The eclipse is coming: Are agricultural communities prepared?

By the U of A System Division of Agriculture

KNOW THE ZONE — On April 8, between noon and 4 p.m., the earth’s moon will completely eclipse the sun for about four minutes over any given location in its path. For Arkansas, this will mean a shadow approximately 118 miles wide, stretching from the southwest corner of the state to its northwest corner. The shadow is expected to begin near De Queen at 1:46 p.m., CDT, and exit the state at about 2:00 p.m. near Pocahantas, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation. (Graphic courtesy ArDOT.)

NEWPORT, Ark. — A tourism event unlike any other will be darkening the skies across Arkansas — and many other states in its path — in just a few months. And while the Great North American Eclipse will be something of an unescapable spectacle, rural and agricultural communities will likely see an influx of traffic as enthusiasts seek the open skies of farmlands.

On April 8, between noon and 4 p.m., the Earth’s moon will completely eclipse the sun for about four minutes over any given location in its path. For Arkansas, this will mean a shadow approximately 118 miles wide, stretching from the southwest corner of the state to its northeast corner. The shadow is expected to begin near DeQueen at 1:46 p.m., CDT, and exit the state at about 2:00 p.m. near Pocahontas, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation.

People throughout the region are expected to flock to the path of totality, including agricultural areas such as Jackson County, Arkansas. Matthew Davis, staff chair for the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Service, recently appeared before the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce, urging its members to begin thinking about how best to prepare residents for the possible influx of motorists.

“The concern is that local, county and state two-lane highways typically used by sizeable farming equipment — sometimes exceeding 20-foot widths — will be potentially full of additional vehicles,” Davis said. “People using these less-trafficked roads as places to pull off to view the eclipse could be concerning to farmers with agriculture production starting at that time.”

“Up to 1.5 million people are expected to travel from outside the state into Arkansas, along with 500,000 Arkansans who will travel from their residences to the path of totality, for a total of 2 million people who will visit the viewing area,” according to an October 2023 report from ArDOT.

To prepare, Davis had recommendations for both motorists as well as farmers, many of whom will still be preparing fields and planting crops in April.

Here are a few things to consider when planning your routes as a farmer:

1. Make sure the lights are legal and working.

2. Hazard lights and slow-moving vehicle signage need to be visible.

3. Proceed with caution when entering and exiting highways.

4. Use "follow cars" with flashing lights to alert traffic.

5. Verify that attachments are secured, lights are functioning, and equipment widths and heights are noted.

6. If traffic stops, pull over, seek assistance, or remain until traffic clears. 

7. Limit equipment movement during the day of the eclipse. Move equipment to areas that would provide a full day of work without the need to move equipment if possible. 

Here are a few things for drivers to consider:

1. Slow down when approaching equipment.

2. Watch for hand signs or turn signals.

3. Refrain from attempting to overtake machinery by speeding past.

4. Watch for flashing lights or slow-moving vehicle signage. 

5. Only pull out in front of slow-moving vehicles after verifying that the slow-moving vehicle is a safe distance away and the road is clear enough to do so. Large equipment cannot stop as quickly as a motor vehicle. Always be cautious and verify safe operating distances to maintain space between yourself and the machinery. 

6. Slow-moving vehicles may be unable to use the shoulders, and you should not expect them to use them. 

7. Share the road.

8. Avoid stopping on shoulders or private drives. 

Davis said he wanted to address the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce out of an abundance of caution, but that it should still be taken seriously.

“Undoubtedly, we will get through this event, and it will be a footnote in the history of Jackson County,” Davis said. “Even beyond the event, we need to maintain these safe practices as we cooperate with the farmers and industry of our area.”

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.

Feb. 14 webinar to discuss creating, safely processing value-added food products in Arkansas

By Tru Joi Curtis
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Food entrepreneurs know that consumers appreciate the “magic” that turns fresh-picked strawberries into a biscuit-worthy jam, but they also know that following the rules for safe food processing is a must for creating value-added products.

The third "Plan. Produce. Profit." webinar will inform Arkansas food entrepreneurs on creating and processing value-added foods. Renee Threlfall, research scientist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will present the webinar on Feb. 14.

In Arkansas, the Food Freedom Act allows producers to sell homemade goods to the public. The process of creating and processing raw ingredients into a value-added product has its challenges.

“Homemade food products can be extremely beneficial to both the producer and consumer due to their higher market value, and in some cases, longer shelf life,” said Renee Threlfall, research scientist with the food science department in the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “But it’s important to ensure that items sold under the Arkansas Food Freedom Act are processed correctly.”

