Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 112
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 105
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 94
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 157
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 75
KUAR | By Talk Business & Politics Staff
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS) has received a multi-year grant from a Department of Defense (DoD) initiative to study covert online information campaigns in the Indo-Pacific region, the school said.
The school will partner with Carnegie Mellon University, University of Regina, and The Atlantic Council on the five-year project, “Multi-Level Models of Covert Online Information Campaigns.”
Total funding for the project, which is headed by Dr. Kathleen Carley of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), is about $5 million.
Lonnie Timmons III/UA Little Rock
Dr. Nitin Agarwal, founding director of the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies, will serve as principal investigator for UA Little Rock.
KUAR | By Roby Brock / Talk Business & Politics
Last month, a broad coalition of Arkansas nonprofits and donors coordinated the elimination of $35 million in medical debt for over 23,000 Arkansans. Leaders from two of the organizing groups say there is still much work to be done in this area and they hope to advance public policies addressing systemic challenges to lower-income citizens who encounter medical emergencies.
Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury, president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, and Abby Hughes Holsclaw, senior director for Arkansas Asset Funders Network, say that medical debt can derail the financial stability of asset-limited, income-constrained, employed (ALICE) workers. ALICE workers have jobs, but they are typically lower paying and don’t always offer benefits. A $1,500 (or higher) medical bill can result in financial challenges related to their jobs, child care, transportation or other health concerns.
Talk Business & Politics
KUAR | By Michael Tilley/ Talk Business & Politics
North Little Rock-based Abaca has processed more than $2 billion in transactions for the cannabis (marijuana) industry. Growth with the financial technology (fintech) banking company comes as more states in recent years have legalized some form of marijuana use.
The company recently announced it “compliantly” processed the transactions through its “bank-backed financial technology” that provides “normalized financial services for an underbanked industry.”
KUAR | By Daniel Breen
Projects to restore and refurbish historic properties in Arkansas got some recognition at the annual Arkansas Preservation Awards.
The honors, which were given out last month by the nonprofit Preserve Arkansas, highlight restoration and re-use projects for historic buildings, as well as other efforts to conserve the state’s history.
Preserve Arkansas Executive Director Rachel Patton says the goal is to raise awareness of the larger benefits of historic preservation.
Owners of the Marshall House at 2009 S. Arch St. in Little Rock were honored for Excellence in Personal Projects as part of the annual Arkansas Preservation Awards.
by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
The Department of Arkansas Heritage’s Arkansas Food Hall of Fame winners for the class of 2022 were announced on Monday (Feb. 7).
Arkansas Heritage also honored chicken as the 2022 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Food of the Year.
This year, more than 2,000 submissions were received from all 75 Arkansas counties for the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.
https://talkbusiness.net/2022/02/winners-named-for-2022-arkansas-food-hall-of-fame/
Photo: Food from La Casa de Mi Abuelita.
Governor Asa Hutchinson will provide a briefing to media at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, February 10, 2022.
LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson today announced the following appointments:
Jamie Anderson, Scott, to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Term expires on January 14, 2028. Reappointment.
Neff Basore, Bella Vista, to the Arkansas State Police Commission. Term expires January 14, 2029. Reappointment.
Dr. Mike Stanton, Greenbrier, to the Board of Trustees of the University of Central Arkansas. Term expires January 14, 2029. Replaces Joe Whisenhunt.
Price Gardner, Roland, to the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas State University System. Term expires January 14, 2029. Reappointment.
Dr. Lance Porter, Hot Springs, to the Board of Trustees of National Park College. Term expires December 31, 2022. Replaces Gail Exelle.
Tony Moore, Russellville, to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission. Term expires on December 31, 2024. Reappointment.
Eugene Post, Fort Smith, to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission. Term expires on December 31, 2024. Replaces Linda Prunty.
Doyle Yates, Springdale, to the to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission. Term expires on December 31, 2022. Replaces Robert Walker.
John Muldoon, Hot Springs, to the Professional Bail Bond Company and Professional Bail Bondsman Licensing Board. Term expires on September 30, 2028. Replaces Jimmy Ibison.
Chief Percy Wilburn, Lake Village, to the Professional Bail Bond Company and Professional Bail Bondsman Licensing Board. Term expires on September 30, 2027. Replaces Derrick Person.
Tammy Browning, Hot Springs, to the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. Term expires on January 14, 2029. Replaces Mark Karnes.
Marty Ryall, Conway, to the War Memorial Stadium Commission. Term expires on January 14, 2029. Replaces Chris Bequette.
Jason Sullivan, Mena, to the Board of Trustees of Southern Arkansas University. Term expires on January 14, 2027. Replaces Gwen Story.
