Events for October 2017

Votes for The Spirit of South Arkansas will be taken from September 11th through October 2nd. Please take the time to Nominate our local businesses! All votes will be taken via the internet and stay tuned for the link to vote!

The Spirit Of South Arkansas Awards were created as a way to recognize small businesses that demonstrate a commitment to good business practices, employee relations and the greater community. These businesses are made up of 50 employees or less, have completed three full years of operations as of Jan. 1, 2017 and have a valid business licenses. Nominees must also be located in Union County or be a member of the Union County Chamber of Commerce.
This event is organized by the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce, South Arkansas Community College and Arkansas Women's Business Center and Sponsored by our Title Sponsors El Dorado Insider and Southern Airways Express; Award Sponsors First Financial Bank, Main Street El Dorado GenWealth Financial Advisors and Long's Roofing and Sheet Metal.

 

Opening of a state-of-the-art music, entertainment and restaurant complex featuring a star-studded line up featuring Brad Paisley, Migos, ZZ Top and more. 
Click on the website link above for more information.

FREE CONCERT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Dr. Tim Kirk, Chief Information Officer at South Arkansas Community College, provides information about phishing scams and how to avoid them.

Senior Circle, a Medical Center of South Arkansas program, is now accepting new members. Senior Circle is a program for individuals age 50 or better who are interested in pursuing an active lifestyle, learning about health and wellness and meeting others. Events and activities are designed to help you stay healthy, vibrant and active. We encourage you to pursue the things you love, try new hobbies and interests and meet new friends.

SouthArk CIT Instructor Roslyn Turner talks about the dangers of oversharing on social media. You don't want to miss this!

Vicki Badgley and Roslyn Turner return to the CyberExpo stage to tell you all about cell phone safety.

Join Barton Library and the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources for a fun project! We will be creating animals that light up using LED lights. It will be presented by Paula White.

Come look through our treasures including furniture, books, toys, bags, luggage, appliances, cookware, knick-knacks, and so much more! All proceeds benefit the Agape Ministry and the foster children we care for every day!

The Veterans of Comedy is a group of comedians that have served in the armed forces, who are now nationally touring comedians who have made it their mission to entertain veterans, and active duty military. Founder Will C, along with Erik Knowles and Brett James are all veterans of the military and veterans in the entertainment industry who wanted to reach out and support our transitioning veterans through their love of standup comedy. The Veterans of Comedy are Veterans who are Comedians and Comedians who are Veterans. Whether it be a battlefield, bunker, hanger, or a comedy club, The Veterans of Comedy use laughter as the foundation to reach and support those active duty military personnel as well as those transitioning to the civilian way of life. The Veterans of Comedy are GOOD TO GO and will be sure to leave “NO LAUGH LEFT BEHIND”. Willc – (USAF, USMC, USAR) Originally from Kansas City, MO, now makes his home in Los Angeles, CA. Seen on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Storage Hunters, MOM and blockbusters Hail, Caesar, and Gone Girl. Will has been heard on XM/Sirius, The Bob and Tom Show, National Lampoon Radio, and All Comedy Radio. www.willc.net Erik Knowles – (USMC) Originally from Beaumont, TX, now makes his home in San Diego, CA. Erik has worked with Sarah Silverman, Pauly Shore, Bobby Lee, Zach Galifianakis just to name a few. He was a finalist at the California Comedy Festival, and WON The World Series of Comedy 2016 in Las Vegas. Erik has performed in comedy clubs and casinos, and military bases all over California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. www.erikknowles.com with Guest Host Jay Jackson - (USAR) Army veteran Jay Jackson draws upon his experiences as a theatre actor, news reporter, and radio host during his stand-up comedy. He co-hosted The Broadway Joe Morning Show, the #1-rated urban radio talk show in Arkansas, for nearly three years. Jay appeared in the 2016 Loony Bin Comedy Competition and hosted the 2017 Little Rock World Series of Comedy. He currently hosts the Comedy Cage Match variety show every month in North Little Rock and the Rogue Radio podcast.

