Photos Courtesy of Monte Bartek
Aerial Photos of New Sevier County Medical Center Construction Site
VIDEO: Summer and Fall Technical Programs Registration Underway at UA Cossatot
Registration for summer and fall classes is underway at UA Cossatot. We offer a wide range of technical programs at UAC including automotive technology, diesel technology, and welding. For our complete catalog of classes, visit: www.cccua.edu
Horatio FFA Livestock Judging Team Crowned Arkansas State Champions
The Livestock team evaluates and ranks cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats. They study Expected progeny differences or EPDS and use them in a given scenario to choose the best animals to keep as breeding pieces on their farms. Then they stand before strangers and articulate from memory the reasons that they made their choices. This team attends many summer camps and travels countless miles in the spring attending practice contests in Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas and Arkansas. This year looked a little different as they sat in the classroom and looked at stock virtually more than any of them wanted too. But their tenacious work paid big dividends as they were named the 2021 State Champions. They were second in the virtual state qualifying contest that took them to state for eighth year in a row. Our livestock team members were: Gabbi Litchford, Raylee VanVoast, Madison Bagley, Hunter Frachiseur, Megan Midgett, Blake Sawyer and coach Nicki Litchford. Madison, Gabbi, Hunter and Raylee went on to mark as the senior team at the state contest where Madison Bagley was 2nd high individual, Hunter Frachiseur was 4th high, Raylee VanVoast was 15th, and Gabbi Litchford was 19th. They will compete in the National Competition this Fall.
Daily Legislative Update From State Representative Deann Vaught
With a vote of 82-9, the House voted in favor of SJR10. This is a proposed constitutional amendment which, if approved by voters, would allow the General Assembly to call a special session upon the submission of a written proclamation with signatures from at least 2/3 of both the House and Senate membership. Currently, only the Governor can call for a special session.
The House also voted in favor of HR1048. This resolution would allow the House to consider a third proposed constitutional amendment, SJR14, the Arkansas Religious Freedom Amendment.
The House also passed the following bills on Thursday:
HB1926-This bill defines virtual currency under Arkansas Code. It also defines rights of ownership and the process for adverse claims against the currency.
HB1944-This bill provides definitions of advanced plastic recycling technologies in an effort to help facilitate the growth and investment of these facilities.
SB181-This bill amends the Sales Tax Holiday to exempt certain electronic devices from sales tax during the first weekend in August.
SB513-This bill amends the law concerning the suspension or revocation of a person’s driver’s license for failure to pay a fine or failure to appear. This would allow judges to restrict a license rather than suspend to allow the defendant to drive for essential purposes.
The House will convene on Monday at 1 pm.
UA Cossatot Receives NSF ATE Grant
UA Cossatot is the recipient of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant for its "GIS-Skilled Technicians in Agriculture-Related Sciences (GSTARS)" proposal within the College's Agriculture and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs. The primary goal of the GSTARS project is to design and implement a curriculum that meets the region’s need for technician-level GIS skills in agriculture and related science industries. The $299,635 grant will create pathways for future GIS Technicians to enter the local workforce.
The National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program supports the development of innovative approaches for educating highly skilled technicians for the industries that drive the nation’s economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and industry to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary institution school levels.
The GSTARS program will include the integration of GIS skills into existing agriculture and science courses, the creation of a new course (Introduction to GIS in Agriculture) within the agriculture department, and the addition of a Certification of Proficiency in GIS Technology through the agriculture program. Students will use applications of analysis of spatial data using ESRI’s ArcGIS tools in data collection, remote sensing, map design, and spatial analysis.
The GSTARS team includes agriculture faculty and primary investigator (PI), Kelli Harris; co-PI’s Robert Guillory, science faculty, and, Crystal Sims, Chair of the Division of General Education; and external
evaluators, The New Growth Group. New Growth is an evaluation and analytics firm based in Cleveland, Ohio, specializing in workforce development. Several industry representatives will also serve on the program's advisory board to assist in curriculum development and provide important career insight to students enrolled in this program. Some of the local employers represented on the board include Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas Forestry Division.
“This grant will offer an innovative pathway for students pursuing careers in agriculture and science, and it will provide valuable skills in emerging technology. These skills are crucial to the success of our students and our economy. We are excited to help these students achieve their dreams and support a vibrant, high-tech workforce in southwest Arkansas" said GSTARS team leader and agriculture faculty, Kelli Harris.
