By Linda Satter
U.S. News & World Report recognized the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) College of Medicine, College of Nursing and the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health on its latest Best Graduate Schools lists.
UAMS ranked 36th in primary care on U.S. News’ 2023 list of Best Medical Schools.
UAMS moved up three notches from last year, when it was ranked 39th in the primary care category, which was a significant jump from its ranking of 63rd in 2021.
KUAR | By Daniel Breen
With April being National Child Abuse Awareness Month, Arkansas First Lady Susan Hutchinson is raising awareness to help combat child abuse in the state.
Hutchinson joined her husband, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and other state officials Monday to detail her efforts to expand the number of Children’s Advocacy Centers, or CACs, both in and out of the state.
Speaking at the state Capitol, the First Lady urged parents and other adults to be aware of potential abuse happening around them.
Daniel Breen/KUAR News
Arkansas First Lady Susan Hutchinson speaks about her Shine Hope initiative to combat child abuse at the state Capitol.
KUAR | By Michael Hibblen, Remington Miller
Crews from the National Weather Service are assessing damage after several isolated tornados and severe thunderstorms hit Arkansas on Monday night.
Tornadoes were reported in the communities of Barling, Charleston and Scranton. Another was in Faulkner County near Mayflower which was blamed for bringing down trees, causing scattered power outages.
John Lewis, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Little Rock office, said damage was minimal. Much of the damage was caused by large hail.
@Countrymonksbr1/Twitter
Swirling storm clouds on Monday evening moved over Subiaco Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Logan County.
by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)
John Rainey will be Walmart’s next chief financial officer. He follows Brett Biggs who announced his retirement last year capping a 23-year career with the retail giant. Rainey will join Walmart on June 6, and Biggs will remain in a transition role until Jan. 31, 2023.
John Rainey
Rainey, 51, joins Walmart from PayPal where he is the company’s CFO and executive vice president for global customer operations. In this role, Rainey is responsible for all of PayPal’s financial operations. He also leads the company’s global customer operations, guiding PayPal’s efforts to deliver service experiences through its customer operations centers around the world.
Rainey’s initial base pay is set at $1 million, and a $5 million signing bonus will be paid over six months. He also is receiving a restricted stock package valued at $24 million.
https://talkbusiness.net/2022/04/walmart-tags-paypal-exec-as-next-cfo/
by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)
Tyson Foods, a large employer of immigrant labor, is committing more than $1 million to support immigrant employees in the U.S. with legal services needed to acquire citizenship. The money will allow employees to cover the citizenship fees of around $725 per person.
Tyson works with Immigrant Connection and Arkansas Immigrant Defense which are non-profit groups that help provide immigrant groups with legal services, such as employment authorization renewals and petitions for citizenship. In the past year, Tyson said the program has helped more than 500 Tyson employees.
https://talkbusiness.net/2022/04/tyson-foods-to-spend-1-million-on-immigrant-citizenship-program/
Today will be the final day of a stretch of very active, and as we've seen, very impactful severe weather here in the Natural State.
As of this morning, the eastern 2/3rds portion of the state is at an enhanced risk (3/5) for severe weather, and the eastern 1/3rd (nearing the US-65 and I-530) corridor) is at a moderate risk (4/5) for severe weather today.
We expect to see an increase in coverage of stronger thunderstorms as an approaching cold front nears central Arkansas later this morning and into the afternoon. The severe threat will continue to increase across central and eastern Arkansas this afternoon and evening as a very favorable environment for severe weather will be in place.
We are expecting all severe hazards to be in play today, including damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes.
Additional non-thunderstorm hazards will also be noted in the attached briefing, including strong southerly gradient winds ahead of the cold front today, and potential frost conditions across northwest Arkansas Thursday morning.
Click on the pics below for today’s Severe Weather Briefing.
We can expect more severe storm potential across the state today. The main threat today will be isolated to scattered storms, becoming strong to severe at times, and all hazards...including hail, damaging winds, and possibly a few tornadoes, will be possible.
No major changes have been made regarding the forecast for Wednesday, as we remain under an enhanced risk (3/5) for severe weather over a good portion of the state. Once again, all severe hazards will be possible on Wednesday, particularly for central and eastern Arkansas during the afternoon and evening hours.
Please click on the pic below to see the attached briefing of the latest information.
By Linda Satter
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has received a $100,000 gift from Rosanne Murphy of Hot Springs to establish an endowed scholarship in the UAMS College of Medicine.
Murphy’s late husband, Marvin L. Murphy, M.D., was a cardiologist at UAMS for 33 years, from 1963 until his retirement in 1996. He was a professor emeritus thereafter and died on Feb. 17, 2002, at age 71.
