Arkansas News

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Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Radiation Oncology Center Becomes First and Only Center in Arkansas to Earn APEx Accreditation

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By Marty Trieschmann

Jan. 20, 2022 | The Radiation Oncology Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received the highest national accreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

The center, which is part of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, is the only radiation oncology center in the state to be granted full accreditation by the Society’s ASTRO Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx®). The accreditation is voluntary and granted by ASTRO for a four-year term ending in November 2025.

Accreditation was awarded after a site visit in November 2021 and a review of the center’s modalities, techniques, equipment, information and treatment planning systems for compliance with APEx safety and quality standards. APEx is the society’s highest honor, recognizing centers that meet the most rigorous standards for safety and performance.

https://news.uams.edu/2022/01/20/winthrop-p-rockefeller-cancer-institutes-radiation-oncology-center-becomes-first-and-only-center-in-arkansas-to-earn-apex-accreditation/

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Attorney General Alert: Buyer Beware of Door-to-Door Meat Sales Says, ‘Arkansans should be cautious when purchasing food products from door-to-door salesmen’

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LITTLE ROCK -- Shopping at home can be a safe and convenient way to make necessary purchases, especially for older adults, stay-at-home parents, and people with chronic health conditions that make it difficult to leave the home. Most grocery shopping from home occurs over the internet with delivery or curbside pickup orders, but some consumers make purchases from sellers who come to their doors. While purchases from licensed door-to-door sellers can be safe, questionably sourced meats may be low quality or rancid. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is urging Arkansans to use caution when making door-to-door purchases.

“Arkansans should be cautious when purchasing food products from door-to-door salesmen,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “There are many individuals who try to resell old meat in order to turn a profit.”

Here are some helpful tips to keep you safe while considering meat purchases:

  • Know your municipality’s laws on door-to-door selling. If your municipality requires a permit to sell products door-to-door, ask to see the salesperson’s license to sell.

  • Look up business reviews with your local Better Business Bureau to read any complaints about the seller.

  • Be informed. Ask for a brochure or other literature from the company and read it carefully. If you aren’t sure about the sourcing and distribution of the meat, reconsider making a purchase.

  • Don’t buy anything out of a truck or car trunk that isn’t refrigerated. Unrefrigerated meat may be unsafe to consume.

  • Check for USDA grading information on the product. Every package should have a USDA seal of inspection, along with a label identifying the cut, ingredients, and net weight.

  • If you believe that the seller is attempting to pressure or intimidate you into making a purchase instead of allowing you to make an informed decision, think about what the seller is trying to hide and consider not making a purchase.

  • Get a receipt. The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Cooling-Off Rule gives purchasers three days to cancel purchases over $25 that are made in your home. The salesperson must orally inform you of your cancellation rights, provide two copies of a cancellation form, and a copy of your contract or receipt. The contract or receipt must contain the date of the sale, the name and address of the seller, and an explanation of the buyer’s right to cancel. Always keep your receipt in case you need to cancel the purchase or contact the seller.

For additional information about meat safety, visit the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Services website (www.fsis.usda.gov) or call the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline (1-888-674-6854).

If you wish to file a complaint against a door-to-door seller with the Attorney General’s office, you can do so by calling (800) 482-8982, emailing consumer@arkansasag.gov, or visiting ArkansasAG.gov.

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Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

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Members continued to review agency budget proposals in preparation for the 2022 Fiscal Session.

This week, the hearings focused on requests for public safety and for the Department of Human Services.

The Governor is requesting a $7.4 million increase in the budget for Arkansas State Police.

If approved, this money would be used to help raise the starting salary of state troopers to an amount between $52,000 and $55,000 a year. Currently, the starting salary is $42,357.

Arkansas State Police Director Bill Bryant testified this week that out of 525 trooper positions, 61 are currently vacant. Director Bryant told members an increase in starting salary would make the agency more competitive when it comes to new recruits.

This week, members also reviewed requests from the Department of Human Services (DHS).

The Governor has proposed an $11 million increase for the Division of Children and Family Services, the division of DHS responsible for child abuse prevention, protection, foster care, and adoption programs.

The requests for DHS also include $37.6 million to provide services for Arkansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Currently, more than 3,000 Arkansans are on a waitlist for services. Those services could include medical and hospital, mental health services, early intervention day treatment, adult day treatment, personal care, and occupation, physical, and speech therapy.

