Crop quality, progress aided by rains

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

It rained very little during the months of June and July throughout most of northern and eastern Arkansas, plunging many parts of the Natural State into a severe drought. In recent weeks, that trend has changed dramatically and it comes at a time that is critical for many row crop farmers.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) about 25% of the state’s corn crop is mature, as compared to the five-year average of 32% by this point in the growing season. There are an estimated 710,000 corn acres in the state.

Nearly 97% of the state’s soybean crop is blooming, which is 2% ahead of the five-year average. Arkansas farmers planted 3.2 million soybean acres, making it the state’s most widely grown crop.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/08/crop-quality-progress-aided-by-rains/

Legislative leaders wrap up special session, offer thoughts on January regular session

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

With the recent special session behind them, legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle are sizing up issues for the next regular session of the Arkansas Legislature.

On the Sunday (Aug. 14) edition of Talk Business & Politics, Senate President Pro Tempore-elect Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, and House Minority Leader Rep. Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock, shared their thoughts on the agendas expected to play out at the state capitol.

Hester said criminal justice reform will be a top priority for him as he eyes ways to reduce violent crime and repeat offenders.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/08/legislative-leaders-wrap-up-special-session-offer-thoughts-on-january-regular-session/

Adult-use cannabis makes Nov. 8 ballot, votes might not count

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

A group recently submitted more than twice the number of signatures for a ballot issue that, if approved, would allow for adult-use or recreational cannabis in Arkansas. While the issue was conditionally certified to be on the November ballot, the Arkansas Supreme Court will decide whether the votes will count.

Responsible Growth Arkansas gathered more than 193,000 signatures, more than twice the 89,151 signatures required to make the ballot. In late July, Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston confirmed the group had the signatures to meet the requirement. But in early August, the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners, on which Thurston is chairman, denied certifying the ballot issue amid concerns regarding sufficient background checks for dispensary owners and limits on THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, a marijuana chemical.

Steve Lancaster, attorney for Wright Lindsey Jennings and spokesman for Responsible Growth Arkansas, appealed to the Supreme Court, and it ruled to conditionally certify the ballot issue. Lancaster said the ruling was needed to meet the Aug. 25 certification deadline, so the ballots could be printed on time.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/08/adult-use-cannabis-makes-nov-8-ballot-votes-might-not-count/

Steve Lancaster is an attorney for Wright Lindsey Jennings and the spokesman for Responsible Growth Arkansas. The group recently submitted more than twice the number of signatures needed for a ballot issue to legalize adult-use or recreational cannabis in Arkansas.

J.B. Hunt gives $1.5 million to UA department, named after it

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. announced (Aug. 11) a collaboration with the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas that includes the Lowell-based carrier giving $1.5 million to its supply chain department and renaming it after the company.

According to a news release, the two entities are working together to make “Northwest Arkansas an epicenter for developing tomorrow’s industry and its leaders.” The money will be used to enhance the UA’s supply chain department, which has been renamed the J.B. Hunt Transport Department of Supply Chain Management.

In a Thursday event at the company’s headquarters, J.B. Hunt and UA leaders noted the company is the first to name a supply chain department and emphasized that Gartner recently ranked it No. 1 in North America. The department’s graduate program is ranked No. 2.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/08/j-b-hunt-gives-1-5-million-to-ua-department-named-after-it/

Shelley Simpson, president of J.B. Hunt

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Special Session Successes

LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about the excellent position our state is in to provide additional financial relief for Arkansans.

In December, we cut nearly $500 million in taxes which was the largest tax cut in Arkansas history. This gave the people of Arkansas some financial relief and continued my promise of cutting taxes for everyone.

But as the cost of living continues to go up, Arkansans need more money in their pockets now. Because of the work we have done to be more efficient in state government, we have created a record surplus in the last fiscal year, and it is clear the state is collecting more than it needs. This gives us the ability to provide financial relief in a time when Arkansans need it most.

