Attorney General Tim Griffin announces $104,246 settlement with wireless carriers over deceptive and misleading advertising practices

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement announcing Arkansas will receive $104,246.46 as part of a $10.25 million, 50-jurisdiction settlement with AT&T, Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless, and TracFone Wireless resolving state attorneys general investigations into the wireless carriers’ deceptive and misleading advertising practices:

“Cell phones are important to the daily lives of Arkansans, and it is imperative that wireless companies are straightforward and honest in their advertising practices. Consumer protection is a core mission of my office, and it remains one of my top priorities. I want to thank my Public Protection Division for its work on securing this settlement, especially Deputy Attorney General Chuck Harder and Assistant Attorney General Matthew Ford.”

In the settlement, Arkansas will receive $49,017.04 from T-Mobile USA, $30,125.14 from Verizon Wireless, and $25,104.28 from AT&T.

Under the terms of the settlement, wireless carriers will be required to:

• Ensure that all future advertisements and representations are truthful, accurate, and not misleading;

• Refer in marketing to “unlimited” mobile data plans only when such plans do not set any numerical limits on the quantity of data allowed during a billing cycle and clearly and conspicuously disclose any restrictions on data speed, as well as the triggers of such restrictions;

• Offer to pay for consumers to “switch” carriers only when they clearly and conspicuously disclose the type of fees and amounts that they will pay consumers, the form and schedule that such payment will take, and all material requirements that consumers must satisfy in order to qualify for and receive such payment;

• Offer wireless devices or services for “free” or similar terms only when they disclose clearly and conspicuously all material terms and conditions that the consumer must meet in order to receive the “free” devices or services;

• Make offers to lease wireless devices only when the company makes clear that the consumer will be entering into a lease agreement;

• Make representations that a consumer will save money by purchasing its products or services only when it has a reasonable basis to do so based on comparisons with the prices of comparable goods or services of other providers, or where any material differences between those goods or services are clearly and conspicuously disclosed;

• Appoint a dedicated employee to work with the attorneys general to address ordinary complaints filed by consumers; and

• Train its customer service representatives who speak with consumers to comply with these terms and implement and enforce a program to ensure compliance with these terms.

To read the settlement with AT&T and Cricket Wireless, click here.

To read the settlement with T-Mobile USA, click here.

To read the settlement with Verizon Wireless and TracFone Wireless, click here.

Sanders Delivers Remarks at the Unveiling of the Daisy Lee Gatson Bates Statue in Statuary HallS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered remarks at the unveiling of the Daisy Lee Gatson Bates Statue in Statuary Hall on Wednesday, May 8th.

The Governor’s remarks as prepared are below:

It is a privilege to be here in our nation’s Capitol to represent the State of Arkansas and honor one of our state’s finest, Daisy Gatson Bates. Thank you to Arkansas’ congressional delegation and congressional leadership from both sides of the aisle for being here. It’s also great to see so many friendly faces in the crowd. That’s not always the norm for D.C., but no surprise that, even though she is gone, Daisy is still bringing people together.  

I can’t think of a better way to elevate this program than with singers from two of Arkansas’ HBCUs – UAPB and Philander Smith. Both schools were at the center of activism during the Civil Rights Era – and today, one of them sits on Daisy Gatson Bates Drive in Little Rock. 

 We’re also here with many of Bates’ family and friends, and the President of the Daisy Bates Museum – living reminders that, though Daisy is no longer with us, her legacy and impact live on. 

I’m privileged enough to have met Daisy Bates. I’m a Little Rock Central High Class of 2000 graduate – the same school that Bates helped desegregate. We remember – rightly – the heroism of the Little Rock Nine who first desegregated Central. And we also remember that always right there with them was Daisy, one moment privately comforting those brave students, the next, publicly confronting Arkansas’ most powerful politicians. 

