HSU announces 2026 homecoming court
Henderson State University is preparing to celebrate Homecoming 2026 with a variety of activities planned for the week of Oct. 19-24, culminating with the crowning of homecoming royalty
Op-Ed: All we are saying is give Colt a chance
Colt Shelby isn’t the polished politician voters are used to. He’s a reflection of your everyday Arkansan.
School safety taking center stage at community event Nov. 5
The event is designed to bring parents, educators, law enforcement, and community members together for an important conversation about the challenges facing today’s students and our shared responsibility to keep our schools and children safe
Clark County Jail Bookings: Oct. 5-11, 2026
The following people have recently been booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Crittenden Street in Arkadelphia
More of a joint appearance, but informative
It wasn’t a debate because neither candidate was focused on what the other was saying. Their real concerns were their own candidacies as well as the candidate who wasn’t there – Sen. Tom Cotton, whose absence also was informative in a way.
Candidates for US House seat criticize Trump Russia diesel deal, split on other issues
Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman and Democratic challenger James Russell criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to purchase diesel from Russia but split on who’s to blame for rising gas prices as the two met for a debate
Extension receives $2.65M grant to get to the ‘ROOT’ of rural health
Ensuring Arkansans have lasting knowledge and resources to achieve healthier lives in their home communities is the aim of ROOT of Rural Health, a program that received a $2.65 million grant from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program
Extension releases 2026 Arkansas Ballot Issues Voter Guide
Arkansas voters can read up on the statewide ballot issues they will decide Nov. 3 by downloading the 2026 Arkansas Ballot Issues Voter Guide or picking up a printed copy at their county Cooperative Extension Service office
Op-Ed: The Lectern, a Failed Prison Plan, and our Freedom of Information
Where I come from, you judge people by how they handle other folks’ money and whether they tell you the truth when it costs them something. By that standard, Governor Sarah Sanders has failed Arkansas.
Searing summer dries up chances for record soybean yield
Flat pods and seeds that never matured are throwing doubt on predictions of a record Arkansas soybean crop
Clark County Jail Bookings: Sept. 28 – Oct. 4, 2026
The following people have recently been booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Crittenden Street in Arkadelphia
The week in politics: Waking up and being ‘woke’
Sen. Tom Cotton and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders made national news this past week. For Cotton, it was because of a disagreement with President Trump about when Americans should awaken. For Sanders, it was because some commenters said her political ad was too “woke.”
War-restricted shipping in Mideast adds estimated $343M in costs to Arkansas farmers
The surging prices of war-restricted fuel and fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea are expected to cost Arkansas farmers more than $343 million this year — and that’s conservative, according to an analysis from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Dispatch Desk: Flash rob strikes Arkadelphia gas station
The following incidents were gathered from reports filed Sept. 28 through Oct. 4, 2026, at the Arkadelphia Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office
Arkansas Advocate: Lawmakers told helping inmates return to society will ease prison overcrowding
State correctional facilities have 15,362 beds and 16,804 inmates as of Sept. 1, and county jails are often tasked with holding inmates waiting for state prison beds
Noncitizen voting ban on the ballot
Has the Arkansas Constitution’s declaration that “any” citizen can vote been enough to ensure that “only” citizens can vote?
Arkansas governor hopefuls focus on health, education, prisons
Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Democratic state Sen. Fred Love and Libertarian Colt Shelby said they would address affordability, healthcare, education and the state’s prison system if elected governor, but differ in their strategies
Clark County Jail Bookings: Sept. 21-27, 2026
The following people have recently been booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Crittenden Street in Arkadelphia
AI in agriculture: Experts say human judgment remains key as technology advances
As artificial intelligence becomes faster and more capable of complex tasks, human critical thinking and the ability to ask the right questions will become even more important
Dispatch Desk: Okolona man duped out of $2,500 in text scam
The following incidents were gathered from reports filed Sept. 21-27, 2026, at the Arkadelphia Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office
Arkansas TV announces lineup for state, federal debates next month
Arkansas’ public television station will host political debates for seven state and federal offices next month, but without Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton
What Senate candidates say about debt, Social Security
Whoever wins this year’s U.S. Senate race in Arkansas will take the oath of office amidst unprecedented fiscal challenges
Arkansas Advocate: Federal dollars aimed at boosting rural healthcare in Arkansas
Arkansas awarded $54.6 million to dozens of recipients through a new federal program to support projects aimed at bolstering rural healthcare, state officials announced Thursday
States Newsroom: Flock surveillance cameras raise constitutional questions, bipartisan US senators say
A vast and growing network of artificial intelligence-driven Flock cameras could violate constitutional privacy rights, U.S. senators on a Judiciary Committee subcommittee said during a hearing
Georgia-Pacific enters Featured Four round of ‘Coolest Thing Made in Arkansas’ contest
The contest celebrates The Natural State’s rich manufacturing history and highlights some of the amazing products manufactured in Arkansas
Voters to decide if Issue 3 is the right tool
Texarkana, Texas, is booming. Texarkana, Arkansas – not as much. Supporters of Issue 3 say that’s because Texas, along with 47 other states, has tools Arkansas lacks, and they want voters to change that.
Caddo Valley scholar makes Dean’s List at SNHU
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with a 94-year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults
Longstanding tradition for HSU fraternity ‘drums’ up proceeds for Arkansas Children’s Hospital
The tradition traces its roots to the rivalry between Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University
James Murrell
James was a skilled tradesman and retired from Henderson State University’s Maintenance Department
Challengers call Arkansas governor’s policy priorities misplaced in debate
Democrat Fred Love and Libertarian Colt Shelby sharply criticized Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ school voucher program, state spending priorities and prison plans in a debate Tuesday where the three gubernatorial hopefuls did not offer specific plans for the future of the state’s Medicaid expansion
Gurdon water leak prompts boil order, school closure
A break in the main waterline was the cause of a boil order Wednesday morning for Gurdon Waterworks customers