Stories by I.C. Murrell

WC board interviews to fill interim position Another lengthy executive session in the third special-called Watson Chapel School Board meeting in nine days did not yield a new superintendent -- not even one on an interim basis.Board members met p... July 6, 2022

Superintendent Curry resigns from Watson Chapel School District After two lengthy special called board meetings, the Watson Chapel School Board voted 4-2 to accept the resignation of Superintendent Andrew Curry on Thursday, one day before the first anniversary of ... July 1, 2022

Industries ask educators for help Chris Hart would like to say otherwise, but the Central Moloney Inc. CEO stressed a dire need for dependable, marketable people to become part of his employee-owned transformer industry, let alone the... June 29, 2022

SEARK nearer to light upgrade Southeast Arkansas College will close a performance energy contract with Bernhard Energy within 90 days to improve lighting across campus, among other things.The board agreed last week on a motion to ... June 29, 2022

SUV hits bicyclist; Pine Bluff man killed A crash at intersection of Dollarway Road and Spears Street in Pine Bluff resulted in the death of a bicyclist late Monday, authorities said.Officers found Terry Wilson, 62, of Pine Bluff lying in the... June 29, 2022

Bicyclist, 62, dies following crash with SUV in Dollarway area A crash at the intersection of Dollarway Road and Spears Street in Pine Bluff resulted in the death of a bicyclist late Monday, authorities said.Officers found Terry Wilson, 62, of Pine Bluff lying in... June 28, 2022

School districts in Arkansas face hiring hurdles In the state with the sixth-lowest average teacher salary in America, recruiting and retaining teachers is a challenge.In Arkansas' neighboring states of Mississippi and Tennessee, the minimum sta... June 26, 2022

Clinic stresses commitment to expectant parents after ruling State and federal officials serving the Pine Bluff area are declaring victory over the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn a 49-year-old ruling that held abortion is constitutionally protect... June 25, 2022

Frazier, Flowers criticize decision The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that protected women's rights to an abortion struck a bad chord with some local elected officials, while proponen... June 25, 2022

Shelter operator hopefuls sized up A women's shelter director and homeless shelter operator have presented proposals to manage Opportunity House in Pine Bluff to a review committee including Mayor Shirley Washington and other city ... June 24, 2022

Pine Bluff student heads to Tulsa to fulfill pageant dreams At age 10, Na'riya Ackles is already an entertainer.She and her mom Nikki host their own YouTube channel with 1,200-plus followers -- "The Wonderful Life of Nikki & Na'riya." Com... June 24, 2022

Pine Bluff native Todd named to UA board Pine Bluff native and Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Col. Nate Todd was appointed to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, Gov. Asa Hutchinson's office announced Wednesd... June 23, 2022

Frazier recounts back-and-forth night to win Ward 3 campaign Lanette Frazier listened to the radio at home with her campaign team for updates on her Pine Bluff City Council Ward 3 runoff against incumbent Ivan Whitfield, and the race played out as close as two ... June 23, 2022

Barnett returns to high school hoops as Fordyce coach Steven Barnett Jr. is returning to the high school basketball sidelines.Barnett, who spent the past two years coaching seventh- and eighth-grade boys at Pine Bluff's Jack Robey Junior High, was re... June 22, 2022

Brunson, Frazier win respective runoff bids LaTisha Brunson handily won in her bid for Pine Bluff Ward 1 council member, while Lanette Frazier unseated Ivan Whitfield in Ward 3 by 35 votes.Brunson ran strong again in Tuesday's runoff to suc... June 22, 2022

Pine Bluff City Council OKs lien against defeated hopeful in cleanup cost Pine Bluff will perfect a lien against a recent City Council hopeful whose downtown property collapsed in 2014 and caused a portion of Main Street to be closed for almost three years.The city is seeki... June 22, 2022

Three runoff races in hands of voters today If the four remaining candidates for Pine Bluff City Council agree on one message, it's encouraging their constituents to vote again."It's been like starting a campaign all over again, wo... June 21, 2022