In 1997, my dad, then-Governor Mike Huckabee, joined then-President Bill Clinton to ceremonially open the doors of Central to the Little Rock Nine. One of my most vivid memories from growing up: thousands cheering in the crowd, media from all over the world – and up on the dais with the President, Governor, and Mayor, Daisy, in her rightful place of honor. 

But as much as I look back on that day in 1997 with fond memories, we can never forget the scene from forty years earlier. The crowds weren’t cheering, they were booing. The President had taken control of the National Guard. The Governor promised to shut the school down before he integrated it. 

The nine students were harassed, hurt, and haunted. Daisy Bates’ home was vandalized repeatedly. Bates herself was arrested. In a similar situation, most of us would’ve chosen anger and bitterness, even called for retaliation. 

But Bates didn’t. She didn’t arm the students with hate but instead with hope. She didn’t use her house to plan revenge, but instead made it a safe haven for black students. 

There was a fire inside this woman, but she didn’t use it to burn our state down. Instead, she used it to bring light to our state’s darkest corners. 

Today, it can be hard to imagine those hot September days of 1957 and the burning anger some felt toward their fellow Arkansans. It reminds me of a visit I made with my parents when I was 11, to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel’s memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. 

I remember walking through those halls, seeing the unspeakable brutality committed during that dark time. And I remember at the end, pulling my father’s pen out of his shirt pocket, and signing Yad Vashem’s guest book. After writing my name and address, I wrote, “Why didn’t somebody do something?” It’s a question that still haunts me. 

Back in 1957, thankfully somebody did do something: Daisy Bates. She stood up to injustice. Amid all the hate and anger, she moved our state forward.

Daisy was the picture of courage, being willing to take on the fight because it was right, not because she knew she could win.  

Arkansans take a lot of pride in where we come from – the pioneers and patriots who built our state, the activists and advocates who changed it for the better. Daisy is one of those heroes. It’s why my dad established Daisy Gatson Bates Day, why we have Daisy Bates Elementary, Daisy Bates Drives and Daisy Bates scholarships.  

But outside of Arkansas, Bates is less well known – and it’s time to change that. This beautiful statue and this ceremony are a great place to start. Long after we’ve all retired from politics, Daisy will be standing here in these marble halls – reminding everyone of the long, difficult march it took to get us to this moment, and the importance of continuing that march forward. 

As you would expect, Daisy said it best when she said it herself: “Arkansas is the home of my birth, my growth, my identity as a woman in this world. It has claimed me from birth, I have claimed it for life.” Daisy has always claimed Arkansas andwe are proud to claim her back and have her represent all of us here in this special place.  

As Governor, and on behalf of the entire state of Arkansas, Daisy Bates makes us proud. Thank you, and may God bless the great State of Arkansas. 

International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit set for fall 2024

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses adapt to infect a broad range of species, including one recent human case, the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science has expanded the outlook for its second annual international conference.

AVIAN FLU SUMMIT — Highly pathogenic avian influenza has adapted to species other than poultry, prompting The Internatioanl Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit this fall in Fayetteville. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

The International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit will be held in person and online, Sept. 30-Oct. 3, at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1371 W. Altheimer Dr., in Fayetteville.

“Avian influenza has adapted to mammalian species, and it is now endemic in the United States,” said Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, poultry science research professor for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Now we see that migratory birds that were not susceptible in the past are dying, and wild birds are spreading the virus worldwide.”

Tellez-Isaias is one of 14 organizers for the summit, hosted by the Division of Agriculture and the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. Last year, 23 speakers made presentations over two days, and 1,842 people registered from 81 countries. This year, the summit remains free and will have 46 speakers over four days.

“The One Health concept recognizes that everything that affects humans will impact animals and the environment,” Tellez-Isaias said. “We are all connected in this world.”

Expanded outlook

Knowing the virus could mutate, organizers of the summit had already expanded the outlook to include other species and emerging diseases prior to the March 25 outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, in dairy cows.