Funding will begin in July 2021 and will enable the UA Cossatot team to receive training and develop GIS curriculum that will include exploring mapped data; learning to utilize remote sensing technologies; recording, analyzing, and presenting spatial data using GIS analysis tools from ESRI ArcGIS; and creating maps, images and apps to communicate spatial data. As a step towards diversifying the workforce, UA Cossatot’s collaboration with the public schools will place special emphasis on recruiting underrepresented minority students in skilled technician positions.
To learn more about this grant, contact kharris@cccua.edu. ###
Thursday COVID-19 Active Cases Update from the Arkansas Department of Health
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 2
Active Confirmed Cases: 0
Active Probable Cases: 2
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 3
Active Confirmed Cases: 1
Active Probable Cases: 2
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 9
Active Confirmed Cases: 4
Active Probable Cases: 5
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 8
Active Confirmed Cases: 7
Active Probable Cases: 1
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 6
Active Confirmed Cases: 5
Active Probable Cases: 1
In its Wednesday update, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 352 new cases; 1,943 active cases; 175 hospitalized, which is down 2 from Tuesday; 24 on ventilators, which is unchanged from Tuesday; deaths added today, 2, for a total of 5,708; a total of 334,061cases; PCR tests, 4,150; antigen tests, 1,028.
The Health Department reported that the top counties for new cases are Washington, 44; Benton, 43; and Pulaski, 39.
Governor Hutchinson released the following statement on today’s COVID-19 numbers:
“The increase in new cases from today's report is a serious reminder of the importance to get vaccinated. It is also a reminder that the virus is still here along with the more contagious variants. Our best defense is the vaccine. We have plenty of doses available, so if you're 16 and older, schedule your appointment today.”
Here are today's COVID-19 statewide numbers:
LIVE VIDEO: Governor Asa Hutchinson Commemorates 1 Millionth Arkansan to be Vaccinated Thursday (04.22.21) 11AM
Governor Asa Hutchinson will commemorate the 1 millionth person to be vaccinated in Arkansas at the Department of Health on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 11 a.m.
VIDEO: Christy McCullough New Executive Director of De Queen/Sevier County Chamber
Introducing the new Executive Director of the De Queen / Sevier County Chamber of Commerce, Christy McCullough. Christy and Chamber President Callie Miller came by our Ed 88 studios in De Queen this morning for a quick visit!
Freeze Expected Overnight in Northern and Western Sections of Arkansas; Frost Area-wide
A freeze is likely in northern and western Arkansas Wednesday morning, with areas of frost across much of the state. Prepare your plants and pets for the cold conditions!
Arkansas Senate Fails 2021-2022 Fiscal Appropriation For Department of Commerce
The Arkansas Senate failed to pass appropriations for the Arkansas Department of Commerce's 2021-2022 fiscal year on Monday. Members of the Senate voted 20-8 with five members not voting, which was ultimately not enough to pass Senate Bill 132.
In speaking against the bill, Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, said he could not vote for any appropriation that would "fund and pay for the head of the Department of Commerce, Sec. Mike Preston."
Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, speaks against Senate Bill 132.
CREDIT ARKANSAS SENATE
Gov. Hutchinson to Form Outside Political Group to Shape National GOP Policy, Candidates in 2022
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson may not have formally committed to a 2024 Presidential run, but he’s raising his profile to be a national voice in the 2022 cycle.
Hutchinson said Sunday (April 18) in an exclusive Talk Business & Politics interview that beyond taking the reins as chairman of the National Governors Association (NGA) this summer, he plans to start a political action effort for education advocacy and to raise money for GOP candidates across the U.S. in the 2022 elections.
Panel Advances Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Allow Legislature to Call Itself Into Special Session
by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
Should the Arkansas Legislature have the power to call itself into an extraordinary session?
The Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee on Monday (April 19) passed SJR 10, a proposed change to the state constitution for voter consideration. The resolution could be one of three proposals that legislators refer to voters for the 2022 general election.
Before it was passed, sponsor Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russellville, presented an amendment to the bill. It would allow the legislature to come into a special session if two-thirds of the House and two-thirds of the Senate vote for it. The reasons for opening a special or extraordinary session must be specifically stated, she said.
