M&P Monster Beats – Music To Our Ears Tara Salinas Merchants and Planters Bank and M&P Insurance services proudly sponsors M&P Monster Beats, a fourconcert series that brings state-wide talent to the Terry Scoggins Stage at 412 Front Street in downtown Newport. Monster Beats successfully kicked off its first concert on Saturday, June 27th with Bad Habit, a rock and roll band from Little Rock and a great turn-out from the community. Three other dynamic, familyfriendly acts are scheduled for the series. July 18th, Tim Meitzen, a northeast Arkansas favorite, brings a full band with a wide variety of country, rock and folk music from some of the finest musicians in the state. August 8th will feature The Salty Dogs, a nationally acclaimed eclectic country quartet from Little Rock that has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Jr., and the Old Crow Medicine Show. The Karla Case Band will take the stage October 10th, for the last Monster Beats show of the year. The Karla Case Band is one of central Arkansas’ top bands and a local favorite, playing a wide variety of rock, pop, dance, and country. All performances start at 7:00 p.m. and are free to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring a chair, sit under the stars and enjoy the music. Face masks must be worn to enter and exit the stage area and social distancing between groups must be practiced. Guests may also sit in their cars and listen. “We believe in and are proud to sponsor events like this, now more than ever. No, we can’t sit together or even physically greet each other like we would have last year, but we can have a night out, see each other in a safe, large, outdoor area, and enjoy a few hours of good music without spending a dime,” says Jim Gowen, Jr.,
President and CEO of Merchants and Planters Bank. “That’s pretty good therapy to me, and a nice reminder that our community is still here, still vibrant, and full of good.” M&P Monster Beats is part of the Monster Nights Downtown Entertainment Series, a thirty-eight event family fun, free series held in Newport between May 1st and October 31st. The series is brought to you by the Downtown Revitalization and Improvement Volunteer Effort, The Newport Chamber of Commerce, and numerous community and business sponsorships. Visit www.newportarcity.org or the Monster Nights page on Facebook for more information N
Julie Allen Director of the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce, Jim Gowen, Jr., President and CEO of Merchants and Planters Bank, and Jon Chadwell, Director of the Newport Economic Development Commission.
FIRST COMMUNITY BANK TOPS FORBES’ BEST-IN-STATE BANKS FOR 2020 Angela Connell First Community Bank has been chosen as the top bank among four other financial institutions on Arkansas’ best banks by Forbes for its 2020 Best-In-State Banks and Credit Unions list. This prestigious award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry-ranking provider. “The distinction by Forbes as Best-In-State Bank is a tremendous honor,” said Dale Cole, chairman & CEO of First Community Bank. “First Community Bank works hard every day to serve our communities, and this recognition is a testament to the dedication of all our employees.” Forbes’ Best-In-State Banks and
Credit Unions 2020 list is comprised of the top banks and credit unions based on the results of independent surveys involving approximately 25,000 U.S. consumers who were asked to rate the financial institutions at which they have or have had checking accounts. Participants made recommendations regarding overall satisfaction; they also assessed banks in the following areas: trust, terms and conditions, branch services, digital services, and financial advice. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 120 million people worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature LIVE events, custom marketing programs and 40 eyeonmag.com
licensed local editions in 70 countries. Forbes Media’s brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements. For the full list from Forbes, see www.forbes.com/best-in-state-banks/, or for more information about First Community Bank, call 870-612-3400 or visit www.firstcommunity.net. N
eyeonjoseph@eyeonmag.com
August 2020
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