The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) produces a Weekly Viral Respiratory Diseases Report for clinicians. The report provides information on Influenza, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity in the state. The report also compares activities in Arkansas to the U.S. ADH receives reports of only a fraction of COVID-19 cases and flu cases since it only requires reports of flu hospitalizations, deaths, and outbreaks. RSV is not a reportable disease in Arkansas. Therefore, it is important to understand that the information in the weekly update is representative of the timing and location of activity, but it does not reflect the overall disease burden. It is presumed that there are many more people actually affected than the report shows. Clinicians and policymakers may find the report helpful in terms of communicating to colleagues and patients about the current status of viral respiratory diseases in the state and nationwide. more

LITTLE ROCK — A federal judge has ruled Arkansas cannot prevent two high school teachers from discussing critical race theory in the classroom, but he stopped short of more broadly blocking the state from enforcing its ban on "indoctrination" in public schools. more

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas lawmakers adjourned this year's session without approving a budget for the Game and Fish Commission on Thursday, putting the state's hunting and fishing programs in limbo if the Legislature doesn't return for a special session by July. more

An informal group of citizens will be hosting petition signing opportunities for Arkansas’s November ballot initiatives on the Harrison square, by the gazebo, on Thursdays 2 p.m - 6 p.m. and on Saturdays 7 a.m.-Noon. more

FAYETTEVILLE — Last year’s closure of chicken processing plants in North Little Rock and Van Buren sparked a few questions in economist Jada Thompson’s mind. more

A federal judge has ruled Arkansas cannot prevent two high school teachers from discussing critical race theory in the classroom but is stopping short of a broader prohibition against the state's ban … more

Attorneys for Rocky Dodson, 54, have filed a motion to suppress in Boone County Circuit Court. Dodson was arrested in March 2022 with a warrant stating probable cause for murder in the second degree. The charge of murder came after investigators examined the circumstances of the death of his wife, 36-year-old Amanda Dodson. more

The Arkansas State Police's (ASP) Interstate Criminal Patrol (ICP) seized a combined 886 pounds of illegal narcotics and one handgun in just 10 days during six traffic stops on Interstate 40. more

What is Dicamba? more

Rob Walton announcing he will retire from the board of Walmart at the conclusion of his current term on June 5, 2024. Walton joined Walmart in 1969 and before that worked alongside his father, Sam, in his 5&10 store. He served more than 40 years on the Walmart board and helped shape some of the most important moments in Walmart history. more

LITTLE ROCK — 2024 is gonna get loud. Entomologists say two broods of periodic cicadas will be making a rare simultaneous emergence this spring. The last time this happened in the U.S. was in 1803 and the next one won’t happen for another 221 years. more

Arkansas is set to replace the statues of two obscure figures from its history that have represented the state at the U.S. Capitol with contemporary figures. A statue depicting civil rights leader … more

An informal group of citizens will be hosting petition signing opportunities for Arkansas’s November ballot initiatives on the Harrison square, by the gazebo, on Thursdays 2 p.m - 6 p.m. beginning May 9. The group is currently, and will continue to host the signings on Saturdays 7 a.m.-Noon. more

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) produces a Weekly Viral Respiratory Diseases Report for clinicians. The report provides information on Influenza, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity in the state. The report also compares activities in Arkansas to the U.S. ADH receives reports of only a fraction of COVID-19 cases and flu cases since it only requires reports of flu hospitalizations, deaths, and outbreaks. RSV is not a reportable disease in Arkansas. Therefore, it is important to understand that the information in the weekly update is representative of the timing and location of activity, but it does not reflect the overall disease burden. It is presumed that there are many more people actually affected than the report shows. Clinicians and policymakers may find the report helpful in terms of communicating to colleagues and patients about the current status of viral respiratory diseases in the state and nationwide. more

The statewide gas price average in Arkansas was $3.19 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel on Thursday, according to the AAA Arkansas Weekend Gas Watch. That price is two cents less compared to that day last week and is one cent more compared to that day last year. more

The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division announced this week that it had revoked the license of medical marijuana dispensary Green Springs Medical Dispensary in Hot Springs. This is the first time a dispensary license has been revoked since the medical cannabis industry launched in Arkansas in 2019. more

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas lawmakers gave final approval to bills outlining the state's $6.3 billion budget for the coming year as they wrapped up this year's legislative session. more

America's Newspapers, a leading advocate for the nation's newspaper industry, enthusiastically endorses the Arkansas Government Disclosure Act of 2024 and the proposed Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment. These initiatives represent a critical step forward in protecting the public's fundamental right to access government records and proceedings and to make government actions more transparent. more

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas lawmakers on Wednesday gave final approval to new restrictions on cryptocurrency mining operations after facing backlash for limiting local governments' ability to regulate them last year. more

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) has awarded $8,478,624 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to 17 Arkansas cities and counties. more