Sizzling Summer Beef Demand Pushes Prices Higher
by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)
Beef prices typically increase following Memorial Day with more summer grilling demand but prices this year are trending higher than a year ago, according to Derrell Peel, livestock marketing specialist with Oklahoma State University Extension.
Peel said the seasonal increase in boxed beef cutout prices is higher than usual this year, with the weekly average “Choice” boxed beef prices rising 63.8% from early January to early June. Prices were higher across the board with loin cuts increasing 93%, rib meat up 60%, round rising nearly 44% and chuck cuts up 39% from the same period last year.
Year-to-date, values range from a 17% increase in rib meat for cuts like cowboy steaks and prime rib roasts to a 110.8% rise in short plate meat which includes skirt steak used in fajita and short ribs. Peel said the slight decrease in prices toward the end of June do not indicate weakening demand, but rather that food service operators had largely replenished their supply by early June.
https://talkbusiness.net/2021/07/sizzling-summer-beef-demand-pushes-prices-higher/
Wholesale “choice” boxed beef prices are up 40.7% through the end of June, compared to a year ago. (photo courtesy of Oklahoma State University Extension)
Arkansas Remains Largest Rice Producing State
by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
Arkansas is easily the top rice producing state and it’s no surprise it leads the nation in rice exports, according to the State Agricultural Trade database released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Rice exports accounted for $722 million of the state’s total of $3.1 billion in agricultural exports, the report stated. Scott Stiles, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture said that of the $3.1 billion 78%, or $2.4 billion, was attributed to plant products. The report covers the 2019 calendar year.
According to the report, following are the commodities ranked by their respective contribution to the total export value.
• Rice — $722 million
• Soybeans — $679.3 million
• Cotton — $427.3 million
• Other feed grains: barley, oats, sorghum — $73.2 million
• Corn — $71.4 million
https://talkbusiness.net/2021/07/arkansas-remains-largest-rice-producing-state/
Arkansas Sees Largest Spike In COVID-19 Hospitalizations Since January
By DANIEL BREEN
The highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to grow in Arkansas, resulting in a new surge in coronavirus hospitalizations.
The state added another 270 cases of COVID-19 Tuesday while another six Arkansans died from the disease caused by the coronavirus. The state currently has 4,645 active cases of COVID-19.
“This is the largest increase in hospitalizations since January. It is the largest increase in hospitalizations since we’ve had the vaccination available to prevent hospitalizations. And we have 55 added to the hospital rolls as a result of COVID-19,” Hutchinson said.
https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-sees-largest-spike-covid-19-hospitalizations-january
Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks with reporters at the state Capitol in his weekly media briefing on July 6, 2021.
CREDIT GOVERNOR'S OFFICE / YOUTUBE
Governor Hutchinson to Start Statewide Tour To Answer Questions About COVID-19, Vaccinations
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson will hold a series of Community Covid Conversations to hear first-hand the concerns of Arkansans about COVID-19 and the vaccinations, the Governor announced today at his weekly news conference. The first meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday in Cabot.
The Governor set a goal of vaccinating 50 percent of Arkansans by the end of July. As of today, 39 percent of Arkansans have taken the shot. The Governor will answer questions in the hope of encouraging more Arkansans to receive the vaccine.
“It starts with a conversation with communities,” he said. “It does come down to individual responsibility. I’m the leader of this state. I want to do all I can. It would be easier for me to sit back and say, ‘I’m weary of this COVID conversation.’ I’m sure everybody in this room is. But that’s not leadership. Leadership is saying, ‘Let’s plow on.... let’s get through this. Let’s see if we can do a little bit better.’”
The Governor noted that more than 50 percent of the population of Bradley County is fully vaccinated. One million Arkansans have been fully vaccinated, but that’s not enough to stop the spread.
“We are losing ground in July,” Governor Hutchinson said, in large part because of the Delta variant, which is more contagious than COVID-19 and the symptoms are more severe. The vaccine is effective against all of the COVID variants.
On Tuesday, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 270 new cases and six additional deaths. The increase of hospitalizations to 55 is the largest increase since January.
