Arkadelphia Dispatch - September 03, 2020

Vol. 2, No. 31

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020

HSU Athletics announces groundbreaking of the Charles and Anita Cabe Student-Athlete Success Center

Photo courtesy of Henderson State University.

A mockup of the upcoming Charles and Anita Cabe Student Athlete Success Center that was “made possible thanks to a $1,250,000 gift from Anita and the late Charles Cabe of Gurdon.”

David Salley “In 2017, Charles and Anita HSU Dir. of Athletic Comm. and I started talking about

Wednesday, August 26 was a special day for Henderson State Athletics as ground was broken signifying the beginning of construction of the Charles and Anita Cabe Student-Athlete Success Center.

The new 4,230 square foot academic facility was made possible thanks to a $1,250,000 gift from Anita and the late Charles Cabe of Gurdon, Arkansas through the C. Louis and Mary C. Cabe Foundation. The total cost of the project is $1,372,775 and 100% of the proceeds were raised through donations made specifically for the facility through the Henderson State University Foundation.

“Today is a very special and exciting day for Henderson State Athletics,” athletic director Shawn Jones said.

their desire to make a gift to Reddie Athletics that would impact our student-athletes in a very meaningful way.

They were both moved by the idea of building something to support the academic and overall success of our student-athletes while they are here and beyond. I am so grateful to the Cabe’s for their friendship, selfless generosity and love of the Reddies. This facility will leave a lasting legacy of their commitment to Henderson and to each other, and will impact generations of Reddie student-athletes. I’m also very appreciative to the many others who contributed to this project because of their love for Charles, Anita and Henderson State.”

Anita Cabe, a member of the Henderson State board of trustees and a 2018 Reddie Athletic Hall of Honor

inductee, said that the new academic center fulfills both she and Charles’ goal of contributing to the long term success of Henderson State student-athletes while also serving as a permanent reminder of their enduring passion and support for the university.

“I am incredibly excited to see this long time dream come to fruition today with the groundbreaking of the Cabe Center,” Cabe said. “I want to thank Shawn Jones and the staff at Henderson State University for their help with this project, as well as friends and family who have contributed to make this facility a reality. This particular location holds a special spot in my heart, as Charles and I got engaged at the Dairy Queen which stood at the current site of the Reddie Villas.

To have this new facility overlooking the place where

our story began means the world to me.”

The Cabe Center addition will be constructed adjacent to the west end of the Formby Athletic Center at Henderson State and will include a computer lab, group-sized study room, study lounge, office space for the athletic academic advisor, private study carrels, and classroom for studentathletes to complete their academic work before and after classes and practices.

The construction of the facility creates an additional 1,490 square feet of weight room space, allowing for more equipment, more student-athletes to work out at once, and more flexibility for their already busy schedules.

Equipment and furnishings for the facility are also included in the project cost.

Contributions for the project are still being accepted

to ensure the furnishings and equipment can be maintained. To make a donation to the project, please contact athletic director Shawn Jones at (870) 230-5072 or email jonessh@hsu.edu. All gifts are tax deductible to the HSU Foundation and the Cabe Student-Athlete Success Center. Donors may wish to give online to the project at hsusports.com/ donate.

SCM Architects of Little Rock is the architect of record for the project and Hart Construction of Searcy was selected as the general contractor. Construction on the Charles and Anita Cabe Student-Athlete Success Center is set to begin immediately with completion expected in late spring of 2021.

Statement from Arkansas State University System President Dr. Charles Welch:

“Anita and Charles Cabe have always been incredible leaders and supporters for Henderson State University. They have long held a strong commitment to student success and academic achievement. This new facility will blend their love for academics and athletics in a way that will continue to set Henderson apart from our peers. We are blessed by the generosity of the Cabe family.”

Statement from Henderson State Chancellor Dr. Jim Borsig: “Henderson’s studentathletes have achieved an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher for seven consecutive semesters. We are grateful for this generous gift from Anita and Charles Cabe to further empower our student-athletes to excel in the classroom and in their chosen careers.”

State police open criminal investigation after

700 to be moved off wait list for

driver license testing irrregularities discovered

Develomental Disabilities Aid

LITTLE ROCK.Three Arkansas State Police driver license examiners were terminated yesterday from state employment for failure to follow procedures and statutory practices in administering driver license examinations. The employees who were dismissed from their jobs were classified as civilian employees and had been assigned to the Highway Patrol Division, Driver License Testing Office at Jonesboro. The former employees are not commissioned state troopers.