On April 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it confirmed one human HPAI infection after exposure to dairy cattle in Texas. The CDC has also reported H5N1 in domestic cats in Kansas and Texas, which “reflects the continued spread of clade 2.3.4.4b viruses that entered the country in late 2021.”

The CDC’s risk assessment for the public remains “low.” However, like the virus that is thought to have originated in a Kansas army camp near the end of World War I and became known as the “Spanish flu,” HPAI viruses mutate and have the potential to inflict massive casualties.

Tellez-Isaias said H5N1 “hijacks the immune system and creates a tremendous inflammatory response like an anaphylactic shock” in its victims.

“That’s why you don’t see any clinical signs,” Tellez-Isaias said. “No respiratory, sneezy coughing, no lesions. Nothing. You can leave a poultry house, and everything seems fine, but when you come back in the morning, you have up to 100 percent mortality.”

Since January 2022, multiple HPAI viruses have infected millions of wild birds, commercial poultry flocks and more than two dozen species of terrestrial and marine mammals worldwide. This bird flu has also spread across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Australia, Europe and Antarctica.

Emerging issues

Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Gallinarum, Inclusion Body Hepatitis, and Histomonas meleagridis, a protozoal parasite that causes histomonosis, will also be addressed by speakers as emerging issues in food production.

Histomonosis, also known as blackhead disease, is lethal in turkeys 12 to 14 weeks old. It was controlled by arsenic-based drugs in poultry feed from the 1940s to 2013, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration withdrew approval for three common formulas. The FDA removed another chemical formula from the market in 2015. There are currently no vaccinations to control histomonosis.

Event registration

To register for the summit, online or in-person, please click on “Registration” at the top of the event page. The capacity for in-person attendees is 150 people.

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.

Jim and Pat Wallis Pledge $500,000 to Establish a Professorship in Radiation Oncology at UAMS

By Andrew Vogler

LITTLE ROCK — James “Jim” Wallis and Patricia “Pat” Wallis pledged $500,000 to create the James and Patricia Wallis Professorship in Radiation Oncology in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine’s Department of Radiation Oncology.

“I want to thank Jim and Pat Wallis for their continued support of UAMS — through their philanthropy, they have shown their belief in this institution and a commitment to the people of Arkansas,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “A professorship is a profoundly beneficial instrument at the disposal of a department, supporting activities that advance the mission of UAMS. I hope Jim and Pat know that this will help many people well into the future.”

The gift was made to support the Future of UAMS and was inspired by Jim Wallis’s tumor treatment using proton therapy at the Proton Center in Oklahoma City. The professorship holder will be a faculty member of the Department of Radiation Oncology, elected by the chair of the department with approval by the dean of the College of Medicine.

Jim and Pat Wallis Pledge $500,000 to Establish a Professorship in Radiation Oncology at UAMS

Jim Wallis served as chairman, president and CEO of ExOK Inc., a company he founded in 1979, serving as chairman, president and CEO.

Gov. Sanders opposes DOD's proposal to weaken states' powers over National Guard

KUAR | By Ronak Patel

In a letter to the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the National Governors Association expressed their displeasure with the department’s proposed legislation to Congress to weaken the authority that governors have over the National Guard.

Fifty-three governors from the states and U.S territories signed onto the letter. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders was among the governors to sign onto the letter. The letter explains that this proposal would make it more difficult for governors to respond to crises. Last year, Sanders activated the Arkansas National Guard to help local officials respond to the tornado in Central Arkansas. She also deployed the National Guard to the Southern Border.

Gov. Sanders opposes DOD's proposal to weaken states' powers over National Guard

Arkansas National Guard

Sanders Receives Outdoor Recreation Leadership Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders received the first ever “Outdoor Recreation Leadership” award at the Outdoor Recreation Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 7th.

