Weekly update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

The Arkansas General Assembly will convene for the 2025 Regular Session on Monday, January 13. 

The first day of the session will include the swearing-in of all members and the formal election of the Speaker of the House. While the Speaker is officially elected at the start of the session, the 94th General Assembly previously selected Rep. Brian Evans of Cabot as Speaker-designate. 

On January 14, the second day of the session, House and Senate members will convene jointly in the House Chamber to hear an address from Governor Sanders. This address will outline the Governor’s legislative priorities and provide key recommendations on the pressing issues facing Arkansas. 

Several important deadlines will shape the legislative process this session. Members must file legislation affecting publicly supported retirement or pension plans, the licensure of health care providers, or state/public school health insurance by January 27. Legislation regarding lottery-funded scholarships or constitutional amendments must be filed by February 12, and all appropriation bills must be filed by March 3. 

The Speaker will announce committee chair assignments on the first day of the session, and those assignments will be available at arkansashouse.org. Committee meetings and House floor proceedings are open to the public, providing Arkansans with an opportunity to see and participate in the legislative process. Those who wish to voice their support or opposition to a bill can sign in to speak during committee meetings, ensuring their perspectives are heard.

House committee meetings and floor proceedings are live-streamed and recorded, ensuring Arkansans can follow the legislative process in real-time from anywhere. Agendas and links to live-streams can be accessed at arkansashouse.org. 

As your state representatives work to address issues ranging from education to health care to economic development, we invite all Arkansans to engage with the legislative process. Whether you reach out to your representative, attend a committee meeting, or follow our live streams, your input helps shape the future of our state.

Check the latest road conditions in Arkansas before traveling

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) has developed the idrivearkansas website and phone app. It maintains a travel and construction information portal (IDRIVEARKANSAS) to provide enough data to the motoring public to make informed decisions about navigating the state highway system.

IDriveArkansas is a free, mobile-optimized website and app that provides information about Arkansas road conditions, construction, and weather. The site's purpose is to help travelers make informed decisions about navigating the state's highway system. 

UADA’s Culver to be inducted into Arkansas Ag Hall of Fame in March

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Chuck Culver, former interim head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is one of the six being inducted in March as part of Class XXXVII of the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Culver, who joined the Division of Agriculture in 1990, spent much of his 30-plus-year career as its director of stakeholder relations, and during that time helped secure more than $600 million in funding for the division’s research and extension projects.

Chuck Culver is among those being inducted in the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2025. (U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture file photo)

In 2021, Culver was named by UA System President Donald Bobbitt to be interim head of the Division of Agriculture following the retirement of Mark Cochran. Culver served as interim until Deacue Fields was appointed to the post in July 2022.

“We are so pleased that Chuck has been chosen for induction in the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame,” said Fields. “His three decades of work has helped elevate the Division of Agriculture in its ability to serve Arkansans and Arkansas agriculture.”

Other Class XXXVII inductees include:

• Aubrey Blackmon of Houston, a founding member of Perry County Cattlemen’s Association in 1970 and recipient of the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association lifetime service achievement award in 2012.

• Carl Brothers of Stuttgart, who spent 53 years with Riceland Foods, retiring as senior vice president and chief operating officer and whose leadership was instrumental in passage of the 1985 farm bill, also known as the Food Security Act of 1985.

• Mike Freeze of Little Rock, co-owner and operator of Keo Fish Farms — America’s largest producer of hybrid striped bass fry and fingerlings — who helped Arkansas become one of the top three states in aquaculture production.

• The late Jack Reaper of Albion, who was a prisoner of war in a German concentration camp before starting with a 24-acre farm in White County and growing it into a model farm that included poultry, cattle and row crops.

• Frank Wilson of Rison, who began planting pine trees with his dad more than 70 years ago and started Wilson Brothers Lumber Company in 1972, followed by several logging companies and other timber industry enterprises offering more than 100 jobs in rural Cleveland County.

