The Sentinel-Record
Joey Godoy of Deli Restaurant Group talks new Mexican eatery at former DONS site
Joey Godoy, owner of the Deli Restaurant Group, which comprises a number of eateries in central Arkansas, including Capo’s Tacos and Rolando’s Nuevo Latino, announced that he will open a new, upscale Mexican restaurant in the former location of DONS...
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Sister City Program hosts annual Cherry Blossom Festival
The annual Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival returned to the Hot Springs Convention Center Saturday, celebrating Japanese culture and the longstanding sister city relationship between Hot Springs and Hanamaki, Japan. Hot Springs Sister City Program...
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Cherry Blossom Festival gets underway today
The Hot Springs Sister City Program is once again putting on the Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival at the Hot Springs Convention Center today. This free event showcases Japanese culture, particularly that in Hanamaki, Japan, which is the sister city of...
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Lakeside School Board approves bid for new bus facility
The Lakeside School Board accepted a bid from Hill and Cox Corporation for the construction of a new bus depot, which came in at $3.1 million. The new facility will be located on the east side of Lakeside’s campus and would house “our bus, mechanic,...
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Local examiner says school choice should be more about children, less about politics
As Arkansas expands access to its Education Freedom Account program, one Garland County specialist said the conversation around school choice should move away from politics and toward a more collaborative, child-centered approach. Local...
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Jessieville Elementary unveils inclusive playground
JESSIEVILLE — Jessieville Elementary School students wasted no time testing out their new playground Monday after school officials and community members celebrated its completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Members of the Hot Springs Village Area...
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Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival set for Saturday
While the annual blooming of the city’s cherry blossom trees is over due to the unseasonably warm weather, the Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival is less than a week away. The state’s largest cherry blossom festival is set for Saturday, with events...
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Hundreds attend 3rd No Kings rally in downtown HS
More than 600 people were estimated by organizers to have attended Saturday’s No Kings rally at Hill Wheatley Plaza, but no counter-protestors were observed. Kelly Grappe, the Democratic candidate for Arkansas Secretary of State, was among those at...
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Confederate monument a topic of discussion at recent city board meeting
The United Daughters of the Confederacy Hot Springs Chapter 80 said its monument does not mark the exact location where Black men were lynched in 1913 and 1922. The chapter told the city in a March 9 letter to Mayor Pat McCabe that lynchings occurred...
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Library celebrates Pokemon Day
The Garland County Library hosted its annual Pokemon Day celebration on Thursday, which took on added significance in light of Pokemon’s 30th anniversary this year. Jessamyn Carter, the public relations coordinator for the library, said the...
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Racing Festival of the South returns with seven stakes
It may be a three-day race weekend at Oaklawn, but The Racing Festival of the South will have no shortage of excitement. There are seven stakes races set for the three days of racing starting today with the $200,000 Hot Springs, which is the eighth...
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Spring break brings surge of first-time visitors
Hot Springs National Park is seeing one of its busiest spring breaks in recent years, park officials said, as steady crowds and first-time visitors from across the country visit the Spa City this week. HSNP Ranger Cane West said Tuesday visitation has...
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Library plans to move forward with new main project
The Garland County Library Board of Directors on Monday discussed the next steps for a proposed new main library, weighing a potential bond initiative even as its bid for the former Majestic Hotel site trails a competing concept. The board will...
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A Night of Art returns to NPC
The National Park College Foundation will host its third annual A Night of Art on April 14, offering the community a chance to view and purchase student artwork while supporting scholarships and campus programs. The event, presented by the Levi...
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10-day Arts & the Park festival starts April 24
Hot Springs’ 10-day arts festival, Arts & the Park, kicks off April 24 with the unveiling of this year’s Art Moves exhibit along the Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail and a meet-and-greet with Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics at Garvan Woodland...
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Mountain Pine Spring Fling kicks off week of community cleanup
MOUNTAIN PINE — Businesses and community members in Mountain Pine will come together to host a Spring Fling today at The Yum Yum Shack on Blakely Dam Road, which will kick off the community’s week-long cleanup of trash and other scrap material. The...
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Committee endorses Majestic Village concept
A crystal museum orbited by shops and restaurants, and fronted by a prominent water feature, outscored the Garland County Library’s mixed-use concept at Wednesday’s Hot Springs Board of Directors work session on the redevelopment of the Majestic Hotel...
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‘Our Greatest Hits’
EAST Conference 2026 is bringing thousands of students, educators and community partners to the Hot Springs Convention Center this week to spotlight three decades of student-driven innovation and service. The annual event, which began Tuesday and...
