31 Gosnell youths in inaugural crowd
WASHINGTON -- Gosnell High School history teacher Adrian Davis has taken students to the past five presidential inaugurations, and he's promising to return to the capital four years from now with a new group of pupils.
Next time, Davis said, he'll take his grandson on what he calls "a trip of the lifetime."
"We have kids that don't get out of Arkansas, don't get out of Mississippi County, don't get out of Blytheville and don't have the opportunity to experience things, and I wanted them to see there was just more than here in northeast Arkansas. This was an opportunity for them to see our nation's capital, how our government works," he said.
This year, 31 students and 17 adults from Gosnell participated. They spent four days in New York City and four days in Washington, flying home just hours after President Donald Trump's inaugural address.
Arkansas' U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton secured tickets for the group members, close enough to the swearing-in that they could see the ceremony.
"We absolutely had a wonderful time," said John Weiss, a School Board member who accompanied the group.
School officials say they plan to do it all again in January 2021.
"Probably [in] September, we'll start planning the next trip, and the kids will start doing fundraisers and earning money."
Each student pays his own way, Weiss added.
Arkansas pair joins D.C. March for Life
John and Nancy Emmons of Hot Springs Village went to Washington for the inauguration and stuck around to attend Friday's March for Life.
They joined the multitude at a rally featuring Vice President Mike Pence, and then marched a mile and a half from the shadow of the Washington Monument to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Pence was the first vice president to speak at the annual event, which draws hundreds of thousands of anti-abortion activists to the capital.
The gathering occurs in January because Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision overturning anti-abortion laws, was handed down on Jan. 22, 1973.
3 meet state troops set for deployment
Three Republican members of the Arkansas congressional delegation traveled to Texas to spend time with Arkansas National Guard members who are being deployed overseas.
U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Rogers, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack of Rogers and U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs greeted the servicemen Friday.
Nearly 700 Arkansans have been stationed at Fort Bliss since the beginning of the year. The military installation is northeast of El Paso, close enough to Mexico to see the border.
Once their training is complete, they'll be sent to the Horn of Africa.
The three lawmakers issued a joint news release about the trip that quoted each of them.
"These men and women are making tremendous sacrifices in defense of our nation, and I am grateful for this opportunity to share my appreciation for their selfless service," Boozman said.
"I am proud of these men and women and am praying for a successful mission and their families back home," Womack said.
Westerman said he made the trip so he could thank them before they depart.
"It takes a person of great character to volunteer for service in the military and all of Arkansas should be proud of the service of their fellow citizens in uniform," he said.
Boozman accepting intern applications
U.S. Sen. John Boozman is accepting applications for summer internships. The deadline is March 1, and the application form is available by going to boozman.senate.gov.
Many of the interns are given positions in his Capitol Hill office. Others work in district offices in El Dorado, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Lowell, Mountain Home and Stuttgart.
Some of the volunteers will work from May 30-June 30. The rest will serve from July 3-Aug. 4.
Any Arkansas college student who has completed two years of study is eligible to apply.
"This is an exciting time to be serving our nation, and I want to offer college students in Arkansas who are interested in public service a chance to be a part of it," the Republican from Rogers said in a news release.
Internships are unpaid, but students may be able to earn college credits for participating.
UA professors talk at education forum
Patrick Wolf, University of Arkansas distinguished professor of education policy and 21st century endowed chair in school choice, spoke at the Heritage Foundation on Tuesday. UA professor Jay P. Greene, who leads the school's Department of Education Reform, appeared on a separate panel Wednesday.
The conservative Washington think tank was marking School Choice Week and launching its Center for Education Policy.
The center's goal is "limiting federal interference in education and advancing education choice," foundation officials say.
Westerman's office taking intern forms
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman is offering spring and summer internships at his offices on Capitol Hill and in Hot Springs, he announced Wednesday.
Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
"As a former Congressional intern through a Future Farmers of America fellowship, I know how important internships are in developing engaged citizens and future leaders in America," Westerman said in a news release.
To obtain one of the volunteer positions in Washington, D.C., the applicant must have completed at least two years of college. The Hot Springs internships, on the other hand, are open to high school juniors or seniors.
Students who live in the 4th Congressional District have a built-in advantage, but the Republican from Hot Springs said he'll accept and review applications from outside his district, as well.
The first group of summer interns works May 22-July 7. The second group will serve from July 10-Aug. 18. The application is available at westerman.house.gov/services/internships.
Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or flockwood@arkansasonline.com. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Washington bureau? It's available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.
SundayMonday on 01/29/2017