News

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Abandoned Pesticide Collection Events Scheduled April 4-7

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Arkansas Department of Agriculture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03/07/2022
Contact: Amy Lyman, (501) 410-4616

amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov

  

LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program has scheduled four Abandoned Pesticide collection events from April 4-7 for the following seven counties: Arkansas, Howard, Little River, Montgomery, Pike, Polk, and Sevier.  

Collection event are from 8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the follow dates and locations: 

  • April 4 – Sevier County/Little River County - Sevier County Road Shop, 1155 Highway 70/71 East, De Queen, AR 77832

  • April 5th – Howard County/Pike County- Howard County Fairgrounds, 1567 US 371, Nashville, AR 71852

  • April 6th – Polk County/Montgomery County – Polk County Fairgrounds, 156 Polk Road 43, Mena, AR 71953

  • April 7th – Arkansas County- Stuttgart Municipal Airport, 2000 State Highway 980, Stuttgart, AR 72160

     

Participation in a collection event is free and anonymous to anyone. Commonly collected items include old/outdated pesticides such as calcium arsenate, 2,4,5-T, sodium cyanide, lindane, and chlordane, as well as registered pesticides unusable because they have been exposed to the elements or have been held over from previous growing seasons such as glyphosate products and 2,4-D. 

Since the program began in 2005, 5,351,431 pounds of unwanted pesticides have been collected in counties across Arkansas. 

The Abandoned Pesticide Program is conducted in cooperation with Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, Inc., the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the State Plant Board. Representatives from these agencies make up the Abandoned Pesticide Advisory Board. 

The Abandoned Pesticide Advisory Board selects county sites for collection events and moves locations by region within the state seasonally. Priority watersheds are a large consideration factor for the Advisory Board in choosing counties/regions for site collection. 

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The Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program is administered by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries Division. Learn more about the Plant Industries Division at: agriculture.arkansas.gov/plant-industries/, or call 501-225-1598. The mission of the Plant Industries Division is to serve the citizens of Arkansas and the agricultural and business communities by providing information and unbiased enforcement of laws and regulations set by the Arkansas State Plant Board.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the development and implementation of policies and programs for Arkansas agriculture and forestry to keep its farmers and ranchers competitive in national and international markets while ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of the state and nation. Visit agriculture.arkansas.gov/. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

 

 

ANDREW VOGLER

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

 

Arkansas Department of Agriculture

1 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR  72205

Office (501) 219-6392

w.andrew.vogler@agriculture.arkansas.gov

agriculture.arkansas.gov

 

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U.S. Marshals Museum CEO resigns, national search to begin

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Patrick Weeks, who faces two felony charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, has resigned as president and CEO of the U.S. Marshals Museum. Museum Board Chair Doug Babb said Friday a national search will begin for the position.

“We are most grateful to Patrick for his valuable contributions to the museum project. He oversaw the construction of the museum building and worked with Thinkwell Group to design all of the museum experiences which will soon be under construction,” Babb said in a press release.

Weeks, hired in June 2014 as museum president and CEO, succeeded Jim Dunn who had served as museum president since 2009. Weeks was arrested Dec. 21 on two felony charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and was placed on administrative leave Dec. 23 by the museum board.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-03-06/u-s-marshals-museum-ceo-resigns-national-search-to-begin

U.S. Marshals Museum

The U.S. Marshals Museum under construction in Fort Smith

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Hostess Brands to reopen closed Arkadelphia factory; $120 million investment, 150 jobs

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

Snack company Hostess Brands, Inc. announced it will convert an idled factory in Arkadelphia into a state-of-the-art bakery.

The new location is expected to be operational in the second half of 2023 and bring approximately 150 new jobs to the community over the next three years.

Hostess Brands, whose iconic foods include Donettes, Twinkies, CupCakes and Ding Dongs, plans to invest $120 million to $140 million to transform the 330,000-square-foot facility in Arkadelphia into a next-generation bakery.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/03/hostess-brands-to-reopen-closed-arkadelphia-factory-120-million-investment-150-jobs/

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Despite location change, Bikes, Blues & BBQ still business as usual for many

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by John Post (jtpost87@gmail.com)

In January, the Bikes, Blues & BBQ motorcycle rally announced that it would be relocating to Rogers after more than two decades housed in Fayetteville. The rally, scheduled for Oct. 5-8, relocated after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and after logistical issues posed problems for hosting this year in Fayetteville.

