Holiday notice: City offices will be closed Monday, January 15, 2018, observing the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sanitation will be running their normal week along with the leaf vacuum trucks.

Leaf Vacuum Update: January 11, 2018. The extremely cold weather has taken a toll on the Sanitation Department's trucks, but they announced today that they are finishing up in Bunker Hill and the upper part of Lakewood this week. They will be moving to Area 2 on Monday. Sanitation services will run normal next week, Monday through Friday.

UPDATE: Back on. 9:57pm ORIGINAL POST: At approx. 9:15 this evening NLR Electric must cut power to the area detailed below to make critical repairs. We will do everything in our power to get the power back on as quickly and safely as possible (The nature of the repair is such that it could take 15 minutes or several hours.) Please understand that we would never inconvenience our customers unless absolutely necessary. Thank you for your patience and understanding. As soon as we have an update we will post again. (AREA INCLUDES - I-40 and Waterside, Belmont, Skyline, Garland, Goshen, Starfield, Plateau, Dexter, Sheridan, Delmar, and E. 31st.

After 12 years our trusty switcher in the Council Chamber control room gave up. We found out when we tried to prepare for tonight's City Council meeting. It has seen its share of Planning Commission meetings, employee presentations, staff meetings, and more than 300 City Council meetings. Until we receive our replacement we have patched together a single camera and audio to go out on Comcast, Uverse, and Facebook. Tests look good so far, but keep your fingers crossed and have patience with us. This is a bit of unchartered territory. Of course, everyone is always welcome to join us in person!

Throwback Thursday: The city of North Little Rock generated all of its own electricity until 1913 when it began buying wholesale power from Merchants Lighting Company, predecessor of Arkansas Power & Light, which became Entergy Arkansas. The electric transformers in this photograph about 1910 were part of the Argenta Municipal Light & Power plant at Eighth and Main streets. The plant, long gone, was located at the site of the former Electric Department building now occupied by the Police Department. Power was first generated in Argenta in the 1890s by the Faucette Brothers Electric Plant and Ice Factory on the southeast corner of what is today Sixth and Main streets. In late 1905, William C. Faucette and his brother James P. Faucette (the city’s first and third mayors) sold the electric plant to the city for $50,000. The city relocated the plant to the northeast corner of Eighth and Main on property it purchased that had been used previously for a cattle yard and feed sheds. Revenue from municipal electricity has supported city operations for more than a century. The city again started generating electricity with the opening of the Murray Hydroelectric Plant in 1988, but that provides for only a small fraction of the demand. #TBT #ThrowbackThursday

The head of the sanitation department just announced that his leaf vacuums are in the Skyline area of Area 1. They just moved to Area 1 this morning and will be working their way back through it. Again, please remember to rake leaves to the curb, but do not block storm drains and fire hydrants.

The Arkansas National Guard will conduct a prescribed burn over approximately 170 acres of land on Camp Robinson. The burn will be on a training area located in the central region of the post. It is to begin about noon today. The burn may be visible from many locations in the surrounding communities.

Update on NLR Proud Projects from Mayor Smith: Voters of North Little Rock approved an additional 1% sales tax because they trusted us to keep our promises. We promised safer homes, better streets, and a City we could all be proud of. For the past few months our staff has been working hard putting together the pieces for a five year, $40 million investment for public safety and streets and drainage. This is an update on where we are in the planning stages and what progress 2018 will bring on the NLR Proud Projects. – Joe A. Smith, Mayor Click the link to read the full (4 page) document. Quick snapshot for 2018: $500,000 planned for street and drainage per ward 5 fire stations updates Planning for new police and courts building

City offices will be closed Monday, January 1, 2018 in observance of New Year's Day. Wow...2018! Sanitation will be delayed one day. Happy New Year!

The Old Mill is leading the USA Today list of 20 attractions in Arkansas. So here is your chance to vote for our landmark. It's easy, just click on the link below. The list also includes Little Rock Central High School, Petit Jean State Park, Hot Springs National Park, Garvan Woodland Gardens, Crater of Diamonds State Park, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and Thorncrown Chapel. You have until January 15th. Vote here:http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-arkansas-attraction/old-mill-at-t-r-pugh-memorial-park-north-little-rock/