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Go Eagles! I had a great time visiting Huntsville High School earlier this week. I spoke to the “Principal’s Forum,” which is a group of young leaders Principal Enix formed to help her keep in touch with the student body. I shared with them what it's like to be a congressman and the importance of working hard and taking advantage of life's opportunities. Each student has the chance to accomplish whatever they set their mind to, as long as they always strive to do their best.
The young bright minds in Arkansas are our future leaders, and having the opportunity to speak to hardworking students like the Eagles is always exciting and inspiring to me. I’m in Congress to serve the people of the Third District, and our youth especially motivate me to do my job to the best of my ability.
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I then took a quick tour of the school to see the Huntsville Eagles at work. I stopped by Mrs. Griffin’s art class to see the beautiful mural students created together, which will be on display at the Fayetteville Public Library through July. I also helped build picnic tables for the school with students in an agriculture class. It was clear these crafty and inventive students have an exciting future ahead.
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It’s complete! I got to see the brand-new AT & Georgia Mae Smith Activity Center, which just opened this academic year. I look forward to cheering on the Eagles in their impressive facility.
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I even ran into my friend Michael Johnson, Huntsville High’s band director! I used to get hats customized at his embroidery shop back when I was at the University of Arkansas’ ROTC program.
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My time at Huntsville High reminded me that our incredible school systems in the Third District open doors to success for whatever path a student wishes to take. I’m so grateful for the teachers and faculty who work hard to create meaningful learning experiences for all students. I want to give a special thanks to two students, Savannah Villines and Juan Monterozzas, for taking me on this great tour of their beloved school.
U.S. Marshals Museum
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“Wow” was my first reaction after visiting the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith. Let me tell you, the Third District will be amazed. It’s been a long time coming, but the museum will finally open this summer. Senator Boozman and I pushed the United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act through Congress, which provided the museum with $3.053 million in revenue from coin sales. It’s exciting to see this magnificent puzzle coming together and I look forward to the incredible impact it’s going to have on each visitor, as well as our community. I’m grateful for U.S. Marshals Museum President & CEO Ben Johnson and Doug Babb, U.S. Marshals Museum Board Chair, for showing me around. I’ll be back soon!
Read more about my tour from Talk Business here.
Transportation and Infrastructure Roundtable
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Investing in and deepening the MKARNS directly benefits job growth and our economy in Arkansas. I was honored to speak on this important topic at Western Arkansas Planning and Development District’s WAIA/MARAD roundtable. Barge transportation on our inland waterways is the safest, most economical, and fuel-efficient way to move our nation's goods for use domestically and for export. It supports 56,000 full-and part-time jobs in the Third District a year and there are 15 hydropower plants on the MKARNS which provide low-cost power to over 7 million people. Keeping the MKARNS updated, operational, and reliable will remain a priority of mine.
More photos from the week
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It's important for me to get a firsthand look at the work being done around the Third District, so this week I toured Arkansas Lighting’s production facility. This Van Buren-based manufacturer provides lighting for the hospitality industry, military bases, federal agencies, and even Congress! Jeff Null, the president of Arkansas Lighting, showed me the lamp that’s given to all freshmen Members of Congress.
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Every child deserves proper care to build bright futures. It was great to hear about the new Boys & Girls Club of Cedarville’s impactful work for kids through their after-school and summer programs. Thank you to Cindy Faldon, JaCory Taylor, and Dr. Kerry Schneider for discussing this with me and for your efforts to service children in our community!
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Arkansas Equipment Finance provides services for businesses in the Arvest Bank’s four-state footprint of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, as well as 21 additional states. I visited with them this week to take a look at their operations and talk about the significance of the Third District being home to the F-35 Foreign Military Sales mission. Thank you to Eric Bunnell, Arvest Equipment Finance President, and his team for the time, as well as the great gifts!
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The hardworking men and women of Specialty Nail Company in Prairie Grove produce collated nails, brad nails, and a variety of other specialty fasteners. It was great to learn more about their products from Tom Wilcutt, the president of Specialty Nail Company, and see the manufacturing process in action.
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I stopped by the First Security Bank building, which is an Opportunity Zone project in Springdale. Ken Hall, Jason Keathley, Ward Davis, and David Long walked me through multiple floors of the building and showed me plans for the exterior. I was excited to see the impact Opportunity Zones are having on downtown Springdale!
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I made a stop at Huntsville City Hall to meet with Travis Dotson, the new mayor, and Dale Ramsey, the Madison County Huntsville Department district judge. We talked through what’s happening in Washington and my recent trip to Singapore.
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I also met with Madison County Judge Larry Garrett, where we discussed the county's infrastructure and future projects.
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I enjoyed getting to know the new Crawford County Judge Chris Keith!
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I heard from David Faulk, Prairie Grove’s new mayor, about future plans for infrastructure utilities, sidewalks, and landscaping as Prairie Grove continues to grow.
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While I was in Prairie Grove, we dropped by the administrative offices for the school district and got to chat with the interim superintendent, Pete Joenks.
Reminders!
April Mobile Office Hours
Next week, stop by one of my mobile office hours. Although my staff is always here to help in Rogers and Fort Smith, they will be in different locations around the Third District on Tuesday and Wednesday to help with issues regarding the IRS, VA, or another federal agency.
St. Paul
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
11:00AM – 1:00PM CT
St. Paul City Hall | 439 Madison Ave., St. Paul, AR 72760
Mulberry
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
11:00AM – 1:00PM CT
Mulberry Public Library | 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, AR 72947
Service Academy Day
On Saturday, April 22 I’m excited to host two U.S. Military Service Academy Day events for high school students from the Third District! Students will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from the U.S. Military Service Academies and learn more about the application, nomination, selection, and appointment processes. Information about the Arkansas National Guard and scholarships available through local Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs will also be provided.
Invited organizations include:
U.S. Military Academy
U.S. Naval Academy
U.S. Air Force Academy
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Arkansas National Guard
Arkansas Tech University Army (ROTC)
University of Arkansas Army and Air Force (ROTC)
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Army (ROTC)
Fort Smith
9:00AM – 11:00AM CT
Southside High School | 4100 Gary Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Rogers
2:00PM – 4:00PM CT
Rogers High School | 2300 S. Dixieland Road, Rogers, Arkansas
Art Competition
My Rogers and Fort Smith offices are accepting applications for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition until April 25! This nationwide contest is an opportunity for Arkansas students to showcase their creative and artistic talents. The winning submission from each congressional district will be displayed in the halls leading to the U.S. Capitol for one year.
For more information on how to apply, please visit my website here.
I will be back in D.C. next week for legislative business, but I wish you a great weekend ahead! Be sure to check out my website, Twitter, and Instagram pages in the meantime.
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