The latest general revenue report shows net available revenue at 6.1% above this time last year.

Members of the Joint Budget Committee review agency requests and current revenue reports before filing appropriation bills.

The 2022 Fiscal Session begins at noon on February 14. You can watch all House sessions and committee meetings at www.arkansashouse.org.

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Another Arkansas school year disrupted by COVID

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KUAR | By Steve Brawner / Talk Business & Politics

Published January 19, 2022 at 4:19 PM CST

Arkansas’ public schools are now in their third school year that’s been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but educators at least now have plenty of practice, and they have federal dollars to help them deal with the learning loss that’s occurred.

Arkansas schools sent all their students home at the end of the spring 2020 semester when Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency, but the state chose to open all its schools to in-person learning in 2020-21. In the fall semester of 2021, 64% of students were learning onsite, while 22.3% were studying remotely and another 13.5% were engaged in a hybrid model.

This year, only 4% of the state’s public school students are attending school using digital learning plans, and only 165 of the state’s school districts submitted plans that were approved through the State Board of Education.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-01-19/another-arkansas-school-year-disrupted-by-covid

KARK News

In-class instruction was again disrupted as cases of COVID-19 again surged in Arkansas this month.

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State Representative Lowery exits Secretary of State’s race, will seek Treasurer’s post

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by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

State Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle, said Friday (Jan. 21) he would leave the Secretary of State’s race and would instead seek the Republican nomination for Treasurer of State.

Sen. Mat Pitsch, R-Fort Smith, has already announced for the Treasurer’s seat. No Democrats have announced yet.

Lowery has served in the Arkansas House of Representatives since 2013. He is the chair of the House Insurance & Commerce Committee.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/01/rep-lowery-exits-secretary-of-states-race-will-seek-treasurers-post/

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Arkansas Children’s Hospital co-led study finds promise for peanut-allergy sufferers

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by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net) January 21, 2022 10:54 am

A newly released study indicated that childhood peanut allergies could be desensitized with oral immunotherapy treatments, and some children could achieve remission.

The clinical trial was co-led by Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) and UAMS researcher Stacie Jones, M.D. The results were published Jan. 21 in the medical journal The Lancet.

The youngest trial participants and those who started with lower levels of peanut-specific antibodies were the most likely to be successful.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/01/arkansas-childrens-hospital-co-led-study-finds-promise-for-peanut-allergy-sufferers/

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Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Karen Baker announces for re-election

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by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net) January 20, 2022 8:47 pm

Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Karen Baker said Thursday (Jan. 20) she would seek a third term on the state’s highest court.

Baker has served two terms as a Supreme Court Justice. She completed the remaining four years of then-Justice Annabelle Clinton Imber’s term, and was elected to a full-term in 2014.

“I believe my experience at every level of the judiciary is unmatched, and I am currently the senior, most experienced justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court. I want to continue to put that experience to work for the people of Arkansas,” Justice Baker said in an announcement release.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/01/arkansas-supreme-court-justice-karen-baker-announces-for-re-election/

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University of Arkansas Town Hall on COVID-19 Provides Realistic, Yet Hopeful Future

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By MATTHEW MOORE • JAN 20, 2022

A panel of campus leaders and experts from the University of Arkansas gathered on campus to answer questions about life on campus and the impact COVID-19 would have on the spring semester. Interim Chancellor Charles Robinson pointing out that as long as classrooms were safe and students continued to effectively mask, then the plan of action was face-to-face instruction on campus.

Matt Mills, the director of emergency management for University Police notes that people can report COVID-19 concerns online at report.uark.edu.

For more information about how to get a COVID-19 test on campus, how to self-report, and protocols for folks who have tested positive, you can visit the Pat Walker Health Center website.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/university-arkansas-town-hall-covid-19-provides-realistic-yet-hopeful-future

University leaders sit masked in the Faulkner Performing Arts Center.

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Active Cases in SW Arkansas COVID-19

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Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 620

Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 460

Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 414

Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 333

Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 236

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AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | The Masketeers of Mountain Home

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LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about two doctors and the mask-making company they started in Mountain Home.

Dr. Rob Conner, a veterinarian, and Dr. Kyle McAlister, a radiologist, created The Masketeers early in the COVID-19 pandemic because masks were hard to find.