“I’m honored to receive the Outdoor Recreation Leadership award and earn recognition for all the progress my administration has made on growing Arkansas’ outdoor economy,” said Governor Sanders. “Alongside my husband, Bryan, I created the Natural State Initiative to invest in state parks, grow outdoor entrepreneurship, get kids off screens and outside, and show Arkansas’ natural beauty to the world. I’m proud that work is admired on the national level and look forward to inviting even more Arkansans and visitors into our outdoor spaces and breaking tourism records year after year.”

Prior to receiving the award, Governor Sanders participated in a roundtable discussion on outdoor recreation with U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. Sanders’ spokeswoman, Alexa Henning, released the following readout of their conversation:

“Governor Sanders joined Senator Hickenlooper, Governor Burgum, and outdoor recreation leaders from around the country to discuss Arkansas’ progress on growing our outdoor economy. The Governor spoke about the Natural State Initiative, which she formed alongside her husband, Bryan, to unite public, private, and nonprofit leaders around growing Arkansas’ tourism industry and improving our natural spaces. She talked about the group’s legislative successes and how, as a nonpartisan issue, growing outdoor recreation is an opportunity to bring together leaders from around Arkansas and both sides of the aisle. She also talked about how important quality of life is for attracting newcomers to Arkansas and encouraging Arkansans to stay in the state, and how the outdoors offer an opportunity for kids to get off screens. The Governor mentioned that Arkansas, as a year-round outdoor destination, has the opportunity to compete with states like North Dakota and Colorado.”

Cooperative Extension Service to host artificial insemination training course for cattle producers

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

HOPE, Ark. — Artificial insemination is a powerful tool that cattle producers can use to improve efficiency and profitability in their herds.

CATTLE — Dr. Charles Looney, a leading expert in cattle genetics, leads workshops in artificial insemination. UADA photo

Charles Looney, extension professor of cattle improvement for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is recognized internationally for his expertise in cattle genetics and reproductive technologies. On June 13-14, Looney will offer a hands-on training course to teach cattle producers how to use the technology.

The workshop will be offered at the Southwest Research and Extension Center, located at 362 Hwy 174 North in Hope, Arkansas. Topics to be covered include:

• Basic reproductive anatomy and physiology

• Estrous synchronization

• Semen handling

• Pregnancy determination methods

• Reproductive health

• Training in artificial insemination on live cattle

Looney also will provide information on nutrition, herd health and record keeping, basic reproductive anatomy and physiology, pregnancy determination methods and more.

The workshop will run 8 a.m.-5 p.m. the first day and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on the second day. Registration is $450 and includes lunch. The registration deadline is June 11, and participants can register at https://uada.formstack.com/forms/beef_cattle_ai_2024

Workshop sponsors include Premier Select Sires, CattleMax, Nashville Animal Hospital, Zinpro and Purina. For more information, contact Charles Looney at clooney@uada.edu or 870-777-9702.

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

Legal experts weigh in on the use of dicamba

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

One of the most controversial topics in the agriculture industry is the use of the herbicide dicamba. Many state and federal policies regarding dicamba have changed in recent years including a federal court decision in Arizona that questions the future use of over-the-top dicamba products. The three products targeted are XtendiMax, Engenia and Tavium.

“The Feb. 6 decision from the U.S. District Court of Arizona was another major development in the ongoing saga impacting producers’ methods for protecting their crops,” Brigit Rollins, staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center, said. “Pending a possible appeal, producers will not be able to rely on over-the-top dicamba as they may have in the past.”

A week after the court ruling, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice that it would still allow producers to use existing stocks of over-the-top dicamba during the upcoming growing season.

Legal experts weigh in on the use of dicamba

Jason Rapert fails to remove funding from some state libraries

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

Former Sen. Jason Rapert failed several times to remove funding from libraries that have books he finds offensive. Rapert serves on the State Library Board. He came to the Friday meeting on zoom. At the meeting, he put forward several motions to withhold funding from libraries that have books that he classifies as “obscene or pornographic.”

“I am going to make this motion every single board meeting to suspend funds,” he said.

