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By the El Dorado News-Times

In January of 2022, South Arkansas College played its first baseball game.

Less than three years after its beginning, the program is making its biggest imprint yet.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday to herald the beginning of the construction of a new stadium for the Stars, which will be located at the southwest corner of South West Avenue and West Hillsboro Street.

“It’s exciting,” South Arkansas College coach Cannon Lester said. “You get to the hear the news at the end of summer, then you get going and get busy. All of a sudden, it’s coming up. I drive past that spot every day, so I’m really excited to see some dirt or concrete or whatever might be start moving. That’s exciting.”

The stadium will be built concurrently with Howard Hall, a new student residence hall named in honor of William R. Howard of El Dorado, following a gift by Howard of more than $2 million to assist in funding the facility.

In June, Murphy Oil made a $10 million gift that launched the projects.

SouthArk has made quite a splash in its first three seasons by reaching the NJCAA Division II World Series in each of the last two years.

Players on the 2025 squad likely won’t get to play at the new facility unless they have a redshirt season due to having only two years of eligibility, but Lester said that hasn’t stopped their excitement.

“They’ll come in the office sometimes, and I’ve got the drawings sitting right there on my desk,” Lester said. “They see it and they’re like, ‘Is this it?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah.’ You know sheepishly smiling a little bit. They’re like, ‘Man, I wish we could play on it.’ I think it’s exciting, and they know what this can bring to our team.

“They know they’re probably not going to get to play on it, but some of them jumped around like, ‘Hey, can I redshirt this year so I can play on it?’ Just kind of playing around, but they’re excited. They know what it’s going to bring. They know what it means. Even if they know they don’t get to play on it, I think deep down they know that they were a big part of making that happen. That’s exciting. I think they’ll take pride in that whenever it is here. Hopefully, we’ll have a ring ceremony for them. In a couple of years, they can come and check it out. They’ll be alumni by then, and it will be exciting for them as well.”

As for the features that are going to be a part of the stadium, Lester, ranks one as the most important is the playing surface.

“We’ve got a plan in place. We know what we want,” Lester said. “A few things off the top that I think everybody will notice is I think we’re going for all turf. There’s no upkeep, we can play on it all the time. I think it allows us to have other people play on it. It will be top of the line. The turf at the (El Dorado/Union County Recreation) Complex has been good to us, but it will be set up a little different than that. It will absorb a lot better.

“It will play a little bit different. The stuff they have now, it plays a little more true to dirt. The ball stays down a little bit more compared to this turf out here. It’s really bouncy. They’ve updated it over the years. It’s definitely going to play a little bit different. The dirt and grass will have a tad bit different thickness. The way home plate is manipulated out front so it’s not going to hit and go straight up. It’s going to stay down. It will be one of those things where it can rain three or four inches in a couple of hours, you give it 15 minutes or so and it’s like, ‘Hey boys, lets go play.'”

The Green Monster, the fabled left-field wall at Boston’s Fenway Park, is one of baseball’s most famous landmarks, and SouthArk’s stadium will have a similar feature.

“A big part of the field that might be the first thing you see when you walk in is the big 30-foot wall in left field,” Lester said. “It’s going to run from the left-field pole to left-center.

It’s going to be a monster. It’s going to play a little different than the field we play on now. The wind is going to play a big factor. In right-center, right field, it’s going to go a little bit, but it will blow in from left. I think there’s two fields in the nation that are situated in this direction. Arkansas State, which they never hit the ball out of, and Clemson, which it flies there. The Green Monster in left is going to be a big deal. It’s going to give it some character.”

A video board will be in right field.

“It’s going to big and inviting,” Lester said. “I think we’ll have a lot of fan interaction, promo videos, whatever it might be. I think that’s going to be an eye-opener.”

Lester said fans will be very close to the action on the field.

“As far as the stands go, I think we’re going to have really high nets all the way around to keep balls from going over,” Lester said. “Even though it’s a new field, it’s going to be a relatively close backstop, which is exciting for fans. I think you get to see a little more. It’s up close. You’re going to hear what’s happening on the field. It also keeps balls from getting over the net because they don’t have time to get up. I think fan interaction will be a plus.”

David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Okla., is home to the NJCAA Division II World Series, and Lester said an amenity there will be a part of the new facility.