Just eight months later, I have signed into law an acceleration of the historic December cuts while also signing into law funding for a new grant program to help schools better protect our children.

With the support of the Arkansas General Assembly, we have been able to lower the individual tax rate to 4.9%, which will save taxpayers a total of $295 million just this year. In 1929, the state income tax was at 5.0%. In 2014, the state income tax was at its highest level at 7%, but our reserves were empty. Less than eight years later, we will have the lowest income tax in state history since its creation, all while having more than $2 billion in state reserves. We also created a $150 nonrefundable tax credit for low- and middle-income Arkansans, saving taxpayers another $156 million this year.

This means the total individual tax relief this year alone is more than $400 million.

My other goal for this special session was to ensure our children are protected in their schools. When parents drop their children off at school, they want to have confidence their children are going to be safe. I proposed we transfer $50 million from the state surplus for the purpose of a school safety grant program. The General Assembly concurred with this plan.

At the beginning of the month, the Arkansas School Safety Commission presented an interim report to me highlighting recommendations for schools to ensure the best protections for our children.

With this grant program, we can provide funding for school districts to increase security measures on their campuses. This will benefit all schools, but especially those who need the most help meeting the recommendations.

I applaud the work of the General Assembly for putting more money back into the pockets of Arkansans and for ensuring schools have the proper resources to keep our children safe.

VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Signs Tax Cut, School Safety Legislation

Governor Asa Hutchinson held a news conference Thursday, August 11, 2022, with members of the Arkansas General Assembly to sign legislation into law regarding the second-largest tax cut in state history and to provide $50 million for a school safety grant program.

USDA’s Risk Management Agency taps Division of Agriculture for crop insurance analysis, stakeholder feedback

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will be collecting stakeholder feedback and providing data analysis for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency to help RMA improve its products and services to farmers.

Established in 1996, RMA manages the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to provide crop insurance products to America’s farmers and ranchers.

LIGHT MOMENT — Group shares a light moment about a common experience. From left, Hunter Biram, extension economist; Richard Flournoy, deputy administrator for product management for the Risk Management Agency; Marcia Bunger, RMA administrator. Taken Aug. 10, 2022, at the Cooperative Extension Headquarters in Little Rock. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Mary Hightower)

The RMA Navigator program is rooted in a $1.3 million grant proposal by Ron Rainey, assistant vice president for the Division of Agriculture. Rainey, who also serves as the director of the Southern Risk Management Education Center, said the project will provide a better understanding of federal crop insurance products and the performance of those risk management tools.

“Bottom line, we hope to help the crop insurance sector support more farmers and ranchers with more effective policies,” Rainey said.

Work on the program begins Sept. 1.

Vision for RMA

The program fits squarely in the vision outlined Wednesday by RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger during a visit with Division of Agriculture leaders at Little Rock. Among her objectives for the RMA are better service to underserved audiences, recruiting agents and loss adjusters locally, and helping specialty and organic crops.

She spoke about her years conducting outreach in South Dakota for the Farm Services Agency, another arm of USDA, reflecting on how best to serve stakeholders.

“How do we move that needle? I spent a lot of time in my years giving advice,” she said. “I think it’s time we do a better job of listening to hear what stakeholders believe would work the best.”

Another part of her vision “is to elevate some of the specialty crops, the organic crops, the crops we don’t currently have policies with and elevate them to the point that they are on the same playing field as the corn and bean, cotton and wheat guys,” she said.

At a Farm Bill field hearing held June 17 in Jonesboro, Sens. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, chair of the Senate ag committee and Arkansas’ John Boozman, ranking member, heard about the lack of affordable protection for specialty crops.

Being part of the community

To build trust within a community, “it’s important to have a crop insurance agent in your community. It’s important that they go to church with you. The kids go to the same schools that your kid is going to. They have a cultural understanding of the area,” she said.

