Latest news with #AntoinetteGrajeda
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas city to receive $500,000 in federal brownfield grants
The Jefferson County Courthouse in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) The city of Pine Bluff will use a $500,000 federal grant to assess multiple brownfields in its downtown district and develop cleanup plans, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday. Brownfields are 'a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant,' according to the EPA. The funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments throughout the city, with a focus on the Saenger Theatre, Hotel Pines and the former Pine Bluff Bus Terminal. Four cleanup plans and a revitalization plan will be prepared using the grant money, according to a news release. The grant is part of the EPA's larger 2025 brownfields grant funding announcement, which saw the agency award more than $200 million. Pine Bluff was the only applicant in Arkansas to receive a grant during this round of funding. Pine Bluff Mayor Vivian Flowers said the city is 'extremely excited' to further its downtown revitalization plans, with the assistance of the grant. 'We're excited, and we're going to make good use of those funds for the people of Pine Bluff,' Flowers said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Lori Walker Guelache, director of the city's Economic and Community Development Department, said the grant money will go toward figuring out redevelopment plans for the three priority properties and area-wide planning. The efforts downtown are part of a broader city revitalization plan. A key component of the downtown revitalization efforts, Guelache said, is 'understanding what's feasible and how.' 'The purpose of the assessment grant is to help come up with viable uses, to make sure that we understand what barriers there would be to the site in terms of environmental contaminants or anything like that,' she said. The downtown area has 'historic building stock' that has suffered from years of neglect. The city wants to work to change that, Guelache said. The assessments will likely reveal asbestos in Saenger Theatre, and there 'could be' asbestos or lead paint in Hotel Pines or the former bus terminal due to their age, Guelache said. Surveyors will look at the historic uses of the buildings to determine what, if any contamination there will require remediation, she said. The hotel's current owners envision transforming it into a boutique hotel, Guelache said, while the Saenger Theatre could be used as a stage theater, movie theater or a combination of both. Not only will this put the city closer to putting the properties back into use, Guelache said, but it will also help preserve unique aspects of downtown Pine Bluff's history. An article republished in Arkansas Historical Quarterly referred to Pine Bluff as a 'paradise of the South' for Black people in the late 1800s to early 1900s, Guelache said, because of the privileges that people of color enjoyed during that period. 'While other communities had established racially segregated business districts, we have evidence in old city directories and old … maps that Pine Bluff — there were Black businesses operating beside white businesses on Main Street,' Guelache said. 'It's like, 'Why preserve these buildings?' Outside of who operated out of them, it's the bigger story of why our downtown is important.' By preserving and restoring to use historically and culturally significant buildings, the city hopes to highlight and showcase Pine Bluff's past, Guelache added. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two Arkansas counties consider jail sales tax proposals in Tuesday's special elections
Washington County voters wait in line to cast their ballot shortly after a Springdale Civic Center polling site opened on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) The focus on funding facilities for Arkansas prisoners shifts from the state to the counties this week as voters in Madison and Pope counties consider sales tax and bond proposals in special elections Tuesday. Madison County voters are considering adopting a 1% sales tax for operation and maintenance of a new county jail that's scheduled to be complete in June. Meanwhile, Pope County voters are being asked to approve an $89.9 million bond issue to build a new county jail and 911 call center, and a 0.75% sales tax to pay off the bond debt. During the 2025 legislative session that adjourned last week, lawmakers rejected a $750 million appropriation bill to fund construction of a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County that supporters, including the governor, have said is needed to alleviate crowding in county jails, several of which are holding state inmates due to a lack of prison space. Arkansas lawmakers consider other funding methods as they abandon sixth prison appropriation vote Because Madison County only has a 24-hour holding facility, County Judge Larry Garrett said they ship prisoners to other counties, some as far away as Lafayette County in southeast Arkansas. 'We're hauling prisoners outside the county to be housed in other county jails and that has become very difficult,' he said. 