Pine Bluff Commercial

12/06/2025

The first appearance of the truck will be during the annual Christmas Parade at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 6 and during the Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 200 E. Eighth Ave. on the Civic Center front lawn.

Firefighters will be out each night from approximately 5:30-7:30 p.m. on the Santa Runs, according to a news release.

Emergency calls or inclement weather may cause the Santa Run schedule to be adjusted.

The schedule lists the dates and the areas where firefighters will be stationed during the holidays.

Pine Bluff Fire & Emergency Services will be making its annual Holiday Santa Run, spreading holiday cheer throughout the city of Pine Bluff from Dec. 6-24.

12/05/2025

The King Cotton Holiday Classic field has grown to 21 teams for its 24th edition.

Three girls and 18 boys teams will compete in this year's high school basketball event Dec. 27, 29 and 30 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. This will be the first year since 2021 that a girls division will be included and both Watson Chapel's boys and girls teams will participate.

The 2024 King Cotton included 15 teams.

Pine Bluff and Watson Chapel will be the local teams in the boys division, which will welcome nine first-time participants – Barton; Atascocita, Texas; Zachary, La.; Gillion Academy of Alexandria, Va.; Inglewood, Calif.; Alexander High of Douglassville, Ga.; Windermere Prep Academy of Orlando, Fla.; Faith Family Academy of Dallas; and St. Michael's Catholic Prep of Austin, Texas. Windermere Prep is a different school from Windermere High, which competed in the 2022 event.

The King Cotton Holiday Classic field has grown to 21 teams for its 24th edition.

12/04/2025

TIME CORRECTION: A reminder that the Jefferson County Election Commission will conduct a ballot position drawing at 6:00 this evening (Dec. 4) at its headquarters, 123 S. Main. This is for the March 3, 2026 election.

12/04/2025

The regional municipal manager for CARDS, presented a 30-day look-back on the company's new solid waste contract, emphasizing a successful transition and decreased service-related calls.

He highlighted a significant investment in local operations, including hiring 23 full-time members locally, five of whom previously worked for the former hauler, Waste Management. The company is currently operating a fleet of 15 trucks to service the city.

The most notable progress was reported in customer service calls. He stated that call volume has been steadily declining: "So call volume has decreased steadily each week, showing increased customer familiarity with routes and fewer service day questions," he said.

The secondary call driver, containers from the previous provider, is actively being addressed. He noted that CARDs has received approval to remove and dispose of the old containers and is working with the city on a plan to execute the cleanup. He expressed excitement for the plan, calling the old containers a "key call volume drivers."

The Pine Bluff City Council convened Monday to review a 30-day progress report from its new trash service provider, CARDS, and to take action on several significant ordinances and resolutions, including a measure to propose a new 1% sales and use tax to voters.

12/03/2025

After finally getting a break from constant travel, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men's basketball team returned to the court and earned its first win of the season on Wednesday.

UAPB defeated the University of Illinois Chicago 63-62 at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago after playing its best defensive game of the season. This game came a week and a half after UAPB's last game at Miami (Ohio). That game was the Golden Lions' eighth over the span of 21 days, each on the road.

After finally getting a break from constant travel, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men's basketball team returned to the court and earned its first win of the season on Wednesday.

12/03/2025

🚨 MISSING TEEN - PLEASE SHARE 🚨

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) Criminal Investigation Division is seeking the public's help locating 16-year-old Jada McCullough.

Jada was last seen at approximately 8:20 p.m. on November 29, 2025 at 7800 Rosswood Road, Pine Bluff, AR.

Jada was reportedly last seen wearing:

A pink robe

Grey capris

No shoes

Two yellow bows in her hair

Jada's last known place of residency is in the 7800 block of Rosswood Road in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

If you have seen Jada or have any information about her whereabouts, please contact the JCSO Criminal Investigator Zachery Sturdivant immediately at (870) 510-2108 or via our non-emergency dispatch center (870) 541-5300.

Please share this post and help us bring Jada home safely. 🙏

12/03/2025

Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson has filed a verified petition for a writ of mandamus against County Clerk Shawndra Taggart regarding her refusal to issue payment for his unpaid 2025 salary. The petition, filed electronically in the Jefferson County Circuit Court on Monday, seeks to compel Taggart to fulfill her statutory duty to issue a warrant for the approved claim.

According to court documents, Robinson filed a claim for payment on Sept. 10, 2025, with the Jefferson County Court, seeking $53,052 in unpaid salary for the year. The claim was approved by the County Court on Oct. 22, 2025, following a hearing. The County Court issued an order directing Taggart to make the payment, with a 30-day window for any appeals to be filed.

The appeal period expired on Nov. 21, without any valid appeals being filed. Although a notice of appeal and petition for review was submitted to the county clerk by Lloyd Franklin II on Nov. 21, the filing was deemed invalid as it was not submitted to the circuit clerk, as required by Arkansas law. Legal precedent establishes that untimely or improperly filed appeals are considered null and void.