“I think a really neat thing that we got from Enid’s ballpark is that we’re going to have a hospitality room,” Lester said. “It can be a meeting room and we’ll have a kitchenette there. It can be a space designed to rent out. If we have a 1 o’clock midweek, instead of having a business meeting in the office, why not come out to the game? It will have windows that can open and close. If it happens to be a cold day, we can turn the heat on or if it’s a nice day, you’ve got a view of the ballpark. Maybe get some catered food or have a birthday party there while you’re checking out a game. Enid has one and it’s a really cool feature. We’ve had to go in there a lot and wait for rain delays. We can do a lot of things with it.”

For the players, there will be locker rooms on the back of the dugouts.

“You can walk straight through the dugout to the locker room,” Lester said. “It’s going to be more of a stadium feel. It’s going to be the whole big thing. It’s exciting to finally get this thing going.”

SouthArk has shown that it can compete with the top teams in the country on the diamond, but with the construction of the stadium and Howard Hall, Lester has plenty to show recruits.

“It’s a big deal,” Lester said. “We’ll show them campus and it’s really nice. We’ll walk them toward that corner and show them where it’s going to be. The first thing when you walk into my office on my desk are the plans of it. It’s all laid out right there. It’s beautiful. They grab it, usually take a picture of it. It’s a big deal. Being in our fourth year, we’ve gotten a lot better in a lot of things. I think this is the one thing now where I think we’re close to being a top 10 team every year, if we want to take that next step of being in the pantheon of the LSU-Eunice’s and the Pearl River’s, guys like that. I think this is our big step. That’s exciting, and it definitely helps on the recruiting trail.”

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By the El Dorado News-Times

Meet Me at the Court is keeping busy this holiday season with activities that are intended to help bring comfort and joy to the community.

Veronica Bailey, president and CEO of MMC — a nonprofit community service organization –, said there have been some changes to MMC’s 2024 schedule of holiday events.

Bailey said the group hopes to begin delivering gifts this week to participants in Sharion’s Angel Tree project.

The deliveries were supposed to have begun Dec. 20 but due to the volume of submissions the group has received, Bailey said MMC members wanted to get an earlier start this year to deliver as many gifts as they can to area families by Christmas.

The deadline for Angel Tree submissions was Dec. 4.

Bailey said MMC accepted a few submissions past the deadline but the group is no longer taking Angel Tree submissions.

Local families were invited to submit names and other information for their children to receive Christmas gifts as a part of MMC’s Angel Tree project.

“We had 181 requests to come in and we’re picking up items right now for the Angel Tree project,” Bailey said.

Each year, some Angel Tree deliveries extend beyond Dec. 25, she added.

“We always have some that we deliver after Christmas and the families don’t mind. With so many requests this year, we want to have presents wrapped and get them delivered so the parents can have the under the tree for their children on Christmas Day,” explained Bailey.

She noted that Angel Tree presents will include gift cards, all of which will be hand-delivered this year. Previously, gift cards were largely mailed to recipients.

“We’re not mailing any of the gift cards this year. We’re just going to pass them out by hand, along with canned goods,” Bailey said.

MMC youth members have added another component to their list of holiday activities.

As a part of the group’s Lunch On Us (LOU) project, an ongoing effort to provide food and other essentials to less fortunate members of the community, MMC youth will hit the streets at noon Dec. 21 with Warm Hearts.

Warm Hearts is a program in which the group will distribute blankets, lap throws and meals with homemade beef and vegetable soup, cornbread, fried chicken and hot chocolate.

“We’ll just be riding through the city and wherever we see people, that’s where we’ll stop and start passing out the homemade soup, cornbread and fried chicken,” Bailey said.

MMC’s third annual Secret Santa giveaway also got underway last week.

MMC has tipped local restaurant workers and this week, the group will begin offers to pay for gasoline and groceries for customers at local gas pumps and in grocery stores.

“Remember, we will approach you, tell you who we are and let you know that we are doing our Secret Santa,” Bailey said.

MMS also plans to donate cash to local churches as a part of the Secret Santa giveaway.

On Dec. 24, MMC will head to Bradley Woods Apartments for Christmas on the Court 2024.