The facts which formed the basis for terminating the employees are now part of an on-going investigation being led by the department’s Criminal Investigation Division.

Additionally the Arkansas State Police and Arkansas Department of Finance

LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) will be adding 700 families to the program that provides inhome and community-based services to Arkansans who are eligible for assistance through Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS), Governor Asa Hutchinson announced at a press conference today.

“This is a significant initiative for these families,” Governor Hutchinson said.

“The clients will receive assistance with the day-to-day tasks that most of us perform without thinking about them. This offers them a new level of independence.”

The additional slots will be funded through a new premium tax in the Provider-Led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity (PASSE) program and added to the Community and Employment Supports (CES) Waiver program, known as the DD waiver. PASSE has already brought in about $15 million

and Administration are working together to identify driver license test applicants who were issued permits between May 4th – August 17th this year. As early as next week, individuals who received driving permits from the Jonesboro state police office during the three month period should expect to receive letters from DF&A’s Office of Driver Services. The letter will direct recipients to contact the Arkansas State Police as soon as possible at a specific telephone number or email address provided below: Telephone number & Email address reserved for questions about driver license test permits issued at Jonesboro Highway Patrol Troop C (501) 618-8810 driverslicense@asp. arkansas.gov A driver test permit cer-

tifies a driver license applicant has successfully passed the written and skills portion of the test and clears the way for an applicant to obtain an Arkansas Driver License from DF&A’s Driver Services.

The Troop C Driver License Testing Office hours have been temporarily expanded to accommodate additional road skills testing that may be required if a permit holder was not properly tested as prescribed by Arkansas Code Annotated §27-16-704(b)(2). The office will be open Monday – Friday, 7 AM – 7 PM and Saturday, 8 AM – 5 PM. The 7 AM weekday hour and all day Saturday are reserved specifically for individuals with permits or licenses who were not administered a road skills test. Anyone who received a driver permit at the Jonesboro office be-

tween the May and August dates should immediately contact the state police during regular business hours at the dedicated phone number and email address that has been provided.

Any driver license issued by DF&A Driver Services based on a state police testing permit issued at the Jonesboro testing site during the identified three month time period could become invalid by the end of September unless the licensee contacts the state police to certify whether a skills test was administered.

The Craighead County Prosecuting Attorney will be provided the findings of the state police investigation to determine whether criminal charges will be filed against the former employees who allegedly tampered with an official state record.

to fund slots in this program.

Clients in the program can live in their homes and communities rather than in an institution because of the services provided, including supported living, adaptive equipment, specialized medical supplies, and supported employment. These services are aren’t included under traditional Medicaid programs.

This is the second time Governor Hutchinson and DHS have expanded the number of people in the program. In 2016, the Tobacco Settlement Fund Commission agreed to allocate unspent funds to cover 500 new slots.

“We are so excited to be able to provide services to so many more families, many of whom have been waiting for years to be a part of this program,” said DDS Director Melissa Stone. “I appreciate the help of the Governor, the Legislature, and the PASSEs to move this forward.”

2 News

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020

Arkadelphia Dispatch

COVID testing does not have to be expensive and inefficient: Westerman Bruce Westerman AR Representative

With more and more people headed back to schools, universities and workplaces, we need a comprehensive plan to mitigate COVID-19 more than ever. In fact, we already have the technology for widespread, at-home testing. Why is it not more available?

Let’s look at the background. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for COVID-19 testing in three categories: Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests that look for viral RNA. Serum antibody tests that check your blood to deter-

mine if you were previously exposed to the virus and have since recovered. I took a test like this when I donated blood and found out that I have the COVID-19 antibodies.

Antigen tests that detect viral proteins specific to the virus.

It’s the third tests, antigen testing, that have the potential to bring our schools and workplaces back up to speed. They’re cheap, accessible and, most importantly, fast. The technology works by testing for fragments of viral proteins in an individual’s nasal cavity or saliva, but can be administered in a non-laboratory setting (think a home, school, workplace) and display a positive

or negative result within 10 to 15 minutes, much like a pregnancy test. This would enable us to identify who is infectious, as the antigen test is accurate when the viral load is high enough for a person to be contagious.

I sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn on Aug. 25 urging him to revise guidance for non-laboratory rapid antigen tests, which would allow more paper antigen tests to receive FDA approval. In the interest of public health, time is of the essence and revised guidance would jumpstart production and enable Congress to take funding action to get these tests into people’s homes for daily use.

