LR Port achieves Entergy Arkansas ‘Select Site’ certification for 875-acre megasite

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

The Little Rock Regional Chamber and Entergy Arkansas announced Friday (March 7) the completion of its Select Site certification for a new 875-acre industrial megasite located on the southeastern portion of the Little Rock Port.

Representatives from both organizations along with U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock; Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.; Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde; and leadership from the Little Rock Port Authority attended a press conference.

Select Site is an initiative designed to provide Entergy Arkansas-served communities with a competitive advantage and shovel-ready sites. This developmental and promotional tool allows communities to certify sites using a set of comprehensive and pre-determined criteria to better satisfy site location searches by consultants and companies.

LR Port achieves Entergy Arkansas ‘Select Site’ certification for 875-acre megasite

Severe Weather Outlook for Arkansas today

• [WHAT] Strong to possibly a few severe thunderstorms are likely to impact Arkansas.

• [WHEN] Today, Tuesday March 4, 2025.

• [WHERE] Most of the state, but especially portions of central Arkansas, and all of southern Arkansas.

  [ADDITIONAL INFO]

• If the environment destabilizes enough, severe weather (including tornadoes) will become likely.

• Gusty winds in excess of 40+ mph will be possible ahead of the thunderstorm activity and after the passage of the thunderstorm activity through Wednesday.

  [KEEP IN MIND]

• The early arrival of precipitation (this morning) may keep the atmosphere from becoming overly unstable. If rain arrives later, or progresses more slowly to the east, then destabilization will occur. This is very concerning given that available shear will be impressive (to promote tornadoes).

• This will be the last severe weather briefing regarding the severe thunderstorms moving across the state today.

The most widespread hazard across Arkansas today will be the risk for damaging wind gusts. Damaging wind gusts will be possible statewide; however, southern portions of the state will see the highest potential for severe winds. (Note the hatched area across southern Arkansas which indicates a 10% or greater chance for significant severe winds equal to or greater than 74 mph.)

Media Advisory: 4-H Day at the Capitol

The 4-H Day at the Capitol schedule has been revised, due to the pending weather forecast for March 4.

Tracy Courage           tcourage@uada.edu                      501-658-2044

WHAT:   More than 500 4-H members from 55 counties will be at 4-H Day at the Capitol to meet their legislators, learn about the legislative process, and showcase their work in 4-H on a large scale.

WHEN:   Tuesday, March 4, 2025 — Tribute to 4-H begins at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE   State Capitol Rotunda (second floor)

 WHO:   Speakers include the following:

• Lt. Governor Leslie Rutledge

• State Treasurer John Thurston

• Attorney General Tim Griffin

• Secretary of State Cole Jester 

• Deacue Fields – Vice President-Agriculture, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture 

• John Anderson, Director of Cooperative Extension Service, UADA

 4-H members will meet with their legislators at 11 a.m. and depart the Capitol at 1 p.m.

Winter Weather Briefing from the National Weather Service in Little Rock

• [WHAT] Winter weather conditions, including accumulating snow, mixed sleet and snow, and some freezing rain is forecast to spread across the state today through Wednesday, resulting in widespread travel impacts.

• [WHEN] Winter precipitation will begin across northwest Arkansas later this morning, and expand towards central to southern Arkansas by this afternoon to evening, and persist through Wednesday morning (February 19).

• [WHERE] Significant accumulating snowfall is expected across the northern third of the state, with mixed precipitation including sleet/snow and freezing rain over the southern two-thirds of the state.

• [ADDITIONAL INFO]

• Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for portions of northern and central Arkansas due to heavy snow and sleet. This is where forecast confidence is highest for impactful accumulations.

• Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for the remainder of the state where lesser snow, sleet, and freezing rain totals are expected.

• Hazardous cold is forecast by Wednesday morning with single digit to negative morning wind chill values forecast through Friday morning. Cold Weather Advisories are in effect for a large portion of the state tonight, and additional cold weather headlines will likely be needed through Friday morning.