The event will include a day’s worth of activities with a visit from Santa, a food giveaway with hams, turkeys, rotisserie and whole fryer chickens, canned goods and fresh vegetables.

Children in the apartment complex will receive toys and some will take home bicycles, said Bailey.

The event is open only to current residents of Bradley Woods.

For more information about MMC, call Bailey at 870-310-0391. Cash donations for the nonprofit may be mailed to P.O. Box 10594, El Dorado, Arkansas, 71730.

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By Keturah Smith
El Dorado News Times

Thursday was the annual Christmas parade in El Dorado, gathering residents from the city to watch the festive performances.

“This parade has been a part of the community for decades. We have documentation at the Gallery of History that alludes to the Chamber of Commerce Christmas parade in 1932, and reading it makes me feel that it had been happening right before then,” said Karen Hicks, Chamber of Commerce vice president of membership and events.

“We started planning it in June, if not a little before, as you can see, it takes a team of 30 or 40 people to pull it off,” Hicks said. “The deadline was about two weeks ago because we have to take the 175 entries, organize them, line them up, and get the information to multiple news outlets so they can begin organizing their production.

“KTVE does a lot of streaming, and they’re set up with the Chamber of Commerce this year,” Hicks said. “Historically, the parade has always been in front of the mall or on Northwest Avenue. But it was important to me that the Chamber have a bigger presence in the parade, so people understand that the Chamber is the one putting this on.

“Our judging is downtown this year, and our broadcast is downtown this year,” Hicks said. “The first floats line up at 4:30 p.m. We start at 7 p.m. and it’s going to be a beast of it’s own.”

“We worked hard on this; all the details were lined out weeks ago, and it’s great. I think it’s going to be the best parade we’ve ever had,” Hicks said.

Shemekah Morgan a 2001 Pine Bluff alumni said she was excited to have The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff band be a part of the parade.

“I’m excited about some things they’ll be doing in the parade because we’ve been working nonstop behind the scenes to prepare everything and have it ready for when they arrive,” Morgan said.

“I’m excited to see them, I’m excited to be around them, and I’m proud of my college,” she said.

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By the El Dorado News-Times

Main Street El Dorado is excited to invite you to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with a festive season filled with charm and joy. Under the theme “Holiday Style,” we’re bringing the warmth and wonder of the holidays to Downtown El Dorado. The festivities, traditions, and local businesses will once again make Downtown the heart of the holiday season, providing all the sparkle, shopping, and fun that make this time of year so special.

Executive Director Beth Brumley and the Main Street El Dorado team have worked diligently to deliver another year of magical events that highlight the spirit of the season. From dazzling lights to family-friendly activities, you won’t want to miss the traditional holiday celebrations that make Downtown El Dorado the place to be for holiday cheer.

An Overview of the 2024 Holiday Events:

Holiday Lighting Ceremony (Nov. 21): The holiday season officially begins with the grand Holiday Lighting Ceremony at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Union County Courthouse. This enchanting evening will feature live performances from local dance groups, singers, and community members. Special guest Ebenezer Scrooge from the South Arkansas Arts Center’s production of A Christmas Carol will help illuminate downtown with holiday lights, officially kicking off the season’s celebrations. The Salvation Army of El Dorado will also be on hand, offering free hot cocoa and cookies as they launch their annual Red Kettle campaign.

Downtown Holiday Open House (Nov. 24): On Sunday, Nov. 24, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Downtown merchants invite you to experience the festive spirit with special sales, discounts, and seasonal treats. Enjoy free horse-drawn carriage rides and Queen City Train rides as you explore the charming Downtown area. It’s the perfect opportunity to shop local, support small businesses, and enjoy the charm of Downtown El Dorado as you prepare for the holiday season.

Pre-Black Friday Pajama Party (Nov. 28): Get a jump start on your holiday shopping at the Pre-Black Friday Pajama Party on Thanksgiving night, Nov. 28, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Participating downtown merchants will offer special discounts and deals, so you can score great savings before the official Black Friday rush. As you shop, enjoy quick snacks from food trucks on site, making it the perfect opportunity to shop in comfort and style–pajamas encouraged!