“I think with that vision of having crop insurance agents from their communities and loss adjusters from their communities, will also help farmers and ranchers have an easier time going into their county offices as well,” she said.

Accompanying Bunger were Roddric Bell, RMA’s director of the southern region insurance office; Michael Heiserman, director of the risk management education division; and Richard Flournoy, deputy administrator for product management. Deacue Fields, vice president-agriculture for the University of Arkansas System, and Vic Ford, who heads up agriculture and natural resources for the Cooperative Extension Service, and Rainey represented Division of Agriculture administration.

“The Division of Agriculture is uniquely suited for this project because it is home for both the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence and host for the Southern Risk Management Education Center,” Fields said. “We have the in-house expertise to accomplish this mission with an aim to helping farmers in Arkansas and across the nation. I appreciate Dr. Rainey’s vision and leadership for this valuable program.”

RMA and the RMA Navigator are not affiliated with the Risk Management Association or its services.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

UAMS Researcher Co-Authors Nature Communications Article Showing Higher Heart Failure Rates in Some COVID-19 Patients

LITTLE ROCK — Patients previously hospitalized with COVID-19 had a 45% higher risk of heart failure than other hospitalized patients, according to the first national study of its kind, which was co-authored by a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) researcher.

Lead author Husam M. Salah, M.D., at UAMS said the findings reported in Nature Communications also revealed an even higher risk of heart failure for younger, white patients previously hospitalized with COVID-19, surprising the research team.

“We were seeing this increased trend in heart failure among patients previously hospitalized for COVID-19, but until our study, we did not have evidence to confirm the relationship to COVID-19,” said Salah, chief medical resident in the College of Medicine Department of Medicine. “Inflammation of the heart muscle and the coronary arteries as well as formation of small clots in the coronary arteries caused by COVID-19 may be major players in the association between COVID-19 and heart failure.”

https://news.uams.edu/2022/08/11/uams-researcher-co-authors-nature-communications-article-showing-higher-heart-failure-rates-in-some-covid-19-patients/

UAMS' Husam Salah, M.D., is lead author on the national study.

UAMS’ Elizabeth Riley, DNP, APRN, Chosen as Fellow of National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education

By Chris Carmody

Elizabeth Riley, DNP, APRN, clinical associate professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing, has been selected as a fellow of the National League for Nursing (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education.

Riley is among 20 nurse educators who will be inducted into the academy during a Sept. 30 ceremony at the NLN Education Summit in Las Vegas. The Academy of Nursing Education has more than 300 members affiliated with teaching hospitals, academic institutions and other health organizations across the country.

https://news.uams.edu/2022/08/09/uams-elizabeth-riley-dnp-aprn-chosen-as-fellow-of-national-league-for-nursing-academy-of-nursing-education/

Elizabeth Riley, DNP, APRN

UA Cossatot Releases Summer 2022 Honor Students and List of Graduates

UA Cossatot's Office of the Registrar recently released the summer 2022 Chancellor's List, Vice Chancellor's List, and 2022 summer graduates.

Four students are named on the Chancellor's list, maintaining a minimum of 4.0 semester GPA while taking a minimum of twelve college credit hours. Seven students are named on the Vice Chancellor's list, holding a minimum of a 3.5 semester GPA while taking a minimum of twelve college credit hours.

UA Cossatot Summer 2022 Chancellor's List:

Ashdown: Tucker Patrick Tompkins

De Queen: Logan Turner

Texarkana: Anthony Stine and Joseph Benett Cagande Shan

UA Cossatot Summer 2022 Vice Chancellor's List:

Ashdown: Lexius Winfrey and Breana Nicole Noble

Foreman: Jaymee Hess

Gillham: Ariel Morgan Dinkins

Okolona: Lakyn Danielle Watts

Texarkana: Chase Aldwin Hicks and Grant Phillip Nolen

Summer 2022 Graduates (Listed with Highest Degree(s) Earned):

Sixty-one students graduated with a Certificate of Proficiency (CP), Technical Certificate (TC), or an Associate Degree (AA/AGS/AAS/AS). Many students earned multiple certificates and degrees, totaling 93 summer awards.