Nonprofit teaches culinary arts to help Arkansans overcome cycles of poverty

KUAR | By Maggie Ryan

Six years ago, Krystal Rivera had dreams of working in a restaurant. But, she didn’t know where to start. She was recovering from a drug addiction and trying to stay out of jail, but still felt something was missing from her life.

“I’ve loved to cook ever since I was a little girl from Puerto Rico, I grew up over there,” Rivera told Little Rock Public Radio. “My grandma would be cooking every single day, and it always intrigued me since I was seven years old.”

So when a friend told her about Food Jobs Work, a culinary training program for people in similar situations, Rivera signed up. Now, five years after graduating, she prepares for the dinner rush at Big Orange’s midtown location in Little Rock, where she works as a kitchen manager.

Nonprofit teaches culinary arts to help Arkansans overcome cycles of poverty

Maggie Ryan/Little Rock Public Radio

Krystal Rivera started taking classes at Food Jobs Work in 2019. Five years later, she's the kitchen manager at a local restaurant and dreams of opening her own restaurant one day.

Winter Storm Watch for Arkansas Thursday and Friday

Western to southwestern Arkansas and the Ouachita Mountains is expected to see the greatest snowfall accumulations.

• WHAT HAS CHANGED: • Forecast liquid-equivalent (QPF) was increased across the forecast area, which has increased forecast snowfall amounts. • A Winter Storm Watch has been issued across portions of western, southwestern, and central Arkansas, following the areas of highest confidence for winter weather impacts Thursday through Friday (January 9-10).

• WHAT WE KNOW: • A strong storm system is forecast to move across the southern Gulf Coast Thursday through Friday, and is expected to bring impactful winter weather to the state. • Greatest confidence for impacts remains across western to southwestern Arkansas.

• WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: • There is still uncertainty regarding the exact placement of where the greatest snowfall amounts could occur. This will be addressed over the next few runs of forecast data. • There is also uncertainty across the Arkansas/Louisiana border region with regard to mixed precip types (freezing rain versus wintry mix). Expect changes and refinement to the forecast!

Confidence continues to increase on an impactful winter storm across the state during the Thursday-Friday timeframe (January 9-10). New updates with this briefing include the issuance of a Winter Storm Watch for a large portion of the state. 

 The greatest impacts are currently expected across western to southwestern, and portions of central Arkansas. Expect changes to the footprint of greatest snowfall accumulations, and the Winter Storm Watch!

UAMS College of Medicine Welcomes 175 Students at Joint White Coat Ceremony in Little Rock, NWA

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine welcomed 175 new medical students to its Little Rock and Fayetteville campuses in an Aug. 9 white coat ceremony attended by hundreds of friends, family and other well-wishers.

A tradition for incoming medical students, the ceremony followed a week of orientation before classes started Aug. 12.

It began with several distinguished speakers offering words of wisdom from the Robinson Center Performance Hall stage in Little Rock. Most of the students, who are starting medical school on the main campus, watched from the first several rows, while 19 freshmen at the Fayetteville campus participated through a live feed from the Schmieding Center in Springdale.

UAMS College of Medicine Welcomes 175 Students at Joint White Coat Ceremony in Little Rock, NWA

Members of the College of Medicine Class of 2028 recite the medical student oath before crossing the stage to don their white coats at Robinson Center Performance Hall. Image by Bryan Clifton

Parker family donates $2 million to Arkansas Children’s Hospital

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas Children’s Hospital has received a $2 million donation from Lynn and Don Parker and their children to help fund the ACH expansion project. The Jonesboro-based family has also committed a $1 million gift to the ACH Jonesboro Clinic.

This is the family’s second $1 million gift to the clinic. They also gave $1 million in 2019.

ACH is in the midst of a $318 million expansion project at both hospitals, announced in 2023. The plan will expand bed capacity, transform inpatient and outpatient surgical approaches with the addition of an ambulatory center, redesign clinical spaces to promote multidisciplinary care and create an inviting and accessible campus experience. With the Parker family donation, companies, individuals and organizations have donated $12.1 million toward the $253.2 million expansion project at ACH.

Parker family donates $2 million to Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Arkansas Children's campus in Little Rock.