'Every jail is overcrowded and nowhere to go with them.' Garrett estimated 50-60 Madison County prisoners are housed around the state, which costs the county $45-$70 a day per person. The lack of a jail is also costing Madison County manpower, especially on long hauls to Lafayette County, which Garrett said takes two deputies off the street for 12 hours. An effort to build a jail has been ongoing for years, according to The Madison County Record. Ballot measures to support construction of a county jail failed in 2008, 2013 and 2014. In 2022, a construction tax passed, but a 1.25% maintenance and operation tax failed by about 200 votes. A 1% maintenance tax failed by 40 votes last November. Because he knew they 'can only do it once,' Garrett said they tried to build for the future and used $16 million to construct a 148-bed jail, though he doesn't expect the facility to open at full capacity immediately. Garrett estimated it would cost $1.9 million to return prisoners currently housed around the state to Madison County, which he said they can't afford right now. If voters approve the maintenance and operation tax Tuesday, Garrett said it will help run the new jail, which he estimated will cost around $2.5 million to operate annually. That would include the cost of food and medical services and the salaries of employees, which Garrett said would be around 15 people at full staff. Local officials have hosted town halls and tours of the new jail, the latter of which Garrett said was 'very positive,' though he said he's not sure how that will translate at the ballot box. 'I think everybody wants a jail because we don't have one and they know that the criminals are getting turned loose,' he said. 'They want a jail, they just don't want to have to pay to run it.' Garrett said he understands the aversion to more taxes, but noted that everyone who purchases something in the county like gas or fast food will pay the sales tax, not just local residents. Additionally, he said the City of Huntsville sunset a 1-cent sales tax last year, so the jail's maintenance and operation tax would basically take the place of that. In Pope County, officials have also hosted town halls to inform local voters about the proposed three-quarter-cent sales tax to construct, operate and maintain a new jail and 911 call center. New facilities are needed because the county's population has doubled since construction of the current jail in 1981, Pope County Judge Ben Cross said. County officials started the year with 11,000 active misdemeanor warrants, but because of overcrowding, the current 172-bed jail is only being used to hold felons and people who've committed violent misdemeanors like domestic violence, Cross said. If officials receive approval from voters Tuesday, Cross said the county owns 26 acres north of Exit 83 along I-40 where the new facility can be built. Because 'you get more bang for your buck,' officials would construct one building that would house a 400-bed jail and 911 center, as well as the county's sheriff's office and office of emergency management, he said. The acreage would provide space to expand in the future, and the tax, which wouldn't sunset, would provide a revenue source to continue operating the facility, Cross said. 'You can't put a price on public safety, and that's one reason this is not a sunset tax because you have to have that money for generations to come to operate a facility like this,' he said. 'If you sunsetted it and you built this facility, then you don't have money to maintain and operate it. Somewhere in the future you're kicking that can down the road.' The special elections in Madison and Pope counties are two of the elections taking place around the state Tuesday. The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service has a list of elections on its website. You can also check your voter registration, and find polling locations and sample ballots here. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Northwest Arkansas residents rally in support of immigrant workers
Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) About a hundred people gathered in Springdale Monday in support of immigrant workers, a group that rallygoers said have been the target of recent policies at the state and federal levels. The event was organized by Venceremos, a worker-based organization with a mission to ensure the human rights of poultry workers. The organization, whose name is Spanish for 'we will overcome,' is led by executive director Magaly Licolli, who told the Advocate Friday that immigrants who were honored as essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are now being demonized. 'Five years ago these workers were called essential workers, heroes, that without their jobs we wouldn't have food on the table, and now they are being attacked and being called criminals,' Licolli said. President Donald Trump promised mass deportations on the campaign trail, and has followed through by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1789, supporting high-profile raids and revoking an extension of Temporary Protected Status for some immigrants, among other things. Trump's policies have left immigrants living in fear as they're being treated as 'second-class citizens or no citizens at all,' Licolli said. While the national rhetoric started by targeting immigrants who were criminals, Licolli said the discussion has devolved into labeling all immigrants as criminals regardless of their immigration status. 