VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics worldwide, has died at the age of 88. His passing marks the end of a historic papacy that began in 2013, making him the first pontiff from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope. Known for his humility, progressive tone, and focus on social justice, Francis leaves behind a legacy that reshaped the global Catholic Church in significant ways.

The Vatican announced his death early Monday morning, citing complications from ongoing health issues that had increasingly limited his public appearances in recent months.

Reaction to Pope Francis’ death poured in from around the world, including from Arkansas leaders.

“Our prayers go out to Catholics in Arkansas and across the world,” said Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “Rest in peace.”

Francis visited the United States in 2015 and maintained strong diplomatic ties with countries around the globe. He was widely praised for efforts to address poverty, climate change, and the global refugee crisis, though his papacy also navigated intense scrutiny over the Church’s handling of sexual abuse scandals.

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Arkansas is home to more than 130,000 Catholics, many of whom gathered for prayer services across the state Monday morning in remembrance of the pontiff. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of the Diocese of Little Rock is expected to issue a statement and lead a memorial Mass later this week.

Funeral arrangements will be held at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, with international dignitaries and religious leaders expected to attend.

CAMDEN – The Ouachita County Sheriff’s Department says that a vulnerable South Arkansas resident has been found safe following a search that extended into multiple states.

22-year-old Terry Bishop, described as a highly functioning and non-verbal autistic male, went missing over the weekend. Authorities implored the public for help, and following an extensive search, located Bishop’s vehicle in Southwestern Missouri on Saturday. He was found shortly thereafter according to updates on social media.

Bishop had last been seen on Wednesday.

EL DORADO – The El Dorado City Council’s Water and Public Works Committee will meet Wednesday, April 23 at 10 a.m. at City Hall to discuss several community initiatives and infrastructure updates.

Among the announcements scheduled for the meeting is an update from TCW on its upcoming inground fiberoptic buildout. The project is expected to begin in mid-May and will mark a significant step forward in enhancing broadband access across El Dorado.

Also on the agenda is a presentation from Jill Weinischke on the upcoming Drug Take Back event, which aims to promote the safe disposal of unused prescription medications in an effort to combat misuse and environmental harm.

Judy Ward is also scheduled to address the council regarding preparations for this year’s National Day of Prayer observance, an annual community-wide event that brings residents together in spiritual reflection and unity.

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Following routine business items such as roll call, minutes approval, and announcements, the council will move on to any unfinished or new business before concluding the session.

CAMDEN – The City of Camden is inviting residents to share their ideas and feedback as part of a community-wide effort to enhance local parks and recreational spaces.

City officials say several upgrades are already underway, with visible improvements happening across town. Recent and ongoing projects include:

• Playground renovations

• Upgraded public restrooms at parks

• A new beach volleyball court at Carnes Park

• Indoor pickleball courts at the Plant A Seed facility

• A new pavilion at Veterans Park, located on the old library lot

• Upgrades to the city pool

• Enhancements at the Camden Sportsplex

A volunteer parks committee is actively developing a five-year improvement plan and is now asking for community input to help guide future priorities.

“We would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions with anything so we can improve,” the city shared in a public notice. “Your voice matters as we work to create recreational spaces that reflect the needs and dreams of our community.”

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Residents are encouraged to fill out an online feedback form to submit ideas and requests for future park upgrades. The form is available at: https://form.jotform.com/250994010984159

The city says community engagement will play a key role in shaping the long-term vision for public spaces in Camden.

MAGNOLIA – Three SAU faculty traveled to Edmond, Oklahoma, to present their research at the 86th Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Regional Conference at the University of Central Oklahoma in April.

Assistant Professors of Mathematics Dr. Muhammad Inam, Dr. Chong Li, and Dr. Jie Zhou from SAU’s Mathematics and Computer Science Department presented the following research over the two-day annual conference:

• Inam presented a paper titled “The Word Problem for Adian Inverse Semigroups”
• Li presented “Integer Flows on Triangularly Connected Signed Graphs”
• Zhou presented “Unidimensional Distance Transformation for Efficient, Scalable Unsupervised Outlier Detection”

During the conference, SAU faculty engaged with fellow mathematics professors from neighboring states and exchanged research ideas.

According to the MAA website, the MAA serves the world’s largest community of students, faculty, and math enthusiasts with a mission to “advance the understanding of mathematics and its impact on our world.”

SAU is scheduled to host the MAA Regional Conference in 2028.

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For more information about the Mathematica and Computer Science Department at SAU, please visit https://web.saumag.edu/cs/.