Black History Month in Hope will feature an Arkansas connection to world history this year.   
Opening night is Saturday, and a youth program heads the agenda. Several youth will sing, read selections, and perform praise dances. Music will also be rendered by people of all ages as the celebration begins.    The event will be held at the Providence Missionary Baptist Church Full Gospel Ministries Church on Hwy. 278, beginning at 6 p.m.   

The Hope School Board got a recent overview of the local district’s new charter school plan.
Hope High School Assistant Principal Mike Spraggins gave a presentation on the district's New Tech school, noting the aim is for 50 candidates.

A group of students at Garland Alternative School have discovered the joys of art recently, using concrete as the media of choice for a public mural project.  From left to right are Somekia Tayton, seated, Marisol Bibiana and Dora Castillo, seated, Tommy Hamilton, Cameron Mitchell, Thomas Youngblood, Justin Loudermilk, and Trey Devlin.

A longtime educator in Southwest Arkansas has announced his retirement recently, and he has a long career to look back on and a bright future ahead.
Most of his siblings are in the education field and Kenneth Muldrew stated that his parents stressed education when they were growing up.

  Construction of a multi-purpose building is taking place at the Saratoga Public Schools campus. Mineral Springs Superintendent Max Adcock said one of the main uses for the building will be for elementary physical education classes. 

A fully equipped search and rescue boat will soon be part of improvements to the Hempstead County Sheriff's Department, according to Sheriff James Singleton.
Singleton gave a detailed report at Thursday's Hempstead County Quorum Court meeting of accomplishment's during his first year as sheriff. 

Capitalizing on the tourism that could come from the history that surrounds a town like Fulton is becoming a reality. Fulton is one of, if not, the oldest town in Arkansas.
On the books, it has been established since 1840, according to Fulton City Mayor and Yerger Middle School teacher Henry Hale, first as Rocky Point, then later called Fulton.
Not that there isn't much to be accomplished, but $10,000 can do a lot, according to Hale.

 Spring Hill School Board members passed a resolution approving the master plan for the campus at a public hearing and regular board meeting Monday night.
No one opposed or suggested additions to the plan that is required to be reviewed and completed by the Department of Education by Feb. 1.

Mrs. Wauleai Huckabee, family and consumer science instructor, is on the Spring Hill School Board agenda for the regular meeting tonight for a request to purchase new “electronic babies.”  

Southwest Arkansas Educational Cooperative Director Lindy Franks sprank a surprise on the Hope City Board of Directors here Tuesday night with the announcement of her pending retirement.
Franks, whose public schools enrichment cooperative is in a partnership with the City in the new SWAEC building on the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope campus, was to update the board Tuesday regarding the partnership.
“I am retiring at the end of the fiscal year,” she said. “I think we will leave the coop in excellent hands; but, we don't know who yet, but we will know in the next few weeks.”

Computer Basics for Beginners: Daytime - Do you have a computer and want to learn more about it? Do you want to gain valuable computer skills for work? This course is designed for people with little or no knowledge of computers. Topics covered include basic computer parts, Windows, e-mail, Internet, and more.

Hope High School will be one of nine schools in Arkansas to implement a projects-based curriculum next year emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math for students intending to pursue specific career opportunities after graduation.
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe named the Hope Public School District, along with Arkadelphia, Dumas, El Dorado, Highland, Marked Tree, Riverview, Russellville, and Van Buren, as STEM Works “New Tech” school districts, along with 14 other districts designated as “Lead the Way” districts in the STEM Works program.

 Spring Hill Schools ranked number four in a recent study performed by the University of Arkansas' Office of Educational Performance. The department performs a statistical analysis of all Arkansas schools on each year's Benchmark and End of Course exams, then “rates” the schools state-wide  and by region, according to Spring Hill High School Principal Steve Britton.

The Hope Public School District will likely begin advertising for a new superintendent immediately in the wake of the surprise retirement announcement Monday of HPSD Superintendent Kenneth Muldrew, the president of the Hope School Board said Tuesday.

The Hope Public School District Board of Trustees was handed the surprise retirement announcement Monday night of longtime HPSD Superintendent Kenneth Muldrew.

Muldrew made the announcement in a letter to the board after the board's regular personnel session at the close of the meeting.

The Spring Hill School Board hired current Spring Hill Elementary Principal Angie Raney as the person to take over when Spring Hill Schools Superintendent Dickie Williams retires in July from the district.

Williams will remain in his role as superintendent until July, but has formally announced he will retire at the end of this year. Williams said 11 people had applied for the position. The board held two special meetings on the hiring after the last regular board meeting on December 12, 2011, according to Williams. He said the board narrowed down the applicants to four, and later decided on two final applicants, Bobby Hart, an administrator in Genoa, and Raney.

A local bank made a $100,000 contribution toward the construction of a new playing field at Hammons Stadium here Tuesday.
Summit Bank-Hope President Dennis Ramsey said this morning that the donation was announced during the Hope Public School Board meeting Tuesday night.

A breast health symposium will be held on October, 5 at the Texarkana College Campus Truman Arnold Center. It will be sponsored in part by UAMS and Texarkana College Continuing Education in conjunction with the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. An entry form and fee is required.See more for agenda and registration requirements.

In an election which drew slightly more than 200 votes across eight school district zones, Hope Public School District patrons approved an $8.5 million bond issue refinancing package here Tuesday by slightly less than a 2-1 margin.
In the only contested school board election in the county Tuesday, Blevins resident Ted Bonner won election to the Blevins School Board with 33 votes over former board member Tim Estes, Sr., who tallied 12 votes.