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COVID-19 vaccine now eligible to another 1.2 million Arkansans

With around 10% of Arkansans being fully vaccinated and a push by the Biden administration to open vaccine access, Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (March 16) expanded eligibility an estimated…

UAMS seeks approval for $85 million ortho/sports medicine building in Northwest Arkansas

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will seek approval Wednesday (March 17) to build an $85 million orthopedic and sports medicine facility in Northwest Arkansas. Consideration of the…

Survey: Arkansans rate election reform, healthcare as top legislative priorities

National polling firm RABA (Red America, Blue America) released new results Tuesday (March 16) from survey work in Arkansas that offered insight on COVID-19, the state legislature, and public schools….

Bill to limit governor’s emergency declarations heads to Hutchinson’s desk

The Arkansas House of Representatives passed a bill Monday (March 15) that would give the Legislature the power to end a governor’s declared disaster emergency. Another bill, opposed by the…

Pandemic education: For Arkansas schools, it’s been a year like no other

Editor’s note: This is the second of four stories in a series about the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas. Link here for the first story. John Goff…

ASU ready for guidance on next round of COVID-19 funding

The three rounds of federal COVID-19 stimulus for higher education institutions and students have been very beneficial, Arkansas State University President Chuck Welch said during ASU’s recent quarterly meeting. Guidance…

Arkansas’ January jobless rate falls to 4.6% from revised 4.9% in December

As expected, January’s jobless report includes major revisions, which includes changing December’s jobless rate from the initial 4.2% to 4.9%, with almost 10,000 more unemployed in December than originally estimated….

AG Rutledge sues Walgreens, says company helped fuel opioid epidemic

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed suit Monday (March 15) against Walgreens under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, saying the drug retailer failed to report and prevent suspicious opioid purchases…

A pandemic year: Early optimism fades with grim realities, mask politics, and job losses

Editor’s note: This is the first of four stories in a series about the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas. There were 64 deaths in Arkansas during the…

UAMS Chancellor reflects on lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson said there have been lessons learned one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. In Arkansas, there have been more than 5,400…

Economist: New coronavirus package will have ‘immediate stimulative effects’

University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business economist Mervin Jebaraj said the newly signed COVID-19 federal relief package will have “immediate stimulative effects.” The $1.9 trillion American Rescue…

Walton-funded report finds disparities in teacher certification

Districts in certain parts of Arkansas have significantly higher percentages of uncertified teachers and offer significantly lower pay than others, a new report funded by the Walton Family Foundation found….

Speaker Shepherd approached and open to a third term in role

Speaker of the House Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, said Thursday (March 11) he’s open to serving a third term as the leader of the Arkansas House of Representatives. In his…

Judge approves Entergy Arkansas, Sierra Club agreement to retire coal, natural gas power plants

A federal judge approved Thursday (March 11) a settlement agreement for Little Rock-based utility Entergy Arkansas to retire two coal-fired plants and a natural gas plant by the end of…

Gov. Hutchinson notes ‘incredible’ work of healthcare workers on 1-year anniversary of COVID in the state

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday (March 11) he and First Lady Susan Hutchinson will plant an oak seedling on the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion grounds to recognize “lives lost during this…

Heather Albright to lead Bank of America in Arkansas

Bank of America named Heather Albright as President of Bank of America Arkansas, the financial institution announced Thursday (March 11). Albright succeeds Donnie Cook who has led the market for…

Consumers note likes and dislikes about e-commerce

Consumers are fickle and demanding when it comes to their e-commerce shopping experiences, according to a pair of recent surveys by marketing group Coveo, and commerce automation platform Linnworks. The…

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: Tourism industry ends 2020 with significant losses

Arkansas’ travel and tourism industry, which was enjoying more than a decade of growth, posted double-digit percentage declines in key categories in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit…

Transgender restriction bills advance; FOIA, partisan municipal elections measures fail

High profile bills advanced in the House and Senate on Wednesday (March 10), while measures specific to municipal elections and local Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) compliance stalled in committee….

Renters’ rights bill tabled until Monday due to lengthy debate

A renters’ rights bill has been tabled to next week after the House Insurance & Commerce Committee on Wednesday (March 10) ran out of time to continue the debate. Supporters…