New SWEPCO Wind Farm in Oklahoma Powers Arkansas

By JACQUELINE FROELICH

A new wind farm in Oklahoma, owned by Southwestern Electric Power Company and sister utility, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, recently began to generate renewable electricity to SWEPCO customers in Arkansas. Two more additional wind facilities under construction will also go on-line in the near future. Peter Main, spokesperson for SWEPCO, details the North Central Energy Facilities project, in light of SWEPCO's clean energy goals.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/new-swepco-wind-farm-oklahoma-powers-arkansas

This wind turbine is part of the new Sundance wind facility recently completed in north central Oklahoma.

COURTESY / SWEPCO

Fayetteville Pastor to Host Summer 'Queer Camp' for Arkansas Youth

By JACQUELINE FROELICH

Pastor Clint Schnekloth of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is hosting "Queer Camp" July 5th - 10th for Arkansas LGBTQ+ youth and their families. Campers will create arts & crafts, stage theatre, take field trips, go swimming and on hikes, share daily lunch and dinners, and enjoy deep comraderie. Registration is open until June 1st. Due to overwhelming response, the church is fundraising to cover costs for meals, supplies and transportation.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/fayetteville-pastor-host-summer-queer-camp-arkansas-youth

Pastor Clint Schnekloth says LGBT+ youth in northwest Arkansas can gather with kindred spirits at "Queer Camp."

J. FROELICH / KUAF

Arkansas State Plant Board Again Loosens Dicamba Restrictions

By DANIEL BREEN

State agriculture regulators have once again shifted the rules governing a controversial herbicide that’s been blamed for widespread crop damage.

Members of the Arkansas State Plant Board on Monday voted to change the cutoff date for spraying dicamba, an herbicide used on genetically-modified cotton and soybeans.

The weedkiller, which has been responsible for thousands of complaints of damage in the state, can now be sprayed legally until the end of June, later than last year’s May 25 cutoff. That’s despite research from the University of Arkansas showing the chemical can vaporize at higher temperatures, causing damage to non-tolerant plants.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-state-plant-board-again-loosens-dicamba-restrictions

Leaves of non-tolerant soybeans show signs of dicamba damage at a University of Arkansas research station in Keiser, Ark. in July 2019.

CREDIT DANIEL BREEN / KUAR NEWS

Former GOP Chair Doyle Webb Jumps in Lieutenant Governor’s Race

Former Arkansas GOP chairman Doyle Webb announced Tuesday (May 4) he will enter the race for Lt. Governor in 2022.

Webb, a former state senator from Benton, previously worked in the Lt. Governor’s office during Win Rockefeller’s term in office.

Webb was chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas from 2008-2020, a period of time that saw Republicans become the majority party in the state. Earlier this year, he was named by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to assist with the legislative redistricting through the Board of Apportionment. Webb said he resigned that position last week.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/05/former-gop-chair-doyle-webb-jumps-in-lt-governors-race/

LIVE VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Provides Weekly COVID-19 Update Tuesday (05.04.21) 130PM

Governor Asa Hutchinson will provide the weekly COVID-19 update to media at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

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: 1
Active Probable Cases: 1

Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 6
Active Confirmed Cases: 3
Active Probable Cases: 3

Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 2
Active Confirmed Cases: 2
Active Probable Cases: 0

Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 8
Active Confirmed Cases: 5
Active Probable Cases: 3

Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 6
Active Confirmed Cases: 2
Active Probable Cases: 4

In its Monday update, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 61 new cases; 1,939 active cases; 172 hospitalized, which is up 1 from Sunday; 29 on ventilators, which is up 3 from Sunday; deaths added today, 4, for a total of 5,747; a total of 336,166 cases; PCR tests, 1,307; antigen tests, 106.

The Health Department reported that the top counties for new cases are Benton, 11; Pulaski, 9; and Faulkner, 8.