Governor Outlines Legislative Accomplishments, Disappointments
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
Governor Asa Hutchinson has had a much more successful legislative session than headlines would suggest. The governor discussed his achievements and letdowns in a Talk Business & Politics interview that aired statewide on Sunday (April 18).
Hutchinson has signed new laws dealing with hate crimes, raising teacher pay, improving computer science requirements, and reforming law enforcement practices.
https://talkbusiness.net/2021/04/governor-outlines-legislative-accomplishments-disappointments/
Gov. Asa Hutchinson
UAMS Approved for $85M NWA Building; Site to be Determined
by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)
In March, the University of Arkansas System board of trustees approved an $85 million project in Northwest Arkansas proposed by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
A 185,000-square-foot orthopedic and sports medicine facility will be built at a location to be determined. Marlon Blackwell Architects and DSC Architects will lead the building’s design. Nabholz Construction will be the general contractor. UAMS’ goal is to open the facility by 2023.
Chancellor Cam Patterson said UAMS plans to issue bonds to cover the cost, a change in course from a funding partnership proposed this past fall. In October, the board authorized UAMS to negotiate the terms of a letter of intent to pursue a new building lease agreement with commercial real estate development firm Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners in Rogers.
https://talkbusiness.net/2021/04/uams-approved-for-85m-nwa-building-site-to-be-determined/
UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson. (Photo by Evan Lewis/UAMS).
Tuesday's COVID-19 Active Cases and Vaccines Update from the AR Dept of Health
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 2
Active Confirmed Cases: 0
Active Probable Cases: 2
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 2
Active Confirmed Cases: 0
Active Probable Cases: 2
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 7
Active Confirmed Cases: 4
Active Probable Cases: 3
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 2
Active Confirmed Cases: 2
Active Probable Cases: 0
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 6
Active Confirmed Cases: 5
Active Probable Cases: 1
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson provided today's update on Arkansas's COVID-19 response.
In its Monday update, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 59 new cases; 1,789 active cases; 164 hospitalized, which is up 3 from Sunday; 22 on ventilators, which is up 1 from Sunday; deaths added today, 5, for a total of 5,699; a total of 333,511 cases; PCR tests, 1,553; antigen tests, 200.
The Health Department reported that the top counties for new cases are Pulaski, 16; Benton, 5; and Garland and Washington with 4 each.
Governor Hutchinson released the following statement on today’s COVID-19 numbers:
“Today we saw fewer new cases with more testing than this time last week. The increase in vaccine doses was larger this week than last Monday. Our combined efforts are keeping the numbers low, but we will lose momentum if we do not increase our vaccination numbers.”
Here are today's COVID-19 statewide numbers:
LIVE AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | The Value of a Teacher
LITTLE ROCK – This week, I signed legislation that will increase the median salary of school teachers by $2,000 over the next two years. The raise is one way to show teachers we value their work, and this legislation was one of my top priorities. Senator Missy Irvin and Representative Bruce Cozart sponsored the bills that raised salaries.
As another priority, the 93rd General Assembly passed additional education-related laws including requiring a computer science credit to graduate from high school; increasing funding for school transportation; and requiring schools to teach Holocaust Education as well.
As an example of how the teacher salary bill works, the bill allocates nearly $800,000 to the El Dorado School District, where the money will have an immediate benefit. On Monday night, the El Dorado School Board voted to increase pay this fall by $2,000 for each of the 361 certified teachers and increasing the pay by 5.4 percent for each of the 241 classified employees.
Ashley Curtis, a teacher at El Dorado High School who also coaches ninth-grade basketball and track, is one of the teachers whose pay will increase. Ashley accompanied El Dorado Superintendent Jim Tucker to represent his district at the bill signing at the capitol on Monday. Ashley is a hard-working natural-born leader who is in the job for the right reasons, Superintendent Tucker said. But he can say that about every one of the teachers in the district, he added.
Another of our outstanding teachers and one of her first-grade students, Kamryn Gardner, has recently received national attention after Kamryn wrote a letter to a clothing manufacturer. Kamryn, who is seven-years-old, was more than a little put out upon discovering that the pockets on the front of her Old Navy jeans were strictly ornamental. She couldn’t put her hands or anything else in the sewn-on pockets.