Class XXXVII induction ceremonies are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. March 28 in the Wally Allen Ballroom at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. Contact Cindra Jones at 501-228-1609 for ticket information or click here to purchase tickets online.

Since the hall of fame’s first class in 1987, a total of 192 men and women have been inducted for significant contributions to Arkansas’ largest industry and the economic impact of the industry.

“What an amazing group of farmers and those who help our farmers make agriculture Arkansas’ No. 1 business sector,” said Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame Chair Debbie Moreland of Roland. “Agriculture is such a critical cultural and economic part of Arkansas. It is what binds so much of our state together.”

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. 

Discovery Farms Conference set for Feb. 13-14 in Fayetteville

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — The work of Arkansas Discovery Farms, the program that conducts agriculture research under real-world conditions on working farms, will be showcased during its Climate Smart Agriculture Conference on Feb. 13-14.

The conference will be held at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville.

Registration is available online and registering by Feb. 10 is appreciated for a meal headcount.

Lunch will be provided both days. There is no cost to register.

Arkansas Extension Irrigation Educator Mike Hamilton speaking at a  joint NRCS/Cooperative Extension Service training conducted at Robby Bevis farm in Lonoke County, Arkansas. Conservation efforts are a key part of the Discovery Farms program. Taken Aug. 2018. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

“If you have an interest in farming, agriculture, conservation, environmental research, carbon research, climate smart research, you should be there,” said Lee Riley, extension program associate for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “If you love sustainable agriculture, what could be better than spending Valentine’s Day learning about Arkansas Discovery Farms' research projects?”

Arkansas Extension Irrigation Educator Mike Hamilton speaking at a joint NRCS/Cooperative Extension Service training conducted at Robby Bevis farm in Lonoke County, Arkansas. Taken Aug. 2018. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

This year’s conference features two keynoters, John Anderson, director of the Cooperative Extension Service, on Feb. 13, and Amanda Mathis, the Arkansas conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Riley said that the first day “is farmer and industry partner focused, highlighting some of our farmers' experience from the research we're conducting with them and audience participation discussion panels — including question and answer sessions — from our Discovery Farmers and industry partners.

“Day two is more research-focused, several of the research team and partners sharing what they are doing and their findings on several of their Climate Smart research projects,” he said.

The conference will also feature a student research poster content with awards held during lunch on the second day. The deadline for contestants to register is Feb. 7.

Additional details on presenters will be available at the conference webpage.

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. 

Brush up on winter weather and wildlife

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Take a moment while stocking up on the bread, milk and eggs in preparation for this week’s snowstorm and think about how you can better prepare your yard for the local wildlife. 

The good news is that native wildlife are highly adaptable to a random winter storm if they have the right habitat nearby. Reptiles and amphibians have already found burrows and shallow pools to ride out the winter. Songbirds can easily relocate to more habitable areas and make the best of a temporary situation. Cottontail rabbits and other mammals make the best use of brush and other low-lying cover. But there are a few things landowners can do to give them a little boost during heavy snowfalls and icy conditions.  

CARDINAL
A female northern cardinal weathers a snowstorm near the safety of heavy weeds and brush. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.

During harsh weather, wildlife are always going to benefit best from those yards that look a little less manicured. Rough weed edges and randomly placed piles of branches may be unattractive to a greenskeeper or neighborhood association watchdog, but they’re heaven on Earth to local wildlife. If your homeowner’s association is agreeable, give a little thought to making a brushpile or two.

If feasible, make several brushpiles, and you’ll have rapid rewards in the form of songbirds and other wildlife making use of the debris in your backyard or in a corner of your rural property.

With a bit of creativity, the brushpile can be a yard or garden feature, fronted or ringed, perhaps, with a planting of flowers. It can also be tucked away in a corner of the yard, drawing attention only from wildlife. Place the brushpile near a fencerow or border to the nearby woods. This offers an extra benefit to give to other food and cover.

