Stories by Marvin Richards

Chamber welcomes new Sears Hometown Store ownership The El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the Sears Hometown Store to celebrate the new owner of the business on Friday. Many chamber members were in attendance for the ... July 31, 2021

New teachers welcomed at educators' breakfast The El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce held its annual New Teachers' Breakfast at the El Dorado Golf & Country Club on Thursday morning. The breakfast is held to recognize, welcome and cel... July 30, 2021

Eagles' tribute band hoping to 'rock' El Dorado The Long Run, an Eagles tribute band made up of career musicians from south Florida, will perform Saturday, July 31 in the First Financial Music Hall at the Murphy Arts District. "We've been together ... July 29, 2021

Business networking event returns for the first time since COVID The SHARE Foundation hosted the first Business After Hours event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday at its partner agency, HealthWorks Fitness Center. When the event was held prior ... July 21, 2021

DRD Printing holds ribbon cutting The El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for DRD Printing on Saturday, July 17. According to its Facebook page, DRD Printing is a one-stop shop for many different print an... July 20, 2021

SouthArk readies new training ambulance South Arkansas Community College’s new ambulance trainer is finished and ready to enhance the school’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program. The ambulance was acquired in partnership with Columbi... July 18, 2021

MAD officials update Kiwanis on MuleKick, MusicFest Pam Griffin, Murphy Arts District (MAD) president and CEO, and Joanna Benson, MAD marketing coordinator, spoke with the El Dorado Kiwanis Club Wednesday, providing numerous updates on what the organiz... July 14, 2021

Master Gardeners hosts children’s workshop at Farmers Market The Union County Master Gardeners held a free class for children at Saturday’s Farmers Market at the Murphy Arts District. The class taught attendees how to create a house or hideaway spot for garden... July 10, 2021

Family is the secret ingredient at Fayrays Fayrays in downtown El Dorado has become a staple restaurant for community members and visitors alike. The New Orleans flair and inspired menu, along with bold flavors in the Cajun-influenced cuisine,... July 8, 2021

New Salvation Army officers welcomed with reception The United Way of Union County held a reception on Thursday at the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce to welcome Majors David and Joanna Robinson, the new Salvation Army corps officers of El D... July 8, 2021

Courtyard surpasses staff COVID-19 vaccination goal The Courtyard Rehabilitation and Health Center in El Dorado has surpassed a goal of getting the 75% of its staff COVID-19 vaccinations. The goal is part of a nationwide benchmark set by the American ... July 7, 2021

Seniors rejoice at wellness center reopening The Champagnolle Landing Senior Wellness Center officially reopened on Tuesday after being closed since March 17, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A big ‘Welcome Back’ banner was strung along the o... July 6, 2021

First responders, refinery fire survivor discuss community preparedness Response to the Feb. 27 Delek Penex Unit fire, where six local men were severely burned due to a flash fire, was a joint effort by numerous local first response institutions. The Medical Center of So... July 3, 2021

[email protected] to follow Griffin legacy of farm-fresh fare On Thursday, the Murphy Arts District announced that the Griffin Restaurant, which has been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will not be reopening its doors. Instead, Mulekick, a... July 2, 2021

Historical Preservation Society launches Tinkers Tuesdays The South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society held its weekly Tinker Tuesday event yesterday. Krystal Whitecloud of the United Lumbee Nation was the featured speaker and shared traditional Native... June 29, 2021

Champagnolle Landing ready to welcome back seniors The Champagnolle Landing Senior Wellness Center will be having its reopening on Tuesday, July 6, after being closed since March 17, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It has been about 15 months sin... June 28, 2021

World Champion hosting business development workshop Ramona J. Smith will be hosting the South Arkansas Business Model Development Workshop on Friday, July 9 at 8 a.m. at the South Arkansas Community College Library. “I want to help those who feel like... June 28, 2021