But, while it may not be centrally located in the city that had hosted it for more than two decades, it will still be business as usual for many in the region when the motorcycles roll into Northwest Arkansas this fall.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/03/despite-location-change-bikes-blues-bbq-still-business-as-usual-for-many/

In January, organizers of the annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ motorcycle rally announced a relocation this year from Fayetteville to Rogers.

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AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Arkansas’s Support for Ukraine

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LITTLE ROCK – In the week since Russia invaded Ukraine, Arkansas has joined most of the world in condemning the unprovoked assault. Today I’d like to share the story of a woman from Ukraine who is watching the war from Arkansas and praying for her relatives and friends who are sheltering in basements in her homeland. Kateryna Pitchford’s story highlights the reality of the war for the rest of us.

Kateryna came to the United States in 2004 and is an associate professor of business at Central Baptist College in Conway. She was born in eastern Ukraine in 1982. The Russian invasion is one more chapter of horror for Kateryna’s family. A century ago, her great-grandparents and grandmother suffered under Soviet Russia. Kateryna grew up under the USSR, and she was nine when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991.

Thirty years later, Kateryna and her family live in uncertainty and nightmare. She communicates daily with her friends and family in Dnipro and Kyiv as they send images and videos by phone. A cousin showed Kateryna the inside of her refrigerator to assure Kateryna they had enough food. A friend who has supplies for two weeks says the nearby grocery store has sold out. Some remain in their homes, comforting their children as the sirens continually pierce the air; others continue to work. Ukrainians are brave, but they are very afraid by this unprovoked aggression and air attacks on civilians.

Kateryna participated in the Arkansas Leadership Prayer Breakfast at the mansion on Thursday. She recited the Lord’s Prayer in the Ukrainian language, followed by prayer for Ukraine in English.

The international support encourages her. She is proud to inform friends in Ukraine that the Hellfire and Stinger missiles going to their country are made in her home state. She tells them Arkansas is helping.

General Dynamics makes those missile in Camden, and every Javelin anti-tank weapon carries a Camden warhead. Aerojet makes the propulsion system in Camden. The missiles are known for their power to destroy tanks, buildings, and helicopters.

The killing of innocent citizens is a terrible evil, and this invasion of Ukraine ranks as the worst attack in Europe since the end of World War II. The Russians are violating the sovereignty and freedom of Ukraine. The free world must support Ukraine with all the defensive arms it can muster. We should not pull our punches, and Mr. Putin must pay a high price for this invasion.

Mr. Putin underestimated the resolve of the Ukrainians and the reaction of the free world. He thought Ukraine would simply fold, but he has found that his attack has hardened the loyalty and courage of Ukrainians into a resistance that may save the country. Ukrainians love their country and don’t want to leave or turn it over to Russian governance.

The sanctions are essential, but we all want to do more. In Arkansas, I directed a review of our investments, and our alcohol distributers agreed to no longer buy Russian vodka. We need to do more, and I am hopeful that much more is being done covertly to help Ukraine.

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Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

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The Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA) is typically one of the last items passed every session. It categorizes and prioritizes state spending.

Members are now reviewing the proposed Revenue Stabilization amendment schedule reflecting the allocation of general revenue funds for Fiscal Year 2023.

The proposed amendment outlines $6.02 billion in spending. That is less than a 3% increase in spending from the current fiscal year.

The state fiscal year begins July 1.

The largest increases in spending can be found in education and human services.

The proposed budget outlines a $70 million increase for elementary and secondary education.

It includes an $11 million increase for DHS Children and Family Services and a $23.5 million increase for DHS grants which includes Medicaid spending.

County jail reimbursement is increased by $6.4 million in the proposed budget.

The RSA calls for a $7.4 million increase for Arkansas State Police. This will assist in raising the salaries for state troopers.

It is anticipated members will vote on the RSA next week.

On Wednesday, the House voted to amend HB1034, an Act for the Department of Corrections-Division of Correction Appropriation. The amendment includes an appropriation of up to $75 million for costs associated with prison expansion.