Capitol Exhibit Highlights Unique Collection from Saunders Museum

(LITTLE ROCK, ARK.) – Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston would like to invite visitors to the State Capitol to view the latest historical exhibit, A Collector’s Story: Selections from the Saunders Museum.

The exhibit features the colorful life of Colonel C. Burton Saunders of Berryville, Arkansas, and his journey as a collector of artifacts. Saunders became famous as a showman, marksman, world traveler, and prolific acquirer of unique and historic items of interest.

Items on display include rare and antique firearms, Native American artifacts, and various objects Saunders picked up during his world travels.

Among the rarer relics exhibited are a cased pair of flintlock dueling pistols made by Pirmet in Paris, France, dating to the late 1700s-early 1800s; a Colt Walker 1847 revolver (less than 200 out of 1,100 made are known to still exist); and guns that are said to have been owned by notorious outlaws Jesse James, Cole Younger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Wild Bill Hickock.

A Collector’s Story: Selections from the Saunders Museum will be on display in the Capitol's first floor galleries from now through September 20th.

For more information on the Saunders Museum, visit https://berryvillear.gov/about-berryville/saunders-museum.

Display Is Open Now Through September 20th

Sanders announces Chris Caldwell as newest Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner

BY agfc

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced that Chris Caldwell will serve as the newest Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner. Caldwell’s seven-year term will last until 2031. He is replacing outgoing Commission Chairman Stan Jones, and John David “J.D.” Neeley will become the Commission Chairman.

“Chris is a great friend and trusted advisor. I know how much he loves Arkansas, how much he adores hunting and fishing and the Arkansas way of life, and how hard he will work every single day in this role,” Gov. Sanders said.

“Hunting and fishing have always been a big part of my life, and I’m proud to join the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and help provide the same opportunities I enjoyed to every kid and family in Arkansas,” Caldwell said. “I’m grateful that the Governor has selected me for this role and look forward to working with her and every Commissioner to help make Arkansas the best state in the nation to hunt, fish, live and raise a family.”

Caldwell is a Saline County native who lives in Little Rock and leads Caldwell Consulting, a full-service lobbying, government relations and political consulting firm. He previously managed the Sarah for Governor campaign and served as a special advisor to the Governor-elect’s transition team. During the Trump administration, Caldwell was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority. He also served on Senator John Boozman’s official staff and held senior leadership roles on several campaigns in Arkansas and around the country.

Caldwell is a University of Arkansas graduate. He and his wife, Ashley, have two children, Harley and Amelia.

Pathways Academy Students Spend Week as VA Hospital Volunteers

By Chris Carmody

A weeklong volunteer project at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock gave teens from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Pathways Academy an opportunity to learn about health careers and the sacrifices that veterans have made on behalf of the nation.

Pathways Academy is an educational and community engagement program in the UAMS Division for Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships. The program prepares K-12 students for careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health sciences (STEM-H) disciplines.

Seventeen high school students from central Arkansas took part in the volunteer effort, with each of them logging nearly 40 hours of service. Katina White, education and curriculum coordinator for Pathways Academy, noted that the 2023 Arkansas LEARNS Act requires high school students to perform 75 hours of community service before they receive their diplomas.

Pathways Academy Students Spend Week as VA Hospital Volunteers

High school students from UAMS’ Pathways Academy take part in a virtual reality demonstration at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock. The students spent a week as volunteers at the hospital, interacting with veterans and gaining a better understanding of how war has changed the lives of those who served.

Tropical Storm Beryl Briefing from the National Weather Service

Areas from southwest to north-central Arkansas could see the highest totals (isolated 4-6 inch amounts)

This map shows rainfall totals through Tuesday night, which includes some rainfall expected before Beryl moves through.

• TS Beryl will move onshore along the Texas coast late tonight into early Monday morning, likely as a hurricane.

• Beryl will quickly weaken and move toward the north then northeast, traveling across east/northeast Texas Monday into early Tuesday morning.

• The remnants of Beryl are expected to move across Arkansas from Monday afternoon through Tuesday before lifting northeast of the state by early Wednesday morning.