Walk to End Alzheimer’s offering options for this year’s walk This year, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s will return to having a traditional walk while also keeping the virtual component the organization adopted last year to accommodate the safety protocols and guid... June 23, 2021

Master Gardeners to present landscaping workshop Saturday The Union County Master Gardeners Community Education Project will be hosting a workshop featuring Eddie Albritton, owner of Union Environmental and Seeding Company, on Saturday, June 26, at 10:30 a.m... June 22, 2021

Meeting the professionals helping to make ‘Steel Magnolias’ a show ‘that will be remembered’ South Arkansas Arts Center alumni have helped to make the Arts Center’s current production of “Steel Magnolias” a professional-grade show. As they prepare for the show’s second weekend, SAAC Marketing... June 22, 2021

First B.O.L.D awards coincides with federal recognition of Juneteenth The Coalition of Black Professionals and Anxiety is a Mutha podcast hosted the first B.O.L.D. (Black Outstanding Leaders and Doers) Awards on Friday at the Village Outreach Facility. Markeith Cook, f... June 19, 2021

Chris Jones launches gubernatorial campaign Dr. Chris Jones, the former executive director of Winrock International’s Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, announced his Democratic candidacy for Arkansas governor on Tuesday. Jones joins fellow Dem... June 17, 2021

Local company’s convention brings sellers from across the country Topanga Scents, a luxury detergent brand based in El Dorado, held its first convention for the company’s national distributors that promote and sell its products this weekend. On Saturday, the conven... June 12, 2021

It’s all in the details for ‘Steel Magnolias’ The production team and cast of South Arkansas Arts Center’s production of “Steel Magnolias” are in the midst of finishing the set of the upcoming play. The group has been hard at work getting everyt... June 11, 2021

Mystic Creek celebrates #1 course status with ribbon cutting The Mystic Creek Golf Club held a ribbon cutting ceremony with the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning. The club’s manicured landscaping, lush greenery and the sunny day se... June 10, 2021

Kelly updates Kiwanis on ProMed Ken Kelly, a 36-year veteran first responder with ProMed Ambulance, gave a presentation to the El Dorado Kiwanis Club on Wednesday. ProMed has a corporate office in El Dorado and EMS stations in El D... June 9, 2021

Everybody’s Antiques celebrates 10-year growth Everybody’s Antiques held a ribbon cutting with the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce on Friday. Chamber ambassadors joined Everybody’s Antiques President and CEO, Larry D. Anderson and stor... June 4, 2021

Arkansas State Parks returning to normal with new features Kelly Farrell, the chief of interpretation for Arkansas State Parks, gave a presentation to the El Dorado Kiwanis Club Wednesday, where she spoke about some of the organization’s upcoming initiatives.... June 2, 2021

J. Richard Morgan ribbon cutting J. Richard Morgan, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), held a ribbon cutting ceremony for his accounting firm with the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce on Friday, May 28. The New Orleans-nat... June 1, 2021

Local luxury detergent company to hold first business convention Locally-owned and El Dorado-based Topanga Scents will be holding its first convention for the company’s national distributors that promote and sell its luxury detergent and products on the weekend of ... May 28, 2021

Wildcat food truck out as part of ESD summer meal program The El Dorado School District (ESD) is preparing for their 2021 Summer Meal Program, a carryover from a nutrition plan that was initially enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is ... May 26, 2021

El Dorado adds another manufacturer to its industrial market Continental Carbonic Products, Inc. (CCPI) announced in a press release that it will be opening a liquid CO2 and dry ice manufacturing facility in El Dorado. According to the company,this manufacturin... May 24, 2021

ULEAD introduces new class in orientation The El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce held orientation for its new Leadership Union County (ULEAD) Class on Tuesday. This is the tenth class to come through the program. The orientation was ... May 19, 2021

The Grand Gripper in the business of fixing ‘crowns’ and smiles Michiea Miller, El Dorado native, held the grand opening for her hair braiding business, The Grand Gripper, on Saturday, May 15. Miller says she has been braiding hair since she was a child. “I star... May 18, 2021

