Governor Asa Hutchinson will provide a briefing to media at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, February 10, 2022.
Governor Asa Hutchinson Announces Appointments
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.
Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Student’s Coding Solution Solves Sports Scheduling Issue
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.
IDrive Arkansas Map of Road Conditions Around the State
Ice Accumulations Expected With Winter Storm Warning in Arkansas
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
VIDEO: February is Black History Month
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
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.
Arkansas expected to get snow and sleet this week
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.
Arkansas groups erase millions in medical debt
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.
U of A Marks Holocaust Remembrance Day
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
COVID-19 Active Cases in SW 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
Latest Winter Weather Briefing for Arkansas - Rain, Freezing Rain, Snow, Ice Accumulation and Sleet
Click on picture above for Winter Weather Briefing
Rent relief program pausing on new applications
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/
Winter Weather Briefing for Arkansas - Rain, Freezing Rain, and Snow Possible
Click on the picture above for the Winter Weather Briefing PDF
UAMS study points to limited potential for coronavirus mutations
KUAR | By Daniel Breen
Published January 25, 2022 at 1:20 PM CST
A new study hints at promising news for those researching new drugs and vaccines to fight COVID-19.
The study led by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences suggests the virus that causes COVID-19 may have a limited potential for new mutations. Researchers looked at how the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects its ability to mutate and evade new drug therapies.
UAMS researcher David Ussery, Ph.D. led the study, along with a multinational team of investigators. Speaking with KUAR News, Ussery said the genetic RNA code of the virus points to its ability to mutate.
David Ussery/UAMS
A graph displays genomic sequencing of samples from different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
Arkansas to launch safety campaign following the deaths in construction zones
KUAR | By David Monteith
Published January 24, 2022 at 7:38 PM CST
A rise in accidents in road construction work zones over the past four years is prompting a new safety campaign being launched by the Arkansas Department of Transportation next week. Ellen Coulter, spokesperson for the department, said two recent fatal accidents in construction zones emphasized the need for more precautions.
“We’ve known that we wanted to launch a campaign early on in this year, and then with this two most recent ARDOT employee deaths, it’s become even more timely and more necessary for us to get this going and to really raise awareness around the issues,” Coulter said.
Accidents and injuries in work zones have increased about 70% since 2018, Coulter said. A strategic plan developed by the department in 2017 listed construction work zone fatalities as an area of concern.
https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-01-24/arkansas-to-launch-safety-campaign-following-the-deaths-in-construction-zones
Arkansas Department Of Transportation
The Arkansas Department of Transportation has 36 active construction zones with more expected as additional funding arrives.
Tractor Supply Co. to open $100 million distribution center in Arkansas
KUAR | By Talk Business & Politics Staff
Published January 26, 2022 at 1:38 PM CST
Tractor Supply Company announced Wednesday it will build a new $100 million distribution center in Maumelle that will employ 450 full-time employees.
The 900,000-square-foot facility will service about 250 Tractor Supply stores, the company said, and will open in 2023. The southwest corner of the construction site is near the corner Champs Boulevard and Jackie Burnett Drive, northeast of Maumelle High School.
Tractor Supply currently operates 34 stores in the state of Arkansas and 2,003 stores in total across 49 states.
Tractor Supply Company
Tractor Supply Company announced Wednesday it will build a 900,000-square-foot distribution center in Maumelle that will employ 450 full-time employees.
Arkansas receives three failing grades on tobacco use report
KUAR | By Remington Miller
A new report looks at the use of tobacco products in Arkansas, grading the state in several categories relating to prevention efforts and the impact of its use.
The American Lung Association’s State of Control 20th annual report showed that Arkansas failed in three out of five categories: tobacco prevention and control program funding, tobacco taxes, and flavored tobacco products. In the other two categories, access to cessation services and smoke-free air, the state received higher grades, a D and C respectively.
The association’s Senior Manager for Advocacy for Arkansas and Missouri Laura Turner expressed concern for the bad grade in funding state tobacco prevention programs.
American Lung Association
The use of use of disposable e-cigarettes by high school students grew to 55.8% nationally, according to the American Lung Association.
LIVE VIDEO: Governor Hutchinson's Weekly Media Briefing Tuesday (02.01.22) 130PM
Governor Asa Hutchinson will provide a briefing to media at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 1, 2022.
AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | National Governors Association
LITTLE ROCK – As Governor, I’m a member of the National Governors Association, which was founded in 1908 to promote bipartisanship. In politics, we call that “reaching across the aisle.” I became chair of the National Governors Association last summer, and in that role, I have seen more clearly than ever that if we are going to overcome big challenges, we must set aside our differences to get things done.
Since the arrival of COVID-19, governors of both parties have worked tirelessly to protect our residents. In 2020, Arkansas agreed to send spare ventilators to our neighbors in Louisiana, whose governor is of the opposite party.
Governors have communicated regularly to address everything from securing personal protective equipment, to distributing vaccines, to spreading the message that the vaccine is the best way to beat the virus. We’ve shared the best solutions to assist businesses and employees, and to ensure that our children aren’t missing out on their education. Of course, there are many differences, but we must work together for ways to get things done.
We’ve worked together through two radically different White House administrations and in the face of dramatic social upheaval. The volume of our combined voices cuts through the partisan banter to the benefit of all states.
Last February, the NGA sent a letter to President Biden asking him to improve the reporting of vaccination numbers and to give states a voice in allocating vaccines so that we could eliminate waste and improve efficiency.
Last year governors from both parties spoke as one to ask Congress and the Biden administration to help states overcome decades of neglect that have allowed roads, bridges, airports, and other elements of our infrastructure to fall into disrepair nationally.
Our two-party partnership helped persuade Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that the President signed. Now governors are taking steps to ensure that these funds are spent to build state-of-the-art roads and bridges, expand broadband and internet access, repair and replace water systems, and modernize our airports.
As chair of the NGA, I have the privilege of designating a Chairman’s Initiative. Arkansans won’t be surprised to know that the improvement and expansion of computer science education is my year-long initiative.
This weekend, I am in Washington, D.C., to attend the NGA’s 114th national meeting, where we will continue our conversations about ways to strengthen our economy, schools, workforce, infrastructure, energy independence, and of course, how we can advance computer since education across the country.
Ninety years ago, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said that states are “laboratories of democracy” that produce some of the best solutions to national challenges.
That remains true in 2022. If we are going to triumph as a nation, we don’t have the luxury of picking a solution based on the party that proposed it.
As we meet the challenges of this year, we must continue to flex our collective muscle to find solutions that aren’t Republican or Democrat but are American. In other words, we must reach across the aisle in Washington and in Arkansas.