Good morning, Jonesboro.

A Halloween costume walk will be held today at the Nettleton High School track from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to benefit Zachary’s Sensory Gym (Arkansas’ first sensory gym in planning) with tickets costing $10 per person or $15 per family available at the door.

Jonesboro residents can now register online for the Good Tidings Holiday Food and Toy Distribution — four in-person registration sites will open in the coming weeks.

Food pickup will occur on December 5 — food and toy pickup will take place on December 6 at Nettleton Baptist Church after registration ends November 14.

At age 90, Pete Tharp continues to work at Pete’s Town Western Wear in Jonesboro & he started the store in 1975 with his wife and now works with his granddaughter while saying he will keep working as long as he can.

International Studies Magnet School in Jonesboro was chosen by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture to receive six shade trees with mulch, watering supplies and planting guidelines for its STOP Program — each house will care for one tree — and a planting ceremony is scheduled for November 14 to teach students tree care and skin cancer safety.

Nettleton School District is asking voters to approve a 4.8-mill increase so it can add classrooms, a new basketball arena, expanded cafeterias, and other improvements as student enrollment grows with early voting scheduled for Nov 12-14 and Nov 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.—Election Day is on Nov 18.

Google has announced that the University of Arkansas and the Arkansas State University system will join the first group of its AI for Education Accelerator program tied to its $4 billion investment in a data center in West Memphis.

The three-year program will give students, faculty & staff free access to Google tools and AI training courses including Gemini and NotebookLM.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation announced that several communities in Northeast Arkansas have been awarded federal funding for pedestrian trails through the TAP and RTP programs.

The grant covers 80% of project costs—requiring a 20% local match—to support walking, biking, and other non-motorized travel options.

St. Bernards Healthcare will host a free Women’s Health Day on October 17 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Auditorium at 505 East Washington Avenue in Jonesboro—women will be offered blood work, blood pressure checks, hearing and vision exams, colon cancer screenings, mammograms, PAP smears, free breakfast, and giveaways.

NEA Baptist will be out of network for patients with UnitedHealthcare starting Nov.

15 so that those with employer-backed and Medicare Advantage plans will pay more for non-emergency care; patients admitted before the change will get in-network rates and should plan their appointments accordingly. The hospital and the insurer are still trying to reach a new agreement.

St. Bernards Healthcare announced it has added Dr. Maheen Khan to its neurosurgery team—she specializes in removing complex skull and spine tumors and brings expert training from her previous role in St. Louis.

Her addition will expand advanced brain and spine care in our area, where she lives with her husband, a hand surgeon joining the system later.

Rocktober Fest with Scotty Austin

1-4:30 p.m. — Brickhouse Bar & Grill — Tickets TBA — Experience a high-energy night of rock music and entertainment headlined by Scotty Austin.

Bobby Brown Tribute Evening

7:30-9:30 p.m. — Legends BBQ Smokehouse — Food and drinks available — Experience a high-energy tribute to R&B legend Bobby Brown featuring live music and stunning performances.

Hytrol Industrial Park 5K/10K

9 a.m. — Hytrol — Registration fee — Support local health initiatives while enjoying a scenic run/walk in Jonesboro.