Amity: Randi Mechelle Markham: Associate of Arts

Antoine: Jessi Ann Dugger: Technical Certificate: General Studies

Ashdown: Mikayla Blagg: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing, Kellie Anne Jones: Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Raylei Suzzanne Merrell: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and

Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Breana Nicole Noble: Associate of Applied Science: Physical Therapist Assistant, Cory Tatom: Associate of Applied Science: Physical Therapist Assistant, Lexy Walden: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Lexius Winfrey: Associate of Applied Science: Physical Therapist Assistant and Technical Certificate: Health Professions

Ben Lomond: Kaitlyn Finigan: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing

Bigelow: Elizabeth Rather: Associate of Science: STEM

De Queen: Sara Elizabeth Abril: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Stephanie Butler: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Diana Hernandez Galindo: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and

Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Layton Jackson: Associate of Arts and

Associate of General Studies, A'Nayzia Janay Jefferson: Associate of Arts and Associate of General Studies, Maria Munoz Juache: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Alexandra Salinas: Technical Certificate: Cosmetology, Katherine Rachelle Taylor: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing, Ivan Trejo: Technical Certificate: General Studies, Logan Wayne Turner: Associate of Arts, Associate of General Studies, and Technical Certificate: General Studies, Emily Brooke Whisenhunt: Technical Certificate: Health Professions

Delight: Madison Erin May: Technical Certificate: General Studies

Dierks: Savannah Nicole Morris: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Lindsey Jean Stamps: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing

Foreman: Danielle Nicole Boyd: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Kenzie Elizabeth Cowan: Associate of Science: STEM, Chunjung Ke Howell: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing

Gillham: Ariel Dinkins: Associate of Science: Business and Technical Certificate: General Studies,

Stephanie Rose Parsons: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing

Horatio: Heather Barton: Technical Certificate: General Studies, Ashley Olalde: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing, Misty Marie Wheeler: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing

Little Rock: Elizabeth Moore: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing

Lockesburg: Mina Christine McAda: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions

Magnolia: Noah Samuel Reed: Associate of Science: STEM

Murfreesboro: Kailee Ann Backus: Technical Certificate: General Studies, Madison Paige Humphry: Associate of General Studies and Technical Certificate: General Studies

Nashville: LaTambra Shanea Anderson: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Kyla Collins: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing, Allie Michelle Couch: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Aaysha Chantel Hollins: Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Jaydon Ray Hostetler: Associate of Science: Business, Jaydon Ray Hostetler: Technical Certificate: General Studies and Certificate of Proficiency: Accounting, Diana Rubio Hernandez: Technical Certificate: Cosmetology, Mattison Nacole Steele: Associate of Arts, Associate of General Studies, and Technical Certificate: General Studies, Takela Rochon Stewart: Associate of Science: Psychology, Associate of Arts, and Associate of General Studies, Jasmin Ariana Summers: Technical Certificate: Health Professions

Ogden: Ariyonna Alise Trotter: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions

Okolona: Lakyn Watts: Associate of Applied Science: Physical Therapist Assistant

Prescott: Ashlynn Glenda Hart: Associate of Applied Science: General Technology

Texarkana: Julie Kate-Lynn Clift: Associate of Science: Psychology, Associate of Arts,

Associate of General Studies and Technical Certificate: General Studies, Chase Hicks: Associate of Applied Science: Physical Therapist Assistant and Technical Certificate: Health Professions,

Grant Phillip Nolen: Associate of Applied Science: Physical Therapist Assistant, Joshua Matthew Robles: Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Joseph Benett Shan: Associate of Applied Science: Physical Therapist Assistant and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Anthony Stine: Associate of Applied Science: Physical Therapist Assistant and Anthony Stine: Technical Certificate: Health Professions