As the vaccine has become widely available, younger people have been the most hesitant to get it. In November 2020, the average age of those hospitalized with COVID-19 was 64. As people that age and older are taking the vaccine, the average age of those hospitalized has declined to 54. The average age of those who have died from COVID has decreased from 78 to 66.
The Governor encouraged employers to provide paid time off for employees to get the vaccination and for those who may need time off to recover from a reaction to the vaccine.
“I am asking employers in our state to take a leadership role in encouraging vaccinations in the workplace. Let me emphasize, employers were the first ones to push us. ‘We need the vaccine.’ They’ve done an incredible job of leading and getting their workplace vaccinated early on during the pandemic. We need them to come back and to reemphasize the need for vaccinations in the workplace.”
The American Rescue Plan provides a one-hundred-percent tax credit for the cost of paid time off for a business with fewer than 500 employees, said Randy Zook, president and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas. “This is a new deal,” Mr. Zook said. “It’s very simple to do ... a little bit of paperwork.”
Single Parent Scholarship Fall Semester Application is Open
Join Ed 88 Live on Location this Friday at 11 am at Prime Country Meats in Sevier County
FRIDAY AT 11 AM CDT – 2 PM CDT
Prime Country Meats Ribbon Cutting /Open House
Free · 526 Clear Creek Rd, Horatio
Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught
Arkansas started a new fiscal year this week, and final reports for the previous year give us an optimistic outlook about the future of our economy.
Fiscal Year 2021 ended on June 30. We began Fiscal Year 2022 on July 1.
Results from collections and distributions for FY2021 reached $6.845 billion. This is $1.09 billion or 19% above prior-year results.
The collections fully funded the Revenue Stabilization Act for the Fiscal Year 2021 and left a surplus of $945.7 million. The fiscal year ended above forecast in all major categories of collections and above year-ago levels. The Department of Finance and Administration says there are several contributing factors.
The deadline for individual income taxes was extended last year to July. Payroll withholding tax exceeded expectations amid a faster rebound in the state economy. Sales tax exceeded expectations from the combined factors of an economic rebound, stimulus transfers, and growth in online marketplace sales.
The state’s most significant sources of revenue come from individual income tax and sales and use tax.
•• Individual income tax collections totaled $3.97 billion. That is $550 million or 16.1% above FY2020.
•• Sales and Use collections totaled $2.88 billion. That is $340 million or 13.4% above FY2020.
•• Corporate Income Taxes totaled $651.9 million. That is an increase of $169.8 million or 35.2% above FY2020.
This week, the Governor authorized the Department of Finance and Administration to increase the state forecast for FY2021 by $213 million.
This increase allowed for $86.6 million to be diverted to the Medicaid trust fund. That brings the balance of the trust fund to more than $600 million, ensuring that there are adequate funds for the healthcare of low-income Arkansans.
After the revised forecast, the state’s Long-Term Reserve Fund has a balance of $1.22 billion.
The Governor has indicated he will call a special session this fall to address future tax cuts. We will continue to update you on any developments.
Latest Aerial Photos of Construction on the New Sevier County Medical Center
Photos by Monte Bartek of Bartek Recon
Community Fundraiser Racks up Over $15,000 for Up-and-Coming Soccer Complex in De Queen
NEWS RELEASE
Samaritan Fields Contact: 870-584-9928
JuLY 5th, 2021 SamaritanFields@gmail.com
Community Fundraiser racks up over $15,000 for up-and-coming Soccer Complex in De Queen
DE QUEEN, AR— The first-ever “Field of Dreams” fundraiser netted more than $15,000 for the Samaritan Fields Soccer project on Collin Raye Drive in De Queen this 4th of July weekend.
A diverse group of Community members teamed up to collaborate resources for the July 3rd event and celebrated with festival-style vibes, flavorful food, FIFA, inflatables, and family-friendly fun Saturday night. Several efforts were made to raise the money, including food sales, auction items, and T-shirt sales, as well as donations collected from parking for the city Firework show.
Hundreds of area residents attended the event and contributed support for the developing facilities throughout the day, including representative Deann Vaught, along with several local business owners and community leaders. The event also provided a covid-19 shot booth and voter registration tent, adding nearly a dozen Arkansans to the state’s vaccinated list.