Back to school and Main St. renovations: Gurdon Mayor Sherry Kelley Sherry Kelley Gurdon Mayor

Back to school seems joyous this year. I live a few blocks from the Gurdon Primary School. The children on the playground are being cautious with social distancing and enjoying seeing friends and classmates.

Main Street is looking good with the renovation of the Herndon Fuqua Funeral Home. You may recall that the roof and building were damaged during one of our springtime storms. I believe it was the big blow on Easter Sunday. The repair is being made currently and it is

looking great. We are glad this business back and serving the community.

Georgia Pacific Gurdon Wood Products is busy. This workers at GP do a great job. Gurdon and the entire county appreciate them very much.

The new historical Gurdon Times sign is up in the vestibule at City Hall. Batson Signs did a nice job and it looks great. Thank you to The Cabe Foundation for the newspaper’s printing press and sign.

Arkadelphia is a good partner to Gurdon. We value our relationship with the

city and appreciate their assistance.

At this writing we are expecting rainfall from Hurricane Laura. I spoke recently with Mark Karnes, forester with the Ross Foundation.

We agreed that the rain fall has been excessive for a long time.

The new Marriott right off of I-30 is looking super. They have been making progress even with the weather challenges. That will soon be a very nice and convenient addition to our county.

Upcoming Events >>> <<< The Spring Hazardous Household Waste event that was scheduled for last Sat. was cancelled as a result of COVID-19 precautions. The Southwest Regional Solid Waste Management District will continue with the Fall Household Hazardous Waste event on Oct. 17.

The Southwest Regional Solid Waste Management District is the planning board that oversees solid waste management for Clark, Garland, and Hot Spring Counties.

Ongoing >>> <<< Alcoholics Anonymous hosts two meetings a week in Arkadelphia. The meetings are open to anyone interested in AA’s program of recovery. The Arkadelphia Group meets at 7 p.m. every Tues. in the Sturgis Building at North 9 and Caddo Streets. For more information on the Arkadelphia Group Meetings, call 870-403-3001. The U-Turn Group meets at 7 p.m. every Thurs. on the front, upper level of Park Hill Baptist Church, 3163 Hollywood Road. For information on that group’s meetings, call 870-2302975 or 870-260-9277. >>> <<< Through the summer the Arkadelphia Arts Center will have original art on display created by members of the Caddo River Art Guild. The window exhibits will vary through the weeks so check back often. The artists’ name and contact information are displayed next to each piece. For more information about the Arkadelphia Arts Center and the Caddo River Art Guild find their pages on Facebook or visit CaddoRiverArtGuild.com or CCAHC.org. >>> <<< Celebrations Fine Wine and Spirits will be having their monthly wine tasting the first Tuesday of every month from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. >>> <<< With Late ‘til 8, local businesses stay open to 8:00 pm so that customers can shop and also win door prizes! this is a monthly event that happens every first Thursday of every month. >>> <<< El Ranchito mexican restaurant in Arkadelphia is now serving alcohol along with their food. Come for taco Tuesday and happy hour and you can get tacos for $1 and margaritas for $2. >>> <<< Al-Anon meetings, designed to help family and friends affected by alcohol, are held three days a week in the Arkadelphia area:

- Tues. at 7 p.m., Sturgis Building, corner of 9 and Caddo.

870-403-2019

- Thurs. at 6:30 p.m., Park Hill Baptist Church.

870-403-2019

Arkadelphia Dispatch

News 3

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020

Preserving the main Sen. Maloch on unemployment and COVID-19 trends in schools streets of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson AR Governor

The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the survival of many small businesses in Arkansas, and today I’d like to share good news about a grant program that will help. It is the Arkansas Historic Preservation and Main Street Arkansas grants.

First, though, I’d like to discuss the good news about our unemployment rate. For months before the pandemic, our unemployment rate had remained at historic lows and always below the national average.

As COVID-19 slowed the economy, our rate jumped to 10.8 percent unemployment. But we have seen impressive improvement.

In July, our rate was back to 7.1 percent, which is about three percentage points below the national average.

This is encouraging for the many cities that participate in the Main Street Arkansas and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. The mission of these two programs is to help revitalize the historic commercial centers that are

essential to the economic health of many communities. The cities will receive grants to help jumpstart their economies as we move out of the pandemic.

Main Street America surveyed its members this spring to assess the effect of the coronavirus, including the likelihood the members would have to close shop if the disruption continued. Of the 213 Arkansas business owners who responded, 32 percent said they likely would be out of business within three months. Thirty percent reported they might have to close after five months.