Umpire: Chloe Wakley: Associate of General Studies

Winthrop: Monica Elane Forrest: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing, Jaymee Marie Hess: Associate of Applied Science: Physical Therapist Assistant and Technical Certificate: Health Professions, Amy Rachelle Shults: Technical Certificate: Practical Nursing and Technical Certificate: Health Professions

###

The University of Arkansas Cossatot is a community college in Southwest Arkansas accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Offering technical certification and Associate degrees, UAC also collaborates with other colleges and universities to offer bachelor's degrees on its three campuses. UAC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution in compliance with the Higher Education Act of 1965 and other Civil Rights laws and offers equal opportunity for admission and employment. Employment preference is given to applicants possessing a Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) with all other qualifications being equal. Programs and activities of UAC are provided to all students without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, Vietnam era veteran or special disabled veteran status, or sex. Questions or concerns regarding affirmative action can be directed to the Compliance Officer, c/o UA Cossatot, 183 College Drive, De Queen, AR 71832. For Arkansas RELAY Voiced Services call 711 or 800-285-1121. Visit www.cccua.edu for more information.

Aerial Photos of the new Sevier County Medical Center in SW Arkansas

Aerial Photos provided by Monte Bartek of Bartek Recon

State Board of Election Commissioners denies certification of recreational marijuana ballot measure

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

The State Board of Election Commissioners on Wednesday (Aug. 3) denied certification of a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21.

The SBEC review is part of a new process for ballot petitions. The panel cited concerns regarding sufficient background checks for dispensary owners and limits on THC, tetrahydrocannabinol,  a chemical found in marijuana.

Responsible Growth Arkansas, the group supporting the ballot measure, turned in more than 193,000 signatures for adult recreational marijuana use, more than twice what was needed to qualify. Secretary of State John Thurston signed off last week on the measure as having sufficiently met the signature threshold to qualify for the November ballot.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/08/state-board-of-election-commissioners-denies-certification-of-recreational-marijuana-ballot-measure/

State to use $3.3 million to train broadband, telecom industry workforce

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

The Office of Skills Development (OSD) is investing $3.3 million to train new broadband and telecommunication industry workers in an effort to close the gap in the state’s digital infrastructure.

The Fiber Broadband and Telecommunications Working Group – a partnership of industry leaders, state government, and educators – has identified areas where workforce training can produce strategic results.

“The past several months have shown us that reliable high-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it is a necessary way of life,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “As a rural state, it is even more imperative that Arkansans have the same opportunities as citizens in urban areas. Now that we are making strides to bring broadband to every corner of the state, we need workers to build and implement the infrastructure. Today, we not only celebrate the progress we are making to ensure all Arkansans have access to broadband for school, work, and leisure, but we celebrate the creation of high-tech jobs in a growing sector.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/08/state-to-use-3-3-million-to-train-broadband-telecom-industry-workforce/

Cooperative Extension Service to recruit volunteer Health Ambassadors in six counties

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — A new Cooperative Extension Service project is seeking to improve the health of rural counties by recruiting local volunteers, who will receive training and deliver extension health programming to their communities.

AMBASSADORS IN TRAINING — Carl Trahan-True conducts "Wellness Ambassador 101" session IN 2014. The Cooperative Extension Service is revamping the Health Ambassador program in six counties with the help of NIFA grant funding. (Division of Agriculture photo by Kevin Quinn.)

Arkansas ranks 41st out of 50 states for access to clinical preventive care services, making it difficult for Arkansans – especially in rural communities – to access health care screenings and other services that monitor well-being and anticipate problems. The Extension Health Ambassadors project will work with these communities to identify and find solutions to their health problems.

