure Arkansas indulgence.

Sample the bounty of The Natural State! From the freshest local beers to award-winning wines and innovative spirits, this festival is a celebration of Arkansas’s thriving beverage scene. Participating vendors include heavyweights like Rock Town Distillery, Flyway Brewing, Fox Trail Distillery, Lost Forty Brewing, New Province Brewing, Black Apple Hard Cider and many more to be announced. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with a diverse selection of flavors.

General admission is just $50 and grants you access to a 3-hour sampling extravaganza starting at 6 p.m. Mingle with fellow enthusiasts, explore unique beverages and discover your new favorite Arkansas drink. Need a break from all the sipping? Don’t worry, an array of delicious food trucks will be on hand to satisfy your hunger cravings.

For those seeking an elevated experience, VIP tickets are available for $100. Enjoy the luxury of early entry at 5:30 p.m., allowing you to beat the crowds and secure prime sampling opportunities. But that’s not all! VIP attendees get access to a private seating area with tables, a catered buffet and a dedicated bartender to ensure your comfort and keep your thirst quenched throughout the night.

Rock out to the sounds of Arkansas! The festival boasts a one-time showcase presented by Legacy Wine & Spirits, featuring Bluesboy Jag & Learning to Crawl. This local act will get you grooving with a unique blend of rock, blues and country, featuring Arkansas-made cigar box guitars — a truly authentic experience.

Don’t miss this chance to support local Arkansas businesses and celebrate the state’s rich libation culture! General admission and VIP tickets are available now, so grab yours and get ready to raise a glass to Arkansas at the All Arkansas Beer, Wine & Spirits Festival. Remember, it’s a 21+ event, so bring your friends and designate a driver.

HIGH HOPES

MEDICAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATES THINK THEY’VE GOT A REAL SHOT AT EXPANDING ACCESS IN ARKANSAS.

BY GRIFFIN COOP

Arkansas voters could have their second chance in two years to weigh in on an expansion of the state’s marijuana offerings. Although legal wrangling could still derail things, an amendment supported by the state medical marijuana industry and two prominent Arkansas cannabis advocates is working its way toward the ballot.

The constitutional amendment would expand the state medical marijuana program legalized by voters in 2016 by making it easier for patients to qualify. The change would allow more types of medical professionals to certify patients, lengthen the life of patient cards and allow patients to grow some plants of their own.

The measure would also allow medical professionals to certify patients based on any debilitating condition, not just the 18 conditions Arkansas currently recognizes as qualifiers for medical marijuana access. It would also eliminate the $50 cost of a patient card and remove the state restriction that prohibits dispensaries from selling pre-rolled joints.

Sponsored by Arkansans for Patient Access, the amendment would not legalize marijuana for recreational purposes and would not expunge past convictions. Arkansans hoping to use marijuana legally would still need to be certified as patients, but the amendment could make that a little easier.

Two years after Arkansas voters shot down an amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana, voters seem willing to give the new proposal a chance. A poll conducted by Talk Business & Politics in September found that 54% of likely voters are for the medical marijuana expansion, 35.5% are against it and 10.5% are undecided.

Two years ago, a group funded by the state medical marijuana industry sponsored an amendment to legalize marijuana for adults, also known as recreational marijuana. The

HOT BOXES: Sponsors of an amendment to expand the state medical marijuana program turned in more than 100,000 signatures in their attempt to make the November ballot.

amendment seemed headed for victory, with Talk Business’ September poll showing 58.5% in support, but the measure ultimately failed with just 43.75% in support.

That measure faced well-funded opposition that had the support of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a national anti-marijuana organization. The recreational measure also had opposition from an unlikely pair: Arkansas marijuana advocates Melissa Fults and David Couch, who said the measure was too favorable to the industry. Couch and Fults even worked with arch-conservative Jerry Cox to defeat the amendment, although Cox’s arguments also included the typical antimarijuana messaging.

This year, the industry is back with an amendment that has Fults’ and Couch’s blessing (although it doesn’t have Cox’s).