Small Business Saturday (November 30): Celebrate the heart of Downtown El Dorado on November 30th with Small Business Saturday®–a national movement encouraging shoppers to support local, independent businesses. It’s a wonderful chance to find one-of-a-kind gifts, enjoy personalized service, and contribute to the vibrant local economy that makes Downtown El Dorado truly unique. Additionally, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales will be making their deliveries to downtown businesses, –adding an extra touch of magic to the festivities!

Christmas Parade (Dec. 6): This year’s El Dorado Christmas Parade on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. will feature a beloved theme: “It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas Parade.” Join us for a heartwarming celebration as we welcome special guests Melanie Kohn Bravener and Duncan Watson, the voices of Lucy and Charlie Brown from Peanuts! The parade will also feature a special performance by the UAPB Marching Band, The Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South, and an appearance by the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales, presented by HEPCO Inc. The parade promises to be a fun and festive evening for the entire family, filled with lights, music, and holiday cheer.

Santa on the Square (Dec. 21): On Saturday, Dec. 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., bring your holiday spirit to Downtown El Dorado for Santa on the Square. Kids and families can capture memorable photos with Santa, enjoy free horse-drawn carriage rides, and take a ride on the Queen City Train.

Pancakes with Santa (Dec. 21): Join us for Pancakes with Santa at Off the Rail Cafe on Dec. 21 from 2-4pm! Bring the kids in their coziest pajamas for a magical afternoon of holiday cheer, delicious pancakes, and a visit with Santa himself. Tickets will be available November 22nd on MainStreetElDorado.org !

Support Local and Give the Gift of Downtown El Dorado: The holiday season is the perfect time to shop small and support local businesses. Main Street El Dorado gift cards, available in $25 increments, make the perfect gift and are redeemable at over 30 downtown retailers and restaurants. They can be purchased by calling (870) 862-4747 or by visiting www.mainstreeteldorado.org.

Sponsors: The 2024 holiday season is made possible through the generous support of Main Street El Dorado and key sponsors including Cadence Bank, Clean Harbors, El Dorado Advertising & Promotion Commission, First Financial Bank, Flying B Rental, Judge Mike & Phena Loftin, Murphy USA, and Roseburg El Dorado MDF.

For More Information: Stay up to date on all the festivities and event details by following @mainstreeteldorado on social media, or visit www.mainstreeteldorado.org. To purchase gift cards or inquire about event specifics, call (870) 862-4747.

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By Tia Lyons
El Dorado News/Times

MusicFest is less than a month away and organizers said plans are on track for the 36th annual event, which is set for Oct. 4 and 5 in downtown El Dorado.

Presented by Main Street El Dorado, MusicFest will feature three stages with more than 30 acts made up of local, regional and national/international talent.

Alternative rock band Vertical Horizon; Shreveport, Louisiana band Windstorm; the Little Rock-based The Rodney Block Collective; El Dorado native Brody McKinney: and Blacktop Mojo, an East Texas band are a few of the acts that will take the stage throughout MusicFest weekend.

Rock, pop, jazz/jazz fusion, R&B, rap, country and grunge are among the variety of musical genres that will be represented during the festival.

MSE announced the musical lineup and other details about the festival on Aug. 16.

Tickets went on sale the same day and within a week approximately 10 or 15 tickets were sold, said Beth Brumley, executive director of MSE.

By late afternoon on Aug. 30, $1,000 worth of tickets had reportedly been purchased.

On Friday, Brumley said ticket sales were beginning to gain steam, explaining that MSE began its regional advertising push across the ArkLaTex in late August.

She noted that the festival was advertised locally — including social media mentions — in the days following the MusicFest announcement in mid-August.

In addition to ads and other coverage on local TV station KTVE 10/MyArkLaMiss, Brumley said TV ads are running on stations in Central Arkansas and the North Louisiana/East Texas market.

Radio advertisements are promoting the festival in Monticello, Hot Springs, Texarkana and Ruston. Louisiana.

Brumley said word is spreading about MusicFest and MSE expects ticket sales and other activity to pick up, particularly with the start of the fall festival, fair and events season in El Dorado.

Along with a weekend of music, MusicFest will feature attractions, food and craft vendors, beer gardens, 5K/10 run/walk, Kidz World, a petting zoo and other activities.

“We’re in line with planning. Everything is pretty much planned and in place. We’re in fine-tuning mode right now,” Brumley said.

