Starry Night Delight: Join Us for a Free Astronomy Adventure at Hobbs State Park on January 25!

HOBBS STATE PARK-CONSERVATION AREA

The Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area is set to offer Wonders of Winter Wildlife (WOWW) on January 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the pavilion located at 20201 Arkansas 12.

Activity booths and crafts for kids will highlight winter birds, bald eagles, deer, and black bears. Partners for this event include Bluebird Shed, 3-D Pet Products, Ozark Bird Conservancy, and Friends of Hobbs. You’re welcome to come and go as you please, with all pursuits being complimentary. Savor a warm drink and prepare a s’more at the pavilion. Except for the s’mores, all activities are set to take place indoors.

Birds and Breakfast, 9-10:50 a.m. — Observe live songbirds captured in the park by ornithologists, who will release them after providing insights about them. Breakfast treats, juice, and coffee will be available.

How Reptiles and Amphibians Survive Winter, 11-11:30 a.m. — Encounter a live snake, turtle, and tree frog. Discover how these cold-blooded animals utilize their unique adaptations to endure the winter.

Black Bears in Arkansas, 1-1:50 p.m. — Black bears are arguably one of the most charming yet daunting species in Arkansas. By the early 1900s, the species neared extinction in the state. The population has been successfully rejuvenated thanks to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). During this session led by Levi Horrell from AGFC, attendees will be informed about black bear biology, the fruitful reintroduction of this large creature to the state, hunting data, and more. Get ready to learn about black bears in the Ozarks as they take their winter slumber.

Nutty Forest Friends & Bushy Tailed Benefits Squirrel Hike, 2-3 p.m. — January 21 marks National Squirrel Day. Did you know that a collective of squirrels is termed a “scurry”? Can you identify a drey? Join a park interpreter for a simple .25-mile hike along the ADA accessible Ozark Plateau Trail and learn about four varieties of Arkansas squirrels and how they serve as unsung champions of the forest. Expect a visit from a “special” squirrel during the hike! All ages are invited.

For further details, please contact the park’s visitor center at (479) 789-5000.

Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area is the largest among Arkansas’ 52 state parks. This park for day-use features a 54-mile trail system and is the only state park in Arkansas that permits regulated hunting.

Arkansas State Parks functions under the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. Arkansas’s state parks and museums encompass 55,006 acres of forests, wetlands, wildlife, aquatic habitats, outdoor recreation amenities, and distinctive historic and cultural assets. Founded in 1923, Arkansas State Parks safeguard remarkable locations for generations to come, offer quality recreational and educational experiences, bolster the state’s economy through tourism, and champion resource stewardship. Connect with ASP on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and visit ArkansasStateParks.com and ArkansasStateParks.com/media to discover more.

ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

The Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area along with the Sugar Creek Astronomical Society will host a complimentary evening of astronomical excitement and education at 5 p.m. on January 25.

The indoor session will commence at 5 p.m. Topics for discussion will include the four most prominent planets, their trajectories, and the reasoning behind the absence of planets on rotating star finder devices. Discussion will also encompass winter constellations and the “winter circle” of stars.

Night sky observation will start around 6 p.m., utilizing high-quality amateur telescopes offered by members of the Sugar Creek Astronomical Society. The public is welcome to view through these telescopes. There is no fee for either the indoor or outdoor activities.

Viewing highlights include — planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, (possibly Neptune and Uranus); constellations: Orion, Taurus, and Pegasus; the Orion Nebula; and the Andromeda Galaxy.

Preparation tips: Anticipate cold temperatures, so bundle up. Optionally, consider bringing a flashlight with a red lens, binoculars, and lawn chairs.

For additional information, please reach out to the park’s visitor center at (479) 789-5000.

REZA

Reza: Edge of Illusion will make a return to Springdale with a performance scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on January 18 at the Marsha Jones Performing Arts Center located in Har-Ber High School at 300 Jones Road.

“In conjunction with grand-scale illusions and impressive production elements, Reza weaves in expert comedic timing, along with numerous interactive and inspirational experiences, enabling the audience to engage with the magic firsthand,” as noted on the illusionist’s website.

Tickets are priced at $25, $30, or $35 and can be purchased at nwaonline.com/rezashow/

AMERICAN RED CROSS

The American Red Cross encourages donors to set an appointment to provide lifesaving blood in the new year to maintain a robust blood supply throughout the winter months. Type O negative blood donors and platelet givers are particularly urged to donate now to ensure critical blood products are available for patients who need them.

