Batesville Area Arts Council's annual Summer Celebration fundraiser returns this year on Saturday, June 18, at Lyon College's Highland House (2030 Bearette Street) presented by First Community Bank. The event will feature live music by The Natural Disasters, dinner and drinks, outdoor lawn games, and a silent auction that includes unique artworks and goods from local makers.

This year's theme is “BAAC to Our Roots,” emphasizing the folk music and art that make our community unique while celebrating the history and impact of BAAC. With a fun, casual atmosphere and live music, Summer Celebration is the quintessential summer event. Enjoy this fun evening and help raise money for the arts! All proceeds from Summer Celebration will support BAAC's mission to provide educational programs, art exhibitions, workshops, and community art projects in Batesville and the surrounding areas.

Tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door, and are available at the Carlee’s Hallmark, the BAAC Gallery on Main, and online at batesvilleareaartscouncil.org. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. For more information call (870) 793-3382. This event is sponsored by First Community Bank, Intimidator Group, Wood Family Dealerships, University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, White River Health System, Centennial Bank, Lyon College, and Lyon College Dining Services.

Schwegman 70th Anniversary Giveaway
Schwegman is celebrating 70 years in business. We are giving away a pair of AirPods and a Laptop valued over $900.00 We are having a special drawing to show our appreciation to our customers. Refer us to a new customer and when that customer places an order, you will be entered in the drawing for the AirPods. Purchase $500 or more on one invoice and you will be entered into the drawing for the laptop.

Dickey achieves Ann Hoffman Women In Insurance Award

Amanda Dickey was announced at last week's Professional Insurance Agents of Arkansas’ (PIA) annual convention as the winner of the Ann Hoffman Award (Women in Insurance). This year’s convention was held at The Guest House at Graceland in Memphis, TN.

Dickey says “I am speechless. Not only was I presented the award by one of my long-time friends and insurance heroes, Brandi Anderson, but they also managed to sneak in my husband and parents to witness me winning the award. I have never been so surprised in my life. I feel so honored to be recognized with this award and to now be in the ranks with all the other past winners.”

With 20 plus years in insurance, Dickey currently serves as Location Manager, Sales Agent, and Business Development for Block Insurance – Batesville. She has served on various insurance association boards and was also named Arkansas’ Outstanding Customer Service Representative of the Year in 2009.

Currently, she serves on the PIA Board for Arkansas and is Past-President of the Young Insurance Professionals Board for the PIA YIP Board. She received her insurance license in 2002 and has since gone on to earn three insurance designations – the Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) in 2006; the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) in 2015; the CISR-Elect in 2017; and is currently just one class away from earning her Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation.

She and her husband, Bryan, are both Batesville natives and have been married for 22 years. She is the daughter of Jeff and Angela Zelasko and a graduate of Batesville High School. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and is very active in her community. She is a past President and current Administrative Chair for the Batesville Rotary Club; named Rotarian of the Year in 2014 and 2018, and President of the Year in 2015. She is also a current Batesville Area Chamber Ambassador.

Dickey says “I love insurance!!! I like to tell people that I didn’t choose insurance, it chose me. At first, I couldn’t even spell insurance – but decided to take a leap of faith and give it a try when a job at a local office came open. I fell in love with it almost immediately. I like working in the insurance industry because I love helping people. I have always strived to do the best for my co-workers, clients, and community. While this business is stressful and demanding, it is also very rewarding. We sometimes see people at the worst of times—whether it be a car accident, house fire, or tornado, we are here to help them navigate through the difficult time by helping rebuild their lives. Taking care of people by looking for ways to save them money, but also making sure they are properly covered when and if the time comes is so important. I love working with people, teaching them about insurance, and saving them money!!”

About Block Insurance: Block Insurance is an independent insurance agency with multiple locations in northeast Arkansas. Our team has hundreds of years of insurance experience, as well as the agency itself has been around since 1914. Through the years one thing has remained the same, our strive for excellence. At Block Insurance, we pride ourselves in taking care of our customers. We look at insurance options from more than a dozen reputable companies to be able to give you the best coverage at a competitive price. We offer a full range of products including Commercial, Personal, Life, Transportation, Poultry and Farm, Health and Benefits. We are dedicated to living and working in OUR Community.