In an email exchange dated Nov. 24, Taggart formally refused the request, arguing that issuing the payment would violate Senate Bill 182.

"Please be advised that, pursuant to SB182, issuing payment on your claim would constitute a violation of state law," Taggart wrote to Robinson.

Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson has filed a verified petition for a writ of mandamus against County Clerk Shawndra Taggart regarding her refusal to issue payment for his unpaid 2025 salary. ​ The petition, filed electronically in the Jefferson County Circuit Court on Monday, seeks to compel...

12/03/2025

https://wehco.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/document/2025/12/02/Police_report_11-21-25.pdf

One of the Pine Bluff Police officers involved in a Nov. 21 shooting that killed a suspect stated that the man who fled from a vehicle “began to fire numerous rounds, presumably at the approaching officers,” according to a police report.

That contradicts a statement from the Pine Bluff Police Department on Nov. 22 that said “it is now undetermined if the suspect fired a weapon at this time.” The statement came hours after police originally issued a news release stating officers exchanged gunfire with a suspect at approximately 10:30 p.m. Nov. 21 on 27th Avenue and Maple Street, resulting in the suspect being shot several times.

The suspect, identified as Jeremy Lawrence Jr., 23, was struck and collapsed in a yard on 28th Avenue after fleeing from a vehicle that PBPD officers attempted to stop on West 27th Avenue at about 10:30 p.m., according to a news release from Arkansas State Police. He was transported to Jefferson Regional Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, according to Pine Bluff and State Police.

That news release was issued at 6:40 p.m. Nov. 22, 12 minutes after PBPD stated whether the suspect fired a weapon was undetermined.

A PBPD spokesperson deferred questions about the case to State Police, which was asked by the PBPD to take over the investigation of the incident. A State Police spokeswoman said the agency is not permitted to release additional information during the investigation.

State Police said on Nov. 22 it would prepare an investigative file to submit to the Jefferson County prosecuting attorney’s office, which will determine if the use of deadly force was consistent with state law.

Chris Wieland was one of six PBPD officers who filed narratives of the Nov. 21 shooting, according to a 13-page police report obtained by The Commercial through an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request. The report from Wieland listed four other victims – listed as “Society,” Derek Johnson, J.L. Williams and Corey Lowery.

Johnson, Williams and Lowery are police officers, according to the report. No injuries were listed, however.

“I transported Officer Lowery, Officer Johnson and Officer Williams to the Pine Bluff Police Department,” Wieland stated. “Upon arrival, Officer Lowery washed his hands. All three officers removed their gun belts, which were secured by me, and a chain of custody form was completed.”

One of the Pine Bluff Police officers involved in a Nov. 21 shooting that killed a suspect stated that the man who fled from a vehicle “began to fire numerous rounds, presumably at the approaching officers,” according to a police report.

12/02/2025

Two University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff football players received All-Southwestern Athletic Conference honors, the conference announced Monday.

Junior running back Jaylen Jennings and linebacker Danarius Hilliard were named to the All-SWAC First Team.

Jennings stepped up with expected starting running backs BJ Curry, a preseason All-SWAC selection, and Za’Marion Webber out with injuries. Jennings rushed for 936 yards this season, second in the SWAC only to fellow first team selection Ahmad Miller from Jackson State. He scored 11 rushing touchdowns, also second in the league.

Two University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff football players received All-Southwestern Athletic Conference honors, the conference announced Monday.

12/02/2025

A current and former University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff coach will be entering the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame next year.

Former football Coach Lee Hardman and current women's basketball Coach Erica Leak were named to the hall's class of 2026, UAPB announced late Sunday.

Athletic Director Chris Robinson said in a statement it is great for the university to have Hardman and Leak join the state's hall of fame.

A current and former University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff coach will be entering the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame next year.

12/02/2025

Pine Bluff and surrounding areas are under a winter weather advisory through 6 a.m. Tuesday, as temperatures are expected to drop below 30 degrees.

A 70% chance of precipitation was forecast for Pine Bluff on Monday afternoon with a high of 35 degrees. As of 3:27 p.m., the temperature at Grider Field Airport was 34 degrees. For Monday evening, there was a 50% chance of rain or freezing rain followed by partly cloudy skies with a low of 25, the lowest reading for Pine Bluff since Feb. 21 (20 degrees).

The advisory issued by the National Weather Service North Little Rock office covers Grant, Jefferson, Dallas and Cleveland counties in Southeast Arkansas.

Due to the threat of icy roads overnight into Tuesday, Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson has announced all county offices will open at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The city of Pine Bluff announced Monday night all city offices including City Hall, Parks and Recreation centers and other administrative offices would operate on a two-hour delay Tuesday.

Pine Bluff and surrounding areas are under a winter weather advisory through 6 a.m. Tuesday, as temperatures are expected to drop below 30 degrees.