Threlfall will discuss home to commercial production of value-added foods during the third webinar of the three-part “Plan. Produce. Profit.” webinar series, titled “Plan. Produce. Profit: Creating and Processing Value-Added Food Products in Arkansas.” The webinar will be held Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 11 a.m. Central/noon Eastern. Registration is online and free of charge.

Threlfall was recently recognized with the John W. White Outstanding Team Award- Value-Added Food Production at the 2024 Agriculture Awards. NALC Senior Staff Attorney, Rusty Rumley, who presented the first “Plan. Produce. Profit.” webinar, is also a member of that award-winning team.

The “Plan. Produce. Profit.” webinars, which are designed for Arkansas specialty crop producers, are facilitated by the National Agricultural Law Center and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The presentations provide needed information on how to operate within the Arkansas Food Freedom Act and are a continuation of the Plan. Produce. Profit. series from last year.

The series is funded by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

Arkansas Food Freedom Act

Act 1040 of 2021, which became known as the Arkansas Food Freedom Act, allows Arkansas residents to sell more types of homemade food and drink products in more locations than before, and allows direct sales of certain homemade food and drink products that do not require time or temperature controls to remain safe. Some products, such as pickles, salsas, and canned vegetables, may require pH testing or pre-approved recipes.

The first webinar, “Liability Issues with Food Processing Under the Arkansas Food Freedom Act,” was presented by NALC Senior Staff Attorney Rusty Rumley. The recording of the presentation is available online.

The second “Plan. Produce. Profit.” webinar is titled “An Overview of Arkansas Food Freedom Act and was presented by Jeff Jackson of the Arkansas Department of Health. The recording of the webinar is available online.

For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

For updates on agricultural law and policy developments, subscribe free of charge to The Feed, the NALC’s newsletter highlighting recent legal developments facing agriculture, which issues twice a month.

About the National Agricultural Law Center

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, state and federal policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, 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.

AI firm SolaRid lands innovation grant for insect fight

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

SolaRid, an artificial intelligence-based company that tracks insects in agriculture fields, has received a Phase II grant through the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research program. The Clinton-based agtech company received $981,000 to further develop its smart insect control system.

The system enables farmers to fight pests more efficiently, reducing crop loss and pesticide waste, according to the company. A timetable for the completion of this second phase was not released.

“When we can allow farmers to do more with less, we all benefit,” said SolaRid co-founder Don Richardson.

AI firm SolaRid lands innovation grant for insect fight

Geospatial AI provides new avenue for forest health research

By Nick Kordsmeier
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

MONTICELLO, Ark. — While an emerging fungal disease continues to chip away at the forestry industry in the southern United States, remote sensing researcher Hamdi Zurqani is developing artificial intelligence models to seek answers from the skies.

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT — Hamdi Zurqani, remote sensing researcher and assistant professor for the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at University of Arkansas at Monticello, inspects a drone outfitted with a LiDAR, or light detection and ranging, system. (U of A System photo courtesy of Zurqani.)

“My job is to identify different stages of mortality,” said Zurqani, assistant professor for the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Using aerial imagery obtained from drones, Zurqani said he is developing tools that give landowners and other stakeholders the information they need to manage this growing threat to the forestry industry.

By applying geospatial artificial intelligence techniques, Zurqani said he can assess how many trees have been affected by the disease. “How many trees have already died? How many trees may be in the early stage that are going to get worse? How many trees are still green?” he said.

Since summer 2022, foresters and researchers have been fielding calls about pine decline in Arkansas. Pine decline is a convergence of environmental and genetic issues that cause tree health problems in pine forests. Results from diagnostic tests in July 2023 confirmed that a fungal disease called brown spot needle blight is at least partially to blame.

“It's kind of nipping away at pine forests,” said Michael Blazier, director of the Arkansas Forest Resources Center and dean of the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Although there are pockets of dying trees within affected forests, a bigger issue could be slower growth of infected forests.”

Blazier said that when trees lose their foliage, as often happens with the needle blight disease, they have less energy to invest in growing their trunk diameter. Less trunk growth means less wood production and delayed harvest.

DETECTED — Aerial imagery of pine forests from remote sensing researcher Hamdi Zurqani are used in an AI model under development. The top photo shows a section of pine trees in southeast Arkansas impacted by disease. The bottom graphic shows part of the output from the AI detection approach, which shows living trees in green and dead trees in brown. Red boxes have been added to show corresponding dead spots. (U of A System photo courtesy of Zurqani.)

Understanding the how and why of brown spot needle blight remains the primary focus for researchers in Arkansas and the wider region, Blazier said. That’s where Zurqani’s work comes in.