Stephanie Sutton, Pocahontas, to the Board of Trustees of Black River Technical College. Term expires on July 1, 2029. Replaces Douglas Cox.
Gayle Cooper, Melbourne, to the Board of Trustees of Ozarka Technical College. Term expires on July 1, 2028. Replaces Dennis Wiles.
Walter Washington, Jr., Little Rock, to the Black History Commission. Term expires on January 14, 2028. Replaces Carla Coleman.
Cynthia Nance, Fayetteville, to the Arkansas Educational Television Commission. Term expires on March 23, 2029. Replaces Kathryn Jones.
Brent Summerhill, Bella Vista, to the Arkansas Tobacco Control Board. Term expires on July 1, 2023. Replaces Carol Dyer.
Lloyd Wofford, Jonesboro, to the Division of Aeronautics. Term expires on November 9, 2026. Reappointment.
James Dawson, Clinton, to the Division of Aeronautics. Term expires on November 9, 2026. Reappointment.
Mayor Douglas Kinslow, Greenwood, to the Compliance Advisory Panel. Term expires on August 1, 2025. Reappointment.
Rodney Leggitt, Greenbrier, to the Compliance Advisory Panel. Term expires on August 1, 2025. Reappointment.
Jennifer Simpson, Conway, to the Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Term expires on June 30, 2024. Replaces Deeni Sterling.
Dr. Rebecca Rusnak, Sherwood, to the Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Term expires on June 30, 2024. Replaces Zachary Ward.
Colleen Sears, Walnut Ridge, to the Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Term expires on June 30, 2024. Replaces Elizabeth Williams.
Dr. Suzanne Casey, Searcy, to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling. Term expires on December 31, 2024. Reappointment.
Dr. Justin Moore, Searcy, to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling. Term expires on December 31, 2024. Reappointment.
Dr. Robbie Cline, Jonesboro, to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling. Term expires on December 31, 2024. Reappointment.
William Willis, Hot Springs, to the Arkansas Geological Survey. Term expires on January 14, 2029. Reappointment.
Mike Howard, Mabelvale, to the Arkansas Geological Survey. Term expires on January 14, 2029. Replaces William Cains.
Mayor Orville “Rick” Elumbaugh, Batesville, to the State Aid Street Committee. Term expires on December 31, 2025. Replaces Jerry Boen.
Tyrone Williams, Little Rock, to the Board of the Division of State Services for the Blind. Term expires on June 30, 2023. Replaces Stephanie Smith.
Stacey Caplener, Pleasant Plains, to the Arkansas Fire Protection Services Board. Term expires on October 14, 2024. Reappointment.
Martin Hamrick, Jonesboro, to the Arkansas Fire Protection Services Board. Term expires on October 14, 2024. Reappointment.
Leroy Higginbotham, Crossett, to the Arkansas Fire Protection Services Board. Term expires on October 14, 2024. Reappointment.
Brandon Taylor, Batesville, to the Arkansas Fire Protection Services Board. Term expires on October 14, 2024. Reappointment.
Eddie West, Warren, to the Arkansas Fire Protection Services Board. Term expires on October 14, 2023. Replaces Gary Lawrence.
Michael Willhite, Hamburg, to the Arkansas Fire Protection Services Board. Term expires on October 14, 2023. Reappointment.
James Kerr, Hot Springs, to the State Fire Prevention Commission. Term expires on August 24, 2024. Reappointment.
Paul Cash, Garfield, to the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board. Term expires on January 14, 2026. Reappointment.
Amber Gibbons, Little Rock, to the Arkansas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board. Term expires on January 15, 2023. Replaces James Gibson.
Mandia Johnson, Benton, to the Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee. Term expires on March 1, 2026. Reappointment.
Benjamin Scallion, Little Rock, to the Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee. Term expires on March 1, 2026. Reappointment.
John Willis May III, Huntsville, to the Advisory Committee on Petroleum Storage Tanks. Term expires on December 31, 2025. Replaces Murray Benton.
Arnell Willis, Sr., Little Rock, to the Arkansas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board. Term expires on January 15, 2024. Replaces Tom Ferstl.
LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about the 16-year-old student at Mountain Home High who amazed teachers, coaches, and athletic directors throughout the 6A West football conference when he wrote a computer program that solved a scheduling dilemma that had stumped all of them.
Mountain Home Athletic Director Mitch Huskey said the problem sounds simple, but it’s not. With the Mountain Home Bombers moving to 6A, the conference now has nine teams – an odd number – that will compete in an eight-game season. To be fair, the ideal schedule would pit each of the nine teams against every other team, and no team would travel two weeks in a row.