Paint the Town Pink is a fun family-friendly 5K color walk/run to benefit the #teamcorrie Cancer Foundation. #teamcorrie gives $1000 grants to cancer patients in Union County to help with their medical expenses.

Benito Presents The 2nd Annual Strong Arkansas Fall Festival Saturday October 7th In Beautiful Downtown Strong Arkansas. We will have family fun all day long until 6pm That's when we will get ready for the Concert Series Starring Omar Cunningham Ghetto Cowboy & Summer Wolfe. Tickets are on sale now @ Strong City Hall. $10 In advance $15 the day of the event. So come on out for a day filled with fun @ The 2nd Annual Strong Arkansas Fall Festival ?? !!!

Former FBI Special Agent John Douglas will be at South Arkansas Community College on October 12 for the SouthArk Lecture Series. In preparation for that event, Dr. Jim Yates will be discussing the film "Silence of the Lambs," which owes a considerable debt to Agent Douglas's work at the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. Rated R.

FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY: The man who literally wrote the book on criminal profiling, JOHN DOUGLAS, will speak at the El Dorado Conference Center at 7pm on Thurs. Oct 12, FREE. Hear about Douglas' exploits as an FBI agent working on the cases of some of the world's most notorious serial killers. The new Netflix Original series "Mindhunter" (debuts Friday, Oct. 13) is based on Douglas' work. Don't miss this amazing event, part of our annual Lecture Series!

It's that time of year; all you can eat pancakes/sausage/beverage $5, the best deal in town! Don't have time to stay and eat? That's ok we do carry out. The El Dorado Kiwanis Club Pancake Day will take place on Friday, October 13th. There are two sets of serving times: 11am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm. The event will take place at the TAC House on North West Avenue. Proceeds go to benefiting the children of Union County. For advanced ticket purchases contact any Kiwanis Club member or Gerry Tomlinson, Ticket Chair at 310-3113.

Shoot Your Way Across the Bayou is a state wide league patterned off the highly successfull Shoot Your Way Across Texas.

The theme is “COLOR OF THE SEASONS.” This year’s featured speakers are Dr. Margaret Wood Holzem, Program Director of the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center at the Medical Center of South Arkansas, and Stacie Smith, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist/Licensed Dietitian. Margaret Holzem will be speaking on Diabetes, and Stacie Smith will be speaking on Healthy Living. Extension Homemaker members have prepared some tasty recipes for participants to sample. The tasting will follow the program. Those attending will receive a booklet of recipes for the holiday season. A portion of the profit will go to fund an Extension Homemaker Club scholarship. Extra books can be purchased for $5.00. Table decorations are being furnished by the Extension Homemakers Clubs. The Extension Homemaker Club cookbook, A Taste of Union County, Volume IV, will be sold at the Holiday Foods program for $10. Extension Homemaker members will also sponsor a candy sale (homemade divinity, fudge, peanut brittle, etc.) will be available at $3.00 per package.

More to come!

Join Paula Shackelford, Dr. Jim Sheppard, Alexandra Bell, Dr. Ivory Kinslow and Dr. Eric Hatley as they present the practical side of plant-based nutrition and how to enjoy whole foods, plant-based eating. A valuable follow-up to the earlier panel presentation in July - you don't want to miss it! Happening on Thursday, October 19 in the SouthArk Library Auditorium at 6:00 PM.

Project SOUTH (Serving our Units at Home) will host a benefits fair to all military personnel and their families. Veteran Service Organizations and State Agencies will be available to provide information on benefits and help.