“If we were able to identify the early stages of the disease, we can somehow get a clue about what’s going to happen in the future,” Zurqani said.

In Arkansas, Blazier said the fight against pine decline has been highly collaborative. The Forestry Division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Forestry Association have been working closely with the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, which conducts research and extension activities through the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s research and outreach arms.

“We have a tight working relationship between all of those agencies,” Blazier said. “There’s been excellent communication between the university, extension service, forestry association and the state’s forestry division.”

Regional challenge

In August 2023, Blazier attended a meeting at Auburn University to discuss the needle blight phenomenon with researchers and industry stakeholders from across the southern U.S.

According to information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, brown spot needle blight has been confirmed in nine states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Severe damage, however, has so far been limited to Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

The meeting was organized by Lori Eckhardt, professor and director of Auburn University’s Forest Health Cooperative.

“I organized this meeting to bring together industry, government, academia and private landowners to create a space in which attendees can discuss questions, brainstorm ideas, identify problems and make decisions and develop solutions pertaining to brown spot needle blight,” Eckhardt said.

“Collaboration is important between the researchers and the landowners,” she said. “The day-to-day managers in the field can share knowledge that assists us as researchers in asking good questions to design studies that better help us understand and manage the disease. Working together will help us find answers sooner.”

Collaboration leads to clues

Blazier said the Auburn meeting provided an opportunity for participants to share what actions each affected state is taking on the research side to understand what’s causing the problem.

“One of the things that was shared at the Auburn meeting was some anecdotal evidence from the forest industry showing that there may be a soil nutrient facet to this,” Blazier said. “And that's actually something that we are looking into further within the Arkansas Forest Resources Center.”

Researchers have been collecting samples this winter from stands of trees affected by pine decline and analyzing nutrient levels. If a nutrient deficiency is found to contribute to pine decline, Blazier said that targeted soil fertilization might be a way to fight the disease.

“And that would actually give us another tool,” he said.

Looking to the future

As the winter dormant season ends and the life cycles of fungal diseases pick up again, Blazier said that testing for pine decline will continue next month.

“We’re going to resume testing on a monthly basis as a group in February, and we’ll continue that all the way through the growing season,” he said. That information will continue to feed into Zurqani’s research efforts using geospatial AI.

Blazier sees hope for spatial analysis and machine learning tools to help researchers identify patterns in the data and get to the bottom of pine decline.

“We're really optimistic,” he said.

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

Arkansas prison board votes to name former state senator interim corrections secretary

KUAR | By Hunter Field / Arkansas Advocate

The Arkansas Board of Corrections voted Wednesday to hire a former Republican state senator as the prison system’s interim head.

The vote — which wasn’t included on the meeting’s agenda and required a suspension of the board’s rules — to make former Sen. Eddie Joe Williams of Cabot the interim secretary of the Department of Corrections came three weeks after the board fired then-Secretary Joe Profiri.

The board also approved additional inmate space at one facility, pending the hiring of more guards. And it ran into a stumbling block regarding payment of an attorney it hired to represent it in a lawsuit against the governor.

Arkansas prison board votes to name former state senator interim corrections secretary

State of the State 2024: Arkansas health care faces challenges

by Steve Brawner (BRAWNERSTEVE@MAC.COM)

Editor’s note: The State of the State series provides reports twice a year on Arkansas’ key economic sectors. The series publishes stories to begin a year and stories in July/August to provide a broad mid-year update on the state’s economy. Link here for the State of the State page and previous stories.

With Arkansas’ Medicaid system still rebalancing after the COVID pandemic and Arkansans ranking near the bottom in health metrics, the state of the state’s health care is challenging.

One of the biggest health-related stories this past year has been Arkansas’ “unwinding” of its Medicaid rolls. During the COVID pandemic, the federal government provided extra money to states provided that they didn’t disenroll recipients throughout the emergency. That restriction ended April 1. While most states opted to abide by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ 14-month-time frame, Arkansas law accelerated its redetermination process over a six-month period.

State of the State 2024: Arkansas health care faces challenges

UAMS Kidney, Liver Transplant Programs Again Rated Among Best in Nation

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) kidney and liver transplant programs have again received some of the highest ratings in the country in a report comparing transplant programs nationwide.

A January report by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) shows that both solid-organ programs scored five out of five bars — the highest score possible — for the speed at which patients obtained an organ from a deceased donor after getting on the waiting list.

This category has the largest impact on survival, according to the registry.

UAMS Kidney, Liver Transplant Programs Again Rated Among Best in Nation

Burdine, second from left, at the Helena-West Helena satellite transplant clinic.