Jackie Wolven is executive director of Main Street Eureka Springs. The results of that survey are a good representation of what has happened in that historic town. Five stores didn’t survive. But she is totally optimistic about the future.

Jackie and the other leaders will identify artisans and business people to put in the empty store fronts, then release the grants after the first of the year. As she put it, Eureka Springs is ready

to rock and roll.

Small business are the anchors of our communities. Many of the mom-andpop shopkeepers grew up in the town where they now own a store. They are part of the social fabric of our small towns as well as key to the towns’ economic health.

The Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism supports these communities through annual Downtown Revitalization Grants. Department Secretary Stacy Hurst recently announced that her agency would more than double its funding to $559,000 for the next year. Funding for the grants comes through the Real Estate Transfer Tax. The grants range from $3,000 to $25,000.

Our small towns and the owners who do business there are a link to our history and a reminder of where we came from. They are the building blocks of our economy. Main Street Arkansas and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program are standing with them to secure the future.

ARKADELPHIA, ARHenderson State University’s Bachelor of Science in Engineering program

has been accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering (ABET).

ABET is the recognized

accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineer-

Bruce Maloch AR Senator

Arkansas legislators approved a plan to add $300 a week to unemployment benefits, to extend the extra benefits available during the coronavirus pandemic.

The benefits will come from federal disaster relief funds. The state Department of Workforce Services administers unemployment claims and its officials hope the additional benefits will be paid soon after Labor Day. Members of the Legislative Council approved the plan during a recent meeting. It would benefit an estimated 100,000 Arkansans who are currently not working.

The Council is the committee that oversees operations of state government during the interims between legislative sessions.

The Council also approved spending $100 million on the Arkansas Rural Connect program, which awards grants to local communities to expand access to high speed Internet.

Students are taking virtual classes and people are working from home, so the pandemic has focused attention on the need to enhance broadband capacity in rural areas, and in many cities

and towns where Internet service is lacking.

The Council has voted to help county fairs by allowing them to spend money that had been allocated for premiums, typically awarded to young people exhibiting animals. County fairs are being cancelled or severely cut back this year. The Legislative Council voted to allow fairs to transfer almost $693,000 from premiums and use it instead to offset expenses.

The move is intended to help county fair associations survive the financial hit they are taking this year. Senators have said that when the legislature convenes in regular session in January, they want to provide financial help to county fairs so they can preserve their tradition of linking agriculture and education.

The Council also approved using $5 million in federal relief funds to help small meat processing plants expand. At the beginning of the pandemic, several major processing plants experienced slowdowns because workers were out sick, and bottlenecks in the industry drove up prices, according to the Agriculture Department officials seeking the $5 million in grants.

Arkansas has three smallscale meat processing plants

that meet federal inspection standards, and they are eligible to apply for the grants.

There are 40 custom meat processors in Arkansas that currently are exempt from federal inspections. They could get grants but first they would have to meet federal inspection standards.

Covid-19 Trends in Schools The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) has added a new category for school districts in its compilation of reported cases of Covid-19. The data will be updated weekly.

The president of ACHI said the compilation is meant to inform parents, school officials and state policy makers about the risk level in schools, and whether the risk is going up or down.

The ACHI reports are not the only numbers that state education officials will use if they have to decide whether to close a school because of a spike in cases.

The Education Secretary said last week at a daily briefing that the percentage of students choosing to stay home and take virtual classes falls within a range of 20 percent to 50 percent across Arkansas.

ACHI also lists the number of cases in each county and by zip codes.

Henderson State University Engineering program has been accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering ing technology. ABET accreditation demonstrates a program’s commitment to providing its students with

Continuing Arkansas COVID-19 case update from Arkansas Department of Health

a quality education.

Henderson launched its engineering program in 2017, changing the name of the Department of Physics to the Department of Engineering and Physics.

“Our engineering faculty worked tirelessly to demonstrate to ABET that our program prepares qualified graduates in this highlyskilled field,” said Dr. Angela Boswell, dean of the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences. “Receiving ABET accreditation is a major milestone in Henderson’s continually improving science and technology education.”

Boswell said this “external validation” will strengthen Henderson graduates’

positions in the competitive employment market.

“Our faculty are exceptional and have always guided students to being the best they can be,” Boswell said. “The Department of Engineering and Physics deserves this recognition and international accreditation.”

Dr. Jim Borsig, Henderson chancellor, said, “Achieving ABET accreditation is an important milestone for our engineering program. I congratulate the faculty of the Engineering and Physics Department for the accomplishment.”

