Keo Fish Farms to build $1.5 million solar array

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Keo Fish Farms will spend $1.5 million to build an 856-kilowatt solar array at its Lonoke County facility. It will save the farm $110,726 during its first year and is projected to save up to $4.1 million during the next three decades, according to the owners.

The company partnered with Delta Solar to build the array.

Keo Fish Farms co-owner Mike Freeze was skeptical about building the array. He thought it would cost too much and have a negative impact on land use. But his son-in-law and company General Manager Seth Summerside convinced him that the benefits outweighed the potential costs.

Keo Fish Farms to build $1.5 million solar array

CD2 debate: Hill, Jones oppose nationwide abortion ban

by Steve Brawner (BRAWNERSTEVE@MAC.COM)

Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, and his Democratic opponent, retired Army Col. Marcus Jones, both expressed opposition to a nationwide abortion ban in their 2nd Congressional debate Monday (Oct. 7) on Arkansas PBS.

Hill said the U.S. Supreme Court has sent the issue back to the states.

“I would never vote for a nationwide ban for abortion,” he said. “I don’t know that there’s any support on either side of the aisle in significant ways for that proposal.”

Hill said his views on abortion have always provided for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the woman’s life is in danger. He said he has voted against allowing late-term abortions nationally.

CD2 debate: Hill, Jones oppose nationwide abortion ban

Second District debate. Photo courtesy of Arkansas PBS.

Retired Army colonel faces Republican incumbent in Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District race

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

The race to represent Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District is the contest between the current congressman and the former Army officer, the incumbent and the hopeful.

Democrat Col. Marcus Jones and incumbent Republican Congressman French Hill are vying for a seat representing Arkansas in the U.S. House of Representatives. The two will face off in a debate held by Arkansas PBS Monday.

On one hand, Rep. French Hill has been serving Arkansas from Washington, D.C. since 2015.

Retired Army colonel faces Republican incumbent in Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District race

Courtesy Photo

Republican Congressman French Hill (left) is competing against Democratic candidate Marcus Jones (right).

Carrot surplus spurs BBQ sauce for Chef Rios at Arkansas Food Innovation Center

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A sweet-and-smokey barbecue sauce designed around surplus carrots is the newest product rolling out from the Expanding Farmers’ Opportunities in Northwest Arkansas program.

FARM TO FORK — Chef Rafael Rios of Yeyo’s El Alma De Mexico in Rogers developed Rios Family Farms Carrott BBQ Sauce with students at Brightwater, A Center for the Study of Food at Northwest Arkansas Community College as part of a USDA-grant program called Expanding Farmers' Opportunities in Northwest Arkansas. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Paden Johnson)

Rafael Rios, chef at his family’s Yeyo’s El Alma De Mexico in Rogers, is also a small-scale farmer offering a farm-to-table menu with ingredients from the Rios Family Farm in Rogers. Carrots from his farm, and surplus carrots grown in the region, make up the base of this vegan, fall-inspired barbecue sauce produced at the Arkansas Food Innovation Center.

“What I like about the recipe is that it has a robust flavor but just hints of beautiful fall aromas from spices like star anise,” Rios said. “It’s a versatile sauce, that can be used for braising and marinating. I give a lot of credit to the students at Brightwater for this recipe.”

Expanding Farmers’ Opportunities in Northwest Arkansas is a partnership of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture; Brightwater, A Center for the Study of Food at the Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville; and the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. The Arkansas Food Innovation Center is a part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture.

The program, now in its fourth year with support from a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, is designed to help cut down on food waste and create value-added products for farmers. In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30 – 40 percent of the food supply, according to the USDA. 

Before beginning the project with Rios, project team members took a survey of area farmers to determine their surplus produce. Carrots were one of the answers, so students at Brightwater were given the challenge to develop carrot-based recipes. Out of eight recipes, the top three were chosen by a panel and judged by Rios, who then guided further development of the sauce.

The project resulted in 500, 16-ounce jars of Rios Family Farms Carrot BBQ Sauce that will be for sale at Rogers and Bentonville farmers markets and Yeyo's El Alma De Mexico, inside the 8th Street Market in Bentonville.

“Chef Rios and his team had great vision guiding the creation of this Carrot BBQ Sauce so that the product aligned with the mission of their farm-to-fork businesses, and we look forward to future product production at the Arkansas Food Innovation Center,” said Renee Threlfall, associate professor of food science for the experiment station.

Chef Steven Jenkins, department chair at Brightwater, said some of the runners-up from the culinary students in their carrot recipe contest included carrot butters, a glazed carrot bruschetta spread, Carrots al Pastor, an Ozark Romesco, and a carrot harissa sauce.

