CONWAY, Ark. (KTHV) - The annual Badges & Hoses Blood Drive will be held Thursday, September 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the McGee Center.  

It’s traditionally a friendly competition to see which department, police or fire, can solicit the most blood donations.  However, this year the Conway Police Department decided to donate in honor of Wayne Hartness, Conway Firefighter who died on September 7 of 2015 after a battle with cancer. 

Officials are encouraging others to do the same.  There will be some sort of memorial tribute there for the public to sign, and it will be given to his family.

If you wish for your blood donation to be a quick trip, it is highly recommended by Red Cross officials that you visit www.redcrossblood.org and schedule an appointment using the sponsor code CFSC.

CONWAY, Ark. - The University of Central Arkansas continues to rank among the top 30 best regional public institutions in the South, according to the 2016 Best Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report released on Sept. 9.

UCA maintained its ranking of 29 in the category of "Top Public Schools" among regional universities in the South. A regional university is defined as an institution that provides a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report. Universities in the “Best Regional Universities” category were ranked against their peer groups in one of four geographic regions. Generally, these universities draw students most heavily from surrounding states, according to U.S. News & World Report. 

CONWAY, Ark. (UCA) - Alpha Psi Omega, University of Central Arkansas’s honorary theatre society, will host Katie Campbell to present a public lecture, “What is Puppetry?” on Saturday, September 19.

The event, free and open to the public, will be held at the Bridges/Larson Theatre in the Snow Fine Arts Center at 6:00 p.m.

Campbell is a director, actor, playwright, puppeteer, and teaching artist. Her shadow puppet play, “The Ugly Duckling,” has revived a 2015 Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant and national attention.

“The opportunity to have Katie Campbell teach these workshops is exciting because it explores a different facet of theatre. This knowledge will expand and diversify our theatre skills, and I know it will inspire Alpha Psi Omega, theatre students, and all who attend,” states Jordyn Daniels, UCA Theatre senior and Alpha Psi Omega president.