Newport Chamber Events Scheduled For August
The Artist in U by Unity Health will have a watercolor class for adults on Tuesday, August 6, with artists Penny Jo Pausch and Aline McCracken from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. located inside the NEDC building. Please call the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce to reserve your spot at (870)523-1009. The class is FREE and all materials are provided.
Newport Elementary School Open House will be Thursday, August 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Jackson County Community Theatre will have a production of The Music Man at the ASU-Newport Center for the Arts on August 8 and 9 beginning at 7:00 p.m. On Sunday, August 11, the show will start at 2:00 p.m. Tickets for adults are $10 and $5 for children 12 and under. Tickets may be purchased at the following locations: Merchants and Planters Bank (Newport, Tuckerman, Batesville, Searcy & McCrory), Newport Area Chamber of Commerce, First Community Bank in Newport, and tickets will be available at the door. For more information, follow the Jackson County Community Theater on Facebook.
The Monster Beats concert sponsored by M&P Banking Insurance and Investments will return to the Terry Scoggins Memorial Stage on Saturday, August 10, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The featured act will be the Ten Penny Gypsy Band. They are a nominee for album of the year for the Arkansas Country Music Association.
George Kell Motors Chevy Youth Sports Test Drive Event and City Wide Pep Rally will be Friday, August 16, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. located at the Newport High School Field parking lot. Just look for the Chevy tent! Everyone come out and support your Newport Greyhounds.
Gränges Monster Fun Nights will be Saturday, August 17, with Galen Harp, the 2016 World Champion Juggler and Director of the Institute of Jugglology. Everyone come out to the Front Street Park at 7:00 p.m. and enjoy a FREE show.
Postmaster Spirit’s Paranormal Party will be Saturday, August 17, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. located at 200 Hazel Street. Members from Off the Chain Paranormal will look into unexplained sounds and abnormal activities in the old post office. Everyone is invited to come meet the team and find out what is involved in a paranormal investigation.
On Tuesday, August 20, The Arkansas Steel Associates/KASU Monster Groovez concert will feature Gerry Moss Blues Guitar on the Terry Scoggins memorial stage from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Gerry spent two years as the lead guitarist in the house band at B.B. King’s club on Beale Street in Memphis. Everyone come out and enjoy this FREE concert.
Gränges Monster Fun Nights returns Saturday, August 24, to the Front Street Park with Ellisa Sun on her National Dreamboat Tour. Ellisa has been characterized as a blend of alt-pop, soul and R&B. The show begins at 7:00 p.m. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy show.
Add your community event. Email details to director@newportarchamber.org.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current publicity chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.