'We are seeing really that they are deporting anyone just because they are brown and being detained because they look brown until they prove they have the paperwork to stay in this country,' she said. 'It is not fair that they are treating everybody as equal as criminals and without recognizing that criminals, murderers, all of these criminals can be [anyone] — it doesn't matter the race.' Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers that made a stop outside Springdale City Hall on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers that made a stop outside Springdale City Hall on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders tied Arkansas immigration policy to Trump when she announced legislation two weeks ago to impose harsher penalties on undocumented migrants who commit crimes in the state. 'The Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act makes it clear: Arkansas will not tolerate violent, criminal illegals and will do our part to help the Trump administration keep our citizens safe,' Sanders said during a March 17 press conference. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Senate Bill 426 Monday morning, but an amendment in the afternoon means the bill will need to be reheard by the committee. Licolli told reporters Monday that when Sanders says it's her job to protect citizens, she's only referring to the white community. 'We are also citizens, we are also humans,' Licolli said. 'And she's been enjoying the chicken that these immigrants are producing, so I wonder what she's going to do with her chicken if they are targeting the immigrants. She enjoys the benefits from the labor of these immigrants, so it's a hypocrisy and it's very racist that she is condemning all of these people for feeding her family.' Springdale is home to Tyson Foods, one the world's largest food companies, and Licolli said poultry companies, like Tyson, should speak out for immigrants because they benefit from their labor. In addition to calling for better working conditions and for immigrants' humanity to be respected, Licolli said they also deserve a path to citizenship for all they've done to support the economy. Protestors urge Arkansas' Tyson to commit to child labor, worker safety protections Vladimir Rivera Lopez, District 4 Justice of the Peace for the Washington County Quorum Court, said he became really interested in workers rights after reading Life and Death of the American Worker, a book by Alice Driver that shares the challenges faced by immigrant workers at Tyson. Rivera Lopez, a Springdale Democrat that won his first-ever election by 10 votes in November, said that he will attend 'any event that affirms the dignity of someone else in my community.' 'It's very easy to exploit people who can't vote, who don't have that opportunity to represent themselves come November, but that doesn't mean that these people don't exist,' he said. Rivera Lopez joined dozens of Northwest Arkansas residents at Monday's rally, including Angela Hickman of Bella Vista, who decided to spend her day off marching to city hall dressed as Lady Liberty alongside her boyfriend and dog. Hickman said she's taking every opportunity 'to show support and fight back' because there's a lot wrong with what's happening in the country. 'Letting our people that represent us know that we are not okay with what's going on,' she said. 'And Trump and [Elon] Musk need to not be where they are. They're doing a lot of damage, and I can't just sit idly by.' Even when policies don't directly affect her, Hickman, who teared up during her explanation, said that one day 'it could be me.' 'I have children, they need a future, and I have to make that happen for them,' she said. 'My grandmother did it, my mom did it, my aunt, it's in the family all the way back to the Civil Rights Movement and everything in between. My grandmother can't be here to do it, she is no longer with us, so I'm doing it for her.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Arkansas legislators seek to clarify FOIA, overhaul state employee pay plan
Rep. Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock, speaks against HB 1669, on the floor of the Arkansas House on March 13, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas lawmakers during the ninth week of the 95th General Assembly advanced legislation backed by the governor that would overhaul the state's higher education system and the state employee pay plan. Arkansas ACCESS, the higher education bill, debuted Monday in the Joint Education Committee where critics focused on a provision to prohibit excused absences for students who participate in protests or attempts to influence legislation. After opponents kept raising concerns about infringing on free speech, the committee approved an amendment that would allow excused absences for attempts to influence legislation if students obtain parental consent. Opponents noted that the amendment only applied to students in high school, not college. Arkansas ACCESS, which was filed as two identical bills in the House and Senate, will likely clear final legislative hurdles next week and be sent to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' desk. On Tuesday, lawmakers turned their attention to a proposed overhaul of the state employee pay plan, which is expected to cost $139 million. Sanders has previously said the goal of the plan is to recruit and retain employees in hard-to-fill positions, and to clarify the promotion ladders in each state agency. