Chad Green, an attorney in North Little Rock, was shot while allegedly attempting to rob an armored truck yesterday morning, according to Little Rock police. The police report states John Martin, an employee of Loomis Armored Services, was servicing an ATM outside the Bank of America location on Geyer Springs Road just before 8 a.m. Wednesday when Green approached him. Mr. Martin stated the white male subject immediately sprayed him with mace several times, so he pulled his service weapon and fired a couple shots at the subject. Mr. Martin stated the subject went to the ground and was yelling ..read more

Gov. David Pryor’s official portrait Editor’s note: For more on the life and legacy of David Pryor, read Ernie Dumas’ recent obituary of the former governor for the Arkansas Times. The late David Pryor, a former Arkansas governor and U.S. senator, will lie in state in the state Capitol rotunda on Friday, according to the secretary of state’s office. The Camden native died Saturday at the age of 89. The public can pay their respects to the popular Democratic politician from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday in Little Rock. A spokesperson for the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office said they don’t trac ..read more

THE BOTTOM: Cannabis suppositories are at the bottom of medical marijuana sales. A first-of-its-kind report we received from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division this week shows that cannabis flower accounted for 61% of Arkansas medical marijuana sales last year, which wasn’t a huge surprise. Flower is king, or queen as they say in the cannabis world.  What caught our eye in the report was that suppositories – yes, cannabis suppositories – accounted for 0% of sales. Sure, patients spent more than $68,000 on suppositories last year, but that’s a paltry sum in an industry that ha ..read more

There’s no better time for political engagement than a high-stakes election year. Young Democrats of Arkansas invites all Arkansans under the age of 36 to attend their 79th Annual Convention, April 26-28 at the state Capitol.  The organization welcomes both existing and new members. In the spirit of inclusivity, the organization offers free lodging at the Holiday Inn Express in Little Rock for those outside Pulaski County and carpooling for registrants who cannot drive themselves. “We work really, really hard to make sure that cost does not keep any young democrat from attending who wants ..read more

Sen. Stephanie Flowers (file photo) Two bills aiming to regulate crypto mines — Senate Bill 78 and Senate Bill 79 — today passed out of the Senate. The bills will now head to the House City, County, and Local Affairs committee on Tuesday. The bills aim to regulate crypto mining and address some of the problems created by Act 851 of 2023, which sharply curtailed the ability of Arkansas cities and counties to regulate the industry. Crypto “mining” is the process by which bitcoin confirms transactions and creates new bitcoin, using a network of high-powered computers. Unfortunately, this b ..read more

A fresh crop of talent is graduating from college journalism programs this time of year, and the Arkansas Times has picked Phillip Powell to be our new environment and agriculture reporter. Powell will join our editorial team this summer as part of Report for America’s Mississippi River Basin Ag and Water Desk. Report for America is a national program that recruits emerging journalists and places them in newsrooms to cover under-reported topics and communities. We’re excited to partner with Report for America and thrilled Powell will be joining us. We’ve been remiss in covering Arkansas’s ..read more

Graphic by Mandy KeenerBIG DAY: Medical marijuana sales nearly tripled on 4/20 this year. (Graphic by Mandy Keener) Marijuana sales on 4/20, the unofficial cannabis holiday, nearly tripled the daily average for medical marijuana sales in Arkansas this year.  Medical marijuana patients in Arkansas bought 630 pounds of products for $2,113,198 at the state’s 38 dispensaries on Saturday. The sales were almost triple the daily average of $780,000 for dispensary sales.  The number of pounds purchased was more than the approximately 500 pounds purchased for $2.38 million on 4/20 last year ..read more

Blake Tierney, a Little Rock resident with a focus on childhood development, curbing homelessness and bringing a more data-driven approach to city government, recently announced his candidacy for a spot on the Little Rock Board of Directors. The election is in November, and Tierney, 32, is going up against longtime board member Joan Adcock. Adcock, 84, has held a seat on the city board for more than 30 years, winning her first election in 1992 and every one since. She’s the longest-serving director in the city’s history. Adcock is one of three at-large members on the 10-person board, which mea ..read more

Jennifer LenowRed-spotted purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis) in Little Rock — at least, that’s what we think it is Over to you. The post Wednesday open line appeared first on Arkansas Times ..read more

There’s a new Friday night dinner option in North Little Rock’s Park Hill neighborhood. Erika Gee, host of the popular Ease Supper Club, is opening Ease Bistro this Friday night in a cottage space right off JFK Boulevard at 100 West B Ave. Gee said the bistro is a sister concept to the supper clubs she began hosting a little over a year ago. It’s inspired by European bistros, she said. Gee described the vibe as relaxed and unpretentious with great food and wine options. “It’s really just intended to be a place to come with your friends to hang out for a few hours,” she said. The bistro can se ..read more