The onset of the new year is one of the most demanding periods for collecting blood products due to the growing threat of severe winter weather, often leading to widespread cancellations of blood drives. Moreover, an active cold and flu season may hinder individuals from keeping their donation appointments as they recuperate. During National Blood Donor Month, the Red Cross acknowledges those who generously roll up their sleeves to help save lives and encourages those feeling well to schedule and attend donation appointments to keep the blood supply on course throughout the winter.

Don’t remain passive − usher in 2025 with a blood donation. To schedule your donation, visit RedCrossBlood.org, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Red Cross and the National Football League (NFL) are collaborating in January for National Blood Donor Month to invite both football fans and blood donors to join our lifesaving initiative and score big for patients in need. As a token of appreciation to donors for aiding in addressing the blood demand during the critical post-holiday phase, anyone who donates from January 1-26 will be automatically entered for a chance to win an exciting Super Bowl LIX giveaway. The package includes access to in-stadium pre-game activities on the day of the game, tickets to the official Super Bowl Experience, round-trip airfare, three-night hotel stay (February 7-10), plus a $1,000 gift card for expenses. For complete details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.

Upcoming opportunities for blood donation from January 12-26:

Bentonville: January 13, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 600 Museum Way; January 17, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Bentonville Church of Christ, 708 North Walton Blvd.

Rogers: January 14, 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Sunnyside Baptist Church, 210 E. Locust St.; January 23, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Rogers Convention Center, 3201 Pinnacle Hills Parkway; January 24, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Pinnacle Country Club, 3 South Clubhouse Drive; January 24, noon-4 p.m., Rogers Christian Church, 2501 West Oak St.

Siloam Springs: January 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., St Mary’s Catholic Church, 1988 U.S. 412; January 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., City of Siloam Springs Public Library, 205 E Jefferson St.

Fayetteville: January 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Fayetteville Athletic Club, 2920 East Zion Road

Springdale: January 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., McLarty Daniel Chevrolet, 1159 N 45th St.; January 20, 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Holiday Inn &

Convention Center Northwest Arkansas, 1500 S. 48th St.; Jan. 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Arvest Springdale-Downtown, 415 W Emma Ave.

The American Red Cross shelters, nourishes, and offers solace to disaster victims; contributes around 40% of the nation’s blood supply; imparts skills that save lives; distributes worldwide humanitarian assistance; and supports veterans, service members, and their families. The Red Cross operates as a nonprofit entity that relies on volunteers and the kindness of the American populace to achieve its goals. For further details, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or connect on social media.

THE JONES CENTER

The Jones Center fosters a healthy and interconnected region by serving as a venue where everyone can learn, engage in activities, and flourish. The Walmart Foundation granted the Jones Center $550,000 to facilitate access to the facility over the forthcoming two years, including Access for Everyone membership and youth activity scholarships, public initiatives, and rental discounts for local nonprofits. Since 2005, the Walmart Foundation has donated nearly $5 million to the Jones Center.

“Community centers are not merely nice to have; they are crucial to the well-being of our region,” remarked Emily Ironside, chief strategy officer for the Jones Center.

According to the CDC, life expectancy in Arkansas declined by 1.3 years in 2021, marking the eighth largest decrease in the nation. A contributing factor to this phenomenon is the increasing sedentary lifestyle of individuals. Research correlates prolonged sitting with cardiovascular ailments, obesity, elevated blood sugar, and cancer, with effects being even more pronounced in individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Additionally, studies indicate that individuals who benefit from social support from family, friends, and their community experience greater happiness, fewer health challenges, and increased longevity. In contrast, social isolation is linked to depression and cognitive decline later in life, as well as higher mortality rates.

“We appreciate Walmart Foundation’s investment,” stated Celia Swanson, chair of the Harvey and Bernice Jones Trust Board of Directors, the governing body for the Jones Center. “Our initiatives promote healthy lifestyles and social ties. There are not many public spaces that offer this, making the role of the Jones Center significant.”

The Jones Center provides over 150 public initiatives each year in the domains of sports and recreation, arts and culture, and science and technology. The downtown Springdale campus features the only ice rink in the area, an indoor pool complex, RUNWAY Bike Park, a fitness center, fitness studios, a gymnasium, indoor and outdoor performance venues, as well as classrooms and event spaces. The Walmart Foundation shares the center’s dedication to ensuring access to these facilities through its Northwest Arkansas Giving strategy, helping residents of Benton and Washington Counties prosper and feel more connected to their community.

