House members will enter the third week of the 2023 Regular Session on Monday. In the second week, several bills passed the House and are now making their way to the Senate. On Wednesday, the House passed HB1018. This bill will allow members of municipal fire department bomb squads to carry weapons while responding to…
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Drought, high fertilizer prices eat into hay production
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — High fertilizer prices and drought in 2022 handed hay production in the United States its biggest decline in 11 years with stocks at their lowest level since data collection began, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The stats were part of the Jan. 12 Crop Production Summary from NASS, which is…
Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund accepting Summer 2023 scholarship applications
Monticello, Ark. – Eligible single parents are invited to apply for Summer 2023 scholarships at aspsf.org/applynow. The deadline to apply is March 15. Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) awards scholarships up to $1,200 to eligible single parents who are attending college or obtaining technical training. A full list of eligibility guidelines is available at aspsf.org/eligibility.…
NALC Jan 18 webinar to provide legislative update on foreign ownership of ag land
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Foreign ownership and investments in U.S. agricultural land have increased to more than 40 million acres in the last decade, making up just over 3 percent of all privately held farmland within the U.S., according to the Farm Service Agency. For many legislators, that increase raises concerns over food supply and national…
Jefferson Regional receives second grant from Blue Cross Foundation
PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Jefferson Regional is pleased to announce that the Jefferson Regional Foundation has been awarded a grant for cancer screenings from the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. This is the second year Jefferson Regional has received assistance from the Blue & You Foundation for cancer screenings. The grant will…
Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma Hydrogen Partnership Encouraged to Submit Full Application for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program
LITTLE ROCK – Today, Govs. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, John Bel Edwards of Louisiana and J. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma announced that the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has encouraged the HALO Hydrogen Hub to submit a Full Application for the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program, allocated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The…
Entergy Arkansas prepped for freezing temps, high winds, precipitation through holidays
The following is a press release from Entergy Arkansas: LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Entergy Arkansas is prepared for the likelihood that winter weather will affect parts of the company’s service territory Thursday through Saturday (Dec. 22-24) with temperatures below freezing, strong winds and precipitation. Forecasts call for sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with…
News from around Arkansas: Bentonville becomes home for U.S. National Mountain Bike Team
BENTONVILLE, AR – Dec. 15, 2022 – Today, USA Cycling announces that Bentonville, Arkansas, will become the official “Home of the U.S. National Mountain Bike Team,” as young athletes set their sights on success leading into 2028. The U.S. National Mountain Bike Team will utilize Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas’ network of trails and gravel for…
Arkansas State Police: Stop before driving impaired; Holiday law enforcement push to protect motorists
The festivities of Christmas and New Year holidays is often mixed with good cheer leading to tragedies on Arkansas roadways. This year the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is partnering with law enforcement agencies across the state to share the message about the dangers of drunk driving. Beginning this weekend (December…
State broadband office urges Arkansans to verify federal broadband map
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (December 14, 2022) – The Arkansas State Broadband Office is urging all Arkansans to verify the newly published federal broadband map. Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a new national broadband map showing high-speed internet availability across the country. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will use this new map to…
Dan Herrington named Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas Chief Administrative Officer
Little Rock, Ark. — Dec. 7, 2022 — Dan Herrington of Little Rock has been named Chief Administrative Officer for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. He joins the cooperatives after a 27-year career with a leading Arkansas law firm. “Dan’s skills and experience will enable the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas to continue as a leading…
Jefferson Regional executives, marketing department take home AHA awards
(December 6, 2022 – Pine Bluff, AR) Jefferson Regional in Pine Bluff was recently recognized with multiple awards at the 2022 meeting of the Arkansas Hospital Association (AHA). Jefferson Regional President & CEO Brian Thomas received the Alan A. Weintraub Memorial Award, the AHA’s highest award bestowed on an individual. Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer…
Arkansas Grown
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Represenatives 11-18-22: Did you know that more than 12% of all turkeys produced in the United States are raised right here in Arkansas? Arkansas produces 27 million turkeys per year and ranks third in the nation in turkeys raised. But that’s not the only popular Thanksgiving dish that…
Jefferson Regional receives Leapfrog Safety Rating
The national Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades for Fall of 2022 were revealed on November 16, and Jefferson Regional in Pine Bluff is pleased to announce that it has received a “B” rating. Leapfrog is a national non-profit watchdog organization. Using evidence-based measures, Leapfrog assigns a letter grade twice a year to nearly 3,000 hospitals based…
As Mississippi River rises, so do commodity prices
LITTLE ROCK — As rain feeds the Mississippi, the rising river is also buoying the commodity prices farmers are receiving at the elevators. Months of drought throughout the Mississippi River basin dropped the river to record low levels in October; bottlenecking — and at one point halting — barge traffic between Osceola, Arkansas, and Greenville, Mississippi.…
Boozman, Blumenthal lead bipartisan effort to safeguard veterans filing benefit claims
WASHINGTON–– U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), senior members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced legislation to hold unaccredited entities that target men and women who served in uniform accountable for their predatory practices. The Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (GUARD) VA Benefits Act would reinstate criminal penalties for unaccredited claim representatives who charge…
So, what issues are on the 2022 ballot in Arkansas?
There are a total of four issues which Arkansas voters will make their voice known on this election. Saline River Chronicle is happy to share with you an easy-to-read guide from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture which describes in detail what each issue is about, plus what a yes or no vote…
Arkansas delegation travel to Guatemala for disaster relief conference
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In 2021, representatives of the Guatemalan Army visited Little Rock, Arkansas, to see how the state responds to natural disasters as part of a Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response Conference with the Arkansas National Guard. During the conference, the Guatemalan delegation visited Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) Arkansas Wing headquarters, toured CAP aircraft and…
With Mississippi River shipping at a crawl, farmers seeing prices for their grain falling
LITTLE ROCK — Farmers faced with high fuel and fertilizer costs this growing season could at least look for consolation in relatively high commodity prices. However, even that right spot may be slipping away as low water on the Mississippi River slows shipping and keeps grain backing up at local elevators. On Monday the U.S. Coast…
Voter registration deadline is Tuesday
There is an important deadline approaching for Arkansans planning to vote in the November election. If you have not already registered to vote, you have until October 11 to file your voter registration application with your county clerk. If you submit your application close to an election registration deadline, you are strongly advised to follow…
How to apply for disaster assistance for 2022 livestock forage losses
Producers in Drew, Bradley and Calhoun counties are eligible to apply for 2022 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on full season improved pasture, annual rye grass, and small grains. LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land or fire on federally…