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Little Rock notebook

Founder of GEDs initiative to speak

The founder of an organization that works to help adults obtain their GEDs will speak in Little Rock this week.

Dickie Scruggs, once called the most powerful trial attorney in the U.S. for his work toward the multimillion- and billion-dollar awards received in lawsuits over tobacco, asbestos and Hurricane Katrina, will speak at noon Monday in Sturgis Hall at 1200 President Clinton Ave.

Scruggs founded 2nd Chance MS, which works with Mississippi's community colleges to help people get GEDs. Beginning in 2007, Scruggs served six years in prison on judicial bribery charges and has said he was motivated by tutoring fellow inmates.

Mississippi has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country, with 22 percent of adults there not having high school diplomas.

"Every year, an additional 14,000 students quit high school, meaning on average, every school day 77 Mississippi students drop out," a news release said.

The free event is part of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service's speaker series. Seats may be reserved by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling (501) 683-5239.

City renews deal on healthy eating

Little Rock renewed a contract with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the Little Rock School District to fund a healthy eating initiative at eight elementary schools.

UALR will provide 36 student interns to operate the Love Your School Initiative this calendar year.

The program addresses childhood obesity by having undergraduate health and education students teach elementary kids about healthy eating, nutrition and growing food.

The program puts on spring and fall health fairs at each school, hosts cooking classes, and plans student-led farmers markets.

Studies in works on sewer service

The Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority selected Garver Engineers to complete its study on the cost to extend sewer service outside of the city.

The city Board of Directors ordered the wastewater utility to undertake the study. The utility's contractor will work independently of the city's consultants who are studying the fiscal cost and impact of extending other city services to a few-mile radius outside the city.

But, Garver will keep in touch with the firm the city hired to make sure they are on the same page.

Both studies are scheduled to be complete around September.

Firm contracted for street repairs

Redstone Construction Group has been selected as the city's contractor to complete all of its street resurfacing work in 2018.

The city approved a contract of up to $2.5 million, which includes a 20 percent contingency fund over the amount Redstone bid for the projects.

Little Rock residents approved a sales tax increase in 2011 to fund capital improvements and street resurfacing. Redstone was the lowest of two bidders for the 2018 resurfacing projects.

Metro on 02/25/2018

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