Jenkins noted that the Brightwater culinary students have recipe contests featuring local produce to sharpen their culinary knowledge and ability to see novel uses of the local produce. A tasting event held for each contest at Brightwater for students, staff and the public for objective feedback. If the taste test results are close, they present the top recipe options to the grower for the final choice.

FINAL PRODUCT — The Arkansas Food Innovation Center packaged 500 Rios Family Farms Carrott BBQ Sauce jars.  (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Paden Johnson)

“When we presented the top recipes to Chef Rios, he immediately focused on the barbecue sauce because he felt that there was a need in his own operations and in the community for the product,” Jenkins said. “The students were very creative in their flavor profiles and used the sweetness of the carrots to complement smoky flavors or spiciness in the dish.”

A distinctive characteristic of the sauce, Rios said, is that it can make non-meat items taste like meat due to the subtle smokey flavor and aromas. In all, 500 pounds of carrots and 100 pounds of onions were smoked with applewood prior to being mashed and mixed with spices in the cooking process. Since carrots are not acidic, apple cider vinegar was used in the recipe to provide shelf stability and flavor.

Expanding farmers’ opportunities

While northwest Arkansas has several farmers markets, Threlfall said growers face limitations due to unpredictable weather on market days, short shelf life of produce and challenges in selling imperfect produce also known as “seconds” or “culls.” A three-year USDA grant worth $616,452 was awarded in 2021, with a one-year extension granted last month. The project is funded by the USDA’s Farmers Market Promotion Program through the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s Local Agriculture Market Program.

The aim of this project, Threlfall added, was to increase farm income, reduce produce waste and encourage greater utilization of the existing food system infrastructure.

“For this project, we have successfully worked with Arkansas produce growers to create six value-added products from surplus produce, with three more products in development,” Threlfall said. “Not only do the growers sell their product, but they also get a portfolio that includes the product recipe, a food safety plan for processing and a customized marketing plan developed by professors at the Walton College of Business.”

Rogelio Garcia Contreras, teaching assistant professor at the Walton College, said supporting farmers in selling their surplus goods is “crucial” for “long-term sustainable agricultural practices and community resilience.”

“By transforming excess produce into products like salsas, pickles, spreads or other dishes, farmers enhance their income while reducing food waste,” Garcia Contreras said. “Most of these value-added products are unique, artisanal and seasonal, and because they are sold at farmers markets or at the farms themselves, they offer a unique opportunity to foster a closer connection between consumers and producers, promoting community and generating awareness of seasonal and regional foods.”

Garcia Contreras noted the program has also helped bring an entrepreneurial approach to the challenge of surplus in the region and fostered innovation between students and farmers.

“We have designed marketing and commercialization strategies customized for each of the products developed as part of this initiative,” Garcia Contreras said. “Value-added products often require more labor, attention to detail, and a compelling story, and all these qualities can be found in the collaboration we have put together for the successful implementation of this grant.”

Garcia Contreras, Jenkins and Ruben Morawicki, former associate professor of food science for the experiment station, collaborated to design the program. Jeyam Subbiah, professor and former head of the food science department, and John Swenson, manager of the experiment station’s Arkansas Food Innovation Center, also lent their expertise to the program, Threlfall said.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

UA report: Arkansas waterways support more than 40,000 jobs

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

The five navigable waterways in or connected to Arkansas are responsible for more than 40,000 jobs in the state and generate an estimated $5.5 billion in revenue for the state economy, according to a new report pushed by the Arkansas Waterways Commission.

The “Regional Economic Impact Study of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS),” was published for the commission in June 2024 by Heather Nachtmann with the Marine Transportation Research and Education Center (MarTREC) at the University of Arkansas.

Arkansas’ five navigable waterways are the portion of the Mississippi River that is the state’s eastern border, the Arkansas River, and the Ouachita, Red, and White Rivers, according to the commission. Of those, the Arkansas River provides a bulk of the economic impact to the state.

UA report: Arkansas waterways support more than 40,000 jobs

NALC webinar will review liability challenges for equine, agritourism business owners

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

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the fall season comes visits to pumpkin patches, hayrides, corn mazes and petting zoos – but for owners of these attractions, risk and liability come along with visitors.

The National Ag Law Center's Oct. 16 webinar will discuss managing risk and liability in equine and agritourism operations. (Division of Agriculture photo)

“Agritourism is a huge industry, and continues to grow,” Rusty Rumley, senior staff attorney at the National Agricultural Law Center, or NALC, said. “It can diversify a farm’s income, but there is risk and liability associated with it for business owners.”