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the bill next Tuesday. An Arkansas House committee on Wednesday also approved two bills that mirror stalled legislation aimed at regulating companies' online interactions with children. Protecting children's online activity is another stated goal of Sanders' administration. House Speaker Brian Evans, R-Cabot, told reporters Thursday that lawmakers 'made really good strides this week' as they pushed to stay on track to wrap up their business by April 16. 'We've seen really good movement, committees have worked long,' Evans said. 'We've had committees that's been meeting up into the night, and the purpose of that is just to make sure that the public is being heard, staying however long it takes.' Longer days are likely to continue next week, he said, as lawmakers continue considering a variety of bills, including a $750 million appropriations bill for a Franklin County prison project that's expected to generate discussion. A Senate committee approved two bills this week that would define a public meeting, an effort to bring clarity to the state's government transparency law. Senate Bill 376 defines a public meeting as any gathering of more than two members of a public body. Senate Bill 227 would set parameters for what members of city councils, quorum courts or school boards can discuss outside of a public meeting. SB 227 also would amend the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to add a cybersecurity breach as a reason to meet in executive session, introduce and regulate remote meeting attendance, and allow a court to nullify official actions taken as a result of violations of open meetings law. SB 227 passed out of the Senate Thursday. SB 376 is on the upper chamber's agenda on Monday. Arkansas lawmakers on Wednesday approved an amended bill to streamline the process for building electricity-generating plants in the state, one week after rejecting the original proposal. Senate Bill 307 sponsor Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, said the bill aims to mitigate the sharp increase in rates that's expected when the state purchases or generates new energy to meet anticipated demand in the coming years. While Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Little Rock, said he appreciated Dismang's work on the amendments, but he still didn't believe the bill did enough to protect ratepayers. Meanwhile, legislation that would make it harder to protect Arkansas watersheds from possible pollution from large animals farms finally got a hearing Tuesday after weeks of deferrals. The proposal by Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, received support from agricultural interests and opposition from environmental advocates. Johnson ultimately pulled Senate Bill 290 for revisions. Arkansas could become the fifth state to allow executions by nitrogen gas after lawmakers approved House Bill 1489 and sent it to the governor's desk this week. Supporters of the bill say the state has a responsibility to carry out capital punishment and must find new ways to do as securing the necessary drugs for lethal injection has become increasingly difficult. Alabama is the only state to have carried out nitrogen gas executions, and HB 1489 opponents have criticized the method as experimental and inhumane. Arkansas lawmakers filed about 140 bills by Thursday evening, including: Senate Bill 426 by Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, establishes 'enhanced penalties' for immigrants lacking legal status who commit a 'serious felony involving violence,' ensures that sheriff's offices and the Arkansas Department of Correction's Division of Correction can participate in the Warrant Service Officer program, and expands the state's ban on sanctuary cities to include counties and unincorporated areas. Senate Bill 433, by Sen. Jim Dotson, R-Bentonville, would require the 10 Commandments to be displayed in public schools and taxpayer-funded buildings. Senate Bill 434, also by Dotson, would require that a majority of all registered voters eligible to vote approve a constitutional amendment in order for it to become law. Senate Bill 450 by Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russellville, would require the Arkansas Department of Education to include a human fetal growth and development discussion 'in the relevant standards' during the state's academic standards revision cycle. Davis opposed a similar bill that stalled in committee after critics questioned its age appropriateness, medical accuracy and inclusion of a video developed by an anti-abortion group. Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday for one more week of meetings before taking the following week off for Spring Break. Meeting schedules, agendas and livestream videos are available on the Arkansas Legislature's website. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Phillips County programs aim to inspire youth, grow community