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Electra-fying event: Crowds converge on Bridge Street for 23rd annual parade
Prior engagements left the celebrity guests for the First Ever 23rd Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade with little time to take in the sights, but it did not dull their excitement for Tuesday’s event. Chicago Bears great and Hall of...
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ASMSA accepting applications for free summer camps
The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts is accepting applications for its 2026 Summer at ASMSA program, offering free, weeklong residential camps designed to challenge students from across the state. Applications are being accepted...
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Progress continues on John Lee Webb house restoration with work on interior
The ongoing effort to restore the former John Lee Webb home into a community resource center and museum of local Black history is still in full swing, but may be less visible as the current phase is focused on the interior. Work on the historic home...
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Parade committee honors Medal of Honor awardee, former parade leaders
Members of the Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee gathered Tuesday morning for an annual tradition that officially kicked off the holiday celebration. Wreaths were laid at the graves of John King and Dick Kelley. The tradition dates back to...
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Taking root: Jessieville updates regional forestry leaders on playground tree effort
JESSIEVILLE — The Jessieville School District on Thursday showcased its progress in a statewide effort to bring more shade and environmental education to playgrounds. District officials presented an update on their participation in the Arkansas...
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HSSD presents 8th annual Student Choreography Showcase
Hot Springs School District will present its eighth annual Student Choreography Showcase today at 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. at Hot Springs Junior Academy’s Joyce L. Littleton Craft Auditorium. The program’s theme is “History in Motion,” according to Amy...
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Head ‘bead wrangler’ looking forward to parade, next year
About 20 years ago, George Dooley bumped into Visit Hot Springs CEO Steve Arrison in the gym, and Arrison began talking about some of the issues organizers were having with the beads being thrown at the Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade. “He goes,...
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Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade King and Queen reflect on selection
In 2009, the first royalty for the Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Randy Hill and Kim Everhart, was named, and this year’s king said his selection “completes the circle.” Monte Everhart, who has portrayed the World’s Tallest Leprechaun for the past...
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CMS teachers focus on targeted support
Teachers at Cutter Morning Star School District spent Monday analyzing student data and planning instruction to help struggling readers meet Arkansas’ third grade promotion requirement. The teachers met in collaborative groups during a professional...
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Hot Springs artist Gary Simmons featured in ASU-Beebe exhibition
Gary Simmons, an artist and longtime resident of Hot Springs, is currently being featured in an exhibition at Arkansas State University-Beebe, which will run through March 31. The show features 39 works in a variety of media and subjects, and came...
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Women’s Leadership Summit debuts at NPC
With March marking Women’s History Month, the Hot Springs Women’s Leadership Alliance’s mission of connecting and empowering women in community leadership roles is taking on renewed significance. The HSWLA, in conjunction with National Park College...
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Ellis: Clarity, support key to student success
National Park College is shifting its Career Services department from a traditional, student-initiated help desk to an integrated hub that guides students from enrollment to employment, NPC Director of College Success and Career Services Jessica Ellis...
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Hot Springs EAST students promote safe driving in statewide pledge contest
Students in the EAST program at Hot Springs World Class High School are urging the community to wear their seat belts and put their phones down — a message they hope will save lives and earn funding for their classroom. The school’s EAST program is...
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Garland County turnout tops previous midterm primaries
A dozen or more of the 32 provisional ballots from Tuesday’s elections might have included a closely contested school board race. The supposition was based on Garland County Election Commission Chairman/ County Election Coordinator Gene Haley’s...
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Incumbents win big in GOP primary
Garland County Sheriff Mike McCormick cruised to the Republican nomination Tuesday night, besting John Schroeder by almost two-to-one. Final unofficial results the Garland County Election Commission released after 8:30 p.m. had McCormick winning...
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Turnout for today’s elections could reach 15K
Voters can cast ballots in today’s elections from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at any of the county’s 18 vote centers, regardless of the precinct on their voter registration. Garland County has allowed voters to choose where they vote since vote centers...
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ASMSA hosts regional science fair; Conway senior takes top honor
The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts on Friday hosted its 27th annual West Central Regional Science Fair, where dozens of students presented projects in a competition that will send top winners to the national level. Tanvi...
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Act 503 shifts NPC board elections; no candidates filed for 2026 seats
An election law aimed at K-12 school boards has altered the filing timeline for National Park College trustees, leaving three seats without candidates on the March ballot and allowing current members to continue serving full sixyear terms. Act 503 of...
