Cody Gallagher of Pilgrim's and UA Cossatot Chancellor Dr. Steve Cole were in our De Queen studio this morning to talk about the Better Futures Program which will allow eligible Pilgrim's employees and their family members to attend class at UAC at no charge. Members of the UA Cossatot Student Services Department will be in the break room at Pilgrim's on Tuesday, August 3rd from 1:30-5:30 to answer questions and register students.
JBS USA and Pilgrim’s and UA Cossatot are Bringing the Better Futures Program to Arkansas
JBS USA and Pilgrim’s and UA Cossatot are Bringing the Better Futures Program to Arkansas
Tuesday, August 3rd from 1:30 until 5:30 pm, members of the UA Cossatot Student Services Department will be at Pilgrim's De Queen facility to enroll eligible Pilgrim's employees and their dependents living at home in classes at UAC. Pilgrim's is paying the way for these employees and their families to further their education.
JBS USA and Pilgrim’s announce that more than 1,250 team members and dependents have enrolled in community colleges across rural America as part of the company’s Better Futures free college tuition program. With a goal of becoming the largest privately-funded free two-year college initiative in rural America, the Better Futures program has received praise from school administrators and educational leaders across the country.
“The JBS USA and Pilgrim’s Better Futures program is off to an outstanding start, with 1,286 of our team members and dependents enrolling in the program in only four months,” said Andre Nogueira, chief executive officer, JBS USA. “The number of students attending college has been in decline for more than a decade, especially among minority communities and across rural America. We believe providing free access to community college can help strengthen rural economies and make a lasting and meaningful difference in the lives of people.”
Since the launch of Better Futures in March 2021, the companies have partnered with 36 colleges in 22 states to provide tuition-free education to team members and dependents, many from first-generation American families. Today, approximately 70% of the more than 1,250 Better Futures enrollees are team members.
“When we launched Better Futures, we anticipated that the vast majority of enrollees would be the dependents of our team members,” said Corey Friend, Better Futures program manager. “We have been pleasantly surprised that so many of our team members have decided to take advantage of this opportunity to upskill and prepare themselves for the workforce of the future through education. Better Futures is unlocking untapped potential across rural America and I could not be more proud of the great progress we have made in such a short amount of time.”
To be eligible for Better Futures, JBS USA and Pilgrim’s team members need only to have worked with the company for the last six months and remain in good standing with the company through completion of their education. Better Futures participants are able to pursue any courses or degree programs they wish.
More information on the Better Futures program can be found at https://betterfutures.jbssa.com/.
Medical Billing and Coding Program Registration is Open at UA Cossatot
Registration is now open for the Medical Billing and Coding Program. Interested persons should contact Continuing Education Services at ContinuingEducation@cccua.edu or by calling (870) 584-1178 for more details. Financial aid is available to qualifying students.
Phlebotomy Technician Program Registration is Open at UA Cossatot
Registration is now open for the Phlebotomy Technician Program at UA Cossatot. Interested persons should contact Continuing Education Services at ContinuingEducation@cccua.edu or by calling (870) 584-1178 for more details. Financial aid is available to qualifying students.
COVID-19 Active Cases Steadily Rising in SW Arkansas
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 57
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 68
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 43
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 77
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 79
Heat Advisory Continues for SW Arkansas
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT
THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...Heat index values from 105 to 110 expected.
* WHERE...Portions of north central and northwest Louisiana,
southeast Oklahoma, south central and southwest Arkansas and
east and northeast Texas.
* WHEN...From noon to 7 PM CDT Thursday.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses to occur.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out
of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young
children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles
under any circumstances.
Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When
possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or
evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when
possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent
rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone
overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.Today and Tonight...
A Heat Advisory is in effect today for all of the Four State
Region. Temperatures will again climb into the mid and upper 90s
this afternoon across the area, and when combined with the
humidity, will result in heat indices ranging from 105 to 110
degrees. In addition, isolated to widely scattered showers and
thunderstorms will develop today over portions of East Texas and
North Louisiana, before diminishing by sunset.
Friday through Wednesday...