Fults and Couch say they were included in the development of the amendment and Couch, a lawyer, said he even represents one of the canvassing companies that helped gather signatures for the measure.

Fults explained the difference between the two amendments simply: “The difference is this is all about the patients. The recreational (measure) was all about the industry.”

The ballot measure is funded by millions from the Arkansas medical marijuana industry, but Bill Paschall, executive director of the Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association, called the measure a collaborative effort. He said the sponsors consulted with Fults, Couch and other medical marijuana advocates on the amendment.

“We see this as a collective effort from the medical marijuana advocacy community to

BRIAN CHILSON

LOCAL EATS & DRINKS

do something that helps patients, knocking down those barriers to access and making it less costly to obtain and keep a card,” Paschall said.

Paschall said the state’s cannabis industry thought it was too quick to come back this year with another attempt at legalizing recreational marijuana. Instead, they came up with a plan to lower the barriers that make it difficult for Arkansans to join the state medical marijuana program.

The amendment would allow nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants and pharmacists to certify patients for the program. Currently, only medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy can certify patients in Arkansas. An Arkansas Times review found that all of the medical marijuana programs in surrounding states allow at least one other type of medical professional to perform certifications.

Extending the expiration dates on cards to three years will make life easier for patients, Paschall said.

“The one-year renewal is really a headache for a lot of the patients,” Paschall said.

While the election won’t take place until November, the fight to get into voters’ minds (and mailboxes) is already underway.

Arkansans for Patient Access raised $1.95 million through the end of August and reported having about $152,000 on hand. Nearly all of that cash came from Arkansas cannabis businesses like Pine Bluff cultivator Good Day Farm Arkansas, which has chipped in $175,000. That number could go up, of course, especially considering the sponsor of the 2022 amendment brought in $8.5 million in the last month before that year’s election. That group raised a total of $14 million in that losing campaign.

The aginners have already been active in this year’s campaign, led by Stronger Arkansas, a ballot question committee led by Gov. Sarah Sanders’ campaign manager, Chris Caldwell, and other Sanders associates. This summer, social media users posted flyers they had seen that attempted to tie the medical marijuana expansion to Chinese business interests with one flyer saying “Reject China’s pot fields in Arkansas.” The language on the flyers was nearly identical to Stronger Arkansas’s anti-marijuana messaging online. Paschall said at the time that such messaging was “totally misleading” and amounted to a “totally ludicrous and ridiculous argument.” Stronger Arkansas, which formed to

oppose amendments related to marijuana, abortion and Sanders’ signature education program, reported raising $475,000 by the end of August. Contributors have included Arkansas chicken mogul Ronnie Cameron and former Gov. Mike Huckabee’s political action committee.

Cox’s Family Council reported raising $218,000 to oppose the marijuana amendment, but it also raised $245,000 to defeat the abortion amendment and still had some of that cash on hand.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana formed a committee to oppose the marijuana amendment but had only raised $10,000 by the end of August. The group, which has worked to oppose marijuana measures and legislation in multiple states this year, opposed the recreational marijuana amendment two years ago and doesn’t approve of this one, either.

The organization says marijuana is dangerous and addictive, and that the term “medical” in medical marijuana is “a farce.”

“The addiction-for-profit industry has a history of preying on young people, lowincome communities and communities of color, a pattern it will unquestionably replicate if this ballot measure advances,” said Luke Niforatos, an executive vice president with the organization.

Regardless of any fights about fundraising and campaign messaging, there’s no guarantee the measure will be in play come November.

In July, Arkansans for Patient Access said they turned in 111,402 signatures, but that was just the beginning of a battle that found the cannabis folks tied up in a web that included abortion advocates, warring casino groups, Secretary of State John Thurston, Attorney General Tim Griffin and the Arkansas Supreme Court. Lingering disagreements over who can sign paperwork submissions to the state and whether certain signatures should get thrown out could knock the medical marijana expansion amendment out of the running.

It’s complicated but Paschall said he’s confident the group will make the ballot and can fend off any legal challenges. He’s also confident Arkansas voters will approve it.