The 2022 Census of Agriculture showed a rise in the income generated from agritourism and recreational services, jumping from $949 million in 2017 to almost $1.26 billion in 2022.

With a growing industry comes the potential for liability, whether due to injuries or illnesses experienced by patrons.

“States around the country have implemented specific statutes that outline the responsibilities and liabilities for business owners who are involved in agritourism and equine-related activities,” Rumley said. “It’s important that owners are aware of these statutes and the limitations inherent in them as well. However, further risk mitigation tools such as liability insurance and proper planning are also needed to limit potential risk.”

Equine Activity & Agritourism Statutes: Strategies for Risk Management, the next webinar hosted by the NALC, will focus on states’ statutes and the strategies business owners can take to mitigate risk. The webinar will be presented by Rumley and Tim Potter, equine and animal scientist with a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, and owner of Potter Consulting, LLC.

“The NALC hears about unique legal situations involving equine and agritourism frequently,” Rumley said. “These businesses have a lot to offer for both the owners and the community, but there are key risks involved that must be accounted for before opening their doors to the general public.”

The webinar is available at no cost. Registration is available online at the NALC website.

During the presentation, Rumley and Potter will also provide real-life examples of risks associated with the equine and agritourism operations as well as practical solutions to address these concerns.

“It’s a fascinating area of agricultural law,” Potter said. “While the fruits of business owners’ labor is visible, there is so much that goes on behind the scenes to ensure these practices are safe from potential risk and liability.”

Rumley said Potter’s years of experience with horses will be a huge benefit to webinar attendees curious about equine liability.

“Dr. Potter has owned horses his entire life and has consulted with many over the years on these animals, ranging from topics on health issues, to behavior, safety issues and more,” Rumley said. “He’s an excellent addition to our webinar series.”

Agritourism survey opportunity

The University of Vermont, in partnership with the NALC, is hosting an online survey to understand how many U.S. agricultural operations welcome visitors for education, research, direct sales, hospitality and entertainment. Those who have a farm, ranch, or other agricultural business open to visitors are encouraged to participate in the brief survey.

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.

Subscribe online to receive NALC Communications, including webinar announcements, the NALC’s Quarterly Newsletter, and The Feed.

If you are involved in agriculture, the NALC wants to hear from you. Take the NALC’s brief stakeholder survey online to help inform how the center serves the nation’s ag community.

Electric cooperatives begin $93 million project to expand gas plant

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

Little Rock-based generation and transmission cooperative Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC) has started a $93 million project to add 100 megawatts of generation capacity to its natural gas-fired Thomas B. Fitzhugh Generation Station near Ozark.

The expansion is part of AECC’s strategy to address wholesale generation needs. AECC is the wholesale power provider for the state’s 17 electric distribution cooperatives and part of the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.

Construction at the existing 170-megawatt plant started in late September, and it’s expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025. The project includes adding two natural gas generating units to bring the total generation capacity to 270 megawatts. The new units can also operate on fuel oil.

Electric cooperatives begin $93 million project to expand gas plant

The natural gas-fired Thomas B. Fitzhugh Generation Station near Ozark is undergoing a $93 million expansion.

Congressional Hostage Task Force Co-chairs Hill and Stevens lead letter to State Department to disincentivize hostage taking

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. French Hill (R-AR) and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), Co-Chairs of the Hostage Task Force in the House, led a letter together to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the State Department to develop additional tools to disincentivize wrongful detention, hostage taking, and discourage Americans from traveling to hostile nations.

In their letter, Rep. Hill and Rep. Stevens summarize four policy suggestions, which include forming joint penalties with allies against states that take hostages, developing a formal determination and designation of hostage-taking nations, using existing authority to restrict travel by U.S. citizens to nations that routinely take Americans, and strongly encouraging travelers to countries with a Level 4 Travel Warning to register with their local embassy and work with TSA to develop informational materials at airports.

To read the lawmakers’ full letter, please visit HERE:

Dear Secretary Blinken, We write to commend your work in helping to accomplish the largest prisoner exchange with Russia since the Cold War and bringing home Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and fourteen other Americans, Russians and Europeans imprisoned in Russia to their families. This deal underscores that too many of our fellow Americans are increasingly being wrongfully detained and held hostage by hostile governments and terror groups which treat our citizens as disposable geopolitical bargaining chips.