The instructions for a great wildlife brushpile are pretty simple. Pile up some brush. It doesn’t have to be any particular shape or size, although a few piles the size of a wheelbarrow are much more beneficial to various animals than one huge pile. But even a simple pile of sticks will offer some cover from the cold and predators. Anchor the brushpile around a stump or log. If these aren’t available, lay two or three bigger pieces on the ground then work the limbs, sticks and twigs around and on top of these. This way, there will be some space down low for small creatures to move around and hide.

If you haven’t yet delivered your Christmas tree to one of the AGFC’s Habitat for the Holidays dropoff locations, maybe you can drag it to the corner of your yard to be a temporary brushpile during the upcoming storm, then deliver it to one of the dropoff locations for fish habitat by the end of January. 

Once spring arrives, you can even make your brushpile a feature of a flowerbed or yard. Plant some favorites around the pile. The main thing to keep in mind is to keep any plantings around your brushpile native. Not only do native plants require less maintenance, most produce seeds and fruit that native wildlife depend upon. The following link can offer some help in choosing native species:  www.agfc.com/education/native-gardening. 

GOLDFINCHES
American goldfinches taking advantage of sunflower seeds scattered around brush. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath. 

If you don’t have many native plants around right now, a few supplemental food sources can help, especially with songbirds. 

“Black oil sunflower seeds are the best all around seed to put out for songbirds,” Allison Fowler, Assistant Chief of Wildlife Management for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said. “If you have house finches or goldfinches around, nyjer seed is also a good food for them. Suet feeders are very popular with a lot of birds, especially woodpeckers.”

Fowler says a heavy snow last year was particularly tough on bluebirds who were not able to find their preferred foods (insects and berries) for almost a week.

“A lot of commercial suet blocks contain berries, cracked seeds and mealworms that the bluebirds and other insect-focused species can use,” Fowler said. “They lack stout seed-cracking beaks so they can make good use of these alternative food sources.”

Another option is to make your own suet for the birds. Here’s an article that walks you through one of the best family snow-day activities to enjoy between snowball fights and sledding: www.agfc.com/news/simple-recipe-to-share-with-your-feathered-friends. 

Landreaux, Hegeman to chair State Chamber, AIA in 2025

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

The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas Inc. (AIA) announced new board leadership for 2025. Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, has been elected chairman of the State Chamber board of directors, while Brad Hegeman, vice chairman and chief strategy officer at Nabholz Corporation, will continue as chairman of the AIA board of directors.

Landreaux brings extensive experience to her role as chairman of the State Chamber board. As president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, she leads efforts to deliver reliable and sustainable energy to approximately 730,000 customers across 63 counties.

Hegeman has served as AIA chairman since early 2024. As vice chairman and chief strategy officer at Nabholz Construction, he has played a pivotal role in driving the company’s strategic initiatives and growth since 1996.

Landreaux, Hegeman to chair State Chamber, AIA in 2025

Winter weather headed for Arkansas; briefing attached

Winter Storm Warnings continue across the vast majority of Arkansas through the Thursday-Friday (January 9-10) timeframe. A Winter Weather Advisory is posted in the far southeast. The Winter Storm Warning area currently encompasses where the highest confidence for impactful conditions exist.

Chairman Hill taps Dan Schneider and Brooke Nethercott to lead the Communications Team of the House Financial Services Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) today announced that Dan Schneider will serve as his Communications Director and Brooke Nethercott as his Deputy Communications Director of the House Financial Services Committee. Nethercott is serving as Acting Communications Director until Schneider joins the Committee later this month. 

Brad Schneider - Wikipedia Image

As Communications Director, Schneider will be responsible for driving messaging for the Committee, overseeing the communication’s team, advising the Chairman, and liaising with Committee leadership, the GOP Conference at-large, and relevant Senate Committees and staff.  

As Deputy Communications Director, Nethercott will lead media relations and serve as a liaison with the press and reporters at-large for the Committee. She will be point of contact for all media requests for the Chairman, oversee written materials, and work closely with Schneider to advise the Chairman, amplify messaging for the Committee, and drive the Chairman’s priorities. 

