A $20,000 grant from AARP Kentucky will help rebuild sidewalks in Jenkins damaged by the deadly 2022 flood that took the lives of 45 residents.

Rachel Rosolina, communications director for the nonprofit Appalshop, explained because its headquarters were severely damaged by the flooding, staff has temporarily moved to neighboring Jenkins, where the grant will help improve walkability.

She noted the new walking trail and benches will begin at a local senior center and extend about a mile into downtown.

"Twenty-four percent of the county is over the age of 59 and the poverty rate is also like over 38%," Rosolina pointed out. "We want to be part of this community for as long as they will have us, but we also want to work with the city and use our resources to make improvements and make things safer."

Other 2024 Community Challenge grants awardees include Hotel Inc., a Bowling Green organization providing training on home safety and aging in place for older adults; and Casey County Public Library, to build a series of public displays and activities grandparents can do with their grandchildren.

Tiffany Sturdivant, interim executive director of Appalshop, said while the flood was devastating, it brought out the best in a close-knit community.

"Speaking as someone who was present during the recovery, it was a special time where Eastern Kentucky really shined," Sturdivant recounted. "I feel like it shined its brightest because it brought out that deep-rooted togetherness and everybody was just pitching in."

Rosolina added the mural, designed by local artist Lacy Hale, will highlight residents' perseverance.

"Art is one way to process trauma and I think the flood is going to be part of all of these communities for the rest of time," Rosolina observed. "It's part of the history now. So having something beautiful come out of that, I think, is really important."

She added the art display will be formally presented to the public during the Jenkins Homecoming Days Festival at the end of August.


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Members of the League of Women Voters-Arkansas are collecting signatures to add a constitutional amendment to the November 2026 ballot.

The amendment would give voters a chance to approve or reject election laws passed by the legislature.

Bonnie Miller, president of the League of Women Voters-Arkansas and chair of the coalition Save AR Democracy, said lawmakers have been enacting restrictions since 2013, making it harder for the direct democracy process to work.

"We now have to read a ballot title out loud to somebody or watch them read the entire ballot title. We're not just talking about a sentence here. In some instances, this could be pages of text," Miller outlined. "We now have to see a photo ID, we have to tell them that petition fraud is a crime."

Arkansas lawmakers said the added measures would help prevent voter fraud. There have been five Arkansans convicted of election fraud over the past 20 years.

Earlier this year, the league filed a federal lawsuit attempting to strike down five bills passed by the legislature which it said are unconstitutional and restrict the work of canvassers. Miller pointed out if the amendment is passed in next year's election, any changes to voting laws must be approved by voters.

"It would keep them from being able to refer out amendments that would change the process," Miller explained. "It means that during (the) legislative session, if they pass any bills, that affects the process that those laws don't go into effect until they're on the ballot the following year. "

Volunteers with the "Ballot Measure for Ballot Measure" campaign must collect more than 90,000 signatures by July 3, 2026.

AARP Oregon has opened up nominations for its prestigious award for volunteerism.

For the Andrus Award for Community Service, the organization will select a person or couple, age 50 or older, performing services without pay in their communities.

Geneva Craig, a volunteer for AARP Oregon, won the award in 2019 for her work organizing educational sessions for her community around Medford in Southern Oregon. She said when she was a child, her mother taught her to volunteer by supporting their sick neighbors.

"There's no age group where you can say, 'Oh, I don't have a skill, I don't have a talent,'" Craig emphasized. "You have something to offer, if only to give some support and let somebody know you care."

Oregonians do a lot of volunteering. Data from 2023 show nearly 36% of Oregonians formally volunteered through organizations, about eight points higher than the national average.

Research shows volunteering helps counteract the effects of stress, anxiety and depression, while making people feel more connected and happier. Craig added it is important that volunteers inspire others.

"I'm happy because I'm seeing the rise in people who are stepping back out and offering to volunteer," Craig explained. "I tried to let them know, we're not going to work you to death, OK? This is teamwork."

The deadline for Andrus Award nominations is Sept. 1. The winner receives $1,000 to donate to a nonprofit of their choosing.

Minnesotans gathered at the state Capitol last night for a candlelight vigil for Rep. Melissa Hortman, D-Brooklyn Park, after she was assassinated early Saturday. People close to her hope her legacy inspires acts that benefit communities all over.

Following the shooting attack that left Hortman and her husband dead, the couple's adult children issued a statement urging residents to honor their parents' memory in a variety of ways. One of them is to plant a tree.

Anne-Marie Hendrickson, director of development of the nonprofit Tree Trust, said they accept donations to replant groups of trees in Twin Cities neighborhoods devastated by invasive species, and added the Hortmans' home city is a good fit.

"We do have a relationship with Brooklyn Park," she said. "So, you know, maybe it's all the funds raised, for instance, as a result of their deaths could be used to replant trees in a Brooklyn Park park. And volunteers would be engaged to come out and plant those trees."

Rep. Hortman's two decades in the Legislature, including several years as House Speaker, is being described as one of the more impactful careers at the State Capitol. Lawmakers from both major parties have noted her strong commitment to improving the lives of Minnesotans. The family statement concluded with a request for people "to do something, whether big or small," centered around community improvement.

Michael Nicklow, CEO of Let's Plant Trees, said they have plenty of volunteer opportunities, including memorial plantings.

"It's a beautiful thing to do to carry on that legacy, of course, and trees are a beautiful thing - not only for our generation but for future generations, mostly, " he said.

LeAnn Thiner, co-director of the Worthington Christian Church Food Shelf, said operations like hers could always use volunteers with aging staff members stepping down, and added that helping to ensure your neighbor has enough food to eat is an excellent way to show they're supported by their surrounding community, no matter the size of the volunteer job involved.

"Volunteering at a food shelf is a very rewarding thing to do," she explained. "The people come in here, and after you've gotten to know them for a while, they come and say, 'Hi, how are you doing?' They always say thank you."


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