Gov. Sanders’ Board of Corrections appointee fired from police department in 2018 over sexual misconduct

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

Jamol Jones, who was recently appointed by Gov. Sarah Sanders to the Arkansas Board of Corrections (BOC), was fired from the Benton Police Department in 2018 after having a sexual relationship with a minor, according to city records.

The revelation comes as a conflict continues between the BOC and Gov. Sanders over actions taken by former Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri and Sanders’ demands to add more beds to the prison system.

Jones, of Benton, was appointed in late January to the BOC as chair of the Post-Prison Transfer Board. The position serves at the will of the governor, and Jones replaced John Felts.

According to information provided to Talk Business & Politics by the City of Benton, Jones was hired April 25, 2018, as a police officer by the Benton Police Department. Several months later, Jones would begin a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female after meeting at Planet Fitness.

Gov. Sanders’ Board of Corrections appointee fired from police department in 2018 over sexual misconduct

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Achieves $30 Million Fundraising Goal for NCI Designation

By Andrew Vogler

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) met its $30 million fundraising goal for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s campaign to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designation.

The fundraising milestone was achieved with a $5 million gift from the Chris Fowler family of Jonesboro. In total, 8,700 philanthropic gifts have been received from Arkansans and donors across the U.S. to support this campaign.

“Reaching our fundraising goal is exciting news, and I know it will embolden UAMS to work harder in achieving our overall goal of NCI Designation, which will have a profound impact on UAMS and Arkansas,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “Huge credit for this achievement of course goes to the many donors who have championed this campaign. I would especially like to thank the Chris Fowler family, who made significant contributions that realized this goal.”

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Achieves $30 Million Fundraising Goal for NCI Designation

From left: Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Chris Fowler, Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., and Kevin Crass.

State of the State 2024: U.S., Arkansas economies could see dip in 2024, recovery in 2025

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

Editor’s note: The State of the State series provides reports twice a year on Arkansas’ key economic sectors. The series publishes stories to begin a year and stories in July/August to provide a broad mid-year update on the state’s economy. Link here for the State of the State page and previous stories.

The nationwide recession expected in 2023 never materialized, thanks primarily to a stronger-than-expected labor market and consumer spending. The new consensus is that economic growth will continue in 2024 but weaken compared to 2023.

“It looks like we dodged the bullet on the recession that was forecasted by many economists for 2023. In fact, the Arkansas economy had a strong first half — particularly in employment. There have been signs of slower growth in the latter part of the year, and I expect that to continue,” noted Michael Pakko, chief economist and state economic forecaster at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Institute for Economic Advancement. “GDP growth is likely to be slow but positive. For the U.S., a consensus estimate is GDP growth of about 1.5%. It is likely to be less than 1% in Arkansas, given the relative size of our state’s manufacturing sector.”

State of the State 2024: U.S., Arkansas economies could see dip in 2024, recovery in 2025

Arkansas Among States Leading Nation in Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation

KUAR | By Daniel Breen, Seth Hooker

The state of Arkansas is among 23 states considered unaccepting towards LGBTQ+ equality.

The Human Rights Campaign recently released its State Equality Index, an annual state-by-state report that reviews statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ+ people and their families. Arkansas was categorized, “high priority to achieve basic equality,” the index’s lowest ranking.

“I think it’s a sign of where we are socially and culturally,” said Cathryn Oakley, senior director for legal policy at the Human Rights Campaign. “When people see those states, including Arkansas, in the bottom group I don’t think anybody is surprised.”

Arkansas Among States Leading Nation in Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation

Looper honored by American Society of Animal Science

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —  A life spent raising cattle and helping others in the industry through research and education has earned Mike Looper a Distinguished Service Award from the American Society of Animal Science.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE — Shane Gadberry, left, director of the Livestock and Forestry Research Station near Batesville, presents a plaque to Mike Looper recognizing him as the American Society of Animal Science Southern Section Distinguished Service Award honoree for 2024. (Photo courtesy of Justin Bartlett)

Looper is head of the animal science department, overseeing land-grant extension, research and teaching, with appointments within the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

The honor was bestowed Jan. 29, during the society section’s annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.

Looper was raised on an Arkansas dairy/beef farm now run by a fifth generation of his family. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Arkansas, then crossed the border to earn a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University, focusing on reproduction in post-partum beef cows. Looper is still in the cattle game. He and his wife run about 100 head of cattle.

“My whole life has revolved around agriculture, specifically livestock production in the Southern U.S.,” Looper said. “I enjoy helping others whether that’s a student, producer, or an interested consumer. I’ve been fortunate to have excellent support from family, friends, co-workers and upper administration.”        