Schneider returns to Capitol Hill following two years at the Business Roundtable, where he served as Director, Communications. Previously, he spent over 10 years in the federal government, most recently as Communications Director for Chairman Hill from March 2021 to October 2022. Prior to that, Schneider served as Vice President of Communications at the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Associate Director for Communications at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Press Secretary at the House Committee on Energy and Commerce under former Chairmen Greg Walden (R-OR) and Fred Upton (R-MI), and Press Secretary for Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH).  

Brooke Nethercott - Linkedin Image

Nethercott has been Chairman Hill’s Communications Director since November 2022, spearheading communications strategy, managing the communications team, and leading media relations. Prior to the U.S. House of Representatives, Nethercott was a Senior Consultant in Strategic Communications at FTI Consulting. Before her time in Washington, she worked in digital media for WebMD and Pandora Music in New York. 

"Dan and Brooke have been my trusted advisors and top communications strategists during my tenure in Congress. Dan’s extensive communications experience in federal government, paired with Brooke’s outstanding media relations background, brings invaluable expertise to the Committee. Their time in the public and private sector equips them with the unparalleled skillsets and knowledge to drive the Committee’s successes forward. I am delighted that Dan and Brooke will lead my communications team of the House Financial Services Committee."

UAMS Cardiac Noninvasive Lab Earns Echocardiography Accreditation

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK —The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently earned echocardiography accreditation for its cardiac noninvasive laboratory from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).

Echocardiography is a noninvasive procedure that uses ultrasound to create images of the heart for use in examining its structure and diagnosing heart conditions. UAMS was awarded accreditation in the areas of adult transesophageal, stress and transthoracic echocardiography — procedures that diagnose various conditions of the heart including infections, blood clots and heart artery blockages. UAMS is the only adult-care hospital in central Arkansas to earn accreditation in the areas of adult transesophageal and stress echocardiography.

“This prestigious recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication and excellence of our entire faculty and staff,” said Paul Mounsey, M.D., professor and chair of the Division of Cardiology in the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine. “Achieving IAC accreditation underscores our commitment to providing high-quality education and continuous improvement in all aspects of our program.”

UAMS Cardiac Noninvasive Lab Earns Echocardiography Accreditation

Senior male patient having ultrasound examination of the heart in medical clinic

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee tapped to be Israeli ambassador

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

Three months ago, Huckabee had a guest on his TV show, "Huckabee Today," who said the world will end any minute now. “I do believe that we’re not just at the end times,” the guest, Max Lucado, said. “We're at the end of the end times. It's moving fast.” Like Huckabee, Lucado is a preacher. And both agree the end of days is not something to panic over.

“Max, when you say that, it scares a lot of people,” Huckabee said. “They think 'oh no, the end of the world its just terrible.' You say... it's not something we should be afraid of. It's something we should embrace and look forward to.”

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee tapped to be Israeli ambassador

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee - Flickr Image

NWS issues a Winter Storm Warning for southern and central Arkansas

Portions of the Winter Storm Watch have been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning, valid through the Thursday-Friday (January 9-10) timeframe. The Winter Storm Warning area currently encompasses where the highest confidence for impactful conditions exist. Changes and expansions to the watch and warning areas are still possible and should be expected!

• WHAT HAS CHANGED: Portions of the Winter Storm Watch have been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning, mainly including the southern half of the state (south of I-40). This largely includes where confidence of impactful snowfall is currently highest. Expansions of the warning are still possible!

• WHAT WE KNOW: A strong storm system is forecast to impact Arkansas Thursday morning through Friday evening bringing heavy snow across much of the state. Greatest confidence for impacts will be across west-central to central Arkansas.

• WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: Exact placement of greatest snow amounts, and where locally greater totals could occur due to banding. Where snow may change over to sleet, freezing rain, or just rain near the Louisiana border. Expect changes and refinement to the forecast!

