Arkansas could enact online and same-day voter registration to improve the nation’s lowest voter turnout rates, foster discussions on public issues, and require cities to publish fiscal information online. Those recommendations came in the Arkansas Civic Health Index, a study affiliated with the National Conference on Citizenship that was released at the Clinton Presidential Center on Monday (Dec. 4). The report examines direct political engagement through voting, political activity outside of elections, and individuals’ connectedness with families, neighbors and communities. The primary autho ..read more

Avian influenza, a deadly virus that can decimate poultry flocks, has been found in Arkansas and public officials are now attempting to educate producers about what steps to take if their flocks become infected. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is hosting two webinar workshops this month to educate producers. The first workshop will be held Tuesday (Dec. 5) and is slated for commercial industry producers. The second, scheduled for Dec. 12, is aimed at small and backyard hobby flock owners. Dustan Clark, extension poultry health veterinarian for the Division of Agricult ..read more

Dan Wright, a poultry producer from Waldron, was elected Friday (Dec. 1) as Arkansas Farm Bureau’s president, becoming the 12th person to serve in that role in the organization’s 89-year history. Mike Freeze of Little Rock will continue as vice president for the agriculture advocacy organization. Both were elected during Farm Bureau’s state convention at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. Voting delegates also re-elected seven board members to two-year terms. They are Sherry Felts, Joiner; Bob Shofner, Centerton; Jon Carroll, Moro; Joe Thrash, Houston; Terry Laster, Strong; Chase ..read more

The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is awarding over $31 million in investments to 34 projects across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri through the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF). The projects cover public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, and flood control. The projects are also projected to create or retain 1,400 jobs and affect nearly 12,300 families. Funding for this program was made available, in part, by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “The Community Infrastructure Fund is one of DRA’s most unique tools that allows us to expan ..read more

The Little Rock Regional Chamber announced Thursday (Nov. 30) the hiring of Jarod Wickliffe as its Director of Business Development, Retention and Expansion, a recently restructured position on the Chamber’s economic development team. Wickliffe will begin on December 1. Wickliffe joins the Little Rock Regional Chamber from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, where he worked as senior project manager on the state’s business development team. Wickliffe worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies to invest in Arkansas, planned and executed international and domestic trade missions, and s ..read more

Arkansas agriculture workers, especially those identified as low income seasonal or migrant farmworkers, will continue to receive counseling, training and support, through renewed funding to the Arkansas Human Development Corporation (AHDC). About $1.305 million was recently distributed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOL/ETA), through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP). The funding will cover the cost of assessment, counseling, training, and support for unemployed or underemployed farm worke ..read more

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin rejected the ballot title and proposed popular name for a constitutional amendment effort to change the state’s abortion laws on Tuesday (Nov. 28). Griffin cited a number of language problems with the popular name, the proposal’s effect on existing law, and medical definitions as reasons for his rejection. The group supporting the proposed amendment, Arkansans for Limited Government, vowed to offer another attempt based on Griffin’s recommendations. “This morning, Arkansans for Limited Government was notified of the Attorney General’s opinion rejecting the ..read more

A study at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. (CHCA) has been approved for a $17.5 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study and reduce prenatal inequities. Arkansas is ranked worst for both maternal health outcomes and food insecurity among the 50 states and has the third highest infant mortality rate. Arkansas also has the second highest prevalence of overweight or obesity among women in the U.S., with about 65% of women in Arkansas being overweight or obese when they become pr ..read more

In September, Costco became the latest retailer to venture into virtual primary care, offering its members $29 telehealth visits, $72 standard lab panels with consult, and $79 virtual therapy visits. This follows Amazon’s leap into limited in-person and mostly virtual primary care with its purchase of One Medical earlier in the year, roughly three years removed from the launch of Amazon Pharmacy in 2020.  Alongside these retail giants, startup companies like BetterHelp and Calmerry have emerged as players in the market for online mental health therapy, responding to both the surge in dema ..read more

Twenty-five aspiring women leaders have been selected to be part of the inaugural class of the Arkansas Delta Women’s Leadership Academy (ADWLA) through Arkansas State University. The more than two dozen participants are from 17 Arkansas Delta counties and were selected from a competitive field of applicants. This new endeavor is a leadership development program at A-State, led by Andrea Allen, executive director of the Delta Center for Economic Development, Dr. Cherisse Jones-Branch, dean of the Graduate School at A-State, along with program coordinator Cari White. The primary goal of the six ..read more