“It’s wonderful to see Mike — a fellow rancher — receive this award,” said Deacue Fields, vice president-agriculture, for the University of Arkansas System. “His energy and upbeat demeanor, plus his servant leadership have been an enormous benefit to our faculty, students in Bumpers College and the livestock industry.”

In 2002, Looper joined the Agricultural Research Service arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to conduct  research in growth, development, physiology, and nutrition of grazing cattle. He has advised and co-advised more than 30 graduate students and authored/co-authored 67 peer-refereed journal articles, two book chapters, 112 abstracts, and more than 200 extension, research and other publications.

Looper has served as associate editor and division editor of the Animal Production Section of the Journal of Animal Science. He is an ASAS Fellow and has also served as ASAS president. Looper and his wife, Joneta, have two daughters, Madison and Taylor.

The Distinguished Service Award is the most prestigious honor for members of the American Society of Animal Science. Only one Distinguished Service Award is presented to a member in each of the society’s four regional sections “for outstanding service to the livestock industry through genetics, breeding, nutrition, physiology, immunology, management, and/or meat/food science.” Looper’s award is from the society’s Southern Section.

“Dr. Looper has a knack for connecting with students and his investment in mentoring is guiding the next generation of animal scientists,” said Jeff Edwards, Bumpers College dean. “In my faculty role at OSU, I was fortunate enough to work closely with animal scientists, and I can attest that Dr. Looper is highly regarded among his peers. He was one of the first department heads to reach out to me when I joined the U of A, and his advice has been invaluable to me as an administrator.”

Edwards called Looper “a leader in Bumpers College and the animal science community, and this is a well-deserved honor.”

“Congratulations to Dr. Looper on receiving this award,” said Jean-François Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. “Mike is a true servant leader who has led the Department of Animal Science and supported its faculty, staff and students admirably for over a decade. We are very happy for him to be recognized for his service to the university and the industry.”

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.

Westerman, Newhouse, Allen urge EPA to halt release of Onerous NAAQS Proposal

WASHINGTON - Today, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) Western Caucus Vice-Chair Bruce Westerman (AR-04), and Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging the agency to halt its release of updated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter.

The letter reads, “It is our understanding that you are finalizing an update to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and plan to release the update imminently. We write to express our grave concerns with your agency’s proposal and urge you to halt its release.

“We joined a letter alongside 70 of our colleagues in October of 2023 urging the EPA to withdraw the costly and unnecessary proposal and review the PM2.5 NAAQS under the Clean Air Act’s regular review cycle. To date, we have not received a response to that letter.

“With nearly 700,000 comments received on the proposal in the Federal Register last year, it is clear that this will have an enormous impact on nearly every industry. Last October, over 70 manufacturing organizations sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients, outlining their concerns with the proposal, and warning of the negative economic impacts that would be caused by its implementation.

“The United States boasts some of the cleanest air in the world today according to Yale University’s Environmental Performance. As Members that represent states with robust timber industries, we know firsthand the extensive benefits that the forestry sector and forest products industry have on the environment and the economy. The forest products industry would be severely impacted by the implementation of this proposal. Nationwide, at nine micrograms, nearly 80% of the sawmill and papermill improvement projects over the last five years would have failed to meet their air permits.

“We urge you to halt the release of the finalized update and review the NAAQS under the regular five-year review schedule.”

Click here to view the full letter.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

The Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) and the council’s subcommittees met this week at the Capitol. These meetings were previously scheduled for the week of January 15 but were postponed due to the winter weather across the state.

ALC members were presented with an update from the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) regarding damage from the winter storms.

ADEM officials said 10 water systems around the state requested assistance from the agency. All but one of those systems is back up and running. As of Friday, the water system in Helena-West Helena was currently not operational. ADEM says the agency has coordinated resources to send pallets of water to the area and is currently working with vendors in hopes of providing mobile shower and laundry units soon.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) updated members of the Highway Commission Review and Advisory Subcommittee on the road conditions throughout the state. ARDOT reports the agency has been working to repair numerous potholes on highways due to freezing temperatures and subsequent rain. Arkansans can report potholes directly to the agency by using the iDrive Arkansas app.

In other agenda items before ALC, members approved an emergency rule to allow the implementation of two educational grant programs.

The Literacy Tutoring Grant is designed to help struggling readers in K-3 with personalized tutoring. Families can invoice up to $500 per school to pay for tutoring services for children reading below grade level. Payments will go directly to providers.

The High Impact Tutoring Grant Program is designed to help school districts with high impact tutoring during the school day to help struggling students at all grade levels. 

The Department of Education will be releasing information soon on how parents and schools can utilize these grants.

