Saline River News

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…

U.S. could lose measles elimination status; Eight cases in Arkansas in 2025

U.S. could lose measles elimination status; Eight cases in Arkansas in 2025

By Rebekah HallU of A System Division of Agriculture LITTLE ROCK — The United States is poised to lose its measles elimination status due to last year’s resurgence of the disease in 44 states, including Arkansas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2025, the CDC reported more than 2,200 confirmed cases of the…

Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund Accepting Applications for Spring Semester

Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund Accepting Applications for Spring Semester

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Jan. 6, 2025) — Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) is now accepting scholarship applications for the Spring 2026 semester. Single mothers and fathers who are seeking financial support for higher education can apply at aspsf.org/scholarships. The deadline is Feb. 1. Recipients must be pursuing an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or professional…

Monticello’s Sydney Fallon presents international art exhibition in South Korea

Monticello’s Sydney Fallon presents international art exhibition in South Korea

CONWAY, Ark. – University of Central Arkansas Norbert O. Schedler Honors College student Sydney Fallon recently completed a solo international art exhibition in Seoul, South Korea, as part of her Honors capstone project. Fallon presented “Art & Seoul” July 24–27 at Mi&Gallery in the Jongno district of Seoul, located near Gyeongbokgung Palace. According to UCA…

UAM Biology Professor Co-Authors Book on Southwestern Mammals

UAM Biology Professor Co-Authors Book on Southwestern Mammals

MONTICELLO, Ark. — Dr. John Hunt, professor of biology, director of premedical studies and assistant dean of science for the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM), has co-authored a new book, “Mammals of the Southwestern United States: Biology of Native and Some Extirpated, Extinct, and Introduced Species,”…

Nearly One in Three Arkansans Report Symptoms of Depression

Nearly One in Three Arkansans Report Symptoms of Depression

The findings from the University of Arkansas’ new Arkansas Health Survey are significantly higher than previous statewide estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In Arkansas, nearly one in three people, or 30.8%, suffer from clinically significant depressive symptoms, according to results from the new Arkansas Health Survey. That rate of…