They made it their mission to find a supply of adequate face masks to protect themselves, their employees, and Mountain Home. Their solution was to launch a company to make them.

Since The Masketeers went into full production last January, the company has sold over 2 million masks, selling them in all 50 states and worldwide on the six inhabited continents.

Their route to opening is a good guide for entrepreneurs. Their success is encouraging to anyone with similar dreams.

As with many successful companies, the doctors founded theirs to meet an urgent need, which was a face mask that would protect people from COVID-19.

They designed and manufacture a high-filtration mask, which is a respirator mask similar to the N95.

The Masketeers produces 30,000 masks per eight-hour shift, but the small company can ramp up production to three shifts, seven days a week if the demand increases.

The Masketeers buys its nonwoven material from a company in Ohio. The material for ear loops comes from North Carolina, and the plastic-coated wires that fit over the nose are from California.

The production of protective equipment in Mountain Home, Arkansas, is an ideal model for our country. As a nation, we must be able to manufacture our own products and not depend upon foreign suppliers.

The young man who oversees The Masketeers’s team of 10 employees is 23-year-old Hunt Nosari, who grew up in Mountain Home. Hunt returned to his hometown after he earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Arkansas.

Although there has been some confusion over the past two years about the importance of masking, there is no question that a tight-fitting respirator-style mask can slow the transmission of COVID-19. The Biden administration announced this week that it will send 400 million N95 masks to pharmacies and community centers to distribute free next week.

This is an important message as the number of actives cases continues to set records in Arkansas. The vaccine and masks remain the best weapons to fight COVID-19.

Thanks to The Masketeers and Dr. Rob Conner and Dr. Kyle McAlister for helping to slow the pandemic and for building a template for other entrepreneurs.

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Governor Hutchinson Talks Increasing Cases, Expanding Hospital Capacity In Weekly Briefing 

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LITTLE ROCK – At his weekly news briefing today, Governor Asa Hutchinson discussed the state expanding hospital capacity and increasing case numbers.

COVID-19

Governor Hutchinson announced the new numbers for COVID-19 as of Friday with Arkansas surpassing over 100k active cases in the state. This means over 3% of the population is currently an active case and hospitalizations have increased to a new record of 1,658.

"With where we are right now in this pandemic, and with the Omicron variant we do believe we are managing our way through it," Governor Hutchinson said, "We are responding to the needs that are out there and we are hopeful we will see the cases go down."

Governor Hutchinson gave an update on hospital expansion from the approved $50 million dollars. He said that beds have been opened in hospitals that have received that money to increase capacity for the surging cases.

According to reports from Thursday, about 42 beds were open with about 54 left to be opened meaning additional capacity is coming soon with more beds coming online.

He said it is important to see the cases of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant compared to past spikes and to see how while the cases are much higher now, hospitalizations are far less in comparison to the current case number.

Governor Hutchinson presented the at-home test map that shows where the 1.5 million tests were distributed to. There are still about 370,000 available at local health units with libraries having a supply as well. These tests should help alleviate testing demands giving a cushion while waiting for federal tests to be delivered.

Greg Crain, Vice President of the Arkansas Baptist Health centers spoke during the briefing applauding the work of health care workers dealing with the COVID-19 surges. He gave thanks to the decision from Governor Hutchinson, the Department of Health, and Legislators, to expand beds for hospitals around the state including Baptist Health hospitals. He said without this expansion the Arkansas health care infrastructure would be in deep trouble.

Dr. Romero, Secretary of Arkansas Department of Health spoke about the impact the Omicron variant has had on Arkansas. He noted that while hospitalizations reflect how Omicron is less severe on an individual level, the Omicron breakout is still very severe on a societal level and still poses a threat to our health care system.

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Friday's Active Cases of COVID-19 in SW Arkansas

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Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 631

Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 464

Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 421

Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 324

Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 261

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Active COVID-19 Cases in SW Arkansas

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Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 566

Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 476

Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 374

Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 256

Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 264

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Shane Gadberry appointed director of Livestock and Forestry Research Center near Batesville

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by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

After 25 years as an extension livestock specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Dr. Shane Gadberry has been appointed resident director of the Livestock and Forestry and Research Station near Batesville. It will allow him to continue to do research about beef production in the Natural State.

The Livestock and Forestry Research Station is one of six research stations operated by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture. The division also operates five research and extension centers, numerous other research sites and extension offices in all 75 Arkansas counties.

