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The Conway City Council approved the submission of the 2023 Action Plan and Budget for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program during its regular meeting Tuesday.
Shawanna Rodgers, diversity and economic development coordinator, said Tuesday that the focus of the program is on homelessness, and the goal is to allocate CDBG funds in order to prioritize activities that would benefit low- to moderate-income families.
The approved budget for the 2023 Action Plan for the CDBG program is $476,652 with 65 percent of that money going toward an overnight emergency shelter. Mayor Bart Castleberry said Tuesday that the current goal for the completion of the shelter is sometime in May.
Administration costs – which are the operation costs of the program and includes salary, benefits, training, office supplies, travel, equipment, software and more – will comprise 20 percent of the budget while the other 15 percent will go toward the six nonprofits that applied for funding from the program.
The $75,000 was divided up between the six nonprofits which includes $15,000 for the Faulkner County Council on Aging, $15,000 for the Independent Living Services, $15,000 for the Boys and Girls Club, $15,000 for the Community Action Program for Central Arkansas, $6,497.80 for Bethlehem House and $5,000 for Milestones.
The budget was approved by an unanimous vote.
The council also approved an ordinance to appropriate funds for the Pompe Park Phase II Project for Conway Parks and Recreation.
In November of 2021, the council approved Crafton Tull & Associates for the project. In July of 2022, it included Veteran’s Plaza into the project with JCI Construction selected as the lower bidder for the Plaza.
With he approved ordinance, $817,392 will be allocated from the Advertising and Promotion funds for JCI Construction and $15,000 for Crafton Tull & Associates for a total of $832,392 for the project.
Pompe Park Phase II will immediately begin now after the approval from the city council and will include two new pedestrian bridges that will connect the east and west side of Tucker Creek to Pompe Phase I, which is ongoing, as well as channel and drainage improvements to the creek.
Conway Parks and Recreation Director Andrew Thames said Tuesday that the bridges are about six months away from completion and that Phase I is subject to be completed around May 1 depending on the weather.
The ordinance was approved by an unanimous vote.
Other agenda items approved unanimously Tuesday include:
An ordnance to appropriate $207,357 in insurance proceeds for the Conway Fire Department for repairs on an engine that was in a wreck.
A resolution requesting the Faulkner County Tax Collector to place a lien on 1612 Hardy St. in the amount of $115.85 for expenses incurred by the city.
Jordan Wooodson can be reached at jwoodson@thecabin.net
Conway Superintendent Jeff Collum (left) and Ruth Doyle Middle School Principal Matt Kelly (right) present seventh grader Abigail Slay (center) with the district’s IMPACT student recognition award.
Members of the Conway High School girls basketball team pose for a picture at Tuesday’s meeting. The team recently won the 6A State Championship against North Little Rock High School.
The Conway Board of Education recognized a Ruth Doyle middle schooler and the Conway High School (CHS) girls basketball team at Tuesday night’s board meeting at the administration building on Prince Street.
The middle schooler, Abigail Slay, is a seventh grader at Ruth Doyle who recently scored a 21 on the practice ACT exam. Slay received the district’s IMPACT student recognition award on Tuesday.
“You continue to inspire me and show me just how far you can go,” Susan Lawrence, a teacher at Ruth Doyle, said about Slay in a video played at the meeting. “I anticipate great things for you in the future and I’m already seeing them on the ACT right now.”
Another Ruth Doyle employee, counselor Angela Rogers, said Slay is “absolutely great at everything she does.”
“She’s very helpful,” Rogers said. “If you need anything done, she works independently ... We are so proud of her and look forward to everything she’s going to do in the future.”
Ruth Doyle Principal Matt Kelly introduced Slay at the meeting, saying that her 21 on the practice ACT is higher than the national average for high schoolers.
“It is apparent that humility can certainly be added to the many good character traits that she displays,” Kelly said. “She’s not one that talks about how great she is all the time, but great is just who she is. Her actions literally speak for her.”
As part of the recognition, Slay received a certificate and led the room in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Board members also recognized the CHS girls basketball team, recent winners of the 6A State Championship in Hot Springs. As previously reported in the Log Cabin Democrat, the team beat North Little Rock High School 62-53 to win the state championship on March 10. In remarks about the team, Conway Athletic Director Clint Ashcraft said the team “proudly represented our school district and the state of Arkansas” this year.
“This is a great group of young ladies [that] are incredibly fun to be around, both on and off the court,” Ashcraft said. “It’s been a fun year for all of us and I speak for everyone when I want to tell them all how proud we are of what they’ve done this year and all the accomplishments they’ve had.”
CHS girls basketball coach Ashley Hutchcraft said the team represented the city of Conway, CHS and the district to “the best of their ability” on a national level.
“Every decision that we ever make as coaches, we always do everything with the forefront of these young ladies in mind,” Hutchcraft said. “Loving them, cherishing them and honoring them is always number one.”
Read more coverage of Tuesday night’s school board meeting in a future edition of the Log Cabin Democrat.