The Game and Fish and State Police Subcommittee of ALC continued its study on our state’s firearms laws. This week, they heard a summary on concealed carry laws. Their next meeting will be February 12 and will focus on hunting laws and Arkansas State Police concealed carry regulations. The public is welcome and there will be time for public comment.

ALC reviewed the most recent General Revenue Report which showed net available general revenue is down 5% from this time last year but 6.7% above forecast.  Pre-Fiscal Session Budget Hearings are scheduled to begin March 6.

The Arkansas Legislative Council will meet again on February 16.

Group submits fourth proposed Arkansas FOIA change to AG after third rejection

KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

A government transparency group sent a fourth draft of proposed changes to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act on Thursday after Attorney General Tim Griffin rejected its third proposal.

In his opinion, Griffin cited a “misleading provision” of the text of the proposed act and ballot title. Previous submissions contained the same problem that “was unidentified previously and is the only remaining issue standing in the way of certification,” Griffin wrote.

“If you resolve this issue and resubmit with no other changes, I will expedite the response,” he wrote.

Group submits fourth proposed Arkansas FOIA change to AG after third rejection

John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate

Gov. Sarah Sanders shares a laugh with Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, a Republican from Cave Springs on Sept. 14, 2023, after signing a number of bills at the end of a special legislative session, including one that hides from the public certain information about security for her and other state officials.

Arkansas Racing Commission defers vote on new Pope County casino license process

KUAR | By Hunter Field / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

The issuance of Arkansas’ fourth and final casino license will be delayed — again — likely for months.

And if the litigious history of the Pope County casino permit is a guide, the wait could be far longer.

The Arkansas Racing Commission, which oversees the state’s casinos, met for a half hour on Wednesday, but it took no action, instead deciding to study a set of proposed rule changes until next week.

Arkansas Racing Commission defers vote on new Pope County casino license process

Legends Resort & Casino

A rendering of Legends Resort & Casino in Pope County.

Tyson Foods opens bacon processing plant in Kentucky

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Tyson Foods opened a new processing plant in Bowling Green, Ky., this week. The 400,000-square-foot plant cost $355 million to build and outfit and will employ around 450 workers.

The facility is expected to produce two million pounds of bacon weekly for its Wright and Jimmy Dean retail brands and for food service customers.

“Our innovative new plant in Bowling Green reflects a major investment that we are proud to make in south-central Kentucky,” said Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King. “This enables us to focus on the health and safety of our team members while also delivering best-in-class service for our customers.”

Tyson Foods opens bacon processing plant in Kentucky

photo courtesy Tyson Foods

Poultry scientists develop 3D anatomy tech to learn more about chicken vision

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Poultry scientists with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station are unraveling the complexities of bird brains and finding less expensive ways to do it.

CHICKEN VISION — Wayne Kuenzel, professor of physiology and neuroendocrinology, worked with Parker Straight and Paul Gignac to map the chicken brain in 3D using diceCT technology. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

The scientists mapped the intricate neurological pathways that control vision in chickens with detailed 3D models of the connections between the eyes and four regions of the brain. The research paper, titled “Mapping the avian visual tectofugal pathway using 3D reconstruction,” was accepted for publication in the Journal of Comparative Neurology. A separate research paper was written on the thalamofugal pathway.

Wayne Kuenzel, professor of physiology and neuroendocrinology in the department of poultry science for the experiment station, said the technique is a less expensive way to create quality 3D images resembling magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, technology. He also said the method will benefit teaching complex anatomy and expand the tools of animal science researchers. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“What is important about this technique is that it is a straightforward procedure, and it is not expensive,” Kuenzel said. “I am sure it will gain importance over time and attract a greater audience.”

Parker Straight, principal author of the research publication, pursued a Master of Science degree under Kuenzel within the Division of Agriculture’s Center of Excellence for Poultry Science. Straight has gone on to work as a clinical research associate and avian neuroanatomy research consultant with Kuenzel as they update “Stereotaxic Atlas of the Brain of the Chicken,” a book detailing the anatomy of the chicken brain, first published by Kuenzel in 1988.

Paul Gignac, associate professor of cellular and molecular medicine with the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Tucson, was a member of Parker’s thesis committee and a co-author of the 3D imaging study.

“It’s not only a quality research paper but will also be helpful in teaching,” Kuenzel said of Straight’s work. “The tectofugal visual pathway has four critical neural structures in four different brain regions. Diagramming them in 3D enables one to see the entire pathway in one image and therefore should enable the learning of the entire pathway more rapidly and perhaps more permanently.”

To create the new 3D imaging, Straight said they combined a conventional imaging method called histochemistry with a newer imaging method known as diceCT, which stands for “diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhance computer tomography.”