Project organizer Esteban Ochoa reported the total amount raised was $15,898.85, including additional dollars gathered from a “50/50 day” partnership with Simple Simon’s Pizza of De Queen Monday, July 5th. Pulled together with just 3 months of planning, the “Field of Dreams” fundraiser was designed to draw up support for the project and raise awareness about the community goal of bringing the High School state soccer championship to De Queen by 2026.
Event organizers would like to express appreciation to all who attended and say “thank you” to everyone who has supported the Samaritan Fields initiative in De Queen.
Plans for future fundraisers are already in discussion as the “Field of Dreams” night is set to become an annual event for the Sevier County community. Ongoing construction and maintenance are required for the project to become both sustainable and successful, and continual community support will be needed. Businesses or individuals interested in helping bring state-of-the-art community soccer fields to De Queen can call 870-584-9928 or email SamaritanFields@gmail.com.
Arkansas Tax Surplus Hits $945 million, With Revenue 20.4% Above Forecast
by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)
Arkansas ended fiscal year 2021 with a revenue surplus of $945.7 million thanks in part to a COVID-19 induced shift in a tax filing deadline from April to July that pushed some of fiscal 2020 income tax payments into 2021.
The state’s tax revenue surplus in the previous two fiscal years totals $1.315 billion.
The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) reported Friday (July 2) that gross revenue for fiscal year 2021 (July 2020 to June 2021) is $8.121 billion, up 16.6% compared with the previous fiscal year and up 18.2% over the budget forecast.
Tuesday's COVID-19 Active Cases and Vaccines Update from the AR Dept of Health
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 14
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 18
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 10
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 13
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 13
LIVE VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson Provides Weekly Media Update Tuesday (07.06.21) 130PM
Governor Asa Hutchinson held a weekly briefing to media at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 6, 2021.
Governor Appoints Businessman Philip Tappan To Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has appointed Little Rock businessman Philip Tappan to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Mr. Tappan will replace Andrew Parker, whose seven-year term expires today.
“Philip Tappan’s business savvy, his love of the outdoors, and his commitment to conserve the beauty of the Natural State will serve Arkansas well as he assumes his position as a Game and Fish commissioner,” Governor Hutchinson said today. “Philip’s life experiences and quiet leadership are a perfect fit for the commission as the members work to promote and preserve Arkansas’s great outdoors.”
Mr. Tappan is the managing partner of Tappan Land & Water, which owns the majority interest in Quality Foods LLC (Purple Cow Restaurants). Mr. Tappan says his mother was a “fanatical birdwatcher” and his father was an avid duck hunter. His interest in conserving land is a natural outgrowth of his love for the outdoors and hunting, he says.
“With the human impact on our globe, this is a wonderful opportunity for me to participate in the stewardship of our state’s rich portfolio of properties,” Mr. Tappan said. “We can continue to turn the tide for re-habitation of our forests and restoration of wildlife in ways that will benefit our entire state.”
Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | The Commitment and Sacrifice of Service
LITTLE ROCK – Last week, we lost another police officer in the line of duty, and if we could pass a law to guarantee we will never lose another one, then I would pass it and sign it today. But we know that is not realistic.
The roster of police officers who have died in the line of duty is too long. More than 300 Arkansas police officers have been killed on the job.
In the seven years since I took office, fifteen officers have died in the line of duty. Most recently, Pea Ridge Officer Kevin Apple, the officer whose memorial service I attended on Friday, was run over and killed while attempting an arrest.
Public Safety Secretary Jami Cook points out that seventy percent of our officers who have died in the line of duty since 2015 were killed by assault.
An assault on a police officer is an attack on the rule of law that is essential to civil society. In the past year, the rule of law has been threatened unlike any time since the 1960s. A loud minority has clamored for a reduction in the number – and sometimes the outright elimination – of police. Anyone who has ever been the victim of a violent crime or needed quick assistance after a car wreck knows that’s a bad idea.
In my career as a United States attorney, as a congressman, at DEA and Homeland Security, and now as Governor, I have seen crime and law enforcement up close at all levels. There has never been a time in my career when the work of law enforcement has been more difficult, challenging, and dangerous, but yes, very important. The death of Officer Apple illustrates the dangers police face every time they suit up. In spite of the increasing danger of the work, people still choose to become a police officer, and we are all very grateful.