In 1991, Murphy received the College of Medicine’s Distinguished Faculty Award, which was established in 1973 to honor exemplary faculty members who helped shape the institution.
The Galactic Masquerade Prom, the first LGBTQ+ prom for high school students to be privately and securely staged in Arkansas, will take place April 16th hosted by the Equality Crew, headquartered in northwest Arkansas.
https://www.kuaf.com/show/ozarks-at-large/2022-04-08/arkansas-lgbtq-teens-to-gather-for-prom
KUAR | By Ronak Patel
The Arkansas Legislative Joint Auditing Committee unanimously approved a motion that would allow the Arkansas Legislative Audit to look into a recent 2% salary increase for state employees.
In February, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced a plan to increase state employee pay by 2% as a way to help employees deal with inflation. Franklin Arey, legal counsel for the Arkansas Legislative Audit, explained to lawmakers that the governor has the authority to increase salaries; the concern with the salary increases has to do with the implementation.
Michael Hibblen/KUAR News
The Arkansas Legislative Audit has been approved to look into a recent salary increase for state employees.
KUAR | By Michael Hibblen, Laura Jansen
The Arkansas Department of Transportation is adding seven new diesel-powered trucks that have reduced emissions compared to the rest of its fleet. While that’s just a tiny fraction of the hundreds of vehicles used by the department, officials celebrated their arrival.
On Friday, the shiny clean white diesel-powered vehicles were parked outside one of the department’s offices in Little Rock. Four are tractor trucks and three are dump trucks.
“This is a win-win situation,” said Marie Holder, a member of the Arkansas Highway Commission. “Not only does ARDOT receive these cleaner running vehicles that decrease nitrogen oxide emissions, but it also means the department’s use of these vehicles is a step in the right direction when it comes to pollution, mitigation and prevention.”
Michael Hibblen/KUAR News
Arkansas Department of Transportation Director Lorie Tudor speaks at a press conference Friday in front of newly-purchased trucks that have lower emissions that the department's older vehicles.
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
As inflation eats into family and business budgets, energy is one component of the economy that has been driving higher prices. Two energy leaders – Chad Kinsley, VP of operations for Black Hills Energy, and Lauren Waldrip, executive director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association, shared their perspectives in Talk Business & Politics’ latest State of the State report on energy.
Kinsley, whose company provides natural gas across north Arkansas, said the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the supply and demand balance that had kept energy prices stable and low.
“We’re seeing inflation across all aspects of the economy and natural gas commodity prices, like you mentioned, certainly are no exception. Unfortunately, that’s impacting our customer’s bills and kind of a short answer is, it’s supply and demand in the marketplace,” Kinsley said…
by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)
Vehicles are finally rolling off assembly lines in Arkansas.
Envirotech Vehicles, the only automobile manufacturer operating in the state, held an event Thursday (April 7) at its facility in Osceola to commemorate its first transportation vehicle being completed.
The Corona, Calif., based company acquired a 580,000-square-foot building from the city in February. When it’s fully operational, the plant could employ up to 800 workers. The company plans to invest $80 million in Arkansas during the next five years.
https://talkbusiness.net/2022/04/envirotech-completes-first-vehicle-in-arkansas/
LITTLE ROCK – Every spring, Arkansas and other southern states are hit by heavy rains and severe weather. While many Arkansans want to help their neighbors clean up after a storm, con artists will seize the opportunity to take advantage during a vulnerable moment. Arkansans must keep their home and family safe from a fraudster trying to make a quick buck.
“Spring storms and recovery efforts often bring an increase in door-to-door scam artists,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Make sure you follow steps to avoid falling prey to con artists who use recovery efforts to scam Arkansans.”
Attorney General Rutledge encourages you to follow these tips to find legitimate individuals to perform your home repairs:
Beware of door-to-door solicitors selling home-repair work. To find someone reputable, ask friends or family who have recently used a home-repair contractor or professional. Consider contacting the Arkansas Contractor’s Licensing Board to verify that the contractor is licensed and has not had any complaints filed against it.
Avoid any home-repair solicitor who asks for an upfront payment or who will not provide you with a written contract.
Get at least three written estimates. A reputable contractor or professional will never try to pressure you to obtain your business.
Obtain and check at least three references from your contractor or professional.
Check with the Attorney General’s office or the Better Business Bureau to find out if the company has a complaint history.
Obtain a written and detailed contract that includes the grade, quality, name brand and quantity of any materials to be used. The name and address of the contractor must be on the contract.
Avoid paying for the entire job up front. One-third paid in advance, one-third paid halfway through the job and one-third paid upon completion is a better plan, helping assure that your project will be completed. Never make the final payment until you have had an opportunity to inspect the work.