We recognize and applaud the important and difficult advances made across the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations through the issuance of PPD-30 in 2015 and the passage of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recover and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act in 2020. The success of a multinational approach with Russia in this particular instance should be formalized more broadly to disincentivize wrongful detention and hostage taking. We were pleased to see the initial progress made with the signing of the 2021 Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-toState Relations to disincentivize wrongful detention and hostage taking. Sharing of data and best practices amongst like-minded nations is an important first step.

Even so, the United States Government must do more. The taking of Americans as hostages continues despite significant action taken by the last three administrations to prevent this. In addition, we fear an increasing number of Americans will be taken abroad in future years unless the State Department develops additional tools to disincentivize these practices and more effectively discourages Americans from placing themselves in harms way in the first place.

We must build on our progress to disincentivize wrongful detention and hostage taking. As such, we urge you to:

1. Promote and coordinate ways to impose joint penalties with our allies and partners against states and individuals involved in hostage taking and wrongful detention, with the goal of concluding a declaration to urge multilateral sanctions against those credibly shown to have wrongfully detained a person.

2. Develop a formal rubric to determine and designate states as Hostage-Taking Nations. The United States should impose countermeasures against those states’ officials and diplomats (and their immediate family members), including restricting the travel radius for any officials visiting the United States on diplomatic visas. These restrictions could be tightened or loosened as Americans are either wrongfully detained or released from the custody of such nations, creating a carrot along with a stick.

3. Utilize the Secretary of State’s existing authority to restrict travel of U.S. citizens in the event of severe risks to their health and safety, recognizing that the existing waiver process provides for flexibility in this process. We are concerned by the growing number of Americans who require the assistance of the U.S. government to be evacuated or released from detention in countries already on the State Department’s Level 4 Travel Warning list. Unfortunately, many U.S. travelers either ignore these warnings or perhaps do not see them in the first place. We applaud the Department’s continued use of this authority since 2018 to restrict U.S. travel to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea after the horrific detention and abuse of Otto Warmbier which resulted in his death. Such an added burden to travel would help discourage our citizens from taking unnecessary risks traveling to other known dangerous countries.

4. Strongly discourage American travelers whose final destination is a country with a Level 4 Travel Warning from traveling during their flight booking process and strongly encourage such travelers to register with the local embassy. Specifically, the State Department should consider partnering with the Transportation Security Administration to develop a system that could include elements such as posters in airports or informational briefings and acknowledgements of risks. The Department should also collect, analyze, and learn from U.S. visa data to better develop strategies to discourage Americans from traveling to the countries we warn them against visiting. This data should inform us whether our efforts to prevent such travel are succeeding or failing.

We cannot only be reactive to the growing plight of Americans taken abroad - the United States must take strong and decisive action now to prevent this stream of wrongful detentions and hostage-takings from turning into a flood. We stand ready to work with you to implement any of these initiatives.

We request a briefing on the Department’s plans to address these recommendations by 45 days from October 2, 2024.

Schizophrenia Conference Offers Education, Optimism

By Tim Taylor

Oct. 3, 2024 | The more than 250 people who attended the Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference, hosted by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Psychiatric Research Institute, left the Sept. 27 event with information about the latest treatment approaches and promising findings.

With an audience of clinicians, therapists and support staff as well as law enforcement officials and family members of people diagnosed with schizophrenia, the event, held at the City Center in Little Rock, offered insight into a mental disorder that’s often misunderstood and misdiagnosed.

UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, welcomed attendees to the conference, while Laura Dunn, M.D., director of the Psychiatric Research Institute and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, recognized the conference participants and organizers.

Schizophrenia Conference Offers Education, Optimism

Brian Kirkpatrick, M.D., discusses some of the misconceptions about schizophrenia at the Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference. Image by Tim Taylor

Extension offers 2024 Arkansas Ballot Issue Voter Guide

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — The 2024 Arkansas Ballot Issue Voter Guide is now available. It offers non-biased, research-based information about three proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot in the state’s upcoming general election.

HELP FOR  VOTERS — Arkansans can access a non-biased, research-based guide about three proposed constitutional amendments on the upcoming general election ballot with the 2024 Arkansas Ballot Issue Voter Guide. The guide is published by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Public Policy Center. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

The guide is published by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Public Policy Center, part of the Cooperative Extension Service.

The Voter Guide was released Sept. 27 and is available at uaex.uada.edu/ballot. Printed copies will be available in county extension offices statewide by the start of early voting, which begins Oct. 21.

The Public Policy Center has provided a voter guide on all statewide ballot issues since 2004. Kristin Higgins, extension program associate for the Public Policy Center, said it’s critical for Arkansans to access non-biased information about the issues that impact them.

