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The Garland County Quorum Court appointed Vivian Thomas to serve the remainder of the county treasurer's term. Ten justices of the peace voted for Thomas, who's been acting treasurer since Tim Stockdale retired last month with more than three years left on the term he was elected to last year.

Calhoun County voters will decide in March whether or not to approve a new half-percent sales tax, which County Judge Floyd Nutt is advancing to pay for local park improvements. Nutt is especially keen on using proceeds, which he anticipates will be up to $800,000 annually, to put a roof over one of the top assets in the county: Hogskin Arena, which hosts a number of rodeos a year. Making the 5,000-seat facility an all-weather attraction will help bring economic development to Arkansas' smallest county and provide more recreational opportunities for the area's rural population.

The U.S. Small Business Administration opened three outreach centers on Monday to assist Arkansans affected by severe weather June 25-26. SBA customer service representatives are available at Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) locations in Conway, Lonoke and Marked Tree, and a virtual DLOC, to help Arkansans apply for federal disaster loans.

Jerry Holmes of Heber Springs, a former Cleburne County judge and sheriff, announced this week he is running for the Republican nomination for Arkansas House ofRepresentatives District 41 seat next year with incumbent Rep. Josh Miller, R-Heber Springs, not seeking reelection.

More than $16 million in federal aid will go to four rural Arkansas hospitals that received preliminary approval for the funds Tuesday from state lawmakers. The full ArkansasLegislative Council today will vote on whether to disburse the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, aimed at covering costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arkansas received an initial pot of more than $1.5 billion for lawmakers to distribute, and legislators set aside $60 million in August 2022 as emergency relief for struggling hospitals.

On Sunday, October 8, the Clark County Arkansas Museum celebrated its 20th anniversary at the historical train depot in Arkadelphia. The seven founders of the Museum in 2003 were J Glenn Allen, Trey Berry, Shirley Graham, Bill Newberry, Blaine Smith, Charles Todd, and Laverne Todd. It was an honor to welcome Shirley Graham, Charles Todd, Laverne Todd, Abigail Fowler (niece of Blaine Smith), and Tom Newberry (son of Bill Newberry) to the celebrations. Dr. Trey Berry sent his reflections about the Museum’s milestone: “Here’s to us never ceasing to tell the story of the people of this area of our state. Clark County is such a special place and it remains so near and dear in our hearts. Congratulations on this wonderful day, everyone!”

Once again this Veterans Day, the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO) invite the nation’s 3,069 counties, parishes, and boroughs to join Operation Green Light and show support for veterans by lighting our buildings green from November 6-12.

The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management has awarded the Baxter County Office of Emergency Management with the 2023 Arkansas Whole Community Preparedness Award for exemplifying distinguished leadership in preparing Baxter County communities for disasters. The award was presented to OEM Director David Stults by Gary Regan, ADEM’s community preparedness coordinator, during a presentation at the Baxter County Quorum Court’s regular Tuesday session.

Gov. Sarah Sanders made several appointments to boards and commissions including the appointments of five new justices of the peace.