Rapert presented a list of books he found objectionable at the meeting. The titles included books with LGBTQ themes and characters like All Boys Aren't Blue and Gender Queer. Several other books are by the writer Ellen Hopkins. She writes novels written in poetry that deal with themes like teen sex and drug use. Rapert said he found the books on a website called “Take Back The Classroom.”

Jason Rapert fails to remove funding from some state libraries

Arkansas Advocate/Screenshot From Court Documents

Former Sen. Jason Rapert was not able to defund some state libaries.

Lawsuit challenges Arkansas ban on gender-neutral IDs

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

The suit says Arkansas' ban on gender-neutral driver's licenses and state IDs causes harm and was rolled out improperly.

Ariana Remmel started using they/them pronouns in their late twenties. Born and raised in Little Rock, they grew up not knowing the meaning of the term “non-binary.”

“I can look back at some of the challenges I had as a kid where I felt like I was consistently bumping up against gender stereotypes; in how I was expected to behave in social situations, in academic performance," they said. "It really caused a lot of problems for me that contributed to mental health challenges.”

When they moved to the West Coast, Remmel decided to change their license to reflect their gender identity. Under “sex” on their California driver's license, Remmel put an “X.”

Lawsuit challenges Arkansas ban on gender-neutral IDs

LA Johnson/NPR

Arkansans can no longer opt to choose "X" under the sex designation on their driver's licenses or state-issued photo IDs due to a rule change by the Department of Finance and Administration.

Legislature adjourns with no funding for Game and Fish

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

The Arkansas House voted again not to fund the Game and Fish Commission on Thursday.

This came right before the House adjourned for the session, an event known as Sine Die. The vote marks the second attempt for the House to pass an appropriation bill for the commission this year. Legislators voted amid discussion of a controversial pay raise for the director.

Game and Fish Commission Director Austin Booth currently makes over $152,638. He asked the legislature for a $40,000 pay raise, which would push his salary to over $190,000.

Legislature adjourns with no funding for Game and Fish

Westerman delivers remarks at unveiling of Daisy Bates statue in U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) delivered remarks at the unveiling of a statue of civil rights activist and journalist Daisy Bates in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.

Congressman Westerman's remarks, as delivered:

“Imagine, as an eight-year-old girl, you learn that years before, your mother had been raped, murdered, and dumped in a pond. That was young Daisy Gatson Bates’ story in the small town of Huttig, Arkansas, not far from the Louisiana line.

On top of that, imagine you learn the white men who did this to your black mother were never brought to justice - never held accountable – how would you feel?

Fifty-four years later, in an interview, she said, ‘I was so tight inside, there was so much hate. And I think it started then without me knowing it. It prepared me, it gave me the strength to carry this out.’

Fortunately, Daisy Bates took the advice of her dying adopted father and channeled her anger and hate into a lifelong motivation to make a difference, to seek justice in a world where there was injustice.

Ben Victor, the sculptor of the statue, when asked, ‘what stands out to you most about Daisy Bates?’ He replied, ‘her courage really stands out to me. I’ve depicted her in motion because she was a woman with a cause. She is smiling, showing her optimism in the face of great adversity. And of course, her role as a journalist and publisher are highlighted by the pen and notepad in her right hand and the newspaper in the left.’

Daisy bates was a courageous woman. She often spoke about being afraid. Afraid when rocks were being thrown through her window. Afraid that a bomb or assassination could happen. Afraid when she told the Little Rock Nine, quote ‘one of us might die in this fight. And I said to them, if they kill me, you would have to go on. If I die, don’t you stop.’

We know that courage does not mean an absence of fear. But true courage, the example of courage Daisy Bates gave us all, is to face our fear, to overcome it, and to do the right thing. What a remarkable story the great state of Arkansas has chosen to tell by placing this beautiful statue, the statue of Daisy Bates, here in our nation’s Capitol, in this sacred hall.