Sanders Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Anticipated Severe Winter Weather

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS COME – GREETINGS:                          
 
DR 25-01: WINTER WEATHER EMERGENCY DECLARATION 
 
WHEREAS: On or about January 5, 2025, severe winter weather is expected to strike Arkansas and cause dangers, hardships, and suffering throughout the state, which in turn, warrants this executive action;
 
WHEREAS: Adverse circumstances could be brought to bear upon citizens and properties throughout the state as a result of such weather; 
 
WHEREAS: The weather-related conditions could create the need for commercial vehicles to haul heavy equipment, oversized loads, transformers, necessary hardware, and other transmission and distribution equipment for the purpose of restoring utility services to the citizens of the State of Arkansas;
 
WHEREAS: The weather-related conditions could result in a backlog of deliveries by commercial vehicles transporting essential items of commerce to customers in Arkansas; and
 
WHEREAS: Pursuant to 49 CFR §390.23, a motor carrier or driver operating a commercial motor vehicle shall be exempt from 49 CFR §§ 395.3 and 395.5 for up to 14 days following the declaration of an emergency by the Governor of a State, so long as the motor carrier or driver is providing direct assistance in response to the declared emergency.
 
NOW, THEREFORE, I, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, acting under the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Arkansas and pursuant to Act 511 of 1973, as amended, do hereby declare:

1. That a state of emergency exists in the State of Arkansas as applied to commercial vehicles hauling heavy equipment, oversized loads, transformers, necessary hardware, and other transmission and distribution equipment for the purpose of restoring service to citizens and properties in Arkansas; 

2. To commercial carriers transporting essential items of commerce to customers in Arkansas during this emergency, including but not limited to groceries, pharmacy items, medical equipment, goods, commodities, fuel, poultry, livestock, and feed;

3. That a state of emergency exists in the State of Arkansas as applied to emergency response vehicles, such as, but not limited to, utility vehicles, bucket trucks, and electric utility supply trucks responding to the storms and related damage. These emergency response vehicles are authorized to bypass all Arkansas Department of Transportation weigh station facilities through January 13, 2025. This authorization does not include vehicles that require permits to operate on Arkansas’ roadways. This authorization does not relieve size and weight restrictions. This declaration only applies to weigh stations and to vehicles traveling in convoy; and

4. This emergency shall remain in effect until January 13, 2025, unless otherwise terminated by amendment to this order.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas to be affixed this 4th day of January, in the year of our Lord 2025.

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: 2% tourism tax revenue on pace to set new record

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax revenue between January and August was $18.392 million, up 5.2% compared with the $17.482 million in the same period of 2023. The August revenue of $2.254 million set a new record for the month. A record for monthly 2% collections was set in June with $2.839 million.

Of the top five counties in terms of 2% tax collections, Pulaski and Garland counties posted declines of 0.83% and 2.68%, respectively. Benton County posted the largest percentage increase among the top five counties at 14.76%.

The 2% tourism tax revenue in 2023 was $25.446 million, up 5.8% compared with the $24.049 million in 2023. Revenue in each month of 2023 set a new record, with those gains compared to record numbers in 2023.

Arkansas Tourism Ticker: 2% tourism tax revenue on pace to set new record

Jan. 15 webinar to discuss impact of 2024 elections on ag law, policy

By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the 2018 Farm Bill having expired and an election cycle that has come and gone, what’s on the horizon for agricultural law and policy?

According to Hunt Shipman, principal and director at Cornerstone Government Affairs, one word encapsulates what can be expected: change.

“Election cycles bring with them many changes that have lasting impacts,” Shipman said. “With new members of Congress, as well as narrow Republican control of the White House and narrow control of Congress, among many other factors, 2025 is set to be very impactful for agricultural law and policy.”

On Jan. 15, Shipman will present the National Agricultural Law Center, or NALC, webinar, titled “Looking Ahead: Impact of the 2024 Elections on Ag Law and Policy.”