Histochemistry uses chemical reagents like dyes to stain tissue and allow it to undergo image analysis. DiceCT is like an MRI, Straight explained, but instead of using a large magnet and radio waves, it uses iodine to stain the tissue so that a viewer can see groups of cells among fiber tracts. DiceCT uses x-ray scans to “digitally” slice the biological subject being studied.

Straight, Gignac and Kuenzel modeled the tectofugal pathway, the primary visual pathway in chickens, by combining the technologies with data reconstruction computer programs such as Brainmaker, Avizo and Blender. Kuenzel said Gignac has been instrumental with many scientists in developing and describing the diceCT procedure.

The iodine used in diceCT is not permanent and can be removed from the sample tissue without damaging or distorting the tissue, which is important for the integrity of the 3D imaging, Straight added.

“With the method being cheaper, it allows it to be accessible to many more researchers who often may not consider pursuing the use of MRI due to its cost or availability,” Straight said.

Kuenzel noted that the research paper could also “broaden the diversity of scientists who might add the Journal of Comparative Neurology to their list of journals to review more regularly.”

Why it’s important

Straight said the hybrid method of 3D scanning can be used to study neurobiology at a large scale, such as brain region morphology, and at a more detailed scale, such as looking at a single neurological pathway. One example of the technology’s potential use would include assessing changes or lesion patterns at various stages of a disease.

Other examples, he said, may include long-distance neuron tracing without cutting the connection, as well as comparing structural differences and how they relate to different behavioral patterns.

3D VIEW — This image shows the primary structures involved in the tectofugal visual pathway in the chicken brain. The pathway begins within the retina of the eye, shown in green, which sends information via the optic nerve to the opposing brain hemisphere in a structure called the optic tectum, shown in yellow. From there, the optic tectum sends information into the nucleus rotundus, shown in orange. The rotundus relays the visual input to the final primary component, the entopallium, shown in tan. (U of A System Division of Agriculture image)

“The list is quite long in terms of how this method can be proven beneficial to research,” Straight said. “I hope this study will prompt more investigations of animal neurobiology using 3D methods and how it compares to neurobiology of humans.”

Straight noted that if a researcher wanted to implement the exact imaging pipeline they used, the bird would have to be euthanized. However, the diceCT portion of the imaging method can be done in live animals if they are sufficiently sedated so that a researcher can capture a clean 3D scan.

The research was supported in part by grants from the University of Arkansas’ Chancellor’s Innovation Fund and the Arkansas Biosciences Institute.

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

Respected researcher, teacher Savin named horticulture department head

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —  A research-for-undergraduates experience “in the middle of nowhere” helped set Mary Savin on a path to becoming the next head of the horticulture department at the University of Arkansas.

Mary Savin will take the reins of the horticulture department on April 1, 2024. (U of A System Divison of Agriculture photo)

Savin, a Massachusetts native, starts her new job April 1. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology/biological sciences from the University of Notre Dame, followed by a master’s in biodegradation and doctorate in soil ecology, both from the University of Rhode Island.

“I was a biology undergraduate trying to figure out what to do with my life,” she said. With 10 weeks of research and outdoor classes in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin border, “I found my calling.”

She went into the private sector in environmental analysis with a consulting firm, which she loved, but “I felt like I needed more. More knowledge. More experience in the applied sciences.”

Savin applied for graduate school, eventually earning her Ph.D. “Once I was introduced to research, I decided that was really fun.”

An opportunity at the University of Arkansas opened and she took it. Over the years, “I've evolved and become involved in different aspects of teaching, research and administration that have just led me to this path,” she said.

Savin takes over from Wayne Mackay, who retires at the end of March after 10 years at the helm.

“Horticulture is just a strong department with some excellent faculty and staff, and I think Wayne's done a fabulous job leading the department, and so I’m very excited to be here,” she said.

To prepare for her new role, Savin is set to take part in major horticulture conferences and will be involved in a departmental retreat with horticulture faculty to ensure an effective transition.

Mackay said “I’m really excited to have Mary as my successor. She’s an excellent teacher, an excellent researcher and has excellent international experience, which is important for our students. I think her experience on campus as a researcher, and most recently, with her administrative experience has given her a broader scope of experience.”

In 2022, Savin was appointed an assistant director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station — the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture — and has been teaching microbial ecology and courses in crop, soil, and environmental sciences through the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences since 2002.

As department head, Savin will oversee horticulture teaching through Bumpers College, and research and extension activities through the Division of Agriculture.

“I’m confident she’s going to lead the department to even better things,” Mackay said.

Savin was awarded the 2022 Spitze Award Spitze Land Grant University Faculty Award for Excellence. She was also bestowed with the Jack G. Justus Award for Teaching Excellence in 2016 from Bumpers College.

