LITTLE ROCK—Five individuals and an attorney have been charged with defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of over $11.5 million that was intended to benefit farmers who had been discriminated against. The indictment alleges that four sisters, one of their daughters, and a lawyer …

WASHINGTON — Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $237 million to help farmers, ag producers and rural-based businesses lower energy costs (PDF, 229 KB). The Department is providing 640 awar…

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Walmart cut the ribbon in Asheboro, North Carolina, Dec. 10, for a new VA-led Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations (ATLAS) services pilot location.

PINE BLUFF — Plans to eat healthy and stay active often go out the window around the holidays, Teresa Henson, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Extension specialist – nutrition outreach coordinator, said. Individuals can follow a few steps to ensure holiday cheer does not throw the…

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced joining an 18-state alliance urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that unnecessarily blocked construction on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and impedes the nation’s economic growth.

LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Department of Education are once again searching for the best computer science educator in the state.

LITTLE ROCK – The Secret Santa/Secret Sister scams are making the rounds again on social media. Save your money, postage and heartache, and keep on scrolling when you spot an offer that seems too good to be true. The scam works by requesting online “friends” to send relatively inexpensive gi…

A stop by Crystal Ridge Distillery in Hot Springs offers a chance to experience the mountain roots of Arkansas moonshine.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) and Office of Information and Technology (OIT) are working towards nationwide availability of virtual hearings for Veterans next year, allowing access using their mobile phone or laptop via the VA V…

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Education’s Office of Computer Science is pleased to announce that ADE is partnering with the Arch Ford Education Service Cooperative’s Virtual Arkansas division, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and the University of Central Arkansas at Con…

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) disability claims backlog reached its lowest point ever, Nov 23 from its previous record low achieved May 2018.

Hello friends and family! We started our day with door decorating ideas in crafts. Our door decorating judging contest will be the 24th, anyone can come in pick a resident door and decorate it for Christmas. You may be the gift card winner.

The Christmas season is coming on fully with events popping up every day. Church fills up a lot of days and nights as we approach Christmas day. Advent season is being acknowledged at many churches on Sundays and Wednesdays until Dec. 25. I also have a few organizations that have events to s…

Newton County AFC ranger Garland Matlock presents a Firewise check to Mt. Judea Fire Department board member Charles Pridmore (above) for three communities in their fire district and a Firewise check to Western Grove City Recorder/Treasurer Doug Lowery for Western Grove Fire Department. Ther…

I have fond memories of making candy during the holidays with my mother, mother-in-law and my little next-door neighbor, Cole. He and I always enjoyed making, messing and eating these special treats. The holidays is the only time my family made candy and I am sure for many of you that is the…

Vice President Betty Stivers conducted the December Friends of the Library meeting with nine members present.The FOL voted to be the county-wide 501 (c) 3 partner int he Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has ordered the United States flag and state flag of Arkansas to fly at half-staff in tribute to the memory of Fayetteville Police Officer Stephen Carr. Flags are to remain at half-staff until the day of interment.

LITTLE ROCK — The legislature created the Arkansas Trauma System 10 years ago, with passage of Act 393 of 2009.

The Newton County Court House will be closed Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 due to the death of Stacy Wheeler.

A proposal to create a Buffalo National River Discovery Center and house it in one of the old Harrison junior high school buildings came before the City Advertising and Tourism Promotion Commission (CATPC) at its November meeting. Dave Fitton, long-time Harrison resident and a former city co…

BERRYVILLE — Another hearing in the lawsuit filed regarding an $18 fee charged to property owners was held last week, but it will lead to a much more expansive hearing in February.

The over century-old Newton County Jail sits just off the Jasper square. It was closed in 2009 and the new jail was opened next door in 2012. It was used briefly as a community food pantry, but now it sits unused and is falling into disrepair. Mayor Jan Larson approached the quorum court Mon…

Newton County District 8 Justice of the Peace Arlis Jones is working to save the state Highway 7 Bridge that crosses the Buffalo National River at Pruitt. The bridge, located in his district, is scheduled for removal once a new span is constructed. It is scheduled for completion a year from now.

The Newton County Quorum Court passed the 2020 county operating budget in November, with the exception of the sheriff's office and jail budget which stands alone. The sheriff's budget was made separate by the quorum court a few years ago to improve management of the sheriff's funds and ensur…

The Jasper Board of Education met Nov. 18 and approved the district's master plan for construction, renovation, repair or other planned building fund expeditures for the next six years.

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Education is pleased to announce that $119,300 was awarded to 153 students and 20 schools under the Arkansas Advanced Placement Computer Science A Incentive Program. 

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced the charge and arrest of a Hot Springs Village man who faces 30 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing of matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, a class C Felony.

Fast Facts:

Fast Facts:

At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a final rule to move more able-bodied recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) towards self-sufficiency and into employment. The rule restores the system to what Cong…

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in collaboration with the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, introduced VA Solid Start which will proactively contact all newly separated service members at least three times during their first year of transition from the military.

Wreaths Across America

Fast Facts:

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is encouraging community members, individuals, businesses and organizations to help support hospitalized Veterans nationwide by turning good intentions into action on this International Volunteer Day Dec. 5.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the National Artificial Intelligence Institute (NAII) for advancing the health and well-being of Veterans, as part of the commemoration of National Veterans and Military Families Month in November.

Fast fact:

PINE BLUFF — December is a month of celebration, be it Christmas, Kwanza or Hanukkah, Easter H. Tucker, interim family and consumer sciences program leader for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, said. It also happens to be National Root Vegetable Month, providing a good opportunity to…

In 1949 LEGO, a family-owned Danish wooden toy company introduced a new plaything: a construction toy, based on the principle of interlocking individual plastic bricks. The “Automatic Binding Blocks” as they were first dubbed, proved popular, and within a few years became the foundation for …

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge applauds the U.S. Solicitor General for recommending the U.S. Supreme Court hear Arkansas’s case concerning the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), in which Rutledge seeks to ensure communities do not lose access to…

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced her support in keeping federal executions on schedule. Rutledge joined a multistate amicus brief backing the U.S. Department of Justice, which asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the currently scheduled federal executi…

LITTLE ROCK — Governor Asa Hutchinson today announced his intent to grant 11 pardons and one firearm rights only. An additional 41 clemency requests were denied and five had no action taken upon them. These include requests from both inmates and non-inmates.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — The Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has begun accepting proposal submissions for our Reduce Emissions from Diesels program (Go RED!) as of December 1, 2019.

LITTLE ROCK — The legislature created the Arkansas Trauma System 10 years ago, with passage of Act 393 of 2009.

During flu season, the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) produces a Weekly Influenza Report for clinicians. The report provides information on flu activity in the state. The report also compares influenzalike-illness (ILI) in Arkansas to activity in the U.S. ADH receives reports of only a …

LITTLE ROCK — Governor Asa Hutchinson today announced his intention to appoint Wendy Ryals to the Arkansas Parole Board. Ryals will replace Dawne Vandiver. Her term will begin on January 15, 2020, and expire on January 14, 2027.