EL DORADO — Kaitlyn Rigdon, vice president of economic development for the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce, has been selected for Leadership Arkansas Class XXI.

Rigdon is among 52 leaders from across the state selected for the 2026-27 class of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce program.

Leadership Arkansas is a nine-month program that brings together leaders from business, government, education, health care, nonprofits and other sectors to learn more about the issues affecting communities and industries across the state.

Rigdon joined the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce in 2019 and moved into economic development in 2022. In her current role, she oversees business recruitment, existing industry support, workforce development and other economic development efforts in El Dorado and Union County.

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She is a certified Professional Community and Economic Developer and a Talent Pipeline Management Certified Professional.

Rigdon also serves as director of ULEAD, Union County’s community leadership program, and is president of the El Dorado Service League. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass media with a minor in communications from Henderson State University.

Leadership Arkansas was established in 2005 and has graduated more than 1,000 participants. Class members travel to different parts of Arkansas during the program for sessions examining economic development, workforce needs, agriculture, government, health care, manufacturing, tourism and other issues.

Class XXI will begin in September with an orientation in Fairfield Bay.

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The group will travel to Fort Smith in October for a session on the military and economic development, followed by a November session in Stuttgart focusing on agriculture, conservation and outdoor recreation. A December session in Little Rock will focus on state government and health care.

In January, the class will visit Magnolia and Camden for a South Arkansas session focused on natural resources, defense and industrial development.

Other sessions are scheduled in Blytheville and Jonesboro, Hot Springs and Northwest Arkansas.

The program will conclude with a final session and graduation in Little Rock in May 2027.

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For Rigdon, the program will provide an opportunity to work with economic development officials, business leaders and other professionals from around Arkansas while also representing El Dorado and Union County in the statewide program.

Leadership Arkansas participants are selected through an application process. The State Chamber said members of Class XXI represent communities and industries from across Arkansas.

EL DORADO  — Young artists in South Arkansas will have an opportunity to sharpen their drawing skills this fall through a pencil drawing class offered by the South Arkansas Arts Center’s Arts Academy.

The class, taught by Mike Means, begins Thursday, Aug. 27, and will meet from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Dec. 10.

The course is open to students in seventh through 12th grades and will focus on developing pencil drawing skills and techniques.

The class is part of SAAC’s Arts Academy, which provides arts instruction for young people in El Dorado and the surrounding area.

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Scholarships are available for students interested in participating. SAAC says families seeking financial assistance can submit a scholarship application through the Arts Academy. Approved applicants receive a code allowing their student to register for a class.

Registration is available online through SAAC’s Arts Academy website. Parents and students can also contact the South Arkansas Arts Center at 870-862-5474 for additional information or assistance with registration.

The South Arkansas Arts Center is located at 110 E. Fifth St. in El Dorado.

Register for SAAC Arts Academy classes

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EL DORADO, Ark. — Several locations are providing shelter for residents displaced by a large wildfire burning in the Lawson and Old Union areas of Union County.

As of 4:30 a.m. Friday, officials reported progress in slowing the wildfire’s growth, although the fire remained uncontained. Crews planned to continue using bulldozers to establish firebreaks, with aerial firefighting operations expected to begin after daylight. The gravel portion of Nick Springs Road and Pine Tree Road remain closed to all traffic, and residents are being urged to avoid those roads and surrounding areas while firefighting operations continue.

Immanuel Baptist Church is offering temporary accommodations to individuals and families affected by the fire. Those needing a place to stay can contact Mark Smith at 870-310-4004 to arrange access to the church.

The El Dorado Municipal Auditorium, located at 100 W. 8th Street, has also been opened for anyone displaced by the fire or needing a safe place to shelter.

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The shelters were opened as firefighters from multiple departments, along with the Arkansas Forestry Division, continued battling the large woods fire in the Lawson and Old Union area.

The Old Union Volunteer Fire Department described the fire as moving quickly and urged residents in surrounding areas to monitor their property when it is safe to do so. Officials are also asking people to stay away from the fire area and not drive into the area to watch firefighting operations.

All available resources were reported to be responding to the fire.