Phillips County Courthouse (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Helena and Phillips County are places of untapped potential, brimming with rich history, resilient people, and a strong desire for progress. When I stepped into my roles as executive director of Delta Magic and the Phillips County Chamber of Commerce eight months ago, I knew the challenges ahead were significant — but so were the opportunities. The work we're doing now is a testament to what's possible when we come together to solve long-standing challenges and build a brighter future. One of the Chamber's primary focuses has been revitalizing Helena's downtown area, which has suffered from decades of neglect. Dilapidated buildings and insufficient infrastructure have hindered economic growth and community pride. To address this, we formed a joint commission, uniting organizations like Main Street Helena, the A&P Commission, and the Historic Downtown Commission to create actionable solutions. We've recently partnered with a real estate planner from Downtown Redevelopment Services to develop a comprehensive real estate plan for Helena. After engaging community members in candid conversations about the fine line between redevelopment and gentrification, we identified the types of businesses, like restaurants and a grocery store, that could thrive here. One of our most exciting prospects is Big River Grocery, a full-service, cooperatively owned grocery store that marks a significant milestone as we move to address food insecurity and create a community hub. The co-op encourages residents to claim a stake in their community's infrastructure and health while also providing living-wage jobs, benefits and part-time employment for local youth. With support from a Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) grant, we've identified three potential locations within a 15-minute radius of Cherry Street. Revitalization is about more than just buildings or businesses; it's about ensuring that progress benefits all residents. Our goal is to build a thriving Helena that doesn't displace its people but instead uplifts and creates opportunities for everyone. This plan not only provides a roadmap for revitalization but also serves as a catalyst to align community vision around achievable goals. One of Delta Magic's programs is Rising Leaders, which equips high school seniors with financial literacy, civic engagement and leadership skills. Our fall 2024 cohort exceeded expectations, particularly during their capstone project — a community bonfire and outdoor movie night that delighted more than 220 families. Watching our students successfully navigate challenges like securing permits and presenting their ideas to the city council was inspiring. Perhaps the most heartening outcome of Rising Leaders has been its ability to bridge divides. In a town where private, public, and charter schools often operate in silos, our program has brought students together in meaningful ways. Their camaraderie has not only fostered unity among peers but has also spread to families and school communities. This spring, at the request of the 2024 cohort, we're not only extending the program, but we're adding more students and making plans for another community capstone project. With continued support from organizations such as the Walton Family Foundation, in 2025 Delta Magic is tackling even more ambitious projects: The Helena Miles Club: With group sessions designed collaboratively to fit everyone's schedule, the club is a welcoming community that encourages people of all fitness levels to explore the outdoors through walking, running and biking in the natural beauty of Arkansas. Whether you're new to outdoor activities or a seasoned enthusiast, the club offers the perfect opportunity to improve your well-being while making new friends and discovering local trails. A new podcast series: Our upcoming Delta Magic Podcast will share stories of Helena's people and businesses, including features on Delta Dirt Distillery and other local leaders. Monthly community forums: The Delta Magic Hour is a virtual forum to bridge communication gaps and bring stakeholders together for collaborative discussions about our vision for a growing and thriving downtown. Each of these initiatives aligns with our broader mission of community engagement and development. For example, beautification efforts like creating parks and restoring properties are a key part of the real estate plan. To ensure transparency and inclusivity, we're hosting community meetings to gather input, address concerns, and align our vision with residents' needs. Revitalizing a community takes time, persistence, and a belief in what's possible. Whether it's through empowering our youth, fostering partnerships, or reimagining our downtown, we're proving that the Delta's magic lies not just in its history but in its people — and their hope for the future.