For more information about Henderson’s engineering program, go to hsu. edu/engineering.

Tired of reading paper?

Catch the Dispatch online @

hsuoracle.com AR. Department of Health

According to the Arkansas Department of Health Administration in its COVID-19 update, a total of 696 deaths have occurred in the state as of Aug. 10. In reference to ADH’s graph, there are a total of 56,894 cases with 5,509 active and 50,689 recovered.

The counties are colored by light to dark in terms of density of cases.

The Dispatch will post an updated version of this

graph weekly according to what is available from the Department of Health and state officials.

As the cases continue to rise, more and more states are reverting back to more strict quarantine and social distance rules.

Masks are nearly universally required to enter most businesses. They are available in most grocery and convenience stores.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced in early August that contact sports

are expected to continue as planned in the fall. Football players may only practice in helmets, however.

Schools have begun opening at both collegiate and pre-collegiate levels.

They have many guidelines

in place that were recommended by the ADH. People are encouraged to continue social distancing and staying at least six feet away from others. Testing is widely available in most cities.

Arkadelphia Dispatch Editor: Pete Tubbs arkadelphiadispatch@gmail.com 870-230-5221 Calls will be returned.

The Arkadelphia Dispatch is published weekly by Nashville Leader, Inc., 119 N. Main, Nashville, AR 71852.

4 News

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020

Arkadelphia Dispatch

Arkadelphia Badgers Ouachita Volleyball adds Jalissa Trotter to staff Football update Pete Tubbs Interim Editor in Chief

The Arkadelphia High School Badgers started their Fall 2020 football season with a bang. In a tight bout against Camden Fairview, the team came out ahead with a score of 21-20.

Last Friday’s warm night yielded hundreds in attendance. The game started slowly for the Badgers, and at halftime they were down six.

With eight minutes to go in the third quarter, AHS rushed into the endzone for a touchdown which was

followed by a successful PAT bringing the score to a favorable 7-6 with the Badgers leading. Soon afterwards, a 44 yard pass was completed with another successful PAT which brought the score to 13-6.

Trouble began to brew with ten left in the fourth, however, when the Cardinals rushed for a touchdown and completed a pass for a two point conversion which leveled the score to 14-14.

This unfortunate circumstance led to the game spilling over into overtime.

CFHS managed to score

another touchdown but missed the PAT which brought the score to 20-14 with the Cardinals leading.

AHS then completed a five yard pass for a touchdown and succeeded in a PAT which brought the final score of 21-20 with Arkadelphia winning.

The next game for the Badgers is this coming Friday. It is at home against Hot Springs and begins at 7 p.m. Below is a schedule of the Badger’s Fall 2020 season.

Photo courtesy of OBU. Jalissa Trotter (pictured above) will join OBU Volleyball’s staff.

ARKADELPHIA, AROuachita volleyball head coach Allison Frizzell-Kizer has added assistant coach Jalissa Trotter to her staff for 2020-21. Trotter joins the Tigers after a year of professional volleyball and a four-year standout career at Syracuse.

“We are so excited to have Coach T join us,” Frizell-Kizer said. “She has a wealth of knowledge that will improve our offensive game and has a work ethic to match it. She was a versatile player all throughout her high school, college,

and professional career and I know she is excited to share that and coach here at Ouachita. She is already fitting in perfectly and I can’t wait to see how our athletes improve over this fall off season.”

Trotter comes to Arkadelphia after leading Polkky Kuusamo of Finland’s Mestaruusliiga to a 23-5 record and a first-place finish. She was named the Mestaruusliga Women’s Player of the Month in February of 2020.

Prior to going pro, Trotter played collegiately at Syracuse. She was a fouryear contributor for the Orange. She is eighth all-time in Syracuse history with 2,520 assists. Her collegiate accolades include 2018 AllACC Academic honors, the ACC Player of the Week award for October 23, 2018, the 2018 Cyclone Classic All-Tournament Team and four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll. Trotter was also a member of the Leadership Comittee of Syracuse’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and fellowship of Christian Athletes.

A native of Texarkana, Trotter was a four-year

member of the Texas High School volleyball team, where she was a three-year captain, two-time District MVP, four-time Academic All-District honoree, and a 2014 Academic All-State honoree. She was named the Texarkana Gazette AllArea MVP three times and led the Tigers to a 4A District Championship. As a senior, Trotter compiled 454 kills, 1020 assists, 51 blocks, 353 digs, and 97 aces. She also competed in softball, basketball, track, and cross country and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Trotter comes from an athletic family with ties to Arkadelphia. Her mother, Melissa Trotter-Hardy played volleyball for Henderson State from 1994-98.

