One of the main selling points behind school vouchers, which use public funds to help pay for private school tuition, has always been that they help families find a better option if their kids are stuck in failing public schools. But in practice, most vouchers in such programs wind up going to kids who never went to public school at all. Unsurprisingly, that has been the clear trend thus far in Arkansas, which enacted a voucher program under Arkansas LEARNS, the education overhaul signed into law last year by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Many of the latest voucher programs across the country a ..read more

Conway School District Deputy Superintendent Jason Black will make $140,592.20 for the coming school year, which will cover 240 work days during the 12 months starting July 1 under the contract he signed Wednesday. That’s more than $14,000 higher than what he now makes — $126,270.32. Black also will continue to be paid $600 monthly for in-district travel expenses. You may remember that Black was recently in the news for his work as a paid adjunct teacher for the Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute.  Black is also listed as a consultant for Superintendent Jeff Collum‘s private business, Tr ..read more

Spring migration is underway along the Mississippi River flyway, making the river and its floodplain a hotspot for waterfowl and soon-to-arrive songbirds. The Mississippi plays a critical role guiding these birds across the country and providing them habitat to rest. Here’s everything you need to know about this important flyway — and when and where to see the birds amid their long journey. What is the Mississippi River flyway, and which birds use it? The Mississippi Flyway is a migration route along the Mississippi, Missouri and lower Ohio rivers that birds take each spring and fall to make t ..read more

Spotted in Kingwood. The post Friday open line appeared first on Arkansas Times ..read more

The Busker, Don Dugan and Tasha Stratton’s neighborhood bar and live music venue that opened in the former South on Main space in August of last year, has closed. Dugan sold the business at 1304 S. Main St. to Don Marshall, who has already begun redecorating the space to open GiGi’s Lounge — an entertainment venue “for grown people” that will feature live music, karaoke, comedy shows, open mic nights, bar food and an eventual Sunday brunch, Marshall said. Dugan and Stratton purchased South on Main from chef and founder Matt Bell in 2020. Bell opened South on Main in the former Juanita’s space ..read more

Wannabe book banner Jason Rapert has a knack for making enemies. One of two Sarah Sanders appointees to the Arkansas State Library Board, Rapert now appears to be at odds with Sanders’ other appointee, Shari Bales. During a Policy and Bylaws Committee meeting Friday, Bales proposed that all items presented at board meetings be submitted 10 business days before regular meetings. The proposal came after Rapert unexpectedly asked the board in February to suspend state funds to any library suing the state or Arkansas taxpayers. His motion died for lack of a second. “My goal … is to make sure ..read more

What do writing and swimming have in common?  Pope County’s Eli Cranor — bestselling author of “Don’t Know Tough” and “Ozark Dogs” and the subject of a new documentary short from Arkansas photographer and filmmaker Heath Whorton — has your answer. The doc provides an intimate window into Cranor’s creative process, which is somehow both meditative and relentless. Check out the video below: And while you’re at, make sure to read “The Gloam,” a short story we commissioned from Cranor in conjunction with the April 8 total solar eclipse. The post Pope County writer Eli Cranor reflects on crea ..read more

If you think every day should be Taco Tuesday, then it’s time to salsa down to an event we designed exclusively for you. You’re invited to this year’s Arkansas Times Tacos & Tequila on Thursday, May 23, from 6-9 p.m. in the River Market Pavilion.  Peruse the best of the best, help vote for the coveted Golden Taco Award and sip on smooth tequila provided by Tres Generaciones and Hornitos Tequila. The evening promises delicious food, refreshing beverages and upbeat entertainment, all included in the price of admission.  Early-bird tickets are on sale now for just $35 each, but act ..read more

Luis GarvanAlice Driver Less than a year ago, Arkansas journalist Alice Driver won a 2023 James Beard Media Award for her contributions to a Civil Eats investigation about unjust working conditions for laborers in the U.S. animal agriculture industry. Her story zeroed in on workplace injuries at Tyson Foods plants in Arkansas. Now, her reporting on a different Arkansas juggernaut has been nominated for the same distinction in 2024. As part of an ongoing Civil Eats series about Walmart and “its founding family’s influence over the American food system, over the producers and policymakers who sh ..read more

About 20% of children insured in Arkansas’ Medicaid program lost access during the state’s “unwinding” period, according to a report released Thursday from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. “Arkansas did move very aggressively, and I think you can see that reflected in their losses,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown organization. In six months, the Arkansas Department of Human Services disenrolled 184,500 people from Medicaid; more than half, 94,000, were children. The report, which analyzed every state’s performance during the unwinding as of Dec ..read more