State officials take steps to avoid spread of avian influenza in dairy cattle

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Idaho, and New Mexico.

Symptoms of the virus in dairy cattle include decreased lactation, low appetite, and thickening of milk.

To date, there have been no reported cases of HPAI in livestock within Arkansas, the state’s Department of Agriculture has reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that a dairy farm worker tested positive for HPAI in Texas on April 1.

State officials take steps to avoid spread of avian influenza in dairy cattle

Texas, California residents top out-of-staters moving to Arkansas in ’23, DMV data shows

KUAR | By Hunter Field / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

More new Arkansans moved to the Natural State last year from Texas and California than any other states, according to state driver’s license data.

The Division of Motor Vehicles issued 44,271 license transfers in 2023, offering one of the first looks at inbound migration.

The top seven states for in-bound license transfers last year were:

• Texas: 7,993

• California: 4,293

• Missouri: 3,329

• Oklahoma: 2,652

• Florida: 2,609

• Tennessee: 1,852

• Louisiana: 1,830

Texas, California residents top out-of-staters moving to Arkansas in ’23, DMV data shows

Nicole Xu For NPR

Thousands moved to Arkansas from neighboring states, California and Florida according to new data from the state Department of Finance and Administration.

Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration report shows where new residents came from

KUAR | By Ronak Patel

Using license registrations, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) compiled a list to show where new residents are migrating from.

Scott Hardin, spokesperson for the DFA, said when new residents move to the state, they have to register for an Arkansas license and this information allows the department to see where residents are moving from. At the top of the list, was Texas with over 9,000 residents moving to Arkansas in 2022. Second on the list was California with slightly more than 5,000 of their residents moving to the state. Hardin said that caught the eye of the DFA.

“I don’t think you necessarily hear a lot about Californians moving to Arkansas from California. We hear a lot about Californians moving from California to Tennessee and to Austin,Texas. You hear about that but you don’t hear about Arkansas in that conversation, and I think Arkansas is becoming a piece of that conversation,” he said.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-04-20/arkansas-department-of-finance-and-administration-report-shows-where-new-residents-came-from

Creative Commons /

For the first time, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration look into where new residents are migrating from. In 2022, most of the new residents came from other southern states.

More than 40 million at risk for severe weather from Texas to Ohio

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

“It will be like lighting a match,” one AccuWeather senior meteorologist said as she explained factors coming together for all modes of severe weather, including the potential for a few tornadoes.

Severe weather will erupt from the Gulf coast to the Great Lakes region from Wednesday night to Thursday night, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. Not only will the severe weather occur unusually far to the north for this time of year, but it will also come with the dangers of nighttime thunderstorms capable of spawning a few tornadoes and other hazards.

A potent storm will harness the power of the jet stream and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to trigger severe thunderstorms that will put more than 40 million people at risk.

New Abortion Law in Texas Impacts Clinics in Arkansas

By MATTHEW MOORE

SB8, a new law in Texas that has made abortion effectively illegal after 6 weeks of pregnancy, means women are traveling out of state to get access to services. One clinic in Little Rock is already seeing Texans travel from nearly seven hours away.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/new-abortion-law-texas-impacts-clinics-arkansas

Texas Capitol Building

CLARK VAN DER BEKEN / UNSPLASH