“Once we’re on the ballot, we’re confident that people will see this as an attempt to build on what was done in 2016 and improve that medical marijuana program, make it better for the patients,” Paschall said.

THE YOUNGEST GUY IN HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE

“Oh, to be young and in the Village,” The Observer sighed in the passenger seat of his granddad’s black Toyota Avalon. Dad drove, pushing 60 miles per hour down the curves of DeSoto Boulevard in Granddad’s Avalon to, ironically, visit Granddad. Upon returning to Arkansas after graduate school, I moved in with my dad in Hot Springs Village to save money before moving to Little Rock. Returning to America’s largest gated community after a year away was a lame cultural reorientation, but somebody has to be the youngest person in Hot Springs Village, right?

Years ago, my cousins and I would ride down DeSoto Boulevard with Granddad in the Avalon. When Granddad drove his pride and joy, the joke was that incoming traffic and deer of the Village should beware. He always hit the Village roads like he was giving his grandkids a bonus treat of a roller coaster ride on the way to a Sonic ice cream date. And it was a funny joke, until the time he actually hit a deer, lost a side-view mirror, then forgot to file a claim with insurance even though he wrote one and squirreled it away in his desk somewhere.

Dad had the car fixed after Granddad and Grandma moved to assisted living and the Avalon ended up in my dad’s possession. Now, I’d returned to The Natural State knowing that Granddad would never again drive us in the Avalon. The Avalon hadn’t changed, but life had.

While Dad drove us toward Little Rock to see Granddad as he lay in hospice care, we didn’t talk much. As my dad would tell it, Granddad saved money his whole life,

and took meticulous care of his health. He followed a plan. And it was probably more than worth it. Due to his good health and deliberate savings he was able to beat back a terrible form of blood cancer early into his retirement.

Nothing summarized Granddad’s retirement better than his Avalon. That sleek hunk of metal was practically a Ferrari to Granddad, after he drove beat-up trucks for most of his working life. The Avalon showed everyone he had made it. It was as flashy as my granddad had the potential to be. He grew up in Depression-era West Texas and his family never had any money, and once you understand that, you understand him. He was … frugal.

In the good years of retirement, Granddad spent his days painting with his art group, ushering at the Methodist church, spending time with family and being the most brutal Dirty Santa player you could imagine. But we observed the creeping signs of dementia steadily encroaching. In the bad years, he started having more mood swings and became less aware of his surroundings. He developed that weird beef allergy — you know the one you can get after being bit by a lone star tick? He kept eating beef anyway because, well, he forgot that he developed a beef allergy. Or maybe he didn’t realize he was eating beef. He gave us all quite a few scares.

On the drive toward Granddad on his last day, all I could think about was the cruel irony of it all. Granddad did everything according to the plan. You know, the American Dream plan that we have all been sold on. Grind away the days and maybe

you’ll be able to spend the last decade of your life enjoying the fruits of a lifetime of labor. And after doing it all right, he still got dementia and spent his final years in memory care and assisted living, some of that time separated from Grandma. Even his Avalon wasn’t his anymore.

We got out of the Avalon and walked into the assisted-living building. After checking in, we rode the elevator to the second floor and walked down to their door. It was like a well-polished college dorm for the elderly. And the dying.

Grandma sat by his bedside, dabbing his mouth with a swab. He hadn’t eaten in days, she said. Granddad was hooked up to oxygen, lying with eyes closed in his hospice bed. I’d never seen a human more frail. I watched Dad say goodbye to Granddad. Then we left. Granddad passed away that night.

At the funeral, my cousin summarized Granddad’s life in her eulogy far better than I could have. He had lived a life he enjoyed. He had more good years than bad ones. And that’s what it was about: his journey, how he lived and who he lived for. Because we all have the same destination. Granddad was focused on his destination, but what I hadn’t appreciated before was his equal focus on the journey. After the funeral, dozens of people approached our family to pay their respects, and to share how their own journeys were impacted by Granddad. And to share how much they would miss him. The end of his life didn’t feel like cruel irony; it felt like the end of a long journey appreciating the little things with those around you.

Thank you, Reginald Vintz Powell, for showing me life in the Village.