Hopefully, as her story is told over, and over again, it will be a small semblance of the justice she so faithfully sought. Not just justice for herself, but justice for all.

It is a day we can be proud to honor one of our own. It is a day to be proud to be an Arkansan. Thank you.”

Severe weather likely in Arkansas beginning Wednesday evening; briefing updated

• Severe storms are expected to fire across Arkansas this afternoon into the overnight hours.

• Chances for severe weather will increase through the day as a storm system tracks from the southern Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley, and drags a cold front into Arkansas. Ahead of the front, well above average temperatures and humid conditions will create a very unstable environment.

• All modes of severe weather are in play this afternoon and overnight. Very large hail up to baseball size and wind gusts up to 80 mph are the main threats, with tornadoes also possible. Heavy downpours may lead to localized flash flooding as well.

• On Thursday, storms will be mostly south of Arkansas but could impact far southern portions of the state. Damaging winds and large hail would be the main hazards.

Minor updates have been made by the National Weather Service in Little Rock, AR.

They include the addition of NW Arkansas to the Tornado Outlook and Overnight Timing Graphics. 

Storms are expected to initially develop by early evening across northern and western Arkansas. These storms will be capable of all severe weather hazards. The storms will gradually shift eastward through the evening hours with the very large hail threat becoming slightly lower. The damaging wind and isolated tornado threat will persist. Activity should make it east of the Mississippi River by daybreak Thursday.

Arkansas judge delivers mixed ruling in critical race theory ban case

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

A judge returned a mixed verdict Tuesday in a lawsuit challenging part of the Arkansas LEARNS Act.

U.S. District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky did partially grant a preliminary injunction over a law dictating how race can be taught in Arkansas schools. The injunction only applies to the two teachers who brought the suit.

Section 16 of the Arkansas LEARNS Act prohibits schools from teaching “indoctrination,” “critical race theory,” or any curriculum that encourages discrimination. Rudofsky did not think the law was worded in such a way as to prevent teachers from discussing certain topics including critical race theory, as long as they were not forcing beliefs on students.

Arkansas judge delivers mixed ruling in critical race theory ban case

U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky on Tuesday partially granted a preliminary injunction on a law dictating how race can be taught in Arkansas schools.

Pulaski County Circuit Court grants Attorney General's motion, dismisses blogger's lawsuit against Governor

LITTLE ROCK – Following the dismissal of attorney and blogger Matt Campbell’s lawsuit against Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today by the Pulaski County Circuit Court, Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement:

“This was the proper outcome for this baseless case after Mr. Campbell failed to serve process within 120 days of filing the complaint—the second time this year he has had a case dismissed for failure to serve process. It’s unfortunate that cases like this waste taxpayer dollars and clog up our judicial system.”

Campbell sued Governor Sanders last year over alleged violations of Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act. A Pulaski County Circuit Court judge today granted a motion to dismiss made by the Office of the Attorney General, which was defending Governor Sanders in the case.

To read the judge’s order granting the motion to dismiss, click here.

For a printer-friendly version, click here.

Attorneys General Griffin and Bailey file Title IX suit on behalf of six states alongside Arkansas high school athlete

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey today issued the following statements after filing suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on behalf of four other state attorneys general alongside an Arkansas high school athlete against the U.S. Department of Education over its new rule interpreting Title IX:

“The overwhelming majority of Americans see the Biden administration’s rule change for what it is: a ridiculous, nonsensical and illegal election-year move that few can comprehend or support. It’s outrageous.

“Congress enacted Title IX to protect and promote opportunities for women and girls in education and sports. For the last half century, that’s what it has done. But President Biden and his Department of Education now want to radically reinterpret Title IX and recast it as a rule about gender identity.

