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Washington County showed off renderings of its new Department of Emergency Management building on Sept. 30. Washington County currently operates its Department of Emergency Management out of Lincoln, which is approximately a 40-minute drive from Fayetteville

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved the second volume of Arkansas’ initial proposal for the BEAD [Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment] program, according to a release from the Biden Administration and Gov. Sarah Sanders.

On September 9, the U.S. House passed the bipartisan Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access (COCOA) Act of 2023 (H.R. 6513) unanimously by voice vote. The U.S. Senate passed the measure with unanimous consent on September 24. The bill codifies the existing Election Observer Program, which sends trained congressional staff to monitor the casting and counting of votes in congressional elections.

Gov. Sarah Sanders recently announced several appointments including the appointments of three new justices of the peace.

The Saline County Courthouse, built in 1902, is being renovated after receiving a $216,060.00 grant from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Saline County matched the grant with $72,020.00, bringing the total project cost to $288,080.00.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced an additional $83,443,495 in financial assistance for nine water and wastewater projects. The projects serve more than 271,786 Arkansans. The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission approved this funding on September 18, 2024.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced her former deputy communications director will become her top communications director on Monday, more than a month after the role was vacated. In addition to being Sanders’ former deputy communications director, Sam Dubke also served as her speechwriter since February 2023.

On August 7, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) had become depleted, forcing the agency to transition to Immediate Needs Funding (INF) and halting more than $6.1 billion in recovery activities across the country. The DRF is a critical source of funding for disaster response and recovery efforts. Recent funding gaps have placed undue strain on state and local governments, hindering long-term recovery projects.

The Joint Judiciary Committee voted on Monday to recommend to the governor and other state leaders that the state pay the entire cost of district court judges’ salaries, lifting that burden from cities and counties.