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Lake Hamilton Legacy campaign draws $25K as millage vote nears
PEARCY — With early voting underway, the campaign supporting the Lake Hamilton School District’s proposed Lake Hamilton Legacy Project has raised just over $25,000, with most of the funding coming from the construction management firm expected to...
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Belle could reopen as soon as next spring
One of the co-owners of the Belle of Hot Springs said he anticipates the riverboat will reopen early next year. Matt Barrett, who owns the riverboat along with Joe France, said he thought it might have been ready this spring, “but it would have not...
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School districts face unexpected Title I cuts
Lakeside and other Garland County school districts are revising their budgets after learning this month that their final Title I allocations will be significantly lower than expected. Lakeside School District Superintendent Bruce Orr told board...
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Lakeside broadcasting program draws praise and a push for state recognition
Lakeside School District is growing its career and technical education offerings, adding new pathways and expanding student opportunities while continuing to build a broadcasting program that administrators say rivals the best in the state. Susie...
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Steamatic launches 2nd annual luggage drive for foster children
Steamatic of Arkansas kicks off its second annual Duffel Bag, Backpack and Suitcase Drive today, expanding this year’s effort to serve fostering organizations across central Arkansas under the theme “Together We Can.” The drive will run through March...
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HSSD to shift to 7-period day for grades 7-12
The Hot Springs School District will transition from a block schedule to a seven-period school day for students in grades 7-12 beginning in the 2026-27 school year, a shift administrators say will add instructional time, improve consistency and expand...
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Blanket forts, paper planes, giant games:
After a successful run in 2024, The Family Room is returning to the Hall of Wonder at Mid-America Science Museum, 500 Mid America Blvd., starting Sunday, March 1. The exhibit, which was designed and built by the museum staff, was first introduced in...
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HSSD requests $300,000 to continue prevention program
The Hot Springs School District has applied for more than $300,000 in opioid settlement funds to expand its peer-based prevention and recovery program, building on what district leaders say are sharply reduced repeat offenses and growing student...
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The Sentinel-Record launches Community Journalism Project to expand local coverage
The Sentinel-Record on Wednesday announced a public fundraising campaign aimed at strengthening and expanding its local newsroom, launching what it calls the Community Journalism Project with an initial goal of raising $75,000. The initiative will...
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Fountain Lake Fire Department board meeting sparks criticism, heated debate
Tensions remained high at Monday’s monthly Fountain Lake Fire Department Board of Commissioners meeting. The event was hosted at the Fountain Lake High School auditorium in order to accommodate the number of community members who signed up to speak...
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Mardi Gras draws 4,000 for city’s inaugural event
Approximately 4,000 people attended Sunday’s inaugural Mardi Gras in the Spa in the Bridge Street Entertainment District, far outpacing what organizers and vendors anticipated. “It looks like at our highest point we had 2,500, 2,600 people,” Tim...
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J’ville details third grade retention, retesting plan
JESSIEVILLE — Jessieville School District administrators outlined new third grade promotion and retention requirements under the state’s LEARNS Act during the Feb. 9 school board meeting, detailing intervention timelines, exemptions and an optional...
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LH voters to decide 2.75-mill increase for $45.5M Legacy Project
PEARCY — Early voting begins Tuesday for the March 3 preferential primary election, with voters in the Lake Hamilton School District set to decide a proposed 2.75-mill property tax increase to fund a $45.5 million facilities overhaul. The proposal for...
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FL board approves 2% raise for all employees in 2026-27 salary plan
FOUNTAIN LAKE — The Fountain Lake School Board on Monday night approved a 2% salary increase for all district employees for the 2026-27 school year, a move Superintendent Darin Landry said is aimed at closing the pay gap with other Garland County...
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Supreme Court candidate holds event in Hot Springs
Little Rock attorney John Adams said the three-branch system described by James Madison in the late 1700s is no longer what people are seeing in practice. “I do think we can look back to high school civics and just all observe that the system James...
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Fountain Lake FCCLA collects 1,500-plus items for foster families
FOUNTAIN LAKE — Fountain Lake High School’s FCCLA chapter recently collected more than 1,500 donated items to support local foster families, turning a “wild idea” into a community-wide effort for National FCCLA Day of Service. Students boxed up...
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School districts, library sign lease for new satellite library
JESSIEVILLE — A new satellite library in north Garland County moved closer to reality Tuesday as the Garland County Library signed a lease with the Jessieville and Fountain Lake school districts. The lease clears the way for the construction of a...
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DECA marks 80th conference as record number of students compete
The Arkansas chapter of DECA kicked off its annual State and Career Development Conference at the Hot Springs Convention Center Monday, drawing about 1,000 students from across the state for two days of competition, leadership development and...
