I moved to Pine Bluff in early 2020 from Provo Utah, where I grew up. I was searching for a place to build and grow several businesses. I had also hoped to open a Science Museum, Makerspace and Business incubator including Robot Combat and a Go-cart track. Later I saw the need for a compost yard. All those efforts ran into problems with the city that prevented them from progressing as I had hoped.
I moved because I saw opportunity here. I saw a place that most people overlook, with a bad reputation. I now understand that some of that reputation was warranted. I’ve seen the way greed, crime, and corruption have created an environment of fear and uncertainty. This makes it difficult for both business and people to thrive.
As a non-native I’m able to see some things that, perhaps, someone born and raised here doesn’t. I ran head first into a lot of the surprising ways the laws and…
