Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 44
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 30
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 17
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 5
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 21
LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about the pillars of our education system that allow Arkansans to adapt to an economy that grows more complex and more high-tech by the day. We must preserve and strengthen these pillars for our young people as they pursue satisfying careers.
The first pillar is an unshakable commitment to the fundamentals of education: in-classroom learning built upon effective instruction in core subject areas taught by high-quality teachers.
In Arkansas, we know that school isn't really school without that pillar. That was one of the crucial considerations when we decided to continue in-person learning throughout the past school year, even in the face of well-intentioned resistance. Arkansas was one of only four states to do that.
The value of in-person school — with sports, band, socializing, and teacher contact — over the isolation of remote learning was clear. In rural areas, we boosted teacher pay to retain good teachers so that all students had adequate instruction regardless of their ZIP code.
A commitment to the fundamentals goes beyond attending school in person. Core reading and literacy skills are vital to success in the classroom, in life, and in every career path.
Here’s a bit of history to confirm our commitment to the basics. In 2017, we saw a pressing need to increase reading skills throughout our schools. We established the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence to provide reading instruction based upon the science of reading emphasizing phonics. We also worked to create a culture of reading in the schools, with individualized help to assure third-grade students read at grade level. This significant initiative will increase the number of students who are reading and performing at the highest level.
The second pillar is our commitment to embrace 21st Century tools as we teach the fundamentals. The first step in that was the computer science requirements we implemented. These requirements have set us apart from other states and contributed to our reputation as an attractive state for innovative companies across a host of industries.
Our success in Arkansas is proof that we can quickly overcome stereotypes and increase test scores. Computer science was just the beginning. Even before COVID struck, broadband connectivity was fast becoming essential for us to compete with other states. When the CARES Act opened new opportunities for funding, we redoubled our efforts to take broadband to students in rural and low-income areas.
The third pillar is our public-private partnerships. When it comes to connectivity and workforce training, the government cannot and should not go it alone. Arkansas’s Ready for Life initiative allows the private sector the opportunity to participate in building our workforce. Ready for Life is a one-stop website where job-seekers, educators, and employers can find each other.
That’s our formula. No. 1. Teach the old-school fundamentals. No. 2. Enthusiastically embrace 21st Century tools to teach the fundamentals. No. 3. Enhance public-private partnerships in support of education. Do those three things, and success will come naturally.
Governor Asa Hutchinson will provide a briefing to media at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 23, 2021.
KUAR | By Michael Tilley/ Talk Business & Politics
Almost 67,000 pounds – roughly the weight of two F-35 fighter jets – of medical marijuana have been sold in Arkansas since May 2019, with the state collecting just under $45 million in taxes on the sales.
Licensed dispensaries in the state have sold 66,994 pounds of medical marijuana since the first dispensary opened in May 2019, with the value of the sales at $447 million.
Medical marijuana patients purchased 3,527 pounds of medical marijuana from the state’s 37 dispensaries in October, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the parent agency of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission. Most of the tax revenue is placed in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences National Cancer Designation Trust Fund.
The Arkansas Department of Health reports 78,585 active patient cards.
Almost 67,000 pounds of medical marijuana worth $447 million has been sold in Arkansas since the first dispensary opened in May 2019, according to the Department of Finance and Administration.
The ADH released their most recent report on Monday, November 15th, on the number of active cases of COVID-19 in the state's public schools and colleges. Some area schools of note include:
De Queen 15
Nashville 9
UA Cossatot, and most other area public schools were not listed because they reported less than 5 active cases (ADH does not release info for schools with fewer than 5 active cases to protect student privacy)
For the complete report, please visit:
Active Cases Data for Sevier County
Total Active Cases: 49
Active Cases Data for Howard County
Total Active Cases: 37
Active Cases Data for Little River County
Total Active Cases: 29
Active Cases Data for Polk County
Total Active Cases: 6
Active Cases Data for Pike County
Total Active Cases: 20
By KYLE KELLAMS
KUAF includes an update on medical marijuana dispensaries in Arkansas, an uptick in active cases of COVID-19 in the states, and the stories and experiences of people with Medicaid in Arkansas.
The IDEALS Institute at the University of Arkansas delivers diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training to state agencies, institutions, and community groups across the state. Executive Director Elecia Smith says with a more than $2.1 million dollar grant from the Walton Family Foundation and Walmart Foundation, IDEALS staff will, starting next year, provide DEI resources to a hundred regional nonprofits.
COURTESY / IDEALS INSTITUTE
KUAR | By Talk Business & Politics Staff
The trucking industry is working to raise awareness of human trafficking that affects about 40 million people worldwide.
In an event Tuesday, staff of Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. and the nonprofit Truckers Against Trafficking discussed the problem, its warning signs and how to help victims. The Business Integrity Leadership Initiative of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas hosted the event.
Cindy Moehring, executive chair of the Business Integrity Leadership Initiative, said more than 900 people registered for the in-person and virtual event.
Michael Hibblen/KUAR News
With more truck drivers on the road than police officers, trucking companies are training employees how to identify potential victims of human trafficking.
KUAR | By Remington Miller
Gubernatorial candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders received endorsements from fellow Arkansas Republicans on Friday, including Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Hutchinson is prevented from running for reelection due to term limits. He announced his support for Sanders in a statement, saying “I’ve known Sarah Huckabee Sanders most of her life and know firsthand her love for our state and her heart for public service. Sarah has earned the Republican nomination and I’m delighted today to endorse her for Governor. The state of Arkansas will be in good hands with Sarah as Governor, and she has my full support.”
