Tuesday open line
Howdy.
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.
Arkansas legislative charity basketball tournament gives defeated House squad a chance at redemption
A new 3-on-3 format has been adapted for the annual legislative charity basketball game Hoops For Kids' Sake, which the Arkansas House has lost to the Senate in five consecutive matches and a shambolic 36-12 rout in 2023.
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
Jan. 6 defendant files motion suggesting he was at Capitol as a freelance journalist
A Bentonville man charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots says he is a freelance journalist and is being selectively prosecuted.
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.
First Pentecostal's 'I AM' Easter show is both over the top and riveting
Both avid churchgoers and errant heathens can get hyped about the "I AM" Easter extravaganza. With camels and sheep, a Roman soldier on horseback, smoke, a hologram, live music and a cast of hundreds, you'll not find this much entertainment packed into a $10 ticket anywhere else.
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.
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.
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
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
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
Governor's office offered lucrative parole board seat in exchange for political favor, state senator says
State Sen. Jimmy Hickey alleged Monday that the governor’s office offered outgoing state Rep. Danny Watson a lucrative seat on the state parole board if he secured a replacement friendly to the Sanders administration.