“With the (Union County Fair) fair next week — usually ticket sales pick up with the fair and entries from the 5K and 10K pick up when people will see our fliers at (the SouthArk Outdoor Expo) this weekend,” said Brumley.

The Union County Fair is feted for Sept. 10 – 14 at the Union County Fairgrounds, 1430 E. 19th St.

The Expo is set for 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. today at the El Dorado Conference Center, 311 S. West Ave.

“We already have 10 entries for the (5K/10K) race and five entries for the (Miss MusicFest Pageant),” she continued.

The Miss MusicFest Pageant, which is open to contestants from infant-age to 18 years old, is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium, 100 W Eighth.

Most of the MusicFest ticket sales so far have come from locals, Brumley said, adding that organizers have heard as much enthusiasm about festival emcee Nick Harrison — a social media personality from North Louisiana who is known as “The Professor” and for his family-friendly content — as they have about the musical lineup that is slated to perform at MusicFest.

“I know a group is coming from Hope to see ‘The Professor’ and we’ve had a few reach out from the Ruston, Louisiana, area,” said Brumley.

Harrison made an unexpected stop in El Dorado Thursday while on his way to a concert in Little Rock.

“He wanted to stop in a meet everybody,” Brumley said with a laugh, adding that Harrison mingled and took photos with people downtown and visited the downtown book exchanges.

Brumley said MSE and Harrison are collaborating to design a T-shirt denoting his appearance at Musicfest.

That shirt will go on sale to the public Monday.

The MusicFest VIP Weekend ticket, which is on sale for $100, includes a meet-and-greet with Harrison.

The VIP experience is available to attendees who are at least 21 years old and comes with access to temperature-controlled private restrooms, tables, chairs, MusicFest swag, hors d’oeuvres and two drink tickets (per night, per ticket).

Festival-goers will also be able to purchase tickets for a raffle to win the 2024 commemorative MusicFest necklace, which is designed by Murphy-Pitard Jewelers, one of the sponsors of MusicFest.

Brumley said the necklace, the third to be specifically designed and raffled for MusicFest, features a guitar, is made of yellow and white gold and is valued at $5,000.

“It’s the third commemorative necklace, so it’s one of a kind. It won’t be duplicated,” she said.

Tickets for the drawing are $10 each or $100 for 12 chances to win.

The drawing will be held on the Main Stage during the Saturday night leg of MusicFest. Ticket holders do not have to be present to win.

Tickets are available at the MSE office, 101 Main Street, Suite 410 (Cadence Bank building); Murphy-Pitard Jewelers, 201 N. Jefferson Ave.; The 1988 bookstore, 117 N. Jefferson; All About Flowers, 106 E. Elm; 211 E. Main; Kyle & Company Lash and Skin Studio, 115 S. Washington; and The Well Bar (inside The Haywood hotel), 210 S. Washington.

General admission for MusicFest is $40.

Admission is free until noon on Oct. 5.

Children 10 and under are admitted free on both days with the purchase of an adult ticket.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.musicfesteldorado.com. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the gate during the festival.

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Charles Brandom

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Thanks to a $10 million donation from Murphy Oil Corporation this week, students attending South Arkansas College in El Dorado will soon have the opportunity to live in a residence hall and watch their school’s successful baseball team take the field in a brand-new stadium.

The donation is the largest gift in the college’s history, according to a South Arkansas College press release.

Beyond just shiny new facilities and places to live, Dr. Stephanie Tully-Dartez, South Arkansas College’s president, said the gift will help the school attract more students. The construction of a residence hall will give the school an opportunity to welcome students from farther away.

“It is important that students that have been on that mindset of going to college since kindergarten, that have this image of what a college is, [are] able to have that while still having these work force occupations. It is going to help the community as a whole,” she said.

The portion of Murphy Oil’s donation set aside for the construction of a new baseball stadium will also impact student life, Tully-Dartez said. Again, it contributes to that whole idea of a college experience and the positive image of what a student gets to experience when they are in a college environment, she said. It helps the college recruit high-schoolers interested in playing baseball from farther out of the region.

“Athletes are very naturally talented at balancing school and work and practice,” Tully-Dartez said. “They are not just new students to us, but they are also good students to add to our mix.”