During the National Ag Law Center’s Jan. 15 webinar, Hunt Shipman, principal and director at Cornerstone Government Affairs, will discuss what the country’s recent political changes mean for the future of agriculture. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Mary Hightower)

Shipman brings an insider’s view to this webinar. He has served in the agriculture law and policy industry for more than two decades, with roles in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Senate Agriculture Committee and more. In 2002, he was USDA’s principal negotiator with Congress on the 2002 Farm Bill.

“Change in government impacts agriculture across the country,” Shipman said. “It’s important for agricultural stakeholders to grasp what is ahead amidst changing structures.”

The presentation will begin at 11 a.m. Central/Noon Eastern. Registration is free of charge online on the NALC website.

“Hunt has years of experience working on Capitol Hill and knows where things stand, as well as great perspective on where they are heading,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “From administration, to policy and regulatory landscape, to the Farm Bill and beyond, Hunt offers valuable insight.”

Shipman said he looks forward to discussing what the country’s recent political changes mean for the future of agriculture.

“We’ll also discuss who is or who may be involved in agriculture under the Trump Administration, potential regulatory changes, along with what the path forward to reauthorize the Farm Bill may look like, as the 2018 Farm Bill expired in September,” he said.

For information about the NALC, visit nationalaglawcenter.org. The NALC is also on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Subscribe online to receive NALC Communications, including webinar announcements, the NALC’s Quarterly Newsletter, and The Feed, which highlights recent developments in agricultural law and policy.

About the National Agricultural Law Center 

Created by Congress in 1987, the National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, agribusinesses, state and federal policymakers, lenders, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, students, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.

The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.

Two Transplant Surgeons Join UAMS

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — John R. Montgomery, M.D., and Tsukasa Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D., have joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as liver, kidney and pancreas transplant surgeons. Both will also serve as assistant professors in the College of Medicine Department of Surgery.

Montgomery comes to UAMS from New York City, where he completed a two-year fellowship in abdominal transplant surgery at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. Previously, he completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Michigan Medicine, which is a research university in Ann Arbor, and a research fellowship at the University of Michigan’s Center for Healthcare Outcomes & Policy (CHOP).

Nakamura joins UAMS from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he completed fellowships in transplant surgery and transplant surgery research, and performed numerous liver and kidney transplant surgeries, including robotic-assisted surgeries.

Two Transplant Surgeons Join UAMS

John R. Montgomery, M.D., (left) and Tsukasa Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D.

Incoming Chairman Hill announces new Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Incoming House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) today announced that Ben Johnson will serve as his Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee.

Johnson has worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly a decade. He most recently served as Staff Director for the House Small Business Committee, where he was responsible for managing the Committee staff and advancing Chairman Roger William’s priorities. Prior to joining the House Small Business Committee, Johnson handled the financial services portfolios for Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) and Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM).

New Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee Ben Johnson

“I have known Ben throughout my decade in Congress and have watched his impressive career progress. From his early days managing the financial services portfolios of Rep. Williams and Rep. Pearce to his most recent role as Staff Director on the House Small Business Committee, Ben possesses a deep understanding of American businesses, families, and seniors having access to business capital, mortgage credit, and investment advice and services. His time on the House Small Business Committee, paired with his decade of deep legislative knowledge in Congress, will make him an outstanding Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee. I look forward to working with him as my Staff Director and watching his career continue to evolve as a leader on my Committee.”  

Cotton to Garland: The DOJ is targeting cops while ignoring criminals

Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland condemning the Department of Justice for its recent push to impose federal consent decrees on multiple police stations across the country. This gross overreach undermines public safety and our police. 

In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

“No police department—like any human institution—is without flaw, but federal consent decrees have a well-established and atrocious record of increasing crime and endangering law-abiding citizens. Violent crime has surged in seven out of twelve cities that entered federal consent decrees since 2012. For instance, violent crime soared by 61 percent in Los Angeles County, 36 percent in Albuquerque, 27 percent in Seattle, 20 percent in New Orleans, and 19 percent in Maricopa County. 