“People need information to make a decision, and it can be difficult to find neutral sources of information about statewide ballot issues,” Higgins said. “You’re being asked as a voter to create or change state policy for years to come. The Arkansas Ballot Issue Voter Guide is that source of neutral information, and it also gives people the ability to read the ballot titles when they’re not under a time crunch to make a decision.”

The information contained in the guide goes through a thorough vetting process to ensure its accuracy and neutrality, which includes reviews by legal and subject matter experts, as well as both supporters and opponents of each issue. The guide breaks down what a “for” or “against” vote means for each of the three issues. It also spells out what each issue proposes, helping to parse the language of the ballot titles.

The guide includes reasons why people may support or oppose each of the proposals, and it provides a helpful worksheet for people to record their voting plans and bring with them to the polls.

Higgins said it’s important for Arkansans to use their voting privileges in the statewide election, especially as one of 15 states where citizens can put a constitutional amendment, state law or veto referendum on the statewide ballot for voters to decide.

“Voters have a direct involvement in deciding whether to change state law,” Higgins said. “These state laws affect all Arkansans, so voting in these elections shapes your state and your experiences for decades into the future.”

Organizations can request ballot issue education presentations from extension agents. The Public Policy Center also offers year-round ballot issue education, including a monthly newsletter with updates on upcoming issues.

Oct. 7 is the last day for Arkansans to register to vote ahead of the General Election. Early voting begins Oct. 21.

What’s on the ballot?

Issue 1: A constitutional amendment to provide that lottery proceeds may be used to fund or provide scholarships and grants to Arkansas citizens enrolled in vocational-technical schools and technical institutes.

Issue 2: An amendment requiring local voter approval in a countywide special election for certain new casino licenses and repealing authority to issue a casino license in Pope County, Arkansas.

Issue 3: The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024.

As of this publishing, the lawsuit regarding Issue 2 continues before the Arkansas Supreme Court. Justices also have a lawsuit about Issue 3 to review.

On Sept. 30, Secretary of State John Thurston notified the sponsor of Issue 3, Arkansans for Patient Access, or APA, that their proposed constitutional amendment to expand the state’s medical marijuana program did not have enough valid voter signatures to qualify for a spot on the ballot. State officials contend that signatures should be invalidated because a canvassing company acting on behalf of the sponsor handled campaign paperwork instead of the sponsors themselves.

APA filed a lawsuit Oct. 1 asking the Arkansas Supreme Court to ensure Issue 3 will be on the General Election ballot. Justices told Thurston to count the signatures. On Oct. 4, the Secretary of State's Office reported that enough voter signatures had been counted to qualify the measure for the ballot, but state officials still contend that the proposal shouldn't be on the ballot.

For more information about the 2024 Arkansas Ballot Issue Voter Guide, visit uaex.uada.edu/ballot. Contact your local extension agent or the Public Policy Center for more information or to schedule a presentation on the ballot issues.

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. 

Arkansas election board to sanction county officials over issues with hand-counted ballots

KUAR | By Mary Hennigan / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

The State Board of Election Commissioners on Wednesday voted to sanction election officials in one Arkansas county where several hand-counted ballot mistakes occurred during the primary election.

Commissioners did not explicitly state which county’s board of election commissioners would receive the sanctions; however, only officials in Searcy County hand-counted ballots in March.

The investigation into the county that hand-counted ballots was among six that the SBEC considered at its meeting, all of which were discussed with some confidentiality. Reports remain private until 30 days after county officials accept the sanction, or deny it and prompt a public hearing.

Arkansas election board to sanction county officials over issues with hand-counted ballots

Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate

Chris Madison, director of the State Board of Election Commissioners, leads a meeting in Little Rock on July 15, 2024.

I-49, infrastructure funding focus of Arkansas legislative committee meeting

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

Bipartisan work in the U.S. Congress above divisive politics and a broader appreciation for the national importance of Interstate 49 through western Arkansas are needed to deliver more funding for I-49 and other infrastructure projects in the state.

Such was part of the message from U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, and Arkansas Highway Commissioner Keith Gibson. The two were in Fort Smith Thursday (Oct. 3) for a meeting of transportation committees of the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate. The committees met jointly at the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education Research Institute.

During a morning meeting, the legislators heard from the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) about ongoing efforts to build I-49 in the Fort Smith metro and other parts of western Arkansas.