The El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a ribbon cutting at AnnTeeKeys* Antiques* Flea Mall* and Auctions* on October 20th at 12pm. They are located at 9590 Strong Hwy in Strong. This event is right in the middle of their semi-annual 25 cent parking lot sale as well as the same weekend of the Bargains for you on Hwy 82. They are family owned and operated business since 2011. This Antique store/Flea Mall carries antique furniture, appliances, living room, dining room, bed room furniture, pottery, glass and Fenton, Crystal, Imperial, L.E. Smith, Rosseville, and Hull... Just to mention a few of their glass and pottery brands. AnnTeeKeys also has your yard decorations covered with metal yard art consisting of RAZORBACKS, LSU, Alabama, frogs sitting on Mushroom with an umbrella and more. Services they provide include: Auctions, estate sales, consignments, and custom paint jobs for furniture and metal yard art! To contact AnnTeeKeys please call them at 870 797-3018. www.annteekeys.com

Once again, Jeans 'n Classics will join the South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra to bring you the music of The Beatles. The group has previously sold out performances with the Symphony for the music of the Eagles, Queen, Pink Floyd and others. Jeans 'n Classics formula is simple – “Combine rock musicians and headlining stars with world-class Symphony orchestras' in programs of classic rock designed to attract younger audiences.” Combining that formula with the Symphony, Jeans n' Classics returns to El Dorado for a concert featuring the entire “Abbey Road” album, plus other Beatles favorites, featuring all-star lead singer David Blamires. The Beatles' best-selling album, “Abbey Road” was the Fab Four's 11th studio album and the last in which all four Beatles participated.

The Salvation Army will be celebrating the 500th year of the Protestant Reformation with a Men’s Sunday, this Sunday, October 22nd in their chapel at 419 South Madison at 11:00 AM. Our guests will be Major’s Thomas & Stacie McWilliams from Divisional Headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Major Thomas is the General Secretary and Major Stacie is the Divisional Secretary for Women's Ministries / Women's Auxillary for the Arkansas/ Oklahoma Division. They have served in different capacities in The Salvation Army from being Corps Officers to their current appointment at Divisional Headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They are also world travelers and have been to Germany and visited many of the locations that Martin Luther had been at. Major Thomas will be the main speaker at this event on the topic “One Man Consecrated to God”. Even though this is a Men’s Sunday event, women are invited as well; for more information about this meeting please contact Lieutenant Charles Smith at The Salvation Army #870-863-4830 or come by the main office at 419 South Madison.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge will speak on cyber security, identity theft, and Internet safety for the first annual SouthArk CyberExpo! Don't miss this important event, Monday October 23 at 12:15 in the El Dorado Conference Center. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, so South Arkansas Community College is hosting its first ever CyberExpo during the month of October! Events will include guest speakers, "small byte" lunch hour presentations, and community outreach opportunities. Looking to know more about cyber security? Look no further! We'll see you in October.

Cyber security is a concern for everyone, and perhaps especially companies and businesses. As part of SouthArk's CyberExpo this month, join us on October 24 for "Banking Services for Small Businesses" presented by Southern Bancorp and the Arkansas Women's Business Center. 12:00 noon in the SouthArk Library Auditorium.

Join Southern Airways at the South Arkansas Regional Airport in El Dorado for a ribbon-cutting and launch party celebrating the new low-cost service to Dallas. The event will be held between 5:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, October 24, and will feture live entertainment from Rick Jones, catering from Upper Crust Catering, craft beer selections, a local wine sampling, and ticket giveaways. One guest will win the grand prize of round-trip airfare for two to Fort Lauderdale and two-night hotel stay.
 
Please R.S.V.P. for this event by calling the Southern Airways terminal in El Dorado at (870) 340-2884 or by emailing s.mcdaniel@iFlySouthern.com

Join Alexandra Bell, Bryan Windham, and Tim Bolin as they present insight on the cyber security and information technology job market, preparing for technology jobs interviews, and other helpful tips. Students and all others welcome!

