Stateline: Relief from energy bills unlikely as utilities request billions in rate hikes
Utilities in Southern states requested the largest increase in rates, totaling $4.5 billion across more than 26 million customers
Clark County Jail Bookings: July 7-12, 2026
The following people have recently been booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Crittenden Street in Arkadelphia
June lottery ticket sales total $414K in Clark County
Clark County had Arkansas Scholarship Lottery ticket sales totaling $414,587.50 in June 2026
Save on back-to-school spending during tax-free weekend starting Aug. 1
Arkansas families planning for back-to-school shopping can take advantage of the 2026 Arkansas Sales Tax Holiday, which runs Aug. 1-2
Arkansas Advocate: Tick season appears worse than usual, state public health veterinarian says
School is out, the temperature is high and the sun isn’t setting until well into the evening. In other words, it’s peak tick season in Arkansas
Arkansas Advocate: Emails show viewer backlash over PBS program’s removal from Arkansas TV
Many viewers said they will not keep donating to the network or restore donations they already canceled
Tips for preventing tick-borne diseases this summer
Ticks cause more human disease than any other insect in Arkansas
Research shows tiny midge has huge appetite, impact on some livestock
Arkansas researchers are taking a close look at a tiny midge weighing less than a single strand of hair that can have a large impact on sheep and deer populations
Stateline: Food stamp changes will cost states billions, raising fears about SNAP’s future
Upcoming funding shifts in the federal food stamp program are poised to cost states billions of dollars, heightening fears that more Americans will lose access to the nation’s largest food assistance program
Acreage report shows Arkansas rice acres sinking to lowest level in half-century
Rice acreage in 2026 dropped to their lowest since disco was king
Andrew DeMillo: Don’t fight Arkansas school vouchers by governing like Trump
Fred Love isn’t the first elected official promising to use his executive power to circumvent the legislative process
With eyes on elected office, longtime Arkadelphia mechanic sells shop
In the late 1980s, West Pine Exxon of Arkadelphia was a customer-focused station where someone would pump your gas and wash your windshield free of charge, you could choose from a small selection of snacks, and have your car fixed in one of the two auto bays. That’s where many people met the store’s mechanic, 18-year-old Bill Rogers.
Clark County Jail Bookings: June 29 – July 6, 2026
The following people have recently been booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Crittenden Street in Arkadelphia
Arkansas Advocate: Feds approve Arkansas’ request for flexibility in spending US education funds
The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday approved Arkansas’ requests to consolidate federal funding and reduce the amount of paperwork and red tape required of school administrators
As drought continues, cattle farmers must manage heat stress in herds, pastures
As the high summer temperatures compound long-term drought conditions, taking steps to protect both cattle and the pastures that feed them is key to profitability and survivability for Arkansas farmers
GriefShare event focuses on ‘Loss of Spouse’
The event, free and open to anyone who has experienced the loss of a spouse, opens with a video on finding hope and healing after such a loss
Alligator hunting permit applications available through July
Anyone interested in pursuing alligators on public land in Arkansas must apply for one of the nine hunting locations within Arkansas’s three open Alligator Management Zones
Arkansas State Park Rangers justified in fatal shooting of machete-wielding man
Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones concluded that three Arkansas State Park Rangers were justified under Arkansas law in the May 25, 2026, shooting death of Matthew Garrett, 31, of Judsonia
Arkansas Advocate: Arkansas has begun a ‘soft launch’ of Medicaid work requirements. What does that mean?
Arkansas last week began checking to see if the hundreds of thousands of people enrolled in its Medicaid expansion program comply with stringent work requirements mandated by a new federal law
Arkansas Legacy Lunker program adds nearly 300,000 ‘Lunkerlings’ to AGFC bass stockings
The final step of the Arkansas Legacy Lunker program’s first year is in the books, and roughly 295,000 fingerlings spawned from donated 10-pound-or-better largemouth bass have been stocked in lakes throughout Arkansas
History Minute: The Architect of American Independence
It was the words of one man who wrote the sentence that defined the cause and announced to the world that America had become an independent nation
Andrew DeMillo: The declaration’s lesson: Credibility matters. Arkansas leaders should take notice.
“Let facts be submitted to a candid world,” the declaration states before outlining the litany of offenses by the king that prompted the colonies to seek independence.
Arkansas Advocate: Applications show gaps between Arkansas vouchers and private school tuition rates
The majority of applicants charge rates exceeding state funding, Advocate’s annual analysis shows
Clark County inmates held in the Arkansas prison system in July 2026
As of July 1, 2026, there were 350 people listed as Clark County inmates by the Arkansas Department of Corrections website
Arkansas Advocate: State launches mobile app to navigate new food stamps junk food ban
The Arkansas Department of Human Services launched a new mobile app Monday to help food stamp beneficiaries navigate a new ban on junk food purchases that will go into effect this week
If it is broke, try to fix it
Would a two-year budget process and another 18-member commission help the federal government stop spending so much money it doesn’t have?
Arkansas Advocate: Capitol grounds crowded with monuments and some controversy
The Arkansas Legislature is the only entity that can create or remove a monument, according to a law in response to an effort to put a Satanist statue near the Capitol
Locals graduate University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas honored its most recent graduating class with a series of spring commencement ceremonies at Bud Walton Arena and Barnhill Arena
$2 million for forestry programs available to Arkansas landowners
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has announced that the Arkansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program and the Southeast Arkansas Hardwood Reforestation Program
Stateline: Public universities face escalating involvement from state lawmakers
Since last year, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas and Utah have enacted similar laws that give greater power to politically appointed boards and administrators while weakening tenure protections and faculty sway over curriculum and university leadership
National news show will be removed from Arkansas public television schedule in July
Arkansas’ public television network drew frustration this week when it announced it will no longer air a PBS news program starting July 1
States Newsroom: Get ready for the semiquincentennial as U.S. celebrates 250th anniversary
Parties, protests, displays of historic documents, odes to the Founding Fathers — and a massive political rally by the president — will mark a deeply polarized nation’s 250th anniversary on this Fourth of July
$1.3M owed to state nothing to fret over, county judge tells justices
Clark County will repay the State of Arkansas $1.3 million in sales tax rebates, but the news doesn’t come as a surprise to county Judge Troy Tucker
Peake reunion starts July 30
The Peake High School Alumni Foundation has announced its 2026 reunion events
AGFC: Report suspected screwworm or parasite cases rather than attempting DIY treatments on wild deer
Some wildlife watchers are beginning to ask how they can help protect wildlife from the possible spread of the New World screwworm, which was detected in south Texas in June