Governor Hutchinson released the following statement on today’s COVID-19 numbers:

“Today's report shows a higher level of vaccinations than this time last week. Thanks to everyone for doing your part. We are continuing to monitor new cases and variants across the state, but the best way to prevent the spread is by getting vaccinated. Get your shot today.”

Here are today's COVID-19 statewide numbers:

Central Arkansas Development Council Area Food Distributions

Emergency Food Distribution

This Week we will be in:

Nashville and Murfreesboro on Tuesday May 4

Mt. Ida and Glenwood on Wednesday May 5

Little Rock on Thursday May 6.

All distributions will begin by 9am and go until we run out.

Restaurant Revitalization Fund Applications Opening Today!

SBA will begin accepting applications via the application portal today, May 3 at 11 a.m. CST. The application portal will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted. 

In preparation, qualifying applicants should familiarize themselves with the application process in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient application. Follow the steps below.

• If you haven't already, register for an account on the application portal at restaurants.sba.gov. If you are working with Square or Toast, you do not need to register.

• Review the sample application, program guide and cross-program eligibility chart on SBA COVID-19 relief options. SBA also added screenshots of the application portal that are available here.

• Applications must be submitted in English or Spanish. SBA has documents in additional languages to help you understand eligibility requirements, fill out applications, and answer frequently asked questions. See the additional languages and materials here.

• If you were unable to attend one of the webinars held last week which covered program details and a demonstration of the application portal, you can watch the recording here.

For more information, visit sba.gov/restaurants. 

Severe Weather Briefing for Arkansas

Another round of severe weather is possible over the region tonight through Tuesday morning. The latest forecast indicates that an overnight complex of thunderstorms may track across the state, posing a threat for large hail early in the overnight period, with the primary hazard transitioning to damaging winds.
Additionally, there could be some locally heavy rainfall, which could lead to flash flooding and aggravate existing flooding issues along some area rivers.

Three Arkansas Hospitals Garner A rating from Leapfrog

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

National rating group Leapfrog has awarded Mercy Hospitals in Fort Smith and Rogers an A grade in patient safety for the spring 2021 report. CHI St. Vincent in Hot Springs also took the top grade.

The safety grades take into account the hospitals’ achievement protecting patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. The independent organization assigns letter grades from A to F to all U.S. general hospitals and it updates its ratings every six months.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/04/three-arkansas-hospitals-garner-a-rating-from-leapfrog/

Little Rock To Host National Junior College Football Championship

By DANIEL BREEN

Central Arkansas will be the host of the National Junior College Athletic Association Football Championship for the next three years.

State and local tourism officials joined Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. for the announcement Friday at War Memorial Stadium, which will host the games. Hutchinson said the opportunity is now possible thanks to relaxed coronavirus restrictions.

“We’re wide open. We’re doing business, we’re vaccinated, we’re increasing that every day, our cases are down, and we’re going to be in business for a long time. We never shut down, we’re going to have our crowds, we’re planning on that, and so we’re ready for this,” Hutchinson said.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/little-rock-host-national-junior-college-football-championship

[Left to right] LRCVB President & CEO Gretchen Hall, NJCAA President & CEO Dr. Christopher Parker, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Stacy Hurst and Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. meet at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium.

CREDIT DANIEL BREEN / KUAR NEWS

Sunday COVID-19 Active Cases and Vaccines Update from the Arkansas Department of Health

Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 2
Active Confirmed Cases: 1
Active Probable Cases: 1

Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 7
Active Confirmed Cases: 3
Active Probable Cases: 4

Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 2
Active Confirmed Cases: 2
Active Probable Cases: 0

Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 16
Active Confirmed Cases: 11
Active Probable Cases: 5

Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 6
Active Confirmed Cases: 2
Active Probable Cases: 4

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Successes in the Session

LITTLE ROCK – This week the 93rd General Assembly concluded its business, and today I’d like to talk about a few of the success stories from the legislative session.