Very hot, humid, and mostly dry conditions will continue across
the region Friday through Sunday, as an upper level ridge of high
pressure begins to shift southeast into the area. This will result
in the hottest temperatures so far this summer, and when combined
with the humidity, will produce heat indices that will near or
exceed 105 degrees each day. However, a weak cool front will shift
south into the region late Sunday, which will focus an increase
in showers and thunderstorms over the area late Sunday through
Tuesday. The increased cloud cover and rain near and behind the
front will also contribute to slightly cooler temperatures Monday
through midweek.Active COVID Cases Continue to Push Upward in SW Arkansas
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 45
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 62
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 39
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 57
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 65
COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise in Arkansas
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 43
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 47
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 39
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 44
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 56
Heat Advisory Tuesday Afternoon and Early Evening for SW Arkansas
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT
THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...Heat index values will range from 105 to 109 degrees.
* WHERE...Northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, eastern Texas
and southeast Oklahoma.
* WHEN...Noon to 7 PM CDT on Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses to occur.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out
of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young
children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles
under any circumstances.
Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When
possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or
evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when
possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent
rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone
overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.Heat Advisory Monday for SW Arkansas
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT
THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...For Monday, heat index values up to 108 degrees is
expected.
* WHERE...Area-wide.
* WHEN...For Monday, in effect from noon to 7 PM CDT.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses to occur.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out
of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young
children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles
under any circumstances.
Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When
possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or
evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when
possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent
rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone
overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.
Relinda Ruth, Director of UA Cossatot's Educational Resource Center, to Lead a Segment of a National Webinar
With the announcement of a chamber coffee and open house at the newly remodeled Educational Resource Center (ERC) on the UAC Nashville campus, Wednesday, August 4th, from 9:30 until 11 am, UA Cossatot continues to advance its role as Open Educational Resource (OER) leader in the state and within the OER world. Director of Educational Resources and OER Specialist, Relinda Ruth, will lead a segment of a national webinar entitled Open Educational Resources in Dual Enrollment. Ruth will lead the topic OER, Dual Enrollment and Student Success. Her segment can be viewed at https://www.sreb.org/post/making-case-student-success
Tanya Spilovoy, director of open policy, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and Dr. Gerry Hanley, the executive director of MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) and SkillsCommons are also contributing to the webinar series
The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) invited Ruth to lead the webinar. SREB works with states to improve public education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and help policymakers make informed decisions by providing independent, accurate data and recommendations. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization is headquartered in Atlanta and includes 16 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Arkansas members of the board include:
Asa Hutchinson, Governor of Arkansas, Little Rock, ex officio
Joyce Elliott, State Senator, Little Rock
Bill Gossage, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor, Little Rock
Lori Griffin, Principal, Ballman Elementary School, Fort Smith
Teresa Inman, District Instructional Technology Coordinator, Paris Public Schools
Monday's SW Arkansas COVID-19 Active Case Numbers and Vaccines
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 41
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 49
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 44
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 40
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 51
Community Invite to UA Cossatot's ERC Grand Opening Ceremony on August 4th
Thursday COVID-19 Update from AR Dept of Health
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 30
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 33
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 33
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 26
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 23
Tuesday's COVID-19 Active Cases and Vaccines Update from the AR Dept of Health
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 24
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 21
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 28
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 20
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 23
Photos: Sevier County Chamber of Commerce Tri-Lakes Big Bass Festival in SW AR
The Sevier County Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Tri Lakes Big Bass Festival in SW AR on Saturday, July 17 on De Queen, Dierks and Gillham Lakes. Chris McKinney of Hot Springs took home the grand prize.
Registration for UA Cossatot Is Underway, Classes Begin August 16th
Kathy Beavert Honored at UA Cossatot Board of Visitors Meeting
The UA Cossatot Board of Visitors said goodbye to outgoing chairperson Kathy Beavert at their July meeting in Lockesburg on Monday. Beavert has served on the board for 21 years and was presented an award from UAC Chancellor Dr. Steve Cole. New officers for the coming year are:
Jimmy Tumey - Chairman
Tim Pinkerton - Vice Chairman
Angie Walker - Secretary
Wednesday COVID-19 SW Arkansas Active Cases and Vaccinations Update from the Arkansas Department of Health
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 22
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 11
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 10
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 16
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 19
Sunday COVID-19 Active Cases and Vaccines Update from the Arkansas Department of Health
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 21
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 21
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 10
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 12
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 19