At Mountain Home, Mr. Huskey, who has been athletic director for six years, searched the internet for a program that would create schedules. Then he tried it himself and gave up at Week Six. Then he recruited a teacher of advanced math, Garrett Rucker, who couldn’t solve the problem either and tagged computer science teacher J.R. Bergenstock, who also came up short. Athletic directors at the eight other schools couldn’t find the answer either.
Coach Huskey, Mr. Rucker, and Mr. Bergenstock handed the problem off to Emmanuel Westra, a student who had recently moved with his family from Colorado to Arkansas.
The problem didn’t intimidate Emmanuel, who put pencil to paper. He ciphered on the school bus and at home. He broke for supper, and he had solved it long before lights out.
As Jennifer Seaman wrote in her story on the school’s web site, in the course of an afternoon and evening that included a bowl of soup, a high school junior solved a problem that had befuddled college-educated, math-savvy adults.
Although Emmanuel wrote code for the scheduling program, he found the solution with a pencil on paper. Once he knew the algorithm worked, he wrote the code and tested it on his computer.
Coach Huskey noted that Emmanuel doesn’t play football, and Emmanuel admits he doesn’t attend football games. He simply saw a problem and solved it. Emmanuel and Mr. Bergenstock are attempting to copyright the algorithm, which can be used for scheduling in many areas, not just football.
Emmanuel Westra’s experience adds to the evidence that computer coding is helpful in a variety of areas. Coding is more than creating computer games. Doctors use computers in robotic surgery. Mechanics use computers in diagnosing and repairing engines. Now athletic conferences have an easy way to create a schedule, whether there are nine teams or nine-hundred teams. But it all starts with a coder.
Since I took office in 2015, I have led efforts to make computer science an intricate part of our education system. As we enlarged the program, we added stipends to recruit instructors to certify to teach computer science. Mr. Bergenstock is one of those who joined the ranks. He taught music in Fort Smith for many years. Mountain Home High didn’t need a music teacher when he applied there, so administrators asked him to teach computer science. He accepted the challenge, and Emmanuel Westra is happy he did.
A winter storm with significant snow and ice accumulations is imminent! Additionally, a very cold Arctic air mass will move into the state late this week with minimum temperatures in the single digits to low 20s and wind chills in the single digits. - National Weather Service
The Center for Student Success and Student Ambassadors at UA Cossatot ask, “How much do you know about Black History Month?”
De Queen Public Schools will no longer conduct contact tracing or identify students who are probable close contacts. We will still follow ADH guidelines for those who test positive for Covid -19 or who are symptomatic. The information link is below.
KUAR | By Remington Miller
Arkansas is forecast to receive a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain later this week with the potential for hazardous driving conditions.
The National Weather Service says rain is expected to begin on Tuesday, then a cold front will enter the state causing a gradually transition to winter weather on Wednesday. But forecasters say there is still uncertainty about the amount and types of precipitation, making it difficult to predict.
Meteorologist Thomas Jones says after the wind switches to the northwest and brings in colder air he expects to see “rain change to freezing rain and sleet across the north part of the state.”
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service projection for snow and sleet amounts between Wednesday and Friday, as of Monday at 11 a.m.
KUAR | By Daniel Breen
Nearly 24,000 Arkansans in all 75 counties have had their outstanding medical bills paid off thanks to a coalition of nonprofits seeking to raise awareness of the negative impacts of debt.
The $35.2 million debt erasure was made possible by donors including the Arkansas Community Foundation, the Hope Credit Union and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.
Heather Larkin, president and CEO of Arkansas Community Foundation, says the average debt erased was $1,500.
Urban Institute/Zoom
A map displays the concentration of debt in collections in the United States.
Last week the University of Arkansas commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day by dedicating the pen used to sign Holocaust education into law in Arkansas last year.
The pen, gifted from Sen. Bart Hester (R - Cave Springs), signed into law Holocaust Education for 5-12 grade students in Arkansas.
COURTESY / CHIEKO HARA/UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 327
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 219
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 238
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 275
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 156
Click on picture above for Winter Weather Briefing
by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
The Arkansas Rent Relief Program said Friday (Jan. 28) it has paused accepting applications effective immediately to implement changes to how funds are paid so that checks go to both the landlord and tenant.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services said it will continue to process applications that already have been submitted and may re-open applications if available funding remains after approved applications are paid out using the new payment process.
The Rent Relief program has distributed more than $68 million in rental and utility assistance across more than 22,600 applications, DHS said in a statement.
https://talkbusiness.net/2022/01/rent-relief-program-pausing-on-new-applications/
Click on the picture above for the Winter Weather Briefing PDF