SouthArk Awarded Federal Grant to Expand Nursing Education Pathways

SouthArk Awarded Federal Grant to Expand Nursing Education Pathways

EL DORADO, Ark. — South Arkansas College has been awarded a federal grant of more than $1.5 million to expand nursing education opportunities and increase the nursing workforce in rural and underserved areas. According to the college, the four-year grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources…

More Arkansas businesses eligible for government contracts in 2026 thanks to APEX Accelerator

More Arkansas businesses eligible for government contracts in 2026 thanks to APEX Accelerator

LITTLE ROCK — After a successful 2025 program year helping more than 500 businesses navigate government contracting, Arkansas APEX Accelerator program director Melanie Berman said the organization “looks forward to building momentum in 2026.” The Arkansas APEX Accelerator is part of the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.…

Arkansas State Police Seek Public Help in Hit-and-Run Crash on I-530

Arkansas State Police Seek Public Help in Hit-and-Run Crash on I-530

Courtesy of the Arkansas State Police PINE BLUFF, AR. – Arkansas State Police (ASP) is investigating a hit-and-run crash that occurred on Interstate 530 South near the 34-mile marker at approximately 11:30 a.m. on December 30, 2025. An ASP Trooper responded to a crash involving an orange Dodge Charger and a red Peterbilt truck pulling…

ASP investigating officer-involved shooting in Fordyce

ASP investigating officer-involved shooting in Fordyce

Article submitted by the Arkansas State Police: FORDYCE, AR – At the request of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), Special Agents with the Arkansas State Police (ASP) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) are investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, in Fordyce. At 10:38 this morning, deputies with the DCSO and…

Dry Conditions Increase Wildfire Risk Across Arkansas

Dry Conditions Increase Wildfire Risk Across Arkansas

Article from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture: Parts of Arkansas are experiencing dry conditions, increasing the risk of wildfires. Sparks from activities such as fireworks, outdoor equipment, or open flames can ignite dry vegetation and cause fires to spread quickly. To help Arkansans understand wildfire risk, the Department maintains a county-by-county wildfire danger map with…

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Confirmed in Cleveland County

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Confirmed in Cleveland County

Article submitted by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture (Department) has confirmed a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) on a commercial poultry farm in Cleveland County. Following an investigation by the Department in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, testing confirmed the presence of…

Blanchard Springs Caverns Moves Toward Becoming Arkansas’ 53rd State Park

Blanchard Springs Caverns Moves Toward Becoming Arkansas’ 53rd State Park

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. 12-9-25 — Arkansas has taken its first official step toward establishing a new state park in the Ozarks, following a memorandum of understanding signed today by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Shea Lewis, and the U.S. Forest Service. The agreement begins the formal process of…

Judge Crews Puryear Certified as Candidate for Re-Election to 10th Judicial Circuit, Division 1

Judge Crews Puryear Certified as Candidate for Re-Election to 10th Judicial Circuit, Division 1

Article submitted: Circuit Judge Crews Puryear has been notified by the Arkansas Secretary that he has been certified as a candidate for re-election to the10th Judicial Circuit Judgeship, Division 1 in the March 3 election.  The 10th Judicial District includes Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha and Drew Counties.   “I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as Circuit Judge…

Scammers Are Claiming to Be the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration

Scammers Are Claiming to Be the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration

Article submitted Arkansans have seen a recent rash of texts and emails from senders claiming to be from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. The texts or emails purport to be notifications of tax refund request approval, and they direct recipients to share bank account information at a provided link. What Arkansans Should Know These…

Cause of Death at Sam’s Throne Campground Determined to be Animal Mauling

Cause of Death at Sam’s Throne Campground Determined to be Animal Mauling

Article submitted MT. JUDEA — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has been notified that the Arkansas State Crime Lab has determined that a death near Sam’s Throne Campground on Arkansas Highway 123 in Newton County was the result of an animal mauling.  The AGFC has been working with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office and…

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Launches New Cost-Share Program to Support Reforestation Efforts in Southeast Arkansas

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Launches New Cost-Share Program to Support Reforestation Efforts in Southeast Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture (Department) is opening enrollment for a new cost-share program aimed at helping landowners in Southeast Arkansas address forest health issues in intensively managed pine plantations. Applications will be accepted until November 21, 2025.  In recent years, many pine plantations in this region have experienced a decline in…

Circuit Judge Laurie Bridewell Announces Bid for Second Term

Circuit Judge Laurie Bridewell Announces Bid for Second Term

Article submitted Judge Laurie Bridewell announced today that she will seek a second term as 10th Judicial Circuit Judge, 2nd Division, covering all of Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, and Drew counties.  Judge Bridewell was first sworn in on January 1, 2021 and hears all cases involving divorce, custody, visitation and domestic abuse, as well as…

Ashley County Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Drug Conviction

Ashley County Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Drug Conviction

Article submitted ASHLEY COUNTY, Ark. – Tenth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Frank Spain announced that Reginald Nalls, 48, was convicted by a jury on July 29, 2025, for possession of over two grams of methamphetamine, a class C felony.  Investigator Tad Huntsman with the Ashley County Sheriff’s office received information about Nalls that led to…

ASP Release New Photo of Person of Interest in Devil’s Den Double Homicide; Public Urged to Help Identify Man

ASP Release New Photo of Person of Interest in Devil’s Den Double Homicide; Public Urged to Help Identify Man

Again, this article is not local to South Arkansas, but this is information the Arkansas State Police are trying to get out to as many people as possible. WEST FORK, Ark. – Arkansas State Police (ASP) investigators have released a new photo to accompany a previously-released composite sketch of a man they are seeking to identify for…

Boozman, Warnock, Collins, Schumer Lead Push to Boost Supply of Doctors, Ensure Access to Medical Care

Boozman, Warnock, Collins, Schumer Lead Push to Boost Supply of Doctors, Ensure Access to Medical Care

WASHINGTON––U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), along with Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), introduced the bipartisan Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act to increase the number of Medicare-supported doctor training slots available for medical students and address the shortage of primary and specialty care physicians in Arkansas and across the country. “There…

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Distributes Over 15,000 Tree Seedlings

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Distributes Over 15,000 Tree Seedlings

LITTLE ROCK, AR — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s fifth annual Free Tree Fridays campaign successfully distributed 15,400 tree seedlings across the state during 35 events held each Friday from March 21 through April 25. A total of 3,620 Arkansans participated in the events, celebrating Arbor Day and the importance of trees in our communities.…

Sheets joins AgHeritage Farm Credit Services as Ag Lending Officer

Sheets joins AgHeritage Farm Credit Services as Ag Lending Officer

Cole Sheets has joined AgHeritage Farm Credit Services in the role of Ag Lending Officer in the Pine Bluff branch office. Sheets earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business and Management from the University of Arkansas, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. In addition to his professional expertise, Sheets has hands-on…

LIHEAP Application Opens Jan. 6 for Winter Utilities Bill Assistance

The following is a press release from Entergy Arkansas: LITTLE ROCK – Entergy Arkansas customers who need help paying their winter utility bills can apply now for up to $475 in assistance through the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program’s regular assistance application period runs Jan. 6 through the end of March,…