The Kilt holds ribbon cutting The Kilt-South Arkansas Axe Throwing held its ribbon cutting ceremony with the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce on Friday. Ryan and Angela Thomas, along with their daughter Madelyn Johnson,... May 16, 2021

ESD honors over 240 years of experience with district retirees The El Dorado School Board held a special meeting on Thursday, May 13, at the El Dorado Golf and Country Club to honor the educators retiring from the district this year. The meeting was held in one ... May 16, 2021

Sunny skies mark food truck festival fundraiser The Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado hosted a “Food Truck Festival for the Future” on Saturday in the Boys and Girls Club parking lot. Many vendors had their food trucks parked within the parking lot... May 15, 2021

Local car dealers are impacted by global computer chip shortage Local car dealers are feeling first hand the impact of the global semiconductor computer chip shortage. Computer chips used in phones, tablets, gaming consoles and in cars are in short supply, as pro... May 15, 2021

Three Birds Brewing Company celebrates ribbon cutting and grand opening The Three Birds Brewing Company, along with the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce, held its ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, the same day as the brewery’s grand opening. The name Three Bir... May 14, 2021

Black leadership awards and business expo slated for Juneteenth weekend The Coalition of Black Professionals and the “Anxiety is a Mutha” podcast are presenting a host of events to celebrate Black businesses and culture on Juneteenth weekend. Juneteenth, or June 19, 1865... May 11, 2021

MUSA hoping to entice local students to stay with internship program Murphy USA’s Wayne Hashimoto is hoping to keep local talent in El Dorado with a paid Technology Services Summer Internship Program for local undergraduate students that he has been building at the com... May 9, 2021

Rod Reynolds Auto celebrates Chamber membership Rod Reynolds Professional Auto Sales Consultant held its ribbon cutting with the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce on Friday. Reynolds himself was surrounded by family and friends as he cele... May 7, 2021

Stewart reflects on musical legend Henry Glover The city of Hot Springs Arkansas is currently having their annual 10-day Arts and the Park Festival, and as part of the festivities, Hot Spring-native and musical legend Henry Glover was inducted on M... May 7, 2021

South Arkansas accomplishments highlighted at Chamber meeting The El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting on Wednesday. Many local businesses and business leaders gathered at the First Financial Music Hall for the event, and guests wer... May 5, 2021

Three Birds Brewing Company hoping to offer more than just beer Three Birds Brewing Company is slated to have their grand opening on May 14, premiering some of their in house craft beers and relaxed atmosphere. Brad and Rachel Lange, married couple and brewery ow... May 1, 2021

ULead Class IX first group to adopt a street Keep El Dorado Beautiful (KEB) on Wednesday presented the graduating Class IX of Leadership Union County (ULead) with commemorative street signs to honor their cleanup efforts on Timberlane Road as a ... April 29, 2021

Promise kept at EHS 14th annual Academic Signing Day El Dorado High School held its 14th annual Academic Signing Day on Wednesday. The ceremony celebrated 300 graduating seniors receiving the El Dorado Promise Scholarship given through the partnership ... April 28, 2021

Spa on Main wants to be source of rejuvanation after tough year Spa on Main held a ribbon cutting with the El Dorado -Union County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday to celebrate the new leadership of the spa under El Dorado native, Sharon Tahaney. “We originally we... April 23, 2021

SAAC easing into normalcy with upcoming shows The El Dorado Kiwanis Club held a group meeting on Wednesday at the South Arkansas Arts Center (SAAC), where Executive Director Laura Allen gave the group numerous updates on upcoming events and produ... April 21, 2021

ACC Reentry Awareness Week kicks off next week The Arkansas Community Correction (ACC) will be holding its Reentry Awareness Week next week, April 26 through April 30. The ACC will host numerous events across the state to raise awareness about th... April 20, 2021

Stories by Marvin Richards

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