Author: George Jared

George Jared

Furrow-irrigated rice acres grow in Arkansas

A rice growing method that was virtually non-existent half a decade ago is being used to grow a significant share of the rice crop in Arkansas. Furrow-irrigated or row rice…

Jonesboro baseball and softball fields prepare to open as COVID case numbers grow

The number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge even as parts of the economy are opened by state and local officials. In Crittenden County, there are now 205 reported cases…

Lyon College adds data science major to offerings

We live in a world where data drives everything and one college in Northeast Arkansas has decided to expand its offerings in this discipline. Lyon College in Batesville recently approved…

Record drop in personal consumption expenditures

One of the leading indicators of economic health – consumer spending – took a historic hit as the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold in March. In the 61 years since…

Arkansas-based Razor Chemical sees three-fold increase in disinfectant production during pandemic

Entrepreneur Suni McClelland has owned and operated her Arkansas-based business, Razor Chemical, for 28 years. There have been other pandemics while she’s been in business, but nothing has compared to…

Bradbury Art Museum finds virtual way to display 2020 exhibition in May

Bradbury Art Museum, in partnership with the Department of Art + Design, will host a virtual exhibition space created to showcase the work of the class of 2020. Family, friends…

New COVID deaths reported in NEA; ASU plans to return to in-person classes this fall

Arkansas State University is tentatively planning to have in-person classes this fall and hopes to have its dorms at full operation even as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to…

Agri businesses now eligible for Small Business Administration disaster loans

U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza announced Monday (May 4) that agricultural businesses are now eligible for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs. SBA’s EIDL…

Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council hopes to provide 1 million meals to address food insecurity

A statewide volunteer organization that ran soup kitchens during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic is trying to feed people across the state in response to COVID-19. The Arkansas Extension Homemakers…

Jonesboro to lift curfew on May 1 as Northeast Arkansas COVID-19 deaths rise

At least two more residents at a nursing home in Lawrence County have died as a result of COVID-19, according to Gov. Asa Hutchinson. At least three residents at the…

Cattle market collapses as production falls

Following a monumental, but brief surge in cattle production in March, the market in April is set for one of the worst production months in decades. The number of federally…

Counties consider furloughs in midst of coronavirus

Cases of COVID-19 continued to inch upwards on Tuesday (April 28), but the number of reported cases isn’t growing like it was even a week ago. Crittenden County, the most…

COVID-19 cases in Northeast Arkansas continue to grow, but death toll remains unchanged

COVID-19 continues to rapidly expand in Northeast Arkansas, but the mortality rate for the disease in the region remains low. Crittenden County continued to outpace every county in the region…

Ritter Communications launches online music venue for regional entertainment

COVID-19 has stopped nearly all local musicians from performing at venues throughout Northeast Arkansas. Ritter Communications has found an innovative way to turn shutdowns into a showcase streamed concert series….

Report: Rice prices rise slightly, while corn, cotton and soybean farmers face historic lows

COVID-19 continues to loom over the world’s cotton industry and other crops have a gloomy outlook, according to a report by agricultural economists with the University of Arkansas System Division…

Sales tax collections in Jonesboro remained at record pace prior to pandemic shutdown

The city of Jonesboro set an all-time sales tax collection record for March, but those numbers are expected to drop drastically as the impacts to the sales tax base in…

Brad Rawlins named director of media and journalism college at ASU

The former top administrator at Arkansas State University’s Campus Queretaro has a new administrative position within the university system. Dr. Brad Rawlins, who has served as the interim director of…

Crittenden County remains second most infected county in Arkansas

The number of COVID-19 cases continued to spike in Northeast Arkansas, and Crittenden County remains the second most infected county in Arkansas. The county that abuts the Mississippi River across…

Create@State Symposium goes virtual due to pandemic

In the wake of the institution’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, Arkansas State University students are pressing on with the annual Create@State Symposium, a spring semester hallmark at ASU since…

Number of COVID-19 deaths in Crittenden Co. doubles; hospital bed capacity in Jonesboro expands

Crittenden County remained the second hardest-hit county in the state in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday (April 16), the number of cases continued to expand and the…

Tyson board chairman’s new contract includes $40 million cash incentive

Officials from Fort Smith and Poland sign Friendship Pact, mark arrival of F-35 jets

Grow for the Green Soybean Yield Challenge slated for its 16th year

Gov. Sanders: Student proficiency scores up since LEARNS