InArkansas.com

Arkansas Arts Council is awarding up to nine $4,000 fellowships to Arkansas artists in the categories of Literary Art (novels), Visual Art (paintings) and Musical Composition (western classical tradition). 

The fellowships annually recognize individual artistic ability and creative excellence and encourage continuing artistic development of the selected recipients.

To be eligible, an artist must be at least 25 years old and an Arkansas resident for at least one year at the time of application. Previous fellowship recipients are not eligible. A panel of professional artists will select the recipients through an anonymous process.

Applications are available at www.arkansasarts.org or by calling (501) 324-9766. The deadline to apply is April 20. The fellowships will be awarded in the fall.

For more information call the Arts Council at (501) 324-9766 or e-mail robinm@arkansasheritage.org.

It's a seasonably gray day in The Rock, one that can't decide if it wants to get cold, and things are happening.

Vestibules of color linger in a few trees, ushering us into the parlor of early winter (sorry -- apparently we just had to get that out of our system) ...

Reconstructive surgery continues out west, and the nurse is telling family members that our patients, Wilbur Mills and I-430, are hanging in there and expected to recover nicely. But that we've got plenty of time to hit the cafeteria in the meantime ...

Razorback Nation exercises patience still with Mike Anderson's first edition of the hoops Hogs, who continue to miss Marshawn Powell and layups (but ever we keep the faith) ...

Wheels slowly turn, but turn they do, on plans for a 30-acre technology research park in South Midtown ...

And our beloved South Argenta metro made Milken's 2011 Best Performing Cities list, jumping all the way from 93 to 19 (which represented the fourth-largest jump in the list, by the way).

Milken annually ranks "U.S. metropolitan areas by how well they are creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth. The components include job, wage and salary, and technology growth. In most years, these give a good indication of the underlying structural performance of regional economics."

Consider Little Rock's inclusion in the top 20 a good indication of forward momentum. As usually is the case, Northwest Arkansas wasn't going to let Central Arkansas have all the fun. The Fayetteville-Johnson-Cave Springs metro made the list at 26, followed by Fort Smith at 160. (Memphis, whose metro includes a chunk of northeast Arkansas, came in at 190.)

Among small metros, Arkansas was represented by Texarkana (35), Jonesboro (66), Hot Springs (81) and Pine Bluff (161).

As for the future Little Rock Technology Park, currently running on $22 million set aside by Little Rock voters earlier this year, this much we know:

• RFPs have been issued for civil engineers.
• Some area residents will be forced to move in the name of imminent domain
• Ultimately, the site will consist of 30 acres and up to 40 companies

City leaders hope the future park will emulate the success of its thriving cousin in Fayetteville, which commercializes University of Arkansas research and has created many good, high-paying jobs. They see the Little Rock park as an outlet for the growing research at UALR and its increasingly renowned College of Engineering & Information Technology, UAMS and its BioVentures incubator and the Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute.

City Hall -- criticism over how it's handled the park's formation notwithstanding -- sees a big-picture win for Little Rock. Might the Milken ranking be a precursor of things to come?

Banners will be displayed on Goodwill’s corporate headquarters building at 1110 W. Seventh St., Little Rock in recognition of the contributions that people with disabilities bring to the workplace.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time when Goodwill Industries of Arkansas urges companies and employees to focus on the abilities of individuals rather than their disabilities.

The month-long observance dates back to 1945 when the government began urging employers to consider the positive contributions that those with disabilities could make for their companies.

“We rely on talented professionals, including those with disabilities, to help us fulfill our mission of helping people in Arkansas find jobs,” said Susan Crossley, director of marketing and communications for Goodwill Industries of Arkansas. “Our programs provide training and job search assistance for individuals with disabilities as well as other barriers to work.”

With one in six individuals living with a disability, Goodwill wants to debunk the greatest myths about hiring individuals with disabilities through a month-long awareness campaign. The awareness campaign slogan is “Return on investment means hiring the right people.”

Activities and promotions include:

• Banners will be displayed on Goodwill’s corporate headquarters building at 1110 W. Seventh St., Little Rock in recognition of the contributions that people with disabilities bring to the workplace.

• Youth & Persons with Disabilities Career and College Fair will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 14 at Mabelvale United Methodist Church, 10500 Woodman Road, Mabelvale. Employers, colleges, and state government agencies will be on hand to inform attendees of entry level positions, education opportunities, and career options.

• Entrepreneur Expo, going on from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Goodwill Store, 5914 Hwy 5N, Bryant, will offer arts, crafts, food, dog treats and more for purchase, all made by local individuals with disabilities.

To learn more about Goodwill’s training program for people with disabilities or the special events for the month click here.