“The Walmart Foundation is delighted to assist the Jones Center in fostering a more resilient region for everyone,” states Angela Oxford, senior manager of NWA Region Community Resilience at Walmart Foundation. “The Foundation has supported the Jones Center for two decades, and this grant continues our commitment to making all the center offers accessible.”

In line with founder Bernice Jones’s vision that “all are welcome,” the Jones Center eliminates cost as an obstacle to participation through Access for Everyone membership and youth activity scholarships for over 1,350 adults and children. The demand for scholarships is on the rise, with a 40% increase in requests noted in 2024 compared to the previous year. The Walmart Foundation’s grant bolsters the center’s capacity to meet the growing number of scholarship requests, enabling 25% of program registrations for adult and youth initiatives to be offered free or at a reduced rate.

“The community is expanding rapidly, and the Jones Center is reaching more individuals with each passing year,” explained Ironside, highlighting that annual visits exceed 550,000 and that total membership reached 7,500 in 2024, marking a record high.

The Jones Center also provides office space for over one hundred nonprofits in its Center for Nonprofits in Rogers and the JTL Shop building in Springdale, offering $2.4 million in discounted lease and short-term rental rates, allowing nonprofits to allocate more resources to their missions. As market rates for office and event spaces continue to rise, finding affordable locations for nonprofit operations will become increasingly difficult. The Walmart Foundation’s grant contributes to supporting the short-term rental discounts provided by the Jones Center.

The Jones Center will commemorate 30 years of serving Northwest Arkansas in 2025. As a recipient of the Walton Family Foundation Design Excellence grant, the nonprofit continues to plan for a 55-acre campus development in downtown Springdale that will establish a regional venue for indoor and outdoor sports, recreation, arts, culture, and technological experiences.

The Harvey & Bernice Jones Trust is an exempt operating foundation, created in 1994 by Harvey and Bernice Jones. The Trust supports and uplifts nonprofits by serving families and fortifying communities throughout Northwest Arkansas. Bernice Jones envisioned a community center in Springdale where families could gather for recreation, education, and a sense of belonging. Her dream reached fruition in 1995 when the Jones Center opened its doors. To discover more about The Harvey & Bernice Jones Trust, visit jonestrust.org.

The Jones Center stands as a regional venue in downtown Springdale where all can learn, engage, and thrive. The 220,000-square-foot facility features Northwest Arkansas’ sole indoor ice rink — a vital resource for the developing area — alongside the Tyson Foods Fitness Center, an indoor pool complex, a gymnasium with an indoor track, and a conference center. The Jones Center presents arts, culture, and STEM-based programs that embrace the region’s diversity, as well as classes for children and adults in sports, recreation, and education. The Center’s extensive campus, spanning over 50 acres, includes the world-class Runway Bike Park and Velosolutions pump track and offers housing and cooperative space for more than 100 regional nonprofits. Founded in 1995 by Springdale philanthropist Bernice Jones, the Jones Center continues to uphold her vision of being a destination where everyone is welcomed, and no one is excluded based on their financial capacity. Thanks to the generous backing of the Walmart Foundation and Cargill, the Jones Center proudly offers reduced cost memberships and activity passes to local children and families. For more information, visit thejonescenter.net.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation will instruct 80 doulas over the next year through an extensive program facilitated by the institute and various partners, including Ujima Maternity Network and Birthing Beyond.

The initiative is available to individuals across Arkansas via a scholarship that funds the complete cost of the training, which is conducted over six months.

Doulas are trained birthing coaches who deliver ongoing emotional support, advocate for and assist in informed decision-making during labor and delivery, help initiate and support breastfeeding, promote positive maternal mental health, and champion culturally sensitive care within healthcare systems. The use of doulas has been vigorously promoted by the institute and other partners to enhance maternal mortality rates throughout the state.

“Through this program, we’re collaborating with remarkable maternal health leaders in Arkansas to establish new systems of comprehensive care and support for mothers statewide,” said Pearl McElfish, director of the institute. “Not only are…

we are presenting fresh options for mothers to obtain the assistance they require, while simultaneously offering new career avenues for individuals eager to support their community.”