Changing winds could carry smoke into El Dorado and surrounding communities, and residents may notice smoke even some distance from the fire.

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The Union County Sheriff’s Office has closed Pine Tree Road to through traffic until further notice because of the fire. Drivers are being asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes. No estimate has been given for when the road will reopen.

Residents near the affected area should remain alert for additional instructions from emergency officials as conditions can change quickly.

Officials have not yet released information on the total acreage burned, the number of structures threatened or damaged, or when the fire may be contained.

SouthArkansasNow.com’s Sandy Sanford and Jax Sanford will continue providing updates on the wildfire through South Arkansas Now’s social media channels as additional information becomes available.

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EL DORADO— El Dorado-area parents will have an opportunity to learn more about services available to their families during a free Parent Night Community Resources event next month.

The event will be held Thursday, Sept. 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado, 1201 N. West Ave.

The evening will bring together vendors and organizations offering resources for children and families throughout the community. Organizers said children’s activities will be available during the event, allowing parents to spend time visiting with participating organizations and learning about available services.

A meal will also be served, and there is no cost to attend.

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The event is being presented by the ACTIVE Coalition and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The Boys & Girls Club has previously hosted family education programs designed to connect parents with information and services. UAMS held a similar event at the club in 2025 that provided parents with information about youth vaping and tobacco use.

Community resource programs in Union County cover a wide range of needs, including youth programs, mental health and substance use services, recovery assistance and family support. A Union County resource directory includes organizations ranging from youth and recreation programs to treatment and recovery services.

Arkansas also provides state-supported mental health and substance use services for qualifying residents, including counseling, treatment and assistance locating providers.

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Parent Night is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado, 1201 N. West Ave.

Admission, children’s activities and the meal are free.

MAGNOLIA – SAU Theatre & Dance students have traveled the country this summer to gain hands-on experience through numerous summer intensives. From Arkansas to New York and cities in between, Muleriders took to the boards to learn from the best in the business.

Four SAU students were selected to participate in The Open Jar Broadway College Intensive this summer. Tianna Bonner and Egypt Dollmeyer attended the first intensive from May 31st–June 6th.

Bonner, a senior musical theatre major from Jacksonville, AR, dreamed of experiencing the stage in New York City. Thanks to Open Jar intensive, she studied in the heart of Broadway, learning craft from some of the industry’s best professionals, while also taking in three Tony Award-nominated shows.

“This experience is something I will never forget,” Bonner said. “I love theatre. Getting to experience auditions, seeing the shows, and walking through the city solidified my dream of moving to New York after I graduate.”

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Carmelo Brown and Annabelle Ferren attended the second Open Jar intensive, held August 3-9. Before joining Open Jar, Brown, a senior musical theatre major from El Dorado, Arkansas, traveled 450 miles from the Waterside Theatre in Manteo, NC, where he joined the cast of The Lost Colony for a second time.

“Working in a professional theatre environment surrounded by passionate artists has challenged me, inspired me, and strengthened my love for storytelling,” Brown said of the production that is celebrating its 88th anniversary season.

Roughly 650 miles west at the College of Wooster, Charlie Bradshaw, a senior technical theatre major from Magnolia, AR, has joined SAU alums Dani Hawkins and Rylee Creed at the Ohio Light Opera. The SAU trio have been working in technical positions, and by the end of the program, they will have built and produced six different shows within 10 weeks.

“This experience helped me get over some of my anxiety about what the future looks like after college,” Bradshaw said about his role as a carpenter. “I’m so incredibly grateful that I get to do this kind of work for a living because I’m doing exactly what I love!”

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Lucy Strahin, a junior musical theatre major from Conway, AR, did not have to travel far for the Morrilton production of The Sound of Music. She was joined by fellow Mulerider Danajah Penn, of Morrilton, who played Rolf Gruber in the production.

“I actually began my theatre journey at the Rialto Community Arts Theatre back in 2015, so I was very thankful to be back 11 years later as Baroness Schraeder,” Strahin said. “This role really helped me appreciate the process of learning and loving a new character.”

To learn more about SAU Theatre & Dance, please visit: saumag.edu/theatre.

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