Story provided by Brett Cooper, Williams Baptist College:

The Ozark Gateway Tourist Council has set its annual banquet for April 11 at the new Stan Jones Mallard Lodge near Hoxie. The 8-county tourism promotion group will celebrate the year’s achievements and hear from featured speaker Danny Ford, who is a commissioner with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism.

They'll be serving up beans and bluegrass at the First Baptist MAC Center tonight and it's all for a good cause.

The Beans, Cornbread and Bluegrass Music Benefit will start at 5 p.m. with dinner at the MAC Center, 322 SW Front St. in Walnut Ridge. 

Everyone is invited to load up on homemade beans, cornbread, dessert and drink.

Rev up your engines and motor your way to the 24th Annual Jonesboro Auto Show.

Presented by the University Heights Lions Club, the show will be held Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7, at the ASU Convocation Center.

In addition to all makes and models of cars and trucks, there will also be a one-of-a-kind carbon fiber Corvette specially built for and autographed by NASCAR driver Mark Martin.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, with the awards ceremony at 4 p.m. Sunday.