The training program is a partnership between the Cooperative Extension Service’s Community, Professional and Economic Development department and the Family and Consumer Sciences department. The program will equip community volunteers with the health education and teaching skills necessary to lead extension-based health programming in targeted rural counties.

Bryan Mader, extension assistant professor and health specialist, said that by providing this training for volunteers to share with their communities, extension health programming can reach more Arkansans.

“The primary goal of the Extension Health Ambassadors project is to amplify the reach of county Family and Consumer Sciences agents in delivering health programs to a larger audience than the agent is able to do by themselves,” Mader said.

The new program is similar to a previous extension project, Extension Wellness Ambassadors. That project took place from 2013-2014 and used a community-based recruitment model to train volunteers to deliver extension health programs. It recruited 60 volunteers who contributed 5,600 hours of volunteer time and led 434 health education sessions.

The primary difference between programs is the collaboration between the CPED and FCS departments. CPED will play an important role in the project by using an asset-based community development strategy, which Mader said “works with and within a community to identify its strengths – such as people and resources – and uses a person-centered approach to form solutions to community issues.”

This strategy will allow project leaders, agents and volunteers to identify community health issues and work together to address challenges related to the “chronic disease burden in Arkansas and the health disparities between urban and rural populations,” Mader said.

Hunter Goodman, assistant professor of Community, Professional and Economic Development for the Division of Agriculture, said the asset-based community development strategy is also designed to help county extension agents in their efforts to strengthen and improve the communities they serve, including by “building local leadership capacity for engagement on aspects of quality of life and community vitality.”

“At its core, asset-based community development underscores what’s vibrant in the community, centers the community at the heart of local decision making, activates individual participation, strengthens community leadership and emphasizes local relationships,” Goodman said.

The project recently received funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Rural Health and Safety Education grant program, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Six Arkansas counties — Clarke, Cleburne, Hempstead, Phillips, Pope and Mississippi — were selected to participate in the project for the two-year project period. Project activities will begin on Sept. 1, 2022, and end on Aug. 31, 2024. Mader said the project will begin with an initial three communities that will “work with the project team to navigate through the community engagement, recruitment, training and delivery components.”

Mader said he is optimistic about the interest among potential volunteers for the project. Arkansas has one of the highest levels of volunteerism in the country, with 30 percent of Arkansas residents reporting having volunteered within the last year in 2017, according to Aspire Arkansas.

“This means there is a rich pool of community members who are interested in helping make their communities better,” Mader said.  

Mader said extension’s goal for the Extension Health Ambassadors program is to recruit and train 30 volunteers from six counties over two years.

“Success for this program would result in extension working alongside community members to address their identified, or felt, health needs and working collaboratively with the community to create viable solutions to their health issues,” he said.

As the USDA defines 55 of Arkansas’ 75 counties as rural, Mader said a long-term goal of the program would be to find additional funding to expand its impact to additional counties.

Rutledge: U.S. Supreme Court orders abortion clinics to pay for state's legal costs

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge issued a statement following the U.S. Supreme Court’s judgment in Rutledge v. Little Rock Family Planning Services vacating a lower court order blocking Arkansas’s ban on abortions performed solely on the basis of a Down syndrome diagnosis and ordering Little Rock Family Planning Services to pay the State of Arkansas for filing costs associated with seeking Supreme Court review. This Supreme Court victory comes on the heels of the dismissal of Planned Parenthood v. Gillespie in federal district court, where Arkansas terminated Planned Parenthood’s participation in the State’s Medicaid program. Since the Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June, Attorney General Rutledge has also been successful in ending litigation challenging the dismemberment abortion ban and the total abortion ban (SB6).

“For the last two years, Arkansas has been the most prolife state in the union because of the work of the dedicated staff at the Attorney General’s Office,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “After certifying the Supreme Court’s overruling of Roe and Casey, which ended elective abortion in Arkansas, my office jumped into action to strike all remaining abortion lawsuits. I have always advocated for the lives of unborn children because no baby should ever face the unimaginable and horrifying fate of abortion.”