Her uncle, Jeremiah Trotter, played 11 seasons in the NFL, including eight for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jalissa Trotter is the daughter of David and Melissa Hardy. She has two sisters and one brother.

Her hobbies are traveling, reading, hanging out with friends, and working out.

Division of Arkansas Heritage sites provide virtual experiences for travelers during COVID concerns Melissa Conley and videos that can be acAR Tourism Dig. Cont. Spec. cessed through the mu-

Although it isn’t quite business-as-usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still ways you and your family can enjoy visiting Division of Arkansas Heritage sites across the state. Enhanced security procedures onsite and digital offerings are allowing visitors to easily explore at the level they feel most comfortable. From culture and history to roots tourism, learn more about what activities are available to you and your family both virtually and in person.

Historic Arkansas Museum If you’re planning to visit Historic Arkansas Museum (HAM), be sure to check out their protocols and procedures before heading out.

HAM is open to the public; however, they are not able to provide tours or host school groups. Instead, the museum has made the move to digital by offering several activities and demonstrations through worksheets

seum’s social media pages and website.

The museum has also shifted the way it hosts events. 2nd Friday Art, a popular monthly downtown Little Rock art walk, has been moved from in-person to online. Patrons can participate virtually in gallery walks, craft and cooking demonstrations, and live music. HAM was also able to conduct their first History is Served dinner of 2020 socially distanced and digital by preparing curbside meals and utilizing the video-conferencing service Zoom to host talks

by Delta food experts and event organizers.

For more information about HAM, please visit their website at www.historicarkansas.org.

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) is also currently open to the public.

MTCC is working hard to keep visitors safe – in order

to help prevent the spread of the virus, MTCC has implemented temperature checks and space markers to make sure patrons can maintain safe distance. MTCC also implemented cleaning procedures and limited both staff and open hours to minimize risk. Group tours are currently suspended to help reduce the number of patrons, and kiosks have been turned off to limit surfaces that patrons could touch.

MTCC is also providing virtual experiences as an alternative to visiting the museum in person. This year, MTCC’s popular Juneteenth celebration was held entirely online and garnered around 20,000 attendees.

As a part of their efforts to continue the collection and preservation of African American history, MTCC has created an online survey that allows Black Arkansans to participate in “Covid in Black: the African American Experience” remotely. More virtual experiences are in the works, including an

opening reception for a new art exhibition in September.

Learn more and plan your trip by visiting their website.

Old State House Museum The Old State House Museum (OSHM) is open to visitors and operating on limited hours, 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 P.M. to 5 P.M. on Sundays. Learn more about planning your trip here.

For those looking for a virtual experience, OSHM connects with its patrons online through a weekly video series on Facebook called Conversation in the Gallery. Each week, two staff members chat about Arkansas history related to the museum’s artifacts and exhibits.

The museum has also created a virtual tour, giving patrons 360-degree views of the museum and its exhibits from the comfort of their own home. Staff also share weekly videos with fun programming for toddlers through the Virtual Little

Beginnings Pre-K Program.

Arkansas State Archives The Arkansas State Archives (ASA) highlights different treasures from its collections on social media with its weekly Visiting the Arkansas State Archives video series on Facebook.

These guided virtual visits of the archives highlight the people and objects, like World War I-era rifles to a 19th-century herbarium, that give patrons a better understanding of Arkansas history.

For those looking to dive into their roots, the ASA is currently requiring appointments to access their research rooms. Call 501-6826900 for reservations or for more information or email state.archives@arkansas. gov. For the Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives, contact 870-878-6521. For the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives, contact 870-983-2633.

Delta Cultural Center The Delta Cultural Center (DCC) located in Helena is currently open to visitors

with limited hours. While most of the in-person activities have been canceled, the DCC has shifted many of its face-to-face offerings to digital events. This includes events such as the monthly Do It Yourself workshops offered by the center that are now live-streamed as a segment called “Crafts with Richard.” The DCC also made their Civil War artillery demonstration and reenactment available online to their Facebook audience.

The Peabody Awardwinning King Biscuit Time Blues Radio Show has also found an online audience.

Broadcast five days each week from the DCC’s Delta Sounds Studio and Gallery, the thirty-minute show is also broadcast daily as a Facebook live video, drawings listeners from as far away as Canada, England, and the Netherlands.

Up-to-date information on virtual and in-person events can be found on their Facebook page.