First, I appreciate the leadership of Senate Pro Tem Jimmy Hickey of Texarkana and Speaker Matthew Shepherd of El Dorado. Their steady hand and leadership helped us to navigate through some of the more contentious debates.

One bill that created some last-minute controversy was Senate Bill 298, which was known as the Arkansas Sovereignty Act. This bill was designed to push back against the federal government for what many Arkansans believe will be a new round of gun-control measures. I support that message, and I am a defender of the 2nd Amendment. But the bill would have penalized state and local law enforcement officers for cooperating with federal agencies; it also would have jeopardized hundreds of cases pending in federal court. In other words, public safety would be compromised, and the bill was clearly unconstitutional.

For those reasons I vetoed the bill. As a result, everyone worked together to draft a new bill that Representative Jeff Wardlaw and Senator Missy Irvin sponsored. The new bill sends the same message to Washington that we will not accept unconstitutional burdens on our 2nd Amendment rights. But the bill protects our public safety needs and will not put law enforcement at risk. This was House Bill 1957, and I have now signed the bill into law.

Now, let me talk about some additional successes in the session. 

One of our biggest wins was passage of the Revenue Stabilization Act. The act, known as the RSA, was implemented in the 1940s and requires the state to maintain a balanced budget. Passage of the RSA is an annual exercise in which legislators prioritize spending for the next fiscal year.

As part of the RSA this year, our reserve funds continue to build. We have consistently increased our surplus funds from zero when I took office to the current $210 million. And with the new budget adopted  in this session of the General Assembly, I expect those reserve funds to grow to more than $700 million. As Senator Jonathan Dismang said, the state has never been in better financial condition. Our reserve funds are like a long-term savings account that allows us to weather unexpected economic setbacks.

Other bills we passed include a $2,000 increase in the median salary for school teachers; a reduction in the number of years of service for state police officers to retire from thirty years to twenty-eight years; a requirement that Arkansas students take at least one computer science course to graduate; and that every high school employ at least one certified computer science teacher.    

As you can see, we had a very busy and successful legislative session.

Kris Hundley and Police Dog, Raptor, at De Queen Lions Club

Kris Hundley and police dog, Raptor, were at Tuesday’s meeting of the De Queen Lions Club. Hundley talked about Raptor’s training and work.

Friday COVID-19 Active Cases and Vaccines Update from the Arkansas Department of Health

Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 1
Active Confirmed Cases: 0
Active Probable Cases: 1

Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 7
Active Confirmed Cases: 3
Active Probable Cases: 4

Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 2
Active Confirmed Cases: 2
Active Probable Cases: 0

Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 14
Active Confirmed Cases: 10
Active Probable Cases: 4

Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 5
Active Confirmed Cases: 2
Active Probable Cases: 3

In its Thursday update, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 240 new cases; 1,961 active cases; 166 hospitalized, which is up 1 from Wednesday; 29 on ventilators, which is up 2 from Wednesday; deaths added today, 9, for a total of 5,735; a total of 335,529 cases; PCR tests, 4,135; antigen tests, 973.

The Health Department reported that the top counties for new cases are Benton, 35; Pulaski, 33; and Washington, 22.

Governor Hutchinson released the following statement on today’s COVID-19 numbers:

“Our vaccine numbers were lower today than last week. We have plenty of doses across the state, and all Arkansans 16 and older are eligible. Check the Department of Health website or call 1-800-985-6030 if you need assistance finding a location to get vaccinated.”

Here are today's COVID-19 statewide numbers:

Daily Legislative Update From State Representative Deann Vaught

The House is now in an extended recess. We will return in the fall to address redistricting.

House members returned to the chamber shortly after midnight to concur in an amendment to HB1957.

HB1957 states all acts, laws, orders, rules, and regulations of the United States Government that were enacted on or after January 1, 2021, 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, Article 2, § 5, are invalid in this state, shall not be recognized by this state, are specifically rejected by this state, and shall be considered null and void and of no effect in this state. The amendment helped to clarify exceptions.

