Author: George Jared

George Jared

Sultana museum fundraising campaign begins

Had it been a battle during the Civil War, it would have ranked as one of the worst in terms of loss of life. It turns out that when the…

Agri economist Dr. Bob Stark set to retire

One of the top agricultural economists in Arkansas is about to retire. After nearly a quarter-century of teaching agriculture business and policy at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Dr….

Senate approves amendment proposal on special sessions; panel stalls two voting bills

A constitutional amendment that would allow the Arkansas Legislature to call itself into a special session passed Wednesday (April 21) in the Senate and now heads to the House for…

Freezing temperatures could impact farmers during early planting

Bitter, unseasonably cold weather is projected to spread across the state late Tuesday (April 20) into Wednesday and farmers in the midst of early planting are keeping a wary eye….

Panel advances proposed constitutional amendment to allow legislature to call itself into special session

Should the Arkansas Legislature have the power to call itself into an extraordinary session? The Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee on Monday (April 19) passed SJR 10, a…

House votes to change ‘Confederate Flag Day’ to ‘Arkansas Day’

The Arkansas House voted Thursday (April 15) to eliminate a relic in state culture from the segregation era. HB 1916 would eliminate “Confederate Flag Day” and replace it with “Arkansas…

Private school tax credit measure clears Senate Revenue & Tax panel

A program that would create a tax credit scholarship for impoverished students to attend private schools was passed Wednesday (April 14) during the state Senate Tax and Revenue Committee meeting….

Bill to raise hunting and fishing license fees passes committee

For decades, there have been no changes made to the cost of fishing and hunting licenses issued to residents in Arkansas. That could change in the near future. In a…

Farmers turn to trapping system to remove feral hogs

As planting season begins in Arkansas, feral hogs continue to do damage and the cost is difficult to quantify. Most damage estimates, however, include only the crop itself, said Jennifer…

House passes class protection bill after debate on return to committee fails; heads to Governor

Despite a controversial vote out of committee last week, SB 622, a bill that would provide class protections in criminal cases survived a full vote in the Arkansas House on…

Adam Mitchell takes over CEO reins at Citizens Bank early

Citizens Bank, headquartered in Batesville, has appointed Adam Mitchell as its CEO, succeeding outgoing CEO Phil Baldwin. Baldwin’s retirement, originally announced for mid-year, has been shortened due to the successful…

St. Bernards, ASU-Newport partner to tackle workforce development

St. Bernards Healthcare has entered into a partnership with Arkansas State University-Newport (ASUN) to provide employment for individuals dislocated from work or struggling with poverty. The partnership, part of the…

‘Class protection bill’ approved in the Senate, faces House vote

A bill that hasn’t been called a hate crimes bill, but has been lauded by some lawmakers as its equivalent passed the Arkansas Senate on Wednesday (April 7). SB 622…

Hate crimes bill voted down in Senate committee as lawmakers fire insults at one another

The Arkansas Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday (April 7) voted down SB 3, the original hate crimes bill that was filed at the beginning of the session earlier this year….

Report: Arkansas’ rural population declined by 3.3% during last decade

According to the 2021 Rural Profile of Arkansas, the state’s rural population decreased about 3.3% between 2010 and 2019, while the overall population of Arkansas grew by more than 3%…

ASU, NYIT extend DO School agreement to 2036

The Arkansas State University System board of trustees agreed Monday (April 5) to a 15-year extension of its partnership with New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at…

Failure to vacate to remain a crime in Arkansas

Arkansas has the distinction of being the only state that criminalizes failure to vacate a property where the rent is overdue. The Arkansas Legislature likely won’t change that during this…

Farmers hoping for a ‘Row Crop Renaissance’ in 2021

As a new decade continues to unfold, there might be a few glimmers of hope for farmers as the spring planting season begins. Wes Ward, Arkansas secretary of agriculture, told…

Plans underway for Black history museum at former Newport Colored School

A red brick, tattered building sits in the heart of the Black community in Newport. The large facility, built in 1923, was the Newport Colored School, later named W.F. Branch…

Bill filed by House, Senate leadership to address class protections (UPDATED)

Arkansas is one of the only states without some type of hate crime law on the books, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said more than once it’s a top priority…