The House passed SB103 which provides a one-time stipend of $5,000 to full time certified city and county law enforcement officer as well as probation and parole officers.

It also provides for a $2,000 one-time stipend for state troopers.

The House also passed one time appropriations for pregnancy center resource grants, the School for the Deaf and Blind, the breast milk bank, and the Northwest Arkansas Veterans Home.

You can find the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023 as well live-streams of all committee meetings and House proceedings on our website www.arkansashouse.org.

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Crystal Bridges Museum Hosts Marshallese Nuclear Victims Commemorative Event

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KUAF Staff

A Marshallese Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day program will take place Saturday March 5th from 5 to 9pm in the Great Hall at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. The event, hosted by KBE Annex and the Four Atolls will commemorate with speeches and performances the ten year-long history and devastating radiologic impact of nearly 70 nuclear weapons tests conducted by the U.S. military on the Marshall Islands during the Cold War.

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Filing period to run for office in Arkansas officially closed

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by Marine Glisovic (msglisovic@sbgtv.com)

The filing period to run for office in the State of Arkansas ended on Tuesday (March 1). The Arkansas Secretary of State’s office reported that 379 partisan candidates filed this year.

Arkansas Republican Party Chairwoman Jonelle Fulmer said this is the highest number of Republicans to have filed.

Democratic Party of Arkansas Chairman Grant Tennille said they have focused on recruiting strong candidates where they believe they can win.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/03/filing-period-to-run-for-office-in-arkansas-officially-closed/

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Mohamed O. Elasri, Ph.D., Named Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at UAMS

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By Linda Haymes

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently appointed Mohamed O. Elasri, Ph.D., as the associate vice chancellor for research.

Elasri is an active researcher in infectious diseases and has established a highly innovative research program that includes antibiotic resistance, biofilm development, advanced material imaging and new regulatory ribonucleic acids (RNAs), a long, single-stranded chain of cells similar to DNA, which provides the code for a cell’s activities. RNAs convert that code into proteins to carry out cellular functions. His work is highly translational toward improving human health and medical practice.

Elasri previously served at the University of Southern Mississippi as a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the inaugural director of the Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, and the principal investigator and director of the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). While at the Hattiesburg, Mississippi, university, Elasri also served as the associate dean of research and graduate affairs in the College of Science and Technology and the College of Arts and Sciences.

https://news.uams.edu/2022/03/01/mohamed-o-elasri-ph-d-named-associate-vice-chancellor-for-research-at-uams/

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COVID-19 Active Cases in SW Arkansas

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Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 5

Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 14

Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 13

Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 23

Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 9

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Governor Hutchinson Pays Tribute to Firefighter, Officer Who Died in Line of Duty; Introduces Reading Initiative

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LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson opened his weekly news briefing today with a tribute to a firefighter and a corrections officer who died in separate incidents on Saturday and Monday.

Sergeant Joshua Caudell, 29, of the Department of Corrections was shot and killed while assisting local law enforcement. Jason Lang, 20, of the West Memphis Fire Department stopped on his way to an EMT training class to assist with a traffic accident and was struck and killed by an 18-wheeler.

Governor Hutchinson ordered the Arkansas and U.S. flags to be lowered to half-staff in their honor.

Ukraine

Arkansas will do all it can to honor the sanctions imposed by the international community against Russia, Governor Hutchinson said.

He has worked with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division to ensure that distributers are no longer acquiring Russian liquor.

The Governor noted that he has proclaimed March 1 through March 3 as days of prayer for Ukraine.

“There is not a more important moment than now to continue in prayer for them and their safety, and that they will have increased support from our allies,” Governor Hutchinson said.

As part of the efforts from the state to follow the sanctions, a review of state records showed that there are no Russia-owned assets in Arkansas and no direct investment of Arkansas funds.

The Governor has asked that state employees to be vigilant for signs of a cyberattack on state systems.

10 Minutes Matter

Governor Hutchinson announced a new reading initiative in partnership with the Department of Human Services and Department of Education, called “10 Minutes Matter.” 

The partnership emphasizes the importance of reading to children from birth to five years old for 10 minutes a day. Studies show that reading one short book a day to young children can increase their vocabulary by 300,000 words by the time they start school, the Governor said.

The state will provide reading kits for childcare centers, schools, and pediatrician offices.