I-49, infrastructure funding focus of Arkansas legislative committee meeting

20-year-old accident still spreading safety message

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Jacob Cain was 10 years old when he went on an impromptu squirrel hunt near Arkadelphia in November of 2004. His father, Larry Cain, was nearby clearing shooting lanes for deer season. After an hour or so on a tractor, Larry decided to check on the boy.

MAN WITH MAGAZINE
Jacob Cain, once a hunting incident victim, now shares his story, which was featured 20 years ago in Arkansas Wildlife magazine as a Hunter Education instructor. Photo courtesy Jacob Cain.

He shouted his son’s name a time or two but heard no response. Larry became concerned and went to deer camp, grabbed a few friends and began to seriously search with four-wheelers. It wasn’t long before he heard a weak answer.

Jacob was found with a .22 wound through his foot, although all was well after a trip to the hospital. Larry, a Hunter Education instructor, used the accident as a teaching moment and sent the AGFC an article he wrote about it, which appeared in the November/December 2006 issue of Arkansas Wildlife. He ended the article with these words: “At first I was very reluctant to write this story. As a hunter education instructor, I felt that maybe I had failed and was embarrassed. However, the more I thought about it, maybe another instructor or father can prevent an accident like this from happening. I am certain that Jacob has learned a very bittersweet lesson in gun safety.”

We recently got a call from Jacob, now 30 or so. He also became a Hunter Education instructor and plans to use the accident – and his dad’s article – to teach others.

Jacob, like many other dedicated volunteers, provides a valuable service to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as well as the general hunting public. Thousands of new hunters each year graduate from Hunter Education before taking to the field. The course is required for anyone 16 or older who was born after 1968 to hunt on their own. Hunters under 16 may hunt with a licensed mentor who is at least 21 if they have not taken the course, and hunters 16 and older may do likewise after acquiring a Deferred Hunter Education (DHE) code through the AGFC’s licensing system (www.agfc.com/license).

“About  50 percent of our Hunter Education graduates still attend the free in-person classes,” Joe Huggins, Hunter Education Program Coordinator for the AGFC, said. “The rest opt for the online course. If you are 10 years or older, you can take the complete course online, including the final examination.”

HUNTER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR
The AGFC has a devoted group of volunteers who teach Hunter Education throughout Arkansas. Photo by Mike Wintroath/AGFC.

Hunter Education teaches much more than firearms safety – it also covers all sorts of topics like basic woodsmanship, treestand safety, in-the-field first aid and even hunting ethics.

“Hunters are our best conservationists, and Hunter Education courses help them understand where they fit into the bigger picture of conservation,” Huggins said. “But the most important aspect will always be preparing them for a safe experience they can tell friends and family about for years to come.”

Visit https://www.agfc.com/education/hunter-education to find out more about Hunter Education in Arkansas and how to sign up for a class near you.

By the way, a week after he was injured, Jacob went deer hunting with his dad and bagged an 8-point buck.

Hunters haul 181 alligators in 18th annual hunting season

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas hunters managed the second-highest harvest of alligators on record during the last two weekends in the sloughs and swamps of The Natural State. The 181-alligator harvest falls short of last year’s record effort of 202 alligators checked, but maintains the overall upward trend in what is still a relatively new opportunity for hunters.

Amanda Bryant, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Herpetologist, said she was pleased with the healthy harvest, particularly the hunt’s higher-than-normal success rate.

“Typically we see about one-third of public land tags filled, but this year we had 54 percent success rate on public land,” Bryant said. “And 96 percent of the private land quota was filled.”

GATOR ON TRAILER
Cody Gourley and his uncle, Jason Mitchell, took the largest alligator of the 2024 hunting season, this 12-foot, 6-inch Millwood Lake monster. Photo courtesy Cody Gourley.

This year’s weather may have increased the harvest, as Hurricane Helene may have caused a few hunters to check an alligator during the first weekend who normally would have held out for a larger one.

“Most unfilled alligator tags are because people hold out for a larger alligator than what they’re seeing, but maybe some of the forecasted rain had people more willing to take a little smaller alligator,” Bryant said. “Then the last weekend turned out pretty nice after all, and we continued to see decent numbers taken throughout the end of the season.”

Cody Gourley of Amity was one of those hunters whose patience paid off when he wrestled a 12-foot, 6-inch beast to the side of his boat on Millwood Lake during the second weekend of the hunt.

“We went out the first weekend and saw 70 to 75 gators per night, but we just couldn’t get close enough to a big one to make it happen,” Gourley said. “I tried to use a harpoon on one or two, but I couldn’t get it to stick. The second weekend, I was getting to the point that any alligator would have been good for me. My uncle said we should hold out until midnight that Saturday night before we looked for a smaller gator. At about 9:30, we saw this one and knew it was in that larger category.”