This endorsement comes just three days after Attorney General Leslie Rutledge dropped out of the governor’s race and announced she would be running for lieutenant governor, leaving Sanders as the only candidate in the Republican primary. She has been considered the frontrunner since announcing her candidacy on Jan. 25, largely because of the support President Donald Trump received in the state and her role serving as White House Press Secretary.
Michael Hibblen/KUAR News
Republican candidate for governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, seen here speaking at a rally in Benton on Sept. 6, has received the endorsements of key party officeholders this week, including Gov. Asa Hutchinson. It comes after her only Republican opponent, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, dropped out of the race Tuesday to run for lieutenant governor.
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
The Arkansas Racing Commission on Friday (Nov. 12) accepted the application and $250,000 filing fee from Cherokee Nation Businesses to move forward on a casino license in Pope County.
The motion passed on a 3-2 vote with two commissioners not participating. The Cherokee Nation proposal was deemed qualified after the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled ineligible the Gulfside Casino Partnership proposal in late October. The state’s high court previously ruled that Gulfside did not have an official letter from an elected official during the active part of the application process, while Cherokee Nation did.
There is still separate litigation pending that could affect the eligibility of the Cherokee Nation license, but it may not be resolved for months.
John Amatucci/Cherokee Nation
A Cherokee Nation casino in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. The business was issued a license Friday by the Arkansas Racing Commission.
by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)
A new report released by the University of Arkansas examines a broad cross-section of the funding options available to startups and small businesses in Arkansas.
A team of collaborators across the Sam M. Walton College of Business and the Division of Economic Development at the UA produced the Arkansas Capital Scan. According to a news release, it’s modeled after a similar report published each year by the University of Oregon, the Oregon Capital Scan.
The 86-page report, intended to be an annual publication, is intended to assist policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders in identifying gaps and opportunities in support of small businesses.
By David Robinson
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received $18.9 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support new research and interventions that will focus on reducing cancer and cardiovascular disease disparities among people who live in rural areas and African American populations across Arkansas.
The five-year award from the NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) will support the establishment of the Center for Research, Health and Social Justice – one of only 11 Multiple Chronic Disease (MCD) Centers funded in the United States. Leading the grant are Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health faculty members Carol Cornell, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, and director of the NIMHD-funded Arkansas Center for Health Disparities, and Pebbles Fagan, Ph.D., MPH, a professor and director of the Center for the Study of Tobacco.
The overall goals of the center are to:
Advance the science of chronic disease health disparities through multidisciplinary team science to improve cancer and cardiovascular outcomes.
Facilitate research and training opportunities to strengthen the capacity of researchers and community members to develop interventions that reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease disparities using social justice principles.
Support academic-community partnerships to address the root causes of chronic disease disparities among African Americans and in rural areas in the state.
https://news.uams.edu/2021/11/15/uams-receives-18-9-million-nih-award-to-address-health-disparities/
DE QUEEN, AR— After finishing High School, Gehri Packnett was looking for a job when he discovered an opportunity that ended up lasting him a lifetime.
In February of 1962, he walked into a Barber shop in De Queen, Arkansas and he hasn’t had any other job since being given a chance that day.
After completing barber college in Little Rock, Gehri began his career at the shop that was then called “George’s,” and after 10 years he bought the business and changed the storefront’s name to his own in 1972. The shop changed ownership again 36 years later in 2008 when Gehri’s stepson, Jeff purchased it and gave the store his name. Now, the duo work side by side together and provide services for a faithful base of clients who have counted on them since the days of their first childhood trims.
Cutting hair on the Downtown Square in De Queen was the first job Gehri ever got, the only job he has ever had, and the only job he says he ever wants. In February 2022, the Oklahoma native will celebrate 60 years of visiting with customers, sharing stories, preparing locals for special occasions and “making those guys look good.”
For six decades, Gehri has watched the community change and grow as businesses in the Southwest border town have come and gone over the years. Despite receiving offers in Texarkana, Arkadelphia, and Little Rock, Gehri has turned down every business proposition to come his way because he only wants to live and work in De Queen. “This is home,” he says. “I grew up 8 miles from De Queen on the state line near the Rock creek area of Oklahoma. I’ve given a lot of these guys their first haircuts and I still cut their hair to this day.”
Patrons of the shop can build a relationship with guys who know the town’s history and have run a family business in the same location for more than half a century. The Father and Stepson team are currently the shop’s only employees, but in the past, Gehri’s Wife Judy, sister Terri, and his son, Scott have helped out with maintaining the family-owned operation.
When asked the secret of his business and career longevity, Gehri says simply “Sticking with it” is the key. Continuing to “stick with it” is exactly what Gehri Packnett intends to do, as he says he has no plans for retirement, and he intends to cut hair in De Queen Arkansas until his last days.
Jeff’s Barber Shop is located at 308 West De Queen Avenue in Downtown De Queen, Arkansas, and they are open Tuesday-Friday from 7:00am-5:00pm and Saturdays 7:00am-2:00pm.
KUAR | By Remington Miller
A proposed constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in Arkansas was filed late last week.
The Arkansas Adult Use and Expungement Marijuana Amendment would allow for one cannabis dispensary license for every 15,000 residents in the state and limit the number of cultivation facility licenses to one per every 300,000 residents. It would also allow anyone with felony or misdemeanor convictions related to the possession of marijuana to petition the courts for relief.
This will be one of possibly three amendments that will be on the Nov. 2022 ballot about recreational cannabis. One amendment, filed in May 2020, comes from the group Arkansas True Grass. Called the Arkansas Recreational Marijuana Amendment of 2022, it would legalize recreational cannabis for people 21 and older without putting a cap on the number of related businesses.