• The remnants of Beryl could provide some locally heavy rain and perhaps a few tornadoes/damaging wind gusts across Arkansas from Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon.

NOTE: Do not focus on the exact track. Impacts can occur well outside the area enclosed by the cone

NWS Severe Weather Outlook for Arkansas June 3, 2024

• A complex of strong to severe thunderstorms will develop along a line that will enter northwestern Arkansas by Monday afternoon and sweep southeastward across the state into Monday evening.

• Damaging wind gusts and quarter sized hail will be possible in any storm that becomes severe.

• The tornado threat in this environment remains very low, but not zero.

• The Flash Flooding threat with this system is low, but locations that saw high rainfall totals with the activity from Thursday and locations that experience efficient rainfall producing cells this afternoon/evening may see flash flooding, especially in prone areas.

Rockefeller Institute CEO: Arkansas’ low voter turnout part of bigger picture

by Steve Brawner (BRAWNERSTEVE@MAC.COM)

Arkansas’ worst-in-the-nation voter registration and turnout rankings are part of a larger challenge of civic engagement that the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute and its partners are working to address.

The Institute has launched the Civic Arkansas initiative to get Arkansans involved not only in the election process but also in their communities.

Janet Harris, executive director and CEO, described what that meant during a speech Tuesday (May 21) before Rotary Club 99 in Little Rock.

“Civic engagement, when we hear that word, we often think about voting, and civic engagement is about voting, but it’s about so much more than that,” she said. “It is about the fabric of our community. It is about how we choose to show up for each other, how we choose to connect with another, how we choose to care about what is happening in the world around us and do something to create the change that we want to see.”

Rockefeller Institute CEO: Arkansas’ low voter turnout part of bigger picture

Attorney General Griffin announces cybersecurity summit in October

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Attorney General Tim Griffin announced Tuesday (May 21) that he will host a Cybersecurity Summit October 7-8, 2024, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock at no cost to attendees.

The summit will feature the Director of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Jen Easterly, as the keynote speaker.

“While there will be plenty of Arkansas-specific concerns addressed, this much-needed summit will have national and international appeal as we bring in top experts in the field of cybersecurity. I am particularly thrilled that Jen Easterly, Director of CISA, will serve as our keynote speaker. I’ve known Jen for a long time, and there is no one in government more knowledgeable than her on the topic of cybersecurity,” Griffin said.

AG Griffin announces cybersecurity summit in October

Severe Weather Possible Wednesday and Thursday in Arkansas

• An active weather pattern will continue across the region through the weekend, with some threat for strong to severe thunderstorms forecast through the weekend.

• Chances for severe weather will be greatest across the southwest section of the state through tonight. The threat on Thursday will be less concentrated, but may be more focused for western sections. Chances for severe weather will be a tad lower on Friday…but return for Saturday and Sunday.

• The primary threats expected with the strongest storms will be large hail and damaging winds, with some tornadoes also possible. Very large hail over 2 inches in diameter and damaging winds over 70 mph could be seen across southwest sections of the state this Wednesday afternoon.

• Some areas of heavy rainfall could be seen by late this week. Additional rainfall amounts exceeding 1.5 inches could be seen through Memorial Day, especially across the south half of the state. Locally heavier amounts are possible. This may lead to some isolated flash flooding.

National Weather Service Hazardous Weather Briefing for Arkansas Tues-Thurs

Severe Threat for Arkansas Late This Afternoon and Tonight - (National Weather Service/Little Rock Graph)

• An active weather pattern will develop starting late this afternoon and evening as a cold front drops southeast towards Arkansas.

• Chances for severe weather will increase starting late this evening into the overnight hours across far northwest sections of Arkansas. This threat will spread further southeast for Wednesday, and continue for a large portion of the state on Thursday.

• The primary threats expected with the strongest storms through tonight will be large hail and damaging winds, with a brief tornado or two possible. Very large hail and damaging winds will be the primary threats on Wednesday, with a few tornadoes also possible. Large hail and damaging winds will again be primary threats for Thursday.