Union County Circle of Friends will be having Spooktacular Telethon is to raise money for Arkansas Children's Hospital. It will featuring local celebrities James Langley, Sonia Barker, David Skinner, Dr. Richard Davis, Buddy McAdams, Brent McDiarmid, Rodney Milam, John Gross, Celeste Jackson, Allen Simmons, Melody Morgan, Dr Casey Mitchell, Teresa Matochi, Jerry Langley, Jim Tucker, Dr. Suzanne and Emma Parker, PJ Yarborough, Jim Crotty, Ricky Roberts and more! We will be on Facebook Live- Call 870-725-3051 to make a donation

Hope for the Future is a free educational workshop that provides information for caregivers, on how to care for those with Alzheimer's or any form of dementia. Professionals from the field of medicine, law, nutrition, and exercise address important issues that caregivers face daily when caring for a loved one or patient. This is a full day seminar and provides breakfast, lunch and relaxing amenities, all at no cost to the caregiver. Please Contact Alzheimer's Arkansas at 501-224-0021 for more information. If you are a professional caregiver or student, Continued Education Units (CEU's) are offered for a small fee.

Kid fun run for ages 5-18 Sponsored by Immanuel Baptist Church. Proceeds go to shipping shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Calling all ghouls, ghosts, goblins and weiner dogs! It’s Hallo-WeinerPawLooza! The Eighth Annual Dachshund Dash is just part of the United Way of Union County’s Halloween-themed WeinerPawLooza, which will also include costume contests for children and pets. Hallo-WeinerPawLooza is set for 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 28 at the Boys & Girls Club. The event is free, however there are admission costs for the contests. WeinerPawLooza, which is open to all dog breeds this year, will include a costume contest and other games for pets, a kissing booth, a photo booth, concessions – and, of course, dog races. The two race categories include the Dachshund Dash (for dachshunds only) at 11 a.m. and the Weiner Wanna Bes (all other breeds), which starts at 10 a.m. Entry fee for the race is $10 per dog and proof of current vaccinations must be provided. Racers must be registered in advance of the day of event. The Pet Costume Contest will start at 9:30 a.m. and is $2 per pet to enter. Registration is available on site. Canine Contests will start at 10:30 a.m. Entry for each category is $1 per pet. Dogs can be entered into more than one category. Categories are: smallest dog, largest dog, dog that travelled the farthest, best trick, best howl, oldest dog, youngest dog, worst breath, longest ears, longest tail, shortest dog and longest dog. Registration is available on site. A Halloween costume contest for children under 12 years old will start at 11:30 a.m. Registration is $2 per child. Prizes will be awarded in each age category. Vendors will be on site and United Way agencies will have games and trick-or-treating for children in costume. For the safety of all participants, all dogs must be leashed at all times. Owners are also responsible for cleaning up after their pets. Water bowls will be provided throughout the event. WeinerPawLooza is an element of the United Way’s annual campaign, which raises more than $1 million through individual gifts and workplace campaigns to support programs and services provided by 13 local non-profit agencies. The United Way of Union County is one of the community’s strongest organizations, said Alexander. Its member agencies served more than 30,000 residents last year and, through the generous donations from the community, raised more than $1.2 million. United Way of Union County partner agencies include: Boy Scouts of America, Boys & Girls Club, Camp Fire USA, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Community Living Arrangements, Girl Scouts, Hope Landing, Literacy Council, Salvation Army, Single Parent Scholarship Fund, South Arkansas Developmental Center for Children & Families, South Arkansas Fights AIDS, and Turning Point. For more information on Hallo-WeinerPawLooza, contact the United Way at 870-862-4903.

NAACP FREEDOM FUND BANQUET Keynote Speaker: Dr. Charity Fleming Smith Principal Associate for Education at Fetterman and Associates International Little Rock, Arkansas Commemorative Program Empowerment Through Education: Strengthening the Family and Community

Old fashioned carnival for children. Free. Costumes welcome. Presented by College Ave. Church of Christ.

SouthArk Senior Day is a fun event for area high school seniors who want to learn about SouthArk classes and campus life all at once! SouthArk's Fall Fest will follow with even more games, prizes, and food from 11am-3pm in the SouthArk Gym!

Come join us for our Monster Mash Bash at Barton Public Library! We will have face painting from 6:00 pm-6:30 pm and a Thomas and Friends Halloween movie from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Refreshments will be provided and candy bags will be given after the movie.