Gadberry succeeds Don Hubbell, who retired as director of the Batesville station in early 2022.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/01/shane-gadberry-appointed-director-of-livestock-and-forestry-research-center-near-batesville/

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Arkansas to receive $278 million for bridges from new infrastructure law

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by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com) January 16, 2022 10:03 am

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Friday (Jan. 14) that $5.3 billion will be invested in U.S. highway bridges in 2022 as the first tranche of bridge funding from the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Overall, more than $27 billion will be spent to repair about 15,000 bridges nationwide.

In Arkansas, the law will provide $278.7 million to fix about 663 bridges in poor condition and to preserve and improve nearly 6,000 bridges in fair condition in the state.

The U.S. Department of Transportation launched Friday the Bridge Replacement, Rehabilitation, Preservation, Protection and Construction Program, or Bridge Formula Program, which was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program will be administered by the Federal Highway Administration.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/01/arkansas-to-receive-278-million-for-bridges-from-new-infrastructure-law/

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UAMS forecast: COVID could infect 500,000 more Arkansans through February

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KUAR | By Talk Business & Politics Staff
Published January 14, 2022 at 3:21 PM CST

As many as 500,000 Arkansans may become infected with the omicron variant of COVID-19 in the coming weeks if trends continue, including 1,764 additional hospitalizations and 341 deaths by Feb. 8.

The projections from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health are based on data provided by the Department of Health through Jan. 9. The model forecasts 106,419 new COVID cases by Jan. 24 and 285,642 new cases by Feb. 8, which would be an increase of more than 36%. 10,000 new cases are expected per day.

176 additional deaths are projected by Jan. 24 and 341 by Feb. 8, which would equal roughly 11 new deaths per day. There would be 855 additional hospitalizations by Jan. 24, with the state reaching 85 daily hospitalizations by Feb. 8.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-01-14/uams-forecast-omicron-could-strike-500-000-arkansans-through-february

Michael Hibblen/KUAR News

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was shown at the Arkansas Department of Health on Dec. 14, 2020 before the state administered its first doses.

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Active COVID cases in Arkansas near 80,000; UAMS hits record number of patients

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KUAR | By Michael Hibblen

Cases of COVID-19 continue expanding rapidly in Arkansas. The state reported nearly 13,000 new infections on Thursday, setting another record for the second day in a row. The number of active cases grew to nearly 80,000 people, according to the Department of Health, which is the highest since the pandemic began.

The actual number of cases is likely higher as the state this week began distributing hundreds of thousands of free rapid at-home tests, with results typically not reported to authorities. Officials say the tests have been snatched up quickly at locations like local health units and hospitals.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-01-13/active-covid-cases-in-arkansas-near-80-000-uams-hits-record-number-of-patients

Michael Hibblen/KUAR News

UAMS Clinical Services Manager Deborah Hutts speaks to staffers in July 2020 before they began conducting COVID-19 testing.

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Governor appoints Steven Anthony to Racing Commission

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LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has appointed Steven M. Anthony to the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Mr. Anthony was born in Fayetteville and grew up in Fordyce, where he graduated from high school in 1979. He is president of Anthony Timberlands Inc. (ATI).

“Steven Anthony is Arkansas to his core,” Governor Hutchinson said today. “He grew up working in his family’s timber business, which was founded in 1907. He knows the law, and he knows how to run a business. The racing commission will be an even stronger agency with the benefit of his legal education, his professional network, and his life experience.”

Mr. Anthony, the son of John E. Anthony of Hot Springs and Mary Lynn Dudley of Little Rock, graduated summa cum laude from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, in 1983 with a degree in business administration. He received a juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville.

Mr. Anthony’s timber company manages five Arkansas sawmills, several secondary processing facilities, and 180,000 acres of timberland in south-central Arkansas.

He is past chairman of the Arkansas Forestry Commission, and past president of the Arkansas Forestry Association and the Southern Forest Products Association. He serves on the board of directors of the Bank of Bearden and on the executive committee of the Arkansas Forestry Association. 

He and his wife, Gay, live in Fordyce. They have two sons, Addison, who works at Anthony Hardwood Composites in Sheridan, and Wilson, who works at Anthony Timberlands. They also have four grandchildren.

Mr. Anthony’s term will expire January 14, 2027. He replaces Butch Rice, whose five-year term expires today.