Dorris to leave mark on White Hall district Doug Dorris is finally "graduating" from the White Hall School District (again).That's the term the superintendent and 1970 White Hall High alumnus used to announce his retirement from a... June 19, 2022

White Hall gets NFL, Hogs veteran on staff Ryan Mallett hired a well-known University of Arkansas teammate to join his football staff at White Hall High School.Jarius Wright, a Warren standout and NFL veteran, reunited with his college quarter... June 16, 2022

State Education Department chief adopts new Pine Bluff School District lines The state secretary of education adopted a drawing of zoning lines for the Pine Bluff School District.Secretary Johnny Key selected a scenario that was devised after the Arkansas Geographic Informatio... June 16, 2022

Union Pacific gives $500 to police, fire Union Pacific Railroad of Pine Bluff donated $500 and a pallet of water to the Hydrating Hometown Heroes on Wednesday.Fabian Cano, UP's Pine Bluff terminal superintendent, presented the check with... June 16, 2022

Baggett, former coach at Watson Chapel, dies Kent Baggett, who was Watson Chapel High School's head football coach in the late 1990s and early 2000s, died last week. He was 62.John Hayden, the executive director of support services for the W... June 15, 2022

Go Forward reports its progress Officials with Go Forward Pine Bluff gave a progress report to the public Tuesday evening and delivered two key points: Mistruths can defeat the purpose of the public-private tax initiative, and the c... June 15, 2022

Hart assures commitment to launch WC welding program A new welding program at Watson Chapel High School could create a much-needed pipeline for new workers to Central Moloney Inc., whose CEO is a graduate of the school.Chris Hart offered his assurance t... June 15, 2022

Shooting kills boy at Poplar Street home A boy was shot and killed in the 1800 block of South Poplar Street early Monday.Pine Bluff police were called to a residence at that location just after 1 a.m. and found the victim in the home with an... June 14, 2022

Ben Anderson, former Golden Lions’ star quarterback, dies in lake accident Ben Anderson, who started 44 of 45 games at UAPB and built a professional career in Japan, died Saturday on Lake Ouachita in Garland County. He was 30.Arkansas Game and Fish Commission communications ... June 14, 2022

Former UAPB quarterback drowns at Lake Ouachita Former University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff quarterback Benjamin Anderson drowned at Lake Ouachita over the weekend, officials said.The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, with assistance from the Pine... June 13, 2022

Ben Anderson, former UAPB championship-winning quarterback, dies Ben Anderson made one of the two most important plays in the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Division I football era, both on Dec. 8, 2012, in Birmingham, Ala.In the Southwestern Athletic... June 13, 2022

Jackson wraps up career at PBSD In the Pine Bluff School District, two longtime supporters have earned the title of "No. 1 fan": Greg Walker and Alberta Jackson. Before Jackson took on the role of athletic department secretary in 19... June 12, 2022

Firms’ venture bodes area jobs LAKE VILLAGE -- With a few pen strokes Friday, southeast Arkansas is now positioned for an increase of hundreds of jobs within the next two years.Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District offic... June 11, 2022

Board approves merger for Friendship Aspire charter school group LITTLE ROCK -- Friendship Aspire Academy's Arkansas campuses will officially operate under one umbrella beginning with the 2022-23 school year.The state Board of Education on Thursday voted unanim... June 10, 2022

Simmons trust unit marks 100 years Being in the business of managing trust funds of customers for 100 years is a rare feat, but Simmons Bank has reached that milestone.The Pine Bluff-based bank celebrated the centennial of its trust de... June 9, 2022

Votes get OK, runoffs planned Jefferson County election commissioners approved the results of the May 24 general election last week, and there will be runoff elections for three offices June 21.Latisha Brunson nearly secured victo... June 8, 2022