Staff Writer Kolton Rutherford can be reached at krutherford@the
Bertha Pelley celebrates her 105th birthday on Thursday.
Conway resident Bertha Pelley has lived through two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, the Moon landing and countless other major events of historical significance.
Born on March 16, 1918, Pelley turned 105 years old on Thursday. In an interview with the Log Cabin Democrat one day prior to her birthday, Pelley humbly said she doesn’t “have any” great accomplishments from her life, a point her granddaughter Laura Pelley disagreed with, adding that her role in building such a large tight-knit family has left a significant legacy.
“Oh, Grandma,” Laura said, shaking her head and laughing. “She’s very family-oriented with extremely strong family values.”
Born in Newport, Arkansas, Pelley grew up with nine siblings – four sisters and five brothers. Her father died in a drowning accident when Pelley was only 9 years old, and just a few years before the beginning of the Great Depression.
“We had a hard time,” Pelley said, describing the period after her father died and the beginning of the Great Depression. “But everybody [had a hard time] then.”
Pelley said her family’s experience during the Great Depression was “about as well” as anybody else’s and it didn’t change her.
“Everybody was experiencing it, so you just had to take it,” Pelley said.
Pelley said her family “managed” growing up in a one-parent household with 10 children. Despite the challenges, Pelley said “we got along good because we had to.”
Pelley has only had a couple jobs in her life, working the fields early on and later as a baker, a skill she’s still known for today.
“She’s very good at making sweets and stuff,” Laura said. “She makes the best homemade bread [and] the best cinnamon rolls you’ll ever eat.”
A gardener, Pelley maintained a one-acre garden for years and used its yield to cook for her family. Known for the fried squash she cooks, Laura said Pelley has lived off fried foods her whole life. But, the fried foods weren’t processed and came fresh from her garden.
Family, however, is the topic Pelley spent most of her time talking about. She married her husband of more than 50 years, James Pelley, Sr., on Nov. 5, 1938. He died on June 24, 1989, at 79 years old. The mother of two sons who have also passed away, Pelley has two grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and one great great-grandchild, seven of whom were born in Conway.
Pelley’s mother lived to the age of 100. Pelley encouraged “working” as a key to living a full life and feeling fulfilled.
“She’s always been a worker,” Laura said. “She’s always busy. And she laughs. All the time, she’s happy and has a good spirit. We’ve always attributed that to her [longevity].”
Staff Writer Kolton Rutherford can be reached at krutherford@the
The Mayflower Police Department (MPD) is set to host the Cops & Bobbers fishing event on Saturday at the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) Dr. James E. Moore Jr. Camp Robinson Firing Range in Conway.
The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon with AGFC promising to stock the pond beforehand so the kids in attendance can have increased odds of catching fish.
Kids ages 3-16 are invited to participate but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the event. Parents are allowed to fish with their kids, but are required to have a fishing license in order to do so, as per AGFC regulations for anyone over the age 16.
Bates Field & Stream will provide the bait for the event and participants just need to bring their own lawn chairs and fishing gear.
Hot dogs and drinks will be provided by Big O Tires. MPD is working on gathering door prizes for the event as well.
Those who wish to participate should RSVP with MPD at 501-470-1000 or via email to mayflower.pd@arkansas.gov.
Jordan Wooodson can be reached at jwoodson@the
News
Conway Corp announces electric department promotions
Conway Corp recently announced the promotion of electric department employees Blake Henderson and Kolt Weatherley to apprentice lineman 4 and Tylor McPherson, Cody Tackett and Kyle Troxler to apprentice lineman 2.
“These men work hard and are valuable members of our department,” Electric Distribution System Manager Robert Meek said. “Going through the apprentice program is example of their dedication to Conway Corp and our community.”
The employees are enrolled in a four-year apprentice program to become journeymen linemen and metermen through the Missouri Public Utility Alliance. The program requires classroom, correspondence and hands-on training with monthly and annual exams on electric curriculum.
They must attend hands-on immersion skills training workshops including pole climbing, pole top rescue and bucket truck training at the National Utility Industry Training Fund facilities in Kansas City.
Henderson joined hired in March 2017 and Weatherley in August 2015. McPherson, Tackett and Troxler have been with Conway Corp since 2018, all their careers as a groundman before joining the apprentice program.
News
CBC hires PACE enrollment coordinator
Smith
Central Baptist College announced the addition of Kayleigh Smith, PACE Enrollment Coordinator.
Smith has joined the recruitment department at CBC as PACE enrollment coordinator. Smith is a 2016 graduate of Central Baptist College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master’s in Education from William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri.
Smith has professional experience in marketing and recruitment. Smith said she is excited to be back at her alma mater and is ready “to build relationships with the community and boost PACE enrollment.” Some of those areas will include Business Partnerships and Military outreach.
Smith is a member of Antioch Baptist Church in Conway. She and husband Ryan, also a 2016 graduate, have one son, Kelley James.
