news
'Lecterngate' audit is ready, but the public release date is still unknown
Auditor Roger Norman said the governor requested an extra week to submit her response to the findings, further delaying the audit report's release to the public.
news
LEARNS lawsuit over ‘indoctrination’ reassigned to Judge Rudofsky
A judge in a federal lawsuit challenging a section of the Arkansas LEARNS Act that prohibits “indoctrination” in the classroom has recused herself from the case and asked for it to be reassigned.
news
Shooting at Little Rock Children’s Library injures one, causes closure
Officers with the Little Rock Police Department responded to a shooting call at the library around 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
news
Lead pastor of Immanuel Baptist announces resignation in wake of sexual abuse scandal
Smith's resignation follows much controversy over his handling of child sex abuse allegations.
news
Griffin asks Congress to address hemp-derived THC products
A lawyer representing plaintiffs in a federal hemp case said Griffin effectively admitted that the state will need Congress, and not the courts, to address the issue.
Korean fried chicken franchise bb.q Chicken opening in West Little Rock in April
Korean fried chicken franchise bb.q Chicken will be opening its first Arkansas location in April in the former David’s Burgers space at 101 S. Bowman Road.
Wednesday open line
Greetings.
news & opinion
Arkansas AG nips at Biden's heels again, will sue to block student loan aid
Tim Griffin says he's joining forces with Missouri on a lawsuit like the one Kansas filed today, with the aim of preventing government contributions toward student loans.
news
Glass, new types of plastic may soon be recyclable in Little Rock
All the cool kids recycle. If Little Rock directors approve a contract extension that includes new services through Waste Management next week, glass recycling would be back.
news
Plan to create state-run insurance company for school buildings in works for fiscal session
State lawmakers will wait until the upcoming fiscal session to decide whether or not to follow a consulting firm’s recommendation that Arkansas start its own insurance company for school properties, legislators said Wednesday.
Thursday open line
The door's open.
news
Arkansas opioid abatement efforts go mobile, both on wheels and via a new app
Another development in the distribution of the state's opioid settlement money: an app and a recovery clinic on wheels, administering medical care to people in crisis.
The wait is over: Moody Brews now open in Pettaway
After a long and well-documented odyssey, Moody Brews, the new brewery helmed by longtime Little Rock brewer Josiah Moody, is opening tonight in downtown's Pettaway neighborhood.
Turning the eclipse into fiction: A Q&A with writer Eli Cranor
“The Gloam” — Eli Cranor’s new story about a bound-for-breakup couple hawking bootleg MAGA merch in London, Arkansas, during the eclipse — debuts in the April issue of the Arkansas Times. We chatted with Cranor about his writing process, the versatility of crime fiction and how he's planning to spend the celestial holiday.
news
Little Rock Starbucks workers vote to unionize
Starbucks employees at the Rodney Parham and Market Street store (11121 N. Rodney Parham Road) voted 12-2 to join the Starbucks Workers United, a union of more than 10,000 employees "coming together to create a better workplace for all."
news & analysis
Pulaski County weighing options for handling sheriff's seemingly illegal contract with TV producers
Sheriff Eric Higgins contends that his agreement with a TV production company was not a contract. It's pretty clear that he's wrong, which leaves the county with multiple questions to answer about the entire arrangement.
news
Arkansas seasonal flu deaths top 100, health department reports
After several weeks of high flu spread in Arkansas, the intensity levels have mellowed, according to the state health department.
news
Second-year LEARNS voucher applicants to be notified of approvals in June
The rules surrounding some provisions in the Arkansas LEARNS Act remain up in the air, stalling the approval process, an ADE representative said.
Wild Pink and Sun June at Stickyz on Tuesday
New York-based indie rock outfit Wild Pink is the quiet, sensitive kid in the corner, except they also slap.
news
Internal email reveals details about shooting at Little Rock Children’s Library
An internal email to Central Arkansas Library System employees reveals new details about a Wednesday morning shooting in a library parking lot.
news
Republican infighting over south Arkansas legislative runoff continues, pitting Sanders against old-guard GOP
Add Rep. DeAnn Vaught of Horatio to the list of Republican legislators crying foul over shenanigans in the GOP runoff for state representative in House District 88. Voting records reveal Sanders' preferred candidate, Arnetta Bradford, never voted until 2022.
Give blood, eat lunch at the Pulaski County admin building today
Several food trucks and the Bloodmobile donation center will be on site today at the Pulaski County Government’s first Food Truck Thursday of 2024.
news
Free dental clinic in Conway April 12-13
Arkansas consistently ranks last or near-last in the nation in dental health; the Arkansas Department of Health cited a 2022 study from America’s Health Rankings, placing us last in the nation for the percentage of adults who reported visiting a dentist or dental clinic within the past year.