• There is some uncertainty regarding the severe threat on Wednesday as timing of morning thunderstorms may create less instability for afternoon thunderstorm development.

• Some areas of heavy rainfall could be seen by late this week. Rainfall amounts exceeding 3 inches could be seen from late tonight through Friday morning. This may lead to some isolated flash flooding.

Extension to offer two-day remote produce safety training May 29-30

PRODUCE SAFETY — For fruit and vegetable growers, ensuring their farms are free of microbial contamination and reducing the risk of foodborne illness is key to the success of their operation. The Cooperative Extension Service will offer a two-day remote training with information about best practices, worker health and hygiene, and more. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — To help Arkansas fruit and vegetable growers across the state learn practices to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will offer a remote, two-day produce safety training workshop via Zoom from May 29-30.

The training will provide attendees with important information on best practices, worker health, hygiene and training, soil amendments and more.

Registration is $25 per person for Arkansas residents and $100 per person for out-of-state residents. The deadline to register is May 22, and there are 20 seats available in the training. Participants must have access to Zoom software, a web camera, microphone and stable internet access. Register at uaex.uada.edu/producesafety.

Rip Weaver, extension program technician for local, regional and safe foods for the Division of Agriculture, said his team looks forward to hosting the remote training.

“We know this is a busy time for Arkansas growers,” Weaver said. “We hope that by splitting the training into two half-days, attendees will still have a good portion of their days to tend to their responsibilities on their farms and food businesses.”

Participant attendance and engagement will be monitored during the training. Participants are only eligible for PSA/AFDO Certificate of Course Completion if they are present for all modules of the course.

“This program is targeted to commercial produce growers, but small or beginning farms can learn valuable information for building their operations,” said Amanda Philyaw Perez, extension associate professor of food systems and food safety specialist for the Division of Agriculture. “Farmers who have previously attended this training should plan to attend a training about every three years to stay up to date on the latest regulatory information.”

The training, developed by the Produce Safety Alliance and presented by the Cooperative Extension Service’s Arkansas Produce Safety Team, teaches growers about regulatory requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. FSMA is the first federally regulated standard for growing, harvesting, packing, and holding fresh produce.

For more information, contact Rip Weaver at rweaver@uada.edu or 501-671-2388.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Severe weather likely in Arkansas beginning Wednesday evening; briefing updated

• Severe storms are expected to fire across Arkansas this afternoon into the overnight hours.

• Chances for severe weather will increase through the day as a storm system tracks from the southern Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley, and drags a cold front into Arkansas. Ahead of the front, well above average temperatures and humid conditions will create a very unstable environment.

• All modes of severe weather are in play this afternoon and overnight. Very large hail up to baseball size and wind gusts up to 80 mph are the main threats, with tornadoes also possible. Heavy downpours may lead to localized flash flooding as well.

• On Thursday, storms will be mostly south of Arkansas but could impact far southern portions of the state. Damaging winds and large hail would be the main hazards.

Minor updates have been made by the National Weather Service in Little Rock, AR.

They include the addition of NW Arkansas to the Tornado Outlook and Overnight Timing Graphics. 

Storms are expected to initially develop by early evening across northern and western Arkansas. These storms will be capable of all severe weather hazards. The storms will gradually shift eastward through the evening hours with the very large hail threat becoming slightly lower. The damaging wind and isolated tornado threat will persist. Activity should make it east of the Mississippi River by daybreak Thursday.

Lyon College to locate dental school in LR’s Riverdale neighborhood, vet school in Cabot

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Lyon College officials announced Tuesday (May 7) the locations of their planned dental and veterinary schools with one locating in Little Rock and the other in Cabot.

In November 2023, an original plan to locate the dental and vet schools in the Heifer International headquarters in downtown Little Rock fell through.

OneHealth Companies, the school’s original partner in the venture, failed to meet the deadline to buy the Heifer International facility, according to numerous published reports. OneHealth is no longer involved with Lyon on the project.

Lyon College to locate dental school in LR’s Riverdale neighborhood, vet school in Cabot