In January, Ellie Jayne, Kamryn’s teacher at Evening Star Elementary in the Bentonville School District, taught her students how to write a persuasive letter. With the encouragement of her mother, Kim, who also teaches first grade, Kamryn put pencil to hand-writing paper to compose a letter to the company. She wrote: “Dear Old Navy. … I want front pockets because I want to put my hands in them. … Would you consider making girls jeans with front pockets that are not fake?”
A month later, Old Navy sent to Kamryn two pairs of shorts and two pairs of jeans with real front pockets and a letter of appreciation from the Old Navy Kids Team.
Ellie Jayne and Ashley Curtis are the caliber of teachers we recruit and hope to retain with competitive salaries such as the raise the 92nd General Assembly passed in 2019 for new teachers and this year’s increase of the median salary.
We know these teachers are special, as Superintendent Tucker said, because they don’t choose their profession for the money. Ellie treasures the opportunity to teach her students to ask questions responsibly and respectfully. Ellie is rightfully proud of Kamryn, who reports that the first thing she put in one of her new pockets was her hand and one of her drawings.
Kamryn’s parents, Kim and Brandon, are not surprised that their outgoing daughter is not going to rest on her success. She thinks that next she’ll write to the president to tell him that “throwing trash on the ground, there should be a law that you can’t do that.”
LIVE VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Provides Weekly COVID-19 Update Tuesday (04.20.21) 130PM
Governor Asa Hutchinson will provide the weekly COVID-19 update to media at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 20, 2021.
Daily Legislative Report From State Rep Deann Vaught:
On Thursday, the House advanced a proposed constitutional amendment. HJR1005 would require statewide ballot initiatives to receive 60% of the vote before becoming law. If approved by the Senate, HJR1005 would be placed on the ballot in November of 2022.
The House also passed the following:
HB1391-This bill amends the law concerning consumer protection of seniors from predatory practices. It states that if a financial services provider has reasonable cause to suspect that financial exploitation may have occurred or is being attempted, the financial services provider may refuse or delay the execution of a financial transaction.
HB1012-This bill would require a buyer of a used catalytic converter other than a scrap metal recycler to file an electronic record of the used catalytic converter purchase.
SB298-This bill is titled the Arkansas Sovereignty Act of 2021. It states that all acts, laws, orders, rules, and regulations of the United States Government that infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Arkansas Constitution are invalid in this state and shall not be recognized.
SB59-This bill states that a personal firearm, a firearms accessory, or ammunition that is manufactured commercially or privately in Arkansas and that remains within the borders of Arkansas is not subject to federal law or federal regulation.
SB536-This bill establishes the Buffalo River Conservation Committee.
The House will convene on Monday at 1 pm.
Bill Prohibiting 'Vaccine Passports' in Arkansas Advances To Senate
A bill that would prohibit Arkansas from implementing any form of requirement for a "vaccine passport" has passed its first legislative hurdle.
The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor committee, by a voice vote Wednesday, advanced Senate Bill 615 to the full Senate.
Under the legislation, the state, a state agency or entity, a political subdivision of the state, as well as any state or local official would not be able to require an individual to produce documentation that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/bill-prohibiting-vaccine-passports-arkansas-advances-senate
Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, presents Senate Bill 615 to the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee
CREDIT ARKANSAS SENATE
House Advances Amendment Making Constitution Changes Harder
by Steve Brawner (BRAWNERSTEVE@MAC.COM)
A constitutional amendment that would make it harder to amend the Arkansas Constitution or pass an initiated act passed the House of Representatives. Members voted 74-18-1 on Thursday (April 15) to advance House Joint Resolution 1005.
The Constitutional Amendment and Ballot Initiative Reform Amendment by Rep. David Ray, R-Maumelle, would raise the bar for amending the Constitution or passing a voter-led initiated act from the 50% to 60%. Referenda, where voters review a legislative act, would continue to require only a 50% threshold. The measure would apply to ballot measures whether they are referred by the Legislature or the voters, Ray said. He said referenda would have a lower threshold because they are a defensive measure.
https://talkbusiness.net/2021/04/house-advances-amendment-making-constitution-changes-harder/
