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Mike McNeill is publisher and editor of magnoliareporter.com.

Mike McNeill is publisher and editor of magnoliareporter.com.

We mentioned some good news coming for the University Plaza shopping center. At the moment, at least part of it is getting a new roof. Work is taking place at the Stage store on the north end. We don’t know if the work will be extended into the main wing. We do know that the owner, University Plaza Shopping Center Partnership of North Little Rock, recently obtained a $750,000 loan from Arvest Bank, using the shopping center as collateral. We can only assume the loan is for the roof work and perhaps other improvements. We’re always happy when companies make investments in our city.

It’s official. The Central Hub building on the east side of the square is for sale. People tell us all the time that Magnolia needs a restaurant that specializes in such-and-such a menu, or an entertainment venue with this-or-that theme. Well, here’s your chance. No Columbia County resident is going to have a better idea of what you want than you. No national chain is going to swoop in to execute an activity in the way you would have it done. This is your time to make an investment toward the Magnolia entertainment industry you want to see.

If you’re looking for a job in food service, SAU Dining Services will interview prospective employees at the Student Event Center from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, July 15. Aramark operates the Blue and Gold Cafeteria, along with the on-campus locations of Grille Works, Chick-fil-A, Subway and Panda Express. CLICK HERE to complete an online application.

A year ago, Columbia County had 35 active COVID-19 cases. Yesterday, we had 101.

All of South Arkansas has a vested interest in what happens at troubled Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. We’ll be tuned into a Little Rock press conference set for 10 a.m. today, featuring Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas Education Secretary Johnny Key, and leadership at Henderson, which now operates as a branch of Arkansas State University. The event is touted as a discussion about the “restructuring” of Henderson, which could mean anything. CLICK HERE to see the live stream.

We were on the road to and from Little Rock for much of Wednesday, so there was no time to write a column. Deer were out in full force early – we scattered a herd in the road north of Village and barely avoided hitting one. We got a good look at another deer up the road. One bird hit the windshield later, and we ran over another one that didn’t lift off in time. Finally, we squashed a squirrel on a four-lane section after it darted across a grassy median – it had no business being there, as the section had no trees on either side of the road. We also saw a tractor-trailer that turned over in the westbound lane on Interstate 30 in Caddo Valley.

A year ago, we reported that Continental Structural Plastics was expanding its Sarepta factory with a $13.3 million project that would add 33 jobs. CLICK HERE to see the story.

Our current online poll asks readers how they sleep – on their backs, stomachs or left or right sides. Don’t really know where we got the inspiration for this question, so the new information out this week about how infants should sleep is coincidental. The sleep recommendation for babies is that they sleep alone, on their backs, on a flat and firm mattress covered with a snug sheet. They don’t need extra bedding or bumpers, the new advice says.

Mike McNeill is publisher and editor of magnoliareporter.com. Email him at news@magnoliareporter.com or call him at 870-904-3865. Opinions expressed in this column are his own. Get or update your COVID-19 vaccine – the virus is still here.

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