Could the agreement to collaborate on research between the state and NCTR, sealed last week with a signed agreement and a handshake between Gov. Mike Beebe and FDA chief Margaret Hamburg, portend good jobs to come for Jefferson County? (Photo courtesy of NCTR)

The memorandum of understanding signed by Gov. Mike Beebe and FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg at NCTR in the Jefferson community on Aug. 12 is not the first time FDA has entered into such an agreement, but it represents the first time the agency has done so with an entire state.

FDA is offering up NCTR as a collaborative partner with the state’s five research universities — UA Fayetteville, UAMS, UALR, UAPB and ASU — and ultimately Jefferson County’s planned research park, The Bioplex, stands to benefit.

Commercialization of NCTR technology recently proved successful in the case of Little Rock startup Litmus Rapid-B … could there be more such ventures coming down the wooded path?

State officials and business leaders don’t like to admit they think NCTR could help spawn a research park full of startups (and good, high-paying jobs). But they haven’t said it’s not a realistic vision, either.

(Check out: NCTR Has Potential to Create High-paying Jobs)

Lou Ann Nisbett, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County, issued the following statement about the Bioplex and potential NCTR commercialization. The alliance developed the 1,500 acre site — adjacent to NCTR, just so happens — and has laid roads and utilities.

All it needs are tenants.

“The historic agreement signed Aug. 12 between the State of Arkansas and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration represents a significant step toward development of additional technology resources for our state and nation,” Nisbett said in an e-mail statement. “This collabrative agreement will serve to focus growing interest in nanotechnology and toxicology research and associated processes, which we want to see expanded at NCTR and into our planned research park, The Bioplex, in northern Jefferson County.

“The Bioplex’s 1,500 acres are adjacent to NCTR and ideally located for companies interested in taking this cutting-edge research into commercialization. NCTR is a tremendously impressive foundation for further technology growth, and we’re extremely fortunate to have this resource in Jefferson County. Our goal is to build on that resource to broaden our region’s scientific infrastructure and workforce.”

Sounds like a football coach who knows a big win is possible but utilizes tempered optimism. His (her) team hasn’t broken the plane of the goal line just yet. But the Bioplex would seem to have the ball in pretty decent field position, first down and plenty of time on the clock.

Single parents can continue their education with college scholarships. 

The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund, made up of individual funds in 70 Arkansas counties, has scholarships available for single parents.

Each applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Is a resident of the county in which he/she is applying
• Is a single head of household with custody of at least one minor child under the age of 18
• Has a high school diploma or a GED
• Is pursuing an undergraduate course of study at a vocational or two- or four-year institution
• Has applied for or received a Pell grant
• Maintains at least a 2.0 or better grade point average
• Is a full-time student (12 hours) or part-time student (9 hours)
• Has not obtained a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent number of hours with the exception of continuing toward a master's in teaching.

Each county has its own eligibility requirements so it is important for single parents to thoroughly review the application in their county of residence.

The amount of a scholarship can range from $500 to $2,500, depending on the funds available in each county.

To apply, eligible single parents can click here then click again their county of residence. The application for each county will outline what requirements must be met before interviewing for and obtaining a scholarship.

For more information about the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship visit http://aspsf.org.

AESP is attracting more students to industries such as energy-efficient construction.

Green-minded entrepreneurs and students interested in the sustainability industry are benefiting from a state program that trains Arkansans in the ways of green.

The Arkansas Energy Sector Partnership began in February and currently has 560 students enrolled in 20 of the state's two-year colleges. The program was funded by a $4.8 million federal grant and is scheduled to run through January 2013.

"Anyone can enroll in the classes offered by the colleges," said Kimberly Friedman, communications director for the state's Department of Workforce Services, which administers the program.

The program focuses on energy-efficient building, construction and retrofitting; renewable electric power, and energy-efficient assessment. Friedman said special efforts will be made to recruit participants from "priority populations" that include high-school dropouts, offenders, unemployed workers and other disadvantaged, at-risk individuals.

The program's goal is to recruit 2,800 participants. All curriculum and training programs developed to provide green training and funded by the grant will remain available after 2013. Friedman said the partnerships developed and strengthened during the life of the grant will continue as well.

Ultimately, materials and programs will be used at each of the state's 22 two-year colleges and with seven apprenticeship programs. Three Energy Centers of Excellence — Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock, Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville and Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas in Helena — will develop training that can be distributed to institutions across the state.

According to DWS, training activities include high-school concurrent credit programs, college certificate and degree programs, incumbent worker training, apprenticeship programs, green workshops for employed workers and training for disadvantaged populations.

Of the 2,800 targeted participants:

• 1,792 are expected to complete education and training
• 1,434 will receive a certificate, degree or complete an apprenticeship program
• 1,371 who complete training will be placed in energy-efficient occupations
• 300 will be recruited by labor and apprenticeship programs, and
• 300 will be recruited from priority populations by Winrock International and other non-profit organizations.

For more information visit DWS.Arkansas.Gov/Programs/AESP.