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Bronni discusses his route to state supreme court
Hot Springs National Park Rotary got the chance to hear from the newest justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court Wednesday in a “fireside chat” moderated by Arkansas Rep. Les Warren, R-District 84. A Camden native, Justice Nicholas Bronni lives in Little...
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Low Key Arts dropping office space, not going anywhere
Low Key Arts has opted to vacate its offices in the Karicole building as a way to continue to trim its expenses with the reduction in grant opportunities for arts programs. Rob Cox, the new president of the LKA board, said the organization is not...
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HSDFI announces six new board members
Six new members were named to the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute’s Board of Directors in advance of the 35th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, the organization announced Wednesday. The board consists of 19 members and is led by LaTricia...
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Federal spending bill includes money for Army Navy Hospital
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-District 4, said the $1.2 trillion federal spending bill signed into law Tuesday included $9.2 million to address environmental and safety liabilities at the Army and Navy General Hospital. It will fund demolition,...
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Board to consider fewer spaces, simpler rates for managed parking
Changes to the managed parking program the Hot Springs Board of Directors are scheduled to consider at its Feb. 17 business meeting include making about 250 paid spaces free. On-street spaces the city charges $1 an hour for on Convention Boulevard and...
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CMS superintendent’s nonrenewal draws questions and staff reaction
Questions about transparency and concern from staff followed the Cutter Morning Star School Board’s decision Monday not to renew Superintendent Nancy Anderson’s contract, as the school community reacted to the move and Anderson defended her record and...
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Lake Hamilton launches bullying info initiative
PEARCY — The Lake Hamilton School District has launched a new online bullying information initiative aimed at helping students, parents and staff better understand what constitutes bullying, how to report concerns and how the district responds. School...
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Lakeside, Arvest expand playground communication boards across county
What began as a middle school project at Lakeside School District has grown into a countywide initiative to make playgrounds more inclusive for non-verbal students. The district’s EAST program recently partnered with Arvest Bank to create and...
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Soul Taking Shape:
Longhua Xu, a prominent local artist and Arkansas Living Treasure, will be featured in a retrospective exhibition at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum with a reception at its opening on Feb. 14. The exhibition will be on display until June 14 and is...
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JAG students pitch ‘Love Project’ to fight food insecurity
Hot Springs School District JAG students are turning a competition project into a community initiative aimed at addressing food insecurity across Garland County. JAG, or Jobs for America’s Graduates, is a national nonprofit that helps students stay in...
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Schools close for third straight day as icy conditions persist
All Garland County school districts will remain closed today for a third consecutive day as ice and snow from last weekend’s winter storm continue to blanket the area and make travel hazardous. The Hot Springs School District, along with Lakeside,...
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County, city offices remain closed today
Hot Springs and Garland County offices will remain closed for the second straight day due to inclement weather, officials said Monday afternoon. “We’re going to run our paratransit — the ones we have to get to nephrology clinics or the cancer...
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Winter storm shuts down county schools
A winter storm that blanketed Garland County with snow and ice forced widespread school closures today and Tuesday, prompting districts to cancel classes, after-school activities and events as officials cited unsafe road conditions and freezing...
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‘Freakishly cold’ weather sticking around for days
Drivers mostly stayed off the roadways Saturday morning, a fact that eased some of the tension for emergency workers and road crews, officials said. With much of the state receiving sleet overnight Friday, Garland County Department of Emergency...
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Pinnacle Hotel Group breaks ground at Hampton by Hilton hotel site
Pinnacle Hotel Group hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday at the Central Avenue site of a planned Hampton by Hilton hotel. The ceremony featured refreshments provided by Mueller’s Bistro and Bakery. Chet Patel, principal and chief development...
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NWS: Low temps expected to have larger local impact than precipitation
Parts of Garland County could see as much as 6 inches of accumulation from the winter storm forecast to hit much of the central and southern part of the country today through Sunday. “There will be, most likely, some snowfall with this, but the...
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City, county could see ‘pretty significant icing’
Forecasts for the wintry weather are looking less favorable for the weekend with up to three-quarters of an inch of ice and 3-6 inches of snow predicted by the National Weather Service in North Little Rock. Meteorologist Thomas Jones said Garland...
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‘Wired for Success’:
Arkansas Junior Beta Club State Convention kicked off Tuesday at the Hot Springs Convention Center, bringing together thousands of fourth through eighth grade students for two days of academic and creative competition, leadership development and...
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