Gourley says he rigged up a snare for his second weekend, using instructions from the AGFC’s website.

FORKLIFT GATOR
Temeren Pfaffenberg checked this 12-foot, 1-inch alligator from private land in Alligator Management Zone 2, the largest from that zone during this year’s hunt. 

“The snare was a much more intimate experience,” Gourley said. “We had to be right there within 8 feet of that gator before I could loop on the first snare. Then once we snared it, it was a fight.”

Gourley said he was in a 14-foot boat to be able to reach backwaters other hunters couldn’t.

“When the gator came up and I saw just how big it was, I was shocked,” Gourley said. “We couldn’t even get it in the boat, so we had to float it beside us as we made our way back to the ramp. It was unlike any hunt I’ve ever been on.”

Biologists have received a few calls from local anglers who were concerned about the alligator population in Millwood becoming too large, and Bryant says the harvest on the lake was encouraging.

“We had eight public tags for Millwood this year, and six of those were filled.” Bryant said. “It’s great to see so many of the tags being filled here, and hopefully it’s a step toward reducing the perception of human-wildlife conflict in this area.”

Bryant says increased harvest, especially on private land, has contributed to fewer nuisance calls in south Arkansas in the last few years.

“We see a strong relationship between the added harvest opportunity and lower nuisance calls,” Bryant said. “Some of it may be because people are more accustomed to seeing alligators now than they did 20 to 30 years ago, but a lot has to do with the private land hunt enabling landowners to handle the nuisance alligator on their own during the hunt.”

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Chris Ryall shared this image of his 10-foot, 9-inch alligator taken in Alligator Management Zone 3. Photo courtesy Chris Ryall. 

This year, Alligator Management Zone 1 (southwest Arkansas) and AMZ 3 (southeast Arkansas) tied for the most alligators harvested.

“Usually Zone 3 has the most harvest, but this year was evenly split at 87 alligators each,” Bryant said. “Alligator Management Zone 2 [south-central Arkansas] had seven alligators checked.”

Alligator hunting is by permit only in Arkansas. The AGFC issued 50 public hunting permits through a public draw system, with hunting allowed only on designated areas of certain WMAs, lakes and rivers in south Arkansas.

Alligator hunting on private property is managed through a quota system. Anyone may purchase a private land alligator hunting permit, but hunting season ends early if the quota for the alligator zone is met. This year, all zones remained open during the entire hunting season.

Alligator hunting in Arkansas is open from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise during the last two weekends each September. All alligators must be snared or harpooned by hand and subdued before being dispatched. Visit www.agfc.com/alligator for more information.

Arkansas tax revenue in first fiscal quarter down 2.6%

KUAR | By Talk Business & Politics Staff

Arkansas’ fiscal year-to-date (July 2024-September 2024) tax revenue is down 2.6% compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year. September collections were down 2.3% with the decline primarily from lower sales and use and corporate tax receipts.

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Total revenue in the fiscal quarter was $2.003 billion, down 2.6% compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year, but 1% above the budget forecast, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) reported Wednesday (Oct. 2).

Income tax revenue in the first fiscal quarter was $851.4 million, down 3.5% compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year and 3.9% above the forecast. Sales tax revenue in the quarter was $876.4 million, up 0.6% compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year and 0.6% below the forecast. Corporate income tax collections totaled $129.3 million, $31.3 million below the same period in the previous fiscal year and 6% below the forecast.

Arkansas tax revenue in first fiscal quarter down 2.6%

Former El Dorado mayor arrested on theft charge

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin today issued the following statement after special agents in his Public Integrity Unit arrested former El Dorado Mayor Veronica Creer on one count of theft of property, a C Felony:

“In October 2023, Veronica Creer closed out the bank account of El Dorado Crime Stoppers, a nonprofit organization for which she had previously been a board member. She withdrew all $23,544 in the account in the form of a cashier’s check, and a few months later she had the check redirected to another nonprofit, Parents United Against Youth Violence. Ms. Creer had not been active as a member of El Dorado Crime Stoppers’ board since 2016, though she was still listed as a signatory on the organization’s bank account. Her decision to withdraw the money and direct it to a different organization was not approved by anyone but her.

“Upon learning of Ms. Creer’s actions, the El Dorado Police Department notified Jeff Rogers, Prosecuting Attorney for the 13th Judicial District, who subsequently asked my office’s Public Integrity Unit to investigate. Special agents in my office arrested Ms. Creer this afternoon, and she was processed in Union County, where she will stand trial. The Special Prosecutions Division of my office will handle the case.