The contribution is only the base layer of funding for the school projects, Tully-Dartez said. The school is about to begin a capital campaign in hopes of collecting the rest of the funding. At this point, she said the administration is seeking anyone who is willing to contribute to the potential they have laid before them. The college has not committed to any particular request at this point, she said.

Tully-Dartez said philanthropy has been a part of Murphy Oil’s corporate identity within the city of El Dorado. They have consistently been supportive of the community and education as a whole, she said.

Murphy Oil funded the El Dorado Promise scholarship, established in 2007, with a $50 million donation. The Promise is a scholarship for El Dorado High School graduates that covers tuition and the mandatory costs that come with attending a two- or four-year college or university anywhere in the United States, according to the El Dorado Promise web page.

Claiborne P. Deming, former CEO of Murphy Oil, called El Dorado the company’s “legacy hometown.” He said Murphy Oil has a real commitment to the city. Not only is El Dorado a big part of the company’s legacy, Deming said many of the enterprise’s leaders still live in the south Arkansas community.

Since South Arkansas College is one of the few junior colleges that does not have a residence hall, Deming also stressed the importance of the contribution. A residence hall helps the college both attract and retain students, so the college wants to started building as quickly as possible, he said.

Deming said the college happens to have a really good baseball team and that although funding sports must be done in the right proportion, the school’s baseball team deserves the new field.

“I think it can get out of whack, sometimes it is out of whack,” Deming said, “but I think in this particular case, it is certainly not at all. It is a small part of the college and a small part of the college’s budget.”

There was really not a specific origin of the donation but the hope is that it helps grow the city of El Dorado, Deming said. One of the ingredients that makes a town competitive, vibrant and interesting is either a two-year or four-year college, he said.

Deming said Murphy Oil has always valued education, calling it a “ticket to contributing to society and bettering yourself.” The company is proud of the fact they provide El Dorado High School graduates with the opportunity to go to college, he said.

“It will impact South Arkansas,” Deming said. “The better El Dorado does, the better South Arkansas does.

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South Arkansas Arts Center

Press Release

The South Arkansas Arts Center is thrilled to announce three action-packed summer art camps for kids! Join the SAAC art teachers as they team up for an unforgettable adventure of creativity, experimentation, and artistic expression.

The first Art Camp for kids in grades 1-9 will run from June 17-21, featuring the artistic team of Michaela Gross, Mike Means, and Katie Harwell. The second Art Camp, also for grades 1-9, will follow from June 24-28, led by Nicole McAdams, Mike Means, and Katie Harwell. Both June art camps will meet daily from 9am to 12pm, providing a unique opportunity for students to work with multiple art teachers throughout the week. Each day, students will spend an hour with a different teacher, exposing them to a variety of artistic styles and techniques. This dynamic approach allows students to discover new skills and perspectives, while fostering creativity and self-expression.

In July, Gross and McAdams will be teaming up again to teach a Mini Art Camp for children Age 3-6 during the week of July 22-25. The four-day mini camp will meet from 10am to 12pm Monday through Thursday.

“Summer camp’s projects are just more fun!,” said art instructor Katie Harwell. The summer art camps are designed to be an engaging experience for kids, allowing them to explore their artistic side in a supportive environment. With a talented team of art teachers leading the way, students will have the opportunity to develop their skills and learn new techniques while having fun.

For more information on all the theatre, art, and dance camps hosted by SAAC this summer, visit the SAAC website at www.saac-arts.org or call the SAAC office at 870-862-5474. The South Arkansas Arts Center is located at 110 East Fifth Street, El Dorado, Arkansas.

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By Bradly Gill

El Dorado News-Times

El Dorado, AR (May 31, 2023) Murphy Arts District recently announced the 2024 MAD Movie Monday lineup presented by the South Arkansas Regional Hospital with support from LSB Industries. Movies will be shown at the outdoor MAD Amphitheater on Monday evenings, June 3rd – July 22nd. All movies will begin at sundown and are free and open to the public.

“We are honored to sponsor MAD Movie Monday for 2024. This is our first year under new ownership and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue participating in this fun and exciting event. Our patients are our number one priority, and we are committed to serving the people of South Arkansas, now, more than ever. I hope you have a fun and safe summer, but please know that we are here to help if you need us,” said Danna Taylor, President of South Arkansas Regional Hospital.