“The rule we’re challenging today requires schools and universities to allow men onto women and girls’ sports teams. It robs young female athletes of opportunities. It forces schools and universities to allow men into women and girls locker rooms, restrooms, and shower facilities. It compels teachers, administrators, and even fellow students to use an individual’s preferred pronouns. And it subjects anyone who disagrees with President Biden’s view of sex to investigation and possible sanction.

“That contravenes Title IX’s plain language, and it violates the Constitution. That’s why we’re challenging it, and it’s also why we’re confident the federal courts will set aside this unlawful regulation. I am proud to stand with my fellow attorneys general and one of my constituents against President Biden’s latest attempt to push forward by fiat what Congress never passed into law and to defend the laws we’ve passed in Arkansas to protect female athletes.”

Attorney General Bailey added:

“Joe Biden is once again exceeding his constitutional authority, this time to put a radical transgender ideology ahead of the safety of women and girls. As the father of a young daughter, I take this personally. The Biden Administration has threatened to hold federal funding hostage from any institution who rejects this unconstitutional and sexist rule. I’m filing suit because I will not allow federal bureaucrats to subject Missouri girls to unsafe conditions in order to push a radical transgender ideology.”

The suit, filed by the attorneys general of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and an Arkansas high school athlete asks the court to stay the rule; grant a preliminary injunction preventing the rule’s implementation; enter a judgment that the Department of Education’s interpretation is unlawful; and vacate the rule.

The lawsuit can be read here.

Groce, West honored by University of Central Arkansas

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

CONWAY, Ark. — Mary Beth Groce and Joy West took two very different paths to wind up as award-winning family and consumer science agents for the Cooperative Extension Service.

West of Jackson County and Groce, the Faulkner County extension staff chair, were honored by the University of Central Arkansas as distinguished alumni. West earned the Distinguished Alumni Award for graduates of the Nutrition and Family Science Department, while Groce was recognized with the department’s Young Achiever Award in a ceremony on March 5.

From left, Joy West, Jackson County extension agent, Nina Roofe, head of FCS for the Cooperative Extension Service, and Mary Beth Groce, Faulkner County extension staff chair. Taken March 5, 2024. (UCA image)

Family and Consumer Sciences, formerly known as home economics, covers a broad range of topics including personal finance, health, family living and nutrition. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture conducts outreach for this discipline in all 75 counties of Arkansas through the Cooperative Extension Service.

Mary Beth Groce
Groce was recognized with the Young Achiever Award, which is presented to alumni within 15 years of graduation who demonstrate emerging leadership and professional achievements in FCS. After graduation, Mary Beth was hired by the Cooperative Extension Service and will celebrate her 10 years with the Cooperative Extension Service in September.

"I am incredibly excited for Mary Beth and her achievements,” said Sherry Beaty-Sullivan, Ozark District director for the Cooperative Extension Service. “What an honor to be named Young Achiever of the Year from UCA's Department of Nutrition and Family Sciences! We are proud of her and all of her accomplishments as an agent and young professional.”

Kevin Lawson, a long-time co-worker and Faulkner County extension agent, praised Groce for her mentoring skills and continued partnership with UCA.

“She has been interning students from UCA for several years and we have gone on to hire those interns as agents,” Lawson said. “I am super proud of how hard she works and her partnership with UCA has been beneficial to UCA and to extension.  She has given so much knowledge to FCS majors at UCA and her impact will always be with these young FCS professionals.”

Working for the Cooperative Extension Service was almost a foregone conclusion for Groce who graduated in 2104 with a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer science.

“I grew up in 4-H from a Cloverbud through an Ambassador, and was always involved with extension, but it wasn't until I had Mrs. Judy Riley as a teacher at UCA that I considered it as a career,” Groce said. “Mrs. Riley asked what I wanted to do with my degree, and I told her that I wanted to help people in the most practical ways possible. 

“She naturally started the conversation about becoming an extension agent, and almost 10 years later with my master’s degree and as a staff chair, I think she was right,” Groce said.