She also has a stellar record of professional service, including serving as faculty senate chair, campus faculty chair, co-director of the Teaching Faculty Support Center, and faculty editor of “Discovery — The Student Journal of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.” Savin has also landed more than $4.5 million in grants and had more than 80 peer-reviewed publications.

Jean-François Meullenet, head of the experiment station, said “I am thankful to Dr. Savin for accepting this new leadership role in horticulture. I have had the chance to work with Mary closely over the past year and I am extremely impressed with her skills. I know she will be an outstanding department head and I look forward to working with her in that capacity.”

“Mary has been an active part of campus leadership and it is exciting to see her step into this new role,” said Jeff Edwards, dean of Bumpers College. “Mary’s strong connections with colleagues across campus and throughout the Division of Agriculture are going to be very beneficial in furthering our goal of harmonization and alignment of the three land-grant mission areas.

“She genuinely cares about the success of our faculty, staff and students,” Edwards added. “Horticulture is already a strong department. Wayne did a great job, and we appreciate his service and leadership. It will be exciting to see how Mary’s leadership builds off of that and makes a strong department even stronger.”

John Anderson, director of the Cooperative Extension Service said he was “excited to have Dr. Savin joining our administrative team as the head of the Horticulture department.  She has obviously had a distinguished career to this point as a faculty member at the University of Arkansas. 

“She understands the state and the needs of our stakeholders well.  I look forward to working with Dr. Savin to carry on, and add to, the horticulture department’s outstanding contributions to our extension programming effort,” he said.

Making the change

“I want to thank Wayne for his leadership and for being willing to spend time to help me in this transition,” Savin said. And while leaving the department of crop, soils and environmental science, is bittersweet, “I’m really looking forward to getting started. It’s going to be an amazing experience.”

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.

Boozman, Crapo Urge Biden Administration to Withdraw EV Mandate

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) led a bicameral group of 120 members of Congress in sending a letter to U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman calling for the withdrawal of the Biden administration’s proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks. The proposed standards, which would require automakers to more than double average fleet-wide fuel economy in less than 10 years, do not comply with federal law, and would effectively mandate the mass production of electric vehicles (EVs) and a phase out of gas-powered cars and trucks.  

“We write to express our deep concern with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks, which represent yet another attempt by this administration to use the rulemaking process to impose its climate agenda on American families,” the lawmakers wrote. “NHTSA’s proposed standards, when coupled with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) distinct, extreme tailpipe emissions proposal, amount to a de facto mandate for electric vehicles (EVs) that threatens to raise costs and restrict consumer choice, harm U.S. businesses, degrade our energy and national security and hand the keys of our automotive industry over to our adversaries, especially China.”

“The proposal issued in July is mere virtue signaling for this administration’s extreme climate agenda, but it would actually have only limited impact on emissions while strengthening foreign adversaries and harming American workers and consumers,” the lawmakers concluded. “We strongly urge NHTSA to drop its attempt at central planning and instead put forth a workable proposal that complies with the law and better serves the American people.”

Click here to read the full letter.

The letter was also signed by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR).

The lawmakers’ outcry accompanied other elected officials’ pushing back against the EV mandate. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined a group of governors in sending a letter earlier this week to President Biden demanding he scale back the directive.

Industry leaders agree this action will prevent Americans from deciding what vehicles best fit their needs.

“The Biden administration is overseeing a whole-of-government campaign to effectively ban new gas, diesel and flex fuel vehicles,” said President and CEO of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) Chet Thompson. “This agenda is bad for American families, bad for our economy and indefensible from a national security perspective. And what’s even more glaring is that both EPA and NHTSA—the agencies spearheading President Biden’s forced electrification agenda—do not have Congressional authorization to regulate internal combustion engine vehicles out of the market. AFPM supports efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation and improve vehicle performance and efficiency for consumers. And unlike the Biden administration’s CAFE proposal, we believe successful, consumer-first policies must encourage real competition among all technologies and powertrains, including American-made, American-grown fuels.

“NHTSA’s proposal, combined with EPA’s proposed tailpipe emissions standards, would result in a de facto ban on the sale of new vehicles using gasoline and other liquid fuels,” said API Executive Vice President & Chief Advocacy Officer Amanda Eversole. “These rules will hurt consumers through potentially higher costs, fewer options and increased reliance on unstable foreign supply chains. 

Boozman is a cosponsor of the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act to counter the Biden administration’s radical environmental agenda and executive overreach by preventing the implementation of a proposed rule and other regulations that seek to limit consumer vehicle choice.