Concessions will be available for purchase and outside food is allowed. Patrons are welcome to bring blankets and beach chairs to sit on. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian that is 18 years or older. No glass containers or alcohol is allowed. Smoking, including vaping, is not allowed in the MAD Amphitheater. The MAD Playscape will remain open during the duration of the movies for children to play and for restroom access.

“MAD Movie Mondays are one of my favorite events of the year. It’s a perfect opportunity to spend time with your family and start the week off by doing something fun and FREE! We are looking forward to a summer of great movies thanks to the support from presenting sponsor South Arkansas Regional Hospital and additional support from LSB Industries. We selected movies that are family friendly and that were popular requests from the community. Food vendors will be onsite including returning vendors King Kone and Sticky Fingerz. New vendorsjoining us this year will be Willie T’s BBQ, Four Points Coffee Co., Salty Sally’s Pretzels, and Helping Hands Concessions,” said Joanna Benson MAD Marketing Manager.

2024 MAD MOVIE MONDAY SCHEDULE:

1. June 3 Shrek (2001 – Rated PG)
2. June 10 The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023 – Rated PG)
3. June 17 The Little Mermaid (2023 – Rated PG)
4. June 24 Toy Story (1995 – Rated G)
5. July 1 Paw Patrol The Mighty Movie (2023 – Rated PG)
6. July 8 Trolls Band Together (2023 – Rated PG)
7. July 15 Freaky Friday (2003 – Rated PG)
8. July 22 Monsters University (2013 – Rated G)

For more information about MAD Movie Monday, visit eldomad.com or call 870-444-3007. For

up-to-date information, including weather updates, follow Murphy Arts District on social media.

Contact:

Joanna Benson

Marketing Manager, Murphy Arts District

870-918-9488 | joanna@eldofest.com

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Young Artist Studio inducted into Chamber

By the El Dorado News-Times

Members of local nonprofits The Young Artist Studio (YAS) and eXtreme Youth Programs gathered outside the Union County Courthouse on Monday for the annual kick-off to Red Ribbon Week, which encourages a drug-free lifestyle.

YAS is a youth-focused nonprofit that contains an organized performance troupe featuring local young people and hosts events, including an annual summer camp.

EXtreme Youth Programs is a SHARE Foundation drug prevention program, where high school students learn to “take the lead in drug and violence prevention.”

The Red Ribbon kick-off included a performance from the YAS dance group and a proclamation reading from Union County Judge Mike Loftin.

YAS had even more reason to celebrate as the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce announced the nonprofit’s induction into that organization during the event as well.

The event began with words from YAS founder Stephanie Owens.

“We all know the work we do is not easy, but it is extremely rewarding and we stick to it,” Owens said.

El Dorado Mayor Paul Choate also spoke.

“We’ve got problems in the world today, but I see people like you… and know you’re part of the solution,” Choate said. “We need to move kids away from bad habits and give them the outlets they need to do the good things in life they’re capable of doing.”

Two members of YAS, Keithen Mitchell and Joshua Ford, spoke next. Mitchell read the history of Red Ribbon Week, informing the audience that the drug prevention week annually takes place in October.

“According to the United States DEA, Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s largest and longest running drug awareness and prevention program,” Mitchell said. Ford, up next, led attendees in the Red Ribbon Week pledge.

Part of the YAS performance team, which can regularly be seen performing at events across the county and region, took to the courthouse steps to dance next. Following the dance, Owens spoke briefly about the YAS program.

“I can say 100% of our graduates from our YAS program are productive members of our community. They are enrolled in college, they have full-time employment; we’re really excited about that,” she said.

Loftin read a proclamation declaring Red Ribbon Week as Oct. 23 – 31 in Union County.

“[We] encourage all citizens to participate in drug prevention education activities not only during Red Ribbon Week, but all year long,” Loftin read.

Karen Hicks, VP of membership and events at the Chamber of Commerce, spoke last to welcome YAS into the Chamber.

“I’m so proud [YAS] is here, and that they are continuing to grow,” Hicks said.

A ribbon cutting was held on the courthouse steps with YAS members and attendees, many supporters of the organization, to mark the new induction.

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