On Tuesday, the House passed the following:

SJR14- This is a proposed constitutional amendment titled the “Arkansas Religious Freedom Amendment”. It state government may burden a person's freedom of religion only if the government demonstrates that application of the burden to the person is in furtherance of a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling government interest.

SB691-This bill states that any advertisement using the image of an elected official appearing in any newspaper, television, radio, or electronic medium which is paid by taxpayer funds shall clearly contain the words “Paid advertisement” or “paid ad” and the name of the state entity, county, or constitutional officer that paid for the ad.

SB336-This bill creates an exemption from the sales and use tax for coins, currency, and bullion.

SB484-This bill states that a nonresident individual who is paid a salary, lump sum payment, or any other form of payment that encompasses work performed both inside and outside of Arkansas shall pay Arkansas income tax only on the portion of the individual's income that reasonably can be allocated to work performed in Arkansas.

SB693-This bill would abolish the state and public school life and health insurance board and transfer the duties to the state board of finance.

We will continue to update you during the interim.

Little River County Farmer's Market Fundraising Dinners

The Little River County Farmer's Market is hosting a baked potato dinner with smoked chicken and queso to celebrate the opening of the 2021 season on May 3rd in Ashdown and May 4th in Foreman. The Skills class in Ashdown is selling tickets and the EAST class in Foreman is selling tickets. Those classes will receive funds based on their ticket sales.

People can also order potatoes and pick up and pay for them at the Farmers Market beginning at 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. We need to order the correct number of potatoes so we really need advance orders. If anyone would like to use their debit card, the Farmers Market has a Venmo account. Please use @lrcfm to pay that way.

If you have any questions, please call or text 870-648-6484. Thank you!

Vickie Williamson

Economic Development Director

Summer Jobs Open

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY!

Husqvarna, L&G facility, is currently accepting high school and college student applications for employment during the summer months on second shift. Pay range $15.25- $17.00 per hour. Students must meet the minimum age requirement.

When applying, write "SUMMER" at the top of the application.

Students can apply online through Facebook and/or Indeed. If they want to come in person we are having our Student Program Open House/Job Fair next Saturday, May 8th, from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. They will get a plant tour, and we will have refreshments for them while they fill out their application.

Interested applicants may apply at:

Husqvarna

1 Poulan Drive

Nashville, AR

Howard Memorial Hospital Survey

Howard Memorial Hospital needs your help in conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment. We recently visited with Debra Wright HMH CEO, and Bill Craig CFO to talk about the importance of this survey.

Survey participants must meet the following criteria:

1) Will represent the broad interests of the community served

2) Will complete and return the survey to ASU timely

(Surveys must be completed and returned to ASU by May 21, 2021)

Each participant should represent one or more of the following populations; please check all that apply:

____Adult age 65 or older

____African American or Hispanic

____Parents of children under age 18; Female head of household with children under age 18;

Grandparents who are responsible for raising grandchildren

____Works in Public Education or Public Health

If you are interested in participating in a focus group meeting, please contact Kim Turbeville at 870 845-8006 and give her your name, contact number, address and the population(s) you are representing based on the list above. She will forward the survey to you along with your stamped, addressed envelope and $15 gift certificate for participating.

Showers and Thunderstorms Continue Thursday; Flash Flood Watch in Effect for SW AR

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON... The Flash Flood Watch continues for * Portions of southwest Arkansas...southeast Oklahoma and northeast Texas, including the following areas, in southwest Arkansas, Howard, Little River and Sevier. In southeast Oklahoma, McCurtain. In northeast Texas, Bowie, Franklin, Red River and Titus. * Through this afternoon * Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated higher amounts possible. * Flooding may occur in urban and poor drainage areas. Heavy rainfall may also cause flooding of creeks, streams, and rivers.