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UA Cossatot and the City of De Queen Partner in Workforce Scholarship Program

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UA Cossatot and the City of De Queen recently partnered to provide City of De Queen employees and children discounted tuition rates while attending UA Cossatot.

The tuition discount, which does not apply to specific program fees, gives full-time City of De Queen Employees a 50% tuition discount while children of full-time City of De Queen employees receive a 25% tuition discount. Eligible recipients must complete the course(s) authorized with a grade of "C" or better.

UA Cossatot and the City of De Queen established a procedure for participation, a memorandum of agreement between UA Cossatot and the City of De Queen, and a memorandum of understanding on financial awards.

UA Cossatot Chancellor Dr. Steve Cole said, “Our community is only as good as the collaborations within it. It is amazing how much a community prospers when we are able to share resources with each other. De Queen Mayor Jeff Brown and the De Queen City Council identified a way to reward employees and, at the same time, give them away to better themselves and their families. UA Cossatot was honored to assist in these efforts.”

For more information, contact Dr. Steve Cole at 870-584-1173 or scole@cccua.edu.

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Danyelle Musselman to Emcee UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s ‘Be a Part of the Cure’ Walk on April 30

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Danyelle Musselman serves on the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Board of Advisors.

By Marty Trieschmann

The first lady of Arkansas Razorback Men’s Basketball, Danyelle Musselman, will emcee the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s “Be a Part of the Cure” Walk honoring all Arkansas cancer patients.

“Like many of us, I have lost friends and family members to cancer,” said Musselman, who serves on the Cancer Institute’s board of advisors. “Not one to sit on the bench, I’m lacing up my shoes and going on a walk to raise money to fight cancer of all kinds and help patients battling the disease right here in the Natural State.”

The walk is set for 8 a.m., Saturday, April 30, at War Memorial Stadium and outdoor course and will honor cancer patients, cancer survivors and those who have lost their battle with cancer, as well as raise funds for research programs at the Cancer Institute.

https://news.uams.edu/2022/02/28/danyelle-musselman-to-emcee-uams-winthrop-p-rockefeller-cancer-institutes-be-a-part-of-the-cure-walk-on-april-30/

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Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

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The House will begin the 3rd week of the 2022 Fiscal Session on Monday. The second week was an abbreviated one due to the federal holiday and winter weather across the state.

In addition to several appropriation bills, the House also passed the following pieces of legislation this week:

SB87-This bill establishes coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of morbid obesity under the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program.

SB86-This bill establishes a funding mechanism to ensure the solvency of the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program by directing the Employee Benefits Division to aim for a reserve balance of 14% of expenses.

SB85-This bill clarifies the definition of “eligible inactive retiree” to participate in the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program.

SB88-This bill modifies the state contribution to the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program.

This completes our work on a package of bills we elected to take up during this Fiscal Session to ensure the health insurance plan for state and public school employees and retirees remains financially stable without reducing benefits.

On Tuesday, the House approved an amendment to HB1034, an appropriation for the Department of Corrections. The amendment adds $4.5 million to be used for employees’ overtime pay.

The House also approved an amendment to HB1067, an appropriation for the Division of Career and Technical Education. The amendment adds approximately $1.4 million for vocational training.

The Joint Budget Committee is working to complete the review and votes of the remaining budget bills in the upcoming week. The bill filing deadline for the 2022 Fiscal Session is February 28.

The House will reconvene on Monday, February 28, at noon. You can watch all committee meetings and House proceedings at www.arkansashouse.org

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Active COVID Cases in SW Arkansas

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Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 10

Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 20

Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 17

Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 34

Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 15

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Influenza could threaten state’s poultry industry

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by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Disease, especially avian influenza, could impact Arkansas poultry producers in 2022.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is urging poultry owners to increase biosecurity measures on their operations in response to several reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in other states to include some in the Mississippi Flyway.

HPAI is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry and wild birds. HPAI virus strains are extremely infectious, often fatal to chickens, and can spread rapidly from flock to flock. Symptoms can include sudden increase in bird deaths with no clinical signs, lack of energy and appetite, decrease in egg production, soft- or thin-shelled or misshapen eggs, and more.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/02/influenza-could-threaten-states-poultry-industry/