Three eighth grade students at Nemo Vista High School were named winners in the 2017 UACCM Creative Writing Contest earlier this month. Brooklyn Coulter was given first place, receiving a $100 gift card for her poem, "Fingerpaint Philosophy." Abby Barnes came in second place, receiving a $50 gift card for her poem, "Rather." Jaden Copland came in third place, receiving a $25 gift card for her poem, "The Sister I Never Had."  All of these poems, including two honorable mentions by Nemo Vista High School students Makenlee Peebles and Tristah Andrews, can be viewed here:  First Place: Brooklyn Coulter - "Fingerpaint Philosophy"  Second Place: Abby Barnes - "Rather" Third Place: Jaden Copeland - "The Sister I Never Had"  Honorable Mention: Makenlee Peebles - "The Human Mind" Honorable Mention: Tristah Andrews - "Mamaw's Hands" 

The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton will now offer the A.M. “Bub” McKennon and Mary Dana McKennon Memorial Scholarship, a $500 tuition waver given each semester to a student graduating from a Conway County high school and pursuing a secondary degree at UACCM. L-R: UACCM Chancellor Dr. Larry Davis, Scott McKennon, Karen McKennon The scholarship was established by Scott and Karen McKennon of Morrilton in memory of Scott’s parents. While neither of his parents attended college, Scott said they always emphasized the importance of education to their children. He and all three of his sisters went on to graduate from college. Both Scott and Karen work in the banking industry. Scott is the vice president of the Morrilton, Mena, and Pocahontas branches of First Financial Bank, and Karen is a loan officer at River Town Bank in Dardanelle. Scott was appointed to the UACCM Foundation Board in 2014 and was elected as board chair earlier this year. He also serves

Dozens of UACCM employees, students and community leaders visited the Workforce Training Center construction site on April 24 for a topping-out ceremony where visitors signed and watched a beam be installed atop the central section of the new building. UACCM Chancellor Dr. Larry Davis opened the ceremony by thanking donors and community leaders for their contributions and support for the project, including the nearly $3 million already raised. Nabholz Construction of Conway, the company which began work on the site in late 2016, was also acknowledged.   “This is a great, great day for UACCM,” Davis said. “I’ve been looking forward to this particular ceremony for a long time.” Conway County Judge Jimmy Hart, Morrilton Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer, and Jerry Smith, head of the Conway County Economic Development Corporation, all complimented the success of the project and expressed excitement about how it would not only benefit Morrilton, but the six-county service area that U