We understand that for police, there is no such thing as a routine encounter. Every traffic stop, every knock on the door of a house, requires a commitment to serve.
Officer Apple had been in law enforcement for more than twenty years, and he understood the risks. He put his service daily above his own safety.
I hope that every police officer understands that the people of Arkansas value and are grateful for the work of our men and women in blue. Secretary Cook, who was a member of my Task Force to Improve Law Enforcement, is a former police officer who believes that cities, counties, and the state should provide the best for their police officers. She says that we expect much out of officers, so we must provide them with all they need to do everything that we expect. I certainly agree with that assessment.
We are all saddened by the loss of another Arkansas police officer. Arkansans value the rule of law as well as the law enforcement officers who preserve it, and I echo Secretary Cook’s encouragement to every jurisdiction to supply officers the training and tools they need, and to find a way to pay them well for their service. And in addition, when you see an officer, thank him or her for their service.
VIDEO: Sevier County Medical Center Meeting 07.01.20 at UA Cossatot
Widespread Shower and Thunderstorm Activity Is Expected Across SW Arkansas Thursday
Showers and thunderstorms will become widespread across much of the state Thursday and Thursday night. While severe weather chances remain low, some storms could produce locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds.
Heat indices across southern Arkansas could approach or exceed 100 degrees in some locations Thursday afternoon.
Widespread showers and thunderstorms will persist across roughly the southern half of the state on Friday. Severe weather chances will remain low, but a few storms could produce locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds.
After a mostly dry weekend, isolated to scattered thunderstorms are back in the forecast Monday and Tuesday.
Message Last Updated: 4:32 AM local time on 7/1/2021.
No Timeline on I-40 Bridge Repair Completion; Lane Changes Save Truckers More Than $1 Million Per Day
by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
Officials still are unsure when repairs to the Interstate 40 bridge will be complete, and it will not be reopened to even partial traffic until finished. Tennessee Department of Transportation Community Relations Officer Nicole Lawrence told Talk Business & Politics there have been no significant issues in repairing the fractured beam that closed the bridge in early May.
When the I-40 bridge, the busiest freight carrying bridge in the U.S., was shut down May 11 after a fracture was discovered in a primary support beam, the flow of goods came to a standstill. Traffic was choked on I-55 in the weeks after the closure and it led to long wait times for motorists and big trucks carrying goods.
The trucking industry has absorbed over $70 million in unanticipated costs since the closure, according to the Arkansas Trucking Association. However, the latest data on traffic congestion suggests that the average cost to the trucking industry has reduced from an estimated $2.4 million to $936,000 a day.
(photo courtesy of ArDOT)
Attorney General Rutledge Successfully Blocks President Biden's Oil and Gas Ban
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge issued a statement following the U.S. District Court’s decision to grant a nationwide preliminary injunction against President Biden’s Executive Order declaring a moratorium on future oil and gas leasing and drilling permits on federal lands.
“Today the courts confirmed that President Biden overreached and that his authority has limits,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Just looking at the cost of gasoline, it’s clear that President Biden’s unilateral action had real world consequences for the pocketbooks of average Arkansans. And I will not stand by and let President Biden harm Arkansans’ and Americans’ bottom line.”
The Biden Executive Order halted new oil and gas leasing operations on federal lands and offshore, and as the court explained, the administration did so without ever attempting to comply with the requirements of federal law. That failure to comply with the laws passed by Congress means that President Biden’s action was illegal.
The lawsuit was led by Louisiana and signed on to by Arkansas and the following states in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana: Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
ARNEC Application Deadline is August 31st
APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 31, 2021
ARNEC offers an LPN/LVN-to-RN transition program. Graduates receive an Associate of Applied Science (AASN) in Nursing, which prepares them to apply for RN licensure and sit for the NCLEX-RN exam. ARNEC strives to provide a high-quality, comprehensive, accessible, and affordable Registered Nursing program to students in rural Arkansas.
For more information or to apply, visit www.arnec.org
For questions, email ARNEC@cccua.edu
*Completion of the ARNEC program does not guarantee the ability to obtain licensure or take the NCLEX-RN exam. This is determined by the board of nursing in the state the applicant is applying.