“I appreciate the work done on this case by my office and the El Dorado Police Department, and the cooperation of Prosecuting Attorney Rogers. We are all equal under the law, and I will continue to enforce the law.”

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Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin co-leads challenge to federal rule that would reduce monitoring of prisoners' calls

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin today issued the following statement after he and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita filed a lawsuit on behalf of Arkansas, Indiana, and 12 other state attorneys general challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) new rule that regulates phone service providers in prisons:

“The FCC can’t dictate to Arkansas prisons how they negotiate cost-sharing agreements with service providers, and it can’t arbitrarily and capriciously pre-empt state laws regulating prison operations. Funds derived from inmate phone use go toward covering needed security measures. Without proper security measures, what would stop inmates from conducting criminal operations over the phone? The FCC’s regulations are disconnected from the economic and practical reality of providing communication services to inmates, and they exceed the FCC’s statutory authority.

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“If these regulations go into effect, no one will benefit because prisons won’t be able to provide adequate security for phone calls prisoners make, and prisons may simply discontinue existing communication services, which means inmates won’t be able to make calls at all.”

Prisons negotiate contracts with communications service providers based on rate caps set by the FCC and use their portion of the revenue from these contracts to fund security measures and services that benefit inmates, including access to online legal libraries and remote religious services. The FCC’s new rule drastically reduces the rate caps, thereby making it nearly impossible for prisons to continue to invest in security measures to monitor calls.

Joining Griffin and Rokita on the lawsuit were the attorneys general of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia.

To read a copy of the complaint, click here.

Fort Smith officials push back against ‘misinformation’ with immigration rumors

by Tina Alvey Dale (tdale@talkbusiness.net)

The City of Fort Smith released a statement Monday (Sept. 30) to refute numerous unfounded social media reports suggesting the city is bringing illegal immigrants into the area. The statement also said the city is not incentivizing illegal immigrants to move into the city.

Over the weekend, a Facebook post from a Fort Smith Realtor that Talk Business & Politics has decided to not identify stated that her flight from Dallas to Fort Smith was filled with “a group of adult men all migrxxts.” She stated on the post that was shared more than 300 times that none of the men spoke English and that many were wearing new clothes with tags on them. She did not state how she knew the men were migrants.

“They all got off the plane and stood out in the front of the airport waiting to be picked up in Fort Smith. If anybody in our community thinks that this will not reach us in our area, think again. This group was intentionally flown here, and I’m assuming provided airfare to get here in this group,” the post states.

Fort Smith officials push back against ‘misinformation’ with immigration rumors

Judge rules against Crawford County Library’s ‘social section’ censorship

by Tina Alvey Dale (tdale@talkbusiness.net)

U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes III ruled against Crawford County in a First Amendment lawsuit regarding the removal and relocation of books largely because of objections from citizens to LGBTQ content.

In his ruling, issued Monday (Sept. 30), Holmes said the books in question are to be returned to their original locations in the county’s libraries. (Link here for the ruling.)

Attorney Brian Meadors filed a federal complaint May 30, 2023, against book censorship actions by the Crawford County Public Library System. The Crawford County Library earlier in 2023 approved the relocation of books largely with LGBTQ content. Attorneys representing the Crawford County Library System argued that the relocation of LGBTQ books was not a First Amendment violation and instead “strikes a balance” that is “constitutionally compliant” and meets the standards of the community.

Judge rules against Crawford County Library’s ‘social section’ censorship

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Supreme Court orders signature count on medical marijuana measure

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

The day after an advocacy group filed a lawsuit over the rejection of its signatures, the Arkansas Supreme Court on Wednesday (Oct. 2) ordered the disputed signatures of a proposed medical marijuana amendment, Issue 3, to be counted and it approved an expedited hearing to decide if the measure would be on the Nov. 5 ballot.

On Monday (Sept. 30), Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston said Arkansans for Patient Access (APA), the ballot question committee seeking approval of Issue 3, did not meet the signature threshold of 90,704. Thurston cited incorrect filings of signatures as his reason for the rejection.

The state’s high court ordered the following actions take place in response to the filing by Arkansans for Patient Access:

• A preliminary injunction is granted;

• Secretary of State John Thurston must verify the disputed signatures;

• The group’s requested hearing on Thurston’s decision will be expedited; and

• A special master will not be appointed to the case, in opposition to APA’s request.

Supreme Court orders signature count on medical marijuana measure