Thanks to the backing of the Arkansas Blue & You Foundation and the Arkansas Community Foundation, the institute is providing scholarships worth $3,295 for candidates to finish the six-month, hybrid training course. This program comprises 40 hours of in-person instruction with Ujima Maternity Network — scheduled on specific dates in Conway, Jonesboro, Springdale, Arkadelphia, and another southeast Arkansas site yet to be decided — alongside a planned three-day virtual training session with Birthing Beyond. Participants will also undertake a 45-hour Certified Breastfeeding Counselor course and receive training in HIPAA and CPR.

Moreover, training will be available to assist participants in managing self-employment to better prepare them to work as professional doulas post-completion of the program.

“Through these scholarships, we are thrilled to bolster a doula workforce in Arkansas to ensure that mothers experience safe and healthy pregnancies,” stated Krista Langston, executive director of community programs at the institute. “Enhancing maternal health in Arkansas is a collective mission. We are fortunate to collaborate with partners such as Ujima and Birthing Beyond to create improved health opportunities for women statewide.”

The institute is welcoming applications from residents across Arkansas. Prospective trainees must be at least 18 years old, fluent in English, possess a valid driver’s license, and have dependable internet access.

Currently, Arkansas has fewer than 50 trained doulas, and the state lacks formal doula certification. The UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation is teaming up with the Doula Alliance of Arkansas, Ujima Maternity Network, Excel by Eight, the Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and hospitals statewide to establish a doula association and train 200 new doulas over the forthcoming two years.

For additional information regarding the doula training program or to submit an application for a doula training scholarship, visit uams.health/doula.

UAMS stands as the sole health sciences university in the state, comprising colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions, and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a primary campus in Little Rock; a regional campus in Northwest Arkansas located in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation, and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS also includes UAMS Health, which is a statewide health system encompassing all of UAMS’ clinical operations. UAMS is recognized as the only adult Level 1 trauma center within the state. UAMS comprises 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, alongside seven dental residents. It is the largest public employer in the state, employing over 11,000 individuals, including 1,200 physicians who deliver care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center, and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, or Instagram.

Echocardiography Accreditation

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has recently attained echocardiography accreditation for its cardiac noninvasive laboratory from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).

Echocardiography is a noninvasive procedure utilizing ultrasound to generate images of the heart, aiding in examining its structure and diagnosing heart diseases. UAMS received accreditation in the areas of adult transesophageal, stress, and transthoracic echocardiography — procedures that identify various heart conditions, including infections, blood clots, and blockages in heart arteries. UAMS stands as the only adult-care hospital in central Arkansas to achieve accreditation in adult transesophageal and stress echocardiography.

“This distinguished recognition reflects the diligence, commitment, and excellence of our entire faculty and staff,” remarked Paul Mounsey, M.D., professor and chair of the Division of Cardiology within the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine. “Securing IAC accreditation emphasizes our dedication to delivering high-quality education and continuous enhancement across all facets of our program.”

“IAC accreditation serves as a ‘seal of approval’ that patients can trust as an indication of consistent quality care and an ongoing commitment to improvement,” states the commission, established in 1991 by healthcare professionals to assess and accredit facilities conducting diagnostic imaging and interventional-based procedures, aiming to promote standardization and quality.

“We are exceedingly excited about this achievement and the continued quality care for our patients,” stated Randi Booker, manager and technical director of the lab. The accreditation process entails a comprehensive self-assessment followed by a meticulous examination by a panel of medical experts that evaluates both the operational and technical aspects of the applicant facility, including representative case studies and their accompanying final reports.

“IAC accreditation confirms the high-quality care received by patients referred to our lab,” expressed cardiologist Srikanth Vallurupalli, M.D., medical director of the cardiac noninvasive lab and an associate professor in the Division of Cardiology. “Alongside being conducted to the highest standards, both inpatient and outpatient studies are interpreted promptly, with final reports delivered to referring providers within 24 hours. This accreditation also paves the way for advanced echocardiography training for our trainees.”

The IAC accreditation is valid for three years.

UAMS echocardiography services are accessible at the primary campus in Little Rock as well as four additional UAMS cardiology clinics located in Batesville, El Dorado, Maumelle, and Midtown Little Rock within the Women’s Center.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease remains the foremost cause of mortality for individuals across most racial and ethnic demographics in the United States. Averagely, one American succumbs to cardiovascular disease every 33 seconds, which includes disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels.