Saline River News

Pioneer Crafts Festival set for April 10-11 in Rison

Pioneer Crafts Festival set for April 10-11 in Rison

RISON, Ark. — The annual Pioneer Crafts Festival will return to Pioneer Village on April 10-11, offering two days of activities centered around crafts, homesteading, gardening, and traditional skills. The festival will begin Friday, April 10 at 5 p.m. with a beans and greens supper accompanied by live music. Events will continue Saturday, April 11…

Farmers, consumers may be riding the egg price waves in the coming months

Farmers, consumers may be riding the egg price waves in the coming months

By Mary Hightower University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  — Egg prices are heading upward from their February dip, but consumers should get used to a price rollercoaster, said Jada Thompson, poultry agricultural economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.  In February, prices declined to their lowest levels since 2023.   “Since then, they’re back up, likely due to Easter demand,” Thompson said on…

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Hosts Sixth Annual Free Tree Fridays in Recognition of Arbor Day

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Hosts Sixth Annual Free Tree Fridays in Recognition of Arbor Day

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is celebrating Arbor Day by launching its sixth annual “Free Tree Fridays” campaign, a statewide effort to encourage tree planting. Free bare root seedlings will be available to Arkansans every Friday from March 20 through April 24 at locations across the state. “Free Tree Fridays embody…

Archaeologist to present recent Plum Bayou Mounds excavations at University of Memphis

Archaeologist to present recent Plum Bayou Mounds excavations at University of Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The public will have an opportunity to learn about recent archaeological work at one of Arkansas’ most significant prehistoric sites during a free lecture later this month at the University of Memphis. Dr. Paige Ford, an archaeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey stationed at Plum Bayou Mounds Archaeological State Park in Arkansas,…

$1.9 Million Awarded to Study Use of Biochar on Water Quality

$1.9 Million Awarded to Study Use of Biochar on Water Quality

The EPA award will examine how adding biochar to poultry litter can limit runoff of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to improve water quality. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Environmental Protection Agency awarded almost $1.9 million to Shannon Speir, an assistant professor of crop, soil and environmental sciences at the University of Arkansas, to study how…

Extension spring break camps to focus on meat science, STEM, cooking and more

Extension spring break camps to focus on meat science, STEM, cooking and more

By Rebekah HallUniversity of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture LITTLE ROCK — Whether touring local meat processing facilities, attending livestock sales, foraging for edible plants or sharpening their culinary skills, Arkansas youth will have the chance to engage in hands-on learning this spring break. Seven Cooperative Extension Service county offices will offer a variety of…

Federal agency sued for lack of timely rule on monarch butterfly designation

Federal agency sued for lack of timely rule on monarch butterfly designation

By Mary Hightower University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Plaintiffs that asked for protections for the monarch butterfly more than a decade ago have sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, saying the agency missed the deadline to issue a rule protecting the insect.  The lawsuit was filed Feb. 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety. It also…

Janet B. Carson scholarship open to future plant science majors

Janet B. Carson scholarship open to future plant science majors

LITTLE ROCK — High school seniors who plan to study plant science in college can apply for the Janet B. Carson scholarship. The $2,000 scholarship is awarded to one high school senior planning to attend an Arkansas college or university and pursue a plant science-related field, including but not limited to horticulture, botany, agronomy, forestry, plant…

Amid high obesity rates, Arkansas extension experts highlight critical nutrition education

Amid high obesity rates, Arkansas extension experts highlight critical nutrition education

By Rebekah HallUniversity of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture LITTLE ROCK — Throughout Arkansas, which has one of the highest obesity rates in the nation, nutrition professionals with the Cooperative Extension Service provide trusted, evidence-based education to help individuals and families live healthier lives. “Nutrition is transformative,” said Nina Roofe, assistant vice president for family…

AGFC and Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas to boost safe outdoor recreation 

AGFC and Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas to boost safe outdoor recreation 

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas have announced a three-year partnership to elevate outdoor recreation safety across the Natural State.  The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas will serve as the “Official Outdoor Safety Education Partner of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,” and work with the Arkansas…

$425K NIFA grant supports statewide Arkansas weather station network

$425K NIFA grant supports statewide Arkansas weather station network

By John LovettUniversity of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A statewide network of 20 high-tech weather stations is in the process of being built by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, thanks to a $425,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Once installation is completed later…

New AI Tool Diagnoses Masked Hypertension

New AI Tool Diagnoses Masked Hypertension

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – About 10% of people with hypertension have normal blood pressure readings at the doctor’s office. Now researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed an artificial-intelligence diagnostic tool to detect this condition, known as masked hypertension. The work, led by associate professor of chemical engineering William J. Richardson, could help more people get…

2026 Keep Arkansas Beautiful Statewide High School Commercial Competition promotes Creativity and Environmental Awareness

2026 Keep Arkansas Beautiful Statewide High School Commercial Competition promotes Creativity and Environmental Awareness

Springdale, Ark. (February 11, 2026) — The Fort Smith International Film Festival, Ozark Media Arts Festival, Arkansas Cinema Society (ACS), and Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission will host a statewide video contest for high school students (grades 9–12) to create a video commercial of 30 seconds or less promoting environmental responsibility in Arkansas. The contest will…

February Garden Guide from the Cooperative Extension Service

February Garden Guide from the Cooperative Extension Service

This article is courtesy of the Cooperative Extension Service Note: This is general information for the entire state of Arkansas on what to plant in your garden in February. For specific questions about planting in your area, please reach out to your local county agent.  Winter weather in Arkansas can change so drastically overnight! One day, it…

Register for Walk Across Arkansas, free group-based exercise program

Register for Walk Across Arkansas, free group-based exercise program

By Rebekah Hall University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture LITTLE ROCK — Beginning Feb. 23, Arkansans can register for the spring session of Walk Across Arkansas, a free, group-based exercise program that encourages participants to develop healthy habits and get moving.  The competition is hosted each spring and fall by the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the University of…

Photographers invited to enter 2026 Viewfinder Photography Competition

Photographers invited to enter 2026 Viewfinder Photography Competition

EL DORADO, Ark. — Photographers of all experience levels are invited to enter the 2026 Viewfinder Photography Competition, an annual juried exhibition hosted by the South Arkansas Arts Center. The open-call competition welcomes nearly any subject matter, from landscapes and portraits to abstract images and everyday moments. Organizers encourage photographers to submit any image they…