UAMS Researcher to Lead Study on Antibiotic Resistance in Fresh Vegetables in the United States

By Kev' Moye

En Huang, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health Department of Environmental Health Sciences, has received a three-year, $1 million research grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Huang and his team — which consists of Sun Hee Moon, Ph.D., and Se-Ran Jun, Ph.D., from UAMS; along with Xinhui Li, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse; Erin DiCaprio, Ph.D., of the University of California-Davis; and Xu Yang, Ph.D., of California State Polytechnic University-Pomona — will investigate why some bacteria isolated from retail vegetables in the United States are resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. The aforementioned class of antibiotics – considered the most important classes of antibiotics – are used in the management and treatment of bacterial infections.

“Food is an important vehicle for transmitting foodborne microorganisms,” Huang said. “Since most vegetables are consumed when they’re raw or after only being minimally cooked, if present, those antibiotic-resistant bacteria could potentially harm people. Therefore, there’s an urgent need to understand the role of fresh produce in the transmission of antibiotic resistance.”

https://news.uams.edu/2022/08/02/uams-researcher-to-lead-study-on-antibiotic-resistance-in-fresh-vegetables-in-the-united-states/

En Huang, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health Department of Environmental Health Sciences, has received a three-year, $1 million research grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Pebbles Fagan, Ph.D., MPH, Joins Leadership Team at UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute

By Marty Trieschmann

Pebbles Fagan, Ph.D., MPH, has assumed the role of associate director for Cancer Prevention and Control for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

Fagan, a leading expert on tobacco-related health disparities and co-founder of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s Tobacco Research Network on Disparities, will lead new and existing cancer prevention and control activities for the Cancer Institute.

“Dr. Fagan is a nationally recognized cancer researcher and has studied cancer health disparities for decades,” said Michael Birrer, M.D. Ph.D., director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. “She is passionate about social justice and will be a tremendous leader as we work to address the needs of Arkansas communities hit disproportionately hard by cancer.”

https://news.uams.edu/2022/08/02/pebbles-fagan-ph-d-mph-joins-leadership-team-at-uams-winthrop-p-rockefeller-cancer-institute/

Pebbles Fagan, Ph.D., professor in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health and Director of the UAMS Center for the Study of Tobacco, is a nationally recognized cancer researcher.

Judge orders Sen. Jason Rapert to provide information from social media accounts

KUAR | By Ronak Patel

A U.S. district judge is ordering Arkansas state Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, to release information regarding his social media accounts. The order is part of a lawsuit filed against Rapert by the group American Atheists.

The lawsuit was filed in 2018 after members of the group were blocked by Rapert on Twitter and Facebook. Arkansas Atheists attorney Geoffrey Blackwell argues Rapert blocking the group is a violation of First Amendment rights and data from the senator’s accounts can help settle the case.

“The First Amendment applies to government officials online and in traditional public forums,” Blackwell said. “By restricting their ability to comment and engage in discussion with him and other constituents, he infringed on their right to free speech based on their viewpoint.”

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-07-29/judge-orders-sen-jason-rapert-to-provide-information-from-social-media-account

Michael Hibblen/KUAR News

The group American Atheists argues state Sen. Jason Rapert violated the First Amendment rights of its members.

Arkansas tax revenue up 2.6% in July, 3% above forecast

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas began its fiscal year in July with sales tax revenue of $615.9 million, up 2.6% compared with July 2021, and 3% above the forecast. After ending the previous fiscal year in June with a $1.62 billion surplus, the surplus after July stands at $26.6 million.

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration reported Tuesday (Aug. 2) the tax revenue which showed gains above forecast in the key categories. Individual income tax revenue was $253.1 million in July, up 4.7% compared with July 2021 and up 4.7% above forecast.

