Arkansas
East North Street Foundation Donates $1M for Arkansas Children's Hospital Expansion
David Hendrix and Doug Hendrix, co-founders and owners of the East North Street Foundation (Karen E. Segrave)
The nonprofit East North Street Foundation has donated $1 million to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock in support of the hospital’s $235.2 million expansion project, the pediatric care provider announced Tuesday.
According to a news release, the expansion will add bed capacity and transform inpatient and outpatient surgical approaches at Arkansas Children’s Hospital with the addition of an ambulatory surgery center. Additionally, the expansion will redesign clinical spaces to promote multidisciplinary care and create an inviting and accessible campus experience.
Arkansas Children’s announced their $318 million expansion project for the campuses in Little Rock and Springdale in May 2023. Donors of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals raised $5.42 million for the two expansions in 2023, Arkansas Children’s announced in May.
Phase one of construction on both campuses began earlier this year and is scheduled to be completed in 2026.
“This generous investment will have a lasting impact on the hospital’s ability to provide cutting-edge pediatric care and improve the overall well-being of our young patients and their families,” Marcy Doderer, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s, said in the release. “Pediatric health needs are more complex than ever before, and we are committed to the highest levels of access and health care quality for the children across Arkansas and the region.”
The East North Street Foundation is co-founded and operated by David Hendrix and Doug Hendrix of Bryant, who founded Big Red Stores in 1997 and sold the franchise for $225.7 million to Canadian firm Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. in April 2023.
The brothers own Summerwood Partners LLC of Bryant, parent company of the convenience store chain Big Red, which ranked No. 34 among the largest private companies in Arkansas in 2024.
The release stated that the family foundation has strong ties to Arkansas and is a long-time supporter of Arkansas Children’s.
“This partnership with Arkansas Children’s Hospital is a profound honor for us,” David Hendrix said. “Contributing to the hospital’s expansion project is not only an investment in advanced medical care but also a commitment to building a brighter, healthier future for families across Arkansas.”
After a cool/chilly morning that started in the 40s and 50s, Tuesday will warm to the upper 70s and low 80s with nothing but sunshine all day long.
There will be a weak front passing through Arkansas on Wednesday. There will briefly be a few clouds along the time the front actually passes through. But once the front clears, it will once again become sunny.
Starting Friday and lasting through the weekend and into next week a strong south wind will set up. That will warm Arkansas into the mid and upper 80s and introduce a higher level of humidity. It will feel a little like Summer this weekend. Rain chances will return to Central Arkansas starting on Sunday.
With a big upper-level system and cold front approaching early next week, the rain and thunderstorm chance will go up Monday, Monday night and Tuesday. Some strong to severe storms may occur Monday evening. The front will become stationary on Tuesday which will prolong the rainy period and overall help the drought situation Arkansas is facing.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Purple is the color of the month in Arkansas, and Lupus Awareness Month is bringing a busy stretch of events, including a mayoral proclamation and a smooth jazz concert featuring acclaimed saxophonist Merlon Devine.
A proclamation for Lupus Awareness Month is set for 6 p.m. in North Little Rock, with Mayor Hardwick expected to present it. Organizers encouraged lupus warriors and supporters to come out.
Anita Boone, President of the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas Inc. and a former lupus warrior, described the day-to-day reality of living with the disease: “One minute you’re feeling amazing, the next minute your body is saying we can’t do this.”
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, described during the interview as a condition where the immune system attacks the body “inside out.” It can affect organs throughout the body, including the brain, lungs, heart and kidneys. Boone also shared personal impacts, saying, “I am losing, actually, ear from hearing, just because of lupus.”
The Lupus Foundation of Arkansas is also inviting the community to a Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert this Sunday, May 17, at 3:30 at The Space with Grace event venue, 2005 Main St., North Little Rock.
Gale Davis, committee chair for the Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert shared details about the concert.
Davis said guests are encouraged to “dress to impress,” though formalwear isn’t required. The event will include a photo backdrop, light hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and sponsored tables aimed at networking. It’s also a chance for people to meet other lupus warriors, learn more about the foundation’s work, and watch a video presentation highlighting events from the past year.
The featured artist, Merlon Devine, was described as an acclaimed saxophonist known for a soulful, smooth jazz sound, with a career spanning more than two decades and performances across the country and around the world. He’s also an Arkansas native who attended Little Rock Central High School. He now lives in Southern Maryland, outside Washington, D.C.
Davis said Devine’s connection to lupus is personal. She said his father had lupus and has since died, though he didn’t die from lupus. They also said Divine had a sister who died from lupus in 1981 and that he currently has two sisters living with lupus.
She also shared that, according to his doctors, Devine was born with acute asthma and underdeveloped lungs. His latest single, released last year, is called “Mercy.”
Tickets must be purchased online and will not be sold at the door. They’re available online by clicking on the flyer. Prices are $40 for individual tickets, or $400 for a table of nine, with an option to sponsor a table.
Organizers also noted another proclamation is planned for the Little Rock side with Mayor Frank Scott tomorrow, and encouraged people to follow the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas on social media for updates.
The concert will take place this Sunday at the Space With Grace Venue in North Little Rock.
ASHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An Arkansas man died after crashing a dirt bike on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Arkansas man, formerly from Newaygo, crashed into a tree while riding a dirt bike on private property in Ashland Township near Grant on Sunday before 2:30 p.m., according to Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers.
Emergency responders tried to save his life but he died at the scene.
Troopers are still investigating but do not suspect drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash.
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MSP did not initially release any additional information.
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