Riley was Delta District director for the Cooperative Extension Service and is an adjunct instructor at UCA. She continues to be involved as a member of the Arkansas 4-H Foundation Board of Directors.

Joy West
UCA’s Distinguished Alumni Award is for graduates of the Nutrition and Family Science Department who demonstrate outstanding accomplishments and leadership in family and consumer science professions.

West graduated from UCA with bachelor’s degree in home economics in 1990, something that almost didn’t happen.

“Just four years before, the UCA board had thought to dismiss the department thinking it was no longer needed,” West said. “My father, James Griffith, was the superintendent of South Side, Bee Branch and spoke at the hearing with other school superintendents to request the program stay. 

“Dr. Mary Harlan, department chair, told me he said, ‘I have a sad little girl at home right now’,” West said. “I’m not sure his argument swayed the board, but the department stayed and actually grew much larger during my time at UCA.”   

West’s extension career almost didn’t happen either.

“When I graduated, I had no intention of working for extension,” she said, adding that she had planned to teach high school family and consumer sciences for my entire career. “But life changes your intent sometimes.”

West took a break from teaching to focus on her children but couldn’t find a school where she wanted to teach. A suggestion from one of her sisters  steered West toward extension.

“After accepting the position in Yell County I learned this type of education was quite gratifying,” West said. “I was attracted to the continual change and freedom to choose programs that were of interest to the many different groups I could serve. 

“Although I miss the school atmosphere and influence you can have on the lives of so many students, having 4-H responsibilities gives me back a sense of this,” she said. “I plan to stay with extension and continue using the knowledge I was gratefully given while at UCA.”

Carla Due, Ouachita District director for the Cooperative Extension Service and a former family and consumer science agent, said West is an exceptional agent who serves in leadership roles in her professional organization both in Arkansas and on a national level.

“Joy is innovative in addressing the clientele’s needs,” Due said. “We are happy to have her in Jackson County.”

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

UAMS Medical Center Only Hospital in Greater Little Rock Area to Receive ‘A’ Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group

By Yavonda Chase

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Medical Center earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit that awards letter grades to general hospitals around the country based on more than 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems that hospitals have in place to prevent them.

UAMS was one of six hospitals in Arkansas to receive an “A” ranking, and it was the only one in the Greater Little Rock region.

“I am personally thrilled by this ranking because it represents the importance that we at UAMS put on safety, which is one of our core values,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “We are committed to improving the health of all Arkansans, and providing our patients with safe and effective health care is key to fulfilling our mission.”

UAMS Medical Center Only Hospital in Greater Little Rock Area to Receive ‘A’ Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group

The UAMS Medical Center earned earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group.

Lyon College to locate dental school in LR’s Riverdale neighborhood, vet school in Cabot

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

Lyon College officials announced Tuesday (May 7) the locations of their planned dental and veterinary schools with one locating in Little Rock and the other in Cabot.

In November 2023, an original plan to locate the dental and vet schools in the Heifer International headquarters in downtown Little Rock fell through.

OneHealth Companies, the school’s original partner in the venture, failed to meet the deadline to buy the Heifer International facility, according to numerous published reports. OneHealth is no longer involved with Lyon on the project.

Lyon College to locate dental school in LR’s Riverdale neighborhood, vet school in Cabot

ATA hosts annual trucking conference this week in Rogers

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

Nearly 300 trucking industry leaders are expected to attend the annual Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) Conference & Vendor Showcase this week in Rogers.

The ATA will host the conference from Wednesday (May 8) to Friday (May 10). The conference events will largely take place at Rogers Convention Center and include speakers who will discuss economics, politics, autonomous vehicles and litigation.

Andrew Boyle, chairman of the American Trucking Associations and co-president of Boyle Transportation, will be the keynote speaker and provide the state of the industry address at 1:30 p.m. Thursday (May 9). Boyle will discuss the most pressing industry challenges, such as electric vehicle mandates and threats to the independent contractor model.

ATA hosts annual trucking conference this week in Rogers