Sales and use tax revenue was $272.4 million, up 4.7% above July 2021 and also 4.7% above the forecast. Corporate tax revenue was $35.1 million, down $4.8 million compared with July 2021 and $2 million above the forecast.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/08/arkansas-tax-revenue-up-2-6-in-july-3-above-forecast/

VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Announces Arkansas School Safety Commission Interim Report

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson today released the Interim Report of the Arkansas School Safety Commission.

The report emphasized the importance of districts using layered, comprehensive school safety strategies and ensuring school safety policies and procedures are being followed. The report noted the passage of Acts 551, 622, and 648 of the 2021 General Session, and several new projects since 2018 which focus on creating positive school environments. The Commission also highlighted the base state funding that the Arkansas Center for School Safety has been provided since 2019, and the increase of 145 School Resource Officers in school districts statewide since 2018.

The Commission also shared recommendations being considered in mental health and prevention; intelligence and communication; audits, educational opportunity programs and drills; law enforcement and security; and physical security.

“I created the school safety commission [in 2018] to review our schools, our laws, and to make recommendations to keep our children safe,” Governor Hutchinson said at today’s press conference. “The recommendations that came out of that school safety commission did not sit on a shelf, and most of those recommendations have been adopted. And, they have made a real difference in the safety of our schools.” 

New recommendations being considered by the Commission include:

• All school districts should provide access to Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training to all personal who interact with students.

• All school districts should establish a behavioral threat assessment team with appropriate composition and training.

• Creating a school safety tip line committee to investigate strategies and best practices used in other states to establish and implement a statewide School Safety Tip Line for Arkansas.

• National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) crisis response training should be made available to school personnel and key stakeholders throughout the state and ensure all school districts receive relevant training information in a timely manner.

• All students should have access to mental health services, whether in person at school or via telehealth.

• School districts should develop a layered two-way communication access between staff to ensure information sharing during critical incidents (intercom systems, radios, cell phone apps, etc.)

• New radio systems that are being developed by law enforcement should consider school district(s) in their jurisdiction as part of their initial buildout and allow access to the law enforcement communication network for critical incidents by certain school administrators and staff.

• An increased focus on cybersecurity.

• Districts should be required to assign a school safety coordinator to each campus to ensure district school safety policies and procedures are being followed in doing so, create a culture of school safety compliance on every campus.

• Schools should ideally have at least one SRO for each campus and no campus should be without an armed presence at any time.

• The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) was identified as the standard (best practice) active school shooter training in Arkansas for law enforcement and commissioned school security officers.

• All school building exterior doors should remained closed and locked during school hours and schools should have a procedure for keeping them closed and locked during school hours.

• All classroom doors should remain closed and locked during school hours and schools must have a procedure for keeping them closed and locked during school hours.

• General Assembly should modify current state law 12-13-109 which states all doors and exits must be unlocked to state they must remain locked during school hours.

• Install electronic access controls for high-frequency use doors.

• Equip classrooms with door locks to be locked from the inside and only allow access from outside for authorized personnel.

• Schools have one visitor point of entrance and a secure area for them at the entrance.

• Implement a visitor management system.

• Schools should have security cameras that are accessed by designated individuals and local law enforcement.

• Districts should have a grand master key for all locks and to also provide to local law enforcement to use during a critical incident.

• Require bus drivers to have at least 20 minutes of the 3-hour required training to be on bus security.

• Add physical security items to the existing bus maintenance and operations facility inspection checklist.

• Require electronic access to all exterior and classroom doors in new constructions.

The Commission has met seven times since its reinstatement on June 10, 2022, in wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. The twenty-four members of the commission, originally formed in 2018, have worked to review the 2018 Commission final report. The Commission includes representatives from the Arkansas Attorney General’s office, the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM), the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA).

The Commission’s initial report was due Monday, August 1, 2022, and can be viewed by clicking HERE.

The Commission will submit the final report of findings and recommendations to the Governor no later than October 1, 2022.