Remember that all contracts resulting from a home-solicitation sale generally must include a buyer’s right to cancel within three business days after the contract is signed.
Make sure all warranties and guarantees are in writing.
A contractor cannot promise that your insurance company will cover the work done. Verify your insurance coverage and authorized contractors before you agree to pay for repairs.
For more information and tips to avoid scams and other consumer-related issues, contact the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office at consumer@arkansasag.gov or visit ArkansasAG.gov.
An important deadline is approaching if you plan on voting in the May 24Preferential Primary Election and Nonpartisan General Election.
If you have not already registered to vote, you have until April 25 to file your voter registration application with your county clerk.
If you submit your application close to an election registration deadline, you are strongly advised to follow up with your county clerk before Election Day.
You can check your voter registration status and find your polling location at www.voterview.org.
On the website, you can also find a list of who will appear on the ballot. If you do not see that information listed by May, call your County Clerk’s office.
Due to redistricting changes, we encourage you to review your ballot before heading to the polls. The boundaries of voting districts for state legislators shifted to reflect population changes in the 2020 Census. Districts were also renumbered. You may have the same lawmaker listed on your ballot but your House or Senate number may be different than what you’re used to.
Early voting for the primary and nonpartisan general election will begin on May 9.Early voting is available between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, ending at 5 p.m. on the Monday before the election. Off-site early voting hours may vary by county.
At the voting site, an election official will ask you to state your name, address, and date of birth. The election official will request you provide an approved form of I.D.
In a primary election, you must state the party primary in which you wish to vote. If you don’t wish to cast a party ballot, you may choose to vote in the nonpartisan races only (which may include judicial and prosecuting attorney races, and other local issues such as tax increases).
The General Election and Nonpartisan Runoff Election will be held on November 8.
You can find more information about voting in Arkansas at www.sos.arkansas.gov.
LITTLE ROCK – Today, I would like to talk about the national increase in violent crime, and what we are doing to combat that here in Arkansas.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world felt like it came to a halt while we dealt with the issues of public health. But violent crime did not slow down. In fact, violent crime actually increased since 2018. Homicides in Arkansas were 224 that year, but in 2020, the number was 310, an increase of 38 percent. All this is according to data from the Arkansas Crime Information Center.
Government has no greater responsibility than to assure public safety, and at the state level, we are taking several measures to address this increase in crime and the current threat to public safety.
First, we have tangibly shown our support of our law enforcement.
I signed into law a $5,000 bonus for every certified full-time police officer in the state. We raised the salaries of our state troopers and have expanded the number of positions at the Arkansas State Crime Lab to accelerate rape-kit testing. Finally, we also allocated money to enlarge the prison at Calico Rock.
The prison expansion is necessary because our local court system does not have enough flexibility or adequate space in the county jails due to the lack of space in our prison system.
This last week, based on recommendations by Secretary Solomon Graves and the Division of Community Correction, I announced the expansion of the Intensive Supervision Program.
This expansion will add officers to a team dedicated to providing a higher level of support and supervision to those who pose a higher risk of violent crimes.
These are those that have spent time in prison and were released on parole. We want them to get a second start in life, and our ultimate goal is to help them do that. But you have an element of those who pose a greater risk than others, and the design of the Intensive Supervision Program is to focus on those high-risk offenders.
I have asked the General Assembly to approve $1 million in funding for this initiative. It will cover new positions at a five-county area in Central Arkansas. This initiative will help keep our streets safter and curb violent crime.
It is a dangerous but important time to be in law enforcement as violent crime is on the increase. Our need to support the men and women who put their lives at risk increases every day.
I want officers to know we support them, and we want to make their job as safe as it can be.
Today we will be kicking off a span of a very active weather pattern, with daily severe weather chances for most of the state. The biggest update to relay is an upgrade in the day 1 SPC outlook forecast, which now includes an enhanced risk (3/5) for severe weather over central and northern Arkansas for later this afternoon and evening.
Episodes of severe weather are expected to continue into Tuesday and Wednesday. Following today, Wednesday will be our primary concern for a widespread bout of severe weather across the state.
Please click on the pic below to see the attached briefing for the latest information.
By Kyle Kellams
The Affordable Care Act became law in March, 2010. We asked Dr. Joe Thompson, the president and CEO of Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, about the ACA and Arkansas.
https://www.kuaf.com/show/ozarks-at-large/2022-04-05/12-years-of-the-aca
By Kyle Kellams - KUAF
Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, associated agencies, and people, served tens of millions of Americans during the pandemic. Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the CEO of Feeding America, was recently in northwest Arkansas to discuss the work to end hunger in America.
https://www.kuaf.com/show/ozarks-at-large/2022-04-05/feeding-america-during-a-pandemic-and-after