Your department is reportedly nearest to entering consent decrees with Minneapolis and Louisville, where murders have already reached record highs in recent years. The last thing these cities need is unqualified defund-the-police radicals like Kristen Clarke micromanaging their police departments for the next ten years.”

Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

The Honorable Merrick Garland

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Washington, DC 20530 

Dear Attorney General Garland, 

I write to express my deep concern with your department’s attempted last-minute takeover of a dozen police departments across the country using federal consent decrees. 

According to The Washington Post, your department has opened “pattern or practice” investigations into twelve state and local law-enforcement agencies in a rush to gain federal control of these agencies before President Biden leaves office.

No police department—like any human institution—is without flaw, but federal consent decrees have a well-established and atrocious record of increasing crime and endangering law-abiding citizens. Violent crime has surged in seven out of twelve cities that entered federal consent decrees since 2012. For instance, violent crime soared by 61 percent in Los Angeles County, 36 percent in Albuquerque, 27 percent in Seattle, 20 percent in New Orleans, and 19 percent in Maricopa County. 

Your department is reportedly nearest to entering consent decrees with Minneapolis and Louisville, where murders have already reached record highs in recent years. The last thing these cities need is unqualified defund-the-police radicals like Kristen Clarke micromanaging their police departments for the next ten years. 

Crime has risen during the Biden administration and your tenure as Attorney General. We should be arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating criminals—not handcuffing our police. I object to your efforts to perpetuate this administration’s failed policies. I urge you to drop these midnight lawsuits and let the new administration get about the business of protecting Americans from violent criminals. 

Sincerely, 

Tom Cotton
United States Senator 

Six Fort Smith police officers fired after hazing investigation

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

The Fort Smith Police Department announced Monday (Jan. 6) that six officers have been terminated “for a range of sustained Civil Service violations” related to hazing new officers and lying during an investigation of the hazing.

Allegations were brought to the department’s Office of Professional Standards on Dec. 10, 2024. According to the FSPD, the allegations included “hazing, belittling, and dangerous ‘horseplay’ by certain officers assigned to the night shift patrol. The investigation, ordered by FSPD Chief Danny Baker found a “pattern of serious misconduct involving potentially criminal acts, hazardous behavior, and harassment of newer officers,” according to the department.

The officers dismissed, along with month and year they were hired, are Rodrigo Roque (August 2023), Michael D’Agostino (February 2023), Danny Nacalaban (August 2021), Seth Dominic (February 2023), Johnne Le (May 2022), and Dalton Tucker (February 2023).

Six Fort Smith police officers fired after hazing investigation

President Biden blocks U.S. Steel sale to Nippon

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Citing national security concerns, President Joe Biden has blocked the sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese-based Nippon Steel Corporation. The $15 billion deal, more than a year in the making, was halted by the president on Friday (Jan. 3).

“We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” Biden said in a released statement.

Both U.S. Steel and Nippon immediately threatened legal action. In a jointly released statement, the two steel manufacturers said there is no threat to national security and this was a politically motivated move.

President Biden blocks U.S. Steel sale to Nippon

UAMS Receives $2.9 Million NIH Grant to Study Virus that Can Trigger Cancers

By David Robinson

LITTLE ROCK — A discovery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) that a viral protein helps a cancer-associated herpesvirus evade the immune system has led to a five-year, $2.9 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Craig Forrest, Ph.D., will use the grant to help reveal functions of the viral protein known as latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA). The research is focused on LANA’s roles during infection by the gamma herpesvirus known as Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV).

Forrest, a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology, hopes the work will someday lead to a vaccine for Kaposi sarcoma and other cancers caused by gamma herpesviruses.

UAMS Receives $2.9 Million NIH Grant to Study Virus that Can Trigger Cancers

UAMS researcher Craig Forrest, Ph.D. (center), and his lab team hope their work will ultimately lead to a cancer vaccine. With Forrest are (l-r) Sheldon Zeltner, Chandra Penthala, Shana Owens, Ph.D., and Steven Murdock, Jr. Image by Bryan Clifton