Truck-van crash kills 5 people near Dermott Five people died and five others were injured after a van crashed into an 18-wheel commercial vehicle in rural Chicot County on Monday afternoon, according to authorities.The crash occurred at 2:45 p.... June 8, 2022

Falling crane kills man at rice mill in Pine Bluff An employee of Producer's Rice Mill in Pine Bluff died Tuesday after a truck-mounted crane fell over and struck the person, authorities said.The accident occurred at the mill at 121 S. Kansas St. ... June 8, 2022

Extension of medical center lease awaits Quorum Court’s approval The Jefferson County Quorum Court Finance Committee and Jefferson Hospital Association agreed to a lease extension of Jefferson Regional Medical Center's original Pine Bluff campus and White Hall ... June 8, 2022

Rice mill employee dies in crane collapse, police say An employee of Producers Rice Mill in Pine Bluff died Tuesday after a truck-mounted crane fell over and struck the person, authorities said.The accident occurred at the mill at 121 S. Kansas St. Polic... June 7, 2022

Chloe Alexander, 7, brightened hearts with her smile, crowd told The thought that Chloe Alexander's infectious smile was taken away made her first-grade teacher pause briefly in emotion during her tribute to the slain 7-year-old Pine Bluff girl Saturday."I... June 5, 2022

Micheal Williams sees winning chemistry in Zebras Before Micheal Williams roamed the sidelines as a football coach, he was walking hospital halls as a certified nursing assistant shortly after his 2002 graduation from Pine Bluff High School."My ... June 4, 2022

Pine Bluff man arrested in assault on officer A Pine Bluff man was arrested and booked into the Jefferson County jail on suspicion of aggravated assault upon a "certified law enforcement officer" and possession of a firearm by certain p... June 3, 2022

Watson Chapel school worker to face inquiry Watson Chapel School Board trustees voted unanimously to hire a third-party investigative firm to look into allegations against a school employee following a lengthy executive session of a special cal... June 3, 2022

Ramos chooses Buffaloes All of Troy'reon Ramos' career, his basketball play did the talking.On the court, it was hardly a costly flaw of the Pine Bluff High School point guard. Ramos' floor leadership was key in ... June 3, 2022

Pine Bluff man accused of pointing gun at police officer A Pine Bluff man was arrested and booked into the Jefferson County jail after, police said, he pointed a gun at a Pine Bluff police officer before she got out of her patrol car on Thursday morning. Sa... June 2, 2022

Former player back as Zebras' head coach Just as Micheal Williams knew when to take a different career path – he was once a certified nursing assistant and industry chemist – he knew it was time to leave the prestige of coaching ... June 2, 2022

Sheriff’s attorney disputes job form A "Job Requisition/Pre-offer form" that Jefferson County officials are required to use before offering a position to someone is "unconstitutional," a lawyer for the sheriff who has... June 2, 2022

Jackie Harris puts up big numbers for lead in circuit judge’s race Pine Bluff attorney Jackie Harris appeared to be running away with victory Tuesday night in the race for circuit judge of District 11-West, Division 4, Sub-district 11.1.With 11 of the 22 precincts in... May 25, 2022

Improve reading skills, say Pine Bluff educators Education leaders in the Pine Bluff area met again last week to discuss pressing needs in their field, and all agreed that improving reading skills was chief among them.Nate Todd, one of the conveners... May 23, 2022

Voting centers awaiting JPs’ nod Jefferson County voters may still have to vote at their home polling locations on Election Day, months after the county Election Commission asked the Quorum Court to approve a method to allow voting f... May 22, 2022

Time flies for Pine Bluff High School grads This is the 14th and final entry in a series honoring Jefferson County's class of 2022.Taking the podium at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, Charlston Colen took a deep breath and did her salutat... May 22, 2022

Friendship Aspire graduates close out final chapter Mikayla Pugh had quite a day at Friendship Aspire Academy Southeast Campus.For starters, her final writing assignment was a valedictory speech."Let's all pat ourselves on the backs for our ha... May 20, 2022